Chapter Summaries

Zhan Cheng’s forces captured Chieftain Jin Jun’s Black Tiger Race experts and combatants using the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram, surprise attacks, and Immortal Vines. The remaining experts of the Various Races accepted temporary realm seals and awaited compensation as Zhan Cheng declared Jin Jun’s rebellion suppressed.

• Bai Ruoxin activated the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram while Demon Race experts attacked Black Tiger Race experts who were resisting its suction.
• The injured Black Tiger Race experts were captured, bound with Immortal Vines, and placed inside the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram.
• Human Race warriors and their partners entered the Flying Magic Treasure, where Demon Race experts ambushed and defeated more than three hundred high-end Black Tiger Race combatants.
• Zhan Cheng announced that Chieftain Jin Jun and his supporters had been captured for plotting a rebellion.
• The experts of the Various Races agreed to have their realms temporarily sealed in exchange for compensation.

Zhan Cheng captured all of Chieftain Jin Jun’s Black Tiger Race forces by using a coordinated trap across the Flying Magic Treasures. The Great Flame Empire’s leaders decided to punish the rebels harshly and focus on suppressing the backlash from the Black Tiger Race.

• Zhan Cheng and Lou Xing lured in and captured the remaining level 110 Black Tiger Race experts, then gathered the other teams’ experts under the pretext of discussing Contribution Points Allocation.
• Zhan Cheng’s forces stormed the Flying Magic Treasures controlled by Lou Xing and Lin Dong, capturing or killing every Black Tiger Race member after over two hours of fighting.
• Zhan Cheng ordered the Large Warship to turn toward the Crimson Planet, while news of Chieftain Jin Jun’s capture stirred the Great Flame Kingdom’s leadership.
• Zhong Ren proposed executing Jin Jun while allowing the other Black Tiger Race experts to atone through meritorious service, but the High Priest argued that Yi Chen would reject leniency.
• After discussion, the General Political Department and the Military agreed to impose the harshest punishment to deter further rebellion, then manage the Black Tiger Race’s reaction.

Yi Chen approved emergency preparations as the Great Flame Empire announced the Great Flame Pirate Group’s victory and Jin Jun’s suppressed rebellion. The Swamp Crocodile responded by assembling the Demon Race’s forces to guard the Great Flame Empire’s garrison, leaving the Demon Race’s own garrison exposed.

• Yi Chen approved the General Political Department and Military’s plan, and the Great Flame Empire recalled civilians and mobilized its Human Army while leaving the Shadow Race uninvolved.
• The Great Flame Empire announced the pirate group’s victory, its immense spoils and battle achievements, and the suppression of Jin Jun and the Black Tiger Race experts; the empire began celebrating.
• The Swamp Crocodile learned of the announcement and heard that the Great Flame Empire was preparing for a possible crisis without consulting the Demon Race.
• The Swamp Crocodile ordered the Demon Race’s experts and army to assemble outside the Great Flame Empire’s garrison, leaving their own garrison behind, because he was determined to support Yi Chen.

Chief Nika and the Nine Leaders struggled to respond after the Great Flame Empire announced that Chieftain Jin Jun had rebelled and been suppressed. When the Jin Jun Tribe’s remaining forces set out to demand an explanation, they decided to watch the Empire’s response before choosing their next move.

• Chief Nika and the Nine Leaders learned that the Great Flame Empire had suppressed Chieftain Jin Jun’s rebellion and discussed whether to retaliate.
• Chief Nika said the Great Flame Empire’s Intelligence Organization had dismissed his request to speak with the Great Emperor, while the leaders weighed the risks of rebellion.
• Chief Nika and the Nine Leaders received news that the Demon Race had mobilized its forces to defend the Great Flame Empire Garrison.
• The leaders learned that Jin Jun Tribe forces were heading to the garrison to demand an explanation and evidence of the rebellion.
• Chief Nika and the Nine Leaders agreed to observe the Great Flame Empire’s response before deciding how much pressure to apply.

