Chapter Summaries

Ying Ru Shi pleaded with Yan Shi Yi to surrender to Ying Le, but Yan Shi Yi rejected her and exposed the despair behind her appeals. Ying Le immobilized him with Myriad Hearts and seized his tokens, but he resisted long enough to slap her, leaving the emperor and the watching Qi generals stunned.

• Ying Ru Shi begged Yan Qing to surrender, hoping he would survive and help change Qi, but he refused and accused her of using justice to escape reality.
• Yan Qing revealed that he acted for revenge, then used Bingzi Jiaolin to split the Imperial War Chariot and kill its white-maned steed.
• Ying Le froze Yan Shi Yi with Myriad Hearts and demanded that he hand over Bingzi Jiaolin.
• Yan Shi Yi's tokens vanished, and Ying Le was shocked that his mortal body resisted her divine ability.
• Ying Le seized Yan Shi Yi by the throat and offered him one last chance, but he slapped her before the watching Qi generals.

Ying Le turned Yan Shi Yi’s captured clone into a Bai Bao Guard before it crumbled to dust, then ordered Ying Ru Shi to exterminate three clans in Xiang Prefecture. As Ying Ru Shi stood among the dead, she rejected the order, declared that she regretted her choices, and drew a sword.

• Ying Le subdued Yan Shi Yi and used Myriad Hearts to bind him to the Bai Bao Guards, but his body disintegrated and revealed that he had been a clone.
• Ying Le ordered Ying Ru Shi to take fifty riders to Xiang Prefecture and wipe out the Zhao, Wei, and Han clans.
• Ying Ru Shi questioned whether Ying Le could stop the purge, but Ying Le insisted the clans had to be destroyed and explained how the purge would support Ying Ru Shi’s future rule.
• After Ying Le departed, Ying Ru Shi stared at the battlefield’s dead and heard their curses accusing her of awakening the Divine Martial True Blood.
• Ying Ru Shi told the Bai Bao commander she regretted it, summoned a long sword, and drew it.

After deleting Yan Shi Yi to escape Ying Le’s divine ability, Yan Qing assessed his losses and valuable relics, then returned to the Thieves' Hall. He made plans to share a meal with Shang Xin Lei and stayed to eat pastries with her.

• Yan Qing reflected on his failed campaign against Ying Le, explaining that he had fought to ease his conscience and had been satisfied to slap her despite ultimately failing to wound her.
• Yan Qing deleted Yan Shi Yi after Ying Le trapped the character in a charmed state, avoiding the Calamity Karma penalty for its death.
• Yan Qing reviewed the relics he had taken from Qi Kingdom’s Third Rank Heralds and decided to keep Midas Touch, Ethereal Greaves, and Lord Flame's Wind Chime.
• Yan Qing returned to the Thieves' Hall and found that Red Snake and Black Wolf had not visited or trained there during his six-day campaign.
• Shang Xin Lei turned over the Red Snake plaque and arranged to cook Yan Qing a meal the next day, then brought out Snowy Mochi and tea for them to share.
• Yan Qing ate the pastries and asked Shang Xin Lei whether she had drugged them with an aphrodisiac.

Yan Qing agreed to give Shang Xin Lei a rare Spirit Dispelling Bell in exchange for two Earthly Fiends, and she negotiated ways to repay him, including cooking for him. After discovering his scarred arms, she treated them with ointment, and they ended the evening planning to share dinner.

• Shang Xin Lei asked whether Yan Qing’s revised trade for the Spirit Dispelling Bell was meant for her, and he confirmed it.
• Shang Xin Lei accepted the gift and arranged to repay Yan Qing through future Thieves' Den missions, bidding for rewards, and cooking for him.
• Shang Xin Lei noticed the scars on Yan Qing’s arms and applied White Jade Flawless Paste to help remove them.
• Yan Qing invited Shang Xin Lei to dinner, and she began listing dishes she wanted from God of Cookery Tower.

Yan Qing spent the morning reading novels after deciding not to reopen the Game Console, while Niu Xianke prepared to help Eight Rice Martial Arts School compete in the upcoming Heroes' Gathering. When Yaoshi Yuan learned Yan Qing had survived the Qi Kingdom crisis, she embraced him with relief, then revealed that Dragon Locking True Person had interrogated her maids.

• Yan Qing learned that Niu Xianke had signed up for the Jiangnan Martial Arts Schools Heroes' Gathering after Ling Dong Martial Arts School threatened Eight Rice Martial Arts School and its head's daughter.
• Yan Qing spent the morning reading novels and reflected on how different his leisurely habits were from Black Wolf and White Fox's constant cultivation.
• Yaoshi Yuan greeted Yan Qing by remarking that she was surprised he was still alive, then asked whether he had caused the trouble in the Qi Kingdom.
• Yan Qing admitted that he had acted against the Qi Kingdom's forces and boasted that Ying Le had failed to stop him.
• Yaoshi Yuan embraced Yan Qing in relief, and he realized that something had upset her.
• Yaoshi Yuan told Yan Qing that Dragon Locking True Person had interrogated her maids the previous day.

