Chapter Summaries

Fu Qian and Yuan Shan tracked down Ross at the casino after learning that Shaman had been earning extra money from Alan, a recent lucky winner. Fu Qian confronted Ross about Midas and found that Ross had been keeping notes on the casino’s shift schedule, but Ross had not yet revealed whether he knew Midas.

• Fu Qian explained that Shaman’s reaction suggested Alan, the recent winner, might be connected to Midas, and Yuan Shan agreed to investigate Ross.
• Fu Qian and Yuan Shan found Ross’s hotel room empty and returned to the casino to look for him.
• Fu Qian asked Moglin about Ross, and Moglin pointed them toward the young man at a slot machine.
• Ross recognized that Fu Qian and Yuan Shan were looking for him, but denied knowing them before Fu Qian said they had come from Shaman.
• Fu Qian said he was looking for Midas and showed Ross a note revealing Ross had been tracking the casino’s shift schedule, then displayed his firearm.

Fu Qian and Yuan Shan confronted Ross at the casino over his search for Midas and his surveillance of Alan. After Fu Qian staged a discreet gunshot and Ross covered for them, Ross returned with news that Midas wanted to speak with them.

• Ross admitted he had Shaman watch Alan because he was also looking for Midas and thought Midas might approach the last lucky person.
• Yuan Shan signaled Fu Qian to use supernatural means, and Fu Qian fired a shot that brought a chandelier down without injuring anyone.
• When casino staff questioned them, Ross denied seeing a fight and kept Fu Qian and Yuan Shan's involvement secret.
• After the staff escorted them away, Ross spoke with someone and returned to tell them Midas wanted to speak with them.

Fu Qian spoke with Midas and realized the gambler’s lucky streaks were part of a selection process for a planned operation. After Midas rejected him and Yuan Shan as recruits, Fu Qian accepted compensation and began winning under Midas’s betting instructions.

• Fu Qian questioned Midas about Ross’s connection to the casino disruptions and suggested Midas had been testing gamblers to find recruits.
• Midas admitted Fu Qian and Yuan Shan were capable but said his team was already assembled, then offered compensation.
• Fu Qian accepted the offer and followed Midas’s instructions to a gambling table, where he began winning chips.
• Yuan Shan realized Midas was compensating Fu Qian with the same guided lucky streak given to Moglin and the others.
• Fu Qian kept betting at new tables despite Yuan Shan’s objections and asked her to tell Henry he was busy.

Fu Qian followed Midas's betting instructions at a casino, staking all his chips until Henry arrived and joined him. After Fu Qian ended the call, their luck vanished and they lost everything, leaving Henry to declare the gamble was enough.

• Fu Qian accepted Midas's offer to bet everything according to his instructions, while Yuan Shan worried that his gambling would draw the casino's attention.
• Yuan Shan told Henry that Fu Qian had found Midas but was gambling instead of leaving, and Henry agreed to go to the casino.
• Henry arrived as Fu Qian continued playing, then seriously advised him which bet to make.
• Fu Qian thanked the person on the phone and ended the call, and he and Henry lost all their chips as their luck disappeared.
• Fu Qian asked Henry if that was enough, and Henry sighed that it was.

Fu Qian explained that Midas was not a real person but a character created by the believers who followed him, whose luck nevertheless affected the real world. Henry confirmed he could never meet Midas because he was tainted by the Rainbow of Yao Bian, and Fu Qian revealed that Henry was illiterate.

• Fu Qian left Ross with his phone and said he hoped his message would reach Midas, leading Yuan Shan to realize the man on the phone was not Midas himself.
• Henry confirmed that Midas had not appeared to him because he was tainted by the Rainbow of Yao Bian.
• Fu Qian explained that Midas existed only in the minds of his believers, comparing him to a character in a book whose readers believed his words and followed his plans.
• Yuan Shan deduced that the believers had collectively created Midas and that his extraordinary luck was real, while Henry had recognized Fu Qian’s contact with him through the casino winnings.
• Fu Qian explained that Henry could not be deeply connected to the Rainbow of Yao Bian because the illiterate old man could not read and was therefore a filthy thing to Midas.

