Chapter Summaries

After sharing a sunrise and a conversation about Acheron with Firefly, Lin Shuang returned to the Xianzhou alone and summoned Acheron to keep her company on the spaceship. Acheron arrived expecting danger, but found Lin Shuang relaxing in a hot spring and was invited to join her.

• Lin Shuang and Firefly danced together on a cliff and watched the sunrise before discussing Lin Shuang's first meeting with Acheron.
• After two days vacationing with Firefly, Lin Shuang set off for the Xianzhou to visit Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan and seek texts about The Permanence.
• Lin Shuang chose the passenger spaceship home and summoned Acheron because she was bored during the trip.
• Acheron appeared with her blade drawn, then sheathed it after realizing Lin Shuang was safe in a hot spring.
• Lin Shuang offered Acheron a swimsuit she had prepared, and Acheron agreed to wear it.

Lin Shuang and Acheron soaked in a hot spring and shared drinks as Lin Shuang tried to learn more about Acheron’s past. After arriving at the Xianzhou Luofu, Lin Shuang met Tingyun and planned to visit Fu Xuan and Jing Yuan.

• Lin Shuang secretly photographed Acheron in her swimsuit, and Acheron found and admired the picture before browsing Lin Shuang’s photos with Firefly.
• Acheron asked why Lin Shuang had not performed her Ritual with Firefly and explained that rings held special meaning in her homeland; she also said she had recovered a few more memories.
• Lin Shuang drank liquor with Acheron in hopes of learning about her past, while Acheron finished the bottle.
• Two days later, Lin Shuang and Acheron arrived at the Xianzhou Luofu, where Lin Shuang had learned to conceal her Dragon Form.
• Tingyun greeted Lin Shuang at the Starport, and Lin Shuang said she planned to visit Fu Xuan and Jing Yuan before accepting Tingyun’s dinner invitation.

Lin Shuang visited Fu Xuan to learn about The Permanence after developing a dragon form, but found that the Divination Department had little information and that a Vidyadhara Dragon Lord was her best source. She left the Luofu’s Dragon Masters alone for now and planned to ask Jing Yuan, while giving Fu Xuan an Origami Bird plush.

• Tingyun arranged a Starskiff for Lin Shuang and sent pastries and Joy Tea with her to the Divination Department.
• Lin Shuang revealed her dragon horns and tail to Fu Xuan and explained that The Permanence had appeared as she purged the effects of Nihility.
• Fu Xuan explained that the Divination Department had few texts on The Permanence and recommended seeking a Vidyadhara Dragon Lord.
• Lin Shuang reviewed the available materials, discussed dragon forms and the Luofu’s Vidyadhara with Fu Xuan, and said she did not want trouble with the Dragon Masters.
• Lin Shuang gave Fu Xuan an Origami Bird plush and left intending to ask Jing Yuan what he knew.

Lin Shuang met Huohuo in Starskiff Haven and frightened her with an illusion before offering her tea. Huohuo calmed down briefly, but she remained so timid that Lin Shuang’s attempt to speak to her made her scream again.

• Lin Shuang gave Fu Xuan and Qingque Origami Bird toys, and Qingque asked about visiting Penacony.
• Lin Shuang learned that Jing Yuan had little information about The Permanence and then waited for Tingyun in Starskiff Haven.
• Huohuo approached Lin Shuang, but Lin Shuang’s illusion of ghosts frightened her into crouching with her hands over her head.
• Lin Shuang dispelled the illusion, took a photo of Huohuo, and offered her tea while Tail scolded her for being timid.
• Huohuo relaxed while drinking tea, then sprang up screaming when Lin Shuang tried to speak to her.

Lin Shuang met the timid Foxian Huohuo, who had come to ask whether she had encountered anything strange. After Tail sensed the Heliobus within Lin Shuang, she explained that she had a great Heliobus sealed inside her, and Huohuo grew comfortable with her before accepting her affection.

• Huohuo introduced herself to Lin Shuang and asked whether she had encountered anything strange lately.
• Tail emerged and warned Huohuo that Lin Shuang carried a powerful Heliobus aura.
• Lin Shuang revealed that she had a great Heliobus sealed inside her and described how it had been tainted by Nihility.
• Huohuo and Tail bickered about how much they depended on each other, while Lin Shuang watched with amusement.
• Lin Shuang stroked Huohuo's head and ears, and Huohuo relaxed and began to sniffle at the comforting touch.

Lin Shuang protected Huohuo during the Jianmu’s reawakening and subdued a Cloud Knight afflicted by the Scythe of Annihilation. She planned to check on Tingyun and Fu Xuan, and Huohuo insisted on accompanying her.

