Chapter Summaries

Long Jing reenacted Cheng Shi’s history, including Cheng Shi’s death and Zhao Qian’s suicide, before returning to the Parasitic Wood. Shadow Cheng Shi met [Destiny], asked for Change to be given a chance, and was placed in the [Destiny] Trial to see Cheng Xiaoshi.

• Long Jing killed Clown as part of Cheng Shi’s history, then persuaded Zhao Qian to die again and gave Su Yida the Parasitic Wood and a die to help him leave the Void.
• Long Jing watched Cheng Shi receive the [Prosperity] Divinity, then returned to the Parasitic Wood as the [Annihilation] Trial ended.
• Shadow Cheng Shi entered the Void and summoned [Destiny], who warned him that he was an error that [Existence] would eventually correct.
• Cheng Shi asked [Destiny] to give Change more room and let him quietly see his past self, and [Destiny] agreed to place him in the [Destiny] Trial.
• After the Trial, Shadow Cheng Shi watched Zhen Yi vanish into the Void and left, reflecting that Cheng Dashi had met his past self.

Shadow Cheng Shi followed Su Yida into the True Universe to help [Deception] search for an answer, but [Deception] ordered him back and cast them into a Space-Time Storm. Cheng Shi realized something as the storm swallowed them, while [Deception] returned to the world with renewed resolve.

• After [Time] expelled Shadow Cheng Shi and Su Yida from the world, Cheng Shi knocked Su Yida unconscious and carried him into the True Universe.
• Cheng Shi found [Deception] and offered to help search for the answer, but [Deception] ordered him to return.
• [Deception] seized Cheng Shi and Su Yida and threw them into a Space-Time Storm, warning that Cheng Shi must not endanger the world's future.
• As the storm swallowed them, Cheng Shi suddenly realized something, and [Deception] watched him disappear with a complicated expression.
• [Deception] glanced toward the Gods' Graveyard, paused at a distant Spacetime Barrier, then returned to the world with a resolute gaze.

Cheng Shi’s returning shadow restored his memories, revealing that Jie Shu had used the murder plan as an experiment and suspected Cheng Shi was involved. The plan’s assassination failed while the Passing the Torch Plan succeeded, but Zhang Jizu warned that the person they meant to save could not be brought back.

• Jie Shu revealed that the plan was also an experiment to test his Spacetime Trace Connection Theory using Su Yida as a test subject.
• Cheng Shi reasoned that Jie Shu had expected him to intervene and had manipulated the others into taking part in the plan.
• Cheng Shi’s shadow returned with memories of what had happened outside the world, and Cheng Shi entered carrying a charred corpse.
• Long Jing and Mo Shu left, while Long Jing disposed of Su Yida’s corpse and the charred body for Zhang Jizu to retrieve.
• Zhang Jizu revived the soul attached to the Parasitic Wood, and the real Long Jing reunited with him.
• Zhang Jizu told Long Jing that the person they needed to save could not be brought back.

Cheng Shi and Zhen Xin watched Jie Shu prepare another experiment and debated whether he was an outsider from the True Universe being used to connect worlds. Cheng Shi chose not to stop him, and Jie Shu left through a spacetime passage before they could act.

• Zhen Xin summoned Cheng Shi and told him that a mortal, Jie Shu, had schemed against him.
• Cheng Shi and Zhen Xin discussed how Cheng Shi seemed to be approaching [Destiny], while Jie Shu prepared a stable spacetime passage infused with [Memory].
• Zhen Xin asked whether they should stop Jie Shu, but Cheng Shi considered the possibility that the sage was the needle and thread linking different Slice Universes.
• Cheng Shi reasoned that Jie Shu might have been created by a will in the True Universe, and questioned whether keeping him would deprive other worlds of their connection.
• Jie Shu stepped into the spacetime passage and left.

Cheng Shi learned that Zhao Qian had destroyed his soul to ensure he could not be resurrected, while Su Yida’s body had been taken by an unknown third party. Cheng Shi suspected Wei Mu was responsible, but Zhen Xin could not locate him, and Su Yida suddenly woke to find himself addressed by a mechanical puppet.

• Zhang Jizu revealed that Zhao Qian’s soul had been completely destroyed, and Cheng Shi and the others paid tribute to the fallen Fire Keeper.
• The Dragon King reported that Su Yida’s body vanished during the fall and that the Parasitic Wood had been transferred to Zhao Qian’s corpse.
• Zhen Xin suggested Jie Shu might have taken Su Yida, but Cheng Shi reasoned that Wei Mu could have helped conceal the abduction.
• Zhen Xin found that the person they sought was hidden behind divine authority, leaving Cheng Shi shocked by the implication.
• Su Yida woke on the ground, and a mechanical puppet addressed him as the Master of Trickery.