Henry explained that the Rainbow of Yao Bian still existed and had tainted him through a special method, while Fu Qian inferred that Henry had resisted the irreversible effects by fighting taint with taint. The danger passed once Fu Qian and Yuan Shan understood the risks, and Henry warned Fu Qian not to use his lantern again.

• Henry told Fu Qian and Yuan Shan that the Rainbow of Yao Bian was an ancient deity who had survived the Mythological Era and whose name the Night Watchers had erased from public knowledge.
• Henry revealed that he knew the deity's name because she had tainted him, and Yuan Shan concluded that this was why Midas feared Henry becoming the reader of his story.
• Fu Qian described taint as an irreversible twisting of a transcendent's existence, prompting Henry to explain that taint could be opposed with taint.
• Henry warned Fu Qian not to pursue that method or knock on his lantern again, and said the Rainbow of Yao Bian might track knowledge of her to them.
• Henry reassured Yuan Shan that Fu Qian would be safe if he avoided foolish thoughts, then admitted he had genuinely meant his last hand; Fu Qian said Ross's expression had already revealed Henry's poor gambling luck.

Fu Qian spoke with Old Henry about Rainbow of Yao Bian, then stayed in Night Holy Capital with Yuan Shan. He returned to Half-step Moon to pursue his next opportunity and resolved to give the ancient deity interfering with his advancement more chances to act.

• Old Henry sent Yuan Shan to show Fu Qian around, and Fu Qian left without pressing him further about Rainbow of Yao Bian.
• Yuan Shan took Fu Qian to her apartment, where she explained that her teacher’s unusual influence on people was one effect of his powers.
• After Yuan Shan left, Fu Qian activated Return Home and reappeared in Half-step Moon, where Red Moon awaited him.
• Fu Qian raised a pure white ring and considered the second opportunity he had previously missed.
• Fu Qian reflected that an ancient deity might be obstructing his advancement and decided to give it more opportunities to reveal itself.

Fu Qian entered the Red Moon’s domain through the Thorn Gate and descended into the Blood Lake to investigate the source of Eternity. He found a rotting phoenix-like body and then discovered many more bodies layered together beneath the lake.

• Fu Qian used the White Ring to reach the Red Moon, who healed his wound and opened the Thorn Gate for him.
• Fu Qian passed through the gate and found that there was no tide in the Blood Lake, then dove into its corrosive depths.
• Fu Qian spotted golden-red Long Feathers and swam past them toward the core of Eternity, followed by swarms of white worms.
• Fu Qian discovered a rotting phoenix-like body whose bones remained sturdy as worms burrowed through it.
• Fu Qian saw dozens or hundreds of rotting bodies layered together beneath the lake, explaining the abundance of feathers.

Fu Qian found the living, immature form connected to a shattered egg in the Blood Lake and recognized it as his target. When he moved to take the egg, the nearby decaying bodies awakened and attacked, leaving him surrounded by skeletal phoenix-like forms.

• Fu Qian navigated through the mass of decaying bodies and found an immature, semi-transparent form being nourished by metallic blood from a shattered egg.
• Fu Qian identified the metallic blood as the thing he had come to find and reached toward the egg.
• The blood began to flow rapidly, the immature form trembled and cried out, and the surrounding bodies turned toward Fu Qian.
• A skeletal frame fired a corrosive beam at Fu Qian, who dodged it and watched the attack consume the frame's remaining flesh.
• The beam stopped after reducing the body to bare bones, and the skeleton curled into the same pose as the immature form.

Fu Qian dodged the phoenix-like creatures’ explosive, failed rebirths and seized the egg from the Immature Form while avoiding a Night Watchers’ trap. He escaped the lake with the prize and stepped through the Thorn Gate.

• Fu Qian watched the skeletons fill with flesh and explode, realizing none of the creatures had truly been reborn.
• Fu Qian chose to snatch the egg and followed a route through the lake that let him dodge the blasts.
• Fu Qian evaded a disguised bug that lunged to trap him and grabbed the egg.
• The Immature Form decayed and its metallic blood withdrew into the shell after Fu Qian took the egg.
• Fu Qian escaped the turbulent lake and stepped through the Thorn Gate.

