Chapter Summaries

This chapter is an author’s announcement rather than a story installment. Sixue says the serial is approaching 600,000 words and announces a special release planned for Saturday, with at least four updates and possibly five or six. The author asks readers to send recommendation votes, monthly votes, tips, subscriptions, and update-request votes to help support the release.
There are no plot developments, character interactions, or story themes; the focus is on encouraging reader support and promising more updates.

Key plot points and events

• Er Dongsheng reaches the peak of Second-Level Demon power after forming six Abyss Stars. His advancement unlocks Demon Warlock knowledge, most of which he sets aside.
• The Abyssal Will also places a mysterious, two-sided map in his mind. One side marks his home, the continent under attack, and what appears to be the gateway to the Abyss’s first layer. The other shows a neighboring continent inhabited by strange creatures, then reveals a vast ruin and what looks like an underground-palace floor plan.
• The map’s origins and purpose are unclear, and Er Dongsheng suspects the Abyssal Will may have altered it. Although the map fills him with dread, he decides to postpone investigating and heads off to test his new strength.
• Meanwhile, the Destruction Squad gathers to attack an isolated island. All ten team captains assemble, drawing a large crowd. The squads’ combined flames form a phoenix, their symbol.
• The captains learn that the island’s defenders may include a six-star Second-Level Demon. Recognizing that a direct attack could be disastrous, they hesitate over how to proceed.
• An unseen voice urges them not to retreat and exhorts them to destroy everything, saying it will watch from behind.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng is stronger but remains cautious and suspicious. He acknowledges the map’s potential importance without letting uncertainty distract him from his immediate goal of testing his power.
• The Destruction Squad captains display their distinct reputations and abilities: the Fairy Queens lead the first three teams; the Fourth Squad captain is masked and mysterious; Hellfire is an enormous, formidable giant; Christina, the Azure Ray, lands on his shoulder; and the Eighth Squad’s Nier Lilith leads a valued healing force.
• The captains’ concern about their fighters’ safety contrasts with the crowd’s excitement at seeing them assembled. Their influence depends partly on the strength and number of subordinates they command.
• Xierjie proposes discussing the attack, while Ximir reports the dangerous intelligence. Christina questions whether they should abandon the assault, but the captains are left without an immediate answer.
• A female demon admires the former Fourth Squad captain, Weiduolasi, while another warns that he angered Baal and was replaced, underscoring Baal’s power and the squad’s secrecy.

Significant themes

• Power and its limits: Er Dongsheng’s new strength encourages confidence, but the island’s six-star defender shows that even a powerful force must assess its limits.
• Suspicion and hidden motives: The map may be a gift, a trap, or something planted long ago; its unexplained appearance sustains an atmosphere of uncertainty.
• Leadership and responsibility: The captains weigh their ambition against the danger to their subordinates.
• Destruction and escalation: The squad’s identity centers on conquest, while the final voice pushes them toward relentless destruction despite the risks.

Plot and events

The Destruction Squad launches a sudden assault on the Demon-held island, catching its defenders off guard and quickly breaking through the outer defenses. The island’s Demons had expected no one to challenge the authority of Lord Archmond, whose reinforcements they have summoned. Their leader, Frazer, orders them to hold the island at all costs because it is vital to an undisclosed plan.
As the battle spreads, Scorpion Woman fights brutally for the squad. Er Dongsheng, observing from concealment, discovers that the island conceals a colossal Summoning Array. It channels energy toward a distant, unknown destination and appears to be only one part of a much larger network. He suspects the array may be connected to the mysterious Ruins and realizes the situation is more complicated than it first seemed.

Character developments and interactions

• Frazer the Brutal Fox is revealed as a Six-Star Second-Level Demon and a former exile from his clan. He is working with Archmond because he believes the island’s plan will open a gateway that lets him return home and take revenge. Though the squad’s attack threatens that goal, he refuses to abandon the array’s crucial site.
• Scorpion Woman, now feared as Poison-Stinger Scorpion Woman, has become a formidable fighter and a committed follower of Lord Baal. She reflects on her abusive, indifferent relationship with her father and rejects the duty of avenging him. To sever their bond, she tears a tiny scorpion—her father’s lingering presence—from her own chest and destroys it, then accepts her wound with relief.
• Er Dongsheng watches both the battle and Scorpion Woman’s transformation, judging her ruthless and promising. He considers recruiting her and other allies for Little Apple, while remaining focused on the island’s hidden purpose.
• The Demons’ leader commands the island’s defenders through fear of Archmond’s wrath; they obey despite not knowing the plan they are protecting.

Significant themes

The chapter explores revenge and exile through Frazer’s determination to return to his clan, and identity, trauma, and self-liberation through Scorpion Woman’s rejection of her father and past. It also contrasts loyalty and ambition: the defenders serve Archmond without understanding his plan, while Frazer sees it as a means to his own ends. Finally, the hidden array introduces a theme of vast, concealed forces—suggesting that the battle is only a small part of a much larger mystery.

