Summary: Sudden Assault (Part 2)

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• The Greywing Tribe's old wizard chief shatters the giant fireball by channeling the Totem Formation's power into himself, but his aged body breaks down completely, killing him instantly (he collapses into a skeleton, then dust)
• Gray Eagle, the tribal leader, falls in battle; his lingering black mist blankets the stronghold, giving tribesmen time to flee into the surrounding mountains and forests
• The Judgment Wizards descend on griffins to claim victory, but hold back from total annihilation—the strike is punishment, not genocide (a full massacre of 10,000+ would damn their reputation)
• Gao Jing leaps down and uses his signature Fire Crow Wings technique (which has replaced his Phantom Wing Pendant) to fly ahead of the group
• He scans the fleeing crowds with his Mental Web and locks onto Gray Ao, the Greywing Tribe's strongest Totem Grand Warrior, worth 3,500 Merit Points (second only to Gray Eagle)
• Gray Ao spots Gao Jing and hurls a Battle Aura-infused throwing axe at him; Gao Jing dodges easily and dives into the forest after him
• Gray Ao, instead of fleeing, becomes enraged, bulks up in size, and summons a roaring beast construct behind him—ready to fight at full strength

2. Character Developments

• The old wizard chief: Makes the ultimate sacrifice for his tribe; though his death is futile, the narrative marks him as "worthy of respect"
• Gao Jing: Shows his pragmatic, ambitious nature—having completed the base mission, he immediately hunts for bonus rewards; his Fire Crow mastery has clearly advanced, with Fire Crow Wings retiring his Phantom Wing Pendant
• Gray Ao: Reveals his fierce, prideful personality—choosing to stand and fight rather than flee when cornered

3. Significant Themes

• Sacrifice vs. Futility: The wizard chief's death saves nothing, yet earns honor; Gray Eagle also dies buying his people time to escape
• Restraint in War: The Hall of Ten Thousand Wizards deliberately avoids mass slaughter—punishment has limits even among enemies, reflecting long-standing human norms against tribal extermination
• Opportunism: Gao Jing treats the battlefield as a hunting ground for merit, showing the practical, reward-driven mindset of the wizards
• Consequences of Defeat: "When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter"—the tribe's warriors flee, hoping their families will be spared

4. Character Interactions

• Old wizard chief vs. the Staff of Judgment: His desperate self-sacrifice blocks one fatal blow but cannot save his tribe
• Gao Jing vs. Gray Ao: A high-stakes predator-prey encounter—Gao Jing identifies Gray Ao's disguise through aura detection, then engages him directly; Gray Ao responds with rage and a full-power transformation, setting up a confrontation

Summary: Duel (Part One)

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter is a one-on-one battle between Gao Jing (an Initial-Rank Grand Wizard) and Gray Ao (chief Great Warrior of the Greywing Tribe, Upper-Tier Grand Warrior).
• Gray Ao unleashes his Beast Soul, causing an environmental shockwave; Gao Jing counters with a fire wall and flaming arrows.
• Gray Ao uses the Beast Soul to hurl trees and earth as a smoke screen, then ambushes Gao Jing with a devastating axe strike.
• Gao Jing blocks the blow with a saber instead of a staff, revealing his true nature as a Battle Wizard.
• Gray Ao attempts to retreat (the Greywing Tribe has already been annihilated, and he wishes to survive to restore it), but Gao Jing intercepts him, proving superior speed.
• Cornered, Gray Ao activates Beast Soul Fusion—merging his Beast Soul with his body, swelling in size, and awakening Divine Abilities at the cost of burning his own life force.
• The chapter ends with Gray Ao unleashing his strongest strike, "Die!"

2. Character Developments

• Gao Jing: Reveals he is a Battle Wizard (a warrior-turned-wizard), equally adept at close combat and ranged attacks. He is faster than a top warrior, and still has hidden power (Legendary Domain) undisclosed.
• Gray Ao: Depicted as brutal and cunning—uses deception in combat. Initially pragmatic (chooses retreat to preserve the tribe's hope), but when escape is impossible, he embraces desperate self-sacrifice via Beast Soul Fusion.

3. Significant Themes

• Wizard vs. Warrior dynamics: Close-range advantage of warriors vs. versatility of Battle Wizards; the tactical importance of a Battle Wizard's lack of weakness.
• Deception and cunning in battle: Using environmental chaos to mask the true killing blow.
• Desperation and sacrifice: Beast Soul Fusion is a suicidal technique—burning life force for power, highlighting the stakes of the duel.

4. Character Interactions

• The two exchange a series of blows: fire vs. Beast Soul, axe vs. saber.
• Gray Ao recognizes Gao Jing as a Battle Wizard and voices his hatred; they directly clash only twice before the retreat attempt and interception.
• The interaction shifts from ranged skirmishing to a deadly close-quarters confrontation, ending in Gray Ao's final desperate transformation.

Duel (Part 2) — Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Gray Ao activates Beast Soul Fusion, transforming into a ferocious beast and unleashing an axe strike of unprecedented power. His aura spreads like a domain, suppressing everything within a hundred paces, including Gao Jing.
• Despite the attack's seeming unavoidability, Gao Jing vanishes instantly, causing Gray Ao's strike to strike only earth — the rebounded force injures Gray Ao himself.
• Gao Jing reappears behind Gray Ao and slashes his back with the Dragon-Cutting Warblade, breaking through his Battle Armor and leather armor, cutting deep to the spine and inflicting searing internal damage.
• Gray Ao, hearing "Run!" in his mind, attempts to flee, but Gao Jing — playing the mage — unleashes dozens of Fire Crows that bombard and explode against him, destroying his already-broken armor and burning him alive.
• Gray Ao, a Totem Grand Warrior nearing Legendary status, dies and is reduced to ashes. Observers witness this, cementing Gao Jing's fearsome "Red Crow Demon" reputation.

