Chapter Summaries

Lin Qiye and his companions entered the primeval forest to investigate a powerful Mystery after An Qingyu memorized a map of the area. They headed toward an abandoned logging camp where traces of a suspected ant-type Mystery had been found.

• Li Deyang welcomed his father and daughter, Little Tingting, who had brought him winter clothes and planned to stay at the nearby Gaoxing Hotel.
• An Qingyu said he had memorized the forest map and identified the route to the abandoned logging camp.
• Lin Qiye and the others discussed the unusually powerful Mystery and decided to investigate the changes inside the forest.
• As darkness fell, Lin Qiye led the group into the forest with their equipment and supplies.
• An Qingyu guided the group toward the logging camp, about three hours deeper in, where the suspected ant-type Mystery had left traces.

As Lin Qiye and his companions traveled through the Xing'an Mountains, An Qingyu told them a ghost story about a haunted forest and a Kingdom of the Dead. Lin Qiye sensed something nearby, and the group was attacked by a giant crimson ant that charged straight at Baili Pangpang.

• An Qingyu told Lin Qiye, Baili Pangpang, and Cao Yuan a legend about a missing guide whose face matched a dead figure seen in a haunted forest.
• An Qingyu explained that the legend claimed the missing guide had wandered out of an eternal Kingdom of the Dead and was trying to find his way home.
• Lin Qiye sensed something nearby and drew his blade, striking into the darkness as a piercing shriek rang out.
• A giant crimson ant burst from the forest, smashed a large tree, and charged at Baili Pangpang.
• Baili Pangpang cursed as a golden flash burst from around his neck.

Lin Qiye and the others killed a giant Worker Ant in the forest and identified it as a recently born Mystery. They suspected a Queen Ant led the colony, while An Qingyu’s examination suggested the Worker Ant had been hunting because it was starving.

• The giant ant sent Baili Pangpang flying, and Lin Qiye attacked it while An Qingyu identified the weak point in its head.
• Lin Qiye crippled the fleeing ant with darkness and killed it by stabbing its antennal groove.
• An Qingyu dissected the ant and concluded that it was a recently born Worker Ant belonging to an unknown Mystery species.
• Lin Qiye and the others suspected that a Queen Ant controlled the colony and might be at least Sea Realm.
• An Qingyu found the ant’s stomach nearly empty and suggested it had attacked them while hunting in extreme hunger.

Lin Qiye realized the starving Worker Ants might be spreading out from their nest to find food and planned to test an idea to locate it. Meanwhile, a giant ant abducted Tingting from a roadside hotel, and her grandfather ran into the night after it.

• Lin Qiye, An Qingyu, Baili Pangpang, and Cao Yuan concluded that the Worker Ants’ dwindling food supply could put nearby residents at risk if they did not find the Queen Ant soon.
• Lin Qiye told the others to spare the next Worker Ant they encountered so he could test an idea.
• Tingting and her grandfather arrived at the Gaoxing Hotel on the edge of the wilderness and settled into a room for the night.
• A giant ant smashed through the hotel window, abducted Tingting, and carried her toward the forest.
• Tingting’s grandfather chased after the ant, and twenty minutes later a heavy knock woke Li Deyang at the Anta County Forest Protection Bureau.

Li Deyang learned that a giant red ant had taken Tingting into the forest and set out with Chen Han to rescue her. Meanwhile, Lin Qiye and his team searched the Abandoned Logging Ground for a living giant ant and discovered someone inside the final building.

• The old man told Li Deyang that a giant red ant had abducted Tingting and fled into the forest.
• Li Deyang armed himself, ordered the old man to wait behind, and left with Chen Han, deploying Team 332.
• Lin Qiye, Cao Yuan, An Qingyu, and Baili Pangpang reached the Abandoned Logging Ground to search for a living giant ant.
• Lin Qiye used Mental Power to check several buildings, and the team found no trace of the ants.
• At the final building, Lin Qiye spotted a person behind the third window from the left on the second floor.

Lin Qiye and the others encountered a strange paper effigy at the abandoned logging ground and chased it into the forest, but it escaped. The discovery matched an old legend and left them wondering whether the eternal Kingdom of the Dead was real.

