Chapter Summaries

Tao Yu returned to the state capital with Talia after capturing Huo Pei, an important Assassin Alliance figure who had exceeded the teleportation threshold, and arranged for Sun Shiyu to be warned. He then prepared to sell refined and crude spices through the Myriad Goods Merchant Association, hoping the trade would help him complete his second Deification.

• Tao Yu told Talia that Huo Pei was a powerful Assassin Alliance figure and took her back to the Real World, instructing her to tell only Sun Shiyu about the capture.
• Talia urged Tao Yu to warn Sun Shiyu and said the Sun Family's state capital situation had remained quiet since other forces learned a Boundary Breaker was stationed there.
• Tao Yu returned to his room in the state capital, drew Tarot cards, and concluded that the trouble surrounding Forte's death had likely passed, though he remained worried about the forces behind it.
• Talia joined Tao Yu, and they agreed to sell more than two tons of refined spices and over thirty tons of crude product through the Myriad Goods Merchant Association.
• Talia noted that the association likely already had spice samples and that products promising even modest life extension remained in demand.

Tao Yu negotiated with the Myriad Goods Merchant Association to sell his spice and crude stock, while arranging for the association to develop a more efficient extraction process. After securing a large advance and completing the deal, he left Chu Men interested in his rare storage scrolls and future business.

• Xiao Hong identified Tao Yu’s spice and crude sample, then summoned a specialist after learning the deal could be worth hundreds of millions.
• Chu Men arrived and offered to waive the extraction-design fee and sell equipment at cost if Tao Yu gave the association priority on future sales.
• Tao Yu consulted the little rich girl, who offered a buyback price of 1,400 per fifty grams, and Chu Men countered with 1,500 while agreeing to buy crude product at one-twentieth of the refined price.
• After confirming Tao Yu’s identity with the Sun Family, Chu Men paid him a fifty-million-wish-power deposit, and Tao Yu brought out his stored goods for inspection.
• Chu Men asked about Tao Yu’s sealing scrolls, but Tao Yu explained their limited supply, so Chu Men gave him a VIP card and hoped to work together again.

Tao Yu used his billion-plus reserve of wish power to deify the Shepherd Pathway after absorbing three Sequence 2 characteristics, creating a unique source that fused the Shepherd, Demoness, and Red Priest Pathways. He discovered powerful new abilities but struggled to control the combined Might of Nature, so he regulated himself with the Chains of Heaven.

• Tao Yu returned to the base with Talia and went to the Training Room to deify his profession.
• Tao Yu absorbed the Angel characteristics of the Profane Presbyter, Demoness of Catastrophe, and Weather Warlock, then chose the Shepherd Pathway for deification.
• Tao Yu's second deification formed a unique source that fused all three Pathways and let him summon and combine Shadow Soldiers.
• Tao Yu discovered that his mirror world could draw stronger opponents into his Inherent Domain and that he could channel immense natural forces.
• Tao Yu struggled to control the fused powers, regulated his energy, and used the Chains of Heaven to prevent himself from unleashing too much Might of Nature.

After Deification, Tao Yu struggled to control his newly unified power but discovered he could create a Shadow Legion and channel its strength into himself. He planned to use a different identity to investigate the faction that had framed him while he waited in the prefecture.

• Tao Yu assessed the strain of jumping from Sequence 4 to Sequence 2 and realized his increased stats were difficult to control until he finished acting and digestion.
• Tao Yu summoned a Shadow Soldier modeled on Teng Lianghong and found it could follow simple commands while retaining its combat instincts.
• Tao Yu used Legion's Power to draw much of Teng Lianghong's lightning strength into himself and calculated how a larger Shadow Legion could amplify his power.
• Tao Yu considered capturing more experts, weighing the value of powerful soldiers against the strain of implanting demon seeds.
• Tao Yu decided to adopt another identity and visit the Thieves Guild to seek information about the faction that had framed him.

After breaking through and stabilizing his new power, Tao Yu disguised himself as Teng Lianghong and set out to investigate the Assassin Alliance and seek information from the Thieves Guild. He reached the White Star City branch of the Thieves Guild, which operated openly from a pinball parlor on Flowerbed Street.

• Talia noticed Tao Yu had become more captivating, and Tao Yu let her assume his burst of aspiration power had helped him break through a bottleneck.
• Tao Yu read Chufa’s reports, including news of the worsening Goblin Calamity, the Moon Family ending its alliance with the Gu Family, and attention being drawn to Starfall City’s new resources.
• Tao Yu suspected someone was manipulating news about Starfall Company but decided to investigate the Thieves Guild instead.
• Tao Yu changed his appearance to match Teng Lianghong, prepared to impersonate him, and left his room as a shadow maintained his warding ritual.
• Tao Yu traveled by rail to Flowerbed Street in White Star City’s Fourth Ring and found the Thieves Guild branch operating out of a pinball parlor.