2. Character Developments

• Gao Jing: Restrains himself from using his Legendary Domain Power due to proximity to Greywing Stronghold and circling Griffins — expending it would expose his identity as an infiltrator under the Staff of Judgment. Instead, he cleverly combines Copper Anchor-enhanced speed, Battle Aura, and Fire Crow magic to defeat a near-Legendary foe while keeping his cover intact. Demonstrates tactical restraint and adaptability.
• Gray Ao: Reveals his ultimate strength in Beast Soul Fusion, nearly touching Legendary and utilizing a nascent domain. However, his power proves meaningless against a true Legendary. His missed attack rebounds on him, and his pride is shattered before his death. The narrator notes he was simply unlucky to meet Gao Jing.

3. Significant Themes

• Concealment vs. Power: Gao Jing must fight below his true strength to preserve his secret identity, creating tension between effectiveness and exposure.
• Overconfidence and Downfall: Gray Ao's reliance on overwhelming force fails against superior skill and trickery; his own unchecked power backfires.
• Reputation as a Weapon: The duel publicly reinforces Gao Jing's feared persona, aiding his longer-term infiltration goals.

4. Character Interactions

• Gao Jing and Gray Ao engage in a lethal duel where Gray Ao dominates physically at first, but Gao Jing's phantom-like evasion, counterattack, and magical bombardment turn the fight into a one-sided execution.
• The broader war setting — near Greywing Stronghold, with griffins overhead and flames around — frames the fight as a public spectacle witnessed by others.

Summary: “Made a Fortune!”

1. Key Plot Points

• Gao Jing defeats and kills Gray Ao, a chief Great Warrior of the Greywing Tribe, by burning him to ashes.
• He initially worries that he has no proof for the Hall of Ten Thousand Wizards’ 3,500 Merit Point bounty.
• Searching through the ashes, he discovers Gray Ao’s Identity Talisman — both a status marker and a high-rank Void Equipment storage device.
• Inside the talisman, he finds:
  • A large pile of Mithril Ore (the Greywing Tribe’s secret treasure)
  • Chests of gold coins and Shell Coin
  • Several pieces of Witchcraft Artifact equipment
  • Provisions
  • An Inheritance Stone, likely holding the Greywing Tribe’s inherited secret art
• While examining his loot, Gao Jing is ambushed by a mysterious assassin in dark-green leather armor. He barely dodges using Copper Anchor’s spatial ability.
• He counterattacks with the Dragon-Slayer Saber and summoned Fire Crows, turning the tables on his would-be killer.

2. Character Developments

• Gao Jing: Shows quick wit and battle awareness — he realizes the bounty-proof problem, recognizes the talisman’s value, and narrowly survives an assassination. He responds decisively and aggressively rather than retreating.
• Gray Ao: Killed in battle; his legacy is stolen, including the tribe’s hidden wealth and inheritance secret.
• The assassin: Introduced as a dangerous, highly stealthy enemy who nearly kills Gao Jing; his identity and motives remain unknown.

3. Significant Themes

• Fortune and opportunity: Great rewards come from victory — the chapter is literally titled “Made a Fortune!”
• Bureaucracy and proof: Even in a magical world, claiming rewards requires evidence.
• Never let your guard down: Greed and distraction make Gao Jing vulnerable; an enemy appears the moment he lowers his guard.
• Secrecy and legacy: The Greywing Tribe’s hidden wealth and inherited knowledge are preserved for potential revival, but now fall into enemy hands.

4. Character Interactions

• Gao Jing vs. Gray Ao: Off-screen battle concludes with Gao Jing’s decisive victory and looting of the corpse.
• Gao Jing vs. the assassin: A brief but intense exchange — the assassin ambushes him, Gao Jing escapes using spatial magic, then immediately counterattacks.
• Gao Jing’s internal reflections: He recalls Gray Eagle’s self-destruction and how that bounty was shared among the Judgment Wizards, contrasting it with Gray Ao’s kill, which belongs to him alone.

Key Plot Points/Events

• Gao Jing is ambushed by a masked attacker and counterkills it with a single strike.
• He discovers the attacker is a Blood-Soul Puppet, not a real person — its head reveals metallic internals and blood-red lines.
• Realizing a Puppeteer must be nearby, Gao Jing takes to the air and uses his Mental Web to find a hidden enemy in a tree.
• He destroys the tree with Fire Crows, captures the fleeing Puppeteer, and pins him down with the Dragonbone Staff.
• The captured Puppeteer refuses to beg for mercy, reveals he belongs to the Blood Moon Society, then self-destructs rather than be taken alive.
• Gao Jing is unsurprised by the threat but chooses to fight back rather than submit to fear.
• Meanwhile, the Staff of Judgment's operation against the Greywing Tribe concludes: leaders Gray Eagle and Gray Ao are dead, most tribe members are captured, and only a few scattered warriors escape.

Character Developments

• Gao Jing shows sharp combat instincts: instantly recognizing a puppet, detecting the hidden Puppeteer, and adapting tactics (Instant Movement, aerial Fire Crows).
• He displays a resolute, aggressive mindset — not cowed by the Blood Moon Society, but determined to retaliate with equal or greater force.
• The Puppeteer is portrayed as ruthless and fanatical, choosing suicide over capture and taunting Gao Jing with his organization's name.

Significant Themes

• Vigilance and deception: enemies can strike through proxies, hidden in plain sight.
• Fear vs. resolve: Gao Jing refuses to be intimidated and embraces confrontation.
• The cost of war: annihilation of the Greywing Tribe, and the ongoing threat of larger conspiracies.

