Recaps

Gao Linzhi and the others reached Mangxiao Island to escape a tornado and repair their damaged flying vessel, but they seized the village’s ancestral hall and drove out its occupants. As the storm bore down, the villagers and abandoned crewmen fought their way back inside, leaving the hall packed and its fate uncertain.

• The flying vessel stopped its uncontrolled descent, escaped a sea monster, and discovered that its emergency stop had damaged it.
• Ouyang Jing and the elderly man decided to land on Mangxiao Island, whose ancestral hall could shelter forty people from the approaching storm.
• The crew forced the villagers out of the ancestral hall and selected forty people from the vessel to take shelter, including Gao Linzhi.
• After the storm arrived, the expelled villagers joined the abandoned crewmen and attacked the ancestral hall to reclaim shelter.
• The defenders tried to hold the entrance, but the villagers overwhelmed them, killed two guards, and crowded into the hall.

Gao Linzhi watched the Imperial Observatory’s core members and sailors slaughter one another during the Eye of the Storm’s test, after which the tornadoes vanished and the survivors declared the test a success. Suspecting the flying ship would threaten Wolf Snake Island, he slipped away to lure the Faceless Man and stop it from reaching the island.

• The villagers overwhelmed the Imperial Observatory’s core members until the guards began tying them up and throwing them outside, but the sailors then turned against the core members.
• Liu Da rallied the sailors against Old Daoist Tiansheng and the core members, and the two groups fought until fewer than forty people remained.
• The four tornadoes disappeared, and Old Daoist Tiansheng concluded that the Eye of the Storm had been satisfied by the slaughter and that the third test had succeeded.
• The flying ship resumed its journey, and Gao Linzhi decided to keep its crew away from Wolf Snake Island by using a strange entity.
• Gao Linzhi slipped off the ship, crossed the sea to Wolf Snake Island, and planned to lure the Faceless Man toward the vessel.

Gao Linzhi used a Substitute Doll to lure the Faceless Man onto the imperial flying ship, where it slaughtered nearly everyone aboard. As the survivors remained trapped, Old Daoist Tiansheng threw a magical artifact toward the sea to draw the anomaly away.

• Gao Linzhi learned the Faceless Man appeared in fog at night and was drawn to sudden shouts and the story of its dead child.
• Gao Linzhi bought a Substitute Doll and used it to lure the Faceless Man onto the flying ship, then directed it toward Ouyang Jing and other imperial officials.
• The Faceless Man attacked the ship, tore off the face of an elderly minister, and killed most of the crew and officials through the night.
• A terrified crewman jumped from the flying ship and fell to his death in the sea.
• After only six to eight people remained, Old Daoist Tiansheng threw a magical artifact into the sea, and it cried like a child.

After the Imperial Court fled Wolf Snake Island because of the Faceless Man Anomaly, Gao Linzhi strengthened the island’s defenses and considered how to grow stronger. Meanwhile, players learned of the court’s Longevity Water, and the game launched a permanent cross-server treasure hunt to seize it.

• Ouyang Jing and the old man ordered the flying vessel to retreat from Wolf Snake Island after the Faceless Man Anomaly disappeared, while Old Daoist Tiansheng admitted that his two attendants had died distracting it.
• Gao Linzhi returned to Wolf Snake Island, assigned Puppet Best to patrol the Eye of the Storm with puppets, and planned to expand trade and buy Skill Stones.
• On Island No. 8, New Century Amber and other veteran players decided to spread word of the Longevity Water and let players take it from the court.
• In the Official Built-in Group, Empty 2086 and other players confirmed that the Longevity Water was at the Great Brightness Tower on Great Brightness Island, guarded by monks near a Buddha Anomaly.
• After players discussed arranging a game event to steal the Longevity Water, the game announced the permanent monthly Imperial Court Treasure Hunt, with shared cross-server rankings and event rewards.

Gao Linzhi learned how the Sky Wolf Dynasty’s court shared power with local prefectural governors and heard Clerk He’s account of the powerful Liu family on Sea Sky Island. After deciding to infiltrate the Liu family for clues about Longevity Water, the players learned that the court was using its distribution to stir conflict between players and aristocratic families.