The Four Routes Army decided how to handle the Jin Jun Tribe’s experts and clansmen, who arrived to challenge the Great Flame Empire’s punishment of their leaders. The Jin Jun Tribe was ordered to withdraw and await punishment or be treated as rebels, leaving its remaining experts alarmed by the Empire’s hard line.

• Tai Shi and the other leaders criticized Chief Nika and the Nine Leaders for allowing the Jin Jun Tribe to march on the Great Flame Empire’s encampment.
• The Four Routes Army leaders agreed to open the Large Defense Array to the Demon Race experts and send the Demon Race army back to its base.
• After Gu Li contacted him, the Swamp Crocodile ordered the Demon Race army to withdraw while its experts joined the Human Race generals.
• The Jin Jun Tribe’s experts and clansmen arrived and were stopped outside the Large Defense Array; a Brigade Leader ordered them to return to their base within half an hour or be treated as rebels.
• The three remaining Level 100 Experts realized the Great Flame Empire’s response did not match their plan to secure support and take control of the Jin Jun Tribe’s wealth and power.

The Great Flame Empire massacred the Black Tiger Race clansmen who remained after the Jin Jun Tribe leaders ordered a retreat. The Empire’s leaders then agreed to create a new independent army for Zhan Cheng, setting him on a faster path to becoming a fifth leader.

• The three Jin Jun Tribe leaders ordered their people to retreat, but many stayed behind to protest against the Great Flame Empire.
• The Human Army attacked the Black Tiger Race clansmen who remained and killed everyone in the area.
• Gu Li ordered the General Political Department to let the Black Tiger Race higher-ups handle punishment for the Jin Jun Tribe clansmen.
• Tai Shi, Luo Ge, and Gu Li discussed the conflict and the possibility of wiping out the Black Tiger Race.
• Zong Shan proposed establishing a new independent army for Zhan Cheng, and the other leaders agreed.

Chief Nika and the Nine Leaders struggled to contain the crisis after the Great Flame Empire crushed the Jin Jun Tribe’s protest, while blaming the empire’s officials for escalating tensions. The General Political Department then ordered them to punish the Jin Jun Tribe members, leaving them furious and regretting that they had tested the empire’s resolve.

• Chief Nika and the Nine Leaders learned that the Great Flame Empire had suppressed more than six hundred thousand Jin Jun Tribe soldiers and clansmen who had failed to withdraw before the deadline.
• The Nine Leaders denounced the Great Flame Empire’s high-level officials for refusing to compromise, then worried that anger among the Black Tiger Race could spark an attack on the garrison.
• Chief Nika and the Nine Leaders considered the benefits the Black Tiger Race received under the empire and decided they needed to defuse the crisis rather than rebel without a chance of success.
• Chief Nika received a notice from the General Political Department ordering the Black Tiger Race to impose severe punishments on the Jin Jun Tribe members who had violated the laws.
• The Nine Leaders erupted in anger at the order, then joined Chief Nika in regretting that they had sent the Jin Jun Tribe to test the Great Flame Empire’s attitude.

The Great Flame Empire fueled unrest in the Black Tiger Race, forcing Chief Nika and the Nine Leaders to suppress repeated rebellions. At a council, Yi Chen announced a major military restructuring that created a Military Department on equal footing with the General Political Department.

• The Great Flame Empire declared that Chieftain Jin Jun and other rebels would endure a century of Burning Body in Intense Fire, reigniting resistance across the Black Tiger Race.
• Chief Nika and the Nine Leaders brutally suppressed the unrest, while the Great Flame Empire's leaders used the conflict to discourage the Black Tiger Race's upper ranks from rebelling.
• Yi Chen received the Military's application to establish a new army and summoned the General Political Department and Military leaders to a council.
• Yi Chen announced the creation of a Military Department, with a Military Corps Department, a Staff Department, and five legions led by the Four Routes Army leaders and Zhan Cheng.

Yi Chen restructured the Great Flame Empire’s military, establishing an independent Military Department and Staff Department and creating a Marshal position. The leadership inferred that Zhan Cheng was Yi Chen’s intended Marshal, while Zhan Cheng realized his strategic-planning skills had likely earned him the role.

