Chapter Summaries

Chen Lang warned Pang Lai that Bai Xu, the Southern Guardian, was a Black Vatican Red Cardinal, though he advised against moving against him without proof. Pang Lai then assigned Chen Lang to investigate and eradicate Black Vatican remnants on Chongming Island.

• Chen Lang accompanied Bai Xu to Pang Lai's office and heard Pang Lai praise him and consider grooming him as vice-chair.
• Chen Lang told Pang Lai that his Shadow System sensed Bai Xu as a Red Cardinal, like Salang, and explained the ability's reaction to Black Vatican members.
• Pang Lai considered secretly monitoring Bai Xu, but Chen Lang said the warning was meant only to make him cautious and that acting against Bai Xu was not yet necessary.
• Chen Lang told Pang Lai about his travels through the Abyss of Evil and to the Tianshan Mountains after the National Academy Team departed.
• Pang Lai revealed that Salang escaped Great Xia from Chongming Island and assigned Chen Lang to root out the Black Vatican remnants there.

Chen Lang questioned Pang Lai about his Summoning System and learned that Pang Lai had spent his life seeking recognition from a powerful creature behind the Tomb of the Fallen Kingdom Beasts. Pang Lai tried to introduce Chen Lang to two summoned companions, and a colossal crimson dragon appeared, leaving Chen Lang stunned.

• Chen Lang asked Pang Lai to reveal his summoned beast, and Pang Lai explained that he had not earned the recognition needed to summon the creature he sought.
• Pang Lai told Chen Lang that he had opened the Thousand Races Elf Tower and Ten Thousand Dragon Valley gates, but had devoted himself to the powerful entities in the Tomb of the Fallen Kingdom Beasts.
• Pang Lai offered to introduce Chen Lang to two old friends and attempted to summon the first, but it did not respond because it was asleep.
• Pang Lai summoned again, opening a massive fissure from which a colossal Crimson Giant Shadow emerged and darkened the sky.
• Chen Lang looked up and realized the Crimson Giant Shadow was a dragon larger than any monarch-class creature he had seen.

Chen Lang captured Salang’s disciple Fang Shaoli and exposed Southern Guardian Bai Xu as the Black Vatican’s Red-Robed Archbishop Nine Infant. Nine Infant unleashed a ghostly domain and fled, leaving the Imperial Palace guardians blinded.

• Pang Lai summoned his Crimson Flame Dragon for Chen Lang and explained why he still hoped to find a powerful creature in the Tomb of the Fallen Kingdom Beasts.
• Chen Lang went to Chongming Island, captured Fang Shaoli, and preserved records of her Sudden Death Poison Mother parasite.
• After Chen Lang cleared out the Black Vatican forces on Chongming Island, Pang Lai ordered Southern Guardian Bai Xu brought in for questioning.
• Chen Lang tore open Bai Xu’s outer garment and revealed the red robes of a Red-Robed Archbishop.
• Bai Xu identified himself as Nine Infant, filled the room with a ghostly domain that blinded the three guardians, and fled.

Pang Lai captured Nine Infant after Chen Lang exposed him as a Judgment Court infiltrator, and Chen Lang later advanced his Shadow System to the High-level realm. He then joined the National Pavilion trainees in Japan, where Mo Fan and Mu Ningxue had taken the places of Zhou Tao and Li Kaifeng on the official lineup.

• Pang Lai overwhelmed Nine Infant with a single attack, and the imperial guardians sealed and took the Red Cardinal away.
• Chen Lang rejected Pang Lai’s idea of sending him to inspect every major faction, and Pang Lai insisted that discovered Judgment Court members had to be killed promptly.
• Chen Lang received valuable resources for capturing Nine Infant and used a Dark Diamond Crystal to advance his Shadow System to the High-level realm.
• Chen Lang flew to Japan with Song He and Feng Li to meet the National Pavilion trainees after their first round of trials.
• Chen Lang saw that Mu Ningxue had greatly improved, while Mo Fan and Mu Ningxue had replaced Zhou Tao and Li Kaifeng in the official lineup.
• Zhou Tao chose to leave with his dignity intact, while Li Kaifeng remained to compete for a place as a substitute.

Chen Lang sent Mo Fan home to have Old Man Bao cleanse a sinister bead, then traveled to Egypt to seek the Tears of Medusa and lift the Snake Clan's curse. After gathering information in Cairo, he set out for the Sunset Temple, where Medusa were known to appear.

• Mo Fan asked Chen Lang for help with the sinister bead, and Chen Lang told him to take it to Old Man Bao to cleanse it and use it as an energy reservoir for the Demon Element.
• Chen Lang arranged for Song He and Feng Li to take Mo Fan home, then left to deal with the Snake Clan's curse and gave Mu Ningxue special training before departing.
• Chen Lang went to Cairo and used his connection to Hunter King Du Xiao to obtain information about Medusa and the Sunset Temple.
• Chen Lang bought a Desert Wyrm and a Camel Beast and traveled across Baige Land toward the Sunset Temple, hoping to find a weaker Medusa and obtain her Tears.

