Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Sining impresses Ai Jiangtu by accurately using Space Magic to kill a distant Sea Monkey Monster. Ai is surprised by his skill but postpones questioning him.
• The team splits up: Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan draw the Redfin Demons away, while Ai Jiangtu’s group escorts Mu Ningxue to a strategic location. Nan Rongni hides the boat with a camouflage device.
• Mu Ningxue casts Ice Vine: Cover, freezing the three connected islands and the surrounding sea. The ice is widespread but relatively thin, so Zhou Sining doubts it can withstand Gangsha’s explosive heat.
• Redfin Demons discover the source of the cold and charge at Mu Ningxue. The team forms a defensive line around her while she maintains the freezing spell.
• Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan return to help fight. Mu Ningxue’s Ice Domain weakens the Redfin Demons and cuts them off from open water, giving the team a temporary advantage.
• Mu Nujiao warns Zhou Sining not to use fire or summon his Flame Demon Tiger, since either could damage the ice. He reluctantly stands down.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Sining displays surprising Space Magic ability alongside his powerful fire affinity. He is eager to rely on fire, but accepts the team’s instructions to hold back.
• Mu Ningxue demonstrates the scale and strategic value of her Ice Magic, becoming the focus of both the team’s protection and the Redfin Demons’ attacks.
• Ai Jiangtu leads cautiously, prioritizing reconnaissance, coordination, and Mu Ningxue’s safety. He also shuts down Guan Yu when his argument distracts her.
• Guan Yu proudly praises Mu Ningxue and promises to protect her, though he also clashes verbally with Zhou Sining.
• Mu Nujiao keeps the group focused on the plan by reminding Zhou Sining that his fire could undermine Mu Ningxue’s work.
• The group’s roles are clear: some defend and fight, while Mu Ningxue sustains the battlefield-wide spell.

Significant themes

• Teamwork and tactical restraint: Victory depends on each mage adapting to the larger plan, even when that means withholding their strongest ability.
• Power with practical limits: Mu Ningxue’s enormous spell changes the battlefield, but the ice’s thinness and vulnerability to heat create real constraints.
• Protection and responsibility: The team must defend Mu Ningxue while she remains committed to maintaining the spell.
• Rivalry and recognition: Guan Yu’s praise and Mu Tingying’s resentment show how Mu Ningxue’s strength affects relationships within the group.

Summary

The author announces a one-day pause in writing because they have an exam the next day and need to study. They plan to resume writing once the exam is over.

• Key events: The author takes a brief break from posting to prepare for the exam.
• Character development: No story characters appear; the author shows responsibility by prioritizing study.
• Themes: Balancing obligations, taking a temporary break, and returning to creative work afterward.
• Interactions: The author directly addresses readers and lets them know when to expect new writing.

Plot points and events

• A Commander Level Redfin Ripper bursts from the cave and attacks Nan Jue, overwhelming her Glowing Wood Shield and hurling her away. Ai Jiangtu rescues her with Space Movement.
• Mo Fan uses a powerful Thunderbolt to kill the Redfin Demons blocking Nan Jue’s path. She reaches Zhou Sining and asks him to assist Ai Jiangtu against the Commander.
• Zhou Sining uses his impressive Divine Footwork Magic Equipment to reach the fight. He sends Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan back to help the others, recognizing that the battle is too dangerous for them.
• Ai Jiangtu’s Evil Spider Trap wounds the Redfin Ripper’s soul, enraging it and prompting it to unleash an innate ability by raising the frozen seawater.
• Zhou Sining intervenes with Gangsha • Fierce Fist • Flame Dragon. His nine fiery dragons merge into one and smash the Redfin Ripper high into the air, where a massive explosion engulfs it. The chapter ends before its fate is confirmed.

