Chapter Summaries

Xiao Tianyang explained why he had delayed summoning the Cloud Terrace Twenty-Eight Generals and revealed that he had recruited Sun Wu and prepared two new Group Armies. He left the details of his plan to travel alone for later, while Zhang Liang suspected that the emperor’s announcements concealed a further purpose.

• Xiao Tianyang planned to use the [Cloud Terrace Summoning Order] to raise the Twenty-Eight Generals’ potential and establish the Tenth Group Army, while secretly preparing the Ninth Group Army on similar principles.
• Xiao Tianyang recalled that Confucius, Laozi, Xunzi, and other renowned figures had declined official posts, while Sun Wu had asked him to create the position of Grand Commandant.
• Xiao Tianyang decided to tell Xiao He and the others about Sun Wu and the new Group Armies as part of his effort to persuade them to accept his plan to act alone.
• Two days later, Xiao Tianyang told Wang Jian and the others about Sun Wu and the two new Group Armies, explaining that Sun Wu would serve as Grand Commandant with broad authority over troop deployment.
• Zhang Liang recognized that Xiao Tianyang’s announcements likely served a purpose beyond introducing Sun Wu and the new Group Armies.

Xiao Tianyang proposed forming the Ninth and Tenth Group Armies and urged the Ministry of War officials to support a risky plan to infiltrate the Void Plane. The officials agreed to inspect the armies before deciding, leaving Xiao Tianyang with a narrow window before the plan began.

• Xiao Tianyang introduced the Ninth Group Army, led by Xian Yin and Wu Zixu, and the Tenth Group Army, led by Deng Yu and Wu Han, and invited the Ministry of War to examine their capabilities.
• Xiao Tianyang argued that the Heavenly Martial Dynasty could not withstand the threats from nine planes while waiting for Douluo Continent to advance, and asked the officials to reconsider his plan to infiltrate the Void Plane.
• Zhang Liang asked about the plan’s chances of success, and Xiao Tianyang admitted they were low but said failure would only leave him recovering in the imperial palace for ten days.
• Wei Liao requested three days to inspect both armies, but Xiao Tianyang limited him to two days and assigned Li Mu to accompany him while Wang Jian remained in the Underground City Plane.
• Zhang Liang, Wei Liao, and Du Ruhui requested that Sun Wu accompany the inspection, and Xiao Tianyang accepted their compromise as the officials reserved their final decision.

Sun Wu inspected the Ninth and Tenth Group Armies and praised their commanders, foundations, and potential, while leaving the final assessment to Wei Liao and Du Ruhui. After the Ministry of War found no fault with the armies, Wei Liao announced they had passed and Du Ruhui warned them to expect outside pressure.

• Sun Wu told Wei Liao and Du Ruhui that Xiao Tianyang had found four Commander Talents and that the new armies appeared exceptionally strong, but he left the final decision to them.
• Sun Wu led Wei Liao, Du Ruhui, and the others into the camp to meet Xian Yin, Wu Zixu, Deng Yu, and Wu Han.
• Wei Liao inspected the Ninth and Tenth Group Armies and found their combat strength and potential beyond reproach.
• Wei Liao announced that both armies had passed the Ministry of War's assessment and would receive regular Group Army resources and recruits.
• Du Ruhui told the commanders to prepare for outside pressure and prove their armies through their achievements.

Xiao Tianyang issued three imperial edicts establishing the Ninth and Tenth Group Armies, appointing Sun Wu Grand Commandant, and creating the Eight and Seven Dragon Imperial Guards. The new commands were ordered to begin work immediately, and Sun Wu left to meet Xiao Tianyang at the Frontline.

• Wang Wan announced the appointments of Xian Yin and Deng Yu as commanders of the new Group Armies and named their subordinate legion commanders.
• Xiao Tianyang appointed Sun Wu Grand Commandant, granting him authority over military affairs, troop mobilization, and general appointments.
• Wang Wan announced the creation of the Eight and Seven Dragon Imperial Guards under Jubao and Ma Yuan, with their troop commanders.
• Wang Wan relayed Xiao Tianyang’s order for every department to begin work or training immediately, and the officials pledged obedience.
• Wang Wan invited Sun Wu to the Frontline to discuss matters, and Sun Wu departed at once.

