Recaps

Jiang Han enjoyed an expensive meal at a dwarven café, bought coffee and hamburger meat to take home, and stored the goods in her tail. After smoking A Lin’s tea tobacco and hearing Witches discuss Astral Exploration, she called a cat-driven Griffin Carriage and headed on her way.

• Jiang Han ate a lavish meal at a dwarven café and ordered four bags of coffee powder and ten bags of hamburger meat to bring home for Ovi and her guests.
• The dwarven witch explained that Viser coffee and cheese helped Witches recover magic power, and Jiang Han paid 461 yuan for her meal and purchases.
• Jiang Han rented a private smoking room, hid the goods in her tail, and smoked the heat-retaining tea tobacco A Lin had gifted her.
• Jiang Han overheard two Witches discussing the rising popularity of Astral Exploration and wondered how Chen Ligu, Li Li, and Chai Ying were doing in the subject.
• Jiang Han used the Cat Taxi app to call a cat-driven Griffin Carriage.

Jiang Han gathered the Sleeping Cats and the young witches for a trip to Duel Island to watch the Eileen Cup, while Chen Ligu prepared to pilot their airship. The airship took off with the group aboard, traveling above the crowded cloudway.

• Jiang Han counted the Sleeping Cats gathering outside her manor, while Ovi Lamp explained that Sha'er Lamp had lost at cards and had to sleep.
• Chen Ligu prepared the airship, warned everyone about Fire Butterfly Sprites, and took charge of the pilot seat.
• Afuna and Cleya joined Jiang Han, who explained that Liang Cuoyu and the others had gone ahead and that their family and the cats had nearby luxury boxes.
• The giant Cat Lamps boarded the high-end airship, followed by Jiang Han and the young witches.
• Chen Ligu secured Afuna and Cleya, released the airship's brakes, and set off along the cloudway toward Duel Island.

Jiang Han and her companions arrived at Duel Island’s luxury floating suite for a vacation, where the Cat Lamps settled in and the little witches ran ahead to their cottage. Jiang Han and Chen Ligu discussed how to keep the children occupied as they entered the ruby-flowered house.

• The airship landed at Floating Island No. 0297, where Ovi and the other cats swatted away raccoon dumplings that tried to help with their luggage.
• Jiang Han showed Cat Yeta the cozy suite, and Cat Yeta thanked her for the invitation before heading to a hot-spring cottage.
• Chen Ligu disembarked carrying Afuna and Cleya, who woke up, grabbed their luggage, and raced toward the middle cottage.
• Chen Ligu told Jiang Han about her harsh childhood training and her mothers’ punishments for their parenting experiments.
• Jiang Han suggested that Gray Mist Cat Lamp, Orange Cat Lamp, and their other neighbors entertain Afuna and Cleya, then entered the cottage with Chen Ligu.

Jiang Han settled into her room with Chen Ligu, then joined familiar witches at the Duel Island gathering before the preliminary groupings began. She met Maude Gray and heard about Wu Xian’s expedition to a desert world, leaving the event’s groupings just underway.

• Jiang Han admired the room and asked Chen Ligu to request an extra bed, then left to get sorted into a group.
• Jiang Han arrived at the eastern courtyard and found Lin Qiang, Qin Shunying, Wu Xian, and Maude Gray.
• Jiang Han greeted Maude Gray, the Whimsy Witch, and asked Qin Shunying whether she was competing.
• Jiang Han talked with Wu Xian about a desert world she had visited to collect dragon eggs.
• The preliminary round groupings began.

Jiang Han attended the Eileen Cup preliminary group draw, learned how seeded competitors were placed, and waited while the groups were announced. She was drawn into Group BV from the general pool and prepared to leave with her number tag, while her friends promised to watch her match.

• Elsa opened the Eileen Cup preliminary draw, and Eileen welcomed the competitors before the group selection began.
• The chapter explained the preliminary rules and how seeded witches were assigned to groups to favor their advancement.
• Qin Shunying discussed seeded competitor Kamijo Yukiko with Jiang Han, who said she might be assigned to a group with a seed.
• Jiang Han played eight rounds of Witch Cards while waiting and placed first in six games, second once, and fourth once.
• The draw assigned Jiang Han to Group BV as a general-pool competitor, and she told her friends to come watch her match.

