Chapter Summaries

Qiu Tu presented evidence that Yan Chen had ignored warnings about an Alliance ambush, but Yan Chen’s allies concealed the second report until Qiu Tu revealed his recording. The hearing was thrown into crisis when Secretary Bai died after accusing Qiu Tu of illegal interrogation and cooperation with evil gods, and Speaker Huang unexpectedly changed course for New Realm City.

• Qiu Tu told Liu Xiongyuan that he had submitted two reports warning Yan Chen about the Alliance’s plans to attack his convoy, and Director Zhao confirmed Yan Chen had read them.
• Director Zhao said Yu Zhengyi had taken the second report, but Yu denied it and claimed he had returned it.
• Qiu Tu revealed that his office camera had recorded the report being written and collected, leaving Yu Zhengyi exposed as a liar.
• Tan Huimin informed Qiu Tu that Secretary Bai had died after accusing him of abusing private punishment, illegally interrogating officials, and cooperating with evil gods.
• Liu Fuping received word that Speaker Huang had changed his route and was coming to New Realm City.

Qiu Tu learned how the Heavenly God Trial could weaken the stronger gods and recruited Zhao Ji to his side, then sought to secure more Trial Takers and win over Qing Lan. The chapter ended with him offering Qing Lan a Heavenly God Level or compensation in exchange for joining their plan.

• Zhao Ji explained that gods above Seventh Order would lose strength as they used their Calamity Power in the Edge Area, giving Qiu Tu and her a chance to win before the Isolation Mountain Range collapsed.
• Qiu Tu asked Zhao Ji about her combat strength, and she said she could kill opponents up to mid Eighth Order but could not defeat an Eighth Order Peak opponent.
• Zhao Ji agreed to let Qiu Tu choose the two remaining Trial Takers, and he selected Zhu Wu and sought a meeting with Qing Lan.
• Qing Lan sent Qiu Tu a meeting place and time, and he met her at Crimson Purple Lake the next afternoon.
• Qiu Tu offered Qing Lan a chance to take a second Heavenly God Level or receive compensation if none appeared, causing her expression to change.

Guan Xiao reported that an unseen presence at Deputy Director Wu's Home had terrified the local insects and birds and watched her and Miao Xiaoxiao, leading her to suspect an evil god's avatar. Qiu Tu began investigating the report, while Shen Ling Shuang, mistaking Guan Xiao and Miao Xiaoxiao for romantic rivals, decided to prove herself by helping solve the case.

• Guan Xiao told Miao Xiaoxiao how she had suspected something was wrong at Deputy Director Wu's Home, then sensed an invisible presence watching them and endured the night without revealing her fear.
• After escaping the area, Guan Xiao contacted Qiu Tu and went with Miao Xiaoxiao to his office at the Investigation Department.
• Guan Xiao reported that the insects and birds had fled Deputy Director Wu's Home and that an unseen presence had made her feel she would be killed if she showed any sign of noticing it.
• Qiu Tu asked whether the presence could have been a Calamity Ability or Cataclysm Creature, and Guan Xiao argued that its strength and pressure suggested an evil god's avatar.
• Shen Ling Shuang saw that Miao Xiaoxiao was unclothed after transforming, then suspected that Guan Xiao and Miao Xiaoxiao were romantic rivals and resolved to help identify the avatar.

Qiu Tu kept Yao Qin occupied in the underwater ruins while delaying repairs to the World Passage, and she eventually realized he was impersonating Tang Lang. Yao Qin chose not to expose him, deciding to play along for a few days as she considered whether Qiu Tu was stalling to prepare a defense against Star Founder God King.

• Qiu Tu refused Yao Qin’s advances at first, but she approached him, and he recalled her people’s destruction and the jade pendant Zhao Ji had lent him.
• After Yao Qin left, Qiu Tu continued delaying the repairs and suspected she had seen through his disguise.
• Yao Qin concluded that Qiu Tu was not Tang Lang after noticing his unfamiliar techniques and stamina, but she refrained from attacking because she feared driving his allies into hiding.
• Yao Qin reconsidered Qiu Tu’s claims about Tang Lang and Star Founder God King, deciding some were true and some false while recognizing Star Founder viewed her as expendable.
• Yao Qin suspected Qiu Tu was stalling to gain time to resist Star Founder God King, and decided to keep playing along while she investigated his intentions.