Chen Lang found the weakened Apas near Sunset Temple and demanded a Medusa tear to cure his curse. After she gave him one, he released her and left, while Apas swore revenge.

• Chen Lang evaded the Silver Snake Warriors and found Medusa's freshly shed hair at a roofless stone temple.
• Chen Lang caught Apas as she tried to hide and identified her as a Medusa descended from Medusa and a human woman.
• Chen Lang demanded Medusa's Tears, and Apas gave him a single tear despite her reluctance.
• The tear dissolved the curse suppressed by the Old Daoist, and Chen Lang removed Apas's spatial restriction before leaving.
• Apas vowed not to let Chen Lang escape, then angrily sent her returning Maid Medusa away.

Chen Lang returned from Egypt with the Corrosive Evil Eye and visited Ding Yumian at the Chen Clan to check her progress. He tested her Mind System power, found it could shake his mental shield, and encouraged her to keep cultivating.

• Chen Lang killed a Night Blood Bat Great Commander and extracted the Corrosive Evil Eye from an ancient mud tower.
• Chen Lang returned to China and decided to save the Corrosive Evil Eye for use in a Sea Monster base city.
• Chen Lang went to Chen Shan's cave and found Ding Yumian cultivating there with a powerful Mind System ability.
• Ding Yumian attacked Chen Lang with her full mental strength, but his Eighth Realm spirit resisted her power.
• Chen Lang praised Ding Yumian's progress and encouraged her to continue cultivating.

Chen Lang went to Bocheng and offered to rescue Qin Yuer from her seal in exchange for her and Zhan Kong joining his resistance against the Holy Court and the Holy City. Zhan Kong agreed, and Chen Lang explained that he had to help Disaster Mages because he and Qin Yuer were alike.

• Chen Lang decided he needed Zhan Kong’s help to persuade Qin Yuer to work for him and traveled to Bocheng.
• Chen Lang entered the military district and asked Zhan Kong to speak with him privately.
• Chen Lang offered to rescue Qin Yuer from the Ice Mountain seal, and Zhan Kong asked what he would have to do in return.
• Zhan Kong promised his life to Chen Lang if Qin Yuer could be saved, but said he would not harm the country.
• Chen Lang asked Zhan Kong and Qin Yuer to help resist the Holy Court and the Holy City, and Zhan Kong agreed.
• Zhan Kong questioned why Chen Lang would risk his future, and Chen Lang said he and Qin Yuer were the same kind of person.

Chen Lang postponed Zhan Kong’s journey to rescue Qin Yuer until winter ended, then cultivated in seclusion for three months. After learning that Mo Fan had killed Lu Yilin, he defended Mo Fan against Lu Xin and warned Lu Xin to keep his remaining son Zhan Tian in check.

• Chen Lang told Zhan Kong to wait until the snow-sealing season ended before seeking him at the Imperial Magic Association, then returned to the Imperial Capital.
• Chen Lang spent three months cultivating, strengthening his Lightning Element and perfecting several other elements while the National Academy Team traveled to Peru.
• After emerging from seclusion, Chen Lang learned that Mo Fan had killed Lu Yilin and went to the Imperial Magic Association.
• Lu Xin demanded punishment for Mo Fan, but Chen Lang argued that Lu Yilin had brought his fate upon himself by trying to kill Mo Fan.
• Chen Lang warned Lu Xin to watch Zhan Tian, and Lu Xin agreed that he would not target Mo Fan.

After the Lu Family matter was settled, Chen Lang learned that a new undead crisis had arisen in the Ancient Capital: the Phoenix Emperor had likely awakened. Chen Lang and Zhu Meng volunteered to lead support, while Chen Lang warned Pang Lai that the Abyss of Evil could not absorb the undead without limit.

• Chen Lang told Pang Lai that the Lu Family would face consequences if it retaliated against Mo Fan, then left the Imperial Palace.
• Pang Lai issued an emergency assembly alert after reports of trouble in the Ancient Capital reached the Imperial Magic Association.
• Pang Lai revealed that Han Ji had reported a surge of undead and that the Phoenix Emperor was likely behind it.
• Pang Lai confirmed the Phoenix Emperor’s awakening through the appearance of the Mysterious Armor Iron Cavalry at the Ancient Capital’s outer walls.
• Zhu Meng and Chen Lang volunteered to join the relief force, and other councilmen followed their lead.
• Chen Lang told Pang Lai that the Abyss of Evil could swallow undead but had limits, and Pang Lai gave the group an hour to prepare.

