Chapter Summaries

Ian and Gaga returned to the Shadow World to explore a vast Shadow Crystal Vein, where they collected crystals and fought Shadow Wolves before encountering a powerful Shadow Lord. They escaped the Shadow Centipede and returned to the laboratory, where Ian planned to prepare for another fight and awaited Lucian’s materials.

• Ian and Gaga entered the Shadow World, followed Gaga’s guidance to a vast Shadow Crystal Vein, and began collecting Second Order crystals.
• More than a hundred Shadow Wolves surrounded Ian, but he and Gaga defeated most of them with their powers.
• A three-hundred-meter Shadow Centipede emerged from the vein and attacked Ian with its devouring force and Shadow Swamp.
• Ian noticed gaps in the Shadow Centipede’s Dark Gold carapace patterns, then escaped with Gaga using Shadow Jump as the Centipede’s beam missed them.
• Ian and Gaga hid in a Shadow-Matter Jungle, then returned to the laboratory before the Shadow World’s rejection could strand them.
• Ian recorded the battle and planned to return prepared to kill the Shadow Centipede, while hoping Lucian would bring the materials he needed.

Ian brewed a Tier-Three Mountain Giant Elixir, then failed to combine two neutralizers and realized he needed a soul-soothing ingredient. Gaga pointed him toward a Shadow Swamp where Ghost Orchids might grow, and they began preparing for another trip into the Shadow World to find them and hunt the Shadow Lord.

• Ian stabilized Earth Monarch Blood Essence with his Rules, then fused it with a Rock Dragon heart core, an Earth Vein Flower, and supplementary ingredients to brew the Mountain Giant Elixir.
• Ian stored the Tier-Three potion and concluded that he needed a neutralizer before he could safely use it.
• Ian tried combining the Moonlight Neutralizer and Dream Potion, but the experiments failed and showed him that a Tier-Three neutralizer needed to soothe the soul.
• Ian recalled that Ghost Orchids in the Shadow World could provide a soul-soothing component, and Gaga told him about a Shadow Swamp west of the Shadow Crystal Vein.
• Ian decided to prepare specialized potions before returning to the Shadow World with Gaga to find Ghost Orchids, hunt the Shadow Lord, and gather resources.

Ian refined a Purification Crystal Cluster Potion, harvested Ghost Orchids, and joined Gaga in killing the Shadow Centipede Lord. They left the Shadow World with valuable spoils, while the expanding Crystal Flower drew the attention of an unknown being.

• Ian created the Purification Crystal Cluster Potion, which absorbed shadow energy and multiplied into a spreading crystal flower of order.
• Ian found and collected three Ghost Orchids and a mutated Shadow Soul Orchid before Gaga led him to the Shadow Centipede’s lair.
• Ian used the potion to grow a Purification Crystal Flower, then attacked the awakened Shadow Centipede as Gaga fought off its summoned Shadow Wolves.
• The Shadow Centipede tried to self-destruct, but Ian pierced its heart with a Purification Spear and killed it.
• Ian collected the lord’s Shadow Rule fragment, crystals, venom glands, and carapace plates, then mined the vein and left with Gaga as the Crystal Flower kept growing.
• An unknown existence opened its eyes deep in the Shadow World and noticed the Crystal Flower.

Six months after Ian began preparing to consume the Mountain Giant Elixir, he waited for Gaga to finish absorbing a Shadow Rule Fragment and for Lucian to return with the Phase Worldbridge Instrument. In Xuanhuang, Wei Song had risen to Chief Director and prepared to lead a mission against a newly formed Rift, hoping to earn an imprint that would let Ian descend safely.

• Ian checked Gaga's hibernation array and reviewed his completed Tier-Three potions, waiting for Gaga to awaken before consuming the Mountain Giant Elixir.
• Ian recalled that he had fulfilled his hundred-year contract with Elder Darcy, secured the remaining manuscript materials, and kept his improved potion formulas secret.
• Wei Song reviewed a classified report about a newly formed Rift and suspected Sons of the Abyss activity near Shenfeng City, including seventeen disappearances in Bluestone Town.
• Wei Song ordered Lin Wei to prepare a team with strong mental resistance and announced that he would lead the mission in three days.
• Wei Song demonstrated his Heat Core power and considered how earning an imprint during the mission could enable Ian’s safe descent and access to Source Crystals.

