Recaps

After Old Zhou defeated Nicholas, both sides recovered and prepared their next contestants, the mountaineer and Snowy Owl, for the second duel. The match began in an arena transformed into a maze of rising stone walls.

• Old Zhou returned to the Freedom Alliance seats, where his allies praised his victory and discussed the dangers his new title and used skill posed for his next Instance.
• Nicholas recovered with Loquat Candy's treatment, learned the supplies cost 5,600 points, and was told to submit a reimbursement report.
• The Grandmaster encouraged Nicholas to treat the fight as a lesson and gave Snowy Owl a blackwood sword to replace her inferior temporary weapon.
• Snowy Owl and the mountaineer entered the arena, and Earl of Flames started their duel.
• The arena shook as stone blocks rose into narrow, twisting passages, forming a maze.

Snowy Owl attacked the Mountaineer with the Soul Severing Blade, but the Mountaineer’s golden body endured the wounds without bleeding. The Mountaineer explained that most physical attacks could not affect her and urged Snowy Owl to surrender.

• Snowy Owl chose a cautious route through the arena and then rushed the Mountaineer with a rapid sword strike.
• Snowy Owl cut deeply into the Mountaineer’s neck, but the wound revealed a golden interior and the Mountaineer stayed upright.
• The Mountaineer pulled the blade from her neck and chest as Snowy Owl struck her heart, revealing another golden wound.
• Snowy Owl backed away and asked why the Mountaineer was not fighting back.
• The Mountaineer said most physical attacks were ineffective against her and suggested Snowy Owl surrender.

Snowy Owl and the mountaineer faced off as spectators debated the mountaineer's strange resistance to slashing attacks. Snowy Owl refused to surrender and the mountaineer began testing her defenses, leaving Snowy Owl tripped and sprawled across the narrow path.

• The mountaineer sincerely advised Snowy Owl to surrender her blade, but most spectators took her words as mockery.
• Lin Yu asked Grandmaster how the mountaineer could ignore slashing attacks, and Grandmaster suggested severing her or knocking her off the arena.
• Bifang said the Order and Night Watcher should use the match to investigate the mountaineer's abilities and Items, even if they lost.
• Snowy Owl refused to surrender and said she would keep searching for the mountaineer's weakness while defending herself.
• The mountaineer drove a metal Rock Spike into the ground and used a nylon rope to pull Snowy Owl off balance, leaving her sprawled in a split on the narrow path.

Snowy Owl escaped the Mountaineer’s ropes by rapidly scraping away her own flesh and using a restorative Item. Despite her worsening injuries, she realized the principle behind the Mountaineer’s immunity to physical attacks and prepared to exploit it.

• The Mountaineer bound Snowy Owl with Rock Spikes and Safety Ropes, then relied on the arena’s shifting stone paths to send her slab sinking into the mist.
• Snowy Owl escaped by scraping away the flesh caught in the ropes and leapt back to confront the Mountaineer.
• Snowy Owl used a restorative Item to slow her bleeding, while the Mountaineer predicted that her injuries would soon leave her unable to continue.
• Snowy Owl raised the Ebony Blade and explained that the Mountaineer’s body was highly malleable and tough, so her earlier strike had deformed it rather than cut it.

Snowy Owl analyzed the Mountaineer’s [Super Adaptive Malleable Body] and discovered that precise, small cuts could injure her. Although Snowy Owl had found a way through the defense, she was badly wounded herself, and the Mountaineer challenged her to continue as the Freedom Alliance worried she might go berserk.

• Snowy Owl explained that the Mountaineer’s body changed shape when struck, and the Mountaineer confirmed her analysis.
• Snowy Owl reasoned that a sufficiently precise, small cut could exceed the Mountaineer’s local toughness and shaved flesh from her fingertip.
• The spectators and Grandmaster praised Snowy Owl’s insight, while Li Hua warned that she remained at a disadvantage because she had badly injured her own hands and feet.
• Xiao Yun declared that she wanted to collect the Mountaineer as a corpse, while Old Zhou warned that the Mountaineer’s advantage depended on her not going berserk.
• The Mountaineer tasted the blood from her finger and challenged Snowy Owl to prove her method and see who would fall first.

Snowy Owl fought the mountaineer at close range, but lost consciousness from blood loss before she could defeat her. The mountaineer revived her with a potion and gave her Lian Shan Zhu, asking her to unleash her strongest attack so they could continue the duel.

