Chapter Summaries

Okada Chusheng paid Qian Qiang to learn that the Liu Family of Jiang City had revealed the Venomflame Monarch’s location, and that Liu Wenjian had authorized it. After learning the answer, Okada tried to tear up the contracts, only to realize he had signed an Oath Contract for the additional information.

• Okada Chusheng questioned Qian Qiang about who leaked the Venomflame Monarch’s location, then offered two more Perfect Quality items for a broader clue.
• Qian Qiang and Qian Tongda revealed that Qian Qiang had never signed a Cooperation Contract with the Qian Family and had been bargaining to make Okada trust him.
• Qian Qiang told Okada that the Liu Family of Jiang City had revealed the information, and confirmed that Liu Wenjian had ordered it.
• Okada resolved to break his deal with the Qian Family and tore up the Cooperation Contract.
• Okada noticed that the second contract was an Oath Contract just as he tried to tear it up.

Qian Qiang forced Okada Chusheng to honor their Oath Contract, and Okada then tried to sell Liu Wenjian his firsthand intelligence on the Venomflame Monarch. Following Lu Li’s instructions, Liu played along and steered the conversation toward the Corrupted Demon Well, while Okada prepared to name his price.

• Qian Qiang explained away the Oath Contract, and Okada Chusheng reluctantly transferred every promised item to him.
• Okada Chusheng decided to sell his Venomflame Monarch intelligence directly to Liu Wenjian to recover his losses.
• Liu Wenjian told Lu Li that Okada had contacted him, and Lu Li instructed him to play along and ask whether the Corrupted Demon Well was southwest of Sakura Island.
• Liu Wenjian asked Okada whether he had firsthand intelligence, and Okada offered to make a private deal and asked what price Liu would pay.

Liu Wenjian tricked Okada Chusheng into signing an Oath Contract while hiding his real intentions with Liu Liu’s Talent Ability, [Pass Fake for Real]. The contract was completed without exposing the disguise, though Liu Wenjian regretted that a Servant Contract’s system notification could not be concealed.

• Liu Wenjian offered Okada Chusheng a deal for genuine intelligence and insisted they sign a binding Oath Contract.
• Okada Chusheng agreed after deciding he could omit crucial information from the contract terms.
• The shrine maiden suggested using her Talent Abilities to foresee what would happen, but Okada rebuked her and reaffirmed his authority.
• Liu Liu worried that [Pass Fake for Real] would be exposed, while Liu Wenjian reassured him that he had a backup plan.
• Okada Chusheng signed the completed contract, and Liu Wenjian confirmed that Liu Liu’s disguise had worked.

Liu Wenjian used a fake contract and careful acting to win Okada Chusheng’s trust, then probed for the secret location of Sakura Island’s Corrupted Demon Well. Okada refused to answer the location question but resumed their friendly exchange about the Venomflame Monarch, leaving the promised reward due.

• Liu Wenjian and Liu Liu noticed that Okada Chusheng’s contract omitted information about the Venomflame Monarch, but Liu Wenjian pretended to negotiate seriously to dispel Okada’s suspicions.
• Liu Wenjian asked Okada about the Corrupted Demon Well, and Okada denied knowing anything about it after realizing the subject was top secret.
• Liu Wenjian offered a Perfect Quality item for an honest answer and sent Okada a Cooperation Contract that let him refuse the question.
• Okada inspected the contract repeatedly and signed it, believing he could decline to answer without further consequences.
• Liu Wenjian asked whether the Corrupted Demon Well was southwest of Sakura Island, and Okada violated the contract rather than reveal its location.
• Liu Wenjian moved on to questioning Okada about the Venomflame Monarch, and the exchange remained pleasant until it was time to deliver the reward.

Okada Chusheng discovered that Liu Wenjian had used Cooperation Contracts to avoid paying him, then ordered his people to go to the Imperial Palace. At the Lu Family Manor, Zhao Mou became Lu Hemu’s servant and received a Mythic-quality Crystal Dissolving Mixture.

• Okada Chusheng learned that Liu Wenjian had voided their Cooperation Contract and blocked him after obtaining information about the Venomflame Monarch without paying.
• Okada Chusheng beat Unlucky Egg to death in a rage, then ordered his people to accompany him to see the Emperor.
• Zhao Mou finished pouring the Origin Crystals into the Crystal Dissolving Mixture and reported to Lu Hemu.
• Lu Hemu offered to help Zhao Mou avenge his family in exchange for his service, and Zhao Mou signed a Servant Contract after receiving an auspicious omen.
• Lu Hemu gave Zhao Mou the Mythic-quality Crystal Dissolving Mixture and told him to drink it.