Plot points and events

• As the battle intensifies, both sides unleash stronger Awakened forms. Kalles and his Frenzy Squad charge into the fight, briefly disrupting the Destruction Squad’s advance.
• The watching Demons recognize Kalles’s arrival as a major threat. They stay to see whether the rising Destruction Squad—rumored to serve Baal—can defeat the centuries-old ruler of the territory.
• Xierjie calls in Mordekaiser and the Hellfire Squad to counter Kalles’s strength. Mordekaiser and hundreds of Lava Giants descend like a meteor shower, overwhelming the Frenzy Squad and shifting the battle toward the Destruction Squad.
• After hours of fighting, the enemy forces are driven toward the island’s center. Kalles, badly wounded, calls for his leader. Frazer—the feared Brutal Fox—emerges and swiftly kills a Destruction Squad member.
• Xierjie responds by summoning Little Snake and Toad through a massive array powered by the squad’s combined effort. The two beasts grow to enormous size and confront Frazer’s equally enlarged fox. The fox appears stronger than either beast alone but holds back against both.
• Frazer applauds the summoning and announces that he and his side will now enter the fight personally.

Character developments and interactions

• Xierjie proves quick to recognize threats and coordinate a response. She calls on Mordekaiser against Kalles, then organizes the summoning of the two giant beasts when Frazer appears.
• Mordekaiser relishes facing powerful opponents and leads the Hellfire Squad into battle, giving the Destruction Squad a decisive advantage.
• Kalles begins as a confident, fearsome combatant but is wounded and overwhelmed by the Hellfire Squad. His desperate plea brings Frazer into the conflict.
• Frazer is introduced as a formidable, intelligent, and intimidating opponent. His sudden attack kills one of Ximir’s subordinates, and his arrival raises the stakes despite the opposing beasts’ presence.
• Ximir reacts angrily to the death of a squad member she trained, showing personal investment in her troops.
• The Demons watching from the sidelines grow increasingly wary of the Destruction Squad as its strength becomes clear.

Significant themes

• Escalating power and spectacle: Each new force—the Frenzy Squad, Hellfire Squad, Frazer, and the summoned beasts—raises the scale and danger of the battle.
• Teamwork and leadership: The squad’s combined effort makes the cross-space summoning possible, while leaders’ decisions quickly reshape the battlefield.
• Reputation and political uncertainty: The observers’ fear and attention reflect how the outcome could determine the balance of power across the territory.
• The cost of conflict: Widespread destruction, heavy casualties, and Ximir’s grief show the personal and physical toll beneath the spectacle.

Key plot points and events

• Frazer, a six-star Second-Level Demon, faces the Destruction Squad and its three Magic Beasts while holding back to protect the Summoning Array behind him.
• Jilisi, Archmond’s second-in-command and another six-star Second-Level Demon, arrives with several powerful female Demons, swinging the balance of power in Frazer’s favor.
• Jilisi swiftly captures Ximir and threatens to crush her neck. Xierjie warns that Lord Baal will kill her, but Jilisi dismisses the threat.
• Er Dongsheng suddenly appears and seizes Jilisi by the throat. When a green strike attacks his hand, he throws Jilisi clear, and she escapes back beside Frazer.
• Jilisi and Frazer recognize the six-star pattern on Er Dongsheng’s forehead as proof that he is a Transcendent Demon. His arrival leaves them too intimidated to fight or flee.

Character developments and interactions

• Frazer shifts from confidence to unease as the Destruction Squad’s beasts challenge him, then takes heart when Jilisi arrives. Er Dongsheng’s revealed rank leaves him overwhelmed.
• Jilisi begins by mocking Frazer and treating the Squad as insignificant. Her effortless capture of Ximir becomes a show of dominance, but Er Dongsheng’s intervention turns her arrogance to terror.
• Er Dongsheng demonstrates overwhelming strength, rescuing Ximir by stopping Jilisi. He also learns from records that his unusual Abyss Stars mark him as a Transcendent Demon, though he remains unsure whether the mysterious map he received is his special Abyss-given talent.
• Ximir is revealed to be uniquely valuable because she can commune with plant emotions, making her important to Er Dongsheng’s territory. Xierjie defends her by invoking Baal’s protection.

Significant themes

• Power and its hierarchy: Transcendent Demons surpass ordinary six-star Second-Level Demons and possess strength comparable to beings a rank above them.
• Arrogance and reversal: Jilisi’s mockery and confidence collapse when Er Dongsheng turns her own threat back on her.
• Uncertainty about destiny and gifts: Er Dongsheng’s new status raises questions about the Abyssal Will’s influence and the true nature of his map.
• Loyalty and strategic value: The Squad’s concern for Ximir highlights both their attachment to her and the practical importance of her ability.

Key plot points and events

• After discovering a vast, hidden Summoning Array beneath the island, Er Dongsheng decides not to destroy Archmond’s forces. He suspects Archmond built the array as part of a secret plan and that the leaked news about his Abyss gateway may be a deliberate distraction.
• Er Dongsheng claims the island, orders the surviving demons to leave, and warns them that he will protect what lies there—but expects Archmond to show “sincerity.” When Frazer objects, Er Dongsheng knocks him aside.
• Jilisi restrains the injured Frazer, and the pair retreat to report to Archmond. Er Dongsheng’s message unsettles them, though Frazer is relieved that the array remains intact. Er Dongsheng privately admits he may only have been bluffing.
• Powerful observers across the shattered continents withdraw after witnessing the arrival of another Transcendent Level demon. Some anticipate Archmond’s reaction; another decides he must hasten his own progress.
• Er Dongsheng orders his Destruction Squad to rest and relocate their island, instructing them to destroy anything that obstructs them. He then investigates the island’s crude house.
• By burning the apparently ordinary hides on its floor with Black Flame, he reveals a hidden Light Gate. He records its patterns and materials for study, then enters. The gate takes him to the island’s interior, where he encounters a sight that leaves him astonished.

