Chapter Summaries

Bai Xiaowen defeated Kilgaz in a duel, spared his life, then provoked him and the Shadowblade Clan. Master Rul warned that the clan would send its strongest warrior to challenge Bai Xiaowen.

• Rageclaw broke free of Master Rul and two Orc warriors, then pinned and mounted Harekin as Bai Xiaowen declared victory over Kilgaz.
• Master Rul recognized Bai Xiaowen’s right to kill Kilgaz, but Bai Xiaowen spared him and had the wounded Orc treated.
• Kilgaz left with his guards, but Bai Xiaowen insulted the Shadowblade Clan and provoked Kilgaz into threatening retaliation.
• Bai Xiaowen told Master Rul that he had provoked Kilgaz to damage his standing, while also explaining that he had spared him.
• Master Rul warned Bai Xiaowen that the Shadowblade Clan would uphold its honor by sending its strongest warrior to issue a challenge he could not refuse.

Bai Xiaowen used Rageclaw’s victory over Fenrir to win Harekin’s devotion and press Rul to hand over the Mother of Direwolves. Rul agreed to take Bai Xiaowen’s offer to King Kamush, leaving Harekin’s fate to the king’s decision.

• Rageclaw rose after defeating Fenrir, and Harekin followed him and tended his wounds.
• Rul asked Bai Xiaowen to give him Rageclaw so Harekin could have his pups, but Bai Xiaowen refused.
• Bai Xiaowen proposed that Rul give him Harekin in exchange for a promise to secure benefits for the Orc Kingdom.
• Bai Xiaowen cited his influence among the Allied Powers and asked Rul to pass the proposal to King Kamush, who would decide whether to hand over Harekin.
• Rul accepted that he would relay Bai Xiaowen’s offer, while Bai Xiaowen privately regretted exploiting his goodwill.

Bai Xiaowen refused the Shadowblade Sword Saint’s challenge unless it was held at the Ring of Glory, where he planned to defeat the Sword Saint publicly and damage the Shadowblade Clan’s reputation. The chapter ended with the Sword Saint sitting beside the injured Kilgaz as the clan considered the challenge.

• Li Shuyi asked whether King Kamush would give Bai Xiaowen the Mother of Direwolves, and Bai Xiaowen interpreted Rul’s earlier words as a sign that the king would summon them to negotiate.
• Two Shadowblade Orcs delivered a dagger and challenged Bai Xiaowen on behalf of the Shadowblade Sword Saint.
• Bai Xiaowen demanded that the duel take place at the Ring of Glory, but refused the challenge when the Orcs explained that only those who completed the Road of Glory could enter.
• Bai Xiaowen told Rul that he wanted to defeat the Sword Saint before everyone and undermine the Shadowblade Clan’s reputation.
• Bai Xiaowen told Li Shuyi that the Sword Saint would agree to the venue and that they could find a way to switch challengers later.
• The injured Kilgaz recovered in bed while the Shadowblade Sword Saint sat beside him.

King Kamush tried to keep Bai Xiaowen from dueling the Shadowblade Sword Saint and offered Mother of Direwolves Harekin in exchange for Bai Xiaowen surveying the Jagul Plateau for an Earth Vein Corridor. Bai Xiaowen accepted the mission but insisted on keeping the duel, then privately proposed a plan that King Kamush agreed to keep secret.

• The Shadowblade Sword Saint accepted Bai Xiaowen's terms and agreed to duel him in the Ring of Glory.
• King Kamush visited Bai Xiaowen and warned that the Shadowblade Sword Saint would not fall for the tactic Bai Xiaowen used against Kilgaz.
• King Kamush offered Halaken to persuade Bai Xiaowen to abandon the duel, but Bai Xiaowen refused on grounds of honor.
• King Kamush offered Mother of Direwolves Harekin if Bai Xiaowen surveyed the Jagul Plateau and found the Earth Vein Corridor entrance, and Bai Xiaowen accepted the quest.
• Bai Xiaowen said he would still duel the Shadowblade Sword Saint and whispered a proposal to King Kamush, who agreed to keep it secret.

