Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Shocking Turn of Events”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ping detonates thirty Bomb Gems simultaneously, producing an explosion comparable to a high-yield nuclear weapon. The blast tears a massive hole through the clouds and is felt dozens of miles away.
• The Awakened of Mingzhu City are amazed rather than frightened. They begin inventing grand titles for Zhang Ping, including “Giant God,” “Great God,” “God King,” and “King of Gods.” They also discuss giving the mysterious fighter who battled Sao Junfu the title “Divine Envoy.”
• Zhang Ping and Shi Jun resume their battle. Shi Jun survives the explosion using a powerful shield that creates a spatial barrier, revealing that his greatest advantage is his enormous collection of high-level equipment.
• Shi Jun summons the Eight-Million Whale-Slaying Blade, a gigantic weapon forged from the spine of the Volcanic Giant Whale. By driving it into the earth, he transforms the surrounding land into magma through his Sea of Earth ability.
• The weapon erupts, launching streams of magma into the sky and creating a massive magma net over the battlefield. Zhang Ping protects himself with increasingly dense Metallic Coating and begins using his abilities to analyze and record Shi Jun’s techniques.
• Zhang Ping closes the distance and punches through a magma shield, forcing Shi Jun to take him more seriously. The two exchange increasingly powerful attacks:
  • Shi Jun uses magma spears, defensive equipment, and the Whale-Slaying Blade.
  • Zhang Ping uses time-slowing vision, scarlet lasers, the Fear War Scythe, World’s First Scythe, and Reaper’s Mask.
• Zhang Ping destroys Shi Jun’s magma attacks and appears to gain the upper hand. However, Shi Jun counters with a high-speed spiral of magma that pierces Zhang Ping’s metallic defense and body.
• Believing Zhang Ping has lost, Shi Jun declares victory—but a sudden tail emerges and impales Shi Jun through the abdomen before also piercing Zhang Ping. The two are left skewered together, shocking Zhang Li, Zhang Ping’s allies, and the watching citizens.

Character Development

• Zhang Ping demonstrates an enormous increase in destructive power and combat versatility. He combines explosive abilities, enhanced physical strength, defensive coating, time manipulation, lasers, and weapons from the Golden Treasury.
• He also shows tactical growth by using Mark and Record to study and potentially copy or preserve Shi Jun’s abilities.
• Shi Jun is established as a wealthy and extremely well-equipped fighter whose arsenal allows him to counter nearly every attack Zhang Ping uses. Despite his advantages, he recognizes Zhang Ping as an extraordinary “little monster” and becomes more determined to win.
• Zhang Ping’s allies and the people of Mingzhu City develop greater admiration for him, treating him as a potential protector or divine figure. Their excitement turns to horror when he appears to be critically wounded.

Significant Themes

• Power and spectacle: The chapter emphasizes the overwhelming scale of awakened abilities, with Zhang Ping’s explosion and Shi Jun’s magma weapon reshaping the battlefield.
• Wealth versus innate talent: Shi Jun’s vast equipment collection allows him to defend against Zhang Ping’s natural abilities, creating a conflict between preparation and raw potential.
• Escalation and unpredictability: Each fighter unveils stronger techniques, keeping the battle uncertain and culminating in the unexpected impalement.
• Public perception and hero worship: The Awakened citizens immediately turn Zhang Ping into a legendary figure, showing how quickly public opinion transforms powerful fighters into symbols or gods.
• Hidden abilities and surprise reversals: The unexplained tail attack creates a major cliffhanger, suggesting that the battle involves more than just Zhang Ping and Shi Jun.

Character Interactions

• The Awakened spectators humorously debate titles for Zhang Ping and speculate about the identity of a possible “Divine Envoy.”
• Zhang Ping and Shi Jun exchange confident remarks and challenge each other throughout the fight, with Shi Jun openly treating the battle as a test of pride and skill.
• Their combat interaction evolves from long-range attacks into direct close-quarters clashes, with both fighters repeatedly countering one another.
• The chapter ends with Zhang Li and the other allies reacting in panic while the spectators’ admiration turns into fear as both combatants are impaled.

Chapter Summary: “Flesh Tree”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A horrifying three-meter-tall Heavenly Fox appears and attacks Zhang Ping. Its body is decayed, its eyes glow green, and its tails bear grotesque human faces.
• The creature nearly kills Zhang Ping, while Shi Jun is also attacked. Shi Jun survives by tearing apart his own body, using a tortoiseshell shield and spatial abilities, and escaping underground.
• Zhang Ping is apparently decapitated, but two purple beams destroy the fox before it can finish him. He then reveals that the body it attacked was a constructed substitute rather than his original body.
• Zhang reconstructs himself by pulling out his head and spine, dissolving his head into purified water, and regenerating. His companion Nether Mist forms clothing around him.
• His allies are disturbed by his grotesque survival method, viewing him as increasingly monstrous and frightening.
• Zhang explains that he prepared the substitute body after Bai Yating warned him of danger. He used King Blood, a Forest Outlaw, and Blood Division to create a disposable body with his own head, allowing him to retain his powers while minimizing risk.
• Another identical Heavenly Fox appears, but Zhang destroys it with his laser vision. His Appraisal Technique initially fails, but after repeated attempts he identifies the creature as a Flesh Tree, a top-tier mutated beast created by the Beast-Taming Zhu Family.
• The Flesh Tree possesses abilities including cognitive distortion, the reversal of common sense, regenerative transforming tails, supernatural fear, powerful strength, concealment, and the ability to consume brains for knowledge.
• Zhang’s appraisal reveals a memory or image of Prince Yue meeting a middle-aged man beside a crimson monster tree. The man claims the creature is his greatest creation and promises that, by joining forces with Prince Yue, it can kill Zhang.
• Prince Yue agrees to cooperate for revenge. The crimson tree then fuses with Prince Yue, transforming into a fox-like form with branches and fruit-like growths.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping demonstrates extreme caution, strategic thinking, and willingness to use disturbing methods to survive. His disposable body allows him to fight at full strength while protecting his true body.
• His regenerative and body-manipulation abilities appear increasingly unnatural, causing even allies to question whether he is more monster than human.
• Shi Jun proves resourceful and difficult to kill, escaping through the earth after surviving the Flesh Tree’s attack.
• Prince Yue becomes more desperate and revenge-driven, abandoning nearly everything to gain the power to defeat Zhang Ping.
• The unnamed middle-aged man is revealed as a sinister creator who has spent decades developing the Flesh Tree as a weapon.

Significant Themes

• Survival through monstrosity: Zhang’s victory depends on methods that are horrifying but practical, blurring the boundary between human and monster.
• Preparation and strategic foresight: Zhang survives because he anticipated threats beyond Shi Jun and prepared for enemies connected to Prince Yue and the Zhu Family.
• Manipulation and distorted reality: The Flesh Tree’s abilities challenge perception, cognition, and common sense, making appearances and reality unreliable.
• Revenge and obsession: Prince Yue’s desire for revenge drives him into an alliance with a dangerous artificial creature.
• Creation and weaponization: The Flesh Tree represents the Zhu Family’s deliberate cultivation of living beings as weapons.

Character Interactions

• The Flesh Tree taunts and attacks Zhang Ping while also targeting Shi Jun.
• Zhang’s allies—Yu Jinxiang, Zhang Li, and Zhang Chen—react with fear and disgust to his grotesque resurrection.
• Zhang Shouzhong, Liu Sishan, and Cheng Xuejie check on Zhang after the battle, while Zhang explains how he survived.
• Liu Sishan initially wonders whether the slain creature was Prince Yue, but Zhang determines that it is a separate entity.
• Prince Yue negotiates with the middle-aged creator, agreeing to fuse with the Flesh Tree in exchange for the power to kill Zhang Ping.

Chapter Summary: “Wind Rises”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After killing the Heavenly Fox, Zhang Ping realizes that the enemy’s failure to eliminate him has created a larger threat. His Appraisal revealed that the nearby tree contained thousands of fruits capable of producing invisible Cultivated Flower Seeds resembling Heavenly Foxes.
• Zhang Ping alerts everyone to the danger. The Investigation Team quickly detects and kills several hidden Cultivated Flower Seeds using shadow manipulation, gravitational distortion, and bombardment.
• Zhang Chen launches a red emergency flare, officially declaring the situation a City-Crisis Tier threat. Mingzhu City shuts its gates, sends civilians into shelters, and mobilizes Awakened fighters to the walls.
• Zuo Xiangming, stationed north of the city with an enormous army of Living Corpses, sees the flare and realizes that Prince Yue has acted prematurely. He abandons the original coordinated plan and orders a frontal assault, sending the Living Corpses charging toward Mingzhu City.
• At a Zhu Family base, Zhu Chengmian punishes his son Zhu Jiuyang for recklessly misusing a valuable ability. He strips Jiuyang of his status as a son and kills him, using his Blood Crystal to advance the Zhu Family’s larger scheme to retake Mingzhu City.
• The Oceanfolk, led by Li Aoxue, also agree to cooperate with the Zhu Family. Although Li considers the Zhu Family insignificant, she believes Zhang Ping’s growing power threatens her own interests and that Mingzhu City has too many Infinite Tier Awakened.
• Near the city, Zhang Ping and the Investigation Team fight through waves of Cultivated Flower Seeds while Zhang Shouzhong deploys a floating fortress for mass bombardment. The city defenders fear that invisible enemies may already have infiltrated Mingzhu City.
• Feng Laixian orders the Patrol Team to search the city for invisible infiltrators. Since only Zhang Ping can reliably detect enemies using the Heavenly Fox’s superior ability, Feng authorizes the “Kindling Plan,” accepting heavy casualties to compensate for the lack of detection capabilities.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping becomes more alert and strategic, recognizing the scale of the threat and immediately warning the city rather than focusing only on the defeated Heavenly Fox.
• Zuo Xiangming reveals his determination to continue the invasion despite the premature exposure of the plan. His personal objective is to seize Zhang Ping’s corpse.
• Zhu Chengmian is shown to be ruthless and completely devoted to the Zhu Family’s ambitions. He treats even his own son as expendable if doing so benefits the family.
• Zhu Jiuyang changes from a favored but careless asset into a discarded victim, terrified when his father revokes his status and orders his death.
• Li Aoxue emerges as a pragmatic and politically calculating leader. She distrusts the Zhu Family but joins its plan because Zhang Ping’s influence conflicts with her own interests.
• Feng Laixian demonstrates harsh military decisiveness by approving the Kindling Plan despite its likely human cost.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of incomplete victory: Zhang Ping’s earlier failure to eliminate Prince Yue allows a much larger danger to emerge.
• Hidden threats and paranoia: The invisible Cultivated Flower Seeds make ordinary defenses unreliable and create fear that enemies may already be inside the city.
• Political opportunism: Several factions exploit the crisis to pursue their own agendas, temporarily cooperating despite mutual distrust.
• Power and expendability: Zhu Chengmian’s treatment of Zhu Jiuyang and Feng Laixian’s willingness to sacrifice lives show how individuals are reduced to tools in larger conflicts.
• Escalation and alliance: The danger expands from a local battle against one Heavenly Fox into a coordinated assault involving Living Corpses, the Zhu Family, and the Oceanfolk.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhang Ping’s warning prompts the Investigation Team to coordinate their abilities and triggers Mingzhu City’s emergency response.
• Zuo Xiangming discusses the failed timing of the attack and orders the Living Corpses to launch a direct assault.
• Zhu Chengmian confronts, humiliates, and kills Zhu Jiuyang, while Zhu Shi observes the event and accepts Jiuyang’s Blood Crystal.
• Guan Hongying questions Li Aoxue’s alliance with the Zhu Family, but Li firmly asserts that Zhang Ping represents a threat to her authority.
• Feng Laixian and Bai De discuss the difficulty of detecting Heavenly Fox-like enemies, leading Feng to order the dangerous Kindling Plan.

