Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “A Frightening Compensation List”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran receives a note written in the Red Soil Continent’s common language, apparently from Goni. Unsure whether it is a trap, he investigates Goni’s situation.
• He remains suspicious of Cat Three, who has a complicated history: he betrayed most of the Panda Clan to Kazilan in exchange for becoming Kazilan’s disciple and a Level Three auctioneer. Li Ziran is especially wary of Kazilan’s hidden motives.
• Learning that Goni has been imprisoned, Li Ziran, Snow, and their companions go to room 3018 in the Mill to rescue him.
• They are welcomed by Lina, a polite rabbit-girl servant from Six Flavors House. Instead of threatening them, she cleans the room, serves wine, and presents a five-page compensation bill for the damage supposedly caused by Goni.
• The list totals 6,278,400 Void Coins, including costs for furniture, bricks, stairs, and other materials used in the abandoned Six Flavors House on the Red Soil Continent.
• Lina claims that paying the bill will secure Goni’s release. Li Ziran recognizes the demand as extortion, especially since Kazilan had previously suggested that three million Void Coins would settle the matter.
• When Li Ziran tries to take Goni away, Lina reveals that Goni’s soul is bound by Six Flavors House’s unique Void Binding. Leaving the room would cause his soul to collapse, meaning only his physical body is present.
• Lina reveals that Six Flavors House knows Li Ziran recently acquired Hippo Ancient City for 3,610,000 Void Coins, offering to deduct that amount from the compensation.
• Li Ziran challenges the absurd valuation and pressures Lina into admitting that the negotiation is not really about the listed costs. He guesses that the true price may be far lower and questions Lina’s identity and motives.
• Goni suddenly awakens and reveals that the entire incident was a test arranged by him. Lina had insisted on testing whether Li Ziran was capable enough to rescue him, while Goni had predicted that Li Ziran would not be easily deceived.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran demonstrates increasing caution, intelligence, and negotiating skill. Rather than reacting emotionally to Goni’s imprisonment, he analyzes the environment, the compensation list, Lina’s behavior, and the nature of the soul-binding technique.
• He also shows growing distrust toward the inhabitants of the Void Expanse, particularly Kazilan and Cat Three, recognizing that apparent kindness may conceal dangerous intentions.
• Lina initially appears to be a weak, obedient rabbit-girl servant, but her knowledge and confidence reveal that she is more involved in Six Flavors House’s affairs than she claims. She tests Li Ziran through exaggerated politeness and an outrageous bill.
• Goni is revealed to have orchestrated or approved the test. His apparent unconsciousness was an act or part of the setup, and he acknowledges that Li Ziran is more capable than expected.
• Cat Three and Kazilan, though absent from the main confrontation, remain important sources of tension. Cat Three’s betrayal of the Panda Clan makes Li Ziran question whether his current help is genuine or part of Kazilan’s broader schemes.
• Snow functions as an observer and reacts with shock to the enormous compensation list, helping emphasize how unreasonable the demand is.

Significant Themes

• Deception beneath courtesy: Six Flavors House’s impeccable hospitality contrasts with its threatening demands, showing that danger in the Void Expanse often hides behind politeness and service.
• Value and exploitation: The compensation list turns material damage and personal safety into financial transactions, blurring the line between legitimate compensation and extortion.
• Trust and manipulation: Li Ziran must determine who is truly helping him—Goni, Cat Three, Lina, or Kazilan—and whether apparent vulnerability is genuine.
• Intelligence versus power: Li Ziran does not rely on force. He defeats the situation by noticing inconsistencies, reading people’s reactions, and exposing the false premise of the negotiation.
• The soul and the body: Six Flavors House’s Void Binding highlights the distinction between physical survival and spiritual existence, making Goni’s imprisonment more dangerous than an ordinary hostage situation.
• Testing and recognition: Goni’s trap functions as a test of Li Ziran’s competence, and Li Ziran earns greater respect by seeing through it.

Character Interactions

• Li Ziran and Snow discuss the danger surrounding Goni and investigate his imprisonment together.
• Lina treats Li Ziran and his companions with exaggerated hospitality, creating an unsettling contrast between her gentle behavior and the enormous demand she presents.
• Li Ziran interrogates Lina about the compensation list, Six Flavors House’s ownership, and the true value of Goni’s release.
• Lina attempts to use Li Ziran’s recent purchase of Hippo Ancient City as leverage, but Li Ziran turns the conversation against her by questioning whether Goni could truly be worth millions.
• Their exchange shifts from apparent extortion to genuine negotiation when Li Ziran identifies Lina’s concealed role and recognizes that the situation was designed as a test.
• Goni’s sudden awakening confirms Li Ziran’s suspicions and transforms the confrontation into a revealing exchange of mutual assessment.

Chapter Summary: “Six Flavors House’s Leader, Lina”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran is reunited with Goni, who has been staying in Six Flavors House. Goni introduces Lina, his granddaughter and the current leader of Six Flavors House.
• Goni reveals that he was one of Six Flavors House’s original founders, though he insists that its present power and authority have little to do with him. He also denies having summoned Li Ziran for any personal purpose.
• Lina privately isolates Li Ziran inside a specially constructed barrier, separating them from Goni, Snow, Anfuni, and Jin Potter.
• She offers Li Ziran wine and questions his plans for the Hippo Ancient City, particularly whether he intends to merge his soul with it according to Christie’s method.
• Lina warns that the process could transform him into something “strange” or “grotesque,” reacting with unusual anger and pain when Li Ziran asks how she knows this.
• She demonstrates her mastery over numerous fundamental Elemental Chains, including Light, Nature, Darkness, Time, Space, and Soul. Li Ziran recognizes them as six of the eight primordial elements associated with the Red Soil Continent.
• Lina explains that the powerful races of the Void Expanse already treat these chains as basic techniques. Their real difficulty lies in understanding and manipulating the mysterious Void Chains that combine the elements into higher forms.
• Li Ziran realizes that Lina may be interested in his own chains and defensively tells her that they have nothing more to discuss.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: Becomes increasingly suspicious and cautious. Although impressed by Lina’s knowledge and power, he refuses to be intimidated or manipulated. He recognizes that his understanding of the Elemental Chains is far behind that of the Void Expanse’s strongest beings.
• Goni: Is revealed to have a deeper history with Six Flavors House than Li Ziran expected. Despite his influence as a founder and teacher, he deliberately distances himself from the organization’s current affairs and allows Lina to handle the meeting.
• Lina: Initially behaves like a spoiled, mischievous young girl, but quickly reveals herself to be an extremely powerful and knowledgeable leader. Her anger toward Christie’s method and her painful reaction to the idea of soul fusion suggest a traumatic personal history or prior experience with the process.
• Goni and Lina: Their playful grandfather-granddaughter dynamic contrasts with Lina’s true authority and power. Goni treats her affectionately, while still recognizing that she controls the situation.

Significant Themes

• The gap between personal achievement and higher-world standards: Li Ziran’s hard-earned mastery is revealed to be only an elementary foundation among the powerful races of the Void Expanse.
• The danger of transformation and power-seeking: Lina’s warnings about merging with the Hippo Ancient City suggest that gaining power may come at the cost of identity or humanity.
• Knowledge concealed by experience and trauma: Lina knows the dangers of Christie’s method but refuses to explain them directly, implying that her knowledge comes from painful past events.
• The nature of Void and creation: The chapter distinguishes between elemental chains and Void Chains. The elements provide raw components, while Void determines how they combine, collapse, and form higher existences such as Origin.
• Trust and suspicion: Li Ziran questions everyone’s motives, especially those who offer him gifts or guidance. His caution reflects his growing awareness that powerful figures may have hidden agendas.

Character Interactions

• Goni teases Lina, who responds by acting spoiled and rushing into his arms, establishing their affectionate but unusual family relationship.
• Goni introduces Lina to Li Ziran and explains her position as Six Flavors House’s leader.
• Li Ziran questions Goni about Cat Three, Six Flavors House, and the reason he was summoned.
• Lina and Li Ziran engage in a tense private conversation. She alternates between hospitality, mockery, anger, and instruction.
• Lina calls Li Ziran a “little greenhorn,” belittling his achievements while exposing how much more advanced the Void Expanse’s powerful races are.
• Li Ziran challenges Lina’s assumptions and ultimately rejects the possibility that she has a legitimate claim to his Elemental Chains, ending the chapter on a guarded and confrontational note.

