Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Zuo Yi asks the traveling merchant Boen to help locate Gu Yunxi in Winter City, hoping to avoid drawing attention. Boen agrees and refuses Zuo Yi’s initial offer of gold.
• Boen brings Zuo Yi to Harris, a steward of the Lime Merchant Guild, who has useful connections in the city. Zuo Yi explains that Gu Yunxi is from Daxia on Blue Star and likely arrived two years earlier.
• Harris initially considers charging a high fee, but a quiet warning from his thin companion makes him reconsider. He promises to investigate, and the companion leaves to gather information.
• After about an hour, Harris reports that Gu Yunxi is not currently in Winter City. He hesitates to reveal more because she serves in the Winter City Garrison.
• Zuo Yi offers 10,000 gold coins, then raises the offer to 20,000, conjuring six gold bars onto the table. Harris agrees to persuade someone to provide accurate information.

Character developments and interactions

• Zuo Yi remains patient and pragmatic, preferring discreet inquiries over making a public spectacle. When ordinary requests meet resistance, he uses his wealth decisively and shows no concern about the cost.
• Boen acts as a dependable intermediary, drawing on his past connections in Winter City. His reaction suggests he knows Harris is not truly an old friend, despite Harris’s claim.
• Harris shifts from opportunistic bargaining to eager cooperation once Zuo Yi offers a remarkable sum. His attention to the gold shows how strongly money motivates him.
• The thin companion appears perceptive and capable: he warns Harris about Zuo Yi, then quickly investigates Gu Yunxi’s whereabouts.

Significant themes

• Money as power: Gold can overcome reluctance and open doors, even when information is politically sensitive.
• Discretion versus force: Zuo Yi prefers a quiet search but is prepared to use overwhelming power if necessary.
• Networks and influence: Finding someone in a large city depends less on searching alone than on local contacts and institutions.

Plot and events

• Harris leaves the tavern with the twenty thousand gold coins Zuo Yi gave him. His trusted confidant judges Zuo Yi to be extraordinarily powerful, prompting Harris to abandon any thoughts of crossing him.
• Harris returns with information about Gu Yunxi, also known as Candice: three days earlier, she left Winter City with an Earth Dragon battalion to escort an archaeological team searching for the legendary Arad Temple in the Parma Highlands.
• The name and location connect in Zuo Yi’s mind with a mysterious coin he encountered aboard the Daxia-Europe Express. When activated, it showed a pyramid; its owner, Natasha, had said it held a secret related to eternal life. Zuo Yi suspects the pyramid is Arad Temple.
• He obtains a map, thanks Harris and Boen, and leaves Winter City on his Griffin. In the highlands, he searches on foot, matches the coin’s images to the terrain, and finds the battalion’s Earth Dragon tracks.
• Following the tracks through the night, Zuo Yi reaches a pyramid in a valley at dawn: Arad Temple.

Character developments and interactions

• Harris’s fear and caution grow as his confidant confirms that Zuo Yi’s strength is beyond assessment. He focuses on completing Zuo Yi’s request rather than risking a conflict.
• Harris spends much of Zuo Yi’s payment to obtain sensitive information, then delivers it respectfully. Zuo Yi acknowledges both Harris and Boen before departing.
• Zuo Yi pieces together clues from the coin, Gu Yunxi’s expedition, and the map, then demonstrates patience and resourcefulness in tracking the expedition across difficult terrain.

Themes

• Power and caution: Zuo Yi’s reputation and apparent strength shape how others deal with him.
• Money and influence: A substantial payment quickly secures information, though sensitive details come at a high cost.
• Clues, memory, and deduction: Zuo Yi turns scattered evidence into a likely destination.
• Persistence and exploration: Reaching Arad Temple requires sustained searching and following physical traces rather than relying on flight alone.

Key plot points and events

• Zuo Yi reaches the expedition camp beside the ancient Arad Temple and recognizes Gu Yunxi, the woman he has crossed worlds to find—and Bao’er’s mother.
• He approaches her as George, a blond admirer, gives Gu Yunxi flowers. She rejects the gift, while her companions urge her to give George a chance.
• Gu Yunxi is stunned to see Zuo Yi. They greet each other after years apart, and he explains he came because Bao’er needs her mother and asks her to return home with him.
• Gu Yunxi reacts emotionally but then refuses, apparently afraid of something connected to her past.
• George returns in anger and charges at Zuo Yi. Zuo Yi knocks him back with a single blow, setting off alarms throughout the expedition camp.
• European knights surround Zuo Yi, and Gu Yunxi steps in front of him, pleading with them to stop.

Character developments and interactions

• Zuo Yi is relieved and deeply moved to find Gu Yunxi. He is direct about wanting to reunite her with Bao’er, but responds forcefully when George attacks.
• Gu Yunxi reveals lingering love and longing for Zuo Yi, alongside unresolved fear and hesitation about returning. Despite her refusal, she protects him from the expedition force.
• George is shown as a persistent suitor whose affection turns to aggression when he sees Zuo Yi with Gu Yunxi.
• Gu Yunxi’s companions tease and criticize her for rejecting George, then are bewildered by her intense reaction to Zuo Yi.
• The reunion quickly shifts from intimate and emotional to dangerous as the camp interprets Zuo Yi’s response to George as an attack.