Consort Xi revealed that her Two Realms Mirror was a Special Treasure Item, and Qiu Tu learned how Kou Xuan had anticipated his plans for the Heavenly God Trial and the Northwest Region. After Consort Xi and Qiu Tu grew closer, she urged him to become the Northwest King and force his way into the Eighth Order.

• Consort Xi told Qiu Tu that Tang Feifei had briefed her and Kou Xuan on the Heavenly God Trial, explaining how she learned about Special Treasure Items.
• Consort Xi showed Qiu Tu the Two Realms Mirror, which could project him to places he had visited and cross the World Barrier; the World Origin confirmed it was a Special Treasure Item.
• Consort Xi explained that Kou Xuan had deduced Qiu Tu’s plan to use the Mist Veil Society as a scapegoat while reclaiming authority in the Northwest Region.
• Qiu Tu and Consort Xi became intimate, and her loyalty to him increased.
• Consort Xi told Qiu Tu that she and Kou Xuan believed he should move quickly to become the Northwest King and force his way into the Eighth Order.

Qiu Tu obtained Zhao Ji’s Absolute Perception notes for Tang Feifei and ordered Dusk Night to investigate the Mist Veil Society’s plans in the Northwest. In the Dream Palace, Consort Xi revealed that the Queen was her cousin and belonged to the Kou Family, explaining the family’s political ties to King Kang and its hostility toward her.

• Zhao Ji rated Tang Feifei’s talent highly and gave Qiu Tu an Ink Jade containing her experience with Absolute Perception for him to pass on.
• Qiu Tu told Dusk Night to receive the Mist Veil Society’s incoming Fifth Order Peak Great Evil God and investigate the four members of the 7th Shelter.
• Qiu Tu went to sleep early with the Dream Invitation and met Consort Xi in the Dream Palace, where he noticed a photograph of a beautiful woman.
• Consort Xi identified the woman in the photograph as the Queen, her cousin, and revealed that the Queen’s surname was Kou.
• Qiu Tu realized the Queen’s identity explained the Kou Family’s support for King Kang, its power in the Sixth Shelter, and its bitter opposition to Consort Xi.

Zheng Tao learned that his promotion and his past “grace” tied him to La Riluo, who ordered him to send his wife, Tan Huimin, to infiltrate Qiu Tu’s circle for intelligence. After Zheng Tao told Tan Huimin he had gambled and lost her to Qiu Tu, she stared at him in disbelief.

• A superior revealed that Zheng Tao’s promotion was partly due to La Riluo’s influence and ordered him to have Tan Huimin become Qiu Tu’s personal secretary.
• Zheng Tao accepted the assignment, while La Riluo told the superior that Qiu Tu’s secrets and intelligence channels made the mission worth any price.
• Zheng Tao returned to his office and found Tan Huimin had cleaned it and prepared a hot meal for him.
• Tan Huimin said she would do anything to help Zheng Tao, and he asked her to spend the next few days with Qiu Tu.
• Zheng Tao claimed Tan Huimin could infiltrate Qiu Tu’s side because he had gambled with Qiu Tu and lost her to him, leaving her staring at him in disbelief.

After rewarding Yan Yan for helping entrap Ai Li, Qiu Tu instructed her to accuse him so she could regain Ai Li’s trust and provide Huang Shangzong with grounds to intervene. The accusation achieved both aims, and Huang Shangzong used it at an emergency Speaker Meeting to propose transferring Qiu Tu and the other people involved out of New Realm City.

• Qiu Tu rewarded Yan Yan, whose Loyalty rose to 34, then told her to report him to the Investigation Team to win back Ai Li’s trust.
• Yan Yan followed Qiu Tu’s instructions, accused him, and took responsibility for guiding Ai Li, leading the two women to reconcile.
• The Investigation Team and New Realm City officials dismissed Yan Yan’s accusation as unreliable because of her ties to Yan Chen and Ai Li.
• Huang Shangzong used the accusation to convene an emergency Speaker Meeting and argue that the New Realm City Investigation Department had caused trouble.
• With Ye Mingfeng supporting his position, Huang Shangzong proposed transferring Qiu Tu, Yu Zhengyi, Lin Ting, the section chiefs involved, and Ai Li and her colleagues out of New Realm City.

