Chapter Summaries

Cheng Tian used his enhanced egg-stealing skill to locate and retrieve dragon eggs, while the Great Commander and Merlin followed him to learn more about his balanced approach. The group encountered a human-faced Poisonous Bird Demon outside an abandoned nest.

• Cheng Tian discovered that his Humanoid Bird Wyvern MAX skill could locate hidden nests, retrieve viable eggs, and send them to his faction for research or hatching.
• Cheng Tian realized that retrieving and returning eggs could improve wild monsters’ breeding survival, though stealing eggs could still provoke them to attack.
• The Great Commander watched Cheng Tian and wondered how he knew the Ancient Tree Forest so well despite not seeming like a newcomer.
• Cheng Tian explained that he would pursue the Balanced School only if the Hunter’s Guild showed sincerity, since he was not dependent on the guild’s success.
• The Great Commander and Merlin followed Cheng Tian into the forest to protect him and observe his choices around demonized creatures.
• Cheng Tian’s group came face-to-face with a Poisonous Bird Demon with a human face outside an abandoned dragon nest.

Cheng Tian defeated a demonized Poisonous Bird Demon and discovered that it contained the soul of a hunter who had possessed it to survive. He redeemed the hunter while sacrificing the monster, gaining rewards from both powers without suffering any change to his arms.

• The human-faced Poisonous Bird Demon attacked Cheng Tian, and his Scarlet Tyrannosaurus Rex emerged to fight it.
• The Tyrannosaurus Rex poisoned itself but battered the Poisonous Bird Demon until its demonized body began to dissolve and the hunter's soul emerged.
• Cheng Tian recognized that the hunter's soul remained linked to the Poisonous Bird Demon and that the creature would eventually transform back.
• Cheng Tian used his left hand to redeem the hunter's soul and his right hand to sacrifice the Poisonous Bird Demon.
• The hunter's soul returned to normal and left behind a red heart as Cheng Tian gained permanent attribute increases, a soul reward, and monster materials.
• The Great Commander and Merlin exchanged delighted looks before turning away in disgust.

Cheng Tian discovered the limits and rewards of Redemption and Sacrifice, while the Great Commander and Merlin recognized his importance and debated how to keep him at the stronghold. He gained Poisonous Bird Demon carapaces and learned they could power a poison-based sacred spell.

• The Great Commander tried to rush out and persuade Cheng Tian to stay at the stronghold, but Merlin stopped him and warned that Cheng Tian could not be controlled.
• Merlin prompted the Great Commander to sense the many redeemed souls, monster remnants, spirits, and sinful souls within Cheng Tian’s Holy Arm and Demonic Arm, shocking him.
• Cheng Tian received notifications explaining that Redemption and Sacrifice had limits on permanent attribute bonuses and that monster type and rank affected rewards.
• Cheng Tian considered how Redemption and Sacrifice corresponded to capturing monsters and dissecting them, then collected the Poisonous Bird Demon carapaces.
• Cheng Tian learned that the carapaces could be used to cast Poison Scale Shell Shield, a sacred spell that formed a shield and poisoned attackers with powder.

Cheng Tian tested Poisonous Bird Demon offerings, refreshed a nest egg into a Burning Poisonous Bird Demon Egg, and offered it to Bazett and the nearby players. As players rushed to claim the flying mount egg, a flock of crows suddenly attacked Cheng Tian.

• Cheng Tian tested the Poisonous Bird Demon materials as spells and passed them to the others, while Eileen tried the carapace shield.
• Cheng Tian found and refreshed Poisonous Bird Demon eggs until he obtained a Burning Poisonous Bird Demon Egg.
• Cheng Tian offered the egg to Bazett, but she hesitated because she wanted a stronger mount.
• Cheng Tian offered the egg to nearby players, and several rushed out to claim it.
• A huge flock of crows swooped down and attacked Cheng Tian.

Cheng Tian and the others fought off a Dark Magic-controlled flock of crows, then Cheng Tian recognized Geralt of Rivia among the players. The crows retreated into the jungle, and the group received a quest to find their source, which Cheng Tian identified as a Leshen.

• Cheng Tian and Eileen used Psychic Power Flame and wind to burn the attacking crows while the Great Commander, Merlin, and the players fought back.
• Cheng Tian recognized the white-haired Geralt of Rivia as the man behind the crows' appearance and saw him help the players with a wave of fire.
• The weakened flock retreated into the jungle, and the Great Commander issued a Guild investigation quest to find its source.
• Cheng Tian introduced himself to Geralt, and both asked whether the other wanted to play Gwent.
• Cheng Tian identified the crows' source as a Leshen twisted by demonizing power.