• Snowy Owl used her Flow State to attack the mountaineer rapidly, striking her with dozens of small wounds while her own blood loss worsened.
• The mountaineer endured the pain and judged that Snowy Owl would collapse first, then stepped forward and caught her as she lost consciousness.
• Bifang and Grandmaster praised the fight, and Grandmaster asked Loquat Candy to treat Snowy Owl at his expense.
• The mountaineer healed herself with a potion, then poured some into Snowy Owl to revive her.
• The mountaineer returned Lian Shan Zhu to Snowy Owl and urged her to use her strongest technique against the mountaineer’s defenses.

The Mountaineer recovered from her brutal fight while God of Cookery prepared to face Robin. After Snowy Owl won, Bifang criticized her performance, and Robin quietly arrived in the Audience Seats before her match.

• Xiao Yun stitched the Mountaineer's wound, and the Mountaineer admitted she had trusted her allies to win the overall contest.
• The Mountaineer wished God of Cookery luck and accepted the soup he had prepared for her.
• Bifang scolded Snowy Owl for relying on her opponent's mercy and failing to adapt, while Tycoon and Grandmaster defended her victory and praised her final strike.
• Snowy Owl learned that Robin had arrived unnoticed and was about to compete.
• Bifang told Robin to prioritize staying safe after Snowy Owl's win.

Zhigeng and the God of Cookery agreed to replace their fight with a timed cooking contest governed by rules favoring Zhigeng. The match began with the God of Cookery needing to prepare three dishes and earn her sincere approval.

• The God of Cookery proposed a battle of wits to avoid injuries, and Earl confirmed he could notarize fair temporary rules.
• The God of Cookery suggested competing through cooking and painting, with Zhigeng allowed to disrupt him and draw ingredients he would have to use.
• Earl’s scales showed that the proposed rules favored Zhigeng, and the God of Cookery agreed to accept her judgment of his dishes.
• Zhigeng accepted the contest and answered the God of Cookery’s questions about her home, residence, and dietary restrictions.
• Earl announced the finalized rules and started the fifteen-minute timer.

The God of Cookery revealed his multi-part Exclusive item, Hell’s Kitchen, and began preparing three dishes while explaining his cooking process. Robin attacked with a growing barrage of drawn geometric shapes, leaving the duel poised to escalate between two highly skilled geniuses.

• The God of Cookery summoned Hell’s Kitchen, and the spectators recognized that its functions could help him withstand Robin’s interference.
• Lin Yu recorded the God of Cookery and his Exclusive item, intending to show the footage to Hannah later.
• The God of Cookery began preparing stir-fried beef with chili peppers and used an acceleration function to marinate the meat quickly.
• Robin sent a triangular pyramid crashing toward the God of Cookery, who blocked it with an enlarged wok.
• The spectators noticed Robin’s growing pile of drawn shapes and realized she was launching them into the air with motion lines.
• Bifang praised Robin’s drawing skill as geometric shapes began falling toward the God of Cookery like a meteor shower.

Robin continued attacking the God of Cookery while he coordinated a team of lobster chefs to prepare dishes from Hell's Kitchen. She rejected their stir-fried beef with chilies as inferior to her grandmother's version, and the God of Cookery accepted defeat before starting a second dish.

• Robin's falling geometric shapes forced the God of Cookery to support the enormous pot, but he directed a sous chef and six lobster clones to cook while pinned beneath it.
• Lin Yu explained that the lobster team might sacrifice flavor because they lacked the God of Cookery's direct judgment and touch.
• A lobster served Robin stir-fried beef with chilies, which she ate while continuing to draw.
• Robin said the dish was not as delicious as her grandmother's and explained that her grandmother added vinegar to balance the spiciness.
• The God of Cookery accepted his defeat and ordered the lobsters to prepare flavorful eggplant as a second dish.

The God of Cookery prepared a third dish with rare ingredients while Good Night kept drawing rather than exploiting the rules. As his final cooking attempt began, Fluoxetine pointed out that the dish still had to be completed, and Good Night turned to a new page.

