Chapter Summaries

Zhang Qing sought help from the Sixth Floor to slow the Shami City Lord’s push toward the Transcendence Sequence. He secured Ares’s support in exchange for a future benefit, though Ares would not directly fight the City Lord.

• Zhang Qing realized the Shami City Lord was accelerating his plans and decided he needed to delay the City Lord rather than abandon An City.
• Zhang Qing asked Hu Ben to secretly contact the Sixth Floor, and Hu Ben used a short-range teleportation device to send him there.
• Zhang Qing told Fan Adkin that he was central to the Sixth Floor’s interests and asked to borrow Ares.
• Fan Adkin agreed to lend Ares in exchange for Zhang Qing advancing to Sequence Three, advancing martial arts, or creating a realm Above Martial God.
• Fan Adkin warned that Ares would not directly clash with the Shami City Lord, and Ares went with Zhang Qing.

Zhang Qing moved ahead with the plan to challenge the City Lord, while Guan Yutian realized that taking First Guard City had trapped him in a dangerous situation. Zhang Qing reassured him with claims of a hidden fifth-rank Heavenly Demon ally and summoned the powerful cultivators gathered in the tent, leaving the confrontation poised to begin.

• The City Lord approved Zhang Qing's plan through Mo Li, but Zhang Qing tried to slow its pace and used Ares to keep the City Lord's people in check.
• Guan Yutian and Pusan worried that accepting First Guard City had put them directly in the City Lord's sights, and Guan Yutian proposed escaping to warn Zhang Qing.
• Zhang Qing entered the command tent and told Guan Yutian and Pusan that he had never changed his intentions.
• Zhang Qing revealed that the City Lord was a fifth-rank Heavenly Demon who was nearing advancement, and claimed another fifth-rank Heavenly Demon stood behind him.
• Zhang Qing said Guan Yutian would need to lead an attack on An City during the City Lord's advancement, then told Guan Yutian to summon everyone in the camp.
• Sunrise Realm and Blazing Sun Realm cultivators entered the tent, and the atmosphere grew increasingly strange as they saw Zhang Qing.

Zhang Qing declared that he intended to take An City and kill the City Lord, then used Ares’s Domain to demonstrate his overwhelming power to the gathered factions. The crowd’s fear and shifting loyalties left the proposed rebellion with little open resistance.

• Zuo Can challenged Zhang Qing’s right to the seat of honor, and Zhang Qing stabbed through his cheeks with the Phoenix Blood Saber to silence him.
• Zhang Qing told the gathering that he wanted An City and that the City Lord must die, prompting an uproar from the assembled factions and spies.
• Zhang Qing claimed he had powerful backing, and Ares pulled everyone into his Domain, where damage numbers appeared above them.
• After the crowd experienced the Domain’s threat, the City Lord’s spies changed sides and the other factions chose not to oppose Zhang Qing.
• Ares returned everyone to the tent, and Zhang Qing asked who agreed with his plan and who objected.

Zhang Qing visited the Imperial Cities to warn them that Shami was colluding with the Frost Snow Ghoul Tribe, while quietly controlling the pace of the rebellion against An City. Shami tried to trigger a rebellion to advance into the Transcendence Sequence, but Zhang Qing’s preparations left the uprising stalled outside the city.

• Zuo Can and the others backed Zhang Qing’s plan, and Zhang Qing left Guan Yutian to manage the faction.
• Zhang Qing and Ares visited Serpent Emperor City, Tiger Imperial City, Rat Emperor City, and Monkey Emperor City to warn them about Shami and the Frost Snow Ghoul Tribe; the Imperial City leaders called for reinforcements.
• Shami revealed that he intended to use the wilderness rebellion to advance into the Transcendence Sequence, and his white companion arranged for the Yuan Family to start a rebellion.
• Yuan Hong received and burned a letter, but the Yuan Family rebelled in Third Guard City an hour later, prompting Guan Yutian to gather a third of the army in First Guard City.
• Guan Yutian led the rebel army’s upper ranks around the area and slowly took nearby villages instead of attacking An City, leaving Novice Monk confused by the stalled uprising.

