Chapter Summaries

Han Xu and Bai Xiaowen enhanced their armor, revealing powerful new effects, while Qiao Rui demonstrated the Jade Tempering Formula she had learned. The group decided the Purple-Sashed Cloud Brocade Robe suited Bai Xiaowen best.

• Han Xu enhanced the Sandalwood Great Armor to +7 and gained Ironclad Wall, which doubled his armor and gave him a physical-damage shield while preventing him from moving.
• Bai Xiaowen enhanced the Purple-Sashed Cloud Brocade Robe to +7, unlocking Cloud Shadow doubles and Blood Drinking, which replenished the robe's shield.
• Qiao Rui showed the group her level 1 Jade Tempering Formula, which let her spend true qi to add damage or absorb up to 150 damage per use.
• Bai Xiaowen explained that Qiao Rui could use the Formula to protect herself and conserve spiritual power for Soul Melody.
• The group agreed to give the Purple-Sashed Cloud Brocade Robe to Bai Xiaowen because its Cloud Shadow effect suited him best.

After returning from the Sword Song Plane, the White Phoenix Squad enhanced their equipment and planned to prepare for Competition Month instead of entering another Spirit Realm expedition. During ten days of training, Li Shuyi learned the Fragmentary Heaven-Hiding Sword Art and Qiao Rui tested how her Jade Tempering Formula strengthened her flute skills.

• Qiao Rui gave up her Enhancement Cards and enhancement chances, and Bai Xiaowen allocated resources so Li Shuyi could enhance the Crimson Firmament Sword and Silverflow Robe to +7 while the others improved their equipment.
• Bai Xiaowen set a goal for the squad to reach level 8 and explained that they could attempt Plane Unification for experience without immediately becoming Evolvers.
• The White Phoenix Squad returned to report their Sword Song Plane discoveries, and Li Beihai reminded them that Competition Month was a little over ten days away.
• Li Shuyi replaced Triple Slash with the Fragmentary Heaven-Hiding Sword Art, then used its techniques to overwhelm Bai Xiaowen's Shadow Assassin in a sparring match.
• Qiao Rui found that her Jade Tempering Formula strengthened Destructive Sound Scale, while Bai Xiaowen suggested it might enhance Soul Melody after she developed her inner force further.

Bai Xiaowen accompanied Li Beihai and Old Demon to the Jinghai City Awakened Association to pursue a B-Tier quest exploring a newly formed Treasure Ground Space at North Hill Sands. They arrived to find Wu Chonglian already meeting with Association leaders, and Li Beihai challenged the secretary for keeping them out.

• Li Beihai summoned Bai Xiaowen, while Han Xu ignored a phone call from an unknown caller.
• Old Demon explained that the Association planned to recruit three guild teams to explore the new Treasure Ground Space and obtain its Space Stone.
• Bai Xiaowen learned that the first team to claim the Space Stone could secure a development contract and long-term toll income, but explorers would be unable to leave before activating it.
• Li Beihai said the rift would not be ready for exploration for at least one or two months, avoiding a clash with the league schedule.
• Bai Xiaowen, Li Beihai, and Old Demon encountered Wu Chonglian at the Association and learned he was meeting with President Fu and President Xiang.
• Li Beihai confronted the secretary for barring them from the meeting.

Bai Xiaowen challenged Wu Chonglian to a wager over White Phoenix Team’s match against Jingwu Team, with a Treasure Ground Space expedition slot and an item from Bai’s shop at stake. After the bet was witnessed, Bai revealed he had already consumed the Dark Gold Shoulder Guard listed in his shop and insisted he would win.

• Li Beihai confronted Fu Yiping and Wu Chonglian over Super God Guild’s rejected application to explore the Newborn Treasure Ground Space, while Bai Xiaowen argued that White Phoenix Team’s strength justified a place.
• Yang Yongkang explained that only three teams could enter, and that Titan Guild, Radiance Guild, and Jingwu Guild had been approved.
• Bai Xiaowen challenged Wu Chonglian to wager Jingwu Guild’s expedition slot against one item from Bai’s shop on the teams’ match at the end of the month.
• Wu Chonglian accepted, and Yang Yongkang and Fu Yiping agreed to witness the bet, with Bai’s current shop inventory fixed as the selection pool.
• After leaving the office, Bai told Li Beihai and Old Demon that he had fed the Dark Gold Shoulder Guard to Butcher, and Li promised the guild would cover any loss.