• As the Jianmu’s power spread through Starskiff Haven, an afflicted Cloud Knight charged at Lin Shuang and Huohuo.
• Lin Shuang transformed, disarmed the knight, and pinned him down until the Cloud Knights arrived to take him away.
• Lin Shuang told Huohuo to go home while she checked on her friend Tingyun at the Sky-Faring Commission.
• Huohuo said she was a judge of the Ten Lords’ Court and offered to come along, despite being nervous about fighting.
• Lin Shuang agreed to let Huohuo accompany her.

Lin Shuang and Huohuo helped contain people afflicted by the scythe of annihilation as the Xianzhou responded to the Jianmu's revival. After learning Tingyun was stranded at Cloudford, Lin Shuang headed there with Huohuo to check on her.

• Huohuo reported the incident and Lin Shuang's involvement to Hanya, who decided to investigate Lin Shuang.
• Lin Shuang subdued people afflicted by the scythe of annihilation while Huohuo restrained them for the Cloud Knights.
• Tingyun told Lin Shuang she was at Cloudford, where fallen cargo containers blocked the way out, and Lin Shuang decided to go to her.
• Huohuo insisted on accompanying Lin Shuang rather than going alone to the Sky-Faring Commission.
• Lin Shuang and Huohuo borrowed a Starskiff and flew toward Cloudford.

Lin Shuang and Huohuo reached damaged Cloudford and flew in on Bella to find Tingyun. Tingyun was helping the injured when two merchant guild employees succumbed to the Scythe of Annihilation, leaving the Cloud Knights to face them.

• Lin Shuang warned Huohuo that damage to the Crafting Division might release the heliobi sealed in its furnace, and Tail delighted in the possibility.
• Lin Shuang and Huohuo arrived at Cloudford, found its passages blocked by collapsed cargo, and Lin Shuang used Bella to fly them inside.
• Tingyun organized care for the injured and began inventorying the merchant guild's shipment while trapped in Cloudford.
• Two merchant guild employees succumbed to the Scythe of Annihilation, and Tingyun urged the others to protect the injured and support the Cloud Knights.
• Two Cloud Knights charged the afflicted employees despite being outmatched, while the merchant guild workers hesitated to fight their former colleagues.

Lin Shuang arrived at Cloudford with Huohuo and Bella just as Tingyun and the others faced overwhelming enemies. After rescuing Tingyun and defeating the afflicted enemies, Lin Shuang and her companions identified themselves to the survivors, who were still recovering from the attack.

• Tingyun and the Cloud Knights struggled against the afflicted enemies as merchant guild members joined the fight, but the group suffered a casualty and was attacked by Fragmentum creatures.
• A huge monster descended and crushed an Imaginary Weaver, while the gale threw Tingyun backward.
• Lin Shuang caught Tingyun in a bridal carry, and Tingyun blushed when she realized everyone had seen her clinging to Lin Shuang.
• Bella burned the afflicted enemies to charcoal as the survivors watched her and Huohuo nervously.
• Huohuo showed her Ten Lords' Court token and explained that she and Lin Shuang had come to support Cloudford, easing the Cloud Knights' fears.

Lin Shuang organized rescue efforts in Cloudford after defeating the Scythe of Annihilation-stricken enemies, lending Bella to two Cloud Knights to evacuate survivors. While resting with Tingyun and Huohuo, she found both Foxfolk girls vying for her closeness; the story left off as the journey to Cloudford was described as smoother than expected.

• Lin Shuang assigned Bella to carry two Cloud Knights through the air so they could rescue people and reassure them.
• The Cloud Knights recognized Lin Shuang and eagerly agreed to follow her instructions, unaware that Jing Yuan had used her name to support his purge of corrupt officials.
• Tingyun thanked Lin Shuang for saving her again and jokingly offered to leave her duties and travel with Lin Shuang, whose teasing raised Tingyun’s affection.
• Lin Shuang invited Tingyun and Huohuo to rest before she cleared a route out of Cloudford.
• Tingyun curled her tail around Lin Shuang while Huohuo hugged her arm, and Lin Shuang was left between the two girls.
• The chapter ended by noting that the trip to Cloudford had gone more smoothly than Lin Shuang had expected.

Lin Shuang rescued Cloudford’s survivors and spoke with Jing Yuan, who warned her to stay cautious while Phantylia remained missing. Meanwhile, the Astral Express Crew learned of the Xianzhou crisis and March 7th messaged Lin Shuang to ask about the Luofu.