• Yi Chen’s hard-line stance against the Black Tiger Race left the General Political Department’s upper ranks unwilling to challenge his decisions.
• Yi Chen announced an independent Military Department, a Staff Department to handle military planning, and a Marshal position equal in rank to the High Priest.
• The Four Great Leaders recognized that the reforms would reduce their authority, while the Grand Commanders saw a chance to become military giants.
• Yi Chen ordered the reforms implemented quickly and directed the Five Legion Commanders to seek planning help from the General Political Department.
• The High Priest and other officials congratulated Zhan Cheng, suspecting Yi Chen had chosen him as the future Marshal.
• Zhan Cheng realized Yi Chen likely valued his strategic-planning ability as the empire prepared to expand beyond the Crimson Planet.

Zhan Cheng presented a short-term strategy to conquer the Spirit Heart Race, Swiftfoot Race, and Black Tiger Race within a year, despite the Black Tiger Race's recent unrest. The other legion commanders were impressed by his indirect, multi-front plan, but Zong Shan questioned several additional operations aimed at other races.

• Gu Li warned the legion commanders that unrest among the Black Tiger Race could delay the planned expedition and anger Yi Chen.
• Zhan Cheng said he had prepared a plan to conquer the Black Tiger Race, Swiftfoot Race, and Spirit Heart Race within a year, and distributed it for the commanders to review.
• Zhan Cheng proposed pressuring the frightened Spirit Heart Race to surrender first, then using its army and surrendered experts to help conquer the Swiftfoot Race and persuade Black Tiger tribes to submit.
• Gu Li, Tai Shi, Luo Ge, and Zong Shan saw that Zhan Cheng's plan relied on races and armies advancing against one another, reducing the Human Army's role and potentially speeding conquest.
• Zong Shan asked Zhan Cheng to explain additional operations involving the Giant Ant Race, Mars Race, and Thousand Feather Race.

Zhan Cheng proposed a plan to exploit rival races’ internal conflicts and prepare for future conquests, which Yi Chen approved. Meanwhile, Morris grew impatient with the Human Federation’s failure to seek his help finding Yi Chen and contacted Lu Qingxian, while the Federation’s leaders pursued their own plans to reach Yi Chen.

• Zhan Cheng explained how the Great Flame Empire could accelerate rebellions and divisions within the Giant Ant, Mars, and Thousand Feather Races to weaken them before future invasions.
• Gu Li and the other three leaders agreed with Zhan Cheng’s plan, refined it together, and sent it to Yi Chen through the General Staff Department.
• Yi Chen confirmed the plan, and the Military began implementing it.
• Morris, frustrated that the Federal Parliament and Military had not approached him, decided to contact them and asked Lu Qingxian whether they had found Yi Chen.
• Lu Qingxian told Morris that their searches had failed, while privately recognizing that the Federation’s leaders no longer relied on Morris and hoped to contact Yi Chen through their own methods.

Morris secured a contract promising him seventy percent of future Earth Tree Race aid if Yi Chen was found and recruited by the Human Federation. He contacted Marys for help tracking Yi Chen, but learned that war between the Earth Tree Race, Time Race, and Reincarnation Race might soon break out.

• Morris proposed hiring an Earth Tree Race expert to search for Yi Chen, and Lu Qingxian agreed to offer him seventy percent of the Human Federation's future aid.
• Morris drafted a new contract, and Lu Qingxian and the Federal Parliament and Military higher-ups signed it.
• After the others left, Morris contacted Marys, an Earth Tree Race expert skilled in tracking and searching.
• Marys told Morris that the Time Race had been making frequent moves and that the Reincarnation Race was also active.
• Marys said a new war among the major races was likely, while Morris worried about delaying his mission and returning to the Earth Tree Race.

Morris persuaded Marys to help him track down concealed targets for an External Affairs Department mission in an Extragalactic Group, offering future territory profits as compensation. Marys agreed to come after resolving urgent duties, and Morris secured the arrangement with a signed contract.

