Chapter Summaries

Ian used the Soul-Soothing Potion’s hidden resonance to trigger violent Abyssal Contamination in Edmond and two of his subordinates during a family gathering. The elders contained them and demanded an explanation, while Adele realized Ian had orchestrated the crisis.

• Neisenge traced Rose Merchant Guild goods to Black Crow Alchemy and found sealed crates matching the box in Ian’s laboratory.
• Adele unveiled the Soul-Soothing Potion and won the elders’ approval to distribute bottles to family members, including Edmond.
• Edmond ordered a masked wizard to contaminate the potion so he could turn Adele’s goodwill against her.
• Ian detected contamination at Edmond Manor and secretly altered the potions’ resonance through the Status Panel.
• At the family gathering, Ian triggered violent purification, causing Edmond, his captain of guards, and his personal Alchemist to erupt with Abyssal Contamination.
• A white-haired elder restrained the afflicted and demanded that Edmond explain the contamination, while Adele looked to Ian in shock.

At the Juste Family gathering, Adele exposed Edmond’s Abyssal contamination and proved he had poisoned Clan Head Tito, securing Level Three authority and the elder council’s support. Edmond was imprisoned, while Adele and Ian prepared to continue treating Tito and investigate the source of the Abyssal knowledge.

• Edmond’s Abyssal contamination erupted at the banquet, and the elders sealed him before the contamination could spread.
• Adele presented evidence linking the contamination in Edmond, Tito, and materials from the Rose Merchant Guild, while Elder Soren confirmed Edmond’s bloodline aura in the sample.
• The elder council stripped Edmond of his heir status and sealed him in the family’s underground prison, then granted Adele Level Three authority and increased resources.
• Adele ordered Neisenge to purge Edmond’s properties and followers, especially to secure records connected to the Abyss.
• Ian gave Adele a concentrated third-version Soul-Soothing Potion for Tito and told her to halve the dosage and monitor the contamination over three months.
• Adele resolved to investigate the source of Edmond’s Abyssal knowledge while her father remained unconscious and other succession rivals waited.

Adele secured Edmond’s Abyss-related records and samples while taking control of much of his resources, and Ian began analyzing the materials in an isolated laboratory. His findings traced the contamination to a level-five source deep in Burning Canyon, while Titu showed early signs of awakening.

• Edmond told Elder Soren that he had found an ancient notebook in the family library, but his contaminated memories prevented him from recalling more.
• Adele gave Ian Edmond’s charred notebook and explained that Edmond had changed after surviving an expedition to an ancient sacrificial site in Burning Canyon.
• Ian decoded the notebook’s account of the Path of the Morning Star and learned that Edmond had pursued an Abyssal Rule Imprint.
• Adele reported that she had taken over half of Edmond’s resources, gained Elder Soren’s support, and secured twenty-seven Abyss-related samples for Ian to study.
• Ian’s analysis traced a sample to a level-five parent source in Burning Canyon’s third fault layer, while Adele told Titu that his contamination had faded and his consciousness might be returning.

Ian deciphered the Ancient Abyss Clan manuscript and discovered a blueprint for a Phase Witch-Tool that could anchor a channel between reality and illusion. Adele brought him an Eternal Shadow remnant, and after testing its dangerous properties, Ian prepared to begin forging in three days as Li Xing’s projected breakthrough drew near.

• Ian compared Edmond’s Abyss Notes with the Ancient Abyss Clan manuscript, and the Status Panel reconstructed a Phase Witch-Tool blueprint requiring an Eternal Shadow crystal and other rare materials.
• Ian sensed that Li Xing’s projected body was nearing the True Form Stage, a level equivalent to a Third-Level Wizard, and considered how the tool could strengthen their connection.
• Adele arrived with a fist-sized Eternal Shadow remnant, which Ian identified as highly pure but found capable of silently devouring his Mental Power.
• Ian told Adele he planned to forge an auxiliary Wizard Tool, and Adele offered materials from the secret vault and help securing the laboratory.
• Ian used Starry Sky Rite to test the remnant, recorded its conflict with the power of Order, and told Adele he would begin forging in three days.

