Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Yue Xiaofei stabs Han Xiao in the chest, apparently killing the feared prisoner and shocking everyone at Blue Bridge Prison.
• The prison doctor finds Han’s heartbeat faint and believes the wound has struck his heart. The warden orders him rushed to a hospital, worried about being held responsible if the high-profile convict dies.
• Yue insists on accompanying Han, claiming he needs to see whether he dies. Jin Dapao reluctantly lets him go while staying behind to help Xiao Tian Ce.
• In the ambulance, Han suddenly reveals he is not near death. He knocks out the doctor and guards, then faces Yue.
• Han explains that Yue’s stab narrowly missed vital structures: it looked convincingly fatal but was controlled well enough not to kill him.
• The chapter reveals what Han whispered before the attack: Yue Changlong was not a traitor, and Han challenged Yue to stab him if he wanted the truth.

Character developments

• Yue Xiaofei shows nerve, precision, and self-control. He is willing to risk killing Han to avenge the 117 Night Watchers—or to uncover the truth about his father.
• Han Xiao shifts from apparent victim to calculating survivor. His approval of Yue suggests he has been testing him and recognizes the same daring he attributes to Yue’s father.
• Jin Dapao remains protective of Yue but respects his determination, even when he disagrees with his choice.
• The warden and guards are thrown into confusion by the reversal, then prove unable to contain Han once his deception is exposed.

Significant themes

• Truth and loyalty: Han’s claim overturns the accusation that Yue Changlong was a traitor and reframes the mystery surrounding the past.
• Risk and trust: Yue gambles that Han is telling the truth, while Han compares his courage to his father’s.
• Appearances and deception: Han’s apparent death and Yue’s apparently lethal strike conceal a calculated plan.
• Inheritance: Han sees Yue as sharing his father’s bold, high-stakes nature.

Character interactions

• Yue’s insistence on riding with Han creates tension with Jin, who wants to protect him but ultimately yields.
• In the ambulance, Yue and Han confront one another calmly: Han praises Yue’s courage, while Yue explains that the stab was both possible vengeance and a path to answers.
• Han’s reference to Yue Changlong connects father and son through their shared willingness to gamble on a dangerous outcome.

Han Xiao revealed that he had staged his escape from prison transport to evade surveillance and speak privately with Yue Xiaofei. After warning Yue Xiaofei about the danger of learning the truth about his father, Han Xiao prepared to tell him another version of the Nanshan Massacre.

• Yue Xiaofei asked why Han Xiao had orchestrated the apparent escape, and Han Xiao said he had no need to escape from Blue Bridge Prison.
• Han Xiao found a tiny listening device hidden in the ambulance and crushed it before speaking to Yue Xiaofei.
• Han Xiao explained that someone had monitored him throughout his five years in prison, so he had staged the escape to talk without being watched.
• Yue Xiaofei insisted on learning the truth about his father, Yue Changlong, despite Han Xiao's warnings about the danger.
• Han Xiao approved of Yue Xiaofei's resolve and offered to tell him another version of the Nanshan Massacre.

In the ambulance, Han Xiao revealed that Yue Changlong had been trapped into choosing between killing the Night Watchers and allowing Skull and Bones to destroy them and tens of thousands of civilians. Han Xiao recounted how Stone chose to die so Yue Changlong could remain undercover and protect the country, ending with Stone’s final oath and gunshot.

• Han Xiao told Yue Xiaofei that a hidden mole had lured the Night Watchers to South Mountain and Skull and Bones had ordered Yue Changlong to kill them.
• Han Xiao explained that Skull and Bones had sealed the area and planted 108 explosives that could kill the Night Watchers and tens of thousands of civilians.
• Boss Xiao ordered Yue Changlong to kill his comrades to preserve Operation Underworld and save the civilians, but Yue Changlong broke down and refused.
• Stone, the youngest Night Watcher, saluted Yue Changlong and declared that the team would die without regrets for their country.
• Stone told Yue Changlong to keep living, recited the Night Watchers’ oath, and shot himself.

