Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Archmond hosts a lavish gathering for powerful demons, serving rare food and blood-based drinks. The guests distrust the spread and test it for poison before eating.
• Back in the castle, Archmond coughs up blood and expels a strange aura. His “daughter” identifies it as possibly Destruction aura and is unsettled by how badly it affected him. Archmond insists it only disrupted his mind and that he removed it to protect their plan.
• Several conspirators report that their preparations are complete. Archmond describes them as ambitious demons who hope to exploit political turmoil; his daughter remains suspicious but lets the matter go.
• Archmond reveals an image of a gigantic blood-red Summoning Array beneath the gathering, containing a sealed spatial gateway to the first layer. The demons panic and scatter, but the strongest—including Er Dongsheng, Blade Demon, the Three-Eyed Devil Lord, and the Illusion King—stay put. Blade Demon rebukes the others, and most return.
• Archmond explains that he invited the factions because he cannot open the gateway alone. The array was built with the blood collected by his territory for over a century, and activating it requires an enormous amount of living blood.
• Zasta Golor and Mecanteron challenge Archmond about revealing the plan and ask what went wrong with its final step. Other demon leaders press him for answers.
• Archmond points to Er Dongsheng—addressing him as Lord Baal—and directs the demons to seek an explanation from him. Er Dongsheng says they will get one after dealing with someone approaching.
• A rift opens in the sky. Mephisto emerges, calls Baal his younger brother, and declares that he has sensed the fragrance of Destruction again. Baal recognizes him as his brother.

Character developments and interactions

• Archmond tries to maintain control through apologies and a public explanation, but his coughing, the expelled aura, and the secrecy surrounding his allies raise doubts about his condition and motives.
• Archmond’s daughter shows growing unease about him, sensing something is wrong despite finding no flaw in the Mind-Control Curse.
• Er Dongsheng/Baal remains calm while others panic and question Archmond. His composure suggests he knows more about the array and the impending arrival.
• The demon leaders shift from wary guests to a suspicious, divided crowd: some flee, while the strongest remain and demand accountability.
• Mephisto’s arrival transforms the gathering into a confrontation tied to Baal’s identity and their shared past.

Significant themes

• Distrust and power politics: Demons test even their host’s food, challenge his authority, and maneuver for advantage.
• Blood and sacrifice: The gateway’s construction depends on blood gathered over generations and the lives needed to activate it.
• Hidden identities and ancient history: Archmond’s plan is overshadowed by the revelation that Er Dongsheng is Baal and by Mephisto’s reference to their ancient connection and Destruction.
• Control versus uncertainty: Archmond claims his plan is foolproof, yet his condition and Mephisto’s unexpected arrival suggest events may be beyond his control.

Chapter Summary

• Plot and events: The author, Sixue, addresses readers after feeling discouraged by disappointing results. A wave of reader support—including rewards, monthly votes, recommendations, subscriptions, reviews, and messages—restores Sixue’s motivation. Sixue names several supporters and thanks the wider community, including those not mentioned individually.
• Character development: Sixue shifts from gloom and frustration to renewed determination, deeply moved by the readers’ loyalty. The author vows to respond by working harder and maintaining updates.
• Character interactions: Sixue expresses gratitude to named readers and fellow group members, especially Nai Zui, who helped inspire a plan for more frequent updates. Readers have encouraged Sixue through both public and private support.
• Significant themes: The chapter celebrates the bond between creator and audience, perseverance in the face of poor results, and gratitude for collective encouragement. Sixue promises to attempt three updates per day beginning the next day, if possible, to honor supporters and prove personal resolve.

Key plot points and events

• Mephisto emerges from a Space Rift and overwhelms the gathered demons with an aura of destruction. His scarlet Abyss Stars reveal that he is the third Transcendent Level demon, apparently more powerful than Baal or Archmond.
• Mephisto calls Baal—Er Dongsheng—his younger brother and challenges him. The two exchange rapid, devastating blows, matching each other strike for strike.
• Their combined auras briefly form the image of a colossal Dark Beast. The spectacle leaves the onlookers wondering whether the brothers belong to a noble lineage favored by Dark Beasts.
• The fight ends without a clear victor. Mephisto and Baal separate, while the watching demons become more wary and the Archmond heiress sees an opportunity to recruit them.
• Er Dongsheng reveals that Mephisto’s appearance as his hostile “brother” is part of a plan to establish a convincing identity. The Dark Beast projection is an unexpected bonus that may make them seem like descendants of—or favored by—a powerful Dark Beast.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng/Baal remains confident and sharp-tongued, meeting Mephisto’s attack without hesitation. He is pleased that the staged rivalry has helped him conceal his true origins.
• Mephisto enters as an imposing, elegant noble demon and plays the role of Baal’s formidable estranged brother. Their combat suggests both great power and an underlying familiarity.
• The Archmond heiress becomes fascinated by Mephisto and, after seeing the Dark Beast image, begins plotting to bring both brothers into her lineage.
• Frazer and the other demons react with fear and awe, struggling against the emotional pressure of the brothers’ destructive auras.

Significant themes

• Identity and deception: Er Dongsheng uses a fabricated family connection and noble background to hide where he really came from.
• Power and status: The Transcendent demons’ arrival reshapes the gathering’s balance of power and commands the attention of everyone present.
• Unexpected opportunity: A staged confrontation produces a convincing sign of noble bloodline, giving Er Dongsheng a useful advantage beyond what he intended.

