Chapter Summaries

The group draw placed the witches into their competition brackets, creating several dangerous groups and leaving Jiang Han in a group with two Dragon Transformation witches. The chapter ended with Jiang Han questioning her luck magic while Meow Yi Ao enjoyed a book and recommended it to readers.

• The Lucky Cat Lamp drew Alesha Wellington as the first seed for Group A, making the witches nervous about facing her.
• The draw placed An Hofstadter in Group A1, turning it into a group of death.
• The draw put Lin Zhaojun and Eileen in Group A5 alongside Loya and Marian Horton, while Chen Ligu happily joined the group.
• Du Lingxuan landed in Group B3 with Priscilla and Lilian and felt confident about her chances.
• Jiang Han was assigned to Group B7 with second seeds Nanazawa An and Lilith, prompting her to doubt Meow Yi Ao's luck magic.
• Meow Yi Ao ate a meal, read A Hogwarts Rune Professor, and recommended the book.

As Jiang Han prepared for the Group B7 opening match, she admitted to herself that she wanted to win despite fearing the challenge posed by Lilith. Du Lingxuan explained why Lilith was a formidable opponent but hinted that her pronounced personality traits could give Jiang Han a path to taking the first round.

• Jiang Han recalled admitting that she could not defeat Lilith or Nanazawa An, then realized that she wanted to win.
• Joan Cornipello won Group B6’s final qualification spot, and the tournament moved on to Group B7.
• Jiang Han prepared her equipment in Lounge Number 2 while Du Lingxuan served as her temporary coach.
• Du Lingxuan explained Lilith’s durability, Dragon Transformation, and the output dilemma she posed to opponents.
• Du Lingxuan told Jiang Han that Lilith’s pronounced personality traits could be the key to taking the first round.

Du Lingxuan devised a strategy to help Jiang Han defeat Lilith, whom she called Dragon Ragdoll, using Jiang Han’s rapid improvement and Olivia’s intelligence network. The chapter ended with Du Lingxuan noting that Lilith had prepared seriously but was relying on outdated information about Jiang Han.

• Jiang Han doubted she could defeat Lilith, but Du Lingxuan encouraged her by pointing out how much she had improved in five days.
• Du Lingxuan argued that Lilith’s smooth life might make her slow to recognize crucial matches and began outlining a plan to exploit that tendency.
• Du Lingxuan explained that Jiang Han’s group had only a few likely contenders and that early matches against weaker opponents could determine who advanced.
• Jiang Han had obtained a detailed dossier on Lilith through Olivia and the Cat Lamp espionage network.
• Du Lingxuan revealed that Lilith had trained with Elemental Shield and bought water-resistance scrolls, but had focused on Jiang Han’s two legendary spells and relied on information from their previous match.

Jiang Han faced Lilith in their group-stage duel, relying on new damage potential and Du Lingxuan’s tactics to challenge the Great Witch. The match began with Jiang Han gaining an early advantage and forcing Lilith into a pressured aerial fight.

• Jiang Han recognized Lilith’s killing intent and prepared to fight her seriously.
• The referees started the match, and Ma Ai’s fast opening fireball gave Jiang Han a brief head start.
• Jiang Han used her Traction Spell to rise into the air and attacked with her lightsaber and three Storage Giant Cat Lamps.
• Lilith abandoned her Dragon Transformation spell and unleashed a barrage of Evocation magic that reshaped the terrain into her own domain.
• Jiang Han endured some hits while trading injuries for curses and spells, using the Cat Lamps’ rapid casting to suppress Lilith in aerial combat.

Jiang Han fought Lilith in the air, using Du Lingxuan’s analysis to exploit Lilith’s weaknesses, but Lilith’s power and growing arsenal of dragon puppets steadily overwhelmed her. Jiang Han sacrificed much of her magic and life force to summon Cat Xiumei, Cat Nesting, and Cat Bo, leaving the battle poised for a new turn.

• Jiang Han used aerial movement, elemental spells, and the Storage Giant Cat Lamps to attack Lilith, then dodged Lilith’s spells with her reflexes and teleportation.
• Jiang Han failed to force Lilith into aerial combat without dragon transformation, despite repeatedly suppressing her with spells and a band of Storage Giant Cat Lamps.
• Lilith’s dragon puppets and summoned creatures increased her firepower, while the Storage Giant Cat Lamps began to lose morale and Jiang Han’s attacks became less effective.
• Jiang Han cut her wrist and spent nearly seventy percent of her magic and some of her life force to dismiss the Storage Giant Cat Lamps and summon Cat Xiumei, Cat Nesting, and Cat Bo.