Character Interactions

• Gao Jing vs. the Blood-Soul Puppet: a brief, one-sided counterkill.
• Gao Jing vs. the Puppeteer: a short interrogation cut short by the enemy's self-destruction; hostile and tense.
• Indirect interaction with the Blood Moon Society: an assassination attempt that ignites a personal grudge and future conflict.

Summary: Chapter "Pursuit"

Key plot points/events

• After the raid on Greywing Stronghold, the fires are put out and the remaining Greywing Tribe members are captured for resettlement.
• The Wizards of the Staff of Judgment finish their mission and return; Gao Jing rejoins the Dawn Blade team.
• Gao Jing submits Gray Ao’s Identity Talisman as proof of his kill (worth 3,500 Merit Points), but the reward is delayed.
• Summoned before three Merit Hall elders, Gao Jing is questioned about the talisman’s original contents.
• A hidden Legendary Grand Wizard offers to exchange Merit Points for the stored items, especially Mithril Ore.
• Gao Jing transfers everything into the talisman — except the Inheritance Stone, which he keeps for himself.
• He collects his reward and leaves, with the Legendary wizard asking him to convey regards to Sir Huo Yan.

Character developments

• Gao Jing remains pragmatic, independent, and profit-driven: he prefers solo work for full Merit Points, resents being interrogated, and shrewdly hides the Inheritance Stone.
• The middle-aged elder is hostile and condescending; the elderly Legendary wizard is more diplomatic, showing that even high-ranking figures in the Hall are eager to gain resources from fallen strongholds.

Character interactions

• Yue Zhong (Dawn Blade captain) envies Gao Jing’s kill; Gao Jing silently enjoys keeping the Merit Points to himself.
• Gao Jing confronts the Merit Hall elder over the delay, even challenging the Hall’s right to track spoils.
• The Legendary wizard intervenes smoothly, defusing tension and negotiating a fair exchange — revealing that powerful figures will quietly bargain when valuable materials are involved.

Significant themes

• Merit and reward: spoils of war are highly valued, but institutions can be tempted to overstep rules.
• Individualism vs. bureaucracy: Gao Jing’s self-reliance clashes with the Merit Hall’s process-driven scrutiny.
• Hidden motives and power: even legendary wizards get personally involved when rare resources (like Mithril Ore) are at stake, foreshadowing the importance of the Inheritance Stone Gao Jing secretly keeps.

Key plot points and events

• After Gao Jing leaves the Merit Hall, the old wizard privately remarks that he is “interesting,” despite an associate’s complaint about Gao Jing’s disrespect.
• Gao Jing receives 62,400 merit points for the expedition: 500 for participation, 3,500 for killing Gray Ao, and 58,400 for the surrendered spoils.
• He spends 50,000 points on a high-rank Recording Spell Crystal Orb, which can preserve reliable evidence for future mission claims. The coveted Tree of Ten Thousand Ancestors seed remains far beyond his means, costing one million points.
• Troubled by his encounter in the Merit Hall, Gao Jing asks Miya to arrange a meeting with Huo Yan. With permission, he visits the tower master in his meditation chamber.
• Gao Jing recounts the expedition and reveals the Inheritance Stone. Huo Yan identifies the Merit Hall wizard as Elder Feng Hao and says the stone likely contains a Greywing Tribe secret technique usable only by someone of Legendary rank.
• Gao Jing voluntarily gives the stone to Huo Yan. Huo Yan accepts and assures him that his spoils were his to keep and that he need not worry about the matter further.

Character developments and interactions

• Gao Jing shows caution and political judgment: he trusts his intuition that Feng Hao wanted something beyond the spoils, and chooses to disclose the stone to Huo Yan rather than risk future conflict. He values Huo Yan’s support more than keeping the artifact.
• Huo Yan is calm and fair, affirming Gao Jing’s ownership before accepting the stone and promising to handle the situation.
• Miya helps Gao Jing reach Huo Yan, trusting his seriousness and good intentions.
• Elder Feng Hao remains an uncertain presence: his interest in Gao Jing and the artifact suggests a potential source of pressure, though his exact motives are not confirmed.

Significant themes

• Prudence and trust: Gao Jing manages a potentially dangerous discovery by turning to a powerful ally.
• Ownership and authority: Huo Yan stresses that rewards belong to their recipient and should not be taken by force.
• Practical gains versus long-term ambition: Gao Jing’s large reward enables useful equipment, but his greatest goal remains financially distant.

Chapter Summary: "With a Big Tree at Your Back, You Can Enjoy the Shade"

Key Plot Points

• Wu Zhan (father) summons Wu Yong and orders him to withdraw his dueling challenge against Gao Jing, a decision made jointly by the Wu Clan's elders—not a request.
• Wu Yong initially refuses, knowing he's already spread news of the duel and that retreating would be a public humiliation.
• Wu Zhan explains the reasons: Gao Jing destroyed the Greywing Tribe, killed the peak Upper-Tier Grand Warrior Gray Ao effortlessly, survived a Blood Moon Society puppeteer's assassination, and forced the puppeteer to self-destruct. Gao Jing possesses a Divine Ability allowing instantaneous multiple relocations in battle.
• Critically, Huo Yan (a Legendary Grand Venerable, master of the Radiant Tower) personally brought Gao Jing to visit several Legendary powerhouses, securing his support—making Wu Yong's planned use of the Lineage's Inheritance Witch Artifact pointless, as Gao Jing could borrow better artifacts.
• Wu Yong reluctantly submits, tearfully swearing an oath to grow stronger and reclaim his dignity.
• The Wu Clan sends an apology and compensation to Gao Jing that night.
• Gao Jing officially becomes Huo Yan's disciple, elevating his status in the Radiant Tower to above all other tower-residing Wizards, giving him protection from clan suppression.
• Despite this newfound security, Gao Jing remains focused on pursuing the Blood Moon Society.

