Recaps

Kafka explained that the Stellaron Hunters’ actions on the Luofu were meant to delay Bai Jun and focus attention on them, while their true purpose involved the power of the “Sun” within him. A terrifying cry shook the Luofu, and Bai Jun left the formation to face the disaster as Kafka urged him to become the Xianzhou’s hero.

• Kafka confirmed that the Herta Space Station operation had awakened Stelle and that Stelle belonged with the Nameless.
• Kafka revealed that the Hunters had staged their actions on the Luofu to misdirect the Divination Bureau and Shence Mansion and keep Bai Jun from discovering an unknown threat.
• Bai Jun deduced that the Hunters were interested in the “Sun” and his potential to become an Aeon, but Kafka would not explain their purpose.
• A piercing cry rang over the Luofu, causing violent tremors and throwing the Divination Bureau into chaos.
• Kafka told Bai Jun that the era needed hope and urged him to become the Xianzhou’s hero as he left the formation.

After hearing that a dangerous anomaly had appeared at Scalegorge Waterscape, Bai Jun left despite Fu Xuan’s warning, while Jing Yuan mobilized the Cloud Cavalry and prepared for battle. A corrupted dragon emerged from the seabed, and Jing Yuan struck it down with his golden manifestation, leaving the shore watching the giants clash.

• Fu Xuan tried to stop Bai Jun from going to Scalegorge Waterscape, but he comforted her and insisted that people must resist fate.
• Bai Jun rushed through the devastated streets toward Scalegorge Waterscape as Jing Yuan arrived there with Cloud Cavalry, Ten Lords Bureau officers, and elite Vanguards.
• Jing Yuan ordered the troops to prepare for battle after learning that patrol pearlkeepers had vanished near the anomaly.
• The black vortex became a waterspout, and a Vidyadhara rebirth egg cracked and stained the sea black.
• A colossal corrupted dragon emerged from the black sea, and Jing Yuan recognized Shuhu’s presence as the soldiers succumbed to fear.
• Jing Yuan summoned a hundred-meter golden figure and struck the creature back into the sea pit.

Jing Yuan fought Phantylia, who revealed that she had combined the powers of Permanence, Destruction, and Abundance. After defeating Jing Yuan and using the Stellaron to transform the Ambrosial Arbor, Phantylia seized him, while Yan Qing struggled to overcome his terror and prepare to fight.

• Jing Yuan recognized that the black dragon carried the Vidyadhara's power of Permanence and identified it as an Abomination Dragon connected to Baiheng's death.
• Phantylia emerged from the dragon, introduced herself as a Lord Ravager, and offered to spare the Luofu if Jing Yuan surrendered Bai Jun; Jing Yuan refused and attacked.
• Phantylia's power of Destruction turned the battle against Jing Yuan, and their attacks left both him and the Abomination Dragon badly wounded.
• Phantylia revealed the Stellaron, drove it into the Ambrosial Arbor's roots, and swallowed a fruit to heal herself and unite the powers of Permanence, Abundance, and Destruction.
• Phantylia seized the wounded Jing Yuan and tormented him, leaving Yan Qing and the gathered Cloud Knights and Vanguards terrified.
• Yan Qing fought through his fear, remembered what Teacher Bai Jun had taught him, and resolved to draw his sword even if he could only swing it once.

Yan Qing rallied the Cloud Knights as Bai Jun rescued Jing Yuan and confronted Phantylia, unleashing his full power in a devastating battle. After both fighters healed from their injuries, Phantylia asked to talk, realizing she had been captivated by Bai Jun’s Sun.

• Yan Qing encouraged the shaken Cloud Knights to stand and defend the Luofu, and Bai Jun praised him before unleashing Heavenly Fire against Phantylia.
• Bai Jun rescued Jing Yuan, healed his physical injuries, and sent Yan Qing to support him while Jing Yuan warned Bai Jun that Phantylia had combined the powers of Destruction, Abundance, and Permanence.
• Bai Jun confronted Phantylia over her role in the Buli raid and theft of Shuhu’s fragments, then released his full power and wounded her with a sword strike.
• Phantylia attacked with the Abomination Dragon, and Bai Jun met her combined Destruction and Permanence assault with Heavenly Fire, leaving both of them gravely injured.
• Phantylia healed herself with Abundance, but Bai Jun also recovered and pressed her to continue fighting until one of them died.
• Phantylia asked Bai Jun to stop and talk, admitting to herself that she had been captivated by his Sun.

