Chapter Summaries

Hill and Liszt discovered hundreds of thousands of Night Butterfly eggs on a cactus and realized the insects could soon overrun the oasis. Hill was left dreading the coming caterpillars, while Liszt prepared the Mage Tower and its Demiplane as a refuge from Hill’s likely distress.

• Hill and Liszt spotted Night Butterfly eggs on a cactus and estimated there were hundreds of thousands.
• Liszt explained that the eggs could hatch soon and that the Night Butterflies could reproduce rapidly, while Hill worried about where the high-level butterfly had mated.
• Hill hid beneath his cloak and asked Liszt for comfort, and Liszt arranged to leave him alone while sorting materials with Purvi.
• Liszt concluded that the butterflies would likely survive in the oasis and that Hill would be their only victim.
• Liszt sent records and equipment into the Demiplane, then sealed the passage with barriers while Hill remained unaware.

Zhu Meili unleashed a swarm of Worm Mages against Black-and-White Road, leaving Mo Bi Chenxin and the Undead horrified and forcing them to retreat. Lu Huayu explained that the creature had not been the companion his friend originally sought, because animal companions could not be controlled like puppets.

• Hill saw Asmodeus's reaction on the giant screen and howled, collapsing the garden pillar and sending Purvi tumbling into the Mage Tower.
• Xue Yunfeng and the Undead suffered heavy losses while fighting sea monsters as the battle's shocking events unfolded.
• Mo Bi Chenxin and Black-and-White Road debated retreating from the swarm of caterpillars, then learned that the insects were Worm Mages capable of becoming flies.
• Xue Yunfeng urged Mo Bi Chenxin to retreat as the maggots began turning into butterflies, while Susu noted that Zhu Meili was sacrificing her own creatures too.
• The Doomsday Boss asked Lu Huayu why his friend had chosen such a horrifying creature, and Lu Huayu explained that he had originally sought an invisible Poison Night Moth but animal companions could not be controlled.

As the Undead’s desert battle collapsed amid a grotesque swarm of maggot-flies, ‘Lu Huayu’ explained the Night Butterfly’s mating and defended his uneasy alliance with its owner to Umberlee. The forces pulled back for the day, while ‘Xue Yunfeng’ and ‘Susu’ reacted to the horrifying aftermath.

• ‘Lu Huayu’ told Umberlee that the Night Butterfly had mated with a level 25 Maggot Mage and produced hundreds of thousands of maggots, while the Heaven-Defying Alliance lost its desert battle.
• Umberlee questioned whether the Undead responsible would come to her coast, and ‘Lu Huayu’ compared their relationship to Umberlee’s relationship with Auril.
• Doomsday Boss reflected on ‘Lu Huayu’s’ unconventional values as they watched Black-and-White Road’s forces suffer heavy losses on the ship’s screen.
• ‘Lu Huayu’ called off the fighting for the day, and Umberlee watched the flying insects spread across Oaises.
• ‘Xue Yunfeng’ questioned ‘Susu’ about the Night Butterfly’s egg-laying, while ‘Susu’ recoiled at the maggots and their cocoons in the wet sand.

Xue Yunfeng and Susu discussed Zhu Meili's encounter with a level 25 Worm Mage while the Upper Realm panicked after Hill brought down the Obsidian Mountains. Hill recovered the scattered plants and rocks, then began restoring the mountain range as Oaisis sought advice from Xue Yunfeng.

• Susu reported that Lu Huayu had identified Zhu Meili's butterfly's chosen target as a level 25 Worm Mage with unusually strong vitality, prompting Xue Yunfeng to worry Zhu Meili had found a special creature.
• Xue Yunfeng told Susu that Hill had collapsed the entire Obsidian Mountains, and Susu reminded him that he had already explained Hill's apparent madness to Oaisis.
• The Upper Realm's residents rushed to safety after the mountain range collapsed, then realized the destruction had not harmed them and wondered what Hill was doing.
• Hill saved the rocks bearing his plants but accidentally sent the giant-screen rock and Purvi tumbling into the ruins.
• Purvi admitted he had panicked and fallen with a stone pillar, and Hill blamed his own embarrassment and anger for criticizing him.
• Hill asked why Oaisis had not appeared, learned he was likely consulting Xue Yunfeng, and used a gravity spell to lift the rubble and begin restoring the mountain range.

