Chapter Summaries

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.

Fu Qian learned that the Clown had manipulated A'wei into acting as the Death Angel, hoping to unravel Ji Feng’s will. Though the Clown’s plan had made little progress, he challenged Fu Qian to bet on what would happen next.

• The Clown explained that he had posed as the mastermind behind A'wei, feeding him false revelations and guiding his actions.
• The Clown revealed that A'wei had received no revelation and had simply arrived lucid alongside Sophia.
• Fu Qian realized the Clown was only an Intermediate Tier Transcendent, which had helped him seem harmless to A'wei.
• The Clown admitted that his attempt to uncover Ji Feng’s will had left him disappointed, as the situation remained unchanged.
• The Clown invited Fu Qian, whom he called Green Ballard, to bet on what would happen in the next five counts.

Fu Qian accepted Clown’s bet as Eternal Night neared its threshold, and Clown revealed Akasha, Crystal, and Amber trapped together inside the surprise box. Clown proposed betting on which of Crystal and Amber Akasha would help take control.

• Clown stopped A'wei’s move and challenged Fu Qian to a bet as Eternal Night approached its critical point.
• Fu Qian stood up, and Clown opened the surprise box to reveal a miniature building containing Akasha and Crystal.
• Fu Qian recognized Amber inside the box with Akasha and Crystal, whom Clown had captured for the bet.
• Clown explained that Crystal and Amber’s encounter would make one of them take the lead, then asked Fu Qian to bet on which one Akasha would help.

Fu Qian questioned the Clown about Akasha’s place on the team of masterminds, learning that Unseen Hill itself had wanted her to join. As Crystal, Amber, and Akasha debated why they had been gathered together, Fu Qian accepted the Clown’s admission that he would cheat and chose Amber.

• Fu Qian questioned the Clown about Akasha’s weaknesses and why he had recommended her to the team.
• The Clown said A’wei had chosen Akasha because she was a demigod who had once been close to Fu Qian, but he had recommended her because Unseen Hill’s will wanted her to join.
• Akasha said she only wanted to escape, while Crystal and Amber debated whether their gathering and immunity from the surrounding influence were coincidental.
• Amber said Ballard made her uneasy and that she felt watched, while Crystal wondered whether Akasha and the Queen knew more than they let on.
• The Clown admitted that he would cheat in the wager, and Fu Qian chose Amber.

Fu Qian confronted the clown as Akasha’s choices left Crystal and Amber gravely wounded, while the clown revealed his growing connection to Ji Feng’s will and began a countdown to eternal darkness. Fu Qian struck him with accumulated calamity, completed the containment mission, and left the larger mission summary for later.

• Akasha refused Amber’s suggestion to keep hiding, and Amber and Crystal both insisted that hiding was impossible.
• Fu Qian chose Crystal in the clown’s contest and explained that he was trying to keep the place lit, while the clown speculated about Fu Qian’s connection to Green Ballard and declared him the loser.
• Akasha’s choice left Crystal’s chest wound exposed and also caused wounds to appear on Amber; Fu Qian explained that Akasha wanted to control Crystal as the Spider Silk Queen.
• The clown admitted he had manipulated the outcome, opened a tear into deeper darkness, and began a countdown as he felt Ji Feng’s will more strongly.
• Fu Qian’s accumulated calamity erupted in Golden Flames and swallowed the clown, and the mission prompt confirmed that No. 1-093 had been contained successfully.

Fu Qian killed the Joker with the Mechanical King of Prison Break’s calamity eye, ending The Darkest Night as Ji Feng’s effort to preserve the Joker failed. Back in the Warehouse, Fu Qian considered how his choices had fulfilled the mission without destroying Ji Feng’s rational side, then waited for the delayed evaluation.

• Fu Qian unleashed the calamity eye and burned the Joker away, while Ji Feng’s will briefly kept the Joker’s shape and laughter alive.
• The Spider Silk Queen fled the bet, leaving the game apparently drawn as the darkness tore open and daylight appeared.
• Fu Qian concluded that Ji Feng had caused Eternal Night and that the Joker’s death severed the link between Ji Feng’s obsession and The Darkest Night.
• Fu Qian reflected that he could have destroyed Unseen Hill outright but had instead let events develop until killing the Joker completed the mission.
• Fu Qian waited in the Warehouse for the mission evaluation, which appeared under the heading “Dark Knight.”