Bai Jun unleashed the full power of Might of An-Utu and destroyed Phantylia’s Abomination Dragon, ending the attack on the Luofu. Three days later, as the Xianzhou celebrated him as a hero and the Alliance declared war on the Destruction Legion, Bai Jun recovered under Lingsha’s attentive care.

• Phantylia offered Bai Jun power and status in exchange for joining her, but he revealed the Herrscher of Flames Core and prepared to unleash his full strength.
• Bai Jun struck with Might of An-Utu, destroying the Abomination Dragon and splitting the waters and artificial sky above Scalegorge Waterscape.
• Silver Wolf, Blade, and Kafka watched the battle, and Kafka called Bai Jun the hero needed to bring about the script’s destined ending.
• The Xianzhou Alliance declared war on the Destruction Legion, while Jing Yuan publicly celebrated Bai Jun’s victory and the Luofu hailed him as a hero.
• Three days after the battle, Bai Jun complained about repeated examinations from Lingsha as Jing Yuan joked with them during his own recovery.

Jing Yuan announced that he planned to retire and brought Bai Jun before the Luofu’s commission leaders as his chosen successor. After Bai Jun was mobbed by admirers who hailed him as a hero, the leaders began discussing whether he should become the next general.

• Jing Yuan told Bai Jun he had submitted his retirement request and recommended a successor to the Marshal.
• Jing Yuan led Bai Jun and Lingsha through the Exalting Sanctum, where crowds recognized Bai Jun as the hero who defeated Phantylia and overwhelmed him with gifts and praise.
• At the Shence Mansion, Jing Yuan urged Bai Jun to accept the responsibility that came with the people’s admiration, then pushed him into a meeting of the commission leaders.
• Jing Yuan announced plans for a Wardance Ceremony to reassure the Luofu and reopen its external checkpoints, while Bai Jun worried that his growing power of “Sun” might make him lose his humanity.
• Jing Yuan revealed that Bai Jun was his chosen successor and called for the leaders to assess his qualifications; Lingsha and several commission heads immediately supported him.

After Jing Yuan’s council unanimously approved Bai Jun as the next Luofu general, the news unsettled Topaz, enraged Feixiao, and reached Sunday through Guinaifen. The chapter ended with Sunday realizing that Guinaifen’s worried relief over Bai Jun revealed a connection he had not known about.

• Jing Yuan announced that Bai Jun would succeed him as Luofu general, despite Bai Jun’s desperate objections, while Fu Xuan quietly accepted the decision.
• Topaz read the news about Bai Jun’s appointment and worried that his new position would put him beyond her reach; Jade then gave her quarterly work assignments, including a crossed-out Belobog project.
• Feixiao learned that Bai Jun would be tied to the Luofu as its general and threatened to go there, forcing Jiaoqiu and Moze to restrain her.
• Sunday visited Guinaifen backstage with pudding egg tarts, noticed her cherished hair ornament, and warned her not to overwork before the charmony festival.
• Sunday told Guinaifen that Bai Jun was set to become the Luofu general, and she sighed with relief that he was safe, prompting Sunday’s dessert to fall as he wondered who she meant by “he.”

After Jing Yuan named Bai Jun as his successor, Bai Jun tried to escape the appointment by applying to move to Penacony, but Jing Yuan defeated the plan and sent him to deliver an invitation to Jarilo-VI. Fu Xuan accepted Bai Jun as the better choice for general, and as he left the Luofu, his long-dormant system returned with an unfamiliar set of abilities.

