Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Treasure Team Formation Begins, Free Revival!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Clerk He reports that Liu Daxiong, the seventy-nine-year-old prefect governing Wolf Snake Island, is secretly corrupt, ruthless, and desperate to obtain Longevity Water.
• Liu commands the Ironclad Squad, ninety-nine elite warriors above Level 45 who wear iron armor and masks. They are effectively an “Undying Squad,” with replacements taking the place of fallen members.
• The court has distributed Longevity Water to only two nearby prefects—Haifeng Island and Hailei Island—creating a political struggle in which the remaining three prefects plan to kill them and seize the treasure.
• The Longevity Water can extend a person’s life by two hundred years. Gao Linzhi recognizes that the court is deliberately encouraging the prefects to fight one another through a “two peaches killing three warriors” scheme.
• Gao initially refuses to share his intelligence, but another player releases similar information first, earning 2,000 points plus a 10,000-point first-sharer bonus. The intelligence becomes available to all players, and a unified ranking appears.
• The game activates a temporary team-formation system, allowing players to create teams, join teams, or be randomly assigned to one.
• Players are initially hesitant because team missions are dangerous and most lack Revival Stones. The game then announces that successfully formed teams can share lives and receive one free death-immunity revival.
• The first death during the event can trigger a voluntary or automatic revival in the ancestral-hall Safe Zone, even if the player is sealed, bound, confused, or otherwise incapacitated. A second death still requires a Revival Stone, and revival may carry other penalties.
• Encouraged by the free revival, players begin forming teams and consider using the opportunity to challenge dangerous bosses.
• A Treasure Hunting Airship appears near East Wolf Village. Players can board it by providing the corpses of ten Level 20 monsters, demonstrating that the game is actively supplying transportation and logistical support for the event.
• Gao Linzhi concludes that the game’s operators are deliberately using the treasure hunt to destabilize the court and encourage players to interfere with the native political order.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi remains cautious and strategic. He values Longevity Water but does not intend to risk himself recklessly for it, believing he can obtain it through trade using game items.
• He is suspicious of the game’s increasing support for ordinary players and recognizes that the free revival is likely intended to draw them into dangerous missions.
• Clerk He proves himself a capable intelligence gatherer despite his fearfulness, earning Gao’s continued approval.
• Wuliao initially supports the idea of winning the event and gaining the game’s favor. Although Singleplayer warns him that the event is exceptionally dangerous, Wuliao decides to participate because he wants to prove his usefulness to Gao and maintain his position within the group.
• Singleplayer acts as a cynical adviser, urging Wuliao to focus on personal development, native skills, and exploiting Gao for resources rather than blindly following the game’s objectives.
• Wuliao ultimately rejects Singleplayer’s advice, partly because he believes humans’ desire for immortality is stronger than the strange entity understands and partly because he fears losing Gao’s trust.
• Puppet Best, Bored, Dragon Fruit, Xu Gou, and Wuliao gather to discuss the event and recognize that the game is shifting more support toward ordinary players.

Character Interactions

• Gao questions Clerk He about Liu Daxiong, the Ironclad Squad, and the distribution of Longevity Water, using the information to analyze the court’s political strategy.
• Members of the Four Village Trading Company debate whether the game’s new assistance is beneficial or dangerous. They agree that the game is increasingly encouraging ordinary players to participate in major events.
• Wuliao discusses the event with the group and internally argues with Singleplayer. Singleplayer views the revival offer as evidence of extreme danger, while Wuliao sees the event as an opportunity to prove his value and secure more resources from Gao.
• The players’ event-channel conversations reveal widespread fear of death, resentment over lacking boats and Revival Stones, and enthusiasm once the free revival is announced.
• Team formation introduces the possibility of cooperation but also raises concerns about betrayal, freeloading, poor leadership, and internal conflict.

Significant Themes

• Political manipulation and feudal corruption: The court maintains control by distributing Longevity Water selectively and encouraging rival prefects to destroy one another. Gao views this as a system that is oppressive internally but fragile when confronted externally.
• The value and danger of immortality: Longevity Water is so valuable that it can motivate prefects and players to accept enormous risks. Its promise exposes the desperation of both elderly players and powerful officials.
• Game-controlled social engineering: The operators use transportation, rankings, team systems, and free revival to push players into active participation and possibly reshape the world’s balance of power.
• Trust and loyalty: Wuliao’s decision to join the expedition is motivated less by the treasure itself than by the need to preserve Gao’s trust and demonstrate his importance.
• Risk versus opportunity: The free revival appears generous, but the characters recognize it as an incentive to enter deadly situations. Players immediately seek ways to exploit it by challenging bosses and pursuing greater rewards.
• Cooperation amid suspicion: Teams provide shared survival benefits, yet players remain wary of betrayal and incompetence. The event forces individuals to balance the advantages of cooperation against the dangers of relying on others.

Chapter Summary: “Game Bug: The Target World of the Invasion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• East Wolf Village becomes crowded as nearly all players gather for the treasure-hunting event. The event offers a rare free resurrection, encouraging players to participate even if they are not interested in the main quest.
• Players must submit ten Level 20 demon-beast corpses to board the mysterious flying vessel. Since such beasts are mostly found offshore, obtaining the required supplies is costly and time-consuming.
• The flying vessel appears to contain luxurious, spacious private facilities—including cabins, kitchens, pools, cinemas, saunas, and entertainment rooms. Players are amazed and assume the vessel uses advanced spatial technology.
• Gao Linzhi realizes that the vessel’s interior is likely an illusion or spatial simulation created by the game operators. In reality, the passengers are being packed tightly together like cargo.
• A player kills another player inside the supposed Safe Zone after mistakenly believing attacks would be automatically blocked. The victim resurrects through the event’s special benefit.
• The incident exposes a flaw in the game’s Safe Zone system. Gao Linzhi deduces that the operators have not fully recreated a true Safe Zone; they are relying on illusions, backend privileges, and existing ancestral halls that resist anomaly rules.
• The game quickly patches the error, restores the victim’s resurrection, and refunds or waives players’ flying-vessel fees. This confirms that the game is operated by fallible human administrators rather than an infallible system.
• More than six hundred players board the vessel, believing its interior is spacious. Gao Linzhi refuses to enter the crowded passenger area and instead uses the cockpit, where he can travel comfortably and control the route.
• Players debate which island to visit and mock those who blindly flatter powerful players. Their discussion expands into criticism of the Sky Wolf Dynasty, particularly its exploitation of common people through Longevity Water and forced labor.
• Gao Linzhi receives a system prompt allowing him to share crucial intelligence about the treasure hunt. He refuses to share it and gains the ability to control the flying vessel personally.
• Although the Longevity Water is located on the Wind and Thunder Islands, Gao Linzhi first directs the vessel toward Sea Sky Island to conceal his true objective.
• He reasons that simply stealing the Longevity Water would be foolish because someone could destroy or consume it, preventing others from competing for it.
• During the journey, Gao Linzhi reflects on the game’s larger invasion of Skyfall World and suspects that the operators are deliberately using players to undermine the imperial government.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi becomes increasingly suspicious of the Skyfall Game and its operators. He recognizes the difference between the game’s manufactured illusions and actual reality, allowing him to see through the excitement affecting the other players.
• He demonstrates strategic restraint by refusing to reveal his intelligence, avoiding unnecessary conflict with the operators, and concealing his destination.
• Gao Linzhi also begins thinking on a broader political and technological level. He realizes that flying vessels could transform transportation, strengthen imperial control, and spread both prosperity and governmental mistakes rapidly.
• The players display their usual impulsiveness and herd mentality. They eagerly accept the vessel’s apparent luxury, form teams around high-level players, and become distracted by infighting and gossip.
• The game operators are revealed to be imperfect and reactive. They can generate powerful technologies and repair bugs quickly, but they are still prone to mistakes.
• The Patrol Team maintains village law by arresting the player responsible for the Safe Zone killing and investigating witnesses.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: The luxurious flying vessel is likely an illusion masking the cramped conditions inside. The chapter repeatedly contrasts what players perceive with what is actually happening.
• The limits of artificial systems: The Safe Zone appears reliable until an unexpected conflict exposes its technical weakness. The game can patch the issue, but its imperfections reveal that it is not omnipotent.
• Human fallibility: The operators’ mistake and rapid emergency correction show that the game is run by people, not an all-knowing intelligence.
• Power and political manipulation: The game seems to be using players as instruments against the Sky Wolf Dynasty, potentially destabilizing the imperial government.
• Technology and centralized authority: Flying vessels could help the imperial court control distant islands, but they could also spread corruption, policy failures, and disorder more quickly.
• Class exploitation: Player conversations compare officials and powerful figures to mosquitoes that drain ordinary people. The Longevity Water symbolizes the exploitation of commoners for the benefit of elites.
• Hidden motives: Gao Linzhi questions why the game invaded Skyfall World and suspects it seeks a rare energy source or material rather than ordinary wealth.

