Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Su Yang is taken to a military port and assigned identity number 949527. He is forced onto a modification line, where sedatives keep him immobile while machines surgically alter his body for use as “cannon fodder.” The procedures threaten to make cultivation through his body impossible.
• Princess Phyllis learns that the Overlord Council’s Beast King Annihilation Corps is nearing Malindo. She considers Atlantis a spectator for now, but orders the embassy secured and the royal flag raised while the city prepares for possible war.
• In the Ghost Market, Britai receives intelligence about the approaching corps and investigates the scattered map connected to Babilon’s claim. A rumor identifies Di Ren, leader of the Imperial Knight Order, as the only survivor to leave the Empress’s Vault. Britai suspects the vault may be tied to a rare Fourth Node Dao Beacon. He also learns Emperor Prus has briefly awakened and that Fu Zao remains cooperative.
• Britai’s black sphere unexpectedly activates, revealing a white mark. He recognizes the development as connected to the Eternal Travelers.
• In the palace, ministers and royals are confined under surveillance while Lucia manages the crisis and prepares the empire’s limited available forces. Anle appears to be heading toward Prince Mao’s chambers. Lucia questions Miss Nan about Vinasis and the empire’s military resources, then asks her view of the Overlord Council. Miss Nan responds by asking about the ransom for a prisoner of war.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Yang is powerless and devastated by the forced procedures, confronting the possible loss of his ability to cultivate.
• Phyllis remains composed and politically cautious, choosing not to provoke the Overlord Council prematurely.
• Britai is calculating and opportunistic: he weighs the military situation, pursues the vault mystery, and warns his subordinate not to underestimate Fu Zao.
• Lucia takes charge of palace security and wartime preparations. She sees Bai Zhi as a suitable future ruler because of her Nebula and compatibility with Lucia, while Miss Nan insists she intends to place Raphael on the throne.
• Miss Nan warns Lucia that Bai Zhi must be treated as a daughter if Lucia claims her as one. Their partnership is marked by mutual teasing, guardedness, and sharply different succession plans.
• Vinasis’s power is emphasized when he destroys a surveillance eyeball without consequence; even Miss Nan treats him as too dangerous to challenge.

Significant themes

• Loss of autonomy and bodily violation: Su Yang’s forced transformation contrasts with the political maneuvering elsewhere.
• Power, surveillance, and restraint: The palace’s watchful controls reflect the wider pressure of imminent war.
• Political ambition and competing loyalties: Lucia and Miss Nan disagree over who should inherit the throne, while outside powers assess whether to intervene.
• Hidden information and strategic uncertainty: The map, Empress’s Vault, Eternal Travelers, and approaching armies point to larger forces whose intentions remain unclear.

Key events and plot points

• Long Xiruo inspects the upgraded Zero · Bing Lun and asks her to spar, hoping to test the power she funded with nearly all her World Origin. She insists she does not need Boss Luo’s permission, but blurts out her plans when she sees him and rushes off in embarrassment.
• Zero · Bing Lun takes Long Xiruo to the Glorious Ruins, a realm saturated with exceptionally pure spiritual energy. The Great Dao of Return recognizes Long Xiruo and grants her a high-grade Glorious Proof, allowing her to return there from anywhere in the Four Great Sides.
• The proof’s appearance draws attention across the Ruins. The newly appointed Demon Prince, Gu Changkong, hears of it and heads toward the phenomenon, considering the recipient a potential ally or follower. He also wonders about Linglong, who has not returned to the Demonic Cult.
• On Malindo, Su Yang awakens from a fantasy of becoming supreme with Ling Qingxue to discover he has been forcibly modified into a heavily armored soldier. He and others are being loaded onto warships for an imminent battle.
• The Overlord Council’s Beast King Annihilation Corps arrives at Malindo. Nabak leads the Titan Kongs, intending to seize the Imperial Palace while avoiding damage to the planet’s interior and property protected by the Void Bank.
• Cecil commands the imperial defenders, including the Royal Knights, from the Golden Ear. The attackers meet an ambush: the God-Slaying Armor Starlight freezes part of the orbital ring, then Great Jade Dragon God Hao joins the fight. Miss Nan attacks the Titan Kongs, who transform into giant Kong forms; Royal Knights emerge as the battle begins.

Character developments and interactions

• Long Xiruo is eager to test herself but still lacks a clear sense of direction. Her bravado toward Boss Luo gives way to flustered embarrassment when confronted with him.
• Zero · Bing Lun acts as Long Xiruo’s knowledgeable guide, explaining the Glorious Proof and providing access to a suitable training ground.
• Gu Changkong’s ambition is reinforced: he treats exceptional power as something to recruit and exploit, while his interest in Linglong is possessive and tied to her value as a cultivation vessel.
• Su Yang’s hopeful vision of future glory contrasts sharply with his helplessness after being turned into a soldier against his will.
• Cecil takes charge with authority, while her former subordinates tease her affectionately. She ends their banter and focuses them on combat.
• Nabak is aggressive but strategic, restraining his troops because of political pressure from the Void Bank.

Significant themes

• Power and recognition: Long Xiruo’s Glorious Proof marks her as exceptional, while Gu Changkong immediately sees such recognition as a chance to gain an advantage.
• Agency versus control: Su Yang’s forced transformation and deployment sharply oppose Long Xiruo’s freedom to pursue her own growth.
• Ambition and uncertainty: Long Xiruo has great power but seeks direction; Su Yang dreams of greatness but is denied the chance to grow.
• War and political limits: The impending battle is shaped not only by military strength but also by the Void Bank’s influence and the need to avoid collateral damage.

Chapter Summary: The Beast King Extermination Corps (Part Two)

Key Plot Points and Events

• Malindo’s artificial starry canopy suddenly closes and reopens as the planet shifts into another simulated weather system. The unusual event alarms citizens, but the Princess’s information controls successfully conceal the ongoing invasion from most officials.
• The Beast King Extermination Corps is halted outside Malindo’s gateway. The Abriel Empire mobilizes the forces stationed on its capital planet, which are considered sufficient to defeat the corps.
• Zi Wei Emperor and Yi Sheng Perfected Lord observe the battle calmly from the embassy. They discuss the weakness of the modern Science Side, its former greatness, and the possibility that it once produced Solar-level experts.
• The two note that the corps’s Biological Warship, the Golden Ear, appears to contain the seed of an Eternal Divine Art, making it comparable to a special Innate Spiritual Treasure.
• The battle initially becomes a war of attrition. The corps sacrifices enormous numbers of cannon fodder while the imperial army gradually closes in.
• Corps adjutant Korubas learns that Commander Nabak, who has gone to carry out a decapitation operation against the imperial family, may have been intercepted by the Princess and the Imperial Knight Order. Rather than retreating, Korubas orders the entire corps to attack.
• Titan Kongs and countless modified soldiers join the battle. The conflict becomes a massive slaughter involving hundreds of millions of disposable troops, warships, artillery, and God-Slaying Armor.
• Su Yang, serving as an expendable slave soldier, is critically injured by artillery. His armor is destroyed, his body is exposed to radiation, and combat drugs continue forcing him to fight despite his failing condition.
• Trapped among corpses and attacked by an alien creature, Su Yang embraces the forbidden Demon Soul Path. He begins absorbing the souls of the dead and uses them to cultivate a Ten Thousand Souls Banner, rapidly transforming himself into a powerful demon.
• A mysterious ancient black ship observes the battle. Its occupants are Rosalind, a red-haired noblewoman, and a blond young man who addresses her as “Your Highness.” They identify the Golden Ear as a mature third-generation Tree Thunder seed.
• Rosalind decides there is nothing more to watch and orders the young man to handle the matter. Before leaving, she gazes wistfully at the battlefield and asks, “Wild, how have you been?”—hinting at a connection to an important figure, likely Wild.

