Chapter Summaries

Xia Nan watched a Fire Elemental emerge from Life Energy and slaughter several adventurers before a Thorn Demon adventurer attacked it with Shadow Energy. Recognizing the Thorn Demon's combat movements as possibly belonging to Lorraine, Xia Nan intervened and struck the Fire Elemental's core with force-field energy, dispersing its body into a sparkling blue orb.

• A Flying Falcon adventurer touched the Life Energy, which transformed into a Fire Elemental, and the flames killed him and a fleeing gazelle adventurer.
• The Fire Elemental killed a cheetah adventurer and a hyena adventurer, while Xia Nan observed its speed and apparent immunity to physical attacks.
• A Thorn Demon adventurer attacked the Fire Elemental with a Shadow Energy-wrapped spear, then used its wings to strike and retreat.
• Sasha recognized the Thorn Demon's movements as resembling Lorraine's, and Xia Nan decided to help the adventurer confirm whether it was Lorraine.
• Xia Nan charged the Fire Elemental with a Longsword and used force-field energy to scatter its fiery core, dispersing it into a sparkling blue orb.

Xia Nan reunited with Lorraine, learned how she had survived and evolved in the Secret Realm, and absorbed the Life Energy from the battlefield. The energy triggered his fifth evolution, and he chose the mysterious Battle-Hardened Blade Master path.

• Xia Nan confirmed that the Thorn Demon was Lorraine, then introduced her to Sasha and Sarisa.
• Lorraine recounted how she had survived, killed unfamiliar adventurers to absorb their Life Energy, and learned that deaths in the Secret Realm weakened adventurers in the real world.
• Lorraine agreed that Xia Nan should absorb the remaining Life Energy because he had evolved furthest and could use Combat Skills.
• Xia Nan absorbed the Life Energy from four adventurers and the Fire Elemental, improving his Combat Skill proficiency and reaching the Secret Realm's evolution limit.
• Xia Nan rejected the Arcane Hunter Hound and Frost-Source Wolf King paths, then selected Battle-Hardened Blade Master.

After completing his fifth evolution, Xia Nan became a Black Wolf and learned that the Secret Realm’s boundary was contracting faster as Dodd’s ritual neared its end. Elsewhere, Tie Ge fled an Air Elemental into a cave, fell into a dragon’s hoard, and was killed by the Red Dragon Hatchling’s mother.

• Xia Nan evolved into a Black Wolf, grew stronger, and formed a Longsword from black forceful energy.
• Lorraine urged the group to hurry, and Xia Nan saw that the Secret Realm’s boundary was contracting faster.
• Tie Ge, wounded while fleeing an Air Elemental, entered a cave that opened into a vast chamber full of Gold Coins.
• Tie Ge encountered a Red Dragon Hatchling and realized its parent was nearby.
• The mother dragon killed Tie Ge, while the hatchling curiously watched the glowing blue sphere left behind.

Dodd, still short of his fourth evolution, activated the ritual’s final safeguard as the shrinking boundary ushered in the last stage. All surviving Adventurers gained the ability to sense one another, and the Life Energy left by each death doubled.

• Dodd defeated a powerful Water Elemental with crystal spikes but absorbed too little Life Energy to evolve.
• Dodd sensed that fewer Adventurers remained and judged the allied group on the opposite side of the map to be easy prey.
• When the boundary turned crimson, Dodd decided to activate his authority, trading his exclusive location-sensing advantage for doubled Life Energy from fallen Adventurers.
• Dodd triggered the authority, spreading an invisible ripple throughout the Ritual Secret Realm and giving all surviving Adventurers the ability to sense one another.
• A Ground Rat Adventurer and a huge Falcon Adventurer reacted to the new ability, while the Abyssal Black Wolf and its companions noticed it after defeating a Striped Giant Tiger.
• The Red Dragon Hatchling briefly sensed the other Adventurers, then ignored them and tried to glide with its growing wings.

After Dodd gave every participant the ability to sense others’ locations, the Secret Realm’s battles intensified, and Xia Nan’s group accelerated its hunts. Dodd completed his Fourth Evolution and began targeting lone adventurers, leaving Xia Nan’s still-intact group for later.

• Dodd granted every adventurer in the Secret Realm the ability to sense other participants, triggering a surge in hunting and deaths.
• Xia Nan killed a Rhino Adventurer, absorbed its Life Energy, and gained proficiency in his combat techniques.
• Lorraine and Sarisa warned that Dodd was likely beginning his final harvest, so Xia Nan’s group chose to hunt faster.
• Dodd completed his Fourth Evolution after killing a Grey Rat Adventurer, gaining new claws and stronger control over elemental energy.
• Dodd noticed Xia Nan’s four-person group but avoided attacking it until he had adapted to his new body, choosing lone targets instead.