Xiao Tianyang discussed the formation of the new Group Armies and explained his own plan to Sun Wu and Wei Liao. Sun Wu and Wei Liao raised concerns about the commanders and the Eight Dragon Imperial Guards, but Xiao Tianyang said he had checked the risks and expected them to trust his decision.

• Xiao Tianyang kept Wei Liao and other officials in the Underground City Plane to discuss next steps while the Ministry of War prepared the Ninth and Tenth Group Armies.
• Sun Wu inferred that Xiao Tianyang had selected soldiers he trained for a plan involving Generals Jubao and Ma Yuan, but questioned their limited experience.
• Wei Liao praised Ma Yuan's battlefield judgment and warned that Jubao's Berserk Beasts and Military Dao Divine Ability might be vulnerable to the Void Faction.
• Xiao Tianyang told Wei Liao that he had verified the concerns and had left the choice to the Ministry of War, but now expected them to trust his decision.

Xiao Tianyang led the Eight Dragon and Seven Dragon Imperial Guards into the Void to raid two strategic sites in the Mysterious Land while drawing the War Clan’s attention. After he departed as the operation began, Jubao accepted Ma Yuan’s advice but privately resolved to fight to the death if needed.

• Xiao Tianyang left Xiao He in charge of state affairs and Sun Wu in charge of the Underground City Plane offensive before entering the Void with Jubao, Ma Yuan, and their troops.
• Ma Yuan explained that the Mysterious Land belonged to the powerful War Clan and outlined the Void’s regions and the clan’s strengths.
• Xiao Tianyang assigned one group to destroy the Tower of Mystery’s central core and the other to seize Mysterious Energy from the Mysterious Warehouse, ordering them to withdraw after ten minutes.
• Xiao Tianyang left to draw the War Clan’s attention, and Ma Yuan warned Jubao to follow orders and avoid reckless actions.
• Jubao agreed to obey Xiao Tianyang’s plan but interpreted Ma Yuan’s call to do his best as a commitment to fight to the death.

Xiao Tianyang fought a War Clan youth in the Void while concealing his abilities, learning that the clan was built for combat. Their battle drew nearly a hundred War Clan members, leaving him surrounded by a force he could not defeat.

• Xiao Tianyang reviewed the restrictions on his abilities in the Void and prepared to rely on his martial combat style.
• A War Clan youth attacked Xiao Tianyang with Bone Javelins, and Xiao Tianyang descended to fight him at close range.
• Xiao Tianyang traded blows with the youth and concluded that the War Clan possessed bodies and combat instincts suited for battle.
• The noise of their fight drew nearly a hundred War Clan members, more than half of whom exceeded S-rank.
• Xiao Tianyang realized that he could not overcome the approaching force while his strength was restricted.

Xiao Tianyang fled a crowd of War Clan youths while keeping his identity hidden, as Jubao and Ma Yuan carried out their separate missions in the Mysterious Land. Ma Yuan planned a stealthy approach to the Mysterious Warehouse, while Jubao fought through the Tower of Mystery to destroy its core.

• Xiao Tianyang chose to run from the pursuing War Clan youths rather than risk exposing himself or fighting an overwhelming force.
• Jubao and Ma Yuan continued their missions cautiously, with the Void Will still unaware of Xiao Tianyang's presence.
• Ma Yuan mapped the Mysterious Warehouse's defenses and persuaded the team to avoid fighting the Void Faction while carrying out their mission.
• Ma Yuan explained that the Seven Dragon Imperial Guards should complete their first mission safely and without drawing the Void Will's attention.
• Jubao charged through the Tower of Mystery with his Mysterious Weapons, ordering his companions to guard the perimeter and hurry to destroy the core.