• Lin Shuang and Tingyun checked each other for injuries and Heliobus possession, then Lin Shuang, Bella, and Huohuo helped rescue Cloudford’s survivors.
• A representative of the Sky-Faring Commission reported that the Xianzhou’s unrest had temporarily subsided, and the rescued people boarded a Starskiff.
• Jing Yuan called Lin Shuang, warned her that Phantylia’s location was unknown, and invited her to the Divination Department to discuss the incident.
• The Astral Express Crew planned to travel to Penacony, but Himeko cautioned that the Charmony Festival might not be peaceful.
• Kafka appeared as a projection and explained the Stellaron crisis on the Xianzhou, prompting the crew to consider going there.
• Himeko suggested asking Lin Shuang about the Luofu, and March 7th sent Lin Shuang an urgent message.

The Astral Express Crew chose to travel to the Xianzhou Luofu after March 7th learned from Lin Shuang that a Stellaron had erupted there. Lin Shuang met March 7th, Stelle, and Welt at Cloudford, where the crew saw signs of a recent battle and asked her about the situation.

• Lin Shuang told March 7th that a Stellaron eruption on the Luofu had stimulated Jianmu and could cause a disaster.
• March 7th relayed the news to the Astral Express Crew, who unanimously voted to go to the Luofu; she also noticed Stelle had saved Lin Shuang as “Cyber Wife.”
• Lin Shuang waited at Cloudford after Huohuo and Tingyun left, while the Express traveled to the Luofu.
• March 7th, Stelle, and Welt arrived at the deserted port and noticed evidence of a recent battle.
• Lin Shuang met the crew at Cloudford, and Welt asked her to explain the current situation on the Luofu.

Lin Shuang asked Welt to help seal the Stellaron she had stored in a card, freeing the card for a possible attempt to store the Jianmu. After leaving the Astral Express Crew at the Sky-Faring Commission, she arranged to meet Tingyun for a meal and headed to the Divination Department.

• March 7th and Stelle invited Lin Shuang to ask around about Dan Heng's secrets, while Lin Shuang considered the Dragon Lord's powers and the Jianmu.
• Lin Shuang showed Welt the Storage Card containing a Stellaron and asked the Astral Express to seal it.
• Welt and Himeko sealed the Stellaron, leaving Lin Shuang with an empty Storage Card.
• Lin Shuang accompanied the Astral Express Crew to the Sky-Faring Commission, where Tingyun introduced Welt to Yukong.
• Tingyun told Lin Shuang that Huohuo had gone home, and Lin Shuang arranged to meet Tingyun for a meal another day.
• Lin Shuang said goodbye to the Astral Express Crew and headed to the Divination Department.

Lin Shuang asked Jing Yuan about the revived Jianmu and the problem of opening its seal without the Vidyadhara Dragon Lord’s inherited power. She obtained archival photographs of the original sealing, which let her sense the past scene, while Acheron guessed she had become involved in trouble on the Xianzhou.

• Lin Shuang discussed the Jianmu crisis with Jing Yuan, who explained that only the Vidyadhara Dragon Lord could open the seal at Scalegorge Waterscape and that the current Dragon Lord’s succession had gone wrong.
• Lin Shuang asked Jing Yuan for visual records of the Dragon Lord sealing the Jianmu, keeping her plans to herself.
• While Jing Yuan searched the Divination Department’s archives, Acheron messaged Lin Shuang and correctly guessed that trouble had arisen on the Xianzhou.
• Jing Yuan found the archival entry, printed several photographs of the sealing, and warned Lin Shuang not to circulate them.
• Lin Shuang sensed the scene through the photographs, thanked Jing Yuan, and left with the records.

Lin Shuang used photographs of Yubie’s past to create a Dragon Lord’s Light Cone and gained detailed knowledge of Cloudsong Arts. She tested her new control over The Permanence by shaping water and fire, while Jing Yuan considered what her revelation about the Star Rail Express meant for the Xianzhou.

• Jing Yuan told Lin Shuang that the Star Rail Express had been asked to apprehend Kafka to clear the crew of suspicion.
• Lin Shuang told Jing Yuan that an Express passenger strongly resembled Yubie, and Jing Yuan inferred that she had brought the crew to help with the Luofu’s past calamity.
• Lin Shuang returned home and used [Memories of a Photograph] to witness Imbibitor Lunae Yubie and hundreds of Vidyadhara sealing Jianmu’s roots with Cloudsong Arts.
• Lin Shuang turned the memories into a Dragon Lord’s Light Cone and discovered she could not use it alongside her other Light Cone of The Permanence.
• Lin Shuang learned Cloudsong Arts, shaped water into a dragon, and tried applying the technique to form a fire dragon.