Zhang Qing advanced through Sequence Two by taking on many roles during the construction of a vast city wall in Great Xia, while concealing the full extent of his plans from those who trusted him. After reaching 99% progress, he logged into the Dark Realm, ready to tear open An City's sky and pursue his next advancement.

• Shami realized that Zhang Qing had exploited the Forbearance Waypoint to prevent him from breaking through by disrupting the plot.
• Zhang Qing worked on the capital-region city wall, lighting the Cooperation, Direction, and Safety Origin Points as he took on construction-site roles.
• Zhang Qing became the site's leader, then oversaw its work before disappearing and leaving the former leader back in place.
• Zhang Qing took on many identities across Great Xia, lit every Sequence Two Origin Point, and reached 99% progress.
• Zhang Qing relied on Li Wannian's cooperation while keeping many lies and plans hidden, including his intentions in the Dark Realm.
• After watching the flag rise at dawn, Zhang Qing avoided the sunlight, vanished, and logged into the Dark Realm.

Zhang Zhengguo and Li Wannian prepared a nationwide celebration to support Zhang Qing’s plan to take An City. In the Dark Realm, Zhang Qing told his companions to leave the city before its coming turmoil, then disappeared after sending Mo Li a cryptic message.

• Zhang Zhengguo and Li Wannian agreed to hold a Great Xia celebration at noon in three days, using the Giant City Ring Economic Circle as the public excuse.
• Yang Man warned Zhang Qing that An City was nearing chaos as rebels cut off its food supply and the city lord did nothing.
• Zhang Qing said An City would descend into chaos in three days and told his companions to leave before the city lord’s advancement caused a commotion.
• After a servant reported that the Mo Family wanted to discuss the food crisis, Zhang Qing left and told Mo Li, “Three days from now, the tide rises!”
• Zhang Qing vanished without a trace.

Novice waited impatiently for his ascension while Mo Li falsely assured him that the rebel army would move in three days. Zhang Qing and Guan Yutian prepared to attack An City during the ceremony, as the city’s residents began switching sides and Novice continued to wait for the decisive day.

• Novice demanded to know what the rebel army was doing, and Mo Li lied that it would rise in three days before deciding to flee.
• Mo Li left An City as the Imperial City’s princes and princesses also departed, while Yang Man and the others camped nearby to watch the ceremony.
• Zhang Qing told Guan Yutian that the rebel army would attack An City in three days and target the City Lord Mansion to disrupt Novice’s ascension.
• Guan Yutian and Pusan grew wary of their weakness and agreed they should withdraw from the city after achieving their goal.
• As the rebel army approached, An City’s residents joined it for protection, while Novice ignored the defections and longed for the third day to arrive.

Novice began his Transcendence Sequence promotion by slaughtering the people of An City to create a Blood River and forge his Waypoint. As the Imperial City Transcendence Sequences watched, Zhang Qing chose to let the killing continue, noting that there was still time.

• Hu Feiyun brought the Tiger Clan elder Hu Bai'e to An City, where he sensed that someone intended to contend with Novice's promotion.
• Hu Bai'e and the other Imperial City Transcendence Sequences gathered with Fan Adkin to observe the unusual promotion.
• The rebel army swept through An City, and the Transcendence Sequences sensed that someone was influencing the crowd and making new demands of the protagonist.
• Novice attacked the crowd near the City Lord Mansion, killing people and gathering their blood to establish his Blood River path and forge his Waypoint.
• Zhang Qing watched from the city wall, checked the time, and decided to let the killing continue.

As Great Xia celebrated a national holiday and released massive red-envelope vouchers, Shami slaughtered An City’s residents while preparing to reach Sequence Five. Zhang Qing appeared at the city gate and advanced to Sequence Three, leaving Yang Man and the Imperial City’s onlookers wondering what he intended.

