Chapter Summaries

Lu Li and Nikita reached General Kaido Ivanov’s residence, where guards blocked them from entering and Lu Li realized they had been told to provoke him. Nikita explained that Brun, her persistent suitor, had turned against Lu Li after she described their intimate encounter in detail to make Brun give up on her.

• Lu Li and Nikita arrived at Kaido's residence, but two guards barred Lu Li from entering until they verified his identity.
• Nikita tried to force her way past the guards, but Lu Li stopped her and agreed to cooperate with the identity check.
• The guards denied that Brun had ordered them to block Lu Li, while their evasive behavior made Lu Li and Nikita suspect his involvement.
• Nikita told Lu Li that Brun was her persistent suitor, not her ex-boyfriend, and that she had rejected him repeatedly.
• Nikita admitted she had described her first time with Lu Li and their later intimacy to Brun for an hour, making Lu Li understand why Brun wanted him dead.

Lu Li and Nikita encountered Brun, who challenged Lu Li to a duel after learning about their relationship. Nikita transformed into a berserk bear and beat Brun, and Marshal Ivanov arrived but could not stop her.

• Lu Li and Nikita argued about Brun, and Nikita summoned him to meet them.
• Brun emerged from a snowbank, declared his love for Nikita, and challenged Lu Li to a duel.
• Lu Li refused to duel Brun and urged him to let them pass, while Brun taunted Lu Li and insulted his ability to heal Marshal Ivanov.
• Nikita transformed into a brown bear and struck Brun, sending him flying into the snow.
• Marshal Ivanov ordered Nikita to stop, but she kept attacking Brun, and Lu Li realized the [Bear Skin Belt] had likely sent her into a frenzy.

Lu Li challenged Brun to a Talent Ability duel after Kaido knocked out the frenzied Nikita and refused to hand her over. The six participants entered a Chessboard Arena, where Brun explained the rules of his King vs. King Duel.

• Kaido grabbed the frenzied Nikita and knocked her unconscious despite Lu Li's warning about the [Bear Skin Belt].
• Lu Li agreed to Brun's challenge, and Kaido and a beautiful woman joined the match as participants.
• Brun selected Alexander to complete the six-player teams, and the group activated their Entry Tickets to enter the Struggle Realm.
• Lu Li and his teammates appeared on the black platform opposite Brun's team on the white platform in the Chessboard Arena.
• Brun explained that the duel used twelve pieces per side, with movement and combat determined by rank, and that the first team to capture all opposing pieces would win.

Lu Li and Brun assigned their pieces for a Zodiac Chess match, then began the game with Lu Li taking the first turn. After Brun’s opening threatened Lu Li’s weaker pieces, Lu Li advanced as the Dragon directly into the enemy formation, leaving Kaido staring at him with contempt.

• Brun assigned Kaido the Rat and planned to use Nikita as the Pig, while Kaido mocked Brun and chose the Rat for himself.
• Lu Li assigned Natasha the Rat and Alexander the Pig, then took the Dragon role to avoid becoming an obvious target.
• The match began with Brun’s armored summoned pieces arranged in a disciplined formation, while Lu Li’s mismatched Soul Guards looked disorganized.
• Lu Li won the coin toss and moved the Bee Queen, playing the Dog, one square forward, drawing Nikita’s Pig into the center of the board.
• Rather than move the Bee Queen again, Lu Li advanced himself three squares as the Dragon into the enemy front row, where Kaido watched him with disdain.

Lu Li and Brun continued their zodiac-piece duel, with Brun believing his captures had secured an advantage. Lu Li eliminated the white snake and broke the trap around his dragon, leaving the contest unresolved.

• Brun's white pig captured Lu Li's black rabbit, and Lu Li's dragon then destroyed the white tiger.
• Lu Li ordered Xing Anlin's black monkey to smash the white goat, while Brun and Kaido argued over their strategy.
• Lu Li moved his dragon to capture the white ox, and Brun advanced Nikita's white pig toward the black rat.
• Lu Li moved Madam Natasha's black rat, exposing the black sheep, which Nikita's white pig captured.
• Lu Li sent Alexander's black pig to kill the white snake, breaking the white side's trap around the black dragon.

Lu Li’s black “monkey,” Xing Anlin, survived Brun’s attacks, including a strike boosted to three hundred percent power. Lu Li then advanced Natasha toward Brun’s white “pig,” while Brun positioned Nikita and his white “dog” to trap Xing Anlin.

