Chapter Summaries

Huo Ling returned to the Red Dog Tribe and saw that Wilmot had developed it into a sizable city with farmland, magical medicine plantations, and a growing population. After inspecting the city and its leaders, Huo Ling revealed himself as a red dragon and landed before the assembled kobolds.

• Huo Ling teleported to the former Walking Corpse City and considered how Blue Star could develop the safe surrounding region.
• Huo Ling found that the Greenvine Tribe had left its former home and traveled to the Red Dog Tribe.
• Huo Ling surveyed the transformed city, its plantations and farmland, and its kobold and goblin population.
• Huo Ling found Wilmot, Malo, and Soni in the city and noted their ranks and progress.
• Huo Ling revealed his dragon form, prompting the kobolds to kneel, and landed before the gathered high-ranking kobolds.

Huo Ling returned to the Red Dog Tribe after several years and praised Wilmot for developing its settlements and forces. Wilmot reported on his progress and revealed that he and Soni had devised a method to produce modified black iron-tier soldiers, leaving Huo Ling asking about its cost.

• Huo Ling returned in his enormous dragon form, and the kobolds cheered as he greeted Orko and praised Wilmot.
• Huo Ling congratulated Wilmot and Soni, then asked Wilmot to explain how the territory had developed during his absence.
• Wilmot reported that the tribe had established two magical herb plantations, mined and stored ore, and grown to more than thirty thousand kobolds and forty thousand goblins.
• Wilmot said the tribe had over nine hundred black iron-tier soldiers, with another two hundred guarding the distant plantation, prompting Huo Ling to ask how they had trained so many.
• Wilmot credited magical herbs and Soni's inherited witchcraft, explaining that he had refined her modification method to produce black iron-tier soldiers.
• Huo Ling asked Wilmot what resources the soldier modifications required.

Huo Ling inspected Wilmot’s cheap method for modifying goblins into Black Iron-tier warriors and decided it was worth pursuing. The chapter left him impressed by the process and its potential for producing large numbers of expendable soldiers.

• Wilmot told Huo Ling that modified Black Iron-tier warriors cost no more than fifty magic stones each, and Huo Ling asked to see the process.
• Wilmot led Huo Ling and Soni to his laboratory and showed them a nearly completed goblin test subject whose body had grown dramatically larger and stronger.
• Wilmot explained that he used magical-herb potions and transplanted rapidly grown organs to strengthen goblins, with Soni and Skeletal Malo assisting the research.
• Huo Ling read the research documents and learned that selected Apprentice-tier goblins could reach Black Iron tier after three or four months, despite a one-third mortality rate.
• Huo Ling judged the goblin modification method cost-effective and worth continuing to research.

Huo Ling praised Wilmot, Malo, and Soni for their transformation research, then laid out plans to develop Red Dog City as a population and manufacturing center. He left troops, researchers, and resources behind, and departed with Wilmot focused on expanding the city and training blacksmiths.

• Huo Ling praised Wilmot, Malo, and Soni, and urged them to improve their transformation method and research higher-rank transformations.
• Huo Ling took Red Dog City's stored ores and unused potions, then promised Wilmot that he would eventually defeat Wilmot's enemies in the Gnoll Empire.
• Huo Ling left a force of undead soldiers, liches, and Dark Mages to protect Red Dog City and assist its research.
• Huo Ling ordered Wilmot to more than double the city's population within half a year and welcome obedient members of other races, enslaving those who resisted.
• Huo Ling made expanding the population and training Black Iron-rank blacksmiths priorities, left resources for construction, and gave Wilmot his shed dragon scales for kobold smiths.

Huo Ling brought his gnoll slaves’ Flesh Modification research to He Wenhan for advice and resources, then visited his family in New Southern City. The chapter ended with Huo Ling promising An Ruirui a job to relieve her boredom, but only after she indulged him.

• Huo Ling gave Wilmot dragon scales and told him to train craftsmen beyond blacksmiths.
• Huo Ling asked He Wenhan to review the gnolls’ Flesh Modification research and help him obtain equipment and study materials.
• He Wenhan warned Huo Ling about the dangers of fighting in Purgatory, and Huo Ling offered to leave two liches to assist him.
• Huo Ling visited An Ruirui and Huo Chengguang, noticing that his son had developed black horns and grown stronger after Huo Ling’s evolution.
• An Ruirui asked about starting a hunting group, and Huo Ling offered to arrange work for her before teasing her about earning the details.

