Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou, posing as Lucius Nys Nolanus, is escorted into Blackstone City’s City Hall to meet the governor and receive his promised reward.
• While entering, he carefully surveys the building’s defenses. He notices:
  • Elite Level 5 guards equipped with advanced armor and red-glowing metal wands.
  • Stone lions that appear to be magical constructs capable of coming alive.
  • A powerful Ritual embedded throughout City Hall, capable of turning its statues and officials into soldiers and generals.
• The deputy warns Bai Zhou that the governor is grieving because his youngest son died in the Sunset Mountains, and advises him not to say much.
• The governor initially intends to send Bai Zhou to the Canutius Family treasury, where he may choose a hidden treasure, potentially even a Spirit-Name Secret Treasure.
• Bai Zhou reveals that he has joined the Brothers of One Heart, One Mind, One Purpose Adventurer Guild and accepted the governor’s posted mission to retrieve his son’s remains.
• The governor is startled that Bai Zhou is willing to enter the dangerous Civilization Graveyard in the Sunset Mountains. He explains that the region suppresses powerful beings equally, causes travelers to become lost, and attracts increasingly terrible supernatural omens according to their strength.
• Because Bai Zhou is an advanced Ritualist close to undergoing Lifeforging, the governor believes he may be one of the few people capable of surviving the journey and tracking down the “vulture” responsible for his son’s death.
• The governor formally asks Bai Zhou to bring his son’s head back to Blackstone City.
• Instead of allowing Bai Zhou to choose a reward from the public treasury, the governor gives him an ancient family relic: a dark red compass that can improve his chances of navigating the Sunset Mountains and reaching the vulture.
• The chapter ends with Bai Zhou recognizing that the compass contains a Last Will, whose nature he begins to examine.

2. Character Developments

• Bai Zhou demonstrates his characteristic caution and military-minded observation, immediately assessing City Hall’s defenses and the Empire’s combination of mysticism, technology, and military power.
• His calmness and composure impress—or at least puzzle—the deputy, especially because Bai Zhou shows little outward reaction to City Hall’s overwhelming supernatural infrastructure.
• Bai Zhou reveals a willingness to accept extreme danger for personal gain and strategic advantage. He is not satisfied with ordinary Spirit-Name Secret Treasures and appears interested in obtaining something even more valuable.
• He also shows social awareness by offering condolences to the governor despite the deputy’s warning, using the moment to reveal that he has accepted the revenge mission.
• The governor is shown as a grieving but responsible ruler. Though desperate to avenge his son, he recognizes that personally entering the Sunset Mountains would endanger Blackstone City and the Canutius Family.
• His attitude toward Bai Zhou changes from routine patronage to genuine hope and trust. He offers an ancestral relic far more valuable than the original reward because he believes Bai Zhou may truly accomplish what others cannot.
• The deputy shifts from simply escorting Bai Zhou to witnessing and facilitating an important personal bargain between Bai Zhou and the governor.

3. Significant Themes

• The immense power of the Xiluo Empire: City Hall represents the Empire’s fusion of ancient Roman-like traditions, modern technology, military force, and Ritual-based supernatural systems.
• Rigid hierarchy and authority: The guards and officials react to the deputy and governor with extreme deference, revealing the highly stratified structure of imperial society.
• Duty versus personal grief: The governor must continue ruling Blackstone City despite the death of his son, while also suppressing his desire to seek revenge personally.
• Risk and reward: Bai Zhou’s willingness to undertake a nearly suicidal mission earns him access to a relic far beyond the reward originally promised.
• The limits of power: The Civilization Graveyard neutralizes or punishes powerful beings, making strength alone insufficient. Adaptability, Ritual knowledge, and navigation become more important than raw force.
• Fate and hidden potential: The governor speaks of placing another “weight upon the scales of fate,” while the compass appears to possess its own will or guidance. Bai Zhou’s ability to perceive its Last Will hints at deeper secrets and future significance.
• The contrast between appearances and reality: City Hall looks classical and ceremonial from the outside but functions as a massive war machine; the governor appears powerful but is emotionally devastated; the reward appears ordinary until Bai Zhou recognizes its true nature.

4. Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou and the guards: The guards initially treat him with suspicion or arrogance but become respectful after learning he is the governor’s guest. Their reactions expose the social distance between Bai Zhou and ordinary imperial elites.
• Bai Zhou and the deputy: The deputy acts as both escort and mediator. He warns Bai Zhou about the governor’s grief, explains the treasury’s rules, and attempts to stop him from mentioning the governor’s dead son.
• Bai Zhou and the governor: Their interaction begins formally, with the governor offering a standard reward and postponing any deeper conversation. Bai Zhou’s disclosure that he accepted the revenge mission transforms the meeting into a serious negotiation.
• The governor and his son’s memory: Though the son never appears, his death drives the entire conversation. The governor’s grief, shame, and desire for revenge shape his decision to entrust Bai Zhou with the ancestral compass.
• Bai Zhou and the compass: Bai Zhou recognizes that the relic is more than a simple navigation tool. Its whispers and visible Last Will suggest that it may be a sentient or spiritually significant artifact, setting up the chapter’s final mystery.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou receives a compass from the Governor, which leads to the Sunset Mountains' Civilization Graveyard.
• The Governor reveals that his youngest son, an adventurer, died in the Civilization Graveyard, and he wants Bai Zhou to retrieve his son's head.
• The Governor warns Bai Zhou about the dangers of the Civilization Graveyard and advises him not to linger or deviate from the compass's direction.

Character Developments

• The Governor: He is grieving over his son's death and seeks Bai Zhou's help to retrieve his son's head. He reveals that his son was an adventurer who defied the family's expectations.
• Bai Zhou: He accepts the Governor's request and decides to venture into the Civilization Graveyard. He feels excited about the prospect of adventure and the opportunity to explore the ruins of past civilizations.

Significant Themes

• Adventure and Exploration: The theme of adventure is emphasized through the Governor's son's actions and Bai Zhou's excitement about exploring the Civilization Graveyard.
• The Past and Its Legacy: The Civilization Graveyard represents the remnants of past civilizations, and the characters grapple with the consequences of the Empire's conquests and the resulting contamination.

Character Interactions

• Governor and Bai Zhou: The Governor entrusts Bai Zhou with the task of retrieving his son's head and provides him with the compass to navigate the Civilization Graveyard. He warns Bai Zhou about the dangers ahead.
• Bai Zhou and the Governor's Son: Although they have not met, Bai Zhou feels a sense of responsibility towards the Governor's son and is determined to bring his head back.

