Chapter Summaries

Chen Chuan exposed Affairs Officer Yuan for suppressing the Hai Village investigation and taking favors from several families, while Yuan implicated Minister He Shugang but could not produce evidence. Yuan was taken away for handling under national law, leaving He Shugang’s role unproven.

• Affairs Officer Tan challenged Affairs Officer Liang over the delayed Hai Village investigation and the restrictions placed on its report.
• He Shugang proposed an internal vote, but Chen Chuan said he had evidence that someone had violated discipline and national law.
• Chen Chuan presented evidence that Affairs Officer Yuan had accepted favors from several families and suppressed the case, while Ren Xinshan added restored communications records.
• Affairs Officer Yuan admitted his actions and claimed He Shugang had ordered them, but the evidence he produced was blank.
• He Shugang ordered Yuan handled according to national law, and Yuan left with the internal affairs team.

Chen Chuan cultivated the Purity Faction’s Flowing Gang Golden Flame and met Cheng Gao, an intelligence operative who brought news of a possible Heavenly Human Secret Map from Deep Sea Cave. The chapter ended with Chen Chuan and Ren Xinshan learning that the map’s holder wanted to sell it.

• Chen Chuan reviewed the political balance in the Affairs Department and focused on strengthening himself before the Great Collision.
• Chen Chuan practiced Flowing Gang Golden Flame, which tore through Shen Yu’s simulated field domain.
• Ren Xinshan introduced Cheng Gao, who reported that his Norland contact had disappeared and requested that the Security Affairs Department verify his identity and loyalty.
• Cheng Gao told Ren Xinshan that Glaesim, a Nature Faction senior from Norland, had found a possible Heavenly Human Secret Map while exploring Deep Sea Cave.
• Cheng Gao explained that Glaesim wanted to sell the map for things he needed rather than give it to Norland.

Cheng Gao told Chen Chuan and Ren Xinshan that Glaesim would trade a possible Heavenly Human Secret Map for affirmation, and Chen Chuan agreed to write him a letter. Two days later, Cheng Gao arrived at the Nature Faction’s conference, where its delegates welcomed him as Norland’s representative.

• Cheng Gao explained that Glaesim wanted affirmation rather than money or resources in exchange for the Heavenly Human Secret Map.
• Chen Chuan said he agreed with Glaesim’s pursuit and wrote him a letter, which Cheng Gao promised to deliver.
• Ren Xinshan said acquiring the map could help Chen Chuan secure a recommended slot for the Supreme Advisory Council.
• Chen Chuan returned to his practice room to train while awaiting the coming battle, and Cheng Gao passed the Security Affairs Department’s examinations.
• Two days later, Cheng Gao traveled to the Nature Faction’s headquarters and saw its members’ unusual styles and Implant Bodies.
• A Nature Faction member told Cheng Gao that the chairman and delegates welcomed him as Norland’s representative to their conference.

Cheng Gao explained how the Norland Nature Faction used mandatory payments to control its members, then watched local Fighters debate the Purity Faction and vote on which candidate to recommend. Liu Zhenyi announced that they would recommend a Nature Faction member instead of Chen Chuan.

• Cheng Gao told Fighters that Norland's Nature Faction collected yearly resources and collateral, using its rules to extract more from members who indulged themselves.
• Fighters tried a game made by the Purity Faction and argued over whether the faction had been right to arrest Song Shicheng's group.
• Liu Zhenyi began a vote on whether the Nature Faction should recommend Chen Chuan or its own candidate, while Cheng Gao watched for Ren Xinshan.
• The vote was initially tied, but Liu Zhenyi received a note and announced that the Nature Faction would recommend one of its own members.

Chen Chuan learned that the Nature Faction planned to nominate its own candidate, but he focused on the approaching military operation against the Old Imperial Household. On December 10, he set out for Anbei Province aboard an officially authorized airship.