Zhao Mou accepted Lu Hemu’s offer of a Mythic-quality potion and learned that Lu Hemu wanted him to investigate and kill Lu Li. After Lu Hemu left, Zhao Mou drank the potion, trusting his omen to keep him alive.

• Lu Hemu showed Zhao Mou a recording of Lu Li, disguised as Zhao Quan, slaughtering the Liu Family Shelter during the Rift outbreak.
• Zhao Mou recognized Lu Li and speculated that he might be able to Plunder Talent Abilities, while Lu Hemu suspected he possessed an item that could copy them.
• Lu Hemu asked Zhao Mou about the Zhao Family’s ties to the Sakura People, then ordered him to reach level 30 and investigate Lu Li under Zhao Family's name.
• Zhao Mou accepted the assignment and watched Lu Hemu leave to deal with Gao Suozhi, who remained trapped in the Rule Realm.
• Zhao Mou decided he had chosen the right side by following [See Time Know Subtlety] and drank the [Crystal Dissolving Mixture], causing his level to soar.

Zhao Mou became the first Player to reach Lv.30, unlocking limited teleportation and opening the way for Players to travel between planets. Lu Li monitored Zhao Mou through a hidden bug, considered the dangers posed by incoming alien Players, and prepared to seek powerful protection if necessary.

• System announcements awarded Zhao Mou three Silver-tier Level-up Chests and unlocked partial teleportation permissions and the star map.
• Players debated Zhao Mou’s sudden rise, Arena Tickets, and the threat of high-level alien Players entering Earth.
• Lu Li watched the public chat and explained to himself that a [Tagalong Bug] inside Zhao Mou let him track the man’s movements and conversations.
• Lu Li decided not to kill Zhao Mou yet because he was protected by distance and abilities that warned him of danger.
• Lu Li reviewed the Killing List rewards and recalled that alien Players might capture powerful Earth Players, including him.
• Lu Li sighed that he needed more strength and took an ornate gold business card from his Space Ring.

Lu Li began selling gold at its peak price to mislead rival factions while exchanging it for Mana Crystals and raising levels in the Shelter. As the You Family noticed the Lin Family’s sudden gold dump, You Mingyang lowered his buying price and sent people to investigate.

• Lu Li instructed Lin Tianxia to sell gold in large quantities, spread the claim that gold was useless, and raise the levels of the Lin Family’s younger generation and the Shelter’s Civilian Players.
• Lu Li arranged for the Qian Family to help stage the gold selloff, and Qian Tongda agreed to follow his plan.
• Lu Li prepared to wait for gold prices to fall so he could buy gold, summon the [Myriad Realm Trader], and strengthen himself before possible alien invasions.
• The You Family learned that the Lin Family had stopped buying gold and was selling it at one Fifth-Order Mana Crystal per kilogram.
• You Mingyang ordered the You Family to lower its purchase price to twenty Fourth-Order Mana Crystals per kilogram and sent two people to investigate the Lin Family Mansion and Shelter.

Shen Yi investigated the Lin Family’s sudden gold sell-off and learned that Lin Tianxia had exchanged gold for Mana Crystals before distributing them to civilians and family members. Unsure whether to sell the Shen Family’s gold or heed Bai Chunfeng’s advice to wait, she was interrupted by someone approaching.

• Shen Yi asked You Mingyang about the Lin Family’s gold sell-off, and he claimed Lin Tianxia was trying to drive prices down and urged her to keep buying.
• Shen Yi contacted Bai Chunfeng, who sent her a secretly recorded video of Lin Tianxia distributing Mana Crystals to Civilian Players.
• The video showed Lin Family members boasting that they had sold gold at its peak and used the proceeds to obtain higher-grade Mana Crystals.
• Bai Chunfeng advised Shen Yi to wait and watch, leaving her to wonder whether the Bai Family was secretly selling its own gold.
• As Shen Yi hesitated over what to do, a graceful figure approached her.

As gold prices plunged after the Lin and Qian Families began selling their reserves, Shen Yi and several powerful families had to decide whether to follow suit. The Bai Family chose to sell most of its gold, while the Wan and Tu Families kept some reserves as they waited to see what the Heaven Grade families would do.

• Jiang Chaoyun told Shen Yi that gold had no future value, citing its absence from wagers in the Hub Arena, and Shen Yi decided to sell after seeing that the Qian Family was selling.
• Bai Chunfeng considered why the Lin Family was selling gold, used his [Forced Calm] Talent Ability, and ordered the Bai Family to sell ninety percent of its reserves.
• The Wan Family and Tu Family sold half their gold as prices fell below their purchase price, then decided to keep the rest and wait for further developments.
• The Wan and Tu Families watched for signs of action from the two Heaven Grade families, but neither had made a move on the Global Trading Market.

