Chapter Summaries

Zhong Wei entered the Black Tower and effortlessly defeated Wang Zhifan’s five player models, demonstrating the strength of his gravity control and Metallization. Wang Zhifan then sent a Dream Self clone against him, empowered to resist Zhong Wei’s Gravity Wave and strike through his defenses.

• Zhong Wei entered the Black Tower after losing contact with 201 subordinates and encountered five identical player models in the plaza.
• The five models attacked Zhong Wei with robots, a charging Warrior, an invisible Assassin, a Paralysis Ray, and a phantom, but he blocked or countered their attacks.
• Zhong Wei unleashed his gravity control, lifted the models and robots into the air, and compressed the models into a ball until they vanished.
• Wang Zhifan judged Zhong Wei too powerful for ordinary players and sent a bamboo-hatted Dream Self clone to confront him.
• Zhong Wei used Gravity Wave against the clone, but Wang Zhifan countered its effects with the Demon Skin scroll and protective abilities.
• Wang Zhifan empowered the clone with the Blade of Time’s unavoidable damage as Zhong Wei activated Metallization for the next exchange.

Wang Zhifan’s clone defeated Zhong Wei in the Black Towers, then let him go while secretly marking him to track Lifeline. After Zhong Wei returned to the desert, Lifeline’s leaders saw his injuries and ordered emergency measures to eliminate potential threats.

• Zhong Wei fought Wang Zhifan’s Blademaster clone, but the Blade of Time’s unavoidable damage repeatedly wounded him despite his defenses.
• Zhong Wei unleashed Super Heavy-Energy Storm across the plaza, yet Wang Zhifan’s clone remained unharmed, and Zhong Wei admitted defeat.
• Wang Zhifan questioned Zhong Wei about Lifeline’s pursuit of outsiders, then agreed to let him leave and secretly marked him with the Blade of Time.
• Zhong Wei floated out of the Black Towers and returned to the desert, while Wang Zhifan planned to use the mark to track Lifeline and gather intelligence.
• Lifeline’s two leaders saw Zhong Wei emerge bloody on satellite footage and ordered emergency measures to eliminate potential threats.

Wang Zhifan discovered that Zhong Wei and his squad had survived a nuclear strike by sheltering inside the Black Towers, and agreed to join forces with the wounded Lifeline leader against the traitors who attacked him. Zhong Wei began recovering with Wang Zhifan’s Paradise Fruits as further weapons struck the towers.

• Zhong Wei learned that Mad Bee had been killed by a crescent-shaped flash of light, and recognized it as the blade attack that had wounded him.
• A hypersonic missile targeted the Black Towers, so Zhong Wei used his remaining gravity ability to pull his subordinates inside before the blast hit.
• Wang Zhifan grew furious at the nuclear-like explosion, sent his clone to find Zhong Wei, and heard that two Lifeline elders had likely ordered the attack.
• Wang Zhifan agreed to help Zhong Wei retaliate and gave him Paradise Fruits to heal and restore his strength.
• A neutron bomb struck outside, and Zhong Wei ate the fruits, found that his wounds had stopped bleeding, and took the remaining fruits when his subordinates hesitated.

Players and natives were trapped inside the Black Towers by catastrophic destruction outside, while Zhong Wei recovered and prepared to retaliate against the commanders who betrayed him. Wang Zhifan agreed to help Zhong Wei but planned to send a powerful clone rather than reveal that the tower could move.

• A gunslinger player tested the deadly environment beyond the brass exit with paper effigies, confirmed it was real, and retreated to rest inside the tower.
• Other players also found themselves unable to leave, while some native ability users were killed after recklessly entering the hazardous exterior.
• Zhong Wei recovered after eating Paradise Fruit and told his subordinates he would take revenge on the two commanders once his abilities returned.
• A subordinate urged Zhong Wei to account for the commanders’ mecha and monster forces, but Zhong Wei insisted that Wang Zhifan would be their ally.
• Wang Zhifan decided to honor his agreement with Zhong Wei, keep the Black Towers’ mobility secret, and send a Demon Skin-enhanced clone to help.