Han Xiao revealed that the [Nanshan Massacre] was a staged sacrifice in which more than a hundred [Night Watchers] died to protect [Operation Underworld] and help Yue Changlong infiltrate the [Skull and Bones]. He explained how Boss Xiao and the others died, leaving Yue Changlong to carry their mission and the blame, and ended by telling Yue Xiaofei the full truth.

• Han Xiao recounted how Stone and the other [Night Watchers] killed themselves rather than force Yue Changlong to choose between them and the mission.
• Han Xiao explained that Boss Xiao stopped him from joining the dead and ordered him to pose as the escaped traitor, take the blame for the [Nanshan Massacre], and serve as bait for the mole.
• Han Xiao told Yue Xiaofei that Boss Xiao named Yue Changlong the [Black Emperor] and urged him to live on and destroy the mole and the [Skull and Bones].
• Boss Xiao shot himself, leaving Yue Changlong alone among the bodies of his 117 fallen comrades.
• Yue Changlong swore to expose the mole and destroy the [Skull and Bones], while Han Xiao told Yue Xiaofei that this was the truth behind the massacre.

Han Xiao revealed that Yue Changlong had staged the Nanshan Massacre to infiltrate the Skull and Bones, and that the mole remained active in the Dragon Kingdom. He named Sun Xiaochuan, the King of Jinling, as one of the forces behind the massacre.

• Yue Xiaofei grieved as he realized his father had sacrificed his reputation and comrades to carry out Operation Underworld.
• Yue Xiaofei asked where Yue Changlong was, and Han Xiao said he had received no news since being sent to Blue Bridge Prison.
• Han Xiao explained that his constant surveillance suggested the mole was still alive and Operation Underworld had not succeeded.
• Han Xiao said the South Mountain bombing required powerful backing from at least two domestic forces.
• Han Xiao identified Sun Xiaochuan, the King of Jinling, as the first force involved.

Han Xiao revealed that Sun Xiaochuan and the Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce had worked together with [Skull and Bones] to arrange the Nanshan Massacre, leaving Yue Xiaofei facing two powerful enemies. As Yue Xiaofei asked what Han Xiao planned to do next, Han Xiao sensed that enemies were approaching.

• Yue Xiaofei learned that Sun Xiaochuan, the King of Jinling, had secretly supported [Skull and Bones] and evaded investigations by the [Night Watchers].
• Han Xiao identified the Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Japan as [Skull and Bones]' powerful Asia-Pacific ally and named its chairman, Kurosawa Ichiryu, as a feared figure called [Utterly Evil].
• Han Xiao explained that the Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce had supplied the explosives for the Nanshan Massacre and that Sun Xiaochuan had transported them to South Mountain.
• Yue Xiaofei realized that clearing his father's name meant confronting Sun Xiaochuan and the Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce, and Han Xiao warned him not to trust anyone, including Han Xiao.
• Yue Xiaofei asked what Han Xiao planned to do after escaping Blue Bridge Prison, but Han Xiao sensed danger and announced that enemies were nearby.

Plot points and events

• Han Xiao and Yue Xiaofei ride through a strangely deserted Modu. Their ambulance has no phone signal, suggesting they have been cut off deliberately.
• Two attackers appear in the road: a towering, tattooed man and a doll-like blond woman with a raven circling her. The giant stops the speeding ambulance with one bare hand, crushing its front end.
• Han identifies them as Skull and Bones super soldiers who survived the Adam Project’s modifications—people known as Transcendents.
• He orders Yue Xiaofei to escape while he confronts them alone. Han leaps from the ambulance and challenges the pair.
• The woman claims Skull and Bones serves a higher power. The attackers introduce themselves as Sequence 086: Berserker, Basaka, and Sequence 097: Raven, Anna.

Character developments

• Yue Xiaofei witnesses strength beyond anything he thought humanly possible and learns that his father was not the only person altered by the Adam Project. Fearful for Han, he still faces the crisis with him.
• Han Xiao abruptly shifts from grief to cold, focused resolve. He embraces his identity as “Han Xiao the Butcher” and prepares to fight despite the overwhelming odds.
• Basaka and Anna are introduced as powerful, superhuman enemies who regard ordinary people with contempt.