Jiang Han used money from Jiang Xuan to buy fine ingredients for her family’s holiday meal and asked Connie to procure Golden Goat Dragon tails. Connie offered her twenty tails at a twenty-percent discount, and Jiang Han agreed to pay.

• Jiang Xuan transferred five hundred yuan to Jiang Han and told her to buy the finest ingredients.
• Jiang Han spotted Connie playing poker with Du Lingxuan and borrowed her away from the game.
• Du Lingxuan recruited Chu Yujun to take Connie’s place at the table.
• Jiang Han asked Connie for Golden Goat Dragon tails for her family’s holiday meal.
• Connie offered Jiang Han twenty tails at a twenty-percent discount, and Jiang Han agreed to settle the bill.

Jiang Han bought Golden Goat Dragon tails and other ingredients for a family barbecue, then invited Du Lingxuan to help drive them home. On the way, Du Lingxuan described her family, and they arrived at Floating Island No. 0297 with the Giant Cats waiting for the meat.

• Clerk Connie prepared twenty Golden Goat Dragon tails and extra meat for Jiang Han, who thanked her and prepared to leave.
• Du Lingxuan joined Jiang Han after losing some of her card-game stake to Chu Yujun, and Jiang Han asked her to drive one of the hovercraft.
• Jiang Han and Du Lingxuan chatted over the radio as they drove home, and Du Lingxuan told Jiang Han about her mothers and sisters.
• Jiang Han and Du Lingxuan arrived at Floating Island No. 0297, where the Giant Cats gathered around the hovercraft.

Jiang Han reached floating island No. 0296 with Du Lingxuan, who analyzed Jiang Han’s predictable casting habits and suggested a more aggressive strategy for her upcoming competition. The two continued trading barbs as they arrived, and Du Lingxuan paid Jiang Han for her share of the Golden Goat Dragon tail meat.

• Jiang Han asked the Ovi Lamp to find giant cats to unload the Golden Goat Dragon tails and a giant cat chef.
• Jiang Han and Du Lingxuan crossed the suspension bridge to floating island No. 0296 with Cat Carl carrying the cargo.
• Du Lingxuan pointed out Jiang Han’s three predictable casting responses and advised her to combine unrestricted necromancy with powerful evocation attacks.
• Jiang Han and Du Lingxuan argued about Lin Zhaojun’s rushdown and Du Lingxuan’s past team play.
• Du Lingxuan gave Jiang Han three thousand yuan for the Golden Goat Dragon tail meat as they arrived at the island.

Jiang Han brought Du Lingxuan to meet her mothers, then asked her to prepare her for the competition. Du Lingxuan lent Jiang Han a backup Witch liquor consumable set and began coaching her for the qualifiers.

• Jiang Han introduced Du Lingxuan to Jiang Xuan and stopped her from making a sarcastic remark about Jiang Han.
• Jiang Han brought Golden Goat Dragon tail meat to the hot spring and introduced Du Lingxuan to Ye Keshu.
• Jiang Han assigned the Giant Cats to cook and prepare barbecue, then asked Du Lingxuan for help with competition matters.
• Du Lingxuan lent Jiang Han a backup alcohol-based Witch liquor consumable set and outlined opening principles and tactical reserves.

After leaving Du Lingxuan, Jiang Han encountered Olivia, who tried to make her buy ice cream before giving her intelligence on her preliminary opponents. Jiang Han accepted the document and promised to do her best for the witches supporting her.

• Jiang Han thanked Du Lingxuan for the hospitality and wished her luck in the preliminaries before heading back toward Floating Island 0297.
• Jiang Han found Olivia waiting at the suspension bridge entrance, eating ice cream, and refused to buy her any until Olivia threatened to beat her up.
• Jiang Han agreed to buy Olivia ice cream the next day, and Olivia listed the flavors she wanted.
• Olivia gave Jiang Han a document with intelligence on her preliminary opponents and told her not to disappoint her supporters.
• Jiang Han took the document and headed home, saying she would do her best.