• Morris explained that his mission required finding targets skilled at evading tracking and asked Marys to travel to the Extragalactic Group.
• Marys said his own War Affairs Department missions kept him busy and waited for Morris to offer compensation.
• Morris offered Marys all profits from his territory for two thousand years, and Marys agreed to accept one thousand years instead.
• Marys said he could set off after handling urgent matters, and Morris drafted a contract and sent two copies through the Communication Stone.
• Marys reviewed the contract, signed both copies, and returned one to Morris, who felt reassured.

After agreeing to help Morris travel to the Human Race’s galaxy group, Marys asked Hashi about the region and discovered that Morris had misled him about both the payment and the dangers. Marys realized he had been tricked, but he had already signed a contract and was still considering his promise.

• After signing the contract, Marys arranged a temporary leave and contacted his friend Hashi to ask about the Extragalactic Group.
• Hashi explained that the Human Race’s galaxy group was poor in resources but had been granted affiliated status because of its long-distance troop-transport weapon.
• When Marys confirmed Morris had asked him to go there, Hashi warned that Morris was mean and petty and urged Marys to refuse.
• Hashi revealed that Morris’s territory had been drained, making its promised thousand years of income nearly worthless, and that the tax department might take it over.
• Hashi told Marys that two previous envoys to the region had suffered catastrophic fates despite the local strength limit being only Level 150.
• Marys realized Morris had deceived him into signing a contract for a dangerous mission in exchange for insignificant payment.

Marys accepted that his contract with Morris forced him to travel to the Local Galaxy Cluster, so he sought protective resources and searched the contract for loopholes. Meanwhile, Yi Chen learned that an Earth Tree Race tracker was coming and considered how to prepare for stronger threats.

• Hashi offered to ask Lord Quinton to pressure Morris, but Marys refused because the cost would be too high.
• Marys contacted powerful friends to borrow items that could improve his luck and suppress misfortune, then examined Morris's contract for loopholes.
• Shadow Emperor told Yi Chen that Morris had signed a contract with an Earth Tree Race Expert skilled in tracking and locating methods, who would soon travel to the Local Galaxy Cluster.
• Yi Chen said the tracker’s arrival would not affect his plans, but worried the Earth Tree Race might send someone stronger if Morris failed.
• Yi Chen asked whether Shadow Emperor could rapidly raise his cultivation realm, but Shadow Emperor said he would have to cultivate slowly.
• Yi Chen resumed cultivating toward the peak of the ninth level of Primordial Immortal, while Shadow Emperor continued watching Morris.

Marys traveled toward the Local Galaxy Cluster while the Great Flame Empire assembled its Human, Demon, and Black Tiger Race forces for an expedition against the Spirit Heart Race. The army landed near the Spirit Heart Race’s home base, where Black Tiger Race soldiers realized they had not arrived at a Black Tiger Race planet.

• Marys boarded a Human Federation warship at the Life Planet, which set course for the Local Galaxy Cluster.
• Gu Li commanded the Great Flame Empire’s expedition as Human and Demon forces joined the Black Tiger Race’s enormous army on the Crimson Planet.
• Chief Nika ordered the Black Tiger Race soldiers to avoid clashes with Great Flame Empire troops and warned that violators would be killed.
• The Three-Race Army boarded Flying Magic Treasures and traveled aboard ten Spacecraft toward Colin Planet, while Yi Chen’s three Flying Magic Treasures cleared Spirit Heart Race scouts.
• The Spacecraft secretly entered Colin Planet’s atmosphere, and the Three-Race Army deployed around the Spirit Heart Race’s Old Nest.
• Black Tiger Race soldiers noticed the powerful defensive fortifications and realized the planet was controlled by the Spirit Heart Race.

Gu Li announced that the Expeditionary Force had changed its plan and would attack the Spirit Heart Race instead of first conquering the Black Tiger Race’s Life Planets. The Black Tiger Race commanders remained concerned about the risks, while the Demon Race trusted the Great Flame Empire’s decision.

