Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Piece Battle, the Court’s Objective!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter introduces Piece Battle, a strategic contest resembling Go but incorporating military formations, troop strength, morale, territory, and encirclement. Players must connect their pieces, cut off enemy forces, protect supply lines, and calculate the strength of both attacking and defending groups.
• Each side possesses 180 pieces divided into ordinary soldiers, elite soldiers, and commander pieces. Pieces can be living, dead, or converted. Groups surrounded for twenty turns may defect to the opponent, though with reduced morale.
• Military Advisors Liu and Liang begin a match representing their respective prefects. Both initially establish corner positions before expanding.
• Liang launches an aggressive attack with a powerful commander piece, but Liu counters by attacking the enemy’s supply line rather than rescuing the threatened unit directly. This reflects the strategy of “attacking Wei to save Zhao.”
• Liu gradually lures Liang into inefficient engagements, using weaker pieces as bait and stronger pieces to surround and destroy them. Despite Liang’s generally stronger troops, Liu’s superior deployment and tactics allow him to win the decisive battle by capturing a massive group of one hundred pieces.
• Prefect Liu wins the contest and receives half of the Longevity Water, while Prefect Liang reluctantly concedes and honors the wager.
• The players collectively receive 50,000 game points after the game confirms their discovery of the Longevity Water. They celebrate, hoping to exchange points for valuable rewards.
• Three previously troublesome players—an ancient-costumed woman and two tengu—demand the Longevity Water, claiming that their supposed virtue entitles them to it. Other players join the dispute and begin making comedic “virtue” claims.
• When one player attempts to seize the bottles, the three powerful players kill them. Gao Linzhi realizes that the Longevity Water is bait designed to provoke conflict among the players.
• Gao concludes that the imperial court has manipulated the game’s treasure-hunting event to weaken the players without expending its own soldiers. By encouraging players to fight one another, the court eliminates promising opponents and fractures their unity.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi demonstrates strong observational and analytical abilities. He quickly understands the importance of piece strength, formation, supply lines, and tactical sacrifice. His Battle Formations skill levels up from beginner to intermediate after watching the match.
• Gao also becomes more politically perceptive. He recognizes that the Longevity Water is not merely a reward but a carefully designed trap, and he identifies the imperial court’s broader strategy of exploiting player greed and the game’s flawed systems.
• Military Advisor Liu proves to be the superior strategist. Rather than relying on direct strength, he uses deception, bait, flexible formations, and cumulative small victories to defeat a stronger opponent.
• Military Advisor Liang is confident and aggressive but becomes frustrated when his superior pieces fail to secure victory. He nevertheless maintains enough composure and courtesy to concede the match and provide the promised reward.
• Prefect Liu is pleased with his advisor’s victory and appears to understand—or at least benefit from—the political value of the event.
• Prefect Liang is suspicious and unwilling to accept the result emotionally, but he honors his agreement.
• The three greedy players reveal their self-serving nature by disguising their desire for Longevity Water as moral virtue. Their willingness to kill another player shows how quickly competition turns into violence.
• The game’s operators are portrayed by Gao as simplistic and unintelligent, repeatedly allowing the imperial court to exploit their events.

Significant Themes

• Strategy over raw strength: The Piece Battle demonstrates that stronger troops do not guarantee victory. Superior positioning, timing, formation, and tactical deception can overcome numerical or individual advantages.
• Warfare as organization: The contest mirrors real warfare, emphasizing supply lines, interconnected forces, encirclement, morale, sacrifice, and the danger of isolated units.
• Unity versus fragmentation: Connected forces grow stronger, while divided groups become vulnerable. This principle applies both to the board game and to the players’ political situation.
• Greed and manipulation: The Longevity Water exposes how easily players can be provoked into fighting among themselves. The imperial court uses their desires against them.
• Political cunning: The court wins not through direct confrontation but by manipulating external systems and encouraging internal conflict.
• The danger of poor leadership: Gao compares the players’ situation to the fall of the Taiping Army, suggesting that disorganization, short-term thinking, and internal strife can destroy a powerful movement.
• Limits of the game system: The game’s operators lack strategic depth, while the imperial court understands how to exploit their predictable events and rules.