Chapter Summary: “Attack”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Laixian and the current Patrol Team review the destruction of the previous team and create the Spark Plan to prevent another total wipeout by a Heavenly Fox-like enemy.
• The plan divides the Patrol Team into groups that must send regular signals. Any group that fails to report is to be killed immediately, whether its members are human or secretly replaced by Mutated Beasts.
• Bai De activates the plan by firing a red cross-shaped signal into the sky, placing every Patrol Team member in Mingzhu City on combat alert.
• Zhang Ping deduces that Prince Yue is controlling only one of the invisible foxes remotely, while the others are less intelligent “Cultivated Flower Seeds” acting as expendable creatures.
• Zhang Ping suspects the fox Corpses may possess dangerous abilities—possibly revival, explosions, or growth through the Flesh Tree—and orders everyone to destroy the bodies completely.
• The group’s systematic destruction of the Corpses forces Prince Yue to reveal a massive fox army outside the city. More than one hundred thousand foxes surround Mingzhu City.
• Feng Laixian immediately orders all Awakened to destroy the fox bodies after killing them, recognizing that the Corpses are likely central to the enemy’s strategy.
• At the same time, Living Corpses are teleported down around the northern city wall. Carrying deadly Corpse Poison, they threaten to infect the defenders.
• Feng Laixian leaves to defend the north against the Living Corpses, identifying the attacker as Zuo Xiangming, while Bai De remains to coordinate with Zhang Ping.
• Zhang Ping attempts to contact Situ Shibai but cannot reach him. He concludes that something has happened to the captain and realizes the Cultivated Flower Seeds may be targeting him specifically.

Character Developments

• Feng Laixian demonstrates strategic leadership by creating the Spark Plan and using the crisis as a test of the Patrol Team’s independence. He also makes difficult decisions, accepting the plan’s brutal “kill first” policy to protect the majority.
• Bai De follows the emergency protocol and assumes responsibility for coordinating defenses alongside Zhang Ping.
• Zhang Ping shows growing analytical ability, distinguishing the behavior of Prince Yue’s controlled fox from the mindless foxes and identifying the potential danger of their Corpses. His suspicions about being the enemy’s true target heighten the tension.
• Zhang Shouzhong, Zhang Li, Nangong Shouming, and the Investigation Team respond quickly and cooperatively, displaying experience against unusual Mutated Beast abilities.
• Prince Yue is portrayed as increasingly pressured and desperate; the destruction of the Corpses forces him to abandon concealment and expose his overwhelming numbers.
• Situ Shibai’s unexplained absence becomes a major concern, suggesting that the larger conflict may have disrupted Mingzhu City’s defenses.

Significant Themes

• Survival through ruthless discipline: The Spark Plan emphasizes that protecting the group may require sacrificing individuals, even when their guilt is uncertain.
• Trust and suspicion: Because enemies can replace or imitate humans, every team member becomes both a potential ally and a possible threat.
• Adaptation and strategic thinking: Zhang Ping and the defenders counter the enemy not through brute force alone but by identifying the foxes’ dependence on their Corpses.
• The cost of relying on heroes: Feng Laixian recognizes that the Patrol Team cannot depend indefinitely on Zhang Ping’s ability to identify infiltrators.
• Escalation and hidden danger: The enormous fox army and the sudden Living Corpse assault reveal that the attack is coordinated and likely part of a broader plan.

Character Interactions

• Feng Laixian directs Bai De and the Patrol Team through the Spark Plan, while Bai De signals the entire city to prepare for combat.
• Zhang Ping explains his deductions to Zhang Shouzhong and the others, persuading them to destroy every fox Corpse.
• The Investigation Team immediately supports Zhang Ping’s strategy, using nanobots, flames, blades, and explosives to erase the Corpses.
• Feng Laixian independently reaches the same conclusion as Zhang Ping and orders the city defenders to follow the same corpse-destruction procedure.
• After the Living Corpses attack, Feng Laixian assigns Bai De to work with Zhang Ping while he personally reinforces the northern wall.
• Zhang Ping asks Liu Sishan to contact Situ Shibai; her failure to reach him confirms his growing suspicion that the attack involves more than the visible enemies.

Summary of “Involution”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ping hears the remaining Cultivated Flower Seeds “speaking” through his Communion with All Things. Realizing they may still be dangerous, he burns the ground with Flame Element energy.
• One surviving seed transforms into a gigantic monster tree covered in tails and eyes, resembling Prince Yue’s abilities. Zhang Ping battles it with his Purple Light Eye and Floating Cannon Gem, eventually destroying it.
• Zhang Shouzhong warns that killing the foxes is not enough; their bodies must also be completely destroyed, since the Cultivated Flower Seeds can grow from them.
• Thousands of foxes attack Zhang Li and the others on the giant lizard. Shi Jun suddenly emerges from underground, fully healed after using a life-saving elixir. He summons the Eight-Million Whale-Slaying Blade and uses a magma river to destroy the foxes and their seeds.
• Shi Jun explains that he nearly died during his fight with Zhang Ping but survived by taking the elixir. He deliberately remained underground to assess the situation before resurfacing.
• In the mountains, Zhu Zeming learns that Shi Jun survived. Since their original Plan One depended on Shi Jun’s death, he orders the group to begin Plan Two.
• Prince Yue, merged with the Flesh Tree, activates a new strategy. The Flesh Tree is supplied with animals and Mutated Beast corpses to produce more Cultivated Flower Seeds.
• The Flesh Tree changes from its defensive “coverage” reproduction method to an aggressive “invasion” method. The foxes outside Mingzhu City explode, releasing flesh branches that merge into a gigantic, rolling mass of teeth, mouths, claws, and limbs.
• Although Shi Jun sends his magma river against the mass, the sheer number of seeds allows it to survive and roll toward him.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping: Demonstrates quick thinking and powerful combat abilities, using both his Flame Element and Purple Light Eye to counter the monster tree. His ability to understand seemingly meaningless sounds becomes strategically important.
• Shi Jun: Reveals his resilience and tactical caution. Though badly wounded, he survives through a life-saving elixir, observes the battlefield before acting, and exploits the seeds’ weakness to fire and magma.
• Zhang Shouzhong: Provides a crucial warning about the need to destroy the foxes’ bodies, recognizing the larger threat posed by the Cultivated Flower Seeds.
• Zhang Li: Shows relief and confidence upon seeing Shi Jun alive, reinforcing his loyalty to and trust in his boss.
• Prince Yue and Zhu Zeming: Their plans are forced to change after Shi Jun survives. Prince Yue becomes more deeply integrated with the Flesh Tree, while Zhu Zeming shifts from the failed first strategy to a more destructive second plan.

Significant Themes

• Adaptation and escalation: Both sides continually adjust their tactics. The antagonists abandon a carefully arranged plan and unleash a more powerful invasion strategy when circumstances change.
• Regeneration and persistence: The Cultivated Flower Seeds and monster tree repeatedly regenerate, emphasizing how difficult they are to eliminate completely.
• The danger of incomplete victory: Killing enemies is insufficient if their remains can become new sources of infection or reproduction.
• Involution: The chapter literalizes the idea of destructive competition and uncontrolled growth. The Cultivated Flower Seeds merge and compete until they form a massive organism, turning their reproduction into an overwhelming weapon.
• Preparation versus improvisation: Zhu Zeming’s coordinated plans contrast with Shi Jun and Zhang Ping’s rapid battlefield responses.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ping and Zhang Shouzhong discuss the danger of failing to destroy the foxes’ bodies.
• Shi Jun returns just in time to protect Zhang Li and the others from the attacking foxes; Zhang Li openly expresses relief at his survival.
• Zhang Ping’s earlier battle with Shi Jun indirectly disrupts the enemy’s planned timing, forcing Prince Yue and Zhu Zeming to alter their strategy.
• The Flesh Tree and its servants coordinate Plan Two, transforming the fox army into a massive offensive creature aimed directly at Shi Jun.