The BV Group qualifiers began as Jiang Han prepared for her first individual match and watched Zhao Xinyan face Yoshinaga Ikumi. Yoshinaga defeated Zhao with an Archwitch-style combination spell, leaving Zhao as Jiang Han’s next opponent.

• The BV Group qualifiers drew a huge crowd after Eileen’s spending attracted powerful witches from around the world.
• Du Lingxuan inspected Jiang Han’s equipment, then pointed out Kitty and her coach, Archwitch Ethel, as the main competition in the group.
• Zhao Xinyan and Yoshinaga Ikumi opened their match with defensive spell chains, then traded attacks and counters.
• Yoshinaga Ikumi defeated Zhao Xinyan with an Archwitch-style combination spell.
• Jiang Han learned that her next match would be against Zhao Xinyan.

Jiang Han faced Zhao Xinyan in her first individual match and defeated her with a fast combination of spells and close-range attacks. After four decisive victories, Jiang Han prepared for her fifth match, a direct clash with Kitty.

• Jiang Han assessed Zhao Xinyan and silently resolved to prove the results of her training.
• Jiang Han opened with Angelite's Seven-Attribute Spell, forcing Zhao Xinyan to defend with a rapidly cast elemental shield.
• Jiang Han closed the distance with Trickcraft space and attacked Zhao Xinyan, who countered with layered shields and defensive magic.
• Jiang Han struck Zhao Xinyan with Justice Like Winter and broke through her defenses with seven spell crystals, defeating her.
• Jiang Han won four matches in a row in under fifteen seconds each, leaving her fifth match against Kitty as the next major contest.

Kitty, awakened after surviving a battle with Eileen, fought Jiang Han in a featured match. Jiang Han’s spatial substitution and overwhelming spell attacks wore Kitty down, and Jiang Han won in three minutes and fifty-one seconds.

• Kitty abandoned Reason and embraced madness before facing Jiang Han.
• Jiang Han opened with seven-element spells and froze Kitty’s displaced mirror image, while Kitty used illusions and alchemical bombs to set a trap.
• Jiang Han unleashed Ghost Ships, corrosive rain, and Heart-Freezing Death Mist as she searched for Kitty and countered her Flash spell.
• Jiang Han used Cat’s Traction Technique to drag Kitty and a hill underground, but Kitty escaped with only part of her robe damaged.
• Jiang Han repeatedly switched positions and attacked without conserving magic, leaving Kitty exhausted.
• Kitty failed to evade Jiang Han’s final combo and was swallowed by seven waves of spells, giving Jiang Han the match in three minutes and fifty-one seconds.

Jiang Han advanced from the Eileen Cup preliminaries as the top seed, reflecting on how the single-life rules exposed the vast gap between Archwitches and top-tier witches. After celebrating at Sky Island No. 0297 with Du Lingxuan, she considered the daunting group stage ahead.

• Jiang Han finished the preliminaries with twelve wins and two losses, advancing as the top seed.
• Jiang Han realized top-tier witches’ immense immortality was the real source of their advantage, and understood why their training plans began with getting beaten up.
• Jiang Han returned to Sky Island No. 0297 with Du Lingxuan, and the two relaxed in a hot spring after their matches.
• Du Lingxuan told Jiang Han that Lin Zhaojun had barely advanced from her own preliminaries before winning the championship without another loss.
• Du Lingxuan asked whether Jiang Han had thought about the group stage, and Jiang Han said she would give it a try.

Jiang Han and Du Lingxuan relaxed in a hot spring, teased each other, and discussed nail polish before negotiating a spell trade. The chapter ended with Jiang Han agreeing to exchange her modified Ghost Ship spell for one of Du Lingxuan’s death spells below Level Seven, with extra spells possible if she chose a lower-level one.