Character Interactions

• Players compete and cooperate while forming teams for the event, with some attempting to recruit strong players through exaggerated flattery.
• A team captain kills a player who mocks or records him, leading to conflict with the Patrol Team and exposing the Safe Zone malfunction.
• Gao Linzhi discusses the vessel with Xu Gou and Dragon Fruit. He refuses to board the passenger area, though he does not fully explain the reason.
• Players repeatedly appeal to “Boss Canxue” for guidance, while others mock their dependence on powerful figures.
• Player conversations shift from event strategy to criticism of the Sky Wolf Dynasty and the exploitation caused by Longevity Water.
• Gao Linzhi brings Wuliao and the others into the cockpit, positioning himself as the person who secretly controls the expedition’s direction.

Plot Points and Events

• Players arrive at Sea Sky Island, a more prosperous and populous island than Wolf Snake Island.
• Players initially disembark chaotically, but Wu Liao, a player, takes command and organizes them into military formations.
• A group of players who left to act independently are ambushed by the Prefect's archers, suffering heavy losses.
• Two squads of players are sent to scout the enemy's defenses but are quickly overwhelmed by cavalry, suffering their first casualties.

Character Developments

• Wu Liao demonstrates leadership and strategic thinking, organizing the players into a structured military force.
• Players initially show recklessness and disorganization, leading to heavy losses. They later realize the importance of unity and organization.

Significant Themes

• The importance of organization and unity in facing a structured enemy force.
• The harsh reality of the game's rules, where disobedience and recklessness lead to swift and severe consequences.

Character Interactions

• Wu Liao interacts with the players, imposing military discipline and organizing them into teams.
• Players who left to act independently interact with the Prefect's forces, suffering heavy losses due to their disorganization.
• Players who remain with Wu Liao's group interact with the enemy's cavalry, suffering their first casualties in the scouting mission.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi observes the battlefield from a flying vessel and recognizes that such vessels function as strategic weapons. However, he expects the imperial court to possess comparable aerial capabilities.
• Ten players from two squads join the battle, but most are quickly killed by elite imperial soldiers. The defeat terrifies the remaining players, who realize that ordinary players are completely outmatched in this supernatural world.
• The players discuss their weakness: many are only level 30–40, possess few underdeveloped skills, and lack the equipment and combat ability of high-level players like Gao Linzhi.
• Boredom, the overall commander, changes tactics. Instead of wasting low-level players as scouts or cannon fodder, he assigns stronger players to reconnaissance and reorganizes weaker players into logistics roles.
• Low-level players begin building shelters, cooking, washing clothes, providing medical support, and setting traps. The chapter emphasizes that logistics and life professions are essential but generally unattractive to wealthy, combat-oriented players.
• A group of level-45 advanced players with extremely high Constitution is selected as a mobile elite force. Boredom orders them to wait for an opportunity and deliver a decisive strike.
• Gao Linzhi concludes that most Rogue Players are unsuitable for major combat. Low-level forces are useful mainly for warning systems, guarding resources, and handling support work, while powerful players should determine the outcome of battles.
• Gao Linzhi enters stealth and travels directly toward the Prefectural City. The player scouts, lacking navigational knowledge, become lost and must seek a local guide.
• Inside the Prefectural City, Gao Linzhi finds a relatively prosperous and healthy population, suggesting that the Liu family’s prefectural governor governs diligently.
• He reasons that respawning monster nests provide an almost limitless source of meat and resources, allowing competent rulers to support large populations. However, city size is limited by the need to evacuate residents into ancestral halls during supernatural anomalies.
• Gao Linzhi observes signs of economic development, including numerous shops, effective patrols, and careful city management. He also sees reincarnated player governors discussing Longevity Water and potential schemes to seize it from others.
• The chapter ends with Gao Linzhi noting that the city’s security is strong and that the arrival of players is already bringing advanced technology and outside culture into the region.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi becomes increasingly analytical about supernatural warfare, population management, resource production, and the political structure of the world. He recognizes that brute-force mass attacks are ineffective and that high-level individuals are the true decisive force.
• Boredom proves himself an adaptable commander. After witnessing the players’ disastrous performance, he abandons inefficient tactics, divides players according to ability, and creates a specialized elite strike team.
• Low-level players lose their initial confidence and enthusiasm for frontline rewards. After seeing stronger players die easily, they accept that their proper roles are logistical and supportive.
• Advanced players show greater discipline and willingness to follow orders because resurrection reduces the danger of death. However, their loyalty remains conditional; they would betray Boredom for extraordinary rewards such as Longevity Water.
• The Liu family’s prefectural governor is indirectly characterized as competent and ambitious through the city’s healthy citizens, functioning economy, and effective security.

Significant Themes

• The gap between ordinary and elite players: Equipment, attributes, skills, and resources create an enormous divide between wealthy “big-shot” players and ordinary participants.
• The importance of specialization: Combat power, scouting, logistics, life professions, and support roles all serve different functions. Not everyone can or should fight on the front lines.
• War in a supernatural world: Traditional military formations and mass infantry tactics are less useful when individuals possess extraordinary speed, strength, and abilities. Elite fighters and decisive strikes matter more than cannon fodder.
• Labor versus wealth: Players who spend money can become powerful damage dealers, while those without wealth must invest time and effort into exhausting professions such as medicine, crafting, mining, and rune-making.
• The value of logistics and economic foundations: Armies depend on food, shelter, medical supplies, traps, and equipment. Even powerful combatants cannot function without a support base.
• Governance and resource management: Respawning monster nests can sustain large populations, but rulers must avoid overexploitation and manage settlements carefully.
• Conditional loyalty and self-interest: Players are portrayed as rational egoists who cooperate when useful but are willing to betray commanders for sufficiently valuable rewards.
• Isolation and stagnation: Even capable local rulers may fall behind if cut off from outside knowledge. The arrival of players introduces new technology, culture, and economic possibilities.

Character Interactions

• Players collectively react with fear and frustration after witnessing the imperial court’s superior soldiers defeat supposedly capable players.
• Boredom imposes a new division of labor, directing low-level players toward logistics while recruiting stronger players as scouts and elite combatants.
• The elite players agree to follow Boredom’s commands but privately retain personal ambitions and would abandon him for access to Longevity Water.
• Gao Linzhi observes rather than directly intervenes, comparing his own abilities and wealth with those of ordinary players.
• Inside the city, reincarnated player governors exchange information about Longevity Water and discuss defensive measures and possible theft, revealing competition among player factions.
• Gao Linzhi’s observations connect the players’ military activities with the broader lives of ordinary residents, showing how player intervention is beginning to reshape the local society.

Chapter Summary: “Prefect and General, the Ecology of a Supernatural Dynasty”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi overhears players discussing the supposed existence of Longevity Water in Prefect Liu’s territory. They conclude that the rumors may be false and debate whether to cooperate with or exploit the other players rather than drive them away.
• The players also discuss a previous quest involving Prefect Liu’s daughter and a scholar. They mock her romantic preference for the scholar and speculate that the relationship will end tragically.
• A player publicly claims that the Liu family possesses no Longevity Water, but other players distrust the announcement, assuming it is an attempt to monopolize the resource.
• Gao Linzhi’s true purpose is to assess Prefect Liu’s strength and the political situation on Sea Sky Island. He hopes to obtain Longevity Water but is not dependent on it.
• He approaches the prefectural residence and attempts to enter through the main gate while using stealth. The gate’s runes detect him and trigger an alarm.
• General Liu emerges with armed guards and orders the residence sealed and patrols intensified. He assumes the intruder is one of the reckless “Descenders,” or players, and calls for outside masters to hunt and execute the culprit.
• Gao Linzhi evaluates General Liu and discovers that he is a Level 55 spear master whose abilities approach Master Level. Gao realizes his current stealth skill is inadequate for infiltrating heavily defended locations.
• Later, Prefect Liu leaves the residence in a formal procession. Gao notices that Liu wears a beaded crown, an insignia normally reserved for imperial rulers or feudal kings.
• Prefect Liu publicly invites the hidden intruder to reveal himself, promising wealth, status, and honor. His officials criticize the players and question why Liu would show them courtesy, but Liu maintains the appearance of valuing talent.
• Gao uses his appraisal ability and discovers that the “prefect” is actually a Level 35 Substitute Puppet.
• The chapter ends with Gao recognizing that powerful rulers in this supernatural world use substitute bodies to protect themselves, just as he does. He also reasons that technical specialists at the Imperial Observatory likely cannot rely on substitutes because their work requires physical presence.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi becomes more cautious and analytical. Rather than immediately confronting the prefect, he observes the defenses, evaluates General Liu, and reassesses the limits of his stealth ability.
• He also gains a deeper understanding of how political power operates in this world, recognizing that authority depends on supernatural strength, ritual symbolism, manipulation, and substitutes rather than merely official titles.
• General Liu is presented as a powerful, disciplined military commander who reacts aggressively to perceived threats. He is hostile toward players and views them as disrespectful, dangerous outsiders.
• Prefect Liu reveals himself as ambitious and politically calculating. His use of imperial symbolism suggests he sees himself as an independent ruler, while his public recruitment of a possible assassin demonstrates strategic opportunism.
• The players are characterized as arrogant, pragmatic, and irreverent. Their ability to revive makes them unusually bold, undermining the traditional hierarchy respected by the native inhabitants.

