Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Su Yue explains that she had considered joining an organization because she cannot serve the Investigation Bureau and rejects extremist groups. She has not made a final decision; for now, she agrees to act as Bai Xuan’s personal bodyguard.
• At the masked group’s hideout, Xilin finds Four of Hearts dead and kills Four of Clubs when he discovers the scene. She burns the hideout and destroys the Voodoo Doll she finds there.
• Bai Xuan watches through Legendary Perspective and realizes Five of Diamonds is still at large. Since Five of Diamonds will likely appear when the Ice Curse Dragon arrives, Bai Xuan looks for a way to alert the Investigation Bureau.
• Investigators estimate the Ice Curse Dragon will descend between six and eight that evening. Li Hongyou leaves Bai Yu in command while the White Sea City and Ninghang City bureaus prepare for the threat.
• Five of Diamonds and Six of Spades observe the investigators and plan to disrupt them. Six of Spades claims he has a way to deal with Li Hongyou, whose ability they believe is ineffective against giant targets.
• When Five of Diamonds returns to the hideout, he finds it burned out. He vows to attack both the masked group’s opponents and the Investigation Bureau, framing the coming conflict as the dawn of an “age of Extreme Evil.”
• Snow and ice gather over Yincheng District, forming the Extreme Cold Domain associated with Seliphina. The World Book issues an emergency C+ quest for the Ice Curse Dragon, then immediately announces a second emergency quest.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Yue remains wary of both official service and extremist organizations, but makes a provisional choice to stand beside Bai Xuan as his bodyguard. Their exchange is friendly, though Bai Xuan takes her offer more literally than she expects.
• Bai Xuan uses Legendary Perspective to monitor Xilin’s mission and begins thinking strategically about warning the Investigation Bureau. He also wonders whether Marée Alaira can defeat Seliphina after super evolution.
• Xilin acts decisively, killing the two members she encounters and destroying evidence at the hideout.
• Five of Diamonds grows more hostile after discovering the hideout’s destruction and commits to confronting both the investigators and their other adversaries.
• Six of Spades is confident and eager to prove himself, while Five of Diamonds is cautious and focused on ensuring the mission succeeds. Their exchange reveals their shared resentment of the Investigation Bureau.

Significant themes

• Choosing one’s allegiance: Su Yue struggles to find a place in a world where remaining uninvolved may not be possible.
• Escalating conflict: The masked group’s operation, the Investigation Bureau’s preparations, and the Ice Curse Dragon’s imminent arrival converge into a broader crisis.
• Uncertainty and risk: The World Book’s vague quest hints and the uncertain matchup against Seliphina leave the coming battle unpredictable.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Xuan receives a second emergency world quest concerning the Dark Matter Dragon, which is being summoned through an evil ritual in Yincheng District.
• The quest’s possible reward may help him defeat the Witch of the Evernight, convincing him to investigate despite already preparing to fight the Ice Curse Dragon.
• Bai Xuan suspects the Evil Organization, possibly the Five of Diamonds, is behind the summoning.
• He returns to the Lakeside Villa and assigns roles:
  • Bai Xuan and Marée Alaira will confront the Ice Curse Dragon.
  • Luo Miaoyin will deal with the Dark Matter Dragon.
  • Xilin will remain hidden and search for the ritual’s summoner.
• As the Ice Curse Dragon’s arrival approaches, temperatures across Ninghang City drop to unprecedented levels. Authorities issue a citywide emergency alert and order residents to evacuate or remain indoors.
• Investigators from Ninghang and White Sea City gather in Yincheng District, recognizing that the calamity is beyond Ninghang’s normal ability to handle.
• Su Yue, still struggling to control her unstable superpower, notices the calamity but is more concerned with finding Bai Xuan after discovering he has mysteriously disappeared.
• Meanwhile, Li Hongyou visits a luxury hotel to meet Director Liu Mufei. She finds Liu bathing while disguised in Li’s own appearance, infuriating her.
• Li reports that the investigators are ready, while Liu explains that Ninghang received limited reinforcements because the city possesses additional hidden strength—particularly Li herself.
• Bai Xuan suddenly appears in the suite wearing the Slime Mask, catching both women off guard and ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Bai Xuan becomes more strategic and proactive, immediately expanding his plans to account for two simultaneous high-level threats rather than focusing solely on the Ice Curse Dragon.
• Marée Alaira remains eager and impulsive, wanting to attack the enemy immediately, while Bai Xuan takes the leadership role and restrains her enthusiasm.
• Luo Miaoyin demonstrates calm obedience and confidence by accepting the dangerous task of confronting the Dark Matter Dragon without hesitation.
• Xilin is entrusted with covert reconnaissance, showing Bai Xuan’s confidence in her stealth and investigative abilities.
• Su Yue continues working to control her dangerous, unstable power, suggesting ongoing personal growth and potential future importance.
• Li Hongyou is shown to be highly capable—strong enough to rival an intermediate investigator—but resentful of Liu Mufei’s habit of assigning her excessive responsibilities.
• Liu Mufei remains playful, eccentric, and manipulative, using humor and provocation even while coordinating a major crisis.

Significant Themes

• Escalating danger: Ninghang faces multiple interconnected calamities, emphasizing that the crisis is larger than a single dragon attack.
• Preparation and teamwork: Success depends on dividing responsibilities among characters with different strengths.
• Hidden conspiracies: The artificially summoned Dark Matter Dragon points to deliberate interference by the Evil Organization.
• Power and responsibility: Characters with exceptional abilities are expected to bear disproportionate burdens, especially Li Hongyou and Bai Xuan.
• Contrast between seriousness and comedy: The chapter balances the terrifying citywide disaster with Liu Mufei’s absurd bath scene and her teasing relationship with Li Hongyou.
• Secrets and deception: Disguises, hidden summoners, covert missions, and Bai Xuan’s masked appearance reinforce the atmosphere of uncertainty.

