Chapter Summaries

The alliance launched a siege against Kansas Royal City, and Ner'zhul unleashed the Calamity Storm, turning many of the city's inhabitants into undead despite its defensive formation. As the enemy advanced to breach the walls, Empress Xiang killed the leading Golden Behemoth with a single arrow.

• Ner'zhul's Calamity Storm appeared, and Arthas explained its threat while Xiao Ying ordered the defenders to prepare for battle.
• The allied armies deployed their siege engines and an enormous array of powerful units against Kansas Royal City.
• The enemy bombardment battered the city walls for more than half a double-hour but failed to bring them down.
• The enemy advanced its heavily defended units toward the walls, and the Light-Dark Divine City amplified Ner'zhul's Calamity Storm against the city.
• The Celestial Cycle Star-Dipper Formation weakened the storm, but tens of thousands of people still became undead; Arthas then sent his own Calamity Storm against the enemy.
• Empress Xiang shot the leading Golden Behemoth through the body, killing it instantly.

Sun Shangxiang used the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow to kill two Golden Behemoths and devastate other elite troops as the Hero Coalition launched an all-out assault on Kansas Royal City. As the city’s cavalry prepared to charge through its opened gates, Xiao Ying ordered Emperor Goethe to move the Radiant Divine City above the Light-Dark Divine City and prepare for a fall.

• Sun Shangxiang killed the first Golden Behemoth with one arrow, and the Hero Coalition ordered its troops to keep charging.
• Sun Shangxiang shot down the second Golden Behemoth and then wounded or killed all nine of the Hero Coalition’s most dangerous mutant troops with Nine Suns Fall.
• The Hero Coalition launched a full-scale assault on Kansas Royal City, while the city opened all thirteen gates and arrayed close-combat cavalry inside them.
• Xiao Ying sent Emperor Goethe a message ordering him to raise the Radiant Divine City and prepare for a fall onto the Light-Dark Divine City.
• Emperor Goethe ordered the Radiant Divine City to move toward the Light-Dark Divine City at full speed and power.

Chapter Summary: Heaven’s Veil

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Ying orders Emperor Goethe to raise Radiant Divine City and shift it toward Divine Tomb Empire’s Light-Dark Divine City. Goethe complies cautiously, fearing Xiao Ying may intend to use Radiant Divine City as a weapon.
• The Hero Coalition misinterprets Goethe’s maneuver as an attempt to protect Radiant Divine City rather than as part of Xiao Ying’s larger strategy.
• Aman’Thul requests that Goethe’s Archangel Legion resurrect fallen coalition troops, especially the powerful Behemoths, Golden Roc, and dragons. Goethe refuses to act prematurely, secretly worried that helping the coalition too openly will destroy his opportunity to defect to the Great Huan Celestial Dynasty.
• The Hero Coalition reaches Kansas Royal City and launches a massive, brutal siege. Its troops overwhelm the defenses through sheer numbers, while flying units and battering rams breach the city’s outer defenses.
• Coalition commanders order their Hero bases to ram Kansas Royal City’s walls, offering more than double compensation for the losses. This reveals the coalition’s desperation and willingness to sacrifice invaluable resources.
• Once the assault reaches its critical point, Xiao Ying activates the true power of the Heaven-Grade Divine Artifact, Sigh of Heaven, with the help of Cao Cao and Liu Bei.
• The artifact releases Heaven’s Veil, a vast field that suppresses mana and the six senses of nearly everyone within range, halting the battle and leaving armies, undead, and experts disoriented.
• As the effect takes hold, countless Sky Cities and flying beasts lose control and crash from the sky. Radiant Divine City and Light-Dark Divine City also fall into each other, with Radiant Divine City smashing into the edge of Light-Dark Divine City and sending both cities tumbling.

