Chapter Summaries

Jiang Han, Chen Ligu, and their Cat Lamps visited Du Lingxuan’s dramatically redesigned Sky Island, which resembled an active volcano. After exploring its strange paths and a dark, icy passage, they discovered a vast frozen cavern beneath the home.

• Jiang Han and Chen Ligu arrived at Du Lingxuan’s home and saw that it had been rebuilt as a huge volcanic Sky Island.
• Jiang Han and Chen Ligu walked the mountain path and admired the surreal scenery leading to a pool and narrow valley.
• Jiang Han tested the cobblestone path with an ice staff and crossed the pool with Chen Ligu and the Cat Lamps.
• Cat Lieta turned into a puddle of slime to squeeze through the valley entrance as the group explored the cold passage.
• Jiang Han and Chen Ligu emerged into a cavern of snow and ice beneath a star-filled sky.

Jiang Han and Chen Ligu visited Du Lingxuan’s frigid mountain home and discovered its hot springs, snow-rabbit dessert farms, and other developed facilities. They found Du Lingxuan gaming with the Forest Wanderer Giant Cat Lamp, and she announced the new Shadow Castle expansion.

• Jiang Han and Chen Ligu endured the extreme cold as they followed hot springs through Du Lingxuan’s territory.
• Jiang Han and Chen Ligu watched snow rabbits grow desserts in greenhouse orchards and deliver them to mountain warehouses.
• Jiang Han and Chen Ligu toured Du Lingxuan’s campsite, including its hot-spring pools, cave houses, and cockfighting rings.
• Jiang Han and Chen Ligu found Du Lingxuan gaming with the Forest Wanderer Giant Cat Lamp, who beat a boss and claimed a 1–0 victory.
• Du Lingxuan argued that she would clear the game without dying and showed Jiang Han the Shadow Castle expansion for Fox Fox Secret Order.

Du Lingxuan explained how her automated prayer machine produced new ley-line energy, prompting Jiang Han to consider the roles of faith and wishes in magic. Du Lingxuan prepared to livestream an interview and lecture, then asked Jiang Han to make ice that would not melt.

• Du Lingxuan welcomed Jiang Han and Chen Ligu, while Cat Yula went to fetch food and tea.
• Jiang Han asked about Du Lingxuan’s business, and Du Lingxuan described a prayer machine that generated ley-line energy.
• Jiang Han considered how faith and wishes could power magic and asked whether Du Lingxuan had tried sacrificial ritual-circle spells.
• Du Lingxuan explained that maintaining ritual circles would be too expensive and preferred using a mysterious ritual cycle from Coldwind Frost Forest.
• Du Lingxuan set up her livestream and asked Jiang Han to make ice that would not melt after the stream.

Jiang Han helped Du Lingxuan prepare her livestream for the Nether Festival Eve Solo Invitational and installed her new Sound-Collecting Mouse, which improved recording quality. As the competition began, Du Lingxuan introduced Cat Yula to her viewers and explained that the invitational’s high prizes and lack of betting encouraged competitors to show their true skill.

• Jiang Han and Chen Ligu helped Du Lingxuan set up her livestream equipment while the tournament’s prize pool and format were introduced.
• Jiang Han demonstrated her Sound-Collecting Mouse and installed one in Du Lingxuan’s computer to reduce distortion in her voice recordings.
• The Giant Cat Lamps returned with food and drinks and settled in to watch the competition.
• Du Lingxuan opened the stream, introduced Cat Yula as her new partner, and drew a flood of envious comments from viewers.
• Du Lingxuan explained that the invitational had high prize money and no betting, making it a chance for competitors to reveal their real skill.

Jiang Han and the commentators received the roster for a secret invitational and realized it was being used to select Marian Horton's successor as a Great Witch. The tournament opened with Dinesha facing Great Witch Eleanor, leaving Jiang Han concerned about Dinesha’s stamina in the demanding format.

• Du Lingxuan and Chen Ligu explained that the invitational’s roster was kept secret until shortly before the matches began.
• Du Lingxuan received the bracket and saw that all ten Great Witches and the strongest Great Witch candidates, including Dinesha, were competing.
• Jiang Han inferred that the tournament was a selection process to find a powerful and reliable successor to Marian Horton.
• Du Lingxuan described the invitational’s group and elimination format, which required many matches and could strain Dinesha’s stamina.
• Du Lingxuan introduced the opening match between Dinesha and Great Witch Eleanor.

