Chapter Summaries

Lin Yu questioned the plainly dressed Marauders member about his motives and identity while weighing whether to cooperate over the Sea God's Divine Artifact. The man revealed that he was Ling Xian, one of the Marauders’ Yanjing deputy branch heads, but Lin Yu doubted him because he believed Ling Xian was male; the man insisted that he was.

• The plainly dressed girl proposed that Lin Yu cooperate with the Marauders in return for the Celestial King’s protection and a share of other benefits.
• Lin Yu challenged her claims of wanting to cooperate, pointing out that she had secretly followed him and planned to ambush him.
• She explained that she lacked head-on combat strength and said Lin Yu’s victory over A Yin made him a dangerous opponent.
• The plainly dressed person identified himself as Ling Xian, a Marauders Yanjing deputy branch head, but Lin Yu objected that Ling Xian was a man.
• Ling Xian insisted that he was male despite his feminine appearance, and Lin Yu declined his offer to prove it.

Lin Yu rejected Ling Xian’s offer to join the Marauders and confronted him over Dionysus. He left Ling Xian disarmed and at blade-point after using seawater and Narrative Trick, while their exchange turned to Lin Yu’s connection with the Director.

• Ling Xian offered Lin Yu an honorary position in the Marauders and asked him to hand over Dionysus, but Lin Yu insulted the organization and refused.
• When Lin Yu challenged Ling Xian’s claim to be weak in combat, Ling Xian revealed a powerful talisman made by the Diviner.
• Lin Yu feinted a direct attack, used the Water Prayer Necklace and Narrative Trick to disable Ling Xian’s hand, then held him at blade-point.
• Ling Xian recognized the necklace and deduced that the Director had lent or given it to Lin Yu.
• Ling Xian joked about Lin Yu’s relationship with the Director, and Lin Yu denied that they were a couple.

Lin Yu negotiated with Ling Xian to take Yin Lan away in exchange for a future favor, then returned to Chen Le and waited for Order's reinforcements to arrive. Four Order elites appeared, including Swordsman, Knight, and the familiar Director.

• Lin Yu revealed that he wanted to rescue Yin Lan, who was Dionysus, and offered Ling Xian a favor in exchange for letting him take her away.
• Lin Yu deduced that Ling Xian was nearly impossible to kill, and Ling Xian agreed to the deal as an investment.
• Lin Yu carried Yin Lan back to Chen Le, who had finished preparing while Lin Yu kept him from interfering with Ling Xian.
• Lin Yu and Chen Le stayed near the fighting and waited for Order's reinforcements before leaving.
• Four Order figures arrived at the Banquet Hall entrance: Swordsman, Knight, an unknown person, and Director.

Lin Yu and Chen Le left the battle after Order reinforcements arrived, then entered the undefended Museum to retrieve three of the Nine Treasures. Chen Le used his [Super Fishing Rod] to bring Sea Eye Venerable to them, and Lin Yu learned that thousands of siren nobles wanted him dead.

• Lin Yu and Chen Le left Yin Lan with Knight after Order reinforcements reached the battle.
• Lin Yu and Chen Le entered the Museum with Hannah and decided to follow their plan rather than simply take the three treasures.
• Chen Le used the [Super Fishing Rod] to reel in Sea Eye Venerable from the Pure Ruins.
• Sea Eye Venerable told Lin Yu that many people wanted him dead, including more than five digits' worth of siren nobles.

Lin Yu brought Sea Eye Venerable and his Sea Demon troops into the Middle Sea to create cover for a planned heist at the Museum. He revealed a supposedly empty Sealed Stone Box contained a Sea God Divine Artifact, and Chen Le fired at it to expose the artifact’s aura and draw their enemies in.

• Lin Yu arranged with Sea Eye Venerable to bring his troops through a temporary teleportation gate, and Sea Eye Venerable agreed to help create a diversion in exchange for the promised returns.
• Sea Eye Venerable opened the portal, and more than a hundred Sea Demons marched into the Museum.
• Lin Yu explained to Chen Le that the Sea Demons were only the first wave and showed him the Sealed Stone Box that would draw the Celestial King and Order to the Museum.
• Lin Yu revealed that the box concealed a Sea God Divine Artifact behind a second seal and instructed Chen Le to strike it as if it were an ordinary Tier 3 opponent.
• Chen Le took out his [Auxiliary Landing Net Tool], a four-chamber revolver, and fired at the Sealed Stone Box.

Lin Yu and Chen Le staged the Sealed Stone Box as a Divine Artifact to draw their enemies away while Li Nian secretly stole the Nine Treasures and other exhibits. After Lin Yu scolded Li Nian for joining them, a woman in a long dress broke into the Museum and demanded the supposed artifact.

