Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Handsome”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The characters discuss the legendary Tyrant of Absolute Darkness, whose real name was Yamada Kitaro. His title, Divine Demon Sacred Emperor, and his dramatic reputation are mocked as examples of “chuunibyo,” or childish fantasies of power—though Feng Wu notes that such behavior is only called chuunibyo when the person lacks the strength to back it up.
• Ou Zhizi explains that Yamada Kitaro originated from a remote island-nation world and initially practiced as an onmyoji.
• Yamada sealed a powerful demon named Naraku inside his own body. When his world expelled him for surpassing its limits, he survived in the Arboreal Universe only because he and Naraku formed a symbiotic existence, with Yamada representing yang and Naraku representing yin.
• Yamada was rescued by Hanazhi Fengyilang of the Hanazhi Family, a lineage famous for controlling demons. The family purified Naraku’s consciousness, unintentionally making Yamada even stronger.
• After learning about the Myriad Realms, Yamada joined the Hanazhi Family and stole their secret cultivation method, the Demon Pact. This system allowed practitioners to contract with demons and share their strength through progressively higher stages, from the Initial Spirit Pact to the Myriad-God Pact.
• Yamada later left the family. His betrayal eventually contributed to the Hanazhi Family’s destruction, despite their having originally helped him out of kindness.
• Afterward, he became a robber, exorcist, and leader of the She-Devil Sect. His true rise began after meeting a powerful wizard, a knowledge-focused but combat-oriented profession distinct from ordinary scholars.
• Ou Zhizi finally explains Naraku’s special ability: it was strong against male lifeforms and weak against female ones. Naraku’s male demons followed his orders, making simply gathering women insufficient to defeat him.
• Yamada exploited Naraku’s weakness by using thousands of women to lure away Naraku’s subordinates and hundreds more to weaken Naraku before sealing him. However, because Naraku was sealed inside Yamada’s male body, its power eventually adapted to Yamada and recovered, leading to Yamada’s expulsion from his original world.

Character Developments

• Yamada Kitaro is revealed as a highly ambitious and morally corrupt figure. Although he benefited from the Hanazhi Family’s generosity, he repaid them by stealing their teachings and indirectly causing their extermination.
• His strength comes not only from his own cultivation but also from his relationship with Naraku and his mastery of the Demon Pact.
• Ou Zhizi acts as the chapter’s principal historian and educator, providing detailed background while also expressing dislike for technologically advanced worlds that encourage restless, profit-driven lives.
• Hua Di remains curious, outspoken, and easily distracted. Her hostility toward wizards stems from personal experience with cruel wizards who captured members of her tribe.
• Feng Wu repeatedly attempts to return the discussion to Yamada’s abilities, becoming increasingly frustrated by Ou Zhizi’s digressions and Hua Di’s questions.
• Ye Hua is pragmatic and skeptical, focusing on whether Yamada’s power is dangerous enough to warrant concern.

Significant Themes

• Power and morality: Yamada’s immense strength is contrasted with his betrayal, exploitation, and disregard for those who helped him.
• The danger of unchecked ambition: His pursuit of greater power transforms him from a survivor into a tyrant.
• Good intentions and unintended consequences: The Hanazhi Family’s act of compassion ultimately enables Yamada’s rise and leads to their own destruction.
• Knowledge as power: The contrast between scholars and wizards emphasizes different approaches to knowledge—preserving it versus converting it into combat strength.
• Identity and duality: Yamada and Naraku initially survive as two opposing consciousnesses in one body, symbolizing the coexistence of yin and yang.
• Cultural and occupational diversity: The discussion of island-nation professions humorously highlights the varied cultivation systems across different worlds.

Character Interactions

• Hua Di frequently interrupts with humorous questions, prompting explanations about chuunibyo, island-nation occupations, chefs, and wizards.
• Feng Wu and Ye Hua repeatedly redirect Ou Zhizi toward the main subject: Yamada’s actual abilities and history.
• Hua Di challenges Feng Wu’s definition of chuunibyo by asking whether saving the world makes the group chuunibyo; Feng Wu distinguishes between imagined power and genuine strength.
• Ou Zhizi patiently explains Yamada’s history but also shares his personal opinions about technology, scholars, wizards, and different worlds.
• The group reacts negatively to Yamada’s betrayal of the Hanazhi Family, viewing the family as innocent victims who were punished for helping him.

Chapter Summary: “Hundred Million Gods and Devils”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During the livestream, viewers debate whether Ye Hua will be targeted after temporarily gaining Yamada Kitaro’s abilities. Most conclude that, despite the power’s terrifying nature, few cultivators would risk attacking her for an ability lasting only three hours.
• Gu Granny explains the origin of Yamada Kitaro’s ability,

Hundred Million Gods and Devils

• Yamada Kitaro originally possessed a demon ability that became stronger around males but weaker around females.
• After studying under a wizard, he learned to analyze and alter abilities. Through cloning and experimentation, he developed opposing abilities and eventually created innumerable “gods and devils” within his body.
• A failed experiment unexpectedly produced Hundred Million Gods and Devils, an adaptive living armor composed of cells that could multiply, transform, regenerate, and convert into demonic energy.
• The armor became stronger according to the number and nature of surrounding lifeforms, making Yamada Kitaro nearly impossible to defeat, especially when surrounded by enemies.
• Ou Zhizi confirms the ability’s overwhelming strength, explaining that it could grow to match its opponent’s level and become even more powerful in crowded battles.
• Ye Hua decides to use the Letter of Mourning for the Dead to inherit Yamada Kitaro’s power. After writing the letter, a vortex of black energy and souls is absorbed into it, which then transfers the power into her.
• Ye Hua initially gains no obvious physical change, but realizes she can summon the power at will. The three-hour limit can be divided into separate uses rather than consumed all at once.
• She tests the ability by firing a black energy attack that instantly obliterates a distant mountain. She names the technique “Cosmic Dust Returns to Nothing,” though she also considers “Annihilation Bullet” suitable.
• Ye Hua explains that Hundred Million Gods and Devils possesses assimilative abilities and may allow her to create terrifying living armor or indirectly develop permanent abilities of her own.
• Viewers become envious of Ye Hua’s sudden rise in power and regret not participating in the competition.
• Li Xiao admits he cannot determine whether he could defeat Ye Hua without fighting her, though his defensive treasures and Mirror Space would allow him to avoid direct defeat.
• The chapter ends as Feng Wu approaches his treasure chest, signaling that it is his turn in the competition.