Oaisis asked Hill why Night Butterfly’s partner was a level 25 Worm Mage, and Hill explained how Worm Mages could transform into living creatures. After Oaisis left, Xue Yunfeng suspected Hill had been unusually restrained because Oaisis was his friend, while the Undead discussed whether they should still deal with the worms.

• Oaisis appeared beside Hill in the reshaped Obsidian Mountains and remarked on the landscape.
• Oaisis repeated Xue Yunfeng’s question about why Night Butterfly’s partner was a level 25 monster, and Hill explained that Worm Mages could become flies after dying and transforming.
• Hill said the transformation consumed energy and left the creature at level 15 initially, then kept the rest of its disturbing nature to himself.
• Xue Yunfeng concluded that Oaisis had provoked Hill but escaped a harsh response because Hill expected the worms to teach him a lesson.
• Susu challenged Xue Yunfeng about still wanting to deal with the worms, and Xue Yunfeng insisted they had to consider the future.

Xue Yunfeng explained why Zhu Meili had occupied Black-and-White Road as a training base and how his opposition could draw dissatisfied recruits away from the Heaven-Defying Alliance. As Asmodeus pursued Gaia, Xue Yunfeng prepared to intervene and reflected on William’s insistence that they protect children.

• Susu said Zhu Meili had no place in her future, and Xue Yunfeng explained that his occupation of Black-and-White Road targeted the alliance’s weakest link.
• Xue Yunfeng said Zhu Meili wanted a newcomer training base and a transit point, hoping to attract people who disliked the Heaven-Defying Alliance without resorting to Doomsday Romance’s methods.
• Susu questioned why Zhu Meili believed he could challenge the alliance, and Xue Yunfeng said an intermediary let him control the conflict’s intensity.
• Xue Yunfeng watched Asmodeus abandon the hatching maggots and pursue Gaia, then prepared to intervene so evil would not devour the baby before Kronos could resist.
• Xue Yunfeng recalled William’s rule against harming children and suspected Shar had guided Little William in weaving children’s dreams.

Xue Yunfeng arranged for Perfect Baldhead to take over Susu’s work, while Perfect Baldhead explained why he had come himself instead of sending Demon Sword. Oaises later realized that Xue Yunfeng had used him as an intermediary to ask Hill about killing the creatures, not because he expected an answer.

• Xue Yunfeng told Susu to arrange for someone to take over her work, and Susu hurried off to find help.
• Perfect Baldhead arrived and explained that he had come himself because he did not want his clan treated as an easy target or drawn into trouble.
• Xue Yunfeng reassured Perfect Baldhead that he would not cause a scene, while Perfect Baldhead tried to explain that Hill’s anger would pass.
• Oaises asked Hill how to kill the worm, flies, and butterflies, and Hill told him that Xue Yunfeng had used him as a tactful intermediary rather than expecting a real answer.
• Oaises realized Xue Yunfeng might also have sent him to Hill as someone for Hill to vent his anger on.

Hill explained to Oaisis how to defeat the rapidly hatching worms, while reflecting on the danger and spectacle that had made him reconsider his future travels. He left Oaisis understanding that powerful life force could destroy the worms, though the Undead would need time and coordinated effort to wear them down.

• Oaisis described Xue Yunfeng's advice to rank people by trust, and Hill realized the Undead's regard for him would deter enemies.
• Hill told Oaisis to use a massive burst of life force against the worms, explaining that death energy and negative energy helped them hatch faster.
• Oaisis recognized that he could unleash enough life force as World Lord to destroy the worms' cores.
• Hill said the Undead Priests could also fight the swarm, but would need to test their strength and endure several days of attrition.
• Oaisis accused Hill of secretly laughing about the worms' predicament.