At the Shadowblade Clan’s Ring of Glory, Li Shuyi entered the arena in place of her brother Bai Xiaowen, who was searching for the Earth Vein Corridor to prevent another earthquake. The Shadowblade Sword Saint refused to postpone the duel, and Li Shuyi began the fight.

• The Shadowblade Sword Saint arrived at the packed Ring of Glory and demanded to know where Bai Xiaowen was.
• Li Shuyi swept into the arena, revealed herself, and announced that she would duel the Sword Saint in her brother’s place.
• The Shadowblade Sword Saint demanded that Li Shuyi be executed for insulting the sacred duel, while King Kamush asked her to explain.
• Li Shuyi said Bai Xiaowen had gone to find the Earth Vein Corridor, and Great Shaman Isgu confirmed that his student Mulkan had accompanied him.
• The Shadowblade Sword Saint rejected postponement and insisted that only one person could leave the ring alive.
• Li Shuyi drew her two longswords, and King Kamush declared the duel begun.

Li Shuyi dueled the Shadowblade Sword Saint, using superior swordsmanship, Blood Drain, and summoned helpers to gain an advantage despite his overwhelming attributes. After her Strength-draining effect expired, the Shadowblade Sword Saint recovered his Strength and announced that he would take the offensive.

• Li Shuyi and the Shadowblade Sword Saint exchanged blows, and both recognized the other's skill as they tested each other's strengths.
• The Shadowblade Sword Saint forced Li Shuyi onto the defensive with powerful strikes, but she used Blood Drain to steal 16 Strength and wound him.
• The Shadowblade Sword Saint activated Ancestor's Glory and tried to outlast Li Shuyi's temporary advantage by fleeing around the arena.
• Li Shuyi summoned six Iron Fist Sect fighters to block the Shadowblade Sword Saint, then landed three strikes and brought both of her passives to four stacks.
• The Shadowblade Sword Saint used Shadow Assault, but the snake patterns on Li Shuyi's cloak stunned him long enough for her to counterattack before he escaped using his psionic item.
• When Blood Drain's 30-second effect ended, the Shadowblade Sword Saint recovered his Strength and declared that his turn had come.

Li Shuyi used poison, blinding powder, and the Crimson Firmament Sword’s weapon-damaging effects to gain the advantage over the Shadowblade Sword Saint. After surviving his Invincible Slash with the Void Ring’s Intangibility, she broke his sword and held a blade to his throat.

• Li Shuyi weakened the Shadowblade Sword Saint with Bone-Softening Powder and pressed her advantage while his stamina drained.
• She blinded him with Blinding Powder, built her Oni Warrior and Combat Zeal stacks to their maximum, and fought him until his sight returned.
• The Shadowblade Sword Saint discovered that repeated clashes had nearly destroyed his weapon, then launched Invincible Slash at Li Shuyi.
• Li Shuyi activated the Void Ring’s Intangibility, causing his attacks to miss and leaving his sword to break against her swords.
• Li Shuyi held a sword against the Shadowblade Sword Saint’s throat.

Li Shuyi defeated Tanzgolu Shadowblade in the Ring of Glory, then honored his demand for a glorious death and was acknowledged as the new Sword Saint. She began awakening Shadowless Slash, but the Spirit Realm Rules required her to pay 50,000 Psionic Points.

• Tanzgolu Shadowblade refused to accept defeat, cut his own throat, and insisted that the duel continue until one of them died.
• Li Shuyi attacked Tanzgolu with everything she had until his wounds left him unable to fight.
• Tanzgolu declared that the Ring of Glory allowed only one survivor, and Li Shuyi killed him with a strike through the heart.
• Tanzgolu acknowledged Li Shuyi as the new Sword Saint before he died, while Marshal Kilgaz carried away his brother's body and vowed the Shadowblade Clan would reclaim the title.
• Li Shuyi received notice that she could awaken Shadowless Slash, chose to do so, and learned that it would cost 50,000 Psionic Points.