• Cao Yuan, An Qingyu, Baili Pangpang, and Lin Qiye saw a flat, pale paper effigy staring at them from a window in the abandoned building.
• The paper effigy vanished into the building, and Lin Qiye and An Qingyu rushed after it while Cao Yuan and Baili Pangpang followed.
• Lin Qiye sensed the effigy fleeing into the forest, and the four chased it but fell behind and lost track of it.
• Lin Qiye found no signs that the effigy was a living creature, a Mystery, or controlled by a Forbidden Ruin, while An Qingyu regretted not being able to dissect it.
• Cao Yuan connected the encounter to an old legend about a paper effigy at a logging ground and raised the possibility of an eternal Kingdom of the Dead deep in the forest.
• Lin Qiye concluded that the forest held more secrets than they had imagined.

Lin Qiye and his companions made camp in the forest, where Baili Pangpang turned their wilderness setup into a lavish campsite. During Lin Qiye’s watch, a Red Giant Ant carrying an unconscious girl appeared at the edge of the forest, and he offered it a piece of steak.

• Lin Qiye chose a clearing for the group to rest and set a watch schedule, but Baili Pangpang filled the tents with luxurious supplies and cooking equipment.
• Li Deyang and Chen Han followed the Red Giant Ant’s tracks and found footprints from four other people, whom they suspected were Lin Qiye and his companions.
• Lin Qiye woke to take his watch while Baili Pangpang made coffee and served him steak and snacks.
• Lin Qiye spotted the Red Giant Ant carrying an unconscious girl at the forest’s edge and held up a piece of steak as if inviting it closer.

Lin Qiye captured a giant ant and used its mind to learn the general direction of the nest, then rescued the girl it had carried from the train. The group set off toward the nest with the girl, while An Qingyu offered Lin Qiye his coat.

• Lin Qiye severed the Red Giant Ant's legs and freed the girl it had been carrying.
• Lin Qiye invaded the ant's mind and learned the general direction of its nest, planning to keep searching its thoughts to adjust their route.
• Lin Qiye recognized the girl from the train, covered her with his jackets, and decided to bring her along rather than lose time returning to Anta County.
• Cao Yuan carried the unconscious girl while Baili Pangpang prepared pizza for her to eat when she woke.
• An Qingyu offered Lin Qiye his coat, explaining that his frost genes kept him from feeling cold.

Lin Qiye and his companions rescued Li Tingting from the forest and reunited her with her father, Li Deyang. They concealed that they had captured the giant ant, but its muffled pounding inside Baili Pangpang’s iron case drew Li Deyang’s attention.

• Li Tingting woke on Cao Yuan’s back, recognized Lin Qiye and the others from the train, and trusted them after Lin Qiye mentioned her father.
• Baili Pangpang gave Li Tingting pizza and a drink as the group continued through the forest.
• Li Deyang and Chen Han followed the group’s footprints and caught up with them as dawn broke.
• Li Tingting ran to Li Deyang, who checked her for injuries and embraced her.
• Lin Qiye and his companions claimed they had simply found Li Tingting and denied seeing a red ant.
• Banging came from Baili Pangpang’s iron case, and Lin Qiye dismissed it as unruly wild game.

Li Deyang tried to force Lin Qiye and the others to leave the forest, but they overpowered him after he pointed his hunting rifle at them. While An Qingyu treated his injuries, Lin Qiye maintained that they were filming a documentary and introduced the group with a series of dubious roles.

• Li Deyang sent Chen Han to take Li Tingting back, then stayed behind to make Lin Qiye and the others return.
• After the others refused to leave, Li Deyang aimed his hunting rifle at them and threatened to shoot.
• Lin Qiye and the others subdued Li Deyang and took the rifle from him.
• An Qingyu treated Li Deyang's wounds as Lin Qiye questioned why he had tried to grab the rifle back.
• Li Deyang challenged their claim that they were documentary filmmakers, and Lin Qiye described An Qingyu as a doctor, Cao Yuan as a cameraman, and Baili Pangpang as a rich landlord's foolish son.

Lin Qiye and the others continued through the forest with the injured Li Deyang, who tried to stop them from going farther. As they rested near their destination, Baili Pangpang produced two steaming hot pots from the woods, leaving Li Deyang stunned.