Character Interactions

• Bai Xuan directs Marée Alaira, Luo Miaoyin, and Xilin in a coordinated battle plan, establishing himself as the group’s commander.
• Marée’s eagerness contrasts with Bai Xuan’s caution, highlighting their complementary personalities.
• Li Hongyou and Liu Mufei bicker over Liu’s inappropriate disguise and Li’s heavy workload, revealing familiarity and tension beneath their professional partnership.
• Liu Mufei reassures Li by praising her strength, though her compliment also serves to justify placing more responsibility on her.
• Su Yue’s attempt to locate Bai Xuan creates a parallel thread, as she remains unaware of his secret mission.
• Bai Xuan’s unexpected entrance into Liu Mufei and Li Hongyou’s room brings the separate plotlines together and sets up the next confrontation.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Xuan unexpectedly teleports into a private bathing room and encounters Liu Mufei and Li Hongyou. Liu Mufei is using Li Hongyou’s body, creating confusion and embarrassment.
• Liu Mufei teases Bai Xuan for supposedly coming to watch her bathe, while Li Hongyou angrily demands that she behave properly.
• Bai Xuan explains that the Evil Organization is targeting the Ice Curse Dragon and has several members operating in Ninghang City. He reveals that the “Five of Diamonds” and a powerful summoner are still active, with the latter potentially capable of summoning a creature as strong as the dragon.
• He asks the Investigation Bureau to prevent the Evil Organization from interfering when he fights the Ice Curse Dragon. In exchange, he wants the dragon, whether alive or dead.
• Liu Mufei readily agrees to both requests and assures him that the Investigation Bureau will oppose the Evil Organization’s actions regardless.
• Liu Mufei then attempts to recruit Bai Xuan and his allies into the Investigation Bureau by offering flexible benefits, status, salary, and other incentives. Bai Xuan firmly refuses.
• As a personal reward, Liu Mufei gives Bai Xuan a special white-rose badge. It allows him to exchange for curios worth less than ten million within the Investigation Bureau or Curio Museum.
• After leaving, Bai Xuan summons Xilin and the others. Marée Alaira immediately challenges the Ice Curse Dragon, Seliphina, who responds with a mocking roar, setting up their confrontation.

2. Character Developments

• Bai Xuan: Demonstrates strategic thinking by trading intelligence about the Evil Organization for institutional support. He remains independent, refusing to join the Investigation Bureau, but accepts Liu Mufei’s valuable badge.
• Liu Mufei: Reveals herself to be playful, provocative, and politically shrewd. She quickly recognizes Bai Xuan’s value and agrees to support his objective while also trying to recruit him. Her teasing suggests she is already interested in keeping him under observation and possibly “teaching him a lesson.”
• Li Hongyou: Acts as the responsible and easily flustered counterpart to Liu Mufei. She repeatedly objects to Liu Mufei’s inappropriate behavior and attempts to keep the conversation professional.
• Marée Alaira: Shows confidence and eagerness for battle by immediately challenging Seliphina upon arriving at the frozen battlefield.
• Seliphina/Ice Curse Dragon: Is established as proud and antagonistic, answering Marée Alaira’s challenge with a boastful threat.

3. Significant Themes

• Independence versus institutional alliance: Bai Xuan seeks help from the Investigation Bureau without surrendering his autonomy or formally joining it.
• Strategic cooperation against a common enemy: The Investigation Bureau and Bai Xuan have aligned interests in stopping the Evil Organization, even if their broader goals differ.
• Power, bargaining, and hidden motives: Bai Xuan exchanges intelligence for protection, while Liu Mufei uses the negotiation to assess and recruit him.
• Comedy amid danger: The serious discussion about a powerful enemy occurs in the middle of an awkward bathing-room encounter, with Liu Mufei’s seduction attempt and Li Hongyou’s outrage providing comic relief.
• Impending rivalry: The exchange between Marée Alaira and Seliphina establishes a personal, high-stakes confrontation before the larger battle begins.

4. Character Interactions

• Bai Xuan and Liu Mufei: Their conversation combines negotiation with flirtatious teasing. Liu Mufei tests Bai Xuan’s composure and attempts to recruit him, while Bai Xuan remains mostly controlled and focused on his objective.
• Liu Mufei and Li Hongyou: They bicker constantly, with Liu Mufei acting provocatively through Li Hongyou’s body and Li Hongyou criticizing her lack of decorum.
• Bai Xuan and the Investigation Bureau: Bai Xuan establishes a temporary alliance, gaining permission to claim the Ice Curse Dragon and protection from interference.
• Marée Alaira and Seliphina: Their brief verbal exchange is an open declaration of hostility, immediately framing the coming battle as a direct personal challenge.

Chapter Summary: “Facing the Ice Curse Dragon!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Marée Alaira and Seliphina communicate in Dragon Language, leaving Bai Xuan unable to understand their exchange. Seliphina becomes impatient and begins descending ahead of schedule.
• The frost crystal above Yincheng District releases an intense chill, causing temperatures across a ten-kilometer radius to plunge to –30°C. The Investigation Bureau realizes the Ice Curse Dragon is about to descend on Ninghang City.
• The investigators prepare for a major battle, fearing that failure will endanger not only Yincheng District but the entire city. Captain Lin Kai of the White Sea City Investigation Bureau is introduced, along with his powerful Blood Explosion ability.
• Several high-ranking investigators, including Chen Feng and Lu Xiang, arrive to reinforce the city’s defenses.
• The Ice Curse Dragon fully materializes in the sky. The Bureau launches missiles at it, but the dragon remains unharmed behind multiple rotating ice-crystal barriers, demonstrating the overwhelming power of a C-Rank Anomalous Calamity.
• The investigators realize they must first destroy the barriers, while Lin Kai grows suspicious that the dragon is deliberately ignoring them.
• Seliphina reveals that she is focused on Marée Alaira rather than the humans. She launches dozens of enormous ice pillars toward Marée, terrifying the investigators because the attack could devastate Ninghang City if it reaches the ground.
• Marée prepares to confront Seliphina and urges Bai Xuan to “merge” with her. Bai Xuan assigns important tasks before joining her:
  • Xilin is told to locate and handle the Evil Organization members hiding nearby.
  • Luo Miaoyin is asked to deal with the Dark Matter Dragon if it appears.
• Before Bai Xuan can explain what “merging” means, he and Marée activate “Crimson of the End α,” producing an intense red light and setting up the next stage of the battle.

Character Developments

• Bai Xuan demonstrates growing authority and strategic awareness. He coordinates Xilin, Luo Miaoyin, and the Investigation Bureau while preparing to fight alongside Marée.
• Marée Alaira is eager and excited to battle Seliphina, showing confidence and a strong personal rivalry with the Ice Curse Dragon.
• Seliphina is portrayed as immensely powerful and arrogant. She considers humans insignificant and intends to eliminate Marée before turning her attention to the city.
• Lin Kai is established as a formidable investigator whose Blood Explosion ability may rival a walking nuclear weapon, though it appears to consume life force.
• Xilin continues to act as Bai Xuan’s loyal subordinate, accepting responsibility for hunting the Evil Organization.
• Luo Miaoyin remains calm and dependable, agreeing to confront the possible Dark Matter Dragon despite her curiosity about Bai Xuan and Marée’s “merging.”
• The Investigation Bureau members shift from confidence to alarm after their missiles prove ineffective, emphasizing the gap between human weapons and the dragon’s power.