Wu Chonglian dismissed concerns about Bai Xiaowen’s connections and prepared to face the White Phoenix Team, which trained hard before its match against Jingwu. On the twenty-eighth, the teams’ local derby began at Jinghai Stadium, with the Jingwu Team introduced first.

• Wu Chonglian learned from Fu Yiping that Qiao Rui belonged to the influential Qiao Faction but remained determined to challenge Bai Xiaowen.
• Han Xu received several calls and messages after training and left his teammates to handle something.
• Bai Xiaowen brought Cecilia to train with the White Phoenix Team, then promised to take her adventuring after White Stone Fief’s expansion was complete.
• The White Phoenix Team won two matches against a weaker opponent by wide margins while holding back some of its strength.
• The White Phoenix Team and Jingwu Team met at Jinghai Stadium, where commentators Memory and Ai Li introduced the Jingwu Team to the crowd.

White Phoenix Team began its True Kill Mode match against Jingwu Team on a zombie-infested city map. Unable to locate their opponents, Bai Xiaowen split his team into two groups and set out with Han Xu to prepare a battlefield at Aurora Plaza.

• Jingwu Team and White Phoenix Team were introduced, and the commentators revealed Bai Xiaowen and Wu Chonglian’s notarized wager.
• Jingwu Team banned King of the Hill Mode, White Phoenix Team gave up its ban, and the first match drew True Kill Mode on Zombie Maze City.
• Bai Xiaowen led White Phoenix Team into a supermarket, where Han Xu and Li Shuyi fought weak employee zombies and Bai Xiaowen identified their Corpse Poison Claw effect.
• Qiao Rui used Falcon Spirit to scout the city and found hundreds of thousands of zombies but no sign of Jingwu Team’s members.
• Bai Xiaowen split the team, sending Qiao Rui, Li Shuyi, and Cecilia together while he and Han Xu headed for Aurora Plaza to prepare a favorable battlefield.

The Jingwu Team used intelligence from Han Xu to ambush Bai Xiaowen at Aurora Plaza, but Bai Xiaowen’s allies were waiting nearby. After the initial attack failed, both teams engaged in a five-on-five battle.

• Wu Guangzong learned from Han Xu’s talisman that Bai Xiaowen was at Aurora Plaza and led the Jingwu Team there to attack him.
• Bai Xiaowen and Han Xu fought through the plaza’s Zombie horde with the help of Bai Xiaowen’s summoned creatures.
• Wu Guangzong ambushed Bai Xiaowen, but the Kusanagi Sword shortened the crowd control and Bai Xiaowen escaped the follow-up attack.
• Cecilia and Qiao Rui appeared and attacked the Jingwu Team, while Li Shuyi charged at the wounded Pang Yu.
• Tan Xiong warned that Li Shuyi’s swordsmanship was exceptionally advanced, and both teams took position for the five-on-five battle.

Bai Xiaowen revealed that Han Xu had deceived the Jingwu Team and led them into a prepared battlefield, where the White Phoenix Team gained the upper hand. Wu Guangzong then unleashed an S-rank Bone Domain scroll, challenging Bai Xiaowen’s summons as the battle escalated.

• Bai Xiaowen explained that Han Xu had accepted Jingwu’s 20,000-Psionic-Point deposit while feeding them outdated intelligence, and he taunted Wu Guangzong about leading the team to Aurora Plaza.
• Bai Xiaowen summoned his creatures and used Intimidation as Li Shuyi, Han Xu, Qiao Rui, and the others engaged the Jingwu Team.
• Li Shuyi overwhelmed Wu Guangzong with rapid attacks that dealt multiple damage types and damaged his gauntlets, while Pang Yu and Deng Zhou pressured Cecilia.
• Qiao Rui used Tether to pull Cecilia out of Pang Yu’s lightning spear attack, and Butcher and Bai Xiaowen tried to isolate Pang Yu.
• After Tan Xiong called for help, Wu Guangzong tore an S-rank Bone Domain scroll, summoning Ghosts and Skeleton Soldiers to challenge Bai Xiaowen’s army.

