Chapter Summaries

After moving to Jing Prefecture, Lu Xingshi examined how Mandate of Heaven Silk formed a world-wide protective network and prevented the creation of another Child of Destiny. A newspaper report then revealed that Destiny Ghosts were growing more numerous and powerful across the Federation.

• Lu Xingshi settled in Jing Prefecture, where he studied the strand of Heavenly Mandate he had taken from Li Fan and avoided devouring it to prevent a clash with the world.
• Lu Xingshi realized that Mandate of Heaven Silk covered the world as a protective network that monitored events and adapted to threats.
• Lu Xingshi connected the network’s development to the world’s changing systems of Professionals, Fate Masters, and Arcane Treasure Masters, and wondered where its source was hidden.
• Lu Xingshi collected his newspaper and read a report that Destiny Ghosts had increased in number and strength across multiple regions.

Mara was born as a Grievance-level Life Ghost and decided to hide among humans while quietly building strength. After disguising himself as an infant, he was found by a couple and taken by police to a Welfare Institute, where his plan to obtain a legal identity began.

• Mara emerged from the Mora Egg, learned his Destiny Ghost inheritance, and rejected its call to wage war before he had enough strength.
• Mara decided to disguise himself as a human infant and enter a Welfare Institute to gain a legal identity.
• Mara created the appearance of an abandoned child and cried until a middle-aged couple found him and called the police.
• The officers investigated the abandonment, concluded they could not readily find Mara's parents, and arranged to take him to a Welfare Institute.
• Mara suppressed his urge to attack the humans, then fell asleep in the police car as the officers discussed abandoned infants.

Lu Xingshi observed the newly hatched Mara and explained how he intended to use it to disrupt the Federation and investigate the Mandate of Heaven Silk. He concluded that Mara had the world’s unusual initial favorability but would likely need a century to grow enough to change the balance of power.

• Lu Xingshi watched Mara disguise itself as a human and enter the Welfare Institute, noting its cunning, restraint, and potential as a Destiny Ghost.
• Lu Xingshi explained that he wanted Mara to become a powerful opponent of the Federation, helping him evolve the World Extinguishing Black Lotus and uncover the source of the Mandate of Heaven Silk.
• Lu Xingshi clarified that he would stop Mara from destroying the world, which he considered his own future prize, and said that his three Graduation Numbers depended on his true power.
• Lu Xingshi examined the Mandate of Heaven Silk’s response to Mara and found that Mara’s unusual nature gave it high initial favorability, bringing it some support rather than outright suppression.
• Lu Xingshi estimated that Mara was unlikely to overthrow humanity or enslave it, and that its growth could take another century.
• Lu Xingshi decided to keep monitoring Mara and suspected that the source of the Mandate of Heaven Silk was an external artifact.

After graduating from Liu Prefecture Academy as a Three-Stage Arcane Treasure Master, Mara rejected company offers and chose to pursue a political career in the Liu Prefecture Government. He left the academy determined to rise within the Federation, while Teacher Wu warned him about the risks and offered him a fallback position.

• Mara graduated at sixteen after claiming his Arcane Treasure was the ability Life Ghost Transformation, allowing him to use his Destiny Ghost powers openly.
• Teacher Wu asked Mara why he had rejected every company offer and urged him to join a company before trying to start a business.
• Mara told Teacher Wu that he intended to enter politics and had registered for the Liu Prefecture Government's public recruitment assessments.
• Teacher Wu warned Mara that political advancement required strength, connections, and backing, and that political struggles could be deadly.
• Mara said he would pursue politics because he believed only the Federation could provide the opportunity to become a Grand Arcane Treasure Master.
• Teacher Wu offered Mara a possible lecturer position if politics failed, and Mara left the academy carrying his luggage.

Ke Lan received a mysterious mirror from his father and experienced a terrifying vision of a future Federation destroyed by Destiny Ghosts. After returning to his dorm, he suspected the mirror had sent him into the future, while Lu Xingshi observed the world resisting Mara’s reforms and preparations.