• Players debated the risks and rewards of the treasure-snatching event before reading a guide that sent them to Prefectural Island to gather intelligence about Longevity Water.
• Gao Linzhi asked Second Elder and Clerk He about the local prefectural governor and learned that the Liu family of Sea Sky Island held the position under the court’s loose oversight.
• Clerk He explained how the court and prefectural governors relied on and restrained each other, and reported that the registrar sent to Wolf Snake Island had been replaced by an impostor.
• Clerk He described the Liu family’s population-focused policies and predicted that it would mobilize tenant farmers to search for Longevity Water.
• Gao Linzhi assigned Clerk He to infiltrate the Liu family and investigate Sea Sky Island.
• The game guide revealed that the court had given some Longevity Water to prefectural governors to provoke conflict between players and aristocratic families.

Gao Linzhi learned that several nearby prefects possessed Longevity Water and that the game had launched a treasure-hunting event with team formation, airship transport, and a free revival for participants. Wuliao decided to pursue the event despite Singleplayer’s warnings, hoping to prove his value to Gao Linzhi and secure more resources.

• Clerk He told Gao Linzhi that Liu Daxiong controlled Wolf Snake Island, commanded the Ironclad Squad, and desperately sought Longevity Water, which the court had given to two nearby prefects.
• Gao Linzhi declined to share his intelligence, but another player shared it first, prompting the game to announce the Longevity Water hunt and open temporary team formation.
• The game offered teams shared lives and one death immunity aura, then provided a Treasure Hunting Airship that required ten Level 20 monster corpses to board.
• Gao Linzhi discussed the game’s growing support for Ordinary Players with the Four Village Trading Company members, while the team formed around the prospect of claiming event rewards.
• Singleplayer warned Wuliao that the event was dangerous and urged him to develop himself instead, but Wuliao chose to participate so he could prove his worth to Gao Linzhi and gain resources.

Players gathered at East Wolf Village to join the treasure-hunting event, while Gao Linzhi discovered that the flying vessel’s apparent luxury concealed players packed together by an illusion. He boarded the vessel’s cockpit and steered it toward Sea Sky Island, pondering the game’s plans for the imperial court and its reason for invading Skyfall World.

• Players paid for tickets and boarded the flying vessel, whose interior seemed spacious and luxurious despite Gao Linzhi recognizing that they were packed together beneath an illusion.
• A player killed another inside the ancestral hall Safe Zone, exposing a flaw that the game quickly fixed; it restored the victim’s resurrection and refunded or waived players’ ticket fees.
• Gao Linzhi declined to board with the others at first, then took Wuliao and his companions to the cockpit instead of the crowded cabins.
• When players asked where the vessel should go, Gao Linzhi used his key intelligence to take control and chose Sea Sky Island rather than heading straight to the Wind and Thunder Islands.
• Gao Linzhi suspected the game was using players and flying vessels to undermine the imperial court, and wondered what valuable purpose the game had in invading Skyfall World.

Gao Linzhi watched the players arrive on Sea Sky Island to pursue Longevity Water, while Wuliao organized the willing players into disciplined units. The first reckless scouts were ambushed and killed by the Prefect’s troops, leaving the players shaken by the strength of their enemy.

• Gao Linzhi’s airship reached Sea Sky Island, and 1,208 players disembarked to gather intelligence.
• Wuliao urged the players to follow military rules, but about a third left to explore on their own.
• The independent players walked into an archer ambush, lost nearly half their number, and fled back to the beach asking to rejoin.
• Wuliao accepted the returning players into logistics and organized the group into squads and companies with assigned roles.
• Two squads sent to test the enemy’s defenses scattered when cavalry charged them, and the troops killed the first scouts before they could escape.

After players suffered heavy losses against the imperial forces, Boredom reorganized them into scouts, a mobile combat force, and logistical support. Gao Linzhi entered the Prefectural City, assessed its prosperity and defenses, and learned that its player-governor was pursuing Longevity Water.

