Chapter Summaries

After Zhou Yucheng intervened to stop Luo Yan from attacking the retreating Zhu Rong Department forces, Luo Yan set the Kun Alliance Joint Army against Zhang Yugu’s territory while returning to Lengguang Base. The chapter ended with Zhang Yugu confronting Luo Yan over the attacks, and Luo Yan denying responsibility.

• Zhou Yucheng asked Luo Yan to spare Shen Qianli and Wang Mozhi, and Luo Yan let the Zhu Rong Department forces retreat.
• The Kun Alliance Joint Army arrived at Golden Fire Camp, where Luo Yan showed its leaders a route through Zhu Rong Department territory toward Zhu Que Base.
• Luo Yan told the Kun Alliance leaders that he was returning to Lengguang Base and left them to decide what to do next.
• Led by Chen Chaoyuan and Shi Tailai, the Joint Army attacked an armed group and then struck towns and camps controlled by the Zhu Rong Department.
• Luo Yan met Hu Ziqiang to establish a medicinal-materials partnership, then joined a video conference with Zhou Yucheng and Zhang Yugu.
• Zhang Yugu accused Luo Yan of directing attacks against the Zhu Rong Department, and Luo Yan denied knowing about them.

Luo Yan and Zhang Yugu agreed to negotiate at the Golden Fire Camp in three days after Zhou Yucheng mediated their dispute. Behind the scenes, Cai Andao gave Ying Zhengye and Hong Yue a deadly poison and planned to frame Luo Yan for Zhang Yugu’s death.

• Luo Yan demanded the Golden Fire Camp as compensation, and Zhou Yucheng urged Zhang Yugu to negotiate with him.
• Zhang Yugu agreed to meet Luo Yan at the Golden Fire Camp in three days.
• Ying Zhengye and Hong Yue assured Zhang Yugu of their support, then met Cai Andao to discuss their plan.
• Cai Andao revealed a poison called “three-step smile” and told Ying Zhengye and Hong Yue to make Zhang Yugu drink it during the negotiations, so Luo Yan would be blamed.

Luo Yan and Zhang Yugu failed to agree over Golden Fire Camp during negotiations. Zhang Yugu suddenly collapsed after drinking his ginseng broth, and Lin Miao accused Red Ghost of poisoning him.

• Luo Yan prepared to negotiate with Zhang Yugu at Golden Fire Camp, with Xia Wu present as a show of strength.
• Zhang Yugu arrived with Lin Miao and privately resolved not to surrender Golden Fire Camp.
• Luo Yan and Zhang Yugu traded offers and insults for an hour without reaching an agreement.
• Lin Miao gave Zhang Yugu his thermos of ginseng broth, and he drank from it after refusing Luo Yan's tea.
• Zhang Yugu spat blood that shimmered with blue threads, and Lin Miao shouted that Red Ghost had poisoned him.

Ying Zhengye arranged for Lin Miao to poison Zhang Yugu with Three-Step Smile and frame the Crimson Ghost, but Luo Yan began searching for a way to save him. To use the Dragon Dragon Blood Essence to devour the poison, Luo Yan partially freed its lizardman incarnation, which attacked him and lost an arm to his Vermilion Heavenly Fire.

• Ying Zhengye told Hong Yue that Lin Miao had poisoned Zhang Yugu’s ginseng soup with Three-Step Smile and would accuse the Crimson Ghost.
• Lin Miao announced that Zhang Yugu had been poisoned, prompting Shen Qianli and the others to rush into the hall while Lin Miao headed for the elevator.
• Luo Yan examined Zhang Yugu and found that the poison could reach his heart within minutes, so he told the others not to interrupt him while he prepared a remedy.
• Luo Yan entered the Dragon Dragon Blood Essence’s consciousness world and offered to loosen its restraints in exchange for help devouring the poison.
• After Luo Yan freed its left hand, the lizardman attacked with Crimson Blood Killing Claw, but Luo Yan destroyed the attack and cut off its arm with a Vermilion Heavenly Fire sword.

