Chapter Summaries

Zhang Qing planned to exploit tensions surrounding Hu Ben’s trading expedition and the Ghoul Blood Warrior research, then realized the Shui Family could give him another way to manipulate the factions. He approached Chuan Hao and the Pagoda Tree Ghoul for help, hinting that the Yu Family had assigned him a dangerous mission while extracting secret arts from them.

• Yu Huashui agreed to send Zhang Qing with Hu Ben’s trading expedition and considered rewarding him with pages from the Heart Devouring Sword secret art.
• Zhang Qing tortured prisoners in the Secret Prison to replenish his Blood Volume, then returned home and spent the evening with Yun Xiaoxi.
• Zhang Qing weighed how to pit Chuan Hao against the Yu Family without compromising the Ghoul Blood Warrior plan, then noticed the refined-gold statues sent by the Shui Family and formed a new plan.
• Zhang Qing went to Jubao Restaurant and told Chuan Hao and the Pagoda Tree Ghoul that the Yu Family had assigned him a dangerous mission outside the city.
• The Pagoda Tree Ghoul gave Zhang Qing two pages of the Tie Family Secret Art, and Chuan Hao ordered it to hand over two more secret arts after Zhang Qing kept pressing them.

Zhang Qing manipulated Chuan Hao and the Pagoda Tree Ghoul by suggesting the Shui Family would attack the Yu Family’s trading caravan, then promised to learn when they would act. After he left, the two discussed using him to obtain information about Yang Man, while their lord decided to infiltrate the caravan himself to investigate a Ghoulifier from the Tiger Clan.

• Zhang Qing warned Chuan Hao and the Pagoda Tree Ghoul that Specters and possibly the Shui Family would target the Yu Family’s trading caravan, and the Pagoda Tree Ghoul offered to seek a way to save him.
• Zhang Qing agreed to find out when the Shui Family planned to act, intending to stall Chuan Hao while he returned with the Square Crystal.
• After Zhang Qing left, Chuan Hao and the Pagoda Tree Ghoul judged his claims credible and planned to pressure him into selling information about Yang Man.
• Chuan Hao privately resolved to protect Yang Man because he wanted the special power she possessed.
• Their lord arrived and decided to join Zhang Qing’s trading caravan to investigate a Ghoulifier from the Tiger Clan and possibly infiltrate Razor.

Zhang Qing built up his Blood Volume while training Hu Ya, then learned that the Shui Family had sent him gifts. Shui Qingxi visited him at night seeking information, and Zhang Qing hinted that a dangerous mission would take him out of the city.

• Zhang Qing worried that learning the Tie Family Secret Art could leave him vulnerable to blackmail, but he decided he could counter Chuan Hao with Yang Man and Hu Ya.
• Zhang Qing trained Hu Ya and consumed blood packs in the Secret Prison until his Blood Volume reached twenty thousand.
• Zhang Qing found more fine gold statues from the Shui Family at home and told Yun Xiaoxi to accept future gifts.
• Shui Qingxi visited Zhang Qing after he failed to come to the Shui Family, and asked him to name a price for information.
• Zhang Qing said he had been assigned a dangerous task outside the city, and Shui Qingxi suspected it concerned the Ghoul Blood Warrior.

Zhang Qing obtained the Shui Family’s Archery Secret Art by promising Shui Qingxi that the family could help him when he returned to the city, and he planned to use the promise to draw the Shui Family and Specters into a clash with the Yu Family. After reaching his Blood Volume limit, he learned that the merchant operation would begin that night and asked Yang Man for help finding an Adamantine Weapon.

• Zhang Qing negotiated with Shui Qingxi and hinted that he would soon leave the city, persuading her to consult her family about sharing its secret art.
• Shui Qingxi returned with two sheets containing the Shui Family’s Archery Secret Art, and Zhang Qing arranged for the family to rescue him when he returned to the city.
• Zhang Qing planned to have Chuan Hao relay the return message so the Shui Family and Specters would ambush the merchants and draw in the Yu Family.
• Zhang Qing reached his Blood Volume limit at the first level of the Starflash Realm and wondered why Login Users’ advantages had not prevented Blue Star’s destruction.
• Yang Man told Zhang Qing that the merchant operation would begin that night and offered either an ordinary Adamantine Weapon from a blacksmith or a top-quality weapon forged from a Phoenix Blood Crystal.