Chapter Summary: “A Cautious Man”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A huge sphere of red flesh attacks Shi Jun. He attempts to stop it with giant arms formed from the ground, but the sphere destroys them and knocks him through the air.
• Zhang Li and the others rush to Shi Jun’s aid, while Zhang Ping realizes the sphere may break through Mingzhu City’s defenses.
• Despite suspecting that the enemy is targeting him, Zhang Ping chooses to intervene because allowing the sphere into the city could cause immense destruction.
• Zhang Ping transforms into a thousand-meter metallic giant and smashes the sphere. A fragment of flesh then reveals that something dangerous was hidden inside it and that Zhang Ping has supposedly been marked for death.
• By questioning the fragment and manipulating it into calling him “Daddy,” Zhang Ping learns that the attackers are hiding in the nearby mountains.
• Zhang Ping searches the mountains with his Eagle Eye ability and attacks Zhu Zhaotian, who narrowly escapes by teleporting.
• Unsure whether the object implanted in his hand is still dangerous, Zhang Ping adopts an extreme precaution: he cuts off his own hand, grows a replacement, and burns the severed limb completely.
• In their laboratory, Zhu Zhaotian and Zhu Shi realize their plan has failed. They had hidden specially prepared Salt Frost Fruit Essence inside the sphere, intending for it to seep into Zhang Ping and attract powerful Mutated Beasts to hunt him.
• Zhang Ping’s excessive caution prevents the trap from working. Zhu Shi, desperate to prove his usefulness and avoid punishment over Zhu Jiuyang’s death, decides to continue with a backup plan involving Zhu Jiuyang’s Blood Crystal.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping is shown to be extraordinarily cautious and pragmatic. Although he recognizes the possibility of a trap, he still acts to protect Mingzhu City. Once suspicious, he refuses to gamble with his life and sacrifices his hand rather than risk carrying an invisible threat.
• Shi Jun demonstrates courage by confronting the flesh sphere, but he is decisively overpowered and injured, emphasizing the enemy’s strength.
• Zhu Zhaotian remains calculating and detached. He helps execute the plan but is unwilling to risk himself or sacrifice his own interests for Zhu Shi.
• Zhu Shi becomes increasingly anxious because his survival and reputation depend on contributing to the operation. His frustration at Zhang Ping’s behavior highlights how completely the plan has been disrupted.
• The flesh fragment is gullible and childlike. Zhang Ping exploits its confusion, persuading it to reveal useful information.

Significant Themes

• Caution versus recklessness: Zhang Ping’s willingness to destroy his own hand contrasts with the enemies’ confidence in their elaborate trap. His survival depends not on overpowering the scheme, but on refusing to take unnecessary risks.
• Adaptability and improvisation: Zhang Ping turns an apparent attack into an interrogation opportunity and converts the enemy’s weapon into a source of intelligence.
• Manipulation and deception: Both sides rely on hidden plans, misinformation, and bait. Zhang Ping’s conversational manipulation succeeds where direct force alone might not.
• Self-preservation and sacrifice: Zhang Ping sacrifices part of his body to eliminate a possible threat, while Zhu Shi is prepared to continue dangerous operations because failure may cost him his life.
• Unequal investment in alliances: Zhu Zhaotian treats the partnership with Zhu Shi as useful but expendable, revealing his self-interested nature.

Character Interactions

• Shi Jun and the flesh sphere: Their direct clash establishes the sphere’s overwhelming power and leaves Shi Jun injured.
• Zhang Ping and the flesh fragment: Zhang Ping questions the fragment, tricks it into accepting him as its “daddy,” and extracts the location of the hidden attackers.
• Zhang Ping and Zhu Zhaotian: Zhang Ping discovers Zhu Zhaotian’s position and attacks him with laser beams, forcing him to teleport away.
• Zhu Zhaotian and Zhu Shi: After the trap fails, Zhu Shi panics while Zhu Zhaotian stays composed and emotionally detached. They agree to proceed with a secondary plan using Zhu Jiuyang’s Blood Crystal.

Chapter Summary: “Zhu Yanlao”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Situ Shibai meets an elderly man on Taiyan Mountain after being lured away from Mingzhu City. The man claims that Situ deliberately exposed Zhang Ping so the Sun and Moon Clans would kill him.
• The old man accuses Situ of secretly eliminating powerful Awakened individuals over the past two centuries, including Zhao Shufang and Wang Chengcai, whose abilities had the potential to advance to Infinite Tier.
• He identifies Situ as the mysterious killer known as the Ghost Judge, but Situ denies the accusation and refuses to confirm anything.
• The man repeatedly suggests that Situ is waiting for Zhang Ping to die, while Situ insists that Zhang Ping is strong enough to survive and that his current crisis is a necessary trial.
• Situ realizes that the apparent “Zhu Yanlao” is actually an impostor. When he attacks seriously, the disguise breaks apart, revealing a fox-like creature.
• Situ kills the fox, which curses him and claims that his hypocrisy will eventually be exposed.
• The real Zhu Yanlao watches the encounter through a crystal ball from a hidden room. He reveals that the fox was likely meant to provoke Situ and deepen suspicion between him and Zhang Ping.
• Zhu Yanlao admits that the unexplained deaths of Zhao Shufang and Wang Chengcai give him reason to suspect that Situ really may be responsible.

2. Character Developments

• Situ Shibai: Demonstrates extreme caution, composure, and overwhelming power. He quickly recognizes that the “Zhu Yanlao” before him is an impostor and deliberately withholds the full extent of his strength. His comments show that he views Zhang Ping’s current danger as both a disaster and a test intended to help him grow.
• Zhu Yanlao: Is established as a highly intelligent and politically calculating elder. Rather than confronting Situ directly, he uses an impersonator and psychological manipulation to investigate Situ’s past and potentially create distrust between Situ and Zhang Ping. His former admiration for Situ has evolved into suspicion.
• Zhang Ping: Does not appear directly, but becomes the central subject of the confrontation. He is portrayed as a rapidly growing figure whose power is impressive but still imperfect, making him vulnerable to enemies.
• The fox impostor: Serves as Zhu Yanlao’s instrument, attempting to provoke Situ into revealing his true motives. It fails and is destroyed.

3. Significant Themes

• Suspicion and hidden identities: The encounter revolves around disguises, secret motives, and the difficulty of distinguishing truth from manipulation.
• Power and political intrigue: Powerful families and factions use deception and indirect attacks rather than open conflict.
• Mentorship versus manipulation: Situ claims to be nurturing Zhang Ping, but his actions can also be interpreted as using Zhang as bait. The chapter deliberately leaves his true intentions ambiguous.
• The cost of greatness: Situ believes Zhang must endure danger and hardship to become stronger, presenting suffering as a necessary test for future leaders.
• Unresolved guilt and historical secrets: The mysterious deaths of potential Infinite Tier Awakened cast doubt on Situ’s public image and suggest that his past may conceal darker actions.

4. Character Interactions

• Situ Shibai and the disguised fox: Their exchange is a battle of words as much as abilities. The impostor tries to expose Situ as the Ghost Judge and accuse him of sacrificing Zhang Ping, while Situ probes the disguise and eventually kills it.
• Situ Shibai and Zhu Yanlao: Although they do not meet directly in the chapter, Zhu Yanlao’s strategy is focused on challenging Situ’s reputation and forcing him to reveal his connection to Zhang Ping and the suspected killings.
• Zhu Yanlao and his female subordinate: The subordinate asks whether his plan is meant to sow discord between Situ and Zhang Ping. Zhu Yanlao gives an ambiguous answer, confirming that creating suspicion is at least one possible purpose of the scheme.

Chapter Summary: “Zhang Ping’s New Ability”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ping returns to the Floating Mini-Fortress outside Mingzhu City after confronting the hostile foxes. To protect himself from toxins, curses, and dark abilities, he activates his Pure Water Form and the projection of the Sanctified World.
• The remaining foxes turn invisible and continue hiding near the fortress. Zhang Ping assumes they will not retreat after investing so many resources in targeting him, so he orders indiscriminate attacks against their hiding places.
• Analysis reveals that the strange flesh left behind by the Flesh Tree and Prince Yue is highly nutritious. Eating it can shorten advancement time, permanently improve physical strength, and possibly grant new abilities.
• Despite the flesh’s disturbing appearance and unpleasant flavor, Zhang Ping, Zhang Shouzhong, Liu Sishan, and Cheng Xuejie cook and eat it. Zhang Ping warns them that it must be thoroughly cooked to prevent dangerous effects.
• After eating the flesh, Zhang Ping gains a new innate ability: Baldness Ripple. It consumes mental strength to make a target’s hair fall out and permanently prevents the hair follicles from regenerating.
• Although everyone initially finds the ability ridiculous, they recognize that it could be powerful against enemies who rely on hair-based abilities or who are highly concerned with their appearance.
• A sudden disturbance then occurs above the city. Red mist forms strange clouds, suggesting another enemy attack or ability.
• An invisible fox attacks the city wall, piercing an Awakened’s abdomen with its tail. The defenders discover that the foxes are extremely durable, resisting psychokinesis and arrows.
• Before the defenders can respond effectively, a white substance falls from above and dissolves the fox into mangled flesh. Zhang Ping catches and heals the injured Awakened using Psychokinesis and King Blood.
• Realizing the danger, Zhang Ping orders all beginner- and intermediate-rank Awakened to guard the shelters, while stronger Awakened remain on the city wall. Only slightly more than fifty advanced fighters stay behind.