Huo Ling arranged for An Ruirui to recruit and train workers for plantations in his Spirit Realm territory, then returned to Purgatory and considered how to use his growing skeleton forces. At his developing city, Rete arrived to ask for help with the Sodo Merchant Association’s troubles.

• Huo Ling told An Ruirui to recruit workers, craftsmen, and spellcasters and train people to cultivate magic herbs for his Spirit Realm plantations.
• Huo Ling explained that Red Dog City and its surroundings were secure enough for him to develop without outside investors for now.
• Huo Ling returned to Purgatory, where his legion controlled the area around Wace City and hundreds of thousands of newly raised skeletons stood idle.
• Huo Ling surveyed the skeletons and considered having them fight one another to grow stronger, but decided to plan it later.
• Rete visited Huo Ling at his half-built tower and said the Sodo Merchant Association faced internal and external troubles that were hurting its business.

Rete explained that the Violet Merchant Association was outcompeting Lovisa’s established associations with cheaper goods from Avernus proper, while the Best Merchant Association backed it. He asked Huo Ling to help attack its trade convoy, but Huo Ling questioned whether the planned ambush was a trap.

• Rete told Huo Ling that the Violet Merchant Association had rapidly taken market share and allied with the Best Merchant Association.
• Rete said the Sodo and Cross Merchant Associations had failed to stop the Violet Merchant Association, and assassins sent against it had been killed after a devil baron intervened.
• Rete explained that the Violet Merchant Association sold goods shipped from Avernus proper at prices the local associations could not match.
• Rete asked Huo Ling to intercept and kill the Violet Merchant Association’s transport convoy outside Lovisa City.
• Huo Ling questioned whether the convoy route was bait, and Rete revealed that the Sodo Merchant Association planned to signal its attack and send fifteen Saint Domain experts.

Huo Ling refused Rete’s offer to join the Sodo Merchant Association’s attack on the Violet Merchant Association, choosing to protect his new territory and continue cultivating. He entered a summoned spiritual space to analyze Purgatory rules, where his projection observed the many devils gathered there.

• Rete explained the Sodo Merchant Association’s plan to trick the Violet Merchant Association into misjudging an attack and offered Huo Ling ten million Calamity Coins to participate.
• Huo Ling refused the offer, promised not to reveal the plan, and told Rete he could seek help if the situation became impossible.
• Rete left without securing Huo Ling’s support, and Huo Ling returned to cultivation and rule analysis.
• Huo Ling used Projection Spell to enter a summoned space and analyze Purgatory rules through his powerful dragonman-like projection.
• Huo Ling observed that most of the other devil projections and consciousnesses in the spiritual void belonged to Imps, who deceived mortals through transformation and contracts.

Huo Ling ignored the summons reaching him as mages on a distant plane prepared an elaborate ritual to summon a devil. King and court mage Xili prepared to sacrifice prisoners, young women, and valuable resources for the kingdom’s victory, while the summoning circle neared completion.

• Huo Ling’s projection received summons from mortals and other summoners but ignored them because their class levels were too low.
• King questioned Master Xili about the summoning circle and sacrifices, and Xili asked whether they truly had to go so far.
• King insisted they had no other choice and that sacrificing some things for victory was worth it.
• Xili inspected the vast blood-drawn circle and the sacrifices, which included a Saint-tier Magic Beast, prisoners’ soul power, five captive girls, and precious stones.
• Xili and the court mages continued checking the circle’s runes as preparations for the summoning neared completion.

Augustine began a summoning ritual, sacrificing citizens’ souls and other offerings to call a powerful devil. Huo Ling appeared before him, and Augustine asked for a powerful demon army.

• Xili confirmed the summoning array was ready, and King Augustine removed his crown and prayed to his ancestors.
• Augustine apologized to the five captive girls he intended to sacrifice, then began reciting the summoning incantation as Xili activated the array.
• Huo Ling sensed the Sanctuary-level summoning and sent a projection to the array, where he noticed the Sanctuary-level Magic Beast corpse among the offerings.
• Huo Ling appeared before Augustine, who asked whether the powerful devil could provide a demon army.