Plot points and events

• Er Dongsheng realizes that demons with the rare favor of a Dark Beast—and especially descendants of a powerful Dark Beast King—form a special kind of nobility. He suspects Baal and Mephisto belong to this category, and their King-level patron’s power rivals that of a Demon Lord.
• Archmond steps between Baal and Mephisto to stop their confrontation. The two agree to pause their dispute but ignore him and leave together. Archmond conceals his anger, waiting for the gateway to open.
• Archmond explains that the gateway can be opened by gathering enough blood, condensing it into Blood Essence, and offering it through a formation. Once opened, any demon may enter until the gateway collapses. The prospect excites the assembled demons, who are eager to gain strength despite the unknown dangers.
• Little Bei’er recognizes Er Dongsheng in his Mephisto disguise and gleefully plays with his hair. She agrees to keep his identity secret in exchange for a promised reward.
• Archmond’s beautiful, armored “daughter” approaches Mephisto and comments on the child’s affection for him. Mephisto remains unmoved by her apparent charms, watching her cautiously.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng/Mephisto reveals strategic insight into Abyssal nobility and stays composed amid the tensions. His disguise cannot fool Little Bei’er, whose recognition leaves him both resigned and amused.
• Baal and Mephisto suspend their hostility at Archmond’s request, then depart together, leaving the other demons wary. The Destruction Squad stays close to Baal and watches Mephisto.
• Archmond maintains a public, accommodating manner while privately resenting the brothers’ disregard and plotting to act when the gateway opens.
• Xierjie grows suspicious of Mephisto, whose presence feels familiar, and wonders how he could be Baal’s older brother. She also reacts with jealousy and insecurity when Archmond’s daughter appears, while reassuring herself that Baal is not interested.
• Archmond’s daughter draws intense attention from the demons, but Mephisto is not distracted by her and suspects she has an agenda.

Significant themes

• Power and status: Abyssal nobility depends on strength, bloodline, service, or the rare favor of Dark Beasts—not merely political influence.
• Ruthless ambition: Demons readily risk danger and sacrifice worldly possessions for the chance to grow stronger.
• Deception and recognition: Er Dongsheng’s transformations conceal him from most demons but not from Little Bei’er.
• Public civility versus private schemes: Archmond’s polite truce masks resentment and calculation, while the gateway’s promise encourages demons to plot among themselves.

Key plot points and events

• Agatha Archmond, a striking female Demon, approaches Baal and Mephisto, expecting their attention. They ignore her while drinking and playing with Little Bei’er.
• Bei’er calls Agatha “ugly” and insists that Xierjie is prettier. Her blunt judgment stuns the gathering and delights the previously insecure Xierjie.
• Er Dongsheng realizes Bei’er seems to judge beauty by how people treat her—or perhaps to sense their intentions. He recognizes that Agatha’s sweet demeanor may conceal hostility and asks what she really wants.
• Mephisto challenges Agatha’s act. She reveals that she is not Archmond’s daughter but belongs to the powerful Archmond Family from the Abyss’s third layer. She believes Baal and Mephisto are nobles from the deeper Abyss and identifies them as Dark Beast Remnants.
• Agatha proposes joining them to explore the Dark Starry Sky Ruins. As proof of her value, she produces a fragment of a map, claiming to know most of it by heart.
• The map shocks both brothers: Agatha says it leads to the Titan Ruins, associated with an exceptionally powerful race that fell into the Abyss and once resisted its invasion. She further claims that the gate beneath them is the entrance. Though it may look like a route to another Abyss layer, ordinary Demons entering it would die.

Character developments

• Agatha shifts from coy flattery to guarded candor when challenged. Her contempt for her supposed father and upper-Abyss Demons reveals her ambition and social loyalties. She uses the map to make herself a valuable potential ally.
• Baal/Er Dongsheng remains casual and skeptical, prioritizing Bei’er even during a potentially major negotiation. He quickly sees through Agatha’s performance.
• Mephisto displays aristocratic authority and impatience, then reacts with intense seriousness when he sees the map, suggesting he recognizes its significance.
• Bei’er is playful and fearless, openly insulting Agatha. Her judgment appears connected to affection or perceived goodwill rather than conventional beauty.
• Xierjie gains confidence when Bei’er calls her pretty, though she is embarrassed by the public attention.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus character: Agatha’s beauty and charm do not conceal her cold intentions; Bei’er’s insults point to an inner measure of worth.
• Trust and hidden motives: The brothers test Agatha’s sincerity, while she reveals information strategically to secure cooperation.
• Power, lineage, and status: Agatha’s assumptions about noble ancestry shape how she approaches Baal and Mephisto, and her own lineage separates her from Archmond.
• Dangerous knowledge: The map transforms a casual encounter into a potentially consequential alliance and introduces the threat—and promise—of the Titan Ruins.

Character interactions

• Bei’er’s insults provoke Agatha, amuse Baal, and unexpectedly reassure Xierjie.
• Er Dongsheng protects and indulges Bei’er while questioning Agatha’s intentions.
• Mephisto confronts Agatha directly, forcing her to abandon her act and disclose her identity and proposal.
• Agatha’s map earns the brothers’ attention, especially Mephisto’s, but the chapter ends before they decide whether to cooperate.