Lin Shuang practiced Cloudsong Arts while staying out of the Astral Express Crew’s planned arrest of Kafka, and teased Silver Wolf over messages. After Silver Wolf promised to play with her later, then blocked her for one system hour, Lin Shuang returned to her training and summoned her Dragon Form to sharpen her perception of The Permanence.

• Lin Shuang decided to stay in her room and practice Cloudsong Arts with the Light Cone rather than join the Astral Express Crew.
• Stelle told Lin Shuang that Dan Heng had left the Express and invited her to help search for Kafka, but Lin Shuang declined and planned to meet them at the Divination Department.
• Lin Shuang teased Silver Wolf for not visiting her on the Xianzhou, and Silver Wolf said she was working elsewhere before promising to play with Lin Shuang after her mission.
• Lin Shuang said she might be busy with matters on the Xianzhou, so Silver Wolf blocked her for one system hour.
• Lin Shuang resumed practicing Cloudsong Arts, shaped streams of water, and summoned her Dragon Form to heighten her perception of The Permanence.

Lin Shuang welcomed Bailu, who had escaped the Alchemy Commission to help people during the crisis on the Xianzhou and wanted Lin Shuang as a bodyguard. After noticing Bailu's tail lock, Lin Shuang examined its connection to Bailu's Dragon Lord power.

• Lin Shuang opened her window to Bailu, who was startled by Lin Shuang's Dragon Form.
• Lin Shuang brought Bailu inside, and Bailu wondered whether her prescription had caused Lin Shuang's tail to grow.
• Bailu told Lin Shuang she had escaped confinement to help people and admitted she had come to find a companion for a trip to the affected areas.
• Lin Shuang noticed Bailu's tail lock and recognized that it used The Permanence to restrict Bailu's Dragon Lord power.

Lin Shuang offered to teach Bailu the Cloudsong Arts so she could eventually unlock the restraint suppressing her Dragon Lord power, and Bailu quickly learned the techniques. After spending the day practicing, the two decided to go to Changle Heaven for dinner amid the lockdown of Starskiff Haven.

• Lin Shuang explained that Bailu could learn the Cloudsong Arts and use them to unlock the lock on her tail herself.
• Bailu agreed to keep the lessons secret and stayed with Lin Shuang to practice instead of searching for patients.
• Lin Shuang found that Bailu mastered the Cloudsong Arts remarkably quickly and learned that being a Sushang gave no obvious advantage with the techniques.
• When Bailu grew hungry, she invited Lin Shuang to dinner and chose Changle Heaven because Starskiff Haven was under lockdown.
• Lin Shuang agreed to go and withdrew her Dragon Form before they left.

Lin Shuang took Bailu to Changle Heaven, where Bailu learned that the Alchemy Commission needed help treating patients and planned to volunteer after dinner. March 7th and Stelle joined them, and the group gathered with Welt and Tingyun at a restaurant.

• Lin Shuang reassured Bailu that she could eventually learn to retract her horns and tail, then took her to Changle Heaven for food.
• Bailu learned that a cavern passage at the Alchemy Commission had gone wrong and decided to stay in Changle Heaven to help treat the injured and sick after eating.
• March 7th mistook Bailu for Lin Shuang's child, and Stelle joined in before Lin Shuang punched both of them and explained that Bailu was a Sushang.
• Lin Shuang invited March 7th, Stelle, Welt, and Tingyun to dinner with her and Bailu.
• Welt and Tingyun joined Lin Shuang, Bailu, March 7th, and Stelle at an upscale Changle Heaven restaurant.

After dinner, Tingyun revealed that Lin Shuang had saved her from an attack tied to a Lord Ravager, then teased her before leaving. Lin Shuang took March 7th, Stelle, and Welt to learn Emperor’s Jade, unaware that Sparkle had followed them.

• March 7th asked Tingyun why she treated Lin Shuang with unusual warmth, and Tingyun explained that Lin Shuang had saved her from an attack connected to a Lord Ravager.
• Tingyun leaned against Lin Shuang, said she was tired, then whispered that Lin Shuang was a flirt because of Stelle’s contact name for her and invited Lin Shuang to dinner the next day.
• Bailu separated from the group to check on the Alchemy Commission and prepare to provide medical support if needed.
• Lin Shuang invited the Astral Express Crew to play Emperor’s Jade, and Welt agreed after hearing her explain the game.
• Lin Shuang led March 7th, Stelle, and Welt to a tile parlor, while Sparkle secretly followed them.