Summary of Chapter: "Troy's Treasure Tale"

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou leaves the city with a certificate from the Archon and a compass, heading toward the Sunset Mountains. He has only about five hours left and intends to complete a "trial" before nightfall.
• A guard warns him to return before dark, but Bai Zhou privately plans to be long gone by then. He mentally greets the demon’s dried corpse and the blood-red spear mounted on the city wall—objects that have guarded the city for two thousand years.
• Bai Zhou enters the Sunset Mountains, described as ominous, coffin-like, and covered in black-gray miasma. The trial begins.
• Scene shift: A black-robed Trialist kneels before a tall, flamboyant nobleman in a dim manor. The nobleman—with pink hair, a deep blue robe, and a cruel smile—berates the black-robed man for trying to delay his plans with personal revenge.
• The nobleman reveals that he orchestrated the destruction of the Noranus Family in Blackstone City. He gives the black-robed Trialist permission to deal with a remaining Noranus remnant as he wishes, but warns him to stay loyal and not overstep.
• The manor’s inhabitants, including a blonde noble girl, have been turned into "walking corpses"—mindless servants. The girl was formerly the estate’s owner; the black-robed man was once the estate’s captain of guards.
• The nobleman explains why the Noranus Family fell: they became entangled with a forbidden cult—descendants of the remnants of the Three Hundred City-States—who are suspected of plotting against the Empire.
• The real reason for the purge: the Noranus Family may have found clues to the Troy Civilization’s treasure. The nobleman reveals that the Troy Civilization built a massive Wooden Horse, loaded it with treasures and knowledge, and cast it into the void to preserve their civilization for future revival.
• The nobleman believes the Troy clues might be hidden in the Blackstone City branch of the Noranus Family. He also shares intelligence that the forbidden cult was reportedly seen near the Sunset Mountains a month ago, hinting that Troy’s secret may be nearby.
• He frames this as a chance for both himself and the black-robed man to "soar into the sky in a single bound."

2. Character Developments

• Bai Zhou: Shows determination and a willingness to risk everything. He disregards the guard’s warning, treats the ancient demon corpse and spear with casual familiarity, and enters the dangerous mountains alone.
• The blue-robed Nobleman: Revealed as manipulative, ruthless, and deeply ambitious. He enjoys absolute control, humiliates his subordinates, and uses fear as a tool. He is also exceptionally well-informed, with knowledge of forbidden history and hidden treasure.
• The black-robed Trialist: Fearful and sycophantic, but inwardly ambitious. He survives by submitting completely, yet he is clearly desperate for power and revenge. His hatred is both his weakness and the reason the nobleman keeps him alive.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and submission: The relationship between the nobleman and the black-robed man is built on fear, control, and the pretense of loyalty. The nobleman explicitly compares the man to a dog.
• Ambition and selfishness: Both the nobleman and the black-robed man are driven by personal gain. The nobleman even says he kept the black-robed man because of his selfish desires.
• Legacy and hidden history: The Troy Civilization’s treasure represents the ultimate prize—an entire civilization’s wealth and knowledge hidden in a mythical Wooden Horse. The remnants of old empires, forbidden cults, and family bloodlines all point to the weight of the past.
• Cruelty and dehumanization: The Noranus family’s survivors are reduced to walking corpses, serving their own murderer. The casual cruelty of the nobleman underscores the brutality of this world.

4. Character Interactions

• Guard and Bai Zhou: The guard warns him to return by nightfall; Bai Zhou outwardly thanks him but inwardly mocks the warning, showing his detachment and resolve.
• Bai Zhou and the city’s relics: He silently greets the demon corpse and blood-red spear, hinting at a mysterious past connection.
• Nobleman and black-robed Trialist: The nobleman dominates the conversation, threatening, humiliating, then forgiving the trialist. He uses the man’s hatred for his own purposes, and the black-robed man responds with desperate apologies and promises of loyalty.
• Blonde walking corpse: Her mechanical entrance and exit silently demonstrate the nobleman’s cruelty and the fate that awaits those who oppose him.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The results of the May prize draw are announced.
• Winners are listed for First, Second, and Third Prizes.
• Prize claim instructions are provided, with a deadline of May 16.
• Participation prizes are announced for those who didn't win but meet certain criteria.

Character Developments

• No significant character developments as the chapter focuses on prize announcements.

Significant Themes

• Luck and Fortune: The draw results highlight the element of luck in winning prizes.
• Rewards and Recognition: The prizes acknowledge and reward readers' support and engagement.

Character Interactions

• No character interactions are mentioned as the chapter is a public announcement.

Summary: "Dragon on the Crystal Tree and the Silver Lion!"

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Entering the Civilization Graveyard – Bai Zhou arrives in the Sunset Mountains, where the Black Mist obscures the sky. He collects ancient pottery shards, recognizing their value as antiques or ritual materials.
• The Frozen Temple – The landscape shifts to bone-piercing cold. He spots a temple frozen in ice and snow, embedded in a cliff, guarded by an "Ill Omen" white-furred monster with humanoid proportions (cat/ape-like). Bai Zhou avoids confrontation by taking a wide detour.
• The Desert Temple & Wasteland – Terrain shifts to scorching desert. He sees a ruined Divine Hall, its statues eroded beyond recognition. Farther on, he glimpses a metallic Great Tree, a broken stone bridge, a weathered battle flag on Shattered Bones, and a plaza of strange stone pillars — all clearly dangerous, so he avoids them.
• Abnormal Visions – He encounters (or perceives) disturbing phenomena: a black river with pitch-black paper boats and a woman in White Robe; an ancient figure singing a soul-summoning ballad; a hyena-like shadow that howls and shatters a mountain. The compass actively warns him whenever he begins to veer off-course, saving his life.
• Climbing the Sheer Cliff – Bai Zhou uses his horse saber to scale a vertical cliff face over a bottomless abyss.
• The Crystal Dragon – Across the abyss, he sees a towering transparent Great Tree with pink petals. Coiled around it is a dragon — a Giant Python-like body of crystal, with pink branch-like antlers and claws. It is asleep, and its breath moves petals with the rhythm of its respiration. Bai Zhou recognizes this must lie in the true "forbidden zone" beyond the outer region, and vows to return.
• The Silver Lion – After climbing the ridge, Bai Zhou is only a few hundred meters from his vulture-nest target when he encounters a massive Silver Lion, as large as a mountain, with bite marks on a nearby half-eaten peak. The lion's gaze meets his, releasing overwhelming Battle Intent.
• The Escape, or Salvation – Bai Zhou activates the instinct [All Beasts Submit!] (from "King of Battle") — his bearing adopts a strange resemblance to the Silver Lion's, like a cub of a silver giant beast. The lion's gaze clears; then it yanks Bai Zhou to itself and licks him gently with its massive tongue, instead of killing him.