Summary

• The author, Sixue, thanks alliance leader Nai Zui, helmsman Ku Qiong, and other readers for their recent support.
• In response to Nai Zui’s support, Sixue promises to post three updates and 10,000 words every day throughout April. Any missed update will be made up at double the rate later.
• Sixue emphasizes a strong record of never missing an update and reassures readers that the commitment will be kept.
• The chapter is primarily a thank-you and pledge rather than a story installment. Its main themes are gratitude, dedication to readers, and the bond between an author and their supporters. Sixue also asks readers for continued support and monthly recommendation votes.

Plot points and events

• Mephisto’s second avatar, Er Dongsheng, sees part of Agatha’s map and recognizes it as matching a mysterious map that has haunted his thoughts. The resemblance links it to a Half-Demonized Demon, a strange continent, and forbidden Titan Ruins.
• Er Dongsheng suspects some hidden force may be guiding events, but decides he must explore the Ruins. They could offer a route to an Abyssal Layer or help him advance to Third-Level Demon.
• Baal and Mephisto agree to protect Agatha’s group when the gate opens in exchange for the map. Agatha presents a third of it as the basis for their partnership, then leaves after flirting with Mephisto.
• Powerful Demons disperse to prepare for the Ruins and the threat posed by three Transcendent Level Demons. The Illusion King Bright Rhine and Three-Eyed Devil Lord Baruk Hughes depart together; the Blade Demon follows them, apparently willing to ally with others.
• Zasta Golor and Mecanteron decide to seek help from strange figures in the east, whom they expect to tempt with the prospect of entering the First Abyssal Layer and with test subjects. Their exchange reveals Zasta’s lightning powers and Mecanteron’s ability to absorb energy.
• After the crowd leaves, Archmond and Agatha reveal that their scheme is working: Er Dongsheng and the others have taken the bait. Archmond welcomes the unexpected presence of two “Dark Beast Remnants,” which he believes improves their chances. When he asks about Agatha’s promise, she reassures him—then suddenly crumbles apart.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng shifts from wary avoidance to determined exploration, driven by the map’s uncanny connection to his past and his belief that events may be beyond his control.
• Agatha uses charm and the map to secure cooperation, manipulating powerful Demons while appearing playful and flirtatious. Her sudden collapse raises questions about what—or who—she really is.
• Archmond is pleased with the plan’s progress but remains focused on what Agatha promised him.
• Xierjie reacts jealously to Agatha’s flirtation with Mephisto and guards Baal from female rivals.
• Zasta and Mecanteron display a familiar, teasing but volatile partnership: Zasta’s emotions unleash dangerous lightning, while Mecanteron absorbs it and threatens him in return.
• The assembled Demons’ fear of the powerful newcomers pushes them toward alliances, including former loners and regional leaders.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and hidden agendas: The map and Ruins serve as bait in a plan whose full purpose remains concealed.
• Fate versus choice: Er Dongsheng wonders whether he is being steered toward the Ruins, yet chooses to go because the opportunity—and the danger—seems unavoidable.
• Power and uneasy alliances: The threat of stronger Demons forces rivals and loners to consider cooperation.
• Uncertainty and deception: Agatha’s apparent charm, Archmond’s confidence, and her abrupt collapse leave the true nature of the scheme unresolved.

Chapter Summary

Plot and events

• More than three months after the leaders’ gathering, Archmond announces a new system: Blood Contribution. The announcement overturns the demons’ plans. Rather than hunting beasts or slowly building strength, factions and individuals begin attacking one another to collect blood for the underground formation.
• The change grew out of a problem with the formation’s open gateway: many demons had relied on others to make sacrifices while waiting to claim the rewards themselves.
• Two months earlier, the Blood Demon brings another slain demon to the formation. This time, the sacrifice triggers a strange manifestation: blood and runes combine into a Bronze Rune, and a gigantic bronze figure appears over the continent. Its overwhelming presence terrifies demons everywhere.
• The figure demands more demon blood. A miniature Bronze Rune then marks the Blood Demon’s forehead with a Bronze Vertical Eye, before the apparition breaks apart.
• Archmond confronts the woman whose voice speaks in his mind, demanding answers about the apparition. She refuses to explain fully, warns him about the dangers of the Titan Ruins, and hurts him when he challenges her. Archmond remains defiant.
• Er Dongsheng observes the apparition. It affects the map in his mind, while the Scarlet Key suppresses its own presence. He suspects the figure may be connected to a Titan in the Ruins and recognizes that the expedition will be extremely dangerous.
• Er Dongsheng plans to send his clone to invade the Sunlight Plane after the expedition, while he travels to the First Layer of the Abyss to advance his power. He also intends to merge the Dark Beast’s heart into his body.
• The chapter ends in a ruined bronze world, where a half-green, half-black gaze appears in the fog and laments that the “glory of bronze” has passed.

Character developments and interactions

• Archmond shows growing distrust of the woman guiding him. Though she has power over him, he refuses to be intimidated and hides his anger behind a mocking smile.
• The woman remains secretive and forceful, offering only a warning about the Titan Ruins and demonstrating that she can punish Archmond.
• Er Dongsheng reveals the scale of his ambitions: he is preparing for an invasion and further advancement, and sees the Ruins as a crucial step in his plans.
• The demons shift from passive spectators to targets and aggressors as the Blood Contribution system fuels widespread slaughter. The Blood Demon, once feared for killing others, becomes the first recipient of the Bronze Vertical Eye.