Character Developments

• Ye Hua undergoes the chapter’s greatest transformation, advancing from a relatively minor participant to someone possessing the power of a legendary, nearly invincible figure. She remains calm and practical, carefully investigating the ability before testing it.
• Yamada Kitaro is revealed as a brilliant, methodical experimenter rather than merely a powerful villain. His strength came from research, cloning, adaptation, and willingness to manipulate his own abilities.
• Gu Granny demonstrates extensive knowledge of historical abilities and explains the origins of Yamada Kitaro’s power.
• Ou Zhizi provides a practical analysis of the armor’s combat potential, helping Ye Hua and Feng Wu understand why it was so dangerous.
• Li Xiao remains cautious and realistic. Although he recognizes Ye Hua’s dramatic increase in strength, he points out that his own defensive artifacts and Mirror Space could prevent her from decisively defeating him.
• Feng Wu continues acting as an observer and participant, asking questions about Ye Hua’s new technique before preparing to open his own treasure chest.
• Grandpa Xiao nearly reveals a secret involving the Forest Lord, but abruptly pretends ignorance, suggesting hidden powers or dangerous knowledge among the livestream’s participants.

Significant Themes

• Power depends on its wielder: Ye Hua emphasizes that abilities are neither inherently good nor evil; their consequences depend on the person using them.
• Knowledge as a source of power: Yamada Kitaro’s invincibility arose from experimentation, analysis, and scientific understanding rather than simple cultivation.
• Adaptation and evolution: Hundred Million Gods and Devils represents an ultimate form of biological and supernatural adaptability, becoming stronger according to its enemies and environment.
• Envy and opportunity: The viewers’ regret highlights how quickly fortunes can change and how hesitation may cause someone to miss a life-altering opportunity.
• Uncertainty of absolute strength: Even though Ye Hua gains an apparently invincible ability, Li Xiao notes that the modern cultivation world has changed, making no victory completely certain.
• Secrets and dangerous knowledge: Grandpa Xiao’s interrupted comment hints that powerful figures may conceal the truth behind Yamada Kitaro’s origins and death.

Character Interactions

• The livestream viewers question whether Ye Hua will be targeted and react with admiration, fear, and envy toward her sudden power.
• Gu Granny and Grandpa Xiao provide historical commentary, with Grandpa Xiao nearly exposing a secret before the others stop the discussion.
• Ye Hua and Feng Wu interact when she borrows his pen to write the letter; afterward, Feng Wu asks about her attack and receives an explanation.
• Ye Hua and Ou Zhizi share an analytical exchange, with Ou Zhizi explaining the living armor’s capabilities and Ye Hua openly answering questions about her newly acquired power.
• Ye Hua and Hua Di discuss the practical effects of the ability immediately after its transfer.
• The livestream audience and Li Xiao debate whether he could defeat Ye Hua, prompting him to acknowledge both her strength and the defensive advantages of his own treasures.

Chapter Summary: “Each Had Their Gains”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Wu opens his treasure chest and receives a multicolored bead that grants him the ability Mind Illusory Realm.
• He demonstrates the ability by creating realistic copies of himself, transforming the platform into an expansive grassland, and producing food that looks, feels, and tastes real.
• The group discovers that Feng Wu’s illusions are temporarily real while active but vanish completely once dispelled. They leave behind only memories and sensations.
• Feng Wu explains that the ability relies heavily on imagination and is enhanced by the Mirage Dragon’s talent for illusions.
• Ou Zhizi opens his chest and obtains the Equipment-Breaking Hammer, which can permanently damage any equipment it strikes. Though extremely powerful against equipment-reliant opponents, it does not suit his usual fighting style as an artifact refiner.
• Once everyone has claimed a reward, the trial’s next stage begins. Golden chains form an Arena, where the group must challenge powerful figures from the past.
• Ye Hua volunteers to fight first. Her opponent is an unknown ancient powerhouse, but Ye Hua defeats her instantly with the Tyrant of Absolute Darkness’s overwhelming power.
• The group decides to continue challenging as many opponents as possible to obtain further rewards.

Character Developments

• Feng Wu gains a highly versatile ability that greatly expands his usefulness. Though its direct offensive power is limited, it allows him to create convincing environments, objects, duplicates, and sensory experiences.
• Feng Wu also becomes more aware of the vastness of existence, reflecting on how small Earth, the galaxy, the cultivation world, and even the Arboreal Universe are compared with the greater Myriad Realms and beyond.
• Ou Zhizi receives a weapon that does not match his preferred combat style but recognizes its immense strategic value, especially against other artifact users.
• Ye Hua demonstrates just how overwhelming her power has become by defeating an ancient powerhouse without difficulty. She is established as the strongest immediate combatant in the group.
• Hua Di feels envious of Feng Wu’s practical and flexible ability, believing her own inheritance has been less generous. Nevertheless, the group acknowledges that she remains highly capable, particularly at survival and self-preservation.

Significant Themes

• The ambiguity of reality: Feng Wu’s ability blurs the boundary between real and false. His creations can be touched, tasted, and experienced as real, yet disappear afterward, leading the characters to describe them as “real at the time, false afterward.”
• Versatility versus raw power: Ye Hua possesses overwhelming combat strength, while Feng Wu’s ability is valuable because of its countless practical applications. The chapter contrasts destructive power with creativity and utility.
• The scale of existence: Feng Wu’s reflections emphasize the insignificance of individuals and worlds within the vast Arboreal Universe, the Myriad Realms, and the larger cosmos.
• Fortune and suitability: Receiving a powerful treasure does not guarantee perfect compatibility. Ou Zhizi’s excellent but unconventional hammer illustrates how rewards may be useful even when they do not align with a person’s established abilities.
• Progress through trials: The treasure hunt rewards each character differently and leads directly into a new test involving battles against legendary figures of the past.

Character Interactions

• Hua Di repeatedly questions Feng Wu about his ability and experiments with the food he creates, reacting with both curiosity and envy.
• Ou Zhizi tests Feng Wu’s duplicates and helps define the nature of Mind Illusory Realm, later naming it “real at the time, false afterward.”
• Ye Hua samples Feng Wu’s illusory food and jokingly admits that she would have traded abilities with him because his power offers convenience without drawbacks such as weight gain.
• Ou Zhizi discusses his Equipment-Breaking Hammer with the group, who find the combination of an artifact refiner and an artifact-destroying weapon ironic.
• The group cooperates in deciding who should enter the Arena first, agreeing that Ye Hua is the most suitable candidate.
• After Ye Hua’s effortless victory, Feng Wu and Ou Zhizi discuss whether her power could rival Aiona’s, concluding that Aiona remains superior in essence.