Chapter Summary: Ideal

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lina reveals a vast collection of Void-related figures and mysteries to Li Ziran, including ancient beings, major races, and renowned Void researchers. The display culminates with William, a brilliant but sickly scholar studying the Void structure of the Elemental Gland.
• Lina explains that Six Flavors House exists to support exceptional Void explorers through basic services, information, logistics, and care. However, the number of people capable of meeting its standards has declined dramatically over the centuries.
• She argues that the Red Soil Continent is gradually dying. Its protective shell is thinning and disappearing, exposing the continent to the Void Expanse and ensuring the eventual destruction of all life upon it.
• Lina condemns the attempts by Christie and others to dismantle or reshape the continent. She believes their intentions may be good, but their methods are naïve and will only accelerate the continent’s collapse.
• Li Ziran realizes that breaking the continent apart cannot lead to true rebirth, just as dismantling a body cannot recreate a complete person.
• Lina suggests that salvation may come only from beings beyond the Red Soil Continent—possibly inhabitants of other, larger continents with more advanced control over the Void.
• Despite believing Li Ziran is not exceptional enough, Lina invites him to join Six Flavors House and compete alongside the greatest geniuses of the Void Expanse.
• Li Ziran rejects the invitation. Lina mocks his talent and judgment, claiming that his only real advantage is his connection to Goni.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: He begins the chapter confident in his ability to evaluate situations, but Lina’s revelations force him to confront the limits of his knowledge. He recognizes the destructive implications of continental fragmentation and becomes more aware of the scale of the Void and the possible existence of worlds beyond his own. Although intrigued by Lina’s ideals and invitation, he refuses to join Six Flavors House.
• Lina: Lina is revealed as deeply idealistic, emotionally burdened, and nearly despairing. She genuinely wants to serve beings capable of saving the world, but centuries of decline have convinced her that such figures may no longer exist. Her admiration for genius is severe and uncompromising; she alternates between grief, hope, condescension, and harsh judgment.
• William: Though he does not appear directly, William is presented as one of the greatest living Void scholars and a standard against which Lina measures Li Ziran.
• Six Flavors House: The organization is shown to be far more significant than a simple service establishment. It represents a tradition of supporting great explorers and preserving the possibility of transcendence.

Significant Themes

• Idealism versus pragmatism: Lina’s pure faith in serving great individuals clashes with Li Ziran’s cautious, practical worldview.
• The decline of civilization: The diminishing number of worthy geniuses and the fading protective shell symbolize the Red Soil Continent’s long-term decay.
• Limits and transcendence: Lina believes beings born within the continent are fundamentally limited by it and may be unable to escape its fate.
• Destructive attempts at salvation: The chapter questions whether desperate efforts to create change can worsen the very crisis they aim to solve.
• The search for hope: Even amid despair, Lina continues seeking a superior being or external power capable of saving the continent.
• Recognition and merit: Lina judges people almost entirely by their ability to transcend limitations, while Li Ziran resists being defined by such standards.

Character Interactions

• Lina challenges Li Ziran’s self-confidence by showing him the achievements of ancient and contemporary Void masters.
• Li Ziran questions Lina about Six Flavors House, its purpose, and her fears regarding the continent’s destruction.
• Lina emotionally confesses her despair and explains why she views the current attempts to reshape the continent as futile.
• Li Ziran tries to defend the possibility that Christie’s plan might succeed, but Lina refutes him with the analogy of dismantling a body and expecting it to become whole again.
• Lina evaluates and criticizes Li Ziran, first suggesting he might surpass the great figures of the Void, then concluding that he is inferior even to William.
• Despite her criticism, she offers him a place at Six Flavors House. Li Ziran declines, prompting Lina to dismiss him as lacking both potential and judgment.

Li Ziran rejected Lina’s offer to join Six Flavors House and prepared to take charge of Hippo Ancient City, while Quentin delivered over four million Void Coins and earned a place among Li Ziran’s future allies. At Christie's, Kazilan tried to pressure Li Ziran into fulfilling an alleged promise to provide her with three hundred Tidal Shells.

• Li Ziran turned down Lina’s invitation to study at Six Flavors House, and Goni confirmed that he would accompany Li Ziran instead.
• Li Ziran and his companions prepared to leave the Mill for Christie's, while Anfuni and Jin Potter went to handle contacts and provisional orders.
• Quentin gave Li Ziran White Slips worth over four million Void Coins, and Li Ziran promised to honor the requests Quentin had made to his friends and allow the Stonefolk tribe to settle permanently in Hippo Ancient City.
• Quentin hurried away after Li Ziran praised his efforts, and Li Ziran and Goni entered Christie's to attend the Dome Banquet.
• Kazilan confronted Li Ziran and demanded three hundred Tidal Shells, claiming Quentin had told her that Li Ziran had agreed to the request.

Li Ziran attended Christie's Dome Banquet, where Jiawen revealed that the Red Soil Continent would soon be partitioned and unveiled four crystals of pure Origin at its core. As the auction for the crystals began, Kazilan immediately bid ten million Void Coins.

• Li Ziran waited at the banquet and observed the Sea Folk, a Swamp Mud Dragon, and a high-ranking undead being among the guests.
• Jiawen introduced himself as Christie's head and announced that the division of the Red Soil Continent would begin within an hour.
• Jiawen revealed four crystals of pure Origin at the continent's core and offered three of them for auction.
• Li Ziran recognized the crystals' immense value but doubted he could afford to bid.
• Kazilan opened the auction by bidding ten million Void Coins.

Chapter Summary: “Do You Need an Investment, Miss?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The auction for the Continental Core, a fragment of the world’s Source Crystal, begins with unexpectedly fierce bidding.
• Kazilan opens at ten million Void Coins, but Gelong and other powerful beings quickly raise the price. The bids climb from sixteen million to twenty-six million.
• The Bone Dragon King bids twenty-six million, using overwhelming undead draconic pressure to intimidate the hall. Jiawen accepts the bid, establishing it as the price he considers sufficient.
• Kazilan is revealed to have exhausted nearly all her funds at around twenty-two to twenty-four million. Li Ziran realizes that combining their money could potentially secure a core.
• Gelong then shocks everyone by offering thirty million, winning the first Continental Core.
• Li Ziran decides he needs additional funds to make a deal with Kazilan. He asks Goni and Quentin for help.
• Quentin offers a loan of two million Void Coins, using the recently acquired Hippo Ancient City and three hundred Tidal Shells as collateral. Li Ziran accepts immediately, judging the potential value of the Continental Core to be greater than the city.
• The second core is sold for thirty-one million to the Frost Bone Dragon after a renewed bidding war.
• As the final core is announced, Kazilan bids twenty-four million, but the price rapidly climbs to thirty million and then thirty-two million.
• Seeing Kazilan unable to compete alone, Li Ziran finally approaches her and offers: “Miss, do you need an investment?”

Character Developments

• Li Ziran shifts from passive observer to strategic participant. Although initially frustrated by his lack of funds, he recognizes the Continental Core’s importance and risks his newly won Ancient City to obtain financing.
• His willingness to gamble demonstrates his growing ambition and ability to prioritize long-term opportunities over immediate security.
• Kazilan is shown to be wealthy and determined but financially limited. Her visible anxiety and inability to continue bidding reveal how badly she wants the core and how vulnerable she is under financial pressure.
• Quentin proves useful and pragmatic by securing Li Ziran a fast loan through his organization, while also revealing information about Kazilan’s failed attempt to obtain a much larger loan.
• Snow acts as the cautious voice of reason, objecting to Li Ziran’s decision to risk the Hippo Ancient City.
• Gelong, the Bone Dragon King, and the Frost Bone Dragon establish themselves as major financial competitors, each demonstrating immense resources and determination.