Character developments

• Er Dongsheng shifts from seeking a fight to pursuing strategic control. He is calculating and opportunistic: he preserves the array for his own advantage, uses a threat to pressure Archmond, and takes time to study the concealed gateway before entering.
• Frazer struggles to contain his anger and wounded pride after being struck, but ultimately withdraws when Jilisi restrains him. His relief that the array is safe shows how strongly he prioritizes its preservation.
• Jilisi acts pragmatically, preventing Frazer from provoking a fatal confrontation and ensuring they can report back.
• The distant observers reveal that Er Dongsheng’s arrival has disrupted the wider balance of power, prompting some to reassess or accelerate their plans.

Significant themes

• Power determines who has a voice: Er Dongsheng rejects negotiation between unequal sides and enforces his claim through strength.
• Deception and strategic ambiguity: He suspects Archmond’s publicized gateway may be a smokescreen and admits his own warning may be a bluff.
• Hidden truths beneath ordinary appearances: The unremarkable house and floor hides conceal a sophisticated Light Gate, echoing the larger mystery of the island.
• Ambition and competition: The island, the Summoning Array, and the many unexplored realms become prizes in a broader struggle among powerful beings.

Character interactions

• Er Dongsheng dominates his encounter with Frazer and the other survivors, while Jilisi tries to keep Frazer from escalating the conflict.
• Before the survivors depart, Er Dongsheng sends Archmond a pointed message, turning their retreat into a warning and opening the door to future negotiation or rivalry.
• Er Dongsheng’s orders to his squad establish his authority and set the next phase of his campaign in motion.

Summary

Key events

• The author released five updates consecutively, describing the effort as difficult and exhausting.
• They asked readers to recommend and vote for the book, subscribe, and continue supporting it.
• The author thanked readers who had tipped and voted.
• Sixue went to bed exhausted, hoping for positive results the following day.

Character development

• Sixue is presented as overwhelmed and physically and mentally drained after the intense writing and release schedule.
• Despite the exhaustion, Sixue remains hopeful and invested in the book’s success.

Significant themes

• Authorial effort and perseverance: The demanding work behind producing multiple updates is emphasized.
• Reader support and community: Votes, recommendations, subscriptions, and tips are portrayed as meaningful encouragement.
• Hope and anticipation: Sixue looks forward to seeing whether the readers’ response will be positive.

Character interactions

• The primary interaction is between Sixue and the readership. Sixue directly addresses readers, expresses gratitude for their support, and appeals for further engagement.

Plot and key events

• Er Dongsheng discovers a vast cavern beneath the island, where a gigantic, chained heart is suspended above a Blood Pool. Blood flows through the cavern’s vein-like walls and into the heart.
• He examines the elaborate ground array and recognizes an inner Origin-Congealing Blood Array, modified and linked to an outer array he cannot identify. Its scale and power suggest it was made by someone far beyond Archmond.
• The array activates: blood floods into the pool, then streams through the chains into the heart. Er Dongsheng hears what seems to be a beast’s roar, though his system detects no sound.
• He is drawn into a vision of an immense ancient Dark Magic Beast, a king comparable to a Demon Lord. The creature speaks of “one-sixth,” an heir who shares its aura, and finding its offspring. The system detects Er Dongsheng’s mental distress and shocks him back to reality; he never physically moved.
• A golden-red, rune-marked droplet emerges from the heart. Its aura embodies pure devastation and powerfully attracts Er Dongsheng. His Ink Spirit Flame urges him to consume it, and his flame draws it toward him before the heart shudders and he regains control.
• A second, apparently ordinary drop of concentrated Blood Essence falls. The heart still beats, but Er Dongsheng senses that it has lost its vitality.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng shifts from curious investigator to alarmed witness as he realizes the array is a vast, mysterious blood sacrifice. His connection to the Dark Beast—and his inability to control his own response to the rune-marked droplet—raises new questions about his nature and inheritance.
• The system acts as a clinical safeguard, finding no external roar and then intervening when Er Dongsheng’s mind becomes disordered.
• The ancient Dark Beast appears only in Er Dongsheng’s vision, addressing him as an heir and speaking cryptically about its offspring and a missing “one-sixth.” The encounter suggests a bond, but its meaning remains unclear.
• The Ink Spirit Flame responds eagerly to the droplet, revealing an instinctive hunger that briefly overrides Er Dongsheng’s control.

Significant themes

• Hidden power and inherited legacy: The heart and Beast’s message hint at a powerful inheritance tied to Er Dongsheng.
• Sacrifice and forbidden knowledge: The immense array’s purpose remains unknown, emphasizing the danger and scale of the secret he has uncovered.
• Uncertain reality and loss of control: Er Dongsheng cannot tell whether the roar is real, and his body and flame react beyond his conscious command.
• Destruction versus devastation: The droplet’s pure devastation is distinct from the destructive power of the Ink Spirit Flame, suggesting different forces at work.