Hill explained why Oaisis needed to safeguard his vulnerabilities instead of relying on others, and traced Oaises’ origin to the Elemental Realm’s Earth Lord. The chapter left Oaisis accepting Hill’s advice and learning that Hill’s connection to him came from their shared origins.

• Hill warned Oaisis to prepare defenses and keep his weaknesses and core hidden, even from Lucimar.
• Oaisis explained that he had trusted his subordinates and relied on treaties because his faithful Gods had supported his decisions.
• Hill concluded that Oaisis’s trust in honest subordinates had kept him safe, and advised him never to test the human heart.
• Oaisis said he trusted people approved of by the Sun and Silver Moon, and Hill reflected that Lucimar was trustworthy after enduring hardship.
• Hill explained that the Elemental Realm’s Earth Lord sent divinity-bearing children into the Multiverse to grow into worlds, giving rise to Oaises.
• Hill explained that he and the Earth elemental were brothers born together, since the substance beneath the World Tree’s roots had been the Elemental Realm.

Hill advised Oaisis to prepare defenses without betraying his allies, then explained to Xue Yunfeng that pure pale-gold Radiant Crystals could suppress the death energy threatening the Heaven-Defying Alliance. The chapter left Xue Yunfeng weighing the cost of protecting the alliance, with Hill confirming that the 2,000-gold crystals would work.

• Hill told Oaisis that defensive measures were reasonable and that he should prepare properly.
• Oaisis said he understood, then discussed Asmodeus’s attacks on Gaia and left to handle his own matters.
• Hill explained to Xue Yunfeng that pure pale-gold Radiant Crystals could suppress the death energy, but William’s Divine Kingdom would not have them.
• Xue Yunfeng considered how the cost of the crystals and the risk to the alliance’s families would affect his decision.
• Hill assured Xue Yunfeng that the 2,000-gold Radiant Crystals would suffice.

Xue Yunfeng and Perfect Baldhead considered how the Undead could obtain a Divine Formation, after Hill suggested asking Lathander rather than other gods. They decided to approach Lathander’s Chosen and use alliance funds to buy formation plans in several tiers.

• Hill told Xue Yunfeng that the number of materials needed depended on the formation and suggested asking Lathander’s Priests for help.
• Xue Yunfeng told Perfect Baldhead about Hill’s suggestion, and they wondered why Edna or Corellon would not be better choices.
• Xue Yunfeng considered whether Positive Energy crystals might be incompatible with Edna’s magic, while Perfect Baldhead decided to ask Old Age for her thoughts.
• Perfect Baldhead proposed buying formation plans with alliance funds and offering basic and stronger versions to different families.
• Xue Yunfeng said they should keep one set for the alliance and agreed to send everyone a confirmation letter.

Xue Yunfeng and Perfect Baldhead discussed the alliance’s future and criticized Ink Pen’s lack of vigilance while watching Typhon attack Gaia. They concluded that Cunlü’s actions had weakened Gaia’s divine power, though Gaia had not yet died.

• Xue Yunfeng reflected on why he had chosen Mo Bi Chenxin to lead the Heaven-Defying Alliance and worried about the alliance’s future after his retirement.
• Perfect Baldhead criticized Ink Pen for failing to notice the danger around him, while Xue Yunfeng accepted some responsibility and said Ink Pen was still young.
• Xue Yunfeng and Perfect Baldhead watched Typhon appear on the giant screen and reacted to his monstrous, asymmetrical appearance.
• Xue Yunfeng explained that Gaia had mistreated and abandoned Typhon, and Perfect Baldhead agreed that her conduct was disgusting.
• Typhon attacked Gaia after withdrawing his support, nearly crushing her, while Oaisis severed much of her connection to the world.
• Xue Yunfeng credited Cunlü’s performance with cutting off more than half of the laws governing Love and Beauty, weakening Gaia.