Jiang Han defeated Lilith in an upset after her Giant Cat Lamps kept Lilith under pressure and exposed her mistake of fighting in the air instead of transforming into a dragon. The victory set a South City record and kept Jiang Han in contention to advance from her group.

• Jiang Han summoned Cat Xiumei, Cat Nesting, and Cat Bo, who attacked Lilith and her dragon puppets while Cat Nesting restored Jiang Han’s vitality.
• Lilith fought back with powerful transmutation spells, dragon puppets, and aerial attacks, but Jiang Han and the Cat Lamps gradually gained the advantage.
• Lilith’s fixation on Jiang Han’s legendary spells and her assumption that Jiang Han fought like Lin Zhaojun led her to abandon the ground before using Dragon Transformation.
• After more than five minutes of attrition, the Cat Lamps shot Lilith down, and Jiang Han won the match.
• The commentators announced Jiang Han’s upset victory and her new South City record for winning with the greatest strength disparity.
• The author’s note explained Jiang Han’s exceptional physical and magical abilities and said Lilith had not held back.

After Jiang Han upset Lilith, she watched Lilith struggle in her next match and discussed how Wheel Slots could help strong Witches build momentum or leave them exhausted. Du Lingxuan then analyzed information about Shiraki Mika, Jiang Han’s upcoming opponent, and noted that Mika had requested access to water in her training room.

• Jiang Han stayed with Du Lingxuan to watch Lilith’s second match and learned that Wheel Slots could benefit powerful Witches by carrying over their momentum between fights.
• Du Lingxuan explained that Lilith and Lin Zhaojun had shown how Wheel Slots could become an advantage, though they could also force a Witch to keep fighting while mentally shaken.
• Jiang Han watched Shiraki Mika pin down Lilith and frowned at her opponent’s continuing collapse after losing to Jiang Han.
• Du Lingxuan teased Jiang Han about enjoying Lilith’s defeat and repeated rumors linking Jiang Han’s strength and fighting style to Olivia.
• Du Lingxuan examined Olivia’s intelligence on Shiraki Mika and discovered that Mika had specifically requested a water source in her training room.

Jiang Han prepared for her match against Shiraki Mika with help from Du Lingxuan and a team of Cat Lamps, then overwhelmed Shiraki with a rapid assault. The chapter ended three seconds into their duel, with Jiang Han already pressing her advantage.

• After Lilith finished with twenty-nine wins and two losses, Jiang Han began her round of thirty matches as the dark horse contender.
• Jiang Han had Du Lingxuan teach ten Cat Lamps to prepare equipment, countering oddities, consumables, and spell scrolls.
• Jiang Han prepared her protective and speed-boosting consumables, and Du Lingxuan urged her not to lose.
• Jiang Han met Shiraki Mika, who praised her earlier performance and declared she would not admit defeat.
• Once the match began, Jiang Han used leaps and a flash technique to evade Shiraki Mika's bombardment and close in, taking control within three seconds.

Jiang Han used intelligence and a specialized spell combination to defeat Annie Caldwell, then sank part of Duel Island to delay the tournament and buy time to prepare for Nanazawa An. The chief referee warned her not to disrupt the event again, and Du Lingxuan began discussing how to counter Nanazawa An.

• Jiang Han defeated Annie Caldwell by combining the Eternal Ice Eye, icebergs, and [Boundlessly Spreading Tide] to break through Annie's fire-element position.
• Annie Caldwell suspected her household had spies and asked her surveillance Cat Lamp to help find them.
• Jiang Han deliberately dropped an ice meteor on Duel Island's central hub, sinking half the island and delaying the event so she could prepare for Nanazawa An.
• Chief Referee Nicole warned Jiang Han not to cause trouble for the tournament staff again, while Jiang Han acted embarrassed and accepted the reprimand.
• Du Lingxuan teased Jiang Han for pretending to be innocent, then said Nanazawa An seemed easier to handle than Lilith.

Jiang Han and Du Lingxuan discussed Nanazawa An’s hard-to-identify dragon form and the concealed abilities of her Dragon of Calamity. Before their match, Jiang Han taunted Nanazawa An into a fury, leaving her poised to attack.