• Gao Linzhi watched players fall in battle as the survivors realized they were outmatched by the imperial forces.
• Boredom stopped sending low-level players to the front and assigned them to logistics, while experienced players became scouts and a core mobile force.
• Gao Linzhi went stealthily toward the Prefectural City as Boredom's scouts lost their way and sought a village guide.
• Gao Linzhi entered the city and judged its people to be healthy and its streets prosperous, crediting the Liu family's prefectural governor with effective rule.
• Gao Linzhi heard reincarnated player-governors discuss Longevity Water and learned that the local governor was trying to obtain a bottle while soldiers patrolled the city.

Gao Linzhi investigated the Liu family’s prefectural residence, where his stealth was exposed by its protective runes and General Liu mobilized the guards. Prefect Liu tried to recruit the unseen intruder, but Gao Linzhi discovered that the prefect was a level 35 Substitute Puppet.

• Gao Linzhi overheard players discuss the lack of Longevity Water and their plans to deal with the prefect, then headed to the prefectural residence to assess its strength.
• The residence’s rune-covered gate detected Gao Linzhi’s stealth, forcing him to retreat as General Liu ordered the guards to search for the suspected assassin.
• Gao Linzhi assessed General Liu as a level 55 Spear Master and concluded his stealth skills were not strong enough to infiltrate the residence unnoticed.
• Prefect Liu emerged wearing a beaded crown, invited the hidden intruder to meet him, and offered wealth and status in exchange for his service.
• Gao Linzhi inspected Prefect Liu and realized he was a level 35 Substitute Puppet.

Gao Linzhi used a Listening Talisman to spy on the prefectural residence and learned that Prefect Liu was plotting against the court. He witnessed a Heavenly Assassins operative use a cursed sword to attack Prefect Liu’s substitute, leaving the prefect’s real body in mortal danger.

• Gao Linzhi observed the prefectural residence and placed a Listening Talisman on Manager Wu, a provisions buyer entering through the back gate.
• Gao Linzhi listened as cooks gossiped about the prefect’s household and demonstrated their familiarity with curses and substitutes.
• Prefect Liu and General Liu discussed their resentment toward the court and their desire to unite with the Wind and Thunder Islands to seize territory and find Longevity Water.
• An assassin stabbed Prefect Liu’s Substitute Puppet, then revealed that the Sword of Curse would track and harm the prefect’s main body.
• A Heavenly Assassins operative identified the group and accused Prefect Liu of exploiting islanders and luring Descenders to their deaths.
• Prefect Liu’s substitute began bleeding from its eyes, ears, nose, and mouth as the curse injured his real body, and he panicked over losing his chance at a long life.

The Heavenly Assassin attacked Prefect Liu, but Old Daoist Tiansheng intervened and fought the assassin to a standstill. After the assassin left, Prefect Liu revealed that he had only pretended to be near death to escape.

• General Liu and the others fled when the Heavenly Assassin cursed Prefect Liu, while Gao Linzhi watched from his hiding place.
• Old Daoist Tiansheng appeared, stopped Prefect Liu's bleeding, and challenged the Heavenly Assassin to a duel.
• The Heavenly Assassin and Old Daoist Tiansheng exchanged attacks and counters for half an hour, but neither could defeat the other.
• Old Daoist Tiansheng argued that Prefect Liu had saved tens of thousands of people and accused the assassin of judging him unfairly.
• The Heavenly Assassin fell silent and dispersed, and Old Daoist Tiansheng cured Prefect Liu's curse.
• Prefect Liu told Old Daoist Tiansheng that he had only feigned death to escape and that the Daoist had spoiled his plan.

Prefect Liu agreed to let the Imperial Observatory station its people nearby after Old Daoist Tiansheng revealed their interest in the Eye of the Storm, while Gao Linzhi suspected the Heavenly Assassin’s arrival had been part of a scheme. At Sea Sky Tower, Gao Linzhi learned about the players’ assault and the Heavenly Assassins’ reputation, then approached a Heavenly Assassin, who mistook his visit for interest in joining the organization.