• Ke Lan heard students debate Mora Councilor’s academy reforms and believed ordinary students had no real chance of benefiting from elite streaming.
• Ke Lan received a mirror his father had mailed him and kept it as a decoration before beginning cultivation.
• Ke Lan found himself in ruined Jing Prefecture in the Twenty-Eighth Generation Federation, where a newspaper reported humanity’s desperate last stand against the Destiny Ghosts.
• A Human-headed Bat-bodied Destiny Ghost killed Ke Lan, but he awoke in his dormitory and found that his Dream Armor had grown stronger.
• Ke Lan suspected the mirror had sent him into the future, where the Federation would fall to the Destiny Ghosts.
• Lu Xingshi observed the world resisting Mara’s reforms and noted that Mara had amassed a hundred-thousand-strong Destiny Ghost army while seeking Calamity Rank.

Lu Xingshi helped Ke Lan interrogate a Destiny Ghost sent by Mara to assassinate someone, but the captive died when Ke Lan asked who Mara was and where he could be found. Lu Xingshi warned Ke Lan that powerful Federation officials might be protecting Mara and offered to help him again.

• Lu Xingshi told an upright canine Destiny Ghost to leave, but Ke Lan caught it and demanded to know who Mara was.
• The Destiny Ghost denied knowing Mara, then refused to betray him despite Ke Lan's threats.
• Lu Xingshi interrogated the Destiny Ghost, and it confessed that Mara had ordered it to kill someone using poison.
• Ke Lan recognized that the captive's answers matched his knowledge of the future and feared that killing one general would not change humanity's fate.
• The Destiny Ghost convulsed and died when Ke Lan asked who Mara was and where he was, and Lu Xingshi concluded that the question had triggered its death.
• Lu Xingshi gave Ke Lan his phone number and warned that Federation officials might be protecting Mara, so reporting the matter could endanger the informant.

Lu Xingshi discovered that Ke Lan’s Mirror of Origin could send him into the future, and he began studying its time-travel technology. He decided to let Ke Lan grow and repeatedly use the mirror, leaving Mara as a future opponent while Lu Xingshi pursued both the technology and the world’s other resources.

• Lu Xingshi monitored Ke Lan and saw the Mirror of Origin draw out his soul and send him into the future through a timeline connection.
• Lu Xingshi concluded that the Mirror of Origin and Mandate of Heaven Silk formed a time-travel system that could help him overcome his bottleneck by combining it with his parallel-world technology.
• Lu Xingshi chose not to seize the Mirror of Origin directly, since doing so could trigger its protective mechanism and prevent him from analyzing the time-travel technology.
• Lu Xingshi judged that Ke Lan could eventually catch up to Mara and become a formidable opponent, while Mara could serve as reinforcement material for his World Extinguishing Black Lotus.
• Lu Xingshi decided to invest in Ke Lan’s growth so he could obtain the Mirror of Origin, its time-travel technology, and Ke Lan himself.

After learning that humanity would be destroyed and that traitors aided the Destiny Ghosts, Ke Lan decided to find allies and eliminate one traitor before he could act. Lu Xingshi realized Ke Lan might recruit him and planned to earn his trust so he could investigate the time-travel technology.

• Ke Lan discovered that history had changed but a Tiger Wind Life Ghost had replaced the Hound Demon Life Ghost, and concluded that killing Mara was necessary to end the threat.
• Ke Lan learned that human traitors had helped bring about the Federation’s downfall and considered why his future self had been absent from the future.
• Ke Lan decided he needed trustworthy help but ruled out his parents and academy classmates, then considered recruiting Lu Xingshi.
• Ke Lan chose to target a suspected traitor before he betrayed humanity and began weighing how to kill him without attracting suspicion.
• Lu Xingshi decided to let Ke Lan approach him, hoping to earn his trust and gain access to the Mirror of Origin and its time-travel technology.

