Chapter Summaries

Zong Shen washed up after a tiring day, then woke the next morning and reviewed his territory’s growing population and development with Maryl. With a thousand people now under his care, he considered training farmers as miners and asked whether the new refugees included anyone especially talented.

• Zong Shen avoided the Hot Spring Cabin, washed himself and his equipment at a residential bathhouse, then returned to the Lord’s Small Building and slept beside Luna.
• After waking, Zong Shen planned to sell accumulated low-grade equipment during the upcoming Flame Demon Boss event and reviewed the territory’s training arrangements.
• Zong Shen summoned Maryl, praised her work, and learned that she had planted trees and was reorganizing recent refugees.
• Maryl showed Zong Shen her records, which listed 752 non-combatant residents, 152 warriors, 268 Kobolds, and seven prisoners, among other groups.
• Zong Shen considered training two hundred farmers as miners and asked Maryl whether any newly arrived refugees had notable talents.

Zong Shen assigned the new administrative heroes and miners, then discovered that Maryl’s aptitude had naturally improved through her work. He visited the library to begin studying for Charisma, but left when the morning heat became intense and went to see Favid.

• Maryl reported the refugees’ aptitudes, and Zong Shen placed the two Hero Aptitude newcomers under her and Howie’s supervision.
• Zong Shen instructed Maryl to send 200 farmers to the Mine under Dutra’s guidance and to assemble the available heroes and forces for an expedition before noon.
• Zong Shen noticed that Maryl’s aptitude had risen naturally from Excellent Grade to Rare Grade, supporting his belief that study and responsibility could improve aptitude.
• At the library, Zong Shen selected Gluck’s Marching Memoirs and discovered that focused reading sped up its completion progress.
• After reading for over an hour, Zong Shen left the library and realized the morning heat had grown unusually intense.
• Zong Shen followed the Strategy Module to Favid’s residence and knocked on the locked door.

Zong Shen visited the injured Favid, took his Staff of Slaughter for Tasia to use, and recalled Amato as a Hero Soul in the Warrior Hero Soul Tower. He then ordered the Guide Legion to participate in the upcoming Flame Demon Boss battle and made attendance a test for retaining membership.

• Zong Shen found Favid recovering from his shoulder wound and ordered him to rest instead of joining the expedition.
• Zong Shen borrowed Favid's Staff of Slaughter for Tasia and left Moon Goddess Spring to help Favid recover.
• Zong Shen used the Warrior Hero Soul Tower to recall Amato the Wolf Cavalry, which produced a Tier 2 Warrior Training Manual.
• Zong Shen found that Maryl had already claimed the Magic Hall's magic book and Hero Soul Tower's Training Manuals.
• Zong Shen ordered all Guide Legion members to join the Flame Demon Boss campaign and told Jiang Yi to track attendance and remove members who failed to show.

Zong Shen prepared his territory for the Heatwave Challenge, opened treasure chests, and obtained advanced farmland blueprints and a Rare Grade Iron-Forging Hammer. He planned to bring the hammer to Dwarf Uncle, while Vereesa arrived with the Frost Raven to help cool the building.

• Zong Shen reviewed the ice cellar and cold storage preparations for the Heatwave Challenge, then asked Vereesa to bring the Frost Raven to cool the Lord's Small Building.
• Zong Shen set aside a trapped Silver Treasure Chest and two Black Iron Treasure Chests, then opened the Bronze and three Silver Treasure Chests.
• Zong Shen learned the Intermediate Fertile Farmland and Advanced Farmland blueprints, which offered larger plots and improved crop growth and yields.
• Zong Shen learned a Tier 4 Giant Cannon Tower blueprint and a Tier 4 Frost Trap blueprint to strengthen the territory's defenses.
• Zong Shen decided to bring the Rare Grade Iron-Forging Hammer to Dwarf Uncle and check on the Jet Augmentation Gear for Eagle Sauce.
• Vereesa entered the Lord's Small Building carrying an iron chain as a large shadow blocked the doorway.