Significant themes

• Greed and violence: demons’ reluctance to contribute blood gives way to a continent-wide cycle of predation.
• Power and sacrifice: blood offerings produce a mysterious mark and may connect the demons to forces beyond their understanding.
• Secrecy and mistrust: Archmond’s confrontation highlights the dangers of relying on a powerful but withholding ally.
• Ambition and looming catastrophe: Er Dongsheng’s plans, the uncertain nature of the Titan Ruins, and the decaying bronze world all foreshadow major upheaval.

Chapter Summary: “All Kinds of Clues Emerge!”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The appearance of the bloody contribution score and the requirement of a bronze Rune to enter the Ruins beyond the gate trigger widespread panic among the demons. Many had expected to obtain rewards effortlessly but discover that only Rune-bearers can enter.
• Rumors spread that the entrance to the first layer of the Abyss lies within the Ruins, leading to even greater chaos. Demons and major factions begin slaughtering one another to obtain the “key” needed for entry, and even cities become unsafe.
• While others fight, Er Dongsheng gathers his forces and guards his stronghold. He studies the bronze Rune he obtained from a demon’s head and realizes that its shape resembles the mysterious map he possesses. He suspects the map itself may be a Runeword containing information about the Ruins.
• The chapter explains that Runewords were the sacred written language of the ancient gods of the Elder Sunlight Plane. There were supposedly seventy-two original Runewords, each possessing unknown power.
• Within the Ruins, Avery, a Sea Demon with a black crystal embedded in her forehead, prepares to leave her long-time home. She opens a blue Light Gate using a golden staff and declares her intention to return to her own world and gain power without losing herself to the mysterious artifact.
• The Light Gate transforms into a sword and flies into a shrinking black rift, apparently severing a connection with a dark figure elsewhere. This suggests that Avery’s departure has disrupted or ended an important link.
• Six months later, Er Dongsheng prepares to enter the Titan Ruins. Little Bei’er and Little Lulu beg to accompany him, but he refuses because the expedition is too dangerous.
• Little Lulu experiences strange memories of a lonely woman seated on a throne, suggesting a mysterious past or connection to an ancient identity. Her forehead begins to glow with an unusual aura.
• Er Dongsheng comforts the two children by promising that, after the expedition, he will take them exploring throughout the Abyss. When he touches Lulu’s forehead, his claw is badly burned and corroded, just as it was in the Devil Garment cave.
• Er Dongsheng privately acknowledges that Lulu is far more mysterious than she appears, but declares that, whatever she may have been in the past, she is now his little sister—and he will not allow anyone to take her away.

2. Character Developments

• Er Dongsheng becomes more deeply involved in the mystery of the Ruins and Runewords. His curiosity and impatience grow as he realizes that the Rune and his map may be connected.
• His protective feelings toward Little Bei’er and Little Lulu are emphasized. He refuses to bring them into danger, comforts them with a future promise, and shows genuine affection.
• At the same time, Er Dongsheng’s possessive and ruthless demonic nature is revealed. His insistence that Lulu can “only be” his little sister suggests both fierce loyalty and a troubling desire to control her identity.
• Avery demonstrates determination and emotional attachment to the Sea Demon ruins. Though she longs to return home and gain power, she fears being consumed or transformed by the mysterious black crystal.
• Little Lulu shows signs of an extraordinary hidden identity. Her visions, emotional isolation, glowing forehead, and ability to injure Er Dongsheng merely through contact all point to a powerful past.
• Little Bei’er remains energetic and mischievous, using tantrums and physical attacks when persuasion fails, while Lulu is quieter and more emotionally affected by Er Dongsheng’s refusal.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and sacrifice: The bloody contribution score leads demons to kill one another for access to power and opportunity.
• Hidden histories and identities: Runewords, Avery’s crystal, Lulu’s memories, and the map all point to ancient secrets that have yet to be uncovered.
• Protection versus possession: Er Dongsheng’s care for Lulu is sincere, but it is mixed with possessiveness and a refusal to let her belong to anyone—or perhaps even to her own former identity.
• Loneliness and belonging: Avery mourns the place she is leaving, while Lulu feels an inexplicable connection to a lonely woman from her visions. Both characters appear caught between their past and the life they currently lead.
• The unknown nature of power: The ancient Runewords and mysterious artifacts may grant immense strength, but their origins and consequences remain unclear. Avery’s fear of losing herself emphasizes the danger of relying on such power.

4. Character Interactions

• Demonic factions and Archmond clash indirectly over access to the Ruins; Archmond refuses to explain more, leaving the factions to decide whether to risk pursuing the truth.
• Er Dongsheng studies the Rune alone, connecting it to his map and deepening his determination to explore the Ruins.
• Avery addresses her ancestors before leaving, revealing her emotional attachment to the Sea Demon ruins, then activates the Light Gate with her staff.
• Little Bei’er repeatedly begs, cries, threatens, and attacks Er Dongsheng to change his mind, while Little Lulu responds with quiet sadness.
• Er Dongsheng notices Lulu’s distress and promises that the three of them will explore the Abyss together after his mission. His touch temporarily breaks her strange trance but damages his hand.
• After the children leave, Er Dongsheng reflects on Lulu’s mysterious nature and reaffirms his possessive determination to keep her as his sister.

