Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• After Ning Hongye uses her ability to suppress thirty A-Level Transcendents, she collapses, barely alive. Yue Xiaofei checks her pulse and keeps her close.
• The battlefield is devastated. Yue calls out to the Eight Hundred Heroes; one by one, surviving soldiers answer and rise from the rubble. Only a few hundred remain able to stand.
• The Reverse Scale team regroups, all badly injured. Zhao Mengsheng commends Yue, reminding him that the fight is not over as long as they can still stand.
• Although the soldiers briefly celebrate overcoming the Transcendents, Yue realizes the greater threat—the four “thrones”—waits inside the factory. With Ning unconscious and her ability unavailable, their chances are poor.
• To preserve the survivors’ hope, Yue keeps his fears to himself. He prepares to lead them onward, promising a celebration if they survive and a meeting at the Martyrs’ Cemetery if they do not.

Character developments and interactions

• Yue Xiaofei is physically near collapse but takes responsibility for keeping the force together. He grieves the dead, conceals the danger ahead, and rallies the survivors.
• Ning Hongye is unconscious after pushing her power to its limit, underscoring the cost of her sacrifice.
• Zhao Mengsheng offers Yue respect and a grim reminder of what the soldiers are fighting for: the Dragon Kingdom’s flag.
• Jin Dapao, Wild Chicken, Han Duoduo, and the other Reverse Scale members reunite in wounded but defiant condition. Han takes charge of caring for Ning.
• The surviving warriors answer Yue’s call and respond to his rally, showing their trust in him and their willingness to continue.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and the cost of war: The victory has left hundreds dead or badly wounded.
• Camaraderie and collective resilience: The survivors draw strength from hearing one another answer, even when they can barely stand.
• Leadership and hope: Yue bears the emotional burden of hiding the danger ahead so his men do not lose heart.
• Duty amid uncertainty: The group chooses to press on despite exhaustion and the overwhelming threat waiting inside the factory.

Yue Xiaofei rallied the battered soldiers to advance on a factory guarded by four Thrones, despite Zhao Mengsheng’s warnings that the mission was nearly hopeless. Zhao Mengsheng joined the charge, and the soldiers marched toward the factory ready to fight.

• Zhao Mengsheng stopped Yue Xiaofei and urged him to retreat with Ning Hongye and Reverse Scale, warning that their weakened force could not defeat four Thrones.
• Yue Xiaofei refused to abandon the hundred thousand civilians behind them and reminded the soldiers how their forebears had overcome stronger enemies.
• Jin Dapao and the soldiers rallied behind Yue Xiaofei, declaring that even ants could bring down a mighty tree.
• Zhao Mengsheng accepted Yue Xiaofei’s decision and joined him in leading the soldiers toward the factory.

Key plot points and events

• Yue Xiaofei is severely weakened after pushing the Emperor Engine to its second stage, but insists on joining the defense.
• Zhao Mengsheng orders Han Duoduo and Wild Chicken to escort Yue Xiaofei and the unconscious Ning Hongye to safety. He argues Yue is too injured to fight and must survive as the Dragon Kingdom’s future—and as the person who can find the old company commander and uncover the past.
• Yue refuses, believing leaving his wounded comrades would be desertion. He says he would rather die with them than live with shame.
• Jin Dapao backs Yue, arguing that forcing him to retreat would destroy his spirit. The Reverse Scale Squad also refuses to restrain him.
• Zhao draws his pistol and points it at Yue, but Yue presses his chest to the muzzle, insisting Zhao can kill him but cannot break his resolve.
• Unable to persuade Yue, Zhao tearfully begs him to leave, then threatens to shoot himself. The chapter ends with everyone frozen in shock.

Character developments

• Yue Xiaofei shows both physical vulnerability and unwavering courage. He understands that his survival matters, but cannot reconcile retreat with his loyalty to his comrades.
• Zhao Mengsheng shifts from commanding authority to desperate paternal concern. His hard orders are motivated by fear of losing Yue, the son of his old comrade.
• Jin Dapao supports Yue’s choice, valuing his dignity and fighting spirit over a purely tactical withdrawal.
• Han Duoduo and Wild Chicken remain loyal to Yue and hesitate to enforce Zhao’s order.