Character developments and interactions

• Nan Jue remains composed under attack, quickly regains her footing, and prioritizes coordinating the team rather than dwelling on her close call.
• Ai Jiangtu acts swiftly to rescue Nan Jue and engages the Commander, using a soul-targeting spell to weaken it.
• Mo Fan demonstrates destructive control of his Thunderbolt, clearing a route for Nan Jue.
• Zhou Sining reveals exceptional resources and combat power: his high-end Magic Equipment impresses Nan Jue, and his Flame Dragon attack shows he can decisively support Ai Jiangtu against a Commander-level foe.
• Zhao Manyan rushes to help Nan Jue but cannot reach her in time after expending his mobility equipment; he and Mo Fan wisely withdraw when Zhou Sining takes over.

Significant themes

• Teamwork and role coordination: Each mage contributes according to their abilities, while stronger fighters take on the Commander and others protect the wider group.
• The danger of power gaps: Nan Jue’s strong defensive equipment proves inadequate against a Commander-level creature, emphasizing the limits of individual strength.
• Preparation and hidden resources: Zhou Sining’s costly equipment and powerful attack suggest substantial wealth and capability.
• Tactical variety: The battle combines defense, mobility, lightning, soul damage, and overwhelming firepower.

Plot points and events

• Mu Ningxue keeps her ice spell active despite the shockwave from a huge explosion. A burning mass falls from the Flame Cloud, revealing the Redfin Ripper, badly charred by Zhou Sining’s attack.
• Ai Jiangtu is astonished that Zhou Sining’s Fierce Fist could send a Commander-level creature flying and leave it gravely wounded.
• Zhou Sining explains that the Redfin Ripper is not dead yet, but is close to defeat. He strikes again with Gangsha: Fierce Fist: Nine Flood Dragons, killing it.
• The Redfin Ripper leaves no soul behind. Ai Jiangtu is puzzled, while Zhou Sining treats the mystery as inspiration for a future upgrade to his flames.
• Ai Jiangtu and Zhou Sining return to deal with the remaining Redfin Demons. Nan Jue asks whether they defeated the Ripper; Ai answers that Zhou killed it with two Fierce Fists.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Sining demonstrates extraordinary power, impressing even the experienced Ai Jiangtu. He is careful not to waste energy once victory is assured and ensures the Ripper is truly dead. His curiosity about adding soul-burning properties to his flames shows his inventive, ambitious streak.
• Ai Jiangtu shifts from disbelief at Zhou’s strength to serious respect, even reconsidering whether Zhou might be better suited to lead the team. He also acts cautiously, keeping Zhou at a safe distance from the wounded creature.
• Nan Jue seeks confirmation of the battle’s outcome, but the chapter ends before she learns the details.
• Zhou’s mention of Mu Nujiao’s possible third element hints at an ongoing personal connection and unfinished conversation.

Significant themes

• Power and leadership: Zhou’s overwhelming strength challenges Ai’s assumptions about who is best suited to captain the team.
• Practical restraint: Despite his power, Zhou conserves energy when a less costly spell will finish the fight.
• The value of souls and resources: The Ripper’s missing soul is a frustrating loss, especially when the team needs money.
• Innovation: Zhou turns even an unexplained outcome into an idea for improving his magic.

Plot points and events

• Ai Jiangtu reveals that Zhou Sining killed the Commander Level Redfin Ripper with only two Fierce Fists. The team finishes off the remaining Redfin Demons, aided by Mu Ningxue freezing the Scattered Islands and leaving the creatures weakened.
• Nan Jue reports that the National Team eliminated all 263 Redfin Demons: one Commander Level, 189 Warrior Level, and 73 Servant Level. The team collects the corpses to prove the extermination to Lin Junxian and reassure Feiniao City.
• The group has also discovered infants’ remains in the monsters’ bodies. Ai Jiangtu says they will meet up with Jiang Yu’s group next, suggesting the missing children are now a priority.
• Back on the boat, Nan Rongni heals Nan Jue’s broken arm and checks the others. The team is tired but otherwise unharmed.
• Zhou Sining checks his Demon-Slaying System. His kills earned 5,721 Life Points; after repaying his debt, he spends 5,000 to reactivate it, leaving 496 Demon Beast points. The system confirms his elements and abilities and shows 34 lottery draws, each requiring 400 points.