Xia Nan hunted the remaining adventurers during the Secret Realm’s final stage, while Dodd prepared to complete his evolution and become Transcendent. With only a few factions left, Dodd headed toward a lone adventurer he believed would provide the Life Energy he needed for the Fifth Evolution.

• The Thunder Eagle Adventurer sensed a target, but Xia Nan crossed the plains at great speed and killed him with a Wolf Howl and a swift attack.
• A Burrowing Worm Adventurer searched underground for a vanished target, then entered a tunnel and was killed by a Great Dragon.
• Dodd’s Crystal Horned Lizard killed a giant bovine creature and absorbed its Life Energy, bringing Dodd closer to the Fifth Evolution.
• Dodd sensed that one of the two remaining teams had eliminated the other, leaving a four-person team among the last factions.
• Dodd concluded that the lone adventurer at the center of the map was weak and concealed, and moved toward it to gain the Life Energy needed to evolve.

After his Fourth Evolution, Dodd used his earth magic to track a hidden adventurer underground, only to stumble into the lair of Alton, a Red Dragon whose Dragon Might overwhelmed him. Dodd escaped with his life and, still hoping to reach his Fifth Evolution, turned his attention to a nearby party of four adventurers.

• Dodd assessed his new Six-Legged Lizard body and hurried to find a hidden adventurer whose Life Energy could push him toward his Fifth Evolution.
• Dodd summoned a sandstorm, detected that the adventurer was underground, and dug through the earth to reach them.
• Dodd broke into a golden cavern and saw Alton, whose Dragon Might left him terrified and unable to think clearly.
• Dodd used his life-saving ability to flee to the surface, badly weakened, while Alton ignored the disturbance and fell asleep.
• Dodd reasoned that the hidden adventurer was probably relying on the Red Dragon's protection and, seeing four adventurers nearby, resolved that he still had a chance.

As the Secret Realm neared its end, Xia Nan and his companions searched for Alton and Dodd, whose life signs had disappeared underground. Dodd, eager to complete his Fifth Evolution, charged toward the group, only to realize too late that Xia Nan was missing from the figures before him.

• Xia Nan learned that only Dodd and Alton remained alive besides his squad, and the group hurried to support Alton as the two points of light converged.
• Xia Nan arrived at a clearing marked by scattered yellow sand but found no sign of Alton or Dodd; Lorraine suspected they were underground.
• Xia Nan and his companions searched for an underground passage while Dodd, having fled from a Dragon Nest, pursued the adventurers to gather enough Life Energy for his Fifth Evolution.
• Dodd reached the squad and saw Lorraine, Sasha, and Sarisa, but his confidence faltered when he realized Xia Nan was not among them.
• Dodd turned toward his side and saw a darkness deeper than the Abyss.

Xia Nan killed the Earth-Yellow Lizard possessed by Dodd, ending the ritual and triggering the Secret Realm’s collapse. Before returning to the real world, Xia Nan absorbed Dodd’s Life Energy and secured substantial upgrades to his abilities.

• Dodd’s shattered defenses left him unable to resist Xia Nan, who beheaded him with a powerful combined strike.
• Xia Nan saw Dodd’s Life Energy above the corpse, but stayed alert in case the death was a diversion.
• The Key to the [Dreamweaver Corridor] ritual began collapsing after Dodd’s death, shaking the Secret Realm and blurring Xia Nan’s consciousness.
• Xia Nan realized the Lizard had truly been Dodd and leapt to absorb the Life Energy before the Secret Realm vanished.
• Xia Nan gained attributes and proficiency, raising [Ember Echo] to Level 3, [Heavy Tide] to Level 5, and [Meteor Blade Hunt] to Level 4.

After escaping the Ritual Secret Realm, Xia Nan returned to Stodd Island with greatly improved attributes and skills, ready to test his abilities in a decisive battle. As the Windforged and Raging Waves War Gang faced tensions over their actions in the Secret Realm, a group of Shahua Mermen ambushed them and killed Fink.

• Xia Nan returned to his human body, gained four Attribute Points, and found that Gravity Control was one point short of leveling up.
• Xia Nan landed safely in the sea using Gravity Control and Tidal Shaping, then saw that Dodd and the fading Ritual Secret Realm remained at the island's center.
• Leslie confronted Fink for betraying him in the Secret Realm, but captain Sefeng shut down the argument to protect himself and Fink.
• Members of the Raging Waves War Gang turned uneasy looks toward Tie Ge over the poor results of his plan to gather the team in the Secret Realm.
• Fink demanded that Xia Nan explain what had happened in the Secret Realm, but Magic Missiles struck him from behind and Shahua Mermen rose from the sea.