Significant Themes

• Human vulnerability against supernatural power: Modern weapons are shown to be nearly useless against Seliphina’s defenses.
• Preparation and cooperation: The coming battle requires coordination between Bai Xuan, the dragons, the Investigation Bureau, and Luo Miaoyin.
• Rivalry and confrontation: The chapter centers on the imminent clash between Marée and Seliphina, suggesting a personal history or enmity between the two dragons.
• Hidden threats: The Ice Curse Dragon is not the only danger; the Evil Organization and the potential Dark Matter Dragon remain active threats.
• Transformation and power escalation: The activation of “Crimson of the End α” signals Bai Xuan and Marée entering a more powerful combat state.

Important Character Interactions

• Marée and Seliphina exchange words in Dragon Language, establishing their mutual hostility.
• Lin Kai discusses the crisis with Chen Feng and Lu Xiang, revealing the seriousness of Ninghang City’s situation.
• Bai Xuan gives Xilin and Luo Miaoyin separate missions, showing his role as the battle’s coordinator.
• Marée directly commands Bai Xuan to merge with her, while Luo Miaoyin questions the meaning of the process.
• The chapter ends as Bai Xuan and Marée begin their mysterious transformation, leaving the result of their fusion and the dragon battle unresolved.

Key plot points and events

• Marée Alaira, piloting the Red Dragon Mecha, confronts the enormous Frost Cursed Dragon, Seliphina. She opens with a surprise Destruction Dragon Light Cannon, then fires again before Seliphina can respond.
• Seliphina counters with a barrage of ice pillars. Marée dodges them, while Investigators use missiles and Ninghang City’s Regional Barrier to prevent falling ice from harming the city.
• The Evil Organization launches its own attack: Six of Spades summons nearly a hundred Dark Matter Creatures to assault the Investigators, while Five of Diamonds flies toward Seliphina to advance their larger plan.
• Bai Yu detects the creatures, and the Investigators turn to fight them. Lin Kai leaves Lu Xiang in charge of the ground battle and takes a helicopter to join the fight against Seliphina.
• As Seliphina sends waves of ice crystals, Bai Xuan activates the mecha’s Aura of Destruction. He dodges and gathers combat data rather than rushing to attack.
• Enraged by Marée’s evasive tactics, Seliphina announces a powerful spell from the Land of Extreme Cold: “Ice Supreme Principle: Domain Freeze!”

Character developments and interactions

• Marée Alaira is cocky and taunting, but fights pragmatically: she uses surprise attacks and evasion rather than accepting Seliphina’s challenge to a direct contest.
• Seliphina mocks Marée’s reduced size and power, then grows increasingly furious as Marée’s tactics frustrate her. She escalates the battle with a potentially formidable spell.
• Bai Xuan shows caution and discipline, studying Seliphina’s abilities before committing to a counterattack.
• Bai Yu demonstrates heightened senses by spotting the ambush before the others.
• Lin Kai and Lu Xiang divide responsibilities, with Lin Kai heading to the dragon fight while Lu Xiang leads the defense against the summoned creatures.
• Five of Diamonds and Six of Spades reveal coordinated roles in the Evil Organization’s plan: one approaches Seliphina while the other unleashes a force against the Investigators.

Significant themes

• Strategy versus brute force: Marée’s smaller form and tactical approach challenge Seliphina’s belief that size and power determine victory.
• Coordinated defense: The Investigators, missiles, helicopter support, and Regional Barrier combine to protect the city while confronting threats on two fronts.
• Escalation and hidden danger: The battle with Seliphina is complicated by the Evil Organization’s simultaneous assault, while Seliphina’s ultimate magic raises the stakes further.

Plot points and events

• Seliphina unleashes Domain Freeze, immobilizing the battlefield across several kilometers—including Marée Alaira, Bai Xuan, the Investigators, and a helicopter. The Investigation Bureau panics and searches for a way to stop her.
• Bai Xuan recognizes the freeze’s similarity to a powerful spell from Aeria World and realizes the Light Stones may counter it. He installs them on the Red Dragon Mecha, freeing Marée Alaira just as Seliphina approaches.
• Marée Alaira surprises Seliphina with a Destruction Dragon Light Cannon, shattering the ice crystals protecting her.
• Bai Xuan activates Mega Evolution, transforming Marée Alaira into Endbringer Red Beta: a fifty-to-sixty-meter mechanical dragon with steel wings and a Destruction Core.
• Seliphina summons a swarm of Ice Crystal Dragons. Bai Xuan’s Aura of Destruction dissolves them, and Marée Alaira charges at Seliphina. Moving too quickly for Seliphina to track, she reappears beside her and throws a punch.

Character development and interactions

• Bai Xuan stays composed under pressure, identifies the Light Stones’ possible use, and directs the counterattack and transformation. His partnership with Marée Alaira is central to their success.
• Marée Alaira shifts from helplessly frozen to confident and exhilarated in her new form, openly crediting Bai Xuan’s help. She takes the lead in attacking Seliphina.
• Seliphina, initially confident that Domain Freeze makes her victory certain, is shaken when the freeze is broken and her ice-based attacks fail. She dismisses Marée Alaira’s transformation as unnatural but continues fighting.

Significant themes

• Cooperation and trust: Bai Xuan’s knowledge and Marée Alaira’s strength work together to overcome Seliphina’s advantage.
• Adaptation and escalation: The Light Stones counter Seliphina’s control tactic, while Mega Evolution raises the battle to a new level.
• Confidence challenged: Seliphina’s belief that her techniques guarantee victory is repeatedly undermined by Marée Alaira’s unexpected capabilities.

Plot points and events

• Seliphina’s Freeze domain collapses, freeing the investigators, who remember little of what happened. They see the Ice Curse Dragon being attacked by an invisible assailant, while the dark matter creatures around them suddenly rise and are torn apart.
• Li Hongyou arrives and destroys the creatures with ease. Bai Yu tells her she has located an Extreme Evil member, and the two head to an unfinished building.
• Xilin surprises Six of Spades and kills him before he can escape. He had dismissed the destroyed creatures as mere “appetizers” and was awaiting something he expected to descend in half an hour.
• Bai Xuan, using invisibility, has been wearing Seliphina down, though Frost Crystal spreading across Marée Alaira’s chassis weakens the camouflage. When Seliphina finally spots him, she launches her Ice Annihilation Beam. Marée Alaira answers with its Divine Light of Destruction, and the attacks collide in a tremendous burst of energy.
• Onlookers recognize Marée Alaira’s transformed Second Form and rally behind it. Nearby, Five of Diamonds attacks a helicopter carrying Chen Feng and Lin Kai, then flies toward the dragon battle, intending to claim the Ice Curse Dragon’s energy source after it is weakened.
• At the unfinished building, Bai Yu and Li Hongyou find bones and a rune-covered formation. An unfamiliar woman appears and identifies it as a Summoning Array.

