Chapter Summaries

Megatron defended the Dark Continent’s steel fortress from a swarm of Beastless, while Xiao Tianyang observed the Royal Guard of the Nation of Ten Thousand Nations fighting a Hell Viper. Leonidas and Hercules struck the creature, but it began glowing red as the battle continued.

• Megatron blasted apart a Beastless beneath the fortress walls, then led his personal Decepticon squad toward the Beastless nest.
• Xiao Tianyang watched the battle and, with Zhang Liang’s help, switched the crystal screen to the southern Dark Continent.
• Jia Xu identified Leonidas among Alexander VII’s Royal Guard as the soldiers fought the Hell Viper.
• Leonidas charged the Hell Viper, but its scales deflected his spear and its tail sent him flying.
• Hercules grabbed the Hell Viper’s tail and slammed it into the ground as the surrounding soldiers joined the assault.
• The Hell Viper’s eyes began glowing red.

The Royal Guard fought Hell Viper with enchanted gunpowder jars until Leonidas and Hercules stopped its attack, but the creature fled as a more dangerous enemy arrived. While Leonidas and Hercules began fighting the new arrival, the Royal Guard clashed with the Undead Legion, and two cavalry forces charged onto the battlefield.

• Hell Viper enlarged its body and crushed thousands of Royal Guard soldiers, who raised a golden shield and bombarded it with enchanted gunpowder jars.
• Hell Viper used Snake Coil: Strangle, but Leonidas and Hercules halted the attack with their strength.
• Xiao Tianyang predicted Hell Viper would flee, and it vanished as a more terrifying man arrived and sent Leonidas and Hercules flying.
• Hercules and Leonidas unleashed their powers and began a battle against the Undead King.
• The Royal Guard fought the fast-moving Undead Legion as Xiao Tianyang and Jia Xu speculated about Alexander VII's hidden forces.
• Two cavalry forces charged into the Undead Legion, trampling and killing its members.

Xiao Tianyang and his advisers assessed the Nation of Ten Thousand Nations’ elite forces and Alexander VII’s likely plans on the Dark Continent. They expected him to head for the Western Corridor and considered how the Ancient Ruin’s valuable herbs might draw his allies into a clash.

• Jia Xu explained that Alexander VII’s Servant Legion provided support while his Royal Guard and Companion Legion were elite forces from the Nation of Ten Thousand Nations.
• Jia Xu assessed the enemy’s highly coordinated legions, noting their strength against the Undead King but also their reliance on a core and limited flexibility.
• Zhang Liang predicted Alexander VII would choose the Western Corridor and might seek benefits from the Ancient Ruin despite the Undying Elder’s presence.
• Jia Xu argued that the Ancient Ruin’s Hundred Fragrance Grass and Sweet Dew could tempt Alexander VII’s allies into revealing their intentions.
• Xiao Tianyang and his advisers considered the ruin’s many valuable herbs, including more than one hundred and thirty-seven recorded top-grade varieties.

Xiao Tianyang and Zhang Liang planned a cautious probe to exploit the Undying Elder’s sensitivity to metal without alerting the Anti-Douluo Alliance. Xiao Tianyang assigned Tang San and Dai Mubai to lead the experiment while Jia Xu coordinated it remotely, and he left as the Tianwu Emperor Dynasty prepared for the alliance’s next offensive.

• Zhang Liang explained the three conditions that would attract the Undying Elder and proposed exploiting his sensitivity to metal with technological assistance.
• Xiao Tianyang approved an experimental probe, appointed Tang San as its leader and Dai Mubai as second in command, and ordered Jia Xu to guide them remotely.
• Xiao Tianyang warned the team to prioritize safety and avoid drawing attention from the Anti-Douluo Alliance.
• Xiao Tianyang left the hall as the alliance cleaned up after battle and the Tianwu Emperor Dynasty maintained its watch.
• Xiao Tianyang considered how the Void’s cooperation with God King Bais and the Ninth Tier Planes could be affected by the escalating conflict.

Xiao Tianyang reflected on his children’s sharply different talents and tried to reassure Xiao Ruoxuan, who felt overshadowed by his sister. Xiao Ruoxi returned from Shenwu Academy to ask permission to visit the Sword Sea with Master Chen Xin after her Sword Heart reached a bottleneck.