Xue Yunfeng and Perfect Baldhead discussed family, restraint, and the choices they would make, then watched Typhon’s battle unfold as Typhon killed Ellie and Oaises trapped the fighting forces in mirror space. The chapter left Gaia pleading with Typhon while he showed no sign of forgiving her.

• Perfect Baldhead explained that Cunlü had regained confidence in the game after pressure from elders over motherhood, while Xue Yunfeng reflected on refusing to change for anyone.
• Xue Yunfeng said he would let the women around him choose whether to stay or leave and would not make a decision about them for several years.
• Typhon snapped Ellie’s neck, mutilated her body, and ate her crystallized heart as a declaration of loyalty to the Lord of Hell.
• Oaises opened a divine power barrier that shifted the area into mirror space and sent the Undead and Orcs within ten miles inside, catching part of Black-and-White Road’s escape squad.
• Gaia realized the situation was unfavorable and pleaded to Typhon about their past, while Xue Yunfeng and Perfect Baldhead watched and discussed Hill’s contrasting approach.

Hill concluded that Uranus had deliberately broken himself apart to evade Kronos and that the God of Space-Time was not threatened by a similar soul. The chapter ended when Purvi spotted Rose, prompting Hill to wonder whether she was truly preparing to challenge the Lord of Hell.

• Typhon attacked Gaia while she tried to disrupt the rainbow bridge, and Hill listened as their battle continued.
• Hill reasoned that Uranus had shattered himself to avoid being used in Kronos's rebirth, and that this explained the God of Space-Time's interest in Oaisis.
• Hill concluded that Uranus's soul had not merged with the God of Space-Time, easing his concern about Telashir's future.
• Purvi spotted what she believed was Rose in spider form, and Hill wondered whether she had allies or planned to face the Lord of Hell alone.

Hill wondered which Abyss Lord might challenge the Lord of Hell and worried that an unseen threat was approaching as Gaia and Typhon fought over Kronos. Meanwhile, Hill’s companions prepared to leave, and Xue Yunfeng realized that the spreading flies and moths could make their travels difficult.

• Hill reasoned that the Abyssal Will might punish a Demon Lord for failing to stop the Lord of Hell, while Gaia used Kronos as a shield and Typhon fought cautiously under Asmodeus’s orders.
• Liszt questioned why Hill cared about the conflict, but Hill admitted he sensed something was about to happen; Purvi, Lily, and the Killing Vine hurried to silence him and prepare for trouble.
• On the giant screen, Perfect Baldhead spotted a writhing shadow, and Xue Yunfeng speculated that Rose had found an ally before asking someone to check which Demon Lord had recently been punished.
• Xue Yunfeng warned Perfect Baldhead that their travels might be difficult because flies and moths were filling the sky, and Perfect Baldhead suggested they could visit other worlds run by devils.

Hill decided to leave Oaisis and find his own Star Route home, while the Undead prepared to wait out the conflict with the Lord of Hell. Zhu Meili revealed that the expedition had mainly served to benefit Little Scatterbrain and that the group planned to settle in Toril near Eunuch Lu.

• Xue Yunfeng and Perfect Baldhead discussed whether Hill would take them to search for a new world, while Lily's behavior suggested Hill's plants were withdrawing their consciousnesses.
• Hill decided against returning to Toril by his old route and planned to find a Star Route home, using a Random Dimension Door after leaving Oaisis.
• Zhu Meili told his companions to wait outside Oaisis rather than risk fighting the Lord of Hell, and praised the Night Butterfly for absorbing energy from the Lord of the Nine Hells.
• Zhu Meili explained that the group's troublemaking had been for Little Scatterbrain and that they did not need a base or new recruits.
• Zhu Meili chose to settle near Eunuch Lu, expecting him to welcome allies who could help share the pressure from Young Master.