Ke Lan told Lu Xingshi that humans had joined a Destiny Ghost conspiracy against the Federation, but Lu Xingshi demanded proof before offering more than help interrogating Destiny Ghosts. Ke Lan asked him to search Jing Prefecture for a place tied to his future login point, and Lu Xingshi began trying to locate it.

• Ke Lan revealed his claims about the Destiny Ghosts and human defectors, but Lu Xingshi questioned their plausibility and agreed only to interrogate Destiny Ghosts until Ke Lan proved them.
• Ke Lan asked Lu Xingshi to bury a recorded book in Jing Prefecture, and Lu Xingshi reluctantly agreed after Ke Lan said the task would help prove his claims.
• Ke Lan admitted he did not know the precise location and gave Lu Xingshi a vague description of the area around his future login point.
• After Ke Lan left, Lu Xingshi went to Jing Prefecture and estimated that searching from the description could take at least a month.
• Lu Xingshi considered using the Heavenly Mandate and Mandate of Heaven Silk to find the location, but decided the search would likely be difficult.

Lu Xingshi visited a manor in Jing Prefecture and met Mora Councilor, who tried to recruit him while probing his identity. Lu Xingshi left without accepting, and Mara ordered a Destiny Ghost to track him, but it could find no scent to follow.

• Lu Xingshi searched for the location Ke Lan had described and encountered Mara at the manor.
• Mara offered to introduce Lu Xingshi to property sellers and recruit him with Federation support for a Grand Arcane Treasure Master.
• Lu Xingshi asked whether the Federation had a path beyond Grand Arcane Treasure Master, then declined Mara’s offer and left.
• Mara sent a strange Destiny Ghost to follow Lu Xingshi, but it could not detect any scent.
• Mara dismissed the Destiny Ghost and decided to investigate Lu Xingshi through Federation intelligence channels.

Lu Xingshi decided to accelerate Mora and Ke Lan’s growth together, despite the cost, while Ke Lan uncovered a notebook confirming Lu Xingshi’s trustworthiness and revealing that Mora might be the Destiny Ghost Mara. Ke Lan resolved to build a force to gather intelligence and use his time-travel advantage to change the future.

• Lu Xingshi considered how to accelerate Mora without disrupting Ke Lan’s progress, then decided to invest resources in both of them and speed up the deciphering of time-travel technology.
• In the ruins of future Jing Prefecture, Ke Lan retrieved a notebook Lu Xingshi had buried for him and read its account of the month after his time travel began.
• Ke Lan learned that his past self would remain in the past after traveling, but would lose the ability to time travel, and concluded he could exploit this by envisioning actions for that version of himself.
• Ke Lan found the future anchor’s address at Mora Councilor’s estate and suspected Mora was actually the Destiny Ghost Mara.
• Ke Lan recognized that he lacked the status, influence, and strength to confront Mora, so he decided to build a force to gather intelligence and strengthen his advantages.

Ke Lan told Lu Xingshi that Mora Councilor was the Destiny Ghost Mara and asked for advice on building a force, but Lu Xingshi warned that the Federation’s interests protected Mora. Meanwhile, Mara mistook Lu Xingshi for a legendary ancient figure and decided to delay his plans until he grew stronger.

• Ke Lan revealed that Mora Councilor was Mara, and Lu Xingshi explained how the Council and other citizens profited from policies that weakened the Federation.
• Lu Xingshi told Ke Lan that opposing Mora would mean fighting the interests of the entire Federation, so a secret force would not be enough without overwhelming strength.
• Ke Lan accepted that he needed to build strength and gather intelligence before confronting Mora, while Lu Xingshi declined to get involved.
• Mara saw Lu Xingshi’s resemblance to the First Grand President of the First Generation Federation and feared he was an ancient monster.
• Mara resolved to become stronger, postponing part of his plan until he could protect himself from Lu Xingshi.