Character Developments

• Zi Wei Emperor remains composed and analytical, assessing both the battle and the broader decline of the Science Side. He also questions the whereabouts and usefulness of the True Dragon of Shenzhou.
• Yi Sheng Perfected Lord shows growing curiosity about the Science Side’s forgotten history and whether it can once again produce Solar-level beings.
• Korubas demonstrates confidence and aggression as a battlefield commander. Despite learning that Nabak may have been intercepted, he refuses to panic and commits the corps to a full assault.
• Su Yang undergoes the chapter’s most dramatic transformation. Formerly a holy son whose body and cultivation were ruined by forced modifications, he abandons the righteous path in despair and rage, choosing demonic cultivation to reclaim power. His hatred of the heavens and indifference to mass death mark his moral descent.
• Rosalind is introduced as a powerful, mysterious, and emotionally restrained figure. Her knowledge of the Golden Ear suggests deep familiarity with ancient Science Side technology or history. Her final words imply personal concern for someone named Wild.
• The blond young man appears subordinate to Rosalind despite his noble status and clearly harbors concealed admiration for her.

Significant Themes

• Information control and hidden war: The empire’s citizens remain unaware of the invasion because the Princess suppresses the truth, emphasizing the divide between public stability and political crisis.
• Disposable lives and dehumanization: Both sides treat enormous numbers of soldiers as expendable resources. Su Yang’s armor and drugs literally reduce him to a tool for battle.
• The decline and lost glory of the Science Side: The chapter contrasts the weak modern Science Side with its ancient civilizations, which once rivaled or surpassed the other Great Sides.
• Descent into demonic power: Su Yang’s turn to the Demon Soul Path reflects how oppression, despair, and the destruction of hope can drive someone toward forbidden methods.
• Ancient technology and hidden legacies: The Golden Ear and the Tree Thunder seed suggest that powerful relics of earlier eras remain embedded within the present conflict.
• Power imbalance and concealed observers: While armies slaughter one another, stronger figures such as Rosalind watch from beyond the battlefield, suggesting that the visible war may be only a small part of a larger struggle.

Character Interactions

• Zi Wei Emperor and Yi Sheng Perfected Lord calmly discuss the battle, the True Dragon of Shenzhou, and the Science Side’s forgotten strength.
• Korubas receives news that Nabak may have been intercepted but reassures his officers and orders the corps to attack.
• Su Yang’s interaction with the alien creature triggers his final rejection of the righteous path and his embrace of demonic cultivation.
• Rosalind and the blond young man examine the battlefield together. He attempts to boast about the Science Side’s decline, but she ignores him and focuses on the Golden Ear.
• Rosalind’s final reference to “Wild” creates a mysterious emotional link between her and an offscreen character.

Key plot points and events

• After eating shaved ice too quickly, Young Master Wild gets a sudden chill and cuts his outing short. Back aboard the ship, he sends a mysterious message and waits for a reply while playing a handheld game.
• At Malindo’s orbital ring, Royal Knights are trapped in a special field while fighting the Titan Kongs. Commander Nabak realizes their ambush has been compromised and targets the field-generating God-Slaying Armor.
• Princess Lucia confronts Nabak and reveals her countermeasure: Broly, a surviving descendant of the Fallen King. His newly awakened royal bloodline weakens the Titan Kongs and shifts the battle in the Knights’ favor.
• Nabak taunts Broly about his father’s brutal death, triggering Broly’s rage and transformation. Broly’s strength and combat skill grow rapidly, allowing him to turn the fight against Nabak despite being wounded.
• Alarmed by Broly’s seemingly limitless evolution, Nabak transforms into his Titan Kong form and continues fighting. When he realizes he cannot win, he uses his Beast King Roar to break through the field and flees toward the Malindo outpost.
• The Titan Kongs’ morale collapses. Lucia orders the Knights to finish the battle and calls in Bai Zhi’s support-type Nebula. The Knights activate Armor Burst, while Lucia heads toward the outpost. One wounded Titan Kong is captured for ransom.

Character developments and interactions

• Broly emerges as a formidable young king: his royal bloodline suppresses his people, and his power, resilience, and adaptability increase as he fights. Nabak’s insults about Broly’s father provoke his rage, while Broly initially offers Nabak a chance to surrender.
• Nabak shifts from confident aggressor to fearful commander. He recognizes Broly’s threat, sacrifices a subordinate as a weapon, and ultimately retreats rather than risk defeat.
• Lucia reveals that her plan was to use Broly’s bloodline to weaken Nabak, then support him with her own forces. Broly proves far more powerful than expected, forcing her to adjust and issue the final battlefield orders.
• Miss Nan jokes with Lucia and teases Bai Zhi, calling her “Jailbird Bai” because she has been kept waiting in reserve. She also recognizes that Broly’s growth may be tied to a legendary Titan Kong phenomenon.
• Bai Zhi is disappointed to have been left out of the fighting but responds when Lucia calls her in. Royal Knight Nicol eagerly offers to protect her, revealing that the Knights know she is Lucia’s genetically created daughter.
• Young Master Wild remains an unexplained thread: his sudden unease, message to Miss Nan about “Lunar Eclipse,” and expectation of a reply contrast with the battle unfolding elsewhere.

Significant themes

• Bloodline and inheritance: Broly’s royal ancestry grants him authority and power, while Nabak’s taunts about the Fallen King connect the present battle to past atrocities.
• Power and evolution: Broly’s strength grows through combat, unsettling Nabak and suggesting that his potential exceeds ordinary royal bloodlines.
• Morale and leadership: Broly’s presence weakens the Titan Kongs psychologically as well as physically; Nabak’s flight accelerates their collapse.
• Strategy and unexpected outcomes: Lucia’s carefully prepared plan becomes secondary when Broly exceeds expectations, and Bai Zhi shifts from hidden reserve to battlefield support.