Su Yida awoke in Wei Mu’s laboratory, where Wei Mu subdued him and prepared to investigate an escape from the starry sky. Jie Shu then emerged from a spacetime passage, and their meeting revealed that Jie Shu’s search for his origins had led him into Wei Mu’s cage of Predestination.

• Su Yida recoiled from Wei Mu, who introduced himself and explained that he had saved him before drugging him unconscious.
• Wei Mu began analyzing how to escape the starry sky, but a spacetime disturbance disrupted the laboratory and deposited Jie Shu beside Su Yida.
• Wei Mu recognized Jie Shu and said they were both trapped in the cage of Predestination.
• Jie Shu admitted through his reaction that he understood the significance of meeting Wei Mu, then recalled how he had doubted his fragmented memories and secretly investigated his origins.
• Jie Shu used Su Yida’s return as experimental data to open a passage toward his past, and the absence of any traces of an independent past confirmed his suspicions.

Puppet sent Jie Shu and Su Yida into a repeating experiment that linked countless Slice Universes. Cheng Shi learned that Sun Miao and Hope's Flame had vanished, and asked Qin Xin to inherit [War] alongside others as Galiusha's path toward [Folly]'s Divine Throne came into focus.

• Puppet named Jie Shu as the test subject and sent him and Su Yida into another world to continue the True Universe experiment.
• The Clowns concluded that Wei Mu possessed [Folly]'s Divine Authority, and Cheng Shi considered Sun Miao and Galiusha as candidates to inherit it.
• Cheng Shi learned from Qin Xin that Hope's Flame and Sun Miao had disappeared, with their traces erased from the world.
• Cheng Shi realized [Deception] had accounted for the detour that brought Galiusha out of a [Truth] Trial, and recalled her interest in Afros's Dolgo D experiments.
• Cheng Shi told Qin Xin that several people would ascend to godhood together and asked if Qin Xin was ready to inherit everything belonging to [War].

Cheng Shi assessed the likely successors to several Divine Thrones and realized that Nangong’s growing tolerance for the [Decay] Vessel meant the true [Decay] was nearing annihilation. He warned Nangong about the suffering that awaited her if she inherited the throne, but she insisted on continuing because she wanted to help those who had supported her.

• Cheng Shi considered Qin Xin, the Dragon King, and Li Wufang as potential new gods, and planned to use the Gods' Covenant Assembly to secure Li Wufang's succession if needed.
• Qin Xin told Cheng Shi that the [Decay] Vessel's corrosion was weakening, leading Cheng Shi to suspect that the true [Decay] was nearing its end.
• Cheng Shi summoned Nangong as Hope's Flame, and she was shocked to learn that he was Cheng Shi.
• Cheng Shi explained that the God Creation Plan had already succeeded through Qin Xin, then praised Nangong's courage and acknowledged the kindness she had received from the Fire Keepers.
• Cheng Shi warned Nangong that inheriting the [Decay] Vessel could bring much worse suffering and offered her the chance to withdraw.
• Nangong insisted that she wanted to be useful and would rather bear the pain herself, and Cheng Shi reassured her that she had always been useful.

Nangong told Cheng Shi how her father’s death and her grandfather’s kindness shaped her resolve to help others. Cheng Shi then met the dying [Decay], claimed the identity of [Origin], and watched [Decay] pass away as the old age ended.

• Nangong recounted how her father lost his life after winning at a casino and how her grandfather raised her afterward.
• Nangong explained that a high-rolling gambler helped them, revealed that her father had not cheated, and gave her grandfather money for her schooling.
• Cheng Shi left Nangong alone to grieve and prayed to meet [Decay] before the old age ended.
• Cheng Shi told [Decay] to leave its divine authority and Divine Throne so its will could continue into the new age.
• As [Decay] died, Cheng Shi claimed to be [Origin], and the black blood in the Blood Rot Tomb stopped dripping.

At the [Covenant], Cheng Shi oversaw the succession of new gods as Li Jingming inherited [Memory], Qin Xin claimed [War], Li Wufang received [Order], and Nangong inherited [Decay]. [Birth] realized that [Justice (Order)] had yielded to [Nothingness], leaving the cosmos moving closer to [Nothingness].

• Li Jingming invoked the [Covenant] and inherited [Memory]'s Divine Authority, preserving the succession in the Memory Archive.
• Qin Xin petitioned to succeed [War] and received its divine name and power.
• [Justice (Order)] bypassed the usual procedure and granted Li Wufang [Order], explaining that the succession was already inevitable.
• Cheng Shi mocked [Folly] while disguised as a mortal, convincing the spectators that he was [Deception].
• At Cheng Shi's prompting, [Justice (Order)] granted Nangong [Decay] before she presented her Vessel.
• [Birth] recognized that [Justice (Order)] had yielded to [Nothingness] and believed the cosmos would draw closer to [Nothingness].