Zhang Qing coordinated a five-day plan to retrieve the Square Crystal, while the Yu Family tried to uncover Yang Man’s true aims. At Jubao Restaurant, Zhang Qing discovered a wounded Silkworm Ghoul whose abilities suggested it might be the special Specter once captured by the Chuan Family.

• Zhang Qing arranged through Yang Man to obtain an Adamantine Weapon and told Shui Qingxi to wait for his word in five days so they could secure the Square Crystal.
• Yu An questioned Zhang Qing’s trustworthiness, but Yu Huashui explained that the Yu Family intended to use him to learn what Yang Man wanted and revealed their ancestor suspected it involved the Heavenly Demon.
• Zhang Qing realized the Yu Family was watching him and decided to prepare another Square Crystal for them while continuing to rely on Yang Man for protection.
• Zhang Qing entered a private room at Jubao Restaurant and found Chuan Hao and the Pagoda Tree Ghoul with a badly injured Silkworm Ghoul in a cocoon state.
• Zhang Qing suspected the Silkworm Ghoul could weave its own Human Skin and might be the special Specter the Chuan Family had once captured.

Zhang Qing prepared for the trading run, accepted the Silkworm Ghoul as a supposed protector while suspecting the Specters’ intentions, and left the city with the Yu Family’s group. The caravan entered the wilderness and found a village ahead.

• Zhang Qing agreed to give the Silkworm Ghoul an identity and promised it would accompany him on the journey, while privately planning to eliminate it if necessary.
• Zhang Qing explained the trip to Yun Xiaoxi and collected his newly forged Adamantine Weapon from the Ghoul Blood Hall.
• Yu An sent Zhang Qing out with the Tiger Clan members and told him to make sure he returned alive.
• Zhang Qing joined Hu Ben and the merchant caravan, noticed Hu Ben’s severe Specterization, and suspected his true strength had reached the Moon-Shattering Realm.
• The caravan left the trade road, followed a rough path into the wilderness, and discovered a village ahead.

Zhang Qing entered a Tiger Clan village with Hu Ben’s caravan, where he realized Hu Ben was deliberately earning his trust on Yu Huashui’s behalf. After someone struck him unconscious, Hu Ben carried him toward the village’s forbidden grounds while another Tiger Clan member watched over the Silkworm Ghoul.

• Zhang Qing ignored the Silkworm Ghoul’s warning and followed Hu Ben’s caravan into the hostile Tiger Clan village.
• The villagers accepted their supplies under Hu Ben’s protection, and Zhang Qing spoke with Hu Ben about surviving in the Dark Realm.
• Zhang Qing realized Hu Ben was using Yu Huashui’s request to keep him alive as a way to gain his favor.
• Hu Ben told Zhang Qing the caravan would leave soon, then someone struck Zhang Qing from behind and knocked him out.
• A huge Tiger Clan member knocked down the Silkworm Ghoul while Hu Ben carried Zhang Qing toward the village’s forbidden grounds.

Zhang Qing followed Hu Ben into a hidden Ancient Ruin Battlefield, then briefly logged out while pretending to be unconscious. After resolving to stay in Zi City and shoulder responsibility, he woke and learned the site held Forbidden Items and Specters contaminated by Demonic Energy.

• Hu Ben carried Zhang Qing through a winding cave to the outskirts of the hidden Ancient Ruin Battlefield, where Zhang Qing logged out and took time to rest in reality.
• Zhang Qing considered leaving Zi City for An City but decided to remain and continue pursuing his goals against the Yu Family, the Shui Family, and Chuan Hao.
• Zhang Qing returned to the Dark Realm, woke beside Hu Ben, and reproached him for knocking him unconscious before accepting his apology.
• Hu Ben explained that the Ancient Ruin Battlefield contained scattered Forbidden Items, many of them fragments, and that the area had grown more dangerous over time.
• Zhang Qing learned that Hu Ben had used the area as a place of exile and that its Specters were contaminated by Demonic Energy, which could alter perception.