Significant themes

• Human limits and transformation: Transcendents possess abilities far beyond ordinary human strength.
• Hidden powers and hierarchy: Skull and Bones, already a formidable threat, is revealed to be subordinate to an even greater force.
• Sacrifice and resolve: Han risks himself so Yue Xiaofei can escape.
• Isolation and danger: The empty city and blocked communications make the ambush feel deliberate and inescapable.

Character interactions

• Han protects Yue by urging him to flee, while Yue protests that Han cannot face the enemies alone.
• Han answers Yue’s fear with fierce confidence, presenting himself as a seasoned killer.
• Han confronts Basaka and Anna with hostility; Anna responds with chilling superiority, dismissing Skull and Bones as servants and naming their “Sequence” identities.

Han Xiao fought Basaka to protect Yue Xiaofei after learning that the Transcendents behind [Skull and Bones] were mass-produced by the [Adam Project]. Yue Xiaofei escaped, while Anna let him go and promised they would meet again soon.

• Yue Xiaofei realized that the [Adam Project] had modified at least ninety-seven Transcendents and that [Skull and Bones] served Basaka and Anna.
• Han Xiao stepped in front of the ambulance and opened fire on Basaka, but the bullets bounced off his bronze skin.
• Han Xiao charged Basaka with Gun Fu and shot him in a vulnerable spot, drawing steaming blood-red mist and enraging him.
• Anna appeared beside Yue Xiaofei as Han Xiao urged him to flee and seek the Dragon Kingdom authorities.
• Yue Xiaofei escaped to expose the truth behind the [Nanshan Massacre] and [Skull and Bones], while Anna watched and said they would meet again soon.

Key plot points and events

• Yue Xiaofei flees the battle, driven by Han Xiao’s warning. The gunfire fades, and Anna does not appear to pursue him.
• He finds Modu unnaturally deserted and cannot get a phone signal. A raven follows him as he runs through the empty streets.
• Hearing a sound, Yue rushes around a corner expecting to find help—but discovers he has returned to the ambulance and the original battlefield.
• Basaka has brutally beaten Han Xiao, leaving him bloodied and motionless. Yue is horrified by the overwhelming gap in their strength.
• Anna reveals that Yue is trapped in her domain, Raven’s Cage: a space where she can distort space and time and create convincing sensory illusions. She says he cannot escape unless he kills her.

Character developments

• Yue Xiaofei shifts from desperate hope of escape to shock and dread when he realizes the streets loop back to the battlefield and that he is trapped.
• Han Xiao, previously a formidable fighter, is shown helpless against Basaka’s superior power; his condition and survival are uncertain.
• Anna reveals herself as a playful but cruel controller of the situation, treating Yue’s terror as entertainment.

Significant themes

• Illusion and disorientation: Yue cannot trust his senses or the apparent geography of the city.
• Powerlessness and survival: Even brave, capable fighters can be overwhelmed by greater force.
• Predatory control: Anna frames the trap as a game, with Yue as prey and escape dependent on confronting her.

Character interactions

• Yue tries to escape Anna’s reach, while the raven’s pursuit keeps her presence looming over him.
• Basaka treats Han Xiao like an object, inflicting a one-sided beating.
• Anna taunts Yue, explains the rules of her domain, and challenges him to kill her if he wants to leave.

Key events

• Yue Xiaofei realizes Anna has trapped them inside Raven’s Cage, an illusion that distorts space and cuts them off from the outside world. He charges her in desperation, but she turns into a flock of crows and reappears unharmed, mocking him.
• Elsewhere, Basaka chokes Han Xiao while Anna orders him to kill Han and take their target.
• Yue tries to save Han, but Anna’s power holds him immobile. Basaka drops the badly injured Han and advances on Yue.
• Though terrified and certain he cannot win, Yue stands his ground, determined to die fighting.
• Just as Basaka reaches for him, Han—still alive despite his grievous injuries—grabs Basaka’s ankle and refuses to let him pass. He declares that anyone who wants to reach Yue Changlong’s son must step over his dead body.