2. Character Developments

• Bai Zhou's pragmatism – He salvages pottery shards even as ancient artifacts, showing his opportunistic, resourceful nature.
• His survival instinct – His Life and Death Intuition and sense of danger keep him alive. He demonstrates discipline by not exploring tempting ruins despite curiosity.
• His ambition – Seeing the crystal dragon spurs a personal goal: he wants to become a Dragon Knight (or Slayer) someday.
• New ability unveiled – The instinct [All Beasts Submit!] emerges from his "King of Battle" foundation, allowing him to mimic/navigate the aura of a larger predator — turning a lethal encounter into an almost bonding moment.
• His worry about pollution – Bai Zhou reflects that his pollution is accumulating from the environment, and anticipates Miss Ya's disgust-reaction (but still cleansing him) upon his return.

3. Significant Themes

• Civilization's impermanence – Grand temples, Divine Halls, and cities are reduced to ruins; Bai Zhou reflects that heroes become bones and holy halls become dust under time's power.
• Life in a forbidden zone – The Civilization Graveyard is a "dead zone" filled with abominations, illusions, and lethal monsters. The compass represents the thin line between survival and death.
• Beauty and terror intertwined – The crystal dragon and Silver Lion are both breathtaking and lethal; Bai Zhou's awe does not blind him to danger.
• Instinct over intellect – Bai Zhou survives by tapping into primal instinct (submitting as a "cub") rather than by fighting or fleeing.
• Awe and mortality of the individual – The scale of these beings dwarfs Bai Zhou, emphasizing his smallness yet his determination to grow.

4. Character Interactions

• With the compass – It acts as a protector/guide, emitting painful warnings when he deviates — showing how technology/ritual objects compensate for human weakness.
• With the Silver Lion – The central interaction: a life-or-death moment resolved when Bai Zhou mirrors the lion's aura (via instinct). The lion, seemingly recognizing him as kin, delivers a gentle lick — suggesting a potential future alliance rather than enmity.
• Indirectly with Miss Ya – Internal reflection: he imagines her reaction to his heavily polluted state, establishing warmth in their off-screen relationship.

End note: The chapter closes with Bai Zhou surviving the Silver Lion encounter, another step closer (physically and narratively) to the vultures' snow mountain and his trial target. The Silver Lion's reaction hints that the instincts of the "King of Battle" foundation may carry far-reaching significance in the future.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou is drenched in the Silver Lion's saliva, which nourishes his Spirituality and solidifies his foundation.
• He discovers the Silver Lion's abandoned nest and realizes she's a mother who lost her cub.
• Bai Zhou borrows the Silver Lion's might to traverse the swamp and reach the snow mountains.
• He encounters a broken stone tower and an eagle's cry, signaling the start of his Lifeforging Trial.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou's Spirituality grows significantly after being licked by the Silver Lion.
• He understands the Silver Lion's plight and empathizes with her, deciding to help her find her cub if he can.
• Bai Zhou feels the urge to forge his life as he faces the eagle's cry and the Lifeforging Trial.

Significant Themes

• Empathy and understanding towards others' suffering (Silver Lion's lost cub).
• The power of instinct and deception (Bai Zhou borrowing the Silver Lion's might).
• The thirst for growth and self-improvement (Bai Zhou's desire to forge his life).

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou interacts with the Silver Lion, understanding her plight and playing along with her delusion that he's her cub.
• He encounters various creatures in the swamp and snow mountains, who sense the Silver Lion's aura on him and avoid confronting him.
• Bai Zhou faces an unknown danger in the form of an eagle's cry, signaling the start of his Lifeforging Trial.

Chapter Summary: Field Essence! Pursuers Encounter the Silver Lion

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou finally encounters [Mourning Wing], the ancient, corpse-infused vulture that killed the governor’s youngest son and serves as the final target of his trial.
• Mourning Wing’s enormous and horrifying form is revealed: its decayed wings are fused with countless corpses, whose bones fall onto the snowy mountain whenever it moves.
• The vulture lands near a ruined archway leading to an ancient cemetery. Inside a ruined hut, Bai Zhou discovers a deep-blue field core, the essence of the entire Great Snow Mountain and its buried ice-and-snow city.
• Bai Zhou realizes that the field core is an invaluable aid to Ritualists. It can make the powerful terrain of the snow mountain perceivable and pact-formable even for someone of his low level, potentially allowing him to form extraordinary pacts.
• Before he can exploit this discovery, Bai Zhou must complete his trial by defeating Mourning Wing. He performs the ritual to invoke Fate’s witness, activates his Battle Intent, and openly challenges the vulture.
• Bai Zhou and Mourning Wing begin a fierce battle atop the snowy peak.
• Meanwhile, a heavily armed group enters the Sunset Mountains to hunt Lucius, the surviving remnant of the Noranus Family. The group includes multiple Lifeforgers and is led by a powerful Two-Life Trialist known as the Black Robe man.
• The pursuers intend to kill Lucius inside the mountains, where his death can be attributed to the dangerous bounty mission. They fear that Lucius may possess unusual opportunities or the potential to help restore the fallen Noranus Family.
• Protected by a special incense burner that discourages Ill Omens from attacking, the group follows Bai Zhou/Lucius’s trail deep into the mountains.
• They eventually encounter the sleeping Silver Lion, whose body resembles a mountain and whose snores sound like thunder. Following the trail to a cave near the lion, they unknowingly approach its nest.
• The Silver Lion pretends to remain asleep but secretly opens its eyes, revealing intense madness and killing intent as the pursuers draw near.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou demonstrates increasing courage and resolve. Although his instincts warn him of imminent death, he chooses to confront Mourning Wing rather than retreat.
• His understanding of Ritualist advancement deepens when he recognizes the field core’s significance. He begins to see a possible shortcut to forming powerful pacts and greatly expanding his future potential.
• Bai Zhou’s confidence and combat readiness have grown: he deliberately provokes Mourning Wing and enters battle with unwavering Battle Intent.
• Mourning Wing is portrayed as ancient, terrifying, and grotesquely powerful. Its corpse-fused body suggests both extreme cruelty and an unnatural method of survival.
• The Black Robe man is revealed as a ruthless enemy of the Noranus Family. He is politically calculating, determined to eliminate Lucius before the family can recover, and confident in his team’s strength and protective equipment.
• The pursuers’ confidence gradually becomes overconfidence. They assume that because Lucius reached the area, they can safely follow, failing to understand the dangers surrounding the Silver Lion.