• Great Xia launched a nationwide celebration with a holiday, cash vouchers, and festivities as people seized red envelopes.
• In An City, a former Ratfolk villager charged Shami’s City Lord and died, inspiring more people to attack him.
• Shami gathered the blood into a rising storm as the Pendulum of Fate rang and he moved toward transcendence.
• Zhang Qing arrived at An City’s gate amid the celebrations and advanced to Sequence Three.
• Yang Man and Yun Xiaoxi were shocked by Zhang Qing’s advancement, while Fan Adkin and Ares suspected he had a plan to remove his tag and repay old favors.

Novice advanced into the Transcendence Sequence by choosing the Abyssal Sequence and forming a Blood River domain, but his coronation revealed that his proof of authority was missing. The crowd suspected Zhang Qing had taken it as Zhang Qing’s Pendulum of Fate began to ring explosively.

• Novice refused Zhang Qing’s help and continued advancing through slaughter, killing An City’s inhabitants and absorbing the blood of Great Ghouls.
• Novice transformed inside the Blood River and gained the Frost Snow Bloodline, provoking outrage among the Imperial City’s big shots and angering Hou Jin.
• Novice’s Pendulum of Fate rang enough times for him to enter the Transcendence Sequence, and his Blood River spread across the sky as he began coronation.
• Novice shattered a blood-colored coronation crystal and discovered it contained no proof of authority, leaving his Transcendence authority illegitimate.
• Novice accused Zhang Qing of stealing his authority as the Blood River became unstable, sunlight fell on Zhang Qing, and his Pendulum of Fate erupted with sound.

Zhang Qing advanced by using the people as a Waypoint to steal part of Shami’s audience and undermine his Transcendence. After revealing a Halo Beacon and earning the Imperial City’s alarm, Zhang Qing faced Shami’s desperate attack.

• Zhang Qing planned to use a rebellion and the people’s willingness to sacrifice for one another to steal part of Shami’s audience and spoil his path to Transcendence.
• Zhang Qing admitted the lies and sacrifices behind his plan, stepped into the blood-and-bone mire, and advanced as the Pendulum of Fate chimed.
• A Halo Beacon appeared beneath Zhang Qing, shocking the Imperial City’s great figures because he had no apparent source for a Pseudo Authority.
• Shami rejected his defeat and charged Zhang Qing with a river of blood, while Yang Man shouted for Zhang Qing to run.

Zhang Qing fought the peak Sequence Four novice monk by devouring the Blood River and using his Tribe Pseudo Authority to grow stronger with every clash. He eventually overwhelmed the monk and finished him with Predation—Throat Seal.

• Zhang Qing devoured the Blood River, restoring his life and raising Chuan Blood Spring from First Grade to Third Grade.
• Zhang Qing endured the novice monk’s attacks, devoured more of the Blood River, and grew stronger as Tribe stacked his attack and life strength.
• Hu Feiyun and the other princes watched the battle and discussed Zhang Qing’s value and whether they could recruit him.
• Zhang Qing’s Martial Path Extreme slash shattered the novice monk’s armor and shifted the fight decisively in his favor.
• The novice monk lost the Forbearance Beacon’s effect and raged over losing his Authority as Zhang Qing charged again.
• Zhang Qing used Predation—Throat Seal to bite through and devour the novice monk.

After defeating Shami, Zhang Qing gained the Extreme secret technique Blood Momentum and drew the attention of powerful figures, including Sheep Venerable. As the Sixth Floor prepared to claim the spoils of victory, Fan Adkin considered how to recruit Zhang Qing.