• Jing Yuan named Bai Jun as his successor, and Bai Jun tried to avoid the position by preparing a relocation application to Penacony before Jing Yuan persuaded him to accept it.
• Jing Yuan gave Bai Jun an invitation for Jarilo-VI and asked him to seek Igor Haft's descendants or, failing that, deliver it to Belobog's leader as an offer of peaceful relations.
• Fu Xuan told Bai Jun she no longer felt qualified to become general and recognized him as the better choice, then wished him well as he prepared to leave for Jarilo-VI.
• Bai Jun's dormant system announced that maintenance was complete and displayed its updated abilities, including Beautiful Youth, Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire, Favor of the Sun, and Mind Catcher.

Bai Jun received new system abilities and postponed his trip to Belobog to deliver The Herta’s puppet to Xue Yi, whose new body let her feel physical sensations. The story then shifted to Pela, who became stranded in a snowfield after chasing a Warp Trotter carrying a Geomarrow Activation Component.

• Bai Jun used three system draws and learned that another system upgrade required a Stellaron, so he resolved to visit Belobog.
• The Herta told Bai Jun that the puppet for Xue Yi had arrived at the Luofu cargo docks, causing him to delay his departure and collect it.
• Bai Jun visited Hanya at the Prison of Deep Seclusion and gave her the puppet for Xue Yi.
• Xue Yi experienced touch and taste in her new body, then embraced Bai Jun, and Hanya joined them.
• Pela recounted how she left Belobog alone on a routine survey, chased a Warp Trotter carrying a Geomarrow Activation Component, and became trapped among Fragmentum creatures in the snow.

Pela chased a Warp Trotter into the wilderness, where an avalanche and a tide of Fragmentum creatures nearly killed her before Bai Jun rescued her. Though Belobog had barred outsiders from entering, Pela fell for Bai Jun and agreed to guide him into the city, where he planned to find Igor Haft.

• Pela pursued a Warp Trotter she believed carried her mother's lost terminal and became trapped by an avalanche and fleeing Fragmentum creatures.
• Bai Jun landed on a snowy mountain, triggered the avalanche, and rescued Pela from the monsters he had startled.
• Pela introduced herself to Bai Jun and explained that Belobog's Supreme Guardian had forbidden outsiders from entering the city.
• Bai Jun healed Pela and lent her his coat, and she overcame her doubts and offered to guide him into Belobog.
• Pela asked whom Bai Jun sought, and he told her the man's name was Igor Haft.

Bai Jun entered Belobog with Pela and met Serval, who thanked him for saving her sister and questioned his intentions. The chapter left Serval surprised when Bai Jun described the Nameless she had encountered in the Upper District.

• Pela and Bai Jun reached Belobog, where Pela introduced him to Lieutenant Gray as her new assistant.
• Pela brought Bai Jun to Serval's Mechanical Workshop, and Serval mistakenly assumed he was Pela's boyfriend before Pela denied it.
• Serval thanked Bai Jun for saving Pela and embraced her; Pela then noticed her disheveled appearance and went upstairs to clean up.
• Serval spoke privately with Bai Jun about the danger of remaining in public and asked why he had come to Belobog.
• Bai Jun asked Serval about the Nameless and accurately described three of them, leaving her puzzled about how he knew.

Bai Jun revealed that he and the Nameless were pursuing the Stellaron, and Serval agreed to help him find it so she could resume her research. In the Underworld, the Astral Express Crew and Wildfire gathered certifications to enter Svarog’s base, but a collapse interrupted their search for Clara and revealed Bai Jun arriving with a blonde woman.

• Bai Jun told Serval that he was seeking the Stellaron, and she explained how her research and friendship with Cocolia had ended before agreeing to work with him.
• Pela came downstairs, saw Serval and Bai Jun embracing, and froze in shock.
• Natasha, Oleg, Bronya, Seele, and the Astral Express Crew agreed to approach Svarog, while Sampo guided them through the Underworld to collect three entry certifications.
• The group reached Svarog’s base but learned that Clara’s permission was also required, so they headed back toward the Great Mine to find her.
• A collapse shook the Great Mine, and Xing rushed to the scene, where she saw Bai Jun standing in the rubble while carrying a blonde woman.

Bai Jun and Serval traveled to the Great Mine to meet the Astral Express crew, where Bai Jun reunited with Stelle and joined their search for Clara. After the group heard Clara cry out, Seele rushed to stop Sampo, who had approached the girl.