Character Developments

• Wu Yong: Transforms from proud, confident genius to humiliated, crestfallen figure. Experiences his first major defeat—not in combat but in clan politics. Swears a secret oath to become stronger and eventually reclaim what he lost.
• Wu Zhan: Shows pragmatic, calculating wisdom. Counsels his son to endure humiliation and use it as motivation, acknowledging the hard realities of power politics.
• Gao Jing: Gains official Legendary patronage and elevated status through Huo Yan's discipleship. Does not grow complacent, keeping his true enemy (Blood Moon Society) in his sights.

Significant Themes

• Power and Patronage: The chapter title encapsulates the theme—having a powerful backer (Huo Yan) changes everything. Protection comes from associations, not just personal strength.
• Politics vs. Pride: The Wu Clan prioritizes survival over honor, forcing Wu Yong to swallow his pride. Pragmatism trumps dignity in the cultivation world.
• Humiliation as Fuel: Wu Yong's shame becomes motivation for future growth.
• Deterrence: A Legendary figure's support serves as a shield against scheming clans, demonstrating that reputation and backing are as important as cultivation in navigating high-stakes factional politics.

Character Interactions

• Wu Yong and Wu Zhan (father-son): A tense confrontation where Wu Zhan delivers the elders' decree over Wu Yong's heated objections. Wu Zhan ends with both stern guidance (grow stronger to reclaim what's lost) and consolation (offering to handle the withdrawal and compensation personally).
• Wu Clan → Gao Jing (indirect): The clan apologizes and offers compensation, symbolically yielding to avoid offending a Legendary's disciple.
• Gao Jing ↔ Huo Yan (off-screen): Gao Jing accepts discipleship, and Huo Yan's patronage reshapes the power dynamics of the city for him.

Key plot points and events

• After killing Viscount Duka, Gao Jing becomes the target of the Blood Moon Society, which has already tried to assassinate him and is unlikely to stop.
• Rather than hide in the Radiant Wizard Tower, Gao Jing spends 2,000 Merit Points to obtain intelligence on the Society from the Judgment Pavilion.
• He learns that the Society’s strength comes largely from its extensive underground trade network, centered on Blood Moon Abyss City. The organization has formidable hidden forces, including Legendary wizards and Abyssfolk.
• Gao Jing concludes that killing individual members will not seriously hurt the Society; disrupting its underground trade routes might. He sets his sights on Blood Moon Abyss City.
• Telling Miya only that he is going out to gain experience, Gao Jing takes fugitive-hunting assignments, disguises himself, and secretly leaves the City of Ten Thousand Kings.
• He returns to Greywing Stronghold, now abandoned after its destruction, and continues to the Mithril Mining Field. The mine is operating under new ownership.
• Gao Jing suspects the Greywing Tribe once sold its Mithril through underground channels and that a passage beneath the mine may connect to an Abyss City. He hopes the route will lead him to Blood Moon Abyss City.

Character development and interactions

• Gao Jing shifts from reacting to the Blood Moon Society’s attacks to planning a strategic counterstrike against its economic base. His determination to confront danger rather than hide is emphasized.
• Miya shows increased warmth toward Gao Jing, advising him to disguise himself and warning him to be careful. She does not know his real objective.
• The Judgment Pavilion staff provide Gao Jing with sensitive intelligence without questioning his request, reflecting his increased status and clearance within the Hall of Ten Thousand Wizards.

Significant themes

• Strategy over retaliation: Gao Jing recognizes that the Society’s commercial network, not its individual members, is its true vulnerability.
• Secrecy and preparation: He gathers intelligence, conceals his intentions, and disguises himself to avoid the Society’s informants.
• Hidden power and interconnected worlds: The chapter reveals how underground cities and trade routes support the Society’s influence far beyond the surface world.

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Jing, in giant form, spies on a mithril mine during the miners’ dinner break. He releases his Spirit Gu, Nine-Wing, to search the mine tunnels for a hidden passage to the Underworld.
• Nine-Wing’s initial search finds nothing in the newly dug main tunnels, so Gao Jing decides to investigate Greywing Stronghold instead.
• While recalling Nine-Wing, it detects a faint scraping sound from an abandoned side passage.
• Nine-Wing discovers a hidden stone door in that passage. Four leather-armored warriors and a gray-robed wizard—an Underworld adventuring party—emerge, scout the area, then re-enter the door.
• After they leave, Gao Jing reverts to his true form and uses Spatial Teleportation (via the Copper Anchor) to pass through the sealed stone door into the secret passage behind it.

2. Character Developments

• Gao Jing shows methodical, cautious thinking: he doesn’t rush, using Nine-Wing as a remote scout and adapting his form (giant vs. true) to the situation.
• He demonstrates powerful new abilities, including Soul Sharing with Nine-Wing and barrier-piercing Spatial Teleportation, showcasing his growth as a transcendent being.

3. Significant Themes

• Discovery through patience: The clue appears only after an initial failure, rewarding persistence.
• Hidden worlds beneath the surface: The abandoned, seemingly empty mine hides a secret door to the Underworld, symbolizing unseen connections between realms.
• Espionage and stealth: The entire chapter is about covert observation, infiltration, and bypassing defenses without direct confrontation.

4. Character Interactions

• Gao Jing maintains a close soul-connection with Nine-Wing, sharing its senses and commanding its movements—this is his primary interaction.
• He silently observes the Underworld adventuring party but does not engage with them; they remain unaware of his presence.
• No dialogue occurs in the chapter; all interaction is indirect or observational.