Luo Yan saved Zhang Yugu from the poison, and Zhang revealed that Lin Miao had been manipulated into an assassination attempt that could benefit Ying Zhengye and Hong Yue. They planned to make their enemies believe Zhang was dead while he secretly searched for Lin Miao, as Luo Yan staged a fight at the camp entrance when Ying Zhengye and Hong Yue arrived.

• Luo Yan used amber bands of light to remove the poison from Zhang Yugu while Xia Wu's Yin Spirit kept Shen Qianli and the others at bay.
• After recovering, Zhang Yugu gave Golden Fire Camp to Luo Yan and revealed that Lin Miao had poisoned him and tried to frame Minister Red Ghost.
• Luo Yan and Zhang concluded that Ying Zhengye and Hong Yue had arranged the poisoning to weaken both their branches, and they decided to use Lin Miao as a witness.
• Zhang Yugu left with Xia Wu to find Lin Miao while Shen Qianli and the others prepared to make it seem that Zhang was dead.
• Ying Zhengye and Hong Yue arrived at the camp as Luo Yan fought Shen Qianli's group, splitting a car with purple-red ripples and confronting Xu Cheng.

Lin Miao escaped Golden Fire Camp while Luo Yan accused her and Ministers Ying Zhengye and Hong Yue of involvement in Zhang Yugu’s death. Zhou Yucheng arrived, trusted Luo Yan with the body’s examination, and took Ying Zhengye and Hong Yue away, leaving the camp empty.

• Lin Miao disguised herself as a guard and drove away from the camp while everyone focused on the main building.
• Luo Yan accused Lin Miao of being suspicious and ordered Zhuo Hu to seal off the camp, while Ying Zhengye and Hong Yue demanded Zhang Yugu’s body.
• Luo Yan refused to hand over Zhang Yugu’s body and accused Ying Zhengye and Hong Yue of being connected to his death, prompting the camp to prepare for a confrontation.
• Luo Yan told Zhou Yucheng that Lin Miao, Ying Zhengye, and Hong Yue might be involved in Zhang Yugu’s death, and Zhou Yucheng flew to Golden Fire Camp.
• Luo Yan told Zhou Yucheng that Zhang Yugu’s body had been sent to the Undercity, and Zhou Yucheng accepted his assurance and took Ying Zhengye and Hong Yue away.
• After Zhou Yucheng and the ministers left, the mechs withdrew and the camp was left empty.

Ying Zhengye and Hong Yue tried to silence Lin Miao after using her to secure Zhang Yugu’s corpse, but Xia Wu intervened and Zhang Yugu revealed that he was still alive. The chapter ended with Hong Yue warning Cai Andao that Zhang Yugu had survived.

• Cai Andao told Ying Zhengye that the Fierce Beast would suffer a setback over Zhang Yugu’s corpse, and Ying Zhengye and Hong Yue decided Lin Miao had to be killed before she could cause trouble.
• Lin Miao met Hong Yue at the surface camp to retrieve her child, but Hong Yue threw the baby toward her and attacked them.
• Xia Wu blocked Hong Yue’s strike with the Yin Spirit, fought off his blood tide, and wounded Hong Yue as he fled.
• Zhang Yugu appeared at the storeroom entrance, confirmed he was alive, and asked Lin Miao why she had not told him her child was captured.
• Hong Yue went to Cai Andao with Ying Zhengye and reported that Zhang Yugu was still alive.

Cai Andao poisoned Hong Yue and framed him as the sole culprit, while Ying Zhengye secretly recorded the murder and prepared evidence against Cai Andao. Two days later, Zhang Yugu told Luo Yan that Zhou Yucheng had refused to investigate further and offered him only part of the Gong Gong Department's resources as compensation.

