Chapter Summaries

Black Mountain Imp and Wazai fought elite players on their respective battlefields, each using a different strategy to gain the upper hand. Black Mountain Imp overwhelmed his opponent with a powerful fusion, while Wazai defeated Baka Cat by trapping him in the sea.

• A hot-blooded Prison Player defeated Black Mountain Imp’s Golden Bull Guard but faced Black Mountain Imp and his monsters, including the Law Offering Knight Commander.
• Black Mountain Imp fused the Dungeon King and Silver Mask Warlock into a Silver Mask Dungeon King, leaving the Prison Player unable to stop him.
• Baka Cat struck Wazai with Meteoros Starfall, but Wazai survived by hiding in the sea.
• Wazai emerged beneath Baka Cat and attacked, forcing him to roll into the water and leaving him at a disadvantage.
• Baka Cat admitted that Wazai had outmaneuvered him, and Wazai won the battle.

Brother Bang Ying stunned Landfall with a defense-focused build that endured devastating attacks and let him use healing items in the middle of combat. Their long battle continued with both fighters exhausted, while the spectators began piecing together the secrets of his build.

• Landfall was shocked when Brother Bang Ying survived his spells with only a fraction of his health lost, and spectators wondered about the newcomer’s build.
• Brother Bang Ying praised Landfall’s strength, then charged as the two resumed their grueling fight.
• As Landfall wore him down, Brother Bang Ying ate Replenish Wax Blocks in front of him, prompting Landfall to unleash Miteros Torrent.
• Brother Bang Ying stood firm through the torrent, which ran out of mana before breaking through his armor; Brother Bang Ying was left with no health.
• Landfall and Brother Bang Ying silently ate Replenish Wax Blocks at the same time, while spectators joked and speculated about his defense-and-poise build.

Brother Bang Ying lost to Landfall but gained recognition for showcasing his new playstyle. Niuniu then countered a Prison Player’s kiting strategy with poison fog, taunts, and explosives, winning the match and inspiring other players to copy him.

• Brother Bang Ying lost to Landfall after demonstrating his high-margin-of-error playstyle to many players.
• Niuniu used poison fog and Foul Dung Gas to block his opponent’s vision and undermine his kiting strategy.
• Niuniu taunted his opponent into charging through the fog, where Niuniu defeated him with an explosion.
• Niuniu celebrated his victory and claimed that his Explosive Bull Crotch playstyle could not be easily countered.
• Players watching Niuniu’s match praised or condemned his tactics, while other Explosive Bull Crotch players began adopting the anti-kiting strategy.

During the Burning Competition, Wang Dao used his Fire Offering ability to summon a terrifying arthropod monster that overwhelmed his opponent. After the Prison Player knight logged off, the monster turned on the living dead and then itself, leaving Wang Dao furious about the creature he had drawn.

• Players developed underhanded tactics against one another in the Burning Competition, including sleep bolts, stealth attacks, and debuff-focused strategies.
• Wang Dao faced a Prison Player knight while living dead crowded the battlefield, then began drawing a monster with his Fire Offering Power.
• Wang Dao transformed into a blood-soaked arthropod creature that bit apart the knight’s sword energy and transformed nearby living dead into smaller monsters.
• The monsters immobilized the Prison Player knight and tore into his abdomen until he logged off, giving Wang Dao the victory.
• The summoned monster devoured the living dead and then itself, draining Wang Dao’s health as he vowed never to summon it again.

Tianji watched the tournament’s top players trade wins and losses while Brother Mangzi battled Niuniu. Brother Mangzi used a Daylight Bubble and his Tinder instincts to catch Niuniu, leaving Niuniu surrendering.

• Guagua complained to Tianji about losing to Not Deaf, then learned Landfall had been Tianji’s opponent and urged Tianji to avenge her.
• Tianji watched the other top players, as Yuanfang defeated Black Mountain Imp, Li Miao beat Not Deaf, and Brother Yu defeated Brother Bang Ying.
• Mushroom and Feng Xiaoyin fought an evenly matched battle while Brother Mangzi chased Niuniu around the battlefield.
• Brother Mangzi activated a Daylight Bubble, bit down on it, and charged while relying on his Tinder talent to locate Niuniu.
• Brother Mangzi caught Niuniu, who admitted defeat and begged him to stop hitting him.