• Fusion Faction members discussed trying to win over the Nature Faction after it withdrew support from the Purity Faction, while Ren Xinshan told Chen Chuan the nomination decision might still change.
• Chen Chuan received Qi Weizhao's message that the Anbei Province garrison would begin military operations on December 10 and prepared to join the campaign.
• Chen Chuan reflected on the power of his Purple Qi Mutated Tissue and considered the possibility that the Old Imperial Household had fighters with similar abilities.
• Qi Weizhao reported that the Progressive Faction had contained a counterattack in Hedong Province and cleared out remnants of the opposition.
• On December 10, Chen Chuan formed a Purple Qi avatar, joined Zhao Ming, and flew to an Anbei Province cargo transfer center.
• Chen Chuan boarded an airship with emergency transit authority, and it departed for Anbei Province Central City.

Chen Chuan entered Anbei Province’s Convergence Zone under the pretext of answering the garrison’s call for aid as the Old Imperial Household attacked. At the fortress, Dan Yuchuan moved to confront the enemy despite Nan Shuguang’s attempt to stop him, just as two streaks of light flew toward the Old Imperial Household’s army.

• Anbei Province’s Municipal Council tightened its control and prepared to delay joining Skyline, while the Old Imperial Household’s attack was expected to open the Convergence Zone passages.
• Chen Chuan waited aboard an airship as inspectors attempted to board it, then continued toward Central City after they withdrew.
• At six o’clock, Chen Chuan received word that the Old Imperial Household had attacked the garrison and ordered his airship to answer its call for aid.
• The airship bypassed orders to remain moored, and Chen Chuan entered the Convergence Zone by train as artillery fire sounded nearby.
• At the garrison fortress, Nan Shuguang tried to keep Dan Yuchuan from going to the Frontline, but Dan charged forward when two streaks of light appeared over the enemy army.

Dan Yuchuan fought Nan Shuguang while Chen Chuan arrived at First Fortress amid a battle with the Old Imperial Household. As Zong Chi prepared his forces, Hong Ancheng and Zhu Kongqi attacked the garrison, confident that Chen Chuan’s arrival would secure victory.

• Dan Yuchuan blasted Nan Shuguang away from the fortress, then pressed him in battle after Nan Shuguang revealed his crocodile-like armored Variant Appearance.
• Chen Chuan arrived at First Fortress, learned that Dan Yuchuan was fighting Municipal Council supervisor Nan Shuguang, and asked to be taken to the highest point.
• Zong Chi ordered his Military Generals to prepare for battle but agreed not to act unless Great Shun attacked.
• Hong Ancheng and Zhu Kongqi arrived at the Old Imperial Household garrison and said Chen Chuan had reached the rear to hold off any intervention by Wan Ke.
• Hong Ancheng fired a blazing torrent of light toward the garrison as Zong Chi watched and the Embroidered Uniform Envoy leaped away.

Dan Yuchuan and Chen Chuan watched the battle against Zong Chi while political orders shaped the fighting. As Zong Chi was pressured by two opponents, Wan Ke arrived with an airship fleet and turned toward their position.

• Zong Chi sidestepped Hong Ancheng’s Spiritual Impact, then summoned his Mystic Gold Toad as Hong Ancheng and Zhu Kongqi moved to encircle him.
• Dan Yuchuan returned after capturing Nan Shuguang, ignored a Central City telegram urging restraint, and reported that Nan Shuguang had defected and been executed.
• Chen Chuan judged that the two Fighters would likely defeat Zong Chi, who refused to retreat into the fortress.
• A fleet led by the Sky Whale appeared, and Dan Yuchuan ordered the soldiers to light the ritual fires sealing the Convergence Zone.
• Wan Ke appeared aboard the main airship with his mount, Mao Haiqiu, and turned the fleet toward Chen Chuan and Dan Yuchuan.

Chen Chuan confronted Wan Ke, the Old Imperial Household’s Chariot and Cavalry General, at the Convergence Zone and killed his first form with a single punch. Wan Ke’s Variant Appearance let him return in a second phase, and Chen Chuan immediately attacked again.