Chapter Summary: “Lady Sovereign”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ye Hua rapidly defeats nine past powerhouses, but the challenges grow progressively stronger. Feng Wu and Ou Zhizi realize that the Arena’s opponents are not randomly selected and that each successive battle presents a greater threat.
• Ye Hua’s next opponent is a mysterious, heroic woman wielding a longsword. Her golden Sword Qi effortlessly destroys the Tyrant of Absolute Darkness’s biomechanical arms and forces Ye Hua into constant defense.
• The spectators identify the woman as the Lady Sovereign, an ancient and extraordinarily powerful “goddess among swords.” Even Grandpa Xiao is wary of discussing her, while Daoist Third Young Master reveals that she belongs to an extremely distant era yet remains alive in the present.
• Although the Lady Sovereign clearly has the power to kill Ye Hua, she deliberately avoids striking her vital points. Instead, she asks Ye Hua to stop relying on borrowed power and demonstrate her own path.
• Ye Hua withdraws the Tyrant of Absolute Darkness’s strength and attacks with her Iron Fist Way. The Lady Sovereign catches her punch and criticizes her path as “impure,” explaining that Ye Hua has allowed dazzling outside powers to obscure her original purpose.
• Before disappearing, the Lady Sovereign tells Ye Hua that although others may have carved the road before her, Ye Hua still possesses feet of her own and must choose her own path.
• Ye Hua leaves the Arena emotionally shaken and withdraws to reflect. Feng Wu then volunteers to challenge the next opponent, raising the Arena’s flag and summoning a masked man.

Character Developments

• Ye Hua: Her confidence is undermined by the Lady Sovereign’s overwhelming skill and insight. She realizes that she has abandoned the Iron Fist Way she once loved because she believes its limits make it inferior. Her dependence on the Tyrant of Absolute Darkness has caused her to neglect her own abilities and identity.
• Lady Sovereign: Introduced as an ancient, noble, and immensely powerful sword cultivator. Despite her superiority, she is compassionate and instructive rather than needlessly violent. She acts as a mentor-like figure, forcing Ye Hua to confront her confusion.
• Feng Wu: Demonstrates calm judgment and perceptiveness. He recognizes Ye Hua’s unconscious reliance on fists and later reflects that his own abilities are also unfocused, prompting him to consider what path he truly wishes to follow.
• Ou Zhizi: Offers a practical example of pursuing one’s true interest. His lifelong dedication to artifact forging has naturally strengthened him, showing that power can emerge from sincere commitment rather than direct obsession with cultivation.
• Hua Di: Shows concern for Ye Hua after her defeat and enthusiastically supports Feng Wu as he enters the Arena.
• Daoist Third Young Master and Grandpa Xiao: Their reactions emphasize the Lady Sovereign’s extraordinary age, reputation, and continued power.

Significant Themes

• Finding one’s true path: The chapter argues that strength should come from an individual’s own convictions rather than dependence on borrowed power or imitation of others.
• The danger of comparison: Ye Hua loses faith in the Iron Fist Way after comparing it with Feng Wu’s seemingly limitless power. The Lady Sovereign suggests that a path’s value cannot be judged solely by external displays of strength.
• Returning to one’s original heart: Ye Hua once practiced the Iron Fist Way with complete dedication, but fascination with greater powers caused her to abandon that devotion. Her crisis may become an opportunity to rediscover her original purpose.
• Power and restraint: The Lady Sovereign’s ability to defeat Ye Hua instantly yet choosing not to kill her highlights the distinction between possessing power and using it recklessly.
• Individuality versus borrowed strength: The chapter contrasts Ye Hua’s misuse of the Tyrant of Absolute Darkness with Ou Zhizi’s authentic dedication to forging and the Lady Sovereign’s complete mastery of the sword.

Character Interactions

• The Lady Sovereign and Ye Hua’s duel becomes a philosophical confrontation rather than a simple battle. Through brief but pointed remarks, the Lady Sovereign exposes Ye Hua’s spiritual uncertainty.
• Hua Di comforts Ye Hua after the battle, while Ou Zhizi and Feng Wu discuss the meaning of the Lady Sovereign’s advice.
• Feng Wu’s reflection shows that Ye Hua’s dilemma also affects him: although he is extraordinarily powerful, he has not yet settled on a singular path.
• The chapter ends with Hua Di encouraging Feng Wu as he enters the Arena, where he summons a new masked opponent.

Chapter Summary: “Hercules”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A masked assassin appears on the Arena, releases a white mist, and turns invisible. Feng Wu instantly detects and kills him with his spiked club, revealing that his exceptionally sharp senses can counter stealth and assassination tactics.
• A burly greatsword wielder appears as the next examiner. He recognizes that Feng Wu is the person he must test and engages him in close combat.
• Feng Wu splits into two apparent bodies using the Mind Illusory Realm. The burly man correctly deduces that Feng Wu’s abilities and physical attributes have been divided between the two bodies and focuses on destroying one of them.
• The burly man seemingly kills one Feng Wu with a powerful Sword Qi technique. However, the defeated body was only a clone: Feng Wu’s real body had remained invisible nearby and takes advantage of the man’s momentary confidence to kill him.
• The next opponent is a short, heavily muscled man who introduces himself as Hercules, “the most powerful God.” He survives Feng Wu’s surprise attack without injury and displays extraordinary physical strength and durability.
• Feng Wu deliberately calms Hercules rather than provoking him, recognizing that a berserk, purely physical opponent would be more dangerous.
• Hercules attacks but is unable to harm Feng Wu, who easily sends him flying. He then detects that the Feng Wu he struck was an illusion and locates the real Feng Wu through instinct alone.
• Feng Wu creates a large number of identical clones, each speaking simultaneously, challenging Hercules to identify the real one.

Character Developments

• Feng Wu: Demonstrates exceptional senses, tactical intelligence, composure, and mastery of deception. He adapts his psychological approach depending on the opponent, using provocation against some enemies but calm reassurance against Hercules. His ability to combine invisibility, clones, and direct combat makes him extremely difficult to predict.
• Ou Zhizi: Becomes increasingly impressed by Feng Wu’s abilities. He is surprised by Feng Wu’s ability to defeat an invisible assassin and is dazzled by the sophisticated reversal against the burly swordsman.
• The burly examiner: Initially appears confident and physically dominant. He successfully analyzes the apparent limits of Feng Wu’s clones but is ultimately defeated because he fails to realize that the real Feng Wu is hidden nearby and relaxes too early.
• Hercules: Introduced as a physically overwhelming but simple-minded fighter. Although his size is deceptive, his durability and explosive strength are immense. He also possesses an unusually sharp sixth sense, allowing him to recognize and locate illusions that have fooled other opponents.

Significant Themes

• Perception versus reality: The chapter repeatedly contrasts what appears to be happening with the truth, especially through invisibility, clones, and illusions.
• The importance of information and preparation: The assassin is dangerous only while hidden; once exposed, his advantage disappears. Likewise, Feng Wu wins by concealing crucial information about his real body and abilities.
• Intelligence overcoming raw power: The burly fighter has superior apparent strength and combat skill, but Feng Wu’s deception and timing secure victory.
• Psychological manipulation: Feng Wu understands that different enemies must be handled differently. He avoids angering Hercules because rage would increase the threat posed by his overwhelming physical power.
• Underestimating appearances: The short Hercules is far more powerful and durable than his stature suggests, while Feng Wu’s seemingly vulnerable clones conceal the real source of danger.