Character Developments

• Emperor Goethe remains cautious and politically opportunistic. He struggles between maintaining the Hero Coalition’s trust and preserving his chance to submit to Xiao Ying and the Great Huan Celestial Dynasty.
• Xiao Ying demonstrates careful planning and concealed strategic intent. His earlier command regarding Radiant Divine City is revealed as part of a coordinated trap rather than a simple attack.
• Cao Cao and Liu Bei sacrifice a tremendous amount of their strength to activate Sigh of Heaven. Their auras weaken dramatically, emphasizing the personal cost of using Heaven’s Veil.
• Hua Qiandai realizes that she had never truly awakened the full power of a Heaven-Grade Divine Artifact, despite her great cultivation. Witnessing Heaven’s Veil changes her understanding of such artifacts.
• Aman’Thul attempts to secure Goethe’s assistance in reviving the coalition’s dead, particularly the most powerful beasts, but Goethe’s hesitation prevents immediate action.

Significant Themes

• Deception and misinterpretation: Goethe, the Hero Coalition, and others incorrectly interpret Xiao Ying’s movements, allowing his true plan to remain hidden.
• Political loyalty and betrayal: Goethe’s internal conflict highlights the instability of alliances and the difficulty of acting as a double agent.
• The brutality of war: The coalition treats Hero bases, soldiers, and even powerful creatures as expendable tools in a desperate siege.
• Sacrifice and overwhelming power: Cao Cao and Liu Bei expend their cultivation to unleash Heaven’s Veil, turning the battlefield through immense personal sacrifice.
• Compassion amid destruction: The artifact’s initial influence awakens pity for life, death, war, and heaven itself, briefly disrupting even the fury of undead and living armies.
• The fragility of seemingly invincible forces: Even divine cities, dragons, and elite armies are rendered helpless when Heaven’s Veil seals their senses and mana.

Character Interactions

• Goethe receives and follows Xiao Ying’s order but privately questions Xiao Ying’s intentions.
• Aman’Thul appeals to Goethe for the resurrection of fallen coalition forces, while Ner’zhul and other leaders reinforce the request.
• Goethe diplomatically delays the resurrection effort, preserving his political options while avoiding open conflict with the coalition.
• Xiao Ying coordinates with his commanders and reveals the decisive moment for Cao Cao and Liu Bei to act.
• Liu Bei channels his strength through Cao Cao, enabling the Sigh of Heaven to reach its full power.
• Hua Qiandai and the other commanders witness Heaven’s Veil and react with shock as the artifact’s true nature becomes clear.

Heaven’s Veil sent the Radiant and Light-Dark Divine Cities and thousands of Sky Cities crashing down, devastating the Hero Coalition and leaving the Radiant Divine City in ruins. As Great Huan’s cavalry counterattacked, Emperor Goethe was forced to obey Xiao Ying and order the Radiant forces to fight alongside Great Huan.

• Heaven’s Veil caused the Radiant Divine City, the Light-Dark Divine City, and thousands of Sky Cities to crash into the battlefield, killing and injuring troops and destroying Hero Bases.
• The Hero Coalition recovered to find its forces scattered and its morale broken by the devastation.
• Great Huan’s cavalry charged out of Kansas Royal City and attacked the disorganized Hero Coalition, while Beast God troops retained more ability to resist than the other factions.
• Great Huan informants accused Emperor Goethe of secretly defying Xiao Ying’s orders and announced that he had to redeem himself by counterattacking or be treated as a rebel.
• Emperor Goethe ordered the Radiant forces to cooperate with Great Huan and attack the Hero Coalition, accepting that both sides would regard him as a traitor.

Emperor Goethe accepted that the Hero Coalition was doomed and tried to win favor with the Great Huan Faction as its forces routed the coalition. Arthas cornered Ner'zhul in the fallen Light-Dark Divine City and moved to kill him, but three sovereigns unleashed their divine artifacts against Heaven's Veil.