Character developments and interactions

• Ai Jiangtu’s calm announcement makes the team realize how powerful Zhou Sining is. He firmly insists he is telling the truth when Zu Jiming questions him, silencing the doubt.
• The team’s respect for Ai Jiangtu grows after seeing his leadership and strength, though the revelation shifts their attention to Zhou Sining’s extraordinary feat.
• Nan Jue survives a direct hit from the Redfin Ripper with only a broken bone; Nan Rongni quickly heals her.
• Mo Fan accepts Ai Jiangtu’s account, while others struggle to believe it. Jiang Shaoxu teases Mu Nujiao about Zhou Sining’s strength and their presumed relationship; Mu Nujiao corrects her that they are not married.
• Zhou Sining, meanwhile, is focused on his system and the cost of activating it rather than the team’s reaction to his achievement.

Significant themes

• Hidden strength and recognition: Zhou Sining’s understated presence contrasts with his startling ability to defeat a Commander Level monster.
• Leadership and trust: Ai Jiangtu takes responsibility for the team and supports Zhou Sining’s accomplishment despite the others’ disbelief.
• Cost and reward: The system’s activation consumes most of Zhou Sining’s hard-earned points, making power advancement a matter of trade-offs.
• The human cost of the threat: The infants’ remains reveal a grim side to the Redfin Demons’ attacks and give the next stage of the mission greater urgency.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Sining wakes to find the system has survived, but saving him drained much of its energy. It removes the Random Shop, adds a small fee to System Shop purchases, and offers recovery in exchange for 100,000 Life Points. Zhou accepts the changes.
• The others question Zhou about killing the Redfin Ripper. He explains that his top-tier Soul Seed multiplies his power sixfold, and that he can use a fifth-level Fierce Fist through a combination of spell enhancement and special equipment.
• Zhou reveals that Han Ji let him choose three exceptionally valuable items: armor from the Ancient Capital Museum, strengthening equipment from the Wild Goose Pagoda, and a power-storing Magic Artifact. Han Ji was so annoyed by his expensive choices that he refused to speak to Zhou for three days.
• Back in Feiniao City, Lin Junxian sees the Sea Monsters’ bodies, including the Redfin Ripper, and realizes the group has solved the city’s crisis. Ai Jiangtu reminds him that they expect him to honor his promise.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou is relieved the system remains functional, accepts its new limits, and enjoys flaunting his strength and resources. He keeps the details of his equipment vague.
• Jiang Shaoxu presses Zhou about his power and flirts with him; he turns her down, saying he is already taken.
• Mo Fan is stunned and jealous of Zhou’s strength, especially his powerful Soul Seed and enhanced Fierce Fist, which currently outclass Mo Fan’s own firepower.
• Lin Junxian shifts from cautious uncertainty to exuberant optimism once he recognizes the group’s achievement. He anticipates the recovery of his investments and property values.
• Ai Jiangtu maintains a practical, businesslike stance, steering the conversation back to the promised reward.

Significant themes

• Power and wealth: Zhou’s strength is tied not only to talent but also to immense spending and access to rare equipment.
• Competition and envy: His achievements unsettle Mo Fan and impress the rest of the group, while Zhou relishes the attention.
• Reciprocity and self-interest: The team expects compensation for solving Feiniao City’s problem, and Lin Junxian sees their success as a chance to revive his business prospects.
• The system’s cost: The system’s survival comes with reduced services and a price, underscoring its transactional nature.