Augustine sought Huo Ling’s help in building an army, and Huo Ling offered to transform warriors from Augustine’s homeland in exchange for valuable resources. Augustine signed Huo Ling’s revised contract after Xili found and corrected several loopholes, unaware that hidden tricks remained.

• Huo Ling told Augustine that his sacrifices and strength were insufficient to summon a demon army, but said he could provide warriors by transforming people from Augustine’s homeland.
• Huo Ling offered to create powerful soldiers in exchange for corpses of powerful Magic Beasts, pure souls, magic stones, and gemstones, and Augustine agreed.
• Huo Ling drafted a contract and secretly embedded rare Purgatory runes and hidden clauses in it.
• Augustine summoned Xili, who identified several loopholes in the contract and explained them to Augustine.
• Augustine demanded that Huo Ling correct the discovered loopholes, and Huo Ling prepared a revised contract while leaving hidden clauses intact.
• After Augustine and Xili inspected the revised contract twice, Augustine signed it.

Augustine summoned Huo Ling, whose arrival provoked the plane’s backlash and drew three lightning strikes before he emerged. Huo Ling adapted his form to the human kingdom and assessed the plane’s restrictions, while Augustine asked when they would begin.

• Augustine restarted the summoning array, and Huo Ling forced his way through the rift.
• Dark clouds gathered and struck Huo Ling with three bolts of lightning; Xili weakened one with a defensive shield, and Huo Ling endured the rest.
• Huo Ling repaired his projection by drawing on Augustine’s mana, consuming half of it.
• Huo Ling sensed the plane’s severe restrictions, realized he could not summon his undead soldiers, and shrank into a hooded mage’s form.
• Augustine asked when they would begin, and Huo Ling questioned whether the assembled spellcasters were reliable before agreeing to spare them.

Huo Ling surveyed the Alto Kingdom’s military weakness and studied the Teri Plane, learning that King Augustine faced a powerful Ante Empire now free of civil war. The chapter left Huo Ling better informed about the kingdom’s peril as he considered how to act under the plane’s hostility.

• Huo Ling assessed the court warriors and learned that Augustine commanded fewer than three thousand of them, while the Ante Empire had forty to fifty thousand soldiers of comparable strength.
• Augustine led Huo Ling to the royal library, where Huo Ling used a rapid-reading spell to study the plane and the kingdom.
• Huo Ling learned that the Teri Plane’s weak celestial sources limited its power, and that its inhabitants called it the center of the universe.
• Huo Ling discovered that the Alto Kingdom had a feudal system, a population of over ten million, and a long history of war with the Ante Empire.
• Huo Ling learned that the Ante Empire’s civil strife had ended and that its new emperor was likely to attack the Alto Kingdom, which Augustine doubted he could defend.

Huo Ling explained that the Alto Kingdom needed to eliminate its internal threats before it could resist the Ante Empire, and offered to deal with the disloyal nobles. Augustine weighed the danger of provoking the nobles and their allies, then decided to trust Huo Ling’s strength and proceed.

• Huo Ling reviewed the Alto Kingdom’s political and military situation and considered using the plane to conduct human Flesh Modification experiments and recruit craftsmen.
• Huo Ling told Augustine he could save the kingdom by removing its internal threats first.
• Augustine warned that the great nobles had private armies and might rebel if he moved against them.
• Huo Ling urged Augustine to gather the nobles and promised to kill anyone who opposed the king.
• Augustine recalled Huo Ling’s power, accepted his proposal, and resolved to act against the nobles.

Augustine ordered the nobles to provide warriors for a new army, while Huo Ling prepared to create a demonic force through bloodline modification. After gathering and refining devil blood, Huo Ling began experiments on prisoners in the Teri Plane.

• Augustine decided to summon warriors from across the kingdom and threatened to crush any nobles who resisted.
• Huo Ling ordered Sali to collect blood from Silver-rank Legion Devils and compensated them with Soul Worms and promises of promotion.
• Huo Ling’s forces hunted demons, using Mezzoloth remains to make bloodline potions while reserving other demons for undead warriors.
• Huo Ling sent four thousand Legion Devil potions and two thousand Mezzoloth potions to the Teri Plane through Xili.
• Huo Ling began his first devil bloodline modification on an unconscious prisoner in the court mages’ underground laboratory.