Zhong Wei and Wang Zhifan’s clone crossed the Black Shadow Desert toward Great Market Town, fending off repeated missile attacks as they searched for the two enemies. After Zhong Wei tore open the town to expose its hidden forces, he caught several fleeing players, including Lu Qiang, who called to Wang Zhifan for help.

• Zhong Wei and Wang Zhifan’s clone left the Black Towers to pursue the two old men, while Zhong Wei’s subordinates stayed behind.
• Zhong Wei redirected the first missiles with gravity, and Wang Zhifan froze later missiles before they could explode.
• After flying north for more than half an hour, Zhong Wei and Wang Zhifan reached Great Market Town, where Zhong Wei began ripping up the town to uncover its secrets.
• Zhong Wei exposed hidden mechs and armed forces, destroyed several concealed weapons, and crushed the mech pilots while restraining civilians.
• Zhong Wei detected several players fleeing the town and used his gravity wave to immobilize them.
• Lu Qiang recognized Zhong Wei as a powerful BOSS and shouted to Wang Zhifan, asking him for help as a fellow Xia Kingdom person.

Wang Zhifan and Zhong Wei tracked the two Lifeline leaders to a plane bound for Da Ya City, and Wang Zhifan used the Grimy Holy Grail to curse them from afar. The curse hurt both targets, but their unusual bodies and resistance left their survival uncertain.

• Zhong Wei spared the trapped players in Great Market Town, then took Wang Zhifan to an abandoned Lifeline underground base.
• Wang Zhifan gave Zhong Wei the Grimy Holy Grail, which revealed that the two enemies were heading toward Da Ya City.
• Wang Zhifan confirmed the targets were a silver-haired old man and a hook-nosed middle-aged man, whose bodies had been heavily altered.
• Wang Zhifan activated the Holy Grail’s maximum-intensity curse against both men aboard their plane.
• The hook-nosed man cried out in pain, while the silver-haired man searched for an attacker, and Wang Zhifan realized their curse resistance was unusually high.

Wang Zhifan and Zhong Wei pursued the two Lifeline enemies to Da Ya City, where they discovered the men had gained an ability-nullifying defense. The enemies threatened to launch nuclear missiles at the city if they were killed, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Wang Zhifan cursed the enemies' plane and crew, but the silver-haired old man and hawk-nosed middle-aged man escaped and soon became immune to further curses.
• Wang Zhifan and Zhong Wei secretly traveled through an underground passage to Da Ya City and tracked the enemies to the Paradise hotel.
• Wang Zhifan's Ice Source Power failed to freeze the enemies, so Zhong Wei approached the hotel to attack them directly.
• Zhong Wei's gravity ability and Wang Zhifan's saber strike were weakened by the enemies' new defensive power, which Zhong Wei identified as transplanted ability-nullification.
• The silver-haired old man and hawk-nosed middle-aged man threatened to launch every nuclear missile at Da Ya City and expose their attackers if they were killed.

Wang Zhifan’s decision to kill the two Lifeline leaders triggered their hidden nuclear-missile contingency, forcing Zhong Wei, King, and Wang Zhifan to confront the incoming strike together. Wang Zhifan remained confident as Da Ya City faced destruction.

• King arrived with four mech guards to back the Lifeline leaders and attacked Wang Zhifan’s avatar with psychic power, but Wang Zhifan resisted and left King shaken.
• Zhong Wei spared the two leaders, severed his ties with Lifeline, and prepared to leave with his people.
• Wang Zhifan refused to honor Zhong Wei’s decision and used a second avatar to kill the silver-haired old man and the hawk-nosed middle-aged man.
• The dying leaders’ automatic defense program launched more than a hundred suspected nuclear missiles toward Da Ya City, and King and Zhong Wei returned to help face the crisis.
• Zhong Wei said he could stop only a fifth of the missiles, while Wang Zhifan calmly promised to handle everything.