Key plot points

• With the Redfin Demon clan wiped out and many Sea Monkey Monsters killed, Feiniao City is poised to become safer and grow. Lin Junxian arranges for the National Team to travel to Japan.
• Jiang Yu and Mu Tingying report that more than a hundred infants have disappeared over the past three years, mostly in spring. The cases were repeatedly classified as human trafficking despite there being no evidence of traffickers.
• Mu Tingying reveals that records were deliberately altered to hide possible Demon Beast involvement. The team suspects city officials have been covering up a larger crime, perhaps using the Sea Monsters as a convenient explanation.
• Jiang Yu says he could follow the cover-up if another infant disappeared, but the team rejects using a child as bait.
• Ai Jiangtu decides they should continue investigating with Lin Junxian’s help and report their suspicions to their mentors. The National Team still plans to go to Japan, but leaves Feiniao City under scrutiny.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yu presents the findings and proposes a risky investigative tactic, then suggests using Lin Junxian’s connections and consulting their mentors.
• Ai Jiangtu becomes visibly furious at the suspected official complicity, but keeps the group focused and reminds them not to compromise their secret training mission.
• Nan Jue condemns both the concealment and the idea of putting an infant in danger.
• Zhou Sining suspects the disappearances are connected to a much larger scheme and reacts with intense anger.
• Jiang Shaoxu wants to alert her influential family but accepts that they cannot openly reveal the team’s mission.
• Lin Junxian is cleared of suspicion; he is himself connected to a missing-infant case through his sister’s family and may help the investigation.

Significant themes

• Institutional corruption and complicity: Officials may have manipulated records and allowed tragedies to continue.
• Justice versus necessity: The team must choose how to investigate without endangering another child.
• Power and accountability: Influential allies and mentors may be needed to challenge a cover-up that local investigators cannot reach.
• False explanations and scapegoating: The Sea Monsters may have served as a convenient cover for human crimes; their defeat could make further concealment harder.

Plot points and events

• After the National Team exposed the infant-trafficking incident, they helped Lin Junxian investigate corruption in Feiniao City. They uncovered several corrupt officials and cleaned up the local network, but found no trail to the hidden mastermind. The Magic Association will continue the broader investigation.
• Lin compensated the families who had lost children, earning public support and helping set the city on a path to recovery.
• The team then sailed for Japan aboard Lin’s luxury yacht. The long voyage gives them time to relax and enjoy the Pacific.
• Their calm is shattered when an immense, unexplained shadow appears beneath the yacht, darkening the sea across an area so vast that the vessel seems like a tiny speck. Even Ai Jiangtu believes the creature could kill them all with one blow. The shadow eventually vanishes, but leaves everyone shaken.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Junxian shows himself to be dependable and generous, both by helping investigate the corruption and compensating the victims.
• Zhou Sining is delighted by his first experience at sea, a glimpse of his mountain-town upbringing. Mu Nujiao notices his excitement and gently worries that her questions might bring up painful memories, but he remains cheerful.
• Zhou and Mu share an affectionate, teasing exchange. Mu tests his devotion by mentioning Jiang Shaoxu; Zhou reassures her that he believes in true love and reveals that Jiang often teased Mu Bai. Mu becomes eager to hear the gossip.
• Jiang Yu’s scream alerts the group to the shadow. The team’s easy camaraderie gives way to collective fear as they confront something far beyond their power.

Significant themes

• Justice and responsibility: The team can address local corruption but must leave the larger conspiracy to the Magic Association; Lin’s compensation offers a measure of restitution.
• The scale of the unknown: The ocean’s beauty turns suddenly threatening, reminding the team that even powerful mages can be helpless before immense forces.
• Affection and levity: Zhou and Mu’s playful intimacy offers a warm contrast to the chapter’s darker events, making the sudden danger all the more jarring.