Summary

• Plot/events: The author announces the start of a new week and explains that the story has not received recommendation placements on any websites. Without enough recommendation and click rankings, the novel may be removed from the fantasy section.
• Character developments: “Sixue,” the author’s self-referential persona, is portrayed as anxious and desperate but still determined to continue updating and writing despite feeling abandoned by the websites.
• Themes: The passage emphasizes perseverance, dependence on reader support, anxiety over rankings and visibility, and the difficult relationship between creative work and online popularity.
• Character interactions: Sixue directly appeals to readers, asking them to click, recommend, vote with monthly tickets, send rewards, and subscribe. The readers’ support is presented as the primary motivation keeping her writing.

Key events

• A month later, a vast host of Demons gathers before a nearly blood-red gateway. They wait for Baal and Mephisto, whose arrival seems necessary before the gateway can be opened.
• Several black-robed Demon researchers complain that the absent kings of Destruction and Ruin are keeping everyone waiting. Their associates, Southern King Zasta and Mecanteron, distance themselves from the group, fearing retaliation.
• Archmond calmly exposes the researchers’ remarks, then reveals that Baal and Mephisto have arrived.
• Mephisto appears with dramatically increased power. His six Abyss Stars have fused into one enormous star, marking him as a near Third-Level Demon. Agatha explains that completing its transformation into a law Rune would make him a true Third-Level Demon.
• The gathering is stunned by Mephisto’s advancement, especially since the Shattered Starry Sky is thought to make progress nearly impossible. Er Dongsheng, who has also just broken through after his duplicate absorbed a great heart, recognizes the explanation as valuable insight into the path he must follow.
• Mephisto confronts the black-robed Demons, asking what they think he is. Baal joins him, demanding to know what kind of “trash” they called him. The chapter ends with the offenders facing the two furious kings.

Character developments and interactions

• Mephisto has advanced to near Third-Level strength and displays a vastly intensified destructive aura. He remains controlled, but his question to the researchers carries a clear threat.
• Er Dongsheng has experienced a sudden breakthrough through his duplicate, though he does not understand its cause. Agatha’s explanation gives him new knowledge about a possible route forward.
• Agatha demonstrates deep knowledge of Demon advancement and is genuinely shocked by Mephisto’s progress.
• Archmond uses a mild, seemingly diplomatic exchange to draw the researchers into exposing their insults just as Baal and Mephisto arrive.
• Zasta and Mecanteron regret associating with the reckless researchers and try to avoid being implicated.
• Baal and Mephisto stand together against the insult, while the assembled Demons watch anxiously.

Significant themes

• Power and hierarchy: Mephisto’s breakthrough reshapes how the Demon horde views him, while the researchers’ apparent boldness collapses under the authority of the kings.
• Knowledge and advancement: Agatha’s explanation reveals the distinct Third-Level path and offers Er Dongsheng crucial insight.
• Recklessness and consequences: The researchers’ careless mockery turns a delay into a dangerous confrontation.
• Hidden strength and transformation: Both Mephisto’s and Er Dongsheng’s unexpected breakthroughs suggest that major changes can occur without obvious signs or clear understanding.

Key plot points and events

• Er Dongsheng, through his avatar Mephisto, confronts black-robed demons who had been causing trouble. He kills one instantly by using spatial power, revealing the speed and strength of a Third-Level Demon.
• The victim rises again despite having his heart torn out. He appears to have undergone Warlock modifications and boasts that he can evade Mephisto’s attacks.
• Mephisto counters with blue flames and a Summoning Array, striking the demon’s single giant eye—the source of his unusual defenses—and destroys him. He spares the remaining black-robed demons, intending his display to deter further challenges.
• Mephisto and Baal approach Archmond to begin opening the Ruins. Blood is poured into the gateway’s Summoning Array, triggering a catastrophic flood that engulfs the Broken Continent.
• Bloody hands drag demons and other living beings—including Er Dongsheng, Archmond, and their companions—beneath the Blood Sea. A vast Light Gate appears, absorbs the flood, and shatters. The continent is left in ruins, with no apparent survivors or living vegetation.

Character developments

• Er Dongsheng/Mephisto demonstrates his newly gained Third-Level power, confidence, and ruthlessness. He uses calculated violence to establish dominance but stops short of wiping out the remaining demons.
• The one-eyed black-robed demon is revealed to be unnaturally resilient, apparently due to bodily fluids from an “One-Eyed Beast” and crude Warlock modifications. His confidence collapses when Mephisto overcomes his defenses.
• Archmond remains composed and eager to proceed, but his belief that Mephisto is the dominant brother shapes how he addresses the pair. Er Dongsheng, meanwhile, prefers to keep danger focused on his avatar rather than his vulnerable true form.

Significant themes

• Power and deterrence: Mephisto’s public execution is meant to warn others against challenging him.
• Limits of artificial enhancement: The one-eyed demon’s modifications provide unusual abilities but cannot protect him from a stronger opponent.
• Uncontrolled catastrophe: The opening of the Ruins unleashes destruction on a scale that overwhelms even powerful demons, abruptly shifting the story from personal conflict to mass disaster.