Dinesha faced Eleanor in a high-level witch duel, using her versatile magic and enchanted firearm to seize and maintain the advantage. She exploited a brief opening to defeat Eleanor with Edict: Death.

• Eleanor and Dinesha exchanged greetings before the duel began on Eightfold Island.
• Both witches leaped backward at the start, then fought for control of the surrounding mana.
• Dinesha combined spells, prophecy, and phantom bullets to disrupt Eleanor’s summons and gain an early advantage.
• Dinesha pressed her attack while Eleanor used teleportation and transmutation to evade and counter her.
• Dinesha possessed the void to escape Eleanor’s Annihilation Singularity and defeated her with Edict: Death.

After the witch tournament’s first half, Jiang Han and Du Lingxuan left the cave room to make tea and turn a sea gemstone into unmelting ice. Du Lingxuan revealed she needed it to build a nest for a frost cockfighting egg she had obtained from Kraken.

• Eleanor lost to Dinesha after four battles, and Angelite lost to Kraken three to two.
• Agatha defeated Hilda three to nil, while Priscilla defeated Lilith with Song of Dead Souls after Lilith transformed into a dragon.
• Xuan Bao shut off the livestream and discussed the demanding tournament schedule with Jiang Han.
• Jiang Han followed Du Lingxuan to the tea room and brewed milk tea for Chen Ligu.
• Du Lingxuan showed Jiang Han a sea gemstone, and Jiang Han used the Eternal Ice Eye to turn it into unmelting ice.
• Du Lingxuan explained that she needed the ice to make a nest for a frost cockfighting egg she had swindled from Kraken.

Jiang Han showed Du Lingxuan a high-quality piece of Unmeltable Ice and explained the usefulness of a fluffy, temperature-adjusting Cat Cup. The chapter ended with Du Lingxuan ordering five cups from Jiang Han at a five-percent discount.

• Du Lingxuan inspected Jiang Han's Unmeltable Ice and praised its quality as a core for magical arrays.
• Du Lingxuan said she had bought a Cold Rejection talisman from Lilian and described Lilian's other abilities.
• Jiang Han filled her large Cat Cup and a smaller one with red bean milk tea while Xuan Bao reacted to the cups.
• Jiang Han explained that Cat Kavitell's Cat Cups felt warm, adjusted drink temperatures, and could grow with Cat Gems.
• Du Lingxuan asked to buy five Cat Cups, and Jiang Han offered her a five-percent discount.

Jiang Han visited Eileen to secure customers for a Cat Lamp workshop and pitched several curios as custom orders. Eileen agreed to a large order and offered thousands of well-paid positions for liaison Cat Lamps.

• Jiang Han left her friends after watching a match with Xuan Bao and hurried to visit Eileen with her driver cat.
• Jiang Han showed Eileen the Cat Cup, Cat Kitchen Lantern, Cat Tail Bow, and Cat Yarn Ball Portable Pasture, and explained that a workshop could produce the curios in bulk.
• Eileen inspected the curios and became interested in their craftsmanship and usefulness.
• Jiang Han told Eileen the Cat Cups could be made to resemble golden-furred cats and offered gold-and-white liaison Cat Lamps from her territory.
• Eileen ordered one thousand Cat Cups and two hundred lanterns with chef Cat Lamps, and offered two thousand liaison Cat Lamp positions at ten percent above standard wages.

Jiang Han calculated that the commissions she had secured could create thousands of Cat Lamp jobs and help her pay off most of her debts. At Foxfolk Tavern, she met Doris Demonfire and posted island-wide commissions to recruit artisan Cat Lamps and trainers for the Communication Signal spell.

• Jiang Han counted the jobs and profits her new orders could provide, concluding that Giant Cat Island could support millions more Cat Lamps and that she could repay most of her debts.
• Jiang Han visited Foxfolk Tavern and met Doris Demonfire, who thanked her for helping the foxfolk settle on Giant Cat Island.
• The foxfolk and nearby catfolk welcomed Jiang Han warmly, and the tavern manager offered her free drinks.
• Jiang Han asked Doris whether she could post commissions through the foxfolk network and learned they would spread across the Cat World within a day.
• Jiang Han posted commissions seeking artisan Cat Lamps and Cat Lamps who could train others to use the Communication Signal spell.