Zong Shen used Frost Raven to cool Lord's Small Building while preparing his forces for the Flame Demon Boss battle. He opened the last Golden Treasure Chest, gained a powerful arrow tower blueprint and a Level 5 City Lord's Mansion Upgrade Credential, then began inspecting the remaining loot from the Torrent Tribe.

• Zong Shen had Frost Raven blow cold air into Lord's Small Building, then ordered Vereesa to summon Maryl, nineteen Lion Skeleton Knights, and twelve Rhodok Crossbowmen for the afternoon battle.
• Zong Shen opened the Golden Treasure Chest and obtained a Fifth Order Elemental Split Arrow Tower Construction Blueprint, a Level 5 City Lord's Mansion Upgrade Credential, a Pet Contract, a Third Order Elemental Arrow Tower blueprint, Fire Oil Arrows, and brandy.
• Zong Shen contacted Maryl and instructed her to place the new arrow towers, prioritizing the Fifth-Order Elemental Scatter Arrow Tower before the Flame Demon Boss respawned.
• Zong Shen examined the Fire Oil Arrows and Level 5 City Lord's Mansion Upgrade Credential, planning to upgrade the mansion toward its fortress form after clearing it out.
• Zong Shen inspected the Torrent Fish Spear, then picked up the murloc totem and hoped it would prove useful.

Zong Shen inspected the Rushing Current Tribe’s spoils, finding a water-storing pearl, a weapon for Tie Zhu, and a Legendary Tide Mark, then welcomed Tasia back with nineteen Lion Skeleton Knights. He left the Tide Mark in reserve and entrusted Tasia with indirect command of the knights.

• Zong Shen examined the Rushing Current Murloc Totem and found that it boosted murloc breeding and mutation.
• Zong Shen inspected the Water-Condensing Pearl, planned to nurture it and considered using its stored water against the Flame Demon Boss.
• Zong Shen examined the Blackbone Fish Spine and decided to give it to Tie Zhu while planning future expeditions by direction.
• Zong Shen discovered the Legendary Tide Mark and decided to keep it as a backup rather than give it to Milani.
• Tasia returned with nineteen Lion Skeleton Knights, and Zong Shen welcomed her and reaffirmed her role in commanding them.

Zong Shen upgraded his City Lord’s Mansion into a heavily fortified Level 5 Lord Fortress, then allocated his attribute, skill, and weapon proficiency points. He gathered Frost Gems of several grades as test samples for the Flame Demon Boss and left the chapter preparing to see whether they could damage it.

• Zong Shen ordered the Lion Skeleton Knights to assemble beside the northern city gate, and they obeyed his commands through the Lion Ring.
• Zong Shen used the Level 5 City Lord’s Mansion Upgrade Certificate to transform his manor into a fortified Lord Fortress with reinforced walls, gates, and firing positions.
• Zong Shen allocated four attribute points to Intelligence, raised Item Management and Rescue, and invested weapon proficiency points in Two-handed Weapon and Polearm.
• Zong Shen checked the time and went to the gem cellar to collect Frost Gems ranging from first to sixth tier for testing against the Flame Demon Boss.
• Zong Shen examined a fifth-tier Frost Gem and stored it in his Storage Grid.

As the temperature climbed above 40°C, Zong Shen checked on his territory and prepared Eagle Sauce’s Mana Jet Augmentation for the coming battle against the Flame Demon Boss. After testing the gear and confirming Eagle Sauce could handle its acceleration, he headed back to prepare his warriors for the noon campaign.

• Zong Shen endured the rising heat, drank water, and reminded Tasia to stay hydrated before driving to meet Eagle Sauce.
• Zong Shen and Dwarf Uncle fitted the modified Mana Jet Augmentation onto Eagle Sauce, and Zong Shen gave Dwarf Uncle the Iron-Forging Hammer (Purple).
• Zong Shen charged the augmentation and tested its three thrust settings while Eagle Sauce flew, confirming it could adapt even to the maximum acceleration.
• Zong Shen deactivated the augmentation and ordered Eagle Sauce back to the territory to prepare for the Flame Demon Boss campaign.