Important Character Interactions

• Liu and Liang exchange polite greetings before engaging in a tense but respectful strategic contest. Their rivalry highlights the contrast between Liang’s aggressive style and Liu’s patient, deceptive approach.
• The spectators discuss and explain the rules, helping the wider player community understand that the game reflects the actual strength and organization of each side’s soldiers.
• Prefect Liu proudly teases Prefect Liang after the victory, while Liang questions how a weaker army could have won and reluctantly accepts the result.
• The three self-proclaimed “virtuous” players confront Prefect Liu and demand the Longevity Water. Liu mocks their claim by asking which of them should receive the limited supply.
• The players’ dispute escalates when one individual attempts to take the bottles and is killed by the tengu trio, revealing the deadly consequences of the court’s manipulation.
• Gao remains mostly an observer, but his interpretations connect the Piece Battle, the players’ behavior, and the imperial court’s larger political objective: weakening the players through division and internal conflict.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi reflects on the true forces controlling the game. He suspects that the game operators and the imperial court—not ordinary players—will eventually become his main enemies. For now, however, he recognizes that he is still too weak to escape being used as a pawn.
• Prefects Liu and Liang place six sealed bottles of purple Longevity Water in the center of the battlefield and withdraw, provoking the players into fighting over them.
• The bottles cannot be opened for three hours, cannot be stored in the Game Backpack, and are worth 100,000 points each. Because they will drop upon death, the players must physically protect them.
• Three powerful players seize the bottles first, but more than a thousand others attack them. The battle escalates into a desperate free-for-all involving spells, curses, arrows, ambushes, and attacks from underground and the sky.
• Several player factions attempt to recruit the three in exchange for protection and a share of the potions. The female player refuses, distrustful of the various clans and families.
• As the novice players are eliminated, only a few dozen experienced combat-oriented players remain. They temporarily cooperate to overwhelm the three original holders.
• Realizing they cannot escape, the ancient-costumed female player throws all six bottles into the air rather than allowing the other players to claim them.
• Gao Linzhi, who has been observing from the sidelines, uses stealth to seize all six bottles at once. Their magical glow exposes him, but he avoids fighting and flees toward the flying ship.
• Using his pilot privileges, Gao Linzhi boards and takes control of the ship. The pursuing players cannot cross the dangerous sea, whose monstrous inhabitants make pursuit impossible.
• The players eventually remember that they can use Respawn Point Switch Talismans to return, but they are furious at being robbed after fighting among themselves.
• Prefects Liu and Liang are pleased because Gao Linzhi’s theft creates intense resentment among the players, encouraging them to continue killing each other. They hope to exploit this conflict while seeking a permanent way to eliminate or contain the Descenders.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi becomes increasingly calculating and opportunistic. Rather than wasting resources in battle, he patiently waits for the right moment, then takes advantage of the weakened players and escapes with all six bottles.
• He also demonstrates growing confidence in his abilities, using stealth, speed, and his flying-ship privileges effectively, though he remains aware that he is still far weaker than the game operators and many anomalies.
• The ancient-costumed female player is shown to be proud, impulsive, and unwilling to compromise. Her refusal to join any faction leads her to destroy the existing balance by throwing away the bottles.
• The two male players appear more pragmatic and are tempted by offers from player clans, but they ultimately remain aligned with the female player.
• Prefects Liu and Liang reveal that they view the players as a long-term existential threat. Their earlier rivalry fades as they recognize that the Descenders are their common enemy.
• The remaining players shift from individual competition to temporary cooperation, demonstrating their flexibility and desperation when faced with a stronger group.

Significant Themes

• Players versus the game’s creators: Gao Linzhi recognizes that the game operators manipulate player behavior through rewards, competition, and scarcity, much like a monetized online game.
• The artificial nature of competition: The Longevity Water event is designed to make players fight, become stronger, and possibly spend or invest more in their advancement, even though the incomplete game cannot truly support normal monetization.
• Survival through opportunism: Gao Linzhi succeeds not through overwhelming strength but through patience, stealth, timing, and control of valuable resources.
• Factional conflict and betrayal: Players are willing to recruit, deceive, or cooperate temporarily, while the prefects intend to use their resentment to provoke further bloodshed.
• Ideological opposition: The prefects fear that players’ ideas of equality, self-rule, and freedom will inspire ordinary villagers to rebel against the imperial system.
• Control versus independence: The prefects want to seal the passage through which players enter the world, while Gao Linzhi seeks enough strength to stop being controlled by either the operators or the imperial court.

Character Interactions

• The players battle over the Longevity Water, then attempt to negotiate with the three holders when brute force proves insufficient.
• The female player rejects the clans’ offers, accusing them of exploiting others and refusing to trust them.
• The prefects privately discuss the players as a shared enemy and agree that their rapid growth and influence over villagers must eventually be stopped.
• Gao Linzhi’s theft turns the entire player community against him, creating a new source of hostility and likely future conflict.
• The prefects welcome this resentment, believing the players will now pursue one another and give the imperial authorities time to prepare a more lasting solution.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Players chase after Lin Qing, who snatches the Longevity Water and escapes in a Flying Boat.
• The game event ends, and the rankings are revealed, causing player outrage due to manipulation by Imperial Court NPCs.
• An anomaly, the Faceless Man, attacks the Safe Zone, luring players with their true names.
• Lin Qing, in hiding, reveals herself and uses her true name to dispel the anomaly, earning a temporary reward.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi: Maintains calm and composure amidst the chaos, observing and understanding the anomaly's behavior. He also recognizes Lin Qing's true name.
• Lin Qing: Reveals herself after being in hiding, demonstrating bravery and quick thinking by using her true name to dispel the anomaly. She starts to catch up to Gao Linzhi's progress.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and deception: The Imperial Court NPCs manipulate players for their own gain, reflecting the theme of deception and exploitation in the game.
• True names and identity: The Faceless Man anomaly uses true names to lure players, highlighting the importance of identity and personal history in the game.
• Resilience and adaptability: Lin Qing's ability to adapt and find a solution to the anomaly's attack showcases the theme of resilience in the face of adversity.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi and Lin Qing: Gao Linzhi observes Lin Qing's actions from underground, and Lin Qing acknowledges his presence, showing a renewed determination to catch up to him.
• Players and the Imperial Court NPCs: Players express anger and frustration at the NPCs' manipulation, reflecting a growing distrust and tension between the players and the game's authorities.
• Lin Qing and the players: Lin Qing's actions inspire awe and envy among the players, who seek to understand her method for dispelling the anomaly.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Anomalies, including the Faceless Man and a new 'Iron-Eating Beast,' start appearing in Safe Zones and even in reality, causing panic among players and the public.
• Gao Linzhi suspects the Imperial Court's involvement in manipulating the Longevity Water to attract anomalies.
• The head of the Long family, Long Hezai, recruits top players to clear out the Iron-Eating Beast anomaly in Dragon City, offering significant rewards.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi: Becomes more determined to become stronger and control his own destiny. He decides to send his Substitute Puppet to help with the anomaly in Dragon City.
• Lin Qing: Frustrated about not developing a Pay-to-Win player into a lapdog earlier. She feels secure with her Revival Stone in the Safe Zone.

