Chapter Summaries

Fang Yue learned that Bai Xiaoya could safely wake in reality if he persuaded her to log out during a brief window, so he brought her away to prepare. Jade White Robe saw him take Bai Xiaoya to his room and concluded that he was doing something vile.

• Fang Yue discovered that Jing Yan had spread a forum rumor claiming You Sisi was his first love, then resolved to confront him later.
• Fang Yue learned from the doctors that Bai Xiaoya could wake in reality if she chose to log out while her body was temporarily stabilized, and that her amnesia could help him persuade her.
• Fang Yue found Bai Xiaoya eating ravenously in the dining hall and convinced her to leave with him.
• Fang Yue brought Bai Xiaoya to his room in Qingsi while Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu stayed behind to finish her meal.
• Jade White Robe saw Fang Yue take Bai Xiaoya to his room and vowed not to let his apparent vile act go unchallenged.

Fang Yue helped Bai Xiaoya log out of the game, but the person who awakened in her body was Bai Daya, while Bai Xiaoya's soul remained missing. After discovering the soul swap, Fang Yue decided to search the game for Bai Xiaoya and bring her back to the real world.

• Jade White Robe overheard Fang Yue giving Bai Xiaoya instructions and secretly reported what he suspected.
• Fang Yue coached Bai Xiaoya to remember that the game was not real, then coordinated with the doctors as she logged out.
• Bai Xiaoya awakened in the hospital but did not recognize Fang Yue; she called him Brother Ye, revealed black eyes and black blood, and began eating the bed frame as Bai Daya.
• A United Association alarm confirmed that the soul in Bai Xiaoya's body had changed, and Fang Yue resolved to find Bai Xiaoya's soul at the underground base or through the Phoenix Organization.
• Fang Yue told Sister Yuan that Bai Xiaoya needed a prepared body to return to the real world, then entered the game with Bai Daya to search for her.

After returning to Qingsi County, Fang Yue resolved to find Bai Xiaoya once the county was secure and checked on the wounded Lin Ling and Lord Han. You Sisi challenged Tian Er Jun’s plan to seek sect reinforcements, fearing Qingsi County would be vulnerable while he was away.

• Fang Yue returned to Qingsi County with Bai Daya and decided to postpone searching the underground stronghold for Bai Xiaoya until the county was safe.
• You Sisi asked Jade White Robe to watch over Bai Daya, and Fang Yue agreed before heading to check on Lin Ling and Lord Han with You Sisi.
• You Sisi asked how Fang Yue had grown so strong and vowed to catch up with him, while Fang Yue found Lin Ling still unconscious but out of immediate danger.
• Fang Yue told You Sisi he would handle Bai Daya and Lin Ling himself if they became anomalies, and she accepted his reassurance.
• You Sisi objected to Tian Er Jun personally seeking help from the sects, arguing that his absence could leave Qingsi County exposed to an attack.

Fang Yue and You Sisi arranged a way to track the anomaly army so Tian Er Jun could seek help, while Tian Er Jun awakened Lord Han. Lord Han explained that the Phoenix Organization’s anomalous essence was slowly draining him, then told Tian Er Jun he would be disappointed about the final condition needed to fulfill his ancestor’s instructions.

• Fang Yue suggested hiring vagrants to track the anomaly army, giving Qingsi County time to prepare while Tian Er Jun went to the sect for help.
• Tian Er Jun removed a black wooden tube from Lord Han’s head, and Lord Han awoke after black blood spilled from his nose and mouth.
• Lord Han identified the substance implanted in him as man-made anomalous essence from the Phoenix Organization, which was extracting his source, though he believed he could last at least ten years.
• Lord Han absorbed the black material into his body and said he could use it to recover his strength.
• Tian Er Jun explained that he needed the final condition to fulfill Heaven’s Pity’s instructions, and Lord Han said he was going to be disappointed before asking everyone but Fang Yue to leave.

Lord Han told Fang Yue and Tian Er Jun that Heaven's Pity’s cultivation method had an irreversible flaw, ending Tian Er Jun’s hope of repairing it. The group agreed to use refugee communications to locate anomalies and seek help defending Qingsi County, while Fang Yue went to find Jing Yan.

• Lord Han explained that Heaven's Pity’s method weakened cultivators from the [Human] level onward and left them unable to progress beyond the [Cloud] level, and Tian Er Jun accepted the news with disappointment.
• Tian Er Jun agreed to use refugees’ special communication method to locate anomalies, and Fang Yue told Qing Chen to remain at the Qing Department rather than join the fighting.
• Tian Er Jun said the Blazing Fire Sect had a Human-level expert near Qingsi County and should be willing to help defend it.
• Lord Han declined Fang Yue’s Blackened Fog Cannon, transformed into a matchstick man, and asked Qing Chen to take him to see Lin Ling.
• Fang Yue found Jing Yan showing off Xiao Xuedou to Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu, who panicked and claimed Bai Daya had taken her food.