Zong Shen assembled his troops as the Heatwave Challenge began, then flew with the griffon squad to the Flame Demon Boss’s location. He arrived to find many nearby lords attacking the still-passive Boss and prepared to join the fight.

• Zong Shen reviewed his assembled warriors, assigned Colby to organize the expedition, and ordered Howie and Maryl to remain in the territory and monitor the troops for heatstroke.
• Vereesa confirmed that Moon Goddess Spring and Magic Spring had been distributed, and Zong Shen handed equipment to Canigia and Ricardo before the challenge began.
• Zong Shen summoned new Wolf Cavalry, Fire mages, and Earth Elementalists, while Colby integrated the new cavalry into the force.
• The Flame Demon Boss spawned about sixty-eight kilometers west of the territory, and Mogwen Sink 1989216 landed the first attack.
• Zong Shen flew with Eagle Sauce and the griffon squad to the Boss, where he found more than a dozen lords attacking its passive, five-million-health form.

Zong Shen led his forces into the battle against the Flame Demon and unleashed their ranged attacks to earn points. He tested Frost Gems against the boss, confirmed they could damage it, and began throwing a stronger gem at it.

• Zong Shen opened a portal to his territory, gathered his warriors, and led them toward the Flame Demon while leaving Wolf Cavalry to guard the portal.
• Zong Shen planted the King's Selection War Banner and ordered his archers, mages, Eagle Sauce, and the Griffon squad to attack the Flame Demon.
• Zong Shen told his melee forces to protect the ranged troops, then charged across the lava-split ground to test whether Frost Gems could harm the boss.
• Zong Shen shattered a First Order Frost Gem against the Flame Demon and confirmed its fragments dealt 593 damage through elemental conflict.
• Zong Shen struck a Tier 2 Frost Gem into six fragments and sent them crashing into the Flame Demon's body.

Zong Shen tested Frost Gems against the Flame Demon and used a huge stock of lower-order gems to help drive its health below 70%. He withdrew as the boss grew more aggressive, rejoining his warriors and the arriving members of the [Guide Legion].

• Zong Shen tested Second, Third, and Fourth Order Frost Gems, learning that higher-order gems dealt dramatically more damage and cooled the Flame Demon, while he saved his scarce Fifth and Sixth Order gems for later.
• Zong Shen continued attacking with First to Third Order Frost Gems as Lords and warriors gathered, while his mages rested and his archers replenished their arrows.
• The Flame Demon’s health fell below 70% after Zong Shen used hundreds of Frost Gems and dealt roughly 1.04 million damage, earning him more than 120,000 points.
• As the Flame Demon grew more restless and began spewing lava, Zong Shen retreated to his warriors; Jiang Yi and more than eighty members of the [Guide Legion] had arrived, and their group remained relatively peaceful amid the crowd’s clashes.

Zong Shen let the assembled Lords and the Guide Legion wear down the Flame Demon while he rested, confident that his earlier attacks had secured a large share of the points. As the Boss’s health fell to 57%, Vereesa returned with water and supplies, and another group of Lords arrived.

• Jiang Yi greeted Zong Shen and reported that she had verified the Guide Legion members who would participate and sent the unwilling ones away.
• Zong Shen told the Lords to attack freely, avoid the Flame Demon and its lava, and watch the Boss’s health while keeping themselves safe.
• Zong Shen withdrew his archers and melee troops, rested in Eagle Sauce’s shade, and assigned Vereesa to fetch water, replenish ammunition, and bring Reese Ulysses to mark the location and open a spatial passage.
• More than half an hour later, the Flame Demon’s health had fallen to 57%, and Vereesa returned with the filled Water-Condensing Pearl, arrows, crossbow bolts, and replacement strings.
• Another group of Lords arrived after more than two hours, by which time nearly three thousand Lords had gathered and the earliest arrivals had mostly withdrawn from the battle.