• Du Lingxuan explained that Nanazawa An’s hybrid dragon form was difficult to identify and noted her versatility.
• Jiang Han withheld the secret of Nanazawa An’s Blood River Cat Lamp and revealed only the Dragon of Calamity’s abilities, allowing Xuan Bao to devise a one-use tactic.
• Nanazawa An challenged Jiang Han and angrily vowed to beat her.
• Jiang Han mocked Nanazawa An by imitating her accent and repeating “Twice,” provoking an explosive reaction.
• Nanazawa An stomped and struck her ribs as she threatened Jiang Han, while Jiang Han anticipated that she might attack immediately.

Jiang Han fought Nanazawa An in the group-stage match, using Du Lingxuan’s tactics to exhaust her legendary artifacts and summon Storm Giant Cat Cat Carl. With Cat Carl locking Nanazawa An down, Jiang Han prepared a decisive attack.

• Jiang Han and Nanazawa An opened the match with a fast exchange of summons, water spells, and evasive maneuvers.
• Jiang Han endured a water bullet wound and forced Nanazawa An into close combat, where Nanazawa An’s predictive casting and experience became less effective.
• Nanazawa An unleashed her Legendary Spell, [Nanazawa An's Hundredfold Cutting], and Jiang Han retreated while summoning the Storage Giant Cat Lamp.
• Jiang Han baited Nanazawa An into using [Water Mist World] with Cat Nesting, Cat Katalia, and Cat Yeta.
• Jiang Han summoned Storm Giant Cat Cat Carl, which engaged Nanazawa An at close range and held her in place.
• Jiang Han summoned [Storage Giant Cat of Music and Song] and smashed a gong as she prepared to punish Nanazawa An.

Jiang Han fought through Group B7, surviving a defeat to Lilith and securing qualification with two losses. Lilith then swept Nanazawa An in a BO5 tiebreaker, and both advanced to the knockout stage as the group ended.

• Jiang Han and Du Lingxuan stopped themselves from celebrating early with champagne before the second round.
• Lilith transformed into a dragon and defeated Jiang Han despite her summoned cats and spells, giving Jiang Han her first loss.
• Lilith defeated Annie Caldwell, while Nanazawa An recovered from her poor first round and continued winning against opponents including Lilith.
• Jiang Han defeated Annie Caldwell after Annie prepared for the wrong strategy, then lost to Nanazawa An and finished with two losses.
• Lilith swept Nanazawa An 3–0 in the BO5 tiebreaker, and Lilith and Jiang Han qualified for the knockout stage.

After advancing from her group in first place, Jiang Han changed into a new outfit in the private lounge. Du Lingxuan then told her that Xiya had brought Ghost Dragon tail meat to Jiang Han’s floating island.

• Du Lingxuan hurried Jiang Han to the private lounge after Jiang Han advanced from the group.
• Jiang Han entered the changing room and reflected on how unexpectedly she had taken first place and earned a place in the round of sixty-four.
• Jiang Han used Ms. An Lin's Dressing Space Spell to choose and change into an academy-style dress.
• Jiang Han left the changing room and found Du Lingxuan waiting outside with an unlit pipe.
• Du Lingxuan told Jiang Han that Xiya had brought Ghost Dragon tail meat and led her toward her floating island.

After Jiang Han qualified for the Eileen Cup, Qin Shunying helped her prepare a celebration and advised her on how to market her rising profile. Jiang Han chose a low-key approach until she had a chance to advance, and Qin Shunying arranged a small gathering.

• Qin Shunying helped Jiang Han and Chu Yujun oversee renovations on Floating Island No. 0297 while Chen Ligu learned how to act as Jiang Han's agent.
• Qin Shunying explained three ways to promote Jiang Han: quickly cashing in on her popularity, building high expectations through mystery, or using restrained marketing to cultivate her reputation.
• Jiang Han chose restrained marketing, reasoning that she might be eliminated in the round of 128 and should only promote herself more once she advanced.
• Qin Shunying approved Jiang Han's decision and told Chen Ligu to arrange a small gathering instead of a private banquet.

Jiang Han and her team prepared the Giant Cat Lamp venue and menu for a gathering, with Qin Shunying running preparations as a stern chief steward. The chapter left Jiang Han considering Cat Lier’s advice to serve food that would help guests relax rather than formal appetizers.

• Jiang Han assigned her friends tasks to invite guests, notify those not invited, explain the gathering to relatives, inspect the Cat Lamps, and arrange a recording artifact for Chen Ligu’s training.
• Qin Shunying dressed for work and ordered the team to move, sending Histeria and Chen Ligu to deliver formal invitations while she oversaw preparations.
• Qin Shunying scolded and demonstrated proper work to the Cat Lamps, who quickly improved the venue, laid paving, and made water-absorbing stones.
• Jiang Han discussed appetizers with Cat Lier, who suggested serving spicy or distinctive dishes to help guests lose their social stiffness.