Significant themes

• Reunion and unresolved love: Years of separation have not erased Gu Yunxi and Zuo Yi’s bond.
• Family and responsibility: Zuo Yi’s appeal centers on Bao’er’s need for her mother.
• Longing, fear, and choice: Gu Yunxi wants Zuo Yi but is held back by an unspecified concern.
• Misunderstanding and escalation: A personal confrontation is mistaken for an attack, turning the reunion into a wider conflict.

Key plot points and events

• Gu Yunxi fears Zuo Yi cannot withstand the Flame Cross expedition team, a formidable group of Earth Dragon riders and Atoya mages. When they move to attack, she prepares to risk her life to help him escape.
• Zuo Yi instead takes her hand and releases an overwhelming pressure. The knights, mages, and even their Earth Dragons are immobilized by fear; the A+ Rank rider at their head recognizes that Zuo Yi is beyond anyone he has faced.
• Zuo Yi tells Gu Yunxi that he is now Daxia’s third Alpha and promises that the Gu and Fan families will no longer trouble her. Overcome with relief, she leans on him.
• Gu Yunxi asks Zuo Yi to spare the expedition members, explaining that some had helped her before. He withdraws his pressure, and the shaken group is left unharmed.
• George tries to stop them by invoking Gu Yunxi’s duty and the mission. Zuo Yi stamps the ground, splitting the earth and opening a passage into the pyramid. He says he has fulfilled her mission; George falls silent.

Character developments and interactions

• Gu Yunxi shifts from fear and despair to courage, choosing to protect Zuo Yi despite the danger. Once reassured that she is safe, she also shows compassion and loyalty by speaking up for her companions. Her thoughts turn eagerly—and guiltily—to reuniting with Bao’er.
• Zuo Yi reveals immense power but restrains himself, using intimidation rather than harming the knights. Gu Yunxi’s willingness to sacrifice herself moves him and softens his urge to kill. He offers her protection and comfort, then demonstrates his strength to silence George.
• George continues pursuing Gu Yunxi and recklessly challenges Zuo Yi, despite the danger to himself and the team. The others view his intervention as foolish.
• The knights and mages go from hostile confidence to terror, then collapse with relief when Zuo Yi withdraws his pressure.

Significant themes

• Protection and gratitude: Gu Yunxi risks herself for Zuo Yi, while Zuo Yi promises to protect her; she, in turn, remembers those who once helped her.
• Power and restraint: Zuo Yi’s overwhelming strength is clear, but he chooses not to injure the expedition team.
• Freedom from past burdens: His reassurance releases Gu Yunxi from fear of the families who threatened her and allows her to look toward going home.
• Duty versus personal attachment: George uses duty to keep Gu Yunxi on the expedition, but Zuo Yi dismisses the mission’s danger and opens the pyramid himself.

Key plot points and events

• Zuo Yi’s overwhelming presence leaves George and the temple expedition’s knights and mages unable to challenge him. He tells the group that Gu Yunxi’s intervention spared them, then declares that whatever she owed them is settled.
• The burly knight, the expedition’s leader, agrees that Zuo Yi has more than fulfilled Gu Yunxi’s mission by opening the way into the temple. Zuo Yi warns them not to pursue the promised secrets of eternal life.
• Zuo Yi recognizes Arad Temple as a front for Thanatos, the god of death. He believes the “Immortality” legend is bait: those who enter seeking treasure may be killed so their lives and souls can power an altar. He warns the group but chooses not to destroy the temple or provoke Thanatos.
• Zuo Yi leaves with Gu Yunxi on Griffin, heading for Dragon City Fortress. Their departure leaves the expedition camp subdued and uncertain about whether to enter the pyramid.

Character developments and interactions

• Zuo Yi demonstrates both his immense power and his restraint. He settles Gu Yunxi’s obligation on her behalf, warns the others, but does not force them to abandon their mission.
• Gu Yunxi accepts Zuo Yi’s protection and leaves with him, bidding farewell to Julie, Monica, and Winnie.
• The burly knight submits to Zuo Yi and, for the first time, doubts his own judgment as he weighs duty against the danger of the temple.
• George is diminished by the encounter: the women who once admired him now see him as immature and reckless compared with Zuo Yi.
• Gu Yunxi’s companions watch the couple depart with envy, impressed by Zuo Yi’s appearance, confidence, and strength.

Significant themes

• Power and humility: Zuo Yi can dominate the expedition but uses his power selectively.
• Greed and human nature: The lure of eternal life may draw even powerful people into deadly traps, and Zuo Yi believes he cannot change those driven by greed.
• Choice and responsibility: Despite his warning, the expedition must decide for itself whether to enter the temple.
• Home and reunion: The chapter ends on Zuo Yi’s joyful anticipation of returning home with Bao’er’s mother.