• Wan Ke led his airship fleet toward the Great Shun camp, where Chen Chuan’s vast Mental Field Domain blocked his pressure and the Sky Whale identified Chen Chuan as a highly dangerous enemy.
• Despite the Mutated Creature’s warning to withdraw, Wan Ke refused to retreat and challenged Chen Chuan in the air.
• Dan Yuchuan ordered the others to retreat as Chen Chuan and Wan Ke faced off; Hong Ancheng and Zhu Kongqi continued fighting Zong Chi elsewhere on the battlefield.
• Chen Chuan struck Wan Ke with a single punch, scattering his body into glittering fragments.
• Chen Chuan sensed Wan Ke’s aura return from the void as the Madness Aspect of his Five Phases Demon Variant Appearance, then punched him again before he could act.

Chen Chuan defeated Wan Ke and destroyed the Formless Demon’s lingering aura, while the battle at the Old Imperial Household garrison also turned in his allies’ favor. The chapter ended with the Embroidered Uniform Envoy fleeing the fortress before a pursuing ray killed her.

• Chen Chuan shattered Wan Ke’s Madness, Joy, and Wrath Aspects, then prepared for the final All Manifestations Aspect with the Heaven and Earth Furnace Breathing Method and the Great Azure Void Style.
• Wan Ke used a Spiritual Impact and charged Chen Chuan, but Mao Haiqiu intervened and was caught between the void and the battlefield as Chen Chuan’s punch struck Wan Ke and damaged the Sky Whale.
• Wan Ke survived with severe injuries, saw that Chen Chuan was only a power avatar, and was destroyed by the Snow Monarch Blade and Profound Sky Fire, which also dispersed the Formless Demon’s aura.
• After Chen Chuan saw the battle at the garrison nearing its end, Hong Ancheng and Zhu Kongqi exploited Zong Chi’s distraction to restrain and kill him.
• The Embroidered Uniform Envoy fled the fortress, but a ray shot from behind pierced her in midair.

Chen Chuan helped the Great Shun forces capture Yaolan Pass and agreed to defend it against an expected Old Imperial Household counterattack. Meanwhile, Dan Yuchuan returned to Central City as local factions sought outside Fighters, leaving the Old Imperial Household’s next move uncertain.

• The Embroidered Uniform Envoy survived the bombardment long enough to order her men to report the defeat to His Majesty, while Chen Chuan’s forces destroyed fleeing airships and advanced.
• Dan Yuchuan, Hong Ancheng, and Zhu Kongqi met Chen Chuan at the captured pass and learned that Wan Ke would not return.
• Dan Yuchuan warned that Yuan Congye and the Old Imperial Household might launch a counterattack, and Chen Chuan agreed to stay and defend the pass.
• Dan Yuchuan left for Central City to bring Anbei Province into the Skyline and returned before midnight.
• Members of the Essence Refinement School and Fusion Faction, unable to contact Nan Shuguang, asked their headquarters to send Fighters to Central City.

Dan Yuchuan secured Central City’s entry into the Skyline Project while Great Shun’s forces defeated the Old Imperial Household in Anbei Province, escalating the conflict. Chen Chuan defended his actions to Huang Quji and was summoned to the Executive Council for a meeting.

• Dan Yuchuan used an emergency meeting and a Municipal Council vote to bring Anbei Province’s Central City into the Skyline Project.
• Great Shun’s forces and an unnamed Fighter from Profound Cave Observation killed Zong Chi and Wan Ke and destroyed the Old Imperial Household’s Dinghai Army and local garrison.
• The Conservative Faction condemned the operation publicly and strengthened defenses, while strategic assessments predicted a major battle in Anbei Province.
• Chen Chuan considered whether his duplicate could withstand Yuan Congye’s forces and concluded that he might need to go to Anbei Province himself.
• Huang Quji confronted Chen Chuan about the danger of his actions, and Chen Chuan argued that confronting the Old Imperial Household was necessary to remove a lasting threat.
• Ren Xinshan summoned Chen Chuan to the Executive Council to meet with someone senior and consult on several matters.

Chen Chuan dismissed Huang Quji and traveled with Ren Xinshan to meet Vice Chairman Jin after learning that Anbei Province had joined the Skyline. As Chen Chuan entered Tianyuan Hall, he sensed powerful forces watching over the government complex.