• Cai Andao poisoned Hong Yue with Three-Step Smile and ordered Ying Zhengye to create a suicide note blaming Hong Yue alone.
• Hong Yue died, and Cai Andao had his body removed while Ying Zhengye stayed silent.
• Ying Zhengye gave Wang Mozhi a data card to deliver to Zhou Yucheng if Ying Zhengye died at Cai Andao's home, then revealed that his hidden camera had recorded the poisoning.
• Zhang Yugu brought Lin Miao to Zhou Yucheng and exposed Ying Zhengye and Hong Yue's scheme, but Zhou Yucheng declined to investigate after Hong Yue's supposed suicide and offered Zhang Yugu part of the Gong Gong Department's resources.
• Zhang Yugu met Luo Yan in Langya City and complained that Cai Andao had escaped responsibility.

Luo Yan joined forces with Zhang Yugu to seize the Gong Gong Department’s resources, then returned to Jinge City and learned he would temporarily lead the Earthly Fierce Squad. He also reported his contact with Hu Ziqiang and received new information about the Water Drop Plan.

• Luo Yan persuaded Zhang Yugu to set aside his anger for now and proposed they divide the Gong Gong Department’s resources, with Zhang Yugu taking seventy percent and Luo Yan thirty.
• Luo Yan assigned Lin Fan to coordinate with the Zhu Rong Department and Feiyu to manage Kunlun Group and the Kun Alliance while he was away.
• Luo Yan returned to Jinge City and told Bai Shaotang that he had begun cooperating with Hu Ziqiang, a member of the Water Drop Plan.
• Bai Shaotang revealed that Leo’s trusted subordinate had delivered a list identifying Hu Ziqiang and Qiao Mai Xun, also known as Qiao Jianguo, as Water Drop Plan members.
• Bai Shaotang told Luo Yan that Wang Meng had transferred to the Beidou Squad and appointed Luo Yan temporary captain of the Earthly Fierce Squad.

Luo Yan became the new captain of the Earthly Fierce Squad and accepted Wang Meng’s savings card so he could look after his teammates if Wang Meng died. He reunited with Duoduo and met the Earthly Hero Squad’s new all-female roster, then heard that demons had descended in San Francisco.

• Wang Meng announced that Luo Yan would replace him as captain of the Earthly Fierce Squad, whose members now included Zhang Tianyi and Yang Kui.
• Wang Meng gave Luo Yan his Work Point Card and asked him to use the savings to help Murong Xuan and Li Yuqing if he died, especially if Li Yuqing retired.
• Luo Yan visited the Earthly Hero Squad and met its new members, Guo Simin, Liu Xiaohui, and Mao Miaomiao; Duoduo welcomed him back as their captain.
• A news broadcast reported that two demons had descended in San Francisco, where Freedom Wings had eliminated one and the other’s status was unknown.

Zou Yue led his fishing team to hunt an Xi fish, while a newly awakened Nether Fish detected the same prey and swam toward it. As Old Zhou and Xiao Zhang descended in their mechs, their radar detected an unidentified giant beast signal.

• Zou Yue assigned his crew roles for hunting the Xi fish and warned them about its Water Arrow attack.
• The Nether Fish awoke from hibernation, discovered its body had grown and changed, and set out to feed on the Xi fish.
• Old Zhou and Xiao Zhang entered the water in their mechs to drive the Xi fish toward the fishing team.
• Old Zhou's Giant Beast Radar detected a giant beast Spectrum Signal that did not match the database.

Zou Yue and his crew pursued the unrecorded Nether Fish, hoping to capture it for a reward, but its electric and water-based attacks destroyed their traps and torpedoes. The Nether Fish escaped after killing Old Zhou, leaving Zou Yue to find his crewmate’s charred corpse.