Key plot points and events

• Gu Yunxi grows comfortable riding the Griffin back to Dragon City Fortress and, relieved to be going home, lets herself relax after years of strain.
• She asks Zuo Yi where he went during his three-year disappearance. He explains that he traveled to another world, Sadea, and promises to tell her more later.
• Zuo Yi reassures her that Bao’er is well and living with him. He also explains that Chen Wan is safe, easing Gu Yunxi’s guilt about leaving her daughter and putting her friend in danger.
• During an overnight camp, Gu Yunxi confirms that Bao’er was conceived after their high-school reunion: she took a drunk Zuo Yi to a hotel, and they slept together.
• Gu Yunxi offers to take Bao’er and leave if Zuo Yi loves someone else. He tells her that the woman he loved in Sadea has died, but says he cannot imagine loving anyone else and wants to focus on keeping his promise to Bao’er.
• They postpone decisions about their relationship, travel on, and reach Dragon City Fortress around noon the next day, where a horn sounds to welcome Zuo Yi as a returning hero.

Character developments and interactions

• Gu Yunxi shifts from anxious and burdened to temporarily at ease, but remains uncertain about her place in Zuo Yi’s life. Her independence shows in her willingness to leave, while her guilt and tenderness emerge as she worries about Bao’er and Chen Wan.
• Zuo Yi is candid about his past and his deceased love, but keeps his priorities centered on Bao’er. He responds to Gu Yunxi gently and avoids forcing a decision about their future.
• Their shared journey and work at the campsite bring them closer, though unresolved feelings and the history of Bao’er’s conception make their reunion awkward and emotionally charged.

Significant themes

• Homecoming and relief: Returning to Dragon City allows Gu Yunxi to set aside some of the pressure she carried in Winter City.
• Responsibility and family: Both parents’ concern for Bao’er shapes their choices and takes precedence over their romantic uncertainty.
• Love, loss, and unfinished relationships: Their past intimacy and lingering feelings coexist with Zuo Yi’s grief for the woman he lost in Sadea.
• Guilt and forgiveness: Gu Yunxi regrets being absent from Bao’er’s life and exposing Chen Wan to danger, while the chapter suggests she may still have a chance to reconnect with her family.

Key plot points and events

• Zuo Yi returns to Dragon City Fortress with Gu Yunxi and is greeted by a jubilant crowd of soldiers and residents. Xu Guangwen, chief of staff of the Dragon Guard Army, formally thanks him for saving the fortress from the Wolffolk attack.
• Zuo Yi asks to use the World Stone to return to Daxia. Xu agrees readily, recognizing Zuo Yi’s standing and the debt the fortress owes him.
• Xu explains that the Wolffolk have fallen into civil war: Gangu’s death removed the strongest heir, and the Wolf King Windfury died soon afterward. The resulting succession struggle has fractured their army, likely giving Dragon City Fortress at least ten years of peace.
• Zuo Yi and Gu Yunxi travel through the World Stone to the World Gate near Capital City. Security forces recognize Zuo Yi and welcome him home.
• Zuo Yi asks for a meeting with Chairman Qin Wuyang. Qin arrives, recognizes Gu Yunxi, and is surprised to see her return from the Wilds World with Zuo Yi.

Character developments

• Zuo Yi is revealed as a celebrated hero of Dragon City Fortress, though he remains modest and slightly uncomfortable with the attention. He prioritizes returning to Daxia and reuniting with Gu Yunxi.
• Gu Yunxi is astonished by the respect Zuo Yi commands in the fortress. Seeing the crowd’s devotion makes his influence and achievements feel newly real to her.
• Xu Guangwen expresses the Dragon Guard Army’s deep gratitude and treats Zuo Yi as someone nearly equal in stature to Marshal Fan.
• Qin Wuyang appears surprised and guarded when he sees Gu Yunxi, aware of the powerful political fallout surrounding her and Zuo Yi.

Significant themes

• Recognition and gratitude: The fortress’s public welcome reflects how Zuo Yi’s actions have changed its fate.
• Consequences of power: Killing Gangu and the Wolf King destabilizes the Wolffolk, turning a military threat into internal conflict.
• Homecoming and belonging: The return to Daxia is framed as a homecoming for Zuo Yi, while Gu Yunxi witnesses the place he holds in this wider world.
• Political undercurrents: Qin’s reaction hints that Zuo Yi and Gu Yunxi’s relationship has become a matter of interest among Capital City’s elite.

Character interactions

• Xu Guangwen formally thanks Zuo Yi, explains the Wolffolk crisis, and offers him access to the World Stone.
• Zuo Yi acknowledges the cheering crowd, exchanges farewells with Xu, and travels hand-in-hand with Gu Yunxi.
• At the World Gate, security personnel recognize and welcome Zuo Yi.
• Qin Wuyang questions Gu Yunxi’s presence in the Wilds World, signaling his awareness of the controversy involving her family and the Fan Family.

Key plot points and events

• Gu Yunxi asks Qin Wuyang about Zuo Yi’s trip to Dragon City Fortress. Zuo Yi explains that he went to bring her back and recounts stopping a Wolffolk attack, killing Wolf God Knight Gangu, and disrupting the tribe’s infighting.
• Qin Wuyang realizes Zuo Yi saved Dragon City Fortress—and likely saved him from having to face Gangu. He expresses deep gratitude.
• Zuo Yi and Gu Yunxi leave the Association. In the Capital City, he buys her new clothes and necessities, since she returned without identification or other belongings. She feels uncomfortable accepting his money, but their exchange briefly recalls their former closeness.
• Zuo Yi takes Gu Yunxi to Banshee Bar to reunite with her aunt, Gu Fangfei. They embrace and share an emotional reunion. Gu Yunxi also discovers that Zuo Yi healed Fangfei’s face.
• As the women talk, Zuo Yi quietly wonders how Bao’er will react when she meets Gu Yunxi.