Ian crafted the Two-Realm Phase Instrument, which greatly strengthened his connection to Li Xing on the Aran Continent and revealed that Li Xing’s breakthrough was near. He began preparing a new Abyssal Altar to receive the breakthrough insights, while Adele reported that his father showed signs of regaining consciousness.

• Ian processed the phase stones, Void Condensation Crystal, and Eternal Shadow, then fused them with other materials to craft the Two-Realm Phase Instrument.
• The instrument amplified Ian’s connection to Li Xing, letting him see Li Xing cultivating near the peak of Manifestation and communicate with him clearly.
• Ian rested after the exhausting crafting, then saw that Li Xing’s breakthrough seemed likely within the next few days.
• Ian asked Adele to gather materials for a new Abyssal Altar and drew its Phase Stabilization Array on the basement stone platform.
• Adele reported that the materials would arrive within three days and that Ian’s father showed clear signs of returning consciousness.

Ian activated a precisely positioned passage to the Aran Continent and reconnected with Li Xing, receiving memories of the twelve-year war and learning that Li Xing was stuck before the True Form Stage. Ian used insights from his Star Seed to help Li Xing form a flawless Stellar Imprint, strengthening the bridge between their worlds as they awaited Li Xing’s breakthrough.

• Ian activated the Phase Stabilization Array and opened a stable passage aimed at Starlight Main City on the Aran Continent.
• Ian reconnected with Li Xing and received memories of the Starlight Holy Land’s twelve-year struggle against the Corrupted Beasts, led by Li Yao.
• Li Xing told Ian that he had been unable to inscribe the Stellar Imprint needed to advance to the True Form Stage because of conflicting rules.
• Ian shared his Star Seed’s insights into Astral Rules through their soul connection, helping Li Xing form a flawless Stellar Imprint.
• The stars over the Aran Continent shone brightly as Li Xing succeeded, and Ian’s passage stabilized into a true bridge between the worlds.
• Ian told Li Xing to complete his breakthrough so he could return his Third-Level Wizard insights in full.

Li Xing awakened the Starpath Dharma Aspect, mastering gravity, purification, and time as three complete rules. Through their Phase Link, Ian received the structure and insights of Li Xing’s awakening, improved his Gravity Collapse Ball, and began planning how to incorporate the three rules into his wizardry.

• Li Xing formed three Starpaths around the Gravity, Purification, and Time Stars and awakened his True Form, the Starpath Dharma Aspect.
• Li Yao and the Starlight Guard celebrated Li Xing’s breakthrough as its rule radiance inspired the people of the Starlight Holy Land to call for a counterattack.
• Li Xing tested his new abilities by destroying a distant mountain, erasing Abyssal corruption, and predicting an insect’s path, then declared he would seek the Corruption King.
• Ian endured the strain of receiving Li Xing’s bloodline structure and rule knowledge through their Phase Link, gaining three Starpath phantoms around his Crystallization core.
• Ian used his new gravitational insight to create a more powerful, stable Gravity Collapse Ball and resolved to integrate the three rules into his Star Seed.

After Li Xing's breakthrough awakened Ian's Star Seed, seven days of stellar energy brought Ian's mental power elementalization to 100% and gave his Gravity Collapse Ball a spacetime-curving limit break. As Ian tested his new abilities, Adele urgently reported that the contamination inside her father was breaking through its seal.

• Li Xing's True Form breakthrough activated Ian's Star Seed, drawing void starlight into his sea of consciousness for seven days.
• Ian gained gravity, purification, and time Starpath patterns, completed mental power elementalization, and reached the peak of Rank Two.
• Ian's Gravity Collapse Ball broke its limit and became the Spacetime Curvature Field, which bent nearby paths and disrupted Gaga's Shadow Traversal.
• Ian created twelve strengthened Gravity Collapse Balls and sensed across all of East City.
• Adele contacted Ian and warned that the black contamination inside her father was striking the silver-white chains and the seal would not hold much longer.