Character interactions

• Mephisto confronts the black-robed demons; their defiance gives way to fear after he kills one and defeats its seemingly immortal companion.
• Mephisto and Baal meet Archmond to proceed with the opening, while Archmond treats Mephisto as the decision-maker.
• The Blood Sea makes former rivalries irrelevant: demons and the main characters alike are swept away by the Ruins’ overwhelming force.

Summary

The author, Sixue, reflects on the book’s poor performance and decides to revise its early chapters in response to reader criticism. Planned changes include correcting typos and awkward prose, clarifying the role of ancient martial arts and the story’s system, and rewriting the first fifteen or sixteen chapters that readers felt resembled another novel. Sixue promises to improve the details and explanations without changing the early plot.
Sixue acknowledges being a new writer and accepts responsibility for confusing setup and gaps in the story. Determined to rescue the book despite low subscriptions and the loss of promotional placement, Sixue vows to work intensely and report revision progress each day.

Character Development and Interactions

• Sixue shows humility, self-criticism, and renewed determination, responding directly to readers’ complaints and asking them to give the book another chance.
• Sixue addresses both former and longtime readers, inviting them to return and support the revised chapters.
• Zhu Yu is mentioned as a seemingly untouchable benchmark, motivating Sixue to forge an independent path.

Significant Themes

• Creative perseverance and the willingness to revise.
• Accountability to readers and the effort to rebuild trust.
• The struggle between discouragement and hope, captured in Sixue’s wish to be “reborn from the flames.”

Key events

• The Blood Sea suddenly appears, swallowing many Demons, then vanishes from the Shattered Starry Sky. Lulu and Little Bei’er watch from camp and hope Er Dongsheng returns.
• Inside the sea, chains and enormous hands drag Er Dongsheng toward a lightless abyss. Mephisto rescues him by taking elemental form and carrying him out.
• Above the Blood Sea, Er Dongsheng’s dormant Bloodline Rune reacts to the place. His body turns blood-red, and he begins drawing in strange power and growing stronger.
• Er Dongsheng’s clone merges back into him just before Frazer arrives. Frazer discusses their secret bargain: he is to bring Er Dongsheng an object in exchange for a promised favor.
• Agatha appears after Frazer leaves, asks about Mephisto, and is told—apparently by Er Dongsheng posing as Baal—that Mephisto may be dead. The furious response convinces her to retreat.
• Before leaving, Agatha warns that Bloodstar, a dangerous river linking thirteen Abyssal layers, is perilous without accurate passage coordinates. She suggests Mephisto may be able to help Baal return home.
• Er Dongsheng erupts in a roar after Agatha departs.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng remains outwardly composed while studying the Blood Sea, but his Bloodline Rune’s reaction hints at a deep connection between him, Hell, the Abyss, and this place. He maintains his disguise as Baal and acts enraged when Mephisto is mentioned.
• Mephisto demonstrates his strength and loyalty by risking himself to rescue Er Dongsheng.
• Frazer is shown as cautious and opportunistic: he has a private deal with “Baal,” but seems wary of confronting him directly.
• Agatha is curious about the secret meetings between Frazer and Baal, yet quickly backs off when Baal appears unstable. She trusts Mephisto more than Baal and believes he may know a route home.
• Lulu and Little Bei’er express their attachment to Er Dongsheng, underscoring the cost of his sudden separation from them.

Significant themes

• The unknown and the perilous: The Blood Sea is an alien, destructive realm filled with chains, monsters, bones, and mysterious forces.
• Power tied to identity and origin: The Bloodline Rune’s awakening suggests Er Dongsheng’s hidden nature is connected to the Abyss or the Blood Sea.
• Deception and mistrust: Er Dongsheng’s assumed identity, Frazer’s guarded bargain, and Agatha’s suspicions shape the encounters.
• Separation and the search for home: The children await Er Dongsheng, while the discussion of Bloodstar and Mephisto points toward the dangers of finding a way back.

Plot points and events

• The Crimson Rune suddenly awakens and begins violently fusing with Er Dongsheng’s other bloodlines, threatening to destroy the balance inside his body. Mephisto intervenes with his destructive aura, provoking Er Dongsheng’s dark, beast-like power; Er Dongsheng uses the surge to suppress the crimson energy and regain control.
• Shaken by the near-disaster, Er Dongsheng resolves not to use the Bloodline Rune or the fused destructive energies until he can control them.
• He explores the seemingly endless sea of blood, searching for an exit and the Ruins entrance marked by Agatha, but finds neither. The realm is behaving unlike the inherited accounts of it, and strange demons and creatures appear throughout.
• One demon alternates between terrified pleas and an eerie message to Er Dongsheng: “You’re next” and “We won’t stop until one of us is dead.” Er Dongsheng suspects something has gone wrong in the realm.
• A persistent, faceless crimson figure follows Er Dongsheng despite his attempts to destroy or escape it. He eventually enters a bone island shrouded in red haze. The figure refuses to follow, then gnaws itself apart and vanishes, leaving behind a Rune that disappears onto the island.
• As Er Dongsheng cautiously explores the island, something suddenly tugs at him from behind. He turns to investigate, but the chapter ends before the source is revealed.