Significant Themes

• Opportunity versus security: Li Ziran sacrifices the safety of the Hippo Ancient City for the possibility of gaining a portion of the Continental Core.
• Wealth as power: Money determines influence in the auction, while powerful beings also use intimidation and status to dominate others.
• Strategic cooperation: Li Ziran realizes that Kazilan’s resources and his own could complement one another, despite their existing tension.
• Risk and timing: The chapter emphasizes that success depends on waiting for the right moment, preserving resources, and acting decisively before an opportunity disappears.
• Hidden value: The Continental Core’s exact properties remain unclear, but its enormous price and the desperation of powerful bidders signal its extraordinary importance.

Character Interactions

• Li Ziran and Kazilan: Their relationship changes from rivalry and mutual suspicion toward possible partnership. Li Ziran waits until Kazilan is desperate before offering financial assistance.
• Li Ziran and Quentin: Li requests a loan, and Quentin arranges two million Void Coins through his organization. Their exchange reflects mutual trust and practical cooperation.
• Li Ziran and Snow: Snow questions his willingness to risk the Ancient City, highlighting the conflict between caution and ambition.
• Quentin and Cat Three: Quentin reveals that Cat Three also sought a massive loan for Kazilan but was rejected, suggesting Kazilan’s financial position is even weaker than she appears.
• Jiawen and the bidders: Jiawen calmly controls the auction, allowing prices to rise until each core reaches a level acceptable to Christie's.

Chapter Summary: “Cat Three, I Have Six Million”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran approaches Kazilan during the auction and offers her six million Void Coins to help her obtain the Continental Core fragment.
• Kazilan reacts with disbelief and hostility, mocking Li Ziran’s offer and refusing to cooperate. She views him as insignificant prey rather than a potential ally.
• As the auction price rises above thirty-four million, Kazilan unsuccessfully seeks financial assistance from several powerful figures, including a Golden Dragon.
• Li Ziran realizes that Kazilan’s prejudice prevents her from accepting his help directly. With only minutes remaining, he looks for another way to get the money to her.
• Cat Three returns from the stairway after apparently failing to borrow enough money for Kazilan. Li Ziran follows him and offers six million Void Coins in exchange for future control of an independent Christie’s auction house in Li Ziran’s new territory.
• Cat Three initially doubts Li Ziran’s wealth but accepts after seeing the Black Bar and recognizing the value of the proposed reward. They sign a contract guaranteed by Christie’s, transferring all of Li Ziran’s available Void Coins to Cat Three.
• Cat Three delivers the money to Kazilan without revealing Li Ziran as the source. Kazilan immediately raises her bid to thirty-four million, regaining confidence and appearing close to winning.
• Just before the auction closes, the Jade Giant unexpectedly bids thirty-five million. Kazilan becomes visibly devastated.
• Cat Three signals that they are still short another five hundred thousand, leaving Li Ziran with less than twenty seconds to find additional funds.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: Demonstrates increasing boldness, resourcefulness, and willingness to sacrifice his entire fortune for strategic gains. Though Kazilan rejects him, he adapts quickly by approaching Cat Three and offering a valuable long-term incentive. His negotiation skills and ability to recognize opportunities become central to the chapter.
• Kazilan: Begins arrogant and openly contemptuous toward Li Ziran, refusing to acknowledge him as an equal. Her failed attempts to obtain money reveal her vulnerability and desperation. After receiving the funds through Cat Three, she regains her confidence, but the Jade Giant’s counterbid exposes how fragile her position remains.
• Cat Three: Appears discouraged after failing to secure enough money, but quickly reassesses the situation when Li Ziran makes his offer. He recognizes the value of managing an independent auction house and becomes a practical intermediary between Li Ziran and Kazilan.
• Jade Giant: Emerges as a powerful and unexpected competitor, abruptly overturning Kazilan’s apparent victory with a thirty-five-million bid.
• Jiawen: Remains the auction’s overseeing authority. His presence restrains Kazilan from openly attacking others and ensures the legitimacy of the bidding process.

Significant Themes

• Prejudice and missed cooperation: Kazilan’s contempt for Li Ziran prevents her from accepting help directly, forcing him to find an indirect solution.
• Negotiation and mutual benefit: Li Ziran succeeds not through force, but by offering Cat Three a valuable future opportunity in exchange for immediate assistance.
• Desperation under time pressure: The rapidly closing auction drives the characters to make risky decisions and reveal their true priorities.
• Power and status: Kazilan dismisses Li Ziran because of her assumptions about his weakness, while Cat Three’s changed attitude shows how quickly wealth and leverage can alter relationships.
• Sacrifice for future influence: Li Ziran gives up all his current funds, betting that access to the Continental Core and control over future business opportunities will yield greater rewards.

Character Interactions

• Li Ziran and Kazilan: Their tense exchange highlights Kazilan’s disdain and Li Ziran’s persistence. He tries to frame the deal as mutually beneficial, but she rejects him harshly and threatens him with her flea-like creatures.
• Li Ziran and Cat Three: Their conversation becomes the chapter’s crucial negotiation. Li Ziran offers immediate financial support and promises Cat Three independent control of a future Christie’s branch; Cat Three accepts after verifying the funds.
• Cat Three and Kazilan: Cat Three reports that they are still short of money, leading to an argument. Despite their tension, he ultimately acts as the channel through which Kazilan receives Li Ziran’s money.
• Kazilan and the auction participants: She humbly seeks loans from stronger figures, but they refuse her. Once financed, she reasserts herself by making a major bid.
• Kazilan and the Jade Giant: The Jade Giant’s sudden counterbid directly challenges her and threatens to undo all of Li Ziran’s efforts.

Li Ziran sold the exclusive Tidal Shell sales rights to Lina for one million Void Coins, then persuaded Kazilan to use the money to secure the final place in the Red Soil Continent auction. As the continent was torn open to reveal its core, Li Ziran turned to negotiate his share with Kazilan.

• Desperate for five hundred thousand more Void Coins, Li Ziran offered the exclusive Tidal Shell sales rights to whoever paid one million five hundred thousand, lowering the price until Lina accepted at one million.
• Li Ziran took Lina's payment to Kazilan and urged her to bid again, then announced a bid of thirty-seven million five hundred thousand while holding her hand.
• Kazilan confirmed the bid and told Jiawen that thirty-seven million five hundred and eight thousand Void Coins was everything she had.
• Jiawen awarded Kazilan the final place, then revealed the Red Soil Continent as Brass Giants, black ants, Frost Dragons, and Tree Shepherds worked together to tear away part of it.
• The assembled beings saw the thick black liquid at the continent's core, while Li Ziran congratulated Kazilan and prepared to negotiate his share; Cat Three glared at him, unaware of his dealings with Kazilan.

Li Ziran forced Kazilan to acknowledge his claim to one fifth of the Continental Core by invoking their Christie's contract, while the Red Soil Continent was being divided. He witnessed a whale successfully possess a severed landmass and wondered whether he could merge with Hippo Ancient City.

• Li Ziran demanded one fifth of the Continental Core in return for contributing one fifth of the auction price, and threatened to seek Jiawen's arbitration under Christie's contract rules.
• Kazilan reluctantly accepted Li Ziran's proposal and stormed off, leaving him to focus on acquiring Hippo Ancient City and strengthening his shell and soul.
• Jiawen and the Bronze Giants tore a strip of land from the Red Soil Continent, and Jiawen sent a whale's soul to possess it.
• After a pause, the land transformed into a sphere of seawater surrounding a small continent, and the whale's will emerged as a new life-form.
• Li Ziran realized the whale had possessed a continent and wondered whether his own soul could merge with Hippo Ancient City and make it stand up.