• Prefect Liu explained that he wanted greater power and resources, then agreed to let Old Daoist Tiansheng and the Imperial Observatory stay near Prefectural Island to investigate the Eye of the Storm.
• Gao Linzhi concluded that the Imperial Observatory had used the Heavenly Assassin’s attack to pressure Prefect Liu into accepting its presence.
• Gao Linzhi slipped into Sea Sky Tower and found the Heavenly Assassin dining on the second floor.
• Powerful guests discussed the players’ assault outside the city, the siege engines and fire oil they were using, and the Heavenly Assassins’ role in restraining officials.
• Gao Linzhi approached the Heavenly Assassin to test him, but the man assumed Gao Linzhi wanted to join the organization.

Gao Linzhi questioned a green-robed Heavenly Assassin about the organization’s goal of restraining those in power, but refused to join after learning that members swore an oath. The Heavenly Assassin attacked him for declining, and Gao Linzhi exposed the organization’s ties to the Imperial Observatory as the assassin began to doubt its independence.

• Gao Linzhi recognized that the Heavenly Assassin’s soul inhabited a surrogate shell and learned that the organization aimed to deter rulers from abusing their power.
• The Heavenly Assassin explained the organization’s oath and recruitment rules, but Gao Linzhi declined to join because he would not bind himself to an organization.
• The Heavenly Assassin stabbed Gao Linzhi with a Sword of Curse, giving Gao Linzhi’s Game Character a curse that threatened death in two hours.
• Gao Linzhi fought back and told the Heavenly Assassin that the organization had become a tool of the Imperial Observatory, which wanted troops stationed to seize a treasure.
• The Heavenly Assassin rejected Gao Linzhi’s accusation, then turned pale and cried out that it could not be true.

Gao Linzhi persuaded the Heavenly Assassin Tian Qing to give him access to the organization, then followed him to a hidden branch and learned advanced stealth. There, Gao Linzhi overheard members dismissing Tian Qing and discussing the Descenders as disposable, leaving the organization’s internal corruption exposed.

• After Tian Qing asked how to prevent the organization from becoming corrupt, Gao Linzhi proposed that power be entrusted to him, and Tian Qing agreed to share the organization’s secret art without requiring an oath.
• Tian Qing introduced himself as a Heaven-ranked assassin and agreed to take Gao Linzhi deeper into the organization.
• Wuliao told Gao Linzhi that the garrison had attacked the beach camp, leaving only several hundred players alive, and that a team planned to investigate the Prefectural Residence for Longevity Water.
• Gao Linzhi told Wuliao that the prefect had no Longevity Water and was using the rumor to distract players from the islands that held the real supply.
• Tian Qing led Gao Linzhi through a hidden entrance to the local branch and taught him stealth, raising his skill to Expert Level and increasing his constitution.
• Gao Linzhi and Tian Qing overheard branch members call Tian Qing a fool and claim the Descenders could all be killed.

Tian Qing confronted the Heavenly Assassin Organization’s senior brothers after discovering their corruption and declared that the organization needed someone to hold it accountable. He attacked them with his nine Master-level clones, but Elder Senior Brother tried to persuade him to stand down as the fight continued.

• Gao Linzhi and Tian Qing overheard the Heavenly Assassins discussing their rewards and indulgent lifestyles, and Tian Qing grew ashamed and angry.
• Tian Qing entered the hall and accused the senior brothers of betraying the organization’s founding purpose, but they argued that they had joined to enjoy themselves.
• Tian Qing declared that he would kill them, drew his black sword, and revealed nine identical clones through his Master-level Nine Illusory Transformations.
• The senior brothers activated defensive jade talismans, and the old man raised a jade barrier to protect three of them while the plain-looking senior brother prepared to face Tian Qing.
• Elder Senior Brother continued arguing that people should live for themselves and enjoy life while defending against Tian Qing’s attacks.

Tian Qing exhausted himself attacking his four senior brothers, died after they mocked his convictions, and left Gao Linzhi to face them. After a prolonged fight, Gao Linzhi was stabbed through his Substitute Puppet but counterattacked with spells, forcing the four men onto the defensive.