Significant Themes

• The conflict between players and the Imperial Court, with the latter having a motive to eliminate players.
• The potential consequences of anomalies invading reality, including economic instability and loss of safety.
• The necessity of players working together to face common threats, as seen in the recruitment for clearing the Iron-Eating Beast.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi interacts with the village elders to discuss the sudden appearance of anomalies in the Safe Zone.
• Players on the Archipelago forum discuss the anomalies' invasion of reality and Long Hezai's recruitment.
• Gao Linzhi, as his Substitute Puppet, arrives in Dragon City to participate in the interview for clearing the Iron-Eating Beast anomaly.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi, using a Substitute Puppet, attends a meeting to deal with an iron-eating anomaly.
• The anomaly was brought into the real world by a player who was later killed by it.
• The anomaly's domain is expanding, and it's currently in a steel factory, threatening the city.
• The group decides to visit the anomaly's location to assess the situation.

Character Developments

• Lin Qing, Gao Linzhi's former colleague, has gained recognition and experience in handling anomalies.
• Gao Linzhi maintains a low profile, using a Substitute Puppet to avoid unwanted attention.
• The Long Family elder demonstrates tact and understanding in handling the situation.

Significant Themes

• The danger of anomalies entering the real world through players.
• The need for caution and understanding when dealing with anomalies.
• The importance of iron in the human body and the potential consequences of iron deficiency.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi and Lin Qing reconnect, though Lin Qing doesn't recognize Gao due to his Substitute Puppet.
• The group of players discusses the anomaly's origin and development, expressing their concerns and strategies.
• The Long Family elder interacts with the players, providing information and guiding them through the process.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group arrives at a steel factory where an anomaly, a cubic iron block that absorbs iron, is present.
• They attempt to use an Anomaly Dungeon Ticket but find it ineffective in the real world.
• The group discusses possible solutions, including using other anomalies to counter this one, but they're concerned about introducing new anomalies and bearing responsibility for any consequences.
• They decide to return to the game to find a solution, as players in the game world have more experience with anomalies.
• Gao Linzhi learns that the deceased, Long Xi, was oppressed by his family and had incorporated an anomaly into his body before dying.
• Gao Linzhi and Dragon Fruit perform divination and spirit channeling near the steel factory, discovering Long Xi's residual soul and communicating with it.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi: Shows leadership and concern for his team, providing a Revival Stone to Huoluo Guo for her safety. He also uses his game skills to gain insights into Long Xi's condition.
• Dragon Fruit (Huoluo Guo): Demonstrates her expertise in spirit channeling and divination, successfully communicating with Long Xi's residual soul.
• Long Xi: Revealed to be a victim of family oppression, his residual soul retains memories from his middle school days, indicating a fragmented personality.

Significant Themes

• The struggle against anomalies and their consequences, both in the game world and the real world.
• The responsibility of dealing with anomalies and the potential risks involved.
• The power dynamics within families, as seen through Long Xi's experiences.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi and his team discuss possible solutions to the anomaly, highlighting their collective problem-solving approach.
• Gao Linzhi and Dragon Fruit work together to communicate with Long Xi's residual soul, showcasing their complementary skills.
• Long Xi's residual soul interacts with Gao Linzhi and Dragon Fruit, revealing his fragmented personality and memories.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi creates a personality from an anomaly's gas to control it, saving the Long Family from further iron absorption.
• The Long Family rewards Gao Linzhi with a Skill Enhancement Stone and a Talent Enhancement Stone for his efforts.
• A representative from the Federation attempts to recruit Gao Linzhi, but he declines.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi demonstrates his power and influence by successfully controlling an anomaly, earning him respect and rewards from the Long Family.
• Long Hezai, the head of the Long Family, shows shrewdness in handling the situation and rewarding Gao Linzhi, while also considering the family's future in the new era.
• Yang Wenyuan, the Federation's Vice President, attempts to recruit Gao Linzhi but faces rejection.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics between individuals and organizations, with Gao Linzhi choosing to remain independent despite offers from the Long Family and the Federation.
• The adaptability of established families and organizations in the face of change, as seen in the Long Family's efforts to survive and thrive in the new era.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi interacts with the Long Family, earning their respect and rewards for his actions.
• Gao Linzhi declines an offer from Yang Wenyuan to join the Federation, asserting his independence.
• Long Hezai and the Long Family members discuss their family's future and how to adapt to the new era, with a focus on winning Gao Linzhi over to their side.

Key Plot Points and Events

• An Anomaly is discovered in Dragon City, causing panic among the wealthy and powerful who fear for their investments and safety.
• Long Hezai, head of the Long Family, tries to have the Anomaly transferred back to the Skyfall World.
• The Federation discusses and decides to promote player registration and screenings to prevent Anomaly infections, and to replicate Safe Zones from the Game to protect against future Anomaly threats.

Character Developments

• Long Hezai shows concern for the economy and his family's reputation, trying to find a quick solution to the Anomaly problem.
• Gao Linzhi demonstrates his ability to control Anomalies, earning respect and fear from the wealthy elite.
• Federation members show their strategic thinking and ability to adapt to new threats, planning to maintain order and control through player registration and Safe Zone replication.

Significant Themes

• Order vs. Chaos: The wealthy elite fear the Anomaly's chaos disrupting their order and economy, while the Federation seeks to maintain order through registration and control measures.
• Power and Influence: The wealthy elite try to curry favor with Gao Linzhi to protect their interests, while the Federation aims to control powerful players like Gao Linzhi to maintain their order.
• Adaptation and Survival: Both the wealthy elite and the Federation show a willingness to adapt to new threats and find ways to survive and maintain their positions.