Qiu Tu used the internal review of his former investigators to raise their loyalty by shielding them from blame while displaying his influence. The review ended with him revising their statements, and the investigators began to realize he was treating those who had defended him more favorably.

• Qiu Tu sat down to interrogate Cao Dabiao, Chen Feng, Ding Xiaoliu, Ding Xiaoqi, and Zhu Huoyan, and their loyalty rose when he appeared.
• Liu Fuping read the investigators’ charges, and Qiu Tu claimed he had taken over the review despite his involvement in the operation.
• Qiu Tu ordered Song Qing to destroy her notes, signaling that he could control the interrogation record and prompting another rise in loyalty.
• Cao Dabiao accepted blame, and Qiu Tu guided him to describe the mission’s failures as understandable circumstances rather than deliberate misconduct.
• Qiu Tu changed Ding Xiaoqi, Shi Zhang, and Su Yun’s statements to assign them greater responsibility while revising Chen Feng and others’ statements in their favor.
• The investigators connected Qiu Tu’s favorable treatment of Chen Feng and the others to their having spoken up for him in the Detention Room.

Qiu Tu explained to Liu Fuping how he had secretly arranged for Jia Wei to confess through Song Qing, revealing that Jia Wei was a puppet and the murderer of Director Liu’s son. He began to explain that his deal with La Riluo involved Liu Fuping and Director Liu, but the chapter ended before he disclosed the details.

• Liu Fuping brought Qiu Tu dinner and asked how he had turned Song Qing into an interrogation expert.
• Qiu Tu took Liu Fuping to question Jia Wei privately and revealed that Jia Wei followed La Riluo and had killed Director Liu’s son.
• Qiu Tu explained that Jia Wei was a puppet controlled by his main body, which was why Zheng Tao’s torture had yielded no information.
• Liu Fuping realized Qiu Tu had signaled Jia Wei and that Song Qing’s selection had prompted the confession, not any interrogation technique.
• Qiu Tu said he had only promised Song Qing a spell called Imperial Jade Liquor, 180 a cup, and began explaining that his agreement with La Riluo concerned Liu Fuping or Director Liu.

Tang Feifei, Qiu Tu, Liu Xiongyuan, and Qin Shuman organized a secret operation to capture three evil gods in New Realm City, choosing Evil Moon as the primary target. The assault began, but the other targets were already dead, and Evil Moon hinted that the gods had anticipated the plan as Qin Shuman failed to reach Qiu Tu.

• Tang Feifei assigned Qiu Tu and Liu Xiongyuan to attack Evil Moon while Qin Shuman's team contained Whale Shark and Dusk Night.
• The officials and families were evacuated from the City Hall villa district as forces assembled at the three target locations.
• At 9:15, Emerald Dragon Yi Yi descended, Liu Xiongyuan transformed, and Tang Feifei destroyed Deputy Director Wu's villa to force Evil Moon out.
• Evil Moon mocked the attackers and claimed the evil gods had noticed their surveillance and learned that they had obtained the Area Master.
• Qin Shuman's forces found Captain Hu Guang and Cao Songqing dead, and her attempts to contact Qiu Tu went unanswered.

Qiu Tu contacted La Riluo through the Ancient Coin and claimed that he had betrayed her followers because he loved her and wanted to become her pope. La Riluo was left confused by his confession as Qiu Tu began to offer her information about Moonlight Lake.

• Qiu Tu repeatedly used the Ancient Coin until La Riluo answered and angrily confronted him for contacting her during the day.
• La Riluo recognized Qiu Tu and accused him of betraying her and wasting the resources she had spent cultivating Jia Wei’s avatars.
• Qiu Tu explained that the captured followers could not have been rescued and that he had made them detonate at the same time.
• When La Riluo demanded to know why he had eliminated Jia Wei, Qiu Tu claimed he wanted to become her pope and confessed that he liked her.
• La Riluo struggled to make sense of Qiu Tu’s confession, while he recalled the Emotional Scam Manual and tried to make her more receptive.
• Qiu Tu insisted that he had never betrayed La Riluo and said he had already found out when Moonlight Lake would finish forming.