Titu’s Abyssal Contamination evolved and overwhelmed his seals, while the elders were unavailable because of an eruption at Burning Canyon. Ian entered Titu’s bedroom to stop the contamination, using his Spacetime Curvature Field and Purifying Starlight to hold back the insects and vapor as the crisis continued.

• Ian suspected Titu’s contamination was linked to the source inside Edmond and to an Abyssal Contamination mother body in Burning Canyon.
• Adele learned that Titu’s condition had suddenly worsened and that the elders were unreachable because they had gone to suppress an Abyssal Energy eruption near Burning Canyon.
• Ian examined the situation and concluded that the contamination had evolved, developed intelligence, and begun counterattacking.
• Ian warned that Titu’s seal would fail within half an hour, and Adele unlocked the bedroom door.
• Ian entered Titu’s room, where his Spacetime Curvature Field slowed the black insects and his Purifying Starlight destroyed them.

Ian severed the connection between Titu Juste’s contamination and the Level Five mother body in Burning Canyon, saving Titu from losing control. The mother body memorized Ian’s soul aura, leaving him aware that their conflict was not over.

• Ian entered Titu’s bedroom and used his Spacetime Curvature Field and Purification Starpath to hold back the tentacles and black Bugs.
• Ian discovered a dark-purple crystal embedded in the wall and recognized it as the link to the Level Five mother body of Burning Canyon.
• The mother body invaded Ian’s Mental Sea, but the Status Panel purified the intrusion and warned that his soul coordinates had been exposed.
• Ian used twelve Gravity Collapse Balls and a Purification Starpath beam to destroy the crystal, severing the mother body’s connection and weakening the contamination in Titu.
• Titu regained steady breathing and faint signs of his own soul; Adele promised to keep Ian’s warning secret, and Ian left the Juste residence.
• Back at Number Seven Wisteria Alley, Ian saw that the Status Panel had blocked tracking but warned that the mother body had memorized his soul aura.

After Sunrise City failed to answer Starlight Holy Land’s request for an alliance, Li Xing decided to march north against the Corruption King. He prepared Starlight City for Li Yao to protect, rallied its people, and departed alone, leaving Li Yao behind.

• Li Xing told Li Yao that they would stop waiting for Sunrise City’s answer and summoned the council to announce preparations for the northern campaign.
• Li Xing displayed his three Starpaths and said he could hear the world wailing, convincing the council to prepare for the fight.
• Li Xing transferred a trace of his bloodline law into Li Yao’s sword and made the holy city’s grand formation token recognize Li Yao as a master.
• Li Xing addressed a million people in the holy city square and declared that they would reclaim their homeland and wipe out their enemies.
• Li Xing passed the kneeling crowd, patted Li Yao’s shoulder, and flew north while Li Yao watched him leave.

Li Xing flew north into the Corrupted Land, destroying twenty-four Corrupted Lords before reaching a living mountain and confronting the Corruption King. The chapter ended as Li Xing unleashed three rings of Starpath in the palace and prepared to fight.

• Li Xing crossed the gray cloud wall and used his Starlight Perception to survey the corrupted terrain and creatures.
• Li Xing destroyed twenty-four Corrupted Lords with the Gravitational Starpath and Purification Starpath, then continued north to a massive living mountain.
• Li Xing entered the palace and passed living people embedded in pillars of flesh before reaching the Corruption King.
• The Corruption King mocked Li Xing and claimed the corruption was the Abyss's gift, while Li Xing declared the world needed purification.
• Li Xing unfurled three rings of Starpath, filling the hall with silver light as the Corruption King tensed for battle.