• The onlookers discussed Good Night’s refusal to use her drawings to sabotage the God of Cookery, and Bifang said she simply drew what she wanted.
• Good Night ate the second dish, Flavorful Eggplant, and said it was too tough and oily.
• The God of Cookery shielded Hell’s Kitchen from Good Night’s attacks and began preparing his final dish with special ingredients from the Ten Realms.
• Mosin-Nagant and Kres debated whether the God of Cookery’s dish could secure his victory, until Fluoxetine said it first had to be completed.
• Fluoxetine noticed that Good Night had turned her sketchbook to a new page.

God of Cookery prepared his finest dish for Robin, but she used a drawing to mislead him into falling from the stone path. Robin ate the damaged, cold dish, and Earl declared her the winner.

• Wang Yuyang told the Freedom Alliance about a dessert God of Cookery once made, and they hoped he would cook for them afterward.
• God of Cookery finished a dish called “The Lonely Artist” and pushed it toward Robin on a serving cart.
• God of Cookery realized Robin had drawn the scenery and stone path around him, but the path vanished before he could escape.
• God of Cookery pushed the cart onto the real path as he fell into the mist and lost consciousness.
• Robin ate the damaged, cold dish, and Earl announced that she had won.

After Robin won her match, Fluoxetine explained that Robin’s strength had made the result nearly certain, despite her hesitant approach to creating a true work. Lin Yu prepared for the fourth match, weighing whether he wanted Order or the Freedom Alliance to win, then entered the arena to face the Designer as the Director.

• Mosin-Nagant and Kres discussed Robin’s victory before Fluoxetine argued that Robin’s much higher rank had made her the stronger contestant.
• Fluoxetine estimated Robin’s ranking at thirty-sixth and said her obsession with painting had made her performance worse than it could have been.
• Robin thanked Lin Yu for helping her grow stronger, and Lin Yu said her win had eased the pressure on him.
• Lin Yu considered whether it would benefit him more to let the Freedom Alliance advance toward Tier 4 or let Order keep the two [Items].
• Lin Yu messaged Shen Bingmiao, entered the arena, and heard Earl announce the fourth match between the Designer and the Director.

Before the Gambling Duel, Lin Yu had Shen Bingmiao remove his “May May” Social Panel, and he entered the Ground of No Return under the codename “Director.” His allies and rivals reacted to the reveal as he faced Wang Yuyang, while Fluoxetine publicly cheered him on.

• Lin Yu entered the arena as “Director,” and the audience questioned why his codename was not “May May.”
• Li Hua, Tycoon, and Grandmaster vouched for Lin Yu, easing Order’s suspicions, while Grandmaster revealed Lin Yu had reached Tier 2 in less than three months.
• Li Nian told the Freedom Alliance that Lin Yu was also the “Soldier” she had assessed, and the group worried about Wang Yuyang’s chances against Order’s supernova.
• Fluoxetine praised her earlier judgment of Lin Yu to the Psychology Society, and Pan Yuqiang said she believed in Yu Yang.
• Lin Yu exchanged a glance with Fluoxetine before turning toward Wang Yuyang, and Fluoxetine shouted, “Come on, Dear Senior,” startling the audience.

Lin Yu and Wang Yuyang discussed their ties to the Psychology Society and the Freedom Alliance before agreeing to fight seriously. Lin Yu revealed that his Unique Profession was Film Emperor, and the chapter ended as the audience’s belief surged toward him.

• Lin Yu and Wang Yuyang met near the arena’s center and discussed their connections to the Psychology Society, including Wang Yuyang’s girlfriend, Pan Yuqiang.
• Wang Yuyang said he would fight Lin Yu to win, explaining that the Freedom Alliance valued enjoying the Gambling Duel more than its result.
• Lin Yu offered to explain his Unique Profession, noting that Pan Yuqiang had told him about Wang Yuyang’s abilities after meeting him in an Instance.
• Lin Yu revealed his Film Emperor profession, which let him draw scripts, play roles, and borrow their abilities; he had completed four roles so far.
• Wang Yuyang recognized that Lin Yu’s profession combined growth with multiple abilities, and Lin Yu felt belief surging toward him from the audience.

Lin Yu’s long-planned deception convinced the assembled experts that he possessed the Unique Profession Film Emperor, and their belief granted him the profession along with several others and their basic skills. With his false identity now established as fact, he prepared to test his new abilities against Wang Yuyang.