Character developments

• Qin Wuyang recognizes both the limits of his own strength and the danger facing the Qin family. He resolves to reform the family so it can endure the coming supernatural upheaval.
• Gu Yunxi is relieved to be home and eager to see Bao’er, but remains proud and uncomfortable relying financially on Zuo Yi. Her warmth with Fangfei shows the depth of their bond.
• Zuo Yi acts generously and attentively toward Gu Yunxi, while remaining considerate of her feelings. His thoughts about Bao’er reveal concern about how the family’s reunion will affect her.
• Gu Fangfei welcomes Gu Yunxi with great affection and gratitude, while her restored appearance reflects Zuo Yi’s care for her.

Significant themes

• Homecoming and healing: Gu Yunxi returns to the Capital City after escaping the troubles that drove her away, and reunites with someone who supported her.
• Family responsibility and change: Qin Wuyang sees that tradition and past prestige may not protect the Qin family in a changing world.
• Gratitude and sacrifice: Zuo Yi’s intervention protects Dragon City Fortress and earns Qin Wuyang’s sincere respect.
• Renewed intimacy and uncertainty: Zuo Yi and Gu Yunxi share moments of their former closeness, but the question of Bao’er’s acceptance remains unresolved.

Character interactions

• Qin Wuyang thanks Zuo Yi for saving the fortress and sees him off personally.
• Gu Yunxi and Zuo Yi share a tender, slightly awkward shopping trip that hints at their past relationship.
• Gu Yunxi and Gu Fangfei’s tearful embrace underscores their deep trust and affection.
• Fangfei teasingly calls Zuo Yi “your Zuo Yi,” making Gu Yunxi blush; afterward, the aunt and niece become absorbed in conversation while Zuo Yi waits contentedly nearby.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• At Banshee Bar, Gu Fangfei quietly urges Gu Yunxi to consider marrying Zuo Yi. She points out that he risked much to protect her and went to extraordinary lengths to find her.
• Gu Yunxi admits she has not considered what comes next. Though moved by Zuo Yi’s actions, she worries he may have acted for their child, Bao’er, or their shared past—and is reluctant to ask him to start over.
• Gu Shaoyang arrives with friends and is astonished to find Gu Yunxi and Zuo Yi together. He immediately calls Zuo Yi “brother-in-law” and offers to arrange a welcome-home party, hoping to strengthen his connection to the powerful Alpha.
• Zuo Yi and Gu Yunxi explain they have returned only for the day and will leave for Hang City the next day. Gu Fangfei says she plans to visit them soon and see Bao’er.
• After the couple leaves, Gu Shaoyang tells his friends that Gu Yunxi is his sister and Zuo Yi is his brother-in-law. His companions are impressed, while one young woman is excited to realize she has just met the legendary couple.

Character developments and interactions

• Gu Yunxi is emotionally unsettled and cautiously hopeful, but her pride and uncertainty keep her from openly pursuing reconciliation.
• Gu Fangfei acts as a supportive aunt and mediator. She admires Zuo Yi and wants Gu Yunxi to find happiness, but ultimately respects that the decision belongs to the couple.
• Gu Shaoyang is exuberant and opportunistic: he genuinely welcomes his family but also sees Zuo Yi as someone whose influence he can benefit from. His friends’ reaction feeds his pride.
• Zuo Yi remains quiet and composed, leaving with Gu Yunxi without clarifying his feelings. Their shared departure hints at continued closeness but does not resolve their relationship.

Significant themes

• Love, pride, and uncertainty: Gu Yunxi’s feelings are stirred by Zuo Yi’s devotion, yet she is unsure whether he wants to rebuild their relationship.
• Family and reconciliation: Shared history and their child provide a natural path back together, though reconciliation cannot be forced by relatives.
• Status and influence: Zuo Yi’s reputation as a powerful Alpha changes how others treat Gu Shaoyang and turns the couple into figures of fascination among Capital City’s elite.

