Recaps

Fu Qian agreed to take Akasha with him and arranged a carriage ride after Catherine gave them directions. As Akasha pressed close during the journey, Fu Qian noticed that her scent had changed and asked if that was why the crystal could not detect her.

• Akasha asked where Fu Qian planned to go and decided to accompany him, while he suspected the locals were pursuing a wider plan to plunge Unseen Hill into Eternal Night.
• Fu Qian suggested they take a carriage, and Akasha agreed after he asked Catherine for directions.
• Catherine pointed them toward a nearby carriage, then stayed behind at the restaurant to watch for the Darkest Night.
• Fu Qian and Akasha found a carriage, and Akasha squeezed in beside him and complimented his scent.
• Fu Qian remarked that Akasha smelled different than before and asked if that explained why the crystal could not detect her.

Fu Qian rode a carriage with Akasha while reasoning that her team might be trying to use him to further its plan in Unseen Hill. He chose to follow Ji Feng’s advice and let the carriage decide where to go, then told Akasha to get off when it reached a bar.

• Fu Qian realized Akasha’s supernatural scent helped her conceal herself and that she could track Crystal through the egg while avoiding her.
• Akasha asked where they were going, and Fu Qian said they would see where the carriage took them.
• Fu Qian considered why Akasha had approached him and concluded that her team might want to use him, an outsider, to disrupt Unseen Hill.
• Fu Qian decided to follow Ji Feng’s advice and test the carriage’s connection to Unseen Hill’s will.
• Fu Qian told Akasha to get off when the carriage reached a bar.

Fu Qian brought Akasha to a bar in Unseen Hill because it reminded him of a past encounter and might hold clues about Ji Feng. As they sat down, Fu Qian explained why he had killed Black Doctor and revealed that someone on the other side had been watching them.

• Fu Qian took Akasha to a lively bar he remembered from a failed mission and wondered whether Ji Feng knew about the false history tied to it.
• Akasha dismissed two men from their table, and they left without resisting her.
• Akasha asked Fu Qian why he had killed Black Doctor instead of preserving the way back through the door.
• Fu Qian asked whether Akasha would have gone with him if he could travel safely between both sides.
• Fu Qian said keeping Black Doctor alive might have made Akasha feel more in control, then confirmed that someone on the other side had been watching them.

Fu Qian and Akasha waited at a bar as the Darkest Night was set to begin, and Akasha identified a watcher as Holler, the Emissary of Ashes. Holler joined them and traded barbed remarks with Fu Qian before Fu Qian asked Akasha when the lord would arrive.

• Fu Qian chose to give up using the Black Doctor’s antidote in exchange for testing Ji Feng and drawing the Old Acquaintance into sharing information about the Darkest Night.
• Akasha told Fu Qian that someone was watching them and identified the watcher as Holler, the Emissary of Ashes, an acquaintance of Crystal’s who was close to the Prophet.
• Holler came over, accused Fu Qian and Akasha of talking about him, and sat down to drink.
• Holler recognized Fu Qian from their previous encounter after noticing that he had changed clothes, while Fu Qian teased him about having hidden outside.
• Fu Qian asked Akasha when the lord would arrive.

Fu Qian brought up the Lord to provoke reactions and learned from Huo Le that the Lord had recently tried to recruit him. The conversation was interrupted by Crystal’s sudden arrival, after Huo Le contacted her.

• Fu Qian asked Akasha about the Lord, and she said he should arrive before dawn.
• Fu Qian told Huo Le he had gone through the door and killed the Black Doctor, prompting Huo Le to crush his wine bottle.
• Huo Le revealed that the Lord had visited shortly before Fu Qian arrived and had invited him to work together.
• Huo Le said the Lord had warned him that things were dangerous, and Fu Qian explained that the Lord had recently thrown something at his head.
• Crystal appeared, and Huo Le admitted he had contacted her because she had been looking for Fu Qian.