• Chen Chuan ended his conversation with Huang Quji, who later told He Shugang that Chen Chuan had caused the previous day's conflict but doubted ordinary restraints could control him.
• Huang Quji secretly contacted a representative of Wan Song Company and said he hoped Chen Chuan would eventually join their cause of tearing down the old rules.
• Ren Xinshan invited Chen Chuan to ride with him and explained that Vice Chairman Jin wanted to discuss Anbei Province joining the Skyline and Chen Chuan's views on future developments.
• Ren Xinshan warned Chen Chuan that he might soon be asked to sign an agreement for the Supreme Advisory Council.
• Chen Chuan arrived with Ren Xinshan at Zhongjing National Square and sensed powerful forces observing him as their car entered the grounds of Tianyuan Hall.

Chen Chuan told Vice Chairman Jin that the Old Imperial Household should be attacked soon, despite the risks and the lack of a fully prepared force. After the meeting, he received a sealed packet from Mataiola, whose letter stirred a familiar tremor in his spirit.

• Chen Chuan and Ren Xinshan met Vice Chairman Jin at Tian Yuan Hall, where Chen reviewed a report about the battle in the Anbei Province Convergence Zone.
• Chen Chuan told Vice Chairman Jin that the Old Imperial Household’s strength had been underestimated and that the best chance to attack might last only a few months before the Great Collision.
• Chen Chuan said he could hold Yaolan Pass if sent immediately, but warned that delay could let the Old Imperial Household retake it and force a costly battle.
• Vice Chairman Jin concluded the consultation, gave Chen Chuan a sealed packet, and later signed the meeting record before going to see the Chief Administrator.
• Chen Chuan opened the packet in the car and found a letter from Mataiola; receiving it caused a faint tremor in his spirit that recalled a higher power he had encountered before.

Chen Chuan received Mataiola’s support and Investigation Group credentials, then was ordered to join the campaign against the Old Imperial Household. As the Purity Faction debated winning the Nature Faction’s recommendation, news arrived that the full-scale war had been approved.

• Chen Chuan read Mataiola’s letter, learned he had been made an honorary member of the Investigation Group, and examined the badge and other items Mataiola had sent.
• Chen Chuan discovered that the bag contained a Level Two Lost Object that could alert him to nearby useful items, along with international passes and a contact number.
• Ren Xinshan told Chen Chuan that the higher-ups had approved a full-scale war against the Old Imperial Household and asked him to head to the Convergence Zone.
• Zhan Jiyue persuaded Vice President Zhu to keep supporting his bid for the Nature Faction’s recommendation and introduced the Pinball Game as another way to win its support.
• A telegram informed Vice President Zhu that the war against the Old Imperial Household had been approved and that stationed Fighters were being summoned; he called on the Purity Faction to support Chen Chuan.

Prince Chunxuan learned that Great Shun had captured Yaolan Pass and sent troops to surround the Old Imperial Household’s diplomatic residence, so he chose to turn against his royal brother and seek safety through Great Shun. At Yaolan Pass, Chen Chuan intercepted enemy scouts and prepared to support an esoteric ritual as reinforcements arrived.

• Vassal Jia told Prince Chunxuan that Chen Chuan had captured Yaolan Pass and destroyed the Old Imperial Household’s forces there.
• An official warned Prince Chunxuan to leave Zhongjing, but soldiers soon surrounded the diplomatic residence, preventing the envoys from departing.
• Prince Chunxuan rejected his royal brother and sent Vassal Jia to deliver a stone ring, a map, and documents to Great Shun, then called for music and dancing.
• Chen Chuan sent Zhao Ming to destroy the Old Imperial Household’s scouting birds while he waited for his true body to arrive.
• Wen Mingzhong arrived at Yaolan Pass with Esoteric Sect Headquarters personnel to set up a ritual and warned Chen Chuan that they had brought an ancient object bearing a fierce anomaly.
• Chen Chuan approved the ritual arrangement despite the anomaly’s risks.

Chen Chuan secured Yaolan Pass and prepared for an Old Imperial Household counterattack while the Nether Capital debated how to retake it. Yuan Conglai learned that an imperial expedition had finally been ordered, though he doubted its forces would be enough.