• Li Deyang warned Lin Qiye that the group could not continue, but Lin Qiye had Cao Yuan and An Qingyu help him onward.
• After roughly two hours, Lin Qiye called a rest because they were nearing their destination and an approaching battle required them to recover.
• Li Deyang offered the group his frozen compressed biscuits, but Lin Qiye declined and sent Baili Pangpang to find food.
• Baili Pangpang returned with a steaming yin-yang hot pot, beef rolls, and tripe, astonishing Li Deyang.
• When Li Deyang challenged Baili Pangpang to catch another hot pot, Baili Pangpang returned minutes later with a tomato-and-beef hot pot.

Lin Qiye and the others questioned Li Deyang about strange legends in the forest, but he dismissed them and refused to go farther. When a swarm of giant ants surrounded the group, Li Deyang prepared to make a path for them, and Lin Qiye called for them to kill the ants.

• Lin Qiye asked Li Deyang whether he had heard of supernatural legends in the woods, and Li Deyang guessed the group was searching for legendary ruins and treasure.
• Li Deyang denied that paper effigies or a Kingdom of the Dead existed in the forest, though Lin Qiye recalled seeing a paper effigy himself.
• Li Deyang refused to continue farther, but the Worker Ant trapped in Baili Pangpang's iron box began thrashing, and Lin Qiye realized they could not leave safely.
• Red Worker Ants and five stronger black Soldier Ants emerged from the forest and surrounded the group; An Qingyu explained that the trapped ant had likely sent a distress signal.
• Li Deyang took Baili Pangpang's weapons and vowed to open a path for the others, while Lin Qiye drew his sabers and ordered them to kill the ants.

Lin Qiye and his companions battled a swarm of giant ants in the forest, with Mumu and A Zhu joining the fight alongside Cao Yuan, An Qingyu, and Baili Pangpang. Lin Qiye advanced on the Soldier Ants, and the chapter left three of the five still facing him after his allies disabled two and he tore off another’s forelegs.

• Lin Qiye sent Mumu into the ant swarm with blades and hurled the frightened A Zhu into the fight, where A Zhu used Spider Silk to bind ants and draw out their souls.
• Cao Yuan, An Qingyu, and Baili Pangpang fought the ants with malevolent qi, frost and Eerie Silk, and the Wind Thunder Scroll broom.
• Lin Qiye used Divine Might Descends to crush nearby Worker Ants under his pressure, then killed them with his twin swords.
• Cao Yuan and An Qingyu disabled two of the five Soldier Ants charging Lin Qiye.
• Lin Qiye used darkness to tear off a Soldier Ant’s forelegs, leaving it tumbling in front of him.

Lin Qiye and his companions fought off the giant ants, and Lin Qiye captured a Soldier Ant to use as a guide. After the battle, he ordered Mumu and A Zhu to gather the corpses and tried to convince the dazed Li Deyang that they had come to film a documentary.

• Lin Qiye used Hong Yan's strength and dragon breath to kill one Soldier Ant, then slew another with lightning and his twin blades.
• Lin Qiye disabled a third Soldier Ant and carved away its legs and feelers so it could serve as a guide.
• Cao Yuan suppressed the Black King's baleful aura by himself, though the effort left him weak.
• Mumu excitedly devoured the giant ants' armored spikes after the others finished fighting the Worker Ants.
• Lin Qiye ordered Mumu and A Zhu to collect the corpses, then asked Li Deyang if he believed they had come to film a documentary.

Lin Qiye used the giant ants' corpses to complete a new Dimensional Summoning contract, then followed the Soldier Ant to an Earth Crack at the fog's edge. As the group prepared to descend into the suspected ant nest, Li Deyang insisted on going with them.

• Lin Qiye drew a Dimensional Summoning Magic Array around the giant ants' corpses and completed a contract that made the bodies disappear.
• Lin Qiye's group continued toward the fog with Li Deyang following after learning their strength.
• The Soldier Ant led them to a deep Earth Crack, which An Qingyu judged had appeared within the last two years and was not caused by natural geological movement.
• Lin Qiye warned that the ant nest below might hold a Queen Ant at the Sea realm and many River-realm ants, then told Li Deyang to wait above.
• Li Deyang refused to stay behind, saying his Forbidden Ruin would be strong in the narrow terrain.

Lin Qiye and his companions discovered more than four hundred Worker Ants in the fissure, but chose to infiltrate the nest and target the Queen Ant rather than retreat. Lin Qiye disguised himself as a Worker Ant and found a massive white giant ant at the end of the fissure.