• Tian Qing unleashed a rapid assault on his four senior brothers, but his body broke down and he died after arguing with them about his convictions and the corruption of worship.
• The four senior brothers accused Gao Linzhi of provoking Tian Qing and attacked him, while their fourth brother tried to flee.
• Gao Linzhi endured their attacks with his Substitute Puppet and fought them for more than half an hour before they called a truce and offered to let him go.
• Gao Linzhi said he intended to oppose the Heavenly Assassin Organization, and the furious senior brothers attacked him again, driving a sword through his puppet.
• The senior brothers celebrated, but Gao Linzhi challenged their motives and unleashed spells that forced them to defend themselves.

Gao Linzhi defeated the Heavenly Assassins branch members and traded their Longevity Water for their lives, then secretly followed them to learn why they would not retaliate. He discovered that their organization was constrained by anomaly rules and internal politics, and that the sea and player Safe Zones further discouraged them from pursuing him.

• Gao Linzhi used Noble 25 power-leveling to fight the four Heavenly Assassins members with Grandmaster-level skill, while Elder Senior Brother realized a remote expert was controlling his substitute body.
• Gao Linzhi mocked the four and demanded Longevity Water, and Elder Senior Brother offered their quota in exchange for being spared.
• Gao Linzhi appraised the purple potion, learned it could add about 200 years to a person's lifespan while preventing further lifespan gains, and accepted it for Hai Zida's research.
• After Gao Linzhi left, the four planned to abandon their branch and falsify a report claiming Tian Qing had died from anomaly contamination and the Longevity Water had been destroyed.
• Gao Linzhi followed the four to a hunter's cabin and learned their anomaly's rules forbade attacks on powerless commoners, while factional disputes, the dangerous sea, and player Safe Zones made retaliation risky.

Gao Linzhi secured the Longevity Water event reward, then uncovered Prefect Liu’s plan to use the players to capture their airship. Two days later, Prefect Liu addressed the players and called on them to reclaim stolen court treasures.

• Gao Linzhi handed the Longevity Water to Hai Zida through Xu Gou, then received one million points after the game confirmed the sample was genuine.
• Gao Linzhi returned to the beach and found Wuliao’s group cooperating with Prefect Liu’s representatives in exchange for support and rewards.
• Gao Linzhi overheard Prefect Liu explain that he wanted the players’ airship so he could defeat Haifeng Island and Hailei Island and unite the other provinces.
• Gao Linzhi told Wuliao what he had learned, but Wuliao said the players already understood Prefect Liu’s scheme.
• Prefect Liu arrived at the beach two days later and urged the players to reclaim treasures he claimed rebels had stolen from the court.

Gao Linzhi traveled with Prefect Liu and the players to Haifeng Island, where a Gale Anomaly made the island nearly impossible to approach. Prefect Liu explained that the anomaly's safe intervals followed a numerical pattern, and Gao Linzhi recognized it as the Fibonacci sequence.

• Prefect Liu offered the players five hundred taels each to help suppress rebels, while undercover Company Executive Players plotted to seize the Longevity Water by possessing someone close to him.
• Empty 2086 and other players decided to follow Gao Linzhi's trail to find more Longevity Water and used Respawn Point Switch Talismans to reach Sea Sky Island.
• Gao Linzhi boarded Prefect Liu's flying vessel and observed the officials praising its ability to pass unseen by sea monsters and birds.
• The flying vessel reached Haifeng Island, where violent tornadoes surrounded a prosperous settlement inside a volcanic crater.
• Prefect Liu explained that the Gale Anomaly's wind paused at intervals determined by a sequence, and Gao Linzhi identified the pattern as Fibonacci.

A player solved Prefect Liu’s riddle, earning the chance to enter Haifeng Island second while unknowingly becoming a target for the prefect. After the storm cleared, Prefect Liu’s group landed on the island and clashed with its defenders over the Longevity Water.

• A player answered Prefect Liu’s riddle correctly, and the prefect awarded him merit while deciding that the players threatened his rule and should eventually be driven out or destroyed.
• At four in the afternoon, the storm around Haifeng Island subsided, and the flying boat landed on a cliff where the players disembarked.
• Prefect Liu learned that the flying boat could travel on its own, then Gao Linzhi joined the others as they began searching for a way down the mountain.
• A squad led by the Red Robe Young General surrounded the group and accused them of coming for the Longevity Water.
• Prefect Liu proposed settling the dispute with a wager match, and the Red Robe Young General attacked him before his lieutenant general intervened.
• The lieutenant general and the Red Robe Young General fought with mortal skill, leaving the players astonished by their speed and technique.