Tao Yu, disguised as Teng Lianghong, visited Lin Zhixin at the Thieves Guild to seek information about Tao Yu and Fengte’s death. Lin Zhixin named three families that might have framed the suspected killer, and Tao Yu left the additional information on Teng Lianghong’s tab.

• Tao Yu entered the Chaotic World parlor disguised as Teng Lianghong and followed Lin Zhixin to a shielded back room.
• Tao Yu asked Lin Zhixin for details about Tao Yu, and she described his strength, the Sun Family’s support, and the Inspector who had appeared at the scene.
• Lin Zhixin said Fengte’s death was likely framed on the suspected killer and named the Wu Family of Tianshui, the Fire Bull Moon Family, and the Maple Leaf Family as possible culprits.
• Tao Yu asked for more information, and Lin Zhixin agreed to charge it to Teng Lianghong’s tab.

Tao Yu disguised himself as a masked assassin and chose the Fire Bull Moon Family as his first target while investigating three suspected families. He reached the Moon Family’s stronghold in Tianxing District, where its surveillance system flagged him as suspicious.

• Tao Yu left the Thieves' Guild wearing Teng Lianghong's mask and equipment, then planned to visit the three suspected families.
• Tao Yu chose to target the Fire Bull Moon Family first and mapped a route through White Star City while avoiding Catastrophe-level opponents.
• Tao Yu traveled to Tianxing District and observed the Moon Family's Fire Bull Breeding and Cultivation Company tower and its security guards.
• A covert Moon Family sentry questioned Tao Yu as he watched the tower.
• The sentry showed Tao Yu drone footage and an AI assessment that had labeled his route through the district suspicious.

Tao Yu was identified as suspicious while scouting the Fire Bull Breeding and Cultivation Company, and a confrontation with the Yue family’s Security Team escalated into a fight with the district Inspector. After beating Yue Yun, Tao Yu left, warning the Yue family not to be overbearing.

• Tao Yu discovered that the Fire Bull Breeding and Cultivation Company used drones and AI to monitor nearly all of Tianxing District.
• Yue Tao of the Tianxing District Security Team confronted Tao Yu and ordered him to remove his mask, then summoned an arrest warrant and reinforcements.
• Tao Yu revealed his Boundary Breaker aura, prompting Yue Tao to call for the Inspector, who arrived and recognized him as Teng Lianghong.
• Tao Yu attacked Yue Yun with lightning and Thunder Prison, broke through his crimson defenses, and slammed him into the ground.
• Tao Yu sensed a Catastrophe-level Yue family powerhouse watching from the building, then left after warning the Yue family not to act so overbearingly.

The Moon Family’s Old Ancestor dismissed Teng Lianghong’s attack as a manageable slight and urged Yue Bing to focus on absorbing her Holy Light blessing. Yue Bing warned that she sensed a cold, ominous power hidden beneath Teng Lianghong’s lightning, leaving the family uncertain about what he was.

• Yue Yun apologized to the Moon Family’s Old Ancestor for losing to Teng Lianghong, and the Old Ancestor said Teng Lianghong was nearing Catastrophe level and should not be provoked.
• Yue Yun suspected the Gu Family or Dicalon Family had hired Teng Lianghong to humiliate them, but the Old Ancestor thought the incident could help resolve tensions with the Gu Family.
• Yue Bing arrived after hearing the fight and explained that she had come because the conflict began with her and had left her uneasy.
• The Moon Family’s Old Ancestor urged Yue Bing to absorb her Holy Light blessing and said he would accompany her to the Nefei Realm afterward.
• Yue Bing said she sensed an evil, ominous power beneath Teng Lianghong’s lightning, and the family considered whether he might be an Evil God Cultist.

Tao Yu infiltrated the Assassin Alliance by posing as Teng Lianghong and met with Qi Bing, the alliance’s second-in-command in White Star State. Qi Bing questioned Teng’s unusual actions against the Harkonnen family, leaving Tao Yu under scrutiny.

• Tao Yu reached the Spark Mercenary Group’s headquarters and requested a confidential hire while wearing a mask.
• A staff member escorted Tao Yu to the Assassin Alliance’s offices on the 31st floor, where Tao Yu posed as Teng Lianghong.
• Tao Yu learned that the Harkonnen family had informants in the Assassin Alliance and asked to see Qi Bing.
• Tao Yu met Qi Bing, took Teng Lianghong’s favored liquor, and acted familiar with him.
• Qi Bing scrutinized Tao Yu and asked why Teng had attacked the Harkonnen family before fleeing.