Zong Shen used high-tier Frost Gems to deal massive damage to the Flame Demon Boss and claimed the final blow, ending the first round of the regional subjugation battle. Three golden reward banners appeared after his victory, leaving him eager to see what they revealed.

• Medina arrived with the Light Chaser Legion and told Zong Shen that the first regional kill might earn an additional reward.
• Zong Shen ordered his troops to withdraw, then struck a Tier 6 Frost Gem with his Dragon-Slaying Greatsword and unleashed its magic against the Flame Demon Boss.
• Zong Shen used two Tier 5 Frost Gems to finish off the weakened, enraged Flame Demon Boss while the other lords fled the spreading fissures and magma.
• Zong Shen landed the final blow, received a golden Flame Demon Chest, points, and experience for his subjects, and saw three golden banners appear.

Zong Shen earned the domain-wide first-kill reward for defeating the Flame Demon, then arranged an equipment sale and promoted the Guide Legion. After returning to his territory, he took Maryl, Luna, Doris, and Vereesa to Lake Heart Island, where he admitted he had come mainly to take a bath.

• Zong Shen received the Flame Domain Nemesis title and a haul of rewards after the golden banners announced his first kill of the Flame Demon across the domain.
• Zong Shen ordered Jiang Yi to organize the gathered Lords and sell his stored equipment while Luna led the others away with the teleportation array.
• Zong Shen addressed the gathered Lords, announced the equipment sale and the Guide Legion's upcoming upgrade, then left the event to Jiang Yi.
• Zong Shen returned to his territory and took Maryl, Luna, Doris, and Vereesa to Lake Heart Island.
• Zong Shen stripped down and bathed in the lake, explaining to the women that he had come because it was cool and he wanted to take a bath.

Zong Shen learned that four Elven Keys could open the Natural Protection surrounding Azshara’s Well of Eternity, and decided to target the Goblin Tribe for the fourth key. After assigning tasks at the lake, he returned to his territory with Maryl.

• Maryl told Zong Shen that a green barrier had halted the excavation of the ruins beneath the Bandit Camp, and Luna identified it as Natural Protection powered by the Well of Eternity.
• Luna explained that four of Azshara’s nine Elven Keys could open the barrier, and Zong Shen chose the Goblin Tribe as his best target for obtaining another key.
• Zong Shen ordered Luna to cover the ruins until he obtained the fourth key and sent Vereesa to settle the Scorpion-tailed Tigers at their nest.
• Zong Shen teased Maryl at the lake, then changed and cleaned his gear before telling her they would return to the territory and arrange for the tigers to be housed near Xitano Village.
• Zong Shen and Maryl flew back to the territory on Eagle Sauce, using the Mana Jet Augmentation to make the trip in just over two minutes.

After defeating the Flame Demon Boss, Zong Shen inspected his rewards inside the newly upgraded Lord's Fortress and considered how to use them. He ended with a powerful new insignia, a Level 6 City Lord's Mansion upgrade certificate, and a growing suspicion that special rewards followed certain preferences.

• Zong Shen returned to the Lord's Fortress, examined its defensive layout, and opened his challenge-point and personal-status menus.
• Zong Shen saw that he had earned 426,572 challenge points and gained the [Flame Domain Nemesis] title, which boosted his fire resistance and offered future entry to the Scorching Flame Domain.
• Zong Shen matched the [Fate Cog Key] to his [Gear of Fate] and suspected that Jane Hedges possessed another Fate Series item.
• Zong Shen replaced his [Shadow Amulet] with the [Overlord's Insignia], increasing his strength, charisma, and command while lowering his agility.
• Zong Shen reviewed his three [Hero Emblems] and obtained a [Level 6 City Lord's Mansion Upgrade Certificate], which prompted him to consider whether special rewards favored certain items.