• Jiang Han accidentally pushed Du Lingxuan beneath the water with her Giant Cat Strength, then apologized while Du Lingxuan rubbed her cat ears in retaliation.
• Jiang Han asked why Du Lingxuan made waterproof nail polish, and Du Lingxuan explained that witches used it while bathing together.
• Jiang Han persuaded Du Lingxuan to give her one bottle of blue-green gradient nail polish.
• Du Lingxuan asked to trade for Jiang Han’s modified Ghost Ship spell, which released a detection wave after colliding.
• Jiang Han agreed to trade the spell for a death spell below Level Seven and asked to see Du Lingxuan’s spell pool, requesting extra spells if she chose a lower-level one.

Jiang Han chose three Necromancy School spells built around healing herself, stealing enemies’ buffs, and disrupting their concentration, then shared obscure detection-spell information with Du Lingxuan. As they discussed the Eileen Cup’s brutal preliminaries, Jiang Han invited Du Lingxuan to play cards with Olivia, and Du Lingxuan eagerly accepted.

• Jiang Han selected Extract Life Essence, Undead Contract, and Curse Invocation as her spells, favoring healing and ways to sabotage opponents.
• Jiang Han handed Du Lingxuan a document with information about obscure detection spells to help her face witches using invisible midrange tactics.
• After discussing the tournament’s likely elimination rates and New Year’s duel broadcasts, Jiang Han invited Du Lingxuan to play cards with Olivia.
• Du Lingxuan recognized Olivia as Jiang Han’s summon and agreed to join the game, boasting that she would beat the cat.

Jiang Han watched Olivia beat Chen Ligu in a Texas Hold’em punishment game, then asked Chen to contact Black Rose Bookstore. She wanted to buy Lin Zhaojun’s peak-season knockout-stage video paintings so she could study Lin-style Fast Attack.

• Olivia won the poker hand against Chen Ligu and claimed first place in the punishment game, while Sha'er came third and Chen had to carry two Giant Cat Lamps for two laps.
• Chen Ligu finished the punishment and asked Jiang Han what she wanted while she recovered.
• Jiang Han asked Chen Ligu to call Black Rose Bookstore about buying video paintings, and Chen offered to ask Yin Ling.
• Jiang Han specified that she wanted all of Lin Zhaojun’s knockout-stage video paintings from her peak season so she could study Lin-style Fast Attack.

Chen Ligu called the Black Rose Bookstore using a magical rotary telephone to ask Yin Zhiyun about recording paintings of Lin Zhaojun. Yin Zhiyun explained that Lin’s standard casting movements depended on her innate talent, leaving Jiang Han without the research material she had hoped to find.

• Chen Ligu showed Jiang Han the curio telephone she had obtained from the Sleeping Witch, and Jiang Han examined its Cat Lamp Runes and materials.
• Chen Ligu dialed the Black Rose Bookstore, where Yin Zhiyun answered and explained how recording paintings captured scenes for study.
• Chen Ligu asked whether Yin Zhiyun had recording paintings of Lin Zhaojun’s peak-season finals, but Yin said she had none in stock.
• Yin Zhiyun advised against studying Lin Zhaojun’s movements, explaining that Lin’s exceptional casting speed came from talent-based casting that others could not reproduce.

Jiang Han visited Yin Zhiyun’s Black Rose Bookstore, where Yin recommended a recording picture about the legendary French witch Aoses von Taylor. Jiang Han accepted it and took it back to Spectator Floating Island No. 0297.

• Jiang Han spent time at Yin Zhiyun’s bookstore and enjoyed free coffee as an investment target.
• Yin Zhiyun fetched a recording picture and chatted with Jiang Han about their ages and her racing career.
• Yin Zhiyun introduced Aoses von Taylor as a legendary duelist who had ended Eileen’s and Anjie’s dynasties.
• Jiang Han questioned Aoses’s superstar status, but Yin Zhiyun urged her to watch the recording picture and offered to compensate her if it taught her nothing useful.
• Jiang Han accepted the recording picture and returned to Spectator Floating Island No. 0297.

Jiang Han and Xiya discussed how North Wind’s luck made her difficult to deal with, and Jiang Han explained how Olivia’s tail fur revealed her fortune. They secretly inspected Olivia’s tail and found its dark ring had turned completely gray, signaling exceptional luck.