Character Interactions

• Feng Wu defeats the assassin before any meaningful conversation occurs, establishing his ability to counter stealth.
• The burly swordsman exchanges banter with Feng Wu and treats the battle as an examination, while Feng Wu remains impatient and focused.
• Their fight becomes a contest of strength and deception: the swordsman identifies the apparent weakness of the clones, but Feng Wu turns that confidence against him.
• Feng Wu and Hercules verbally spar over the legitimacy of Feng Wu’s initial ambush. Feng Wu deliberately explains the Arena’s rules in a calm manner to prevent Hercules from becoming enraged.
• Hercules’s instincts allow him to challenge Feng Wu’s illusion techniques directly, creating a more difficult and potentially dangerous confrontation than the previous battles.

Feng Wu defeated Hercules by using illusory clones and a moving false Arena floor, then faced a newly revived man who identified himself as Loki. Loki explained that he wanted to extend his existence, leaving Feng Wu in his grasp as they discussed whether he could live longer.

• Hercules was fooled by Feng Wu’s clones and was battered by spiked clubs until he lost the match.
• Ou Zhizi and the livestream viewers failed to understand Feng Wu’s technique until Li Xiao explained that Feng Wu stood still while an illusory Arena floor carried him between the clones.
• Feng Wu took down the flag, and a man in white appeared, delighted to have come back to life and asking for time to study a perfect resurrection.
• The man in white dismissed Feng Wu’s clones, dodged Extreme Dragon’s Light, and seized Feng Wu by the neck.
• The man in white identified himself as Loki and argued that, since he was thinking and alive in that moment, he could seek a way to live longer.

Chapter Summary: The Method of Resurrection

Key Plot Points and Events

• Loki explains to Feng Wu that he cannot afford either to kill Feng Wu or be defeated by him: in either case, the Arena’s rules would cause Loki to disappear. His goal is therefore to imprison Feng Wu or persuade him to cooperate while searching for a way to resurrect.
• Feng Wu realizes that Arena combatants retain their own personalities and motives rather than blindly following the Arena’s rules. Unlike battle-loving figures such as Hercules, Loki prioritizes resurrection over victory.
• Loki asks for one hour to find a way to revive himself, promising to admit defeat if he fails. Feng Wu considers surrendering immediately, which would end his challenge but buy time for Ou Zhizi and the others.
• Sensing Feng Wu’s intention, Loki raises the stakes by offering to teach him the powerful secret art Moonlit Earth if he fails to resurrect.
• Ou Zhizi identifies the technique as belonging to a version of Loki associated with the Moon God, prompting Loki to explain that he is actually the Trickster God Loki. He once killed another Loki and acquired that being’s divine art.
• Loki reveals that he died in a catastrophe unrelated to Ragnarök, but his memories end at the moment of death. When he learns that the legendary Eternal Kingdom has disappeared, he becomes deeply shaken because his family and friends were connected to it.
• Loki immediately teaches Feng Wu Moonlit Earth before attempting resurrection. Feng Wu receives the technique directly at its highest level and recognizes its tremendous potential, especially when combined with his Mind Illusory Realm.
• After roughly half an hour, Loki begins forming a new body from surrounding energy. A mass of flesh grows inside a blue energy sphere, while an electrical, human-shaped figure emerges from Loki’s existing body and moves toward it.

Character Developments

• Loki: Revealed as calculating, desperate, and highly pragmatic. His focus shifts from winning to reviving himself and discovering the fate of the Eternal Kingdom. The news of its disappearance exposes his emotional attachment to his lost family and homeland.
• Feng Wu: Shows compassion and strategic self-sacrifice by considering surrendering to help his allies. He also gains a powerful new ability and begins thinking creatively about how to combine it with Mind Illusory Realm.
• Ou Zhizi: Acts as a cautious strategist and protector. He prevents Feng Wu from needlessly sacrificing himself, negotiates with Loki, and remains wary that Loki’s resurrection could produce a dangerous being.
• Grandpa Xiao and Li Xiao: Provide outside commentary and suggest that the accepted account of the Eternal Kingdom’s disappearance may be incomplete. Grandpa Xiao hints that it merely relocated, while Li Xiao suspects deeper secrets involving Transcendent-level beings.

Significant Themes

• Survival versus victory: Loki demonstrates that defeating an opponent is not always the primary objective; survival and resurrection can matter more than winning.
• Individual agency: The Arena’s summoned figures possess distinct personalities, motives, and moral choices rather than acting as mindless combatants.
• Identity and fragmented memory: Loki’s uncertain history, multiple mythological versions, and incomplete memories raise questions about whether identity is defined by name, origin, consciousness, or acquired powers.
• The uncertainty of resurrection: Creating a body may not truly restore Loki; it may only allow his consciousness to inhabit a new vessel.
• Hidden history: The disappearance of the Eternal Kingdom challenges known historical accounts and hints at powerful forces and secrets beyond the characters’ understanding.
• Knowledge as power: Loki’s divine-derived secret art becomes a valuable bargaining tool, and direct transmission allows Feng Wu to acquire it instantly.

Important Character Interactions

• Loki and Feng Wu: Their confrontation becomes a negotiation. Loki tries to secure Feng Wu’s cooperation, while Feng Wu weighs surrender against the opportunity to gain Moonlit Earth.
• Loki and Ou Zhizi: Ou Zhizi challenges Loki’s identity and demands information before allowing Feng Wu to accept his offer. Their exchange reveals Loki’s origins and the mystery of the Eternal Kingdom.
• Feng Wu and Ou Zhizi: Feng Wu asks for Ou Zhizi’s assessment of Loki’s resurrection attempt, showing trust in his judgment. Ou Zhizi warns that the resulting being may be only Loki’s consciousness in a fabricated body.
• Grandpa Xiao and Li Xiao: Their conversation provides an alternative explanation for the Eternal Kingdom’s disappearance and suggests that the truth has been concealed.

Ou Zhizi and Feng Wu watched Loki’s attempted soul-to-information conversion fail, while Feng Wu’s shield blocked most of the resulting electrical fragments. As the competition against Aiona intensified, Li Dongzhen was ambushed by the White Wolf Group, whose members had targeted him for his unusually valuable item drops.

• Ou Zhizi explained that Loki’s attempt to preserve his soul as information was risky, and Feng Wu warned that it might already be too late to stop him.
• Loki’s conversion failed, scattering electrical fragments that rushed Feng Wu’s shield; a few arcs touched Feng Wu and showed him a glimpse of the Eternal Kingdom.
• Contestants prepared for Aiona’s approaching release as Li Dongzhen collected a Recovery Ring and left to avoid conflict.
• The White Wolf Group ambushed Li Dongzhen with attacks from the swamp and the air, but his ring blocked their ranged strikes.
• Assam Khan complained that Marcus’s team had waited too long before attacking Li Dongzhen, whose high item-drop rate had made him their target.