Plot points and events

• After acquiring a golden-red Rune and Blood Essence from a mysterious heart, Er Dongsheng finds the Rune has seemingly merged into his body. He can sense it, but cannot locate it, and feels strangely “whole.”
• A creature had called him a Dark Beast’s offspring and spoken cryptically about inheritance. Er rejects the idea, though he cannot explain the Rune or the creature’s words.
• His confusion and anger trigger an eruption of Black Flame and an overwhelming urge to destroy and ruin everything. The aura spreads across the island, distressing the team members and resonating with the black crystals in their bodies.
• The Phoenix Divine Soul tries to stop him. A Bloodline Rune glows and a red key in his mind pulses, helping restore his awareness. Er Dongsheng’s Martial Dao Will ultimately lets him suppress the destructive impulse before it consumes him.
• Meanwhile, Frazer and his companions reach a vast city and metal castle, where they plan to report their loss of the island to Lord Archmond. Frazer insists they must eventually reclaim it because their plan depends on its Blood Essence.
• Back in the hall, Er Dongsheng studies the Blood Essence, which he believes ordinary demons cannot absorb. Concerned that Little Snake and the toad are falling behind, he considers using the toad’s Ancient Fire Demon Beast bloodline as leverage in a bargain.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng becomes more troubled by the possibility that he is connected to Dark Beasts or was made an “experimental subject.” Despite nearly losing control, his strong will and self-command save him.
• The Phoenix Divine Soul acts as an internal warning and defense, trying to rouse him from the destructive state.
• Frazer remains determined to recover the island, while Jilisi and the others share his anxiety about facing Archmond and losing the group’s main resource.
• Er Dongsheng’s concern that Little Snake and the toad are falling behind shifts into a calculating plan to use the toad’s bloodline as bargaining power.

Significant themes

• Identity and hidden origins: Er Dongsheng’s unexplained Rune and the accusation that he is a Dark Beast’s offspring deepen the mystery of his nature.
• Power versus self-control: An apparently innate destructive force nearly overtakes him, but discipline and will keep him from surrendering to it.
• Inheritance and experimentation: The Rune, the mysterious creature’s words, and the “experimental subject” reference suggest that Er’s powers may have been deliberately bestowed or engineered.
• Consequences and ambition: Frazer’s group faces the cost of losing the island, while Er Dongsheng looks for ways to protect his allies—and gain leverage—through the Blood Essence and the toad’s lineage.

Summary

• Plot and events: Just after midnight, Sixue stays awake in the dorm while everyone else sleeps, struggling to plan the next part of her book. She worries about the story’s direction and whether the book will succeed, but resolves to keep working and writing steadily.
• Character development: Sixue comes across as anxious about her first book’s prospects but deeply committed to improving it. She hopes to write a very long work—perhaps two or three million words—and promises to keep trying as long as readers support her.
• Themes: The chapter focuses on creative struggle, perseverance, the pressure to succeed, and the role reader support can play in sustaining a writer’s motivation.
• Character interactions: Sixue addresses readers directly, pleading for their encouragement. She asks them to give recommendation and monthly votes, explaining how to obtain a free recommendation vote by registering and leveling up an account. The chapter ends with an emphatic appeal for support.

Chapter Summary: “Plans and Choices!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In a castle at the center of the Broken Continent, Transcendent Demon Archmond rages after his forces lose an important island to Er Dongsheng and another Transcendent Demon. The defeat also costs him the Blood Essence Conversion Array, ruining a century of preparation.
• Archmond’s plan requires a Dark Beast heart and a large-scale blood sacrifice. He orders his subordinates to spread news and attract nearby Demons, intending to gather enough blood energy to complete the ritual.
• Archmond reveals that the mysterious bronze mirror he carries is nearly covered in bloody markings. He believes the ritual will allow him—and perhaps the entity connected to the mirror—to escape the Broken Continent and return to the First Abyss Layer.
• At the seized island, Er Dongsheng confronts the giant Fire Demon Beast, a toad that has been following him. Using the terrifying Dark Beast-like aura within his transformed body, Er Dongsheng suppresses the toad and forces it to choose between:
  1. Swallowing a black crystal and undergoing conversion, in exchange for Blood Essence; or
  2. Leaving and risking being hunted or killed.
• The toad reluctantly swallows the crystal and begins its transformation, motivated largely by its desire for Blood Essence. Like Little Snake, it effectively becomes dependent on Er Dongsheng as its provider.
• Over the following days, the two Floating Islands are moved together using several Summoning Arrays. The fighting stops temporarily while both sides recover.
• Little Bei’er and Lulu explore the surrounding area with younger Demons. Lulu also spends time helping Ximir, one of the Fairy Queens, recover emotionally from her previous near-death experience.
• The relative peace ends when Jilisi arrives as Archmond’s envoy with an invitation for Er Dongsheng to attend the advancement ceremony of Archmond’s descendant.
• Er Dongsheng accepts, but immediately suspects that the ceremony is a trap or part of Archmond’s larger plan.

Character Developments

• Archmond is shown to be ruthless, powerful, and increasingly desperate. He casually attacks and humiliates his own subordinates for failure, yet remains focused on completing his long-term ritual. His strength appears to have increased, and his ambition is revealed: he wants to escape the Broken Continent and reach the First Abyss Layer.
• Er Dongsheng demonstrates greater confidence and control after his transformation. His Dark Beast-like aura now overwhelms the previously formidable Fire Demon Beast, allowing him to dominate and manipulate it without a real battle. He also shows growing strategic suspicion toward Archmond.
• The Fire Demon Beast shifts from an independent threat to a reluctant subordinate. Its hunger for Blood Essence leaves it little practical choice but to accept Er Dongsheng’s conversion.
• Little Snake continues to bond closely with Er Dongsheng and behaves possessively and smugly after receiving Blood Essence. It is becoming increasingly reliant on him.
• Jilisi remains cautious and fearful of Er Dongsheng, noticing that his presence has become even more intimidating. Though she serves Archmond, she privately resents being sent alone as envoy.
• Ximir is still psychologically affected by her brush with death, while Lulu takes on a supportive, protective role by trying to distract and comfort her.