• Emperor Goethe regretted his attempts to please both sides and resolved to follow Xiao Ying's wishes to redeem himself through service.
• The Great Huan cavalry and four Hero Legions overwhelmed the Hero Coalition while Heaven's Veil grounded the Dragon Clan and weakened magic and undead powers.
• Arthas led the Dread Knights into the fallen Light-Dark Divine City and confronted Ner'zhul, intent on killing his former creator and master.
• Arthas revealed that Ner'zhul's immortality depended on the Light-Dark Divine City and rejected Ner'zhul's offer to join forces.
• As Arthas swung Frostmourne at Ner'zhul, Aman'Thul, Azshara, and Sargeras used their divine artifacts to tear through Heaven's Veil.

Arthas killed Ner'zhul and forced the Divine Tomb Empire’s forces to surrender, then destroyed Light-Dark Divine City while searching for Ner'zhul’s Life-Binding Object. He found a hidden soul fluctuation in a cloth bundle and struck it, drawing an anguished scream.

• Arthas decapitated Ner'zhul and crushed his head, then declared the Divine Tomb Empire defeated and ordered Light-Dark Divine City destroyed.
• The Divine Tomb Remnant Army and its heroes surrendered in large numbers after Ner'zhul fell and the Radiant Emperor betrayed them.
• Arthas led the destruction of Light-Dark Divine City, hoping to find Ner'zhul’s Life-Binding Object and prevent his resurrection.
• Arthas entered the city’s underground Energy Furnace hall, defeated its defenders, and destroyed the furnaces and nearly everything inside.
• Arthas detected a concealed soul fluctuation in one of the cloth bundles behind the core furnace and cleaved it apart, prompting an anguished scream.

Arthas killed Ner'zhul and received his cultivation legacies and heaven-and-earth feedback, which helped him approach the Great Dao. As a Dao fruit phenomenon appeared over the battlefield, the besieged faction leaders forced open Heaven's Veil, and Sargeras ordered the archdemons to escape by spatial transposition.

• Arthas destroyed Ner'zhul's life-binding cloth bundle and killed his fading soul, explaining that Ner'zhul's threats had only strengthened his resolve.
• Arthas received Ner'zhul's Calamity Dao, Shadowmoon Codex, Mystery of the Lich King, and a surge of power from heaven and earth.
• Arthas absorbed the teachings and power, bringing himself to the threshold of opening the Gate of the Great Dao.
• A calamity-filled heavenly phenomenon appeared above the Light-Dark Divine City, prompting observers to wonder whether Arthas or Ner'zhul was forming a Dao fruit.
• Aman'Thul, Azshara, Sargeras, and the Magic Dynasty's leaders used four supreme treasures to force open Heaven's Veil, while the battle continued.
• Sargeras ordered the archdemons to use their spatial transposition abilities to leave the battlefield.

As the Hero Coalition’s rout began to turn into a fight, Sargeras lost his chance to escape and led the Hell forces in a desperate counterattack. With the other armies stabilizing, Yu Ji advised Xiao Ying to abandon isolated charges and fight the Hero Civilization in formation.

• Sargeras tried to escape by Spatial Transposition, but Sun Shangxiang’s arrow threatened him and Emperor Goethe’s Grand Prophecy Technique prevented the Hell forces from teleporting.
• Azshara used Moonlight’s Purification to restore morale and heal soldiers, while Aman'Thul sounded the Titan Horn to strengthen the Hero Coalition.
• Sargeras chose to fight, then used the Hellblade’s Burning Darkness as Kil'jaeden, Archimonde, and Mannoroth unleashed attacks that disrupted and damaged the Great Huan cavalry.
• The Natural Kingdom, Magic Dynasty, and Beast God Dynasty slowed the Great Huan advance, helping the Hero Coalition’s armies stabilize after Heaven’s Veil broke.
• Yu Ji praised the Hero Civilization’s strength in mass combat and advised Xiao Ying to meet its forces in formation rather than keep charging independently.

Xiao Ying’s forces struggled against the Hero Coalition’s overwhelming group attacks, especially on the spellcasting front. When Xiao Ying entered the battle, enemy magic failed to harm him, revealing his Anti-Magic Divine Body and leaving Azshara and Dalaran alarmed.