Chapter Summary: Super Biological Evolution

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Red Soil Continent transforms into a massive stone-like whale surrounded by seawater. Its core contains a black Nether Sea, or Origin, which powers the continent and allows it to survive in the Void Expanse.
• The characters realize that successfully merging with a continent requires merging their souls with this Nether Sea. The larger the landmass and the more Nether Sea it contains, the greater its potential.
• A sea-serpent-shaped continent forms using seawater and ice. Although it demonstrates a unique Frost Tide ability and expands its apparent size, it contains too little Nether Sea and is judged inferior to the whale-shaped continent.
• A third attempt fails catastrophically. A soul trying to merge with a ship-shaped continent explodes after combining incompatible Void Chains with Christie's' chains.
• Jiawen explains that Christie's' Void Chains are safe when used alone, but mixing them with other chains can destabilize the merger. This causes many observers to hesitate.
• Some beings nevertheless experiment with adding their own Void Elements to create unusual continents. Several attempts explode, while others successfully produce strange forms such as golden oceans, dark abysses, and lands with unique elemental traits.
• As the Bronze Giants continue stripping the Red Soil Continent, increasingly sophisticated beings create more stable and powerful continent mutations. Their prior understanding of Void Chains gives them an advantage, reflecting the unequal access to knowledge within the Void Expanse.
• Different land fragments develop unique features: flowers, nets, stalactites, golden ore, magma, and other biological or geological structures.
• A desert fragment containing unusual root-like Black Bars within its Nether Sea becomes a powerful sand monster. Its black Origin generates tentacles that consume stone and lava, transforming everything into sand and creating a devouring sandstorm.
• Li Ziran studies these developments and begins anticipating what his own Starry Sky Chains might do to Hippo Ancient City, though he worries that the city may not contain enough Nether Sea to support them.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran becomes increasingly focused on understanding the Nether Sea and the role of Void Chains. Rather than rushing into fusion, he observes the transformations and studies Christie's' methods. His confidence grows as he recognizes that stronger Void Chains can create far more powerful continents, but he also becomes concerned about the limited size of his own Ancient City.
• Jiawen acts as a calm authority figure, reassuring the crowd after the failed merger and explaining the technical reason behind it. His confidence in Christie's' system reinforces the organization’s control and credibility.
• Goni reveals that Christie's' habitually gives information to powerful Ancient Clans before auctions, explaining why certain beings can create highly refined continent mutations. This exposes the privileged, self-contained nature of the competition.
• The various participants shift from eager excitement to fear after the first failure, then gradually regain their ambition as they see others successfully create unique territories.

Significant Themes

• Power depends on foundations: The Nether Sea is established as the true energy source and operating core of every continent. Size, resources, and access to Origin determine a continent’s potential.
• Risk versus reward: Adding personal Void Chains can produce extraordinary mutations, but incompatible chains may cause catastrophic failure.
• Knowledge and inequality: Those with advance information and deeper comprehension of Void Elements are able to create superior continents, showing that the contest is not truly fair.
• Evolution through fusion: Merging with a continent represents a fundamental transformation of life, combining soul, land, energy, and elemental abilities into a new living entity.
• Control and identity: The resulting continents reflect the nature of their creators, becoming whales, sea serpents, sand monsters, or other specialized forms.
• Observation before action: Li Ziran’s restraint contrasts with the reckless attempts of others. He seeks to understand the rules before risking his own transformation.

Character Interactions

• The spectators collectively react with wonder, envy, fear, and renewed ambition as each continent forms.
• Many look enviously at Li Ziran because he controls a centrally located Ancient City with substantial land and potentially valuable Nether Sea.
• Jiawen addresses the frightened crowd after the failed fusion, clarifying that the failure resulted from mixed Void Chains rather than a flaw in Christie's' system.
• Goni privately explains Christie's' hidden advantages to Li Ziran, helping him understand why certain Ancient Clans perform so well.
• Li Ziran remains largely an observer, mentally comparing each transformation with the future possibilities of his own Starry Sky Chains.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The transformed desert monster becomes a major threat, its hunger suggesting it may eventually consume the newly conquered seas and other special regions.
• A Mountain Giant tears an enormous mountain range from the Red Soil Continent and uses Void Chains to assemble it into a gigantic stone, planet-like structure.
• More than five hundred Bronze Giants extract the ancient Ice Plains from the Red Soil Continent. Beneath them, extensive Origin roots reveal the region’s immense energy.
• The Frost Great Dragon begins absorbing and reshaping the Ice Plains. It rejects the minerals and instead compresses thousands of years of accumulated ice into a transparent, dragon-shaped structure.
• Dragon Marks spread across the Ice Plains, forming a pattern resembling the scales and body of a Great Dragon. A massive skull develops at its peak.
• The evolving creature unleashes devastating cold, freezing the surrounding Void Expanse, three seas, and parts of the nearby Derivative Space. Its ice body eventually burns with crimson-white flames, purifying itself and transforming into a skeletal Bone Dragon.
• The Bone Dragon incorporates the central Origin into its body and converts it from black to crimson-white, revealing the Undead Race’s ability to reverse or transform energy through death-related processes.
• After completing its evolution, the Bone Dragon gains full control of the Ice Plains and demonstrates a form of Tide that creates an isolated world within its skeletal body.
• While the Bone Dragon evolves, Bronze Giants begin tearing apart the Human Race’s territory, destroying castles, churches, and Triangle City.
• A supreme Human Race entity arrives, using Neon light to rescue William VII, the former Human King, and other humans from collapsing Derivative Spaces. He merges with a soul and reveals an organ resembling an Elemental Gland, suggesting that the Human Race also possesses a powerful evolutionary resource.

Character Developments

• The Frost Great Dragon completes a dramatic evolution into a colossal Ice Plains Bone Dragon. It gains control over its region, transforms its Origin, and develops its own Tide-like protective world.
• Li Ziran gains a deeper understanding of the Undead Race, Dragon Marks, Dragon Chains, and the possibility that Tide is not unique to him. He becomes more aware of the competitive evolutionary forces shaping the Void Expanse.
• Goni recognizes the Bone Dragon’s use of Dragon Marks and explains the significance of its transformation to Li Ziran.
• Jiawen helps protect Christie’s Derivative Space during the Bone Dragon’s freezing transformation. The Bone Dragon acknowledges the value of Jiawen’s contribution.
• The Mountain Giant demonstrates overwhelming power by manipulating an entire mountain range through Void Chains.
• The supreme Human Race entity, likely connected to William’s faction, reveals both advanced Neon abilities and a mysterious Elemental Gland-like structure, establishing the Human Race as another powerful evolutionary contender.

Significant Themes

• Evolution through consumption and transformation: Powerful beings absorb entire lands, Origins, and accumulated energies to evolve into new forms.
• The emergence of continent-level lifeforms: Mountains, deserts, seas, and ice plains are no longer merely landscapes but resources—or bodies—for enormous living entities.
• Individual evolutionary paths: Li Ziran realizes that survival in the Void Expanse requires developing a unique power rather than relying only on conventional chains.
• Death and rebirth: The Bone Dragon’s conversion of black Origin into crimson-white energy symbolizes the Undead Race’s fundamental power: transforming death into a new form of life or energy.
• Competition among races: The Undead, Mountain Giants, Bronze Giants, and Human Race all seize territory and resources, turning the Red Soil Continent into a battlefield for advancement.
• The nature of Tide: Tide is revealed to be a defensive, world-forming force that can isolate a region from the Void Expanse. Li Ziran’s realization that others may possess their own versions broadens the story’s understanding of power.

Character Interactions

• Goni and Li Ziran discuss the Bone Dragon’s Dragon Mark and the danger of its incomplete-but-powerful chain transformation.
• Li Ziran and Jiawen work defensively as the Bone Dragon’s cold threatens Christie’s Derivative Space.
• The Bone Dragon and Jiawen exchange words after the evolution, with the Bone Dragon thanking the Undead Race for the resources Jiawen helped provide.
• Li Ziran and Tide remain connected as he instinctively protects Tide during the freezing crisis and compares his own ability with the Bone Dragon’s newly manifested version.
• The Human Race’s supreme entity rescues and gathers William VII and other human survivors, then merges with them or their soul-based power to activate the mysterious Elemental Gland structure.