• Zhang Qing defeated Shami, broke free of the fate he had feared, and advanced to Sequence Three with a Pseudo Authority.
• Zhang Qing evolved Chuan Blood Spring into the Extreme secret technique Blood Momentum and used it to command the Blood Rivers and heal his injuries.
• Fan Adkin watched Zhang Qing’s display and resolved to bring him onto the Sixth Floor’s side.
• Zhang Qing inspected his improved status and assessed the strength he had gained, then found a pair of enormous eyes staring down from the Sky Dome.
• Sheep Venerable’s presence suppressed Zhang Qing before granting him a protective blessing, while the Imperial City figures wondered whether Sheep Emperor City had claimed him.
• Fan Adkin protested the apparent intervention, then turned to discuss business with Lord Yangzun as the Sixth Floor began to collect the spoils.

Fan Adkin used his Authority to erase An City's fate marks and memories of the Sequence, allowing Zhang Qing to claim the city and save those still there. Zhang Qing assigned his allies roles in rebuilding An City, while Zhang Zhengguo and Li Wannian welcomed a returning protagonist at Imperial Capital Square.

• Fan Adkin cleared An City's fate marks and erased the residents' memories of the Sequence, completing Zhang Qing's cleanup of the city.
• Zhang Qing reunited with Yang Man, Yun Xiaoxi, Guan Yutian, Pusan, and the others, and announced that An City belonged to them.
• Zhang Qing began organizing An City's recovery, assigning Yuan Hong to the Third Guard City, Li Qing to the Second Guard City, and Zuo Can to the First Guard City.
• Zhang Qing tasked Guan Yutian and Pusan with forming Razor in An City and relied on Mo Li to coordinate the city's factions.
• Zhang Zhengguo and Li Wannian watched fireworks at Imperial Capital Square until a returning figure appeared, prompting Li Wannian to welcome him back.

Zhang Qing reflected on his new Pseudo Authority, the dangers of advancing through the Sequence Realm, and the need to build connections before beginning another journey in the Dark Realm. The next morning, with An City under Great Xia's control, Yang Man proposed seizing people to repopulate the city.

• Zhang Qing realized that gaining Pseudo Authority had removed the system's ability to restart him, leaving him with only one life.
• Zhang Qing planned to broaden his connections through the Sixth Floor and the princes of the Imperial Cities, especially She Qi, to learn more about Sequences and the truth behind the Dark Realm.
• Zhang Qing and Li Wannian celebrated taking An City, while Great Xia prepared its military, weapons, economy, and entertainment industries for future player logins.
• After meeting with the Crisis Response Team, Zhang Qing logged into the Dark Realm to begin a new journey.
• The next morning, Yang Man told Zhang Qing that most of An City's homes were empty and suggested taking people to rebuild its population.

Zhang Qing learned that cities and Sequence advancement in the Dark Realm were governed by equivalent exchange, and that Yang Man had secretly paid Monkey Emperor City to secure An City for him. He also learned that his strength and the Sky City Battlefield could protect him in negotiations with the Frost Snow Ghoul Tribe, though Yang Man seemed to hope those talks might go badly.

• Zhang Qing questioned how people could safely travel through the wilderness, and Yang Man explained that Specters could be negotiated with and served the city lords’ authority.
• Yang Man identified the Frost Snow Ghoul Tribe as the power near the Supreme Mountain Range, and Zhang Qing asked why they would accept him after he killed Novice.
• Yun Xiaoxi and Yang Man explained that Sequence Users fought in the Sky City Battlefield for spoils that could be exchanged with Imperial Cities for the right to use a city.
• Yang Man revealed that she had paid Monkey Emperor City under a wager agreement to obtain An City for Zhang Qing.
• Yang Man explained that Zhang Qing’s strength could earn him respect from the Frost Snow Ghoul Tribe, since he could later threaten their descendants on the Sky City Battlefield.

Zhang Qing visited a Frost Snow Ghoul Tribe outpost and reached a cooperation agreement with Fang Dao, an Abyssal Sequence User, to help An City prosper. Meanwhile, Fan Adkin brought the Sixth Floor to the Sky City Battlefield and foresaw a major event arriving in about a day, which he planned to share with Zhang Qing.