Bai Xiaowen traveled across the Jagul Plateau with Mulkan while trusting Li Shuyi to face the Shadowblade Sword Saint. Li Shuyi returned safely after completing her Awakening Skill quest and showed Bai Xiaowen her powerful Shadowless Slash ability.

• Bai Xiaowen and Mulkan reached Great Jilun Ridge, more than 700 kilometers from Redstone Valley, and discussed Li Shuyi's duel.
• Bai Xiaowen explained that Li Shuyi had prepared extensively to defeat the Shadowblade Sword Saint, including carrying an S-Tier item as a contingency.
• Bai Xiaowen sensed that Li Shuyi had returned, and White Eagles Yi-Yi and Er-Er brought her to meet him.
• Li Shuyi reunited with Bai Xiaowen and said she had flown for four or five hours to catch up with him.
• Li Shuyi told Bai Xiaowen that she had completed the Awakening Skill quest and revealed that Shadowless Slash became a powerful, slot-free ability at Mastery Tier Rank.

Bai Xiaowen and Li Shuyi discussed how her Shadowless Slash Awakening Skill worked, including its range, stamina cost, and combat uses. Li Shuyi explained how her agility increased its range, and Bai Xiaowen asked why she had not named the skill yet.

• Li Shuyi told Bai Xiaowen that Shadowless Slash had almost no cooldown but caused physical strain, and that waiting thirty seconds let her use it at full power again.
• Li Shuyi demonstrated that each slash could carry her to a point within thirty-three meters of her current position, letting her chain attacks or escape.
• Li Shuyi said she could make seven effective slashes in two and a half seconds, or nine with her passive stacks, and explained that enemies would need a skill like Blink to escape her reach.
• Bai Xiaowen advised Li Shuyi to use the skill to dodge area attacks instead of wasting it on straight-line movement.
• Li Shuyi explained that her thirty-three-meter range came from her agility and could reach fifty-one meters at 102 agility.
• Bai Xiaowen pointed out that Li Shuyi could name the Awakening Skill and asked why she had not chosen a name.

Li Shuyi named her new Awakening Skill Invincible Slash, and Bai Xiaowen reflected on how Awakening Skills could grow beyond ordinary skill slots. Their group was ambushed by Sand Scorpionfolk on the Jagul Plateau, and Li Shuyi opened the fight by killing one with repeated strikes.

• Li Shuyi named her Awakening Skill Invincible Slash in honor of the Shadowblade Sword Saint, and Bai Xiaowen discussed how Awakening Skills differed from ordinary skills.
• Bai Xiaowen considered awakening Talisman Switching after Summon Angerclaw, then agreed with Li Shuyi to focus on Summon Angerclaw first.
• During Mulkan’s watch, Bai Xiaowen warned that a group of approaching creatures was easy to handle and told the others to leave them to Charlotte.
• Mulkan recognized the attackers as Sand Scorpionfolk from the Jagul Plateau, and Bai Xiaowen explained their defenses and burrowing ability.
• Li Shuyi used Invincible Slash to strike one Sand Scorpionfolk repeatedly in the face, shattering its carapace and killing it.

Li Shuyi and Bai Xiaowen cleared the Sand Scorpionfolk hunting party, then followed its trail into the tribe’s underground den. Deep inside, they encountered a level-nine Sand Scorpion Chief and a group of Elite fighters, and Li Shuyi charged forward to face the chief.

• Li Shuyi used Invincible Slash to build her passive stacks and killed the Sand Scorpionfolk at their campsite while Bai Xiaowen controlled them.
• Bai Xiaowen told Mulkan to stay out of ordinary fights so Li Shuyi could gain combat experience, then summoned Rageclaw to track the Sand Scorpionfolk.
• The group entered the tribe’s foul-smelling network of tunnels, avoided poisonous beetles, and Li Shuyi killed the Standard Template Sand Scorpionfolk they encountered.
• Bai Xiaowen led the group through the branching tunnels to the den’s depths, where a Sand Scorpion Chief burst through a wall with more than a dozen Elite Sand Scorpionfolk.
• The Sand Scorpion Chief spoke in the Common Tongue and attacked, and Li Shuyi rushed forward to fight him.