Wei Song led an elite team to Bluestone Town, where they wiped out the Sons of the Abyss cultists and uncovered a nascent Level Four rift. He entered alone and destroyed the cult’s camp with Heat Core Blast, then prepared to search the rift for a World Mark.

• Wei Song arrived in Shenfeng City with twenty-four elite superpowered personnel and ordered them to purge the infiltration at Bluestone Town.
• Wei Song killed three Fourth Order polluted ones while Zhou Zhen, Soul Link, and the team cleared the town’s cultists.
• Soul Link detected a concealed Level Four rift and sensed more than a hundred life signals, including three powerful presences and a cult altar under construction.
• Wei Song entered the rift alone after ordering Zhou Zhen’s team to guard the entrance and request reinforcements if he did not return within three hours.
• Wei Song found three Sons of the Abyss bishops and over a hundred cultists gathered around the altar, then obliterated their camp with Heat Core Blast.
• Wei Song searched the rift, found no other cultists, and considered using more Heat Core blasts to purify it and obtain a World Mark.

Wei Song purified the Rift, survived the Abyss-corrupted World Origin fragment with help from the Status Panel, and escaped as the Rift collapsed. A World Origin Mark appeared in his mind, while Ian learned that Lucian had returned with the cores he needed and other gains.

• Wei Song used repeated Heat Core Blasts to purge the remaining Abyssal Aura from the Rift, but a black thread of corrupted World Origin emerged and froze him in place.
• The black thread entered Wei Song’s brow and exposed him to a ruined world and its Abyss-twisted World Will, but the Status Panel purified and absorbed it.
• As the Rift collapsed, Wei Song raced through the shrinking entrance and escaped to the valley, where he told Zhou Zhen that the contamination had been cleared.
• Wei Song discovered a World Origin Mark in his mind, rejected the Status Panel’s offer to clear it, and sensed that the world’s rules now responded more readily to him.
• At the Wizarding World laboratory, Ian saw Lucian’s Arcane Mark light up as Lucian announced his return with the Void Condensation Core, the Phase Core, and other gains.

Ian upgraded the Two-Realm Phase Instrument with Lucian’s relic materials, fused the Mountain Giant bloodline into his Order Divine Body, and witnessed Gaga awaken with greatly improved shadow abilities. With his preparations complete and Gaga near the Third Order, Ian planned to begin the next breakthrough while awaiting Wei Song’s advance to Legend.

• Lucian returned from a dangerous relic expedition and traded Ian a Void Condensation Core and three Phase Cores for potions and elixirs.
• Ian used the Void Condensation Core and Phase Cores to upgrade the Two-Realm Phase Instrument to a high-grade Third Order Wizard Tool.
• Ian drank Netherdream Water and a Mountain Giant Elixir, then fused the bloodline’s Earth Rule fragment into his Order Divine Body.
• Ian gained a pale-gold Mountain Giant form with substantially greater strength and defense, as well as early control over earth veins.
• Gaga emerged from his cocoon at the peak of the Second Order, gaining faster movement, longer Shadow Jumps, and a miniature Shadow World domain.
• Ian told Gaga to rest before they began his next breakthrough, while he awaited Wei Song’s advance to Legend and the return of his Thermal Energy Control insights.

Ian advanced Gaga to Third Order, said goodbye to Adele, and established a hidden underground base with an Abyssal Altar and an ultra-long-distance Teleportation Array. He waited there for Wei Song’s breakthrough, which was about to provide the rule energy needed for his journey to the Xuanhuang World.

• Ian used Shadow Crystals and advancement potions to raise Gaga to Third Order, unlocking a stronger Shadow Jump and a complete Shadow Domain.
• Ian gave Adele ten Third-Order Purification Potions for her father and said goodbye before leaving East City.
• Ian chose a remote valley, built a concealed chamber a thousand meters underground, and installed an Abyssal Altar behind layers of isolation arrays.
• Ian completed an ultra-long-distance Teleportation Array linked to the Abyssal Altar and waited with Gaga for Wei Song’s breakthrough.
• On the fifth night, Ian sensed Wei Song’s surge of rule energy and prepared to use its feedback to advance his mastery of the Gravity Rule.