Chapter Summary: “Decision”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Assam Khan warns the White Wolf Group that Li Dongzhen is far more dangerous than they realize, but Kitaro Asō and Born dismiss the threat. Marcus trusts the two combat specialists over Assam Khan.
• Born volunteers to confront Li Dongzhen and uses his Dark Druid ability to create a giant spectral white eagle.
• Li Dongzhen attempts to avoid conflict but retaliates when Born pursues him. He uses Gentleman’s Hand to manipulate both earth and air into invisible restraints.
• Born mistakenly identifies the ability as the Wizard spell Mud Transformation. His own storm conceals the invisible air-based restraints, allowing Li Dongzhen to capture him effortlessly.
• Li Dongzhen uses Level 100 Savage Invasion to enter Born’s mind. Rather than alter him immediately, he examines Born’s memories and discovers the White Wolf Group’s history of monitoring and killing contestants.
• Concluding that the group is dangerous and could interfere with the coming battle against Aiona, Li Dongzhen alters Born’s memories. Born returns believing that Li escaped because he was too fast.
• Assam Khan realizes Born may have been mentally controlled and warns Marcus. Marcus orders Agatha Eva to inspect Born’s mental state and states that Born will be killed if he cannot be restored, since he knows too many of the group’s secrets.
• Li Dongzhen escapes Assam Khan’s surveillance, leaving Assam increasingly suspicious that he intends to retaliate.
• Eva confronts Born and orders him to land for examination. Born initially resists, but the threat of Marcus personally killing him forces him to cooperate.

Character Developments

• Li Dongzhen demonstrates exceptional tactical intelligence and control over his abilities. He avoids unnecessary conflict but decisively defeats Born once attacked.
• Born is revealed to be powerful but overconfident and overly dependent on familiar combat patterns. His misidentification of Li’s ability leads directly to his defeat and mental alteration.
• Assam Khan proves perceptive and cautious. He correctly senses Li’s danger and recognizes that Born has been compromised, though his warnings are largely ignored.
• Marcus remains the group’s unquestioned leader. He trusts his combatants but is pragmatic enough to order Born’s execution if necessary.
• Agatha Eva is shown to be both a healer and a formidable, authoritative figure within the team. She is willing to carry out Marcus’s orders without hesitation.
• Kitaro Asō is motivated partly by rivalry with Assam Khan, causing him to support Born’s dismissive assessment of Li.

Significant Themes

• Overconfidence versus caution: Born and Kitaro underestimate Li, while Assam Khan’s careful judgment is proven correct.
• Adaptability and tactical intelligence: Li wins not through brute force but by exploiting Born’s expectations and using the environment creatively.
• Trust and hierarchy: Marcus relies on specialists according to their roles, but the group’s internal rivalries influence strategic decisions.
• Moral judgment and justice: Li debates whether eliminating the White Wolf Group will earn Li Xiao’s approval, ultimately deciding that their repeated attacks and murders make them deserving targets.
• Identity and control: Savage Invasion raises the threat of mental manipulation, making memories and loyalty uncertain.
• The ruthless logic of survival: The White Wolf Group is prepared to kill even its own members to protect its secrets.

Character Interactions

• Assam Khan argues with Born and Kitaro over the danger Li poses, exposing tensions within the team.
• Marcus permits Born to attack but later accepts Assam’s warning that Born may be controlled.
• Li and Born engage in a brief but decisive confrontation, with Li turning Born’s own storm into an advantage.
• Assam reports his suspicions to Marcus, who orders Eva to investigate.
• Eva and Born clash over the examination, but her threat of Marcus’s intervention forces Born to submit.

Li Dongzhen ambushed the White Wolf Group, killing Eva, Assam Khan, and Born’s physical body while Marcus survived the attack. Kitaro Asō and Born tracked Li Dongzhen into the forest, where Li watched them from concealment.

• Li Dongzhen shot Eva through the head before she could reach Born, and Marcus ordered Kitaro Asō to locate the attacker while he and Assam Khan moved their hiding place.
• Li Dongzhen spotted Marcus and Assam Khan inside a moving rock and fired his Zodiac Star-Destroying Bow at them.
• Marcus survived by compressing his body, but Assam Khan was killed and Born’s body was destroyed; Kitaro Asō later used an item to let Born possess his arm.
• Li Dongzhen changed positions, expecting Kitaro Asō and Born to approach, while the surviving White Wolf Group members prepared to pursue him.
• Kitaro Asō and Born found Li Dongzhen’s location, and Li watched them through his invisibility cloak after recognizing Born in Kitaro Asō’s arm.

Chapter Summary: “Clash”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Dongzhen prioritizes killing Kitaro Asō, believing Born’s survival depends on Kitaro Asō’s body. If Kitaro dies, Born will lose his vessel and likely weaken or perish.
• Kitaro Asō and Born realize Li Dongzhen is nearby. Kitaro volunteers to act as bait while Born hides underground and searches for their enemy.
• Kitaro prepares several defenses: a flying sword connected to him by a thin rope, allowing it to pull him away from attacks, while Born conceals himself beneath the ground.
• Marcus secretly monitors Kitaro and Born using Contract Bullets, which let him observe the actions of White Wolf Group members. He recognizes their strategy but doubts their judgment and prepares to intervene if they fail.
• Li Dongzhen repeatedly changes locations, using the forest’s cover and his abilities to avoid detection. Kitaro senses danger but cannot identify his exact position.
• Born ambushes Li as he retreats, attacking him while he is airborne. Kitaro supports the assault with his flying sword and two Ghost Gods.
• Li uses Gentleman’s Mask to transform his body and withstand Born’s punch, then blocks Kitaro’s flying sword with a defensive shield. As Born transforms into a powerful half-bear form and the Ghost Gods continue attacking, Li activates The Traveler’s Return.
• The ring instantly transports Li to a previously marked location without leaving spatial traces, allowing him to escape safely.
• Li analyzes Born’s enhanced “Vengeful Druid” state. Although the form greatly increases Born’s power, it rapidly consumes his soul. Li rejects the idea of simply waiting for Born to die from exhaustion, fearing the enemy may possess a way to extend his existence.
• Choosing a more decisive strategy, Li plans to kill Kitaro first, then Marcus, and deal with Born afterward.
• After Born and Kitaro regroup, Born resumes searching while Kitaro acts as bait. From roughly ten kilometers away, Li draws his bow and prepares another long-range attack.