Tianji defeated Niuniu’s expectations by winning his earlier battle, then faced Yuanfang in a fierce Candlelight Arena match. Yuanfang ultimately trapped Tianji with a prepared thorn trap, and Tianji conceded after recognizing the gap between them.

• Tianji, Landfall, and Guagua discussed Brother Mangzi’s unexpected victory over Niuniu, and Tianji warned against underestimating opponents.
• Tianji entered the Candlelight Arena and found Yuanfang waiting as his next opponent.
• Tianji and Yuanfang exchanged rapid attacks, spells, arrows, special items, and Wet Feather Remnant Souls while spectators struggled to follow the fight.
• Yuanfang’s thorn trap pierced Tianji’s calf, and Tianji conceded because Yuanfang was positioned to finish him.
• Tianji realized Yuanfang had lured him into the trap by exploiting his impatience, while Yuanfang bluntly said he was stronger.

Li Miao fought Brother Mangzi in a fierce battle before Yuanfang won the final stage of the Burning Competition. After three days, the competition rankings were announced, with Yuanfang in first place and Li Miao in second.

• Li Miao and Brother Mangzi exchanged heavy blows, then agreed to settle their battle with one final strike.
• Brother Yu defeated Not Deaf, while players joked that his matchups and fishing luck had helped him advance.
• Yuanfang defeated both Li Miao and Brother Yu in the final stage, though Brother Yu briefly rose to second place in points.
• After three days, the first Burning Competition's final rankings placed Yuanfang first, Li Miao second, Tianji third, and Brother Yu fourth.

Rogue distributed the Burning Competition ranking rewards in a special hall, where Yuanfang claimed powerful equipment and tokens for special areas and exclusive quests. The rewards left Yuanfang positioned to take on future tasks for Rogue.

• Players debated the lower competition rankings and joked about Brother Miaozi losing his former title to Yuanfang.
• Rogue opened a Reward Hall and let players watch the top ten claim their prizes.
• Yuanfang received the Head of Candlelight title and opened the Supreme Competition Chest.
• Yuanfang equipped the Unnamed Law Hand, which let him reduce spell chanting time and cast two spells of the same type at once.
• Yuanfang received three Candle Keeper's Tokens, while lower-ranked players received fewer tokens or none, and Rogue planned to use reliable players for future explorations.

After the Burning Competition, Yuanfang, Li Miao, and Tianji visited Candlelight Hall to inspect their rewards, and Yuanfang used a token to enter a dangerous special region. Elsewhere, players exploring new maps found the Leckmod Family Ruins and debated what its lore revealed about the Path of Kindling Fire.

• Li Miao praised the three players’ new weapons, suggested names for Yuanfang’s magic hand, and helped him settle on Giant Salt Exchange Hand.
• Rogue congratulated Yuanfang, Li Miao, and Tianji on their competition results and offered them access to two dangerous special regions.
• Yuanfang used one of his tokens and entered a spatial passage to explore a special region while Li Miao and Tianji held onto theirs.
• Players discovered the Leckmod Family Ruins, where surviving text connected the dungeon to Nearshore Cave and its family knight’s story.
• Players found an Ancestral Lingering Soul in the ruins’ cemetery, and its dying words about the Path of Kindling Fire being cut off sparked theories about Tainted Fire and the world’s lore.

Storyteller launched a video series reviewing Spirit Candle Tinders for new players, explaining the system and rating popular low-tier options. He gave the Law Knight five stars, briefly covered the widely mocked Drowned Flower, and began introducing the Iron Mask Warlock.

• Storyteller announced a new Tinder rundown series to help new Spirit Candle players choose among the growing number of Tinders.
• Storyteller explained Tinder categories and warned that bloodlines with special abilities prevented players from kindling other Tinder Forms unless they reconstructed their Candle Spirit Physique.
• Storyteller rated the Law Knight Tinder five stars, praising its melee strengths while noting its heavy, slow form.
• Storyteller briefly discussed the Drowned Flower Tinder as players flooded the comments with jokes and poor ratings.
• Storyteller introduced the Iron Mask Warlock as a melee Sorcery Style Tinder, prompting enthusiastic reactions from players.

The Storyteller rated the Law Enforcer Tinder four and a half stars, praising its boosts and control skill while noting its limited prayer synergy and supposedly difficult acquisition. Players shared their experiences and discovered its Gulad emblem tattoo, but Prayer Master players were annoyed that their representative Tinder had a late, unimpressive introduction.