Plot points and events

• As Bai Zhi strengthens the Royal Knights’ [God-Slaying Armor] through [Nebula], the demoralized [Titan Kongs] begin to retreat. The armored units intercept them.
• Nabak flees toward the [Malindo] outpost, pursued by Broly. Broly’s rage over the atrocities committed against his father drives his royal bloodline and power to surge again, and Nabak realizes Broly may soon surpass him.
• At the outpost, the imperial army and the [Beast King] Annihilation Corps continue a brutal space battle. Cecil, linked to the ancient divine artifact [Golden Ear], coordinates the Empire’s forces. Princess Lucia reports that the enemy operation has failed and orders the army to help capture Nabak while preventing any [Titan Kongs] from escaping.
• Aboard a hidden ship, Rosalind observes Broly’s exceptional bloodline and notices another intriguing presence on the battlefield. She speaks with Britai, rejects his offer to discuss cooperation, and says her people will enter [Malindo] as her representatives. Before ending the exchange, she releases a faint light toward the battlefield.
• On the enemy flagship, Broly’s resemblance to the Sin King frightens the crew. Korubas rallies them by recalling that they helped kill the Sin King. Nabak then orders the flagship’s main cannon charged to full level-three power—a devastating, one-use attack—so it can kill Broly and open a route for the corps to escape.

Character developments and interactions

• Broly grows more powerful as his anger intensifies, revealing the frightening potential of his royal bloodline. His pursuit forces Nabak to abandon the mission’s original objectives.
• Nabak shifts from confidence to fear and desperation. He prioritizes killing Broly—and protecting the [Titan Kong] clan’s stability—over fulfilling the Council’s mission or preserving his flagship.
• Cecil demonstrates her strategic command while linked to [Golden Ear], but is astonished that Broly can overpower Nabak without help.
• Lucia recognizes Broly’s potential and directs Cecil to contain the enemy and support his capture of Nabak.
• Korubas tries to steady the shaken crew by invoking their victory over the Sin King, but reluctantly accepts Nabak’s costly order.
• Rosalind and Britai exchange distrustful, provocative remarks. Rosalind remains independent of his influence, while her decision to send representatives and her mysterious intervention hint at a larger agenda.

Significant themes

• Rage and inherited power: Broly’s fury unlocks extraordinary strength, while his bloodline alone inspires fear and submission among the [Titan Kongs].
• The cost of underestimating an enemy: Nabak’s assumptions about the Empire and Broly collapse, forcing him into a desperate gamble.
• Military strategy and sacrifice: The Empire seeks a decisive victory while protecting its elite troops; Nabak is willing to sacrifice his flagship and risk catastrophic damage to secure Broly’s death.
• Hidden powers and political maneuvering: Rosalind, Britai, and the references to [Destiny], [Origin], and the Dao Beacon suggest that the battle is entangled in wider, concealed conflicts.

Key plot points and events

• Bark forces himself to resume fighting Broly despite the royal bloodline’s supernatural suppression. He sees defeating Broly as a chance to overcome his fear of royalty and become a “King Slayer.”
• Their clash grows increasingly destructive. Miss Nan reveals that Broly’s extraordinary power is consuming his lifespan: he is effectively borrowing strength from his future and may die if the battle continues.
• A sudden void rift opens near the battlefield, releasing a Primordial Demon Sea that attacks the Imperial Army’s flank. Lucia orders the rift contained, while Miss Nan heads into it herself, eager to harvest the Primordials’ valuable remains.
• The Beast King squad’s flagship prepares its Main Cannon, which threatens both Broly and distant Malindo. Bark uses his Planet-Slaying Roar to force Broly into the cannon’s line of fire.
• Korubas secretly changes the cannon’s settings and fires it at Bark instead. Bark’s roar cannot stop the blast. Korubas then announces the Beast King Extermination Squad’s unconditional surrender to the Imperial Army.
• Rosalind is revealed to have created the rift on a whim, seeking to disrupt the battle. She wonders whether she has accidentally given Miss Nan an opportunity to exploit.

Character developments and interactions

• Bark turns his fear of the royal bloodline into a resolve to challenge it, but his ambition leaves him vulnerable to the sudden betrayal. He goes from believing victory is within reach to being struck by his own flagship’s cannon.
• Broly continues growing stronger even as his body is battered, but Miss Nan’s insight casts his power as a deadly, finite expenditure of life.
• Lucia responds decisively to the new threat, directing the defense of the Imperial Army and calling Bai Zhi to activate the Twin Cloud Atlas. She remains wary of Broly’s potential and the difficulty of controlling him.
• Miss Nan shifts from observer to active combatant, entering the rift for its resources. Her appetite for Primordial remains and her suspicions about Rosalind reveal her opportunistic, irreverent nature.
• Korubas turns against Bark, redirecting the flagship’s cannon and surrendering the squad. His declaration that he came to welcome “the king who belongs to our tribe” suggests allegiance to the Sin King.
• Rosalind treats the battlefield’s upheaval as casual entertainment, though she recognizes that her interference may draw unwanted attention.

Significant themes

• Power at a cost: Broly’s escalating strength is fueled by his own lifespan, making his apparent limitless potential a form of self-destruction.
• Breaking inherited fear: Bark’s fight represents an attempt to escape the royal bloodline’s psychological control, but his personal quest is overtaken by larger political loyalties.
• Betrayal and shifting allegiance: Korubas’s defection abruptly transforms the battle, showing that military loyalty is not as fixed as the combatants assume.
• Chaos and opportunism: Rosalind’s whim creates a crisis, while Miss Nan immediately turns that crisis into an opportunity for gain.

Key plot points and events

• Inside a void rift, Miss Nan devours a sea of Void Primordials and discovers a developing Void Origin Ancestor guarded by four powerful Primordials. She decides not to interfere, since hatching it would require resources better spent elsewhere and she cannot linger.
• In the battle outside, the [Beast King] Corps flagship’s Main Cannon narrowly misses [Malindo]. Soon afterward, the Corps unexpectedly surrenders, confusing both the imperial forces and its own warriors.
• Adjutant Korubas reveals that he belongs to the [Mad King]’s tribe and proclaims Broly—the Mad King’s son—the rightful new [Titan Kong] king. Other hidden supporters reveal matching bloodline marks and acclaim Broly.
• Broly’s power surges dangerously, but a collar restrains his berserk transformation and brings him back to his weakened form. Lucia explains that she placed safeguards on him; Broly accepts that her restraints were the price of escaping captivity and pursuing revenge against King Darby.
• The wounded commander Nabak attacks Korubas. Korubas defeats him, but Broly intervenes to kill Nabak himself, tearing off his head and spine. Broly then orders the remaining [Titan Kong] warriors brought under his command.
• Miss Nan returns from feeding and observes the battlefield through scattered [Star Creation] units. She realizes Lucia had secretly coordinated with Korubas to ambush Nabak.

Character developments and interactions

• Miss Nan is confident in her growing strength and treats the Primordials as food, while pragmatically declining to spend her profits on hatching the ancestor. Her final observation exposes Lucia’s covert alliance.
• Broly is formally recognized as king, but his power comes at a terrible personal cost: the strain has irreversibly damaged his body and may leave him fewer than thirty void years to live. Though physically exhausted, he decisively claims his own revenge by killing Nabak.
• Korubas shifts from seemingly loyal adjutant to revealed conspirator and kingmaker. He is a capable fighter who expects to serve as Broly’s closest supporter, but he submits when Broly asserts authority.
• Lucia emerges as a strategic planner: she arranged Broly’s safeguards and appears to have secretly colluded with Korubas in the operation against Nabak.
• Nabak, exposed as King Darby’s ally, loses his authority and dies pleading for mercy; Broly refuses to let Korubas kill him first.

