Chapter Summaries

Wang Qing recognized that his opponent relied on guiding momentum, then tried to disrupt his rhythm and counter with Fast Sword. His opponent turned Wang Qing’s own internal force and accumulated momentum against him, disarmed him, and seized him by the throat.

• Wang Qing realized his opponent preserved a relentless rhythm by guiding the momentum of their clashes.
• Jiang Shisi and Elder Li identified the opponent’s technique and explained that Wang Qing could reverse the fight by finding the right moment.
• Wang Qing began mixing Fast Sword counterattacks with his Taiji Sword defense, impressing the spectators with his skill.
• Wang Qing’s opponent repeatedly anticipated his counters and gradually drew him into the opponent’s rhythm.
• Wang Qing’s opponent redirected the accumulated force into a strike that knocked away his sword, then seized him by the throat.

After Chen Yutong defeated Wang Qing, Zhang Lingyu learned that he would face Mu Yunji next, while the Yun Sect Leader worried about his disciples entering the secret realm. Wei Lin proposed that Luofu and Yun Mountain support each other, and someone suggested adding Wudang to the alliance.

• Zhang Lingyu learned that Wang Qing had lost to a Luofu disciple and discovered that Mu Yunji would be his opponent the next day.
• Old Man Li celebrated the strong results of the Dragon Group's disciples, including Chen Yutong's victory over Wang Qing.
• The Yun Sect Leader admitted he feared Mu Yunji and Lu Chenshuang would be vulnerable in the secret realm, especially during the Spirit Tide year.
• Wei Lin offered for Luofu and Yun Mountain to travel together and support each other in the secret realm.
• An unidentified speaker suggested that Wudang join the alliance.

Luofu negotiated an alliance with Wudang after Qin Xuanji explained why she had altered the tournament matchups and praised Wang Qing’s martial arts. Elder He agreed to cooperate during the secret-realm expedition, while postponing Wudang’s decision on Luofu’s conditions until afterward.

• Elder He Songzi and Wang Qing joined the gathering, where Qin Xuanji invited Wudang to form an alliance with Luofu and Yunshan.
• Elder He confronted Qin Xuanji over her role in changing Kunlun’s roster, and Wei Lin explained that Luofu had wanted to study Wudang’s techniques.
• Qin Xuanji explained that Wang Qing’s switch to Fast Sword had given Yu Tong an opening, helping Wang Qing understand his defeat and regain his composure.
• Wei Lin offered equal shares of the secret-realm profits and ten annual entry spots in Luofu’s secret realm in exchange for Wudang’s support, Dragon Group service, and martial arts techniques.
• Elder He accepted an initial alliance for the secret-realm expedition and deferred Wudang’s final answer on Luofu’s conditions.

Xi Ye studied Planet D’s combat techniques and worried that his limited resources and growing threats made rapid civilization development essential. A relative told him that his maternal grandfather planned an inheritance ceremony and urged him to ask for help obtaining a Ninth-Grade Planet, leaving Xi Ye uncertain whether he would attend or accept the offer.

• Xi Ye used the Super Computer to assess Planet D’s martial arts and realized that adapting them would require resources he did not have.
• Xi Ye considered opening more Internal Beta Slots and recruiting researchers while worrying that the undead lord, the spreading Black Goat Diagram, and the mysterious force could threaten him.
• Xi Ye read his relative’s journal about discovering and dissecting a soft-bodied organism on a new planet, then joined others in teasing the relative over his long evolutionary timetable.
• Xi Ye’s relative told him that their maternal grandfather would hold an inheritance ceremony within ten years and that the family would be expected to attend.
• Xi Ye’s relative urged him to ask his mother to seek the grandfather’s help in obtaining a Ninth-Grade Planet, but Xi Ye said he might not attend and did not accept the advice.

Xi Ye increased the incentives for players exploring new territory and ordered his system to monitor Little Cabbage while collecting combat data from the martial arts tournament. As the tournament’s secret-realm qualifiers took shape, Yun Mountain’s last two contestants faced powerful opponents, and Mu Yunji’s match against Zhang Lingyu began.

• Xi Ye learned that Little Cabbage’s internal beta slot had sparked high bids and encouraged players and flower spirits to reclaim the grasslands, so he ordered the system to strengthen the incentives and support her example.
• Xi Ye asked Wei Lin to gather combat methods from the tournament’s sects while avoiding actions that might expose or provoke his forces.
• The tournament’s Top Thirty-Two qualifiers were finalized, with Kunlun leading at eleven contestants, the Tianshi Sect qualifying five, and Wudang suffering its worst result yet.
• Lu Chenshuang lost to Emei’s Hong Tianlu, leaving Yun Mountain’s disciples and the Yun Sect Leader dismayed at the sect’s poor showing.
• Zhang Lingyu of the Tianshi Sect and Mu Yunji of Yun Mountain were called to the arena for their match.