Xia Nan and the weakened adventurers faced a Shahua Merman army as it attacked the coast. After deciding he needed allies to confront Dodd, Xia Nan charged beneath the sea to target the Merman Priests, while the Murloc Commander chose to attack the adventurers on shore.

• The Murloc Commander targeted Xia Nan with three spells, but Xia Nan dodged the Flame Sphere and resisted or blocked the other attacks.
• Xia Nan decided to fight alongside the coastal adventurers so he could gain allies against Dodd and reach the Key to the Dreamweaver Corridor.
• As the mermen came ashore, Xia Nan used [Tooth Hunt] to sprint over the water and dive beneath the sea toward the Merman Priests.
• The Murloc Commander sent guards to intercept Xia Nan, then went ashore to attack the adventurers while they fought off the Murloc Minions.

The weakened adventurers initially pushed back the Shahua Mermen, but the Murloc Commander turned the battle against them and killed Leslie and Tong Yan. As the commander faced Sefeng and Tie Ge, a terrifying black Wolf Beast erupted from the sea and devoured a fleeing Murloc Priest.

• Tie Ge and the Raging Waves War Gang, alongside Sefeng and Windforged, fought off the Shahua Merman Minions while Alton's music strengthened the adventurers.
• The Murloc Commander arrived, hurled a trident through Leslie, and crushed his head, reversing the momentum of the battle.
• Sefeng and Tie Ge led an assault on the commander, but it fought off their group and crushed Tong Yan's skull.
• The commander noticed a sea stained blue with murloc blood and saw a terrified Murloc Priest trying to escape above the water.
• A black Wolf Beast leapt from the sea and snapped up the Murloc Priest, leaving its severed remains to fall into the water.

Xia Nan killed all three Murloc Priests, turning the battle in the adventurers’ favor, while the Murloc Commander badly wounded two adventurers. Tie Ge and Sefeng struck back, and Xia Nan finished the commander from behind.

• Xia Nan used his speed and resistance to mental spells to kill the first Murloc Priest beneath the sea.
• Xia Nan killed a second Priest and broke its summoned Spiritual Weapon, then chased the last Priest to the surface and killed it.
• The Murloc Commander lured Tie Ge, Sefeng, and two other adventurers into an attack, then struck down the two adventurers with its harpoon.
• Tie Ge and Sefeng attacked the commander while the changed Lute music briefly froze it, allowing them to wound its leg and stab its side.
• Xia Nan emerged behind the wounded commander and pierced its head with his sword, destroying its skull.

Xia Nan helped the adventurers defeat the Shahua Mermen, then divided the spoils and discussed the failed ritual and Dodd’s weakened state with Tie Ge and Sefeng. The group set out for the port, fearing the Murlocs had attacked their ships and surrounded the island.

• After the Murloc Commander died, the Shahua Mermen lost morale, and Xia Nan and the adventurers killed or drove off the remaining fighters.
• Xia Nan reviewed how his strengthened skills had performed, while Tie Ge and Sefeng assessed their losses and thanked him for his help.
• The adventurers distributed the spoils, giving Xia Nan the most valuable equipment and recognizing Alton’s contribution to the battle.
• Alton told Xia Nan that he had survived the Secret Realm as a Red Dragon Hatchling, and Xia Nan realized why Alton had lasted until the ritual’s final stage.
• Xia Nan told Tie Ge and Sefeng what he had learned about Dodd’s ritual, and they concluded Dodd had failed to advance and might have suffered a backlash.
• Xia Nan said he needed to return to the port, and Tie Ge and Sefeng hurried to check their ships after realizing the Murlocs might have surrounded the island.

After the advancement ritual failed, Dodd fled toward a hidden ship while the Shahua Mermen attacked the weakened adventurers on Stodd Island. Lorraine struggled against their commander until Xia Nan arrived and killed it, creating an opening in the battle.

• Dodd recovered from the failed ritual, considered the consequences of his betrayal, and decided to escape while the Shahua Mermen slaughtered the adventurers.
• The Shahua Mermen launched a coordinated assault on the island, attacked the adventurers' ships, and scattered their defenses into isolated groups.
• Lorraine fought the Murloc Commander but was pushed back by its harpoon, magic protection, and lightning attacks.
• A zither note restored the adventurers' stamina as Xia Nan raced toward the battle and resisted the mermen's spells.
• Xia Nan used Gravity Control and Heavy Tide to unbalance the Murloc Commander, then cut off its head.

Xia Nan and the adventurers defeated the Shahua Mermen at the dock, then debated how to respond to Dodd while some teams considered withdrawing. With their ships damaged and Murlocs still surrounding the harbor, they agreed they needed to find Dodd and captured Flynn, whom Sefeng forced to drink a Truth Potion.