Cheng Tian and Geralt prepared to hunt the Demonic Leshen at night while Cheng Tian raided nests and traded eggs. Back in Star Stronghold, Cheng Tian encountered a fruit seller who looked exactly like Gouki, the Fist of the Extreme.

• Geralt explained that the Leshen was unusually dangerous in the New Continent, and he and Cheng Tian agreed to meet at Camp 1 that night with Scoutflies.
• Cheng Tian spent the day raiding nests across the Ancient Tree Forest, keeping five eggs and trading away the lower-quality ones.
• Cheng Tian returned to Star Stronghold to refresh the egg-raiding cooldown and browsed the busy marketplace.
• Cheng Tian asked a fruit seller about his wares, then recognized the old man's face as Gouki.

Cheng Tian encountered Gouki selling fruit and learned that Gouki sensed both Killing Intent and Orochi Power within him. Gouki dismissed Cheng Tian as too physically frail to follow the Path of Asura, and the Space Prompt revealed what Cheng Tian must do to speak with him further.

• Cheng Tian found Gouki selling fruit by the roadside and recognized him as the Fist of the Extreme.
• Gouki sensed Cheng Tian's traces of Killing Intent and Orochi Power, then asked whether he was a hunter or a mage.
• Gouki judged that Cheng Tian relied too much on Psychic Power and external strength to walk the Path of Asura.
• The Space Prompt told Cheng Tian to raise his Strength or Agility to the naked attribute limit of 50 to trigger further dialogue with Gouki.

Cheng Tian bought out Gouki’s stall and discovered a Pleasant Mushroom Charm among the produce, an item that made certain mushrooms safe and beneficial to eat. He considered taking it to the Yunnan-Guizhou region to experiment with fungal fluid used for cloning.

• Cheng Tian reflected that raising his physical attributes could have triggered dangerous quests involving Gouki, but his focus on Psychic Power had kept Gouki from treating him as a true enemy.
• Cheng Tian bought everything on Gouki’s stall, and Gouki accepted only two thousand Chosen Coins before leaving.
• Cheng Tian examined the stall’s fruits and vegetables and found a Pleasant Mushroom Charm hidden among the mushrooms.
• Cheng Tian read that the charm let him safely consume Poison Mushrooms and Blue Mushrooms, with possible effects from special mushrooms from other worlds.
• Cheng Tian considered taking the charm to the Yunnan-Guizhou region to investigate fungal fluid used to replicate clones.

Cheng Tian hunted demonized monsters and collected valuable dragon eggs, earning attribute rewards while anticipating the danger posed by Gouki. At Camp 1, he joined Geralt and Eileen to hunt the Leshen, which sensed their approach as they entered the forest at night.

• Cheng Tian subjugated monsters and recovered dragon eggs, earning 3 Strength, 1 Agility, and 7 Free Attribute Points as guild scholars paid for the eggs.
• Cheng Tian suspected Gouki would unleash the Dark Hadou when his Strength or Agility reached its limit.
• Players shifted their activities to the Great Desert and Coral Highlands, leaving Cheng Tian with greater claim to the Ancient Tree Forest.
• Cheng Tian met Geralt at Camp 1, and Eileen showed that she had scoutflies and had switched to an Anjanath Light Bowgun.
• Cheng Tian, Geralt, and Eileen set out into the forest at night, and the Leshen sensed the presence of an unfamiliar beast.

Cheng Tian’s group fought off demonized Jagras and crows with a Red Shock Orb, then continued tracking the Leshen through the Ancient Tree. The Leshen appeared and asked Cheng Tian why he traveled with humans.

• Red-eyed Jagras and crows surrounded Cheng Tian’s group, but Geralt drew his silver sword and prepared the Igni Sign.
• Cheng Tian threw a Red Shock Orb that instantly killed the demonized monsters and made them drop Souls of the Innocent and valuables.
• Cheng Tian used the Ghost Gauntlet to sacrifice the monsters’ corpses for temporary mana and Low-level Offerings, while an orange-gold Humanoid Object collected their drops.
• Geralt and Eileen followed the red scoutflies deeper into the Ancient Tree, where the Leshen’s ability to summon Grunt Units had stopped helping it.
• The Leshen emerged from the shadows and asked Cheng Tian why he traveled with humans.