Zhu Meili explained his plan to keep the family alive by provoking the Heaven-Defying Alliance without starting a full war, while the others joked about his past and his investment in the desert. As the final battle approached, Xue Yunfeng and Perfect Baldhead watched a giant screen reveal new threats: a Slaad and a Plague Demon King brought by Asmodeus.

• Zhu Meili said the family had bought about a year by sabotaging Black-and-White Road and would need to survive between the family and the Heaven-Defying Alliance.
• Zhu Meili ruled out a formal alliance with Doomsday, explaining that Eunuch Lu would only help in secret and that Snow Old Dog had anticipated his change in behavior.
• Zhu Meili's female Priest deputy mocked his childish voice and cartoons, and Zhu Meili explained his attachment to Little Scatterbrain.
• Zhu Meili sensed excitement among Little Scatterbrain's offspring and announced that the final battle was about to begin, but his deputy pointed out that he was only reading his tablet.
• Xue Yunfeng and Perfect Baldhead identified a Slaad on the screen and discussed whether it was Ssendam or her adjutant Sorell.
• Xue Yunfeng and Perfect Baldhead saw a Plague Demon King in a clean white uniform and learned that Asmodeus had brought it, apparently carrying over tasks from its former Hag master.

Rose waited to summon the Bottomless Abyss’s representative as Asmodeus’s forces battled in the Mirror Demiplane. The chapter left the identity of the approaching representative unknown as a terrifying hiss called Asmodeus’s name.

• Sorell transformed into a death slaad and joined the battle, kicking Gaia and Typhon apart as Gaia bought Kronos time to recover.
• Perfect Baldhead explained that Asmodeus had strengthened and constrained the Plague Demon Lord, making him a lawful opponent well matched against Sorell.
• Hill realized Asmodeus planned to make the Mirror Demiplane permanent and take it to Hell to claim Kronos’s divinity, while Oaisis welcomed the prospect of the visitors leaving.
• Xue Yunfeng questioned why Rose had not acted, and Perfect Baldhead speculated that she feared the being she was trying to draw out.
• A blood-chilling hiss called Asmodeus’s name from the giant screen.

The Chaos Queen appeared and attacked Asmodeus after revealing that she had made a deal with the Abyssal Will. Hill realized she had come to pursue Miska, her imprisoned husband, using information about the Rod of Seven Parts, and worried that freeing him could endanger him or Telashir.

• Xue Yunfeng called Demon Sword and An Idler to help monitor the giant screen as the Chaos Queen appeared.
• Asmodeus inferred that Rose and the Slaad had drawn the Chaos Queen into opposing him, then summoned a giant figure as a backup plan.
• The Chaos Queen said she had made a small deal with the Abyssal Will and attacked Asmodeus with black mist.
• Demon Sword and An Idler took seats behind Xue Yunfeng and watched the screen for changes among the fly-moths and the Slaad.
• Hill told Liszt that the Chaos Queen was seeking Miska, her husband imprisoned in the Crazed Void Tunnel, and feared what she might do to free him.

Xue Yunfeng countered Zhu Meili’s flies and moths by unleashing Slaad tadpoles that could eat them. Zhu Meili realized the discovery would endanger his plans in Halruaa and hurried to act before others found more ways to stop the creatures.

• Liszt asked whether Telashir had order scepters, and Hill assured him the planet had been thoroughly inspected and that Toril held the most.
• Slaad tadpoles emerged from skulls in the hall and began eating the maggots while flies and moths tried unsuccessfully to distract them.
• Xue Yunfeng explained that he had arranged for Rose to contact Ula-Nas and Sorell, bringing the Slaad into the fight against Zhu Meili’s creatures.
• Zhu Meili angrily recognized that Slaad could eat the larvae, proving his butterflies had exploitable weaknesses, and worried that events in Halruaa were becoming troublesome.
• Zhu Meili agreed with his companions that they had to move faster before others discovered more counters.