Fang Yue sent scouts to locate the Coffin-pulling Anomaly and planned to improve his cultivation after returning to Qingsi. On the way, the Evil Curse [Rain] on his hand briefly heated up, then cooled, leaving its effects unexplained.

• Fang Yue confronted Jing Yan about his misleading forum post, then told him to clarify it and hire trusted freelancers to scout for the Coffin-pulling Anomaly.
• Jing Yan selected three freelancers, and Fang Yue and You Sisi watched them ride Black Silk Horses toward the underground outpost.
• Fang Yue felt the Evil Curse [Rain] on his hand grow hot while traveling back, but it cooled before he explained anything to You Sisi.
• Fang Yue checked his status and reflected on his combat gains, his plan to train the Blazing Fire Heart Method, and the risks of practicing multiple cultivation methods.
• Fang Yue recalled Lord Han's warning that mixing cultivation methods could dilute internal force or cause cultivation deviation and ruptured meridians.

Fang Yue considered whether moon- or night-attribute cultivation methods might suit him, then used pills looted from Horse Seat to rapidly cultivate his Blazing Fire Heart Method. Outside the game, Jing Yan published a clarification post and reflected on Blue Ocean’s unusual lack of competition or news about future games.

• Lord Han suspected Fang Yue might belong to the Night Moon Clan and explained how moon- and night-attribute martial arts worked, but Fang Yue remained unsure about changing methods.
• Fang Yue decided to raise Blazing Fire Heart Method to its maximum level before seeking an advanced method from Qing Si or the Blazing Fire Sect.
• Fang Yue swallowed high-quality cultivation pills looted from Horse Seat and began cultivating, feeling his inner force surge.
• Jing Yan logged out, edited his prepared Night Dawn reversal post into a clarification, and published it.
• Jing Yan rejected an employee’s suggestion to move the studio to another game and noted that Blue Ocean had no apparent competition or announced successor.

Jing Yan learned from three freelancers that the [Coffin-pulling Anomaly] was leading a huge horde toward Qingsi County, which would be reached within three days. After one freelancer reported being killed in the game, Jing Yan watched him apparently explode into bloody chunks during their video call.

• A freelancer told Jing Yan that the [Coffin-pulling Anomaly] led at least fifteen Blood-level Anomalies and a vast horde through the underground base.
• Jing Yan received reports on the horde’s numbers, location, and speed, and estimated it would reach Qingsi County within three days.
• Jing Yan ordered the freelancers to return to Qingsi County on their Black Silk Horses and promised hazard pay.
• The third freelancer admitted that the [Coffin-pulling Anomaly] had killed him and his Black Silk Horse, so Jing Yan offered extra pay and possible future work.
• A loud explosion cut off the video call, and Jing Yan saw the yellow-haired freelancer’s body burst into bloody chunks before dropping his phone in shock.

Jing Yan investigated the yellow-haired man's gruesome death and discovered that it was connected to the Blue Sea game and the Tengli Group. After reporting his suspicions to the Network Association, he was sent to prison.

• Jing Yan called the dead man's number, sent him money, and traveled to investigate his death in person.
• Jing Yan found an online post showing a corpse wearing a Game Watch, but the post disappeared when the site refreshed.
• Jing Yan learned that the yellow-haired man's home was sealed off after a supposed gas explosion and suspected the incidents were connected to Game Watch users.
• Jing Yan sneaked into the house and confirmed that the yellow-haired man had died at the same spot where he had seen him explode on camera.
• Jing Yan returned to Jianghai City and reported the Tengli Group to the Network Association, which sent him to prison.

Jing Yan learned that the Network Association had imprisoned him after he reported the Tengli Group and ordered him to play the death game in secret. After enduring hunger, he received a card explaining that better meals and privileges depended on advancing through cultivation realms.

• Sister Ying told Jing Yan he would be held for about two months and could only play the game, warning him not to reveal what he knew.
• Jing Yan feared entering the game and worried that anyone who came looking for him might be endangered by the Network Association.
• Jing Yan refused to eat the rice left by the cleaner, but gave in when she stopped bringing fresh food.
• Jing Yan asked the cleaner for better food, and she gave him a card listing realm-based meals, privileges, and rewards for completing United Association missions.