• Serval led Bai Jun through a secret passage to the Underworld, but they found its entrance sealed with concrete and refined steel.
• Bai Jun smashed through the sealed gate and caught Serval as they fell into the Great Mine.
• Stelle recognized Bai Jun and ran into his arms, while March 7th and Dan Heng vouched for him and the group welcomed him and Serval.
• Bai Jun noticed Bronya's resemblance to Silver Wolf, and Seele shielded Bronya when she caught him staring.
• The group heard Clara scream and found Sampo near her, so Seele struck him down and demanded he keep away from little girls.

After Clara refused to take Wildfire to Svarog, Bai Jun persuaded her that the Nameless might be able to save the Underworld, and she agreed to guide them to him. The group reached the Mechanical Settlement, where Clara and Bai Jun continued chatting while Seele watched enviously.

• Seele and Serval beat Sampo until Clara explained that she had scratched herself by accident, and Bai Jun stopped Serval from continuing.
• Clara told Bronya that she had come to the Great Mine to find parts to repair the Mechanical Settlement's power supply.
• Clara refused to take the group to Svarog, explaining that he believed the Underworld could not withstand the coming disaster and intended to keep its people safe from it.
• Bai Jun asked Clara whether she would help the Nameless if they could save the Underworld, recognized her hope and fear of conflict, and won her trust.
• Clara agreed to take the group to Svarog, surprising Seele, Bronya, and the others.
• The group arrived at the Mechanical Settlement, where Clara and Bai Jun walked ahead together and chatted as Seele watched enviously.

Bai Jun accompanied Clara and the others to Svarog’s base, where Svarog challenged him after interpreting Clara’s trust in him as a threat. Bai Jun defeated Svarog with one punch, leaving the group amazed and Wildfire’s planned confrontation unnecessary.

• Clara and Bai Jun bonded as he answered her questions about machinery, while Seele and the others discussed Bai Jun’s appeal to women.
• Clara led the group through the Mechanical Settlement to Svarog’s base and warned them about its complicated layout and automated defenses.
• Svarog questioned the group, then challenged Bai Jun after noticing Clara clinging to him and trusting him.
• Bai Jun reassured Clara, accepted Svarog’s challenge, and knocked him out with a single punch.
• Svarog entrusted Clara to Bai Jun, and the group celebrated his victory as Seele and the others praised his strength.

After learning that Belobog’s leaders had concealed the Stellaron’s role in the catastrophe, Bronya struggled with guilt and doubt about her mother and her own place as successor. She met Bai Jun on a balcony and admitted that the problem was hers.

• Bronya remembered Svarog’s revelation that the Guardians had known the Stellaron caused the disaster and concealed the truth.
• Overwhelmed by the revelation at the celebratory dinner, Bronya left the table and went alone to a balcony.
• Bronya questioned why Cocolia had hidden the truth and whether she had been groomed to become an accomplice to the deception.
• Bronya apologized through her tears to the people of the Underworld and Upper District.
• Bronya noticed Bai Jun nearby, and he approached her while keeping a respectful distance.

Bronya confided in Bai Jun about her regrets and uncertainty, but reaffirmed that she wanted to become Supreme Guardian and accepted support from her companions. The group reached Serval's Mechanical Workshop, where Bronya explained their situation to Pela and won her agreement to help them.

• Bronya told Bai Jun she regretted how little she had known about the people of Belobog, and he helped her recognize that she still wanted to become Supreme Guardian.
• Bronya thanked Bai Jun, returned his coat, and asked him to share a drink with her after she resolved matters with her mother.
• Natasha announced that the group would return to the Upper District and hide at Serval's Mechanical Workshop, and the next morning they traveled there through Wildfire's passage.
• Pela confronted the group at the workshop and mistakenly assumed Bai Jun had brought four women back from an outdoor tryst.
• Bronya explained the crisis to Pela, who agreed that protecting Belobog's people outweighed following orders blindly and joined Bronya's side.