Jiang Han oversaw Agatha’s plans for a giant cat furnace factory and eagerly paid for its increasingly elaborate construction. The costly project won praise and major orders, while Olivia promised to prepare a new wick that could let Jiang Han add another Cat Lamp Witch.

• Agatha showed Jiang Han the completed first phase, a vast Mountain-Making construction with platforms, mines, cableways, and Cat Lamp homes.
• Jiang Han paid Agatha 100,000 for the foundation and approved a specialized oversized furnace design for the second phase.
• Jiang Han chose costly alchemical secret ore and the finest pure-ore refining method, then paid Agatha 350,000 upfront.
• Jiang Han committed to the remaining factory phases, bringing the Giant Cat Furnace Factory’s total cost to over 1.5 million.
• Olivia praised Jiang Han’s factory and promised to prepare a new wick so Jiang Han could add another Cat Lamp Witch.
• Cat Yeta and the Fel and Storm Giant Cats placed large orders, helping Jiang Han recoup nearly half the factory’s cost.

Jiang Han reviewed the materials, blueprints, and patents needed for the factory project, then used the trip to Angelite’s hidden shop to assess gaps in her spell arsenal. The chapter left her inside the shop, where Angelite asked why she had come.

• Agatha needed to order alchemical minerals from Eileen for the project’s second phase.
• The project’s third and fourth phases required witch-designed factory blueprints, leyline routes, and alchemy patents, which Jiang Han had ample time to arrange.
• Jiang Han realized that her spell system lacked reliable direct damage and shield-breaking power.
• Jiang Han rode to Angelite’s hidden shop in Snow Phoebe and gave the Cat Lamp driver a strip of golden cod meat.
• Angelite recognized Jiang Han, softened her greeting, and asked why she had come.

Jiang Han visited Angelite’s shop to buy stronger combat spells and learned about Angelite’s incarnation, Anjeliya, and her creator’s personality. Anjeliya offered her [Angelite’s Calamity Blade, Type IV], which Jiang Han chose before asking to see the remaining spells.

• Jiang Han visited Angelite’s shop and was served tea and pastries by Anjeliya.
• Anjeliya explained that Angelite created many incarnations to separate qualities from herself, including maturity, which Anjeliya possessed.
• Jiang Han said she needed stronger close-range, mid-range, long-range, and shield spells for arena fights.
• Anjeliya presented [Angelite’s Calamity Blade, Type IV], a spell that enchanted a quasi-legendary weapon with the effects of [Lightning Ring] and [Knock Shield].
• Jiang Han accepted the Calamity Blade and asked Anjeliya to show her mid-range, long-range, and shield spells.

Jiang Han bought four expensive Angelite-style spells from Anjeliya and learned why witches were holding onto mithril despite its falling market price. Anjeliya offered to help her obtain mithril ingots if Jiang Han conducted a market survey.

• Jiang Han chose Angelite's Seven-Attribute Spells, Angelite's Element Manipulation Disk, and Angelite's Damage Deflection Spell, then Anjeliya quoted her a total of 1,150,000.
• Anjeliya showed Jiang Han her Meow Ao Claw spell, and Jiang Han paid for the spells despite the steep price.
• Jiang Han asked whether the shop sold mithril, and Anjeliya explained that witches were withholding mithril ingots while the Witch Agency drove prices down.
• Anjeliya offered to help Jiang Han find mithril ingots if she conducted a market survey.

Jiang Han and Anjeliya dressed in cute outfits and went to the Witch Market to investigate Eileen’s Secret Mithril Market. They planned to buy mithril in Eileen’s territory, but Eileen appeared and said she did not mind.

• Jiang Han and Anjeliya changed into cute outfits before heading out to investigate.
• Anjeliya explained that the Witch Market’s most valuable commodity was information about goods and their circulation.
• Anjeliya told Jiang Han they were going to Eileen’s Secret Mithril Market so Jiang Han could buy mithril there.
• Anjeliya said Eileen would not mind them taking advantage of her through Jiang Han, and Eileen appeared behind them and agreed.