Summary of "Following the Vine to Find the Melon"

1. Key Plot Points / Events

• Gao Jing, a Legendary Abyssfolk, secretly tracks a party of five adventurers through a newly excavated passage in the Great Wilderness.
• He follows them onto an underground railcar, confirming a link between the Greywing Tribe and the Underworld.
• The railcar leads to New Moon Abyss City, a smaller underground settlement with a bustling platform and streets.
• Gao Jing trails the adventurers to an Abyss City Alliance building but is stopped by a guard for lacking an identity card; he withdraws rather than force entry.
• Deciding not to pursue the adventurers directly, he visits a tavern to gather information, using his funds to ply a scar-faced warrior with drink.
• Through the conversation, he learns about the city's wealthiest merchant and strongest lineage (the same), but as he tries to leave, the scar-faced warrior turns hostile, hinting that the price for the information wasn't enough.

2. Character Developments

• Gao Jing: Demonstrates adaptability and confidence in his true element. He is patient, observant, and pragmatic—choosing information-gathering over direct confrontation. His comfort in the Underworld contrasts with his earlier tension on the surface. He remains unfazed by the warrior's threat, though it foreshadows impending trouble.
• The Scar-Faced Warrior: Initially appears as a brutish drunk, but the final line reveals he is cunning and possibly dangerous—likely more than he seemed.

3. Significant Themes

• Espionage and Subtlety: Gao Jing's methodical pursuit (“following the vine to find the melon”) emphasizes stealth and intelligence over brute force.
• Underworld Society: The underground Abyss City is portrayed as a network of commerce, transit, and shadowy dealings, with taverns as key hubs of exchange (both information and danger).
• Cost of Information: Knowledge is not free; the warrior's parting threat suggests that gossip can come with strings or hidden prices.
• Alienation/Comfort: Gao Jing feels more at ease underground among Abyssfolk than in the surface world ruled by Giants.

4. Character Interactions

• Gao Jing & the Guard: Brief—Gao Jing is denied entry but does not press the issue.
• Gao Jing & the Scar-Faced Warrior: A transactional but tense interaction. Gao Jing buys drinks to extract local knowledge; the warrior accepts greedily but then reveals a menacing edge, implying he intends to exploit Gao Jing further.
• Gao Jing & the Five Adventurers: There is no direct contact; he merely observes them, using spiritual marks to track them before losing interest.
• Gao Jing & the Bartender: Minor—he purchases ale as an entry point for conversation.

Key plot points and events

• A scar-faced High-Rank Warrior in a tavern extorts Gao Jing for ten gold coins, threatening to have nearby patrons attack him.
• Gao Jing pays, then secretly uses Nine-Wing’s Spirit Thorn to poison and incapacitate the warrior. He leaves before the tavern erupts into chaos.
• Later that night, Gao Jing goes to Tuo Clan Castle, home of Tuo Ji, New Moon Abyss City’s dominant magnate. He sends Nine-Wing through the castle’s defenses to locate Tuo Ji.
• Gao Jing teleports into Tuo Ji’s room. Tuo Ji wakes quickly and tries to activate his armor and call for help, but Gao Jing’s overwhelming Legendary power immobilizes him.
• Gao Jing seizes Tuo Ji and transports him away. Tuo Ji’s companions wake to find him missing, unaware that he is unlikely to return.

Character developments and interactions

• Gao Jing shows that he will meet coercion with calculated force: he pays the extortionist to avoid a public confrontation, then quietly neutralizes him. He next takes direct action against a powerful local figure, unconcerned by Tuo Ji’s status or defenses.
• Tuo Ji is revealed as wealthy, politically dominant, and genuinely capable despite his indulgent lifestyle. His alert response confirms his competence, but he is helpless against Gao Jing’s superior power.
• Nine-Wing proves essential to Gao Jing’s approach, serving both as a covert scout and as the source of the Spirit Thorn.
• The scar-faced warrior mistakes Gao Jing’s payment for submission; their exchange ends with him unconscious.
• Tuo Ji’s companions are left bewildered after Gao Jing removes him.

Significant themes

• Power and vulnerability: Wealth, rank, and elaborate defenses offer little protection against someone vastly stronger.
• Exploitation and retaliation: The chapter depicts the routine mistreatment of outsiders, followed by Gao Jing’s controlled but decisive response.
• Stealth and strategy: Gao Jing relies on Nine-Wing, teleportation, and surprise rather than confronting obstacles openly.
• Corrupt local authority: Tuo Ji’s influence over the city—including the city lord—shows how economic power can dominate civic life.

Summary: “Paper Suffocation”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Tuo Ji wakes powerless in a strange room, his strength sealed inside his Source Core Sigil by someone at least two levels stronger—revealing Gao Jing as a true Legendary.
• Gao Jing explains (to the reader) that he successfully transported Tuo Ji inside Copper Anchor’s Personal Plane, a new space that can hold living beings but consumes Faith Power continuously, forcing him to release Tuo Ji in a pre-selected empty house.
• Gao Jing demands the location of Blood Moon Abyss City. Tuo Ji refuses, even after Gao Jing cuts off one of his fingers.
• Gao Jing employs an ancient torture called “Paper Suffocation”—layering wet rice paper over Tuo Ji’s face to slowly suffocate him. After ~20 layers, Tuo Ji’s mental state collapses and he nods.
• Gao Jing immediately casts Soul-Loss Technique (normally useless against High Rank Transcendents) on the now-broken Tuo Ji to extract the answer.