Significant Themes

• Power and coercion: Er Dongsheng frames the toad’s “choice” as voluntary, but both options are effectively controlled by him. The chapter highlights how overwhelming power can turn negotiation into forced submission.
• Survival and dependency: The Demons endure injury and humiliation simply to remain alive, while the beasts accept Er Dongsheng’s authority because he controls access to the Blood Essence they crave.
• Long-term schemes and hidden motives: Archmond’s century-long plan remains only partly understood, but the loss of the island forces him to improvise. His invitation to Er Dongsheng is clearly connected to deeper designs.
• Transformation and identity: Er Dongsheng’s altered body and aura now resemble those of a Dark Beast, changing how other creatures perceive and respond to him. The Fire Demon Beast’s conversion further develops the idea of beings changing allegiance and nature.
• Trauma and recovery: Ximir’s recovery shows a quieter contrast to the chapter’s violence, emphasizing the emotional consequences of death and the importance of companionship.
• Betrayal and uncertainty: Archmond suspects that Er Dongsheng and possibly others know about his plan, while Er Dongsheng doubts the sincerity of the invitation. Neither side trusts the other.

Important Character Interactions

• Archmond and his subordinates: Archmond violently punishes Frazer, Jilisi, and the other Demons for losing the island, demonstrating the brutal hierarchy among the Demons.
• Archmond and Frazer/Jilisi: They reveal that Er Dongsheng knows something about Archmond’s plan, prompting Archmond to wonder whether an old rival is interfering.
• Er Dongsheng and the Fire Demon Beast: Er Dongsheng intimidates, bargains with, and ultimately forces the toad to accept conversion, using Blood Essence as leverage.
• Er Dongsheng and Little Snake: He feeds Little Snake Blood Essence, strengthening their affectionate parent-child-like bond and provoking the toad’s jealousy.
• Lulu and Ximir: Lulu tries to help Ximir overcome her trauma by taking her exploring and keeping her occupied.
• Jilisi and Er Dongsheng: Jilisi delivers Archmond’s invitation but is visibly terrified by Er Dongsheng’s enhanced aura. Er Dongsheng accepts while privately questioning Archmond’s intentions.

Key plot points and events

• Er Dongsheng suspects Archmond’s apparent indifference to losing territory is part of a larger scheme. He chooses to wait rather than act immediately.
• Months later, rumors spread through the Shattered Starry Sky that Archmond has discovered a passage to the First Abyss Layer beneath his city. Since entering an Abyss is believed to let demons advance beyond the Second Level, demons flock to the region despite uncertainty about the rumor.
• At a tavern, Winged Demon Dixon tells Pas that Archmond’s forces fought the Destruction Squad, whose leader was a Transcendent Demon. The squad was crushed; Frazer and Jilisi survived and returned to the city.
• Dixon claims Archmond is holding a celebration for his daughter’s advancement to Six-Star. The event may also be open to outsiders, with the Abyss passage potentially opened to all demons. Major factions are reportedly pressuring Archmond to address the discovery.
• A black-clad observer leaves the tavern with Bei’er. He recognizes that the rumors and gathering crowds are part of a carefully arranged plan, and covertly places Black Flame and black crystals around a concealed Summoning Array. He says only three days remain before events unfold.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng remains wary and strategic, choosing surveillance over confrontation.
• Dixon uses tantalizing information to persuade Pas to share his expensive drink. Pas is suspicious and irritable, but his interest in Archmond and the Abyss rumor overcomes his reluctance.
• The black-clad man appears calm and informed, watching Archmond’s preparations rather than intervening openly. Bei’er, recently awakened, accompanies him.
• Archmond is presented through rumor as a powerful, calculating figure whose daughter’s milestone celebration may serve a broader political purpose.

Significant themes

• Rumor as a tool: Unverified stories draw demons toward Archmond’s city and help shape events.
• Ambition and manipulation: The celebration, the supposed Abyss entrance, and the Summoning Array suggest a layered plan.
• Power and aspiration: The chance to become a Greater Demon is tempting enough to make demons risk danger and deception.
• Suspicion and delayed judgment: Several characters question whether apparent events conceal a trap, while waiting to see who ultimately controls the situation.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• Er Dongsheng enters the city with Little Bei’er to scout the territory of Archmond, the powerful Demon lord whose strict rule keeps the city’s many visiting Demons from fighting.
• The trading district is packed with Demons bartering goods. Er Dongsheng searches for rare materials needed to build a Spatial Summoning Array that could let him reach the Sunlight Plane in his true body.
• Bei’er spots fruit, grabs one from a stall, and is caught by the stallkeeper. When he threatens her, Er Dongsheng releases a frightening aura and orders him to let her go.
• Er Dongsheng pays the stallkeeper with an Elemental Crystal and takes several dozen pieces of Water-Grown Fruit. He also recognizes a twig among the fruit as Soul-Nourishing Wood, one of the materials he needs.
• As the market grows busier, Er Dongsheng stops at a newly opened stall. Its goods surprise him, but the chapter ends before revealing what they are.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng is cautious and strategic, scouting Archmond’s city while gathering materials. Though exasperated by Bei’er’s troublemaking, he protects her instantly and uses the incident to secure a valuable material.
• Little Bei’er is impulsive, mischievous, and very fond of fruit. She pretends to be upset to manipulate Er Dongsheng, then privately congratulates herself on getting more fruit.
• The stallkeeper shifts from threatening Bei’er to terrified submission under Er Dongsheng’s pressure, then becomes delighted by the generous payment.
• Their relationship is affectionate but comic: Bei’er causes trouble and plays on Er Dongsheng’s protectiveness, while he alternates between scolding her and indulging her.