• Zou Yue identified an unrecorded Mid-tier Giant Beast and ordered his crew to pursue it after learning it was heading toward the Xi fish.
• The Nether Fish detected the mechs and tried to leave, but Zou Yue and his crew chased it and fired torpedoes that its electricity detonated.
• Zou Yue drove the Nether Fish toward an electrical network, but it destroyed the devices and the nitrogen bombs with its Water Slaying Sword.
• Old Zhou entered the murky water to investigate and was killed by the Nether Fish, which then escaped.
• Zou Yue piloted his mech into the area and found Old Zhou’s charred corpse and the wreckage of his mech.

Luo Yan reunited with He Hao and the others, then spent his vacation refining his martial arts. In the wilderness, he created a sword technique that attacked both body and mind, while Xiao Bai began planning an elaborate naming scheme for his future techniques.

• He Hao told Luo Yan and the others that the Russian front had stabilized after the Tianyong Squad defeated a Nightmare Giant Beast, but their vice captain had died in a subsequent attack.
• Luo Yan told He Hao that he would join the Heavenly Department at the peak of Profound Comprehension and would be assigned a squad and divine machine.
• Luo Yan visited his mother with Xiao Bai, then spent the following days studying martial arts outside Jinge City.
• Luo Yan demonstrated a new technique that fused Eyes Cut Off Flying Geese and A Strip of Rainbow, striking both the physical and mental levels.
• Xiao Bai suggested naming the technique Startled Swan, then proposed calling it Ten Kings: Qin Guang's Startled Swan Sword and naming future techniques after the Ten Kings of Hell.

Luo Yan and Commander Bai received a guard mission escorting Doctor Jia Miao’s team into the Ruins, where they hoped to improve their cultivation. Lin Wei briefed them on the Ruins’ hidden nature and dangers, leaving them to prepare for an expedition whose real conditions were far stranger than they had learned at the Academy.

• Bai Shaotang assigned Luo Yan and Commander Bai’s squads to guard Doctor Jia Miao’s exploration team in the Ruins and explained that cultivators faced strict time limits there.
• Luo Yan and Commander Bai visited Jia Miao’s laboratory, where Lin Wei met them because her teacher was occupied with preparations.
• Lin Wei explained that the Ruins might be a separate dimension deliberately opened to humans, rather than a place beneath the polar ice as textbooks claimed.
• Lin Wei warned them that the Ruins had daylight and dangerous nights, when space distorted and the Ghost Valley Phenomenon replayed images of people from the past.
• Lin Wei told Luo Yan and Commander Bai to keep the information confidential, and Commander Bai reflected on how much they still did not know about the Ruins.

Luo Yan and Xiao Bai set out from Jinge City for Guixu, while their friends wished them well. As their transport plane approached North Sea Base, Lin Wei explained the long boundary marked across the Arctic ice.

• At a Tianlang District bar, Luo Yan told Dong Huang and the others that he and Xiao Bai would escort Dr. Jia Miao into Guixu, and Hanna warned Luo Yan to be careful.
• Fu Yan toasted Luo Yan and Xiao Bai before the group wished them a triumphant return.
• Several days later, Luo Yan and Xiao Bai left Jinge City, and Zhou Lijuan watched them depart before Dong Huang escorted her home.
• On the transport plane, Xiao Bai spotted a Polar Bear and joked about taking it home as a pet, while Lin Wei explained that Jinge City could not raise one.
• As the plane approached North Sea Base, Lin Wei described the Arctic boundary and said Senior Fang Yao and other Dragon Riders had driven back foreign mech groups to extend it beyond 4,500 kilometers.

Luo Yan and his squad arrived at North Sea Base and witnessed the base calmly repel a Giant Beast attack after the Jambudvipa Rift opened. As Yan Song led them to their lodgings, Luo Yan confronted a young man who stared at him.

• Luo Yan and his group arrived at North Sea Base, where Lin Wei explained the base's history, personnel, and security duties.
• Yan Song welcomed Luo Yan's group and led them through the base as they prepared to wait for their Mech Armor before entering the Ruins.
• The Jambudvipa Rift opened, alarms sounded, and North Sea Base's combat personnel defeated a Flying Beast and recovered its remains.
• Yan Song told Luo Yan's group they would visit Dragon Bone Town the next day, and Luo Yan agreed that Li Yuqing could drink there as long as she did not get drunk.
• Luo Yan noticed a young man scrutinizing him, and the two met each other's sharpened gaze, chilling the people around them.