Character Development

• Zhang Ping becomes more cautious and strategic after recognizing that the enemy may be preparing hidden schemes. He combines defensive abilities before returning to the fortress and takes command decisively during the attack.
• His new Baldness Ripple initially appears comical and embarrassing, but Zhang Ping and the others begin to understand its tactical value. This reflects his growing collection of unconventional but potentially devastating abilities.
• Zhang Shouzhong remains practical and enthusiastic about any advantage that can speed advancement. He also helps operate the nanobots and quickly embraces the possible combat applications of Zhang Ping’s new power.
• Liu Sishan is open-minded and focused on the benefits of the mysterious flesh. She helps reframe Baldness Ripple as a useful countermeasure rather than a useless joke.
• Cheng Xuejie is more emotionally repulsed by the flesh and amused by Zhang Ping’s new ability, but she ultimately overcomes her hesitation and eats it.
• The ordinary Awakened on the city wall initially hesitate during the crisis, but Zhang Ping’s commanding authority forces them to follow his defensive orders.

Significant Themes

• Power hidden beneath absurdity: An ability that sounds ridiculous can become terrifyingly effective under the right circumstances.
• Adaptation and survival: Zhang Ping uses every available resource—defensive transformations, strange food, healing, and tactical command—to survive an unpredictable enemy.
• Risk versus reward: The characters consume grotesque flesh because its benefits may dramatically accelerate advancement, accepting danger and discomfort for greater strength.
• Leadership under pressure: Zhang Ping demonstrates the ability to make rapid decisions, protect weaker fighters, and organize defenses during an unexpected attack.
• The unknown threat: The invisible foxes, red clouds, and mysterious white substance emphasize that the enemy’s abilities and plans remain unclear.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhang Ping instructs Zhang Shouzhong to monitor the invisible foxes while he prepares the flesh, showing their cooperative battlefield roles.
• Cheng Xuejie questions whether the flesh is safe or edible, while Liu Sishan and Zhang Shouzhong focus on its advancement benefits.
• The group jokes about Baldness Ripple, but Liu Sishan and Zhang Shouzhong help Zhang Ping recognize its practical combat value.
• During the city-wall attack, Zhang Ping rescues and heals the wounded Awakened, then asserts authority by reorganizing the defenders and assigning weaker fighters to protect the shelters.

Chapter Summary: A Guide to Eating Premium Ingredients

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• With both the Investigation Team and Patrol Team effectively gone, Zhang Ping assumes command of the remaining Awakened in Mingzhu City, following the unwritten rule that the strongest person leads during a crisis.
• He orders water-element Awakened to flood the area beneath the city wall, creating mud and marshland to hinder the approaching Cultivated Flower Seeds.
• When the Seeds begin climbing the wall, the Awakened attack them. However, crimson rain soon falls from the sky. Zhang Ping analyzes it and discovers that it contains Salt Frost Fruit Essence amplified by an extraordinary superpower, effectively turning the entire city into a gigantic Salt Frost Fruit.
• Rather than shield himself from the rain, Zhang Ping deliberately exposes his body to it and begins consuming the minced flesh scattered across the ground. His Other-Eater ability allows him to digest it safely.
• Zhang Ping transforms into a powerful beastlike form and uses psychokinesis to capture Cultivated Flower Seeds. He kills them with laser beams, drinks their blood, and unlocks the new ability Blood Drinker, which permanently increases his physical and mental strength.
• Mutated Beasts, White Apes, and even ordinary animals are drawn toward the city by the rain, becoming increasingly irrational and aggressive. Zhang Ping ignores the weaker creatures, focusing on strengthening himself before more dangerous Overlord- or King-level beasts arrive.
• He eats a piece of minced flesh that had previously communicated with him. This grants him Subsidiary Spore, an ability that can animate inanimate objects for one day by parasitizing them with an invisible spore.
• Zhang Ping uses the ability on a rock, creating a five-meter-tall Rock Giant. The Rock Giant fights a White Ape near the city wall and defeats it.
• Realizing that some pieces of minced flesh can willingly empower him, Zhang Ping begins asking them whether they want to “return to Dad’s body” before eating them. Their personalities differ: some accept him, some willingly seek death, and others curse or resist him. He eats them regardless, eventually finding another seemingly innocent piece.

2. Character Developments

• Zhang Ping becomes increasingly ruthless and desperate. He abandons ordinary human restraint, willingly consuming raw flesh, blood, and potentially dangerous material because survival and rapid growth are his priorities.
• His abilities expand significantly through consumption:
  • Blood Drinker: permanently boosts physical and mental strength through drinking blood.
  • Subsidiary Spore: animates inanimate objects and gives Zhang Ping temporary additional combat power.
• Zhang Ping also demonstrates greater tactical control, using psychokinesis to capture enemies and turning consumed creatures into sources of power.
• Liu Sishan and Cheng Xuejie recognize Zhang Ping’s determination and imitate him by eating with their hands, accepting that becoming stronger is more important than maintaining decorum.
• The pieces of minced flesh are revealed to possess distinct personalities, ranging from trusting and childlike to nihilistic, hostile, or manipulative.
• The newly created Rock Giant develops a simple, childlike consciousness and loyalty toward Zhang Ping, whom it calls “Dad.”

3. Significant Themes

• Survival through transformation: The characters must abandon normal standards of behavior to survive an overwhelming supernatural disaster.
• Power gained through consumption: Strength comes from eating enemies, allies, and even strange living flesh, blurring the boundary between nourishment, violence, and assimilation.
• Loss of humanity: Zhang Ping’s beastification and willingness to consume anything highlight his gradual movement away from ordinary human behavior.
• Consent and identity: The minced flesh’s different attitudes toward being eaten raise questions about individuality, autonomy, and whether consuming a being can also incorporate its consciousness.
• Hierarchy and emergency leadership: Authority is determined by strength rather than formal law when existing leadership collapses.
• Improvisation and adaptation: Zhang Ping repeatedly turns unexpected resources—rain, corpses, blood, and rocks—into weapons or sources of power.

4. Character Interactions

• Zhang Ping commands the remaining Awakened and coordinates their defense of the city.
• Liu Sishan and Cheng Xuejie observe Zhang Ping’s actions, trust that he has a reason, and follow his example by eating the available meat to gain strength.
• Zhang Ping uses psychokinesis to drag Cultivated Flower Seeds before him, kills them, and drinks their blood while the other Awakened continue defending the wall.
• He speaks directly with the pieces of minced flesh, adopting a false paternal tone to persuade them to be consumed. One trusting piece accepts him as “Dad,” while another recognizes his deception but still asks to be eaten.
• The Rock Giant, animated from a rock by Zhang Ping’s Subsidiary Spore, fights a White Ape and proudly treats Zhang Ping as its creator and father.

Summary of “Dangerous Zhang Ping”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ping consumes a newly formed chunk of flesh, humorously presenting himself as its “father.” He claims that eating the flesh does not destroy people but gives them a new form.
• After consuming it, Zhang Ping’s advancement time is drastically reduced, and he gains a new ability, Animated Fairy, which can transform inanimate objects into tiny healing fairies.
• He creates a fairy from a speck of dust and names her Yaoyao. Yaoyao immediately displays a mischievous, ruthless personality by suggesting that she heal the White Ape so it can kill her “brother,” the rock giant.
• Zhang Ping continues consuming the chunks of flesh, swallowing even those that insult him. Since the rock giant and Yaoyao are manifestations of his abilities, they can be recreated if destroyed; only Zhang Ping’s death would permanently end them.
• Mutated Beasts begin approaching, but the floating mini-fortress keeps most of them away. When a massive wild boar charges Zhang Ping, he kills it with eye lasers, cuts it apart, and sends one of its legs to the fortress.
• Zhang Shouzhong catches the meat with nanobots and gives it to Cheng Xuejie, who eats it raw because Zhang Ping explains that uncooked meat is more effective for strengthening her Bioforce Field.
• Zhang Ping’s eating reduces the time required for him to advance to the High-Level Awakened stage from over a year to only three months, and he realizes that continued consumption might allow him to advance within the day.
• At the Zhu Family Base, Zhu Zhaotian and Zhu Shi watch Zhang Ping through surveillance. They realize that the flesh is strengthening him and fear that his new abilities have upset their plans.
• The Zhu Family concludes that Zhang Ping must be killed because, unlike Situ Shibai, his potential is apparently limitless and he may eventually gain abilities such as immortality.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping becomes increasingly dangerous and resourceful. Rather than simply defending himself, he deliberately exploits the flesh to accelerate his advancement and overwhelm the enemy through rapid growth.
• He demonstrates greater control over his abilities, combining psychokinesis, lasers, flesh consumption, and ability creation with tactical efficiency.
• Zhang Ping also reveals a darkly playful and manipulative side. He sweet-talks the flesh into allowing itself to be consumed, though he has no hesitation about forcibly eating the hostile pieces.
• Yaoyao, his newly created fairy, is cheerful and affectionate toward Zhang Ping but also disturbingly cruel and competitive. Her “helpful” suggestion that the White Ape kill the rock giant shows that his manifested abilities may possess independent personalities.
• Cheng Xuejie endures eating raw mutated-beast flesh despite her discomfort, prioritizing strength and survival.
• Zhu Zhaotian and Zhu Shi become increasingly alarmed. Their earlier intelligence on Zhang Ping is already obsolete because he has gained new abilities overnight, making him nearly impossible to predict or counter.