Character developments and interactions

• Bai Xuan and Marée Alaira shift from an unseen assault to a direct beam clash once Seliphina can detect them. Bai Xuan also humorously wonders whether dragons must announce their attack names aloud.
• Seliphina moves from helplessly absorbing attacks to recognizing her opponent and counterattacking.
• Li Hongyou demonstrates overwhelming strength, then teams up with Bai Yu to pursue an Extreme Evil member.
• Xilin efficiently carries out Bai Xuan’s order by eliminating Six of Spades.
• Five of Diamonds reveals his opportunistic plan to take the Ice Curse Dragon’s power, while dismissing Chen Feng and Lin Kai as unimportant. They decide to pursue him anyway.
• The investigators’ shock turns to confidence as they realize the red dragon-shaped machine is an ally.

Significant themes

• Hidden threats and shifting momentum: invisible attacks, sudden rescues, and the reveal of the Summoning Array keep the battle’s larger danger uncertain.
• Teamwork amid chaos: characters across separate fronts support the same effort, even as they face individual threats.
• Ambition and exploitation: Five of Diamonds sees the weakened dragon as a resource to seize, while Six of Spades’ comments suggest a larger scheme is still unfolding.

Chapter Summary: “Who I Belong to! What Does ‘Succubus Holy Knight’ Mean?!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Yu confronts Luo Miaoyin, a mysterious woman who already knows her name despite never having met her before.
• Luo Miaoyin reveals that she has just arrived in Ninghang City on a mission for “Lord Xuan.” She denies being affiliated with the Evil Organization.
• She explains that the summoning ritual has already been completed and that a powerful Dark Matter Dragon will descend in roughly ten minutes. The creature is the true target of the summoning array and is far more dangerous than the Dark Matter Creatures previously encountered.
• Luo Miaoyin claims that the larger battle is already decided because of the overwhelming difference in strength between the combatants. She reveals that she is the mysterious person who previously wore the Slime Mask.
• Suspicious but unable to determine Luo Miaoyin’s allegiance, Li Hongyou leaves Bai Yu with her and flies to assist Chen Feng and Lin Kai against Five of Diamonds.
• Chen Feng pursues Five of Diamonds while Lin Kai supports him with a sniper rifle. Lin Kai’s explosive bullet destroys Five of Diamonds’s arm, but the vampire-like enemy rapidly regenerates.
• Five of Diamonds ambushes Chen Feng, bites his neck, and uses him as a shield against Lin Kai’s attacks.
• A golden sword strike suddenly cuts through both Five of Diamonds and Chen Feng. Chen Feng survives unharmed, while Five of Diamonds is seriously wounded.
• An unknown speaker identifies Five of Diamonds as a likely half-breed vampire, ending the chapter on a new character’s dramatic entrance.

Character Developments

• Bai Yu: Remains confused and uneasy around Luo Miaoyin, sensing a strange familiarity she cannot explain. Her inability to remember meeting Luo Miaoyin hints at hidden memories or a deeper connection.
• Luo Miaoyin: Establishes herself as a powerful, calm, and enigmatic figure. She appears confident that the crisis will be resolved and intends to personally deal with the incoming Dark Matter Dragon. Her connection to Lord Xuan and the masked organization remains unclear.
• Li Hongyou: Demonstrates caution and strategic judgment by refusing to attack Luo Miaoyin without understanding her strength or intentions. However, she remains highly suspicious of Luo Miaoyin’s organization and resolves to investigate it.
• Chen Feng: Shows determination and recklessness while pursuing Five of Diamonds. Though initially gaining the upper hand, he is nearly killed when the enemy exploits his overconfidence.
• Lin Kai: Acts as a composed and reliable support fighter. His explosive sniper round critically injures Five of Diamonds, though the enemy’s regenerative abilities prevent a decisive victory.
• Five of Diamonds: Reveals vampire-like traits, including blood-drinking, fangs, teleportation or rapid movement, and regeneration. Despite his confidence, he is badly injured by the sudden golden sword attack.

Significant Themes

• Uncertain loyalties: Luo Miaoyin claims to oppose the Evil Organization, but her mysterious affiliation and overwhelming power make her difficult to trust.
• Hidden identities and forgotten connections: Bai Yu’s unexplained familiarity with Luo Miaoyin suggests concealed memories, past encounters, or supernatural manipulation.
• Overwhelming power differences: Luo Miaoyin’s belief that the battle’s outcome is already determined emphasizes the gap between ordinary fighters and the strongest supernatural beings.
• Monsters within the human world: The appearance of the Dark Matter Dragon and Five of Diamonds’s vampire nature broadens the story’s supernatural mythology.
• Gender and organizational mystery: Li Hongyou notices that the masked organization seems to consist entirely of unusually powerful women, increasing her suspicion that they may be Anomalies.

Important Character Interactions

• Bai Yu and Luo Miaoyin: Their conversation establishes an unexplained personal connection and raises questions about Bai Yu’s memory.
• Li Hongyou and Luo Miaoyin: Li questions Luo Miaoyin’s identity and allegiance, while Luo calmly refuses to leave because of her mission to fight the Dark Matter Dragon.
• Li Hongyou and Bai Yu: Li orders Bai Yu to stay behind while she joins the battle, showing her protective and tactical instincts.
• Chen Feng and Lin Kai: They cooperate effectively, with Chen Feng engaging Five of Diamonds directly and Lin Kai providing long-range fire support.
• Five of Diamonds and Chen Feng: Their confrontation shifts from pursuit to ambush when Five of Diamonds bites Chen Feng and attempts to use him as a shield.
• Five of Diamonds and the unknown swordsman: The golden sword attack interrupts the battle, wounds Five of Diamonds, and reveals that someone new—possibly connected to the “Holy Knight” hinted at by the chapter title—has entered the conflict.

Key plot points and events

• Xilin reveals her golden demon wings, confirming Five of Diamonds’ suspicion that she is a succubus. She overwhelms him with the Lightless Sword and cuts off both his arms.
• Lin Kai rescues the badly wounded Chen Feng. Li Hongyou arrives, orders Lin Kai to take him to the medical team, then joins the fight.
• Five of Diamonds tries to flee. When Xilin and Li Hongyou pursue his bat-like clones, Marée Alaira destroys them with a crimson blast while continuing her duel with Seliphina.
• Marée Alaira tells Bai Xuan that Seliphina’s power is fading. With only five minutes left in his Super Evolution State, Bai Xuan gathers his remaining magic and forms a nearly hundred-meter red-gold Sacred Radiance Sword infused with destructive energy. Seliphina is stunned by the attack.