Chapter 99 Summary: Preparing to Merge the Ancient City

Key Plot Points and Events

• William’s research into the Human Race and the Red Soil Continent reaches a major breakthrough. At the center of the collapsing hills, an organ resembling an Elemental Gland transforms rubble, black sea matter, and Void elements into a new celestial body.
• Volcanoes erupt across the forming world, producing magma, gases, water, and a rotating atmosphere. The resulting tides resemble those of the Red Soil Continent, astonishing the observers.
• Humans previously preserved in derivative space emerge onto the new land. Trees, oceans, fertile soil, and a habitable environment appear, effectively creating a second Red Soil Continent and giving humanity another potential foundation for civilization.
• The Elves fare worse. Their former rainforest region becomes the Golden Dragon’s crimson-gold territory, and Li Ziran cannot determine where the Elves or their queen have gone.
• Meanwhile, the Wasteland is stripped away from the original Red Soil Continent, exposing its intensely condensed, black crystalline inner core—the continent’s true essence.
• Li Ziran focuses on merging with the Hippo Ancient City, which will become his future physical shell. Although the city occupies less than one percent of the Wasteland, the source sea beneath it extends across roughly one-third of the region, making it extraordinarily valuable.
• Li activates Christie’s Void Chains to enlarge his soul. The chains reproduce rapidly, expanding his soul threefold, then tenfold, with seemingly no upper limit. Their perfection and endlessness disturb him, since he believes nothing can truly be eternal.
• As the Hippo Ancient City prepares to separate from the Wasteland, Li begins the actual fusion. His soul expands until it becomes a vast, monstrous double helix and breaks through the darkness toward the Ancient City.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran displays careful control and determination. Despite his fear that the Void Chains may be limitless or dangerous, he proceeds because merging with the Ancient City is essential to his future survival and power.
• His soul’s true form is revealed as an unprecedented double helix rather than an ordinary human soul. This causes widespread curiosity and suspicion among the surrounding beings.
• William is established as a leading researcher of the Red Soil Continent’s mysteries. His creation demonstrates that he has nearly reproduced the continent’s protective tidal principles.
• Jiawen continues serving as an insightful observer and guide, recognizing William’s achievement and helping Li understand that the Void Chains can support the fusion.
• Goni reacts with humor and excitement to Li’s unexpectedly immense source sea, while also encouraging him during the dangerous fusion.
• Snow becomes openly anxious but supportive. She hopes Li’s success will allow her to reunite and protect the scattered Snow Woman Tribe.
• Kazilan, who has long distrusted Li, recognizes that his soul is not truly human and takes satisfaction in confirming her suspicions.

Significant Themes

• Creation and imitation: William’s work explores whether the mysteries of the Red Soil Continent can be recreated, resulting in a new world capable of supporting life.
• Civilizational survival: Humanity gains a new homeland, while the Elves lose theirs, emphasizing the unequal consequences of the continent’s transformation.
• Identity and hidden origins: Li’s double-helix soul challenges the assumption that he is human and raises questions about his true nature.
• Control versus infinity: The Void Chains offer seemingly limitless growth, but their lack of an apparent endpoint frightens Li and reinforces the idea that endless existence is unnatural or impossible.
• Transformation through fusion: Li must abandon his current body and merge with an Ancient City, symbolizing a radical transition from individual being to something vast and nonhuman.

Character Interactions

• Jiawen admires William’s achievement and later warns Li that the Hippo Ancient City is about to break away.
• Goni teases Li about his extraordinarily favorable acquisition of the Ancient City but celebrates the wealth of its source sea.
• Snow moves closer to Li and encourages him, revealing both her fear for his safety and her hopes for her people.
• The surrounding beings speculate about Li’s strange soul, questioning whether it belongs to an unknown tribe or possesses special powers.
• Kazilan observes Li closely and openly declares that he is not human, intensifying the mystery surrounding his identity.

Chapter Summary: “Tentative Fusion with Hippo Ancient City”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran begins merging his soul with Hippo Ancient City, creating a bizarre bridge of double-helix-like energy between his original body and the city.
• His soul spreads through the entire city and reaches the mysterious Source Sea beneath it. He successfully fuses with the city but realizes that a simple soul-city merger would leave it as an ordinary, lifeless stone shell.
• To make the city truly powerful, Li Ziran begins incorporating his Void Chains and other abilities into it. He constructs celestial bodies and gradually forms a rotating galaxy within the Void World.
• He cautiously merges this galaxy with the Source Sea, causing increasingly violent disturbances:
  • The Source Sea begins rotating.
  • Its roots and branches are bent and dissolved.
  • Spheres of condensed Origin emerge and collide.
  • The collisions damage Christie’s Derivative Space and create a powerful devouring force.
• Jiawen repeatedly stabilizes the Derivative Space, reassuring the others that the situation remains under control.
• As Li Ziran adds more celestial bodies, the danger increases. He recognizes that each new body disrupts the balance of the developing galaxy and must slowly reinforce the structure with his soul.
• The other powerful beings become increasingly anxious, fearing that an uncontrolled explosion could destroy Hippo Ancient City and drag them into the disaster.
• One inhabitant attempts to escape through the Teleportation Array but is forcibly redirected into the Void Expanse and crashes into the city walls, revealing that the emerging spheres are interfering with spatial movement.
• The chapter ends with everyone trapped and uncertain whether Li Ziran’s experimental fusion will remain stable.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: Demonstrates exceptional control, ambition, and scientific curiosity. He rejects a simple fusion and instead experiments with combining the ancient city, the Source Sea, Void Elements, Origin, and his celestial chains. He gains new insight into merging void and substance but also recognizes the immense danger of his work.
• Jiawen: Acts as the primary protector of the group, using his power to repair cracks in the Derivative Space and maintain order. Despite his confidence, his admission that teleportation is no longer safe shows that the situation is becoming difficult even for him to control.
• Goni: Watches Li Ziran’s experiment with particular interest because he recognizes the spheres as the basic structure of a powerful chain. His curiosity reflects the potential importance of Li Ziran’s fusion.
• The other living beings: Shift from curious observers to frightened, self-preserving witnesses as the fusion begins threatening the stability of the entire Derivative Space.

Significant Themes

• Creation through experimentation: Li Ziran treats the fusion as a process of discovery, repeatedly testing limits to uncover a new form of power.
• Control versus destruction: Every new celestial body increases the potential strength of the fusion while also making its structure more unstable.
• Transformation and identity: Li Ziran is not merely inhabiting Hippo Ancient City; he is attempting to remake it into a new body that reflects his own powers and nature.
• The danger of unchecked power: The Source Sea’s Origin energy is vast enough to sustain entire regions, but its loss of control could cause catastrophic destruction.
• Curiosity versus survival: Li Ziran and Goni are fascinated by the experiment, while the others increasingly fear being destroyed by it.

Character Interactions

• Li Ziran’s actions directly affect everyone inside Christie’s Derivative Space, turning his private experiment into a danger for the entire group.
• Jiawen repeatedly reassures the observers and shields them from the fusion’s effects, though the failed teleportation reveals that his protection is becoming less reliable.
• The observers discuss Li Ziran’s unusual nature, his apparent affinity for humanity, and the possible form of the ancient city after fusion.
• Goni’s focused attention contrasts with the others’ fear, as he understands more clearly than they do that Li Ziran may be developing an unprecedented Void Chain.

Chapter Summary: “I’m Taking Back This Ancient City”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiawen reveals that the teleportation passages surrounding Christie’s Derivative Space have been severely damaged by Li Ziran’s fusion of a newly formed Void Chain with the Source Sea.
• The fusion creates unstable black “Origin Spheres” that collide, expand, and absorb surrounding energy. Their movements begin generating gravitational effects, drawing the Source Sea—and eventually Christie’s entire Derivative Space—toward Hippo Ancient City.
• Observers realize that Li Ziran’s Void Chain is based on gravity and may be an unprecedented, potentially supreme Void Chain. However, its power is far beyond what Li Ziran can safely control.
• Explosive bursts erupt above the Ancient City, shaking the Void Expanse and visibly shifting Christie’s Derivative Space. The Source Sea becomes filled with countless rapidly moving spheres, while two enormous oval celestial bodies remain at its center.
• The spectators conclude that Li Ziran’s soul is being pushed beyond its limits. If the Void Chain collapses, he may suffer a “Soul Explosion,” causing his soul to dissipate and potentially destroying everyone nearby.
• Jiawen initially hesitates to interfere, recognizing that interrupting the fusion could ruin Li Ziran’s breakthrough. Goni argues that Li Ziran’s interests and paid investment should be protected.
• Kazilan warns Jiawen that continued inaction could destroy the newly weakened Sea Folk and damage Christie’s reputation. This finally convinces Jiawen to act.
• Jiawen forms a massive net of soul power and attempts to pull Li Ziran’s soul out of the Ancient City, forcibly ending the fusion.
• Goni condemns Jiawen’s decision, accusing Christie’s of becoming weak. Jiawen responds by producing more than three million Void Coins and declares that he is taking back Hippo Ancient City.