Significant themes

• Power has a price: Broly’s immense, borrowed strength brings severe, irreversible harm.
• Loyalty, betrayal, and legitimacy: Korubas’s defection and the hidden supporters’ allegiance challenge King Darby’s rule and elevate Broly through his lineage.
• Control versus agency: Lucia’s restraint keeps Broly from destroying himself, yet he remains determined to pursue his own vendetta.
• Hidden alliances and political maneuvering: The sudden surrender and Nabak’s ambush are part of a carefully concealed plan, not a simple battlefield reversal.

• Battlefield victory: After Great Jade Dragon God Hao emerges, the void rift closes. Miss Nan claims she eliminated the primordial demons inside, though Lucia doubts she has the full story. The Beast King Extermination Corps stops resisting; Nabak’s loyalists are defeated, while Korubas and the Imperial Army accept the surrendering troops. Broly is set to enter Malindo as a representative of the Titan Kong clan, and the Corps will regroup at Gateway Station.
• Political realignment: Lucia and Korubas discuss what comes next. Korubas says the Overlord Council is distracted: the Impostor clan has been badly weakened in the Glorious Ruins, and the Old Ones have begun challenging the Council. Back in Malindo, the palace learns of the victory and celebrates Lucia’s success, while the nobles wonder whether they should change their allegiance.
• A hidden threat: While investigating why so few souls remain on the battlefield, Miss Nan discovers that someone has been devouring them. The culprit, Su Yang, is an Imperial expendable soldier secretly cultivating a forbidden Demonic Soul Path. He has begun forming an embryonic Archdemon and longs to feed it more souls. Mistaking Miss Nan’s surveillance for a routine reconnaissance scan, he disguises himself as a wounded soldier and heads for a recovery ship. Miss Nan marks him for observation, intrigued by his cultivation.
• Character developments and interactions: Broly says he understands his condition and asks Korubas to set it aside; Korubas, impressed by Broly’s potential, agrees. Lucia and Korubas begin working together but remain cautious with one another. Miss Nan remains independent and observant, leaving without ceremony while quietly investigating the battlefield.
• Glorious Ruins: Long Xiruo spars with the upgraded Zero · Bing Lun and is surprised by how strong it has become. The machine advises her to develop her willpower, but their discussion is interrupted by Gu Changkong, who invites her aboard his ship. Long Xiruo immediately refuses.
  Themes: The chapter pairs political victory and shifting alliances with a concealed danger growing beneath the battlefield. It also highlights the cost of war, the corrupting allure of forbidden power, and the uncertainty surrounding trust and loyalty.

Key plot points and events

• Long Xiruo refuses Demon Son Gu Changkong’s attempt to introduce himself, making clear she wants nothing to do with him.
• Gu uses the damage to the surrounding mountains as a pretext to demand her Glorious Proof and a thousand-year pact of service to the Primordial Demon Cult. Long Xiruo responds by attacking him.
• Her immense Dragon Qi overwhelms Gu’s starlight defense, though his innate Void Method lets him evade her first punch. Long Xiruo then reveals her sword skills and unleashes Ten Directions Annihilation, a devastating technique enhanced by fresh insight gained after obtaining the Glorious Proof.
• Gu counters with his Great Dao power, Life-and-Death Yellow Springs, but Long Xiruo’s stronger strike breaks through his defenses and wounds him severely.
• The battle draws four Primordial Demon Cult True Lords. Zero · Bing Lun intervenes and takes Long Xiruo away before she can continue the fight. Gu conceals his injury and tells the arriving elders that his opponent left.

Character developments

• Long Xiruo remains fiercely proud and quick to punish coercion. Her formidable Dragon Qi, swordsmanship, and new insight make her a match for—or stronger than—Gu, despite her initial lack of knowledge about the Immortal Path.
• Gu Changkong presents himself as courteous and considerate, but Long Xiruo’s Golden Pupils expose the brutality behind his façade. His confidence and possessiveness are shaken when she wounds his holy body.
• Zero · Bing Lun shows practical judgment, stopping Long Xiruo from killing a powerful future participant in the Immortal Path and calming her with a tactful appeal.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Gu’s benevolent language disguises a cruel, self-serving demand.
• Pride, power, and coercion: Long Xiruo rejects the Demon Son’s attempt to control her, answering force with force.
• Power and restraint: Though capable of finishing Gu, she is persuaded to preserve him for the larger conflict ahead.
• A wider destiny: The Glorious Proof connects Long Xiruo to the Heavenly Dao Immortal Path, whose significance she has yet to learn.

Character interactions

• Gu’s polite overtures turn into demands for Long Xiruo’s proof and service; she mocks and attacks him.
• Gu’s disciples admire and defend their Demon Son, while Long Xiruo’s Dragon Qi frightens their horned dragons and eventually drives the disciples to flee.
• The Primordial Demon Cult’s True Lords mistake the battle for an Elder Dragon Race attack and rush to Gu’s aid.
• Zero · Bing Lun restrains Long Xiruo, explains why Gu may be useful on the Immortal Path, and persuades her to return.

Plot points and events

• The Primordial Demon Cult’s True Lords examine nine weakened black dragons and conclude that Gu Changkong’s attackers were likely from the Elder Dragon Race—possibly its royal lineage. Cult disciples confirm that an unknown woman incapacitated them, though none saw how.
• Gu Changkong hides the full truth: he was badly wounded by a single sword strike. He returns to the sect with the True Lords, privately studies his secret Longevity Proficiency system, and resolves to grow stronger.
• Back in Malindo, Long Xiruo returns from the Glorious Ruins with Zero · Bing Lun. Bing Lun frames Long’s encounter with Gu Changkong as a case of her being bullied, prompting a teasing, awkward exchange with Boss Luo and Maid Miss. Long insists she can handle the matter herself; Boss Luo is glad she is unharmed and says actions matter more than empty reassurance.
• At the Primordial Demon Cult, Gu Changkong is publicly celebrated as having repelled the Elder Dragon prodigy. Before he can attend a council about the incident, the Demon-Hunting Tower suddenly fails. Its imprisoned fiends riot and break out.
• The cult leader, the tower spirit, and the sect’s elders use an imperial weapon to suppress the uprising, but not before the sect suffers heavy casualties and loses half its fortune. Gu Changkong is gravely injured in the battle, and a disciple’s sudden breakdown and suicide underscore the disaster’s reach.

Character developments and interactions

• Gu Changkong conceals his humiliating defeat to protect his newly won status, yet privately recognizes that stronger hidden rivals are emerging. His secret system offers a long-term path to power, but he is not yet strong enough to rely on it.
• Long Xiruo remains proud and self-reliant, though she is clearly pleased by Boss Luo’s concern. She resists Bing Lun’s attempt to turn her encounter into a complaint.
• Zero · Bing Lun needles Long Xiruo and deliberately presents her story to Boss Luo in an exaggerated, provocative way. Maid Miss enjoys the teasing, while Boss Luo responds with quiet concern rather than grand promises.
• The Primordial Demon Cult’s leadership shifts from investigating a possible Elder Dragon provocation to an immediate struggle for survival when its greatest prison collapses.