Character developments and interactions

• Xilin demonstrates a dramatic increase in strength and decisiveness, swiftly defeating Five of Diamonds’ direct assault and pursuing him when he changes tactics.
• Li Hongyou recognizes how much Xilin has grown and is unsettled by the revelation that the Female Knight is a succubus. She works with Xilin to stop Five of Diamonds.
• Chen Feng briefly regains consciousness and blames himself for holding the team back; Li Hongyou and Lin Kai reassure him through their actions, prioritizing his safety.
• Five of Diamonds, badly outmatched, sacrifices his body to escape as a cloud of bats and tries to reach the Ice Curse Dragon, but Marée Alaira intercepts him.
• Bai Xuan and Marée Alaira coordinate against Seliphina. Marée identifies her weakening state, while Bai Xuan commits his remaining power to a potentially decisive attack.
• Seliphina struggles with Marée’s unfamiliar abilities and her own reduced power, and her confidence begins to falter.

Significant themes

• Power growth and shifting advantage: Xilin’s rapid development and Seliphina’s fading strength alter the balance of the battles.
• Teamwork and responsibility: Investigators support one another, while Xilin, Li Hongyou, Bai Xuan, and Marée combine their abilities against stronger opponents.
• Hidden identities and uncertainty: Xilin’s demonic nature and Marée’s unfamiliar powers challenge what other characters thought they knew.
• Urgency and sacrifice: Five of Diamonds’ desperate escape and Bai Xuan’s limited time put pressure on the fight’s outcome.

Plot points and events

• Marée Alaira and Bai Xuan use their Fusion Technique to overcome Seliphina’s Freeze Domain. Marée launches the enormous Sacred Radiance Sword, which pierces the Ice Curse Dragon and freezes it. Seliphina crashes against Ninghang City’s Regional Barrier and shatters, ending the immediate threat.
• The Investigators celebrate the Red Dragon Mecha’s victory, while Bai Xuan turns his attention to the remaining Dark Matter Dragon.
• Five of Diamonds, who had been watching from hiding, realizes the Ice Curse Dragon’s defeat has ruined his plan to create the Life Vessel. When Liu Mufei confronts him, he reveals that another disaster is already underway: a Magic Circle opens in the sky, and the immense Dark Matter Dragon emerges.
• As the city panics, Luo Miaoyin intervenes. She sends a white sword toward the dragon; a phantom lotus blooms around it, trapping and destroying the creature in a burst of light. The Dark Matter Dragon disappears, leaving white petals drifting over the city.

Character developments and interactions

• Marée Alaira is exhilarated by the success of her partnership with Bai Xuan. Their Fusion Technique lets her defeat Seliphina, who cannot overcome its speed and power.
• Bai Xuan remains composed after the victory and immediately recognizes that the Dark Matter Dragon is the next danger. He is prepared to respond, but Luo Miaoyin acts before he can decide on a plan.
• Five of Diamonds shifts from confidence to bitter desperation after the Ice Curse Dragon falls. He threatens to destroy the city rather than accept defeat, but Liu Mufei has found him and closes in.
• Luo Miaoyin reveals overwhelming power and calm decisiveness, destroying the Dark Matter Dragon with a single sword strike and lotus magic. Her intervention surprises Bai Xuan, Bai Yu, and the watching Investigators.
• The Investigators and residents move from celebration to renewed terror when the second dragon appears, then witness an abrupt, seemingly effortless rescue.

Significant themes

• Teamwork and power: Bai Xuan and Marée’s fusion demonstrates the strength of cooperation.
• Escalating danger: Defeating one calamity does not end the crisis; a greater threat immediately appears.
• Hope and uncertainty: The city’s people swing rapidly between despair and relief as new forces emerge.
• Revealed strength: Luo Miaoyin’s intervention shows that even amid powerful combatants, unexpected individuals may possess decisive abilities.

Plot points and events

• The Dark Matter Dragon is suddenly destroyed by Luo Miaoyin’s powerful, unexplained attack: a sword strike followed by blinding light that transforms the dragon into drifting lotus petals. The stunned witnesses cannot tell what happened.
• Five of Diamonds, who had expected the dragon to turn the battle in the Evil Organization’s favor, is confronted by Liu Mufei. She reveals that the blood he received was not hers and that she knows about his “Life Vessel” plan. She then kills him with a snap of her fingers.
• Bai Xuan ends his fusion with Marée Alaira. The weakened Ice Curse Dragon, Seliphina, reverts to a tiny Young Dragon and tries to flee, but Bai Xuan’s group catches her. Marée Alaira teases and restrains her as Seliphina vows to challenge her again once she grows stronger.
• Liu Mufei presents Bai Xuan with a Lightless Crystal recovered from the Evil Organization and thanks him for helping expose its plans and defeat both dragons. She also gives him a mysterious ring that may bring him luck.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Miaoyin demonstrates overwhelming power by destroying the Dark Matter Dragon in one blow, leaving even seasoned observers bewildered. She remains composed and courteous afterward.
• Bai Xuan is delighted by Luo Miaoyin’s strength and continues to focus on completing his quest. He wonders whether its hint about someone needing to “prove herself” refers to Seliphina.
• Seliphina is defeated but remains defiant, promising to grow stronger and fight Marée Alaira again. Marée Alaira treats her like a captured toy, provoking angry protests.
• Liu Mufei reveals that she had been manipulating Five of Diamonds and knew about his scheme. She praises Bai Xuan and shares a faintly playful, knowing exchange with him.
• Bai Yu, Li Hongyou, and others are left shocked by the Dark Matter Dragon’s sudden destruction, underscoring how extraordinary Luo Miaoyin’s feat is.

Significant themes

• Power and mystery: Luo Miaoyin’s unexplained attack shows the vast gap between her strength and what the witnesses can understand.
• Defiance after defeat: Seliphina’s defeat does not break her pride; she turns it into a promise to improve.
• Deception and hidden plans: Liu Mufei’s false blood and knowledge of the “Life Vessel” reveal that the conflict involved secrets and misdirection.
• Teamwork and recognition: Bai Xuan’s group’s combined efforts earn official gratitude, even as individual allies display exceptional power.