Luo Yan and his companions arrived at the base, where they clashed silently with the formidable Captain Li Meng and learned about his reputation. After settling in, they met Mei Ying, who apologized for Li Meng’s behavior and offered them fruit.

• Luo Yan and Li Meng tested each other’s mental will, then Li Meng turned and left as Bai Qixue and the Earthly Fierce Squad closed ranks around Luo Yan.
• Yan Song identified the stranger as Li Meng, a powerful and taciturn captain who had defeated every Dragon Rider captain except Bai Qixue, whom he had repeatedly challenged.
• Yan Song assigned Luo Yan and the others rooms and temporary identity cards, then led them to a nearby cafeteria.
• The cafeteria’s diners discussed Luo Yan, Bai Qixue, and Li Meng’s apparent interest in challenging Luo Yan.
• Mei Ying introduced herself as the Tian Xiong Squad’s vice captain, apologized for Li Meng’s rudeness, and offered Luo Yan and his companions fruit.

Luo Yan and the Earthly Hero Squad traveled from North Sea Base to Dragon Bone Town, where Yan Song showed them the settlement and arranged for them to stay at its inn. The next day, Luo Yan and Bai? returned to the base, where Lin Wei showed them a model of Ruins Return and explained that everything inside was enormous compared with the outside world.

• After Mei Ying left, Bai? praised the fresh fruit she had given the Earthly Hero Squad, and the members enjoyed it.
• Yan Song led Luo Yan and the squad along Highway 107 to Dragon Bone Town, built around the remains of a gigantic beast.
• Yan Song arranged for the squad to stay at Dragon Bone Inn and have the innkeeper guide them around town.
• After spending a day in town, Luo Yan and Bai? returned to North Sea Base to meet Lin Wei.
• Lin Wei showed Luo Yan and Bai? a holographic model of Ruins Return and explained that its plants and landscape were much larger than those in the outside world.

Lin Wei explained the Guixu Anchor Network and the dangers awaiting Luo Yan’s team in District 22, where a newly discovered sacrificial site might hold a method for cultivating divinity. The team was scheduled to depart in three days, after their mecha were prepared and they completed tests.

• Bai? and Lin Wei speculated that Yanfu, Guixu, and their world might once have been connected parts of a larger world.
• Lin Wei explained that stable teleportation points formed the Anchor Network, dividing Guixu into exploration zones controlled by different factions.
• Lin Wei showed Luo Yan and Bai? a sacrificial inscription from Zone 22 that described an Ancient People site where a deity had died and might have left a method for cultivating divinity.
• Lin Wei said the team would depart in three days, reassured Luo Yan that Jia Miao had addressed Li Meng, and outlined the dangerous caves, Faceless Stone Statues, and Fish-insects in District 22.

Luo Yan led the North Sea Base convoy across the ice fields to the Gate to the Ruins, where Lin Wei explained the gate’s purpose and reassured the team. The gate opened onto a shifting multicolored passage, and Luo Yan ordered the convoy to enter the Ruins.

• Luo Yan ordered the Exploration team and the Dimeng and Diying Mecha Squads to leave the North Sea Base, while Li Meng watched their departure with Mei Xue.
• The team crossed the frozen wilderness, easing their nerves through conversation until they saw the mountains and tunnel leading to the Ruins.
• Luo Yan’s convoy reached the tunnel first because the United Base had approved it as the first to pass.
• After the convoy cleared inspection, Lin Wei explained that the enormous Gate to the Ruins was an anchor point designed to resist Yanfu.
• A mecha opened the gate, revealing a multicolored passage, and Luo Yan ordered the convoy to advance into the Ruins.