Xiao Tianyang escaped the Void Will’s pursuit after Jubao and Ma Yuan completed their mission to steal Mysterious Energy and attack the Tower of Mystery. He regrouped with his allies in Eternal Night, where he praised the operation and explained that their hidden identities remained safe.

• Xiao Tianyang fled the Void Will’s attack and escaped by leaving smoke filled with crudely drawn Ghost faces behind.
• The Void Will ordered the War Clan to pursue the thieves, though they had no leads on Xiao Tianyang’s identity or escape method.
• Xiao Tianyang met Satan, Baal, Duma, Jubao, Ma Yuan, and their group in a forest.
• Xiao Tianyang praised Jubao and Ma Yuan for stealing Mysterious Energy and disrupting the Void’s plans for at least three months.
• Xiao Tianyang explained that the Tower of Mystery had served as a distraction and that they had traveled to Eternal Night to conceal their return route and identities.

Xiao Tianyang returned to Douluo Continent and oversaw preparations for a campaign against the Void Will. After two months of training and planning, Sun Wu launched the operation while Xiao Tianyang stayed in Hektonmar to await the army’s results.

• Xiao Tianyang ordered Gan Mao to train the Ninth and Tenth Group Armies and two Imperial Guard units within three months.
• Sun Wu reorganized the Defense Legion, recruited and trained one hundred thousand soldiers, and negotiated a rotation plan with the commanders.
• Xiao Tianyang learned that the Void Will remained silent but was still preparing a major move.
• Xiao Tianyang gathered the commanders in Hektonmar and entrusted Sun Wu with command of the campaign.
• Sun Wu ordered Xian Yin’s Ninth Group Army to capture the Sky Dimension Giant Beast and Deng Yu’s Tenth Group Army to open the route to Dragon City.
• Sun Wu assigned the Third and Fifth Group Armies to secure the eastern flank and coast, while the Second and Sixth Group Armies prepared to occupy positions after the Tenth Group Army advanced.

Sun Wu directed the Heavenly Martial Dynasty’s campaign and ordered Xian Yin’s Ninth Group Army to capture the Sky Whale within three days. Xian Yin and Wu Zixu planned to combine diplomacy with military action, hoping to win the Leviathans’ support before attacking.

• Sun Wu took control of the battle plans and assigned the Ninth Group Army to seize the Sky Whale within three days.
• The chapter explained that Sun Wu commanded the national defense forces but had no Main Legion of his own, so Xiao Tianyang had given him authority to direct campaigns from behind the Frontline.
• Xiao Tianyang looked forward to seeing how Xian Yin and the Spring and Autumn-era generals performed in battle.
• Xian Yin assessed the Sky Whale’s foggy outer ring and sky-bound inner ring, concluding that enemy resistance or Leviathan noncooperation could prevent the Ninth Group Army from completing its mission.
• Wu Zixu suggested persuading the Leviathans, and Xian Yin agreed that diplomacy and war should proceed together.
• Wu Zixu planned to report that Zhang Yi had been in contact with A'ganzuo and the others, while A'ganzuo’s information revealed that the Leviathans did not belong to the Underground City Plane.

Xian Yin prepared the Ninth Group Army’s assault on the Sky Whale, relying on Zhang Yi to persuade the Sky Whale King to join their side. The attack was ready to begin, but its success depended on Zhang Yi’s diplomatic mission.

• Sun Wu reported the plan involving the Ministry of Rites, and Xiao Tianyang sent Zhang Yi to the Sky Whale to assist.
• Xian Yin ordered Nangong Changwan, Di Shimi, Qin Jinfu, Shu Lianghe, and Tian Kaijiang to lead elite troops through an underground river and destroy the enemy command center.
• Xian Yin positioned his forces to attack once the infiltrators launched a signal flare, while four other legions prepared to pressure the enemy at two additional points.
• Zhang Yi entered the Sky Whale Forbidden Grounds and greeted the Sky Whale King as the Heavenly Martial Dynasty’s Minister of Rites.
• The Sky Whale King gave Zhang Yi three minutes to explain his purpose.