Significant themes

• Duty versus survival: Yue’s personal code clashes with Zhao’s strategic need to preserve him.
• Sacrifice and legacy: The soldiers intend to protect Yue as a “seed” for the future, while Yue sees their sacrifice as a reason to stay.
• Command versus personal loyalty: Zhao’s military authority is challenged by the squad’s bond with Yue.
• Courage and honor: The chapter questions whether survival is worthwhile if it means abandoning one’s principles.

Character interactions

• Zhao repeatedly appeals to Yue’s importance and the soldiers’ sacrifice, while Yue insists that retreat would make him a deserter.
• Jin mediates at first, then sides with Yue; the squad’s refusal to obey underscores its loyalty to him.
• The confrontation between Zhao and Yue escalates into a pistol standoff, ending with Zhao’s shocking threat to take his own life.

Key events

• Zhao Mengsheng threatens to shoot himself unless Yue Xiaofei agrees to withdraw, explaining that Yue’s survival matters to the Dragon Kingdom and that he owes his life to Yue’s father.
• Yue agrees to leave but insists on remaining nearby to support the defense and help evacuate everyone if the soldiers are overwhelmed. Zhao accepts, ordering him to stay at least 500 meters from the factory.
• Zhao sends Jin Dapao, the First Company, and the Reverse Scale Squad to escort Yue and Miss Ning to a rear warehouse. He then leads more than 200 wounded soldiers toward the factory gate.
• Inside the factory, the four remaining throne-holders watch the troops on surveillance screens. Fool explains that Ning Hongye’s power, “Illuminating All Things,” nullifies supernatural abilities, but she is exhausted and unlikely to use it again soon.
• Fool orders an attack: capture Yue and Ning alive, but kill Zhao and all the other soldiers.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Mengsheng reveals the depth of his loyalty and affection for Yue, willing to die by his own hand to make him retreat. Once Yue agrees, Zhao turns resolutely to lead the defense.
• Yue Xiaofei yields to Zhao’s plea but refuses to abandon his comrades completely. He leaves with the escort, burdened by the possibility that Zhao and the others will not return.
• Jin Dapao is shaken by Zhao’s threat and reluctantly carries out his orders, warning Zhao to be careful.
• The soldiers renew their resolve, accepting that they may be marching to their deaths so Yue can survive.
• Fool treats the soldiers’ hope as entertainment and deliberately delays the attack for dramatic effect. Wolf and Demon are eager to kill, while Death God dismisses Zhao’s ability.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and duty: Zhao and his soldiers place Yue’s survival and the nation’s future above their own lives.
• Hope amid despair: The troops’ belief that their sacrifice can save Yue strengthens their courage, even as Fool plans to destroy that hope.
• Loyalty and legacy: Zhao’s debt to Yue’s father shapes his determination to protect Yue.
• Cruelty and dehumanization: Fool regards the defenders as playthings and intends to turn the battlefield into a mass grave.

The Four Great Thrones prepared to pursue Yue Xiaofei, but a deep, thunderous heartbeat made them fear that the [Black Emperor] had returned. As [Fool] realized the enemy was above them, a devastating impact struck the factory roof.

• [Demon], [Wolf], and [Death God] prepared to leave while [Fool] stayed behind, convinced the battle was already won.
• A rhythmic thumping outside made the Four Great Thrones recognize the sound of an Emperor Engine, though it was far louder and deeper than Yue Xiaofei's.
• The heartbeat's growing pressure terrified the Four Great Thrones, and [Wolf] wondered if the [Black Emperor] had returned.
• [Fool] spotted the threat above the factory and screamed a warning just as a devastating blow hit the roof.

A masked man descended into the factory hall and was recognized by [Fool] as the long-presumed-dead Black Emperor, terrifying the Four Great Thrones. Outside, Zhao Mengsheng sensed the newcomer’s overwhelming power, while Yue Xiaofei felt his Emperor Engine resonate with it.

• A masked man smashed through the factory’s reinforced ceiling and landed before the Four Great Thrones.
• [Wolf], [Demon], and [Death God] recoiled from the man’s aura, while [Fool] asked if he was Black Emperor.
• [Fool]’s companions recognized Black Emperor as [Skull and Bones]’s former Adam Project subject, who had betrayed them and vanished after a battle five years earlier.
• Outside the factory, Zhao Mengsheng halted his soldiers’ assault after the impact shook the ground and he sensed a power beyond the Thrones’ strength.
• Yue Xiaofei felt his Emperor Engine resonate with the pressure from inside the factory, but concealed his reaction from Wild Chicken.