• The Black Tiger Race chiefs questioned Gu Li about the unexpected approach to the Spirit Heart Race’s heavily fortified Colin Planet, and she said the plan had been kept secret from everyone outside the Great Flame Empire’s leadership.
• Gu Li told the Black Tiger Race chiefs that the force would surround the planet without attacking until the Demon Race leaders arrived.
• Swamp Crocodile arrived with the Demon Race experts, including powerful Spirit Heart Race and Swiftfoot Race captives who had joined the Great Flame Empire.
• Gu Li explained that unrest in the Nika Tribe had delayed the Black Tiger Race army’s integration, so the Military had revised the expedition’s first stage to conquer the Spirit Heart Race.
• The Black Tiger Race leaders reacted with alarm to the revised plan, while the Demon Race leaders accepted it without concern.

Gu Li explained how the Great Flame Empire planned to force the Spirit Heart Race to surrender by destroying its defenses and confronting its leaders with overwhelming force. The Black Tiger Race realized its internal turmoil had cost it a major share of the coming spoils, while the Spirit Heart Race powerhouses agreed to help pressure their leaders into surrendering quickly.

• Gu Li revealed that the Great Flame Empire would lead the siege, the Demon Race would help breach the Spirit Heart Race's defenses, and the Black Tiger Race would mainly put on a show.
• Gu Li explained that the forces would use a Flying Magic Treasure to infiltrate the Spirit Heart Race's leaders and pressure them into surrendering.
• The Black Tiger Race and Demon Race officials realized the Black Tiger Race's army was only a prop and that the Demon Race would likely earn more contribution for the campaign.
• The Black Tiger Race officials regretted their failure to suppress the Jin Jun Tribe's rebellion, which had weakened their army and reduced their expected contribution.
• Gu Li directed the various races to plan an overwhelming assault and keep constant pressure on the Spirit Heart Race's leaders.
• The Spirit Heart Race powerhouses supported planning for a quick surrender, hoping their race would qualify as a first-class ruled race and later rise to vassal status.

The Spirit Heart Race Clan Leader faced the Black Tiger Race army surrounding the Spirit Heart Race Old Nest and ordered the defense forces not to attack while he sought a way to make peace. Gu Li launched the Expeditionary Force’s assault, and the Giant Human Walls broke through the First Defense Line and began destroying it along all four sides.

• The Spirit Heart Race Clan Leader received word that more than a hundred million Black Tiger Race high-end combatants and several million troops from other races had surrounded the old nest.
• The Spirit Heart Race Clan Leader ordered his forces to summon their powerhouses and defend without striking first, hoping to make peace with the Black Tiger Race.
• Gu Li ordered the Expeditionary Force to attack the Spirit Heart Race Old Nest from all four sides while the Fifth Legion guarded the main army.
• The Giant Human Walls unleashed a Fire Sea that melted through the First Defense Line and opened four enormous gaps.
• After entering the First Defense Line, the Giant Human Walls turned clockwise and continued destroying its walls instead of advancing toward the Second Defense Line.

The Spirit Heart Race Clan Leader and his upper echelon discussed offering the Nika Tribe a costly reconciliation to avoid destruction. As the Expeditionary Force advanced through the defenses and pressed for surrender, an eerie voice rejected the terms before negotiations could begin.

• Gu Li flew the Expeditionary Force's Flying Magic Treasure toward the Spirit Heart Race Old Nest as the plan entered its final stage.
• The Spirit Heart Race Clan Leader and the upper echelon proposed giving the Nika Tribe intelligence, military support, and resources in exchange for peace and the return of captured powerhouses.
• A guard reported that an unknown army had melted the First Defense Line's giant walls with powerful ranged attacks while the Nika Tribe's army entered the line.
• The Spirit Heart Race Clan Leader ordered someone to contact the Nika Tribe's commander and present their reconciliation terms.
• An eerie voice appeared in the hall and rejected the Spirit Heart Race's reconciliation terms.