Significant Themes

• Courage versus instinct: Bai Zhou’s Life and Death Intuition warns him to flee, but his determination to face powerful enemies reflects his willingness to grow through danger.
• Power hidden within nature: The field core embodies the spiritual essence of the Great Snow Mountain, showing that apparently ordinary terrain may conceal immense power and ancient history.
• Shortcuts and opportunity: The field core offers Bai Zhou an extraordinary chance to accelerate his Ritualist development, suggesting that rare discoveries can transform a person’s destiny.
• Death and corruption: Mourning Wing’s body, fused with corpses, turns death into both a source of power and a symbol of grotesque immortality.
• Overconfidence and ignorance: The pursuers underestimate the Sunset Mountains and assume their equipment makes them safe, just as they underestimate the beings inhabiting the region.
• Fate and convergence: Bai Zhou, Mourning Wing, Lucius’s pursuers, and the Silver Lion are brought together through separate paths and objectives, creating the sense that their encounters are orchestrated by fate.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou and Mourning Wing confront one another directly, with Bai Zhou initiating the conflict by challenging the vulture.
• The Black Robe man asserts authority over his team, explaining their mission and reassuring them that the incense burner will protect them.
• Team members question whether pursuing Lucius deeper into the mountains is wise, but the Black Robe man dismisses their concerns and pushes forward.
• The red-nosed tracker identifies the cave where Bai Zhou’s trail is strongest, prompting the group to approach the Silver Lion’s nest.
• The pursuers unknowingly enter the Silver Lion’s territory, while the lion silently observes them and prepares to respond.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shido Itsuka, a high school student, encounters a distressed Charmander in his backyard, which he names "Huffy." He decides to help Huffy evolve into a Charmeleon.
• Shido discovers that Huffy can use powerful fire blasts, but only when it's angry or upset. He tries to make Huffy happy to control its powers.
• Shido takes Huffy to school, where it causes chaos due to its fiery outbursts, triggered by other students' teasing and the school's strict rules.
• Shido's sister, Kotori, and his friend, Tohka, learn about Huffy and help Shido manage the situation. They decide to have a school festival to cheer up Huffy and control its powers.

Character Developments

• Shido: Shows empathy and determination in helping Huffy evolve and control its powers. He learns the importance of patience and understanding in dealing with others' emotions.
• Huffy: Initially timid and easily upset, Huffy grows more confident and happier as Shido cares for it. It learns to control its powers better and enjoys the school festival.
• Kotori: Shows concern for Shido's well-being and supports his efforts with Huffy. She also displays leadership in organizing the school festival.
• Tohka: Demonstrates a playful and competitive side, enjoying the challenge of helping Huffy and outdoing Shido in their efforts.

Significant Themes

• Empathy and understanding: Shido's ability to understand and empathize with Huffy's feelings helps him help the Charmander.
• Growth and change: Huffy's evolution and emotional growth mirror Shido's own development as a caring and responsible individual.
• The power of happiness: Huffy's powers are tied to its emotional state, emphasizing the importance of happiness and positivity.

Character Interactions

• Shido and Huffy: Shido's patient and caring attitude helps Huffy grow more confident and happy. Their bond deepens as they work together to control Huffy's powers.
• Shido, Kotori, and Tohka: The trio works together to manage Huffy's situation, displaying camaraderie and mutual support. They enjoy friendly competition in their efforts to help Huffy.
• Shido and the school students: Shido's interactions with his classmates reveal their initial prejudice against Huffy, which changes as they witness Shido's dedication and Huffy's growth.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group investigating the dark cave discovers an ancient grass nest. Before they can determine its owner, the area falls unnaturally silent and the enormous Silver Lion awakens.
• The Silver Lion’s presence immobilizes the group with overwhelming spiritual pressure and killing intent. It opens its jaws and apparently swallows the surrounding sky, forest, and intruders. The man in Black Robe dies clutching the incense burner, realizing too late that the object’s supposed protection is useless.
• Meanwhile, on a snow mountain, Bai Zhou faces the corpse eagle [Mourning Wing], a gigantic and extremely powerful creature comparable to a first-Destiny Lifeforger.
• The eagle attacks with hurricanes, corpse-covered wings, and crushing physical strength. Bai Zhou survives by using his saber technique, Life and Death Intuition, Mind’s Eye, Accompanying Lightning, flames, and the power of his divine domain.
• Bai Zhou’s spiritual-name Secret Treasure, “Wait,” allows him to cut through the eagle’s flesh and the corpses fused to its body. Although he remains physically outmatched, his weapon gives him the ability to inflict serious wounds.
• During the battle, Bai Zhou realizes that the trial is helping him break through the barrier before Lifeforging. The fight becomes an evolutionary process, refining both his abilities and his state of existence.
• Bai Zhou eventually leaps onto the eagle’s wing and drives his saber into its nape. The eagle takes him high into the sky, attempting to shake him off through violent aerial maneuvers.
• Choosing to gamble everything on a single opening, Bai Zhou activates his hidden trump cards. He burns his Battleflame, releases more of his saber’s power, and unleashes his newly formed heaven-bestowed secret technique: [Heaven’s Will Returns to Ashes].
• The technique manifests as a tremendous white sun that vaporizes wind and snow, clears the surrounding black mist, and disintegrates the corpse bodies and bones fused to the eagle.
• [Mourning Wing] is overwhelmed, falls from the sky, and is successfully subdued. At the same moment, a bell-like resonance confirms that Bai Zhou’s trial is complete.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou demonstrates extraordinary resilience and tactical growth. Though physically weaker than [Mourning Wing], he learns to use the eagle’s own momentum and hurricanes against it.
• He becomes increasingly willing to fight at the edge of death, recognizing that hesitation would waste the breakthrough opportunity the trial provides.
• Bai Zhou reveals that he has been concealing the full extent of his power. His activation of Battleflame and [Heaven’s Will Returns to Ashes] marks the first public display of his ultimate combat ability.
• The battle helps Bai Zhou approach the Lifeforging stage, suggesting that his growth is not merely martial but a fundamental evolution of his body, spirituality, and destiny.
• [Mourning Wing] initially dismisses Bai Zhou as an insignificant child but gradually recognizes him as a genuine threat. By the end, the creature experiences fear for the first time and is defeated by Bai Zhou’s overwhelming final technique.
• The cave group’s deaths emphasize the terrifying difference between ordinary cultivators and ancient, powerful beings such as the Silver Lion.