Key plot points and events

• The National Team is shaken after a colossal, silent shadow passes beneath or near their ship. Its size suggests a Monarch-Level creature, but it gives off no detectable aura, leaving its nature uncertain.
• Zhou Sining identifies it as “a half-dead old turtle” and says it poses no danger, though he offers no explanation.
• The ship reaches Japan’s safe waters and docks. Ai Jiangtu warns the group not to linger because they lack passports and may be in trouble for entering illegally.
• Several Japanese men who appear to be officers approach the newly arrived team.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan, who first spotted the shadow while flying, are among the most rattled. The encounter makes the group confront how little they know about the world.
• Guan Yu dismisses Mo Fan and Mu Nujiao’s observations, partly out of longstanding resentment toward Mo Fan and his history with Mu Ningxue. Mo Fan responds with contempt, while Mu Nujiao declines to argue.
• Zhou Sining intervenes when Guan Yu insults Mu Nujiao, briefly intimidating him with Mind Magic. Mu Nujiao asks him to stop, concerned that harming Guan Yu could cause trouble; Zhou insists he only warned him.
• Mu Nujiao’s experience during the Ancient Capital Cataclysm supports her view that some Monarchs can conceal their auras, while Zhou’s extraordinary Mind Element strength is highlighted.

Significant themes

• The vastness of the unknown: The mysterious creature reminds the team that immense, powerful beings and unexplored places remain beyond their knowledge.
• Power and restraint: Zhou Sining can seriously affect Guan Yu’s mind, but Mu Nujiao urges caution, emphasizing the consequences of using power.
• Team tensions: Guan Yu’s jealousy and prejudice fuel conflict, while Mo Fan and Zhou Sining’s responses reveal their differing approaches to confrontation.

Plot points and events

• The group enters Xixiong City without legal papers and avoids trouble with local officers by pretending not to understand Japanese.
• Unable to check into a hotel, they pay to stay at the isolated Yanming Temple. The temple seems unusually deserted.
• Mo Fan questions the monk Narahara Sora after seeing a young woman run away in tears. The monk warns the group to leave as soon as they can but offers no explanation.
• Mo Fan and Zhou Sining realize they both saw the woman. Mo Fan noticed she cast no shadow and suspects she was an Undead; Zhou explains that only unusually powerful Soul Undead can appear so lifelike.
• Zhou recalls that Yanming Temple is connected to the Totem Baxia and a disaster involving the temple, though he initially cannot remember the details. He later remembers something and asks Mu Nujiao to explore the back mountain with him.

Character developments

• Mo Fan’s curiosity overrides his caution: he presses Narahara about the mysterious woman, then becomes unnerved when he realizes she may have been Undead.
• Zhou Sining recalls fragments of the temple’s past and decides to investigate. His joking claim that he single-handedly defeated an Undead army is dismissed by Mo Fan.
• Mu Nujiao readily agrees to accompany Zhou, while Zhao Manyan declines, preferring to stay inside.

Character interactions

• Jiang Shaoxu helps the group evade the officers by pretending they cannot understand Japanese.
• Mo Fan’s questions provoke Narahara’s cryptic warning, while his conversation with Zhou turns the sighting into a discussion of Undead.
• Zhou teases Mo Fan about his boastful story, then invites Zhao Manyan to explore. When Zhao refuses, he asks Mu Nujiao, who joins him.

Significant themes

• Unease and mystery: The quiet temple, the fleeing woman, and Narahara’s warning suggest danger beneath the group’s brief refuge.
• Memory and foreshadowing: Zhou’s partial recollection links the temple to past events and hints that its history will soon matter.
• Curiosity versus caution: Mo Fan and Zhou are drawn toward the unknown despite warnings and the risks of exploring after dark.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Sining and Mu Nujiao climb the dark, overgrown mountain behind the Temple, using a magic flashlight that resists electromagnetic interference.
• They follow an abandoned stone-paved road to a small, ruined hall. Mu Nujiao uses plant magic to move the vines aside, while Zhou Sining clears the remaining growth with spatial magic.
• In the hall, they find an engraved wooden fish bearing unfamiliar characters.
• Recognizing that its inscriptions resemble markings on Zhou Sining’s Crimson Blade, Burning Heaven, they compare the two. The chapter ends with Zhou Sining wondering whether the blade might itself be a Totem Token.

Character developments

• Zhou Sining’s curiosity about Mu Nujiao’s newly awakened third Element grows. She says it has only one Star Dust and has reached Beginner Level 3, but keeps its identity secret.
• Mu Nujiao demonstrates precise control over plant-based magic, while Zhou Sining displays his spatial power.
• Zhou Sining’s history with Burning Heaven is expanded: after it weakened from battle, he fed it many Spirit Essences, partially restoring it. He can now wield it for a limited time, though using its abilities would consume more energy.