• Plot: After years apart, Zuo Yi and Gu Yunxi walk together in Capital City, quietly rebuilding their closeness. When Zuo Yi calls Bao’er, Gu Yunxi cannot bring herself to speak to her daughter, overwhelmed by longing and guilt. The next day, they fly to Hang City. Gu Yunxi reunites tearfully with her best friend Chen Wan, who welcomes her and promises to support her when she meets Bao’er. Zuo Yi takes them through a Teleportation Array to Linjiang Old Residence. Gu Yunxi hesitates at the threshold, then joins Zuo Yi and Chen Wan downstairs. Bao’er greets her father and Chen Wan; Zuo Yi introduces Gu Yunxi as her mother, and Bao’er responds with puzzled surprise.
• Character developments: Gu Yunxi’s return is complicated by anxiety and guilt: she desperately wants to see Bao’er but fears the first encounter. She leans on Zuo Yi for comfort and Chen Wan for courage, and gradually takes the step toward meeting her daughter. Zuo Yi is tender and reassuring, while Chen Wan remains a loyal, supportive friend. Bao’er is cheerful and affectionate toward Zuo Yi, but has not yet understood Gu Yunxi’s place in her life.
• Themes: The chapter explores family reunion, motherhood, separation and forgiveness, and the difficulty of facing emotionally charged moments. It emphasizes that love and support can help people move through fear, even when reconciliation must happen one step at a time.
• Key interactions: Zuo Yi comforts Gu Yunxi after her aborted attempt to speak with Bao’er and reassures her that the child will accept her. Chen Wan and Gu Yunxi share an emotional reunion, with Chen Wan offering to explain Gu Yunxi’s sacrifices to Bao’er. At the final meeting, Zuo Yi makes the introduction, leaving Gu Yunxi and Bao’er poised for their first conversation.

Key plot points and events

• Bao’er is introduced to her mother, Gu Yunxi, but does not recognize her and retreats into Zuo Yi’s arms, calling him “Daddy.” Gu Yunxi is hurt, but resolves to earn her daughter’s trust gradually.
• Zuo Yi reassures Gu Yunxi that they should take things slowly, then comforts Bao’er privately. He confirms that Gu Yunxi is her mother and explains that she loves and missed her, without pressuring Bao’er to accept her immediately.
• Fang Yonghe warmly welcomes Gu Yunxi as family and encourages her to keep visiting. Gu Yunxi helps her and Chen Wan prepare dinner.
• At dinner, Gu Yunxi gently serves Bao’er some of her favorite food. Bao’er remains reserved but accepts it politely, which gives Gu Yunxi hope.
• After dinner, Bao’er goes upstairs to do homework. Gu Yunxi plans to return to her home, and Zuo Yi says he will visit her later.

Character developments

• Gu Yunxi moves from the pain of rejection to a determined, patient resolve to become a good mother. She is touched by Fang Yonghe’s kindness.
• Bao’er remains wary of Gu Yunxi but shows curiosity and some uncertainty about their relationship. She seeks reassurance from Zuo Yi and accepts her mother’s care at dinner.
• Zuo Yi acts as a steady, considerate bridge between mother and daughter, protecting Bao’er from pressure while encouraging her to understand Gu Yunxi.
• Fang Yonghe embraces Gu Yunxi warmly and hopes she and Zuo Yi will build a family together.
• Chen Wan worries over the difficult reunion and supports Gu Yunxi’s decision to give Bao’er time.

Significant themes

• Trust takes time: A reunion alone cannot instantly create a mother-daughter bond.
• Patience and emotional care: The adults try to respect Bao’er’s pace while helping her understand the truth.
• Family and belonging: Fang Yonghe’s welcome and the shared dinner suggest the possibility of a larger, reunited family.

Character interactions

• Bao’er clings to Zuo Yi when first facing Gu Yunxi, then later asks him privately whether Gu Yunxi is truly her mother.
• Zuo Yi reassures both women: he comforts Gu Yunxi after Bao’er’s rejection and explains Gu Yunxi’s love to Bao’er.
• Fang Yonghe takes Gu Yunxi’s hand, comforts her, and invites her to treat the home as her own.
• Gu Yunxi makes tentative, gentle efforts to connect with Bao’er by serving her food, while Chen Wan reminds her not to overwhelm the child.

Key plot points

• After Bao’er falls asleep, Zuo Yi visits his new apartment in Lakeview Garden, where Gu Yunxi and Chen Wan have been catching up. Chen Wan leaves the two alone.
• Zuo Yi says he plans to give the apartment to Chen Wan, grateful for the years she cared for Bao’er.
• Gu Yunxi decides to find work and rebuild her life. Zuo Yi offers to recommend her for a position at Jiangnan Apocalypse Academy, where Bao’er studies. She eagerly accepts so she can be near and care for Bao’er.
• Zuo Yi calls the academy’s honorary dean, Wu Yongjian, who readily agrees to meet Gu Yunxi the following morning.
• Zuo Yi and Gu Yunxi share a quiet, emotionally charged moment before he leaves. He then realizes he could have teleported home, but forgot and must drive instead.

Character developments and interactions

• Gu Yunxi shows remorse for using her mental ability years earlier to erase part of Zuo Yi’s memories, but he tells her he does not blame her. She is determined to start over and reconnect with Bao’er.
• Zuo Yi responds with generosity and understanding, arranging work for Gu Yunxi and offering Chen Wan a home. His care for both women reflects his gratitude and concern for Bao’er.
• Chen Wan and Gu Yunxi are portrayed as deeply loyal friends, strengthened by years apart; they choose to share a room despite having other options.
• Zuo Yi and Gu Yunxi remain emotionally connected as former first loves. Their final exchange hints at lingering affection, though neither says it outright.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and gratitude: Zuo Yi recognizes Chen Wan’s sacrifices and seeks to repay her.
• Reconciliation and family: Gu Yunxi’s new job offers a chance to rebuild her bond with Bao’er.
• Memory and the past: Their history still shapes the present, but both have matured beyond their youthful relationship.
• Second chances: Gu Yunxi’s decision to begin again marks a hopeful new chapter.