• Chen Le shot the Sealed Stone Box, and Lin Yu used the resulting energy turbulence to make it seem as though a Divine Artifact was inside.
• Chen Le revealed that he had brought Li Nian over, and she reported stealing the Nine Treasures and fifteen other exhibits.
• Lin Yu reprimanded Li Nian and Chen Le for bringing a Tier 2 thief into the dangerous situation, then accepted that Li Nian had meant to help.
• Lin Yu said they should collect sea beast blood, but a woman in a long dress smashed through the Museum ceiling and demanded the supposed Divine Artifact.

Lin Yu and the Freedom Alliance tricked Celestial King and Swordsman into taking the blame for the Museum’s stolen exhibits while escaping with the Sealed Stone Box’s other treasures and Ka’s blood. The three left Octopus’s territory aboard the Sea Moth and set course for the Outer Sea to seek more of the Nether Void Realm’s Nine Treasures.

• Lin Yu rejected Chen Le and Li Nian’s plan to fight Celestial King, then kicked the Sealed Stone Box toward her.
• Swordsman arrived to challenge Celestial King, and the two fought until Ka’s double emerged and attacked everyone in the Museum.
• Disguised as Ling Xian and Director, Lin Yu’s allies fled with stolen exhibits, prompting Celestial King and Swordsman to stop Ka and let them escape.
• Celestial King and Swordsman realized the Freedom Alliance had stolen the exhibits and framed them, while Lin Yu, Chen Le, and Li Nian escaped aboard the Sea Moth with treasures and Ka’s blood.
• Lin Yu steered toward the Outer Sea, where Chen Le hoped they could collect most of the remaining Nine Treasures.

After crossing the Storm Wall into the Outer Sea, Lin Yu, Chen Le, and Li Nian discussed how to locate the remaining Nine Treasures. Li Nian recognized a device connected to the treasures and proposed seeking it out, since restoring it could reveal the treasures’ locations and grant them ancient knowledge.

• The Sea Moth crossed the Storm Wall into the Outer Sea, leaving the group relieved that their pursuers could not follow for now.
• Lin Yu suggested asking sea-monster appraisers and collectors for clues about the remaining treasures, while Chen Le unsuccessfully urged Li Nian to use her Master Thief abilities to find them.
• Chen Le explained that [Naga's Guidance] could point toward the other treasures, but warned that taking it from Li Hua would be dangerous; Li Nian agreed it was best to leave it for last.
• As Li Nian spun the snake-shaped dagger, she recognized its design from a machine in a Lost Kingdom ruin of Mu Continent near the Siren and Merfolk border.
• Chen Le explained that reactivating the device could reveal the locations of the other devices and treasures, and Li Nian added that restoring it could provide ancient knowledge.

Lin Yu learned that Li Nian had entered the Azure Sea Sky Dome using Limit Breaking Jade, and he offered his reusable kitchen knife as another way through. Meanwhile, Celestial King completed a Destruction Forbidden Spell while she, the Swordsman, and Ka prepared for one final strike.

• Lin Yu agreed to investigate the ruin beneath the Azure Sea Sky Dome and asked Li Nian how she had crossed the barrier.
• Li Nian explained that the Azure Sea Sky Dome used the Death game's rules and that Limit Breaking Jade could break through it.
• Lin Yu reflected on the Lost Kingdom's power and its mysterious downfall, then revealed that his kitchen knife could serve as reusable Limit Breaking Jade.
• The Sea Moth set off toward the ruin as Celestial King, the Swordsman, and Ka reached the brink of exhaustion in their battle at the Museum.
• Celestial King finished casting a Destruction Forbidden Spell and announced, "Ten thousand stars burn to nothing, vile flames fall from heaven!"

Celestial King used her forbidden spell to drive Octopus Ka to move his community away, then claimed the Sealed Stone Box and faced Swordsman. As her fireballs closed in, Swordsman activated his Heart Domain, Dao, and achieved enlightenment.

• Celestial King’s fire rain scorched the sea, forcing Octopus Ka to awaken his enormous third body beneath the community.
• Octopus Ka launched his third body and the settlement away from the forbidden spell’s path, leaving Celestial King to take the Sealed Stone Box.
• Swordsman stayed behind after the Chosen of God withdrew and challenged Celestial King.
• Celestial King redirected the falling fireballs toward Swordsman, who activated his Heart Domain as the flames reached him.
• Swordsman’s Heart Domain, Dao, gave him a chance to comprehend a move in a desperate situation, and he achieved enlightenment.