• Histeria conceded her Witch Cards game with Ovi and went to talk with Jiang Han.
• Xiya told Jiang Han that dealing with North Wind felt like playing cards against a cunning Lilith.
• Jiang Han explained that Ovi’s strong fortune spread to the other Sleeping Cat Lamps and that Olivia’s tail fur showed her current luck.
• Jiang Han and Xiya crept behind Olivia and discovered that the ring of fur on her tail was completely gray.

Jiang Han, Xiya, and Carla Lamp watched an old recording painting of the battle that ended Eileen’s dynasty. Inside it, Jiang Han found a frozen memory space recreated around an enormous arena, and Xiya explained why the past could not be freely altered.

• Carla Lamp patiently tutored Liang Cuoyu and the two little witches in the hot spring while Jiang Han showed Xiya the recording painting from Black Rose Bookstore.
• Xiya and Carla Lamp chose to watch Aoses’s match against Eileen, which had ended Eileen’s dynasty.
• Xiya explained that they could enter the recording painting by guiding it with magic power, and Carla Lamp agreed to keep watch.
• Jiang Han and Xiya entered a memory space containing eight terrains and a vast arena filled with Eastern and Western Witches.
• Xiya said the recording was a carefully processed memory space, since changing even a small part of history could change the whole world.

Jiang Han and Xiya examined Aoses’s legendary record and learned that the missing Eileen had been found celebrating with champagne before their match even began. The chapter left them stunned by Eileen’s confidence as the duel’s opening approached.

• Jiang Han asked Xiya to explain Aoses, and Xiya described the Arrogant Witch’s extraordinary career and records.
• Xiya said Aoses had ended two dynasties and recalled that Eileen had been at her absolute peak during the match.
• Jiang Han noticed that Eileen was missing from the arena, and she and Xiya went to search the home team’s lounge.
• Jiang Han and Xiya found Eileen celebrating the birth of a champion with champagne before the match had begun.

Jiang Han watched a recorded match in which Aoses faced Eileen, while Xiya explained how Eileen’s historic defeat helped spark a war. Aoses endured Eileen’s overwhelming Cataclysm until she turned the battle around and won the first match, taking a 1:0 lead.

• Jiang Han watched Eileen celebrate before her match with Aoses, and Xiya explained that Eileen’s loss would prove she was not invincible and become a fuse for war.
• Jiang Han and Xiya muted and slowed the recording so Xiya could explain the witches’ opening styles.
• Eileen unleashed her Cataclysm opening, while Aoses countered with transformed Magic Missiles, illusions, and enchantments.
• Aoses endured Eileen’s spells and used her own magic and immortality to gradually gain the advantage.
• Aoses defeated Eileen after twenty-three minutes and took a 1:0 lead.

Jiang Han watched Aoses defeat Eileen in a close race-to-thirteen match and discovered how strongly she wanted to compete. She chose to study Eileen’s technical skills and Aoses’s opening strategies, and Xiya offered to train her over the next several days.

• Aoses and Eileen traded tactical adjustments until Aoses won the final game 7:6 and ended Eileen’s dynasty.
• Jiang Han awoke from the match recording, and Histeria asked whether she had felt the appeal of battle strategy.
• Jiang Han admitted that she wanted to compete, shine, and win honor for herself.
• After considering her magical aptitudes, Jiang Han chose to learn Eileen’s technical characteristics and Aoses’s opening setups.
• Xiya agreed to make a training plan and teach Jiang Han the basics over the remaining five or six days.

Jiang Han obtained Eileen’s recorded matches and learned Xiya’s brutal method for studying her opening moves. She agreed to train with Imprint Potions while Xiya prepared to modify her equipment and cloak.

• Jiang Han called Eileen, who praised her recent match and agreed to provide recordings from Floating Island No. 0105.
• Jiang Han sent Cat Carl to collect the recordings, and the giant cat got stuck in the doorway before the others pushed her free.
• Xiya explained that Imprint Potions would let Jiang Han reproduce Eileen’s spells at the risk of collapsing and dying after too many unlearned casts.
• Jiang Han agreed to use the potions to learn Eileen’s opening moves, and Xiya offered to modify her gear and cloak for a discounted fee.