Recaps

Ma Feifei learned why Zhang Caicai feared Yun Qingyang and heard how Mu Qingyi and Lian Yi had been involved in the Dean’s Mu Kun Beast being stewed. The next morning, servants began restoring the Confucian Dao Academy, prompting students to suspect the Empress was coming to inspect it.

• Ma Feifei realized Yun Qingyang’s compounded interest had left Zhang Caicai eager to repay the principal.
• Lian Yi told Ma Feifei that Mu Qingyi’s stewing of the Dean’s Mu Kun Beast had led to her expulsion, and Mu Qingyi argued that Lian Yi had eaten it too.
• Lian Yi explained that Mu Qingyi had confessed and taken the blame, but had avoided expulsion because she was the daughter of Mu Qinwu, the Qin State’s Conferred Saint.
• Servants cleaned the grounds of Wu'an Academy’s Confucian Dao Academy, and students speculated that the Empress would inspect it.
• Students who had enrolled in the Confucian Dao Academy wondered whether they would be forced to return to classes and miss their other courses.

Mu Qingyi summoned the students who had signed up for Confucian Dao Academy classes, where Ma Feifei introduced himself as the owner of the Mysterious Bookstore. His arrival alarmed Wu'an Academy's Law Enforcement Team, whose members wondered whether he had come to hold them accountable for neglecting the Confucian Dao Academy.

• Mu Qingyi's servants delivered invitations summoning the Confucian Dao Academy students to the main square at two in the afternoon.
• Mu Qingyi gathered the students in the square with Ma Feifei, Lian Yi, and their companions.
• Ma Feifei rose into the air despite Wu'an Academy's ban on flying and quieted the crowd with his voice.
• Ma Feifei introduced himself as the owner of the Mysterious Bookstore, stunning the students.
• The Law Enforcement Team arrived to address the rule-breaking, then hesitated when they recognized Ma Feifei and worried he had come to hold the academy accountable.

Ma Feifei demonstrated that the Confucian Dao Academy’s stone stele contained Righteous Qi cultivated through studying the Four Books and Five Classics. After students absorbed it and advanced, he explained that their comprehension determined who benefited, leaving the students regretting their neglected studies while Mu Qingyi celebrated her breakthrough.

• Ma Feifei addressed the students at Wu'an Academy and said their failure to attend the Confucian Dao Academy did not mean the Four Books and Five Classics were useless.
• Ma Feifei activated the stone stele, releasing white Righteous Qi that allowed roughly one-tenth of the two thousand students to break through.
• Mu Qingyi absorbed all the remaining Righteous Qi and broke through by at least three stages, leaving the students astonished.
• Ma Feifei explained that students nurtured Righteous Qi by comprehending the Four Books and Five Classics, and that only those who had studied and understood them could absorb it.
• The students who had neglected their studies regretted it, while Mu Qingyi bragged that she had understood more than the others and ate a chicken leg.

Ma Feifei activated Righteous Qi at Wu'an Academy and took Mu Qingyi with him while traveling to restore abandoned Confucian Dao Academies. The group reached the Great Desolation Relic one day before it opened, where Ma Feifei prepared to enter and studied an ancient xiangqi manual.

• Ma Feifei explained how studying the Four Books and Five Classics would nourish students with Righteous Qi, then left Wu'an Academy with his companions.
• Mu Qingyi tried to raise money from his underlings, but Ma Feifei seized him with a golden hand before the crowdfunding could begin.
• Wu'an Academy celebrated Mu Qingyi's departure, while he happily traveled with Ma Feifei and the others.
• Ma Feifei activated Righteous Qi at dozens of abandoned Confucian Dao Academies on the way south.
• On October 19, in the 351st year of Great Chu's Zhonghe era, the group arrived at the Great Desolation Relic, and Ma Feifei read Dream into Divine Machine as they prepared to enter.

Mu Qingyi learned that Lian Yi had six Great Desolation Relic Tokens, while Ma Feifei’s group approached the Great Desolation Relic. As cultivators and powerful figures gathered at the Chu River Han Boundary, the Vast Academy’s Grand Dean Cang Lan arrived with three deans, and the crowd’s greeting reached Ma Feifei and his companions.