Significant themes

• Appearances versus truth: Gu Changkong’s public image as an undefeated Demon Scion clashes with his hidden injury; similarly, Bing Lun’s framing makes Long’s encounter sound different from how Long sees it.
• Power and vulnerability: Even elite figures and ancient institutions can be shaken by stronger opponents, unexpected failures, and accumulated weakness.
• Fortune and consequences: The tower disaster damages not only the cult’s defenses and people but also its intangible fortune, making future hardships more likely.
• Self-reliance and care: Long wants to settle matters herself, while Boss Luo shows concern without taking control of the situation.

Key plot points and events

• The Primordial Demon Cult investigates a disaster: The Demon-Hunting Tower’s formations abruptly stalled and the tower went out of control, killing and injuring many disciples. The cult’s leaders doubt that the Tower Spirit betrayed them and order an investigation of disciples who entered the tower over the past century.
• Gu Changkong is badly hurt: With the cult’s Demon Prince gravely injured before the coming battle for the Immortal Path, the leaders decide to seek help from Heavenly Moon Holy Land’s Saintess Lin Churan, whose Moonlight Sacred Body may aid his recovery. True Lord Ink Jade volunteers to go.
• Ink Jade has another motive: He is also trying to find out why he has lost contact with his split-soul avatar, Shen Yuanzong, who was sent to locate Linglong. The route to the Holy Land takes him past Shen’s sect.
• Linglong’s defection is acknowledged: Since Linglong has not returned from her expedition, her master and the cult’s leaders conclude she has likely defected. The Enforcement Hall is ordered to capture her.
• Linglong tells Long Xiruo about the tower disaster: At Li Wei’s residence, Linglong reveals that Gu Changkong was badly injured in the tower’s rampage. Long Xiruo wonders whether Li Wei caused it to protect her. Zero · Bing Lun points out that he either knew what would happen or did not—an observation that fuels Long Xiruo’s belief that he cares about her.
• Long Xiruo’s decoy plan stalls: She asks whether Siegfried has called for reinforcements. Zero says the Revolutionary Army will not be fooled repeatedly, so their baiting plan is unlikely to work again. Long Xiruo is still satisfied with the two Holy Marks they have gained.
• Malindo remains under military control: Although the empire has won a major victory and restored its protective barrier, the palace remains cordoned off. Princess Lucia retains command of the military, and Raphael has taken control of the Imperial Treasury. King Artesia supports Lucia, arguing that she is acting in the empire’s interests. The standoff shifts when Emperor Prus awakens and summons everyone.
• Britai meets a mysterious visitor: At an abandoned monitoring station near the Ghost Market, Britai confronts a handsome golden-haired young man. The visitor says Princess Rosalind has come because of the Infinity Clan’s return; Britai had assumed she was interested in the Dao Beacon.

Character developments and interactions

• True Lord Ink Jade appears outwardly concerned for Gu Changkong, but his journey is chiefly driven by anxiety over his missing avatar. He also sees the assignment as a chance to build goodwill with Gu.
• Linglong remains cautious and obedient around Long Xiruo, but she privately takes satisfaction in the Primordial Demon Cult’s misfortune. Her use of her Sect Token also confirms that the cult cannot seem to locate her.
• Long Xiruo is emotionally affected by the possibility that Li Wei engineered the disaster for her sake, though she quickly hides her feelings by changing the subject.
• Zero · Bing Lun acts as Long Xiruo’s clear-eyed adviser and teasing confidante, puncturing her assumptions about the decoy plan and playfully needling her.
• King Artesia refuses to join the imperial clansman’s opposition to Lucia. He supports her authority and her recovery of the Treasury, while the elder fears she will claim even greater power.
• Britai is wary of the Eternal Clan and openly impatient with formalities, while the golden-haired stranger calmly delivers Rosalind’s reason for coming.

Significant themes

• Suspicion and hidden motives: The cult searches for internal betrayal, Ink Jade conceals his true reason for traveling, and Britai distrusts Rosalind’s intentions.
• Power and legitimacy: Lucia’s military command and control of the Treasury raise fears of a permanent shift in imperial authority, while Artesia defends her actions as rightful.
• Loyalty and defection: Linglong’s absence is treated as betrayal by her former sect, even as she has established a new life elsewhere.
• Affection and interpretation: Long Xiruo reads possible concern for her into Li Wei’s role—or lack of a role—in the cult disaster, revealing her growing emotional investment.

Key plot points and events

• Britai learns from Qidan, a representative of the Eternal Clan princess Rosalind, that the Cosmic Heart may be in Malindo. Rosalind wants Britai to locate it and offers him part of a First Level Forbidden Apostle’s Source Body as payment.
• Britai demands the entire Source Body. Qidan refuses to bargain further and leaves, but Britai decides to pursue the Cosmic Heart on his own terms.
• Rosalind accepts that Britai may receive a complete Source Body if he succeeds. She also tells Qidan to contact the Infinity Clan’s descendants in Malindo, since Doomsday is likely no longer in Tania.
• Qidan arranges for the Sky Dome Auction House to publicize and auction a collection of valuable items. Branch manager Su Duo is alarmed by the collection’s contents and promises heightened security.
• Meanwhile, Queen Fenghua erupts in anger over Lucia’s seizure of the Privy Treasury and Raphael’s return to its management. A courtier tries to reassure her that she still holds influence over its staff, but a summons from the Emperor interrupts the scene.

Character developments

• Britai is revealed as intensely ambitious and openly greedy. The promised Source Body appeals to him even more than the Cosmic Heart, but his failed negotiation turns him toward independent action.
• Qidan acts as Rosalind’s efficient but emotionally invested representative. He suppresses his own thoughts around her and hopes to earn her affection, while carrying out her instructions.
• Rosalind remains cool and businesslike. She is willing to reward Britai generously if he proves useful, and delegates most work on the Science Side to Qidan.
• Su Duo shifts from nervous deference to genuine alarm after seeing the auction catalogue, recognizing the extraordinary risk and value of its contents.
• Queen Fenghua is furious and feels her authority threatened, though she is reminded that she may still retain influence over the Privy Treasury.

Significant themes

• Greed and ambition: Britai’s pursuit of power shapes the negotiation and foreshadows conflict over the Cosmic Heart.
• Power, inheritance, and legitimacy: The Source Body and the Eternal Clan’s legacy demonstrate how ancient inheritances can translate into present-day influence.
• Secrecy and delegated action: Rosalind avoids acting openly, relying on Qidan and institutional intermediaries to operate in the Science Side.
• Political control: Fenghua’s anger over the Privy Treasury shows how administrative authority is also a struggle for personal power.