Significant Themes

• Transformation rather than death: Zhang Ping frames his consumption of living flesh as giving victims a new form, blurring the boundary between creation, destruction, and assimilation.
• Uncontrolled growth and potential: Zhang Ping’s greatest threat is not merely his current strength but his ability to acquire new powers without needing to copy anyone.
• Power and survival: Characters repeatedly accept horrifying or dangerous actions—such as eating raw flesh—to become stronger in a hostile environment.
• Creator and creation: Zhang Ping’s relationship with the rock giant and Yaoyao resembles that of a father and children, but their existence depends entirely on him, raising questions about identity, autonomy, and mortality.
• Fear of the unknown: The Zhu Family is especially threatened because Zhang Ping’s abilities cannot be reliably assessed or predicted. Their strategies are based on old information, while his power changes constantly.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhang Ping and the flesh: He adopts a mockingly paternal role, persuading the chunks to return to him so they can supposedly be reborn, then consuming them to fuel his advancement.
• Zhang Ping and Yaoyao: He names her and treats her warmly, while she responds with childlike enthusiasm and unexpectedly malicious ideas.
• Yaoyao and the rock giant/White Ape: Yaoyao is sent to assist the rock giant but proposes helping the White Ape instead, revealing her chaotic and competitive nature.
• Zhang Ping and Cheng Xuejie: Zhang Ping provides her with mutated boar meat to strengthen her Bioforce Field, casually insisting that it be eaten raw despite her discomfort.
• Zhu Zhaotian and Zhu Shi: The two discuss how to destroy Zhang Ping and possibly blame Cheng Mian if their plan fails. Their conversation confirms that the Zhu Family sees Zhang Ping as a greater long-term danger than Situ Shibai.

Chapter Summary: “Advancement!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After eating, Zhang Ping suddenly senses that he is about to advance. He consumes all the Contract Gems he has saved, using them to maximize his potential.
• His advancement releases an overwhelming aura, far greater than Zhang Shouzhong’s earlier breakthrough from High-Level to Top-Tier Awakened. Animals and Mutated Beasts instinctively flee from him.
• Zhang Ping successfully advances from Intermediate Awakened to High-Level Awakened. His mental power expands dramatically, and his superpowers become more organized and easier to control.
• With a single thought, he uses Psychokinesis to snap the necks of numerous Mutated Beasts, killing them instantly. He realizes that he is an extraordinarily powerful High-Level Awakened, far beyond an ordinary one.
• Zhang Ping flies to the floating fortress and uses his enhanced Appraisal Technique to inspect his updated status.
• His appraisal confirms his new rank, Level 20, a lifespan of 300 years, and a vast collection of talents and abilities. It also reveals his new advancement skills, including enhanced Contract Gems and Contract Power.

Character Development

• Zhang Ping reaches a major power milestone, advancing to High-Level Awakened. His Mental Strength changes from a “lake” into an “ocean,” granting him vastly improved perception, control, and Psychokinesis.
• He becomes more aware of the frightening scale of his own strength, recognizing that he is likely thousands of times stronger than an ordinary High-Level Awakened.
• His abilities become more integrated, functioning almost like organs within his body and consciousness, allowing him to activate and manipulate them with greater precision.
• Zhang Shouzhong reacts with amused helplessness, acknowledging that Zhang Ping’s breakthrough completely overshadows his own.
• Cheng Xuejie is visibly surprised by Zhang Ping’s advancement, emphasizing how extraordinary the event appears to the group.

Significant Themes

• Power and advancement: The chapter centers on the dramatic increase in strength brought by advancement and the difference between ordinary and exceptional Awakened.
• Potential through preparation: Zhang Ping’s stockpiling and consumption of Contract Gems demonstrate the importance of preparation and resource investment in achieving a superior breakthrough.
• The danger of overwhelming power: Zhang Ping is amazed and slightly disturbed by how effortlessly he kills the surrounding Mutated Beasts, suggesting that increased strength may bring new psychological burdens.
• Ambition and consequences: The appraisal’s remarks repeatedly hint that Zhang Ping’s talents were obtained through extreme ambition and the sacrifice of intelligence, potential, or luck, implying that his abilities may carry hidden costs.
• Control and contracts: His new powers emphasize domination, obedience, binding agreements, storage, weapons, and enhancement, reinforcing the chapter’s recurring ideas of authority and control.

Character Interactions

• The group witnesses Zhang Ping’s breakthrough and compares it to Zhang Shouzhong’s earlier advancement.
• Zhang Shouzhong jokingly complains that future stories about breaking through in battle will focus on Zhang Ping rather than himself.
• Cheng Xuejie reacts in surprise while eating, highlighting the shock caused by Zhang Ping’s enormous aura.
• Zhang Ping does not directly converse much after advancing; instead, he demonstrates his new power, kills the surrounding beasts, and withdraws to the fortress to evaluate himself.
• The appraisal system effectively “interacts” with Zhang Ping by revealing the expanded capabilities and limitations of his talents, including the newly unlocked Infinite Contract and Contract Power advancement skills.

Chapter Summary: “Desolate Serpent God”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ping’s recent breakthrough has dramatically increased his power. His physical attributes are more than ten times stronger, his stamina is vastly improved, and his control over his abilities has become more refined.
• His powers have also evolved: he can subtly influence people through blood clones, and Nightwalker can now make him partially overlooked even outside nighttime, provided he remains in shadow.
• Before Zhang Ping can reveal his new attributes, his sixth sense detects danger. A mountain is blasted into the air, and a massive shockwave devastates the surrounding area, injuring civilians and damaging Mingzhu City.
• An enormous earth-colored serpent emerges from underground: the Desolate Serpent God, a Junior King Beast capable of earthquakes, rockfalls, extreme regeneration, and rebirth through the earth after death.
• Zhang Ping appraises the creature and shares its terrifying attributes with Zhang Shouzhong, Liu Sishan, and Cheng Xuejie. They conclude that they cannot defeat it.
• Zhang Ping volunteers to fight the serpent while the others rescue civilians injured by the destruction. He transforms into a thousand-meter giant and confronts the beast.
• The serpent was awakened by the Salt Frost Fruit Essence and drawn to Zhang Ping’s breakthrough aura. It has developed a taste for humans because ancient tribes once offered it sacrifices.
• The Zhu Family observes the battle remotely. Zhu Shi is pleased that his plan attracted such a powerful monster, while Zhu Zhaotian warns that the serpent may still not be stronger than Zhang Ping.
• Zhang Ping attacks the serpent’s neck with his giant strength and eye lasers, but the lasers barely damage its scales. The serpent retaliates by throwing him into a hill and coiling around his leg.
• Zhang Ping uses more than fifty Floating Cannon Gems to bombard the serpent’s tail, forcing it to release him and leaving a massive crack in the ground.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping is shown to have reached a dramatically higher level of strength and ability. Despite recognizing the serpent as an overwhelming threat, he immediately chooses to protect civilians and take responsibility for confronting it.
• Zhang Shouzhong, Liu Sishan, and Cheng Xuejie are overwhelmed by fear when they see the serpent’s attributes. They nevertheless accept Zhang Ping’s command and focus on rescue efforts. Cheng Xuejie expresses particular concern for Zhang Ping’s safety.
• Zhu Shi becomes more confident because the monster’s appearance validates his use of the Salt Frost Fruit Essence, believing the incident protects him from blame.
• Zhu Zhaotian remains cautious and pragmatic, refusing to assume that the serpent will defeat Zhang Ping.
• The Desolate Serpent God is revealed to be an ancient, intelligent creature with a history of being worshipped by human tribes. Its hunger and attraction to Zhang Ping establish it as a direct and personal threat.

Significant Themes

• Power versus responsibility: Although Zhang Ping has gained extraordinary strength, he uses it to defend civilians rather than simply display his abilities.
• The danger of uncontrolled schemes: The Zhu Family’s plan successfully attracts a powerful creature, but the result is far more destructive and unpredictable than intended.
• Humanity’s role in creating monsters: The serpent’s habit of eating humans arose partly from ancient human rituals and sacrifices, suggesting that human actions helped shape its behavior.
• Escalation and uncertainty: Zhang Ping’s breakthrough has made him incredibly powerful, yet the Desolate Serpent God is still strong enough to challenge him, emphasizing that greater power brings greater threats.
• Appearance versus true strength: The serpent’s enormous size is terrifying, but the narrative leaves open whether its actual combat strength exceeds Zhang Ping’s.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ping shares the serpent’s appraisal data with his companions, prompting fear and disbelief.
• He reassures Cheng Xuejie and exchanges a final smile with Liu Sishan before entering battle.
• Zhang Shouzhong agrees to lead the rescue effort while Zhang Ping fights.
• The Zhu Family members discuss the consequences of the serpent’s appearance, with Zhu Shi celebrating and Zhu Zhaotian urging caution.
• In combat, Zhang Ping directly engages the Desolate Serpent God, while the Floating Cannon Gems support him by attacking the serpent’s tail.

Chapter Summary: “A Few Words Drove Off the Serpent God”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ping battles the Desolate Serpent God outside Mingzhu City. Their enormous clashes devastate the surrounding landscape, crush mountains, and kill many Mutated Beasts caught between them.
• Zhang Shouzhong and other Awakened focus on rescuing civilians and injured fighters while the battle rages nearby.
• Zhang Ping’s Purple Light Eye has little effect on the Desolate Serpent God, whose immense strength and durability allow it to overwhelm him physically.
• After knocking Zhang Ping away, the Serpent God speaks, revealing that it is intelligent rather than mindlessly driven by the Salt Frost Fruit.
• Zhang Ping discovers that the creature considers itself a god and believes defeating and eating prey is simply the natural order.
• Exploiting this belief, Zhang Ping claims to be the “Giant God” and says that the people of Mingzhu City are his believers whom he must protect. He argues that, as fellow gods, they should not kill or eat one another.
• The Serpent God is shocked by this revelation and recalls its former worshippers. It realizes that gods are apparently expected to protect their believers—something it failed to understand when its tribe was attacked.
• Feeling dejected and confused, the Serpent God abandons the fight and returns to its underground lair to sleep.
• Zhang Ping suspects the creature may be manipulated or recruited in the future, but decides to wait until he becomes stronger before approaching it again.
• The Zhu Family is stunned that Zhang Ping ended the confrontation through communication. Zhu Shi and Zhu Zhaotian reassess the situation, noting that Zhang Ping’s abilities make ordinary Mutated Beasts unreliable as weapons.
• Zhang Ping returns to Mingzhu City and helps rescue civilians trapped beneath rubble. He uses psychokinesis and enhanced vision to locate survivors, while conserving his stronger healing ability for emergencies.
• Bai De informs him that Feng is still missing after pursuing Zuo Xiangming, who appears to have prepared specifically for the confrontation. Zhang Ping heads north to investigate.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping: Demonstrates not only overwhelming combat ability but also cleverness, improvisation, and psychological insight. Rather than defeating the Serpent God by force, he exploits its incomplete understanding of its own divine role. His willingness to return immediately to rescue civilians reinforces his protective nature.
• Desolate Serpent God: Is revealed to be intelligent but socially and emotionally naïve. It has never understood that worship entails responsibility, and its memories of abandoned worshippers leave it feeling betrayed and wronged. Its withdrawal suggests it may no longer be an immediate enemy and could potentially become an ally or tool.
• Zhang Shouzhong and the rescuers: Continue supporting Mingzhu City by saving civilians despite the overwhelming scale of the battle.
• The Zhu Family: Becomes more cautious about relying on the Serpent God and recognizes Zhang Ping as a more unpredictable and dangerous opponent.
• Zuo Xiangming and Feng: Their off-page confrontation becomes a new source of concern, with Zuo Xiangming’s preparation suggesting that the broader attack is still unfolding.