Character Developments

• Li Dongzhen remains cautious and analytical, using his knowledge of the enemy’s abilities to plan several steps ahead. He demonstrates both restraint and decisiveness, refusing to rely on the uncertain possibility that Born will die naturally.
• Kitaro Asō proves experienced and tactically capable. He willingly exposes himself as bait, combines multiple defensive and offensive techniques, and reacts quickly during the ambush.
• Born becomes increasingly aggressive and powerful. His transformation into a Vengeful Druid greatly improves his combat abilities, but it also threatens his own survival by draining his soul.
• Marcus emerges as a calculating commander. He secretly observes his allies, recognizes their earlier overconfidence, and prepares to personally enter the fight if necessary.

Significant Themes

• Strategy versus brute force: The battle depends as much on concealment, deception, and positioning as on physical power.
• The danger of overconfidence: Marcus reflects that the group’s earlier victories caused them to underestimate Li and other contestants.
• Life, vessels, and survival: Born’s existence depends on Kitaro, raising questions about identity and how far one can survive after losing one’s body.
• Hidden abilities and incomplete knowledge: Even allies do not fully understand one another’s powers, making every confrontation unpredictable.
• Risk and calculated choice: Li chooses direct elimination over passively waiting for Born’s unstable transformation to destroy him.

Character Interactions

• Kitaro and Born cooperate closely, communicating mentally and coordinating their bait-and-ambush strategy.
• Marcus and his team are connected through the White Wolf Group, but his secret monitoring reflects both leadership and growing distrust.
• Li versus Kitaro and Born forms the central confrontation: Kitaro controls the battlefield with traps and Ghost Gods, Born attacks directly, and Li relies on transformation, defensive equipment, and teleportation to survive.
• The chapter ends with Li preparing to reverse the initiative and launch another attack on Kitaro.

Chapter Summary: The Last Spell

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Dongzhen attacks Kitaro Asō from roughly ten kilometers away using the Zodiac Star-Destroying Arrow.
• Kitaro’s Mind’s Eye detects the threat, allowing him to evade the first attack. He warns Born, but Born is badly wounded despite transforming into his fast half-human, half-lizard form.
• Born survives because his true origin is connected to Kitaro’s arm; his damaged body dissolves into black smoke and returns to Kitaro.
• Li Dongzhen realizes that Kitaro’s instincts make a direct attack difficult, so he deploys numerous small flying spheres equipped with Spatial Passages. These devices allow his arrows to change direction repeatedly and attack from unpredictable angles.
• While Kitaro treats Born with blood and a talisman, Li fires an arrow through six linked Spatial Passages. The shifting trajectory overwhelms Kitaro’s Mind’s Eye, and the arrow destroys his body completely.
• The arena announces the deaths of Kitaro Asō, Born, and Donald. Li then begins searching for Marcus.
• Marcus, having lost his subordinates, decides to stop holding back. He uses The Last Spell, an item whose final page unleashes a massive, indiscriminate magical attack over a precisely defined area.
• A huge magic formation appears in the sky and underground, raining red beams that destroy the forest and kill monsters while also forming an invisible barrier to prevent escape.
• Li struggles to evade the beams, finding that his shields, talismans, and equipment cannot block them. He accepts that he may die, but a powerful Sword Qi suddenly splits the magic formation apart.
• The attack was launched by a sword-wielding woman traveling with another woman and Hawkins. She points out Marcus’s location before leaving.
• Li recognizes Hawkins, who identifies himself as “No. 996” rather than Li’s former “boss.” Li considers joining him but decides that dealing with Marcus is the immediate priority.

Character Developments

• Li Dongzhen: Demonstrates patience, tactical creativity, and technological ingenuity. Rather than relying only on his bow, he combines it with flying devices and Spatial Passages to defeat Kitaro. He also shows composure in the face of certain death, though he remains opportunistic and hopes to rely on stronger allies when possible.
• Kitaro Asō: His Mind’s Eye proves highly effective against conventional ranged attacks, but its limitations become clear when danger changes direction too rapidly. His dependence on specialized, side-effect-ridden techniques makes him formidable but vulnerable to clever assassination tactics.
• Born: Suffers a devastating injury and barely survives through his unusual connection to Kitaro. His apparent resilience emphasizes the abnormal nature of his existence.
• Marcus: Reveals himself as the true major threat. After losing his subordinates, he abandons restraint and uses The Last Spell, showing both ruthlessness and overwhelming destructive power.
• Hawkins/No. 996: Makes a dramatic reappearance as part of a capable three-person group. His mysterious participation in the competition raises questions about his goals and identity.

Significant Themes

• Technology versus supernatural ability: Li defeats Kitaro’s mystical perception through scientific tools and engineered Spatial Passages, supporting his claim that “science” can overcome magic.
• The limits of power: Kitaro’s seemingly unbeatable defensive instinct fails when confronted with an attack it cannot track. Likewise, Marcus’s overwhelming spell is limited by its fixed range.
• Sacrifice and expendability: Marcus treats his cultivated subordinates as disposable assets, reflecting the brutal survival logic of the arena.
• Adaptation and strategy: Victory depends less on raw strength than on exploiting an opponent’s weaknesses, changing tactics, and using the environment creatively.
• Unexpected alliances: Hawkins and the two women intervene at a crucial moment, showing that survival may depend on temporary cooperation rather than individual strength.

Character Interactions

• Kitaro warns Born of Li’s attack, and Born attempts to evade it but is critically wounded.
• Kitaro uses blood and a talisman to stabilize or heal Born while Li observes them remotely.
• Li’s indirect arrow attack kills Kitaro, Born, and Donald’s deaths being confirmed by the arena.
• Marcus’s spell nearly kills Li, but Hawkins’s sword-wielding companion destroys the magic formation and saves him.
• Li recognizes Hawkins and considers following him for protection, but instead pursues Marcus after being shown his location.

Hawkins, Long Qian, and Aiona discussed Aiona’s failed attempt at Unity and continued through the arena, where death was permanent. They rescued Mani again, and Aiona offered her ten thousand gold coins to leave the dangerous monster-farming behind.

• Hawkins explained that he had accepted a request to help Aiona reclaim her power, and Aiona described how she survived her failed attempt at Unity by cultivating a second body.
• Long Qian told Aiona that separating her avatar from the World Tree had protected her children but left her with a dangerous path to Unity.
• Hawkins told Aiona that contestants who died in the arena could not be revived and that the Mysterious Broadcast System would reclaim their bodies and souls as energy.
• Mani ran toward Hawkins with a monster pursuing her, and Long Qian killed it with one slash.
• Mani grabbed the monster’s gold coins and tried to run, but Hawkins stopped her and Aiona offered her ten thousand gold coins to leave with them.

As contestants closed in on the central point, Zorn, Ma Tianmei, and Mihe clashed over a monster and Mihe’s Peace Wheel. Their standoff remained unresolved when a nearby team began fighting the monster, drawing all three toward a new opportunity.