Zhang Qing explored the ancient ruins with Hu Ben, discovered that Demonic Energy in Forbidden Items caused mental attacks, and speculated that Ghoul Blood Warriors could power technological weapons. Back in Zi City, Yun Xiaoxi struggled with her candle flame and found that neither candlelight nor morning sunlight was enough.

• Hu Ben told Zhang Qing that his Starflash Realm mental strength would let him resist Demonic Energy as they explored the ruins.
• At dawn, Zhang Qing found a metal gun barrel containing Demonic Energy, resisted its mental attack, and learned from Hu Ben that its golden threads were Adamantine.
• Zhang Qing learned that Forbidden Items were collected if they could be powered, and Hu Ben explained that Ghoulification Power could activate them.
• Zhang Qing theorized that Sequence Users were Ghoul Blood Warriors who powered Forbidden Items and urged Hu Ben to search deeper for usable items.
• In Zi City, Yun Xiaoxi spent the night studying a candle flame, tried to reignite it with green smoke, and lamented that candlelight and morning sunlight were still insufficient.

Zhang Qing and Hu Ben sheltered from a demonic tide, and Hu Ben explained how Forbidden Items temporarily slowed his inevitable transformation into an exile. After the tide ended, they set out to fight the weakened Specters and found a Meat Mountain Ghoul.

• Hu Ben recognized the gathering dark clouds as a demonic tide and carried Zhang Qing to shelter while explaining that the eruption would scatter Forbidden Items and stir up Specters and exiles.
• Hu Ben told Zhang Qing that Forbidden Items could slow or reverse his specterization, but only the first item of each type worked, leaving his eventual fate as an exile unavoidable.
• The demonic tide erupted and passed, and Hu Ben warned Zhang Qing that the coming battles with injured Specters were unavoidable.
• Zhang Qing spotted a Meat Mountain Ghoul with a health bar, directed Hu Ben toward it, and prepared to attack after Hu Ben described its regenerative strength, weak head, and corrosive bodily fluids.

Zhang Qing and Hu Ben worked together to kill a Meat Mountain Ghoul, and Zhang Qing advanced to the second tier of the Starflash Realm. They found Square Crystals near a starship wreck amid fighting Specters and exiles, and prepared to face the danger.

• Hu Ben broke through the Meat Mountain Ghoul's defenses, allowing Zhang Qing to land weak-point attacks and kill it.
• Zhang Qing gained 26 Attribute Points and spent nine to advance to the second tier of the Starflash Realm.
• Hu Ben carried Zhang Qing onward through the ruins as they continued searching.
• Zhang Qing and Hu Ben spotted Specters, exiles, a starship wreck, and several Square Crystals in the ruins.
• Zhang Qing agreed to proceed despite the danger surrounding the crystals.

Zhang Qing and Hu Ben collected six Square Crystals from the ruins but agreed to report finding only two, then returned to the village wary of how easily they had succeeded. With Silkworm Ghoul awake and plans disrupted, Zhang Qing sent it to notify the Shui Family while arranging for the Yu Family to pick him up.

• Zhang Qing and Hu Ben lured Specters and Exiles into fighting each other, searched the starship wreckage, and collected six Square Crystals.
• The two agreed to claim they had found only two and left the ruins, with Hu Ben knocking Zhang Qing unconscious during the journey back.
• At the village, Zhang Qing learned that a Tiger Clan member had found nothing unusual about the sleeping Silkworm Ghoul, which had since awakened as Zuo Can.
• Zhang Qing asked Hu Ben to send someone to Zi City for the Yu Family to pick him up, and Hu Ben dispatched two Tiger Clan members with the message.
• Silkworm Ghoul announced it would leave, and Zhang Qing asked it to notify the Shui Family that he was returning; it agreed and departed.