Significant Themes

• Communication versus brute force: Zhang Ping wins by understanding and manipulating the Serpent God rather than overpowering it.
• The responsibilities of power: The chapter questions what makes someone a “god,” suggesting that true divinity involves protecting and caring for followers, not merely possessing overwhelming strength.
• Manipulation and belief: Zhang Ping uses the Serpent God’s religious assumptions against it, showing how belief systems can shape behavior.
• Intelligence amid destruction: Even in a battle of catastrophic physical force, strategy, empathy, and psychological insight prove decisive.
• Protection and duty: Zhang Ping’s return to rescue civilians contrasts with the Serpent God’s former indifference toward its worshippers.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhang Ping and the Desolate Serpent God: Their violent battle changes into an unexpected conversation. Zhang Ping questions the creature’s ideas about nature and divinity, then convinces it that both are gods and should protect their believers.
• Zhang Ping and the civilians/rescue teams: He actively assists survivors, using his powers carefully and prioritizing those in critical condition.
• Bai De and Zhang Ping: Bai De redirects Zhang Ping toward the northern battlefield after warning him that Feng may be in danger.
• Zhu Shi and Zhu Zhaotian: They discuss the implications of Zhang Ping’s ability to communicate with powerful Mutated Beasts and reconsider their strategic options.

Chapter Summary: “A Total Loss”

Key Plot Points and Events

• North of the city, Awakened fighters battle countless Living Corpses, but the creatures revive immediately after being killed—even after Zhang Ping completely dissolves one with his purple eye beams.
• Zhang Ping questions several Living Corpses using his ability to communicate with all things. Their answers are incoherent, but one reveals that their endless resurrection is connected to a treasure controlled by “Old Immortal,” whom Zhang Ping identifies as Zuo Xiangming.
• Zhang deduces that the treasure is powered by Corpse Oil supplied by the Beast-Taming Zhu Family. He realizes that killing the Living Corpses is pointless until the source of their resurrection is destroyed.
• Using the divided blood carried by Feng Laixian, Zhang locates Feng in the eastern region, where Feng is fighting elite Living Corpses in his Great Sun Red Emperor Form.
• Zhang explains the situation to Feng, and together they question the Living Corpses. One claims that Zuo Xiangming is hiding in the east, prompting Zhang and Feng to pursue him.
• Zuo Xiangming realizes Zhang has found him and decides to flee. He knows that the Green Skull’s resurrection power depends on the Zhu Family’s supply of Corpse Oil; once the oil runs out, the Living Corpses will die permanently and Zuo himself will be defenseless.
• Back in Mingzhu City, Zhu Wuneng concludes that the plan has almost certainly failed. He believes Zhu Chengmian, having invested enormous resources in the operation—including hundreds of millions of Pearl City Coins’ worth of Cultivated Flower Seeds—will make one final desperate attempt.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping becomes more analytical and decisive. Rather than wasting power fighting endlessly reviving enemies, he investigates the source of their ability and quickly shifts his objective to destroying the resurrection treasure.
• Feng Laixian continues to act as Zhang’s powerful combat partner. He trusts Zhang’s judgment and appreciates how Zhang’s abilities simplify otherwise complicated situations. His new guandao also proves highly effective.
• Zuo Xiangming is revealed to be cautious rather than openly confrontational. Once Zhang discovers his location, he immediately prioritizes escape, exposing his dependence on the Green Skull and Corpse Oil.
• Zhu Wuneng appears calculating and detached. Although his family’s plan is collapsing, he takes satisfaction in the likely financial and strategic disaster facing Zhu Chengmian.
• Zhu Chengmian, though not present, is characterized as desperate and heavily invested in the attack. His massive losses make a final all-or-nothing move likely.

Significant Themes

• The limits of brute force: The Living Corpses cannot be defeated through ordinary combat because they revive endlessly. The chapter emphasizes the importance of identifying and eliminating the source of an enemy’s power.
• Communication as a path to peace and understanding: Zhang’s ability to communicate with nonhuman beings allows him to gather information that would otherwise be inaccessible, even though the Living Corpses respond irrationally.
• Resource dependence and vulnerability: The resurrection ability seems unstoppable, but it relies on a finite supply of Corpse Oil. Even powerful supernatural effects have practical limitations.
• Strategic adaptability: Zhang rapidly changes tactics after discovering that direct attacks are ineffective, while Zuo Xiangming’s cautious retreat shows the value of recognizing when a battle cannot be won.
• The consequences of reckless investment: Zhu Chengmian’s enormous spending threatens to turn the failed operation into a devastating financial loss for the Zhu Family.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhang Ping and the Living Corpses: Zhang questions them about their resurrection, receiving bizarre, fragmented replies. Despite their madness, one Living Corpse provides a useful clue about Zuo Xiangming’s location.
• Zhang Ping and Feng Laixian: Zhang warns Feng that fighting the Living Corpses is futile and explains the need to destroy the resurrection treasure. Feng readily accepts Zhang’s plan and joins him in pursuing Zuo.
• Zhang Ping and Zuo Xiangming: Their conflict remains indirect, but Zhang’s discovery of Zuo’s hiding place forces Zuo to abandon the operation and flee.
• Zhu Wuneng and Zhu Chengmian: Although they do not interact directly, Zhu Wuneng’s thoughts reveal tension within the Zhu Family. He anticipates Zhu Chengmian’s desperate response to the operation’s impending failure.

Summary: “Chain of Assassinations”

Key Plot Points and Events

• On Xionghou Peak, Zhu Cheng Mian reflects on the failed advance against Mingzhu City. He believes Zhu Wuneng’s decision to retreat after Zhang Ping reinforced the northern district demonstrated weakness and disloyalty.
• Zhu Cheng Mian emphasizes that the Zhu Family values absolute commitment and sacrifice above self-preservation. Because Zhu Wuneng failed to risk everything, he may lose his position and influence within the family.
• Zhu Cheng Mian discusses sending his eighth son, Zhu Chongba, to assassinate or confront Zhang Ping. He believes Chongba’s abilities give him a reasonable chance of success.
• Zhu Cheng Mian also speaks with his youngest son, Zhu Shixiong, whom he considers his most promising surviving child. He recalls his eldest son, Zhu Hunyuan, who died serving the family, and bitterly imagines that Hunyuan’s death may ultimately allow him to become clan head.
• Back in Mingzhu City, Zhang Ping and Feng Laixian return after failing to capture Zuo Xiangming, who escaped while leaving behind only a clone. Although they destroyed the clone, they are frustrated that the real target got away.
• Zhang Ping and Feng Laixian separate: Zhang Ping goes to find Zhang Shouzhong, while Feng Laixian resumes command of the Patrol Team.
• The city has suffered extensive destruction from the earthquake caused by the Desolate Serpent God. Zhang Ping rescues civilians trapped beneath collapsed buildings while traveling through the ruins.
• Zhang Ping is attacked by an assassin disguised near a collapsed structure. The assassin slashes his throat, but Zhang Ping’s strengthened King-Blood Body rapidly heals the wound.
• The assassin pretends to surrender, then explodes, releasing a dangerous green poison. Zhang Ping survives but becomes much more cautious, realizing that numerous assassins may be hidden throughout the city.
• He begins relying on nurses to treat the wounded instead of approaching victims directly, while using Psychokinesis to protect them.
• Despite these precautions, a nurse with a concealed third arm injects him with an unknown substance. At the same time, an apparently injured civilian attacks with needle-like hair, while additional assassins emerge from the surrounding ruins.
• The poison paralyzes Zhang Ping from the neck down, and the attackers surround him, apparently believing they have finally secured victory.