Cheng Tian battled the Leshen in the Ancient Tree Forest with a torrent of Phantom Swords, overwhelming its vines. The Leshen called in a gigantic Dodo carrying a Glowing Crystal, and Cheng Tian stopped his attack as the newcomer blocked his path.

• The Leshen confronted Cheng Tian, but he answered with a Shadow Serpent Form and summoned weapons from the Gate of Babylon.
• Cheng Tian unleashed a Phantom Sword Rain while the Leshen defended itself with thick vines, and the Leshen’s defenses began to fail.
• White Wolf and the watching hunters and players witnessed Cheng Tian’s attack, while Gouki criticized his reliance on external weapons.
• The Leshen’s eyes flashed blue, and a gigantic Dodo carrying a Glowing Crystal emerged from the shadows to block Cheng Tian’s way.

Cheng Tian used his ability to communicate with Bird Wyverns and three Rathalos eggs to turn the Leshen’s Crystal Bird Wyvern ally against it. The Crystal Bird Wyvern stunned the Leshen with the Aether Light Crystal, leaving Cheng Tian’s group with an opening to attack.

• The hunters watched as a giant Crystal Bird Wyvern blocked the Leshen’s Phantom Swords with the Aether Light Crystal.
• Cheng Tian recognized the Bird Wyvern’s Chocobo Song and communicated with it through Bird Wyvern calls and Bite Impact.
• Cheng Tian set out three Rathalos eggs, tempting the Crystal Bird Wyvern with the food it craved.
• The Crystal Bird Wyvern threw the Aether Light Crystal at the Leshen, changing its allegiance and stunning the Leshen.

Cheng Tian and the others battered the Leshen until it transformed into a flock of crows and fled, then Geralt tracked its true escape route. Cheng Tian stayed behind to teach the Crystal Bird Wyvern how to eat dragon eggs after its increased size caused it to crush one, and the wyvern followed him once it had eaten more.

• The Crystal Bird Wyvern stunned the Leshen, and Cheng Tian and Geralt attacked it with fire while the wyvern accidentally crushed a dragon egg.
• The group reduced the Leshen's health until it burst into crows and fled, and Geralt used the scoutflies to identify the correct direction to pursue.
• Cheng Tian used Bite Impact to get the Crystal Bird Wyvern's attention, then stayed behind when it signaled distress over its shattered food.
• Cheng Tian demonstrated how to open a dragon egg and pour out its contents, and the Crystal Bird Wyvern copied him and swallowed two eggs.
• The Crystal Bird Wyvern watched the Little Golden Crown leave, then followed while clutching the crystal.

The Leshen sacrificed its controlled Jagras to recover and increase its maximum HP, while Geralt identified its curse totems and the threat posed by living sacrifice marks. Cheng Tian redirected the raid toward destroying every totem and protecting potential hosts, preparing to mobilize Star Stronghold’s full strength.

• The Leshen used live sacrifice sorcery to drain its Jagras pack, restoring its health and raising its maximum HP above 20,000.
• Geralt identified a nearby curse totem and explained that fire could destroy it and that the totems empowered the Leshen.
• Cheng Tian ordered Eileen and Mina to search the forest for the remaining totems and avoid the Leshen’s cursed claws.
• Eileen summoned her Brute Tigrex so she and Mina could travel through the forest to locate the totems.
• Geralt explained that an ordinary person scratched by the Leshen could become a host for its rebirth, and Cheng Tian made totems and living sacrifice marks the raid’s priorities.

Cheng Tian stalled the Leshen while Merlin and the Great Commander searched for people marked as Living Sacrifices. When they arrived, Cheng Tian wondered whether the Bird Wyvern’s Aether Light Crystal could remove the marks that redemption could not affect.

• The Commander-in-Chief trusted Cheng Tian’s warning and ordered Star Stronghold to screen hunt reports for people who had encountered a Leshen or been scratched by an unknown monster.
• Merlin found hidden soul marks on four hunters and an investigator, while the Great Commander’s power of redemption failed to affect them.
• Merlin ordered the four Living Sacrifices brought to Cheng Tian, who kept the Leshen occupied with low-damage attacks and prevented it from sacrificing more creatures.
• The Crystal Bird Wyvern repeatedly stunned the Leshen by smashing it with its crystal, driven by the hope of earning more dragon eggs.
• After Merlin and the Great Commander arrived, Cheng Tian wondered whether the Aether Light Crystal could remove the Living Sacrifice marks.