• Xiao Ying ordered the Great Huan Expeditionary Army to advance and deploy battle formations against the Hero Coalition.
• The Great Huan forces held their ground against the coalition’s attacks, but Dalaran and Azshara’s magic battered the spellcasting front.
• Yu Ji asked Xiao Ying to intervene, while the Heaven Desolation Witch King warned that his direct action could expose the Eternal Covenant and hasten the decisive battle between immortals and gods.
• Xiao Ying walked into the spellcasting front despite saying he did not need to act personally.
• Enemy spells struck Xiao Ying without injuring him, and Azshara and Dalaran recognized his Anti-Magic Divine Body.

Xiao Ying revealed his Anti-Magic Divine Body and withstood Dalaran and Azshara’s strongest attacks without injury, then urged them to accept the Hero Coalition’s defeat. Dalaran surrendered, and Azshara acknowledged that the Nature faction had no real choice.

• Azshara and Dalaran recognized Xiao Ying’s Anti-Magic Divine Body and questioned whether he was violating the Eternal Covenant by entering the battle.
• Dalaran unleashed Doomstorm and World-Destroying Thunder Dragon while Azshara attacked with Moon God's Radiance, Crescent Blade, but Xiao Ying caught the thunder dragon and stopped her blade with two fingers.
• Xiao Ying crushed the thunder dragon, flung Azshara away, and let her strike his neck without leaving a mark.
• Xiao Ying told Azshara that the United States Region had lost its momentum and offered Dalaran a choice between surrender and becoming the source of another Eye of Dalaran.
• Dalaran halted the fighting and surrendered, asking Xiao Ying to treat the Human Clan well; Azshara withdrew her blade and admitted that her faction had no choice.

Xiao Ying secured Azshara and Dalaran’s submission, then used his imperial power to halt the battle and demand that Sargeras and Aman'Thul surrender. As they were about to yield, a powerful presence descended and accused Xiao Ying of deceiving heaven.

• Xiao Ying had the Heaven Desolation Witch King extract Azshara and Dalaran’s Soul Essence and stored their Life Imprints in the Heaven-Supporting Emperor Pagoda.
• Xiao Ying surveyed the battlefield, saw the Great Huan Faction struggling against the Hell Dynasty and Beast God Dynasty, and unleashed the Grand Edict Art and a thunderous command that disrupted both enemies.
• Xiao Ying teleported Azshara and Dalaran to the left front and pressed Sargeras and Aman'Thul to surrender or face defeat.
• Xiao Ying offered Sargeras and Aman'Thul a chance to flee, then demanded their Soul Essence when they questioned whether he would violate the Eternal Covenant.
• A fierce pressure tore through the baleful clouds as an unseen speaker accused Xiao Ying of deceiving heaven and secretly marching through Chencang.

Xiao Ying faced a warning from an Upper Realm Great Adept but pressed Sargeras and Aman'Thul to submit, then brought the United States Region under Great Huan rule. The Descended Immortal Gods intervened across other regions, forcing Great Huan to slow its expansion as the conflict threatened to spiral out of control.

• An Upper Realm Great Adept accused Xiao Ying of deceiving heaven and warned him to stop appearing in person, while Xiao Ying argued that he had not violated the Eternal Covenant.
• After hearing that the Descended Immortal Gods were restless in the Nine Dragons Forbidden City, Xiao Ying ordered the guards to let them leave and gave Sargeras and Aman'Thul ten breaths to submit or die.
• As Xiao Ying counted down, Sargeras and Aman'Thul bowed and pledged themselves as his subjects.
• Xiao Ying ordered the battlefield to cease hostilities, and Great Huan swiftly crushed remaining resistance across the United States Region.
• Within ten days, Great Huan incorporated the United States Region, while Descended Immortal Gods intervened in other regions and forced Great Huan to suspend its rapid conquests.