Fu Qian escaped the blood lake with a metallic bird-blood egg and let Red Moon purge the pollution from his ruined body. After Red Moon stitched him back together with red threads, Fu Qian left while wondering how the egg and other divinity-related traits had come into existence.

• Fu Qian dismissed Mythical Form and used Return Edict, while Red Moon sliced apart a smuggled insect and carved away his polluted flesh to speed his recovery.
• Red Moon's red threads stitched Fu Qian's shattered body back together, leaving him covered in conspicuous seams.
• Fu Qian thanked Red Moon and picked up the egg, whose metallic liquid seemed drawn to him.
• Fu Qian wondered whether the egg and Crystalline Sun had appeared because of him or had existed before, and what the fallen deities and phoenixes had to do with them.
• Fu Qian moved the egg away from himself and left through the door without waiting for his injuries to heal.

Fu Qian returned to Yuan Shan’s apartment badly injured after retrieving a strange egg from a dangerous realm and concealed his arrival from her. He left Yuan Shan believing the egg had caused his injuries, while she agreed to keep the incident secret.

• Fu Qian used Blood Conquest to hide in the apartment before appearing when Yuan Shan knocked and called for Fang Xun.
• Fu Qian opened the door, and Yuan Shan was shocked by his patchwork body and asked whether he had struck his lantern again.
• Fu Qian denied damaging the lantern and blamed his injuries on taking out the egg he had retrieved.
• Yuan Shan recognized the egg’s unusual metallic contents and guessed Fu Qian had suffered a backlash crossing into a dangerous realm.
• Yuan Shan warned Fu Qian to put the egg back and promised not to tell anyone, including Teacher.

Fu Qian prepared for Su Gao’s arrival while Yuan Shan told him about the casino robbery and confirmed Su Gao was in Night Holy Capital. At sunset, the Warehouse assigned him to recontain Legend, Number 3-1003, and Fu Qian entered the scene carrying nearly every item at hand to exploit the task’s rules and preserve a chance to reconsider his choice of trait.

• Yuan Shan returned wearing the outfit she had bought and accepted Mercy from Fu Qian.
• Yuan Shan told Fu Qian that thugs had robbed Night Holy Capital’s biggest casino and said she had used a reliable channel to explain his involvement.
• Yuan Shan confirmed that Su Gao was in Night Holy Capital and had the address of their house.
• After sunset, Fu Qian received the Warehouse’s assignment to recontain Legend, Number 3-1003.
• Fu Qian spent 1 Sanity Value to enter the containment scene and selected nearly every item on the table to bring with him.
• Fu Qian planned to use the time between consuming a trait and completing the task to reassess his choice.

Fu Qian returned to Night Holy Capital for a mission involving Midas, hoping to use his prepared traits and remaining Sanity Value to confront Rainbow of Yao Bian. The chapter ended as the Warehouse confirmed he had prevented Midas from becoming reality.

• Fu Qian reasoned that his plan gave him only two attempts and that his remaining Sanity Value would serve as bargaining power against Rainbow of Yao Bian.
• The mission loaded, and Fu Qian found himself back in Night Holy Capital with Yuan Shan welcoming him aboard a vehicle.
• Fu Qian recognized the city and concluded that the familiar setting and a nearby Second Order Transcendent tainted by Rainbow of Yao Bian suited his plan.
• Yuan Shan questioned Fu Qian's collection of Supernatural Items, and he said he needed special storage for dangerous items.
• The Warehouse announced that Fu Qian had prevented the fortunate Midas from becoming reality.

Fu Qian followed Yuan Shan toward her retired teacher, Ming Su, while preparing for the Midas-related mission and anticipating that Rainbow of Yao Bian would notice. After swallowing the metallic liquid from a giant egg, Fu Qian underwent a dramatic transformation and rang Eternal Clarity of Thought before they set off.

• Fu Qian considered the Midas containment conditions and expected Rainbow of Yao Bian to notice the mission, trusting that he still had Transcendence in reserve.
• Yuan Shan told Fu Qian they were going to find her retired teacher, Ming Su, and agreed to check a church first after Fu Qian suggested it.
• Fu Qian drank all the metallic liquid inside the giant egg, and the shell crumbled into dust.
• Fu Qian's injuries healed as his body took on an archaic, mysterious quality and he felt himself becoming something beyond flesh and blood.
• Fu Qian produced Eternal Clarity of Thought and rang it as he and Yuan Shan prepared to leave.