2. Character Developments

• Li Ziran: His fusion reveals extraordinary talent and the creation of a powerful gravity-based Void Chain, but he is shown to be dangerously inexperienced in controlling it. His soul expands beyond its safe limits, placing both himself and the surrounding Void Expanse at risk.
• Goni: He strongly supports Li Ziran’s breakthrough and understands its importance from personal experience. He becomes Li Ziran’s advocate, challenging the others and trying to prevent interference, even though he cannot directly stop Jiawen.
• Jiawen: He struggles between allowing a potentially historic breakthrough and protecting Christie’s assets and reputation. Ultimately, his responsibility as Christie’s leader outweighs his willingness to take the risk, leading him to intervene.
• Kazilan: She appears outwardly reasonable but is portrayed as hostile toward Li Ziran. Her warning about the Sea Folk and Christie’s reputation successfully manipulates Jiawen into acting against him.
• The Golden Dragon and other observers: They shift from concern to open opposition, viewing Li Ziran’s fusion as reckless and threatening to everyone in the Derivative Space.

3. Significant Themes

• Power versus control: Li Ziran possesses an extraordinary ability but lacks the mastery needed to safely wield it. The chapter emphasizes that discovering a powerful force is not the same as controlling it.
• Breakthrough versus responsibility: Li Ziran’s fusion could allow him to enter a higher realm of cultivation, yet pursuing personal advancement threatens an entire region and many innocent beings.
• Institutional reputation and self-interest: Jiawen’s final decision is driven less by Li Ziran’s safety than by Christie’s reputation, financial interests, and responsibility to its clients.
• Innovation and danger: The gravity-based Void Chain represents a revolutionary development, but new power brings unpredictable consequences when it exceeds established knowledge.
• Interference with destiny: Goni views Jiawen’s intervention as potentially destroying Li Ziran’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, creating tension between protecting someone from disaster and allowing them to risk everything for growth.

4. Character Interactions

• The Golden Dragon and other beings pressure Jiawen to stop Li Ziran, arguing that the unstable fusion endangers the entire Derivative Space.
• Goni counters them, insisting that the fusion should continue and invoking the financial agreement involving the auctioned continental fragment.
• Jiawen initially sides with patience, assuring everyone that the damage is temporary and that Christie’s Derivative Space will remain safe.
• As the danger escalates, Kazilan directly advises Jiawen to intervene, using the possible destruction of the Sea Folk and damage to Christie’s reputation as leverage.
• Goni recognizes Kazilan’s malicious intent and internally condemns her, then provokes Jiawen by questioning Christie’s strength.
• Jiawen answers Goni’s challenge by paying out the three million-plus Void Coins and asserting his authority: he will reclaim Hippo Ancient City, bringing the chapter to a tense cliffhanger.

Goni and Lina intervened when Jiawen tried to stop Li Ziran, and Jiawen eventually allowed Goni into Hippo Ancient City to assess Li Ziran’s condition. Goni discovered that Li Ziran’s chains had become uncontrollable and were rapidly draining his soul, leaving him unable to stop them from replicating.

• Goni defended Hippo Ancient City against Jiawen, revealing the fighting spirit of an explorer from the age of exploration.
• Lina arrived to protect her grandfather and invoked her Tidal Shell agency contract to prevent Jiawen from attacking Li Ziran.
• Goni urged Jiawen to let him handle the crisis and promised to erase Li Ziran himself if he became a danger.
• Jiawen opened a passage through his Mental Web, and Goni entered Hippo Ancient City, where uncontrolled soul energy swept through the streets.
• Li Ziran told Goni that his soul had expanded to two thousand times its original size but that he needed at least five thousand times to control every celestial body.
• Goni realized the chains were controlling Li Ziran, but Li Ziran said he could not stop them from replicating.

Chapter Summary: “I’m Made for This”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hippo Ancient City begins to collapse as Li Ziran’s attempt to merge his Void Chains with the real world spirals out of control. The Mental Web surrounding the city multiplies and strains, while the Source Sea erupts with foam and Origin Spheres.
• Christie’s Void Chains expand uncontrollably, threatening to destroy her soul. At the same time, Li Ziran’s Starry Sky Chains destabilize the Source Sea, putting the entire ancient city and everyone nearby at risk.
• Goni enters the city’s center to help Li Ziran, recognizing that although Li Ziran lacks practical experience, his original ideas and untainted Void Chains are extraordinarily valuable.
• Goni instructs Li Ziran to remain calm and search his Void World for the hidden chain controlling the expanding system.
• Li Ziran initially fails repeatedly. He observes galaxies forming and collapsing through several complete cycles but cannot locate the mysterious chain.
• A violent Soul Explosion shakes Hippo Ancient City, convincing Jiawen that the fused soul must be destroyed immediately. Lina negotiates five minutes to give Goni and Li Ziran more time.
• Goni continues guiding Li Ziran despite suffering immense pain inside the collapsing city. His insistence prevents Li Ziran from giving up.
• Following Goni’s advice to return to the root of the Starry Sky Chains, Li Ziran focuses on the original Double Helix instead of continuing to recreate entire galaxies.
• He finally detects a tiny, hook-shaped fluctuation emerging from Nothingness and tells Goni that he has found the hidden chain.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran demonstrates remarkable mental discipline. Though initially overwhelmed by the unprecedented expansion of his soul, he regains control by applying the calm, methodical mindset he developed as a surgeon.
• His confidence develops through perseverance. He briefly considers admitting failure but refuses after seeing Goni endure the same crisis for his sake.
• Li Ziran’s unique creativity becomes increasingly important. Unlike older practitioners, whose knowledge is shaped by established traditions, his Void Chains are original and free from inherited assumptions.
• Goni acts as both mentor and protector. He recognizes Li Ziran’s potential and guides him through a foundational lesson in perceiving the Void, even while his own soul suffers severe damage.
• Lina shows compassion and loyalty by delaying the destruction of the ancient city, despite understanding the danger and the conflict involving her grandfather.
• Jiawen remains pragmatic and cautious. He is prepared to erase the unstable soul but agrees to Lina’s brief delay.

Significant Themes

• Calmness under pressure: Li Ziran’s ability to control panic becomes the key to surviving a seemingly impossible crisis.
• Innovation versus tradition: Established cultivation methods cannot fully explain Li Ziran’s unprecedented chains. His lack of conventional experience is balanced by his freedom from fixed ideas.
• Persistence and self-discovery: Success comes only when Li Ziran stops repeating familiar patterns and examines the fundamental origin of his creation.
• Teacher-student trust: Goni’s guidance and Li Ziran’s faith in him allow them to work together despite extreme danger.
• The limits of perception: The hidden chain cannot be found through ordinary observation. Li Ziran must learn to “see” beyond the visible galaxies and Nothingness.

Character Interactions

• Goni repeatedly reassures and instructs Li Ziran, helping him regain composure and directing him toward the root of his Void Chains.
• Li Ziran addresses Goni as “Master,” reinforcing their mentor-student bond and drawing strength from Goni’s example.
• Jiawen urges Lina to abandon her family grievance and allow him to destroy the unstable soul before the city collapses.
• Lina negotiates with Jiawen for five minutes, choosing to protect Goni and preserve the possibility of saving her grandfather.
• Goni’s physical suffering inside Hippo Ancient City mirrors Li Ziran’s internal struggle, strengthening their shared determination to succeed.