Character Interactions

• Long Hezai and Gao Linzhi discuss the possibility of transferring the Anomaly back to the Skyfall World.
• Wealthy elite attendees try to curry favor with Gao Linzhi, offering him women, money, and titles.
• Federation members discuss and plan their response to the Anomaly threat, deciding on player registration and Safe Zone replication.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Federation introduces new measures to register and monitor players due to the Anomaly threat.
• Rogue players express resentment and mistrust towards the Federation and the company system.
• Anomalies are discovered to be hidden in various cities, including a small one managed by the Hundred Birds Company.
• The Federation forms an Anomaly Investigation Team, offering game qualifications and Revival Stones to its members.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi, understanding the severity of the Anomaly threat, decides to infiltrate the Imperial Observatory to counter them.
• Players in the Skyfall World start helping the common people, opening shops and providing jobs, while the Imperial Court watches passively.

Significant Themes

• The tension between the Federation and the players, with the Federation's new measures causing resentment among rogue players.
• The hidden threat of Anomalies and the need for cooperation to counter them.
• The potential for the Skyfall World to become a consumer market, despite the obstacles posed by Anomalies and the Sky Wolf Dynasty.

Character Interactions

• Rogue players express their grievances and desire for revenge on the Archipelago Forum.
• The Federation's staff discuss the Anomaly situation and the benefits of forming an investigation team.
• Players and the Imperial Court reach an unspoken agreement, with players supporting the common people while the Imperial Court watches passively.

Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi, instead of entering the city, explores the shantytown area outside, suspecting it holds importance.
• He overhears refugees worshipping and praising the players, expressing their desire to protect the area from the Imperial Court.
• Gao discovers a temple at the shantytown's center, with faceless stone statues, hinting at an artificial shrine creation by the players.
• He witnesses players discussing their plans to create a shrine using the refugees' faith and incense, aiming to break through the shrine's resistance to anomalous informants.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi demonstrates his keen business acumen and understanding of the mysterious world's dynamics.
• The refugees show their loyalty and gratitude towards the players, willing to protect the area and worship them as living gods.
• The players reveal their ambition and cunning, attempting to create an artificial shrine to gain power and resist the Imperial Court.

Significant Themes

• Opportunity and Scheming: Gao Linzhi's business-like approach to the mysterious world, seeking opportunities and understanding the Imperial Court's schemes.
• Faith and Power: The players' manipulation of the refugees' faith to create an artificial shrine, highlighting the power of belief and its potential consequences.
• Resistance and Protection: The refugees' desire to protect the shantytown area and resist the Imperial Court, reflecting their loyalty and determination.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi eavesdrops on the refugees and players, learning about their plans and intentions.
• The refugees interact with each other, expressing their admiration and desire to protect the players and the shantytown area.
• The players discuss their plans and strategies, revealing their ambition and cunning to Gao Linzhi.

Chapter Summary: The Appearance of the Heaven’s Heart Stone, Entering the Imperial City

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi observes an ancient-dressed woman rescue the players from danger. She introduces herself as Miss Cheng, a member of the Daoist Academy, a suppressed institution descended from the former dynasty’s Imperial Observatory.
• The Xingzhou Association hires Miss Cheng as an adviser. She explains that the Daoist Academy and another faction originally belonged to an organization called Yuanshi, which was created to suppress anomalies and protect humanity. The organization later split between those seeking to save the world and those pursuing immortality and control.
• Miss Cheng reveals information about the Incense Longevity Path, explaining that souls can gain immortality by merging with the faith of a group. However, this immortality brings severe loneliness and the danger of spiritual corruption.
• She claims that special treasures can protect souls, preserve their senses, and prevent corruption. The most important treasure she mentions is the Heaven’s Heart Stone, which allegedly grants the protection of Heaven and allows its holder to continue enjoying the sensations of incense offerings.
• Miss Cheng tells the players that the Heaven’s Heart Stone is located inside the Imperial City, deliberately encouraging them to attack the court.
• A temporary quest appears: “Seize the Heaven’s Heart Stone.” Gao Linzhi and the other players accept it.
• The players struggle to form a team because entering the Imperial City is dangerous and requires Revival Stones. Ultimately, only three players with Revival Stones agree to participate.
• Rather than assaulting the city directly, the players hide inside water carts entering the Imperial City before dawn. The guards barely inspect the carts, allowing the players—and secretly Gao Linzhi—to enter.
• Once inside, the game provides navigation to the treasure. The players follow the map through the complicated, maze-like streets of the Imperial City, avoiding eunuchs, palace maids, and noble residences.
• They eventually reach a garden marked by a large treasure-chest icon, indicating that the Heaven’s Heart Stone is likely inside.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi remains cautious and observant. He immediately suspects that Miss Cheng is manipulating the players and intends to use them against the imperial court. Nevertheless, he accepts the quest to assess the players’ strength and observe the conflict between them and the court.
• Miss Cheng presents herself as helpful and compassionate but reveals herself to be calculating. She provides carefully selected knowledge about immortality and spiritual protection to bait the players into seeking the Heaven’s Heart Stone.
• The players become increasingly fascinated by the possibility of immortality. Their enthusiasm is tempered by fear of death, the high cost of Revival Stones, and the dangers of infiltrating the Imperial City.
• The players also demonstrate resourcefulness by using water carts as a method of infiltration rather than relying on force.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation through knowledge: Miss Cheng uses valuable information about immortality to guide the players toward her desired outcome.
• The dangers of immortality: Spiritual immortality is portrayed not as simple salvation but as an existence marked by loneliness, loss of pleasure, erosion of identity, and possible corruption.
• Human ambition and hypocrisy: Gao Linzhi distrusts the Daoist Academy’s lofty claims of benevolence, believing organizations that idealize themselves may become corrupt or deceptive.
• Faith, morality, and power: The Heaven’s Heart Stone supposedly protects only those who are morally worthy, allowing the players to convince themselves that they are righteous.
• Decline of imperial authority: Gao Linzhi notes that weakening dynasties often become corrupt and poorly governed, making supposedly impenetrable imperial institutions vulnerable.
• Game mechanics shaping strategy: Revival Stones, quest notifications, navigation, and treasure markers directly influence the players’ decisions and make their infiltration possible.