Character developments and interactions

• Yue Xiaofei moves from furious desperation to resolute courage. His willingness to face Basaka despite overwhelming fear reflects his loyalty to the Yue family and to Han.
• Han Xiao demonstrates extraordinary endurance and self-sacrifice. Even broken and bleeding, he uses his remaining strength to protect Yue.
• Anna remains composed and taunting, using her supernatural abilities to evade Yue and restrain him.
• Basaka is a brutal, imposing threat, but Han’s unexpected grip briefly interrupts his advance.
• The chapter emphasizes the bond between Han and Yue: Han’s devotion to protecting Yue prompts Yue to stand and fight, while Han risks his life to shield him.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and sacrifice: Han’s actions show that protecting Yue matters more to him than his own survival.
• Courage in the face of fear: Yue is terrified but chooses to resist rather than surrender.
• Despair and defiance: The characters are trapped and badly outmatched, yet both men continue to fight back.

Key events

• Han Xiao, already gravely injured, keeps Basaka from reaching Yue Xiaofei, honoring his promise despite the danger.
• Basaka brutally stomps Han Xiao, while Yue Xiaofei is held back by the force of the blows. Even as his body is destroyed, Han Xiao taunts Basaka and reveals he intends to take both enemies down with him.
• Han Xiao tears out a molar concealing a syringe and injects himself with a drug developed by Yue Changlong through reverse-engineering the Adam Project’s secrets.
• The drug does not grant true awakening; it burns through Han Xiao’s will and life force to unleash his full potential temporarily. His injuries repair, crimson Flood Dragon markings spread across his body, and his power becomes strong enough to frighten Basaka.
• Han Xiao charges Basaka but veers around him and attacks Raven Anna instead, crushing her head with both hands. He declares that even gods can bleed.

Character developments and interactions

• Han Xiao transforms from a doomed, battered defender into a self-sacrificing fighter. His loyalty to Yue Xiaofei, defiance toward Basaka, and willingness to spend his life for a chance to kill the enemy define his final stand.
• Yue Xiaofei is devastated by Han Xiao’s sacrifice and tries to reach him, but can only watch helplessly.
• Basaka, initially contemptuous and confident, is shaken first by Han Xiao’s resistance and then by the power of the drug. He recognizes Han Xiao as a genuine threat.
• Anna loses her playful composure as Han Xiao’s attack escalates, but underestimates him until he makes her his first target.

Significant themes

• The strength of will: The drug’s power depends on the user’s resolve, making Han Xiao’s determination central to his transformation.
• Sacrifice and loyalty: Han Xiao uses his remaining life to protect Yue Xiaofei and confront their enemies.
• Defiance against overwhelming power: Though mortal and outmatched, Han Xiao refuses to submit to beings regarded as gods.
• Mortality and vulnerability: His final blow overturns the apparent divide between humans and monsters—“gods bleed too.”

Key plot points and events

• Han Xiao kills Anna, the Transcendent known as Raven, with a single blow, shocking Yue Xiaofei and enraging Basaka.
• Basaka charges Han Xiao, but Han Xiao meets him head-on. Their clash shatters the street and nearby windows; for the first time, Han Xiao overpowers Basaka.
• Han Xiao realizes the forbidden drug’s power is fueled by his resolve, though its effects will soon consume his body and life.
• Basaka tries to wait out the drug, threatening to kill Yue Xiaofei once Han Xiao collapses. Han Xiao refuses to relent and attacks.
• During their brutal fight, Han Xiao takes a punch to create an opening, then drives his bare hand through Basaka’s abdomen, declaring that his weapon is “Courage.”

Character developments

• Han Xiao shifts from being overwhelmed to fighting as Basaka’s equal—and then dominating him. He knowingly accepts the cost of burning through his life, relying on sheer will and determination.
• Basaka goes from confident, godlike certainty to rage, disbelief, and horror as Han Xiao surpasses his strength and penetrates his supposedly iron-hard body.
• Yue Xiaofei watches in stunned fear and awe, first at Han Xiao’s killing of Anna and then at his sudden reversal against Basaka.

Significant themes

• Courage versus instinctive fear: Han Xiao presents courage as a defining human quality that can overcome fear and physical limits.
• Willpower and sacrifice: The drug’s power reflects the user’s resolve, but drawing on it comes at the cost of life.
• Humanity challenging the “godlike”: Han Xiao’s determination lets an ordinary, unarmed man confront and overcome a being engineered to seem invincible.