Character interactions

• Britai and Qidan negotiate over the Cosmic Heart and Source Body, but Britai’s demand for the whole prize ends the discussion.
• Rosalind directs Qidan’s next moves while keeping him at an emotional distance, despite his hopes of growing closer to her.
• Qidan treats Su Duo as a tool for arranging the auction; Su Duo, in turn, handles the request with formal caution.
• Fenghua’s attendant attempts to calm her with a reminder of her remaining influence, just before she is summoned by the Emperor.

Key plot points and events

• After the empire’s victory over the Overlord Council’s invasion, Emperor Prus celebrates with Princess Lucia and grants her a prosperous star system.
• Prus formally recognizes Lucia’s daughter, Bai Zhi, as an imperial heir on equal standing with several royal children.
• He gives Lucia full authority to direct the empire’s response to the Overlord Council. When a minister objects, Prus erupts in anger, then threatens Lucia with execution if she fails. His sudden shifts between fury, warmth, and sleep leave the court alarmed.
• In a drowsy state, Prus orders Prince Mao’s accession and marriage to a Stanford daughter, then tells Queen Fenghua to arrange a husband for Li Guo. The queen later tells Li Guo that her marriage is ultimately her own choice.
• Lucia leaves to plan the empire’s strategy. Li Guo departs for a villa with Vinasis, her protector.
• At the Stanford residence, Lord Stanford learns that his daughter Laxala—the woman Prus has chosen for Mao—is missing. The family realizes the situation may be serious.

Character developments and interactions

• Lucia remains composed under pressure and accepts responsibility for the empire’s defense, while recognizing the significance of Prus’s trust.
• Prus appears increasingly mentally unstable: his affection and generosity are interspersed with violent outbursts and confused, sleepy commands.
• Fenghua supports Lucia’s authority and shows unexpected tenderness toward Li Guo, giving her freedom to choose a spouse. Li Guo remains wary, remembering the queen’s past attempts to kill her.
• Li Guo quietly observes Prus and shows restraint rather than taking risks, earning Vinasis’s respect.
• Vinasis watches over Li Guo without interfering and escorts her when asked.
• Mao remains silent when his marriage is arranged. Lord Stanford is shaken by the news that Laxala is missing.

Significant themes

• Power and responsibility: Lucia is entrusted with near-total authority, but that trust comes with a deadly threat.
• Unstable rule: Prus’s erratic behavior raises doubts about the emperor’s fitness and the empire’s future.
• Agency and choice: Fenghua’s promise that Li Guo may choose her own marriage contrasts with the court’s tradition of political matchmaking.
• Trust and guarded affection: Moments of apparent family warmth coexist with a history of betrayal, leaving Li Guo uncertain about her mother’s motives.
• Uncertainty beneath victory: Though the invasion has been defeated, the empire faces new strategic threats, political tensions, and Laxala’s unexplained disappearance.

Chapter Summary: “A Beautiful Individual”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Laxala, the future emperor’s queen, has disappeared, creating a serious political and reputational crisis for the Stanford family. Lord Stanford fears the Imperial Clan Council will use her disappearance to undermine her position.
• Bomei Stanford reveals that he has suppressed the news, silenced two Royal Academy students, and arranged Laxala’s temporary absence from school. He proposes using a Transformation Potion to disguise Laxala’s personal attendant as her until Laxala is found.
• Lord Stanford reluctantly approves the plan, emphasizing the need for secrecy and careful execution.
• At the Starlight Guard headquarters, Broly continues recovering from his battle with Nabak. His royal bloodline transformation severely damaged him, and he can no longer transform for some time.
• Korubas informs Broly that King Darby’s attempt to perfect his royal bloodline failed. Darby is secretly maintaining his former power by consuming other royal bloodlines.
• The outbreak of a full-scale war between the Old Ones and the Overlord Council gives Broly valuable time to rebuild his strength and influence. The war began after the Old Ones’ newly born young god disappeared, and the Overlord Council was blamed.
• The Zi Wei Emperor learns of the war and decides to wait rather than immediately investigate the Titan Kong royal bloodline, expecting others to make the first move.
• He contacts Wang Zhi, who admits that he kidnapped the missing young god and framed the Overlord Council, deliberately provoking the war.
• Wang Zhi reveals the young god: a mysterious purple-eyed girl created by a cult that sacrificed an entire ancient Golden World in an attempt to produce a “beautiful individual” capable of returning the Old Ones to the mythological side.
• The girl’s beauty and supernatural influence drove Wang Zhi’s crew insane. Wang Zhi plans to deliver her to the Zi Wei Emperor, but secretly behaves erratically, cutting flesh from his own arm while the girl remains eerily calm.

Character Developments

• Bomei Stanford demonstrates practical intelligence and political awareness by controlling the information about Laxala’s disappearance and proposing a temporary replacement.
• Lord Stanford shifts from alarm to reluctant cooperation, prioritizing the Stanford family’s reputation and Laxala’s future position.
• Broly remains determined to defeat King Darby and avenge his father, despite secretly knowing that his lifespan is nearly exhausted. Learning of Darby’s weakened condition renews his hope.
• Korubas continues acting as Broly’s protector and strategist, offering military resources and confidential intelligence while concealing the identity of a spy close to King Darby.
• The Zi Wei Emperor appears cautious and calculating, using the war to observe his enemies while investigating the strange young god.
• Wang Zhi is revealed to be psychologically unstable and increasingly affected by the girl’s presence. His actions, though useful to the Emperor, are reckless and dangerous.
• The purple-eyed young god remains composed and fearless, contrasting sharply with the madness she inspires in others.

Significant Themes

• Reputation and political appearances: Laxala’s disappearance matters less as a personal tragedy than as a threat to her legitimacy and the Stanford family’s political standing.
• Imposture and identity: The Transformation Potion and the proposed replacement for Laxala emphasize how appearances can be manipulated to preserve power.
• Hidden weakness beneath apparent strength: Both Broly and King Darby possess formidable bloodlines, but each is physically compromised—Broly by his shortened lifespan and Darby by his failed bloodline advancement.
• War as political opportunity: The Old Ones’ invasion distracts the Overlord Council and creates an opening for Broly and his allies to consolidate power.
• Beauty as something dangerous and unnatural: The young god was created as an ideal “beautiful individual,” yet her beauty functions as a source of madness and horror rather than admiration.
• Manipulation and concealed agendas: Wang Zhi provokes a war under the Zi Wei Emperor’s orders, while the Emperor himself maintains distance and exploits the resulting chaos.

Character Interactions

• Bomei persuades Lord Stanford to approve the disguised replacement for Laxala, showing their shared concern over family honor and political consequences.
• Korubas supports Broly emotionally and militarily, assuring him that he will remain protected while Broly recovers.
• Broly and Korubas discuss King Darby’s hidden condition, the Old Ones’ invasion, and the strategic opportunities created by the conflict.
• The Zi Wei Emperor and the Yi Sheng Perfected Lord discuss the Titan Kong threat and the wisdom of waiting before acting.
• In their water-mirror conversation, the Zi Wei Emperor questions Wang Zhi about the war and the kidnapped young god. Wang Zhi’s fear and erratic behavior reveal that the girl is far more dangerous than either of them fully understands.