Character Interactions

• Miss Cheng earns the players’ trust by helping them and offering information, then accepts a temporary position with the Xingzhou Association.
• She explains the history of Yuanshi and the Daoist Academy while subtly positioning her faction as the righteous side of an ancient conflict.
• The players eagerly question her about immortality, spiritual corruption, and protective treasures.
• A skeptical player challenges the practicality of eternal spiritual existence, but another insists that immortality is worth any sacrifice.
• The players argue over participation when some refuse to risk their lives without Revival Stones, exposing their differing levels of courage and self-interest.
• Gao Linzhi silently observes all these exchanges, understanding Miss Cheng’s hidden agenda while allowing events to unfold.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi follows a group of players to a garden in the Imperial City, marked as a treasure location.
• The players trigger an illusion formation, believing they're in an ocean dungeon.
• Imperial guards surround the players, intending to sacrifice them to the "Heaven's Heart Stone."
• Old Daoist Tiansheng arrives, easily incapacitates the players, and orders their execution.
• A Prince intervenes, asking Daoist Tiansheng to spare the players.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi demonstrates adaptability and strategic thinking, using skills to understand and navigate the situation.
• The players show courage and combat skills but lack experience against powerful NPCs.
• Old Daoist Tiansheng displays formidable strength and mobility, using curses and spatial manipulation.
• The Prince shows mercy and influence, intervening to spare the players.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics between players and NPCs, with NPCs holding significant advantages.
• The struggle for resources and control, with the Imperial Court monopolizing the "Heaven's Heart Stone."
• The moral high ground, with players claiming to act for the common people's benefit.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi observes and learns from the situation, not directly engaging.
• The players interact with each other, showing camaraderie and shared goals.
• Old Daoist Tiansheng and the Prince have a power dynamic, with the Prince showing deference to the Daoist's strength.
• The players and the Imperial guards have a conflict, with the players initially holding the upper hand but ultimately being overwhelmed.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Fourth Prince intervenes to save three players from the Imperial Observatory's guards, who accuse them of trespassing and malicious intent.
• The Fourth Prince argues with Old Daoist Tiansheng, the Imperial Observatory's leader, to release the players, claiming they've rescued refugees and acted out of kindness.
• The Fourth Prince brings the players to his mansion, where they discuss their goals and how to cooperate.
• The Fourth Prince reveals that the Heaven's Heart Stone requires 499 powerhouses before it can be effectively consumed.
• The players and the Fourth Prince discuss the Imperial Court's needs for resources and how to obtain them.

Character Developments

• The Fourth Prince: He shows concern for the common people's well-being and wants to reform the Imperial Court. He also demonstrates political acumen and strategic thinking in his interactions with Old Daoist Tiansheng and the players.
• Old Daoist Tiansheng: He remains steadfast in his duty to protect the Imperial Observatory's interests, refusing to acknowledge the players as sages despite the Fourth Prince's pleas.
• The Players: They initially appear naive and straightforward, but later reveal their shrewdness and business acumen, seeing opportunities to profit from the Imperial Court's needs.

Significant Themes

• Power Dynamics: The struggle between the royal family and the Imperial Observatory reflects the complex power dynamics within the dynasty.
• Corruption and Reform: The Fourth Prince's desire to reform the Imperial Court highlights the theme of corruption and the struggle against it.
• Alliances and Cooperation: The interactions between the Fourth Prince and the players emphasize the importance of alliances and cooperation in achieving goals.

Character Interactions

• The Fourth Prince and Old Daoist Tiansheng: Their interaction showcases the tension between the royal family and the Imperial Observatory, with the Fourth Prince attempting to assert his authority while Old Daoist Tiansheng maintains his independence.
• The Fourth Prince and the Players: Their discussion reveals a mutual understanding and respect, with the Fourth Prince valuing their input and the players recognizing the potential benefits of cooperating with him.
• Gao Linzhi and the Other Characters: Gao Linzhi observes these interactions from a distance, providing insight into the characters' motivations and the political landscape.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Fourth Prince is indecisive about the auction and payment terms for the gold mine.
• Players demand installment payments and refuse to bear risks, angering the Fourth Prince.
• The Fourth Prince hints at using 500 powerhouses to activate the Heaven's Heart Stone.
• Players design a Werewolf-style competition to lure top players, with the Imperial Court providing advanced cultivation methods as bait.
• The competition begins, with players realizing too late that death is real and they can't log off.

Character Developments

• The Fourth Prince is revealed to be indecisive and manipulative, willing to sacrifice players for his goals.
• Players show naivety and greed, underestimating the Imperial Court's ruthlessness.
• Gao Linzhi, the narrator, remains neutral, observing and reporting events but not actively participating.

Significant Themes

• The ruthlessness and indifference of the Imperial Court towards human life.
• The naivety and greed of players, leading to their downfall.
• The manipulation and exploitation of power dynamics between the Imperial Court and players.

Character Interactions

• The Fourth Prince and the players clash over business terms and the competition's true nature.
• Players interact with each other, designing the competition and discussing strategies.
• Gao Linzhi observes and reports the interactions between the Fourth Prince and the players.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Fourth Prince orders the massacre of players who slandered the Imperial Court.
• The Heaven's Heart Stone absorbs the blood and souls of 999 powerful individuals, transforming into a Gold Tier treasure.
• Gao Linzhi secretly takes the Heaven's Heart Stone.
• The Fourth Prince tasks the three players to find the Heaven's Heart Stone's thief and sell Imperial Court's assets to players.
• The players realize they can't carry the promised raw stones due to weight limits.

Character Developments

• The Fourth Prince: Shows ruthlessness and disregard for life, but also understands the value of the Heaven's Heart Stone and the need for an intermediary to sell Imperial Court's assets.
• The three players: Initially naive and trusting, they become suspicious and paranoid towards each other after the Heaven's Heart Stone's disappearance. They also show a mix of greed and fear.