Fu Qian tested the bell’s power on Yuan Shan, revealed that his supernatural power recovered quickly, and traveled with her to meet her teacher, Henry Campbell. Henry noticed Fu Qian before they reached him and fixed him with a grave stare.

• Fu Qian rang the bell, temporarily stripped Yuan Shan of her supernatural power, then joked with a fake gunshot as her power returned.
• Yuan Shan took Fu Qian to the central district and reassured him that the Night Watchers were reasonable.
• Fu Qian reflected that his power recovered at a rate close to a genuine Second Order’s and that showing the bell’s effect could deter Yuan Shan without revealing its cooldown.
• Yuan Shan brought Fu Qian to the church where her teacher, Henry Campbell, was sitting.
• Henry turned toward Fu Qian as they approached, and Fu Qian smiled and advanced toward him, armed with his equipment.

Fu Qian met Yuan Shan’s teacher, Henry Campbell, who questioned him about Rainbow of Yao Bian and then unleashed a wave of darkness and distortion. As Yuan Shan sealed herself away, Fu Qian watched his hand change and found the transformation seemed perfectly natural.

• Yuan Shan brought Fu Qian to meet Henry Campbell, who cleared the church of worshippers and scrutinized Fu Qian.
• Henry told them Logan’s mind had recovered fairly well and thanked Fu Qian for teaching him a lesson.
• Henry asked how Fu Qian had learned the name Rainbow of Yao Bian, and Fu Qian casually admitted he had made contact with it.
• Henry’s darkness and distortion surged through the church, and Yuan Shan wrapped herself in black bands to shield herself.
• Fu Qian watched his left hand’s fingers become uniform in length and thickness, while the changes felt natural to him.

Fu Qian explained that he knew of Rainbow of Yao Bian and had hoped to use the Night Watchers to find it, while revealing that his bizarre accent had been an act. Henry attacked him with a rainbow vortex, but Fu Qian resisted its distortions without ringing the bell.

• Fu Qian described his unpleasant history with the Higher Being Rainbow of Yao Bian and identified the Night Watchers' secret base below.
• Yuan Shan urged Henry to stop and questioned Fu Qian's claims, but Henry asked him to continue explaining.
• Fu Qian clarified that he had asked about Rainbow of Yao Bian to see how the Night Watchers reacted and revealed that he had been faking his strange accent.
• Henry released a rainbow vortex that struck Fu Qian and filled his body with deformities.
• Yuan Shan started to intervene, but Fu Qian held her back as his body resisted the distortions and he praised the attack's power.

Fu Qian revealed that he had become a second-order and explained how he encountered Rainbow of Yao Bian through the lantern. Henry accepted his account and offered to share the deity’s secret if Fu Qian helped him find a rat.

• Fu Qian recovered from Henry’s full-power strike, and Henry and Yuan Shan recognized him as a second-order.
• Fu Qian explained that striking his lantern three times randomly projected an image of a Higher Being, and that he had encountered Rainbow of Yao Bian through it.
• Fu Qian reasoned that Rainbow of Yao Bian had not appeared to stop him, so the trait he consumed might be fake, despite his apparent immortality and stable second-order condition.
• Henry accepted Fu Qian’s explanation and offered to reveal Rainbow of Yao Bian’s secret in exchange for help finding a rat.

Fu Qian accepted Henry's mission to find Midas, the thief who stole fortune, and left the church with Yuan Shan. Yuan Shan learned that Fu Qian had advanced to Second Order moments earlier and offered to take him to a friend who might know where to find Midas.

• Henry described Midas's crimes, and Fu Qian loudly vowed to find him.
• Henry assigned Yuan Shan to assist Mr. Fang in the search for Midas.
• Outside the church, Yuan Shan questioned Fu Qian about being Second Order, and he said he had advanced about half an hour earlier.
• Yuan Shan realized the egg Fu Qian had consumed was likely the final step in his advancement and apologized for misjudging the danger.
• Fu Qian insisted he felt great and wanted to find Midas quickly, so Yuan Shan offered to take him to a knowledgeable friend.