Crystal arrived at Lord Huo’s gathering and confronted Akasha about the strange egg that had appeared on her, while Fu Qian confirmed that Lord Andir had gone through Unseen Hill’s door and returned. As Lord Huo revealed that the Lord had recently visited him, his glass shattered in his hand and gray blood emerged from his palm.

• Crystal arrived and Lord Huo told her that Fu Qian and his companion had entered and returned from behind Unseen Hill’s door.
• Crystal confirmed that Lord Andir had gone through the door, and Fu Qian defended himself when she accused him of losing something of hers.
• Crystal asked Akasha to explain the egg, but Akasha apologized and refused to explain it yet.
• Lord Huo left the discussion, and Fu Qian asked Akasha about Catherine and when the Lord had left her restaurant.
• Lord Huo said the Lord had visited him shortly before the others arrived, then crushed his glass and drew gray blood from his palm.

Fu Qian’s suspicions about Lord Andir’s visit led Holler to discover he had been poisoned, though he could not explain why. Holler erupted into violence at the bar, and Akasha struggled to contain him before Crystal pierced him with an ice spear.

• Holler tested his blood and realized he had been poisoned after Lord Andir invited him for a drink.
• Fu Qian questioned whether Andir was responsible and speculated that the poison might be something Andir had gained by targeting Catherine.
• Holler lost his temper and attacked Akasha, breaking her bone claw and unleashing a howl that stunned the bystanders.
• Akasha fought back with phantom threads that cut Holler, but he charged on through his injuries.
• Crystal struck Holler from behind with a long ice crystal spear.

Crystal wounded Holler to remove the parasitic eggs infecting him, but the bar’s customers soon succumbed to a spreading black-and-white phenomenon. Fu Qian suspected his presence had triggered the Gray Descent and a special reaction from Unseen Hill, while Akasha departed, praising Lord Andir.

• Crystal pierced Holler with a spear and explained that she was trying to purge the creatures infecting him through threads.
• Holler removed the eggs from his wounds, confirming Crystal’s warning, while Akasha allowed him to purge them.
• Akasha said she had come to the bar because Lord Andir was interested, and Fu Qian admitted he liked the atmosphere.
• Customers began collapsing as a black-and-white effect spread through the bar and swallowed the three demigods.
• Akasha laughed and praised Lord Andir before leaving, while Fu Qian connected the phenomenon to Gray Descent and Unseen Hill.

Fu Qian concluded that Ji Feng might be deliberately bringing Eternal Night to Unseen Hill, and he followed the spreading Gray Descent with Holler and Crystal to investigate. They headed toward a crowded place to find out what the people behind the phenomenon were trying to do.

• Fu Qian suspected Ji Feng was willingly causing Eternal Night and that the Gray Descent might be its form.
• Fu Qian heard a young person crying as the Gray Descent spread, while Akasha said goodbye and vanished with her web.
• Fu Qian asked Holler to take responsibility for the damage and led him and Crystal toward a crowded place.
• Crystal recognized that people were becoming nodes for the spreading Gray Descent, while Holler proposed clearing a safe zone.
• Fu Qian rejected Holler's plan, and Crystal argued they should find the group behind the phenomenon and stop it.

Fu Qian crossed into Gray Descent, where an ambusher attacked him and his presence triggered another outbreak of its infection. Realizing the zone was spreading faster and could soon doom the mission, he crossed back out to act.

• Fu Qian entered Gray Descent and saw that it had already swallowed several people, though the residents of Unseen Hill seemed resigned rather than alarmed.
• An unseen attacker sent a building spire and other projectiles at Fu Qian, who caught the spire with tentacles and hurled it at the attacker’s hiding place.
• Fu Qian exposed the disguised attacker, ignored his plea for peace, and killed him with an Air Bullet.
• Another onlooker became infected, and Gray Descent began spreading rapidly from the new point.
• Fu Qian judged that the infection could soon cover all of Unseen Hill and returned across the boundary.