• Lin Yu gained the Unique Profession Film Emperor and the professions Soldier, Doctor, Hunter, and Musician, along with their basic knowledge and skills.
• Lin Yu realized his carefully staged appearances and planted clues had led experts from multiple organizations to believe his story about being codenamed Director.
• Diviner, Wundt, Grandmaster, Tycoon, Fluoxetine, Bifang, Comedian, and Gambler contributed especially strong belief, making Lin Yu’s claimed identity a fact in their eyes.
• Lin Yu drew a bow and arrows and challenged Wang Yuyang, saying it was time to begin and test Film Emperor’s power.

Lin Yu and Wang Yuyang exchanged ranged attacks before Lin Yu used shadows, mist, and a chain reversal to draw Wang Yuyang into close combat. Lin Yu revealed that his apparent weakness at range had been a feint and struck at Wang Yuyang’s heart with the [Targeting Dagger].

• Lin Yu fired arrows with Burning and Explosive effects, but Wang Yuyang deflected them with a projected greatsword and dodged the explosion.
• Wang Yuyang rushed toward Lin Yu, who vanished into the shadows with [Shady Corner] and moved away across the Arena.
• Wang Yuyang released six flying metal spheres that detected Lin Yu, who fired from concealment and spread Water Mist across the field.
• Wang Yuyang tracked Lin Yu through the mist and ensnared him with an iron chain, but Lin Yu’s strength pulled Wang Yuyang to the ground.
• Lin Yu explained that he had misled Wang Yuyang about his ranged combat and drew the [Targeting Dagger] before lunging at Wang Yuyang’s heart.

Lin Yu initially gained the advantage over Wang Yuyang, but Wang Yuyang summoned crimson mecha armor and revealed that it was only a way to buy time. The chapter ended as Wang Yuyang swallowed an [Inspiration Mushroom], activating his true trump card.

• Lin Yu emerged from the Water Mist after stabbing Wang Yuyang in the abdomen, then pressed his attack with his [Saber-toothed Bone Twin Blades].
• Wang Yuyang removed the dagger, projected a membrane over his wound, and asked Pan Yuqiang for permission to use a state he normally avoided.
• Wang Yuyang summoned crimson scale armor while using six floating metal spheres to interrupt Lin Yu's attack.
• Wang Yuyang's completed armor repelled Lin Yu's blades and blasted him backward, but Lin Yu insisted the duel was not over.
• Wang Yuyang explained that the armor had only bought him time, then swallowed an [Inspiration Mushroom] to activate his real trump card.

Wang Yuyang used the [Inspiration Mushroom] to enhance his abilities and drove Lin Yu toward a tornado, then hurled him into it and sent in a swarm of self-destructing mechanical bees. Lin Yu stayed calm inside the hurricane and used the [Mind-Reading Mirror] and his Mental Power to track Wang Yuyang, while an unseen danger began destroying the bees.

• Wang Yuyang swallowed the [Inspiration Mushroom], which sent a flood of strange ideas through his mind and let him quickly project a Light Sword.
• Wang Yuyang matched Lin Yu in strength and speed, then pushed him toward the largest tornado while their weapons clashed.
• Wang Yuyang locked magnetic Rings around Lin Yu's wrists, flung him into the tornado, and sent swarms of [Self-Destructing Bee Swarm] machines after him.
• Wang Yuyang realized the bees were rapidly disappearing without finding Lin Yu, while Lin Yu hid in the tornado and used the [Mind-Reading Mirror] to locate Wang Yuyang.

Lin Yu trapped Wang Yuyang inside a tornado and turned it into a water-filled weapon that threatened to damage his armor. Wang Yuyang adapted by redesigning his armor mid-battle and rose into the storm in a dragon-like form.

• Lin Yu anticipated Wang Yuyang would enter the tornado and used tiny droplets of water to disable his Mechanical Constructs and cut off his connection with the bee swarm.
• Wang Yuyang entered the tornado in his stable battle armor and asked Lin Yu how he had disrupted the swarm.
• Lin Yu explained that water had caused rust, short circuits, and power failures in Wang Yuyang's intricate machinery.
• Lin Yu activated Rain Prayer, transforming the tornado into a torrent that scraped Wang Yuyang's armor and seeped beneath its scales.
• Wang Yuyang praised Lin Yu's strategy but refused to surrender, then altered his armor with wings and thrusters and flew upward into the storm.