Key plot points and events

• Gu Yunxi joins Jiangnan Apocalypse Academy as an instructor. Principal Wu Yongjian welcomes her and asks Director Xu to handle her onboarding and tour the academy.
• After Gu leaves with Director Xu, Wu offers Zuo Yi a cigar. Zuo Yi gives him several boxes of cigars and bottles of wine taken from his spoils in Europe.
• Wu brings up Zuo Yi’s recent victory at Dragon City Fortress. Zuo Yi’s actions helped secure roughly ten years of peace, destabilized the Wolffolk, and strengthened Daxia’s position in the Wilds World.
• Daxia’s leaders are debating how to respond to the victory and how to reward Zuo Yi. He tells Wu to ask them not to bother him: he is content with his current life and has no interest in status or political recognition.

Character developments and interactions

• Gu Yunxi begins her new role with a sincere promise to do her best. Director Xu offers practical support, establishing a welcoming relationship between the new teacher and the academy’s administration.
• Zuo Yi remains generous but detached from wealth, status, and political influence. He states his position plainly rather than letting others speculate about his ambitions.
• Wu Yongjian warmly welcomes Gu and treats Zuo Yi as both a valued ally and an extraordinary asset. He is pleased that Zuo Yi is not seeking power, since his presence already strengthens the administration.

Significant themes

• Power without ambition: Zuo Yi’s strength makes him politically important, but he has little interest in the influence it could bring.
• Recognition and its complications: Daxia wants to reward Zuo Yi, yet any major promotion would affect existing interests and alliances.
• A changing society: As superhumans grow more powerful and influential, capable figures become harder to recruit for ordinary roles such as teaching.
• Trust and mutual benefit: Wu’s cordial exchanges with Zuo Yi reflect their alliance, while the academy’s welcome gives Gu Yunxi a supportive start.

Plot points and events

• Zuo Yi tells Wu Yongjian that he is content as chief adviser to the Jiangnan Superhuman Administration. He wants to avoid a promotion or move to Capital City and spend more time with his family. He asks Wu to communicate his stance to Daxia’s leaders and powerful clans, hoping to prevent future complications.
• Zuo Yi helps Gu Yunxi replace the identification papers, cards, and other documents she needs to resume life in modern society.
• He takes her to visit Shang Yulin and Liang Xuemei. Liang is startled to learn that Gu Yunxi is Bao’er’s birth mother, but welcomes her warmly. Gu Yunxi and Shang Yulin initially feel awkward as they wonder about one another’s relationship with Zuo Yi, then begin to get along over lunch.
• Zuo Yi proposes creating a charitable foundation with money and valuables seized from criminals. He wants to use the wealth for lasting good—and to gain Faith Power—without managing the foundation himself.
• He asks Gu Yunxi and Liang Xuemei to oversee it, with professional staff handling the practical work. Gu Yunxi agrees after consideration; Liang is willing but worries about her lack of experience. Zuo Yi reassures her and says he will provide the funding. When he estimates an initial budget of eight to ten billion, the women are stunned.

Character developments and interactions

• Zuo Yi makes clear that personal time with his family matters more to him than status or career advancement. He also shifts from simply donating some of his seized wealth to planning a sustained charitable effort.
• Gu Yunxi begins settling back into society and cautiously accepts a substantial new role. Her psychic abilities, Zuo Yi believes, will help her identify people who genuinely need assistance.
• Liang Xuemei is generous and welcoming toward Gu Yunxi, despite her surprise, and agrees to help despite her self-doubt.
• Shang Yulin and Gu Yunxi start out uncertain about each other but connect through Liang’s hospitality.

Significant themes

• Family over ambition: Zuo Yi rejects greater power and prestige in favor of time with his loved ones.
• Wealth and responsibility: He seeks to turn illicitly acquired riches toward public benefit rather than personal indulgence.
• Trust and shared purpose: The foundation depends on Zuo Yi’s confidence in Gu Yunxi and Liang Xuemei, and on their willingness to work together.

Key plot points

• Zuo Yi proposes creating a large charitable foundation, with an initial investment of eight to ten billion. It will support charitable causes and talented martial arts students from poor families; future spoils and some profits from the Riverside Town development will also fund it.
• He asks Liang Xuemei to manage the foundation, explaining that he trusts her and the Shang family. Though intimidated by the scale, she agrees to try.
• On the drive back to the academy, Gu Yunxi asks about Zuo Yi’s relationship with Shang Yulin. He explains that Yulin is his senior fellow student and that he considers her and her mother family.
• At Apocalypse Academy, Zuo Yi gives Gu Yunxi a key to his office, letting her use its Teleportation Array, and invites her to dinner at his home so she can spend more time with Bao’er.
• He also gives her a protective necklace made from the Treasure Tree, which can keep her safe and grants her special access to the tree’s guardians and teleportation system. Before leaving, he hugs her and reassures her: “Everything will be all right.”