• Zhang Qing led Yan Qingshan and five hundred Tyrant Army soldiers to the Frost Snow Ghoul Tribe outpost near the Supreme Mountain Range.
• Zhang Qing identified Fang Dao as an Abyssal Sequence One User after Yan Qingshan explained how Abyssal Sequences could be recognized.
• Fang Dao and Zhang Qing agreed that Fang Dao would restrain nearby Specter clans and that Zhang Qing would allow Specters into An City in a few months.
• Fan Adkin brought the Sixth Floor to the Sky City Battlefield despite Ares warning that the First Floor would track them there.
• Fan Adkin foresaw that a major event would occur in about one day and decided Zhang Qing should witness the coming fireworks.

Zhang Qing prepared An City for future growth by redirecting resources toward Spirit Medicine, alchemy, weapons, and Fate Stones. After learning that the Sky City Battlefield offered Fate Stones, he agreed to go there with the Sixth Floor, while Yun Xiaoxi worried about the danger and her divided loyalties.

• Zhang Qing ordered Mo Li to halve food-crop production and devote the land to Spirit Medicine and other crops, then told Yang Man to train alchemists.
• Zhang Qing planned to stockpile spirit pills and Adamantine Weapons to prepare for the players and the authorities’ personnel.
• Zhang Qing asked Yun Xiaoxi how to obtain Fate Stones, and she explained that they could be exchanged for loot or Military Merit.
• Yun Xiaoxi invited Zhang Qing to join the Sixth Floor at the Sky City Battlefield to watch a meteor shower, and he agreed to go after lunch.
• Zhang Qing suspected the Sixth Floor was steering his future, while Yun Xiaoxi feared the dangerous battlefield and worried about her ties to him and the Sixth Floor.

Zhang Qing helped Guan Yutian and Pusan establish Razor, then went with Yang Man and the others to see the Sky City Battlefield. There, Fan Adkin and Hu Ben explained that the battlefield consumed Sequence Users and helped survivors prepare for advancement, while Zhang Qing showed little interest in its rewards.

• Zhang Qing transferred Sunrise Realm experts, including Niu Qi, into Razor, where Guan Yutian and Pusan retained control with the support of Mo Li, Zuo Can, and Yuan Hong.
• At lunch, Zhang Qing told Yang Man he planned to visit the Sky City Battlefield for a meteor shower, and Yang Man insisted on joining him.
• Yan Qingshan slipped away before the group left, while a terrifying existence departed the military camp at the border of Sheep Emperor City and headed toward the battlefield.
• At the Sixth Floor, Fan Adkin welcomed the group and took them to the Lower District of the Sky City Battlefield, a vast expanse of floating lands and asteroids.
• Fan Adkin and Hu Ben explained that the battlefield consumed Sequence Users and offered Military Merit and spoils to help them prepare for the Transcendence Sequence, but Zhang Qing remained uninterested because of Yang Man's support.

Fan Adkin showed Zhang Qing the massacre of inhabited planets along the Destiny Star Path, hoping to push him into the Sky City Battlefield. After the Tyrant Army's Glory General intervened and rescued several planets, Zhang Qing chose to enter the battlefield, where people really died.

• Fan Adkin brought Zhang Qing and the others to the edge of the Sky City Battlefield, where Sequence Users and Great Ghouls waited to plunder incoming planets.
• Planets swept along the Destiny Star Path, and Specters, martial artists, and Sequence Users slaughtered their inhabitants for power and territory.
• Fan Adkin explained that surviving planets would become land in the Dark Realm, while Yang Man challenged his pressure and defended Sheep Emperor City.
• The Tyrant Army's Glory General swept into destiny's current, lifted several planets, and drove the attackers away.
• Zhang Qing clenched his fists, recognized that the Dark Realm's strength was not enough, and said the Sky City Battlefield seemed worthwhile.