2. Character Developments

• Gao Jing: Shows a methodical, experimental side (testing the Personal Plane), and a cold willingness to use prolonged psychological and physical torture when ordinary methods fail. His reasoning is eased by noting Tuo Ji’s karmic sins.
• Tuo Ji: Initially defiant and unyielding even under bodily mutilation, but his will collapses under the slower, suffocating terror of Paper Suffocation—demonstrating that even powerful Transcendents have psychological breaking points when the torture targets primal survival instincts.

3. Significant Themes

• Power disparity: The gap between a High Rank Transcendent and a true Legendary is absolute—Tuo Ji can’t even activate his Battle Armor.
• Limits of willpower: Physical endurance isn’t enough; mental collapse comes from a torture that plays on the instinct to breathe.
• Utility vs. mercy: Gao Jing isn’t gratuitously cruel—he switches methods purely based on effectiveness, and uses defeated enemies as tools or experiments when valuable.

4. Character Interactions

• Gao Jing interrogates Tuo Ji face-to-face, first with pragmatic calm (“Let’s talk”), then with detached brutality.
• Tuo Ji shifts from forced politeness, to stubborn denial, to open hatred and cursing, to total capitulation—marking the emotional arc of the scene.
• Gao Jing’s final move (Soul-Loss Technique) is a clinical exploitation of Tuo Ji’s vulnerable state, underscoring that the torture was meant only to break his defenses, not kill him.

Plot points and events

• Using a token taken from Tuo Ji, Gao Jing reaches the hidden Blood Moon Abyss City by leaping into the deadly Black Hollow cavern.
• The token shields him from the cavern’s lethal Dark Spirit Energy, guides his fall, and grants him access to the city.
• After a five-minute descent, Gao Jing sees the city: a vast, cracked, blood-red spherical fortress concealed within the abyss. A fissure pulls him inside.
• He lands in a brightly lit plaza surrounded by nine rune-covered stone pillars. As he realizes he is at the center of enemy territory, an unseen presence challenges him: “Who are you?”

Character developments and interactions

• Gao Jing learns from Tuo Ji’s memories that Tuo Ji belonged to the powerful Blood Moon Society, which controls New Moon Abyss City and seven other satellite cities.
• Gao Jing also discovers the Society’s close ties to the Restoration Society, a centuries-old movement seeking to free the Abyssfolk from the giants’ domination. He recalls Wu San’s connection to this growing web of associations.
• Though he understands the Abyssfolk’s oppression, Gao Jing doubts the Restoration Society can overcome the giants and the dangers of the Great Wilderness. He remains unaffiliated—and is already an enemy of the Blood Moon Society.
• The chapter ends with Gao Jing confronted by an unknown figure or force inside the plaza.

Significant themes

• Oppression and resistance: The Restoration Society arises from the Abyssfolk’s exploitation and discrimination under the giants, but its goal appears daunting.
• Power and inequality: The world is presented as one where the strong dominate the weak; even powerful weapons such as Gao Jing’s War God Armor may not meaningfully change that balance.
• Risk and resolve: Gao Jing knowingly plunges into a lethal abyss, relying on the token and his nerve to enter the enemy’s stronghold.
• Hidden networks and political reach: Blood Moon Abyss City’s control of satellite cities and ties to the Restoration Society reveal a wider underground power structure.

Summary: Blood Battle (Part 1)

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Jing is discovered infiltrating the core of Blood Moon Abyss City.
• He crushes his talisman token and draws his Dragon-Cutting Warblade, donning crimson Dragonscale Battle Armor.
• He slams his blade into the ground, causing a massive fiery eruption that fractures the plaza and dispels the surrounding malice.
• Hundreds of Totem Warriors/Blood Moon Warriors converge on him with a formidable battle formation that manifests a blood beast of killing intent.
• Gao Jing slaughters through wave after wave, cutting a path through an entire column of warriors (30+ killed in seconds).
• The battle continues for ten minutes, with over three hundred corpses piled up; the survivors' battle formation weakens as warriors lose morale.
• Some warriors break and flee; Gao Jing does not pursue them, noting they are doomed sacrifices anyway.
• Dozens of Wizards arrive, launching fire rain and meteors at Gao Jing.
• Gao Jing counters with Fire Crows (a distraction) and unleashes Flame Storm, his strongest fire spell, as a finishing move.

2. Character Developments

• Gao Jing: Demonstrates overwhelming, dimensional superiority in combat. He is calm, ruthless, and adaptive—switching between melee slaughter and spellcasting seamlessly. He treats the enemy mass as a warm-up, showing he's holding back for a true opponent yet to appear.
• Blood Moon Warriors: Show courage and discipline initially, advancing fearlessly despite casualties, but eventually break psychologically under the one-sided slaughter.
• The Lord of Malice (unseen): Enraged by Gao Jing's actions; controls the battle and seems indifferent to sacrificing his own soldiers.

3. Significant Themes

• Dimensional crushing power: Higher-level combat ability renders numbers meaningless; armor and battle formations are useless against Gao Jing.
• Battle formations vs. individual superiority: The army's blood beast formation is powerful against weak-willed foes but fails against someone who can break the formation's focus through mobility and aggression.
• Sacrifice and attrition: The hidden controller treats soldiers as expendable sacrifices to wear down Gao Jing.
• Morale and breaking point: Even elite, fearless warriors can rout when faced with hopeless disparity.

4. Character Interactions

• Gao Jing vs. Blood Moon Warriors: Pure one-sided massacre; he shows no fear and takes no prisoners.
• Gao Jing vs. the Lord of Malice: Taunted with a curse ("Die!"), Gao Jing ignores him completely and focuses on the battlefield.
• Gao Jing vs. the Wizards: Magical exchange. Gao Jing uses Fire Crows as bait, then reveals Flame Storm as his true sustained attack, taking the wizards by surprise.