Significant Themes

• Fragility of life: The Black Robe man’s sudden death contrasts sharply with his confidence in the incense burner and highlights how quickly powerlessness can become fatal.
• Growth through combat and danger: Bai Zhou’s advancement occurs through direct confrontation with an enemy far stronger than himself.
• Borrowing and surpassing power: Bai Zhou turns the eagle’s hurricane into a weapon, symbolizing his ability to transform disadvantage into strength.
• Hidden potential and revelation: The battle culminates in the unveiling of Bai Zhou’s signature secret technique, presenting his true power to the world.
• Myth and epic heroism: The confrontation is framed like a legendary battle between a hero and a monstrous eagle, with Bai Zhou’s survival and victory becoming almost mythic.
• Sacrifice and total commitment: [Heaven’s Will Returns to Ashes] drains Bai Zhou completely, showing that his greatest power requires burning through his destiny and Spirituality.

Character Interactions

• The Black Robe man and his companions interact with the mysterious nest and the awakened Silver Lion, but their uncertainty and fear quickly give way to helplessness.
• Bai Zhou and [Mourning Wing] develop a silent mutual recognition during battle. The eagle first sees him as prey, then as a dangerous opponent, and finally as a source of genuine fear.
• Bai Zhou’s interaction with the eagle is primarily expressed through combat: he uses its attacks, exploits its wounded nape, clings to its body in midair, and ultimately channels his secret technique through his saber to defeat it.
• The trial itself functions almost like an unseen judge, witnessing Bai Zhou’s battle and confirming his successful subjugation once the eagle falls.

Chapter Summary: “Advancement, Lifeforging!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After defeating the Mourning Wing, Bai Zhou survives a dangerous fall when his Pegasus catches him and carries him safely back to the snowy mountaintop.
• He performs a Ritual to ask Heaven and Destiny whether his first trial was satisfactory. Destiny confirms that he has passed.
• The successful trial triggers Bai Zhou’s advancement from the Professionalist Stage to the Lifeforger Stage.
• His Bai Yang Fate transforms, consuming the remaining quasi-Lifeforger energy and giving birth to his Personal Destiny. This process is called Lifeforging.
• His body undergoes a complete transformation, evolving into a higher state of life rather than merely becoming physically stronger.
• His spirituality increases to exactly one thousand strands. Each strand now possesses a degree of will and can remain connected to Bai Zhou even outside his body.
• Bai Zhou discovers that his empowered spirituality can monitor people, grant temporary miraculous properties to objects and plants, and briefly enlighten animals.
• His Personal Destiny forms a domain around him that partially overrides natural laws. Wind and snow bend around him, and he can cancel gravity beneath his feet, allowing him to hover and fly.
• Initially, Bai Zhou’s flight is limited: he can rise only six or seven meters and travel at relatively modest speed because his Personal Destiny is weak and quickly consumed.
• He reflects on the difference between ordinary and Noble Fate. Though his Personal Destiny is currently ordinary, he can improve it through future trials, unlike most Destined Ones.
• Bai Zhou merges his Transcendent Divine Intent Domain with his Personal Destiny. This multiplies its quality and quantity by 3.31 times, allowing him to fly twenty meters above the mountain at tremendous speed.
• The chapter ends with Bai Zhou embracing his new power and the philosophy of Lifeforging: forging his own destiny rather than submitting to Heaven.

Character Development

• Bai Zhou completes the major transition from Adventurer to Trialist and becomes a true Lifeforger.
• He gains a new understanding of Personal Destiny, spirituality, and the hierarchy between Professionalists and Lifeforgers.
• His confidence and ambition grow as he experiences flight and approaches the level of mythic beings.
• At the same time, he remains dissatisfied with his initially limited Personal Destiny and recognizes that Lifeforging is only the beginning of a long path.
• Bai Zhou begins considering whether to reveal part of his Adventurer Path inheritance and identity as an heir of the Previous Civilization to Ya.
• His mindset shifts from that of an exceptionally powerful human to that of someone beginning to possess a “powerful person’s” perspective, though he remains pragmatic and self-aware.

Significant Themes

• Self-created destiny: Personal Destiny is forged through repeated trials, limit-breaking, and the ability to turn personal reality into actual reality.
• Evolution and transcendence: Lifeforging represents a fundamental transformation of life, moving beyond human limitations into a higher species or existence.
• Freedom versus Heaven and natural law: Lifeforgers gain a domain where their will can temporarily override gravity and other aspects of reality.
• Power as a beginning, not an endpoint: Even after reaching a coveted realm, Bai Zhou’s abilities remain limited, emphasizing that advancement opens new possibilities rather than completing the journey.
• Myth becoming reality: Flight, miraculous blood, living spirituality, and personal domains echo ancient legends and sacred beings.
• The hidden absurdity of the Mystic World: Bai Zhou recognizes that even powerful Lifeforgers often rely on vehicles or ground travel, contrasting their mythic image with practical limitations.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou and the Pegasus: The Pegasus saves Bai Zhou from falling, allowing him to survive the battle and complete the advancement. Bai Zhou shows affection by stroking and relying on it after the rescue.
• Bai Zhou and Destiny/Heaven: Through his Ritual, Bai Zhou directly asks Destiny to judge his trial. Destiny’s “satisfactory” verdict confirms his victory and initiates his advancement.
• Bai Zhou and Ya: Ya does not appear directly, but Bai Zhou repeatedly considers her likely reaction to his advancement. He anticipates needing to explain his unusual Personal Destiny and contemplates revealing his connection to the Previous Civilization.
• Bai Zhou and his own identity: The chapter centers on his internal realization that he is no longer merely an exceptionally capable Professionalist, but a Lifeforger capable of creating and imposing his own reality.

Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou successfully tests his newfound power, flying through the sky and shattering mountains with his saber.
• He discovers a field's core, a crucial component for Pact Condensation, within an abandoned house on the snowy mountain.
• Bai Zhou decides to attempt Pact Condensation with the core before Thirty Six Points arrives.

Character Development

• Bai Zhou gains confidence in his new strength as a Lifeforger and feels he can face the upcoming challenges.
• He becomes more determined to become stronger and grasp his own fate.

Significant Themes

• The power of Lifeforging and the significance of Spirit-Name Secret Treasures.
• The importance of seizing opportunities and making the most of limited time.