As gold prices collapsed, Lu Li discovered that the Liu Family had unknowingly disrupted his plan by buying gold, though their purchases also made the market crash seem more convincing. He accepted the Liu Family’s gold and decided to have the Lin Family compensate them, leaving the price suppression operation underway.

• The Qian and Lin Families’ sell-off sparked panic among factions hoarding gold, and desperate groups dumped their holdings at increasingly low prices.
• Lu Li checked the market and found gold had fallen to five First-Order Mana Crystals per kilogram, then wondered whether the Gao and Lu Families had interfered.
• Lin Tianxia apologized for failing to drive prices lower, while Liu Wenjian revealed that the Liu Family had bought 90,000 tons of gold and planned to purchase more.
• Lu Li accepted Liu Wenjian’s gold into his Space Ring and realized the Liu Family’s buying had made other factions more willing to sell.
• Lu Li decided to have the Lin Family compensate the Liu Family for the Mana Crystals it had spent.

Lu Li changed the Lin Family’s plan and ordered it to sell its remaining gold, using the reversal to expose the insider leaking information. Lin Gui realized the new order threatened his scheme as Lin Tianxia emerged from the Flesh God Statue with a hostile look.

• Lin Tianxia told Lu Li that the Lin Family had about a thousand tons of gold left, and Lu Li ordered him to sell it in five batches instead of buying gold back.
• Lu Li explained that the changed plan would flush out a Mole in the Lin Family, while Lin Gui continued leaking the family’s plans to outsiders for equipment and items.
• Lin Cheng announced the order to sell all the remaining gold, alarming Lin Gui, who insisted the family was supposed to buy gold after driving down its price.
• Lin Gui and several others went to find Lin Tianxia, who had been making an offering before the Flesh God Statue.
• Lin Tianxia approached them with a trace of hostility in his eyes.

Lin Tianxia revealed that he had changed the Lin Family’s gold-selling orders to expose the Moles who had betrayed them. After the traitors died under the Oath Contract, Lin Qinyue began to question her long-standing doubts about Lu Li.

• Lin Tianxia told Lin Gui and the others that he had changed the order to sell the gold, exposing their betrayal and the danger facing those who had trusted their leaked information.
• Lin Gui accused Lin Tianxia of favoring powerful Players and insulted Lin Qinfeng, prompting Lin Qinyue to slap him.
• The Oath Contract made Lin Gui explode, and the other three Moles begged Lin Tianxia for mercy.
• Lin Tianxia and Lin Qinyue refused to reverse the order, and the remaining traitors died as the Lin Family sold off its gold.
• Lin Qinyue reflected on Lu Li’s help and wondered whether she should offer incense to him.

Lu Li profited from the gold market collapse, acquiring 180,000 tons of gold, but the two Heaven Grade families still had not reacted. He used a Tagalong Bug to spy on Zhao Mou and watched him enter a secret meeting, where a high-status visitor arrived.

• The Liu Family bought nearly 50,000 more tons of gold for Lu Li as prices crashed, bringing his total to 180,000 tons.
• Lu Li noted that the two Heaven Grade families had made no move in response to the market turmoil.
• Lu Li sent his Tagalong Bug to watch Zhao Mou, who consumed the Crystal Dissolving Mixture and reached Level 30.
• Zhao Mou celebrated in private and fantasized about taking revenge on Lu Li and his other enemies.
• A Lu Family disciple brought Zhao Mou to a secret underground conference room, where Lu Ding and other family members received several figures, including one especially important visitor.

Lu Li recognized Zhou Ping'er, the betrayer who had helped cause his death in his past life, and learned that she was a descendant of Earth’s ancient ascended Players. Zhou Ping'er revealed the historical ties between the Zhou and Lu Families and claimed her five Level 45 brothers would secure everything for her.

• Lu Li recognized Zhou Ping'er and recalled how she had deceived and betrayed him in his past life.
• Lu Li remembered learning that Zhou Ping'er descended from Players who had left Earth after its earlier spiritual energy resurgence.
• Zhou Ping'er explained that the Lu Family had once served the Zhou Family and had become an affiliated family on Earth.
• Zhou Ping'er said she had come to set things right and dismissed concerns about the falling price of gold.
• Zhou Ping'er claimed that her five Level 45 brothers would soon arrive and take control of the land.

Lu Li realized Zhou Ping'er had shifted her attention to Zhao Mou and his [See Time Know Subtlety], while her lack of interest in Lu Hemu came from his physical condition. In the scene he watched, Lu Hemu proposed killing Gao Suozhi and Gao Jueyao, leaving the Lu Family's response unresolved.