Yue Changlong revealed his identity to [Fool] and the three newly ascended Thrones, who had mistaken him for the Black Emperor. [Fool] identified Yue Changlong as Divine Sequence 003 and a National Authority Level powerhouse, leaving [Wolf] and [Demon] stunned as [Wolf] questioned their intelligence.

• Yue Changlong removed his mask and declared his name, explaining the meaning of each character.
• [Fool] recognized Yue Changlong and admitted he had believed him dead.
• [Demon], [Wolf], and [Death God] challenged Yue Changlong and prepared to kill him.
• Yue Changlong dismissed the three newcomers and mocked [Fool]'s choice of recruits.
• [Fool] ordered the three Thrones to be quiet and revealed Yue Changlong's rank and National Authority Level status.
• [Wolf] and [Demon] lost their arrogance, and [Wolf] protested that their intelligence had reported only one Dragon Kingdom powerhouse.

[Fool] revealed that Yue Changlong had once nearly destroyed [Skull and Bones] by himself, leaving [Wolf], [Demon], and [Death God] terrified. As Yue Changlong approached the Four Great Thrones, he regarded the three newcomers with contempt and asked why ordinary people were there.

• [Fool] told [Wolf], [Demon], and [Death God] that Yue Changlong had stormed [Skull and Bones]'s headquarters five years earlier and killed six Thrones while gravely wounding three.
• [Fool] explained that only [Eye of Omniscience]'s Forbidden Weapon had stopped Yue Changlong from wiping out the organization.
• [Wolf], [Demon], and [Death God] realized the Black Emperor legend was true and froze in fear as Yue Changlong walked toward them.
• Yue Changlong's Emperor Engine heartbeat shook the hall and weighed down the three Thrones until they could barely move.
• Yue Changlong looked at [Demon], [Wolf], and [Death God] and asked [Fool] why three ordinary people were there.

Yue Changlong humiliated the Thrones by calling them ordinary people, while [Fool] claimed Yue’s gene chain had collapsed and that using his power would destroy his body. The Thrones remained afraid to confront him as [Fool] challenged him to prove otherwise.

• Yue Changlong called [Demon], [Wolf], and [Death God] ordinary people, leaving the three Thrones shocked and offended.
• [Demon] and [Wolf] urged each other to test Yue Changlong, while [Death God] silently stepped back to avoid confronting him.
• Yue Changlong called the Thrones clowns and asked [Fool] whether these were the leaders of the new era.
• [Fool] angrily explained that the [gene lock] damaged the body whenever its power exceeded mortal limits.
• [Fool] claimed Yue Changlong’s gene chain had collapsed after he exhausted his life force five years earlier and challenged him to attack.

[Fool] claimed Yue Changlong had been left weakened by his past battle, prompting [Wolf], [Demon], and [Death God] to attack him for the promised reward. Their abilities revealed Yue Changlong had no weaknesses, and [Demon] was left gravely injured by the backlash from his failed psychic attack.

• [Fool] told [Wolf], [Demon], and [Death God] that Yue Changlong's power had been depleted, then promised the first attacker a chance to enter God's Gene Bank.
• [Death God] attacked Yue Changlong from behind with his scythe, but his Killing Intent Perception detected no threat from him.
• [Wolf] used Hunting Instinct to analyze Yue Changlong and found that all his attributes were at peak levels, leaving him without weaknesses.
• [Demon] launched Fear Erosion at Yue Changlong, but the psychic attack vanished against his mental defenses.
• [Demon] suffered a powerful psychic backlash, screamed, and collapsed as blood streamed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

Yue Changlong effortlessly defeated the three Thrones who attacked him, revealing power over space and overwhelming mental strength. He approached [Wolf], who collapsed to his knees, while [Fool] realized Yue Changlong was even more terrifying than he had been five years earlier.

• [Demon]'s Fear Erosion rebounded, leaving him unconscious and bleeding from all seven orifices.
• Yue Changlong froze [Death God] in midair with a snap of his fingers using Space Confinement.
• Yue Changlong snapped [Death God]'s life-bound scythe in two, badly damaging his soul and leaving him unable to fight.
• Yue Changlong turned toward [Wolf], who was too terrified to move and fell to his knees.
• [Fool] recognized Yue Changlong as the same demon king who had nearly toppled [Skull and Bones] five years earlier, now even more powerful.