Mu Yunji faced Zhang Lingyu in the tournament, where his contemptuous refusal to attack gave way to a fierce clash after she countered his unusual Golden Light Spell. She forced him to the edge of the arena and shattered his defense, leaving him to meet her finishing strike with the Tianshi Sect’s Thunder Method.

• The Yun Sect Leader urged Mu Yunji to preserve her strength for the secret realm, and she assured him she knew her limits.
• Zhang Lingyu kept his hands behind his back and invited Mu Yunji to attack, dismissing the challengers who could make him use both hands.
• Mu Yunji’s first strike was repelled by Zhang Lingyu’s spiral-shaped Golden Light Spell, but she quickly adapted and used its rotating force to strengthen her sword attack.
• Mu Yunji drove Zhang Lingyu toward the edge of the arena and shattered his Golden Light Spell with a powerful blow.
• Zhang Lingyu faced Mu Yunji’s descending sword light with the Tianshi Sect’s Thunder Method as the onlookers waited to see the result.

Mu Yunji survived her clash with Zhang Lingyu, who conceded after the Tianshi Sect elder intervened, and her victory raised her standing. Cloud Sect Leader Yun privately praised her but ordered her to concede against Mao Junzhuo, while Wang Gou Dan’s group left the tournament early.

• Zhang Xuanyi blocked Mu Yunji and Zhang Lingyu’s attacks, and the Tianshi Sect conceded the match after Zhang Lingyu admitted defeat.
• Jiang Shisi left the pavilion to find Wang Qing and mock Zhang Lingyu, while Su Nuoyan stayed behind.
• Cloud Sect Leader Yun scolded Mu Yunji for risking her life, then concealed his pride as Elder He congratulated him on her victory.
• Cloud Sect Leader Yun told Mu Yunji to concede her next match against Mao Junzhuo, and she agreed to obey.
• Wang Gou Dan’s group returned to town, where Wang Gou Dan said Little Cabbage had gone to North America to recruit people.

As the Kunlun Martial Arts Competition ended, Young Master Huang and Guo Hongde visited the rogue cultivator trading hall and accepted a thousand-year-old ginseng from Immortal Xu in exchange for seeking him cultivation advice. Wang Gou Dan then found Young Master Huang and asked him to travel abroad with her.

• The Kunlun competition ended with Kunlun Fourteen taking first place and the trump cards of Quanzhen, Maoshan, and Emei filling the Top Four.
• Young Master Huang asked Guo Hongde why rogue cultivators lacked a regular exchange venue, and Guo Hongde explained that Kunlun's trading hall was expensive but safe.
• Immortal Xu gave Guo Hongde a thousand-year-old Changbai Mountain ginseng and asked him to find an expert who could advise him about his troubled cultivation.
• Guo Hongde shared most of the ginseng with Young Master Huang, who then gave two roots to Wang Gou Dan when she appeared beside them.
• Wang Gou Dan told Young Master Huang that her brother said he could speak several languages and get her business-class flights, then asked him to come abroad with her.

Little Cabbage and Liver Emperor struggled to find capable foreign politicians to recruit before Little Cabbage’s visa expired, so they asked Young Master Huang for help through his family’s overseas connections. The Huang family’s Houston branch was facing political trouble that could jeopardize its acquisition of four blood cancer drug patents.

• Little Cabbage and Liver Emperor discovered that a heavily advertised politician they had brought in for questioning lacked real expertise and relied on a Behind-the-Scenes Team.
• Little Cabbage grew impatient to expand her faction and build a beautiful city where she could bring her parents.
• Wang Gou Dan and Little Cabbage asked Young Master Huang to introduce them to capable foreign congressmen.
• Young Master Huang agreed to ask his Fourth Uncle, who handled the Huang family’s overseas business, for help.
• The Huang family’s Houston branch faced the prospect of losing political support for its planned acquisition of four blood cancer drug patents.

Huang Shijie brought Gou Dan and the others to visit his cousin Huang Shixin in Houston, where they learned Huang Chengde’s research project depended on a troubled mayoral election. Little Cabbage offered to help and asked where Old Joseph lived.