Zhang Qing joined the Yu Family convoy as it traveled toward Zi City, then a Specter ambush erupted on the trade road. As he fought among the chaos, the Yu Family began to overwhelm the attackers until an arrow from the Shui Family struck down a Dark Hall expert.

• Zhang Qing left Hu Ben's village and joined Yu Tianlou's convoy, which was led by dozens of Yu Family Dark Hall members.
• A Specter ambush began at dusk, and Yu Tianlou killed the first attacker with the Yu Family Secret Art: Heart Devouring Sword.
• Chuan Hao and a tide of Specters attacked the convoy, slaughtering its warhorses and forcing the Yu Family to fight.
• Zhang Qing maneuvered through the battle, killed the wounded Cross-Seam Ghoul, and kept the Cat-Foot Ghoul occupied.
• The Yu Family's fighters gained the upper hand with their secret arts, but an arrow from the Shui Family killed a Yu Family Dark Hall expert.

Zhang Qing used Zuo Can’s help and the chaos of the Shui Family’s ambush to escape the battle on the trade route. He left with the Silkworm Ghoul, keeping the Shui Family’s involvement secret and asserting control over how the attack would be reported.

• Yu Tianlou raged as the Shui Family and Specters attacked the Yu Family, while the Silverback Gorilla pinned him down.
• Zhang Qing spotted Zuo Can and called for help, then killed the Cat-Foot Ghoul as Zuo Can rushed to his side.
• A Shui Family arrow grazed Zhang Qing, who judged its power and healed the wound with the concealed Chuan Family secret art.
• Yu Tianlou silently urged Zhang Qing to run, and Zhang Qing escaped toward Zi City with Zuo Can’s help and the Yu Family’s cover.
• When Zuo Can proposed crusading against the Shui Family, Zhang Qing insisted that no Shui Family members had been involved.
• Zuo Can realized Zhang Qing could use its Tie Family identity to discredit it, so it agreed to keep quiet.

Zhang Qing returned to Zi City and reported that Dark Hall had been nearly wiped out by a Specter ambush, then used the blame against him to demand a way out of the Yu Family. Yu Huashui conceded, while he and Yu An discussed Zhang Qing’s growing independence and Yang Man’s failing Ghoul Blood Warrior plan.

• Zhang Qing passed Guan Yutian’s guards, went home to reassure Yun Xiaoxi, and then headed to Razor Hall.
• Zhang Qing told Yu Huashui that Specters had nearly wiped out Dark Hall and that Yu Tianlou had helped him escape.
• When Yu Huashui said Zhang Qing could not escape responsibility, Zhang Qing offered a Square Crystal and threatened to leave Zi City.
• Yu Huashui let Zhang Qing’s merits cancel his faults and deducted one month of salary instead of forcing him out.
• Yu An and Yu Huashui discussed whether Zhang Qing would side with Yang Man and learned that Hu Ya was close to losing control.

Zhang Qing weighed his plans after suspecting that Hu Ya was missing and that Yang Man’s effort to activate the Sequence had failed. He returned home, grew suspicious that Yun Xiaoxi was linked to the Tie Family, and logged out, while a powerful silkworm-like monster escaped from the Forbidden Hall.

• Zhang Qing gave Yang Man the Square Crystal and learned from her that Hu Ya was away, then considered how a failed plan might give him time to grow stronger.
• Zhang Qing decided to keep Yang Man’s failure in reserve, seek the families’ secret arts, and flee Zi City if Yang Man fell.
• Zhang Qing returned home and suspected Yun Xiaoxi was working with the Tie Family after realizing she had learned of his return hours earlier.
• Zhang Qing hid his remaining Square Crystals, avoided advancing again, and tested whether Yun Xiaoxi changed while he logged out and back in.
• A white silkworm-like monster at the peak of the Waning Moon Realm smashed out of the Forbidden Hall, and several voices called for it to be chased.