Yue Changlong challenged the remaining Thrones to attack him together, then began a countdown when they hesitated. [Fool] and [Wolf] resolved to fight, and [Wolf] launched his life-burning ultimate strike at Yue Changlong.

• Yue Changlong asked [Fool] whether he still thought he was bluffing and demanded that the Thrones attack him together.
• [Fool] realized that he was the only one still standing and panicked at Yue Changlong's overwhelming power.
• Yue Changlong counted down, leaving [Fool] to decide that he would fight rather than flee or beg for mercy.
• [Fool] began mobilizing his energy as black runes appeared on his face, while [Wolf] rose from his knees and transformed into a giant werewolf by burning his life force.
• [Wolf] charged Yue Changlong with a devastating strike, and [Fool] wondered whether Yue Changlong would be hurt or forced to retreat.

Yue Changlong killed [Wolf] with Heavenly Calamity-Black Sun, leaving [Fool], [Demon], and [Death God] stunned and terrified. He dismissed the Twelve Thrones as roadside dogs.

• Yue Changlong unleashed Divine Ruin 003, Heavenly Calamity-Black Sun, as [Wolf] attacked him.
• Heavenly Calamity-Black Sun annihilated [Wolf] and his werewolf form without leaving a trace.
• [Fool] was overwhelmed by disbelief, while [Demon] and [Death God] regained consciousness and saw that [Wolf] was gone.
• [Demon] threatened Yue Changlong and invoked Lord [Eye of Omniscience], but Yue Changlong turned to the remaining Thrones and called them roadside dogs.

Fool released the second-stage [gene lock] and began a self-destruction powerful enough to kill Yue Changlong, his fellow Thrones, and devastate Modu. He trapped Demon and Death God in the energy storm and declared that Yue Xiaofei and millions of people would die with them.

• Yue Changlong called Demon and Death God stray dogs, while Fool laughed and agreed that the Thrones served Lord [Eye of Omniscience].
• Fool activated the second-stage [gene lock], causing his power to surge as the factory shook and cracked.
• Demon and Death God tried to escape, but Fool’s energy field immobilized them and dragged them toward him.
• Fool told Yue Changlong that his self-destruction would equal dozens of nuclear bombs, kill Yue Xiaofei, and raze at least half of Modu.

Outside the abandoned factory, Zhao Mengsheng’s forces braced for a catastrophic energy eruption as Yue Changlong faced [Fool]’s self-detonation inside. Yue Changlong erased the attack with the King’s Ruins and revealed that he had long since surpassed the National Authority Level, leaving [Fool] dead and the factory’s destruction halted.

• Zhao Mengsheng ordered everyone at the temporary position to take cover as a massive energy surge shook the ground and disrupted communications.
• Yue Xiaofei felt the bloodline resonance intensify painfully and refused to stand by as the crisis unfolded.
• [Fool] prepared to detonate the energy formed from his life and soul, but Yue Changlong remained calm as the factory disintegrated around them.
• Yue Changlong opened the King’s Ruins, whose rule halted and erased [Fool]’s destructive energy.
• Yue Changlong told [Fool] that he had left the National Authority Level behind long ago, and [Fool] died as the energy and the remains of [Demon] and [Death God] vanished.

Yue Changlong destroyed the corpses of [Fool], [Demon], and [Death God] after confronting [Eye of Omniscience] and rejecting its vision of a new world. He then turned away from Xiaofei, saying they would meet again, but not yet.

• [Eye of Omniscience] used [Fool]'s body to warn Yue Changlong that the Dragon Kingdom would fall to its new world of gods.
• Yue Changlong declared that the Dragon Kingdom's enduring will would withstand the coming threat.
• [Eye of Omniscience] dismissed Yue Changlong's words, and Yue Changlong unleashed Black Sun Judgment.
• Black Sun Judgment engulfed [Fool], [Demon], and [Death God], leaving a vast pit in the factory.
• Yue Changlong told Xiaofei that he had grown up and that they would meet again, but not now.

After the energy surge vanished, Zhao Mengsheng led Yue Xiaofei and the Reverse Scale Squad into the devastated factory, where they discovered that four of the Skull and Bones' Twelve Thrones had been eliminated. An analyzer detected an unknown force beyond National Authority Level, and Yue Xiaofei became certain the mysterious Black Emperor was his missing father, Yue Changlong.