• The Tianwu Emperor Dynasty sent six Group Armies to confront the Nation of Ten Thousand Nations and the Anti-Douluo Alliance, which Xiao Tianyang considered useful opponents.
• Xiao Tianyang noticed Xiao Ruoxuan’s calm nature and compared his Immaculate Physique and progress with Xiao Ruoxi’s exceptional sword talent.
• Xiao Tianyang entered Xiao Ruoxuan’s courtyard and encouraged him not to feel inferior to his elder sister.
• Xiao Ruoxi arrived and revealed that Master Chen Xin wanted to take her to the Sword Sea, then Xiao Tianyang learned her Sword Heart had reached a bottleneck.

Xiao Ruoxi returned to seek Xiao Tianyang’s permission before entering the Mountain of Knives, while Xiao Ruoxuan asked to begin his own journey and prove himself. Xiao Tianyang agreed and gave his son a final blade lesson, showing him the meaning and potential of a Blade Soul.

• Xiao Tianyang reassured Xiao Ruoxi and told her to explain her reasons for visiting Saber.
• Xiao Ruoxuan told Xiao Tianyang he was serious about entering the Mountain of Knives, and Xiao Tianyang agreed to let him go.
• Xiao Tianyang drew the [Supreme Blade] and asked Xiao Ruoxuan what a blade was.
• Xiao Ruoxuan summoned his Miao blade, and Xiao Tianyang brought him into the Unknown Space to teach him through combat.
• Xiao Tianyang’s blade strike split a Chaos Space and revealed his Blade Soul’s artistic conception, giving Xiao Ruoxuan a hint about advancing his own.

Xiao Tianyang and Saber discussed Xiao Ruoxuan’s departure for the Mountain of Knives and the enormous cost of cultivating the [Lotus of Life]. The lotus had consumed a third of the royal family’s resources without producing a bud, leaving Xiao Tianyang considering whether to seek more funds from the major clans and factions.

• Xiao Tianyang advised Xiao Ruoxuan to visit Guiguzi before traveling to the Mountain of Knives, and Xiao Ruoxuan set out for the trial ground.
• Xiao Tianyang told Saber about Xiao Ruoxuan’s choice, and she said she would support him despite her concern that he might suffer a setback.
• Xiao Tianyang and Saber reviewed the [Lotus of Life] and found that it required far more resources than expected.
• Saber explained that the lotus had consumed a third of the royal family’s resources without producing a flower bud, while other reserves had to be protected for the royal family’s cultivation.
• Xiao Tianyang considered asking the major clans and factions for more resources, though the Heavenly Strategy Bureau’s oversight limited how far he could pressure them.

Xiao Tianyang prepared to visit the Second Layer of the Abyss Battlefield while arranging for Jia Xu to fleece the major families and factions within the rules. Meanwhile, both sides in the Dark Continent standoff remained still, and Xiao Tianyang’s secret journey was poised to attract the Abyss Faction’s attention.

• Xiao Tianyang told Saber he would visit the Second Layer of the Abyss Battlefield and had Jia Xu begin arranging a legitimate way to extract benefits from the major families and factions.
• Xiao Tianyang and Saber returned to their palace, shared dinner, and spent the evening together without any unexpected incidents.
• The Nation of Ten Thousand Nations and the Anti-Douluo Alliance made no move, while the Tianwu Emperor Dynasty’s forces maintained their defenses.
• Three days passed without enemy movement, and the six Group Armies established defensive fortifications in the northern Dark Continent.
• Xiao Tianyang privately assigned Jia Xu the task of fleecing the major families and factions, while Baihua Tower supplied the necessary information.
• Xiao Tianyang prepared to visit the Abyss Battlefield secretly, hoping to meet several people and gather intelligence while avoiding the Abyss Faction’s notice.

Xiao Tianyang explored the Second Layer of the Abyss Battlefield, learned about its mutated plants and the Plant Mother Body, and traveled to meet an ally. The chapter ended with the middle-aged man asking whether Xiao Tianyang could break into the Second Layer within three years.