Ke Lan decided to offer the Mirror of Origin to Lu Xingshi and ask to become his disciple, hoping to save humanity by relying on Lu Xingshi’s strength. Lu Xingshi considered accepting him and began revising his plans, while Mara’s latest attempt to reach the Calamity Rank failed.

• Ke Lan studied the Mirror of Origin’s records and concluded that Lu Xingshi’s hidden strength might explain why the Twenty-Eighth Generation Federation survived an extra year.
• Ke Lan decided to approach Lu Xingshi directly, offer him the mirror as an apprentice gift, and ask to become his disciple.
• Lu Xingshi observed Ke Lan’s decision, judged him a promising and sincere candidate, and considered whether an invader should accept a disciple from the Federation.
• Lu Xingshi began preparing new contingency plans for Ke Lan’s possible discipleship and the world’s response.
• Mara failed to transform into the Calamity Rank again and considered ways to expand his Ghost Domain without attracting the First Grand President of the First Generation Federation.

Ke Lan became Lu Xingshi’s Nominal Disciple after learning that Lu planned to destroy the Federation but preserve humanity. Lu let Ke Lan try to stop Mara on his own and gave him a chance to gain control of the Federation before the Yan Army arrived, while Ke Lan left the Mirror of Origin in Lu’s care for safekeeping.

• Lu Xingshi told Ke Lan he intended to destroy the Federation and rule the world, but would spare humanity, and Ke Lan agreed to become his disciple.
• Lu named Ke Lan a Nominal Disciple and revealed that the Mirror of Origin was originally his and that Mara was weakening the Federation for him.
• Lu told Ke Lan he would not help him fight Mara, though he could save Ke Lan’s life once, and explained that Ke Lan’s success could make him a useful replacement for Mara.
• Ke Lan recognized Lu as the First Grand President of the First Generation Federation, and Lu gave him a chance to remake the world before he acted against the Federation himself.
• Ke Lan asked Lu to keep the Mirror of Origin, and Lu agreed so he could study it with Ke Lan’s cooperation.

Mara traced the repeated failures of his schemes to a likely prophetic opponent in Quan Prefecture and planned to use a development project as cover while eliminating the threat. Ke Lan learned that Mara intended to target him, while Lu Xingshi confirmed his future information had been cut off and left him to decide how to respond.

• Mara mapped the locations of his failed arrangements, suspected someone in Quan Prefecture had prophetic abilities, and planned to test and eliminate the possible suspects.
• Mara designed a large-scale development project for Quan Prefecture that would conceal his schemes and offer benefits to keep potential witnesses silent.
• Ke Lan reviewed his altered future notes, which showed Quan Prefecture becoming the Federation’s leading economy and ended with Mara killing him after he failed to stop Mara’s plans.
• Lu Xingshi told Ke Lan that he had withdrawn the future information he had previously allowed him to receive.
• Ke Lan concluded that Mara’s development project was both cover for an attempt to eliminate him and a way to drain the Federation and humanity.
• Lu Xingshi told Ke Lan he already knew enough to decide what to do next, while recognizing that Mara’s power and influence were difficult to challenge.

Mara investigated thousands of possible saboteurs in Quan Prefecture and ordered his subordinates to probe them before narrowing the list. Ke Lan realized he had failed to find his planted notebook in the future and changed his plan, while Lu Xingshi left the growing conflict between Ke Lan and Mara to them.

• Mara reviewed intelligence files, paused over Ke Lan's dossier, and identified thousands of people for further screening.
• Mara decided to use the Federation's resources to test suspects and reduce their number before taking more radical action.
• Ke Lan told Lu Xingshi that his notebook was missing and reasoned that he might have died abruptly or that someone had uncovered and monitored him.
• Lu Xingshi concluded that Mara's actions had caused the change, while Ke Lan resolved to find out why he had not left the notebook.
• Lu Xingshi told Ke Lan to follow his plan and stopped involving himself in their conflict.