Fang Yue maxed out the Blazing Fire Heart Method and celebrated his rapid cultivation, while Jing Yan logged into a Qingsi County besieged by anomalies. The chapter left Jing Yan witnessing a black-winged figure pierce Bai Xiao Ya as You Sisi fell from the sky.

• Jing Yan learned that the United Association had imprisoned him and entered the game hungry to survive.
• Jing Yan returned to Qingsi County during the Coffin-pulling Anomaly’s attack and saw You Sisi falling through the storm.
• The black-winged figure crushed Lord Han’s head, then stabbed the long-haired Bai Xiao Ya through the chest with his saber.
• Fang Yue reached Level 9 in Blazing Fire Heart Method and reviewed his increased cultivation attributes.
• Fang Yue read Jing Yan’s message about the Coffin-pulling Anomaly, told him to hide in any room, and celebrated his breakthrough with Parchment.

Fang Yue learned that the [Coffin-pulling Anomaly] was expected to arrive in three days, and the county officials began preparing Qingsi County’s defenses. You Sisi asked him to help settle the residents, then promised him a promotion to Azure-Clad if they held the county.

• Fang Yue told the Parchment to rest and prepared to grow stronger before the Anomaly army arrived in three days.
• Fang Yue praised Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu for her efforts, while Bai Daya returned to the pond and ate everything she could find.
• Fang Yue shared Jing Yan’s intelligence with Lord Han, Lord Jun, and Lord You, and Tian Er Jun said they had time to summon sect experts and prepare defenses.
• You Sisi decided to gather Qingsi County’s residents in the southern corner because three days was too short to relocate them to surrounding villages.
• You Sisi asked Fang Yue to accompany her, and he agreed after visiting the Azure Office to obtain an Xiantian cultivation technique and register his Merit Points.
• You Sisi told Fang Yue that he would be promoted to Azure-Clad if Qingsi County survived the coming attack.

Fang Yue learned that he would be appointed a Blue Robe as Qingsi County prepared to face an approaching army of anomalies. After discussing Lin Ling’s condition and Lord Han’s fading hopes, Fang Yue accepted Lord Han’s Inheritance Ring and promised to restore him and help him attain Immortal status.

• Fang Yue welcomed the news that he would become a Blue Robe, while Tian Er Jun sent White Robes to summon the sects and rode out to seek help.
• Lord Han told Fang Yue that he could not explain Lin Ling’s condition and discussed the Phoenix Organization’s knowledge of anomalies and the Qing Kingdom’s decline.
• Fang Yue vowed to find the Other Shore Flower and cure Lord Han, who warned that recovery and attaining Immortal status remained uncertain.
• Lord Han gave Fang Yue his Inheritance Ring, explaining that Fang Yue had finally reached the Xiantian Realm and could inherit his legacy.
• Fang Yue accepted the ring and promised to restore Lord Han, protect him, and help him attain Immortal status.

Lord Han explained the paths Fang Yue could take to reach Rain Grade and the risks of inheriting his Ice Condensation Grand Codex. Fang Yue vowed to reach Immortal Grade within three years to save Lord Han, then bowed and accepted him as his master.

• Lord Han described his Ice Condensation Grand Codex and warned Fang Yue that its mind method could clash with his fiery inner power.
• Lord Han laid out the options of joining Qing Si, entering a sect, receiving a wanderer’s inheritance, or creating original martial arts, and explained the difficulties of each path.
• Lord Han said his failing Origin limited his remaining life to five to seven years, despite his wish to see Fang Yue advance.
• Fang Yue promised to reach Immortal Grade within three years and find a way to restore Lord Han’s body and extend his life.
• Fang Yue knelt and bowed to Lord Han, asking to become his disciple, and Lord Han accepted without objection.

Lord Han taught Fang Yue the fundamentals of cultivation and explained that the Abnormal Spiritual Root was a legend, not a real spiritual root. He left Fang Yue questioning his Anomaly Eye experiences after recounting how Guidao Ren’s pursuit of the Anomaly Path ended in madness and a mysterious death.

• Lord Han accepted Fang Yue as his disciple, identified him as a likely descendant of the Night Moon Clan, and advised him about lunar- and night-attribute techniques.
• Lord Han patiently taught Fang Yue cultivation fundamentals through the night and told him to review the lessons and his inheritance notes.
• Fang Yue asked whether he had an Abnormal Spiritual Root, citing Qing Chen’s remarks and his Anomaly Eye state after taking Fierce Yuan Pills.
• Lord Han said Fang Yue had no spiritual root and suggested Divine Doctor An’s methods might resemble the Phoenix Organization’s research; he also pointed to Lin Ling’s permanent Anomaly Eye state.
• Lord Han explained that Guidao Ren pursued the Anomaly Path, saw his human cultivation decline as his anomaly strength rose, and died soon after his mind began deteriorating.