Chapter Summary: “War Nest Egg”

Key plot points and events

• At Malindo’s Royal Academy, students gossip that Laxala has been chosen as the empire’s future Queen by the Emperor. Justin has heard the news and is quietly upset, but turns his attention to the empire’s political and military troubles.
• Adams tells Justin that Lucia borrowed ancient divine artifacts from the Temple before the empire’s victory over the Beast King regiment. They worry that the Overlord Council may retaliate. Adams, though heir to the Infinity Clan’s leadership, has little influence in its current religious hierarchy.
• Adams shows Justin a Sky Dome auction catalog featuring a black egg identified as a War Nest Egg, the kind from which the Limit Clan’s war nests hatch. The catalog also lists damaged weapons identified by Master Hanit as equipment for the God-Slaying Armor. The Infinity Clan suspects the artifacts came from an ancient battlefield and hopes to learn more about the ruins. Justin offers to secure an auction invitation through his grandfather.
• At the villa, Vinasis asks Linglong Fairy about the Primordial Demon Cult. She reports a major incident at the Demon-Hunting Tower. Vinasis instructs her to monitor the cult, tells her that his people will soon arrive in Malindo, and asks her to accommodate them and seek their help if needed.
• Linglong gives Vinasis a package sent by Atlantis’s Fourth Princess. He reads it privately and reacts with amusement, wondering whether the sender, Neil, is afraid of him.
• Li Guo tells Boss Luo that Prince Mao will soon enter the Ancestral Temple, after which political affairs may be decided. She asks whether Boss Luo will leave Malindo; he says probably, though he has no destination in mind. Li Guo says she will return to the Princess’s Residence and promises to visit him again.
• Before she can depart, Li Guo learns that Great Leader Di Ren was attacked by treasure hunters seeking the Empress’s Vault. He was unharmed; two attackers were killed, three escaped, and one was captured. Li Guo orders an investigation.
• Justin visits his grandfather, Fernando, and obtains the invitation to the Sky Dome auction. Fernando lets him use his account for purchases up to ten billion Imperial Currency, prompting Justin’s startled reaction.

Character developments and interactions

• Justin sets aside his unspoken romantic disappointment over Laxala to think about the empire’s security and help Adams. His family connection gives the Infinity Clan a practical route into the auction.
• Adams is candid with Justin about his limited authority and his attachment to the academy and the homeland. Their friendship is marked by mutual trust and shared concern.
• Vinasis continues to operate cautiously around Li Wei, while strengthening his support network through Linglong and his incoming followers. His reaction to the princess’s message hints at a personal history with Neil.
• Li Guo shows growing reluctance to part from Boss Luo, while choosing to return to her royal duties. She remains composed and decisive when told of Di Ren’s attack.
• Boss Luo listens without pressing Li Guo to explain her wishes, but plainly expects to leave Malindo once events there conclude.
• Fernando is generous and teasing toward Justin, offering both access to the auction and substantial spending power.

Significant themes

• Personal feelings versus public duty: Justin redirects heartbreak into concern for the empire, while Li Guo balances her attachment to Boss Luo with her obligations.
• Uncertain power and shifting alliances: The Infinity Clan’s diminished standing contrasts with its former prestige, and the threat of Overlord Council retaliation looms.
• The past resurfacing: The War Nest Egg and damaged God-Slaying Armor weapons may reveal a forgotten conflict between the Infinity Clan’s people and the Limit Clan.
• Trust and dependence: Friends and allies rely on one another for access, information, protection, and support.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Li Guo returns to her residence and reviews the accounts managed by Al-Gabi, praising her flawless work. She also confirms that Li Wei’s planet may be developed as he chooses, directing her staff to withdraw if he appoints his own people.
• Li Guo tells Al-Gabi that the Empress has raised the subject of Li Guo’s marriage. She then gives Al-Gabi a list of eligible noblemen and orders her to choose a fiancé by the next day. Marriage would require Al-Gabi to leave her powerful post as Great Manager.
• Valia reports that a rumor is spreading among treasure hunters: Di Ren supposedly entered the Empress’s Vault and survived, and may know its location. Li Guo suspects someone is deliberately stirring interest in the vault, much as she herself did, but the source remains unknown.
• Alone at the residence’s telescope, Li Guo looks at the stars Boss Luo once observed and reflects that they seem extraordinary because he saw them: “What he saw was different.”
• Elsewhere, Momojiro entertains investors Meilong Foxes and Ham Hank, who have committed substantial funds to his trading venture. When Ham and Meilong leave after explosions disrupt the city, Momojiro learns that Golden Sha Ke wants to withdraw 200 million units of World Origin.
• Momojiro reluctantly provides the money off the books. In return, Sha Ke hints that he has learned of a promising opportunity involving Xiang Feihu and Captain Luo. Momojiro eagerly prepares to hear more.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Guo remains composed and businesslike, but her decisions reveal a willingness to reshape her household and an emotional preoccupation with Boss Luo. Her permission for Li Wei to manage his planet independently also shows respect for his autonomy.
• Al-Gabi, long devoted to Li Guo, is shaken by the order to choose a husband. She appears to understand that marriage will end her career at the residence, though she leaves without examining the list.
• Valia supports Li Guo’s decisions and handles intelligence matters, but her cold watchfulness during Al-Gabi’s departure suggests the transition has institutional as well as personal consequences. Vinasis stays mostly quiet and listens as Li Guo reflects on the stars.
• Momojiro presents himself as confident to his investors, but his private dealings show growing anxiety and dependence on risky, concealed transactions. Meilong Foxes and Ham Hank trust the venture partly because of Princess Anle’s backing and the Void Bank connection.
• Golden Sha Ke exploits his relationship with Momojiro to obtain large sums, yet his access to information may make him valuable. Momojiro placates him with money in hopes of learning what he knows.

Significant themes

• Duty versus personal future: Al-Gabi’s possible marriage threatens to separate her from the role and life she has built beside Li Guo.
• Power, trust, and control: Li Guo manages her household carefully while allowing Li Wei independence; Momojiro, by contrast, keeps investors’ money and Sha Ke’s withdrawals hidden.
• Rumors as political tools: The sudden story about Di Ren and the Empress’s Vault suggests that information can be deliberately planted to pressure powerful groups.
• Perception and longing: Li Guo’s changed view of the stars links her emotional attachment to Boss Luo with the idea that another person can transform how the world appears.
• Greed and risk: Momojiro’s scheme attracts ambitious investors, while Sha Ke’s escalating demands threaten to destabilize it.

Plot points and events

• Momojiro meets with [Golden] Sha Ke, who claims that Captain [Luo] and Void Bank president Francis are secretly developing a product to smuggle to the [Mechanical Divine Court].
• Sha Ke says the project urgently needs a scarce raw material. Captain [Luo] supposedly plans to spend billions of world-origin units buying it, and the larger business may be worth hundreds of billions.
• Sha Ke asks Momojiro for two hundred million to buy up the material and resell it at a profit. Momojiro verifies that the material is scarce, then offers to increase the backing to seven hundred million. Sha Ke declines the larger sum, wary of drawing attention, and promises to repay the original amount within three days.
• After Sha Ke leaves, Momojiro learns that [Xiang Feihu] has rented several warehouses, suggesting the stockpiling is real. He orders payments to two earlier buyers to keep them reassured, then contacts a supplier who deals in the material.
• Momojiro secretly directs unfamiliar agents to buy the material from multiple firms at once, using deposits and contracts to secure as much as possible. He excludes the supplier Sha Ke mentioned and orders that firm watched for Sha Ke’s arrival.