Character interactions

• Basaka’s grief over Anna’s death turns into a direct, furious assault on Han Xiao.
• Han Xiao protects Yue Xiaofei by confronting Basaka, dismissing the threat that the drug will eventually destroy him.
• Their clash becomes a test of strength and will, ending with Han Xiao’s declaration that courage—not a conventional weapon—is what defeats Basaka.

Key plot points and events

• Han Xiao uses the forbidden technique Jade Shatter to unleash a final, devastating assault on Basaka, a powerful supernatural monster. As he fights, he calls out the names of his moves so Yue Xiaofei can learn them.
• Han Xiao defeats Basaka, but Jade Shatter consumes his life, soul, and will. His body begins to break apart, and he tells Yue there is no way to save him.
• As the illusionary “Raven’s Cage” nears collapse, Han Xiao asks Yue to join the Night Watchers. Yue initially believes the group was destroyed five years earlier, but Han explains that it survives as a belief: standing against darkness and reaching for the light.
• Yue accepts and repeats the Night Watchers’ oath with Han. After the oath, Han’s strength gives out. As he dies in Yue’s arms, he asks Yue to grant him one final wish.

Character developments

• Han Xiao completes his role as fighter, mentor, and protector. He sacrifices himself not only to defeat Basaka but to pass on his techniques and the Night Watchers’ legacy.
• Yue Xiaofei moves from grief and helplessness toward commitment. He understands his father’s and Han’s sacrifices, accepts the Night Watchers’ ideals, and becomes the next bearer of their oath.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and legacy: Han’s life is spent ensuring that both Yue and the Night Watchers’ mission endure.
• Hope in darkness: The Night Watchers are defined not by an organization but by the conviction to protect others and seek the light.
• Mentorship and remembrance: Han turns his final battle into a lesson, trusting Yue to carry forward what he has learned.
• Duty over recognition: The oath emphasizes guarding others without expecting a name or monument.

Character interactions

• Han teaches Yue through combat, urging him to watch and remember each technique; Yue forces himself to witness the fight despite his grief.
• After the battle, Han comforts Yue and explains the meaning of the Night Watchers, connecting their ideals to Yue’s father.
• Yue accepts Han’s invitation and recites the oath beside him, sealing their bond as mentor and successor.
• Han’s final request leaves Yue with a responsibility beyond simply remembering him.

Plot and key events

• Han Xiao dies after telling Yue Xiaofei to bury him on South Mountain with his fallen comrades. He asks Yue to continue investigating the mole and expose the truth behind the Night Watchers’ losses.
• Yue promises to honor Han’s wishes, pursue justice for him and his father, and avenge the Night Watchers. He salutes Han’s body and formally identifies himself as a Night Watcher.
• Yue then realizes Raven’s Cage has not vanished despite Anna’s death. Basaka’s scattered remains begin reassembling, restoring his body and making him even more powerful.
• Basaka reveals that his ability, Undying, grants him thirteen lives. Han managed to kill him once, but Basaka warns Yue that he must kill him thirteen times in one go—or Basaka is effectively invincible.

Character developments and interactions

• Han Xiao dies with pride in his sacrifice and regret that he could not expose the mole himself. His final conversation gives Yue a mission and a path forward.
• Yue Xiaofei moves from grief to disciplined resolve, pledging to continue Han’s investigation and settle accounts with their enemies. His renewed determination is immediately tested by Basaka’s return.
• Basaka acknowledges Han as a worthy opponent, admitting that Han truly killed him once. He then reveals the terrifying limits of his power and taunts Yue.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and legacy: Han’s death gives purpose to Yue’s future actions.
• Duty and perseverance: The investigation must continue even after its original pursuer is gone.
• Grief transformed into resolve: Yue’s mourning becomes a vow to seek justice and revenge.
• False hope and overwhelming odds: Just as Han’s death seems to mark the end of the battle, Basaka’s resurrection exposes a far greater threat.