Plot points and events

• Gao Jing casts Flame Storm, drawing on his exceptional mental power to create 3,247 fireballs in only a few breaths.
• The Blood Moon wizards try to interrupt him, but the Fire Crows delay them long enough for the spell to take shape. The storm engulfs the square, overwhelming their defenses and killing dozens of wizards and many Blood Moon Warriors. Most of the square is left cleared, though the spell costs Gao Jing substantial mana and mental energy.
• As Gao Jing prepares to descend, his danger instinct warns him of an attack. He uses the Copper Anchor’s Instant Movement to escape a Great Annihilation Technique fired by a Witchcraft Cannon Tower.
• Realizing the city may have more hidden weapons—and other unknown defenses—Gao Jing decides he must destroy Blood Moon Abyss City quickly. Before he can teleport toward the cannon tower, a scarlet glow spreads beneath his feet and the square begins to rumble.

Character developments

• Gao Jing demonstrates the scale of his magical power and his ability to use the Fire Crows strategically, but he is also shown to be vulnerable: his devastating spell drains him, and survival depends on his instincts and the Copper Anchor.
• His narrow escape sharpens his caution and urgency. He recognizes that overwhelming force alone may not be enough against the city’s concealed defenses.

Character interactions

• The Fire Crows support Gao Jing by harassing the Blood Moon wizards and buying him time to complete his spell.
• The Blood Moon forces respond collectively with spells and protective shields, but the Flame Storm overwhelms them. A hidden Witchcraft Cannon Tower then attacks Gao Jing, revealing that the city’s defenses extend beyond its visible fighters.

Significant themes

• Power and risk: Gao Jing’s immense destructive magic brings victory at a high cost and leaves him exposed.
• Vigilance and survival: Instinct, preparation, and the Copper Anchor save him from a nearly unavoidable attack.
• Escalation and uncertainty: The cannon tower and the unexplained rumbling suggest that the battle still holds threats beyond what Gao Jing has seen.

Summary of "Blood Battle (Part 2)"

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Gao Jing, sensing the ground is about to erupt with violent power, abandons his attack on the Witchcraft Cannon Towers and flees upward using Fire Crows.
• Blood Moon Abyss City undergoes a massive transformation, morphing from a fortress into a colossal Blood Giant—hundreds of meters tall—clad in dark-red Rock Armor made from floating debris. It is revealed to be a secret weapon created by the Blood Moon Society and Restoration Society to fight Top Rank Giants.
• The Blood Giant attacks Gao Jing with a lethal scarlet beam. Gao Jing tries to use Instant Movement via the Copper Anchor, but it fails because Dark Spirit Energy restricts spatial abilities.
• As a last resort, he activates Plane Traversal, which consumes Faith Power, successfully escaping into the Copper Anchor Plane.
• Returning home safely, Gao Jing refuses to give up on destroying Blood Moon Abyss City. He formulates an unorthodox, seemingly impossible plan and calls Zhao Xingguo—who has military connections—to relay it to higher-ups. Zhao Xingguo is deeply shocked but promises to forward it.

2. Character Developments

• Gao Jing: Displays extreme calm under life-threatening pressure. He recognizes his own limitations (cannot defeat the Blood Giant alone) and adapts by seeking unconventional help. He shifts from relying solely on his personal strength to considering a plan that involves outside resources, showing strategic flexibility.
• Zhao Xingguo: Though only briefly featured, he reacts with genuine shock to Gao Jing's idea—highlighting how audacious the plan is—but chooses to take it seriously and escalate it.

3. Significant Themes

• Persistence vs. Overwhelming Power: Gao Jing encounters an enemy beyond his expertise but refuses to retreat permanently, instead vowing to find another way.
• Strategic Problem-Solving: The chapter emphasizes using intelligence and external alliances over brute force when facing superior strength.
• The Cost of Power: The Blood Giant combines technology and energy into a massive weapon, showing the scale of the forces opposing Gao Jing.

4. Character Interactions

• Gao Jing vs. Blood Giant (Blood Moon Abyss City): A near-fatal clash where Gao Jing's strongest spatial abilities fail, forcing him to escape via the Copper Anchor Plane.
• Gao Jing & Zhao Xingguo: A brief but crucial communication. Gao Jing shares his bold strategy; Zhao Xingguo is stunned but agrees to relay it up the chain of command, setting up future developments.

Summary: Chapter — A Conversation with the Big Shots

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Jing enters the "World's Number One Courtyard" (the seat of the nation's top leadership) after passing through layers of security.
• He meets five elderly leaders, two in military uniform—all major national figures.
• Elder Zhang directly asks why Gao Jing wants a weapon of national importance (implied: a nuclear weapon).
• Gao Jing states he faces an enemy he cannot defeat with his current strength and wants to use the weapon against it.
• He guarantees he will not use it on Earth, but refuses to say where he intends to use it.
• The leaders initially refuse. Gao Jing reveals his backup plan: he will "borrow" weapons from neighboring countries if they refuse—shocking them.
• Elder Zhang pivots, asking what Gao Jing will offer in exchange.
• Gao Jing offers 10,000 tons of high-purity gold and top-tier Longevity Potions (each extending life by at least 30 years).
• Elder Zhang tells him to submit a list for further study—implying near-agreement.