Fu Qian reached the Prophet’s Building and found Gray Descent spreading from the Gate of Freedom as the people nearby surrendered themselves to it. Heller arrived wounded and searching for Crystal, then attacked Fu Qian after hearing his suggestion that she might emerge from the door.

• Fu Qian reached the Prophet’s Building and saw Gray Descent spreading from the Gate of Freedom.
• A headscarf-wearing woman described the danger she sensed, then deliberately fell to the ground as Gray Descent approached.
• The people around the building stayed still as Gray Descent reached them and they began dropping to the ground.
• Heller arrived drenched in blood and said an ambush had separated him from Crystal.
• Fu Qian told Heller that Crystal might emerge from the Gate of Freedom, and Heller attacked him.
• Fu Qian blocked Heller’s blow and criticized him for acting unlike a true Emissary of Ashes.

Fu Qian exposed the Lord’s disguise and mocked him while the Gray Descent consumed Unseen Hill. The Lord prepared another attack as Fu Qian caught a massive block of ice and crushed a spike beneath his mirror armor.

• Fu Qian deduced that the man impersonating Haller was a fallen Emissary of Ashes, while the Gray Descent overwhelmed the people around them.
• The Lord revealed his true appearance and questioned whether Fu Qian was really an outsider, and Fu Qian called himself Ballard before covering his head with mirror shards.
• Fu Qian caught a gigantic block of ice falling from the sky and inferred that the Lord had gained power from the night.
• Fu Qian mocked the Lord for lingering after his failed sneak attack and stomped a giant spike into pieces as the Lord prepared another move.

Fu Qian forced the Lord to explain his revelation and his shadow-mark ability, which could let him take Huo Le’s identity and status as Emissary of Ashes. When Crystal arrived carrying Huo Le’s battered body, “Ballard” attacked the Lord, whose wounds began healing as if his damage were being converted into recovery.

• Fu Qian stopped the fleeing Lord and demanded to know what revelation he had received.
• The Lord explained that he had been instructed to act as a champion of justice and gained power by playing that role.
• The Lord revealed that he had marked Huo Le, letting him control Huo Le’s shadow, copy his abilities, and potentially take his title as Emissary of Ashes.
• Crystal arrived with Huo Le’s mangled body and asked how the mark could be removed; the Lord said it could not be removed.
• “Ballard” attacked the Lord, and the Lord’s wounds began healing rapidly, prompting Fu Qian to suspect Death Angel’s involvement.

Fu Qian recognized that A'wei, now known as the Death Angel, had empowered the lord as part of the Eternal Night plan, giving him a regenerative ability and a way to mark others. As the lord fought Crystal, Huo Le transformed into a huge creature and grappled him, but the lord’s electric armor began tearing everything apart.

• Fu Qian realized A'wei had been hiding behind the lord and had used his blessing to give him an overwhelming ability to recover from attacks.
• The lord confirmed he had intended to mark Fu Qian, then fought Crystal while Fu Qian watched without intervening.
• The lord endured Crystal’s attacks and advanced on her, saying that the Prophet was dead and implying that he and others had to accept their place.
• Crystal refused to let the lord mark her, and the lord surrounded himself with electric armor streaked with dark gray.
• Huo Le transformed into a gigantic creature and wrapped his many arms around the lord, but the lord’s electric armor erupted and tore apart whatever touched him.

Fu Qian agreed to help the crystal deal with the lord, then used Holler’s transformation as inspiration to try swallowing him. A mysterious hand abducted the lord instead, and Fu Qian followed the Thread of Concern to Sage's Lake, where he found the clown relaxing.

• The crystal apologized to Fu Qian and begged him to help, and he agreed on the condition that the lord release Holler.
• Fu Qian told the lord he would kill him, then grew into a giant and transformed his arm into a toothed maw.
• The lord escaped Fu Qian’s grasp with his lightning ability, but an unseen hand used a black sack to abduct him.
• Fu Qian tracked the Thread of Concern to Sage's Lake and found the clown lying in a familiar lounge chair.