Significant Themes

• Power versus formal authority: Official titles and ritual restrictions matter, but real power comes from supernatural ability and the capacity to enforce one’s will.
• Political ambition and gradual usurpation: Prefect Liu’s beaded crown symbolizes his attempt to normalize the image of himself as a local emperor. Gao reflects on how repeated violations of ritual can eventually become accepted reality.
• Security and surveillance: The prefectural residence relies on runes, guards, and patrols as layered defenses. Ordinary soldiers mainly function as alarms and observers, while genuine protection comes from powerful individuals.
• The disruptive nature of players: Players do not respect conventional hierarchy, laws, or social customs. Their immortality or revival ability allows them to act with a recklessness that native authorities find incomprehensible.
• Substitution and hidden identity: The discovery that Prefect Liu is a puppet emphasizes the widespread use of proxies and raises questions about who truly governs the region.
• Talent recruitment and manipulation: Liu’s willingness to offer wealth and honor to an apparent assassin is both a genuine search for capable allies and a public demonstration of his supposed magnanimity.

Character Interactions

• The players exchange rumors and insults while debating the Longevity Water situation and the prefect’s daughter’s romance.
• General Liu consults with his patrol captain and guards after the gate detects Gao, displaying both his anger toward players and his reliance on military hierarchy.
• Prefect Liu interacts with his officials by publicly presenting himself as tolerant and talent-focused, even as his confidants privately condemn the players.
• Gao does not directly confront any character but closely observes both General Liu and Prefect Liu, using their actions to assess their strength, motives, and hidden nature.

Chapter Summary: “An Unexpected Assassination, the Heavenly Assassins Organization!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi investigates Prefect Liu’s residence and learns that high-ranking officials in the supernatural world often use expensive Substitute Puppets to protect their true bodies.
• Because the prefect’s identity may be entirely concealed by his substitute, Gao realizes that ordinary curses and assassination methods would be ineffective.
• He places a Listening Talisman on Manager Wu, a supply purchaser, allowing him to spy on activity inside the prefectural residence.
• Through the servants’ conversations, Gao learns about the residence’s internal gossip, including rumors that the prefect’s young miss may be illegitimate and that her body could be used to curse the prefect.
• In a private meeting, Prefect Liu and General Liu complain about the imperial court, discuss the value of Longevity Water, and reveal ambitions to unite with other island powers, overthrow the court, and control the surrounding sea.
• A mysterious assassin suddenly attacks the prefect’s Substitute Puppet with a sword.
• The prefect initially mocks the assassin, believing the attack merely wasted a substitute and exposed a spy.
• The assassin reveals that the weapon is the Sword of Curse, which can trace the curse from the substitute back to the prefect’s true body.
• The assassin identifies himself as a member of Heaven’s Thorn, an organization claiming to uphold justice by killing corrupt officials and preventing dangerous rebels from destabilizing society.
• Prefect Liu’s true body begins suffering the sword’s effects. Despite his substitute remaining alive, the prefect starts bleeding from the seven orifices and panics over losing his long life.
• The chapter ends with Liu regretting his suppression of players and failure to use modern technology—only realizing the need for reform when death is imminent.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi becomes more cautious and strategically observant. He recognizes the complexity of supernatural politics and understands that every defensive technique will eventually produce a countermeasure.
• He also gains valuable intelligence about the imperial court, Prefect Liu’s ambitions, and the existence of a powerful anti-government organization.
• Prefect Liu is exposed as ambitious, manipulative, and hypocritical. He claims to want better lives for the people but extorts surrounding islands, demands human tribute, and sacrifices Descenders through false promises of Longevity Water.
• When faced with genuine death, Liu abandons his confident political posture and becomes terrified, revealing his attachment to power and longevity.
• General Liu acts as the prefect’s ally and reinforces his anti-court ambitions, while also showing hostility toward Heaven’s Thorn.
• The Heaven’s Thorn assassin is portrayed as fanatical but deeply committed to his own idea of justice. He cannot be easily bribed or intimidated because he sees his actions as morally meaningful.
• The servants and cooks provide a contrast to the officials: they live ordinary lives, gossip casually, and possess surprising familiarity with supernatural dangers.

Significant Themes

• Power and counterpower: Substitute Puppets protect officials, but the Sword of Curse demonstrates that every defense eventually inspires a stronger countermeasure.
• Supernatural politics versus ordinary feudal rule: Magical abilities prevent emperors and officials from exercising absolute authority because even powerful figures can be cursed or assassinated.
• Suppression of progress: The imperial court suppresses modern technology because it depends on large populations and resources, but it cannot fully suppress mysterious arts that individuals can master independently.
• Hypocrisy and corruption: Prefect Liu presents himself as a potential liberator while exploiting the people and pursuing rebellion for personal and political gain.
• Justice and fanaticism: Heaven’s Thorn represents resistance to official corruption, but its members’ unwavering certainty and willingness to kill suggest that justice can become extreme and uncompromising.
• Regret at the moment of death: Liu only considers reform and cooperation with players when his life is already in danger, emphasizing the officials’ inability—or unwillingness—to change before facing consequences.

Character Interactions

• Gao spies indirectly on Manager Wu and the residence’s servants, using their movements and conversations to understand the prefect’s household.
• The servants’ informal banter reveals how ordinary people interact and how deeply supernatural knowledge has permeated society.
• Prefect Liu and General Liu discuss the imperial court’s weakness, their desire for rebellion, and their frustration over losing access to Longevity Water.
• The assassin confronts Liu’s substitute, exposing the limitations of the puppet and accusing the prefect of corruption and exploitation.
• General Liu defends the prefect and condemns Heaven’s Thorn for refusing the court’s recruitment, while the assassin argues that joining the court would prevent them from opposing officials like Liu.
• The final confrontation strips Prefect Liu of his confidence: his political ambitions and self-justifications collapse as the curse begins killing his true body.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Heavenly Assassin attacks Prefect Liu, who feigns death.
• General Liu and others flee, but Gao Linzhi, the purchasing manager, faints.
• The Heavenly Assassin ignores those fleeing and watches Prefect Liu.
• Old Daoist Tiansheng appears and saves Prefect Liu, engaging in a battle with the Heavenly Assassin.
• The Heavenly Assassin uses a White Mist Dharma Body and high-speed attacks, while Old Daoist Tiansheng uses runes and buffs.
• The battle lasts for a long time, with both sides evenly matched.
• The Heavenly Assassin leaves, and Old Daoist Tiansheng heals Prefect Liu.
• Prefect Liu reveals he was faking his death to escape.

Character Developments

• Prefect Liu: Reveals his cunning and strategic thinking, feigning death to escape.
• General Liu: Shows cowardice and lack of loyalty, fleeing when Prefect Liu is in danger.
• Old Daoist Tiansheng: Demonstrates powerful abilities and strategic thinking, battling the Heavenly Assassin and healing Prefect Liu.
• Heavenly Assassin: Shows extreme speed and powerful attacks, but also reveals a lack of strategic thinking in his assassinations.

Significant Themes

• The struggle between the Imperial Court and those who seek to rebel against it.
• The use of power and strategy in combat and politics.
• The consequences of extreme actions and the importance of consideration and wisdom.

Character Interactions

• Prefect Liu and General Liu: The general's cowardice contrasts with Prefect Liu's cunning.
• Old Daoist Tiansheng and the Heavenly Assassin: Their battle highlights their different combat styles and strategies.
• Old Daoist Tiansheng and Prefect Liu: The old daoist's taunting of Prefect Liu reveals the latter's true intentions.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Prefect Liu reveals his true intentions and desire for power to Old Daoist Tiansheng.
• Old Daoist Tiansheng reveals that the Imperial Observatory wants to station near the Prefectural Island due to an Eye of the Storm Anomaly.
• Prefect Liu agrees to the Imperial Observatory's request, realizing he's been manipulated.
• Gao Linzhi infiltrates Sea Sky Tower and observes the Heavenly Assassin, overhearing conversations about the player offensive and the Heavenly Assassins' role.