Character Developments

• Zhu Cheng Mian is revealed as calculating, ruthless, and deeply concerned with loyalty to the family. He judges people by their willingness to sacrifice themselves rather than by survival or caution.
• Zhu Wuneng loses Zhu Cheng Mian’s respect because he retreats instead of fighting Zhang Ping to the death. His political position within the Zhu Family is now threatened.
• Zhu Shixiong is presented as Zhu Cheng Mian’s favored and most promising son. Though still young, he is confident and willing to fight Zhang Ping.
• Zhu Chongba is characterized as secretive, eccentric, and powerful but socially withdrawn. Zhu Cheng Mian intends to force him to contribute to the family’s campaign.
• Zhu Hunyuan’s importance is emphasized through Zhu Cheng Mian’s memories. His death shaped Zhu Cheng Mian’s rise and remains a source of regret and ambition.
• Zhang Ping demonstrates extraordinary resilience through his King-Blood Body, but the repeated ambushes force him to become more suspicious and cautious. His confidence in his physical durability is challenged by coordinated attacks involving poison and paralysis.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty versus self-preservation: Zhu Cheng Mian believes family members must risk their lives completely for the Zhu Family, viewing caution as weakness.
• Political power and sacrifice: Zhu Hunyuan’s death and Zhu Wuneng’s retreat show how battlefield actions affect status and succession within the clan.
• The difficulty of killing powerful beings: Zhang Ping’s regeneration illustrates how advanced Awakened beings can survive otherwise fatal attacks, while the assassins demonstrate that poison, teamwork, and preparation can overcome raw durability.
• Deception and paranoia: Assassins disguise themselves as civilians, nurses, and victims, making even rescue efforts dangerous.
• The cost of war: The ruined city and trapped civilians highlight the destruction caused by the larger conflict, while Zhang Ping’s efforts to save people contrast with the Zhu Family’s relentless offensive.

Character Interactions

• Zhu Cheng Mian tests Zhu Shixiong’s willingness to fight and praises his courage, strengthening their father-son bond.
• Zhu Cheng Mian discusses Zhu Chongba’s role with Shixiong, revealing his plans to involve the reclusive son in the campaign.
• Zhang Ping and Feng Laixian briefly coordinate after returning to the city, then divide responsibilities according to their respective duties.
• Zhang Ping interacts with civilians and nurses while attempting rescues, but these encounters become traps arranged by the assassins.
• The assassins collectively exploit Zhang Ping’s instinct to help the wounded, coordinating poison, physical attacks, and electrical energy to immobilize him.

Chapter Summary: Eightfold Tower

Key Plot Points and Events

• A group of attackers attempts to execute the immobilized Zhang Ping. Their leader uses the powerful Riftpeak Blade, but the weapon cannot even scratch Zhang Ping.
• Zhang reveals that he had already neutralized the poison used against him. His newly acquired Toxin Storage ability, gained through Glutton, allows his body to isolate toxins and prevents the poison-electricity combination from paralyzing him.
• Zhang’s defenses have also improved significantly. By absorbing the blade’s kinetic and thermal energy, he prevents it from harming him.
• He uses Psychokinesis to restrain the attackers, breaks free, and causes the disguised leader to lose his hair through his baldness-inducing ability.
• Before Zhang can interrogate them properly, an unseen force launches a barrage of specially enhanced bullets. The attackers and their captives are all killed, while Zhang is repeatedly shot.
• Zhang’s blood manipulation and regenerative abilities allow him to expel the bullets and heal almost instantly. He realizes that the attackers are using equipment capable of concealing or shifting the bullets’ origins, preventing him from locating them even with Psychokinesis.
• One of the dead attackers continues speaking through a corpse-like ability or lingering consciousness. He reveals that the group was made up of temporary recruits who had been supplied with poison and equipment by Life Reaper.
• The attackers hoped that killing Zhang would earn them entry into the Eightfold Tower as outer-circle, eighth-floor assassins.
• Life Reaper is identified as a mysterious first-floor assassin and the current “king of assassins,” though the corpse does not know how to locate him.
• Zhang decides to avenge the dead attackers as well as himself, while enduring the considerable pain caused by the repeated gunfire.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping demonstrates how dramatically his abilities have advanced. He is no longer seriously threatened by poison, paralysis, conventional weapons, or gunfire.
• His new Toxin Storage ability proves unexpectedly useful, showing how even a seemingly minor power can counter a carefully designed attack.
• Zhang becomes more confident and sarcastic, mocking the attackers’ failed execution attempt and recognizing that their supposed strategy was ineffective.
• Despite his overwhelming durability, Zhang still experiences pain, emphasizing that being difficult to kill does not make him invulnerable to suffering.
• The captured attacker realizes that the Eightfold Tower does not value or protect its expendable recruits. His regret and fear contrast with his former arrogance.

Significant Themes

• Power and adaptation: Zhang survives because his abilities evolve in ways that directly counter his enemies’ tactics.
• The expendability of underlings: The assassins’ employers sacrifice them without hesitation, revealing the ruthless structure of the Eightfold Tower.
• Deception and failed strategy: The attackers try to imitate a corpse-luring tactic, but Zhang sees through—or simply overwhelms—their plan.
• Pain versus invulnerability: Although Zhang can heal from devastating injuries, he remains physically capable of feeling pain.
• Escalation of conflict: The appearance of advanced firearms and the mention of Life Reaper suggest that increasingly organized and dangerous enemies are targeting Zhang.

Character Interactions

• The lead attacker taunts Zhang before attempting to execute him, but Zhang effortlessly reverses the situation and restrains the entire group.
• Zhang mockingly questions the defeated leader, pointing out that his supposed allies killed him without concern.
• The dying man reveals the group’s connection to Life Reaper and the Eightfold Tower in exchange for Zhang’s promise of revenge.
• Zhang treats the interrogation with a mixture of amusement, irritation, and grudging sympathy, ultimately promising to avenge the dead while preparing to confront the larger threat represented by Life Reaper.

Chapter Summary: “A Master at Screwing People Over”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ping is attacked by assassins using firearms supplied by the Eightfold Tower. Although the gunfire is irritating, his greatly enhanced stamina and Mental Strength allow him to withstand or evade the bullets.
• While dodging the attacks, Zhang Ping instinctively deflects a bullet and realizes he has awakened a new ability after becoming a High-Level Awakened.
• His new ability, Survivor, greatly improves his ability to dodge bullets and arrows and strengthens his defense against weapon attacks.
• Zhang Ping’s enhanced intuition allows him to sense bullet trajectories. He begins catching the bullets effortlessly and eating them, using Metal Eater to absorb their valuable extraordinary materials and gain Elemental Metal.
• The assassins become terrified and demoralized. Some regret accepting the mission, but they continue because the Eightfold Tower promised them firearms they could keep if they killed Zhang Ping.
• From the Eightfold Tower’s hidden headquarters, Zhu Chongba observes the battle and realizes the operation is failing. Zhang Ping’s ability to develop new powers makes all their intelligence and preparations useless.
• Zhu Chongba reflects on his complicated relationship with Cheng Mian, his nominal father, and wonders why Cheng continues funding a mission that appears certain to lose money. He suspects Cheng may be using the conflict to manipulate someone else, possibly Jiu Yang or Shi Xiong.
• Zhang Ping tracks the assassins to the Eightfold Tower using a gem that creates a portal. He appears directly behind Zhu Chongba, who immediately surrenders and offers intelligence.
• Before Zhu Chongba can explain himself, a red-flashing gem on his necklace activates. The Eightfold Tower suddenly explodes and disintegrates into fragments of space.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping demonstrates the overwhelming advantages of reaching the High-Level Awakened stage. His new ability, Survivor, complements his existing powers and makes conventional weapons nearly useless against him.
• He remains calm and playful under attack, even taunting the assassins after defeating their barrage. His ability to turn expensive ammunition into nourishment further emphasizes his adaptability and resourcefulness.
• Zhu Chongba is portrayed as cautious and pragmatic rather than blindly loyal to Cheng Mian. He never intended to fight Zhang Ping directly and becomes increasingly frightened as he realizes the plan is doomed.
• Zhu Chongba’s distrust of Cheng Mian deepens. He recalls that Cheng manipulated his other sons into dying and recognizes that their relationship is based on business rather than family.
• The assassins lose confidence as Zhang Ping repeatedly invalidates their tactics, exposing the danger of relying on greed and borrowed weapons.

Significant Themes

• Adaptability and unpredictability: Zhang Ping’s ability to awaken new powers makes him impossible to counter through conventional planning.
• The consequences of one’s actions: Zhang Ping reflects that his earlier decision to share knowledge of firearms has now allowed enemies to use those weapons against him.
• Greed and manipulation: The assassins accept the mission because they want to keep the powerful firearms, while Zhu Chongba suspects Cheng Mian is using everyone involved for a larger scheme.
• Betrayal and exploitation: Zhu Chongba’s history with Cheng Mian reveals a pattern of people being manipulated and sacrificed for profit or strategy.
• Powerlessness before overwhelming strength: The assassins and Zhu Chongba are reduced to fear and surrender once Zhang Ping neutralizes their carefully prepared weapons.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ping directly confronts the hidden assassins through his taunting and effortless defense, breaking their morale.
• Zhu Chongba observes Zhang Ping remotely and privately acknowledges that the attack is failing.
• Zhang Ping’s sudden appearance behind Zhu Chongba reverses the power dynamic, forcing Zhu Chongba to surrender and offer information.
• The chapter ends before Zhu Chongba can reveal anything, as the necklace’s gem triggers the destruction of the Eightfold Tower, suggesting that Cheng Mian—or another unseen party—planned to silence or sacrifice him.

Chapter Summary: “Dark Earth”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ping witnesses the destruction of the Eightfold Tower’s pocket dimension. Space collapses under immense pressure, stretching and compressing matter until atoms and bodies disintegrate.
• Zhu Chongba, located closest to the collapse’s core, is completely erased. Zhang Ping is also torn apart, losing both hands and suffering severe spatial distortions to his body.
• Just before Zhang Ping disappears, a gigantic claw emerges from the void and rescues the fragment of space containing him.
• Zhang awakens on dark, barren earth in a mysterious realm called “Between Reality and Illusion.” His body is badly mutilated, but his blood gradually restores him.
• The being that saved him is revealed to be the King of Nether Mist, appearing as immense black smoke. It mistakes Zhang Ping for one of its own descendants because of his Nether Mist-based clothing and abilities.
• Zhang discovers that the King of Nether Mist had been drawn to Mingzhu City by the Salt Frost Fruit Essence and Zhang’s breakthrough aura, rather than intentionally coming to save him. Nevertheless, it rescued him when the Eightfold Tower collapsed.
• The King completes Zhang Ping’s Nether Mist-related ability. Like the King’s own power, Zhang’s Nether Mist can replenish itself indefinitely, and enemies’ emotional reactions during combat cause it to grow rather than diminish.
• After recovering, Zhang asks whether he can return to the human world. The King confirms that he can, but first asks him to follow it deeper into its homeland.
• Zhang follows cautiously, maintaining the pretense that he is a Nether Mist creature and fearing what might happen if the King realizes he is an outsider.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping: Experiences extreme helplessness as his body is destroyed, but survives through the King of Nether Mist’s intervention and his own regenerative blood. He gains a major enhancement to his Nether Mist ability. He also becomes more cautious and deceptive, recognizing that his survival depends on maintaining the King’s mistaken belief that he is its child.
• Zhu Chongba: Suffers a tragic and irreversible death, being erased completely by the spatial collapse.
• King of Nether Mist: Is introduced as a powerful, mysterious entity with an affectionate but alien attitude toward Zhang. It sees him as its strongest child and demonstrates the ability to manipulate spatial fragments and exist beyond ordinary reality.