The group planned to find the Stellaron in the northern snowfields while Bronya prepared to question Cocolia, with Bai Jun assigned to protect her. After the others went upstairs to wash, Bai Jun stayed to help Serval repair machines, and she asked what he thought of Bronya’s ideals and convictions.

• Serval revealed that she believed the Stellaron was somewhere in the northern snowfields beyond the Silvermane Guards’ frontline and the Fragmentum.
• Serval warned the group that Gepard, her younger brother, would likely arrest them rather than disobey his orders.
• Bronya said she needed to confront Cocolia, and the group agreed Bai Jun would accompany and protect her under a fabricated central administration identity.
• The group planned for Bronya and Bai Jun to go to Kliperburg while the others headed north to investigate the snowfields.
• After the group went upstairs to bathe, Bai Jun stayed with Serval and helped repair mechanical parts.
• Serval asked Bai Jun what he thought of Bronya’s ideals and convictions.

Bronya returned to Kliperburg with Bai Jun to confront Cocolia after witnessing the Underworld’s conditions. Cocolia greeted her with apparent relief, then turned cold and demanded an official report, leaving Bronya to face the conflict she had feared.

• Serval pretended Bai Jun was her boyfriend when Gepard found them together, and Gepard left believing her.
• Bronya put on Bai Jun’s coat and insisted they return to Kliperburg immediately.
• Bronya and Bai Jun hurried to Kliperburg, where Bronya entered Cocolia’s office and asked Bai Jun to wait outside.
• Cocolia tearfully welcomed Bronya back and asked whether she was hurt.
• After Bronya mentioned the Underworld, Cocolia became cold and ordered her to report what she had seen as Commander Bronya.

Bronya confronted Cocolia about the Stellaron and her orders, but Cocolia used its influence to silence her before agreeing to reveal the truth. Cocolia led Bronya to Everwinter Hill and described her plan to end the dying world and create a new one.

• Bronya challenged Cocolia over the outsiders, the Silvermane Guards, and the people abandoned in the Underworld, but Cocolia rebuked her and began to beguile her with the Stellaron's voice.
• Bai Jun interrupted Cocolia, then comforted Bronya and made a plan with her before her afternoon meeting with Cocolia.
• Cocolia admired Bronya's changed composure, then took her beyond Belobog toward Everwinter Hill to explain the history of the Stellaron and the Eternal Freeze.
• Cocolia told Bronya that the first Guardian, Alisa Rand, had summoned the Eternal Freeze to fight the Antimatter Legion, but that Belobog's survival was now hopeless.
• In the Corridor of Fading Echoes, Cocolia embraced the Stellaron's influence and led Bronya into Everwinter Hill, where she described a new world without suffering.

Bai Jun disguised himself as Bronya to follow Cocolia to the Stellaron, where he revealed himself and defeated her Engine of Creation with Platonsanks's Lightning. The real Bronya and the Astral Express Crew arrived as Cocolia realized her plan had been exposed and her forces had turned against her.

• Bai Jun gave Bronya the Mask of a Thousand Faces and transformed himself into her so he could follow Cocolia to the Stellaron.
• At Everwinter Hill, Cocolia explained her plan to erase the old world, but Bai Jun revealed himself and knocked her away.
• Cocolia summoned the Engine of Creation and ordered it to attack Bai Jun.
• Bai Jun unleashed Platonsanks's Lightning, destroying the Engine of Creation's upper body.
• Bronya and the Astral Express Crew arrived, and Cocolia realized Bronya had exposed her plan and gained control of the Silvermane Guards.

Cocolia nearly accepted Bronya’s plea to return home, but the Stellaron lured her back into its power. She swallowed it and transformed into a monster, leaving Bai Jun and the gray-haired girl watching as the fight escalated.

• Bronya embraced Cocolia and begged her to abandon the Stellaron and return home with her.
• Cocolia began to relent, but the Stellaron’s voice reminded her of her ambition and pulled her back under its influence.
• Cocolia shoved Bronya away and challenged her to defeat, kill, replace, or surpass her.
• Cocolia swallowed the golden Stellaron and transformed into a monster.
• Bai Jun and the gray-haired girl watched Cocolia’s transformation and remarked that she had entered phase three.