Plot points

• Liu Mufei finishes speaking with Bai Xuan, who leaves through a Teleportation Array. Li Hongyou arrives and questions Liu Mufei, but Liu denies they discussed anything important; the two then go to clean up the scene.
• Back at Lakeside Villa, Bai Xuan claims the completed Ice Curse Dragon and Dark Matter Dragon quest rewards: a Purple Ice Curse Bow that needs no arrows, and a Dark Pearl that allows safe entry into the Dark Domain.
• Marée Alaira unlocks the Purple hidden trait Dragon Heart, which lets her answer the Creation Dragon’s summons. This also opens her B-Rank character quest, The Dragon That Destroyed Heaven and Earth, set in Candelra World and involving a search for the Creation Dragon.
• Bai Xuan finds Marée tormenting Seliphina, an Ice Dragon from the same ruined world. He stops Marée and questions Seliphina, learning that she believes Marée destroyed their world and that the Creation Dragon is known only through legend.
• Bai Xuan offers Seliphina shelter in exchange for working for him. After frightening her with a joke about making her his slave and eating her if she refuses, he takes her in and puts Marée in charge of her, explicitly forbidding further bullying.
• Luo Miaoyin reminds Bai Xuan of their plans for the evening. He agrees to go with her to her world for the promised medicinal bath.

Character developments and interactions

• Bai Xuan gains useful quest rewards and a new lead for Marée’s character quest, but does not immediately set out. He is firm but ultimately protective toward Seliphina.
• Marée’s Dragon Heart connects her to the mysterious Creation Dragon, while her teasing of Seliphina shows her domineering side. She readily agrees to obey Bai Xuan’s instruction.
• Seliphina is frightened and distrustful after being captured and bullied, yet accepts Bai Xuan’s offer when threatened. Her claim that Marée destroyed her world raises questions about Marée’s past.
• Liu Mufei remains evasive with Li Hongyou, whose suspicion suggests she doubts Liu’s account.

Significant themes

• Power and protection: Bai Xuan uses threats to secure Seliphina’s cooperation, but also intervenes to stop Marée’s abuse and gives Seliphina a place to stay.
• Mystery and destiny: Marée’s Dragon Heart and the Creation Dragon legend point toward a larger quest and an unresolved history behind Candelra’s destruction.
• Humor through contrast: Seliphina’s dramatic fears, Marée’s playful cruelty, and Bai Xuan’s matter-of-fact manner keep the tense situation comedic.

Key plot points and events

• Bai Xuan and Luo Miaoyin travel through a Teleportation Array to the Immortal Secret Realm.
• Luo Miaoyin leads him to a hidden Cave Abode behind a waterfall and prepares a Medicinal Bath to dissolve the medicinal power still in his body.
• She insists he undress completely and says she must watch him throughout the four-hour bath to monitor his meridians. Bai Xuan follows her instructions, though the bath’s intense effects leave him embarrassed and increasingly dazed.
• After Bai Xuan disappears, Marée Alaira orders Seliphina to obey her. Seliphina resents this and decides she might gain similar power by winning Bai Xuan’s favor.
• At home, Su Yue waits anxiously for Bai Xuan, with dinner prepared. Bai Yu, Li Hongyou, and Liu Mufei arrive, but no one knows where he has gone. Bai Yu messages him, while Liu Mufei jokes that he may be saving the world and briefly seems to notice Su Yue.
• The chapter ends with Luo Miaoyin teasing the struggling, exhausted Bai Xuan.

Character developments and interactions

• Bai Xuan trusts Luo Miaoyin and submits to the treatment, despite embarrassment and discomfort.
• Luo Miaoyin remains calm and authoritative while overseeing the bath, but her private reaction reveals personal interest in Bai Xuan.
• Seliphina shifts from anger at Marée Alaira to plotting how to obtain power for herself.
• Su Yue and Bai Yu show concern over Bai Xuan’s unexplained absence; Bai Yu takes the practical step of contacting him.
• Liu Mufei offers reassurance with playful humor, while her apparent awareness of Su Yue raises a question about what she can perceive.

Significant themes

• Trust and vulnerability: Bai Xuan depends on Luo Miaoyin during an intimate, unfamiliar treatment.
• Power and ambition: Seliphina sees Bai Xuan’s influence as a possible path to power.
• Concern and uncertainty: The people at home worry when Bai Xuan vanishes without explanation.
• Hidden perceptions and secrets: Liu Mufei’s brief glance toward Su Yue hints that she may know more than she lets on.

Key plot points and events

• Bai Xuan’s unusual “Holy Light” grows overwhelming during his medicinal bath. Luo Miaoyin agrees to help calm it, and the two share increasingly intimate, teasing moments.
• The Holy Light repeatedly flares, leaving the bathwater glowing gold. Although Miaoyin thinks his condition has been suppressed, it soon becomes clear it has not.
• At Bai Xuan’s request, Miaoyin enters the tub and indulges him further. They kiss, and another sudden burst of light interrupts them. She leaves to wash while Bai Xuan relaxes in the bath, noticing that the medicine seems to be working even better.
• When Miaoyin returns, her demeanor and eye color have changed. She questions Bai Xuan coldly about whether “you two did it,” revealing that she is actually Luo Yuyin, Miaoyin’s inner demon, not Miaoyin.

Character developments

• Bai Xuan is inexperienced but increasingly comfortable asking Miaoyin for affection. He is embarrassed by his condition and apologizes repeatedly, yet enjoys her attention and the bath’s effects.
• Luo Miaoyin appears gentle, indulgent, and playful, willingly helping Bai Xuan and responding to his requests. Her eye-color shift hints that her identity may have changed before he notices.
• Luo Yuyin emerges as a hostile contrast to Miaoyin, bringing the intimate scene to an abrupt and ominous end.

Significant themes

• Temptation and desire: The scene builds through teasing and escalating intimacy.
• Mistaken identity and hidden duality: The change from Miaoyin’s blue eyes to Yuyin’s red eyes reveals that two distinct personas may be sharing the same appearance.
• Vulnerability and trust: Bai Xuan relies on Miaoyin’s kindness, leaving him unprepared for the sudden confrontation.
• Power and transformation: The glowing bath accompanies Bai Xuan’s improving attributes and sharper senses, suggesting the unusual Holy Light has effects beyond the intimate encounter.

Character interactions

• Miaoyin treats Bai Xuan with patient, almost doting affection, while he responds with embarrassment, trust, and growing boldness.
• Their playful intimacy is interrupted by Yuyin’s arrival. Her accusatory question makes clear that she views what happened as a breach or provocation, setting up conflict between her and Bai Xuan.