Yaoshi Yuan told Yan Qing that Dragon Locking True Person had tortured her maids while investigating the stolen Exotic Iron, but let Yaoshi Yuan go after Shi Dong’s mistaken account made her seem innocent. Yan Qing urged Yaoshi Yuan to leave Zhou Kingdom and join him in finding Bunny Heroine.

• Yaoshi Yuan recounted how Dragon Locking True Person had questioned Wu Qiu and Shi Dong about the night the Exotic Iron was stolen and left them two introductory Secret Skill Books.
• Yaoshi Yuan explained that Shi Dong had unintentionally misled Dragon Locking True Person by assuming her mistress had gone to meet a lover.
• Yan Qing offered Yaoshi Yuan two Advanced Swordplay Mastery Manuals for her maids, and Yaoshi Yuan accepted them for Shi Dong and Wu Qiu.
• Yaoshi Yuan said she planned to improve her skills and reach Foundation Establishment, despite being unable to hate Dragon Locking True Person.
• Yan Qing urged Yaoshi Yuan to leave Zhou Kingdom and come with him to find Bunny Heroine.

Yan Qing offered to help Yaoshi Yuan escape the danger surrounding her, but she refused to leave Wu Qiu and Shi Dong behind. During ground-combat training, their spar became a fierce fight that ended with Yan Qing pinning Yaoshi Yuan and discovering she was crying.

• Yan Qing told Yaoshi Yuan he needed her in Thieves' Den and offered to take her away, but she refused to abandon Wu Qiu and Shi Dong.
• Yaoshi Yuan and Shang Xin Lei trained in ground combat, and Shang Xin Lei tore Yan Qing's clothes and scratched his chest.
• Yan Qing offered to help Wu Qiu and Shi Dong join Heavenly Calamity by leaving one at a time, but Yaoshi Yuan said they would discuss it after training.
• Yaoshi Yuan and Yan Qing fought with hand-blade strikes and secret techniques until Yan Qing controlled her neck and won.
• Yan Qing saw tears on Yaoshi Yuan's face as she stared silently at the ceiling.

After Yaoshi Yuan grieved over Shi Dong’s suffering, Yan Qing comforted her and gave her Jun Yan’s Bell before affirming that she would remain in his organization. The two embraced, and Yaoshi Yuan left flustered but comforted by the bloodied cloth he had given her.

• Yan Qing saw Yaoshi Yuan’s distress and got off her, and she explained that Shi Dong was afraid of her because she could not protect her from torture.
• Yaoshi Yuan said she would stay in Zhou Kingdom with her maids, and Yan Qing gave her Jun Yan’s Bell as a protective talisman.
• Yaoshi Yuan asked whether Yan Qing would keep her in the organization, and he promised not to drive her out.
• Yaoshi Yuan hugged Yan Qing and told him not to die, and he gently stroked her hair.
• Shang Xin Lei returned, and Yaoshi Yuan left before hiding in her room, where she calmed herself by holding the bloodied cloth Yan Qing had given her.

Yan Qing reassured Shang Xin Lei that he wanted her to keep cooking for him because she made Thieves' Den feel like home, and gave her the Ethereal Greaves. After their playful reconciliation, Ying Ru Shi collapsed from her injuries and mental exhaustion, haunted by voices condemning her betrayal of Ying Le.

• Shang Xin Lei gave Yan Qing custom-fitted clothes and admitted that her offer to become his cook had been a joke.
• Yan Qing gave Shang Xin Lei the Ethereal Greaves and told her he wanted her to keep cooking because eating with her made Thieves' Den feel like home.
• Shang Xin Lei agreed to keep cooking and Yan Qing promised they would eat together, then he struck her backside three times in retaliation for her kick.
• Ying Ru Shi returned to her room, where her spear wound reopened and she collapsed after overusing the Mortal World Eye and losing her Defense Barrier.
• Ying Ru Shi heard voices warning that Ying Le would hunt her and questioning whether she belonged with Yan Qing and the others, then sorrowfully addressed her Majesty.

Jiang Shi, Gai Louxian, and Bu Liugu Zhen visited Linya City to seek the Murong Family’s protection and secured permission to enter secret realms and buy military-town goods. Xi Zifeng announced that the Land of Gathering Demons had opened, and Yan Qing discovered it was a limited-time game event offering Foundation Establishment Pills.