Wang Zhifan erased the nuclear attack on Da Ya City with a single saber slash, then returned to the Black Towers to cultivate. The next morning, Lifeline evacuated ability users and several players from the desert, while Wang Zhifan waited to see whether Zhong Wei would keep the city’s affairs under control.

• King panicked over the incoming nuclear strike and begged Zhong Wei to protect his property, but Zhong Wei refused and trusted Wang Zhifan to act.
• Wang Zhifan descended in his true body and used the Great Dream Saber Scripture’s Life Is a Dream to erase the nuclear explosions and remaining missiles from existence.
• Wang Zhifan told Zhong Wei to find him at the Black Towers in a month, then vanished; Zhong Wei collected the dead leaders and went to take control of Lifeline.
• Back at the Black Towers, Wang Zhifan cultivated and reflected on how using Life Is a Dream might help him advance his saber technique.
• On the third morning, Lifeline helicopters evacuated ability users and several players from the Black Towers, while Wang Zhifan wondered why Zhong Wei had not contacted him.

Wang Zhifan broke through to Lv3 in the Wind-Thunder Heaven-Treading Art and met Zhong Wei, who had come to learn about the players. Wang Zhifan gave him an Arcanist Class Card to test whether a native could become a player, and Zhong Wei vanished after activating it.

• Huang Mengze and Lu Qiang discussed the peaceful instance and speculated about its hidden big shot and final boss.
• Wang Zhifan cultivated the Wind-Thunder Heaven-Treading Art to Lv3 and decided to study the Pure Yang True Art next.
• Zhong Wei arrived at Black Towers, and Wang Zhifan welcomed him inside to honor his promise to explain the players.
• Wang Zhifan showed Zhong Wei an Arcanist Class Card and told him to tear it if he wanted to try using it.
• Zhong Wei tore the card, which dissolved into light, and then vanished as something appeared before him.

Wang Zhifan confirmed that Zhong Wei had become a player after entering his first dungeon, then studied the requirements for two cultivation techniques and tested the Mage's Power Box. He left the Pure Yang True Art and Limitless Golden Body Technique for later, while discovering that the box’s spells consumed mental power when used by non-magic players.

• Wang Zhifan reflected that beings from other worlds could become players after Zhong Wei returned from his first dungeon.
• Zhong Wei thanked Wang Zhifan for making him a player, said he wanted to research dungeons, and described an empty grassland dungeon where he fought a gray wolf alone.
• Wang Zhifan studied the Pure Yang True Art and concluded he should begin cultivating it on Gaia Star at sunrise.
• Wang Zhifan found that the Limitless Golden Body Technique required medicinal supplies, so he planned to obtain them in the Limitless Sect world.
• Wang Zhifan tested the Mage's Power Box on summoned monsters and learned that its spells consumed mental power when used by non-magic players.

Wang Zhifan received Zhong Wei’s Lifeline Alpha and discovered it was evolving his Bioforce Field. When the dungeon ended, he chose the legendary Perfect One reward and fused it into himself, gaining powerful protection from death.

• Zhong Wei visited Wang Zhifan and gave him an epic Lifeline Alpha medicine, while Wang Zhifan gave him the rare Mage ring Ape King's Hatred.
• After Zhong Wei departed, Wang Zhifan drank Lifeline Alpha and found that his Bioforce Field was evolving without causing him pain.
• The dungeon settlement raised Wang Zhifan to Lv16 and offered him rewards, including the legendary Perfect One.
• Wang Zhifan selected Perfect One, Shande V, and another Lifeline Alpha as his rewards.
• Wang Zhifan fused Perfect One into his body, and his panel listed Perfect One as a legendary special power and Bioforce Field as epic.

Wang Zhifan returned from the dungeon to Gaia Star with Perfect One and an upgraded Bioforce Field, then found a valuable medicinal plant while reviewing the planet’s survey data. After returning to Earthstar, he learned more about nonhuman and alien players, confirmed the time of Chen Ming’s banquet, and considered whether to bring equipment to trade.