Significant themes

• Hidden connections and mysteries: Similar inscriptions link the wooden fish to Burning Heaven, suggesting an unexplained relationship.
• Exploration and discovery: The pair uncover a relic in a place reclaimed by wilderness.
• Power and its limits: Both magic and magical artifacts require control and resources; Burning Heaven remains only partly restored.

Character interactions

• Zhou Sining and Mu Nujiao travel closely together, holding hands and sharing the work of clearing the path.
• Their conversation about Mu Nujiao’s Element is playful but evasive: she teases him with hints while withholding its identity.
• When they recognize the inscriptions, they react in unison, turning their shared discovery into a new mystery.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Sining and Mu Nujiao find an inscription-covered Wooden Fish Token in the Back Mountain. Zhou suspects it is Baxia’s Totem Token and notices its inscriptions resemble those on his weapon, Crimson Blade: Burning Heaven, though he cannot explain the connection.
• When Zhou tries to touch the token, a bolt of yellow lightning strikes him. Mu Nujiao identifies it as a ward but cannot remove it. They leave Zhou’s Sand Prison Flame Demon Tiger to guard the token and return to ask Nan Jue for help.
• Back at Yanming Temple, the group reveals that Zhao Manyan has been found unconscious, cold, and bluish-white. Nan Rongni’s Healing Magic has not helped, and waking him may damage his soul.
• The monks have left for several days, and the one monk who remained fled after seeing Zhao Manyan.
• Jiang Shaoxu recalls an innkeeper’s warning about “stealing souls.” Mo Fan realizes the young woman’s spirit, Miyata, may have mistaken him for Zhao Manyan because he gave her Zhao’s name. Zhou Sining then suggests the Wooden Fish Token may be linked to Zhao’s condition.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Sining’s discovery connects the Totem mystery to his own weapon, raising questions about Burning Heaven’s origin. He takes responsibility for guarding the token and shares his findings with the group.
• Mu Nujiao helps investigate the token, recognizes its protective ward, and admits she cannot undo it.
• Mo Fan’s earlier encounter with Miyata takes on a frightening new significance; he suspects his false name put Zhao in danger.
• The group shifts from ordinary concern to fear and speculation, while Nan Jue urges them to focus on evidence and diagnosis rather than jump to conclusions.

Significant themes

• Mystery and hidden connections: The Wooden Fish Token, Baxia, Burning Heaven, Miyata, and Zhao’s condition may all be linked.
• The danger of names and mistaken identity: Mo Fan’s answer to Miyata may have redirected danger toward Zhao.
• Magic versus the supernatural: The characters debate a possible soul theft, but the chapter leaves the cause uncertain.
• Responsibility and teamwork: The group pools what each person knows as they try to protect Zhao and find a cure.

Key events

• Ai Jiangtu splits the team into groups: one heads to the Back Mountain, others investigate the soul-snatching cases, Zhao Manyan’s possible poisoning, and his care.
• At the mountain temple, the group discovers Zhou Sining’s powerful Summoned Beast guarding the entrance. Inside, they find an inscribed Wooden Fish protected by a magical ward.
• When Mo Fan touches it, the ward shocks him. Nan Jue recognizes the object as a Shield Magic Tool with additional magic and begins deciphering its ancient inscriptions.
• The writing reminds Mo Fan of records he saw at West Lake, connected to the Totem Black Snake.
• Nan Jue concludes that Miyata is likely an Artifact Spirit: a being born from a Soul-Grade Vessel, which contains a soul. She suspects Miyata took Zhao Manyan’s soul.
• Destroying the Wooden Fish might not restore Zhao Manyan, so Nan Jue proposes entering its internal Microcosm and defeating the Artifact Spirit there.