Prefect Liu brought the players to confront Prefect Liang, while the players struggled to understand why they had been summoned. The two Prefects argued over their alliance and the Longevity Water, leaving their fragile partnership in open dispute.

• The players discussed the power of the imperial experts after Prefect Liu stopped General Liu and sent the Red Robe Young General to summon Prefect Liang.
• Gao Linzhi recognized that Prefect Liu might value the players for their game resources and access to the offline world, though he kept his thoughts to himself.
• Prefect Liang arrived in a sedan chair carried by two skilled men, and stealthy players moved close to broadcast the meeting.
• Prefect Liang accused Prefect Liu of violating their agreement by bringing the players, and Prefect Liu blamed Liang for accepting Longevity Water from the imperial court without telling him.
• The Prefects traded accusations over whether the Longevity Water had broken their alliance, and their argument exposed how fragile their partnership was.

Prefect Liu and Prefect Liang agreed to settle their dispute over the Longevity Water with a three-part contest, and the players trained in Battle Formations to fight on Liu’s behalf. The first clash began on Haifeng Island, where the players’ formation broke down under the opposing soldiers’ attack.

• Prefect Liu explained that the contest would include duels and battles between formations, and Gao Linzhi learned Basic March Formation and raised it to level 100.
• After seven days of training, Prefect Liang replaced his promised players with soldiers, but Prefect Liu accepted the change and both sides assembled at the flatland between two rivers.
• The sides began with a duel between one of General Liu’s Battalion Commanders and a subordinate of the Red Robe Young General, while Gao Linzhi sensed mysterious beings watching the formations.
• General Liu signaled the second player formation to advance, and the opposing soldiers met them with shields and sabers.
• The enemy formation broke through the players’ poorly directed spears, throwing their formation into chaos and cutting down several players.

Players and native soldiers began resisting the battle, while three powerful players intervened to stop Prefect Liang from executing a frightened soldier. They fought General Liu and the Red Robe Young General, leaving the two Prefects unable to enforce their orders.

• Players broke ranks under the enemy’s attacks, and Gao Linzhi watched as their retreat and desperate resistance led native soldiers to hold back as well.
• Prefect Liang ordered a fifteen-year-old soldier beheaded for edging backward, despite the soldier pleading that he had a family to support.
• A female player and her two companions, Tengu One and Tengu Two, entered the tent and condemned the Prefects for treating lives as expendable.
• The three players used a Three Talents Sword Formation to strip a Captain and then fought General Liu and the Red Robe Young General when they tried to seize them.
• The soldier escaped as the battle became visible to the surrounding players, who realized the trio could counter the generals’ speed with their sword formation’s defensive energy field.

Gao Linzhi watched three Saintly Mother Stream players disrupt the wagered battle and undermine the prefects’ authority, until Prefect Liang ordered a thousand soldiers buried alive. The prefects stopped the battle and proposed a Literary Duel, beginning a Wargame Simulation to decide how the Longevity Water would be distributed.

• Gao Linzhi recognized the trio’s defensive counterattack strategy, and the players’ intervention made both sides reluctant to enforce military law or fight to the death.
• Prefect Liang threatened Liang Hong through his sister, prompting Liang Hong to order the soldiers to fight desperately and summon a black figure with their formation’s strength.
• The trio urged the soldiers to resist their oppressors, and the soldiers’ wavering loyalty weakened the formation despite the Red Robe Young General’s ring-shaped artifact.
• The trio vanished when the soldiers began collapsing, and Prefect Liang threatened to bury all thousand soldiers alive; they returned to challenge him, forcing the prefects to end the wager.
• Prefect Liang and Prefect Liu proposed a Literary Duel, and their commanders and strategists began arranging a Wargame Simulation with magical black and white pieces.