Wu Guangzong used powerful items to restrain Butcher and overwhelm Bai Xiaowen’s summon legion, but Delifa revived the corpses in Aurora Plaza into a vast army of Skeleton Soldiers. Bai Xiaowen’s superior numbers, creatures, and command broke the undead summoned by Bone Domain, leaving Wu Guangzong badly frustrated.

• Wu Guangzong used the Bone Domain scroll to summon Ghosts and Skeleton Soldiers, driving Li Shuyi and Han Xu back toward Bai Xiaowen.
• Wu Guangzong froze Butcher with Replica Zhonya's Hourglass, hoping the Bone Domain undead would decide the battle while Butcher was unable to act.
• Delifa began chanting, and Bai Xiaowen used a Berserk Talisman to make her immune to Wu Sihao's Land of Silence and let her finish the incantation.
• Delifa's Corpse Revival raised hundreds of Standard Template Skeleton Soldiers from the zombie corpses across Aurora Plaza.
• Bai Xiaowen led his Skeleton Soldiers against the Bone Domain undead, while Qiao Rui's Soul Melody weakened them, and his forces quickly routed Wu Guangzong's legion.

Wu Guangzong charged through Bai Xiaowen’s summoned army and targeted Li Shuyi, using a forced stun to set up his Molten Heavy Fist. Han Xu intercepted the attack with Cover and survived it, while his Damage Reflection wounded Wu Guangzong.

• Wu Guangzong used Phase Dive to rush through the summoned creatures toward Li Shuyi and slowed them with Savage Roar.
• Li Shuyi broke Savage Roar’s stun, but Concussive Shock’s higher-priority effect left her helpless for one second as Wu Guangzong raised his Molten Heavy Fist.
• Han Xu used his Zealous Defender Cover to reach Li Shuyi and block the blow, activating Steel Will, Ironclad Wall, and Zeal.
• Wu Guangzong’s strike engulfed Han Xu and Li Shuyi in lava, but Han Xu’s defenses absorbed much of the damage and he stood back up.
• Han Xu’s Damage Reflection returned part of the physical damage to Wu Guangzong, leaving the attacker pale and forcing him to step back.

The White Phoenix Team defeated Jingwu after Han Xu held off Wu Guangzong and Bai Xiaowen’s buffs and summoned skeletons overwhelmed the opposing team. Han Xu was named MVP, while Wu Chonglian regrouped and vowed that Jingwu would win the next two matches.

• Han Xu resisted Wu Guangzong’s attacks and kept him from breaking through to Li Shuyi.
• Bai Xiaowen activated Commanding Roar and Rageclaw used Howl, strengthening the White Phoenix Team as its skeleton army overwhelmed Jingwu.
• The White Phoenix Team defeated all five Jingwu members, and the audience celebrated the upset victory.
• Bai Xiaowen chose Han Xu as MVP, prompting Fu Yiping to remark that Jingwu had given up a promising tank.
• Wu Chonglian blamed Jingwu’s loss on underestimating White Phoenix and vowed to win the next two matches to secure the right to explore the North Hill Sands treasure site first.

After the White Phoenix Team defeated Jingwu five to zero, the teams entered the second match, Boss Challenge Mode. The White Phoenix Team arrived aboard a magical airship and received a mission to kill King Hastalara, who was also Jingwu’s target.