Significant Themes

• Power and Corruption: The Fourth Prince's disregard for life and the Imperial Court's exploitation of players highlight the corrupting influence of power.
• Greed and Paranoia: The players' obsession with the Heaven's Heart Stone leads to suspicion and paranoia among them.
• Consequences of Actions: The players' decision to allow the Prince's men to kill other players comes back to haunt them, showing the karmic nature of their actions.

Character Interactions

• The Fourth Prince and the players: The Prince manipulates the players to find the Heaven's Heart Stone and sell Imperial Court's assets, showing his cunning and manipulative nature.
• The three players: Their interactions are marked by suspicion and paranoia, each suspecting the others of taking the Heaven's Heart Stone. They also show a united front when dealing with the Prince, but their unity is fragile and built on mutual mistrust.

Chapter Summary: “Alliance Features Unlocked, Players Erupt”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Imperial Observatory examines three contaminated players and confirms that they have been affected by anomalies through the dangerous Incense Longevity Path.
• Gao Linzhi returns to Wolf Snake Village and gives the Heaven’s Heart Stone to Hai Zida for research rather than using it immediately.
• Gao and Hai discuss the advantages and dangers of the Incense Longevity Path. The path can grant longevity and connect minds, but it causes mental interference and may turn users to stone if the Heaven’s Heart Stone is overused.
• Hai proposes using the stone to create an “incense space,” a secure mental communication network for scientists. It could support thought experiments, collective calculations, and research without the limitations of physical laboratories, funding, or supercomputer access.
• Gao suggests that the Incense Longevity Path could function like an encrypted wireless network, linking believers and forming a human-brain computational array.
• Hai plans to create a “god of science” as a symbolic focus for scientists’ belief, using the Heaven’s Heart Stone as its vessel.
• The pair decide to recruit Zhang Zicai, an arrogant but exceptionally talented physicist whose research is underfunded. Gao agrees to provide the resources necessary to attract him.
• The game announces a new event, “Recruiting Talent,” and unlocks the Talent Alliance feature. Players can now create or join official alliances, gain mutual protection, participate in Alliance Dungeons, earn Alliance Contribution, and purchase items from an Alliance Store.
• Players react enthusiastically, realizing that alliances will become a major source of strength and social organization.
• The cost of creating an alliance—two tons of gold—shocks solo players and limits alliance formation to groups with substantial resources.
• A player alliance, the 2086 Kongkong Alliance, is quickly formed. Players discover that the Alliance Store contains a Revival Stone, making alliance membership extremely valuable because it offers a means of preserving life.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi demonstrates considerable trust and generosity toward Hai Zida, valuing the scientist’s potential more than the rare Heaven’s Heart Stone. He adopts a pragmatic attitude toward the risks of immortality research.
• Hai Zida becomes increasingly enthusiastic about the Incense Longevity Path. He sees immortality not as an end in itself but as a way to extend his scientific career and surpass historical scientists. He also begins envisioning himself as the organizer of a scientific belief system.
• Wuliao views the alliance system as an opportunity to convert his previous organizational work into tangible in-game power and prove his value.
• Danji remains blunt and practical, warning Wuliao that belonging to a powerful alliance—not merely creating one—is what matters.
• Xu Gou develops anxiety over his position. Since he lacks exceptional strength or talent, he fears being replaced by stronger or more useful players once the alliance system is established.
• Jiangnan1912 becomes interested in gaining authority and recognizes that alliances may provide an important avenue to power. He also understands that Canxue values immortality and strength more than leadership.
• Zhang Zicai is introduced as a brilliant but difficult and underfunded physicist who may become a significant future recruit.

Significant Themes

• Immortality and the pursuit of knowledge: Hai views longevity as a tool that allows scientists to pursue truth over centuries rather than decades.
• Science and mysticism: The chapter combines scientific research with occult incense techniques, suggesting that supernatural systems can become instruments for advanced scientific discovery.
• The value of investment and talent: Gao’s willingness to invest rare resources in Hai shows that exceptional individuals may be more valuable than powerful artifacts.
• Organization versus individual strength: The alliance feature shifts the game from isolated competition toward structured cooperation, resource-sharing, and factional power.
• Survival as the ultimate incentive: The Revival Stone immediately becomes the Alliance Store’s most desirable item, emphasizing that survival underlies all other ambitions.
• Institutional power and inequality: The high entry cost for creating alliances favors wealthy, organized players and threatens to widen the gap between top factions and solo players.
• Belief as a technological and computational system: The Incense Longevity Path is treated as an encrypted communication network and collective computer, blurring the line between religion, mental power, and technology.

Character Interactions

• Gao and Hai collaborate closely, with Gao providing resources and strategic support while Hai supplies scientific imagination and technical direction.
• Their conversation reveals mutual respect: Hai appreciates Gao’s patience and generosity, while Gao trusts Hai to make productive use of the Heaven’s Heart Stone.
• Gao and Hai jointly plan the recruitment of Zhang Zicai, combining financial resources with scientific networking.
• Wuliao and Danji exchange contrasting perspectives: Wuliao is eager to display his abilities, while Danji reminds him that status depends on joining a truly powerful alliance.
• Xu Gou’s private concerns reveal his insecurity compared with more capable players and his dependence on his early relationship with Gao.
• The wider player community interacts through excited, competitive, and frustrated discussions about alliance creation, rankings, entry requirements, and access to the Revival Stone.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The "Revival Stone" in the Alliance Store prompts players to establish alliances for regular revival opportunities.
• Gao Linzhi decides to infiltrate the Daoist Academy to learn their magic system.
• Miss Cheng, a representative of the Daoist Academy, agrees to accept Gao Linzhi.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi realizes the importance of alliances for reviving and decides to focus on leveling up while his subordinates manage the alliance.
• Miss Cheng demonstrates her healing powers, drawing a crowd, and shows her willingness to accept Gao Linzhi into the Daoist Academy.