Qiu Tu learned that Zhao Ji and La Riluo had fused and left for Chaos West Capital, where they planned to exploit the conflict surrounding the Destruction Royal Court’s investigation. In a recording, Zhao Ji explained her new fusion skill and revealed that she had also created an Innate Divine Skill for Qiu Tu.

• Ilena sent Qing E to deliver an intelligence report to Qiu Tu, describing how a Life Path expert had severely injured a Level Four God King in Chaos West Capital.
• Qing E congratulated Qiu Tu on advancing to Second Level God King and gave him Ilena’s report, but could not read his reaction.
• After the celebration, Qiu Tu summoned Guan Xiao, who confirmed that Zhao Ji and La Riluo had merged and left the Wine God Kingdom.
• Guan Xiao told Qiu Tu she had arranged intelligence support for Zhao Ji and presented him with an Image Retention Stone.
• In the recording, Zhao Ji explained that her Twin Fusion skill let her merge with La Riluo and wield both Life and Destruction Paths, and said they intended to use the Chaos West Capital conflict as an opportunity.
• Zhao Ji revealed that she had created an Innate Divine Skill for Qiu Tu and left its combination formula at the end of the recording.

Qiu Tu reported detailed intelligence about the Immortal Heavenly Tomb’s plans to Ilena, who believed his information and summoned Heavy Stone and Han Hai to hear it. Meanwhile, Heavy Stone and Han Hai speculated that Qiu Tu had gone to Ilena to pass the dangerous mission to someone else.

• Qiu Tu left the formation to report his intelligence to Ilena while Heavenly King Zhi Yan and Li Feng suspected he had been with a woman.
• Qing E told Ilena that Qiu Tu had made no visible progress on the Immortal Heavenly Tomb mission, and Ilena learned he had arrived to see her.
• Qiu Tu told Ilena that he had investigated the recent activities of the Immortal Three Giants, despite not leaving the Wine God Kingdom.
• Qiu Tu said he had captured and interrogated a core God King of the Immortal Heavenly Tomb, then presented detailed intelligence about the group’s plans and progress.
• Ilena accepted the report as credible and ordered Qing E to bring Heavy Stone God King and Han Hai God King to the hall.
• Heavy Stone and Han Hai discussed Qiu Tu’s visit, and Han Hai guessed that he intended to shift the mission onto someone else.

Qiu Tu explained how he manipulated He Xin’s investigation to legally clear Eagle of suspicion in Wu Zhi’s death. As Qiu Tu turned to his next plans, Huang Shangzong ordered his officials to set the case aside and focus on East Industry State’s development and La Riluo.

• Qiu Tu told Tang Feifei that he had controlled the timing and scope of the investigation into Wu Zhi’s death by arranging for He Xin to investigate Eagle.
• Qiu Tu recounted how he healed Eagle, planted fake blood evidence, and used Zheng Tao and Ji Chen’s records to lead He Xin into clearing Eagle legally.
• Qiu Tu finished speaking with Tang Feifei, then summoned La Riluo to discuss contacting Zhao Ji.
• Huang Shangzong angrily reprimanded an official after He Xin’s investigation fell into Qiu Tu’s trap and damaged the Supervision Bureau’s reputation.
• Huang Shangzong ordered his officials to pause the investigations into Wu Zhi and Qiu Tu, prioritize East Industry State’s development, and ask about La Riluo’s capture.

Qiu Tu redirected La Riluo after realizing Little Yaksa had been captured near Pang Hai Chen, then arranged an escort to protect her from pursuit. After showing Dusk Night the Boundless God Crystals of Beauty Wind and Yasha, Qiu Tu proposed using Dusk Night to take control of the Mist Veil Society’s forces in the northwest region, and the chapter ended with Yasha being brought to him.

• Qiu Tu learned La Riluo was at the Stars Villa Complex, suspected Pang Hai Chen might intervene, and ordered her to return to the Boundless Mind Sea - East City Area while Scarface and the Captain went to meet her.
• La Riluo flew toward the Area Channel with Little Yaksa imprisoned, while a cloaked pursuer turned back after detecting Scarface and the Captain’s powerful auras.
• Qiu Tu questioned Dusk Night about contacting the Mist Veil Society’s higher-ups, then showed him Beauty Wind’s and Yasha’s Sixth Order Boundless God Crystals.
• Qiu Tu proposed that Dusk Night recover his strength and take over the leaderless Mist Veil Society forces in the northwest region, and Dusk Night considered the plan despite fearing it could be a trap.
• A figure emerged from the study’s shadow, knelt before Qiu Tu, and announced that Yasha had been brought there.