Character developments

• Er Dongsheng learns that even a seemingly stable power—the Crimson Rune—can become dangerously unpredictable. He responds with greater caution and relies on willpower to control himself.
• His resolve and resourcefulness are tested by the realm’s unexplained threats, though his curiosity drives him to investigate the dangerous island.
• Mephisto acts decisively to help suppress the crisis, but the intervention also unleashes Er Dongsheng’s destructive, Dark Beast-like state.

Significant themes

• Power and control: Powerful bloodlines and destructive energies can become lethal when used without mastery.
• The unknown and isolation: The blood sea’s strange inhabitants, apparent lack of an exit, and altered conditions make the realm feel like a hostile trap.
• Threats that defy force: The crimson follower cannot be defeated by ordinary attacks, suggesting that understanding its nature may matter more than strength.

Character interactions

• Mephisto physically intervenes to stabilize Er Dongsheng, while Er Dongsheng struggles to contain the forces within himself.
• Er Dongsheng encounters a demon whose apparent madness gives way to a chilling, possibly supernatural warning.
• The faceless crimson figure relentlessly pursues Er Dongsheng, then reacts violently when he enters the hazy island—leaving behind a mysterious Rune.

Chapter Summary

This section is an author’s revision update rather than a narrative chapter.

• Key events: The manuscript revisions have reached Chapter 35. Chapters 36 and 37 were considered unsatisfactory and will be discarded and rewritten. The author is also continuing to correct typos and revise earlier details.
• Changes to the story: Little Succubus’s introduction has been rewritten, and additional explanations clarify that ancient martial arts are only a temporary survival method. The system is now explicitly presented as an ability that records information, removing implications that the story follows an infinite-flow format.
• Character development: No new character actions or developments occur in this update, though Little Succubus’s characterization and introduction have been revised.
• Themes: The update emphasizes revision, continuity, clarification of the story’s mechanics, and the author’s effort to prevent readers from misunderstanding the setting or genre.
• Character interactions: No character interactions are described.
• Additional information: The author is uncertain whether Qidian will synchronize the revisions. Readers are encouraged to check the updated public chapters, while pirated versions may remain outdated. The author also asks readers to support the book.

Plot and key events

• Er Dongsheng enters a blood-red, bone-strewn island and is suddenly tugged from behind. He attacks with the Spear of Destruction, but finds no one there.
• Uneasy and unable to identify the threat, he decides to return to the sea. He takes an unusual bone with him as he leaves.
• After walking for several minutes, he realizes he cannot reach the shore: the red mist and bones continue endlessly, though he can still hear the waves.
• Running fails, so he flies upward. He seems to pass through a barrier, but instantly finds himself back on the ground.
• He discovers a bone identical to the one he collected—and realizes the bone in his clothes has vanished. He suspects that cause and effect, or the island’s surroundings, are being manipulated.
• On a second attempt, he deliberately watches what happens to the bone. It disappears as he crosses the apparent barrier, strengthening his suspicion that a powerful force or consciousness controls the space.
• Then he feels a clawed, scaled hand behind him. He attacks and turns, but again finds nothing. The chapter ends as he reaches back once more, setting up another disturbing encounter.

Character development

• Er Dongsheng shifts from cautious confidence to mounting fear, then tries to regain control by observing the island systematically.
• His reasoning becomes his main defense: he tests the space, tracks the bone, and forms theories about its strange rules, even while acknowledging that he does not know how to escape.

Character interactions

• Er Dongsheng’s only apparent opponent is an unseen presence that repeatedly touches or pulls him, then vanishes when he attacks.
• He also consults his system, which reports no mental interference, leaving him without an easy explanation or reassurance.

Significant themes

• Unknowable danger: The island offers no visible enemy, yet Er Dongsheng repeatedly senses a potentially fatal presence.
• Distorted reality and causality: Objects disappear and apparent routes return him to where he began, making cause and effect unreliable.
• Isolation and helplessness: The endless mist, silent surroundings, and absent exit trap Er Dongsheng in a space whose rules he cannot understand.

Key plot points and events

• While trapped on the strange island, Er Dongsheng discovers that a patch on his neck has grown tiny mouths and grasping hands. He tears it away and finds faint, dark copies spreading through his cells, flesh, scales, and Runes.
• His Ink Spirit Flame cannot stop the copies from merging with him. He unleashes the dangerous power of the Rune of Devastation, combining it with the flame to drive the shadows out—while struggling not to lose himself to its destructive frenzy.
• The expelled black liquid gathers in his shadow and speaks, claiming it has been imprisoned inside Er Dongsheng for years. It rises as a Demon with bright blue eyes, declares it wants Er Dongsheng’s body, and attacks.
• The Demon uses the same grotesque teeth and claws that grew on Er Dongsheng. Er Dongsheng retaliates with his three-part transformed power, striking the Demon with the Spear of Destruction, binding him with chains, and blasting him with flame.
• The Demon survives and knocks Er Dongsheng aside. Er Dongsheng then sees that his opponent has the same three-colored eyes and transformations as he does—apparently, another version of himself.