• Wang Zhifan discovered that Bioforce Field had become epic-grade, raising his Constitution and Spirit to 155 and 150, then left the dungeon.
• Wang Zhifan returned to Gaia Star, learned that Yilin and Yali had catalogued many species, and found a thirty-year-old Great Bellflower among the plants they recorded.
• Wang Zhifan returned to Earthstar and asked Chu Wei about nonhuman and alien players, learning that authorities had evidence of non-sapient creatures becoming players and suspected alien player groups.
• Wang Zhifan confirmed with Chen Ming that the banquet would begin at two in the afternoon at Wansheng Grand Hotel and considered bringing rare-grade equipment for the trade.

Wang Zhifan returned to Urban Planet and learned that his approval rating had fallen because he had not addressed unemployment or proposed expanding the planet’s influence. He rejected an immediate military buildup and chose to promote research and commerce using novel species from Gaia Planet, leaving Catherine to assess their potential.

• Wang Zhifan traveled to Urban Planet and met with Catherine after his AI, Little Red, announced her arrival.
• Catherine reported that Wang Zhifan’s approval rating had dropped and outlined plans to develop barren planets, expand scientific research, or strengthen military preparedness.
• Wang Zhifan questioned the reliability of reports about an unknown hostile civilization and ordered investigators to monitor it while avoiding a premature arms buildup.
• Wang Zhifan chose to prioritize scientific research and commerce, especially biotechnology, and told Catherine to establish a research institute and expand cultivation industries.
• Wang Zhifan presented Catherine with a Paradise Fruit from Gaia Planet and explained that novel species could break Urban Planet’s biotechnology stagnation and create valuable industries.
• Catherine confirmed that the fruit was absent from Urban Planet’s database and said a supply of useful new species could make the plan feasible and enrich Wang Zhifan.

Wang Zhifan returned to Tigerhead Town, stabilized its recovery, and began preparing to spread the Celestial Venerable’s faith through Liu Erya. He left Wu Xun and Yang Qingqing to investigate the Demon Gate discreetly while he pursued his plans for the town.

• Wang Zhifan returned to Wind-Snow Tower and let Wu Xun and Yang Qingqing interrogate the captured Demon Gate spies, while Old He reported that Tigerhead Town was recovering.
• Wang Zhifan ordered Old He to maintain public order without alarming residents through large-scale searches, then inspected the town and decided it was a suitable place to spread his faith.
• Wang Zhifan entered Liu Erya’s dream, gave her silver and Demon Shadow Darts, and instructed her to aid the poor and spread the Celestial Venerable’s faith and news of the coming Holy Tower.
• Wang Zhifan secretly observed Wu Xun and Yang Qingqing’s rough interrogation, then told them to stop large-scale actions and keep Tigerhead Town stable.
• Wu Xun and Yang Qingqing objected to having little chance to fight, so Wang Zhifan assigned them to investigate Demon Gate activity covertly without alerting their enemies.

Gate, Elena, and Bella escaped Novi Town’s search patrols but changed course to infiltrate the prison and rescue the imprisoned witches. After Gate used the Celestial Venerable’s laser pistols to kill two guards and destroy a Revealing Seal, he embraced the weapon and declared he would found the Gun-School Witchers.

• Gate led Elena and Bella through Novi Town under Invisibility and Wind's Blessing, avoiding magical traps as they approached the city wall.
• Elena recognized the prison where she and Bella had been held and urged the others to rescue the witches inside; Bella supported her, and Gate reluctantly joined their plan.
• Gate, Elena, and Bella infiltrated the prison, where Gate used Elena’s laser pistol to kill two guards silently.
• Gate destroyed the Revealing Seal with another laser shot and declared that he would found the Gun-School Witchers and destroy the Celestial Venerable’s enemies.