• Zorn offered to split a powerful monster with the contestant it was attacking, but the contestant refused and revealed himself as Ma Tianmei, the Unfallen Hero.
• Mihe, the Sun's Filial Son, intervened and warned Zorn and Ma Tianmei against wasting their strength fighting each other before facing Aiona.
• After Zorn and Ma Tianmei left, Mihe used the Peace Wheel to earn enough points to draw three abilities and choose one.
• Zorn and Ma Tianmei revealed that they had followed Mihe because they suspected his motives, and they confronted him over the Peace Wheel.
• The three men reached a stalemate, then heard a team battling the monster Ma Tianmei had struck and recognized a chance to claim it.

Chapter Summary: “Stalemate”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ma Yi’s team battles a powerful, rapidly healing monster using the Three Saints Subduing Demon Formation. The formation strengthens Ma Yi and allows the woman leader’s spear to pierce the monster’s otherwise impenetrable defenses.
• Ma Yi activates the “Monkey King” technique, using golden light to blind and weaken the monster. The woman then burns and pierces its hand with her spear.
• Ma Tianmei appears and offers to become the formation’s missing “third saint,” while Zorn emerges and claims he can protect the formation bearers. Their simultaneous arrival creates a tense three-way standoff.
• Mihe intervenes, recognizing that the three powerful contestants are less interested in immediately fighting than in using Ma Yi’s team and the monster to disrupt the balance of power.
• The external pressure causes the formation bearers to panic, weakening the formation. The woman restores their focus by commanding them to ignore the surrounding conflict and concentrate on maintaining it.
• Ma Tianmei claims ownership of the monster, saying he discovered it first. The woman initially agrees to withdraw, but Zorn challenges Ma Tianmei’s claim and offers to protect Ma Yi’s team if they continue fighting.
• Ma Tianmei makes a shameless proposition to the woman, asking her to become his partner in exchange for glory. She rejects him without hesitation.
• Zorn and Ma Tianmei trade insults while secretly attempting to persuade Mihe to cooperate. Each warns Mihe that the other is untrustworthy and proposes an alliance based on the Peace Wheel and mutual protection.
• Mihe secretly realizes that the stalemate benefits him: he has accumulated enough points through previous mediations and can continue profiting as long as the three remain in conflict.
• Meanwhile, Ma Yi is gradually losing ground. His injuries accumulate while the monster continues healing, and the formation is close to collapse.
• Understanding that the powerful contestants can maintain the standoff indefinitely while her team cannot, the woman orders a retreat. The formation is withdrawn, and Ma Yi escapes after using the monster’s attack to propel himself away.

Character Developments

• Ma Yi demonstrates courage and endurance but is increasingly overwhelmed by the monster’s superior recovery. He defers to the woman’s judgment despite being the team’s strongest fighter.
• The woman leader proves highly intelligent, decisive, and strategically perceptive. She controls her team under pressure, resists Ma Tianmei’s advances, recognizes the danger of the stalemate, and ultimately chooses retreat over a futile battle.
• Ma Tianmei is revealed as manipulative, arrogant, and morally questionable beneath his heroic reputation. He uses flirtation, intimidation, and political maneuvering to gain control of the situation.
• Zorn/Ding Zuo’en displays similar cunning and hostility. Though he claims to support Ma Yi’s team, his real aim is to improve his own position and exploit the conflict.
• Mihe remains outwardly impartial and peace-oriented, but privately acts pragmatically. He understands that the stalemate itself benefits him and allows the other two to compete for his alliance.
• The formation flag bearers initially panic but regain discipline after the woman commands them to focus solely on maintaining the formation.

Significant Themes

• Stalemate and political maneuvering: The strongest characters avoid direct combat while attempting to manipulate one another and exploit weaker participants.
• Appearances versus reality: Ma Tianmei’s heroic reputation contrasts with his deceitful and predatory behavior, while Zorn’s apparent assistance also hides self-serving motives.
• Leadership under pressure: The woman’s calm decision-making and authority keep her team alive despite overwhelming threats.
• Strength versus endurance: Although Ma Yi’s team can temporarily overcome the monster through cooperation and formation power, they cannot sustain the fight indefinitely.
• Pragmatism and survival: Retreat is portrayed not as cowardice but as the only rational choice when the odds and timing become unfavorable.
• Trust and betrayal: Mihe must choose between two unreliable allies, while both Ma Tianmei and Zorn attempt to secure cooperation through promises and warnings.

Character Interactions

• Ma Yi and the woman work closely as fighter and commander, with Ma Yi trusting her superior strategic judgment.
• The woman openly challenges Ma Tianmei and refuses to be intimidated or seduced by him.
• Ma Tianmei and Zorn engage in a hostile verbal exchange, each exposing or insulting the other’s reputation and morality.
• Both Ma Tianmei and Zorn secretly court Mihe’s alliance, presenting cooperation as necessary for survival while warning him against trusting their rival.
• Mihe maintains a neutral public position while privately manipulating the rivalry to maximize his own advantage.

Chapter Summary: The Well-Connected Chi Dekai

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mihe proposes that Ma Tianmei and Zorn cooperate temporarily: whoever eliminates Ma Yi’s group first will gain his cooperation against the other. Ma Tianmei and Zorn both pursue Ma Yi and his companions.
• Ma Tianmei quickly overwhelms Ma Yi with a sword technique that creates dozens of wounds. Ma Yi urges the woman accompanying him to escape, then unleashes the enormous energy stored within his body.
• Ma Yi’s eruption forms a miniature sun and destroys much of the surrounding forest. Although Ma Tianmei and Zorn are strong enough to withstand it, they hesitate to approach because Ma Yi might be attempting a suicidal attack capable of injuring them.
• The explosion attracts the attention of numerous contestants. Before Ma Tianmei and Zorn can finish Ma Yi, Chi Dekai arrives and asks them to spare him.
• Chi Dekai reveals that the woman is his daughter, Chi Yixian. He claims Ma Yi is the son of his business partner, Ma Kaitian, but later admits this was merely an excuse to protect Ma Yi.
• Because Chi Dekai is highly influential and well-connected, Ma Tianmei and Zorn reluctantly agree to withdraw. Chi Yixian tends to the exhausted Ma Yi, who survives.
• Chi Dekai explains to his daughter that strength and survival matter more than hoping for a miracle. He had entered the competition largely to find her, though their starting positions were far apart.
• When Ma Tianmei and Zorn return to Mihe without having killed Ma Yi, they reveal that they have set aside their hostility. They now intend to cooperate against Mihe, depriving him of the leverage created by their rivalry.
• Before the confrontation can develop, Shi Ji, the Mistress of the Stone Skeleton, emerges from the ground and effortlessly blocks Ma Tianmei’s punch. Hawkins, carrying Mani, then arrives with Long Qian and Aiona.