Chapter Summary: The Heroic Golden Age

Key Plot Points and Events

• Following the Battle of the Plains, the Great Huan Expeditionary Army rapidly incorporates the United States Region into the Great Huan Celestial Dynasty.
• The five former hero nations surrender and are redesignated as the Five Great Hero Factions, collectively forming the Hero Factional Bloc alongside the Calamity Dynasty.
• The Divine Tomb Empire, weakened by the death of its Emperor Realm ruler and the collapse of its divine city, is conquered in only four days with almost no resistance.
• The allied hero factions then eliminate or absorb the remaining independent powers. Most surrender immediately, while the rest are destroyed.
• Sargeras’s Hell Realm forces completely exterminate the Gil Duchy of the Nature Faction after transforming many inhabitants into demons. The atrocity terrifies other powers and accelerates their submission, but creates deep hostility between Sargeras and Nature heroes such as Azshara.
• The conquest succeeds largely because Xiao Ying remains in Lordaeron Imperial City, and the surrendered heroes compete desperately to prove their loyalty and secure favorable positions. The Great Huan army itself barely fights, serving mainly as observers and record-keepers.
• Eleven days after the Battle of the Plains, Xiao Ying summons the major heroes to Lordaeron Imperial City to address the region’s administration and the changing international situation.
• Enemy armies surrounding China’s Divine Land suddenly withdraw and begin reorganizing into Imperial Dynasty-level states. Great Huan intelligence predicts that these states intend to unite into one or more Celestial Dynasties capable of challenging Great Huan.
• Qiu Li reports on seven emerging power blocs, including forces led by figures such as Genghis Khan, Ashoka, Hammurabi or Hannibal, and Alexander the Great. Several of these powers may be strong enough to form Celestial Dynasties, and they could ultimately unite into a force stronger than Great Huan.

Character Developments

• Xiao Ying is established as the decisive center of the new order. His continued presence persuades the surrendered heroes to submit, but his future authority may be challenged if rival Celestial Dynasties arise.
• Sargeras demonstrates extreme ruthlessness and efficiency in conquest, becoming one of Great Huan’s most effective commanders. However, his destruction of the Gil Duchy damages his relationship with Azshara and the Nature Faction.
• Azshara and other Nature heroes are forced to tolerate Sargeras’s actions because he followed a Great Huan edict, intensifying their resentment while limiting their ability to retaliate.
• The former hero leaders abandon their previous independence and actively compete for Xiao Ying’s favor. Their ambition transforms them from defeated enemies into aggressive agents of Great Huan expansion.
• Historical and legendary figures—including Genghis Khan, Ashoka, Hammurabi, Hannibal, and Alexander the Great—emerge as potential leaders of powerful new states.

Significant Themes

• Transformation from conquest to incorporation: Great Huan’s victory is achieved less through direct military occupation than through surrender, political absorption, and the reorganization of former enemies.
• Power of unity and hierarchy: The chapter emphasizes that a united Celestial Dynasty can defeat larger but fragmented alliances, while disunity leaves even powerful nations vulnerable.
• Ambition under submission: The surrendered heroes’ fear of losing status drives them to acts of remarkable loyalty, but also to brutality and opportunism.
• Political violence and moral compromise: The extermination of the Gil Duchy shows how obedience to imperial policy can conflict with personal loyalties and moral boundaries.
• A new heroic era: The world is entering a “Heroic Golden Age,” with countless legendary figures and near-immortal cultivators competing to establish new powers.
• Reputation and legitimacy: Xiao Ying’s personal prestige is crucial to Great Huan’s authority, but that legitimacy may weaken if a rival Celestial Dynasty gains comparable strength or influence.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Ying’s authority indirectly shapes the behavior of all surrendered factions, as the heroes compete to win his recognition.
• Sargeras’s cooperation with Great Huan brings him into direct conflict with Azshara and the Nature Faction, creating a lasting political and personal estrangement.
• Qiu Li briefs Xiao Ying and the gathered heroes, outlining the threat posed by the reorganizing enemy powers and framing the next major strategic crisis.
• The various legendary leaders—Genghis Khan, Ashoka, Hammurabi, Hannibal, and Alexander—are presented as future rivals or allies whose competing ambitions will determine the next stage of the world’s political order.