Chapter Summary: “Haha, Brat, You Finally Found the Knack”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran successfully identifies the strange, clothes-hanger-shaped hook hidden within his Void World. Goni recognizes it as the core of Christie’s Chains and warns Li not to destroy it immediately.
• Instead, Goni instructs Li to study how the hook changes alongside the Double Helixes and the development of his internal starry sky. The hook multiplies whenever the helixes multiply.
• When the helixes form their first planet, the hook appears to vanish. Li and Goni discover that it has transformed into an almost invisible, pitch-black strip that continues extending through the Void.
• The strip gradually curves into a closed circle and disappears into Nothingness. Li realizes that it is still functioning and replicating, apparently in an uncontrolled, soul-like manner.
• Li resets his Void World to the Double Helixes and experiments with bringing them into contact with the hidden hook. Their interaction produces increasingly complex forms, eventually causing a massive Soul Explosion.
• The explosion tears through Jiawen’s Mental Web, damages Hippo Ancient City, breaches Derivative Space, destroys a street and a nearby mill, and causes numerous beings to evaporate.
• Jiawen attempts to suppress the runaway power, but Lina blocks him. She suspects Christie’s Chain has a hidden flaw and believes Li’s actions have triggered a dangerous taboo.
• Jiawen threatens Lina and tries to forcefully contain the disturbance, but she continues obstructing him while investigating the chain’s nature.
• At the climax, Goni excitedly declares that Li has finally discovered the “knack.” The chaotic souls begin reorganizing and calming, astonishing Jiawen, who had believed such a loss of control could not be reversed.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran becomes more patient, observant, and independent. Rather than simply following instructions, he studies the chain’s behavior and eventually discovers a method of manipulating or stabilizing it on his own.
• Goni reveals his deeper ambitions. He wants Li to learn how to absorb and combine the strengths of different Void Chains instead of merely eliminating dangerous ones. He is fascinated by the growth potential and “inclusiveness” of Li’s chain.
• Jiawen becomes increasingly alarmed and desperate as Christie’s supposedly controlled chain destabilizes. His inability to stop the Soul Explosion exposes the limits of his authority and understanding.
• Lina acts strategically and confidently. She uses the crisis to investigate Christie’s secret chain and deliberately prevents Jiawen from destroying the evidence or controlling the situation.
• The Golden Dragon and the other residents of Christie’s Auction House become openly fearful and hostile toward Jiawen after witnessing the destruction caused by the uncontrolled power.

Significant Themes

• Discovery through observation: Li’s breakthrough comes from patiently tracking subtle changes rather than relying on force or immediate removal.
• Growth through integration: Goni emphasizes that no chain is entirely useless or all-powerful; true strength lies in absorbing and combining different chains’ attributes.
• Control versus chaos: The Soul Explosion demonstrates the danger of powerful forces that exceed their creator’s control, while Li’s discovery hints at a way to transform chaos into stability.
• Hidden flaws and secrets: Christie’s Chain, presented as stable and controlled, contains a dangerous weakness that Lina quickly recognizes.
• Mastery and independence: Goni guides Li but ultimately allows him to find the solution himself, marking an important step in Li’s development.

Character Interactions

• Goni and Li Ziran: Goni mentors Li closely, urging him to study rather than destroy the hook. His excitement grows as Li begins understanding the chain’s operation.
• Jiawen and Lina: Their confrontation centers on Christie’s secrets. Jiawen wants to suppress the crisis, while Lina deliberately blocks him to uncover the truth behind the chain.
• Jiawen and the auction-house residents: The residents blame Jiawen for endangering them, with the Golden Dragon openly threatening to sever ties between the Great Dragon Clan and Christie’s.
• Goni and Jiawen: Goni’s triumphant laughter at the end contrasts with Jiawen’s shock, suggesting that Li has achieved something Jiawen himself never could: restoring order after the chain’s apparent total loss of control.

Chapter Summary: “Tasting the Sweetness”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hippo Ancient City continues emitting enormous soul energy, threatening to overwhelm Jiawen’s Mental Web and destroy the surrounding Derivative Space.
• Jiawen initially expects Li Ziran’s soul expansion to collapse because Christie’s Void Chains have exceeded their limits. However, the Soul Explosion gradually stabilizes instead of destroying everything.
• Guided only by Goni’s encouragement, Li Ziran carefully synchronizes the evolution of his star clusters with the changing structure of Christie’s Void Chains.
• Li Ziran discovers that his starry-sky system lacks individuality and refinement because its galaxies were too uniform. He begins experimenting with different galactic structures, creating a new ring-shaped galaxy and developing an unfamiliar chain with its own rhythm and rule.
• His evolving galaxy helps divide and regulate the expanding soul. Hippo Ancient City successfully contains a soul that has reached roughly five-thousandfold replication—far beyond Jiawen’s previous limit of slightly over two thousandfold.
• Astonished by Li Ziran’s talent, Jiawen abandons his intention to kill him and attempts to approach him, offering friendship and assistance in exchange for learning the secrets of the new chain.
• Lina blocks Jiawen, insisting on protecting Li Ziran and retaining Six Flavors House’s advantage. She demands that Jiawen wait five minutes.
• Jiawen and Lina then clash violently in the Void Expanse. Their battle shakes Derivative Space and nearly threatens everyone inside it.
• After the confrontation, Hippo Ancient City stands between them. Its ancient walls connect Jiawen’s soul giant and Lina’s cloud continent, while three vortices turn beneath the city. Their forms begin transforming into a Goat and a Frog, respectively.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: Enters a state of intense concentration and begins independently innovating with Void Chains. He moves beyond simply copying existing structures, recognizing the importance of varied and carefully evolved galaxies. His confidence and understanding grow as he “tastes the sweetness” of successful experimentation.
• Goni: Realizes that Li Ziran has independently discovered a way to dissect and manipulate Void Chains—an achievement Goni never taught him. He can no longer provide technical guidance and instead supports Li Ziran by giving him confidence.
• Jiawen: Changes from viewing Li Ziran as a threat to recognizing him as an extraordinary talent. He becomes eager to learn from Li Ziran and considers protecting him, though his motives remain self-interested.
• Lina: Reveals her strong protective and possessive interest in Li Ziran. She recognizes his value to Six Flavors House and refuses to let Jiawen or Christie’s claim him without negotiation.
• Golden Dragon and the inhabitants of Derivative Space: Remain largely powerless observers, terrified as both the soul expansion and the battle between Jiawen and Lina threaten their survival.

Significant Themes

• Innovation through experimentation: Li Ziran advances by taking risks and creating new structures rather than merely following established Void Chain systems.
• Individuality within systems: The chapter emphasizes that a vast structure becomes stronger and more complete when its basic components—such as galaxies—are diverse rather than identical.
• Talent as a source of power and conflict: Li Ziran’s unique abilities attract competing factions, turning him into both a valuable ally and a potential object of control.
• Knowledge versus control: Jiawen wants to understand Li Ziran’s discoveries, while Lina wants to control access to him, showing how new knowledge can provoke rivalry.
• Balance amid destruction: Although Li Ziran’s soul initially appears uncontrollable, careful structure and gravitational balance transform chaos into stability.

Character Interactions

• Goni reassures the frightened Li Ziran, encouraging him to trust his instincts rather than panic.
• Jiawen observes Li Ziran’s breakthrough and tries to negotiate friendship, promising not to erase his consciousness even if the Void Expanse is endangered.
• Lina rejects Jiawen’s offer and shields Hippo Ancient City, asserting Six Flavors House’s claim over Li Ziran.
• Jiawen and Lina’s disagreement escalates into a direct battle, while the inhabitants of Derivative Space—including Golden Dragon—desperately endure the destructive aftermath.
• The final Goat-and-Frog imagery suggests that the conflict between Jiawen and Lina, as well as their connection to the evolving ancient city, is moving toward a deeper transformation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The fully fused Hippo Ancient City appears between Jiawen and Lina, neutralizing their attacks and drawing the attention of everyone in the Derivative Space.
• Jiawen and Lina both attempt to recruit or control Li Ziran:
  • Lina offers him an independent Derivative Space and the highest treatment from Six Flavors House.
  • Jiawen offers to match Lina’s terms, add ten million Void Coins, and asks what Li Ziran has comprehended.
• Goni emerges from the Ancient City and announces that Li Ziran’s soul is severely injured, the fusion is complete, and the transaction with Christie’s has concluded. He warns Lina that she already had an opportunity to win Li Ziran and failed.
• Lina argues that Li Ziran belongs at Six Flavors House because he may be able to save her father, who is trapped in his own Derivative Space. Jiawen insists that he only wants answers to aid his fusion with the Red Soil Continent Core.
• Jiawen and Lina begin encroaching on the Ancient City with their powers. Goni’s mysterious vortex silently absorbs and dissolves portions of Jiawen’s soul and Lina’s clouds, neutralizing their attacks.
• Both powerhouses investigate the Ancient City’s three rotating Source Sea vortices. They sense natural and light-based forces, along with a third unknown power.
• Lina focuses on extracting Li Ziran’s soul, while Jiawen investigates the Source Sea. Jiawen discovers a ring-like structure made from Soul-Splitting Chains, but unlike his own chains, it continuously incorporates newly formed spheres and becomes stronger and more stable.
• Fascinated and greedy, Jiawen decides he must seize the Source Sea and uncover its secret.
• An illusory soul-version of the Ancient City suddenly emerges and crushes Lina’s cloud continent. It then attacks Jiawen, transforming his soul into a green, frog-like form and dragging him toward a terrifying formation of black spheres resembling a starry spiral.
• Jiawen realizes that the Ancient City’s three vortices contain different powers and identifies the attack as Void Strike. Alarmed, he retreats and appeals to Li Ziran, claiming he means no harm and offering sincere treatment in exchange for learning how Li Ziran survived Soul Explosion.
• The transformation begins to fade, suggesting Jiawen may have found a way to escape.