• Ma Feifei told Mu Qingyi that Lian Yi had obtained six Great Desolation Relic Tokens, and Lian Yi refused to take Mu Qingyi along.
• At the Chu River Han Boundary, an old man in gray said he had less than a thirty percent chance, while the old man in hemp chose not to enter and said his disciple might improve their chances.
• Several thousand cultivators gathered as important figures from sects and academies arrived for the Great Desolation Relic’s opening.
• A rogue cultivator reflected that this would be the last opening he could watch, after witnessing three previous openings.
• Cang Lan arrived with Zhen Liang, Sea Emperor, and Parasitic Sea, and the gathered crowd bowed to the Vast Academy’s Grand Dean.
• The crowd’s greeting carried across the Great Desolation to Ma Feifei and his companions.

Ma Feifei and his companions hurried toward the Great Desolation Relic as the Vast Academy’s delegation arrived. Cang Lan and the other leaders awaited the token thief, then watched a striking group of seven descend, leaving everyone wondering who they were.

• Lian Yi grew tense when she learned Cang Lan was leading the Vast Academy delegation because she had stolen its Great Desolation Relic Tokens.
• Ma Feifei flew toward the relic before sunrise, and his companions followed while one member complained that he could not fly.
• Cang Lan noticed Peony’s newly taken disciple, and the deans discussed the stolen tokens and vowed to capture the thief.
• A group of seven led by a white-robed young man arrived and drew the gathered cultivators’ attention.
• Someone moved as the newcomers landed.

The Great Desolation Relic opened as a vast chessboard, and Ma Feifei entered it with his companions after Zhou Wuji, Jian Shisan, and Cang Lan showed him respect. The relic closed behind the entrants, leaving Cang Lan outside as a protective boundary appeared.

• Zhou Wuji, Jian Shisan, and Cang Lan bowed respectfully to Ma Feifei, stunning the gathered cultivators.
• The Great Desolation Relic opened, revealing an enormous chessboard on both sides of the canyon.
• Ma Feifei told Cang Lan he would enter the relic, and she followed him into the canyon while Vast Academy's deans recognized Lian Yi as the thief who had stolen their tokens.
• Cultivators holding Great Desolation Relic Tokens were drawn into the mist, including Zhang Caicai, Ba Jiu, Luan Feng, Lian Yi, and Yun Qingyang.
• Ma Feifei and Mu Qingyi entered the relic as Cang Lan remained outside, and the mist receded as the Great Desolation closed behind them.

Ma Feifei entered the Great Desolation Relic and learned that he was a chariot in Qi Xie's Treasure-Snatching Chessboard match. After the general began taking treasure chests from his own teammates, Ma Feifei abandoned his plan to protect him and ran away.

• Medicine Saint Shaoyao gave her chance to enter the Great Desolation Relic to her final disciple, while six members of Ma Feifei's group entered and Vast Academy's other representatives stayed outside.
• Ma Feifei found himself dressed as a chariot in a maze and discovered that he could not open his treasure chest.
• Qi Xie announced the rules of the Treasure-Snatching Chessboard, where thirty-two challengers would fight the Treasure-Snatching Team and the general's death would eliminate everyone.
• Ma Feifei studied the chessboard and headed toward the general, intending to protect him.
• The general took both advisors' treasure chests, and then took a horse's chest; Ma Feifei turned around and fled from the general.

Ma Feifei crossed the Chu River Han Boundary while avoiding his own side’s pieces and reasoned that the chess rules restricted their movements. He found Yun Qingyang acting as the general and learned why she had been taking allies’ treasure chests, only to discover that she had attacked first on her father’s advice.

• Ma Feifei avoided two allied soldiers and concluded that soldiers could not move backward, while red pieces began crossing the Chu River Han Boundary.
• Two allied soldiers fought over a treasure chest, and the white side descended into infighting as pieces tried to steal chests from one another.
• Ma Feifei approached the general and confirmed that it was confined to the palace before drawing it into view.
• Yun Qingyang appeared with four stolen treasure chests and told Ma Feifei that pieces could leave the game with any chests they had taken.
• Yun Qingyang explained that she had seized treasure chests from allies because her father had told her not to give the enemy a chance.

Ma Feifei and Yun Qingyang worked out how to open Yun Qingyang’s golden chest by using Ma Feifei’s help, but she tricked him and ran off with the valuable Book Spirit Stone. Ma Feifei caught up with her in the maze, where they fought over the treasure chests.

• Ma Feifei agreed to help Yun Qingyang open her golden chest after she explained that someone else could open it.
• The chessboard announced that the 'Chariot' had offered a chest to the 'General' and the 'General' had bestowed one upon the 'Chariot.'
• Ma Feifei opened Yun Qingyang’s golden chest and found a Book Spirit Stone inside.
• Yun Qingyang returned Ma Feifei’s chest, took the golden chest, and ran away while Ma Feifei discovered his chest was empty.
• Ma Feifei caught Yun Qingyang in a maze corner, and they wrestled over their chests as she denied taking his treasure.