• Xia Nan, Alton, and the adventurer teams helped Lorraine’s side turn the battle and slaughter the Shahua Mermen at the dock.
• Aken surveyed the Oath of Vengeance Blades’ wounded and saw Xia Nan standing beside Lorraine near the Murloc Commander’s corpse.
• A gloomy captain tried to withdraw, but learned his ship needed at least three days of repairs and returned to the group.
• Xia Nan warned that Shahua Mermen remained concealed in the surrounding waters, and the captains focused on finding Dodd instead of retreating.
• Lorraine’s crew brought Flynn before the captains, and Sefeng poured a Truth Potion down his throat after Flynn refused to reveal anything about Dodd.

After Dodd’s failed advancement, he fled across a murloc-ravaged Stodd Island toward a hidden escape route, unaware that Flynn’s interrogation had exposed it. Xia Nan and a force of adventurers reached the eastern shore and charged toward the distant fighting, where Dodd’s trail led.

• Dodd crossed the bloodied streets while Shahua Murloc Minions slaughtered civilians, then headed for the hidden harbor he had prepared in case his advancement failed.
• Dodd noticed drag marks pointing toward his escape route and secretly followed a murloc squad hauling civilian bodies toward the coast.
• After Flynn revealed Dodd’s backup plan under truth serum, Tie Ge killed him, and Xia Nan led nearly forty adventurers toward the eastern shore.
• Xia Nan’s group fought murlocs along the way, while he explained that the Shahua Mermen were collecting sacrifices for a ritual.
• The adventurers reached the coast, heard fighting ahead, and Tie Ge led the charge toward the shore with Xia Nan and the others following.

Dodd discovered that the Sahuagin had destroyed his escape ship and piled the island’s dead beside a massive altar for their ritual. When Ulk declared that Dodd was also their property, Dodd tried to kill him and flee, but Ulk’s enchantment stopped him, leaving Dodd surrounded as an explosion erupted on the coast.

• Dodd found his ship wrecked and saw the bodies of islanders, Adventurers, and his Sailors piled beside the Sahuagin altar.
• Ulk explained that Dodd’s deal with the Sahuagin had given them everything on the island, including Dodd himself.
• Dodd tried to bargain for his life, then lunged at Ulk with a dagger and fled when the priest’s barrier blocked the strike.
• Ulk cast an enchantment that prevented Dodd from retreating, forcing him to turn and face the approaching Sahuagin.
• Dodd removed his concealing cloak, and a violent explosion rang out along the coast.

Xia Nan’s group reached the shore and found the dying Dodd battling the Sahua Mermen, with the [Dreamweaver Corridor] Key around his neck. Dodd sacrificed himself in a blast, and Ulk began a ritual with his corpse as the Adventurers realized they had to stop him.

• Tie Ge and Sefeng led the Adventurers to the shore, where they saw Dodd surrounded by dead murlocs and gravely wounded.
• Xia Nan recognized the [Dreamweaver Corridor] Key beneath the chain around Dodd’s neck.
• Dodd warned the Adventurers about Ulk’s altar, then ignited his remaining Life Force and died in an explosion that wounded nearby Murloc Commanders.
• Ulk survived the blast, summoned murlocs from the sea, and used magic to drag Dodd’s corpse toward the corpse pit.
• Xia Nan and another Adventurer noticed the ritual beginning and urged the others to stop Ulk.

After Dodd died in his own explosion, the stranded adventurers fought the surrounding Shahua Mermen, hoping to defeat their leader and escape Stodd Island. Murloc Priest Ulk targeted six key adventurers with Slow Spell as he sought to turn the battle in his forces’ favor.

• Tie Ge rejoiced at Dodd’s death, while Sefeng’s gloom lifted and Lorraine suppressed her complicated feelings about losing her chance to avenge Lyle Molton.
• Lorraine organized the Oath of Vengeance Blades as the adventurers prepared to fight the approaching murlocs and target Ulk.
• Xia Nan charged toward Ulk to reach the Key at Dodd’s corpse, while the adventurers’ ranged attacks struck a barrier raised by two Murloc Commanders.
• The adventurer teams held their lines against the murlocs, with Tie Ge, Sefeng, Lorraine, and their allies fighting while Alton strengthened the group from the rear.
• Ulk observed Xia Nan resist two underwater Priests’ spells and bypass his guards, then selected six adventurers for his Slow Spell.
• Ulk cast Slow Spell at Lorraine, Tie Ge, Sefeng, Sasha, Xia Nan, and a gloomy adventurer he identified as a useful target for breaking the battlefield’s balance.