• Jiang Shi and his companions visited the Murong Family after learning that its Foundation Establishment True Person could resist Ying Le’s pressure.
• Xi Zifeng tested Jiang Shi with an offer of authority over Linya City’s forces, and Jiang Shi declined, asking only for access to secret realms and military-town goods.
• Xi Zifeng confirmed the Qingshan Jian Wo Token and promised the Murong Family would protect Jiang Shi and his companions.
• Xi Zifeng told them the head of the Murong Family had gone to the Land of Gathering Demons, and Gai Louxian explained the secret realm’s dangers and resources.
• Xi Zifeng counted down and announced that the Land of Gathering Demons had opened, while Yan Qing saw a game message describing the regional event and its Foundation Establishment Pill rewards.

Yan Qing learned that Foundation Establishment Pills were difficult for local Heralds to obtain because the best sources were restricted to those who earned them themselves, and she considered the risks of entering the Land of Gathering Demons. As the group discussed the event, news arrived that Ying Ru Shi had defected from Qi, and Jiang Nian unexpectedly said she was happy.

• Yan Qing discovered that Reality Mode characters could consume only Foundation Establishment Pills they had personally earned or produced, making the Land of Gathering Demons a rare opportunity for her.
• Jiang Shi asked Xi Zifeng for a map and details about the Land of Gathering Demons, while Yan Qing learned it was remote but generally safe.
• A servant delivered an urgent report that Prince of Lanling Ying Ru Shi had assassinated the Bai Bao Guard commander and defected from Qi.
• Xi Zifeng asked Jiang Nian what she thought of the news, and Jiang Nian smiled and said she was very happy.

Ying Ru Shi struggled onward after fighting the Bai Bao Guards, tending her wounds and narrowly resisting her demonic bloodline. After an encounter with a child in the jungle, she sensed Ying Le approaching to hunt her down.

• Ying Ru Shi treated her badly wounded hands in the jungle and avoided returning to the Thieves' Den because Ying Le could trap her there.
• Ying Ru Shi met a village child, gave her spirit jade and Black Chocolate, and sent her home away from the Bai Bao Guards' path.
• When the child returned to offer Ying Ru Shi a plum and accidentally shouted, Ying Ru Shi nearly attacked her but stopped when pain jolted her back to her senses.
• Ying Ru Shi gave the child a Blood Replenishment Pill and warned her not to return to the dangerous jungle.
• Ying Ru Shi felt a resonance between their Divine Martial True Blood and realized Ying Le had come to hunt her.

The clans gathered at Land of Gathering Demons Camp while a sentry mistook a passing shadow for a supernatural threat. Yan Qing brought Night Four to the mist-shrouded ruins, set a teleportation point outside, and prepared to use him to scout the event before entering himself.

• The northern clans gathered at Land of Gathering Demons Camp to trade, form alliances, and negotiate under the Duan Family's watch.
• A sentry spotted a floating black shadow near the camp, but it vanished before a leopard charged the defenses and was killed by an arrow.
• Yan Qing guided Night Four to Land of Gathering Demons after his horse died, using Ronin Rain Boots to travel through the wilderness.
• Yan Qing teleported outside the ruins, cleaned Night Four's muddy face and hair, and set his Thieves' Den teleportation coordinates there.
• Yan Qing returned to Thieves' Den and sent Night Four ahead to scout the event before entering himself.

Yan Qing entered the Land of Gathering Demons and discovered it was an amusement-park-like secret realm rather than the deadly wasteland he had expected. He chose the Die and Live Again mutation, hoping it would help him build strength quickly and secure a Foundation Establishment Pill.

• Night Four walked through the mist and reached the Land of Gathering Demons, where Yan Qing found grotesque attractions including a Ferris wheel and a flying demonic dragon.
• A Blood Demon Sect announcement instructed trial-takers to wear a Flesh Prison Bracelet, and Night Four touched the Tongue-Entwining Tree to obtain one.
• Yan Qing considered the three Flesh Mutations and concluded that Flesh Ascension and Perfect Copy were better saved for later.
• Yan Qing chose Die and Live Again, expecting its revival effect to help him strengthen his team early.

Yan Qing entered the Land of Gathering Demons and learned to capture demons as Puppet Cards by defeating them. He discovered that his Die and Live Again aberration could revive a Parasitic Mosquito, triggering its Deathrattle twice and summoning two parasites.

• Yan Qing chose the Dragon Blood Path, defeated a Nascent Wyrmling, and activated its Puppet Card.
• Yan Qing learned that demons targeted his puppets first and that collecting fifty identical cards would ascend a Puppet Card.
• Yan Qing defeated a Sturdy Shield Dragon and obtained its Puppet Card, but decided he wanted a different kind of puppet.
• Yan Qing followed the Forest Path, defeated a gigantic mosquito, and obtained a Parasitic Mosquito Puppet Card.
• Yan Qing used Die and Live Again on the Parasitic Mosquito, which revived after dying and summoned a second parasite when defeated again.