Wang Yuyang and Lin Yu fought fiercely inside the Water Tornado, trading fire and water attacks while the audience watched. The Diviner suspected Lin Yu was holding back and concluded that he might not be fully aligned with Order.

• Wang Yuyang used his boosters to reach Lin Yu, but Lin Yu manipulated the water currents to evade him.
• Wang Yuyang formed cannons on his forearms and attacked Lin Yu with flames, while Lin Yu blocked and pushed back with a wall of water.
• The audience discussed the fighters’ strength and the advantages of their Unique Professions, while Li Hua explained why he had given Lin Yu the Water Prayer Necklace.
• A'yu and Neptune argued about their professions before the Diviner told them to stop bickering and watch the fight.
• The Diviner sensed that Lin Yu was holding back and said his intuition suggested Lin Yu was not completely on Order’s side.

Lin Yu decided to defeat Wang Yuyang, judging that a Freedom Alliance victory would create useful trouble for Order, and launched a risky aerial maneuver to bring the fight to the ground. After healing most of his shoulder wound, he faced Wang Yuyang again as they charged at each other.

• Lin Yu assessed Wang Yuyang’s stamina and chose to win for the Freedom Alliance, believing that Order would face pressure if it gained the treasure.
• Lin Yu and Wang Yuyang collided in midair, and Wang Yuyang’s Light Sword pierced Lin Yu’s shoulder while Lin Yu’s dagger wounded him.
• Lin Yu released a torrent of water that drove both fighters out of the tornado and slammed them into the ground, where Lin Yu used his position and strength to overpower Wang Yuyang.
• Wang Yuyang accused Lin Yu of injuring himself more badly, but Lin Yu activated his Doctor ability and healed most of his shoulder wound.
• Wang Yuyang restored his armor and charged again, and Lin Yu rushed to meet him.

Lin Yu used the Musician’s ability to distract Wang Yuyang with Pan Yuqiang’s voice, creating an opening in their Arena fight. As water flowed into a syringe inserted into Wang Yuyang’s existing wound, the outcome of Lin Yu’s trap remained unresolved.

• Wang Yuyang pressed Lin Yu with repeated attacks, keeping him on the defensive.
• The Audience Seats’ experts realized Lin Yu was buying time and that Wang Yuyang’s focus was making him increasingly vulnerable.
• Lin Yu stepped back to the Arena’s center and gathered the last trickle of water into a vortex.
• Lin Yu used the Musician’s ability to imitate Pan Yuqiang’s voice, making Wang Yuyang turn away from the fight.
• Lin Yu inserted a syringe into Wang Yuyang’s wound and sent streams of water through it.

Lin Yu defeated Wang Yuyang by poisoning and weakening him, then exploiting his distraction to use the Doctor's syringe. After Order celebrated Lin Yu's victory, the Diviner invited him to join the Marauders.

• Lin Yu explained that his Qimo Profession Item could transform into the Profession Item for an identity he possessed, while secretly collecting the audience's belief.
• Lin Yu revealed that he had poisoned Wang Yuyang with neurotoxin carried in the water mist and had worsened its effects with the Doctor's syringe.
• Wang Yuyang accepted that Lin Yu had outmaneuvered him, joked with Lin Yu about using his lover's voice to distract him, and then passed out from the poison.
• Earl counted down as Order celebrated Lin Yu's victory, which meant the Freedom Alliance would receive none of the Nine Treasures.
• The Grandmaster and Tycoon defended Lin Yu's loyalty to Order, and the Diviner publicly invited him to join the Marauders.

After winning his match, Lin Yu rejected the Diviner’s recruitment with a public insult, recognizing that the offer was meant to make Order doubt his loyalty. The Diviner accepted the rejection and cast a new hexagram, which suggested that he had killed Lin Yu’s closest relative.

• Earl declared Director the winner after Designer remained unconscious for more than ten seconds.
• The Diviner publicly invited Lin Yu to join the Marauders and suggested Lin Yu’s motives for joining Order were impure.
• Lin Yu rejected the Diviner with an obscene gesture and left the arena, privately concluding that the recruitment was meant to sow suspicion within Order.
• The Diviner told A'yu that he wanted to drive a wedge between Lin Yu and Order, and that he might recruit Lin Yu sincerely if Order expelled him.
• The Diviner cast a hexagram about his connection with Lin Yu and learned that he had killed Lin Yu’s closest relative.