• Ai Li praised Bai Xiaowen and the White Phoenix Team, while Huiyi tried to explain Jingwu’s defeat.
• Bai Xiaowen banned Crystal Destruction Mode, Wu Guangzong banned Conquest Mode, and the teams drew Boss Challenge Mode.
• Wu Guangzong eliminated the agility boss type, and Bai Xiaowen eliminated the strength boss type.
• Bai Xiaowen and his teammates entered a large instance map aboard a magical airship above a fortress.
• Princess Angina assigned the White Phoenix Team the mission of killing King Hastalara, whose location would be marked every five minutes.

Bai Xiaowen led the White Phoenix Team into Haka Fortress to reach King Hastalara, while the Jingwu Team used catapults to board the human airship and advance toward Princess Angina. The White Phoenix Team continued deeper into the fortress and encountered a squad of Elite Tier Bloodtop Trolls.

• Bai Xiaowen warned Delifa not to absorb the souls of any Jingwu Team members and concluded that all five White Phoenix Team members had to advance under the scenario rules.
• Bai Xiaowen led the White Phoenix Team in parachuting into Haka Fortress and following the human paratroopers inside.
• Wu Guangzong ordered the Jingwu Team to use the fortress catapults to launch themselves onto the airship, and three members landed aboard while Wu Sihao and Deng Zhou climbed the anchor chains.
• Qiao Rui spotted the Jingwu Team aboard the airship, and Bai Xiaowen told his team to keep advancing toward King Hastalara.
• The White Phoenix Team defeated Bloodtop Trolls along its route and encountered a squad of eight Elite Tier Bloodtop Trolls.

The White Phoenix Team rapidly cleared Haka Fortress and reached King Hastara, while the Jingwu Team advanced against Princess Angina. Bai Xiaowen ordered his teammates to fight Hastara, then climbed onto the fortress roof to watch the Jingwu Team through his invisible Shadow Assassin as Angina neared defeat.

• Li Shuyi killed several Bloodtop Headhunters, while Bai Xiaowen and Han Xu helped defeat the Bloodtop Shaman Priests.
• The White Phoenix Team fought its way to the Bloodbone Throne and confronted King Hastara as the Jingwu Team brought Princess Angina below half health.
• Bai Xiaowen shared King Hastara's information, assigned his teammates to fight the boss, and leaped out of the fortress window.
• Bai Xiaowen climbed the voodoo-mask sculpture and used the Shadow Assassin's shared vision to watch the Jingwu Team battle Princess Angina.
• Princess Angina continued fighting with ice magic and Magic Missile, but she was close to exhaustion.

Bai Xiaowen used a surprise summon assault and Princess Angina’s attacks to wipe out the Jingwu Team, while his teammates defeated King Hastara and secured the White Phoenix Team’s victory. After the match, Li Beihai claimed the wagered right to explore the New Treasure Ground Space in North Hill Sands.

• Bai Xiaowen dropped his summons onto the Jingwu Team’s airship, disrupting their fight against Princess Angina and trapping their ranged attackers.
• Princess Angina’s Ice Storm and Blizzard, coordinated with Bai Xiaowen’s summons, killed Deng Zhou, Pang Yu, and Wu Sihao before the remaining Jingwu members were wiped out.
• Bai Xiaowen returned to the Bloodbone Throne as his teammates finished off King Hastara, winning the match for the White Phoenix Team.
• The commentators and audience praised Bai Xiaowen’s performance, while Li Beihai celebrated the shutout in front of Wu Chonglian.
• Li Beihai asked Yang Yongkang to honor their wager and grant him the right to explore the New Treasure Ground Space in North Hill Sands, and Yang Yongkang agreed.

After the White Phoenix Team defeated Jingwu, Jinghai newspapers argued over the upset while Jingwu dealt with the fallout from its loss. Ouyang Heng and Qi Ruifeng watched the match and resolved to train harder as Bai Xiaowen’s team continued to grow stronger.