Bai Xiaowen and Li Shuyi defeated the Sand Scorpion Chief, then searched the cavern and opened their treasure chests. Bai Xiaowen found no direct clue, but suspected the Sand Scorpionfolk had contact with outsiders because their chief spoke the Common Continental Language.

• Bai Xiaowen wounded the Sand Scorpion Chief while Li Shuyi fought past the Elite Tier Sand Scorpionfolk, aided by Bai Xiaowen’s summoned creatures.
• Li Shuyi used Invincible Slash to evade the chief’s attacks and kill him without taking damage, then collected his Golden Treasure Chest.
• Bai Xiaowen sent Mulkan to search the tunnel the chief had broken through while he searched the cavern for clues.
• Li Shuyi opened five Silver Treasure Chests and the chief’s chest, finding armor, a Three-Star Enhancement Card, Sand Scorpion Eyeballs, a Rolling Stone Impact Skill Book, and Gold Equipment.
• Bai Xiaowen explained that he suspected the Sand Scorpionfolk had contact with outsiders because their chief could speak simple words in the Common Continental Language.

Bai Xiaowen and his companions investigated the Sand Scorpionfolk nest, then discovered that Aberrant Snakefolk were searching the Jagul Plateau. They followed the Snakefolk, learning that Halofinsen may be seeking the Earth Vein Corridor and threatening the plateau.

• Bai Xiaowen gave the Sand Scorpion's Sting dagger to Kitz and examined water-infused chitin that Mulkan found in the nest.
• Bai Xiaowen sensed approaching creatures and hid with his companions as three big-headed Snakefolk entered the nest.
• The Snakefolk searched the nest, found the Sand Scorpion Chief dead, and left to report what they had discovered.
• Li Shuyi identified the Snakefolk as Aberrants, and Bai Xiaowen sent the Shadow Assassin to follow them.
• Bai Xiaowen told Mulkan that Halofinsen could locate Earth Vein Nodes and that the Snakefolk Grand Overlord might flood the Jagul Plateau if they reached the Earth Vein Corridor.

Bai Xiaowen called on the Camelot Queen for reinforcements so he could capture Observer Halofinsen and prevent him from escaping by teleportation. After Mage Catherine and three Archmages arrived, Bai put his plan into motion as Halofinsen’s survey work brought the Snakefolk closer to the Earth Vein Corridor.

• Bai Xiaowen recalled the Shadow Assassin outside the Snakefolk stronghold and decided not to pursue Halofinsen without a plan to stop his teleportation.
• Li Shuyi suggested calling for reinforcements, and Bai contacted the Camelot Queen, who agreed to send Mage Catherine and three Royal Archmages to restrict teleportation magic.
• Bai Xiaowen and his companions waited in hiding while the Snakefolk moved around their stronghold, but Halofinsen did not appear.
• Mage Catherine and the three Archmages arrived on the Jagul Plateau, and Bai Xiaowen began carrying out his plan.
• Halofinsen inspected a deep survey cavern, ordered the slaves to move to another site, and told the Snakewoman that the next survey point was likely close to their goal.

Halofinsen found the Earth Vein Corridor beneath Jagul Plateau and began searching for a node to destroy, but Bai Xiaowen and his allies ambushed him there. Halofinsen summoned Snake Mother Jia Gelila and her powerful Multi-armed Snakewomen, setting up a confrontation inside the sealed corridor.

• Halofinsen found the Earth Vein Corridor beneath Jagul Plateau and ordered his Mutated Snakefolk to map its network and locate vulnerable nodes.
• Bai Xiaowen, Li Shuyi, Mulkan, and four archmages appeared and used a Spatial Interference Formation to prevent teleportation.
• Bai Xiaowen summoned his creatures and confronted Halofinsen, who claimed he had assessed Bai Xiaowen's strength and called for Jia Gelila.
• Jia Gelila arrived with more than a dozen powerful Multi-armed Snakewomen and introduced herself as Snake Mother.
• Bai Xiaowen used Insight on the Snakewomen while Jia Gelila's companion urged him to surrender.