Key plot points and events

• Luo Yuyin, Luo Miaoyin’s Inner Demon, appears while Bai Xuan is in the Cave Abode and demands to know whether he and Miaoyin have been intimate.
• Bai Xuan’s teasing answer enrages her. She reveals that she personally severed his bond with Miaoyin—and, apparently, his memories—to keep him from interfering with Miaoyin’s path to immortality.
• Luo Yuyin attacks him with a whip, but an unseen force stops her. Bai Xuan suspects Miaoyin’s newly established “Character Setting” prevents her from harming him.
• Bai Xuan argues that Luo Yuyin’s blame is misplaced: she severed his bond with Miaoyin long ago, yet neither woman attained immortality.
• Luo Yuyin recalls becoming jealous when Miaoyin grew close to Bai Xuan, a mortal boy without a Spiritual Root. She believed he distracted Miaoyin and contributed to her declining Cultivation, so she cut him out of their lives.
• Bai Xuan suggests that immortality requires insight, not simply accumulated Cultivation, and offers to help both women ascend. When he asks why they have reunited despite the severed bond, Luo Yuyin becomes wary.

Character developments

• Bai Xuan remains calm and provocative under pressure, challenges Luo Yuyin’s assumptions, and presents himself as someone who can help the two women reach immortality.
• Luo Yuyin is revealed as protective but also jealous and controlling. Her certainty that Bai Xuan is to blame begins to falter when she confronts the failure of her own solution.

Significant themes

• The difference between Cultivation and genuine understanding on the path to immortality.
• Jealousy, attachment, and fear of loss as forces that can distort judgment.
• The tension between severing relationships to pursue enlightenment and recognizing that emotional bonds may be part of the path.
• Memory and fate, raised by the revelation that Luo Yuyin deliberately severed Bai Xuan and Miaoyin’s connection.

Character interactions

• Bai Xuan needles Luo Yuyin, but also challenges her reasoning and offers cooperation.
• Luo Yuyin alternates between accusation, anger, and uncertainty; despite her hostility, she cannot strike him.
• Their confrontation shifts from a personal dispute over Miaoyin to a more serious question: why the severed bond did not bring either woman closer to immortality.

Plot points and events

• Luo Yuyin demands to know how Bai Xuan and Luo Miaoyin became connected. Bai Xuan refuses unless Yuyin restores his erased memories.
• Yuyin uses a crimson liquid to return some of Bai Xuan’s memories. He recalls meeting Luo Miaoyin as a child during a Qingming Festival, when she killed a rampaging winged tiger with a flying sword.
• Young Bai Xuan could see Luo Miaoyin even though he had no Spiritual Root. She wondered why, but could not explain it.
• Bai Xuan asked to learn spells so he could protect his sister and Luo Miaoyin. She agreed to teach him, and they promised to meet again after he returned to his orphanage.
• Back in the present, Bai Xuan says he can help Luo Miaoyin and Yuyin become immortals, and insists that Miaoyin needs him. Yuyin calls him a fraud and leaves.
• Miaoyin tells Bai Xuan that Yuyin is her closest confidante and longtime companion, though recent events have driven them apart.

Character developments and interactions

• Bai Xuan is revealed as a sincere, protective child who admired Luo Miaoyin and wanted to learn magic for others’ sake. In the present, he is calm and self-assured, using his restored memories to assert his importance.
• Luo Miaoyin responds warmly to Bai Xuan’s kindness and enthusiasm. His wish to protect her lifts her spirits, and in the present she openly chooses to reunite with him despite Yuyin’s objections.
• Luo Yuyin remains suspicious and hostile toward Bai Xuan, using his incomplete memories as leverage and threatening to expose him as a fraud. Her confrontation with Miaoyin shows how deeply their relationship has deteriorated.
• The chapter contrasts the child’s trusting bond with Miaoyin against the present-day tension between Miaoyin and Yuyin.

Significant themes

• Memory and identity: Bai Xuan insists that his erased memories belong to him and has a right to recover them.
• Fate and connection: Miaoyin’s unexplained visibility to Bai Xuan, despite his lack of a Spiritual Root, suggests a special bond.
• Protection and loyalty: Bai Xuan’s original desire to protect his sister and Miaoyin shapes his connection to both women.
• Choice and separation: Miaoyin insists that her reunion with Bai Xuan is her own decision, rejecting Yuyin’s attempt to control their relationship.

Key plot points and events

• After Bai Xuan and Luo Yuyin finish the medicinal bath, they return to the Lakeside Villa. Bai Xuan privately wonders how he should deal with Luo Yuyin’s Inner Demon—and whether their unusually close connection hints at a hidden past.
• At the villa, Marée Alaira is making Seliphina fetch beef while calling her “Corporal.” Bai Xuan suspects Marée is bullying her, though Seliphina outwardly plays along and inwardly plots revenge.
• Bai Xuan teleports home and discovers Bai Yu and Li Hongyou eating food made by Su Yue. Worried they’ll catch him appearing suddenly, he turns invisible.
• Liu Mufei notices his presence, draws him into a private encounter, and appears to recognize him despite his invisibility. Bai Xuan drops the act and reveals himself.
• When Bai Xuan claims invisibility is a newly awakened superpower, Liu Mufei rejects the excuse. She then teases him by hinting that she knows his concealed identity as the person behind the Slime Mask and could expose him.

Character developments and interactions

• Bai Xuan remains devoted to Fairy Luo Miaoyin, but his thoughts about Luo Yuyin’s Inner Demon reveal growing uncertainty about their bond and its origins. He also tries—and fails—to hide his sudden return from Liu Mufei.
• Luo Yuyin reassures Bai Xuan that she will not leave him again, reinforcing their emotional closeness.
• Marée Alaira and Seliphina maintain a playful, coercive “officer and subordinate” routine. Marée calls it training; Seliphina complies outwardly while privately vowing payback.
• Liu Mufei demonstrates that she is observant and confident, confronting Bai Xuan with playful affection and apparent knowledge of his secret.
• Bai Yu, Li Hongyou, and Su Yue remain in the background as the meal continues, unaware of Bai Xuan’s return and Liu Mufei’s discovery.

Significant themes

• Secrets and exposure: Bai Xuan’s disguise and hidden identity are increasingly vulnerable to discovery.
• Intimacy and concealed history: His connection to Luo Yuyin’s Inner Demon raises questions about their past.
• Playful power dynamics: Marée’s mock military training and Liu Mufei’s teasing confrontation mix humor with control.
• Appearance versus intent: Seliphina’s obedient exterior conceals resentment, while Bai Xuan’s confident excuses mask anxiety.

Plot points

• Bai Xuan is startled when Liu Mufei hints that she could expose his identity, but he argues that their shared interests make secrecy and cooperation worthwhile.
• Liu proposes a private arrangement, separate from the Investigation Bureau: Bai Xuan need only stay in contact with her, while she will approach him when she has something to offer. He accepts, recognizing that they may both benefit from the relationship.
• Liu then suggests a turn-taking question game. Either person may refuse or lie, and each must judge the other’s honesty.
• They move from the bathroom to Bai Xuan’s room and begin questioning each other. Liu asks about Bai Xuan’s relationships with the women around him; he calls them coworkers who share his goals, and she seems reassured.
• Bai Xuan asks about Liu’s transformation power, including its activation conditions and whether she can transform only into women. Their final exchange turns flirtatious when he asks whether transformations perfectly copy appearance, abilities, and memories. Liu teases him, then reveals her provocative offer was a joke.