Tao Yu tested Qi Bing for information about the Assassin Alliance’s employer and learned the Yue Family might be involved in the Dicalon Family attack. After deciding to use the Yue and Dicalon families to keep his enemies occupied, he returned to the Yue Family skyscraper to speak with its patriarch.

• Tao Yu discussed his improved Thunder Prison and his plans with Qi Bing, who warned him about the unknown forces behind the conflict.
• Qi Bing revealed that the Yue Family’s suspicious activity suggested it had targeted the Dicalon Family, and he proposed informing the Dicalon Family to draw the Sun Family’s office into the dispute.
• Tao Yu kept his alias intact, identified the divination-using Priest as a major threat, and suspected the Xing Family might have hired the Assassin Alliance without treating it as confirmed.
• Tao Yu decided to have the Assassin Alliance pass a message to the Dicalon Family and to approach the Yue Family himself before switching back to his real identity.
• Tao Yu returned to the Yue Family skyscraper, where the family patriarch appeared and asked why he had come.

Tao Yu accepted the Moon Family’s apology and traded information with its ancestor, revealing that a dangerous, contaminated world lay near Starfall City. He warned the family that the Sun Family might retaliate, then left the Moon Family to weigh the risks.

• Yue Yun apologized to Tao Yu for stopping him and gave him a curse-resistant bracelet as an apology gift.
• Tao Yu wore the bracelet without reacting and told Yue Bing that great differences in strength could cause unease, while the Moon Family tacitly confirmed its role in framing the Dicalon Family.
• The Moon Family’s ancestor asked Tao Yu for information, and they signed an agreement to exchange it for the Moon Family’s records about the Nefei Realm.
• Tao Yu described the dangerous, contaminated world near Starfall City and warned that Teng Lianghong might have visited it and was skilled at surviving.
• Tao Yu cautioned the Moon Family that the Sun Family might know who framed it and could grow stronger, while privately hoping that several families would target the Moon Family instead of singling him out.

Tao Yu left the Yue family and went to Baiyun District, hoping to provoke the Gu family into sending out a Boundary Breaker he could capture. After confirming Gu Feng was at a restaurant, Tao Yu used a radio broadcast to bait the Gu family members, and one of them accused him of doing it on purpose.

• Tao Yu left the Yue family with his compensation, regretting that he had not found a chance to capture one of their Boundary Breakers.
• Tao Yu changed his appearance to look like Klein and traveled to Baiyun District, where he decided the Gu family would be easier to provoke.
• Tao Yu ate at Fang's Private Kitchen, reviewed information about the Nefei Realm and its powerful families, and spotted Gu Feng arriving alone.
• Tao Yu raised the volume on a radio broadcast discussing the Gu family's humiliation and their reluctance to retaliate, then apologized as if the radio had malfunctioned.
• A young Gu family member slammed a wineglass down and accused Tao Yu of provoking them deliberately.

Tao Yu deliberately provoked the Gu Family into chasing him toward Yue territory, then petrified and abducted Yue Yun when the Yue Family Inspector intervened. The Gu Family realized they had been framed as the Yue Family Ancestor arrived in a fury, while Tao Yu escaped with Yue Yun.

• Tao Yu used Instigation and Conspirer to rile up the Gu Family at Boss Fang's restaurant, then fought off a youth and baited Gu Feng into pursuing him.
• Tao Yu led Gu Feng and the other Gu Family members toward Tianxing District, where Gu Feng attacked him and Yue Yun arrived to intervene.
• Tao Yu petrified Yue Yun with Omen of Corruption and the Demoness Pathway, grabbed him, and escaped into an alley.
• Gu Feng realized the Gu Family had been manipulated and suspected the Dicalon Family had orchestrated the abduction.
• The Yue Family Ancestor arrived amid fiery skies and searched the scene as Gu Feng and the Gu Family stood terrified.

The Dicalon Family patriarch learned that Yue Yun had been killed and feared the Moon Family would blame his family, despite their innocence. Tao Yu had turned Yue Yun into a Shadow Soldier and planned to exploit the growing conflict between the Moon and Dicalon Families.

• Hao Dicalon celebrated Yue Yun’s death, then worried when Huang Yan warned that the Moon Family might retaliate against the Dicalon Family.
• Huang Yan said Fente’s death was likely the Moon Family’s doing and noted that there was no evidence implicating anyone in Yue Yun’s death.
• Hao suspected the Gu Family might have staged the incident, since the Dicalon Family’s Old Ancestor was in the Abyss.
• Tao Yu assessed the power he could borrow from Shadow Soldier Yue Yun and returned Yue Yun to his shadow.
• Tao Yu planned to let the Moon Family, Dicalon Family, and Assassin Alliance deepen the conflict while he acted amid the confusion.