• The Storyteller reviewed the Iron Mask Warlock Tinder, described its strengths and talent flaw, and gave it four and a half stars.
• The Storyteller introduced the Law Enforcer Tinder, explaining its abilities, late appearance, and four-and-a-half-star rating.
• Players discussed the Law Enforcer's control skill and pointed out that its Tinder was readily available at Candlewood Island's market stalls.
• Players discovered the Law Enforcer Tinder Form bore a golden Gulad Empire emblem tattoo and joked about it in the comments.
• Prayer Master players complained that the Law Enforcer had appeared late and been treated like cannon fodder compared with other representative Tinders.

The Storyteller reviewed the Blood-Clad Priest and Blade of Fury Tinders, comparing their strengths and drawbacks while players debated their usefulness. The discussion then turned to Dung Ghoul Adhesion, whose association with the infamous Explosive Bull Crotch build left its players pretending they had never used it.

• The Storyteller rated the Blood-Clad Priest three and a half stars, noting its survival benefits and the risk of losing control when mental attributes were low.
• Players disagreed over whether the Blood-Clad Priest’s Madman Style was worth its side effects.
• The Storyteller praised Brother Wolf’s Blade of Fury for its Dodge-enhancing Cage Combat talent and Blood of Madness sustain skill, giving it five stars despite its fire weakness and low durability.
• Players praised the Blade of Fury and reflected on Brother Wolf’s tragic story.
• The Storyteller introduced Dung Ghoul Adhesion, and players connected it to the Explosive Bull Crotch build before denying they had ever used it.

Storyteller finished introducing mainstream Spirit Candle fireseeds as the game entered its Age of Exploration, while Brother Bang Ying posted his high-toughness build guide and players praised and joked about it. Meanwhile, Yuanfang continued searching the bone islands for clues about the Fragmented Core, unaware that a dim red flame appeared behind him after he left the second island.

• Storyteller introduced the Deep Sea Worm and Statue Totem fireseeds and described Spirit Candle’s update adding more than twenty maps.
• Brother Bang Ying posted his Bang-Ying Style guide, combining the Law Knight and Shedding Giant fireseeds with defensive skills and equipment.
• Players praised Brother Bang Ying’s build, discussed its difficult requirements, and joked about his PvP footage enduring Miteros Torrent.
• Yuanfang searched a second bone island for information about the Fragmented Core but found nothing useful.
• Yuanfang left the island to continue exploring, and a dim red flame flickered in the darkness behind him.

Yuanfang defeated Yinding, a Fallen Fire sent by Ashes, and learned how Yinding had served the Ash Guide. The Guide revealed that Yinding was already dying, and his jaw fell off as his life force drained away.

• A black-masked man watched Yuanfang depart and dismissed warnings to be careful of a Candle Spirit.
• Yuanfang severed Yinding's arm and overpowered him, prompting Yinding to surrender.
• Yinding identified himself as a former Firewood Collector turned Fallen Fire and said Ashes had ordered him to attack Yuanfang.
• Yinding explained that the Ash Guide had promised him eternal life in exchange for serving Ashes, and that it had devoured his Witch's soul.
• The Ash Guide told Yinding to remove his mask, revealing rotting flesh beneath it, then said Ashes' disappearance required time.
• Yinding's life force drained away, and his jaw fell to the ground.

Yuanfang uncovered a possible link between Ash Guide and the heretical powers associated with the Firewood Collectors, while Rogue collected Navo’s research materials for creating a New Bloodline. Li Miao received a new message from Zered, who appeared through the anchor and thanked him for his gift.

• Yuanfang examined Yinding’s corpse, connected Ash Guide’s corruption to the ashes mentioned on Zero Island, and suspected an organization lay behind it.
• Rogue recovered the Fragmented Core, rewarded Yuanfang, and sent him into another special area before noting Ash Guide as intelligence to share with Clemo.
• Navo told Rogue that Spirit Candle power could be combined with his technology to create a New Bloodline, and Rogue collected the researched components.
• Li Miao watched players test a Tinder Form combining Feathered Patrol and Wet Feather, which could fly, swim, and walk but moved slowly.
• Li Miao received a notice that Zered’s Anchor had a new message, activated it with Warfire, and heard Zered thank him for the gift.