Hu Ya lost control and attacked Zhang Qing’s courtyard, but Yun Xiaoxi secretly removed the Forbidden Item’s silicon powder and restored her before the Yu Family arrived. After the visitors left, Zhang Qing inspected Hu Ya and resolved to enter the wilderness and fight so he could reach the Sunrise Realm as quickly as possible.

• Hu Ya charged into Zhang Qing’s courtyard, where Yun Xiaoxi pulled the silicon powder from her body and tossed her into the guest room.
• The Yu Family’s elders arrived, found Hu Ya asleep in human form, and questioned Zhang Qing about what had happened.
• Yang Man arrived, ordered Zhang Qing to bring Hu Ya to the Ghoul Blood Hall the next day, and left with the Yu Family elders.
• Zhang Qing examined the Specter flesh fused into Hu Ya and questioned whether Yang Man’s Ghoul Blood Warrior path was correct.
• Zhang Qing decided to enter the wilderness the next day and fight until he reached the Sunrise Realm.

Zhang Qing brought Hu Ya back to the Ghoul Blood Hall after she recovered from losing control, then prepared to leave Zi City. At the city gate, he spotted Chuan Hao with Zuo Can and suspected the Silkworm Ghoul had unusual powers related to Human Skin and Hu Ya's condition.

• Zhang Qing found Hu Ya asleep and unclothed, learned she remembered nothing after losing control, and took her to the Ghoul Blood Hall.
• Yang Man arranged for Hu Ya to work at the Ghoul Blood Hall during the day and return with Zhang Qing at night, while Zhang Qing reminded her about the promised spirit pills.
• Zhang Qing met Tie Du at the city gate, heard that the Tie Family would bring beautiful human women to Jubao Restaurant at noon, and agreed to return.
• Zhang Qing saw Chuan Hao still wearing Human Skin beside Zuo Can and suspected Zuo Can could repair Human Skin and that the Silkworm Ghoul's flesh might be connected to Hu Ya.

Zhang Qing evaded the Silkworm Ghoul’s attempt to consider stealing his Human Skin, then spent all his Attribute Points upgrading the Kaiyuan Art before entering the wilderness to hunt Specters. He gained the upper hand against a Black Mantis Ghoul and prepared another Sky-Opening Slash.

• The Silkworm Ghoul suggested eating Zhang Qing to use his Human Skin, but Chuan Hao warned that Zhang Qing likely had precautions, and Zhang Qing reappeared at the city gate to wave at them.
• After Chuan Hao and the Silkworm Ghoul left, Zhang Qing disguised himself as a refugee and wondered whether Chuan Hao might help him kill the Silkworm Ghoul.
• Zhang Qing spent 198 Attribute Points raising the Kaiyuan Art to Starflash high-grade Great Perfection, leaving him with no Attribute Points.
• Zhang Qing entered the wilderness and found a Black Mantis Ghoul, which attacked him with its blades.
• Zhang Qing used Chuan Shattering Steps to dodge and struck the Black Mantis Ghoul with repeated Sky-Opening Slashes, damaging its blade and breaking its defense.

Zhang Qing killed a Black Mantis Ghoul, escaped a pack of Thorn Ghouls, and encountered the Shui Family fleeing Hyena Ghouls before returning to Zi City. At Jubao Restaurant, Tie Du praised the auctioned slaves, but Zhang Qing realized Yun Xiaoxi matched the ideal beauty they described and grew suspicious of her.

• Zhang Qing killed the Black Mantis Ghoul and gained 23 Attribute Points, then fled when a pack of Thorn Ghouls surrounded him.
• Zhang Qing encountered She Ran and the Shui Family being chased by Hyena Ghouls, but he avoided getting involved and left.
• Shui Qinghe stopped Shui Beigao from killing Zhang Qing, saying he might be useful to the Shui Family's plans against Yang Man.
• Zhang Qing killed two more Specters, gained 31 Attribute Points, and returned to Zi City, where Tie Du invited him to Jubao Restaurant.
• Zhang Qing compared the auctioned slaves with the beauty he kept at home and grew suspicious when Tie Du described Yun Xiaoxi's appearance as his ideal type.