Tao Yu negotiated with Aote Dicalon to support the Dicalon Family against the Moon Family in exchange for protection and compensation. Just as Tao Yu agreed, an attack struck the Sun Family's residence, forcing him and Talia to escape.

• Aote Dicalon told Tao Yu that the Moon Family blamed him for Forte's death and might target him after Yue Yun's death.
• Tao Yu and Talia argued that the Sun Family would not seek trouble but would not fear it, while Aote warned that Tao Yu's spatial ability made him valuable in the coming conflict.
• Aote offered limited support for Starlight Company and asked Tao Yu to help ambush Boundary Breakers sent by the Moon Family.
• Tao Yu demanded protection and compensation, then agreed to help personally while reserving the option to return to the Abyss.
• A powerful attack struck the Sun Family's three-story building, and Tao Yu used Shadow Meld to escape with Talia.

Tao Yu faced Yue Feng after the Sun Family attacked the outer zone, then trapped him in Mirrored Space. He left Yue Feng to fight Yue Yun’s Shadow Soldier, exposing that Tao Yu had killed Yue Yun and was far stronger than his enemies believed.

• Tao Yu and Talia escaped the collapsed building as Yue Feng and two masked fighters declared the Assassin Alliance was responsible for the attack.
• Yue Feng revealed himself, claimed he had killed Fengte, and said the Inspectors had been consulted while reinforcements were delayed.
• Tao Yu pulled Yue Feng into Mirrored Space and sent Scathach to protect Talia outside.
• Tao Yu summoned Yue Yun’s Shadow Soldier, which overwhelmed Yue Feng with the same techniques and abilities Yue Yun had taught him.
• Yue Feng realized Tao Yu had killed Yue Yun and that the reports about Tao Yu surviving Teng Lianghong’s attack had gravely underestimated him.

Talia and Ao Te fought Yue Feng’s allies while Tao Yu prepared to take advantage of the chaos. After the three Boundary Breakers were captured and turned into Shadow Soldiers, Shouhe swallowed Yue Feng, leaving the Yue family’s attackers in Tao Yu’s hands.

• Two Yue family experts pursued Talia and Ao Te while Yue Feng fought Yue Yun one-on-one.
• Talia used Scathach’s swordsmanship to defeat her pursuer, and Scathach trapped the surviving attacker in a Mirrored Space.
• Ao Te tried to draw out the Inspector by causing destruction, but Teng Lianghong struck him and his pursuer with lightning.
• Tao Yu let the black mud restore the three badly injured Boundary Breakers and transform them into Shadow Soldiers.
• Tao Yu sent Shouhe to swallow Yue Feng while Yue Yun continued beating him.

After Talia survived a battle with a Boundary Breaker, the Inspector arrived and questioned her while showing clear bias toward the Yue Family. Tao Yu appeared and concealed what had happened to Yue Feng, leaving the Inspector wary and the victims still facing his accusations.

• Talia recovered from her battle and reflected on the insights she had gained while fighting alongside Scathach.
• The Inspector sealed off the area, reprimanded Talia for the destruction, and accused her of being at fault despite her saying they had been attacked.
• Talia told the Inspector that one attacker had been killed by her secret technique and another had died after fighting the Dicalon Family's Boundary Breaker and being struck by lightning.
• Tao Yu appeared and pretended not to know what had happened, while Talia repeated her account of the attack.
• Tao Yu claimed the remaining attacker had escaped after breaking free of his restraints and reminded the Inspector that they were the victims.

Tao Yu used the deaths of two Boundary Breakers to deepen the Dicalon Family’s conflict with the Yue Family, and the Yue Family’s old ancestor withdrew rather than risk a larger battle. Tess returned to his tower, where Tao Yu’s shadow appeared as Teng Lianghong and trapped him in a Thunder Prison.

• Tao Yu blamed the attack on the Assassin Alliance, prompting Hao Te Dicalon to berate Tess and recognize Tao Yu’s value.
• The Yue Family’s old ancestor arrived to defend Tess, then learned that two Boundary Breakers had died and that Teng Lianghong might be involved.
• The Yue Family’s old ancestor blamed Tao Yu but left without fighting Hao Te, while Hao Te warned Tao Yu and accepted his commitment to their agreement.
• Hao Te threatened Tess and departed, and Tess warned Tao Yu that Teng Lianghong might attack him before leaving.
• Tess returned to his tower, where a shadow emerged behind him as Teng Lianghong and sealed the area with a Thunder Prison.