Wei Song broke through to Early Legendary in Jiangzhou, awakening the Stellar Core and sending a vast heat-and-light disturbance across the city. Through their soul connection, Ian received Wei Song’s Thermal Rule, fused it with his other rules, strengthened his Order Divine Body, and entered the portal to Wei Song’s world with Gaga.

• Wei Song consumed three Source Crystals and broke through to Early Legendary, transforming his Heat Core into a miniature sun and gaining the Stellar Heart trait.
• Wei Song’s breakthrough shook the Bureau and filled Jiangzhou’s sky with a second sun, prompting the national monitoring center to declare maximum alert and order everyone not to interfere.
• Wei Song activated the receiving array and sent the Thermal Rule and Stellar Core knowledge through his soul connection to Ian.
• Ian fused the Thermal Rule with his Gravity, Purification, Time, and Earth Starpaths, increasing their progress and forming the foundation of his Blazing Stellar Core.
• Ian transformed his Order Divine Body into a humanoid star and inspected the Teleportation Array beside the Abyssal Altar.
• Ian activated the Two-Realm Phase Instrument and Teleportation Array, then stepped into the silver vortex with Gaga.

Ian crossed the void and arrived in the Xuanhuang World, where Wei Song’s golden imprint helped the World Will recognize and admit him. After reuniting with Wei Song and synchronizing their memories, Ian learned that his wizard powers would need adjusting to the world’s rules, and Wei Song prepared an identity for him.

• Ian endured the void’s rule pressure and used a Gravity Collapse Ball to restrain a dangerous ancient tentacle afterimage.
• Wei Song’s golden soul imprint resonated with the Xuanhuang World’s will, which recognized Ian and opened its barrier for him.
• Wei Song maintained the reception array until Ian and Gaga emerged from the silver vortex in the underground chamber.
• Ian and Wei Song synchronized their memories and rule-related information through the Phase Soulweaving Art.
• Ian found that Rule Suppression had mostly vanished, though his wizard system remained restricted, and Wei Song revealed that he had arranged an identity for him.

Ian adopted the identity of Mr. Yin, a reclusive Legend who had guarded the Black Abyss Rift, and accepted a consultant position with Great Yan’s Superpower Management Bureau. After absorbing Wei Song’s Source Crystals and deepening his understanding of the world’s rules, Ian planned to tackle a rift the next day.

• Wei Song presented Ian’s Mr. Yin identity and introduced him as his teacher, a Legend who had guarded the Black Abyss Rift.
• Ian met Li Yan, who offered him a Bureau consultant position and information about a newly discovered Level Four rift in the Black Dragon Mountains.
• Ian accepted the consultant role on the conditions that he handle only rift-related affairs and retain autonomy over his actions.
• Wei Song gave Ian twenty complete Source Crystals and a box of fragments, which Ian absorbed through his Status Panel.
• The World Origin strengthened Ian’s Starpaths and improved his compatibility with the Xuanhuang World, and he resolved to take down a rift the next day.

Ian led Zhou Zhen’s team into the Black Dragon Mountains, where the Longevity Cult was widening a Rift with a blood sacrifice. He destroyed the cult’s ritual, purified a World Origin fragment, and left with plans to collect his reward in Jiangzhou before purifying another Rift.

• Ian brought Zhou Zhen and ten team members to the Black Dragon Mountains, where his perception detected Aberrants and contaminated vegetation around the Rift.
• Ian directed Zhou Zhen’s team to defeat five level-three Aberrants and capture three Longevity Cult members, who revealed the cult planned to widen the Rift with a sacrifice.
• Ian entered the valley alone and found the Longevity Cult pope, two bishops, and hundreds of cultists performing the ritual around a corrupted World Origin fragment.
• Ian used gravity and a Stellar Core attack to stop the ritual and kill the cultists, then defeated the pope after the Abyss mutated him into a stronger monster.
• Ian purified the World Origin fragment, strengthening his Rules as the Rift collapsed, and returned to Zhou Zhen’s team.
• Ian noticed that he received no World Mark, then told Gaga he would collect the Source Crystal reward in Jiangzhou and purify the next Rift.