Character Developments

• Prefect Liu: Reveals his ambition and desire for power, accepts the Imperial Observatory's terms under duress.
• Old Daoist Tiansheng: Shows political acumen and manipulation, representing the Imperial Observatory's interests.
• Heavenly Assassin: Displayed as calm and collected, enjoying a meal while Gao Linzhi observes him.

Significant Themes

• Power and Ambition: Prefect Liu's desire for greater power and influence.
• Manipulation and Control: The Imperial Observatory's manipulation of Prefect Liu and the Heavenly Assassin's influence on the political landscape.
• Heavenly Assassins' Role: Their purpose and the public's perception of their actions.

Character Interactions

• Prefect Liu and Old Daoist Tiansheng: A tense negotiation where Prefect Liu is forced to comply with the Imperial Observatory's demands.
• Gao Linzhi and the Heavenly Assassin: Gao Linzhi attempts to make contact with the Heavenly Assassin, who responds ambiguously.
• Various patrons at Sea Sky Tower: Discuss the player offensive, the Heavenly Assassins' role, and Prefect Liu's near-assassination.

Chapter Summary: The Fallen Who Kill Those Who Refuse to Join

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi meets the green-robed Heavenly Assassin through surrogate bodies and recognizes that the Assassin’s apparent “surrogate” is actually his Main Body with his soul transferred into another shell.
• The Heavenly Assassin explains that his organization exists to maintain balance by acting as a deterrent against tyrants, corrupt officials, and powerful figures who oppress the people. Their goal is not universal peace or political unity, but ensuring that those in power always fear assassination.
• He claims the organization’s actions have helped limit large-scale massacres and restrained dynastic rulers, though they do not interfere in ordinary struggles among elites.
• Gao Linzhi deduces that the organization must possess a Longevity Technique, since members with ordinary lifespans could potentially be corrupted by rulers offering immortality. The Assassin confirms that members swear an oath before a mysterious stone stele, pledging not to betray the organization or join other powers.
• Gao Linzhi refuses to join, unwilling to bind himself with an oath or surrender his moral and strategic flexibility.
• The Heavenly Assassin immediately stabs him with the Sword of Curse, declaring that anyone who refuses to join after learning the organization’s secrets must die.
• The curse affects Gao Linzhi’s game character, imposing a two-hour death countdown, but does not spread to his True Body. This confirms the protective advantage of being an Ordinary Player.
• When the Assassin assumes Gao Linzhi can no longer fight back, Gao Linzhi strikes him and exposes the organization’s hypocrisy. He argues that the Heavenly Assassins have become tools of the Imperial Observatory, particularly in its attempt to seize a treasure and pressure Gao Linzhi into permitting troops to enter his territory.
• The Assassin rejects this accusation at first but becomes visibly shaken, suggesting that Gao Linzhi has forced him to confront the possibility that the organization has already fallen from its original ideals.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi: Demonstrates strong analytical ability by uncovering the distinction between a physical surrogate and a soul-based Main Body. He remains cautious, skeptical, and unwilling to surrender autonomy, even when the Heavenly Assassins’ ideals appeal to him. After being attacked, he quickly reassesses the organization and recognizes its extremist, authoritarian nature.
• The Heavenly Assassin: Initially appears principled, disciplined, and committed to justice and balance. His admiration for Gao Linzhi turns into immediate hostility when Gao refuses to join. His willingness to kill someone merely for declining membership reveals the organization’s absolutism and his own indoctrination. Gao’s accusations cause him to lose confidence and confront the corruption of his beliefs.
• The Heavenly Assassin Organization: Is presented as an institution founded to restrain tyrants, but its rigid secrecy, compulsory loyalty, and lethal treatment of outsiders reveal that it has become oppressive in its own right. The chapter strongly suggests that it is now manipulated by the Imperial Observatory.

Significant Themes

• Ideals corrupted by power: An organization founded to protect ordinary people can become just as coercive as the forces it opposes.
• The danger of extremism: The Heavenly Assassins’ absolute principles leave no room for disagreement, making violence against nonmembers seem justified.
• Freedom versus loyalty: Gao values independence and refuses to accept an oath, while the organization views refusal as betrayal.
• Balance and deterrence: The chapter explores whether fear and assassination can effectively restrain rulers, and whether such methods remain legitimate once the organization itself becomes politically compromised.
• Appearance versus reality: The Assassin’s physical body, the organization’s public ideals, and its true political function all differ from what they initially seem.
• Caution and survival: Gao’s use of surrogates and the Game System protects him from the curse, reinforcing his belief that concealment and vigilance are essential to survival.

Character Interactions

• Gao and the Heavenly Assassin begin with mutual appraisal and cautious respect; the Assassin tests Gao’s combat ability and considers him suitable for membership.
• Their conversation becomes an ideological exchange, with Gao questioning the organization’s purpose, recruitment, immortality, and safeguards against betrayal.
• The Assassin’s respect turns into lethal hostility after Gao refuses to join, exposing the gap between the group’s claimed respect for choice and its actual coercive practices.
• After surviving the cursed attack, Gao physically and verbally counters the Assassin, accusing him of serving the Imperial Observatory rather than true justice.
• The chapter ends with the Assassin emotionally collapsing into denial, while Gao’s accusations expose the internal contradiction at the heart of the Heavenly Assassins.

Summary: “Checks and Counterchecks, Gao Linzhi’s Goal”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Gao Linzhi exposes the corruption within the Heavenly Assassin Organization, the blue-robed Heavenly Assassin—who had just attacked him—abandons his hostility and asks whether Gao has a solution.
• Gao argues that any organization powerful enough to restrain rulers must itself be restrained by an equal or superior force. Otherwise, it will inevitably abuse its authority.
• He first suggests returning power to ordinary people, but the Heavenly Assassin rejects this, citing human greed, cruelty, and selfishness. Gao then jokingly proposes that power be entrusted to someone like himself, who could serve as a “sword above” the organization.
• Surprisingly, the Heavenly Assassin accepts this reasoning and offers to share the organization’s secret power with Gao. He asks Gao to swear an oath, but Gao refuses, claiming that oaths create loopholes and that only sincere promises are reliable.
• The Heavenly Assassin introduces himself as Tian Qing, a Heaven-ranked assassin. Gao realizes that Tian Qing is highly skilled but intellectually rigid, having followed orders for so long that he has stopped thinking critically.
• Gao decides to exploit Tian Qing’s trust and asks to be taken into the organization’s deeper headquarters.
• Meanwhile, Wuliao’s player force suffers a disastrous defeat after attacking the garrison at the beach camp. More than a thousand players are reduced to only several hundred, prompting widespread complaints and blame directed at Wuliao.
• Gao informs Wuliao that the prefect does not possess the Longevity Water. The entire island is likely a decoy intended to attract players while the prefect secretly targets the two locations where the treasure truly exists.
• Gao and Tian Qing travel through a remote mountain forest to a hidden branch of the Heavenly Assassin Organization. Tian Qing teaches Gao a stealth technique, which the game system upgrades from Basic to Expert Level. Gao further raises it to level 100, gaining thirty constitution points.
• They enter an underground passage beneath a concealed tree hollow and overhear other Heavenly Assassins mocking Tian Qing. They call him a fool for attempting to assassinate the prefect and dismiss the invading players as expendable cannon fodder.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi demonstrates his ability to manipulate others through logic and psychological insight. Although he pretends to offer a solution casually, he successfully convinces Tian Qing to grant him access to the organization and possibly its power.
• Gao also reveals his practical, unsentimental nature. He refuses to forgive Tian Qing simply because the assassin acted out of misguided conviction; instead, he seeks to “destroy his heart” by exposing the flaws in his beliefs and using him for his own purposes.
• Tian Qing undergoes a partial change. He begins questioning the organization’s corruption and accepts that it needs someone to restrain it. However, his extreme obedience and lack of independent judgment remain obvious.
• The chapter suggests that Tian Qing was once driven by ideals of justice but has become mentally exhausted and indoctrinated. His willingness to trust Gao reflects both his sincerity and his intellectual vulnerability.
• Wuliao suffers reputational damage after the failed player assault, as the surviving players blame him for choosing a poor landing site and leading them into a pointless battle.
• The unnamed Heavenly Assassins reveal that Tian Qing is not respected within his own organization and is viewed as a foolish tool who blindly follows orders.