Gate, Elena, and Bella escaped Novi Town with four persecuted prisoners, and Wang Zhifan healed the prisoners after Bella prayed to him. Seeing his followers’ faith and initiative, Wang Zhifan reconsidered building a church in this world before traveling to a ruined, apparently lifeless world.

• Gate killed the pursuing kingdom guards with his laser pistols, then gathered their horses to help the group escape faster.
• Bella prayed for the four rescued prisoners, who had been tortured and mutilated, but initially received no response.
• Wang Zhifan used the Universe Lord Badge and Demon Scroll to heal the four prisoners, restoring their wounds and tongues.
• Wang Zhifan discovered that Gate, Elena, and Bella had become true believers and considered bringing the Faceless Statue to the world so they could establish a church.
• Bella preached to the newly healed prisoners while Wang Zhifan watched, then he left for a desolate world of ruins and sensed a monster approaching.

Wang Zhifan defeated an apparently damage-immune monster with the Universe Lord Badge’s Spatial Slash and entered a strange doorway that appeared where it died. Inside a bustling but empty city, he met Ying, the Quantum Dream Domain’s maintainer, who began explaining that the domain was created to shelter survivors from a disaster, though the transfer had failed.

• Wang Zhifan tested the black monster with blade, ice, and spells, then destroyed it with Spatial Slash when its otherworldly immunities proved difficult to overcome.
• A strange door appeared where the monster had died, and Wang Zhifan sent a Dream Self clone through it to explore a brightly lit but deserted city.
• Wang Zhifan’s clone met Ying, a young woman who identified herself as the maintainer of the Quantum Dream Domain and urgently asked to see the door.
• Ying tried to leave through the door but could not pass, so Wang Zhifan questioned her about the domain and her situation.
• Ying told Wang Zhifan that the Quantum Dream Domain was created to preserve their world’s survivors from a terrifying disaster, but the planned transfer had failed.

Wang Zhifan stopped Ying from destroying herself and helped her leave the Quantum Dream Domain in a specially made Dream Self avatar. After Ying saw the ruined world and resolved to keep living, she and Wang Zhifan began discussing a partnership to explore the Domain’s principles.

• Ying told Wang Zhifan that the Quantum Dream Domain had been built as part of a Universal Ascension plan to escape repeated disasters, but she was now its sole inhabitant.
• When Ying tried to destroy herself, Wang Zhifan’s avatar restrained her and urged her to seek hope beyond the Domain.
• Wang Zhifan created a Dream Self avatar modeled on Ying, and Ying merged with it to pass through the damaged door into the outside world.
• Ying saw that the world beyond the Domain was a silent wasteland, but she promised Wang Zhifan that she would keep living and search for hope.
• Wang Zhifan pointed out drifting monsters and asked Ying about the door found inside one; Ying suspected the monster had contaminated it, and they discussed supporting her survival in exchange for her knowledge of the Quantum Dream Domain.

Wang Zhifan arrived late at the Chen brothers’ banquet and discovered that Chen Ming’s online videos had made him known among a small circle of players. The gathering included an organized equipment sale and a preview of the Chen brothers’ plans to establish a player guild, which they invited Wang Zhifan to lead.

• Wang Zhifan returned to the real world after speaking with Ying, realized he had missed calls from Chen Ming and Chen Can, and drove to the Wansheng Grand Hotel.
• Chen Can welcomed Wang Zhifan and explained that the banquet brought together player friends, while his family had encouraged him to focus on dungeon strength.
• Chen Ming excitedly greeted Wang Zhifan, and the guests recognized him from Chen Ming’s videos and discussed his strength and role in defeating an Ash Domain monster.
• Chen Ming admitted he had posted videos about their dungeon experiences, and Wang Zhifan told him to keep a low profile while declining to make him delete the old videos.
• The banquet continued with lavish food and conversation before the Chen brothers organized a discounted equipment-trading event and explained that they planned to form a player guild.
• Chen Can offered to make Wang Zhifan the guild leader if he joined.