Chen Lang and Zhu Meng returned to the Ancient Capital to help defend its walls against the undead. After waves of corpse ghouls, tens of thousands of powerful Black Armored Heavy Cavalry Corpse Generals charged the North City Wall, and Zhu Meng struck them with super-level lightning magic.

• Chen Lang and Pang Lai traveled with volunteers to the Ancient Capital on a military plane.
• At dusk, Chen Lang and Zhu Meng took their positions on the North City Wall as undead cries rose from beneath the ground.
• Corpse ghouls emerged in huge numbers and charged the wall, where the defending mages destroyed them with coordinated magic.
• After darkness fell, tens of thousands of Black Armored Heavy Cavalry Corpse Generals charged the city walls, shrugging off most of the mages’ attacks.
• Chen Lang told Zhu Meng to use super-level lightning magic, and Zhu Meng’s lightning halberds blasted the charging corpse generals into disarray.

Chen Lang fought the Black Armored Heavy Cavalry Corpse Generals after their formations blunted Zhu Meng’s bombardment and threatened the North City Wall. He relieved the pressure by charging into the corpse tide, but a massive Commander level heavy cavalryman appeared as the battle continued.

• Zhu Meng’s Super-level Lightning Element attack killed only a few hundred Black Armored Heavy Cavalry Corpse Generals, so Chen Lang ordered the High-level mages to attack.
• As the undead damaged the outer city wall, Chen Lang left the wall and used Ten Thousand Jun Thunderclap and Black Annihilation Lightning Net to destroy thousands of them.
• The Black Armored Heavy Cavalry Corpse Generals hurled explosive, poison-filled spears at Chen Lang, but he emerged from the poisonous fog wearing the Thunderbird Set and charged into the corpse tide.
• Chen Lang fought through the undead with his elemental magics and spear, easing the threat to the North City Wall despite the military staff officer’s doubts about his command.
• A massive Black Armored Heavy Cavalryman with a Commander level aura appeared among the undead.

Chen Lang killed the Black Armored Heavy Cavalry Commander, weakening the undead assault and helping the city hold through the night. The corpse cavalry stopped appearing for a week while the Ancient Capital Research Association team investigated the Imperial Tomb, leaving the Phoenix Emperor’s awakening uncertain.

• Chen Lang used a Sand Cage and rock spikes to kill the Black Armored Heavy Cavalry Commander, causing the corpse cavalry to lose strength and coordination.
• Chen Lang reported the commander’s role to the other city walls, and the undead assault eased enough for the city to survive the night.
• Zhu Meng told Chen Lang that the Black Armored Heavy Cavalry were believed to serve the Phoenix Emperor, but no one knew whether the buried King had awakened.
• The Ancient Capital Research Association sent a team toward the Imperial Tomb to investigate, while Chen Lang and Zhu Meng discussed the risks.
• Undead attacks returned to mostly Servant-level rotting corpses and skeletons, and no corpse cavalry appeared for a week.
• The Research Association team had not yet sent back intelligence, though a Mind Mage’s mark indicated that its members were still alive.

Hua Zhanhong reinforced the North City Wall after a scouting team was wiped out, and the Tang Dynasty undead launched a massive assault under a Great Monarch-level Undead Monarch. Chen Lang left Zhu Meng to defend the wall and fought the Ghost Lord in the air, damaging its armor with thunder before it struck back.

• Hua Zhanhong strengthened the wall guards after learning the scouting party had been wiped out and suspected the undead would attack that night.
• The Undead Monarch appeared with a vast undead army, ordered the assault in Great Xia language, and its forces hurled corpse riders onto the North City Wall.
• The mages repelled the first corpse riders, but the undead piled corpses into a ramp and sent more attackers charging toward the wall.
• Chen Lang refused Zhu Meng's offer to join him, leaving Zhu Meng to defend the wall while he went to test the Undead Monarch.
• Chen Lang blocked the Ghost Lord's steel whip, trapped it with wind and rock spikes, then used space power and thunder to damage its armor.
• The Ghost Lord roared and swung its steel whip at Chen Lang again.

Chen Lang fought the speaking Undead Monarch, breaking its armor and discovering its monstrous blue body beneath. The Corpse Lord transformed into a faster, stronger spiked creature and shattered Chen Lang’s space array, then charged him again as Chen Lang gathered lightning.

• Chen Lang blasted apart the Undead Monarch’s corpse flood-dragons and damaged its armor with lightning and wind attacks.
• Chen Lang pierced the Ghost Lord through an unarmored spot with Space Element magic.
• The Corpse Lord transformed, shedding its armor and growing larger with blue demonic spikes across its body.
• The mutated Corpse Lord broke Chen Lang’s Space Magic Array Artifact and traded punches with him, creating destructive spatial ripples.
• The mutated Corpse Lord charged again while Chen Lang gathered dark purple lightning around himself.