Huo Ling attempted to modify test subjects with Legion Devil blood, but the first subject died when his heart exploded. He began a second attempt with revised runes, and the young test subject’s body started reacting as the Legion Devil blood spread through him.

• Huo Ling prepared a sleeping test subject by engraving magical and Purgatory runes across his skin and bones.
• Huo Ling began the bloodline modification with refined Legion Devil blood, but the test subject’s heart exploded and he died.
• Huo Ling ordered the assistants to replace the test subject and studied the runes to identify the cause of failure.
• Huo Ling prepared a young man with revised runes and started a second bloodline modification.
• Legion Devil blood spread through the young man’s body, consuming his original blood and making him grow hot and flushed.

Huo Ling perfected devil-bloodline modification in Alto and helped Augustine transform soldiers and blacksmiths into stronger servants of the kingdom. After earning valuable sacrifices from Augustine, Huo Ling began building the equipment workforce needed to arm the demon soldiers.

• Huo Ling refined the bloodline-modification process until Alto’s court mages could perform it, then began modifying royal soldiers, whose new bloodlines brought both greater potential and harmful effects.
• Augustine sacrificed magic stones and gemstones to Huo Ling, earning Huo Ling resources worth at least ten million Calamity Coins and renewing his ambition to develop Red Dog City.
• Huo Ling inspected a royal blacksmith workshop and told Augustine that its workers needed assistance to forge suitable armor.
• Augustine agreed to modify ordinary blacksmiths but let Black Iron- and Silver-rank smiths choose, so the ordinary workers were taken to the laboratory.
• Augustine spent Calamity Coins to raise the modified blacksmiths to Black Iron rank, and Huo Ling set them to forging demonic armor despite the toll on their minds.

Huo Ling inspected the growing weapons workshop and learned that several great nobles had refused Augustine’s call to arms. Augustine gave Huo Ling a list of their locations and sent him to deal with the disloyal families while preserving those who would continue serving the kingdom.

• Huo Ling inspected the fortified workshop, where modified blacksmiths forged demon armor and the Alto Kingdom’s troops continued to grow in strength.
• Augustine learned that several great nobles had refused to join his army, preferring to surrender to the Ante Empire if it invaded.
• Huo Ling told Augustine to provide the list of nobles and prepare to take the potion.
• Xili handed Huo Ling the list and precise coordinates, while Augustine ordered him to target the powerful and leave obedient retainers in place.
• Huo Ling began casting Teleportation inside Augustine’s tent and stepped through the portal.

Huo Ling infiltrated the Alto Kingdom duke’s castle and emptied the family’s secret vault. When the duke and his Gold-rank retainers arrived, Huo Ling killed the charging retainers with Dragon Might and flames.

• Huo Ling reached the duke’s castle and used Concealment to enter without being noticed.
• Huo Ling found and unlocked a hidden door in the storage room, revealing a vault packed with valuable magical resources.
• The old duke sensed the vault’s magical amulet reacting, assembled his elite warriors, and hurried underground.
• The duke discovered Huo Ling taking magic stones from the open vault and ordered his Gold-rank retainers to attack.
• Huo Ling released Dragon Might to overwhelm the retainers, then killed them with streaks of flame.

Huo Ling finished eliminating the noble families disloyal to Augustine, killing a duke and a hidden Sanctuary and claiming a huge haul of resources. He returned to Augustine and advised him to surrender to the Ante Empire temporarily while the demon troops grew stronger.

• Huo Ling killed the duke who tried to flee, looted his spatial equipment, and slaughtered the castle's Gold-tier professionals.
• Huo Ling spent several days destroying the disloyal noble families and killed a hidden elderly Sanctuary and the duke of the second family.
• Huo Ling gained resources worth nearly fifteen million Calamity Coins from the purge.
• Huo Ling reported to Augustine that the noble families had been dealt with and advised him to delay revenge by surrendering to the Ante Empire.
• Augustine had more than ten thousand demon troops, but only a little over three thousand had advanced to Black Iron, and Huo Ling warned that their growth still needed time.