• Wen Mingzhong began preparing a ritual to suppress the Old Imperial Household’s secret ritual and strengthen an anomaly for Great Shun’s use.
• A platinum beam struck where Chen Chuan had stood, but Purple Qi shielded him; he then waited at the pass as Great Shun deployed defenses and reinforcements.
• Yuan Conglai waited overnight to see the emperor, but a palace attendant ordered him to leave Yunmeng Garden and return to Shaohua Palace.
• Yuan Conglai worried that the court had not responded to Yaolan Pass’s fall, while his aide explained the danger of confronting Chen Chuan and the court’s other threats.
• A rider delivered an edict naming generals and Embroidery Ambassador Chu Xianyin for the campaign to retake Yaolan Pass; Yuan Conglai feared they were insufficient, but his aide pointed to possible secret support and unusual Imperial Garden breeds.

Chen Chuan received official command of the Frontline and new Lost Objects as Great Shun prepared to defend Yaolan Pass against the Old Imperial Household. After Mu Xiaoren proposed delaying or harassing the enemy, Chen Chuan rejected those plans and ordered him to devise a frontal battle plan.

• A military affairs officer delivered a declaration of war, command authority, and three Level One Lost Objects to Chen Chuan at Yaolan Pass.
• Chen Chuan found that the three Lost Objects could not fuel his advancement, though they became more obedient after sensing his power.
• Jiang Linghuai and Mu Xiaoren arrived as reinforcements, and Mu Xiaoren warned that Anye Palace was organizing a team to retake the pass.
• Mu Xiaoren proposed threatening Nether Capital or harassing the enemy alone, but Chen Chuan rejected both plans.
• Chen Chuan asked Mu Xiaoren to create a frontal battle plan for Jiang Linghuai, Mu Xiaoren, and himself based on their abilities and Lost Objects.

Great Shun’s leaders approved a coordinated war of annihilation against the Old Imperial Household, centering the operation on Chen Chuan’s forces at Yaolan Pass. As Great Shun prepared to mobilize, Old Imperial Household commanders approached the pass intending to strike before dawn and destroy its defenders quickly.

• Ren Xinshan and Deputy Minister Guo rested between meetings while awaiting news from Chen Chuan in the Convergence Zone.
• Deputy Chief Administrator Qiao Dingguo presented a plan for a war of annihilation, with forces from the World Ring pressing the Old Imperial Household on multiple fronts.
• Great Shun’s representatives accepted the plan, which made Chen Chuan’s victory at Yaolan Pass pivotal to the campaign.
• Yuan Congye and the Old Imperial Household’s commanders reviewed the terrain and planned to defeat the defenders within half an hour, before Great Shun’s reinforcements arrived.
• Tie Rugan and Chu Xianyin discussed reports of the enemy’s reinforcements, while Chu relied on the Old Imperial Household’s arrangements with entities of the Other Side World to delay Great Shun’s forces.

Yuan Congye’s team planned how to restrain and defeat Chen Chuan, while Chen Chuan’s allies assessed his overwhelming abilities and prepared countermeasures. Before dawn, the Old Imperial Household’s forces arrived at Yaolan Pass, and Chen Chuan used a Lost Object to identify them before its information gathering was disrupted.

• Yuan Congye assigned Tie Rugan, Yuan Rong, Chu Xianyin, and Immortal Shen roles in a plan to restrain Chen Chuan and test his strength.
• Jiang Linghuai and Mu Xiaoren tested Chen Chuan’s abilities and found that his speed, destructive power, and defense exceeded their limits; Chen Chuan admitted he had not shown his full strength.
• Mu Xiaoren agreed to develop countermeasures for the Old Imperial Household’s likely use of rituals, Lost Objects, Exotic Power, and other tactics.
• Zhao Ming warned Chen Chuan that more than ten airships and accompanying flying creatures were approaching, and Chen Chuan alerted Jiang Linghuai and Mu Xiaoren.
• Chen Chuan activated a Level One Lost Object that revealed information about Yuan Congye’s forces and several special entities, but an opposing method disrupted its information gathering.