• Huang Shijie called Huang Chengde, then took Gou Dan and the others to the family villa after learning Huang Shixin would be home.
• Huang Shixin welcomed the group and explained that Huang Chengde had backed Mayor Morey, whose troubled administration had revived support for former mayor Old Joseph.
• Huang Shixin told Huang Shijie that the Huang Family’s research project and hundreds of billions of Federation Currency were at risk if Morey lost the election.
• Little Cabbage offered to solve the problem and asked Huang Shixin where Old Joseph lived.

Retired mayor Joseph Rudier returned home and found three Yun Mountain Disciples, who had come after Huang Shixin gave them his address. Little Cabbage revealed her transcendent power while questioning Joseph, and Huang Chengde collapsed after learning where the disciples had gone.

• Joseph Rudier recorded community observations and prepared to move to the Administrative District to focus on his election campaign.
• Joseph found Wang Gou Dan, Little Cabbage, and Liver Emperor inside his home, and the group stumbled through an awkward conversation in Chinese and English.
• Little Cabbage questioned Joseph about his diaries, slammed the door shut with her power, and startled him into recognizing her as a transcendent.
• Huang Shixin told Huang Chengde that he had given the Yun Mountain Disciples Joseph's address after they offered to solve the family's election problem.
• Huang Chengde learned the disciples had gone to Joseph's home and collapsed in shock.

Huang Chengde learned that Old Joseph had disappeared and considered distancing the Huang Family from Morey while arranging to meet him. Meanwhile, Little Cabbage showed the kidnapped Joseph an alien world and offered him a powerful new body and a high-ranking position, leaving him eager to qualify.

• Huang Chengde woke in the hospital and learned that Old Joseph had vanished, Morey was under suspicion, and investors were pulling out.
• Huang Chengde decided to contact Morey and meet him the next day, believing the Huang Family could still benefit from the political upheaval.
• Little Cabbage explained to Old Joseph that he was on an alien planet and showed him the protective suit and the Minotaurs working nearby.
• Old Joseph reviewed a contract offering him the Minister of Internal Affairs position, a share of the alliance, and a long-lived Gene Body.
• Old Joseph asked Little Cabbage how he could qualify for the position.

Little Cabbage interviewed Joseph Rudier for the position of Minister of Internal Affairs and listened to his account of his political career and record as Houston’s mayor. After Joseph defended his conservative approach to the city’s economy, Little Cabbage asked how their new force should maintain its lead, leaving him to answer the decisive question.

• Little Cabbage asked Joseph Rudier to introduce his résumé, and he recounted his rise from a Texas ranching family to mayor of Houston.
• Joseph described his twelve years governing Houston, including stable development and low unemployment.
• Little Cabbage challenged Joseph over criticism that he had been too conservative and had neglected virtual entertainment.
• Joseph argued that Houston should preserve its strong medical and bioengineering industries rather than waste resources competing in California’s virtual market.
• Little Cabbage asked how their new force could maintain its lead, and Joseph recognized that his answer would decide the deal.

Old Joseph advised Little Cabbage to stop recruiting weak, scattered beastmen and instead expand by targeting tribes after gathering intelligence. Alice returned with the heads of spies, revealing that Little Cabbage’s territory had already attracted hostile attention.

• Old Joseph learned about Little Cabbage’s force and warned that public expansion with weak recruits could invite attacks from powerful tribes.
• He recommended conquering suitable tribes through carefully researched military campaigns rather than continuing to absorb wandering beastmen.
• Alice entered the tent carrying a sack of beastmen’s heads and said she had eliminated a hidden threat.
• Alice revealed that Little Black and the others were spies and that Little Cabbage’s territory had already been targeted.

Alice revealed that Little Black had spied for the Shahe Tribe and explained why the faction should move north and target organized tribes. Little Cabbage welcomed Old Joseph Rudier into the faction, and Alice offered to accompany him as he looked for researchers.

• Alice explained that Little Black had recruited Gnolls to report the faction's existence to the Shahe Tribe, and that she had interrogated the spy before it died.
• Alice advised the group to target the Shahe Tribe and develop in the Northern Grassland, where her intelligence network could help them evade the powerful factions of the south.
• Alice said the faction needed researchers and suggested abducting human mages in the north to support its Tech Tree research.
• Little Cabbage accepted Old Joseph Rudier into the faction after Alice praised his suggestion to seek organized tribes.
• Old Joseph offered to help find professional researchers, and Alice said she would accompany him, making him realize he should behave carefully around her.