Character developments

• Er Dongsheng responds to the bodily invasion with grim resolve and resourcefulness, but the episode exposes the risks of his immense power: using the Rune of Devastation brings him close to becoming a mindless, destructive monster. He also feels an intense, unexplained urge to kill the Demon.
• The Demon emerges from Er Dongsheng’s body with a clear desire to reclaim life by taking over his body. His familiarity to Er Dongsheng suggests a deeper connection, though his identity remains unknown.

Significant themes

• Invasion and identity: The shadows imitate Er Dongsheng’s body, while the Demon’s matching powers raise questions about what separates the original from the copy.
• Power and its cost: Er Dongsheng’s forbidden destructive energy can save him, but threatens to consume his mind.
• Prison and release: The Demon describes Er Dongsheng’s body as a prison, turning the apparent escape into a new threat.
• Self-confrontation: The final revelation frames the conflict as a battle against a possible double.

Character interactions

• Er Dongsheng and the Demon begin with wary questioning, but quickly move into a hostile struggle over Er Dongsheng’s body and survival.
• Their exchange is taunting and personal: the Demon admires Er Dongsheng’s body, while Er Dongsheng recognizes the Demon’s attack as the source of his infection and responds with escalating force.
• The encounter ends on a cliffhanger as Er Dongsheng faces an apparent counterpart whose powers mirror his own.

Key plot points and events

• Er Dongsheng is confronted by a three-winged demon who looks like him and seems to know his thoughts, moves, and abilities.
• The demon counters Er Dongsheng’s techniques and uses his chains and blue crystals as devastating, whip-like weapons, repeatedly injuring him.
• Er Dongsheng realizes the strange place can copy abilities only within its limits, so he relies on Ink Spirit Flame and the Spear of Destruction. He tries to calm his thoughts to hide his intentions, briefly catching the demon off guard, but the demon still evades by turning into Er Dongsheng’s shadow and strikes him from behind.
• As Er Dongsheng loses heart, the demon taunts him for giving up. This jolts Er Dongsheng into regaining his resolve and asking who his opponent really is.
• The demon reveals that he is the awakened remnant of the demon soul once merged with Er Dongsheng. Expelling the black liquid in this strange place revived a wisp of its will.
• The remnant admits it would kill Er Dongsheng and take his body if it could, but Ink Spirit Flame recognizes only Er Dongsheng. The remnant is also disintegrating, with rows of teeth spreading across its palm, and says its time is nearly over.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng shifts from bewilderment and mounting despair to renewed determination. He studies the demon’s limits, avoids summoning his double because it might also be copied, and learns that composure can sometimes disrupt the demon’s predictions.
• The demon soul is both a lethal rival and a strangely reluctant one. It mocks Er Dongsheng’s weakness, yet seems frustrated by his surrender; once identified, it speaks wistfully about wanting to live rather than continuing the fight.
• Their exchange reveals a complex bond: the demon is a remnant of Er Dongsheng’s former merged soul, shares knowledge of him, and wants his body, but cannot wield the Ink Spirit Flame’s authority.

Significant themes

• Identity and divided self: The enemy is literally a remnant of Er Dongsheng’s own past, forcing him to face a version of himself.
• Resolve under pressure: Er Dongsheng’s despair nearly defeats him, but remembering his past survival helps him recover.
• Limits of power and knowledge: The demon’s ability to read and copy Er Dongsheng seems overwhelming, yet it has constraints—especially around powers beyond the place’s capacity to imitate.
• Mortality and attachment to life: Despite its hostility, the demon’s final longing to remain alive gives the confrontation a note of sadness.

Key plot points and events

• Er Dongsheng speaks with a demon who explains that they are trapped inside the Spacetime Maze. To escape, Er Dongsheng must break through conventional limits and defeat the Guardian of the Spacetime Maze that has formed within him.
• The demon is only a temporary, resurrected fragment of will—an accidental byproduct of the monster inside his body. It is now being consumed by that monster and is close to disappearing.
• The demon warns that Er Dongsheng’s Guardian is unusually powerful: it has absorbed the demon’s will and behaves like an inner demon. Defeating it could bring exceptional rewards, but ordinary attacks will not be enough.
• Er Dongsheng suspects the Abyssal Will has been engineering events to push him toward using Forbidden Fusion Energy. He connects this to earlier changes and advantages that helped him grow stronger, and wonders whether the energy is meant to serve the Abyss’s larger purpose.
• As the demon disintegrates, the Guardian emerges. Er Dongsheng accepts that he must face it and resolves to continue onward through the Abyss.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng remains determined and analytical. Though uneasy about the Guardian and wary of the Abyssal Will’s intentions, he begins considering whether to use the forbidden energy rather than simply resist the path being forced upon him.
• The demon shifts from a jealous, combative figure to a resigned one. He envies Er Dongsheng’s chosen status but urges him to live, explore the wider Abyss and stars, and carry their shared body onward. Er Dongsheng responds with a solemn blessing, acknowledging the demon’s fragment as a life in its own right.

Significant themes

• Life and mortality: Even a temporary fragment of will values life and mourns the world it will never see.
• Fate and manipulation: Er Dongsheng questions whether his growth and hardships are being orchestrated by the Abyssal Will for an unknown end.
• Inheritance and identity: The demon’s final wish asks Er Dongsheng to carry forward something of the life and body they share.
• Resolve in the face of uncertainty: With escape impossible and the Guardian rising, Er Dongsheng chooses to confront what lies ahead.