Li Miao received four gifts from Zered after sending him antiques and liquor, then showed them to nearby players. The players admired the unusual items, especially an Epic consumable called Breath of the Spirit Caller.

• Li Miao thanked Zered for the gifts and put Zered's Anchor into his inventory.
• Li Miao recalled that Brother Yu had helped him find anglers who could trade him antiques and liquor for Zered.
• Nearby players gathered around Li Miao, and he displayed the four items Zered had sent.
• The players reacted excitedly to the Soul Maggot, Drowned Knight's Rusted Helm, and Wailing Tongue Cloth of the Vile Soul.
• Li Miao examined the final gift, Breath of the Spirit Caller, an Epic consumable that awakened the consciousness of a low-level dead thing.

Li Miao secured the rare Breath of the Spirit Caller, while Brother Mangzi fought a Molten Body Berserker in the volcanic crater. Inspired by Brother Mangzi’s words, the lion cub Ligardel resolved to become a true warrior, but a shockwave sent him tumbling down the crater.

• Li Miao examined the Breath of the Spirit Caller, discussed its possible uses with the players, and stored it in his inventory.
• Brother Mangzi entered the crater of Volcanic Ashstone Island and faced the Molten Body Berserker in hand-to-hand combat.
• Ligardel watched Brother Mangzi’s fight and admired his strength and sense of fairness.
• After hearing Brother Mangzi call his opponent a true warrior, Ligardel resolved to stop running away and become one himself.
• A tremor from the battle knocked Ligardel off his footing, and he rolled down from the crater rim.

After defeating the Molten Warrior, Brother Mangzi found a frightened Little Lionfolk in the dungeon and offered to help him find a powerful Werewolf Warrior. They set off together, with Brother Mangzi feeding the apparently starving cub, while he still did not know why the Little Lionfolk was there.

• The Molten Warrior died, and Brother Mangzi collected his drops before returning to the crater.
• Brother Mangzi startled a Little Lionfolk, then apologized when he realized the frail creature was no enemy.
• The Little Lionfolk asked whether Brother Mangzi had seen a powerful Werewolf Warrior, and Brother Mangzi offered to help search.
• Brother Mangzi and the Little Lionfolk set out through the dungeon, and Brother Mangzi grew angry at the thought that the werewolf might have mistreated him.
• Brother Mangzi gave the Little Lionfolk dried fish he had won from Not Deaf, and the cub eagerly ate it.

Brother Mangzi realized Ligardel was searching for him in his werewolf Tinder Form and decided to hide his identity while judging whether he could teach him. Ligardel wanted to become a True Warrior by overcoming his fear, but when a Lava Lizard Monster attacked, he fled at remarkable speed.

• Ligardel told Brother Mangzi that he had sought the werewolf who fought the Molten Warrior so he could become his master and learn to be a True Warrior.
• Brother Mangzi confirmed that Ligardel meant him, but chose to conceal his identity until he knew whether he was qualified to teach.
• Ligardel admitted that he wanted to stop trembling and running from terrifying enemies, and Brother Mangzi steadied him and urged him to answer with conviction.
• A Lava Lizard Monster sprang at them, and Ligardel ran to a distant corner at astonishing speed.
• Brother Mangzi punched the Lava Lizard Monster, knocking it down until it turned to ash.

Brother Mangzi explored the darkness with Ligardel, who showed a strange, emotion-linked change in his body, then went alone down a dangerous path. Meanwhile, Rogue sent Yuanfang on another mission, and Li Miao asked the Prison Players for advice on how to use an epic item that could awaken a dead thing.

• Brother Mangzi killed a Lava Lizard Monster and called Ligardel out of hiding, then continued exploring with him while asking about his situation.
• Ligardel gradually trusted Brother Mangzi, who noticed that his body changed size and shape with his emotions.
• Ligardel found a dangerous path beneath a fissure, and Brother Mangzi went down alone to investigate while Ligardel waited.
• Rogue accepted Yuanfang's last token and sent him to another special area, deciding to preserve the game's rules despite wanting to use him for more missions.
• Li Miao asked the Prison Players how to use an epic consumable that could awaken a low-level dead thing, and Storyteller advised testing his preferred targets in order.
• Li Miao worried that the item might be consumed even if the effect did not work, and Storyteller could offer no reassurance.