Zong Shen inspected the Flame Demon Boss rewards, including a legendary alchemy blueprint and a dragon-enhancing flower, then opened the Flame Demon Chest and examined its contents. He learned the Fourth-Order Elemental Mage Training Ground blueprint, leaving the remaining chest rewards to be put to use later.

• Zong Shen inspected the Advanced Alchemy Workshop blueprint and mastered it, though he lacked the required Intermediate Alchemy Workshop.
• Zong Shen discovered the Flower of Tiamat could greatly strengthen a chromatic dragon and stored it carefully.
• Zong Shen opened four resource chests and obtained advanced runes, magic energy crystals, and forged steel plates.
• Zong Shen opened the Flame Demon Chest and received an enchantment scroll, a mage training ground blueprint, and several other items.
• Zong Shen stored the Blazing Flame Enchantment Scroll and learned the Fourth-Order Elemental Mage Training Ground blueprint.

Zong Shen examined the Flame Demon battle rewards, learned blueprints for a training ground, Market, and compound fertilizer, and found an agricultural book. He opened the Lion Knight garrison’s Magic Storage Chest, discovered the powerful Silver Lion War Banner, and used it to recruit Lion Knights.

• Zong Shen learned the Fourth-Order Comprehensive Training Ground and Third Order Market blueprints, then considered searching dead lords’ territories for valuable assets.
• Zong Shen learned the compound fertilizer blueprint and examined Introduction to Agricultural Breeding, planning to develop farming and train skilled farmers in his territory.
• Zong Shen opened the Magic Storage Chest with his Silver Lion Ring and found a banner, map, silver lion, black potion, and faded badge.
• Zong Shen identified the banner as the epic Silver Lion War Banner, which strengthened nearby cavalry and could recruit Lion Knights without using his own Command Value.
• Zong Shen used the banner’s recruitment skill, and 24 Fourth Order Lion Garrison Knights and 12 Fifth Order Lion Charge Knights emerged from a golden portal and saluted him.

Zong Shen inspected the Lion Garrison Knights and Lion Charge Knights after using an upgrade voucher to raise his Lord's Fortress to Level 6. He appointed Arig as captain of the Garrison Knights, whose oath stirred the Lion Skeleton Knights, then began examining the stronger Charge Knights.

• Zong Shen activated the Level 6 City Lord's Mansion Upgrade Voucher, starting the Lord's Fortress upgrade.
• Zong Shen inspected the Fourth Order Lion Garrison Knight Arig and learned about the unit's defensive skills, equipment, and warhorses.
• Zong Shen appointed Arig Knight Captain, and the Lion Garrison Knights swore to defend his glory.
• The Lion Skeleton Knights broke away from Tasia and charged toward the Central District after hearing the Garrison Knights' oath.
• Zong Shen instructed the Garrison Knights to move to the residential area, then inspected the Fifth Order Lion Charge Knight Cobol and his abilities.

Zong Shen appointed Cobol to lead the Lion Charge Knights and reunited them with the Lion Skeleton Knights, then inspected the defenses added by the level-six Lord's Fortress upgrade. After surveying the strengthened fortress, he returned indoors and began examining a strategic map recovered from the Magic Storage Chest.

• Zong Shen appointed Cobol leader of the Lion Charge Knights, and the knights swore their oath of allegiance.
• The Lion Skeleton Knights arrived, saluted their living comrades, and joined them in honoring the Lion Knights Order; Zong Shen told Tasia to find them a suitable place to stay.
• Tasia led the knights away, while Zong Shen inspected the level-six fortress's expanded walls, gates, and defensive effects.
• Zong Shen considered further fortress upgrades and possible tunnels, then entered through the heavy steel portcullis.
• Zong Shen took a faded strategic map from the Magic Storage Chest and spread it on a table to examine it.