Character Developments

• Jiawen: Moves from confident bargaining and aggressive probing to shock and fear after encountering the Ancient City’s defenses. His discovery of the improved Soul-Splitting Chain structure intensifies his ambition, while being struck by Void Strike forces him to acknowledge that Li Ziran’s power exceeds his expectations.
• Lina: Reveals that her main goal is saving her father, making Li Ziran’s potential ability to rescue him especially valuable. She remains determined and confrontational, but her cloud continent is shattered by the Ancient City, exposing her vulnerability.
• Goni: Acts as a calm guardian and spokesman for the fused Ancient City. His relaxed attitude suggests he understands the city’s power and anticipated Jiawen and Lina’s interference.
• Li Ziran: Remains largely unseen and incapacitated, yet the completed fusion of his soul with the Ancient City grants it extraordinary defensive and offensive power. His survival of Soul Explosion becomes a crucial mystery.
• Kazilan: Watches in stunned silence, recognizing the extraordinary danger posed by the confrontation.

Significant Themes

• Power beyond established understanding: The Source Sea and its unfamiliar third force challenge Jiawen’s carefully developed knowledge of elements and chains.
• Transformation and fusion: The Ancient City does not simply destroy invading power; it dissolves, absorbs, and reshapes it, reflecting the chapter’s focus on merging and structural evolution.
• Ambition versus caution: Jiawen’s intellectual curiosity and greed drive him into danger, while Lina’s desperation to save her father pushes her toward confrontation.
• Limits of control: Even supreme beings cannot freely dominate the Ancient City or its fused soul. Their powers are quietly neutralized and turned against them.
• Mystery and transcendence: The evolving Soul-Splitting Chain suggests that Li Ziran has reached a form of advancement Jiawen believed impossible, hinting at a new level of power or existence.

Character Interactions

• Jiawen and Lina compete verbally and physically over control of Li Ziran, each presenting different incentives and accusing the other of trying to exploit him.
• Lina and Goni exchange a tense familial conversation: she presses for access to Li Ziran, while Goni reminds her that she previously failed to win him over.
• Jiawen and Lina briefly cooperate indirectly by investigating different aspects of the Ancient City, but their goals remain separate—Lina seeks Li Ziran’s soul, while Jiawen seeks the Source Sea.
• Goni remains composed while their powers invade the city, allowing the Ancient City’s defenses to expose their helplessness.
• Jiawen finally addresses Li Ziran directly and abandons his earlier arrogance, asking for cooperation after being overwhelmed by Void Strike.

Chapter Summary: “Chain Exchange”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hippo Ancient City undergoes a dramatic transformation. Soul-water flows through its canals, ruined structures rebuild themselves, and its bricks are purified into shining bronze marked with images of Frog or a red goat. The city retains its identity but is stripped of humanity’s former influence.
• Jiawen asks Li Ziran to reveal how he stabilizes and develops his ring-shaped Soul Replication Chain. Li Ziran agrees, treating the revelation as an exchange rather than a favor.
• Li Ziran explains that he uses the Light Chain and Nature Chain to apply pressure to the ring, compressing it and forcing the chains into equilibrium. This prevents the Soul Chain from collapsing as new energy is added.
• Jiawen identifies a missing central framework in Li Ziran’s chain. Although hesitant to disclose the secret core of Christie’s inheritance, he offers an abandoned triangular rune as a test.
• When Li Ziran inserts the rune into the ring, the entire chain violently contracts, causing Hippo Ancient City to destabilize. Its bricks scatter and the souls within it begin to separate.
• Jiawen realizes that the disturbance has revealed the chain’s hidden equilibrium point. He successfully deduces how Li Ziran’s completed chains amplify the Soul Replication Chain, potentially increasing its power several times over.
• Before leaving Li Ziran’s Void World, Jiawen glimpses three heptagrams within the Source Sea—symbols connected to Christie’s deepest soul techniques. The city rapidly reforms around them.
• A Soul Web spreads over Hippo Ancient City, apparently reproducing the foundation of Christie’s Void Network. The souls in the city then vanish, and Li Ziran’s will manifests throughout Jiawen’s Derivative World.
• Jiawen realizes that Li Ziran has replicated or absorbed the principles of his soul-radiation technique. The city, Jiawen’s Derivative Space, and Li Ziran’s physical body all become linked manifestations of Li Ziran’s will. Jiawen concludes that he has been outmaneuvered.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran demonstrates extraordinary creativity and control over Void Chains. He willingly shares part of his method but conceals deeper aspects of his technique, allowing Jiawen to reveal information without fully surrendering his own secrets.
• Jiawen begins as the one seeking knowledge but gradually understands Li Ziran’s method and extracts valuable information from the chain’s reaction. However, he ultimately discovers that Li Ziran has learned or copied far more from the exchange than Jiawen intended.
• Goni acts protectively toward Li Ziran and strongly objects to revealing the chain’s secrets. His concern reflects both his experience and his fear that others will exploit Li Ziran. He eventually respects Li Ziran’s autonomy, though he becomes alarmed when the experiment threatens Hippo Ancient City.
• Jiawen’s confidence shifts into shock and frustration when he realizes that Li Ziran has reproduced Christie’s soul-network principles and expanded his influence into the Derivative World.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge as a weapon and exchange: Both characters attempt to trade information while hiding their most valuable secrets. The exchange becomes a contest of deduction rather than a simple act of teaching.
• Adaptation and evolution: Hippo Ancient City physically rebuilds itself, while Li Ziran’s chain evolves by using pressure from completed chains. Both city and technique become more complex and self-sustaining.
• Control versus autonomy: Goni initially tries to prevent Li Ziran from sharing information, but Li Ziran insists on making his own decisions. The chapter emphasizes the importance—and danger—of independent will.
• Replication and theft: Jiawen is disturbed when Li Ziran appears to reproduce Christie’s soul-radiation and Void Network techniques after seeing them only once. The boundary between learning, imitation, and theft becomes central.
• Perfection through equilibrium: The chapter presents power as something achieved by balancing opposing forces. Li Ziran’s chains become stronger not through isolated growth, but through carefully controlled pressure and interaction.

Character Interactions

• Jiawen and Li Ziran: Their conversation is outwardly cooperative but fundamentally competitive. Jiawen seeks the secret of Li Ziran’s chain, while Li Ziran offers enough information to encourage experimentation and gains access to Jiawen’s deeper principles in return.
• Goni and Li Ziran: Goni warns Li Ziran not to trust Jiawen and initially challenges his decision to share knowledge. Li Ziran calmly asserts his independence, creating a respectful but tense mentor-student dynamic.
• Jiawen and Goni: Though they do not directly debate at length, Goni’s warnings reveal his distrust of Jiawen, while Jiawen’s later deductions suggest that he recognizes and exploits the risks Goni feared.
• Jiawen and the transformed city: Jiawen observes Hippo Ancient City not merely as a location but as evidence of Li Ziran’s growing control. By the end, he recognizes that Li Ziran’s influence extends across the city, the Derivative Space, and the surrounding souls.