Ma Feifei and Yun Qingyang opened treasure chests while enemy chess pieces advanced across the board. After allied soldiers lost their chests and left the game, Ma Feifei chose to stay, and their side’s chariot began defeating enemies.

• Ma Feifei opened two treasure chests, finding a crimson shortsword in one and nothing in the other, and accepted Yun Qingyang’s explanation that her chest had also been empty.
• Yun Qingyang explained that an enemy cannon had threatened her, and Ma Feifei realized its attack could have used him as a springboard to strike her.
• Yun Qingyang suggested leaving to protect their treasure chests, but Ma Feifei persuaded her to stay for greater rewards.
• The enemy chariot and horse seized the chests of soldier 3 and soldier 4, who then left the game, while several red pieces moved toward Yun Qingyang.
• Ma Feifei and Yun Qingyang waited at a crossroads as allied pieces approached to protect them.
• Qi Xie announced that their chariot had killed an enemy soldier and an enemy cannon, gaining a treasure chest for each.

Ma Feifei gathered allies on the Treasure-Snatching Chessboard and learned their chess-piece roles while trying to understand the game. Lian Yi had crossed into the enemy camp, and enemy attacks grew more dangerous as Ma Feifei headed to regroup.

• Luan Feng found Ma Feifei and Yun Qingyang, revealed she was a cannon, and Ma Feifei explained the Chinese-chess rules and piece counts.
• Ma Feifei sent Luan Feng to find the others and told Yun Qingyang to stay near the palace while he searched for allies.
• Ma Feifei found Ba Jiu, learned he was an elephant, and heard that Lian Yi had crossed to the enemy side and was waiting for him there.
• Ba Jiu flew diagonally across the maze, surprising Ma Feifei, who ran back toward the group.
• The enemy horse plundered an allied cannon's treasure chest, and the enemy chariot killed an allied horse.

Ma Feifei searched for Zhang Caicai, then used his knowledge of xiangqi to hunt enemy pieces in the Great Desolation Relic. After killing an enemy soldier and reaching the Spirit Saint realm with the bottle inside its chest, he left the chest as a deceptive prize for someone else to find.

• Ma Feifei and his companions realized Zhang Caicai was missing, and Ma Feifei suspected the surviving pawn 1 was him after it killed an enemy soldier.
• Ma Feifei left Luan Feng and Ba Jiu to protect Yun Qingyang while he went alone to hunt invading enemy pieces, relying on his knowledge of xiangqi.
• Ma Feifei ambushed an enemy soldier from behind and killed it, obtaining a red treasure chest.
• Ma Feifei opened the chest and inhaled the Innate Primordial Qi inside, advancing to the Spirit Saint realm.
• Ma Feifei placed the empty chest conspicuously atop a wall and wrote that a fated person should kneel and kowtow to claim it.

Ma Feifei returned to the nine-grid palace carrying seven treasure chests after wiping out nearly all the enemy pieces in his area. He set out to cross the river with Luan Feng, while Ba Jiu stayed behind with Yun Qingyang because his elephant identity could not cross.

• Ma Feifei killed enemy pieces across the white camp, earning seven red treasure chests.
• Yun Qingyang, Ba Jiu, and Luan Feng spotted Ma Feifei returning with the chests, and Ba Jiu helped unload them.
• Ma Feifei explained that the Great Desolation Relic was difficult because entrants misunderstood xiangqi’s rules and failed to cooperate.
• Ma Feifei told Ba Jiu to stay with Yun Qingyang and chose Luan Feng to accompany him across the river.
• Ma Feifei explained that Ba Jiu, as an elephant, could not cross the Chu River, just as Yun Qingyang could not leave the nine-grid palace.

Ma Feifei and Luan Feng crossed into the red camp, where Ma Feifei discovered he could see the virtual board through his Blood Pact with Yun Qingyang. He joined Lian Yi and Zhang Caicai, and the group prepared to face the remaining enemy pieces together.

• Ma Feifei crossed the Chu River with Luan Feng and lost access to the virtual board, leaving him unable to track enemy positions.
• Ma Feifei sensed Yun Qingyang through their Blood Pact and began seeing the virtual board from Yun Qingyang’s perspective.
• Ma Feifei led Luan Feng toward the blue dots representing Lian Yi and Zhang Caicai instead of heading directly for the enemy general.
• Ma Feifei, Luan Feng, Lian Yi, and Zhang Caicai met at a crossroads, where Lian Yi carried three chests and Zhang Caicai carried two.
• Zhang Caicai said he felt familiar with the game, and Lian Yi recognized Ma Feifei as the powerful chariot she had heard was killing enemy pieces.