• Lin Qiye sensed at least four hundred Worker Ants at the bottom of the fissure and realized the nest had grown over two years.
• Li Deyang urged the group to withdraw and wait for the Special Squad, but Lin Qiye and the others decided to continue their mission.
• Lin Qiye proposed disguising himself as a Worker Ant to search for the Queen Ant, then descended alone while his companions waited above.
• Lin Qiye transformed into a red Worker Ant and blended into a line of ants moving through the fissure.
• After about five minutes, Lin Qiye reached the end of the rift and spotted a huge white giant ant lying on the ground.

Lin Qiye infiltrated the Queen Ant’s nest and used Mumu as an explosive tribute to badly wound her, but the Queen Ant survived and fled. Lin Qiye pursued her while his four companions rushed toward the explosion and drew a swarm of ants.

• Lin Qiye realized the Worker Ant procession was carrying food to the Queen Ant and that he needed a convincing tribute to avoid exposing himself.
• Lin Qiye sent Mumu atop the food pile, and the Queen Ant swallowed Mumu and the offerings in one bite.
• An explosion from Mumu severely wounded the Queen Ant, but Mumu escaped by teleporting back to their original plane.
• The Queen Ant staggered toward a cave as the Worker Ant procession fell into chaos, and Lin Qiye transformed back and pursued her.
• Lin Qiye’s four companions heard the explosion, rushed toward him on a golden Yaoguang flying sword, and attracted a swarm of Worker Ants climbing the rift walls.

Lin Qiye pursued the wounded Queen Ant into a cave while the others fought to reach him. Li Deyang collapsed the rift valley to clear the ant swarm, and Baili Pangpang piloted Yaoguang into the cave with the group.

• Lin Qiye slipped past the Soldier Ants, chased the Queen Ant to a second nest, and forced his way through the Worker Ants guarding its cave.
• An Qingyu spotted Lin Qiye entering the cave, and Baili Pangpang steered Yaoguang toward it while Cao Yuan hesitated to draw his sword.
• Li Deyang stopped Cao Yuan from using his Forbidden Ruins and leaped down to break the ground beneath the Worker Ants.
• Li Deyang's attack shattered the rift valley again, sending the ants and Li Deyang falling into the fissure.
• An Qingyu pulled Li Deyang back to Yaoguang with Eerie Silk, and Li Deyang explained how his Forbidden Ruins had triggered the collapse.
• Baili Pangpang led the group into the cave after asking about Li Deyang's Myriad Phenomena Vibration.

Lin Qiye followed the wounded Queen Ant into a vast underground chamber and discovered an ancient Bronze Giant Gate built into an impenetrable black wall. He concluded that the Queen Ant had escaped from beyond the gate, abandoned the pursuit, and found himself surrounded by pale paper figures.

• Lin Qiye followed the Queen Ant’s blood trail into a huge underground space and discovered a finely constructed grayish-blue brick wall.
• Lin Qiye found an enormous Bronze Giant Gate set into a black wall, which repelled his Mental Power and blocked his perception.
• Lin Qiye examined a large tunnel and realized that it had been dug outward from behind the wall long ago, meaning the Queen Ant had escaped from beyond the gate.
• Lin Qiye decided to stop pursuing the Queen Ant and turn back, but pale paper figures surrounded him in the darkness.

Lin Qiye was nearly transformed by the paper figures but escaped by leaping into the Queen Ant’s tunnel. His companions found the ancient Bronze Giant Gate and prepared to follow him, only for it to begin opening on its own.

• The paper figures drained Lin Qiye’s strength and began turning him into one of them, but he interrupted the transformation with a miracle.
• As the figures attacked and tried to reconnect their eerie aura to him, Lin Qiye leaped into the Queen Ant’s hole to escape.
• Baili Pangpang, Cao Yuan, An Qingyu, and Li Deyang entered the underground hollow and found a Han Dynasty-era wall and a strange Bronze Giant Gate.
• An Qingyu determined that the black wall and Bronze Giant Gate were not made by humans, while the group found Lin Qiye’s tunnel nearby.
• As Lin Qiye’s companions prepared to enter the tunnel, the Bronze Giant Gate began opening outward.