Significant Themes

• The importance of alliances for survival and revival in the game.
• The dual nature of power: while it can be used to help others, it can also be used to exploit or manipulate.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi interacts with Wuliao, discussing the establishment of alliances and Gao's decision to infiltrate the Daoist Academy.
• Miss Cheng interacts with the crowd, demonstrating her healing powers and accepting Gao Linzhi into the Daoist Academy.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi follows Miss Cheng into the Daoist Academy, located beneath the Imperial City in a complex sewer system.
• The academy is revealed to be a test of Gao's composure and intentions.
• Gao is shown the academy's library and classrooms, where students study the "Four Books" and practice magic.
• Gao meets Mr. Cheng, Miss Cheng's "senior brother," who offers Gao a chance to learn magic directly for a fee of 5 tons of gold.
• Gao triggers a side quest, "Daoist Academy Studies," allowing other players to register and learn at the academy for a fee.
• Gao discovers that the teacher in his class is a werewolf monster in disguise.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi: Shows composure and understanding of the game's mechanics, earning him the side quest reward and access to advanced magic learning.
• Miss Cheng: Revealed to be the same person as Mr. Cheng, suggesting a deception or shapeshifting ability.
• Mr. Cheng: Offers Gao a direct path to learning magic, highlighting the academy's focus on profit.
• The Werewolf Teacher: Reveals the origin story of Anomalies, suggesting a connection between human desires and the appearance of Anomalies.

Significant Themes

• The corruption and true nature of power, as seen in the academy's focus on profit and the werewolf teacher's origin story.
• The dangers of exploring unknown areas and the rewards for discovering new quests.
• The connection between human desires and the appearance of Anomalies.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi and Miss Cheng: Gao follows Miss Cheng into the academy, and she tests his composure.
• Gao Linzhi and Mr. Cheng: Gao meets Mr. Cheng, who offers him a chance to learn magic directly.
• The Werewolf Teacher and the Students: The teacher lectures the students on the origin of Anomalies while in disguise.

Chapter Summary: “The Source of the Anomalies, the Benefits of a Dynasty”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Werewolf Teacher asks why an immortal emperor’s dynasty ultimately collapsed.
• Qingshan argues that the emperor became mentally stagnant after ruling for too long, but the teacher rejects this and demands one of his arms as punishment.
• The teacher claims the dynasty fell because many people coveted the emperor’s immortality and betrayed him.
• Gao Linzhi challenges this explanation, arguing that the common people likely did not know about the emperor’s immortality. He suggests the dynasty instead collapsed through ordinary causes: oppression, famine, popular rebellion, elite infighting, and the emperor’s inability to exercise power openly.
• When the teacher attacks him for contradicting its version of events, Gao Linzhi kills it with a single punch.
• The class celebrates the teacher’s death. Gao Linzhi uses Appraisal Skill and discovers that all the students—including Qingshan—are human puppets. The Werewolf Teacher was also a puppet, explaining why students freely argued with it and why it could “eat” them without lasting consequences.
• A replacement Werewolf Teacher enters and resumes the lesson, this time adopting Gao Linzhi’s interpretation.
• The teacher explains that the immortal emperor secretly controlled a puppet ruler but gradually lost influence because open, visible authority was stronger than hidden control. The court, nobles, soldiers, imperial relatives, and even the emperor’s descendants became estranged from him, while the people suffered under excessive spending and poor governance.
• After losing his dynasty, the emperor sought greater power from Yuanshi’s Divine Anomalies. The anomaly demanded sacrifices—one million people for a single grant of power.
• A second emperor eventually discovered the anomaly and began pursuing immortality and sacrifices as well. The old and new emperors came into conflict, and the anomaly favored the new ruler, leaving the old emperor immortal but powerless and driven to seek revenge.
• The teacher presents this history as the origin of the court’s connection with Divine Anomalies and argues that anyone seeking supreme power must establish a dynasty capable of carrying out large-scale sacrifices.
• The class then discusses rebellion against the still-powerful Sky Wolf Dynasty. The Werewolf Teacher begins teaching methods for weaponizing bizarre phenomena against the court.
• It identifies a narrow strait through an island chain as an unavoidable route from Capital Island to the surrounding seas. Gao Linzhi realizes this passage lies in the direction of Wolf Snake Island, meaning the court may eventually be forced to pass near his territory.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi deliberately challenges the teacher to attract attention and gain access to deeper knowledge. His confidence is strengthened by his Substitute Puppet and ability to revive, allowing him to act without fear.
• He demonstrates superior reasoning by identifying the political, economic, and social causes of the dynasty’s collapse rather than accepting the teacher’s oversimplified explanation.
• Gao Linzhi becomes openly contemptuous of the academy’s reliance on violence and coercion, comparing it to the imperial court and concluding that both suppress intellectual disagreement rather than encourage genuine debate.
• Qingshan is established as a thoughtful and capable student. Though his first answer is incorrect, he continues questioning the teacher and later notices Gao Linzhi’s unusual power and insight.
• The Werewolf Teacher is revealed to be replaceable and largely performative: it uses intimidation to enforce its narrative but ultimately adopts Gao Linzhi’s answer once a replacement appears.

Significant Themes

• Immortality versus political power: Living forever does not guarantee authority. Power must be visible, organized, and supported by institutions, soldiers, elites, and the population.
• The causes of dynastic collapse: Even supernatural rulers remain vulnerable to famine, oppression, popular rebellion, corruption, succession disputes, elite ambition, and loss of legitimacy.
• Truth versus authority: The teacher insists that its version is correct simply because it is the teacher. Gao Linzhi rejects this, declaring that truth matters more than obedience.
• Violence replacing reason: Both the academy and the imperial system rely on force when arguments fail, suggesting that the rebel organization is not morally superior to the court.
• The origins of anomalies and sacrifice: Divine Anomalies become connected to emperors through secret sacrifices, linking supernatural power, state violence, and the establishment of dynasties.
• Rebellion and manipulation: The academy seeks not merely to resist the court but to exploit bizarre phenomena strategically, turning unavoidable travel routes into traps.