Ma Feifei and the others coordinated their pieces to trap and kill the opposing general, clearing the Great Desolation Relic. As the relic collapsed, black treasure chests fell toward them, and Ma Feifei lost sight of his own chest.

• Ma Feifei planned an attack on the opposing general, assigning Zhang Caicai to support Luan Feng's cannon while he and Lian Yi led the assault.
• The white camp's chariot killed two enemy elephants, and Luan Feng's cannon threatened the general, drawing an advisor to defend it.
• When a red chariot blocked Lian Yi's route, Ma Feifei moved into the palace to restrict the general and told Zhang Caicai to take the advisor.
• Zhang Caicai killed the advisor, and the soldier and cannon threatened the general, forcing it to flee.
• Ma Feifei's chariot killed the remaining advisor and fatally threatened the general, clearing the Great Desolation Relic.
• Black treasure chests fell as the relic collapsed, and Ma Feifei cried out about his treasure chest when his vision went black.

After leaving the Great Desolation Relic, Ma Feifei discovered that Mu Qingyi and many others were missing, then followed the remaining cultivators to a platform where a young man challenged him to a book duel. The young man insisted that book authors settle their rivalry by competing through books rather than fighting.

• Ma Feifei learned that Cang Lan had been the red-side general he checkmated inside the Great Desolation Relic.
• Ma Feifei and Cang Lan noticed that Mu Qingyi and several important cultivators had disappeared after the relic closed.
• Ma Feifei sensed something was wrong and followed Yun Qingyang and the others toward a newly appeared platform surrounded by cultivators.
• Ma Feifei found a young man beneath banners reading “Duel” and “Book,” and the man identified him as the owner of the Mysterious Bookstore.
• The young man rejected physical fighting and challenged Ma Feifei to settle their rivalry in a book duel.

Ma Feifei accepted Zhang Ke’s book battle, where the winner would be determined by the quality of their writing. As Zhang Ke prepared to write, Ma Feifei decided to check book qualities in the System Shop before choosing what to copy.

• Zhang Ke challenged Ma Feifei to a book battle and said the loser would have to leave.
• Ma Feifei went onto the platform with Yun Qingyang and Luan Feng, while Luan Feng inspected Zhang Ke’s writing materials for fairness.
• Zhang Ke began preparing to write as his maid ground ink made from solidified Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy.
• Ma Feifei rejected the idea of writing an original work and decided to copy a book instead.
• Ma Feifei opened the System Shop to compare the qualities of its books before choosing what to write.

Ma Feifei chose Mirror Flower Romance for his book duel with Zhang Ke and began transcribing it after buying its contents from the system. As both men started writing before a crowd, Elder Lian and a neighboring sect leader wagered ownership of a Spirit Crystal mine on who would win.

• Ma Feifei selected the Epic-grade Mirror Flower Romance and paid the system for its text so he could write the book himself.
• The system supplied Mirror Flower Romance to Ma Feifei's mind and charged him Spirit Crystals for transcribing it.
• Zhang Ke wrote with a brush linked to his inkstone by Spiritual Energy, and Ma Feifei recognized that he had underestimated him.
• Ma Feifei wrote Mirror Flower Romance's title as the book duel began before the watching cultivators.
• Elder Lian predicted Zhang Ke would win, while a middle-aged man in fine robes bet that Ma Feifei would win and proposed ownership of their jointly discovered Spirit Crystal mine as the stake.
• Elder Lian accepted the wager.

Ma Feifei and Zhang Ke continued their bookwriting contest for ten days, while the crowd waited to see who would finish first. Zhang Ke completed a Yellow Quality book, but then sensed that Ma Feifei was nearing completion too.

• Ba Jiu tried to find people willing to bet against Ma Feifei but everyone ignored him, while Zhang Caicai worried that Ma Feifei’s opponent might come from another world.
• The contest continued through ten days as the weather grew increasingly strange and the crowd settled in to wait.
• At sunrise on the tenth day, Zhang Ke finished a Yellow Quality book and caught it as it floated into the air.
• Zhang Ke reflected that he had entered the Azure Dragon Continent to investigate Cang Lan’s immortality and the Mysterious Bookstore’s miraculous books, then decided to punish the locals he believed had misled him.
• Zhang Ke noticed a faint presence coming from Ma Feifei’s table and realized Ma Feifei might be about to finish his book.