• Xiao Tianyang fought off a mutated plant, collected its memory fragments, and learned that the forest was created by a single plant.
• Xiao Tianyang discovered that mutated plants could yield risky Soul Fragments and reasoned that the Plant Mother Body held a valuable Plant Core, but he decided not to investigate or attack it yet.
• Xiao Tianyang traveled to Lake in the Mountains to meet several people and gather information for the Tianwu Emperor Dynasty.
• A middle-aged man teased Xiao Tianyang for arriving late, and Xiao Tianyang explained that Douluo Continent's recent advancement had kept him busy.
• The middle-aged man asked Xiao Tianyang whether he was confident he could break into the Second Layer of the Abyss Battlefield within three years.

Xiao Tianyang learned that Alexander VII had orchestrated the attack on Douluo Continent to draw the Abyss Faction’s attention away from the Second Layer of the Abyss Battlefield and advance a larger plan. After Alexander questioned him, Xiao Tianyang grew displeased as they discussed what to do next.

• Alexander VII said he would withdraw his troops from Douluo Continent and face the Abyss Faction himself if Xiao Tianyang refused to cooperate.
• Xiao Tianyang learned that the Heavenly Dao Will had arranged the conflict between their planes to help reclaim control of the Second Layer of the Abyss Battlefield.
• The Heavenly Dao Will had hoped the Nation of Ten Thousand Nations and the Tianwu Emperor Dynasty would cooperate, but Alexander VII instead assembled seventeen allies and attacked Douluo Continent.
• Alexander VII explained that the invasion was meant to draw the Abyss Faction’s attention toward Douluo Continent while his allies prepared to attack another Fourth Tier Plane.
• Alexander VII questioned Xiao Tianyang during their meeting on the Abyss Battlefield, leaving Xiao Tianyang irritated.

Xiao Tianyang and Alexander VII agreed to settle who would lead their plan against the Abyss Faction through a restricted battlefield, sealing their pact with a high-five. After they parted, Alexander VII sent Palmenier to Douluo Continent under Athena’s command, while Xiao Tianyang reflected on the dangers of the old man and the conflicts facing his dynasty.

• Xiao Tianyang rejected Alexander VII’s demand for an answer, then agreed that they had time to prepare against the Abyss Faction.
• Xiao Tianyang gave Alexander VII the plan and proposed a hidden Dark Continent battlefield where both sides’ abilities would be restricted.
• Xiao Tianyang and Alexander VII agreed that the winner would lead the plan and the loser would follow, then sealed their pact with a high-five.
• Alexander VII’s old teacher praised Xiao Tianyang’s intelligence, and Alexander VII sent Palmenier to Douluo Continent under Athena’s command.
• Xiao Tianyang considered the old man more dangerous than Alexander VII and reflected on how the Void and Abyss had repeatedly failed to understand his command strategy.
• Xiao Tianyang recognized that pursuing advancement had drawn the Tianwu Emperor Dynasty into conflict with powerful factions, though Heavenly Dao Will’s favor had spared it from competing for resources elsewhere.

Xiao Tianyang reflected on the Tianwu Emperor Dynasty’s advantages over the Nation of Ten Thousand Nations and how he used his information advantage to negotiate with Alexander VII. After leaving their meeting, he planned to tour the Second Layer of the Abyss Battlefield, build strength and resources, and prepare for a later struggle over its Core Area.

• Xiao Tianyang’s military strength, popular prestige, and intelligence network gave the Tianwu Emperor Dynasty an advantage over the rival Nation of Ten Thousand Nations.
• Alexander VII had tried to probe Xiao Tianyang’s limits, but stopped to avoid jeopardizing their prospective cooperation and because Xiao Tianyang’s information was difficult to assess.
• Xiao Tianyang left the Southwest District after planting misleading clues for the Abyss Faction to follow.
• Xiao Tianyang planned to tour the Second Layer’s Northwest, Northeast, and Southeast Districts before visiting its Core Area.
• Xiao Tianyang intended to profit on the Second Layer and strengthen his forces before confronting the Abyss Faction, which might bring Augustine into the conflict.

Xiao Tianyang divided his forces across the Second Layer of the Abyss Battlefield and ordered them to gather intelligence and hunt Abyss Legions for ten days. In the Southeast District, he prepared an ambush against a small Abyss Legion, targeting its officers and commander first.