Zhang Yi used the Way of Vertical and Horizontal to calm the King of the Sky Whale and negotiate the Sky Whale race’s allegiance to the Heavenly Martial Dynasty. Xiao Tianyang later received word that Zhang Yi had secured the king’s pledge, though their terms remained under negotiation, while the Ninth Group Army’s coordinated strategy began.

• Zhang Yi stood firm before the King of the Sky Whale and used the Way of Vertical and Horizontal to restrain its raging power.
• The King of the Sky Whale stopped its approaching Leviathans and questioned why it should join the Heavenly Martial Dynasty instead of the Void.
• Zhang Yi argued that the dynasty offered the Sky Whale a better future and an opportunity to become the overlord of the skies, but refused to let its king retain the title of king.
• Xiao Tianyang sensed Zhang Yi’s aura from Hektonmar and praised the power of the Way of Vertical and Horizontal.
• Xiao Tianyang received a report that the King of the Sky Whale had pledged allegiance, with terms still under negotiation, and that the Ninth Group Army’s internal and external coordination had begun.

Xiao Tianyang and Sun Wu discussed the Void Faction’s response and reviewed the Ninth Group Army’s victory at Sky Whale. Sun Wu sent the Tenth Group Army north, leaving it to gather intelligence before receiving further orders.

• Xiao Tianyang asked whether the Tenth Group Army should prepare to take the field, but Sun Wu said Deng Yu and Wu Han could handle unexpected difficulties.
• Sun Wu reasoned that the Void Faction had likely not yet identified the direction of the attack and was waiting for an opportunity.
• Xiao Tianyang handed Sun Wu the Ninth Group Army’s battle report, and Sun Wu reported that the army had secured Sky Whale after twenty-seven hours of fighting.
• Sun Wu described how Nangong Changwan and Tian Kaijiang helped lead the assault and how the remaining Tiger generals and elites destroyed the outer command center.
• Sun Wu ordered the Tenth Group Army to march north and withheld further orders until its intelligence personnel assessed the enemy.

Deng Yu directed the Tenth Group Army’s assault on Normarton, aiming to seize eight defensive lines and prepare an ambush that would annihilate the strong orcs. The plan depended on Jia Fu breaking through the enemy lines, and Deng Yu waited to see whether the attack would succeed.

• Deng Yu sent Jia Fu, Ma Wu, Zang Gong, and other forces to support the assault on the three defensive lines outside Normarton.
• Jia Fu killed the frontline commander with a Silver Halberd attack and led Ma Wu toward the left flank.
• Zang Gong charged into the enemy ranks, killed the second-in-command, and helped trigger the strong orcs’ collapse.
• Deng Yu planned to capture eight defensive lines and use overwhelming force to break Normar’s city defenses.
• Deng Yu ordered Wu Han to ambush the enemy’s retreat route and Geng Yan to wipe out the strong orcs after Wu Han defeated them.
• Deng Yu judged that the broader plan depended on Jia Fu breaking through three defensive lines and killing key enemy figures.

Jia Fu and Ma Wu led elite troops into the strong beastmen’s army, broke through their defenses, and killed their Commander-in-Chief. They withdrew with the commander’s whip as the surviving strong beastmen let them pass.

• Deng Yu prepared the Tenth Group Army to secure an excellent rating in the coming battle.
• Jia Fu and Ma Wu led their elite soldiers into the strong beastmen’s defenses, with Jia Fu charging ahead and Ma Wu forming the Shenwu Battle Soldiers into an axe-wielding square.
• Jia Fu used Silver Halberd: Heaven Seizing and Silver Halberd: Perish to destroy the enemy formation and kill the strong beastmen Commander-in-Chief.
• Jia Fu retrieved the Commander-in-Chief’s long whip and ordered Ma Wu to withdraw.
• Ma Wu used Battle Axe: Heaven Splitter, then led the Shenwu Battle Soldiers back onto their horses as both forces fought their way out through the enemy ranks.