Significant Themes

• Power must be checked: Gao argues that those who restrain rulers must themselves be subject to oversight, establishing the chapter’s central political theme.
• Corruption and institutional decay: The Heavenly Assassin Organization began with ideals of justice but became corrupt after accumulating unchecked authority and relying on rigid oaths and doctrines.
• Idealism versus human nature: The debate over whether ordinary people or elites should wield power acknowledges both the cruelty of the masses and the dangers of elite rule.
• Manipulation and intelligence: Gao’s greatest advantage is not his combat strength but his ability to identify weaknesses in other people’s beliefs and exploit them.
• Blind obedience and mental stagnation: Tian Qing’s physical abilities are formidable, but his unquestioning obedience has left him unable to evaluate orders or consequences.
• Justice turning into fanaticism: The organization’s members began with noble goals but became extremists after repeated sacrifice, exhaustion, and disillusionment.
• Appearances and deception: The prefect’s island is presented as a false target, while the Heavenly Assassins’ proclaimed principles conceal internal corruption and power struggles.

Important Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi and Tian Qing: Their conversation shifts from violent confrontation to philosophical debate and then to an unequal alliance. Gao manipulates Tian Qing into trusting him, while Tian Qing offers both organizational access and valuable stealth knowledge.
• Gao Linzhi and Wuliao: Gao corrects Wuliao’s misunderstanding about the Longevity Water and reveals the prefect’s larger deception, showing that Gao has been conducting his own investigation rather than sharing all his information immediately.
• Tian Qing and the other Heavenly Assassins: The overheard conversation exposes their contempt for him. They regard him as an obedient idiot, undermining the authority he appeared to possess and foreshadowing internal conflict within the organization.
• Players and Wuliao: After the failed assault, the dead players openly accuse Wuliao of incompetence and demand that he be captured, demonstrating the fragile loyalty and practical self-interest of the player faction.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi and Tian Qing eavesdrop on senior brothers discussing their extravagant lifestyle and the organization's corruption.
• Tian Qing confronts the senior brothers, accusing them of betraying the Heavenly Assassins' original purpose.
• Tian Qing reveals he wants Gao Linzhi to act as a Sword of Damocles for the organization to prevent further degeneration.
• Tian Qing uses his Master-level Nine Illusory Transformations skill to fight the senior brothers.
• The senior brothers use Jade Talismans and barriers to defend against Tian Qing's attacks.

Character Developments

• Tian Qing: Becomes disillusioned with the Heavenly Assassins' corruption and decides to reform the organization, even bringing an outsider (Gao Linzhi) into their midst.
• Elder Senior Brother: Shows impressive verbal skills and a manipulative nature, trying to convince Tian Qing to abandon his plans for reform.

Significant Themes

• Corruption and Degeneration: The Heavenly Assassins have lost their original purpose and become corrupted by power and wealth.
• Selfishness vs. Selflessness: The senior brothers prioritize their own enjoyment, while Tian Qing wants to maintain the organization's integrity.
• Regret and Unfulfilled Desires: The Elder Senior Brother uses a story about a dying hermit to illustrate the importance of living life to the fullest without regrets.

Character Interactions

• Tian Qing and the Senior Brothers: Tian Qing confronts the senior brothers about their decadent lifestyle and lack of commitment to the organization's original purpose. The senior brothers try to dissuade him from his plans for reform.
• Gao Linzhi and Tian Qing: Gao Linzhi observes the interactions between Tian Qing and the senior brothers, gaining insight into the organization's dynamics and Tian Qing's motivations.
• Tian Qing and the Elder Senior Brother: The Elder Senior Brother attempts to sway Tian Qing from his path by sharing his personal philosophy on life and using a story to illustrate his point.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tian Qing, a Heavenly Assassin, attacks Gao Linzhi, but his speed has slowed due to his previous battle.
• Tian Qing's senior brothers arrive, mocking him and provoking him into a fight. Tian Qing dies after a minute-long, high-speed burst attack.
• The senior brothers turn on Gao Linzhi, accusing him of influencing Tian Qing. They attack him, but Gao Linzhi's Substitute Puppet's high defense and counter-attack rates make him difficult to kill.
• After a stalemate, one of the senior brothers lands a critical hit on Gao Linzhi's puppet. Gao Linzhi reveals that he understands their guilt and fear of change within the organization.
• Gao Linzhi launches a counterattack, forcing the four senior brothers into a defensive stance.

Character Developments

• Tian Qing: Starts as aggressive and rude, but reveals a desire for conviction and purpose. Dies after a high-speed burst attack, choosing his own death over retreat.
• Gao Linzhi: Initially cautious and defensive, he gains confidence and understanding of the situation as the fight progresses. He decides to fight against the corrupt organization.
• Senior Brothers: Reveal their true colors as they turn on Gao Linzhi. They are guilty, fearful of change, and enjoy their power and pleasures. They are defensive and struggle against Gao Linzhi's counterattack.

Significant Themes

• Conviction vs. Corruption: Tian Qing's desire for conviction contrasts with the senior brothers' corruption and enjoyment of power and pleasures.
• Power and Responsibility: The Heavenly Assassins' power brings them responsibility, but many of them abuse it for personal gain.
• Change and Adaptation: The organization faces change (Tian Qing's conviction), but many members adapt to their human nature and fall into corruption.

Character Interactions

• Tian Qing and Senior Brothers: Tian Qing's conviction clashes with his senior brothers' corruption, leading to a fight.
• Gao Linzhi and Senior Brothers: Gao Linzhi's understanding of their guilt and fear leads to a stalemate, with Gao Linzhi ultimately gaining the upper hand.

Chapter Summary: Obtaining Longevity Water, Gao Linzhi’s Backup Mechanism

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi activates Noble 25’s power-leveling privilege, dramatically improving his combat ability. His movements become precise, predictive, and seamlessly connected, allowing him to overwhelm four Heavenly Assassins despite lacking enough raw damage to kill them quickly.
• The assassins realize that Gao Linzhi is using a high-level Divine Sense Possession Method to control a substitute body. They warn him that substitute techniques have weaknesses and threaten retaliation from the Heavenly Assassins if he kills them.
• Gao Linzhi mocks their weakened state and criticizes their indulgent lifestyle, contrasting them with Tian Qing, who remained committed to strengthening himself. The four defend their philosophy of enjoying life rather than dedicating themselves entirely to cultivation.
• When Gao Linzhi declares his devotion to immortality, the assassins attempt to appease him by offering Longevity Water. They reveal that their organization receives a quota from the imperial court, which is forced to cooperate with them because it cannot eliminate the anomalies protecting them.
• The assassins provide Gao Linzhi with approximately 200 milliliters of Longevity Water. His appraisal skill identifies it as an incomplete version that can extend lifespan by roughly 200 years, but permanently prevents the user from increasing their lifespan further.
• Although Gao Linzhi does not intend to consume it himself, he accepts the potion because it may help Hai Zida’s research and advance his broader pursuit of immortality.
• After leaving, Gao Linzhi secretly returns and overhears the assassins planning to abandon their base and fabricate a report claiming that Tian Qing was contaminated by an anomaly and that the Longevity Water was destroyed during the battle.
• The assassins escape through a hidden passage, collapse the underground facility, and relocate to a concealed hunter’s cabin.
• Gao Linzhi learns that they are not seeking revenge because their worshiped anomaly forbids them from attacking powerless commoners. They also fear the risks of crossing the sea, attracting investigations from higher-ranking factions, and provoking player settlements protected by Safe Zones.
• The chapter concludes with Gao Linzhi understanding that the Heavenly Assassins have become a fragmented, self-interested organization rather than an uncompromising force. Their internal factionalism, fear of risk, dependence on anomalies, and concern over players’ Safe Zones limit their ability to retaliate.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi demonstrates the effectiveness of his backup mechanism: even when his body is not powerful enough to defeat opponents directly, the game’s power-leveling privilege grants him masterful combat technique. He also shows increased strategic confidence, using intimidation, deception, surveillance, and negotiation to secure the Longevity Water.
• He remains committed to immortality and refuses to adopt the assassins’ philosophy of enjoying short-term pleasures. However, he is pragmatic enough to accept a flawed longevity-enhancing item for use in his laboratory rather than dismissing it outright.
• The four Heavenly Assassins are exposed as cautious and self-preserving. They initially posture aggressively but quickly resort to negotiation once they realize they cannot defeat Gao Linzhi.
• Their conflicting attitudes toward revenge reveal their degeneration. Unlike Tian Qing, who was willing to act with conviction, the four prioritize survival, comfort, factional politics, and avoiding responsibility.
• Tian Qing, though already dead, serves as a moral and ideological contrast to the other assassins. His dedication and willingness to fight make him appear more formidable and principled than his indulgent seniors.
• Hai Zida does not appear directly, but the Longevity Water becomes potentially important to his research and Gao Linzhi’s long-term immortality project.