Swordsman and Celestial King unleashed a catastrophic clash that left both Tier 4s unable to fight, shifting the battle to their allies. Xiao Nian attacked Ling Xian, whose rapid regeneration kept him alive, and demanded that he reveal his backup plan after she apparently killed him.

• Swordsman redirected Celestial King’s Forbidden Spell out of her control, and its explosion left both of them gravely wounded and unable to fight.
• Celestial King told Swordsman that Ling Xian would find his own help, while the returning Players from both sides rushed to the crater.
• Knight took Swordsman to Director for care as Xiao Nian, Dionysus, Yin Lan, and Knight prepared to face Ling Xian.
• Xiao Nian shot Ling Xian with arrows, then kicked his neck and stabbed him near the heart, but his wounds rapidly healed after the arrow attack.
• Xiao Nian stepped on Ling Xian’s chest and demanded that he reveal the backup plan he had prepared.

Ling Xian revealed that Liu had arrived as his reinforcement, and Liu used her overwhelming power to seize Xiao Nian and defeat Knight. Xiao Nian crushed a Blood Crystal and activated Great Wilderness alchemy, preparing to break free of Liu's gravity.

• Ling Xian revealed that his apparent death had been a ruse and that Liu was already there.
• Liu arrived and used her powers to lift Xiao Nian and send Knight crashing into the seabed.
• Liu told Xiao Nian she had accepted Ling Xian's commission and intended to complete it, even if that meant opposing Order.
• Xiao Nian admitted she had been stalling, crushed a Blood Crystal, and activated Great Wilderness alchemy to resist the crushing gravity.

Xiao Nian fought Liu with the many modifications of her [Theseus's Self], while Yin Lan remained trapped and claimed she was buying time. Liu discovered that Director, a Tier 2 she had dismissed as harmless, was standing and using an unfamiliar [Professional Item].

• Xiao Nian activated her alchemical enhancements, broke free of Liu's Psychokinesis, and attacked her with an Alchemy Blade.
• Liu stopped Xiao Nian with her power, but Xiao Nian sacrificed a hand and foot to escape and rebuilt them from her alchemical blade before attacking again.
• Liu crushed Xiao Nian under immense gravity, broke her weapon, and revealed Yin Lan imprisoned inside a sphere of water.
• Liu said Yin Lan was too impaired to threaten her, but Yin Lan insisted she was buying time too.
• Liu checked the unconscious fighters and then noticed Director standing despite the gravity and recovering from a mental attack.
• Director lowered his gun, produced [Guest Appearance Invitation], and explained that his Film Emperor ability could invite someone he knew to join him.

Lin Yu used hypnosis and the [Guest Appearance Invitation] to take control of Paper Kite’s Director disguise and summon the God of Banquets’ Chosen, Ka, to face Liu. The banquet began as Ka offered Liu a drink, while the opposing fighters doubted he could turn the battle around.

• Lin Yu used implanted memories and hypnosis to control Paper Kite’s body as the Director and wield the [Guest Appearance Invitation].
• Lin Yu invited the God of Banquets to join the battle, and the god sent his Head Chef, Ka, in his place.
• Yin Lan, the Celestial King, and Ling Xian questioned whether Ka could defeat Liu, while Liu recognized Ka’s divine descent and prepared her exclusive item and Heart Domain.
• Liu promised Ling Xian a refund or extra jobs if she failed, then Ka offered her wine as music and light filled the seawater.

Lin Yu entered the Azure Sea Sky Dome with Li Nian, Chen Le, and Hannah, where they found a city that seemed full of life despite being an ancient ruin. They discovered its residents were soulless puppets controlled by mysterious energy threads, whose source remained unknown.

• Lin Yu explained his apparent absence by saying he had been preparing Items that required feeding them soul.
• Li Nian told Lin Yu and Chen Le that they had reached the ruins of Mu Continent, where an enormous city appeared to remain active beneath a transparent dome.
• Lin Yu used the Limit Breaking Jade Cleaver to cut an opening through the Azure Sea Sky Dome, and the group entered the ruins.
• Lin Yu and Chen Le saw pedestrians, vehicles, and flourishing plants, but sensed that none had souls, mental fluctuations, or life force.
• Li Nian explained that the inhabitants were string puppets and pointed out energy threads linking them to the air above the city.
• Lin Yu asked who controlled the puppets, but Li Nian said she had been unable to find out.

Li Nian explained what she had learned about the puppets in the ruined city, and she led Lin Yu and Chen Le toward the central palace where the device they sought was located. The palace stood out from the futuristic city around it, and Li Nian revealed that it was empty of puppets but still contained running devices.