• Xiao Tianyang assigned White Robe and two thousand Tianwu Dragon Guards to the Southwest District, then explained that the guards could conceal their Heavenly Dao Power.
• Xiao Tianyang set a ten-day operation for intelligence gathering and hunting Abyss Legions, with the forces to regroup at the southwest corner of the Core Area.
• White Night, Ram Horn, and Sacred Spirit took responsibility for separate districts while Xiao Tianyang traveled through the Northwest and Northeast Districts.
• After reaching the Southeast District, Xiao Tianyang led five hundred Tianwu Dragon Guards to an ambush point and assessed an approaching Abyss Legion of fewer than thirty thousand soldiers.
• Xiao Tianyang marked the officers with [Abyss Brains] as his first targets, then deployed his Tianwu Dragon Guards around the Legion and summoned three hundred more to charge with him.

Xiao Tianyang led the Tianwu Dragon Guards into battle against the Moonlit Werewolves, targeting their officers and breaking through Sky Wolf’s defenses. As the fight intensified, the Guards split apart and dismounted to unleash a new explosive technique, leaving the battle unresolved.

• Xiao Tianyang charged into the Moonlit Werewolves’ vanguard, killing two officers and scattering their soldiers with his spear.
• Sky Wolf ordered the Iron Sword Team to hold Xiao Tianyang back while the Remnant Wolf Team entered the Berserk State and the Shield Team prepared to encircle him.
• Xiao Tianyang used Fire Tornado and Dragon Roar Nine Heavens to devastate the werewolves and break through the Iron Sword Team with the Tianwu Dragon Guards.
• The Tianwu Dragon Guards pushed through the berserk fighters, while Sky Wolf deployed the Strange Wolf Team and ordered the Shield Team to compress the encirclement.
• Xiao Tianyang ordered the Guards to scatter; they broke through the Shield Team, dismounted, took up double-headed axes, and ignited their bodies with their explosive technique.

Xiao Tianyang left Green Vine Gorge after defeating Sky Wolf, while the war on the Dark Continent opened with the Nation of Ten Thousand Nations attacking at Magnetic Valley. Athena adapted her tactics after the valley’s deadly restrictions punished her forces, but she remained uneasy about the Tianwu Emperor Dynasty’s plans.

• Xiao Tianyang ordered the Tianwu Dragon Guards to secure Green Vine Gorge and clear the battlefield after killing Sky Wolf.
• Xiao Tianyang left the gorge with his team without recalling the Tianwu Dragon Guards, avoiding attention from the Abyss Faction.
• The Nation of Ten Thousand Nations and the Tianwu Emperor Dynasty clashed at Magnetic Valley, where the valley’s energy-blocking effects and Magnetic Force Monsters made weapons and attrition tactics deadly.
• Athena stripped a commander of his post after his forces suffered heavy losses attempting to wear down Yue Fei’s side.
• Athena tightened her formations and increased the number of officers directing the soldiers, then wondered whether the Tianwu Emperor Dynasty was planning to cut off her rear.

Xiao Tianyang’s forces prepared for a genuine battle on the Dark Continent while he and his companions hunted the Abyss Legion and entered its Core Area. After they returned to the Douluo Continent, the Black Robe Wizard and Platinum Apostle began assessing Xiao Tianyang’s recent actions.

• Yue Fei set Chen Qingzhi’s flanking maneuver in motion while Athena remained unable to identify the danger behind the fighting at Magnetic Valley.
• The Abyss Will issued bounty notices for Xiao Tianyang, White Robe, Ram Horn, and Sacred Spirit, offering [Abyss Power] as a reward.
• On the tenth day, Xiao Tianyang and his three companions gathered at the Core Area’s border, collected intelligence, and used Heavenly Dao authority to return to the Douluo Continent.
• At Green Fortress, the Black Robe Wizard asked the Platinum Apostle how long Xiao Tianyang had been active in the Core Area.
• The Platinum Apostle said the mysterious figure active in recent days was likely Xiao Tianyang.