Significant themes

• Power and order: Demons generally follow the law of the jungle, but Archmond’s strength and harsh enforcement keep the city peaceful.
• Survival through cunning: Er Dongsheng scouts before acting and turns a minor confrontation into a useful trade; Bei’er likewise gets what she wants through shamelessness and feigned tears.
• Exploration and hidden history: The city’s ancient Ruins and mysterious materials suggest a wider, unexplored past.
• Luck and companionship: Er Dongsheng sees Bei’er as his lucky star, since her appetite unexpectedly leads him to a crucial ingredient.

Plot points and events

• At a demon marketplace, Er Dongsheng recognizes the stallkeeper, Avery, as an extraordinary case: an Elf who has only recently fallen into the Abyss. Unlike established “half-demonized” peoples, her soul still contains a point of white light, and her aura remains partly aligned with the sunlit world.
• Avery asks for something to strengthen her. Er Dongsheng gives her a bottle of potent milky liquid made from white pearls in exchange for her black stones. He secretly plants a speck of black dust in her hair and allows other Demons to notice the valuable bottle.
• Avery flees the marketplace, pursued by Demons who want what she has. Er Dongsheng secretly delays the leading pursuer, giving her time to escape while he watches and studies her.
• Avery reaches a floating boulder, opens a hidden gap in it, and vanishes in a burst of green light. The boulder breaks apart, leaving the pursuers baffled. Er Dongsheng recognizes the destination and is startled by where she has gone.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng is intrigued by Avery’s unusual soul and sees her as a possible path to a new Node and plane. Rather than openly interrogating her, he tests her, manipulates events around her, and uses the pursuit to track her destination. His teasing, confident manner contrasts with his careful planning.
• Avery is vulnerable and anxious in the Abyss, yet determined to gain strength and return “home.” Though she is frightened while fleeing, she remains defiant toward her pursuers and knows how to use the boulder as an escape route.
• Little Bei’er misunderstands Er Dongsheng’s cryptic plans and is more concerned about the fruit she drops when he mentions the Sunlight Plane.
• The pursuing Demons view Avery and her bottle as prey. Er Dongsheng intervenes indirectly, frustrating their attempt to catch her without revealing himself.

Significant themes

• Identity and transformation: Avery’s still-bright soul distinguishes her from fully demonized beings and raises questions about what she may become.
• Power, exploitation, and survival: Avery needs strength to survive, while Er Dongsheng and the pursuing Demons treat her as an opportunity or target.
• Manipulation and hidden motives: Er Dongsheng’s apparent generosity is part of a larger plan to follow Avery and discover where she comes from.

Plot points and events

• After the Half-Demonized Demon vanishes, Er Dongsheng realizes the Crystal’s signal leads to the eerie continent—an unexpected place where he once suffered badly.
• He finds the nearly empty bottle of Soul Essence he gave her and suspects she is still nearby. The Crystal’s signal becomes erratic, however, and an unseen attacker strikes. Surrounded by growing malice and unable to identify the threat, Er Dongsheng appears to retreat.
• The Half-Demon, Avery, has actually stayed hidden on the continent for hours, apparently using its strange forces to conceal herself and confuse the Crystal’s signal. Once Er Dongsheng seems gone, she emerges, celebrates outsmarting him, and decides to return to cultivating with the treasure she obtained.
• Avery longs to reunite with her mother and grandfather, the Sea Demon Emperor. She believes she may be able to return to her people’s lost home through a rift, using knowledge from their Ancient Ruins and an ancestor’s diary.
• Er Dongsheng is revealed to have stayed behind in hiding; the departing figure was his Divine Soul Phoenix. He connects Avery’s name and diary to a notebook he found in the Flame Layer, as well as to a mysterious map, and suspects the coincidences may have been deliberately arranged.
• Phoenix returns to Er Dongsheng, but Little Bei’er immediately climbs onto it and plucks its feathers, derailing his thoughts.

Character developments

• Er Dongsheng shows caution and patience: despite being driven off—or seeming to be—he secretly waits to learn more about Avery. The diary and map deepen his suspicion that a larger scheme is at work.
• Avery proves resourceful and wary, successfully hiding from a powerful Demon. Beneath her playful bravado, she is homesick and determined to find a way back to her people.
• Little Bei’er remains mischievous, treating Phoenix as a source of feathers and comic relief.

Themes

• Cunning and concealment: Avery uses the continent’s strange properties to evade Er Dongsheng, while he uses a decoy to keep watch.
• Mystery and coincidence: Avery, the diary, and the map may be connected by more than chance.
• Exile and belonging: Avery’s hope of returning to her lost home gives her adventure an emotional purpose.
• Power and uncertainty: Even Er Dongsheng cannot understand or control the eerie continent’s forces.