• Lu Li concluded Zhou Ping'er had used her Talent Abilities to control Lu Family members and had noticed Zhao Mou's hidden abilities.
• Lu Li realized Zhou Ping'er had changed her target to Zhao Mou and wanted his [See Time Know Subtlety].
• Lu Li wondered why Zhou Ping'er had not pursued Lu Hemu, while the narration revealed she avoided him because his body could not satisfy her.
• Zhou Ping'er asked Lu Hemu how he planned to deal with Gao Suozhi and Gao Jueyao.
• Lu Dingkun pressed Lu Hemu for a plan, and Lu Hemu said they should kill the two members of the Gao Family.

Zhou Ping'er argued that the Lu Family should release Gao Jueyao and make peace with the Gao Family instead of escalating the conflict. When Lu Hemu revealed that Gao Suozhi was trapped alone in the four-star Rule Realm [Conch Girl], Zhou Ping'er concluded that they should return Gao Jueyao while ensuring Gao Suozhi could not escape.

• Lu Hemu proposed killing the Gao Family, but Zhou Ping'er influenced his thoughts and argued that bringing them under control was wiser.
• Zhou Ping'er suggested releasing Gao Jueyao and speaking with him to turn the Lu Family's enemies into allies.
• Lu Hemu explained that Gao Suozhi was trapped alone in [Conch Girl], a four-star Rule Realm that supposedly required at least five Players to clear.
• Zhou Ping'er learned through Lu Hemu's thoughts that his [Undertaker] title protected him from the [Wager Doll]'s side effects.
• Zhou Ping'er told Lu Hemu to bring Gao Jueyao over and ensure Gao Suozhi did not leave the realm alive.

Lu Li decided to save Gao Suozhi from Lu Hemu by entering the [Daughter of the Sea] Rule Realm, and asked Ao Zhan to find him a teammate. He became interested in Pan Xiaoxiao, a level 18 martial artist with [Extreme Thinking], and planned to test her during the first realm before deciding whether to bring her into [Conch Girl].

• Lu Li resolved to rescue Gao Suozhi and contacted Ao Zhan about raiding [Daughter of the Sea].
• Ao Zhan explained that powerful players were tied up with security duties and that Yan Qi was busy preparing for his beast pet to hatch.
• Ao Zhan recommended Pan Xiaoxiao, saying she had [Extreme Thinking], high martial arts skills, and had drawn with him in three fights despite being four levels lower.
• Lu Li reasoned that Pan Xiaoxiao might have formed a Martial Skill and asked her to add him as a friend.
• Lu Li planned to test Pan Xiaoxiao's character in [Daughter of the Sea] before deciding whether to take her into [Conch Girl].

Lu Li assembled a team for the Daughter of the Sea Rule Realm and met Pan Xiaoxiao in the Waiting Plaza. Pan Xiaoxiao began briefing the group on their failed attempts to achieve a perfect clear.

• Lu Li recruited Qian Tongdan by telling him Li Luo was also going, then accepted four entry tickets from Pan Xiaoxiao despite needing only three.
• Lu Li and his companions entered the Daughter of the Sea Rule Realm and teleported to its Waiting Plaza to wait for more participants.
• Lu Li met Pan Xiaoxiao, whose formal outfit surprised him, and she introduced herself to Alisa, Li Luo, and Qian Tongdan.
• Qian Tongdan commented on Pan Xiaoxiao's chest, mistook her breastplate for its cause, and prompted her to offer to let him examine her equipment.
• Pan Xiaoxiao explained that her team had cleared Daughter of the Sea four times without achieving a perfect clear and started listing past rule violations.

As Lu Li’s group prepared to enter the [Daughter of the Sea] Rule Realm, five Indian Players approached with a deceitful offer of alliance and secretly plotted to kill them. Lu Li agreed to pretend to ally with them, while Li Luo prepared to attack once the group entered the realm.

• The Indian Players leered at Pan Xiaoxiao, but held back when they recognized Lu Li and discussed using their Realm Escape Vouchers if he retaliated.
• Lu Li and Pan Xiaoxiao changed the subject as the Indians approached, and Lu Li joked that he liked going to the docks to find some fries.
• Amir accepted Lu Li’s proposal to form an alliance, and the groups used their Data Panels to overcome the language barrier.
• The Indians privately planned to kill Lu Li and Qian Tongdan and take the women, while Lu Li’s group agreed to use them as potential scouts.
• Pan Xiaoxiao offered to analyze the realm’s rules, but Lu Li insisted there would be no fries without an alliance; Li Luo said he was ready to eliminate the five Indians once they entered the realm.