Character Developments

• Ma Yi demonstrates resilience and tactical intelligence. Though badly wounded, he uses a massive energy release to prevent Ma Tianmei and Zorn from killing him, relying on intimidation and uncertainty rather than pure combat effectiveness.
• Ma Tianmei remains arrogant and aggressive but is pragmatic enough to retreat when fighting Chi Dekai offers no clear advantage. His earlier interest in Chi Yixian becomes awkward when he discovers she is Chi Dekai’s daughter.
• Zorn shows caution and strategic judgment. He recognizes the risks of Ma Yi’s possible self-destruction and later joins Ma Tianmei in temporarily setting aside their personal conflict.
• Chi Dekai is established as a socially powerful, manipulative, and resourceful figure. His influence comes not only from personal strength but from the many allies he can summon. He protects Ma Yi through bluffing and negotiation rather than direct combat.
• Chi Yixian is calm and capable of making pragmatic decisions, having formed a team after recognizing that she could not survive alone. Her reunion with her father highlights their mutual concern.
• Mihe loses control of the situation. His plan depends on Ma Tianmei and Zorn remaining enemies, but their unexpected cooperation leaves him vulnerable.
• Shi Ji is introduced as a formidable figure. Her ability to stop Ma Tianmei’s attack with one hand immediately establishes her strength and presence.

Significant Themes

• Influence can rival strength: Chi Dekai’s connections and reputation are powerful enough to stop two dangerous combatants, showing that social networks are a major form of power in the cultivation world.
• Pragmatism over pride: Ma Tianmei and Zorn abandon their hostility when cooperation becomes more profitable, while Chi Dekai uses deception and negotiation to protect his daughter and Ma Yi.
• Survival through strategy: Ma Yi’s destructive eruption is less effective as an attack than as a deterrent, illustrating how weaker contestants can survive by forcing stronger opponents to hesitate.
• The cruelty of the cultivation world: Chi Dekai teaches Chi Yixian that inability to win cannot be overcome by wishful thinking. Survival requires recognizing one’s limits and adapting.
• Unstable alliances: Relationships shift rapidly according to circumstance. Enemies become temporary partners, and supposed friendships may be fabricated for tactical purposes.

Character Interactions

• Ma Tianmei and Zorn begin as rivals competing to eliminate Ma Yi, but later return united against Mihe.
• Ma Tianmei and Ma Yi clash directly, with Ma Yi barely escaping through his energy eruption.
• Chi Dekai uses his relationship—real or falsely claimed—with Ma Yi to persuade Ma Tianmei and Zorn to withdraw.
• Chi Dekai and Chi Yixian share a protective father-daughter relationship, though he also bluntly instructs her about the harsh realities of survival.
• Ma Tianmei’s former interest in Chi Yixian creates tension when he learns that she is Chi Dekai’s daughter.
• Mihe realizes that his manipulation has failed just as Shi Ji and the other arriving contestants introduce a new and potentially more dangerous conflict.

Hawkins helped settle the crowd’s dispute over Mihe’s Peace Wheel, then withdrew after the contestants voted him out. He continued traveling with his companions and Chi Yixian, whose doubts about their leisurely pace were answered when Long Qian’s Sword Qi led them to a huge pile of gold coins and a glittering item.

• Shi Ji and Hawkins’s group arrived as contestants gathered around Mihe and the Peace Wheel, and Mihe explained the treasure’s abilities to the crowd.
• Hawkins proposed a vote to reduce the fifteen remaining contenders to ten, but five people voted for him, so he withdrew with his companions.
• Chi Dekai sent Chi Yixian after Hawkins, and she asked to join his team; Hawkins accepted after Long Qian and Aiona agreed.
• When Chi Yixian questioned their slow progress, Hawkins asked Long Qian to demonstrate, and her Sword Qi led the group to a huge pile of gold coins topped by a glittering item.

Long Qian’s group continued hunting valuable monsters and collecting unusual artifact fragments while Chi Yixian learned more about Hawkins and the competition grounds. Meanwhile, Feng Wu abandoned the Arena after Loki’s failed resurrection, and Hua Di and Ou Zhizi finished their bouts.

• Long Qian killed a powerful monster with one sword strike, earning more than five hundred Gem Coins and a valuable artifact.
• Hawkins explained that true strength came from within and told Chi Yixian that five contestants were waiting for Aiona’s seal to lift rather than hunting monsters.
• Chi Yixian questioned Hawkins about the fragments he collected, and he explained that they were pieces of Forest Lord Artifacts incorporated into magical treasures.
• Hawkins’s group continued gathering fragments and artifact sets as they traveled toward more valuable monsters.
• Loki exploded during his attempted resurrection, giving Feng Wu information about him, and Feng Wu abandoned the Arena to rest.
• Hua Di survived five rounds using duplicates made from her seeds, while Ou Zhizi fought eighty opponents before conceding.

On the seventh night, Aiona broke free of her seal and unleashed poison spirit qi and blood that turned contestants into attackers. As contestants mounted their assault, Aiona demonstrated her overwhelming strength, leaving the gathered teams struggling to decide when to act.

• After their rewards were distributed, Ye Hua, Feng Wu, Ou Zhizi, and Hua Di left the collapsed treasure realm and continued traveling together toward the center.
• As midnight approached on the seventh day, contestants gathered near Aiona, and Ou Zhizi gave Feng Wu, Hua Di, and Ye Hua talismans before Aiona shattered her seal.
• Aiona released poison spirit qi, struck down the man in the black trench coat, and spread blood across the sky; the blood transformed many cultivators and made them attack others.
• Hawkins told Chi Yixian that Aiona was forcing the contestants to help her release the energy she had absorbed, while teams began attacking her from all sides.
• Aiona curled into a green sun and withstood the contestants' attacks, then killed a giant cultivator with a beam from an eyeball that appeared in her wound, destroying his team's formation.

Aiona transformed her spine into a vast canopy of vines and attacked the contestants, prompting Righteous Bearing to confront her with the Hollow Fist. Jie Dinghui joined the battle, while the onlookers discussed the Three Heart-Questioning Fists and the monk’s unconventional path.

• Aiona emerged from the sphere and grew countless vines bearing monstrous women to attack the contestants.
• A red-haired man and a tattooed man urged the contestants to attack before the Poison Spirit Qi wore them down.
• Righteous Bearing rushed Aiona and dissolved her attacking vines with his Hollow Fist, then scolded the other contestants into joining the fight.
• Ou Zhizi explained that Righteous Bearing had created the Hollow Fist and was one of the Three Heart-Questioning Fists alongside Zhang Dong and Jie Dinghui.
• Hawkins explained Jie Dinghui’s unusual history to Chi Yixian, whose doubts eased after she saw the monk’s smile.
• Jie Dinghui arrived beside Righteous Bearing and struck Aiona with a punch.