Jiang Han toured Dragonbud Grass Street with Big Eileen and Anjeliya, learning about its trade and the Witch Associations’ influence over resources from other worlds. At the mineral market, Jiang Han spent all her remaining spare funds on mithril.

• Big Eileen led Jiang Han and Anjeliya through Dragonbud Grass Street and explained that it was a major source of minerals for Eileen and herself.
• Jiang Han saw South City’s growing alchemy, magic-scroll, and liquor businesses, and thought about the value of her unicycle shares.
• Anjeliya and Big Eileen explained that France lacked resource-rich production sites in other worlds because its Witch Association had no Great Witch ranked among the top three.
• Big Eileen brought Jiang Han to a mineral market where witches sold leyline-tempered gemstones, ore-bearing stones, and mithril.
• Jiang Han invested all her remaining spare funds in small mithril chunks.

Jiang Han visited the Foxfolk Tavern and met Cat Katalia, an exceptionally large Echo Giant Cat seeking work as an artisan on Giant Cat Island. Cat Katalia asked to inspect Jiang Han’s factory before discussing employment.

• Jiang Han admired the newly completed Giant Cat Furnace Factory, which refined Eileen’s gold and silver ore into ingots.
• Jiang Han floated toward the Foxfolk Tavern and met Cat Carl, a lively Storm Giant Cat, along the way.
• At the tavern, Jiang Han recognized Cat Katalia as a rare Echo Giant Cat and the most skilled artisan among cat lamps.
• Cat Katalia applied for work and told Jiang Han she wanted to see the factory before deciding whether it was suitable.

Jiang Han took the eager artisan Cat Katalia to the Giant Cat Furnace Factory and gave her the Cat Cup to improve. Cat Katalia promised to make at least fifty cups and sent Jiang Han away until the next day.

• Cat Katalia impatiently asked Jiang Han to take her to the factory, while Jiang Han finished lunch and showed her the Cat Cup.
• Cat Katalia inspected the Cat Cup and claimed that copying it was easy for an intermediate artisan cat lamp.
• Jiang Han led Cat Katalia to the Giant Cat Furnace Factory, where cat lamps were refining Eileen's gold ore.
• Cat Katalia admired the factory's tools, took the Cat Cup to enhance, and told Jiang Han to return the next day.
• Jiang Han asked Cat Katalia to make at least fifty Cat Cups, and Cat Katalia agreed.

Jiang Han attended the Great Witch Council’s Upper Council, where witches were discussing the Nether Festival program. She arrived without a proposal and worried she might be questioned, while Eileen said Angelite wanted to hear suggestions from the witches under her rule.

• The Upper Council convened at Angelite’s Sovereign Palace, with Jiang Han seated among the middle-tier witches and given two chances to speak.
• Jiang Han reviewed the council booth’s amenities and considered the political importance of earning support for proposals.
• Jiang Han prepared for questions about Cat Lamps and Giant Cat Lamps, then brought out her Cat Cup and lunchbox.
• Eileen joined Jiang Han, explaining that she also counted as a middle-tier witch because she lacked top-tier and Great Witch certification.
• Eileen said she had proposed hunting giant dragons as entertainment, but Angelite preferred hearing suggestions from her subjects.

Jiang Han watched Angelite’s Great Witch High Council debate proposals for the Nether Festival while Eileen negotiated for giant-cat support. After Myra Archer’s plan for a day of killing was rejected, Jiang Han relayed Olivia’s offer of cats for Eileen’s faction and the Silver Knights.

• Angelite opened the council and announced that it would discuss Nether Festival activities across thirty-eight districts.
• Eileen explained that Myra Archer was a super hawk and discussed with Jiang Han the possibility of arranging a Great Hunt with giant cats.
• Myra Archer proposed using an alternate-world space for a day of killing, but Kraken countered her proposal and Angelite prevented it from going to a vote.
• Jiang Han called Olivia, who offered roughly fifteen hundred giant cats for Eileen’s faction and about five hundred for the Silver Knights.
• Jiang Han told Eileen that Olivia could send fourteen hundred cats to her faction and four hundred to the Silver Knights.