Ian rapidly purified Great Yan’s rifts with the Red Edge Spear while Wei Song cleared others, earning both men widespread acclaim. As only a few rifts remained, rumors accused them of taking the missing Source Crystals, and Li Yan suspected that powerful interests were behind the growing hostility.

• Ian collected his reward, learned that Wei Song had gone to the urgent Crimson Sand Rift, and decided to purify other Level Four rifts.
• Ian arrived at the Hidden Valley Rift, immobilized its Aberrants with gravity, and destroyed the entire rift with the Red Edge Spear, absorbing its World Origin.
• Over the following months, Ian and Wei Song purified rifts across Great Yan, earning the titles Red Edge Spear and Ash Envoy as the public celebrated their successes.
• Rumors spread that Ian and Wei Song had secretly taken the Source Crystals because their purified rifts left no mineral veins behind.
• Li Yan dismissed the embezzlement rumors as false, tore up the investigation report, and warned that Ian and Wei Song should be careful as influential people grew uneasy.

After three months of purifying rifts, Ian and Wei Song grew far stronger and planned to clear Great Yan’s remaining Level Five rifts before accepting foreign offers. At the East Sea Rift, Ian brushed aside the guardian Wu Zhenshan’s orders, wounded him with a single spear strike, and descended into the rift.

• Ian reviewed his strengthened Rules and Stellar Core after absorbing the Origins and Source Crystals gained from three months of purifications.
• Wei Song told Ian that Great Yan’s officials wanted them to slow down and that neighboring countries had offered generous Source Crystal rewards for purifying their rifts.
• Ian decided that he and Wei Song would first divide Great Yan’s twelve remaining Level Five rifts between them.
• Ian arrived at the East Sea Rift and rejected guardian Wu Zhenshan’s demand that he wait for headquarters’ authorization.
• Ian pinned Wu Zhenshan with gravity and heat, pierced his shoulder with a crimson spear, and entered the East Sea Rift with Gaga.

Ian and Wei Song purified five-tier rifts in Great Yan, then learned that officials wanted them to leave the remaining domestic rifts to others and offered rewards for clearing rifts abroad. They agreed to split up and meet in the capital in two months, with Ian heading northwest and Wei Song going to Siam first.

• Ian and Gaga entered the East Sea Rift, where Ian used Red Edge Spears and a concentrated sphere of heat to destroy the Aberrants and seven Legendary beast leaders.
• Ian purified the Tier 5 World Origin, causing the East Sea Rift to collapse, while Wei Song finished clearing the Crimson Sand Rift.
• In Jiangzhou City, Wei Song told Ian that Li Yan had criticized their methods and suggested they clear rifts in other countries for Source Crystals.
• Ian and Wei Song agreed to leave Great Yan, with Wei Song heading to southeastern countries and Ian traveling northwest, and planned to meet in the capital in two months.
• Wei Song said Japan and Korea had offered 150 Source Crystals for a five-tier rift, and Ian told him to go to Siam first.

Ian arrived in Delia to purify India’s Rifts in exchange for Source Crystals, but discovered that King Samit planned to withhold the rest of his payment and seize his purification technique. After Ian rapidly purified the Rifts, he prepared to confront India’s rulers publicly and take the crystals by force.

• Ian met Bhaskara, King Samit, Aditya, and Saumya after arriving in Delia, accepted seventy-five Source Crystals as an advance, and insisted he would enter the Rifts alone.
• Ian overheard Samit planning to delay the remaining payment and learned that the rulers wanted to obtain his purification technique.
• Ian entered the Rifts alone and rapidly purified them, leaving craters behind; Bhaskara witnessed the results and grew convinced Ian possessed a powerful secret technique.
• Bhaskara reported that Ian had purified the Rifts and planned to leave, while Samit refused to pay the balance and ordered his people to pursue Ian’s technique.
• Ian overheard the rulers’ plans, then told Gaga he would confront them at dawn, take the Source Crystals, and kill them.