Significant Themes

• Power and strategy: Technical mastery can compensate for insufficient raw strength. Gao Linzhi wins control of the situation through precision, prediction, and psychological pressure.
• Immortality versus pleasure: The chapter contrasts Gao Linzhi’s long-term pursuit of immortality with the assassins’ desire to enjoy their limited lifespans.
• Corruption and degeneration: The Heavenly Assassins have abandoned their former fearsome image. Comfort, factionalism, and self-interest have weakened their unity and resolve.
• Pragmatism over revenge: The assassins choose to tolerate humiliation because retaliation would be costly and dangerous. Their inaction reflects rational self-preservation rather than forgiveness.
• The influence of anomalies and game systems: Both the assassins and the players operate under external rules. Anomalies restrict the assassins’ behavior, while the game’s Safe Zones protect players and villagers from assassination.
• Deception and survival: Both sides rely on concealment. The assassins fabricate an official explanation and erase their base, while Gao Linzhi hides his surveillance and allows them to reveal their true motives.

Important Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi dominates the four assassins in combat, forcing them from threats into negotiation.
• He taunts them about their indulgence, provoking defensive arguments about the value of pleasure and limited human life.
• The assassins try to manipulate Gao Linzhi by offering Longevity Water, believing his desire for immortality makes him negotiable.
• Gao Linzhi accepts the potion but secretly follows them, exposing their false report and learning the restrictions imposed by their anomaly.
• The assassins’ discussion of players, Safe Zones, and factional politics gives Gao Linzhi a clearer understanding of their weaknesses and reinforces his confidence in provoking enemies outside protected areas.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi uses the Corpse Vine to transfer the Longevity Water to Xu Gou, who delivers it to Hai Zida for research. By doing so, Gao effectively reaches the final stage of the Treasure Hunt Event while other players are still gathering information.
• After the Longevity Water is confirmed genuine, the game announces that player Can Xue Waves Across the Map has obtained it and awards him one million points. The player community erupts in amazement and confusion, assuming Gao’s special talent functions like a top-up system.
• Gao enjoys his reputation as the only player able to exchange real-world money for in-game resources and considers investing even more—possibly ten thousand tons at once—to test whether the game offers special rewards for massive spending.
• Upon returning to the airship, Gao discovers that Wuliao and the other players have made peace with Prefect Liu’s forces. The prefect offers gold, property, women, official positions, intelligence, soldiers, and martial instruction in exchange for player assistance.
• The players and the prefect agree to cooperate against Haifeng Island and Hailei Island, both powerful rivals that possess or are connected to the Longevity Water.
• Prefect Liu’s experts begin training the players in advanced martial skills. Some players learn instantly through Skill Books, while others must train laboriously.
• Gao infiltrates Prefect Liu’s residence and discovers the prefect’s real objective: not the Longevity Water, but the players’ airship. The prefect wants to use it to cross the sea, defeat rival islands, consolidate power, and potentially unify the surrounding territories.
• Gao reports this discovery to Wuliao, but the players already understand that Prefect Liu is manipulating them. However, the prefect does not realize that the airship belongs to the game’s developers and can disappear when the event ends.
• Two days later, Prefect Liu arrives at the beach with General Liu, guards, and flower-carrying women. He publicly declares the players to be warriors of the Sky Wolf Dynasty and claims that rebels have stolen imperial treasures, clearly preparing to direct them into a new campaign.

2. Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi becomes increasingly confident in his role as the game’s premier “pay-to-win” player. He takes pride in completing objectives effortlessly through wealth and special abilities, but he also remains observant and strategically cautious.
• Gao demonstrates growing interest in political maneuvering and power struggles. Although he lacks experience in high-level governance, he uses infiltration to study how Prefect Liu and the players cooperate.
• Wuliao and the players show extreme pragmatism. Their hatred of the prefect disappears as soon as cooperation becomes profitable, revealing their willingness to shift alliances whenever circumstances change.
• Prefect Liu is portrayed as an astute political leader. He recognizes the players’ weaknesses—cowardice, selfishness, and lack of loyalty—but also understands their advantages, especially their intelligence, infiltration abilities, communication methods, storage backpacks, and airship.
• General Liu initially distrusts the players because they are unreliable and afraid of death, but he begins to understand their strategic value.
• The players’ varied talents and access to Skill Books emphasize the widening gap between individuals with powerful abilities and those with mediocre or impractical talents.

3. Significant Themes

• Money and unequal advantages: Gao’s wealth and talent allow him to bypass difficulties that ordinary players must struggle through, creating a clear class divide within the game.
• Pragmatism over morality: Both players and natives abandon principles when cooperation becomes profitable. Alliances are based almost entirely on material or strategic benefit.
• Information asymmetry: The players understand the game’s mechanics better than the natives, while Prefect Liu understands local politics better than the players. Each side attempts to exploit what the other does not know.
• Manipulation and hidden objectives: The players believe they are using the prefect, while the prefect believes he is using them to obtain the airship. In reality, neither side fully understands the game’s developers or the airship’s temporary nature.
• The superiority of game mechanics: Backpacks, logging off, Skill Books, talents, and the airship give players abilities that fundamentally surpass those of the natives, even though the natives may possess greater political sophistication.
• Human nature and power politics: Prefect Liu’s schemes reflect the complexity of feudal politics, while the players’ behavior reveals the instability of people who face few permanent consequences and can treat alliances, violence, and death as part of a game.

4. Character Interactions

• Gao relies on Xu Gou and Hai Zida to transport and study the Longevity Water, allowing him to complete the event without personally exposing himself.
• The player community reacts collectively to Gao’s success, debating whether his advantage comes from a top-up channel or a unique talent.
• Wuliao and the players negotiate with Prefect Liu’s representatives, accepting support in exchange for logistical and strategic assistance rather than frontline combat.
• Prefect Liu’s officials flatter and bribe the players with promises of wealth and status, quickly replacing their earlier attempt to ambush and kill them with cooperation.
• Prefect Liu and General Liu discuss the players privately, weighing their cowardice and disloyalty against their usefulness as spies, couriers, strategists, and transporters.
• Gao observes these negotiations from stealth, later informing Wuliao that the prefect intends to seize the airship. Wuliao reveals that the players had already reached the same conclusion.
• The chapter ends with Prefect Liu publicly recruiting and politically rebranding the players as loyal warriors, setting the stage for a campaign against his rivals.

Chapter Summary: “Gale Anomaly, Golden Ratio”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Prefect Liu asks roughly one thousand players to help suppress rebels hiding on an island, offering each player five hundred taels of silver and allowing them to keep all seized spoils.
• The players consider the reward inadequate and suspect that Prefect Liu primarily wants to use them as expendable cannon fodder while his own forces search for the Longevity Water.
• A group of undercover corporate players revises its plan. Instead of confronting the prefect directly, they intend to obtain blood or hair from a minor attendant and use a body-hitching spell to infiltrate and eventually control that person’s consciousness.
• In the Official Built-in Group, Empty 2086 learns that Gao Linzhi—referred to as Canxue—has already obtained Longevity Water. The group decides to follow his trail to the island where he found it, hoping to locate more.
• The corporate players use the Respawn Point Switch technique to reach Sea Sky Island, then board Prefect Liu’s flying vessel because the target island’s location is being kept secret.
• Gao Linzhi travels with Prefect Liu and the players, partly to observe the conflict between supernatural feudal powers and partly to compete for first place in the treasure-grab event.
• The vessel reaches Haifeng Island, a huge volcanic island surrounded by violent tornadoes. Despite its dangerous environment, the island’s interior is peaceful and extraordinarily prosperous, with enormous crops and well-fed, powerful-looking commoners.
• Prefect Liu reveals that the island is protected—or endangered—by a Gale Anomaly that periodically releases deadly winds capable of reducing people to mud. The only way to enter safely is to calculate the anomaly’s rest periods.
• The rest times follow the Fibonacci sequence: beginning at midnight, then 1:00, another 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 5:00, and so on. Gao Linzhi immediately recognizes the pattern and connects it to the golden ratio.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi remains cautious and strategic. Rather than openly taking sides, he uses the event to study the capabilities of the supernatural world, particularly the limits of human power and feudal warfare.
• He demonstrates his broad knowledge by identifying the Gale Anomaly’s timing pattern as the Fibonacci sequence and recalling its connection to the golden ratio.
• Prefect Liu is shown to be politically experienced and manipulative. He understands that the players are unlikely to sacrifice themselves for the imperial court, so he offers them legal ownership of the spoils while concealing his real objectives.
• The corporate players prove highly prepared and ruthless. They possess advanced infiltration techniques, contingency plans, revival advantages, and methods for exploiting the game’s systems.
• Empty 2086 becomes increasingly frustrated by Gao Linzhi’s success but responds pragmatically by organizing an expedition to imitate his route.
• Gao Linzhi’s substitute allows him to investigate dangerous external events without exposing his true body, emphasizing his preference for risk management and information gathering.