Character developments and interactions

• Liang Xuemei moves from anxiety about her inexperience to accepting the responsibility after Zuo Yi affirms his trust in her.
• Shang Yulin supports using foundation funds to help poor students, honoring her late father Shang He’s tradition of teaching talented students for free.
• Gu Yunxi is briefly embarrassed and jealous when she wonders whether Zuo Yi and Yulin are romantically involved. His explanation reassures her, while his gifts and embrace deepen her sense of closeness and security.
• Zuo Yi shows that his charity plans are both ambitious and personal: he entrusts the foundation to people he considers family and gives Gu Yunxi practical ways to stay close to him and Bao’er.

Significant themes

• Trust and responsibility: Zuo Yi places immense resources in the hands of people he trusts.
• Charity and legacy: The foundation will help disadvantaged students and continue Shang He’s generous spirit.
• Care expressed through action: Zuo Yi offers Gu Yunxi safety, convenience, and a place in his family life; she responds with growing warmth and trust.

Key plot points and events

• Bao’er leaves the administration building with Taike and heads to her class, where she reunites happily with Xia Yunqi, just back from Capital City.
• A new ethics teacher, Gu Yunxi, introduces herself and teaches the class with engaging stories. Bao’er recognizes her as her mother, though she feels awkward and unsure about their relationship.
• After class, Chen Haoyu pulls Xia Yunqi’s braid and mocks Bao’er when she tells him to stop. Gu Yunxi returns, calls him to her office, and takes him to task.

Character developments

• Bao’er feels pride, surprise, and discomfort seeing her mother as her teacher. She also tries to stand up for Xia Yunqi, becoming angry when Chen Haoyu bullies her.
• Gu Yunxi makes a strong first impression as a warm, capable teacher, while showing firm authority when she intervenes in the bullying.
• Xia Yunqi is delighted to see Bao’er and admires Gu Yunxi, but remains too timid to confront Chen Haoyu herself.
• Chen Haoyu is shown as a disruptive bully who is unnerved by Gu Yunxi’s stern response.
• Taike stays alert to Bao’er’s feelings and is ready to defend her.

Significant themes

• Family and belonging: Bao’er’s unfamiliar, complicated feelings about having a mother are brought into focus.
• Kindness and ethics: Gu Yunxi teaches moral lessons and enforces them in practice.
• Courage and protection: Bao’er speaks up for her friend, while Gu Yunxi steps in when the children’s conflict escalates.

Character interactions

• Bao’er and Xia Yunqi reconnect warmly, with Taike joining their affectionate greeting.
• Gu Yunxi’s attendance call creates a quiet, emotionally charged moment between mother and daughter.
• Bao’er defends Xia Yunqi against Chen Haoyu; Gu Yunxi backs her up by summoning him for discipline.
• Xia Yunqi praises Gu Yunxi, and Bao’er responds with a knowing, approving murmur.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Haoyu, a mischievous new student, frightens and behaves himself around Gu Yunxi, though she teaches the class only once.
• After school, Bao’er invites her best friend Xia Yunqi home. They are surprised to find Gu Yunxi waiting at the office and asking to join them.
• At the Linjiang Old Residence, Xia Yunqi learns that Gu Yunxi is Bao’er’s mother. She envies Bao’er’s loving family.
• Zuo Yi returns to a dinner shared by family and friends. He promises to take Bao’er to visit Mephis, the black cat he has placed in the Trial Space to help her grow.
• The next morning, Zuo Yi, Gu Yunxi, and Bao’er set out together. Zuo Yi summons his Griffin, and Bao’er names her Ajiu. The Griffin responds affectionately before carrying them toward the Trial Space.

Character developments and interactions

• Gu Yunxi’s authority makes a strong impression on Xia Yunqi, who admires her and is later surprised to discover she is Bao’er’s mother.
• Bao’er is quietly proud of Gu Yunxi, while still adjusting to having her as a mother; Zuo Yi gently encourages their closeness by inviting Gu Yunxi on their trip.
• Xia Yunqi feels welcomed at Bao’er’s home and envies the warmth and security Bao’er enjoys.
• Zuo Yi balances demanding work with family life, valuing the comfort of coming home to everyone gathered together.
• Bao’er shows affection toward her animal friends, naming the Griffin Ajiu and responding confidently to the creature’s friendly gesture.

Significant themes

• Family and belonging: Bao’er’s home offers warmth and acceptance, which Xia Yunqi especially notices.
• Growing bonds: Shared meals and the planned visit to Mephis help strengthen the family’s connections.
• Kindness toward animals: Bao’er’s affection and Ajiu’s response show mutual trust between them.

Plot and events

• Zuo Yi flies Ajiu the Griffin with Gu Yunxi and Bao’er seated in front of him. He uses his master-level riding skill and Battle Aura to help the Griffin fly higher and faster.
• Bao’er delights in the flight. At her request, Zuo Yi playfully catches up with a passenger jet, startling a boy aboard who spots the Griffin and riders but is dismissed by his mother as imagining things.
• The family reaches Shennong Mountain. Zuo Yi returns the Griffin to Kanida’s Insignia, then uses his Wings of Light to descend with Gu Yunxi and Bao’er.
• After following the required procedures, they enter the Trial Space through the portal.