Character developments

• Momojiro begins by seeing Sha Ke’s proposal as a chance for profit. As the supposed scale of the venture emerges, his curiosity and ambition grow; he ultimately chooses to investigate and exploit the market himself rather than join Sha Ke’s plan openly.
• Sha Ke presents himself as a cautious insider seeking a modest, quick return. He is tempted by Momojiro’s larger offer but backs away, fearing that aggressive buying could expose him.
• Momojiro’s subordinate carries out his orders, while Momojiro’s existing business dealings reveal his willingness to mislead buyers and manage appearances for his own advantage.

Significant themes

• Information as leverage: Momojiro tests Sha Ke’s claims against market data and uses contacts to gain an edge.
• Greed and calculated risk: Both men pursue profit, but Sha Ke prefers a limited return while Momojiro quietly expands his opportunity.
• Power and hierarchy: Momojiro reflects that even an important figure like Captain [Luo] may need to prove his worth to the far more powerful Void Bank.
• Deception and speculation: Rumors, secret purchases, misleading explanations, and staged reassurance shape the business dealings.

Character interactions

• Sha Ke persuades Momojiro by framing the raw-material shortage as part of a high-stakes partnership between Captain [Luo] and Francis. Momojiro listens, questions the figures, and verifies the shortage in real time.
• Momojiro offers Sha Ke more money, but Sha Ke refuses, revealing a difference in their tolerance for risk.
• After Sha Ke departs, Momojiro turns the conversation to his advantage, contacting suppliers and arranging discreet purchases while keeping Sha Ke under observation.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• Momojiro’s procurement plan advances. After confirming that Sha Ke bought and removed the materials as expected, Momojiro tells his own people to collect the supplies they have secured with deposits. Li Huamei, by contrast, leaves the Trading Company in a visibly troubled state: Sha Ke says she is struggling to find enough materials on Malindo and is trying to manage the task alone.
• Momojiro considers attending the Sky Dome auction. Captain Luo has declined his invitation, so Momojiro decides the auction may be useful for gathering information about powerful guests.
• Justin helps the Infinity Clan’s religious order attend. He escorts Adams and three bishops into the auction using Fernando’s invitation. Justin worries that the imperial family—which has long supported the order—may not want it competing for ancient Infinity Clan technology. Adams reveals that the order has brought 200 billion World Origin units, astonishing Justin.
• Qidan investigates a previous auction lot. He asks about lot five, which Li Wei bought at the reserve price and gave to Princess Phyllis. The item is a Hero Race Ruins Secret Realm, and Qidan calls it an unexpected find. He also asks about Li Wei’s connection to Princess Anle, then dismisses her and Li Wei contemptuously.
• The auction house prioritizes its most powerful guests. Su Duo brushes off Justin’s visit because he is occupied with Qidan’s business, then eagerly welcomes Francis, another highly esteemed guest.
• Miss Nan is pressured into a risky impersonation. Young Master [Wild] urges her to impersonate his “big brother” at the auction. She fears the consequences and points a Haro cannon at him, but he insists his brother approved and promises she can stop if anything goes wrong. His coaxing leaves her wavering.

Character developments and interactions

• Momojiro remains calculating and discreet, using Sha Ke’s actions to push his own plan forward while keeping their conversation carefully guarded.
• Li Huamei appears unusually distracted and strained, suggesting her procurement difficulties are weighing on her.
• Justin shifts from helpful confidence to anxiety when he realizes the auction may involve political tensions between the empire and the Infinity Clan’s order. The order’s enormous budget also gives him a comic shock.
• Adams is earnest and inexperienced with auctions, openly sharing the order’s financial limits and dependence on imperial support.
• Qidan is confident, powerful, and disdainful of people he considers beneath him. Su Duo’s intense attraction to him makes their interaction awkward; Qidan firmly warns him not to get too close.
• Su Duo is deferential to Qidan and eager to please Francis, while treating Justin’s visit as unimportant. His inability to clearly recall Li Wei’s appearance hints at something unusual about Li Wei’s effect on others.
• Miss Nan is frightened and angry at [Wild] for involving her in a dangerous scheme, but his appeals to her status, his claimed permission from his brother, and the promised Haro upgrade begin to soften her resistance.

Significant themes

• Political maneuvering and competing interests: The auction brings together powerful factions whose goals around ancient technology may conflict.
• Power, wealth, and status: The order’s vast funds and the auction house’s deference to elite guests show how money and rank shape access and influence.
• Deception and uncertain loyalties: Momojiro’s concealed dealings, the mystery surrounding Qidan, and the proposed impersonation all involve carefully managed appearances.
• Fear versus opportunity: Justin worries about political fallout, while Miss Nan must weigh a frightening risk against the chance to gain greater status and power.

Miss Nan used [Wild]’s pendant to take on a face resembling Boss Luo and entered the auction under the name Mr. [J]. Rosalind and Qidan both reacted to the appearance of someone they recognized, leaving the identity’s significance unresolved as Qidan watched from above.

• Miss Nan put on [Wild]’s pendant, which let her take on a face resembling Boss Luo and temporarily draw [Destiny] onto herself.
• At the villa, Boss Luo sensed that the day would be interesting while playing a board game with [Zero · Bing Lun].
• Rosalind felt the [Wheel of Chaos] shift, told Kui to warn Qidan to be careful, and then received an image from the auction that made her recognize Captain [Luo].
• Miss Nan arrived at the auction as Mr. [J], where Momojiro mistook her for [Li Wei Titus] and exchanged business cards with her.
• Qidan spotted Miss Nan’s disguised face from his private box and recognized it from a protected painting in the [Eternal Hall] of [Paradise].

Qidan recognized [J] as the man resembling a figure from the [Eternal Hall] painting and watched [Rosa] grow unusually interested in him. While Miss Nan, posing as [J], spoke with Rosa at the auction, Qidan ordered the auction to begin and counted how often Rosa smiled at his rival.

• Qidan recalled the portrait of a man in the [Eternal Hall] and felt jealous when Rosalind asked him to contact [J].
• Rosalind told Qidan to suspend his activities, including his dealings with the [Infinity Clan], until she arrived.
• Miss Nan met the red-haired woman calling herself Rosa and introduced herself as [J], a traveler who ran a circus troupe.
• Miss Nan told Rosa a cover story about surviving an Expeditionary Force attack, while sensing that Rosa was afraid when she moved close to her.
• Qidan watched Rosa and [J] converse and learned from Su Duo that the auction house had not identified [J]'s background.
• Qidan ordered the auction to proceed and saw Rosa smile at [J] a seventh time, more than she had ever smiled at him.