Key plot points and events

• Anna reveals that Han Xiao’s life-sacrificing attack hit only an illusion; her real body had hidden nearby. She mocks Yue Xiaofei and evades his desperate gunfire by dissolving into ravens.
• Anna orders Basaka to knock Yue out and take him. Basaka’s full-force blow breaks Yue’s arms and smashes him into a crater, leaving him gravely injured and unconscious.
• Anna rebukes Basaka for nearly killing Yue, explaining that he is still an ordinary person and has not awakened his power. Basaka is surprised that the supposed son of the [Black Emperor] is so weak.
• As they prepare to remove Yue before the [Raven’s Cage] ends, a powerful, unnatural heartbeat shakes the illusion. Both Anna and Basaka freeze in alarm.
• Anna identifies the sound as the echo of the [Emperor Engine] and declares that Divine Sequence 003, the legendary [Black Emperor], has arrived.

Character developments

• Yue Xiaofei is overwhelmed by despair and grief after learning Han Xiao’s sacrifice accomplished nothing. His rage drives him to attack Anna, but Basaka easily defeats him.
• Anna is revealed as a skilled illusionist who relies on deception rather than direct combat. Her amusement turns to urgency when the mysterious presence appears.
• Basaka displays immense physical strength but poor control, nearly killing Yue by using the force he would use against a transcendent. The sound of the Emperor Engine exposes a fear he has not shown before.
• Han Xiao’s sacrifice remains emotionally significant, but Anna’s illusion means his final attack did not reach its intended target.

Significant themes

• Illusion versus reality: Han Xiao’s apparent victory was a deception, deepening the heroes’ helplessness.
• Power imbalance: Yue is only an ordinary person, facing enemies whose strength and abilities vastly exceed his own.
• Sacrifice and futility: Han Xiao paid with his life, yet his attack failed to change the outcome.
• A looming greater power: The Emperor Engine’s arrival shifts the balance and signals that the danger may be far beyond Anna and Basaka.

Character interactions

• Anna taunts Yue after revealing her trick, provoking his furious response.
• Basaka follows Anna’s order to capture Yue, but his excessive force sparks her reprimand.
• Anna and Basaka’s banter reveals their anxiety about failing their powerful master—anxiety that becomes immediate fear when the Emperor Engine’s echo begins.

The [Black Emperor]’s [Emperor Engine] shattered Anna’s [Raven's Cage] and terrified Anna and Basaka with the power of the Divine Sequence. Anna and Basaka prostrated themselves and begged for mercy, but the emperor’s final judgment had yet to come.

• Anna’s cry of [Black Emperor] made the [Emperor Engine] roar and violently destroy the illusory space of [Raven's Cage].
• Anna and Basaka recognized the [Black Emperor] as the Divine Sequence 003 whose legend included defeating four [Royal Authority]-class Transcendents during the rebellion five years earlier.
• Anna dropped to her knees, apologized, and offered her soul in exchange for a chance to atone.
• Basaka also knelt and begged the [Black Emperor] to spare his life.
• Anna and Basaka remained prostrate as the [Emperor Engine] continued to pound, but no judgment came.

Anna and Basaka discovered that the terrifying [Emperor Engine] came from the unconscious Yue Xiaofei, not the [Black Emperor]. Anna decided to capture and exploit him, but Yue Xiaofei awoke just as she reached for him.

• Anna tried to pledge her loyalty to the [Black Emperor], but received no response.
• Anna stopped Basaka from kowtowing and pointed out that Yue Xiaofei was the only other living person there.
• Basaka and Anna realized Yue Xiaofei's heartbeat was producing the [Emperor Engine].
• Anna concluded Yue Xiaofei could inherit [Divine Sequence] abilities and imagined using him to produce descendants of the [Black Emperor].
• Anna rushed toward Yue Xiaofei and reached for his clothing, but he opened his eyes.

Yue Xiaofei’s unconscious [King's Domain] repelled Basaka and made Anna realize his bloodline might hold the key to [Royal Authority]. When Anna tried to seize him, Yue Xiaofei vanished and spoke from behind her.

• Yue Xiaofei’s scarlet eyes opened, freezing Anna and filling Basaka with instinctive fear, though he remained unconscious.
• Basaka attacked Yue Xiaofei, but an invisible barrier stopped his fist and a backlash shattered his arm and hurled him into the ruins.
• Anna recognized Yue Xiaofei’s power as [King's Domain] and became determined to take him and study his bloodline.
• Anna sent a flock of ravens to capture Yue Xiaofei, but he vanished from the crater.
• Yue Xiaofei’s hoarse voice sounded behind Anna as he asked whether she had been looking for him.