The Great Huan Celestial Dynasty debated how to respond to newly consolidated rival empires and whether to expand into North America. After Xiang Ta urged striking enemy territory instead of relying only on conquest, Xiao Ying considered assigning the Light Faction to govern North America while destructive forces disrupted their opponents.

• Eunuch Qiu reported that Great Huan’s weakened opponents were consolidating into powerful empires and warned that the Descended Immortal Gods would retaliate for the capture of the United States Region.
• Azshara proposed rapidly conquering Canada and Mexico, expanding into South America, and threatening the Russian Federation; Sargeras, Arthas through Jaina, and Goethe each offered to lead the Canada campaign.
• Eunuch Qiu cautioned that North America would become a key target for Great Huan’s enemies, making military pledges to conquer it dangerous, especially for leaders vulnerable to the Descended Immortal Gods.
• Xiao Ying asked for opinions, and Xiang Ta argued that attacking and weakening rival territories could strengthen Great Huan as much as expanding its borders.
• Xiang Ta proposed sending destructive leaders such as Sargeras, Arthas, and Azshara to disrupt enemy lands while Goethe’s Light Faction governed Canada and Mexico.

Xiao Ying assigned the North American campaign among Goethe, Uther, and Laniyas, then offered the hero leaders other regions to destabilize in exchange for merit and access to Dao Canons. Aman'Thul, Sargeras, Arthas, and Azshara chose assignments, while the Pacific nations remained unclaimed.

• Xiao Ying assigned Goethe to lead the Hero Coalition’s campaign in Canada, Mexico, and smaller nations, while Uther defended the United States Region and Laniyas provided mobile reinforcements.
• Xiao Ying left supreme command of the North American campaign undecided and told the leaders that the one who produced results would take the lead.
• Xiao Ying offered the hero leaders responsibility for other regions, merit for sabotage and disorder, and access to Dao Canons as rewards.
• Aman'Thul volunteered to destabilize South America, and Xiao Ying bestowed battle-focused methods from the Battle Demon Canon upon him.
• Eunuch Qiu described the Upper Realm powers backing the seven regions, after which Sargeras chose Western Asia, Arthas chose Northern Europe, and Azshara chose Africa.
• The Pacific nations remained the only unchosen region.

Xiao Ying assigned the heroic leaders regional missions and offered them cultivation opportunities suited to their abilities. He directed Arthas to seek Dao Ancestor Hongjun as a teacher, leaving Arthas committed despite lacking confidence, and gave Sargeras and Azshara paths to strengthen themselves.

• Dalaran accepted responsibility for the Pacific Ocean nations, while Xiao Ying assessed Arthas's Calamity Dao and recommended that he develop the Tianxin Profound Meaning.
• Xiao Ying proposed introducing Arthas to Dao Ancestor Hongjun as a possible disciple, and Arthas agreed to try after Xiao Ying warned him that failure would mean ten thousand years of confinement.
• Xiao Ying taught Sargeras the Dao of Corruption from the World-Annihilating Demonic Dao for his mission among the Indian Demon Army.
• Xiao Ying instructed Azshara to study the Nuwa Mending-Heaven Scripture under Yu Ji before turning to the Cosmic War God Record.