Fu Qian reunited with the clown at Sage Lake and learned that the clown had captured the Lord in a black sack. The clown revealed that the Death Angel had ordered him to keep the Lord, leaving Fu Qian with a lead on the person he had been seeking.

• Fu Qian sat beside the clown and discussed why the demigods near the door had chosen to enter rather than flee.
• The clown said none of the demigods had run and compared them to ducks following one another.
• Fu Qian saw the Lord trapped motionless in a black sack beneath Sage Lake, with his Thread of Concern leading to it.
• The clown mocked the Lord and explained that he had no interest in keeping him except under orders.
• The clown told Fu Qian that the Death Angel had ordered him to capture the Lord.

Fu Qian questioned the clown about the Death Angel’s influence and discovered that the Death Angel had shaped the Eternal Night plan because he feared dying. The clown revealed he had been keeping Fu Qian occupied to give the plan time to succeed, but Fu Qian treated their conversation as worthwhile and pressed him to discuss the crying.

• The clown told Fu Qian that the Death Angel guided chosen people and had secretly steered the Black Doctor toward the Gate of Freedom plan.
• The clown claimed the gate had been his idea and said the Black Doctor had mistakenly believed it was his own.
• Fu Qian suggested the Death Angel had built a core team because he was afraid of dying and needed others to act in his place.
• The clown confirmed that the Death Angel had kept Fu Qian occupied to buy time for his plan.
• Fu Qian rejected the idea that their conversation had wasted his time and asked the clown to talk more about the crying.

Fu Qian questioned the Joker about the Death Angel’s plan and the crying figure as Gray Descent spread across Sage’s Lake. The Joker revealed that the figure was known in theory as Mother.

• Fu Qian deduced that A'wei had organized a group of Unseen Hill residents as a safeguard against potential threats.
• The Joker warned Fu Qian that time was running out and said Sage’s Lake was a key node in the spread of Eternal Night.
• Gray Descent spread across the lake, revealing gray-covered figures sleeping beneath its increasingly clear water.
• Fu Qian reasoned that the Joker had been buying time by sharing information and asked who was crying.
• The Joker said he did not know her name, but that everyone should call her Mother.

Fu Qian questioned the Clown about the crying and learned that the Eternal Night plan centered on making everyone in Unseen Hill accept a mysterious Mother as their mother. The Clown pointed out a figure floating over the lake, and Fu Qian recognized her as Sophia.

• Fu Qian reasoned that the Gray Descent might have given everyone in Unseen Hill a conceptual bloodline connection to a shared Mother.
• The Clown explained that the Death Angel's plan aimed to make everyone in Unseen Hill embrace the word "mother."
• The Clown confirmed that Mother existed, was not a demigod, and had demigod offspring.
• The Clown gestured toward the lake, where a platinum-blond young woman floated above the merged figures.
• Fu Qian identified the woman as Sophia.

Fu Qian reunited with A'wei, the Death Angel, in the dried-out Sage's Lake, where A'wei revealed his formidable power by tearing open the world around Fu Qian. A'wei then summoned shadows from the bodies on the lakebed, leaving their confrontation underway.

• Fu Qian told the Joker that he had brought Sophia and A'wei to the lake, and the Joker laughed at the revelations.
• A savage blade destroyed the Joker's first rubber duck, making Sophia disappear; the Joker sent another duck to lead Fu Qian to A'wei.
• Sophia reappeared as feathers formed a strange humanoid figure, and the lake drained until it was completely dry.
• The Death Angel descended into the lake's center, greeted Fu Qian, and thanked him for helping him.
• A'wei paused the world and tore open a fissure toward Fu Qian, who caught it between his fingers as some of his flesh turned to ash.
• A'wei said Fu Qian had been playing with him before and summoned shadows from the bodies covering the lakebed.

Fu Qian faced A'wei, who had taken control of the Unseen Hill but had not yet reached true Eternal Night. A'wei used ghosts and dark mist to restrict Fu Qian while warning him not to wake Sophia.