Character Interactions

• No direct interactions occur in this chapter, as Bai Zhou is alone throughout. However, his actions reflect his determination to live up to the expectations of those who have supported him, such as Troy and the Xiluo Empire's Crown.

Pact Condensation: Three Marks, Advancement, Second-Rank Ritualist! (5k)

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Bai Zhou sits in meditation atop a snow mountain, using a discovered "field core" (a deep-blue sphere) to attempt Pact Condensation for second-rank Ritualist advancement.
• He enters a trance, witnessing the geological and historical evolution of the snow mountain through the core's memories—an ancient plain rising into mountains, a civilization built and destroyed by crimson-armored invaders.
• The field core begins assimilating him. Bone-chilling cold seeps into his Destiny, dimming his Bai Yang Fate and strengthening the White Light. His body and thoughts slow dangerously, as if freezing over.
• Bai Zhou snaps awake, using the [Caress] character in his Sea of Ignorance to preserve his rationality. He recognizes the danger of becoming a frozen guardian of the field.
• Relying on knowledge from <Pact Condensation—A Ritualist's Second-Rank Advancement> (from his Divine Hall inheritance), he guides the erosion instead of resisting it: rearranging a thousand units of Spirituality as a buffer, vibrating Fate Space twelve times to expel the cold, and using incense-lighting ritual postures.
• Success: Instead of one Pact Mark, he forms three:
  1. [Snow Pact: Threefold Snow] — right arm (ulna), a deep-blue snowflake pattern.
  2. [Ice Pact: Dormant Dragon] — left arm (humerus), green-glowing, carrying dormant killing intent.
  3. [Snow Pact II: Spring Snow] — collarbone, violet-blue, merging the field's archaic aura with his Destiny.
• Three Pact Marks confirm he has entered the second rank.
• He conceals the marks beneath his skin (noting he doesn't want to look like a tattooed Shaman).
• He tests [Snow Pact: Threefold Snow]: it drastically intensifies local wind and snow, creating cold that a level 5 professional could not withstand and that would severely impair a level 6 professional. He can alter the weather with a thought.

2. Character Developments

• Bai Zhou achieves second-rank Ritualist status, a major milestone marking his true entry into the "hall" of Ritualists.
• Reinforces his core personality: cautious and life-cherishing, yet willing to take calculated risks when prepared. He only seized the field core because his inheritance guaranteed countermeasures for every danger.
• Demonstrates knowledge application under extreme pressure—textbook theory becomes instinctive execution.
• Shows a dry, self-deprecating sense of humor even in extraordinary circumstances ("carrying a huge air conditioner," "full-sleeve tattoos").
• His Destiny continues shifting: the White Light grows stronger while Bai Yang Fate dims, hinting at ongoing transformation.

3. Significant Themes

• Danger and opportunity are inseparable: The field core nearly assimilates Bai Zhou, yet that same erosion accelerates his advancement. Crisis becomes catalyst.
• Knowledge as power: The entire crisis is resolved through systematic knowledge from an ancient civilization—preparation neutralizes fear of the unknown.
• Unity with nature: Bai Zhou's meditation merges him with the snow mountain, witnessing geological epochs. The ritual emphasizes humanity's "harmonious communion" with Heaven and Earth.
• Transformation and identity: The Pact Marks reshape his body and abilities; he gains power but must maintain control (choosing to hide the marks).
• Ritual as foundation: Incense-lighting, posture, and Spirituality arrangement are portrayed as the most traditional, fundamental, and powerful ritual methods.

4. Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou vs. the field core: An antagonistic yet productive relationship—the core tries to assimilate him but is redirected into a source of power.
• Bai Zhou with himself: The chapter is introspective; his dialogue is internal, balancing awe, fear, and wry humor.
• Referenced but not present: The Wolf Knight Statue (which taught him that three Pact Marks = second rank) and the Divine Hall's Flame Servant inheritance (source of his ritual knowledge) act as off-screen mentors.
• No direct physical character interactions—this is a solo advancement chapter focused on Bai Zhou's internal struggle against nature itself.

Chapter Summary: Ice Muscles and Jade Bones; The Mysterious, Powerful Owner of the Thatched Hut

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou’s Celestial Pivot transforms, allowing him to perceive the flow of spirituality throughout the snow mountain domain and greatly improving his ability to condense and use pacts.
• Having advanced to the Second Order of the Ritualist path, Bai Zhou tests three newly condensed Pact Runes:
  • [Snow Pact: Threefold Snow] creates a thirty-meter snow domain with three progressively powerful layers: snow, Frozen Soil, and an aura resembling ancient ruins.
  • [Ice Pact: Dormant Dragon] turns surrounding snow into explosive ice crystals. Its killing power is so great that it could slaughter multiple Level 5 Extraordinary beings within its range.
  • [Snow Pact II: Spring Snow], born from Bai Zhou’s own Destiny and experience, transforms lethal ice dust into healing mist. It represents survival, hope, and renewal after despair.
• Bai Zhou concludes that Second-Order Ritualists are exceptionally powerful because Pact Runes let them reproduce dangerous environments and partially overcome environmental limitations. With suitable rituals, they can rival the strongest individuals of their rank.
• He realizes that Pact Runes are branded onto a Ritualist’s bones, giving new meaning to legends about tattoos, bones, Shamans, and Wizards.
• Bai Zhou considers the relationship between advancement and skeletal evolution. Since higher-level Destined Ones develop additional bones, he speculates that powerful Ritualists might eventually bear hundreds of Pact Runes.
• Remembering the legendary ritual “Twilight of All Worlds,” which requires at least one hundred pact combinations and can cause apocalyptic destruction across a vast area, Bai Zhou becomes excited about his future potential.
• He then notices that the ruined thatched hut has remained completely unharmed despite the overwhelming destruction caused by his Pact Runes.
• Testing it with his weapon confirms that the hut possesses extraordinary occult immunity: its physically rotten walls and bedframe cannot be damaged by even Bai Zhou’s strongest attacks.
• Bai Zhou begins investigating the hut’s former owner and wonders whether the hidden domain core was imprisoned inside it. He also considers whether the hut predates the ruins or was built later by a powerful recluse.
• He turns his attention to the owner’s remaining possessions: a locked box, dried quill pens, and a frozen animal-hide notebook.
• Realizing the hut could function as an invincible defensive structure, Bai Zhou decides to move or dismantle it and names it [Occult Killer].