Significant Themes

• Self-interest versus loyalty: The players have no emotional commitment to the imperial court and judge every opportunity by its material rewards and strategic value.
• Manipulation and competing agendas: Prefect Liu, the rogue players, the corporate players, and Gao Linzhi all cooperate temporarily while pursuing separate objectives.
• Technology and supernatural power: The flying vessel, respawn-switch method, revival systems, and mystical spells show how modern players exploit supernatural mechanics with systematic, technological thinking.
• Information as power: Knowledge of the Longevity Water’s location, the island’s defenses, and the Gale Anomaly’s cycle is more valuable than brute force.
• Observation before action: Gao Linzhi wants to understand the upper limits of supernatural human strength before committing himself, using the event as both a treasure hunt and a field study.
• Mathematics in the supernatural world: The chapter turns the Fibonacci sequence and golden ratio into practical tools for surviving an anomaly, blending scientific knowledge with fantasy mechanics.

Character Interactions

• Prefect Liu attempts to rally the players, but they privately mock his authoritative appearance and refuse to be emotionally moved by his speech.
• The undercover players discuss how to bypass the prefect’s defenses and agree to target someone less important near him.
• Empty 2086 and the Built-in Group members analyze Gao Linzhi’s unexplained success and coordinate an operation to follow him.
• Prefect Liu and General Liu pretend to admire the flying vessel, praising its military potential even though both recognize that it is likely an illusion or temporary manifestation.
• Gao Linzhi silently observes the prefect and his followers, studying their behavior and anticipating the conflict ahead.
• Upon seeing Haifeng Island’s prosperity, the players shift from dismissive skepticism to concern and amazement, especially when they learn that entering the island requires solving the Gale Anomaly’s mathematical pattern.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• A player quickly solves Prefect Liu’s numerical puzzle, identifying the pattern as the golden ratio sequence. Liu is impressed by the players’ intelligence but privately becomes resentful and views them as a threat.
• Liu concludes that the players’ influence could undermine the feudal authorities. He considers either forcing them into obedience or driving them out after exploiting their usefulness.
• The players wait until four in the afternoon, when the enormous storm surrounding Haifeng Island suddenly subsides. The flying boat carries them to the island and lands on a cliff halfway up the volcanic mountain.
• Liu questions a player about the flying boat’s operation and learns that it flies autonomously according to verbal commands. He is irritated by the player’s casual attitude and lack of respect.
• After disembarking, the group is surrounded by soldiers who appear suddenly. Their leader, a Red Robe Young General, accuses them of invading Haifeng Island to obtain the Longevity Water.
• Liu proposes a wager match to determine ownership of the Longevity Water: three hundred rounds, with the side winning two hundred victories claiming it. He threatens that, if the wager is rejected, his large group of warriors will cause destruction across the island.
• Angered by Liu’s attempt to gamble away another faction’s property, the Red Robe Young General attacks him with a silver spear. Liu’s lieutenant intercepts the blow, beginning a spectacular duel.
• The players are amazed by the speed and skill of the combatants, though Gao Linzhi recognizes that neither fighter is using supernatural power. They are merely demonstrating mortal martial techniques and physical strength rather than fighting seriously.

Character Developments

• Prefect Liu: His admiration for the players’ abilities quickly turns into fear and hostility. He sees their intelligence, independence, and influence as dangerous to the existing political order. He also displays greed by coveting the flying boat and ruthlessness by threatening Haifeng Island.
• The players: They demonstrate strong mathematical knowledge and growing confidence, but remain largely unaware of Liu’s hostility toward them. Their reactions to the duel reveal how much more powerful the local martial experts are compared with ordinary players.
• Gao Linzhi: He remains observant and analytical, understanding both the political stakes surrounding the Longevity Water and the true nature of the duel. He correctly realizes that the fighters are holding back.
• Red Robe Young General: He is direct, proud, and fiercely protective of Haifeng Island’s interests. He immediately challenges Liu’s proposal as unreasonable and responds with force.
• Liu’s lieutenant: He acts as Liu’s protector, intercepting the Young General’s attack and matching him in a highly skilled battle.

Significant Themes

• Conflict between modern knowledge and feudal authority: The players’ education and independent behavior expose the limitations and insecurity of officials like Liu.
• Fear of social disruption: Liu recognizes that the players may inspire ordinary people to resist oppressive authorities, making them a threat to the feudal system.
• Power, ownership, and coercion: Liu attempts to claim the Longevity Water through a wager while backing his demand with the threat of military destruction.
• Appearance versus reality: The duel appears deadly, but Gao Linzhi understands that it is largely a performance and that neither fighter is yet using mystical power.
• Cultural misunderstanding: The players do not follow local etiquette, while Liu interprets their casual speech and lack of deference as deliberate disrespect.

Character Interactions

• A player’s correct answer earns him a merit and the privilege of entering the island second, though Liu secretly marks the players as enemies.
• Liu treats the players as useful tools while simultaneously despising their manners and fearing their influence.
• Liu’s conversation with a player about the flying boat highlights the gap between the players’ casual modern behavior and his rigid expectations of hierarchy.
• The Red Robe Young General confronts Liu over his claim to the Longevity Water, and their exchange escalates immediately into violence.
• The lieutenant’s duel with the Young General becomes a spectacle for the players, who are left stunned by the fighters’ extraordinary speed.

Chapter Summary: “Prefects Trade Insults, a Fragile Alliance”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The players witness an intense battle between Prefect Liu’s forces and the Red Robe Young General, gaining a new understanding of how powerful the imperial experts truly are.
• Their perception of the feudal officials changes: although the officials previously seemed amusing or unimpressive, the players now recognize that high-ranking figures possess overwhelming speed and strength.
• Prefect Liu orders the Red Robe Young General to report to Lord Liang and arrange a meeting. The general withdraws, and Prefect Liu waits comfortably in a tent prepared by his servants.
• The players realize they are far too weak to contribute militarily and question why Prefect Liu brought them along. Gao Linzhi suspects that the players’ hidden value lies in their game-related resources, such as the Game Backpack, airship, access to the game, and the Offline world.
• Lord Liang arrives in a sedan carried by two powerful-looking bearers. Stealth-focused players secretly approach and broadcast the ensuing conversation.
• The two Prefects argue over a supposed alliance among three families. Prefect Liang accepted Longevity Water from the imperial court but failed to inform Prefect Liu.
• Prefect Liu accuses Liang of betraying their agreement and demands an explanation. Liang insists that accepting a voluntary gift from the imperial court did not violate the alliance.
• The dispute escalates into mutual insults, revealing that the supposedly firm alliance is fragile and easily undermined by personal interests.

Character Developments

• The players lose some of their previous sense of superiority. They begin to understand that powerful NPCs exist on a level far beyond ordinary human or player capabilities.
• Gao Linzhi remains cynical. Having seen powerful officials beg for survival before the Heavenly Assassin, he views them as parasites whose strength comes from exploiting others, rather than as genuinely superior figures.
• Prefect Liu is revealed as ambitious, pragmatic, and suspicious. He recognizes the players’ potential value and is willing to use them as leverage, even though they are currently weak.
• Prefect Liang appears defensive and self-serving. He uses technical interpretations of the alliance to justify accepting Longevity Water while concealing the matter from Liu.
• The Red Robe Young General demonstrates extraordinary power but readily follows orders and performs the role of an official subordinate, puzzling the players.

Significant Themes

• Power and social hierarchy: The players confront a world where individual strength can surpass formal authority and destabilize conventional feudal structures.
• Hidden value and exploitation: Though physically weak, the players possess unique technological and game-related resources that make them valuable to ambitious NPCs.
• Fragility of alliances: Political agreements are shown to be vulnerable when personal benefits—especially immortality or extended lifespan—are at stake.
• Contrasting perspectives on strength: Some players admire the officials’ overwhelming abilities, while Gao Linzhi dismisses them as dependent on local exploitation and inferior to scientific or technological geniuses.
• Limits of ordinary understanding: The speed, combat ability, and social structure of the imperial world exceed what the players previously believed possible.