2. Character Developments

• Gao Jing: Shows boldness, strategic thinking, and ruthless pragmatism. He comes prepared with alternatives, negotiates calmly, and knows when to raise the stakes. His confidence suggests genuine capability to back his claims.
• Elder Zhang: Demonstrates flexibility and political acumen—breaks from the unanimous refusal to explore terms, showing he prioritizes results over rigid positions.
• Other leaders: Reveal caution and the heavy weight of responsibility; they are visibly unsettled by Gao Jing's words and inspired by his offers, though they hide it through practiced composure.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and responsibility: The state's monopoly on ultimate weapons versus an individual's (even extraordinary) needs.
• Negotiation and leverage: Gao Jing's willingness to "borrow from neighbors" forces the leaders to negotiate rather than flatly refuse—a classic coercion-by-consequences dynamic.
• Secrecy and trust: Gao Jing's hidden "Great World" secret underpins the entire scene; both sides operate with incomplete information.
• Defense of one's home: Gao Jing's desire to keep the Main World safe while dealing with threats elsewhere.

4. Character Interactions

• Gao Jing greets the five leaders warmly; they respond with politeness but wariness.
• Elder Zhang's direct questioning is met with Gao Jing's equally direct—and unsettling—answers.
• The leadership exchanges glances and silent communications; Elder Zhang's decisive pivot contrasts with the others' hesitation.
• Gao Jing's calm delivery of earth-shaking offers (gold, potions) and threats (borrowing weapons) keeps the leaders off-balance, yet he leaves the meeting on good terms, securing a path toward agreement.

Chapter Summary: Battle Blood Moon Again

Key Plot Points & Events

• Gao Jing makes his third visit to A36 Base to upgrade his War God Armor (Battle Puppet), which had become less useful after his breakthrough to the Legendary realm.
• He fuses a large quantity of Mithril into the armor's plating, boosting its physical/magical defenses and combat power by roughly 30%.
• Weapons overhaul: the grenade launcher is removed and replaced with a missile launcher (with adjustable warheads); the Type 1130 Close-In Defense Cannon is upgraded to the latest model with a new fire-control system in the cockpit.
• The modification takes over a month. Gao Jing fulfills part of his agreement with the authorities—delivering medicines/materials—while deferring the ten thousand tons of gold until after destroying Blood Moon Abyss City.
• He returns to Cloud City and briefly enters Copper Anchor Space, using its time-synchronization ability to evade the Blood Giant's search after his sudden disappearance.
• Re-entering Black Hollow Cavern, Gao Jing launches a missile from the War God Armor, striking the several-hundred-meter-tall Blood Giant. The dread weapon devastates it—destroying its defensive spell array and ripping half its body apart with two missiles and follow-up cannon fire.
• The Blood Giant is left crippled and unable to fight back; the battle's outcome is effectively decided.

Character Developments

• Gao Jing: Shows pragmatism by upgrading rather than discarding an obsolete asset. Demonstrates strategic cunning (using Copper Anchor Space to dodge attacks) and willingness to trade at a loss for convenience (exchanging raw Mithril ore for refined Mithril via Merit Points).
• The Blood Giant's controller: Exhibits confusion and limited understanding when Gao Jing vanishes, resorting to searching rather than anticipating a return attack.

Significant Themes

• Technology vs. Supernatural Power: Main World "dread weapons" (missiles) prove overwhelming against Great World magical constructs, introducing a new power dynamic.
• Strategic Resource Management: Trading raw materials at a loss for practical convenience; investing in upgrades rather than discarding old tools.
• Preparation and Tactical Thinking: Time-synchronization as a defensive/offensive tactic; the value of surprise and overwhelming force.

Character Interactions

• Gao Jing collaborates with A36 Base experts and technicians over a month-long modification project.
• He maintains a transactional relationship with higher authorities, exchanging promised resources (medicines, materials, gold) for dread weapons.
• Combat interaction: Gao Jing vs. the Blood Giant/Blood Moon Abyss City's controller—a one-sided engagement showcasing the missile launcher's decisive superiority.

Key plot points and events

• Gao Jing’s Type 1130 cannon devastates the Blood Giant, but the wreckage releases streams of black, blood-infused smoke shaped like anguished faces. He realizes the city’s controller likely sacrificed Blood Moon Abyss City’s inhabitants to gain power.
• The remnants transform into an armored Bone Wyvern, which attacks with Dark Spirit Energy arrows. Its speed lets it evade Gao Jing’s cannon fire.
• With the War God Armor draining too much energy, Gao Jing stores it and uses the Dragon-Elephant Totem to fight in giant form.
• The blasts from the two ultimate weapons have dispersed enough Dark Spirit Energy for Gao Jing to use Instant Movement again. He teleports behind the wyvern and strikes with his greatsword, but its bones resist his blows and its wounds rapidly heal.
• Gao Jing’s Chaos Origin Force is nearly depleted, while repeated teleportation strains him mentally. He considers retreating to the Main World to recover, then returning to wear the enemy down.

Character development

• Gao Jing remains determined, refusing to abandon the fight despite the cost of his two missiles and mounting exhaustion.
• He adapts quickly, abandoning the energy-intensive armor for a more efficient combat form and exploiting the restored ability to teleport.
• His confidence is tempered by the realization that the Bone Wyvern may outlast him; retreat becomes a practical option rather than surrender.

Character interactions

• Gao Jing and the Bone Wyvern exchange attacks: he targets its neck and wing, while it counters with claws, black-red flames, and volleys of arrows.
• The wyvern’s fury appears tied to the destruction inflicted on Blood Moon Abyss City. The tormented faces trapped in the smoke suggest its power was obtained through the sacrifice of the city’s people.

Significant themes

• Power and sacrifice: The Blood Giant’s transformation points to horrific lives traded for strength.
• Adaptation under pressure: Gao Jing changes tactics as the battlefield and his abilities shift.
• Limits and perseverance: His resolve remains strong, but dwindling energy and physical strain make survival and retreat part of the struggle.