Character Development

• Bai Zhou fully embraces his identity as a Second-Order Ritualist and gains a much clearer understanding of his profession’s true nature.
• His three Pact Runes reveal different aspects of his character:
  • destructive mastery through the Ice Pact,
  • environmental control through Threefold Snow,
  • resilience and hope through Spring Snow.
• His experience of surviving despair and finding a path forward directly shapes Spring Snow, showing that his powers are expressions of his Destiny and personality rather than mere imitations.
• Bai Zhou becomes more confident and ambitious, imagining the possibilities of eventually filling his entire skeleton with Pact Runes.
• His practical, treasure-hunting nature reasserts itself when he shifts from studying his advancement to calculating how to exploit the hut’s defensive properties.
• His playful and opportunistic side appears in the dramatic naming of the hut as [Occult Killer].

Significant Themes

• Power through understanding: Bai Zhou’s advancement comes from comprehending and replicating the laws of a dangerous environment.
• Destruction and renewal: The three pacts embody both lethal winter and the possibility of spring, reflecting the balance between death, survival, and rebirth.
• Personal experience shaping power: Spring Snow is created from Bai Zhou’s own struggle against despair, emphasizing that Destiny is connected to identity.
• Hidden truth within legends: Old stories about magical tattoos, bones, Shamans, and Wizards contain distorted memories of real Mystic World practices.
• Evolution and transformation: The development of additional bones in higher-level Destined Ones suggests that advancement is both spiritual and biological.
• Mystery of the past: The seemingly insignificant thatched hut may conceal the legacy of an immensely powerful former owner.
• Practicality amid grandeur: Even while contemplating apocalyptic rituals, Bai Zhou immediately considers using the hut as a portable shield.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou’s most important interactions are with the snow mountain domain and its domain core, which teach him through observation and spiritual resonance.
• His advancement also reflects earlier guidance from the Wolf Knight Statue, whose explanations of Pact Runes, Ritualists, and legendary rituals help Bai Zhou interpret his new abilities.
• He recalls Teacher Ya, whose harsh lessons in biology now help him understand the connection between skeletal evolution and Pact Rune capacity.
• The mysterious former owner of the hut remains absent but functions as a powerful unseen presence. The hut’s impossible defenses, preserved belongings, and possible connection to the domain core suggest that Bai Zhou may be standing inside the legacy of someone extraordinary.
• By the end of the chapter, Bai Zhou’s relationship with the hut changes from curiosity to possession: he sees it as a valuable weapon and potential treasure rather than merely a shelter.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou discovers a thatched hut in the Civilization Graveyard, filled with peculiar items.
• He finds a notebook filled with handwritten accounts of the hut's former owner, a gravekeeper who collected and buried Corpses.
• Bai Zhou also finds a small box containing shriveled herbs, a ring with the inscription "Return Home," and a flag with a faded snake pattern and a Last Will.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou demonstrates his respect and admiration for the gravekeeper, understanding his mission and the impact he had on the Civilization Graveyard.
• Bai Zhou's curiosity and determination are shown as he meticulously examines every item in the hut.

Significant Themes

• The passage of time and the remnants of past civilizations.
• The responsibility of caring for the dead and granting them rest.
• The power of written words and the stories they carry.
• The importance of identity and belonging.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou interacts with the gravekeeper's presence through his notebook and the items left behind.
• The gravekeeper's Last Will seems to address Bai Zhou directly, indicating a potential connection between them.

Notable Details

• The gravekeeper's notebook reveals his life's work and his thoughts on death and identity.
• The ring with the inscription "Return Home" suggests a connection to the gravekeeper's past or his final wishes.
• The flag with the faded snake pattern and the Last Will hints at a potential covenant or agreement between the Troy Civilization and another ancient civilization.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou discovers an ancient flag with a serpent pattern that responds to his Celestial Pivot.
• The flag awakens and reveals it's an inherited battle flag from an Imperial Guard of a city-state, now a vessel of its battle spirit.
• Bai Zhou learns that the flag's power lies in its Totem, which is similar to but more advanced than Magic Patterns.
• He decides to use the flag as an external cloak for igniting Battleflame in desperate situations.
• Bai Zhou carefully dismantles the thatched hut and packs everything into the Trojan Horse, creating a huge pit.
• He approaches the corpse of [Mourning Wing], a vulture fused with Corpses, and has an idea related to the Last Will's message about death and an eagle.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou demonstrates his resourcefulness and ingenuity by finding uses for the serpent-patterned flag and the thatched hut.
• He shows determination and diligence in his work, even when faced with gruesome and challenging tasks.
• Bai Zhou's curiosity and eagerness to learn about Totems grow, seeing an opportunity to restore and develop his fragmented inheritances.

Significant Themes

• The power of Totems and their relationship with Rituals.
• The struggle for survival and the desperate measures one might take in the Mystic World.
• The importance of knowledge and inheritance in the Mystic World.

Character Interactions

• There are no direct interactions with other characters in this chapter, as Bai Zhou is alone in exploring the Civilization Graveyard. However, his thoughts and actions are influenced by his past experiences and encounters with other characters, such as the Wolf Knight and Major Luo.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou encounters a giant bald eagle (Mourning Wing) contaminated by curses, which he kills.
• The corpses of the previous civilization's people, contaminated by curses, are found at the bottom of a pit.
• Bai Zhou's Altar Mark reacts to the curses on the corpses, and he sacrifices them to Troy.
• Troy grants Bai Zhou a purification Ritual against curse influences.
• Bai Zhou speculates about the true purpose of the Civilization Graveyard and the Xiluo Empire's intentions.
• Bai Zhou buries the corpses and the eagle, including the gravekeeper who found the eaglet.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou gains a new purification Ritual and understands the true value of his connection with Troy.
• Bai Zhou's respect for the dead and Evening City customs is shown through his actions.

Significant Themes

• The power of curses and contamination in the Civilization Graveyard.
• The mysterious intentions of the Xiluo Empire and the true purpose of the Civilization Graveyard.
• The importance of respecting the dead and their final wishes, as shown through Bai Zhou's actions.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou interacts with the spirits of the dead, showing respect and compassion.
• Bai Zhou's connection with Troy deepens as he gains a new Ritual.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou witnesses memories of a gravekeeper and his eagle companion through a Last Will.
• The gravekeeper and eagle meet, form a bond, and spend years together, with the eagle helping the gravekeeper collect and bury corpses.
• The gravekeeper dies, and the eagle goes mad with grief, becoming the Mourning Wing.
• Bai Zhou finds the eagle's corpse, buries it, and offers flowers. He then blows a whistle, seemingly setting the eagle's spirit free.