• Brun ordered his white “Chicken” to strike Xing Anlin, but Xing Anlin blocked the axe with his neck and taunted him.
• Brun claimed he had been distracted and asked Lu Li for another strike; Lu Li allowed it, and Brun used [Ability Overload] to amplify the blow.
• Xing Anlin survived the enhanced strike, complaining only that his head was still buzzing.
• Lu Li advanced Natasha toward Brun’s white “pig,” bringing it within reach of the black “mouse.”
• Brun moved Nikita beside his white “dog” to trap Xing Anlin between the two pieces and force him toward the board’s guarded edges.

Lu Li maneuvered the Black pieces to threaten the White side’s strongest pieces, while Xing Anlin’s taunts drove Brun into a faint. Brun realized Lu Li’s trap but found that none of his seven White pieces could move safely, leaving the initiative with Lu Li.

• Xing Anlin taunted Brun until Brun fainted, while Lu Li completed a turn and Madam Natasha’s Black “Rat” threatened Nikita’s cornered White “Pig.”
• Brun realized the Black “Rat” could take the White “Pig” before the White “Dog” could retaliate, then decided to attack Kaido’s Black “Pig” instead.
• Brun moved the White “Dragon” to open a path for Kaido’s White “Rat,” but Lu Li ordered Alexander’s Black “Pig” to move diagonally away from it.
• Brun saw that Lu Li intended to use the Black “Pig” to kill the White pieces surrounding the White “Rat” and vowed not to let him succeed.
• Brun searched for a safe move but discovered that all seven White pieces were trapped or exposed, leaving Lu Li with the initiative.

Lu Li used Madam Natasha to eliminate White’s “pig,” then moved her toward the White “rat,” apparently exploiting a loophole in Brun’s rules. Brun figured out Lu Li’s plan, but advanced the White “dog” into range of the Black “dragon,” forcing Lu Li to choose whether to flee.

• Kaido told Brun to stop focusing on Nikita and help surround Lu Li’s Black “dragon.”
• Lu Li ordered Madam Natasha to kill White’s “pig” and put a trench coat on the unconscious Nikita.
• Lu Li moved Madam Natasha three squares toward him instead of withdrawing Xing Anlin’s Black “monkey.”
• Brun deduced that Lu Li was trying to make the two player-controlled “rats” meet, where the first to attack could eliminate the other.
• Brun moved the White “dog” into killing range of Lu Li’s Black “dragon,” leaving Lu Li to flee or be eliminated.

Lu Li kept the initiative in the strategy game despite Kaido taking control from Brun, while Kaido’s moves exposed the white pieces to losses. The game reached its late stage, and Brun prepared a white monkey’s instant-kill attack against Lu Li.

• Lu Li ordered Madam Natasha’s black rat to move near the white pieces, prompting Natasha to warn that Brun might lose.
• Brun retreated the white marshal to avoid Natasha’s attack, angering Kaido, who insisted the white pieces should seize the initiative.
• Kaido declared that he would take over the game and invoked his authority as Nikita’s father to decide whom she would marry.
• Alexander moved the black pig to eliminate a white dragon, while Kaido directed the white dog and monkey to corner Lu Li.
• Brun urged Kaido to move the white monkey forward for its instant-kill attack, then warned Lu Li to prepare to defend.

Lu Li prepared an overwhelming set of defenses against Brun’s silver armored summon, only for a reflected counterattack to kill and detain it. Brun demanded that Lu Li return his summon, but Lu Li denied taking it.

• Lu Li recalled that the summon’s “Instant Kill” trait made its first attack deal guaranteed limit damage and considered how to defend against it.
• Lu Li activated twenty-eight defensive Talent Abilities as the armored warrior slowly approached, stunning the spectators and leaving Alexander hoarse from cheering.
• The armored warrior vanished after touching Lu Li’s neck, and Brun discovered he could no longer summon it.
• Lu Li realized [Heart of Thorns] had reflected damage, triggering [Overlevel Kill] and [Tyrant's Grace] to kill and detain the summon.
• Brun accused Lu Li of taking his summon, but Lu Li asked what evidence he had.

Lu Li forced Kaido to confront him on the board, then struck him with a powerful Cannon Fist after Kaido challenged him to attack. Kaido began to lose control, and Natasha urged Brun to retreat to a stone platform before Kaido could endanger them.