• Jinghai newspapers split between praising the White Phoenix Team and making excuses for Jingwu, which had to hand over its B-Tier mission qualification to the Super God Guild.
• Liu Fei found his Contribution Points record marked normal, failed to reach Wu Guangming, and blamed Jingwu’s defeat on the main team rather than himself.
• Wu Chonglian and Wu Guangzong blamed Liu Fei for passing along Han Xu’s false intelligence but decided to leave him in limbo to avoid exposing the guild’s bribe.
• Ouyang Heng, Qi Ruifeng, and Wu Chaojie watched the match and were struck by how much Bai Xiaowen’s teammates, especially Li Shuyi and Han Xu, had improved.
• Qi Ruifeng urged Ouyang Heng to spend their Psionic Points on Spirit Realm Tickets and aim for level eight within six months, and Ouyang Heng agreed.

White Phoenix finished Competition Month tied for first place in the Southeast Division, and Bai Xiaowen took Xiao Jun shopping during the team’s break. The chapter left Xiao Jun preparing for her future combat-class assessment while Bai Xiaowen remained cautious about when she should enter the Spirit Realm.

• White Phoenix won every December match two to zero and finished tied with Silver Frost Team at the top of the division with 42 points.
• Bai Xiaowen gave White Phoenix a short rest and agreed to take Xiao Jun and Li Shuyi shopping.
• Xiao Jun chose Crimson Fire High School’s combat class and looked forward to her aptitude assessment the following semester.
• Bai Xiaowen decided Xiao Jun should wait until she was at least sixteen and well prepared before attempting her Awakening Quest.
• Bai Xiaowen bought Xiao Jun clothes, then waited outside while she and Li Shuyi went into a lingerie shop.

Bai Xiaowen gathered the White Phoenix Team after the North Hill Sands Treasure Ground Space stabilized and prepared them for its dangerous first exploration. After signing the required agreements and receiving entry permits and a rough map, the team headed for the site and encountered Ling Feng’s Titan Guild team.

• Li Beihai called Bai Xiaowen to announce that the new Treasure Ground Space had opened, and Bai gathered the White Phoenix Team early.
• Bai Xiaowen warned the team that explorers might be separated and unable to leave before someone activated the Space Stone; Han Xu chose to join despite Bai’s concerns.
• Bai Xiaowen and the others signed the written pledge and Spirit Realm Rules agreement at the Awakened Association, then received permits and a rough map from Yang Yongkang.
• The White Phoenix Team set out for the North Hill Sands and encountered Ling Feng and the Titan Guild team at the association.
• Qiao Rui and Li Shuyi assessed the Titan team’s levels and classes, finding its lineup less impressive than they had expected.

The White Phoenix Team entered the New Treasure Ground Space, where Bai Xiaowen suspected that veteran Awakened Ling Feng possessed multiple Awakening Skills. Separated from his teammates after arriving, Bai Xiaowen followed two ghostly children through the mist and reached a group of grassy mounds.

• Bai Xiaowen told the team that Insight had revealed at least two unknown skills on Ling Feng, which he believed were Awakening Skills.
• The White Phoenix Team traveled to North Hill Sands and entered the New Treasure Ground Space through its Spatial Rift.
• Bai Xiaowen found himself alone in the cold, mist-covered space and set out to locate his teammates and head toward the central area.
• Two children ran past Bai Xiaowen, and one revealed black eyes streaked with blood before vanishing into the mist.
• Bai Xiaowen followed the children's voices for more than ten kilometers until the nursery rhyme stopped and he spotted several grassy mounds.

Bai Xiaowen explored a graveyard, discovered that its elderly caretaker was a vanished ghost, and continued toward Locust King Village. He then learned that an unseen, bloodied woman had attached herself to his back.

• Bai Xiaowen harvested Jade-Phosphor Flowers from the graveyard and met an elderly woman protected by the Blessing of the Netherwhite Stone.
• The woman named Locust King Village and warned Bai Xiaowen to leave, but he followed her directions and secretly sent the Shadow Assassin to investigate her.
• The Shadow Assassin found the woman had vanished from an empty, dust-covered hut, and Bai Xiaowen suspected she had been a ghost.
• Bai Xiaowen noticed an Unclean Haunting status and summoned Kitz, who described a long-haired woman clinging to his back.
• As Kitz described the woman's long hair, nails, and bloodied clothes, Bai Xiaowen felt the details become physically real and stopped him.