Chapter Summary: “Surging Under-Currents”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Ying assigns cultivation paths and rewards to several Great Huan leaders:
  • Azshara is allowed to study under Mending-Heaven Immortal Empress Yu Ji and cultivate the Nuwa Mending-Heaven Scripture, which suits her bloodline and talents.
  • Dalaran, lacking a suitable cultivation manual, receives the Golden Silkworm Cloud-Pattern Robe, a powerful defensive treasure. Xiao Ying also promises him the Eye of Dalaran, a Divine Artifact that will greatly enhance his magic.
• Sargeras raises concerns that Descended Immortal Gods may attack Great Huan’s leaders as the Eternal Covenant weakens. Xiao Ying reassures everyone that the opposing side is currently exercising restraint and promises protection from Great Huan Immortal Guards for senior ministers, nobles, and major cities.
• Jaina proposes using bribery, coercion, and inducements to persuade enemy factions to defect. Yu Ji explains why this strategy has mostly failed:
  • Many leaders are resurrected or controlled by the Immortal Gods.
  • Powerful figures already possess wealth and status.
  • Much of the enemy population still supports or trusts the Immortal God camp.
• Goethe, the former Radiant Emperor, defends his defection to Great Huan as a pragmatic decision made after his region’s defeat. The other leaders privately view him as shameless, but Xiao Ying suppresses open conflict and emphasizes unity.
• Xiao Ying returns to the Nine Dragons Forbidden City with his elite forces while Great Huan’s armies expand their campaigns:
  • The Radiant Emperor, Sea Emperor Laniyas, Uther, and others move against Canada and Mexico.
  • The Spring-and-Autumn Lü Clan advances toward the Russian Federation.
  • The Old Qin Ying Clan pursues the Indian Demon Army into India.
  • The Yue Province Lineage drives allied forces into Laos.
• Although Great Huan captures large territories, its armies wisely avoid recklessly assaulting heavily fortified cities, recognizing that the casualties would outweigh the gains.
• Sabotage and destabilization operations begin across enemy territories:
  • Xiya descends into widespread riots, murder, arson, looting, and military massacres.
  • Africa and South America suffer repeated raids and attacks, though the overall damage remains limited.
  • Northern Europe experiences disasters, plagues, undead outbreaks, riots, and supernatural disturbances, severely disrupting the Russian Federation’s forces and population.
• Arthas contacts Dao Ancestor Hongjun but is not allowed to meet him directly. Hongjun nevertheless teaches him some secret arts and principles, signaling limited support for Xiao Ying and Great Huan.
• The chapter ends when an envoy from the Mongol Celestial Dynasty arrives and invites Xiao Ying to attend its founding ceremony.

Character Developments

• Xiao Ying demonstrates political caution and strategic foresight. He conceals the full extent of his Pangu inheritances, protects Dalaran without revealing sensitive secrets, and balances internal unity with external threats.
• Azshara becomes even more devoted to Great Huan after receiving an inheritance suited to her abilities.
• Dalaran is briefly disappointed that he does not receive a cultivation scripture, but accepts the defensive treasure and promised Divine Artifact as valuable practical rewards.
• Sargeras reveals anxiety about the threat of the Descended Immortal Gods, though he quickly accepts Xiao Ying’s reassurance.
• Jaina shows strategic initiative by suggesting psychological and political warfare.
• Yu Ji acts as a practical counterbalance to Jaina, explaining the structural reasons that mass defections are difficult.
• Goethe is portrayed as opportunistic and thick-skinned, but now firmly integrated into Great Huan’s ruling structure.
• Arthas strengthens his connection with Dao Ancestor Hongjun, though the indirect nature of the contact highlights Hongjun’s continued caution.

Significant Themes

• Political loyalty versus pragmatism: Goethe’s surrender and defense of his decision show that many alliances are based on survival rather than conviction.
• The limits of persuasion: Wealth, power, and promises of survival cannot easily overcome ideological loyalty, supernatural restraints, or fear of the Immortal Gods.
• Strategic restraint: Great Huan avoids costly assaults despite its victories, showing that conquest requires patience as well as strength.
• Destabilization and psychological warfare: Riots, disasters, sabotage, and rumors are used to weaken enemy societies from within.
• Hidden power and secrecy: Xiao Ying continues to conceal the Pangu True Inheritances, aware that revealing too much could create new political dangers.
• The approach of greater conflict: The weakening Eternal Covenant, intervention by Immortal Gods, supernatural disasters, and the Mongol invitation all suggest that the current struggle is entering a more dangerous phase.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Ying and Yu Ji cooperate in guiding Azshara’s cultivation.
• Xiao Ying reassures Sargeras and the other leaders that Great Huan will protect them from Immortal God retaliation.
• Jaina and Yu Ji engage in a strategic debate over whether enemy leaders can be induced to defect.
• Goethe’s self-justification draws silent disapproval from Azshara, Dalaran, and the other leaders.
• Xiao Ying prevents the discussion from becoming an open dispute, prioritizing unity among his newly assembled court.
• Arthas’s indirect contact with Hongjun connects Great Huan’s political struggle to the higher-level conflict surrounding Pangu and the Immortal Gods.