• Lu Li moved the black "Dragon" toward Kaido and explained that he had used the black "Mouse" to help trap the white "Mouse".
• Kaido unexpectedly moved the white "Mouse" toward Lu Li instead of retreating, and Lu Li ordered the black "Dragon" to eliminate him.
• Kaido argued that Lu Li had not yet attacked him directly and demanded that Lu Li attack.
• Lu Li recorded Kaido's challenge as evidence, then struck him with a Cannon Fist that sent him flying across the board.
• As Kaido's muscles began to writhe, Natasha told Brun to get onto a stone platform because Kaido was about to lose control.

Kaido Ivanov began losing control in the Secret Realm and attacked Lu Li, while the chess-piece guards turned hostile and surrounded Nikita and Natasha. Lu Li sent Xing Anlin, Chen Hao, and the Bee Queen to rescue them, as Brun was beaten out of the Secret Realm and Alexander watched from safety.

• Natasha realized Kaido was losing control and told Brun to summon Nikita, whose [Compulsive Gambler] might stop him.
• Kaido's hair turned red as he lost his sanity and charged at Lu Li, who blocked his attack with the Dragon Scale Shield.
• The chess-piece guards activated and surrounded Nikita; Natasha tried to pull her free but was knocked unconscious.
• Lu Li ordered Xing Anlin, Chen Hao, and the Bee Queen to rescue Nikita and Natasha, while Xing Anlin drew the guards' attention.
• The guards beat Brun until he was ejected from the Secret Realm, and Alexander reached the stone platform and watched the battle with vodka and sausage.

Lu Li restrained Kaido after Kaido’s Talent Ability drove him into a beastlike frenzy, then fought him hand-to-hand while Nikita woke up. Natasha urged Nikita to copy her ability and help suppress Kaido, but Nikita insisted Guangguai could exhaust her father alone.

• Kaido broke away from Lu Li and charged at the stone platform where Natasha and the unconscious Nikita were, but Lu Li used black mist to slam him back to the ground.
• Lu Li withdrew the black mist arm and fought Kaido with his fists, leaving Alexander stunned that a Summoning Class Player could hold his own in close combat.
• Natasha explained that General Brun had died after chess-piece guards trapped him, while Alexander assumed Lu Li’s strength came from his summons.
• Nikita woke up, heard Natasha’s account, and refused to activate [Compulsive Gambler], saying Guangguai could drain her father’s stamina alone.

Lu Li altered the Chessboard Arena Secret Realm’s rules to balance everyone’s stamina, giving himself and Kaido effectively infinite stamina so Kaido’s [Myriad Beast Body] could heal his injuries and cure his berserk side effect. He returned to the fight with a heavy halberd, planning to control his strength while accelerating Kaido’s improvement.

• Natasha worried that Lu Li would run out of stamina, but Alexander and Nikita saw him pinning and beating Marshal Ivanov.
• Natasha suggested Nikita use telekinesis to restrain Kaido, but Lu Li separated from Kaido and used a [Rule Alteration Trial Ticket] to balance all Players’ stamina.
• Lu Li explained that he had deliberately given Kaido infinite stamina so [Myriad Beast Body] could heal his injuries through continued fighting.
• Lu Li recalled that Kaido had once cured his berserk side effect by fighting Ao Zhan in a realm that restored stamina.
• Lu Li drew the [Mysterious Iron Heavy Halberd], deactivated his titles, activated [Spirit Possession], and began stacking his Constitution for his first strike.

Lu Li whipped Kaido for an hour while his summons cleared the chess-piece guards, and Alexander went down to test his strength against one. The chapter ended as Kaido struck Lu Li into the white stone platform, prompting his summons to announce that phase two had begun.

• Natasha, Alexander, and Nikita watched Lu Li whip Kaido and wondered whether it was really treatment.
• Alexander decided to challenge a chess-piece guard, but his kick barely made it stagger and its punch triggered his forced removal.
• Xing Anlin, Chen Hao, and Bee Queen continued fighting and snacking while Lu Li battled Kaido.
• Rage roared, and Kaido sent Lu Li flying into the white stone platform.
• Chen Hao told Natasha and Nikita that Lu Li's summons had expected phase two to begin.

Lu Li survived Kaido’s heart-shattering attack through [Heart Steel Armor] and continued fighting as Kaido’s [Myriad Beast Body] grew stronger. Rather than retreating or using stronger equipment, Lu Li balanced stamina for all players, stripped away his defenses, and fought Kaido with an Excellent Quality blade to push himself toward the brink of death.