• Yue Xiaofei sensed the danger inside the factory had passed and convinced Zhao Mengsheng to lead the Reverse Scale Squad inside.
• Zhao Mengsheng, Yue Xiaofei, Han Duoduo, and the squad found the factory hollowed out around a huge crater and searched among the wreckage.
• Han Duoduo identified three bodies as Fool, Death God, and Demon of the Skull and Bones' Twelve Thrones, and detected that Wolf had been reduced to particles.
• Han Duoduo's analyzer detected unknown residual energy beyond National Authority Level.
• Yue Xiaofei concluded the powerhouse who had defeated the Four Great Thrones was his missing father, Yue Changlong, and resolved to grow stronger.

After a mysterious powerhouse beyond National Authority Level killed the [Skull and Bones]'s Four Great Thrones, Zhao Mengsheng’s troops celebrated their survival and secured the battlefield. At Bureau 7, officials confirmed the readings and struggled to classify the unknown powerhouse’s strength.

• Han Duoduo assured Zhao Mengsheng that her instrument had detected an energy signature beyond National Authority Level.
• Zhao Mengsheng and the soldiers realized the mysterious powerhouse had saved them and the people of Modu, and they erupted in celebration.
• Zhao Mengsheng ordered his troops to secure the Thrones’ bodies, suppress information, count casualties, and help restore order.
• Zhao Mengsheng praised the Suicide Squad, promised promotions and rewards, and vowed to honor the fallen soldiers and support their families.
• At Bureau 7’s Modu branch, Han Duoduo reported that repeated supercomputer checks confirmed the mysterious powerhouse’s strength defied every known classification system.

Yue Xiaofei concluded that the mysterious expert who saved Modu was his father, Yue Changlong, prompting Bureau 7 to consider reopening the classified investigation into him. Meanwhile, Eastern Frontier commanders debated Yue Xiaofei’s reward, with Xiao Tian Ce proposing the rank of major general before someone objected.

• Yue Xiaofei told the conference room that the mysterious expert was his father, Yue Changlong, and explained the blood connection he had sensed in Modu.
• Zhang Beihai and the others considered Yue Xiaofei’s explanation and decided to reopen the investigation into Yue Changlong.
• Zhang Beihai told Yue Xiaofei that the higher-ups were discussing a reward for his service.
• At Eastern Frontier Theater headquarters, Xiao Tian Ce proposed making Yue Xiaofei a major general, and several generals supported him.
• An unnamed voice objected to the proposal.

Plot and events

• Lieutenant General Li Weiguo argues against promoting Yue Xiaofei to major general. Though he acknowledges Yue’s achievements, he cites his past disobedience, unilateral actions in Eastern Japan, and youth, warning that such a promotion would undermine discipline and fairness to long-serving veterans.
• Zhao Mengsheng angrily counters that Yue’s family has repeatedly sacrificed for the country, and that Yue saved more than 100,000 people in Modu. He argues that, when protecting the nation and its people is at stake, disobeying orders can be justified.
• The generals vote, but supporters and opponents are nearly evenly divided, leaving the decision unresolved.
• Former military commander Marshal Long Qianshan arrives and announces that he will make the final decision. He recognizes the importance of discipline, but concludes that rules should serve the mission—not prevent the military from protecting people. He declares that extraordinary talent merits extraordinary treatment; the final award decision is strongly implied but not yet explicitly stated.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Weiguo represents a cautious, rule-bound approach and makes a composed, procedural case against promotion. He is visibly unsettled when support for Yue proves greater than expected.
• Zhao Mengsheng shifts from silence to a passionate defense of Yue, drawing on the Yue family’s history of service and past injustice. His confrontation with Li becomes personal and nearly erupts into a broader argument.
• Long Qianshan steps in as a calm but authoritative mediator. He acknowledges both sides, then uses his final authority to favor flexibility when exceptional circumstances and talent demand it.
• The generals are divided: Zhao and Xiao Tian Ce lead the supporters, while Li leads the conservatives. Their salute to Long Qianshan underscores his status and authority.

Significant themes

• Discipline versus initiative: Orders matter, but rigid obedience may be harmful when circumstances demand decisive action.
• Merit and fairness: The debate asks whether fairness means following established promotion rules or recognizing extraordinary service.
• Sacrifice and recognition: Zhao argues that heroes should not be made to suffer both on the battlefield and through denied recognition.
• Leadership and flexibility: Long’s judgment suggests that rules exist to protect the country, and may need to bend when they obstruct that purpose.