Xiao Tianyang and Sun Wu reviewed General Deng’s victories and defensive preparations against the Void Faction, then discussed where the war might move next. Sun Wu persuaded Xiao Tianyang to let him carry out a plan to ease the crisis and address hidden dangers in the Underground City Plane.

• Sun Wu received a report that the Tenth Group Army had breached Nortonmar, the Cavalry Legion had badly mauled the strong orcs, and the Youzhou Legion had annihilated them.
• Sun Wu explained how General Deng’s layered bunker defenses would draw enemies into overlapping fields of fire and protect Normar.
• Sun Wu predicted that fighting would begin near Normar, might move toward the Sky Whale, and could eventually reach Hektonmar, where the new Imperial Guards could trap an exhausted enemy.
• Xiao Tianyang asked whether A'ganzuo and the others should try to break free, and Sun Wu raised a plan to resolve hidden dangers in the Underground City Plane.
• Xiao Tianyang approved Sun Wu’s arrangements and told him to deliver the final result.

Sun Wu considered how to manage the Underground City Plane's professionals and protect Xiao Tianyang's interests. After the Void Faction shifted its attack toward the Third Group Army, Wang Jian ordered Wang Ben to prepare an ambush in Sky Tear Valley.

• Sun Wu planned to use force and Xiao Tianyang's standing to control the professionals before they settled on the Douluo Continent.
• The Void Faction abandoned its siege after ten days and redirected its assault toward the Third Group Army on the eastern front.
• Wang Jian spotted the advancing enemy forces and ordered a messenger to warn General Li Mu to prepare for battle.
• Wang Jian sent Wang Ben, Ruan Wenzhong, and Du Hui with elite soldiers to set an ambush in Sky Tear Valley.
• Wang Ben ordered traps, landmines, boulders, and explosives prepared, then assigned Ruan Wenzhong and Du Hui to attack the enemy's center and rear.

Xiao Tianyang and Sun Wu realized the Void Faction’s attack on the Ston Snow Region and Ten Thousand Year Snow Mountain was a diversion for an elite force approaching Hektonmar. Sun Wu warned Xiao Tianyang that the enemy’s plan might target him directly, so Xiao Tianyang left the response to the Imperial Guards and the legions.

• A messenger reported that the Iron Wall Legion had defeated a Void attack on the Eastern Defense Line, killing two enemy commanders and 120,000 troops.
• Sun Wu explained why the Void Faction had avoided attacking the Ninth Group Army and the West Coast, then identified the Ston Snow Region and Ten Thousand Year Snow Mountain as cover for another objective.
• Sun Wu concluded that the Void Faction intended to use the Ridge to bypass the snowy regions and strike Hektonmar, while its advance force crossed the Ston Snow Region.
• A messenger reported traces of a large army about 300 kilometers from Hektonmar, and Xiao Tianyang ordered General Ma Yuan to continue investigating while General Jubao prepared the city's defenses.
• Sun Wu urged Xiao Tianyang to stay out of the fighting and leave the response to the Imperial Guards, suspecting the Void Will had granted the enemy commander a means of targeting him.

Ma Yuan identified the enemy force as the powerful War Ghost Tribe and began preparing a harassment strategy with Gongsun Shu. After Gongsun Shu killed two deputy commanders and exposed their commander’s position, Ma Yuan saw a chance to strike at him.

• Ma Yuan sent Liang Lin to ambush Blackwind Leaf Valley and destroy the enemy’s War Machines, while Ma Xiong prepared an ambush at Thorn Forest.
• Ma Yuan and Gongsun Shu tracked a force of one hundred thousand troops and recognized them as the War Ghost Tribe from the Eighth Fierce Tomb.
• Ma Yuan sent word of the War Ghost Tribe’s strength to Hektonmar and planned for separate units to harass its rear and flanks, while trying to lure it toward Bright Mountain.
• Gongsun Shu led his troops through the enemy formation and killed two deputy commanders, angering the commander and revealing his location to Ma Yuan.