After Nangong inherited [Decay] and became a god, Cheng Shi used the new votes to seek the return of [Prosperity]'s voting rights and Divine Authority. The motion passed with unexpected support, and Cheng Shi immediately tried to secure proxy voting rights for [Truth].

• Nangong inherited [Decay]'s Divine Authority and ascended to godhood.
• Cheng Shi requested that [Justice (Order)] restore [Prosperity]'s voting rights and scattered Divine Authority.
• [Death] cast [Time]'s vote by proxy, and [Birth] unexpectedly supported the motion.
• [Justice (Order)] ruled that the votes were valid, and the motion passed, restoring [Prosperity]'s rights and Divine Authority.
• Cheng Shi requested permission to exercise [Truth]'s voting rights by proxy, then asked for [Prosperity] to exercise them; voting began.

Cheng Shi exploited the Covenant Council’s rules to secure more divine votes and authority for his allies, turning the Covenant into a tool for his plans. He began targeting the remaining absent gods and fixed his gaze on the silent [Divine Pillar].

• Cheng Shi secured nine votes and obtained [Truth]'s voting rights for Hong Lin after [Death] hesitated before casting His vote.
• Cheng Shi proposed that [Death] exercise [Annihilation]'s vacant voting rights and Divine Authority, and the motion passed with nine votes.
• Cheng Shi asked for [War] to exercise [Filth and Decay]'s voting rights, but avoided requesting its Divine Authority; the motion passed.
• Cheng Shi proposed voting on behalf of [Folly], prompting [Justice (Order)] to accuse him of treating divine power as a game.
• Cheng Shi mocked [Justice (Order)] and declared that he would take every remaining vote, then turned his attention to the silent [Divine Pillar].

Cheng Shi secured control of the Gods' Covenant Assembly and stripped [Nothingness] of its voting rights, preparing the gods to resist whatever answer [Deception] might bring back. After the other gods departed, [Justice (Order)] revealed that he was about to fall and asked Cheng Shi to become the new Proxy of the [Covenant].

• [Birth] gave her voting rights to [Prosperity] after Cheng Shi promised not to seize her Divine Authority or interfere with her Divine Throne.
• Cheng Shi secured nine votes and proposed revoking [Nothingness]'s voting rights, distributing them among the gods and letting the majority speak for the age.
• The motion passed with nine votes in favor and no opposition, giving Cheng Shi's faction control of the Assembly and limiting [Deception]'s power if he returned.
• Cheng Shi dismissed the departing gods, while [Death], [Silence], and [Birth] each left the Starry Sky.
• Cheng Shi asked [Justice (Order)] why he had helped him, and [Justice (Order)] explained that he was seeking his own release before falling.
• [Justice (Order)] asked Cheng Shi whether he was ready to become the new Proxy of the [Covenant].

Cheng Shi learned that [Justice (Order)] wanted him to replace it as Executor of the [Covenant], then realized the covenant could elevate Predestination into a new “Origin” by granting it authority over Divine Thrones and Divine Authorities. The revelation left him understanding that [Deception] had designed the covenant to make this outcome possible.

• [Justice (Order)] told Cheng Shi that he could replace it as Executor of the [Covenant] and admitted that it was afraid.
• [Justice (Order)] explained how [Deception] had persuaded gods who sought closeness to [Origin] and gods who feared it to sign the [Covenant].
• Cheng Shi realized that [Destiny] was [Deception] and understood how it had manipulated both factions without openly lying.
• Cheng Shi connected the [Covenant]'s power to recognize Divine Thrones and distribute Divine Authorities with [Deception]'s plan to create a new “Origin.”
• Cheng Shi concluded that the [Covenant] could elevate Predestination onto the Creator's Divine Throne, fulfilling the purpose [Deception] had written into it.

Cheng Shi learned that [Justice (Order)] had manipulated the [Covenant] to weaken the [Faith Game] and wanted him to replace its Executor. He suspected the Sea of Desire had doomed the gods who entered it, but [Justice (Order)] stayed silent and urged him to act before the chance vanished.

• [Justice (Order)] explained that [Orderly Fear] had fallen and that they had hijacked the [Covenant]'s rules to suspend the granting of Trials and weaken the [Faith Game].
• [Justice (Order)] told Cheng Shi that he held enough voting rights to challenge them and urged him to become the new Executor of the [Covenant].
• Cheng Shi questioned how [Justice (Order)] had learned about the Universe Truth and concluded that the Sea of Desire might be responsible.
• Cheng Shi suspected that every god who entered the Sea of Desire had been corrupted and ultimately faced death, and he feared [Deception] would meet the same fate.
• [Justice (Order)] warned Cheng Shi that the [Covenant] would choose another Executor if they fell before he replaced them, then urged him to begin immediately.