After learning that the Abnormal Spiritual Root was a deadly taboo rather than a path to invincibility, Fang Yue considered his Strange Curse and his need to grow stronger. Jade White Robe took him to the Merit Hall, where Pan Lao fixed his gaze on him.

• Lord Han explained that cultivating an Abnormal Spiritual Root conflicted with human cultivation and brought the attention of Yin Messengers, and Fang Yue questioned whether his Anomaly Eye had merely been stimulated by Divine Doctor An's Fierce Yuan Pill.
• Fang Yue's Strange Curse, Black Rain, burned on the back of his hand again, and he left Lord Han without a cure for it.
• Jade White Robe told Fang Yue that You Sisi had waited for him and planned to promote him to Blue Robe, then passed on her instructions to visit the Merit Hall and meet her at the People's Square.
• Fang Yue resolved to grow stronger, considered settling in Qingsi County, and thought about eventually going to Qingcheng to find the Thousand Ballads Palace's leader.
• Jade White Robe brought Fang Yue to the Merit Hall, where Pan Lao stopped working his abacus and stared at him.

Fang Yue checked his Green Bureau Merit Points as rumors about his closeness to You Sisi stirred resentment from Pan Lao. After learning he had 15,000 points, Fang Yue asked what rewards he could exchange them for.

• Jade White Robe explained that Pan Lao resented rumors linking Fang Yue with You Sisi because Pan Lao's grandson had once pursued her.
• Fang Yue asked Pan Lao to check the Merit Points on his White Robe Token.
• Pan Lao verified that Fang Yue had earned 15,000 Merit Points and entered the total into the token.
• Fang Yue sensed the balance but did not know how valuable it was.
• Fang Yue asked Pan Lao what he could exchange his Merit Points for at the Green Bureau.

Fang Yue examined the Qing Si’s exchange catalog and found that Qingsi County had few worthwhile resources for Xiantian Realm practitioners. He reviewed his cultivation plans and began studying a catalog of Xiantian Realm martial arts, with the Coffin-pulling Anomaly still threatening the county.

• Pan Lao explained that Merit Points could be exchanged for many goods and services, but Fang Yue found Qingsi County’s stock limited and mostly suited to Houtian Realm practitioners.
• Pan Lao explained that the county’s few Xiantian Realm resources were generally kept by Qing-clad members, while its best items had been sent from higher branches.
• Fang Yue reconsidered the value of the Qing Si treasury and recognized that Lord Han’s inheritance gave him unusually strong options for his realm.
• Fang Yue decided that he needed cultivation methods to balance his attributes before transitioning to ice-based cultivation and pursuing Lord Han’s legacy.
• Pan Lao handed Fang Yue the Xiantian Realm Martial Arts Catalog Summary, and Fang Yue began reading it carefully.

Fang Yue spent most of his Merit Points on four Xiantian martial arts and learned their secret manuals, then used the remainder to buy cultivation pills. He left with new techniques to prepare for the battle in three days, though he had not yet mastered them.

• Fang Yue reviewed the Xiantian Realm Martial Arts Catalog Summary and chose two mind methods, a movement technique, and a saber technique.
• Pan Lao and Jade White Robe were stunned by Fang Yue's extravagant purchase of four Xiantian martial arts.
• Pan Lao retrieved the manuals, and Fang Yue learned Disk Tree Mind Method, Night Flow Mind Method, Shadow Stepping Footwork, and Dark Moon Blade Technique by reading them.
• Fang Yue considered selling his Cape Pill, but Pan Lao told him the Green Division would pay only one-tenth of its listed price.
• Fang Yue abandoned the sale and spent his remaining Merit Points on pills that increased cultivation.

Fang Yue bought a large supply of pills and martial arts before helping You Sisi urge Qingsi County’s residents to evacuate from the approaching eerie army. The evacuation remained slow, so Fang Yue agreed to bring help from Ancient Moon Village while You Sisi secretly treasured the better pill he had given her.

• Fang Yue collected the pills he had ordered from Pan Lao and left the Merit Hall with his White Robe Token nearly empty.
• Fang Yue joined You Sisi in addressing Qingsi County’s residents and urged them to follow You Qingyi’s evacuation arrangements.
• You Sisi persuaded some residents to cooperate, but by nightfall most had not left, and she proposed using force.
• Fang Yue offered You Sisi a Clear Heart Pill and agreed to bring the Ancient Moon Village team to help.
• After Fang Yue left, You Sisi replaced the Clear Heart Pill in her box with the higher-grade Awaken Heart Pill he had given her.