Li Xing defeated the Corruption King after his three Starpaths expanded into a thousand-zhang Dharma Manifestation and his mysterious panel severed the Abyss Lord’s power. Outside Starlight Holy City, Li Yao’s sword shone with Li Xing’s power, allowing the guards to counterattack as the gray clouds began to disperse.

• Li Xing used the Gravitational Starpath to redirect the Corruption King’s thirteen tentacles into a collision, then struck it with a beam of Purifying Starlight.
• The Corruption King drew power from an Abyss Lord and rose to the rank of Level Four Abyss Commander, but the panel erased its attack before it could harm Li Xing.
• Li Xing unleashed his thousand-zhang Dharma Manifestation, severed the Corruption King’s connection to the abyss, and crushed it into a bead that he shattered.
• At Starlight Holy City, silver light flowed from Li Yao’s sword and erased the corrupted beasts attacking the breach, prompting him to lead the Starlight Guards in a counterattack.
• The gray clouds that had covered the land for more than three hundred years split apart, and Li Yao declared that Li Xing had slain the Corruption King before charging the remaining beast tide.

After the Corruption King’s death, the world’s corruption receded, and Li Xing received the World Will’s recognition and insight into its laws. He flew to Sunrise City and discovered the city had recently suffered a devastating battle despite having a True Form Supreme.

• The gray clouds dispersed, the purple corruption dried up, and sunlight returned to the land for the first time in 367 years.
• The World Will descended, recognized Li Xing, and imprinted a strand of light and knowledge of the world’s laws into his Mental Sea.
• Li Xing witnessed the memories of people who had died during the corruption and heard the World Will thank him before its radiance faded.
• Li Xing wiped away his tears and flew toward Sunrise City, which had sent no word after its envoys visited a month earlier.
• Li Xing found the fields outside Sunrise City devastated by battle, with guards clearing corpses and healers treating the wounded.
• Li Xing saw exhausted survivors and injured soldiers crowding the city, and wondered how Sunrise City had suffered so badly despite having a True Form Supreme.

Li Xing discovered that Sunrise Supreme had secretly endured fatal abyssal contamination after wounding the Corruption King, then gave him a purification potion and left to travel. As Li Xing departed the Starlight Holy Land, Li Yao revealed that he had known for thirty years that Li Xing was not his real brother, while Li Xing realized the burden of Li Yao’s silence.

• Li Xing found Sunrise Supreme hiding in a dilapidated house outside Sunrise City, gravely weakened by abyssal contamination.
• Sunrise Supreme told Li Xing that he had wounded the Corruption King ten years earlier and concealed his condition to protect humanity; Li Xing gave him a purification potion before leaving.
• Li Xing returned to Starlight City, healed Li Yao, and said he planned to travel; Li Yao gave him the Holy Land’s authority badge, but Li Xing refused it and flew away.
• Li Yao recalled that he had recognized thirty years earlier that Li Xing was not his real brother, but had kept the secret to help humanity and honor the man who protected them.
• Li Xing stopped high in the sky, looked back toward the Starlight Holy Land, and wondered whether keeping the act had exhausted Li Yao.

Ian's retrieved projection returned with a gift of World Origin, strengthening his Rules and Mental Sea while the Status Panel absorbed the Origin and upgraded its rule database. He learned that he could prepare another projection, then began planning a custom elemental true body as he prepared to break through to a Third-Level Wizard.

• Ian reviewed the danger of the Level Five Abyssal Mother and resolved to avoid Burning Canyon while he grew stronger.
• Ian's projection returned through the Abyssal Altar as a golden point, which entered his brow and strengthened his gravity, purification, and time Rules and expanded his Mental Sea.
• The Status Panel absorbed the Aran Continent World Will's World Origin, updated its core rule database, and permanently tripled Ian's Rule Comprehension Speed.
• Ian learned that the Phase Soulweaving Art could support another projection, though it required an intelligent otherworldly contract, Initial Loom coordinates, and compensation.
• Ian considered combining his three Rules and existing wizardry into a custom elemental true body, then decided to prepare for a breakthrough to a Third-Level Wizard.