North God King revealed that the Order God King had trapped the Four Divine Kings into becoming Pseudo God Kings, making them enemies of the new Heavenly Gods. As Takikawa Ei’s hidden Heavenly God incarnations joined the battle, Zhao Ji prepared to unleash a costly ability, but Qiu Tu proposed another plan and promised to protect her; the chapter ended as Zhao Ji’s power began to surge.

• North God King explained how the Order God King’s scheme bound the Four Divine Kings to their world and forced them to drive out other Heavenly Gods.
• Takikawa Ei argued that the conflict with new Heavenly Gods could not be reconciled, then attacked North God King and South Divine King while Zhao Ji fought West Divine King.
• Takikawa Ei summoned six Heavenly God Level incarnations, revealing how she had expanded her strength as a Pseudo God King.
• Qiu Tu realized he might be able to neutralize the incarnations and asked Zhao Ji to follow his plan instead of sacrificing this life.
• Zhao Ji agreed to Qiu Tu’s plan after he promised to protect her, then challenged Takikawa Ei and began gathering power.

Tang Feifei arranged for Qiu Tu to be considered for Minister of the Political Department, while privately admitting she had acted out of fear of losing influence over him. As the Investigation Headquarters began its selection meeting, Yue Zaitian resolved to block Qiu Tu, but an unexpected visitor interrupted the proceedings.

• Tang Feifei told Qiu Tu she had claimed to her family that she knew and approved his plan, then explained that she had arranged for the Fengtian Faction to support his appointment.
• Qiu Tu and Tang Feifei spent the night together, and she later reflected that she had acted to keep him close as his power and status grew.
• Qiu Tu woke after Tang Feifei left and guessed that her help had been motivated either by a desire to bind him emotionally or by a deal with her family.
• Yue Zaitian reviewed Qiu Tu's record and, after Huang Shangzong urged him to intervene, decided to prevent Qiu Tu from becoming Minister of the Political Department.
• Yang Zaiwen began introducing the two candidates for the New Realm City post, but a knock interrupted the meeting.

Man Huang delivered Qiu Tu’s letter to the North God King, who appointed her ambassador and ordered her to remain by Qiu Tu’s side. Shao Hua failed to contact the South Divine King, while Qiu Tu drew the hidden South Divine King out of hiding and identified him as White Robe, also known as Bai Yu.

• The North God King praised Man Huang, offered her the vacant Siyuan Pavilion master position, and heard her decline because she felt Shu Xia had the stronger claim.
• The North God King appointed Man Huang Northern Kingdom Ambassador and ordered her to relay information between him and Qiu Tu, then sent her back with a folding fan confirming his agreement to Qiu Tu’s matter.
• Shao Hua tried to contact the South Divine King with his talisman, but it transformed into a golden lily bearing a teasing message from her uncle instead.
• Shao Hua angrily threw down the golden lily, then resolved to handle the crisis herself and began considering her next move.
• Qiu Tu met a mysterious visitor in his study and revealed that the visitor was White Robe, Lao Bai, Secretary Bai, or the South Divine King, Bai Yu.

Qiu Tu learned that Yan Chen was advancing by swallowing La Riluo and realized he could not safely stop him. He planned to delay Yan Chen’s advancement so he would miss the chance to become East Industry State’s Deputy Speaker, then called Sister Liu for help.

• Qiu Tu watched Yan Chen’s Law Projection and learned from Secretary Bai about Fourth-Order Calamity Descendants, their powers, and the risks of assimilation.
• Qiu Tu told Qin Shuman how Yan Chen had trapped and swallowed La Riluo, then asked whether he could interrupt Yan Chen’s advancement.
• Qin Shuman warned that stopping Yan Chen would make Qiu Tu an enemy of the Shelters and would be nearly impossible because Yan Chen was protected by a defensive domain.
• Qiu Tu proposed delaying Yan Chen’s advancement until after East Industry State was established, preventing him from becoming Deputy Speaker and creating time to build influence in the Investigation Department.
• After ending the call with Qin Shuman, Qiu Tu called Sister Liu and asked her for help.