• Li Nian said the puppets ignored outsiders, followed routines, and pretended to eat food from empty cupboards and tanks.
• Lin Yu suggested that the God of Banquets might prevent the puppets' creator from producing food, and Chen Le proposed ignoring the harmless puppets to save time.
• Li Nian said the device was inside a grand palace at the city's center and explained that she had lacked time to explore it during her previous survival Instance.
• Lin Yu promised Li Nian more time to search the palace after they located the other Nine Treasures, and Li Nian led the group toward it.
• Lin Yu and Chen Le saw that the palace was built mostly of timber and differed sharply from the surrounding towers.
• Li Nian said no puppets lived in the palace, and Chen Le welcomed the chance to explore its devices without being interrupted.

Lin Yu, Li Nian, and Chen Le approached the palace through a safer route, where Lin Yu encountered a puppet that seemed to acknowledge him. A second puppet secretly handed Lin Yu an SOS note made from paper bearing the name of his old school, leaving him to suspect that he was the one being singled out.

• Li Nian led Lin Yu and Chen Le toward the palace’s back entrance because the front entrance was sealed and forcing it open might trigger a change.
• The three followed the palace wall past human puppets dressed more distinctively than the city’s other residents.
• After a puppet bumped into Lin Yu and apologized, Chen Le tested it, but it behaved like an ordinary puppet when he greeted, touched, and tripped it.
• Lin Yu noticed that another puppet had bumped into him and secretly slipped a crumpled note into his hand.
• Lin Yu read “Don’t draw attention” and “SOS” on the note, recognized its paper as scratch paper from Jiangcheng Experimental Middle School, and hid it without telling Li Nian or Chen Le.

Lin Yu received a mysterious plea from the puppets and weighed whether its sender knew his identity before following Li Nian and Chen Le to the palace’s rear gate. After finding it open, he warned them about the palace’s unusual nature and prepared to divide his attention between the group and Paper Kite.

• Lin Yu examined the note marked “Keep quiet” and “SOS,” suspecting its sender might know he was Lin Yu and had seen through [Mask].
• Lin Yu considered whether the sender had foreseen his arrival or had contacted him by coincidence, but kept the original plan with Li Nian and Chen Le.
• Li Nian led Lin Yu and Chen Le to the palace’s rear gate, where they found the small door open and its padlock hanging loose.
• Li Nian recognized the marks from when she had picked the lock previously and said she had left the door open; Chen Le thought the change was harmless.
• Lin Yu cautioned that the palace might lack the ruined city’s self-repair mechanism, while Li Nian and Chen Le remained confident they could proceed carefully.
• Lin Yu told Li Nian and Chen Le he needed to feed his [Item] and might zone out, and Chen Le said they would wake him by calling his name if needed.

Lin Yu used Ka’s willingness to negotiate and the other experts’ belief to deceive Ka into accepting that the Sealed Stone Box held a fragment of the former Sea God’s Divine Artifact. He made the lie real by conjuring an azure fragment inside the box.

• Liu withdrew with Ling Xian and the incapacitated Celestial King after Ka proved too strong to fight, and Ka let them go.
• Ka recognized Lin Yu as a friendly party of the God of Banquets and negotiated instead of attacking the weakened members of Order.
• Lin Yu offered to help Ka recover the missing museum pieces in exchange for an item, then asked for the Sealed Stone Box.
• Ka said the box was not part of his collection and agreed Lin Yu could take it, believing it to be an empty relic.
• Lin Yu claimed the box contained a fragment of the former Sea God’s Divine Artifact, causing Ka to hesitate and believe the story.
• Lin Yu used the resulting belief to make his lie real, and an azure fragment appeared inside the box.

Lin Yu made the rumored Sea God Divine Artifact real as a fragment of Ocean Authority and considered how to claim it from Paper Kite. Back in Zhu Ming’s body, Lin Yu joined Chen Le and Li Nian inside the Palace and noticed the strange condition of its grounds and storeroom.

• Lin Yu used the belief in the Sea God Divine Artifact to create a fragment connected to Ocean Authority, which remained in Paper Kite’s hands.
• Lin Yu planned to find a way to transfer the fragment and returned his attention to Zhu Ming’s body.
• Zhu Ming woke to find Li Nian supporting her awkwardly as Chen Le and Li Nian escorted her through the Palace grounds.
• Lin Yu warned Chen Le and Li Nian to take the Palace seriously, then scanned the area before they entered the building.
• Li Nian led the group into a storeroom filled with broken furniture and tools, and Lin Yu observed that the objects all contained wood.