Bai Xiaowen’s group was surrounded by Snakefolk led by Snake Mother Jia Gelila, who admitted the attack was an ambush. Bai Xiaowen revealed that the Guardian Faction had anticipated the trap, exposed Catherine as the suspected spy, and brought King Kamush and the Camelot Queen as reinforcements to capture Halofinsen and strike the Snakefolk.

• Snake Mother Jia Gelila trapped Bai Xiaowen’s group with the Spatial Interference Formation and surrounded them with Snakewoman bosses.
• Bai Xiaowen deduced that the Snakefolk’s attack was a planned ambush and accused Catherine of betraying the Guardian Faction.
• King Kamush and the Camelot Queen appeared with their forces, having hidden nearby with illusion magic.
• Bai Xiaowen explained that Catherine had leaked the Surface Operations Plan and that the Queen and Kamush were the real backup.
• Bai Xiaowen revealed that the plan was to capture Halofinsen, expose Catherine, and deal a heavy blow to the Snakefolk.

Catherine confessed to betraying the Human Alliance and explained that years of abuse had driven her to embrace the Abyss Faction. As the Snakefolk fled and the allies argued over Catherine’s fate, Bai Xiaowen urged them to pursue the Snake Mother and capture Halofenson.

• Catherine admitted that she had sold the Human Alliance’s intelligence and blamed her hatred of humanity on her abusive past.
• Bai Xiaowen suspected the statue in Hodge Town had influenced Catherine, but she insisted her betrayal was her own choice.
• Jia Gelila ordered the Snakewomen to retreat, while Li Shuyi intercepted Halofenson and stopped his escape.
• The Camelot Queen restrained Catherine, but King Kamush wounded her before the queen halted his attack.
• Bai Xiaowen persuaded the queen and King Kamush to leave Catherine’s trial to the Continental Council and focus on capturing the fleeing Snakefolk.
• King Kamush led the Orcs into the Earth Vein Corridor as Jia Gelila covered the Snakewomen’s retreat.

Bai Xiaowen and his allies captured Halofinsen, but Snake Mother Jia Gelila petrified the pursuing Orc leaders and escaped. After the Orcs recovered, King Kamush thanked Bai Xiaowen for discovering the danger to the Earth Vein Corridor and promised to honor his reward, while guards were assigned to protect the site.

• Bai Xiaowen, Li Shuyi, and the Camelot Queen captured Halofinsen after defeating the remaining Snakefolk.
• Bai Xiaowen and Li Shuyi found the pursuing Orc leaders turned to stone by Snake Mother Jia Gelila's Snake Mother's Hair and decided not to continue the chase.
• Bai Xiaowen used Insight to learn that King Kamush and the other Orc leaders would recover from petrification after five minutes.
• The Orc leaders awoke and described how Jia Gelila's snake-like hair and glowing eyes had petrified them.
• King Kamush thanked Bai Xiaowen for finding the Earth Vein Corridor and pledged to give him Mother of Direwolves.
• King Kamush assigned Orc warriors to guard the Earth Vein Corridor, and Bai Xiaowen, Li Shuyi, the Camelot Queen, and the mage corps escorted the prisoners back to Redstone City.

Bai Xiaowen completed his quest to obtain Harekin’s nameplate, then joined the Camelot Queen and King Kamush to interrogate Halofinsen and Catherine. Halofinsen revealed that he had discovered another entrance to the Earth Vein Corridor, but the chapter ended before he could explain where it was.

• Rul gave Bai Xiaowen the Mother of Direwolves’ Nameplate, completing The Prophet’s Mission and allowing him to summon Harekin.
• An Orc warrior summoned Bai Xiaowen to the Redstone Throne, where King Kamush and the Camelot Queen held Halofinsen and Catherine captive.
• Halofinsen offered to defect to the Guardian Faction, claiming he had once been human and had helped the Snakefolk under duress.
• Bai Xiaowen questioned Halofinsen about the Grand Overlord and the Earth Vein Corridor, warning him not to lie.
• Halofinsen admitted that he had found another entrance to the Earth Vein Corridor.