• A'wei sent a flood of human-shaped ghosts toward Fu Qian, demonstrating his command over the Unseen Hill.
• A'wei accused Fu Qian of arranging for him to digest the Unseen Hill and use him as a pawn, while Fu Qian privately dismissed the theory.
• Fu Qian warned A'wei that he had not finished the job and suspected he was stalling for time.
• A'wei admitted he was still short of true Eternal Night and said he feared Fu Qian might wake Sophia.
• A'wei covered the dried shore of Sage Lake in dark mist and told Lord Andir not to move around.

Fu Qian circled the lake through A'wei's Death's Boundary while they discussed Ji Feng and the Eternal Night plan. A'wei revealed that Yuan Fang might be Ji Feng's descendant, leaving Fu Qian to reconsider the origins of the Yuan Clan and Liu Shuang's bloodline.

• Fu Qian recognized A'wei's Death's Boundary as the mist drained his health and damaged his Mirror Armor.
• A'wei questioned Fu Qian about Ji Feng and the purpose of the Eternal Night plan while Fu Qian walked around the lake.
• Fu Qian said Ji Feng's descendants worked for him and claimed he'd come to check on Ji Feng's recovery.
• A'wei suggested Yuan Fang had gained enlightenment and might be descended from Ji Feng.
• Fu Qian wondered whether Yuan Fang's experience came from his ancestor and considered the connections between Ji Feng's bloodline, the Yuan Clan, and Liu Shuang.

Fu Qian learned from A'wei that he had created the Eternal Night plan to take Ji Feng's place, while Gray Descent began turning demigods into puppets. As A'wei used the Lord to attack him, Fu Qian killed the Lord with a punch and continued forward.

• Fu Qian summarized A'wei's plan to take Ji Feng's place through Eternal Night and learned that Sophia came from the other side of the door.
• Fu Qian reasoned that Ji Feng's mental world treated the fireless Unseen Hill as reality and that Sophia's revelation had helped A'wei trigger Gray Descent.
• Fu Qian spotted an invisible thread and struck the Lord, realizing Gray Descent had made him obey A'wei.
• A'wei spoke through the Lord and sent him charging at Fu Qian, while warning that the demigods were becoming puppets.
• Fu Qian stopped the Lord's lightning with an ordinary-looking punch and reduced him to ash.

Fu Qian completed his circuit around the lake while Death Angel’s controlled forces tried to stop him. As A'wei’s countdown stalled, the clown beside Fu Qian sat up, suggesting the ritual had not gone as planned.

• More demigods emerged from the lake and surrounded Fu Qian, but he kept moving and destroyed the ones who attacked him.
• Holler charged from the direction of the Prophet Tower, while Fu Qian noticed the clown lying motionless beside him in Yuan Fang’s posture.
• Fu Qian returned to his starting point and asked A'wei how much longer the process would take; A'wei began counting down.
• A'wei’s countdown stalled at five as Fu Qian sat on the surprise box and brushed Holler aside.
• Fu Qian called the situation mediocre and addressed the clown, who slowly sat up.

Fu Qian confronted the clown after Death Angel tried to escape and explained why he had suspected the clown was only pretending to be controlled. The clown confirmed he had been intrigued by A'wei's plan, and Fu Qian revealed he had come to stop Eternal Night and strike the dark side.

• Death Angel tried to flee, but the clown stopped A'wei from interrupting and criticized his mediocrity.
• The clown silenced Huo Le's renewed attack, while the other demigod contenders and wraiths remained inactive without A'wei's orders.
• Fu Qian explained that A'wei's long-running, dull plan and the clown's interest in chaos had made him suspect the clown was not truly under A'wei's control.
• The clown confirmed A'wei had mentioned the guide who looked like him, and said he had let A'wei continue because the scheme seemed interesting.
• Fu Qian said he had come to stop Eternal Night and attack the dark side, adding that he would have failed if the clown had not intervened.