Plot points and events

• Anna realizes Yue Xiaofei is still unconscious and acting on instinct, and decides to flee by splitting into a flock of black crows.
• Yue suddenly moves, catches one crow, and breaks Anna’s Crow Doppelganger. The flock reforms into Anna, now missing an arm.
• Anna orders Basaka to kill Yue, abandoning their original plan to capture him alive.
• Basaka attacks with a powerful barrage, but Yue evades every blow through tiny, instinctive movements—an ability identified as Autonomous Ultra Instinct.
• Terrified, Basaka says they should flee. Anna refuses, warning that their master will punish them for failing.
• As Basaka prepares to fight again, Yue’s vacant gaze focuses on him. Yue appears to awaken and declares, “Now… it’s my turn…”

Character developments

• Anna shifts from fear to calculated confidence when she believes Yue is acting without conscious thought, but that confidence collapses when he destroys her escape technique and wounds her severely. She becomes desperate and ruthless.
• Basaka begins as a furious attacker, but Yue’s effortless evasions shatter his arrogance. Fear of both Yue and his master drives him toward a last-ditch fight.
• Yue Xiaofei remains largely unconscious, yet his body responds with overwhelming precision and violence. By the end, signs of conscious awareness begin to return.

Character interactions

• Anna tries to escape Yue, but he catches and injures her despite her deceptive ability.
• Anna commands Basaka to kill Yue; Basaka initially obeys but later urges retreat.
• Anna’s reminder of their master’s punishment overcomes Basaka’s fear of Yue and pushes him toward fighting again.
• Yue’s first focused look and challenge shift the confrontation: the hunted pair now face the prospect of his deliberate retaliation.

Significant themes

• Instinct versus consciousness: Yue’s unconscious body displays power and precision beyond deliberate control.
• Fear and power: Anna and Basaka’s confidence collapses as they encounter a threat they cannot understand or overcome.
• Entrapment and coercion: Fear of their unseen master keeps the villains fighting even when retreat seems safer.

Key plot points and events

• Basaka panics when Yue Xiaofei announces that it is his turn. He orders Anna to end Raven’s Cage so they can escape.
• Yue snaps his fingers and unfolds his own domain, instantly overwriting Anna’s illusion with a dark-gold world called Divine Hall. Anna’s connection to Raven’s Cage is severed, leaving her powerless.
• Yue’s clothing is blasted away, revealing an imposing, ancient-looking totem patterned across his body. He then vanishes and reappears before Basaka.
• Yue unleashes an overwhelming barrage of attacks, shattering Basaka’s body and reducing it to bloody fragments. Basaka regenerates within seconds, affirming his famous immortality.
• Despite his resurrection, Basaka is shaken and humiliated. He boasts that he still has eleven lives; Yue coldly vows to kill him a hundred more times.

Character developments

• Yue Xiaofei shifts from a battered opponent into a seemingly godlike force, displaying control over a domain powerful enough to replace Anna’s and speed and strength that overwhelm Basaka.
• Anna goes from controlling the battlefield to helpless despair after Yue takes over her domain.
• Basaka begins in terror, then tries to reclaim his confidence through defiance. His regeneration restores his body, but not his sense of security.

Significant themes

• Power and hierarchy: Yue’s domain establishes his authority as a higher order of being, reducing formidable Transcendents to helpless creatures within his world.
• Limits of immortality: Basaka can recover from catastrophic destruction, but Yue’s relentless violence makes his “undying” nature feel less like protection than an invitation to repeat the punishment.
• Fear and defiance: Basaka’s bravado returns after regeneration, setting up a contest between his refusal to yield and Yue’s merciless resolve.

Character interactions

• Basaka urgently commands Anna to release him from Raven’s Cage, but Yue’s domain prevents her from doing so.
• Anna explains that Yue has replaced her domain with his own, confirming that she and Basaka are now trapped in his territory.
• Yue gives Basaka no acknowledgment or negotiation—only a devastating attack and a promise to kill him repeatedly.