Lu Xingshi caught a jellyfish-shaped Destiny Ghost sent by Mara to spy on Ke Lan, then spoke with Mara through it and refused his attempt to curry favor. After the Ghost died, Mara learned Ke Lan lived with Lu Xingshi and marked him for close observation, suspecting he concealed a secret.

• Lu Xingshi caught the invisible Jellyfish Life Ghost while Ke Lan was away preparing countermeasures against Mara.
• The Jellyfish Life Ghost revealed that Mara had sent it to observe Ke Lan, and Mara spoke to Lu Xingshi through it.
• Lu Xingshi rejected Mara’s offer to send more Destiny Ghosts as gifts, and Mara killed the Jellyfish Life Ghost.
• Mara learned that Ke Lan regularly visited Lu Xingshi’s secluded residence and made Ke Lan a key observation target.
• Mara wondered whether Ke Lan had a hidden secret connected to one of his estates and decided to proceed cautiously.

Ke Lan discovered Mara’s surveillance and feared for his parents, so he asked Lu Xingshi to protect them, knowing it would expose him as Lu’s ally. Mara concluded that Lu Xingshi was behind Ke Lan and turned to indirect tactics to find a way to restrain him.

• Ke Lan found and destroyed more than twenty hidden monitoring devices in his dormitory, then decided to leave the academy and move in with Lu Xingshi.
• Ke Lan sensed that Mara’s people were tailing him, but they stopped following as he neared Lu Xingshi’s residence.
• Lu Xingshi told Ke Lan that Mora Councilor had sent a Destiny Ghost to investigate him, and that their encounter had likely revealed something to Mara.
• Ke Lan asked Lu Xingshi to protect his parents, and Lu agreed while warning that doing so would confirm Mara’s suspicions about Ke Lan.
• Mara dismissed Ke Lan as Lu Xingshi’s pawn and resolved to target Ke Lan indirectly while searching for Lu Xingshi’s weakness.

In the false Future Timeline, Mara realized Ke Lan had been traveling from the past with help from an unknown teacher and that his notebook exposed the altered timeline. Mara confronted Ke Lan at the ruined estate, but Ke Lan killed himself, causing the timeline to collapse.

• Mara investigated gaps and contradictions in his memories, concluded that Ke Lan had repeatedly altered the future, and identified the ruined estate as Ke Lan's landing point.
• Mara reached the estate and found Ke Lan, a Living Dead, preparing to explore after arriving in the future.
• Mara trapped Ke Lan in his Ghost Domain, showed him the notebook, and demanded to learn how he had traveled through time.
• Ke Lan mentioned his teacher, confirming Mara's suspicion that someone was behind the changes, then warned Mara to act immediately next time.
• Ke Lan ended his life before Mara could stop him, and the false Future Timeline shattered.

Ke Lan asked Lu Xingshi to help him escape the Dead Save that guaranteed Mara would arrive, and Lu Xingshi explained the risks of traveling to the past. Ke Lan agreed to cooperate with Lu Xingshi’s experiments in exchange for Mara’s death and a better future for humanity, leaving their teacher-student bond strained.

• Ke Lan told Lu Xingshi that every attempt to change the future still brought Mara, and asked for help resolving the Dead Save.
• Lu Xingshi rejected Ke Lan’s idea of killing Mara in the past, explaining the risks of Plot Correction Force, temporal exclusion, and creating a separate timeline.
• Ke Lan inferred that Lu Xingshi wanted to study the Mirror of Origin’s time-travel abilities and offered to cooperate in exchange for Mara’s death and the Federation’s survival.
• Lu Xingshi accepted Ke Lan’s offer, promised to resolve Mara and the Dead Save, and told him to remain while he arranged matters for Ke Lan’s parents.
• Ke Lan declined Lu Xingshi’s offer to bring his parents to visit, and Lu Xingshi began making preparations.