Grandpa Lu published a guide explaining the dangers of the grassland quest and how players could build a faction there. His advice to buy imprisoned warriors sent the player market into an uproar, and Xi Ye suspected Grandpa Lu had deliberately revealed the opportunity to take revenge on society.

• Grandpa Lu explained that the grasslands were the only promising route to founding a Private Faction, but only Little Cabbage had reached ten thousand people and established a stable base.
• Grandpa Lu described the challenges of surviving on occupied pastures and warned that players could not rely on force alone to defeat the great tribes.
• Grandpa Lu advised players to bring a Flower Spirit and reserve faction partner slots for researchers and combat players.
• Grandpa Lu recommended buying imprisoned human and beastfolk warriors to strengthen grassland expeditions, and urged readers to act before prices rose.
• Players flooded the comments with complaints about warrior prices and questions about Internal Beta slots.
• Xi Ye read Grandpa Lu's post and thought he had revealed the opportunity as revenge on society.

As the price of elite warriors surged, Little Cabbage’s faction consulted Old Joseph, who had chosen the Green Titan Bloodline and advised them to preserve their Cooperation Quotas rather than trade one for a large supply of warriors. He recommended using the remaining quotas to recruit Developer players and accelerate the Tech Tree.

• Players flooded the trading platform with sales pitches as elite warrior prices rose and supplies dwindled.
• Little Cabbage and Gou Dan asked Old Joseph why prices were climbing after their faction had bought more than fifty elite Orcs.
• Old Joseph explained that some owners were withholding warriors for higher prices, while others wanted to exchange them for Cooperation Quotas to join the grassland opportunity.
• Little Cabbage said a player offered more than two hundred elite warriors, including nearly ten Griffon Knights, in exchange for cooperation.
• Old Joseph advised Little Cabbage to reject the offer because warriors would become plentiful on the grasslands and Cooperation Quotas were better spent recruiting Developer players.
• Little Cabbage agreed to return, and Wang Gou Dan claimed she had shared Old Joseph’s reasoning.

Little Cabbage’s faction struggled to recruit a developer because it had little equity left to offer, while Old Joseph withdrew from the Houston mayoral race after returning to his body. He planned to recommend his longtime aide John to Morey rather than recruit him, leaving Alice to remark on his political instincts.

• Little Cabbage’s group split up to recruit biologists in Houston and developers at the base, but Dog Daddy knew the faction’s remaining shares were unlikely to attract a top developer.
• Old Joseph contacted the police and publicly denied that he had been kidnapped, then told his campaign team he was withdrawing from the election.
• Chief Lawyer John demanded a reason, and Old Joseph apologized for the effort John had invested while insisting he would not change his mind.
• Old Joseph left the campaign office and told Alice and Little Cabbage that he would recommend John to Morey instead of bringing him into their faction.
• Old Joseph said favors and interests were separate, and Alice called him an old politician.

Grandpa Lu posted an advanced guide for players heading to the grasslands, advising them on partnerships and cost-effective troop types. As players responded to the guide, Xi Ye watched their rush to pioneer and focused on preparing for the undead lord before the Black Goat Diagram fully developed.

• Grandpa Lu explained that players should preserve Cooperation Quotas for rare developer partners while recruiting warrior players when useful.
• Grandpa Lu recommended general-class units, limited gryphon purchases, Dragon Horse Knights, Gale Tribe wolf riders, and several cost-effective infantry, while warning against Gado Beast riders, mages, and shamans.
• Players complained about buying Gado Beasts and trying to sell gryphons, debated feed prices, and one player sought an Internal Beta Slot to meet developer players.
• Xi Ye was satisfied by the players' rush to the grasslands and prioritized building combat power against the undead lord before the Black Goat Diagram fully developed.

Madeline Lyantesvina struggled to continue her cancer gene-editing research alone after losing government funding, until Mayor Ludiel visited and gave her hope that the project might resume. Little Cabbage and Alice learned of Madeline’s dedication and watched her rush out to greet the mayor.

• Madeline spent the morning reviewing records and conducting experiments on her cancer-fighting gene-editing project, which had lost its funding and assistants.
• As she reflected on her age and the unfinished research, Madeline received a computer alert that Mayor Ludiel had come to visit her.
• Little Cabbage asked Joseph about Madeline, and he explained that she had devoted herself to the project for years despite its uncertainty and lack of support.
• Little Cabbage and Alice grew impressed by Madeline’s dedication as the elderly researcher hurried over to greet Mayor Ludiel, unaware that one of her shoes had fallen off.