Character Developments

• The gravekeeper: Starts as a young man, becomes middle-aged, and eventually dies, leaving behind his faithful eagle companion.
• The eagle: Grows from a fledgling to a great eagle, becomes old and mutated, and eventually dies, awaiting the gravekeeper's return.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and companionship: The bond between the gravekeeper and the eagle is the core of the story.
• Obsession and loss: Both characters are driven by their obsessions, leading to their tragic ends.
• The cycle of life and death: The story explores the inevitable passage of time and the consequences of actions.

Character Interactions

• The gravekeeper and the eagle: Their relationship is the central focus, with the gravekeeper teaching the eagle and the eagle being loyal to the gravekeeper. Their interactions are limited to the gravekeeper's memories, but their bond is clear.

Chapter Summary: “The Power of Longing, the Young Master’s Last Will, Preparing to Evacuate”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou tests the newly awakened Ancient Character [Thought], using it to tear a hole through the black mist formed from curse pollution and the resentment of the dead.
• He realizes that [Thought] gathers nearby longing, obsession, and the regrets of the dead, transforming them into an invisible force particularly effective against Undead creatures and corpse-related abominations.
• The ability proves extraordinarily powerful in places saturated with death, such as the Civilization Graveyard, but its use severely burdens Bai Zhou. The emotions and obsessions he absorbs cause hallucinations, mental erosion, and temporary loss of combat ability.
• Bai Zhou determines that [Thought] can suppress Undead of his own level or slightly stronger, but attempting to use it against vastly superior beings could cause him to lose his identity and become overwhelmed by their emotions.
• He experiments with using only his own longing. This produces a much weaker effect: invisible hands capable of moving objects, roughly equivalent to gaining an extra arm.
• Bai Zhou retrieves the severed head of the murdered young master of Blackstone City’s governor. The young man’s Last Will expresses his lack of regret over dying while pursuing adventure, but reveals his sole regret: arguing with his father and failing to say goodbye properly.
• Bai Zhou promises to deliver the young man’s final message—“I love you, Dad. See you tomorrow”—to the governor.
• Having completed his mission and gained major rewards, Bai Zhou prepares to return to the Present World before the Xiluo Empire’s White Day ends.
• Before departing, he returns to the former site of the thatched cottage and studies the remaining field core, an immensely powerful treasure containing the energy of the ancient snow mountain. He begins considering whether it might somehow be taken with him.

Character Development

• Bai Zhou gains a deeper understanding of [Thought] and its limitations. His new power is not simply an attack but a dangerous channel through which he bears the emotions of the dead.
• He becomes more cautious and strategic, recognizing that power based on longing can corrupt or mentally overwhelm its user.
• His advancement to the Lifeforger realm and promotion to Second-Order Ritualist greatly strengthen his body, instincts, Destiny Path, and Ancient Characters.
• Bai Zhou’s compassion and sense of responsibility are emphasized when he accepts the young master’s Last Will and decides to deliver it personally.
• He also becomes increasingly ambitious and energized about his future plans in the Present World, especially confronting the Demon Assembly and advancing the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Significant Themes

• Power and burden: Greater strength requires Bai Zhou to bear the emotional and psychological weight of others.
• Longing and the dead: Unfulfilled wishes and regrets become a source of power, but also a danger that can consume the person wielding them.
• Identity and emotional inheritance: Bai Zhou risks mistaking the obsessions of the dead for his own, highlighting the importance of maintaining personal identity.
• Regret and reconciliation: The young master’s Last Will shows that even an adventurous, rebellious life can end with a simple desire for reconciliation and affection between parent and child.
• Growth and preparation: Bai Zhou’s successful trial marks a major turning point, leaving him stronger and eager to face the conflicts awaiting him.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou mentally engages with the lingering voices and obsessions drawn from the dead, experiencing them as unsettling auditory hallucinations.
• He reflects on his relationships with Evening City’s people—including Liu Zhen, Ya, Fang Xiaoxia, and the Gem Witch—as the source of his own personal longing.
• His most significant interaction is with the young master through the Last Will. Though the young man is dead, Bai Zhou accepts his final emotional request and becomes the messenger between son and father.
• Bai Zhou also anticipates future confrontations with Sloth, the Demon Assembly, the Seven Sins, the Five-Colored Pupils Family, and the Black Pupil family.

Ending

As the countdown to his return approaches, Bai Zhou stands before the powerful field core left behind by the thatched cottage. Although his mission is complete, he now faces one final question: whether he can evacuate with this priceless treasure.

Key Plot Points and Events

+ Bai Zhou discovers the reason behind the man's hut and the connection between the field core and the snow python.
+ The field core leaks its aura, awakening the snow python and causing an avalanche.
+ Bai Zhou flees on his Pegasus, pursued by the avalanche.
+ He glimpses a massive Golden Lion and a golden-furred fox in the distance.
+ At 36 o'clock, Bai Zhou returns to the Present World, appearing in Sloth's room on his Pegasus.

Character Developments

+ Bai Zhou's determination and resourcefulness are tested as he faces the snow python and the avalanche.
+ He becomes more aware of the dangers of the Destiny Path and the need for caution.

Significant Themes

+ The dangers and hidden threats of the Destiny Path.
+ The interconnectedness of the Past and Present Worlds.
+ The power of ancient civilizations and their remnants.

Character Interactions

+ Bai Zhou interacts with the snow python, the field core, and the Pegasus.
+ In the Present World, Ya and Fang Xiaoxia witness Bai Zhou's dramatic return on the Pegasus.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The purple-robed noble uses a divination lottery machine to inquire about the fate of the hunting party sent after Lucius. The machine's response suggests that the mission has not been completed and mocks the noble.
• Bai Zhou returns from the Jurassic, having forged his destiny and become a qualified Lifeforger. He transforms his Pegasus back into a wooden horse and returns home.

Character Developments

• The purple-robed noble's confidence in the hunting party's success is shaken by the lottery machine's response, indicating his growing unease about the situation.
• Bai Zhou, having completed his Lifeforging, returns home with a newfound confidence and understanding of his role as a delusional patient in the Mystic World.

Significant Themes

• The theme of delusion and belief is reinforced as Bai Zhou embraces his role as a delusional patient and returns with renewed confidence.
• The theme of the unknown and the unexpected is highlighted as the purple-robed noble's plans are thrown into uncertainty by the lottery machine's mocking response.

Character Interactions

• The purple-robed noble interacts with the Walking Corpse-like "maid" in his manor, using her as an audience to show off his knowledge of the divination lottery machine.
• Bai Zhou interacts with Ya and Fang Xiaoxia upon his return, revealing his newfound strength and confidence to them.