• Kaido’s punch broke through Lu Li’s shield and shattered his heart, triggering [Heart Steel Armor]’s rapid health regeneration.
• Kaido transformed his skin into metallic crimson scales and kept pace with Lu Li as his strength and defense increased.
• Natasha urged Nikita to warn Lu Li that Kaido would grow stronger, and Nikita shouted for him to change the rules and exhaust Kaido’s stamina.
• Lu Li changed the Secret Realm’s rules to balance everyone’s stamina, removed his defenses, and replaced his Perfect Quality weapon with an Excellent Quality Ink Blade.
• Kaido activated the Beast Emperor Battle Domain and attacked Lu Li with steel-like claws, but Lu Li’s wounds healed almost instantly.
• Lu Li focused on attacking without defending, using Kaido’s growing strength to push himself toward a breakthrough in the way of the blade.

Lu Li fought Kaido for five hours, repeatedly throwing him from the arena while Kaido’s [Myriad Beast Body] reached its peak. Kaido recovered, revealed that the battle cured his lingering injury, and finally approved of Nikita and Lu Li’s relationship.

• Nikita, Natasha, and the Soul Guards played mahjong while Lu Li and Kaido continued their fierce battle.
• Nikita explained that Kaido had forbidden her from seeing Lu Li after he was injured in the [Pirates and Treasure] Secret Realm, where the Silver Fox crew had altered the rules.
• Kaido appeared behind Xing Anlin and startled him into calling Kaido his father-in-law.
• Kaido told Natasha that Lu Li’s prolonged fight had activated his [Myriad Beast Body], restored his ability to communicate freely, and cured his lingering injury.
• Kaido thanked Lu Li and told Nikita that he approved of her and Lu Li.

Kaido explained that lingering illusions had made him oppose Nikita and Lu Li, then accepted their relationship after Lu Li cured the danger of his [Myriad Beast Body]. Lu Li prepared to demonstrate a newly discovered killing move against Kaido in his fully defensive form.

• Kaido told Natasha and the others that illusions of Nikita's death had driven his efforts to keep her close and marry her to Brun.
• Nikita confronted Kaido, who apologized and supported her marriage to Lu Li.
• Natasha warned that Brun might involve Marshal Gai Nie'er, but Kaido said he no longer feared them because Lu Li had removed the side effect of [Myriad Beast Body].
• The group found Lu Li meditating in the depression, where he revealed he had figured out a killing move.
• Kaido asked Lu Li to test the move against him, and Lu Li agreed.
• Kaido activated the complete defensive form of [Myriad Beast Body] and prepared to face Lu Li's attack.

After Lu Li one-shotted Kaido and left with Nikita, Kaido regained his confidence and decided to attack Gai Nie'er, with Natasha suggesting he seek help from Huaxia’s government. Meanwhile, Huaxia’s old man attended an international meeting to discuss resettling Civilian Players on the northern border, where Tripp appeared ready to target Huaxia.

• Kaido awoke outside the Secret Realm, learned Lu Li had defeated him with one strike, and watched Natasha’s recording of the fight.
• Kaido tested his strength by striking Brun, triggering Brun’s Substitute Doll, then vowed to take Gai Nie’er’s territory over Nikita’s mother’s death.
• Natasha advised Kaido to find an ally against Gai Nie’er and suggested Huaxia’s government.
• Huaxia’s old man went to the international meeting despite his secretary’s concerns and endured the other representatives’ contempt.
• Tripp began the meeting by raising the issue of resettling Civilian Players along the Huaxia-Russia border, signaling his intent to target Huaxia.

At an international meeting, Huaxia sought Bear Country’s help evacuating Civilian Players trapped in Mystic Water Town, while Tripp expected the request to be rejected. After receiving an urgent message, the Bear Country Emperor reversed course and offered comprehensive cooperation with Huaxia.

• Tripp and other delegates mocked Huaxia’s Chairman for trying to protect Civilian Players, but the Chairman calmly opened the meeting.
• Huaxia’s officials sought permission to evacuate the stranded Civilian Players in Mystic Water Town through a weak point in its revived territory.
• The Bear Country Emperor began to announce a refusal, then paused to handle an urgent message on his Data Panel.
• After three minutes, the Emperor announced that Bear Country would help Huaxia conquer the revived territory and resettle the trapped players.
• The Emperor rebuffed Tripp and offered Huaxia broader cooperation on resources, resettlement, and conquering revived regions.