Xiao Ying decided to attend Genghis Khan’s Mongol Celestial Dynasty founding ceremony despite warnings that it could be a trap, hoping to force the Immortal-God Faction into a decisive confrontation. He planned to travel with a small delegation and ordered his officials to prepare to coerce Dao Ancestor Hongjun if he refused to cooperate.

• Eunuch Qiu reported that the Mongol Celestial Dynasty had invited Xiao Ying to its founding ceremony, and Gao Hong questioned its ambitions.
• Bai Ze warned that his divination foretold calamity and bloodshed if Xiao Ying went, while Sun Shangxiang cautioned that the Immortal-God Faction could trap him with overwhelming forces.
• Xiao Ying said the danger came from an unforeseen incident rather than a deliberate trap and decided to accept the invitation as a chance to break the stalemate.
• Qi Ji and then Bai Ze supported preparing for a decisive battle, but Xiao Ying said he would take only a small delegation, including Sun Shangxiang and Huang Zhong.
• Xiao Ying asked about Dao Ancestor Hongjun and declared that Great Huan would force him to cooperate or kill him once its opponents revealed their intent to attack.

Great Huan Celestial Lord Xiao Ying traveled to Zakamensk Royal City to attend Genghis Khan’s Mongol Celestial Dynasty ceremony, despite the danger of entering enemy territory. He agreed to let Lü Zhi accompany him, while ordering everyone else to remain with the army and prepare for battle.

• The Great Huan army captured and fortified Zakamensk Royal City, turning it into a bridgehead into the Russian Federation Region.
• Xiao Ying arrived with Lan Ge, Qiu Li, Sun Shangxiang, Xiao Dieyi, Huang Zhong, and a small guard contingent, having refused the others who wanted to accompany him.
• Lü Zhi warned Xiao Ying that Genghis Khan’s choice of Irkutsk Imperial City as his capital suggested the Mongol Celestial Dynasty targeted Great Huan and might try to kill him.
• Xiao Ying refused Lü Zhi and Lü Fengxian’s request to bring Spring and Autumn elites, insisting that a larger entourage would be harder to protect.
• Lü Zhi argued that her fate, Mind-Reading Technique, and Heaven-Destroying Finger made her a useful escort, and Xiao Ying allowed her to join while ordering the army to stay ready for battle.

Xiao Ying arrived at Irkutsk Imperial City with a vast Great Huan fleet to attend the Mongol Celestial Dynasty Ceremony, while Genghis Khan sent his leading ministers and Keshig guards to receive him. The chapter ended with Xiao Ying putting away the Heaven-Piercing Divine Ark, confirming that only the visible delegation had come ashore.

• The Great Huan fleet sailed across Lake Baikal toward Irkutsk, prompting the Mongols to reinforce the port and impose martial law.
• Genghis Khan sent the Four Heroes, the Four Braves, and three thousand Keshig Cavalry Guards to welcome Xiao Ying.
• The Great Huan fleet stopped about a hundred li from the port, and only the Heaven-Piercing Divine Ark sailed ahead.
• Jebe questioned Xiao Ying's intentions, while Chilaowen reasoned that the fleet served as protection and a warning.
• Xiao Ying disembarked with six leading figures and his guards, then put away the Heaven-Piercing Divine Ark to show no one else remained aboard.