Fu Qian analyzed the Warehouse’s mission recap and concluded that Ji Feng’s divided selves represented opposing beliefs about whether the apocalypse had already happened. He left wondering why the Warehouse favored one side and whether the Yuan Clan or the Ji Clan descended from Ji Feng.

• The Warehouse’s recap reported that Ji Feng had been pulled back into the Unseen Hill’s clamor, listed Fu Qian’s kills, and awarded him sanity points and Finger Guess.
• Fu Qian interpreted the recap as evidence that Ji Feng’s self-doubt had split him into two identities, with the Mother of Gospel influencing the division.
• Fu Qian reasoned that the Clown had rallied demigods toward darkness while the Warehouse intervened to stop the Ji Feng beyond the door from gaining the upper hand.
• Fu Qian questioned whether the apocalypse had truly arrived nineteen years earlier and considered investigating which clan counted as Ji Feng’s descendants.

After reflecting on the mission’s revelations about Ji Feng, Yuan Fang, and Akasha, Fu Qian investigated why his kills had earned no extra Sanity Value and considered what the resource meant. He then received Finger Guess, a new form of his Law Remnants that caused supernatural bloodlines to mutate and produce offspring.

• Fu Qian considered whether the Ji and Yuan Clans’ connection to Ji Feng’s opposing personalities could reveal the apocalypse’s nature through a paternity test.
• Fu Qian reflected on the Joker’s death, the future appearance of a new Joker, and Akasha’s possible role as a clue left by the Old Man.
• Fu Qian wondered why his four kills, including several demigods, had awarded no Sanity Value beyond the base twenty.
• Fu Qian compared Sanity Value to experience, time-travel tickets, and a shield for his willpower, but reached no definite conclusion about its nature.
• Fu Qian received Finger Guess, a new Law Remnants form that created a Scarlet Storm and caused strong supernatural bloodlines within it to mutate and erupt as offspring.

Fu Qian examined the Bloodline Curse reward and connected its effects to Ji Feng’s possible mastery of the Authority of Blood Order. He suspected Ji Feng had used bloodline power to preserve a warning for descendants in the Warehouse, then left Unseen Hill with the message about the Sea of Ashes in mind.

• Fu Qian realized the Bloodline Curse could continually rearrange supernatural blood ties, ravaging those caught in its changing network.
• Fu Qian linked the reward to Ji Feng and the Authority of Blood Order, recalling similar transformations at Ermu Mansion Palace and among the Larrea family.
• Fu Qian theorized that Ji Feng had defined the Ji Clan and perhaps the Yuan Clan as his offspring through bloodline power.
• Fu Qian connected Ji Feng’s possible use of bloodline power to the Bronze Headband, suspecting it preserved a warning for future generations in the Warehouse.
• Fu Qian considered testing the headband on another Ji Clan member, then received the prompt that his mission was complete and he could leave the Warehouse.

Fu Qian tested Scarlet Storm in the warehouse and compared the symbolic brains in boxes 1-039 and 1-093. Their differences led him to wonder whether ideas from Ji Feng’s mind had seeped beyond Unseen Hill and shaped Bookstore World.

• Fu Qian activated Scarlet Storm and found that it caused no reaction in the quiet warehouse or its contained objects.
• Fu Qian opened box 1-039 and found a plump human brain floating in clear liquid.
• Fu Qian opened box 1-093 and found a shrunken, dark-gray brain, concluding that the two brains symbolized different stages or qualities of Old Master Ji.
• Fu Qian inferred that the warehouse’s item numbers carried symbolic meaning and considered whether the numbers might correspond to the objects’ properties.
• Fu Qian connected the brains to his theory that elements from Ji Feng’s mind had influenced Unseen Hill, then wondered whether filtered thoughts had spread as memetic contamination and shaped Bookstore World.

Fu Qian considered how Ji Feng’s powers might have subtly influenced the Bookstore World and wondered whether the Warehouse or a mission was behind it. He returned to Professor Lisha, discussed Cas’s troubling situation, and the chapter ended when Cas arrived at the laboratory.

• Fu Qian speculated that Ji Feng’s abilities could have shaped the human world and wondered whether the Warehouse was involved.
• Fu Qian put the boxes back, dispelled the Scarlet Storm, and returned to the laboratory, where Professor Lisha had made tea.
• Professor Lisha asked whether Cas’s condition might be more serious, and Fu Qian admitted he knew only part of what was happening and had been suffering visions and auditory hallucinations.
• Fu Qian told Professor Lisha they might have to wait longer if Cas’s situation was serious.
• Cas opened the laboratory door, thanked them, and looked toward Fu Qian.