Cheng Tian discovered that the Aether Light Crystal was an activated spatial coordinate that could attract dangerous beings, while abandoning it could tear open an unstable rift. He used its ability to suppress negative effects to hide the injured hunters’ Life Sacrifice Marks from the Leshen.

• Cheng Tian touched the Aether Light Crystal and received temporary enhancements, then learned that it could not be carried and would guide beings able to sense spatial coordinates.
• Cheng Tian realized that leaving or destroying the activated crystal could destabilize space and open a dangerous Dimensional Rift.
• Cheng Tian brought an injured hunter to touch the crystal, suppressing the hunter’s Life Sacrifice Mark.
• Cheng Tian bribed the Crystal Bird Wyvern with Fire Dragon Eggs so three more hunters could touch the crystal.
• The Leshen sensed that all the Curse Totems and Life Sacrifice Marks had vanished, and Cheng Tian ordered everyone to focus their fire.

Eileen, Mina, Cheng Tian, and the other hunters destroyed the Leshen’s Curse Totems and overwhelmed it with fire, preventing its escape and defeating it. As the Leshen’s body was covered by roots, the Space Prompt [Pending Sacrifice] appeared over its corpse.

• Eileen’s group used aerial support to locate and destroy every Leshen Curse Totem while Cheng Tian’s tactics kept the Leshen from escaping.
• Eileen reported that the totems were gone, and Cheng Tian’s order unleashed a wave of fire attacks against the Leshen.
• The Leshen plunged into a pool to extinguish the flames, then tried to flee using Heavenly Demon Dissolution after its HP fell to 13,000.
• Burst Owls exploded among the Leshen’s scattered crows, damaging it as the surviving crows reformed into its body.
• The hunters reduced the Leshen’s HP to zero, and roots covered its fallen body as the Space Prompt [Pending Sacrifice] appeared.

After the Leshen fell, Cheng Tian was chosen to claim its corpse because of his contribution to the hunt. Before he could use Redemption or Sacrifice, his Humanoid Bird Wyvern MAX instincts led him to discover an Ancient Leshen Egg inside it.

• The group considered who should claim the Leshen's corpse, knowing the channeling ritual would leave the chosen person defenseless.
• Cheng Tian claimed the corpse, and the players and NPCs cleared a path for him because they accepted his contribution to the hunt.
• Cheng Tian teleported to the Leshen's corpse but paused when its covering roots looked like an abandoned nest.
• Cheng Tian reached inside the corpse and pulled out an Ancient Leshen Egg.

Cheng Tian retrieved the Ancient Leshen Egg and used both Redemption and Sacrifice on the Leshen, gaining permanent attributes and rewards. Merlin and the Great Commander recognized Cheng Tian’s new Balanced School, letting other players choose it and potentially join the Scorching Sun Legion.

• Cheng Tian took the Ancient Leshen Egg from the Leshen’s corpse and stored it in the Bonding Stone.
• Cheng Tian redeemed the Ancient Tree Forest’s Ecological Will and sacrificed the Leshen, receiving attribute bonuses, materials, and rewards.
• Cheng Tian learned that Bazett had earned a Bronze Treasure Chest for her contribution to the hunt.
• The players and NPCs questioned Cheng Tian’s ability to use both Redemption and Sacrifice on the same corpse.
• Merlin named Cheng Tian’s approach the Balanced School, and the Great Commander endorsed it.
• The Player Community received the option to choose the Balanced School, which could trigger both effects at reduced yield and lead to the Scorching Sun Legion.

Cheng Tian completed his recruitment quest and gained authorization to deploy the Portable Fortress, then warned Merlin and the Great Commander that the Aether Light Crystal could attract powerful beings from other worlds. The Great Commander volunteered to take the crystal from the Crystal Bird Wyvern and stabilize it himself.

• Burning Blood switched to the Balanced School, completing Cheng Tian's special Side Quest and earning him authorization to deploy the Portable Fortress.
• Two more players followed Burning Blood and changed to the Balanced School.
• Cheng Tian decided to hold off on deploying the Portable Fortress and considered how to keep people from interfering with the Aether Light Crystal.
• Cheng Tian explained the crystal's danger to Merlin and the Great Commander, who recognized the threat posed by spatial instability.
• The Great Commander offered to take the crystal and hold it in place, and Cheng Tian suggested that the plan might work.
• The Great Commander rolled up his sleeves, ready to replace the Crystal Bird Wyvern as the crystal's bearer.