Character development and interactions

• Bao’er grows more comfortable with Gu Yunxi and increasingly playful and bold around Zuo Yi. Gu Yunxi holds Bao’er close, cherishing the family’s closeness and fearing the moment might not last.
• Zuo Yi is affectionate and playful, using the flight—and the jet chase—to delight Bao’er.
• Gu Yunxi privately sees Zuo Yi as a “big child” entertaining a little one, even as she shares in the happiness of the moment.
• At the portal, officials accommodate Zuo Yi without objection, reflecting his exceptional standing, though he still follows the established procedures.

Significant themes

• Family intimacy and joy: The flight gives Zuo Yi, Gu Yunxi, and Bao’er a rare, shared moment of closeness.
• Power and responsibility: Zuo Yi’s skill and Battle Aura enhance the Griffin, potentially helping it grow stronger, while his unusual abilities allow him to travel freely.
• Wonder and disbelief: The boy’s genuine sighting of a flying Griffin is rejected as fantasy, highlighting how extraordinary events can be mistaken for make-believe.
• Authority and status: Zuo Yi’s influence gives him broad freedom at the Trial Space, but he still observes its rules.

Key plot points and events

• Zuo Yi, Bao’er, and Gu Yunxi visit the Trial Space. Since Bao’er’s previous visit, the Goblin settlement has grown into a fortified castle with walls, shops, and a more organized population.
• Gu Yunxi initially feels none of the Trial Space’s oppressive rules. Zuo Yi removes her Protective Necklace as a test, and the rules immediately weigh on her and limit her abilities. When he returns it, the pressure vanishes. He concludes that the Treasure Tree leaf in the necklace helps her resist the realm’s effects.
• Wutu, Qi Liantao, and the castle’s human and Goblin inhabitants greet Zuo Yi. He tells them he is visiting with his family and asks them to carry on with their work.
• Bao’er asks where to find Mephis. Zuo Yi sends out a call through his Mental Network, and Mephis soon appears as a black panther.
• Taike charges Mephis, but their clash is playful. Bao’er stops them, recognizes Mephis, and embraces her after she transforms into a black cat. Taike also returns to his normal size and seeks Bao’er’s affection.

Character developments

• Zuo Yi is attentive to Gu Yunxi’s safety and curious about the necklace’s unusual effect, but decides not to use his discovery to alter the Trial Space.
• Gu Yunxi experiences how hostile the Trial Space is to her without protection. She instinctively shields Bao’er when Mephis approaches, showing her protective instincts.
• Bao’er is delighted by the Trial Space and warmly reunited with Mephis, while comfortably managing the playful rivalry between Mephis and Taike.
• Mephis and Taike reaffirm their close, playful bond through their roughhousing and shared affection for Bao’er.

Significant themes

• Protection and adaptation: The necklace allows Gu Yunxi to withstand the Trial Space’s rules.
• Family and belonging: Zuo Yi brings Bao’er and Gu Yunxi to the castle as family, and Bao’er’s reunion with Mephis makes the visit personal and joyful.
• Growth and change: The once-primitive Goblin settlement has developed into a fortified community, reflecting the progress made during Zuo Yi’s absence.

Character interactions

• Zuo Yi tests the necklace with Gu Yunxi, then reassures her by restoring it.
• The castle’s residents show respect to Zuo Yi, while he treats the visit casually and directs them back to their duties.
• Gu Yunxi protects Bao’er when Mephis first appears; Bao’er recognizes Mephis and calms both animals.
• Bao’er affectionately embraces Mephis and Taike, who both compete for her attention.

Plot and key events

• Zuo Yi takes Bao’er and Gu Yunxi camping in a beautiful grassland setting, hoping the outing will bring mother and daughter closer.
• They share a hot-pot lunch. Bao’er calls Gu Yunxi “Mom” and later offers her a beef ball—small gestures that deeply delight Gu Yunxi.
• Bao’er feeds Taike and Mephis, with Gu Yunxi helping her, and the family spends a peaceful afternoon together.
• After exploring the Trial Space on the animals’ backs, they return to camp for dinner and the night.
• Bao’er admires the stars, then falls asleep. Gu Yunxi helps settle her in, and afterward sits beside Zuo Yi by the campfire.

Character development and interactions

• Gu Yunxi grows hopeful as Bao’er begins accepting her affection. She helps feed Bao’er, cleans her mouth, cooks dinner, and tends to her at bedtime.
• Bao’er remains cautious about closeness with Gu Yunxi, but her use of “Mom” and her thoughtful gift of food show tentative warmth. She is also caring toward Zuo Yi, Taike, and Mephis.
• Zuo Yi quietly supports their relationship, giving them space while enjoying the family’s ordinary happiness. He chooses not to disrupt Bao’er’s wonder by revealing that the sky is only a projection.
• Taike and Mephis add playful chaos at mealtimes, competing eagerly for food and joining the family’s outing.

Significant themes

• Family bonds grow through small moments: shared meals, play, and care help rebuild the mother-daughter connection.
• Patience and emotional healing: Gu Yunxi recognizes that progress is gradual and is content with small signs of acceptance.
• Protecting childhood wonder: Zuo Yi lets Bao’er enjoy the beauty of the moment rather than burdening her with the truth.
• Everyday happiness: The chapter emphasizes the comfort of food, nature, companionship, and a peaceful evening together.