The Black Robe Wizard suspected Xiao Tianyang’s activity on the Abyss Battlefield was connected to the war on the Douluo Continent and ordered surveillance of the continent and the Nation of Ten Thousand Nations. Xiao Tianyang returned to the Imperial Palace and poured his collected resources into the pool, where the Lotus of Life began to grow.

• The Platinum Apostle told the Black Robe Wizard that four people using different fighting styles had been active, and they concluded that three were Xiao Tianyang’s clones.
• The Black Robe Wizard considered whether Xiao Tianyang’s Abyss Battlefield actions were meant to disguise the Tianwu Emperor Dynasty’s strength or conceal another purpose.
• The Black Robe Wizard ordered the Platinum Apostle to monitor the Douluo Continent and the Nation of Ten Thousand Nations on the Second Layer.
• Xiao Tianyang returned from the military camp to the Imperial Palace and poured his Abyss Battlefield resources into the pool.
• The Lotus of Life emerged from the water, and Saber arrived to ask Xiao Tianyang how many resources he had collected.

Xiao Tianyang discussed the Lotus of Life and the Tianwu Emperor Dynasty’s plans to build trade ties and allies before checking on the Douluo Continent’s war. He questioned whether the court’s proposed battle at Mo Teng Basin would escalate the conflict too quickly.

• Xiao Tianyang and Saber discussed Wenhe’s resource handovers and the leverage created by its minor legal violations.
• Xiao Tianyang and Saber tended the Lotus of Life and returned to their simple daily routine.
• Xiao Tianyang reviewed the wider plans of Fan Li, Bai Gui, and Alexander VII to use trade and hidden allies to strengthen their factions.
• Xiao Tianyang summoned Xiao He and Sun Wu to learn about recent events on the Douluo Continent.
• Sun Wu reported that Athena had retreated and that the court planned to fight at Mo Teng Basin in four days.
• Xiao Tianyang questioned whether deciding the war’s outcome so soon would risk provoking Alexander VII and causing needless casualties.

Xiao Tianyang devised a plan to pressure the Nation of Ten Thousand Nations and force Alexander VII to choose between rescuing Athena’s vanguard and pursuing his campaign. Sun Wu left convinced that the military could act more boldly, while the plan’s execution still depended on the Grand Commandant’s Mansion and the Ministry of War preparing intelligence and supplies.

• Xiao Tianyang explained that the war on the Dark Continent would give both sides a pretext to unite against the Second Layer while concealing their real purpose from others.
• Xiao Tianyang proposed sending the Three Dragons and the War Dragon, with Xiang Yu and Gao Changgong cutting Athena’s supply lines as the First Group Army pressured the Nation of Ten Thousand Nations.
• Xiao Tianyang planned to make Alexander VII choose between withdrawing his main force to reinforce Athena or abandoning her vanguard, potentially straining his alliance and military reputation.
• Sun Wu concluded that the military’s strategy could be bolder and that Bai Qi’s aggressive style would better suit Xiao Tianyang’s plan than Yue Fei’s steady approach.
• Xiao Tianyang’s orders enabled the Heavenly Strategy Bureau to activate a contingency plan, but the Grand Commandant’s Mansion and the Ministry of War still needed to prepare information and supplies.

Xiao Tianyang consulted Xiao He about the coming development plan while Sun Wu reorganized the military campaign on the Dark Continent. Realizing he could not fully control events alone, Xiao Tianyang brought Jia Xu into his strategy planning, while keeping Zhang Liang as a moral limit.

• Xiao Tianyang spent more than two hours discussing development policies and the approaching new Ten-Year Development Plan with Xiao He.
• Sun Wu convened a military meeting and reassigned forces, placing Yue Fei’s First Group Army and three supporting armies at the front, with Bai Qi’s forces on the flanks.
• Xiang Yu and Gao Changgong occupied Stone Formation Slope and disrupted enemy supply lines, while Athena chose to attack their position and Bai Qi watched for an opening.
• Xiao Tianyang explained to Jia Xu that Sun Wu’s actions had shown him he could not fully control events, so he decided to involve Jia Xu in planning the Counterattack Plan on the Abyss Battlefield.
• Xiao Tianyang kept Zhang Liang outside the Heavenly Strategy Bureau because Zhang Liang’s moral limits helped prevent him from becoming a cold, profit-driven ruler.