Character developments and interactions

• Ai Jiangtu acts decisively, organizing the team and nearly attacking the hidden beast before Zhou Sining identifies it as his own.
• Zhou Sining reveals that his Tiger King is exceptionally strong—at the Advanced Stage of Warrior Level—and that he and Mo Fan can both see Miyata. He privately suspects their special artifacts may explain why.
• Mo Fan recognizes the inscriptions from Hangzhou and connects them to Miyata, but his instinct to destroy the Wooden Fish is checked by Nan Jue’s warning.
• Nan Jue demonstrates her expertise in magical artifacts, identifies the likely cause of Zhao Manyan’s condition, and proposes a risky way to save him.
• The group’s banter—especially Mo Fan’s jealousy over Zhou Sining’s powerful beast—briefly lightens the urgent search.

Significant themes

• Knowledge and danger: The group must understand the vessel before acting; brute force could make Zhao Manyan’s situation worse.
• Hidden connections: Ancient inscriptions link the Japanese temple to events and lore from Hangzhou.
• Unusual perception and power: Mo Fan and Zhou Sining can see Miyata despite not being the vessel’s owners, suggesting their own special abilities or artifacts are involved.

Plot points and events

• Nan Jue explains that she can send people into the vessel’s independent world as souls. Any harm there would injure or kill them in reality.
• Mo Fan and Zhou Sining discuss alternatives to entering the world. Zhou believes they may be able to defeat the vessel’s Artifact Spirit directly, since both he and Mo Fan can perceive such beings.
• Their conversation reveals that others apparently could not hear or see Narahara Sora when he spoke to Mo Fan. Mu Nujiao confirms that Mo Fan seemed to be talking to empty air.
• Li Kaifeng reports that the monks say Narahara Sora died years ago. Jiang Yu adds that a scandal linked him to Miyata, who later killed herself; afterward, people blamed Miyata’s ghost for stealing souls.
• Zhou concludes that Narahara Sora and Miyata are both Artifact Spirits. The group splits up: Zhou and Mu Nujiao go to Manying Mountain to question the monks, while Ai Jiangtu and Mo Fan prepare to enter the vessel’s independent world.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Fan admits he is unwilling to risk his life for Zhao Manyan, prompting Nan Jue to call him a scoundrel.
• Zhou Sining is also wary of entering the soul-world, but confidently argues that he can fight an Artifact Spirit with his own abilities and Crimson Blade: Burning Heaven.
• Mu Nujiao’s observation helps confirm that Narahara Sora was invisible and inaudible to the others.
• Zhou uses his Space Movement boots to take Mu Nujiao to Manying Mountain, astonishing the group and stirring Ai Jiangtu’s envy.
• Ai Jiangtu keeps the investigation moving, dividing the group’s efforts and arranging for Jiang Shaoxu to hypnotize him and Mo Fan.

Significant themes

• Risk and loyalty: Mo Fan’s blunt reluctance to endanger himself contrasts with the group’s duty to rescue Zhao Manyan.
• Uncertain reality: Narahara Sora’s apparent presence despite being dead—and unseen by most—casts doubt on what the characters can perceive.
• Ghosts and lingering injustice: The history of Miyata and Narahara Sora suggests that unresolved scandal and suspicion may persist through supernatural forces.
• Power and its cost: Entering the independent world offers a way forward, but puts the characters’ souls—and lives—at direct risk.