Ma Feifei won his book duel with Zhang Ke, earning an Epic-grade book and a system reward. As Zhang Ke tried to leave with the Yellow Quality book, Ma Feifei caught him and demanded he hand it over.

• Ma Feifei's book manifested as an Epic-grade volume, surpassing Zhang Ke's Yellow Quality book and winning the duel.
• Zhang Ke conceded, said their previous matters were settled, and flew away with his two maids.
• Liuli alerted Ma Feifei, who chased Zhang Ke and called for him to stop.
• A little girl in a chrysanthemum-colored robe blocked Zhang Ke with a golden wall, and Ma Feifei knocked him and his maids back onto the arena.
• Ma Feifei demanded that Zhang Ke return the Yellow Quality book before he could leave.

Ma Feifei claimed Zhang Ke’s Yellow Quality book after winning their book duel and absorbed its Book Spirit, gaining cultivation and knowledge. As Qin and Yan’s massive war devastated Changping, Crown Prince Yan and Yan Xun debated whether to continue resisting before a messenger summoned Crown Prince Yan to the Investiture of the Gods.

• Zhang Ke gave Ma Feifei the Yellow Quality book he had lost in their duel, and Liuli praised Ma Feifei for winning it.
• Ma Feifei absorbed the book’s Book Spirit, advanced to Spirit Saint Third Stage, and mastered its cultivation methods and martial skills.
• Ma Feifei and his companions returned to the Mysterious Bookstore as a seven-day battle between Qin and Yan, with Northern Liang’s aid, caused heavy casualties at Changping.
• Crown Prince Yan worried about further bloodshed, while Yan Xun urged him to keep resisting Qin and offered to take the throne.
• A figure arrived at Changping and summoned Crown Prince Yan to the Investiture of the Gods.

Mo Xie used the Investiture of the Gods to abduct Crown Prince Yan, Yan Xun, and Grand General Bai Ling, declaring that he would end the war. He then flew toward Qin’s capital to summon Qin Shi Huang, whose Imperial Seal of the Son of Heaven had defeated him in the past.

• Mo Xie arrived over Changping City and found Crown Prince Yan and Yan Xun listed on the Investiture of the Gods.
• After Yan Xun insulted him, Mo Xie captured Crown Prince Yan and Yan Xun with golden beams from the Investiture of the Gods.
• Mo Xie defeated an attacker who demanded Yan Xun’s release, then flew toward the Qin Army’s camp.
• Mo Xie captured Grand General Bai Ling despite the Qin soldiers and Spirit Saints guarding him.
• Mo Xie headed for Qin’s capital to face Qin Shi Huang and the Imperial Seal of the Son of Heaven.

Mo Xie captured Qin Shi Huang in the Investiture of the Gods and returned it with the God-Beating Whip to Ma Feifei, fearing the consequences of abducting the continent’s rulers. Back in Dubian Town, Ma Feifei opened his Great Desolation Relic reward chests and found a Chinese chessboard in the black chest.

• Mo Xie confronted Qin Shi Huang in the First Emperor's Grand Hall and used the Investiture of the Gods to capture him before he could use the Imperial Seal of the Son of Heaven.
• Mo Xie realized that the Investiture of the Gods held the rulers of four states and decided he should return it and the God-Beating Whip to Ma Feifei.
• Lian Yi rented a private room in the Mysterious Bookstore to open her Great Desolation Relic reward chest.
• Ma Feifei opened five red treasure chests and found demigod artifacts, then discovered a Chinese chessboard in the black chest.
• Mo Xie returned to the bookstore and presented Ma Feifei with the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Beating Whip, hoping to stay under his protection.

After completing the Investiture of the Gods task, Ma Feifei learned that his new Walking Books privilege could turn people’s chosen life experiences into books for readers. Meanwhile, the rulers of four states vanished, plunging the Azure Dragon Continent into panic and suspicion of Chu Kingdom, where the Empress remained composed.

• Mo Xie asked Ma Feifei for a job at the Mysterious Bookstore, but Ma Feifei refused and sent him away.
• Ma Feifei read the system’s description of Walking Books, which let people turn selected memories into books and potentially gain benefits from readers.
• Ma Feifei inspected the names on the Investiture of the Gods scroll and counted the women listed.
• News spread that the rulers of Qin, Yan State, Qi State, and Zhao State had been abducted, and their countries halted the Qin–Yan war and tightened security.
• People suspected Chu Kingdom because King Chu Qiong was the only ruler not abducted, while Zhao Xiaodao asked the calm Empress whether she was curious about the disappearances.