Character developments

• Bai Xuan remains cautious about being drawn into Liu’s plans, but accepts a personal alliance because it avoids formal Bureau employment. He answers selectively and uses technically truthful but evasive wording.
• Liu Mufei shows that she values Bai Xuan’s help and wants a closer, more direct connection with him. Her questions reveal a practical concern about whether his associates can be trusted, while her teasing displays a playful, provocative side.
• Their relationship shifts from useful cooperation toward a private, mutually advantageous partnership, though neither fully discloses their motives or secrets.

Significant themes

• Trust and secrecy: Both test what the other will reveal while retaining the right to lie or withhold information.
• Transactional cooperation: Their alliance rests on shared interests and anticipated benefits rather than complete trust.
• Power and uncertainty: Liu’s transformation ability—and its undisclosed limits—leaves Bai Xuan wary and curious.
• Flirtation as strategy: Humor and teasing soften a conversation that is also a negotiation and an interrogation.

Character interactions

• Liu probes Bai Xuan’s connections; he answers obliquely, and she accepts the response as sufficient reassurance.
• Bai Xuan probes the rules and scope of Liu’s power; she confirms that it has activation conditions and that transforming is more restricted than he assumes.
• Their final banter turns his curiosity about her transformation into a suggestive joke, underscoring their growing familiarity without resolving the ability’s true details.

Key plot points and events

• Bai Xuan and Liu Mufei finish a private conversation in his room, which they jokingly call a “Q&A Game.” Liu plans to help him leave unseen, but he later returns through the front door and pretends he has just come back from playing games at a classmate’s house.
• Su Yue overhears part of the conversation from outside. She nearly runs into Bai Yu while trying to move away from the door, but keeps quiet about what she heard.
• Bai Yu worries about Bai Xuan’s late return but accepts his flimsy excuse. Liu invites both siblings to the Investigation Bureau’s celebration banquet the next day, honoring Bai Yu’s role in the recent victory against the Ice Dragon and Mecha Dragon.
• After Liu and Li Hongyou leave, Bai Yu notices Liu’s special attention toward Bai Xuan. Bai Xuan jokes that Liu may like younger men, earning a playful ear-tug from his sister.
• Later, Su Yue stays in Bai Xuan’s room for the night. She asks about his absence and his conversation with Liu, but he admits only that he lied to Bai Yu. He lets Su Yue sleep in his bed while he stays awake, then asks about her progress controlling her Superpower.
• Su Yue says she has improved slightly but still cannot reverse the effects of Existence Erasure. Bai Xuan promises her a surprise once she gains full control.

Character developments and interactions

• Bai Xuan continues to conceal his activities, smoothly maintaining a cover story while teasing Liu and Bai Yu. He also shows concern for Su Yue and gives her a hopeful goal.
• Liu Mufei is comfortable teasing Bai Xuan and appears to be protecting or helping him keep his secrets. She invites the siblings to the banquet and promises Bai Xuan a chance to pilot a mecha if he joins the Bureau.
• Bai Yu remains protective and concerned about her brother, though she does not press him too hard. Their joking exchange ends in affectionate sibling roughhousing.
• Su Yue grows increasingly curious about Bai Xuan’s secrets but respects his boundaries. Her uncertainty about sharing his room gives way to cautious trust.
• Li Hongyou trades barbed teasing with Liu and recognizes that Bai Xuan’s explanation is suspicious, but chooses not to interfere.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and trust: Bai Xuan hides his whereabouts, while Su Yue struggles to understand what he is keeping from her.
• Affection expressed through teasing: The characters’ jokes and mock scolding reveal familiarity and care beneath their banter.
• Hope and personal growth: Su Yue’s effort to master her power—and Bai Xuan’s promise of a reward—sets up a future goal.

Key plot points and events

• Su Yue falls asleep while Bai Xuan examines the Ice Curse Bow in his World Book. Touching it leaves his hand painfully numb, raising the question of whether he can use the weapon.
• Isia, the Light Pope, offers to teach Bai Xuan Radiant Magic, which can counter the bow’s freezing effect. In exchange, she asks about the dark aura she senses on him. Bai Xuan shows her the Dark Pearl and says it came from a Dark Dragon he killed. Isia asks him to visit Aeria so they can speak privately, and refuses his suggestion that Xilin come too.
• The next morning, Bai Yu takes Bai Xuan and Su Yue to the Investigation Bureau’s victory banquet. Bai Xuan wakes Su Yue and encourages her to face her discomfort about attending.
• At the banquet, investigators celebrate the victory over the Ice Curse Dragon and speculate about the mysterious female knight, the dragon mecha, and the unexplained death of the Dark Dragon. Bai Yu explains that Ninghang’s bureau may receive an Honorary Assignment, bringing experienced investigators to reinforce the city. She also tells Bai Xuan that Li Hongyou, despite her Junior Investigator rank, has exceptional potential.
• Bai Xuan jokes that Liu Mufei had Li Hongyou “wrapped around her finger.” Li Hongyou overhears and confronts him. He tries to pass off his remark as praise, but she is ready to retaliate until Liu Mufei intervenes and leads her away.

Character developments and interactions

• Bai Xuan is eager and energetic despite not sleeping. He remains casual and teasing, but is wary when Li Hongyou corners him. His new weapon also leaves him dependent on learning a countering form of magic.
• Isia shows interest in Bai Xuan’s Dark Pearl and its connection to a Dark Dragon, suggesting it has significance beyond its practical use. Her invitation signals a private discussion to come.
• Su Yue remains reluctant and anxious about the banquet, while Bai Xuan coaxes her into joining him.
• Bai Yu acts as guide and source of information, explaining both the bureau’s possible reinforcement and Li Hongyou’s potential.
• Li Hongyou and Bai Xuan trade barbs, with Li Hongyou using her telekinetic power to intimidate him. Liu Mufei breaks up the confrontation, showing her influence over Li Hongyou.

Significant themes

• Power and its hidden consequences: Bai Xuan’s ability to kill a Dark Dragon raises concern and prompts Isia’s questions.
• Strength requires adaptation: The Ice Curse Bow is powerful, but Bai Xuan must learn Radiant Magic to handle its cold.
• Victory alongside uncertainty: Investigators celebrate their success, yet the unknown killer of the Dark Dragon and the danger they represent unsettle their leadership.
• Humor and bravado: Banter and teasing soften the chapter’s underlying mysteries and tensions.