Jiang Han hosted a lively dinner for her friends, where Chu Yujun’s encounter with super wasabi sparked the party and she revealed that she had bought the villa across from Jiang Han’s house. Chu Yujun asked Jiang Han to find her a contract Cat Lamp, and she and Tang Wen agreed to stay for the elimination draw.

• Cat Lier prepared Mount Catgul super wasabi and recorded the lavish menu Jiang Han had chosen for the gathering.
• Jiang Han invited Witch House’s former colleagues and friends, including Lilian, Du Lingxuan, Histeria, and Qin Shunying, and the formal dinner soon became a lively party.
• Chu Yujun ate wasabi-coated grilled clam, accidentally rubbed it into her eyes and nose, and made the witches laugh before Jiang Han helped her wash up.
• Chu Yujun petted Cat Lier, showed Jiang Han the contract for the villa across from her house, and claimed she would stop making extravagant purchases.
• Chu Yujun asked Jiang Han to find her a contract Cat Lamp and agreed to stay for the elimination draw; Tang Wen joined them.

Jiang Han helped Tang Wen study Cat Lamp studies, explaining Cat Lamp units, biology, and the history of Gold Coin Cat Lamps. As the Cat Lamp Act created new jobs and ways for Cat Lamps to participate in society, Tang Wen continued preparing for her exam.

• Jiang Han celebrated making the elimination rounds with Du Ningzhuang and Tang Wen while Chu Yujun played with a Contract Cat Lamp.
• Tang Wen asked Jiang Han to teach her Cat Lamp studies, and Jiang Han explained that one pot meant three Cat Lamps.
• Jiang Han described how Nightmare Cat Lamps harvested tree butter and explained that Gold Coin Cat Lamps were Scorching Cat Lamps known for making golden rice cakes.
• Du Lingxuan asked why the witches were studying Cat Lampology, and Tang Wen said the Cat Lamp Act had created new jobs, including selling food to Cat Lamps online.

At the 1995–96 knockout-stage draw, Anjie's carefully styled appearance won over the watching witches, while Jiang Han considered how her image was being managed. Angelite opened the chaotic elimination draw, and Jiang Han wondered whether Angelite’s blunt manner was also part of a deliberate image campaign.

• Anjie appeared on television in a refined outfit blending European and Chinese elements, impressing Jiang Han and the other witches.
• Jiang Han reflected on how Anjie's design team had shaped her public image as a tech-obsessed shut-in whom witches wanted to dote on.
• The draw rules established a sudden-death, best-of-seven knockout with randomly selected opponents and no fixed bracket.
• Angelite opened the ceremony with a brief, blunt speech telling the contestants to begin the draw.
• Jiang Han wondered whether Angelite's bluntness was also a crafted part of her image and decided to ask Cat Lamps about it.

Lucky Cat Lamp drew the first knockout-round matchups, setting up clashes between several championship contenders and leaving Jiang Han paired against Angelite. Du Lingxuan was shaken by her difficult draw against Carula, but regained some energy after Lucky Cat Lamp’s antics.

• Lucky Cat Lamp drew Alesha against Eileen, forcing two leading championship contenders to face each other in the first match.
• The draw paired Lilith with Roxanne, then Du Lingxuan with Carula, leaving Du Lingxuan discouraged until Chu Yujun and Jiang Han comforted her.
• Lucky Cat Lamp poked a hole in Angelite’s coconut and drank its juice, making Du Lingxuan laugh and recover some of her spirits.
• After Angelite let Lucky Cat Lamp keep the coconut, the cat drew the twenty-fourth match: Jiang Han versus Angelite.

Jiang Han, Du Lingxuan, and Histeria worried over their upcoming matches and the lack of available trainers. Jiang Han proposed asking Olivia to train them by shifting the balance of their witch abilities, though Du Lingxuan would have to accept becoming less human.

• Chen Ligu left the three witches alone to recover after the gathering.
• Jiang Han, Du Lingxuan, and Histeria watched a movie together and discussed their difficult opponents and lack of training options.
• Du Lingxuan resolved to give her match against Carula everything she had, though she expected Carula to have a strong advantage.
• Jiang Han revealed that she knew a witch who could train them and asked Du Lingxuan whether she could bear to give up part of her human identity.
• Jiang Han decided to ask Olivia to strengthen them by shifting the balance of their witch abilities toward the Cat Lamp side.