Character interactions

• Avery mocks Er Dongsheng after believing she has escaped him, then speaks affectionately to the unseen beings or energies she calls her “little friends” as she plans to cultivate.
• Er Dongsheng silently observes Avery and weighs the clues linking her to the diary and map.
• Little Bei’er’s feather-plucking antics interrupt Er Dongsheng’s investigation and amuse—or exasperate—those around him.

Key plot points and events

• Er Dongsheng returns to his territory with two valuable finds: black stones and a thirteen-inch piece of Soul-Nourishing Wood. The stones can anchor a summoning formation that would let his true Demon Body cross into the Sunlight Plane, while the wood could restore and empower a Demon’s will.
• The wood comes from the Abyssal Life-and-Death Wood. Its fruit is lethal to souls, but its trunk is potent nourishment; this ancient piece also bears several mature fruits.
• Er Dongsheng decides to use the Soul-Nourishing Wood to create a true avatar, rather than one made by splitting his soul or possessing another body. He begins a ritual using the wood as a medium, his own flesh as a template, and the Dark Beast’s pure blood as the source. The process is presented as brutal, but he is willing to endure it in pursuit of an avatar that may surpass his original body.
• Elsewhere, Archmond discusses a dead Demon whose soul remains trapped in its body—a sign, he believes, that the Demon ate Life-and-Death Wood fruit. He reports that Baal, leader of the Destruction Squad, bought the Soul-Nourishing Wood.
• A powerful woman speaking through Archmond is furious that Baal has taken the treasure. She says they will learn more in three days and orders Archmond to deal with Frazer, whom she believes has been making moves.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng turns his discoveries into a major plan: the black stones could help him reach the Sunlight Plane bodily, while the Soul-Nourishing Wood offers the chance to build a formidable avatar. His resolve reflects his willingness to accept pain and cruelty for greater power.
• Archmond is revealed to be a subordinate or pawn rather than the true Archmond. The woman threatens him with the Heart-Seizing Curse when he hesitates, and he hides his resentment while obeying.
• The woman regards both Archmond and the treasure as instruments or possessions. Her anger at Baal suggests a deeper conflict involving the Dark Beast’s heart and her own plans.
• Archmond and the woman interact through a mental conversation marked by her control and his careful compliance. Meanwhile, Archmond’s order to summon Frazer signals that he intends to investigate events on his own side.

Significant themes

• Power through sacrifice: Er Dongsheng accepts a painful, bloody ritual to gain an avatar potentially stronger than himself.
• Knowledge as leverage: Rare materials and understanding of their properties shape plans for summoning, survival, and domination.
• Control and subordination: The woman treats Archmond as a disposable pawn, while he conceals his hatred and waits for an opportunity.
• Ambition and rivalry: Baal’s possession of the Soul-Nourishing Wood disrupts the woman’s plans, setting up a confrontation over power and ownership.

Summary

• Plot and events: The chapter is a personal note from Sixue rather than a story scene. The author reports receiving just 200 yuan in royalties for a month’s work, with subscriptions falling further. A perfect-attendance bonus might raise this month’s income to 700 yuan, but the prospect offers little comfort.
• Character development: Sixue shifts from frustration and disappointment to explaining their resolve: despite feeling that the effort is poorly rewarded and their hopes have faded, they will continue writing because this is their first book and they want it to remain a cherished memory.
• Themes: The note highlights the harsh economics of creative work, the emotional toll of effort without adequate reward, and the difference between readers’ expectations and writers’ circumstances. It also reflects on why authors sometimes abandon works.
• Character interactions: Sixue addresses readers directly—inviting those who dislike the complaint to criticize them, then asking readers who are able to support the book to subscribe to all chapters.

Key plot points and events

• Er Dongsheng undergoes a brutal Demon Warlock ritual to create a clone. Threads of light from the Soul-Nourishing Wood invade his body, inflicting unbearable pain as he remains bound in the blood-filled Summoning Array.
• He endures by recalling past struggles and his determination to survive and someday return to his master and senior sister. At the ritual’s peak, his Demon heart turns crystal-white and stops beating; he appears to die.
• The array drains away its blood. The Soul-Nourishing Wood transforms into a black heart bearing the missing Dark Beast Rune—the Rune of ruin. When this heart beats in rhythm with Er Dongsheng’s restored heart, a second body appears.
• The new body receives the True Name “Mephisto. Baal. Er Dongsheng.” The two selves embody different but related powers: Baal commands destruction, while Mephisto commands ruin. They then merge, affirming that both remain Er Dongsheng.
• The ritual leaves Er Dongsheng more than twice as strong. His chest crystal contains red, black, and cyan sections, and he recognizes that destruction and ruin are different expressions of a shared power.
• He notices that the Ink Spirit Flame now bears two Runes: a hazy Rune of destruction and a solid Rune of ruin, one-sixth its size. This prompts him to wonder what “one-sixth” means, where the destruction Rune went, and whether the phenomenon connects to the Ice-Fire Miracle beneath Death Volcano.

Character developments

• Er Dongsheng demonstrates extreme endurance and resolve, pushing through the ritual’s pain because he refuses to give up his chance at survival and return.
• He gains a clone and a deeper understanding of his powers, but the clone is not a separate identity in the end: Baal, Mephisto, and Er Dongsheng are distinct aspects that reunite as one.
• His curiosity about the Ink Spirit Flame and the Runes introduces a new mystery surrounding the source and structure of his power.