Ian studied the dangers of condensing an elemental true body and sought reference formulas to complete his incomplete Water of Balance potion. After learning that Burning Canyon’s Abyssal eruption had been sealed for fifty years, he returned to Wisteria Alley with three formulas, including one that might help him prepare for his breakthrough.

• Ian reviewed warnings about planar will and uneven elementalization, then decided his Status Panel would protect him from soul assimilation.
• Ian examined his incomplete Water of Balance formula and realized he needed other balancing potions as references.
• Ian visited the Juste Family, where Adele told him Burning Canyon had suffered a major Abyssal eruption that a Morningstar Wizard sealed for at least fifty years.
• Adele gave Ian three Second Order potion formulas from the family vault, and he recognized the Rainbow Heart formula as a useful reference for balancing elemental density.
• Ian left with the formulas to study, while Gaga complained that he had misread Adele’s affection as gratitude.

Edwin and Adrian recruited Collins to help undermine Adele by targeting her retainer Ian and delaying Titu’s recovery. Collins secretly aimed to stir chaos within the Juste Family and remove Ian, while the brothers agreed to begin the scheme despite distrusting him.

• Adrian urged Edwin to act against Adele, arguing that her growing support and Ian’s help had shifted the family’s balance.
• Collins agreed to help Edwin win the chieftain election in exchange for the Hawkwood family’s trade-route tariff exemptions, then revealed Ian’s hideout at Number Seven, Wisteria Alley.
• Collins advised the brothers to cast suspicion on Ian during the retainer review, spread rumors about his origins and strength, and keep Titu unconscious longer.
• Edwin accepted Collins’s plan, while warning Adrian not to trust him; the brothers agreed to begin their part of the scheme.
• In his carriage, Collins revealed that he wanted turmoil in the Juste Family to protect the Hawkwood family’s standing, and resolved to eliminate Ian before he grew stronger.

Ian studied three potion formulas and used them to derive and successfully brew a modern reconstructed version of Water of Balance, bringing him closer to reaching the Third Order. He stored the potion and prepared to attend the guest advisor review with Adele the next day.

• Ian walked through East City with Gaga, bought it Rock Lizard skewers, and collected magical beast Essence Blood and Shadow Crystals.
• Ian analyzed the Balanced Potion, Rainbow Heart, and Water of Harmonization formulas, then used the Status Panel to correct his brewing process for Water of Balance.
• Ian activated the laboratory’s third-tier isolation array and asked Gaga to watch for interference as he began brewing.
• Ian combined Void Condensation Crystal, Silent Jellyfish Core, Scale-Shedding Snake skin extract, and supporting ingredients to create a pale golden Water of Balance crystal.
• Ian confirmed the potion could resist planar will and maintain elementalization synchronization for two hours, stored it, and told Gaga they would go with Adele to the guest advisor review the next day.

Edwin, Adrian, and Collins plotted to discredit Ian during the upcoming review, while Collins proposed a staged attack using an explosive Wizard Tool. Edwin secretly planned to warn Adele through Delia, and the chapter ended with Ian preparing materials in his laboratory as the storm intensified.

• Adrian explained that Ronald Juste would add a suspicious-materials warning to Ian’s file and that three apprentices would testify against him.
• Edwin saw the public accusations as a way to test Ian and planned to let Collins take the blame if the scheme failed.
• Collins proposed having a Peak First Order guard trigger a Wizard Tool during the review, claiming it was the [Heart of Fury].
• Edwin agreed to the plan but revealed that he knew the tool was actually an [Explosive Core] and intended to warn Adele through Delia.
• Ian sorted materials for the [Water of Balance] while Gaga slept on his shoulder as rain and thunder filled the night.