Significant Themes

• Powerlessness before cosmic forces: Zhang Ping cannot resist the collapse of space and must rely on an outside power to survive.
• Death and rebirth: Zhang’s body is effectively destroyed, yet he is reconstructed, marking a symbolic transformation and strengthening of his abilities.
• Identity and mistaken belonging: Zhang is treated as a member of the Nether Mist race despite not truly being one, forcing him to perform a false identity to remain safe.
• Survival through adaptability: Rather than confronting the King, Zhang uses caution, observation, and deception to protect himself.
• The boundary between reality and illusion: The new realm suggests that the world contains dimensions and beings beyond normal physical existence.

Character Interactions

• Zhang attempts to communicate with the black smoke after sensing its positive emotions toward him.
• The King forms a face resembling Zhang’s and calls him “my child,” immediately establishing its mistaken familial relationship with him.
• Zhang’s attempts to use Appraisal Technique fail, implying that the King possesses immunity or resistance to the ability.
• The King explains the nature of the realm and offers Zhang a path back, but only after he accompanies it. Zhang agrees while privately remaining suspicious and afraid of discovery.

Chapter Summary: “Not Dead”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The explosion of the Eightfold Tower sends an invisible spatial shockwave across Mingzhu City, injuring or incapacitating spatially sensitive Awakened.
• At Xionghou Peak, Zhu Chengmian assumes that his plan has succeeded: his son Zhu Chongba has sacrificed himself inside the Eightfold Tower to kill Zhang Ping.
• Zhu Chengmian believes Zhang Ping’s death secures his succession as the next head of the Zhu Family. He regards the sacrifice of Zhu Chongba as the successful completion of his third assassination plan.
• Other Zhu Family factions, particularly Zhu Shi, Zhu Zhaotian, and Zhu Wuneng, receive the news but refuse to accept Zhang Ping’s death without a corpse. They suspect the report may be premature or politically motivated.
• The matter is brought before the Zhu Family elders in the Great Sun Hall. Zhu Chengmian presents a recording showing Zhang Ping entering the Eightfold Tower and the surrounding space collapsing almost immediately afterward.
• Although the elders recognize the apparent impossibility of Zhang Ping’s survival, Zhu Huoming points out that Zhang Ping’s spatial abilities might have allowed him to escape at the last moment.
• Family Head Zhu Taihao ultimately declares that Zhang Ping is not dead, shocking everyone and overturning Zhu Chengmian’s presumed victory.

Character Developments

• Zhu Chengmian: Displays extreme ruthlessness and political ambition. Although he genuinely cared for Zhu Chongba, he was willing to sacrifice him to eliminate Zhang Ping and secure the family leadership. His confidence collapses when Zhu Taihao challenges the assumption that Zhang Ping died.
• Zhu Chongba: Dies while apparently helping destroy the Eightfold Tower and trap Zhang Ping. His death becomes both a tactical sacrifice and a political tool used by Zhu Chengmian to defend his claim.
• Zhu Shi and Zhu Zhaotian: Reveal their opposition to Zhu Chengmian by refusing to recognize Zhang Ping’s death without physical proof. They seek support from their allied elders.
• Zhu Wuneng: Acknowledges Zhu Chengmian’s superior strategy and admires his willingness to sacrifice a son, but immediately realizes that Zhang Ping’s death cannot be accepted without certainty.
• Zhu Taihao: Despite his frail appearance, he retains decisive authority and unexpectedly states that Zhang Ping survived. His declaration suggests he knows something the others do not or is deliberately resisting Zhu Chengmian’s rise.
• Zhu Huoming: Provides the key counterargument that Zhang Ping’s spatial powers may have enabled him to escape the destruction.
• The Zhu elders: Initially skeptical of the lack of a corpse, but most are nearly convinced by the recording and the apparent destruction of the Eightfold Tower.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and political ambition: Zhu Chengmian’s willingness to sacrifice his own son demonstrates how family power struggles can override personal affection.
• Uncertainty between appearance and reality: The destruction of the Eightfold Tower seems to prove Zhang Ping’s death, but the lack of a corpse leaves room for doubt.
• Proof and legitimacy: The Zhu Family’s political decisions depend on evidence; without a body, Zhang Ping’s death cannot be conclusively confirmed.
• Resilience and survival: Zhang Ping’s possible survival reinforces his reputation as extraordinarily difficult to kill, humorously compared to a cockroach.
• Family loyalty versus power: Zhu Chengmian’s grief may be genuine, but it is inseparable from his desire to inherit the family leadership.

Character Interactions

• Zhu Chengmian reports Zhang Ping’s death and Zhu Chongba’s sacrifice to the family elders, presenting the final recording as evidence.
• Zhu Shi and Zhu Zhaotian coordinate opposition to Zhu Chengmian by insisting that Zhang Ping cannot be declared dead without a corpse.
• Zhu Wuneng reflects on Zhu Chengmian’s strategy and recognizes that the conflict is larger than a simple assassination.
• Zhu Chengmian clashes with Zhu Huoming when the latter suggests Zhang Ping might have escaped.
• The chapter ends with Zhu Taihao directly contradicting Zhu Chengmian and announcing that Zhang Ping is still alive, leaving Zhu Chengmian stunned and threatening his plans for succession.

Chapter Summary: “Black Water”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ping follows the King of Nether Mist through a vast, featureless realm of black earth, gray haze, and distant darkness. He has no sense of time or direction and worries about Mingzhu City, the ongoing Beast-Taming Zhu Family attack, and the safety of Fatty and his other companions.
• After roughly a day and night of travel, they encounter a withered black tree with twisted, horn-like branches. Neither knows what it is. The King of Nether Mist considers naming it, eventually suggesting “Black Tree,” though Zhang Ping is confused by the simplistic name.
• After another twelve hours, they reach a black mountain range. One mountain emits black smoke.
• The King of Nether Mist explains that Zhang Ping’s body is too weak to survive outside and tells him to drink “black water,” claiming it will make his mist “ascend.”
• The King opens the earth, releasing a pool of bubbling black liquid. Zhang Ping drinks a large amount despite its disturbing appearance because he is desperate to become stronger and return to Mingzhu City.
• The King realizes too late that Zhang Ping has drunk too much. Zhang suffers intense pain as the black water spreads through his body, causing his blood vessels to bulge and darken.
• His Glutton ability begins absorbing the black water, while Nether Mist evolves from version 0 into an upgraded form. The black smoke and Nether Mist fuse, producing a more powerful and mysterious energy.
• Zhang becomes encased in a large Nether Mist cocoon. From within it, he discovers that the black water is condensed emotional energy formed from the combined emotions of countless living beings.
• He becomes increasingly frightened by the implication that something capable of generating such emotional power exists beneath the earth. He suspects it may involve living beings rather than corpses, but he cannot investigate until the transformation is complete.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping demonstrates both anxiety and determination. Although he fears the unknown realm and worries about his friends, he willingly drinks the black water because gaining strength and returning to Mingzhu City are more important to him than personal safety.
• His reliance on Glutton is challenged when he consumes more black water than his body can initially handle. This forces him to endure severe pain and reveals that even his powerful ability has limits.
• Zhang’s abilities grow substantially: Nether Mist evolves, combines with the black smoke, and becomes more powerful and intangible. This suggests a major advancement in his strength.
• King of Nether Mist remains powerful but strangely detached and childlike. It does not understand the tree’s identity or the origin of the black water and becomes distracted by questions about naming things and whether it should care about their origins.
• The King also shows an unintentional lack of caution by failing to warn Zhang that drinking too much black water would be dangerous.

Significant Themes

• Power through danger: Zhang must risk poisoning or destroying himself to gain the strength needed to survive and protect others.
• Loss of control and uncertainty: The empty landscape and endless journey emphasize Zhang’s helplessness, as he is unable to return to Mingzhu City or determine the King’s intentions.
• The unknown nature of existence: The black water, strange realm, and unexplained mountains suggest hidden forces far beyond Zhang’s understanding.
• Emotions as power: The black water is revealed to be condensed emotional energy, implying that collective feelings can accumulate into a tangible and potentially terrifying force.
• Names and identity: The King’s attempt to name the tree reflects its limited understanding of the world and perhaps its own lack of identity, since it has no personal name.

Character Interactions

• Zhang repeatedly questions the King of Nether Mist about their surroundings, but the King offers only simple answers and shows little concern for explanations.
• Their conversation about the strange tree highlights their contrasting perspectives: Zhang seeks meaning and identification, while the King is satisfied with assigning a basic name.
• At the black mountain, the King acts as Zhang’s guide and attempts to strengthen him by providing the black water, though its poor communication nearly causes Zhang serious harm.
• Zhang remains wary of the King, especially during his transformation, fearing that revealing his true abilities—such as becoming a Pure Water Body—might expose him as an impostor.