Significant themes

• Endurance and survival: Er Dongsheng’s resolve is tested by near-unimaginable pain.
• Self-transformation and identity: The ritual creates two aspects of him, yet both remain fundamentally Er Dongsheng.
• Unity within apparent opposites: Destruction and ruin are distinct powers but ultimately related expressions of the same force.
• Power gained through suffering: The dangerous ritual brings both a stronger body and new abilities, while opening further questions.

Character interactions

• Er Dongsheng’s main interaction is with his own emerging clone: the two examine one another, recognize their different powers, and then merge.
• He mentally addresses the Ink Spirit Flame, crediting it with the unexpected transformation and questioning its nature.
• His thoughts of his master and senior sister sustain him during the ordeal and underline his desire to return to them.

Plot points and events

• After three days, Baal prepares to leave his Camp. He selects Captains One, Four, Eight, Nine, and Ten to accompany him, ordering the rest to guard the base.
• Baal teases his chief steward, Sibya, for becoming conspicuously fat and says he needs training. Little Lolita laughs, then grows pensive about how her life of comfort has distanced her from her brother. Little Bei’er, meanwhile, wonders why she has not grown bigger.
• Baal touches the crystal at his chest and hints that it is time to release Mephisto, the Destruction Legion’s second great dark power.
• At Archmond’s territory, a crowd of powerful Demons gathers. Many have come to congratulate Archmond on his eldest daughter reaching Six-Star rank, but they are also drawn by a mysterious “gateway.”
• Frazer and Jilisi greet the arrivals, including Blade Demon, whose cold demeanor and growing strength unsettle Jilisi. She suspects he could threaten Archmond’s plans and resolves to warn her lord.
• Illusion King Brighton Rhine appears, then calls out Three-Eyed Devil Lord Baruk Hughes, who emerges from a disguised rock. Their arrival heightens the tension.
• Archmond comes out of the Castle with a powerful aura, startling even the strongest visitors. He appears stronger than before, but ignores the gathering to watch the sky.
• A gigantic black Phoenix arrives, spreading a wave of destructive force. Archmond identifies its rider as Baal, the King of Destruction.

Character developments and interactions

• Baal remains commanding and strategic, while showing a teasing, familiar side toward Sibya and indulgence toward the two little companions.
• Little Lolita’s laughter gives way to sadness and homesickness; she feels increasingly distant from her brother despite their improved circumstances. Little Bei’er is preoccupied with her own small size.
• Jilisi hides her contempt for Blade Demon behind false warmth. His increased power makes her wary, revealing the political danger beneath her outward politeness.
• The gathering’s strongest figures—Brighton, Baruk, Blade Demon, and Archmond—interact with mutual wariness and challenge, signaling that their relationships are shaped by rivalry and power.

Significant themes

• Power and status: Demons defer to strength, and the arrival of renowned leaders turns Archmond’s gathering into a display of hierarchy and influence.
• Hidden agendas and distrust: The visitors’ public congratulations conceal interest in the gateway and possible political schemes.
• Change and distance: Sibya’s physical transformation and Lolita’s emotional reflection show how time and prosperity can alter people and relationships.
• Rising conflict: Baal’s arrival, Archmond’s newfound strength, and the uneasy presence of powerful rivals set up a major confrontation.

Plot points and events

• Er Dongsheng arrives at Archmond’s stronghold with his captains, appearing in the form of a colossal Flame Phoenix. His arrival alarms the gathered Demons and makes clear that Archmond’s earlier appearance was meant to welcome him.
• Archmond and Er Dongsheng test one another in a clash of auras. Er Dongsheng holds his ground against the far more experienced Archmond, astonishing the crowd and establishing himself as a major power.
• Both leaders end the contest without escalating it. Archmond openly praises Er Dongsheng, and Er Dongsheng returns the compliment.
• Archmond announces that the gathering was not truly for his daughter’s celebration: he called the Demon leaders together to discuss a troublesome issue. He admits that he possesses a gateway to the Abyss’s first layer, shocking the assembled guests.
• Rather than explain immediately, Archmond asks everyone to remain for the banquet and promises to reveal his reasons there. He goes into the Castle, leaving the guests to speculate; some follow him inside.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng demonstrates confidence and formidable power by coming to Archmond’s territory and matching his aura. His calm demeanor and respectful reply suggest controlled self-assurance rather than a desire to provoke open conflict.
• Archmond tests Er Dongsheng but recognizes his strength, then shifts from confrontation to diplomacy. He conceals the discomfort caused by Destruction energy lingering in his mind, while presenting himself as composed.
• The veiled female Demon, Archmond’s “daughter,” is unsettled by Er Dongsheng’s strength and his destructive aura. She suspects a connection to a powerful figure but rejects the possibility.
• The other Demon leaders feel slighted by Archmond’s special welcome to Er Dongsheng and are forced to reassess his faction’s standing after witnessing the contest.
• The encounter remains outwardly courteous, but mutual caution and political maneuvering persist beneath the praise and formal hospitality.

Significant themes

• Power determines status: The aura contest immediately alters how the gathered leaders view Er Dongsheng and his faction.
• Diplomacy and hidden agendas: Courtesy masks rivalry, suspicion, and strategic calculation.
• Revelation as a political move: Archmond’s unexpected admission about the Abyss gateway disrupts the guests’ plans and leaves them uncertain of his motives.
• Dangerous, unexplained power: The Destruction aura unsettles even Archmond, hinting that Er Dongsheng’s abilities may have deeper significance.