Yan Qing used a roulette reward to send Night Four to a Fourth Revolution Puppet Warehouse, where he gained seven days to choose puppets and develop safely. He assembled a mechanism-puppet combination that could grow by 1,200 attributes each day, then prepared to absorb the Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Fiend.

• Yan Qing decided Night Four needed a powerful death-cry puppet to make use of the Die and Live Again mutation.
• Night Four spun the Blessing Roulette and was teleported to Fu Nan’s Fourth Revolution Puppet Warehouse, where he obtained the transformation card Develop in Silence.
• Yan Qing activated the card, expanded Night Four’s Puppet Slots to seven, and gained access to the warehouse’s Fourth Revolution Puppet Cards.
• Yan Qing chose Time Reversal Immortal, Steam Supreme Master, Steam Grandmaster, and four Second Turn mechanism puppets to create a combo that granted each mechanism puppet 1,200 attributes per day.
• Yan Qing put down the Game Console and prepared to absorb the Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Fiend.

Yan Qing absorbed Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Fiend, then trained with Yaoshi Yuan and Shang Xin Lei before preparing to spend five days in the Land of Gathering Demons. After learning that Yan Qing planned to go alone, Shang Xin Lei insisted that she wanted to go too.

• Yan Qing told Yaoshi Yuan and Shang Xin Lei he would enter a secret realm for five days, and they calmly continued discussing lunch.
• Yan Qing absorbed Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Fiend while Yaoshi Yuan and Shang Xin Lei stood guard.
• Yan Qing challenged Shang Xin Lei to train, but she and Yaoshi Yuan teamed up against him in two-armed combat.
• Shang Xin Lei brought Yan Qing to her room and applied ointment to his bruised arms as he explained that the Land of Gathering Demons was safe for him.
• Shang Xin Lei asked whether Yan Qing was going alone, then insisted that she wanted to go too.

Yan Qing refused to let Shang Xin Lei accompany him to the Land of Gathering Demons, despite her insistence that she wanted to travel with him. Their argument turned into a wrestling match, and Yan Qing finally admitted he feared he would not be able to hold back; Shang Xin Lei teased him, and the two ended the confrontation on lighter terms.

• Shang Xin Lei told Yan Qing she wanted to join his trip to the Land of Gathering Demons, and he initially hesitated before refusing her.
• Yan Qing coldly insisted Shang Xin Lei could not come, leaving her hurt and prompting her to demand a reason.
• Shang Xin Lei tackled Yan Qing and questioned whether he planned to travel with Black Wolf or Jiang Shi, while he denied both would join him.
• As they wrestled, Yan Qing said he did not want Shang Xin Lei to go because he was afraid he would not be able to hold back.
• Shang Xin Lei asked what he meant, and Yan Qing claimed he meant he might beat her up; she giggled and teased him.

Yan Qing refused to take Shang Xin Lei to the Land of Gathering Demons to protect Thieves' Den's unity and focus on obtaining a Foundation Establishment Pill, but their teasing escalated into a physical struggle. After Shang Xin Lei repeatedly bit and licked his earlobe, Yan Qing used Bingzi Jiaolin and Covering the Heavens to overpower and punish her.

• Yan Qing decided he would not take Shang Xin Lei to the Land of Gathering Demons, despite his attraction to her, because he wanted to preserve Thieves' Den's unity.
• Shang Xin Lei pinned Yan Qing down and tried to coax him into changing his mind, then began biting and licking his earlobe when he refused.
• Yan Qing erupted with power, revealing Bingzi Jiaolin and activating Covering the Heavens, which sent Shang Xin Lei flying onto the bed.
• Yan Qing grabbed Shang Xin Lei, overpowered her, and smacked her as she pleaded for him to stop.

Yan Qing and Shang Xin Lei reconciled after their quarrel, and he invited her to join the Calamity Organization. They arranged to meet in Jiangnan City in five days, but Yan Qing’s plans were interrupted when Yaoshi Yuan pulled him into her room.

• Yan Qing punished Shang Xin Lei until she stopped resisting, and the two settled into an awkward, affectionate silence.
• Shang Xin Lei agreed to meet Yan Qing in Jiangnan City in five days, and he invited her to join the Calamity Organization.
• Shang Xin Lei questioned why Yan Qing had invited Black Wolf before her, then embraced him and said she would wait for him in Jiangnan City.
• Yan Qing returned to his room and regretted not taking Shang Xin Lei to the Land of Gathering Demons.
• Yaoshi Yuan arrived at Yan Qing’s door after bathing and pulled him toward her room.