Cheng Shi accepted the role of the [Covenant]'s Executor after [Death] challenged [Justice (Order)] to a new vote. After the gods unanimously chose Cheng Shi and [Justice (Order)] vanished, Cheng Shi began pushing amendments to give the Executor more rights and freedom.

• Cheng Shi accepted that becoming the [Covenant]'s Executor was necessary, then asked [Death] to challenge [Justice (Order)] so he could test the god's reaction.
• [Death] challenged [Justice (Order)] and told the gods that a mortal could serve as Executor, prompting the Covenant Council to reconvene and vote.
• [Justice (Order)] asked the gods to vote for the new order, and the gods unanimously chose Cheng Shi, including [Folly].
• The Radiant Balance shattered as [Justice (Order)] reached its end, and the [Covenant]'s power descended upon Cheng Shi, making him its new Executor.
• Cheng Shi proposed amendments to grant the Executor voting and motion rights, reduce penalties, permit travel, and allow temporary emergency authority.

After the gods’ covenant assembly, Cheng Shi sought [Folly] to understand his vote, but Wei Mu revealed that [Folly] had destroyed himself and that Wei Mu was the god’s hidden Divine Authority. Wei Mu explained how [Folly] had used him to reveal a path forward without tainting Predestination, though [Folly] still believed the cosmos had no answer.

• [Death] and [Silence] left after the gods revised the [Covenant], and Cheng Shi departed to find [Folly].
• Cheng Shi found Wei Mu where [Folly] had been and learned that [Folly] had destroyed himself beneath that spot.
• Wei Mu explained that [Folly] had cast his vote for himself as an excuse to die rather than accept being driven from the Divine Throne.
• Wei Mu revealed that he was [Folly]'s hidden Divine Authority, shaped into a person and unaware of his true identity.
• Wei Mu said [Folly] had revealed the world's future through him to keep Predestination free of [Folly]'s will, while [Deception] had worked out the path forward over time.

Cheng Shi confided in Wei Mu that he had planned an experiment to simulate the world and let another version of himself search for a path forward. His observations of the True Universe made him realize that he might be acting like the merciless Creator he feared, leaving him overwhelmed by terror.

• Cheng Shi sealed off the starry void so the Cosmos could not hear his confession to Wei Mu.
• Cheng Shi explained that he had planned to use the [Truth Ritual], the Dragon King's memories, and his friends' help to reconstruct the world as an experiment.
• Cheng Shi intended to repeatedly awaken the experimental version of himself and watch him explore possible futures.
• Cheng Shi recalled seeing the Creator destroy another world and wondered why the Creator kept making experiments.
• Cheng Shi realized that his own plan treated the Cheng Shi inside the experiment with the same indifference and impatience, and he was seized by terror.

Cheng Shi realized that his experiments mirrored the creation of Predestination and feared that he was the original [Origin], responsible for the cosmos's suffering. Wei Mu steadied him before relinquishing [Folly]'s Divine Authority, leaving Cheng Shi resolved to face what lay ahead.

• Cheng Shi concluded that his experimental methods resembled [Origin]'s actions and wondered whether Predestination had always been [Origin].
• Cheng Shi blamed himself for the deaths caused by his experiments and feared how [Deception], the Fear Faction, and his allies would judge him.
• Wei Mu encouraged Cheng Shi by explaining that his identity as [Folly]'s Divine Authority did not erase his own choices and urging him to act with courage.
• Wei Mu reminded Cheng Shi that [Deception] had protected him but had not been kind to himself, prompting Cheng Shi to wonder what answer [Deception] sought in the True Universe.
• Cheng Shi regained his resolve and apologized to Wei Mu, who closed his eyes as [Folly]'s Divine Authority left Puppet and returned to Cheng Shi.

After Wei Mu left, Cheng Shi realized that the [Deception] he had encountered might not have been his Lord of Grace and stopped deceiving himself about being protected. He resolved to uncover [Deception]'s plans and the experiment's answer, beginning by summoning [Time].

• Wei Mu's words led Cheng Shi to realize that the [Deception] he had seen in the True Universe might have belonged to another world or point in time.
• Cheng Shi accepted that he had been deceived again, wiped away his tears, and vowed to protect the world himself.
• Cheng Shi used his Mask and Dice to consider why [Origin] would repeat the experiment despite knowing the suffering it caused.
• Cheng Shi identified mysteries surrounding [Deception], [Filth and Decay], Hope's Flame, the Fear Faction, and [Time] as possible clues.
• Cheng Shi decided to summon [Time] and seek his first clue there.