Character Interactions

• Prefect Liu and the Red Robe Young General exchange threats before stopping their confrontation to arrange Lord Liang’s arrival.
• The players mock the powerful sedan bearers and officials, unable to understand why beings of such strength would serve others.
• Players secretly observe and broadcast the meeting between Prefect Liu and Prefect Liang.
• Liu accuses Liang of betraying their alliance by accepting Longevity Water in secret; Liang counters that receiving an unsolicited gift does not violate their agreement.
• Their argument devolves into sarcastic accusations and insults, exposing the alliance as a shallow arrangement held together more by mutual advantage than loyalty.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Prefect Liu decides to go to war with Haifeng Island over the Longevity Water, enlisting the players' help.
• A duel is agreed upon between the two prefectures, with three rounds of a thousand-man battle each, including duels before the battle and formations.
• The players train in troop deployment and formation, with Gao Linzhi learning the Basic March Formation skill, which increases his Constitution and Spirit.
• The first duel begins, with both sides fielding a thousand players, and General Liu sending a Battalion Commander to fight.

Character Developments

• Prefect Liu: Shows his determination to go to war and his understanding of the importance of formations and command in warfare.
• Gao Linzhi: Learns the Basic March Formation skill, increasing his Constitution and Spirit, and notices the presence of Anomalies above the battlefield.
• Wu Liao: Demonstrates his knowledge of historical warfare strategies, questioning the fairness of the agreed duel.

Significant Themes

• The importance of formations and command in feudal warfare.
• The attraction of Anomalies to rules and formations.
• The difference between modern and feudal warfare strategies.

Character Interactions

• Prefect Liu interacts with the player leaders, explaining the rules of the duel and the importance of formations.
• Gao Linzhi interacts with other players, discussing their impressions of the duel and the opposing side's strategy.
• Wu Liao interacts with Prefect Liu and other player leaders, expressing his doubts about the fairness of the duel.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Players, initially eager to fight, quickly retreat and refuse to engage after experiencing the brutal reality of the battlefield.
• The native soldiers, despite their ferocity, also begin to hold back, leading to a stalemate.
• Two prefects, Liu and Liang, discuss the situation, deciding to enforce military law but face resistance from their soldiers.
• A young soldier pleads for his life, using a script learned from players, but is sentenced to death by Prefect Liang.
• Three powerful players, led by a female player in ancient attire, intervene, challenging the prefects' authority and saving the young soldier.

Character Developments

• Players: Initially enthusiastic, they quickly become disillusioned with the game's reality, leading to mass retreat and complaints.
• Native Soldiers: Despite their initial ferocity, they hold back once they realize the players' desperation, leading to a stalemate.
• Prefects Liu and Liang: They maintain their composure but are angered by the players' intervention, leading to a clash of interests.
• The Young Soldier: Initially timid, he uses a script to plead for his life, showing adaptability and resourcefulness.
• The Female Player: She demonstrates strong leadership, courage, and a sense of justice, standing up against the prefects' authority.

Significant Themes

• Reality vs. Game: Players quickly realize the brutal reality of the game, leading to disillusionment and a desire to retreat.
• Power Dynamics: The clash between the players, native soldiers, and prefects highlights the power dynamics at play, with each group having different interests and goals.
• Justice and Morality: The female player's intervention raises questions about justice and morality, challenging the prefects' authority and the game's rules.

Character Interactions

• Players vs. Native Soldiers: Initially hostile, their interactions lead to a stalemate as both sides realize the futility of fighting to the death.
• Prefects vs. Players: The prefects clash with the players, leading to a direct confrontation when the female player intervenes.
• Prefects vs. Their Soldiers: The prefects struggle to enforce military law as their soldiers resist, highlighting the power dynamics within their ranks.

Chapter Summary: The Might of the Saintly Mother Stream, Literary Contest

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi recognizes that three players are using a defensive counterattack strategy. By sharing damage through their formation, they can withstand the Red Robe Young General and General Liu, causing attackers to suffer reflected injuries.
• The three players are revealed to be veteran Saintly Mother Stream players from low-numbered islands. They refuse to kill, loot, or commit acts that reduce their moral standing.
• Because the trio protects soldiers from military punishment, the wagered battle loses its deterrent power. Soldiers and players begin avoiding lethal combat, while the two prefects are forced to withdraw.
• In the second battle, the trio again interferes whenever executions are attempted. They openly condemn the prefects’ willingness to sacrifice ordinary soldiers for political gain.
• Prefect Liang threatens the Red Robe Young General, Liang Hong, by invoking the safety of his sister. Under pressure, Liang Hong orders the soldiers to fight desperately and threatens to seize their homes and land if they refuse.
• The thousand-man formation summons a powerful black figure formed from their collective blood energy. Its strength overwhelms the three players, demonstrating how the imperial system can mobilize masses to suppress individual experts.
• The female player urges the summoned figure and soldiers to rebel against the prefects, arguing that they are being exploited and should not die for their rulers.
• Liang Hong uses a ring-shaped artifact to inflict unbearable pain on the black figure, forcing it to continue fighting despite recognizing the trio’s arguments.
• The soldiers gradually realize that they are being oppressed as well. Their morale fractures, weakening the formation. As soldiers collapse under the contradictory pressures of loyalty and resistance, the formation begins to fail.
• The three players stop fighting when they see the soldiers suffering and disappear before they can be captured.
• Enraged, Liang Hong threatens to bury all thousand soldiers alive. The prefects attempt to blame the trio for the soldiers’ deaths, but the other players expose the hypocrisy.
• The trio reappears and threatens revenge against Liang Hong’s entire family if he proceeds. Their intervention forces the prefects to end the wager and abandon the original method of distributing the Longevity Water.
• The factions instead propose a “Literary Duel,” which is actually a simulated war game. Each side sends commanders and strategists to arrange magical pieces representing soldiers, allowing them to compete without direct bloodshed.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi gains a deeper understanding of how political systems maintain order. He realizes that the imperial court’s greatest strength is not merely individual experts but its ability to organize and exploit large populations.
• The three Saintly Mother Stream players are portrayed as morally sincere, courageous, and skilled, but also shortsighted. They save soldiers from immediate death without fully considering the prefectural forces, the Liang Clan’s hidden experts, or the danger their actions may create for the soldiers’ families.
• The Red Robe Young General, Liang Hong, is revealed to be controlled by family loyalty and coercion. Though he understands that the soldiers are being exploited and briefly hesitates, fear for his sister and his dependence on the Liang Clan compel him to continue fighting.
• Prefect Liang appears increasingly ruthless and manipulative. He uses threats, family pressure, and mass punishment to force obedience, ultimately ordering the soldiers’ mass burial when control begins to slip.
• The soldiers undergo a collective awakening. They begin by obeying military law, but the players’ arguments make them recognize that they are also victims of the system. Their divided loyalties ultimately destroy the formation.
• The wider player community becomes more skeptical and observant. Some admire genuine kindness, while others argue that survival in the Skyfall Game makes true sainthood impossible.

Significant Themes

• Defensive resistance versus brute force: The trio’s counterattack formation shows how cooperation and defense can neutralize superior individual speed, while the thousand-man formation demonstrates the power of organized collective strength.
• The individual versus the system: Lone experts may possess overwhelming power, but governments and large factions can mobilize manpower, resources, and coercive mechanisms on a much greater scale.
• Moral idealism and practical consequences: The Saintly Mother Stream players act from sincere compassion, but their refusal to consider long-term consequences risks worsening the situation.
• Oppression and complicity: The soldiers are both victims and instruments of the prefects’ authority. Liang Hong himself is oppressed by the Liang Clan yet helps enforce its will.
• Control through fear: Threats against homes, family members, land, and physical pain are used to transform unwilling people into obedient weapons.
• The value of human potential: Gao Linzhi condemns the destruction of ordinary people because among them may be future geniuses whose deaths would permanently deprive society of their contributions.
• Political order versus justice: The court maintains stability by controlling the masses and suppressing dissent, but this order is shown to rest on exploitation and violence.
• Simulated conflict: The Literary Duel offers a bloodless alternative to warfare, though Gao Linzhi notes that such simulations may weaken people’s actual combat abilities over time.

Character Interactions

• The three Saintly Mother Stream players repeatedly confront Prefects Liang and Liu, challenging their authority and disrupting executions.
• The trio verbally appeals to the black summoned figure and the soldiers, persuading them that serving the prefects is contrary to their own interests.
• Prefect Liang manipulates Liang Hong through threats against Liang Hong’s sister, forcing him to intensify the battle.
• Liang Hong’s ring artifact causes the black figure severe pain, creating a conflict between the figure’s understanding of justice and its forced obedience.
• The soldiers respond to the trio’s arguments and begin questioning the prefects’ legitimacy, causing the formation to collapse.
• When Liang Hong blames the trio for the soldiers’ suffering, the other players defend them and ridicule his hypocrisy.
• The chapter ends with both prefectural sides abandoning direct combat and sending commanders and strategists to compete through a magical wargame simulation.