Chen Lang annihilated a massive wave of undead at the North City Wall, but the other city walls remained under threat. As he and Zhu Meng watched an Emperor-robed figure approach, they recognized the likely Phoenix Emperor and sent an emergency reinforcement signal.

• Chen Lang unleashed his Giant Magnetic Thunder Cannon, destroying the mutated Corpse Lord and tens of thousands of undead at the cost of one-third of his Magic Power.
• Chen Lang returned to the North City Wall, where Zhu Meng and the military staff officer marveled at his attack.
• Zhu Meng told Chen Lang that Monarch Level undead were threatening the South and West City Walls and that the defenders might have to retreat into the Inner City.
• Chen Lang sensed a deadly presence and spotted a distant figure in a Tang Dynasty Emperor Robe near the Undead Monarch's remains.
• Chen Lang ordered the military staff officer to send an emergency reinforcement signal as the figure walked closer and its death qi prevented mages from forming Star Maps or Star Tracks.

Hua Zhanhong confronted an emperor-robed Undead Emperor, which ordered everyone to leave the Ancient Capital and then withdrew. At a meeting, Chen Lang and Han Ji proposed that it was a remnant soul seeking the Glazed Phoenix Feather, and Hua Zhanhong considered using the artifact to lure it into a Beheading Plan.

• Hua Zhanhong arrived to face the emperor-robed figure after Chen Lang’s distress signal summoned him.
• The figure ordered the people to evacuate within one day and leave everything in the city, then vanished as the undead withdrew.
• Hua Zhanhong told the meeting that the Undead Emperor’s aura seemed unlike that of a true Emperor, and Chen Lang guessed it was a remnant soul.
• Han Ji suggested that the remnant soul had attacked the Ancient Capital to obtain the Glazed Phoenix Feather in the museum.
• Hua Zhanhong proposed using the feather to lure the remnant soul away from the undead and carry out the Beheading Plan, while insisting they would defend the city regardless.

The Phoenix Emperor’s remnant soul launched a massive assault on Ancient Capital, hoping to seize the Glazed Phoenix Feather and strengthen its power. Chen Lang flew out with the feather to draw it away, while Hua Zhanhong and the city’s defenders faced the undead army.

• The Phoenix Emperor’s remnant soul appeared outside Ancient Capital and summoned a huge undead force, including five Corpse Ministers and thousands of heavy cavalry commanders.
• Hua Zhanhong rallied the mages, insisting they had no choice but to defend the city.
• As undead attacked all four city walls, Hua Zhanhong asked Chen Lang to lure away the monarch-level enemies, and Chen Lang agreed.
• Chen Lang flew away from the city carrying the Glazed Phoenix Feather, prompting the Phoenix Emperor’s remnant soul to pursue him.

Chen Lang drew the Phoenix Emperor away from the Ancient Capital and used the Black Dragon Battle Robe to unleash overwhelming Destructive Thunder against it. Their battle devastated the area near a safe entrance to the Qinling Mountains, leaving the Phoenix Emperor's fate unresolved.

• Chen Lang escaped the undead and flew toward the Qinling Mountains with the Phoenix Emperor pursuing him for the Glazed Phoenix Feather.
• Hua Zhanhong and the other mages left the city to support Chen Lang, while an Undead Monarch raised mountains of corpses to attack them.
• Chen Lang showed the Phoenix Emperor the Glazed Phoenix Feather, then removed his Thunderbird Set as the Phoenix Emperor surrounded him with dead qi.
• Chen Lang activated the Black Dragon Battle Robe, gained an Emperor-like aura, and destroyed the Phoenix Emperor's attack with his magic.
• Chen Lang's Destructive Thunder shattered the Phoenix Emperor's defenses and blasted it into the ground, leveling the surrounding area and destroying a safe route into the Qinling Mountains.

Chen Lang destroyed the Phoenix Emperor and absorbed its Emperor Robe into the Black Dragon Battle Robe, which fused with the Glazed Phoenix Feather and greatly increased his power. Hua Zhanhong arrived to find the Phoenix Emperor gone and was shaken by Chen Lang’s overwhelming aura.

• Chen Lang attacked the Phoenix Emperor with Black Annihilation Thunder and blocked its feather blades as it tried to flee toward its Undead Legion.
• Chen Lang struck the Phoenix Emperor with a Wind-Earth Blade, sending it into chaotic space and destroying it.
• Chen Lang stopped the Phoenix Emperor’s Emperor Robe from escaping and had the Black Dragon Battle Robe absorb it, then fused in the Glazed Phoenix Feather.
• The Black Dragon Battle Robe transformed into a dark red garment with a fire phoenix and wings, and Chen Lang felt his power surge beyond measure.
• Hua Zhanhong arrived, found the Phoenix Emperor missing, and sensed a terrifying aura from Chen Lang.