Character Interactions

• Qingshan respectfully answers the teacher’s question, then challenges its unfair punishment and demands a correct explanation.
• Gao Linzhi intervenes to protect Qingshan’s argument and directly disputes the teacher’s account.
• The teacher responds with humiliation and violence, attacking Gao Linzhi, who kills it instantly.
• The puppet students enthusiastically support Gao Linzhi and reveal their long-standing resentment toward the teacher.
• Qingshan recognizes Gao Linzhi’s strength and cites the principle that greater laws can overcome lesser ones.
• The replacement teacher adopts Gao Linzhi’s reasoning and uses the historical account to encourage the students to pursue dynastic power and rebellion.
• The class collectively shifts from debating history to discussing how to lure the imperial court into active bizarre phenomena, setting up a potential future confrontation near Wolf Snake Island.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi and the students of the Daoist Academy discuss how to lure Sea Anomalies onto routes used by the imperial court. The goal is to obstruct tribute ships and protect Wolf Snake Island’s people from the court’s taxation, forced labor, and “Blood Tax.”
• The Werewolf Teacher explains that Sea Anomalies are divided into:
  • Undersea Anomalies, usually stationary and extremely dangerous
  • Surface Anomalies, mobile and unpredictable
  • Sky Anomalies, which inhabit clouds and attack from above
• The students propose various methods for blocking the imperial route, eventually favoring stationary Undersea Anomalies because they are difficult to remove and can remain in place for long periods.
• The teacher reveals that moving even a small Deep Sea Giant requires roughly ten thousand sacrifices, while larger Anomalies may require hundreds of thousands or millions—far beyond the Academy’s capacity.
• Gao Linzhi realizes that sacrifices may be the source of Anomalies’ power. The resentment and hatred of slaughtered people could provide the energy that allows Divine Anomalies to exist and multiply.
• The teacher explains that the world was once a single continent, but Divine Anomalies and dynastic wars shattered it into islands, oceans, and abyssal trenches.
• Gao Linzhi correctly deduces that ancestral halls exist partly to preserve a stable population for future sacrifices. The teacher confirms that they also provide limited sanctuaries where people can reproduce and recover.
• The chapter outlines the vicious cycle of feudal rule: emperors sacrifice people to gain power and immortality, strengthening Anomalies; stronger Anomalies destabilize dynasties; instability prompts even more sacrifices until the dynasty collapses.
• Students discuss alternatives to mass sacrifice, including fake sacrifices and offering valuable objects instead. Gao Linzhi asks whether Divine Anomalies might accept equal exchanges rather than human lives.
• The conclusion suggests that precious items backed by sufficient Royal Authority may serve as substitutes, a possibility that suits Gao Linzhi because he has access to wealth and resources.

2. Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi demonstrates increasing insight into the world’s political, supernatural, and historical systems. He supports obstructing the imperial court because he understands the suffering its tribute expeditions cause, but he remains morally disturbed by human sacrifice.
• He develops a theory linking Anomalies to accumulated human resentment, connecting supernatural disasters with dynastic violence, famine, war, and the exploitation of ordinary people.
• Gao Linzhi also shows that he values moral self-control. Although he accepts difficult actions for the sake of protecting the population, he refuses to become cruel or abandon his conscience.
• His realization about ancestral halls and population preservation marks a major intellectual breakthrough.
• The Werewolf Teacher acts as an instructor and interpreter of the world’s history, confirming Gao Linzhi’s deductions while revealing the Academy’s limited ability to conduct sacrifices.
• The students display both creativity and alarming detachment, treating mass death as a strategic problem. Their discussions also introduce the possibility of replacing sacrifice with valuable offerings.

3. Significant Themes

• The cost of protecting the people: Saving millions from imperial exploitation may require dangerous or morally troubling choices, creating a conflict between collective survival and individual lives.
• The horror of sacrifice: Human sacrifice is presented as both a practical supernatural mechanism and an appalling form of violence that perpetuates suffering.
• Power feeding on suffering: Dynasties gain authority through sacrifice, but that authority strengthens the very Anomalies that eventually destroy them.
• Historical and political cycles: Feudal governments repeatedly enter a cycle of exploitation, supernatural empowerment, instability, and collapse.
• Resentment as destructive energy: The hatred of the dead appears to accumulate into Anomalies, suggesting that injustice literally reshapes the world.
• The human heart and moral restraint: Gao Linzhi believes immortality requires a stable heart, implying that preserving one’s humanity is as important as gaining power.
• Knowledge as power: The Imperial Observatory’s control over information about Anomalies reinforces institutional dependence and class domination.

4. Character Interactions

• The Werewolf Teacher guides the class while Gao Linzhi asks direct questions about Anomaly classifications and the world’s history.
• Gao Linzhi challenges the teacher by asking whether sacrifices are truly necessary and proposes that Divine Anomalies might accept equivalent trades.
• His deductions about ancestral halls and the origins of the world prompt the teacher’s approval, establishing Gao Linzhi as unusually perceptive despite being a freshman.
• The students debate methods for moving or attracting Anomalies, disagreeing over whether stationary, Surface, or Sky Anomalies would be most effective.
• Gao Linzhi’s moral objections contrast with the students’ pragmatic willingness to consider mass sacrifice, highlighting his different attitude toward power and human life.
• A fellow student introduces the idea of replacing sacrifices with precious objects, giving Gao Linzhi a potentially viable and less horrific solution.