Ian advanced on Delia after King Samit refused to surrender the Source Crystals, and he defeated the forces sent to stop him. After destroying the city’s defenses and surviving the final measure, Ian took Delia’s Source Crystals and left Samit to face the consequences.

• Ian walked toward Delia as soldiers fired on him, but his gravitational field crushed them and stopped their bullets and missiles.
• King Samit ordered Bhaskara, Aditya, and Saumya to kill Ian, and Ian killed all three Legends with crimson spears.
• Samit ordered the launch of a tactical nuclear missile, which Ian countered with a blazing sphere that devastated Delia while his barrier protected him.
• Ian entered the palace and demanded the reward and all of Delia’s Source Crystals, and Samit ordered the finance minister to hand them over.
• Ian stored the Source Crystals and left Samit alive, warning him that greed came at a price.

Ian and Wei Song traveled through nations plagued by Abyssal Rifts, purifying them in exchange for Source Crystals and strengthening their fearsome reputations. Back in Jiangzhou with more than 8,300 crystals, Ian planned to use them to advance his abilities and pursue a unique path to Morningstar.

• Ian arrived in Kabul, accepted extra Source Crystals from its king, and purified the rift in three seconds.
• Ian traveled through Baghdad and other western nations, repeatedly purifying their rifts and collecting tribute until he had earned more than 5,500 Source Crystals.
• Wei Song visited Southeast Asian nations, purified their rifts, and gathered 2,600 complete Source Crystals while refusing attempts to distract or intimidate him.
• Ian and Wei Song returned to Jiangzhou, where Zhou Zhen and the bureau personnel welcomed them as heroes.
• Ian and Wei Song counted more than 8,300 intact Source Crystals, and Ian said he intended to break through to Morningstar by taking a unique path of evolution.

Ian began his breakthrough to Morningstar in a reinforced chamber beneath Jiangzhou City, using thousands of Source Crystals to advance his five Starpaths and form a Stellar Core. As the process intensified, his body transformed into light and strange celestial phenomena spread outside, leaving his breakthrough underway.

• Li Yan ordered the Intelligence Division to archive information about Ian without reporting it, while acknowledging that Great Yan could not afford to provoke him.
• Two elders beneath Beijing concluded that Ian might come from another world and agreed to leave him alone as long as he did not harm Great Yan.
• Wei Song and Gaga waited outside the sealed chamber as Ian prepared to advance, with Ian explaining that his Stellar Core would combine gravity, thermal energy, purification, time, and earth.
• Ian activated a wizard array powered by 4,800 Source Crystals, accelerating his Starpaths and causing the chamber to heat and shake.
• Ian's Starpaths ignited and formed five golden halos around his growing star, creating the embryonic form of a domain of rules.
• As the Thermal Energy Orbit passed 75%, Ian's flesh and organs began transforming into light and highly compressed energy while strange celestial phenomena appeared outside.

Ian completed his breakthrough to the Early Stage Level Four Morningstar, triggering global phenomena and purifying Xuanhuang Star of cultists, Aberrant beasts, and Abyssal contamination. He emerged with a Stellar Core Body and a ten-thousand-kilometer domain, and set his sights on the corrupted world beyond the rift.

• Five-colored auroras and a phantom sun appeared over Jiangzhou City as energy gathered around the Bureau's underground chamber where Ian was sealed away.
• The phenomena spread across Xuanhuang Star, and a vast will descended, purifying cultists, Aberrant beasts, and contaminated objects around the world.
• The light contracted into a cocoon over Jiangzhou City, where Wei Song and Gaga waited outside Ian's chamber as its final stage began.
• A miniature star formed above Jiangzhou City before collapsing into a fleeting black sphere and vanishing, ending the month-long global phenomenon.
• Ian awakened with a Stellar Core Body, reached Early Stage Level Four Morningstar, and sensed the rift and the corrupted world beyond it.