Key plot points

• Zhou Sining rushes to Manying Mountain with Mu Nujiao, hoping to protect Zhao Manyan, whose soul Narahara Sora has taken. He is willing to forgive Narahara if Zhao’s soul is returned.
• They find the monks conducting a ritual. Zhou confronts them about whether they drove Miyata and Narahara Sora to suicide by falsely accusing them of a secret relationship.
• The monks deny responsibility, but their angry, defensive reactions deepen suspicion. Mo Fan calls to warn that Narahara Sora became an Artifact Spirit and may seek revenge on the monks.
• Narahara’s invisible attack begins, brutally mutilating the monks. Zhou can see the spirit; Mu cannot. She leaves rather than watch the violence, telling Zhou to end it quickly.
• Zhou spots Narahara in black robes and attacks with Gangsha: Fierce Fist: Nine Flood Dragons, sending nine White Flame dragons toward him. The chapter ends with the strike exploding in the night.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Sining reveals both his personal loyalty to Zhao Manyan and his hostility toward the monks, whom he believes helped cause Narahara’s tragedy. Though he initially hoped to reason with Narahara, the attack prompts him to fight.
• Mu Nujiao remains composed but is disturbed by witnessing the monks’ suffering. She trusts Zhou’s judgment, yet chooses not to watch a punishment whose full context she does not know.
• Narahara Sora appears as a vengeful Artifact Spirit, attacking the monks over the past wrong done to him and Miyata.
• Mo Fan provides the crucial warning by phone, linking Narahara’s death and the mountain to the danger.
• The monks’ hostility toward Zhou and Mu turns to terror as Narahara attacks; their reactions suggest guilt and fear surrounding the old accusation.

Significant themes

• Revenge and justice: Narahara’s suffering may explain his vengeance, but the chapter leaves open whether brutal retribution can be justified.
• Loyalty and protection: Zhou risks himself to save Zhao Manyan and confronts the spirit on his friend’s behalf.
• Truth, guilt, and responsibility: The monks’ defensive responses raise questions about what truly happened to Narahara and Miyata.
• Limits of empathy: Mu recognizes that she cannot fully judge the past, but still finds the present violence unbearable.

Key plot points and events

• After defeating the artifact spirit Narahara Sora, Zhou Sining leaves medicine for the injured monks and contacts the police and an ambulance. He and Mu Nujiao return to Yanming Temple.
• Zhao Manyan wakes up after having his soul taken. Nan Rongni explains what happened, and Jiang Yu confirms he has no serious physical injuries. The group remains unsure why the ghost targeted him.
• Ai Jiangtu tells everyone to rest and leave at noon. Nan Jue warns that Japanese authorities may investigate their unauthorized entry, so the team should move on quickly.
• Zhou Sining privately asks Nan Jue to examine Crimson Blade: Burning Heaven. When he draws it, the blade drains his magic energy, and its glowing markings pull Nan Jue into a terrifying vision of a barren, magma-filled landscape. He quickly resheathes it, and she recovers.
• The blade’s markings appear related to the ancient writing on the Wooden Fish artifact. Nan Jue cannot decipher them, but agrees to study a copy later. She warns Zhou not to show her the blade again, calling it the highest-grade artifact she has encountered.

Character developments

• Zhou Sining shows concern for the injured monks and remorse when he realizes how severely the blade’s vision affected Nan Jue. He also becomes more curious about the blade’s origins.
• Zhao Manyan learns how close he came to death, though the reason he was targeted remains unexplained.
• Nan Jue’s expertise in ancient writing proves limited, and her ordeal reveals the blade’s power can overwhelm even a strong mage without any apparent aggression from its wielder.

Character interactions

• Mu Nujiao and Zhou Sining reunite after the fight and return to the temple together.
• The team discusses Zhao Manyan’s possession, then agrees to rest and leave Japan promptly.
• Zhou Sining seeks Nan Jue’s knowledge about the blade; she studies it, is overcome by its vision, and later agrees to help investigate its inscriptions—while setting a firm boundary against seeing it drawn again.

Significant themes

• Power and danger: The blade’s extraordinary grade comes with serious costs, including draining its wielder and endangering anyone who looks at it.
• Unanswered mysteries: The reasons behind Zhao Manyan’s targeting and the blade’s true nature remain unresolved.
• Ancient connections: Similar inscriptions suggest the blade and the Wooden Fish may share an origin, raising the possibility that the blade is connected to a totemic past—even though its effects seem unlike those of a conventional Totem Token.

Key plot points

• Nan Jue declines to investigate Zhou Sining’s Crimson Blade further, warning him about its dangerous power. Zhou also refuses to claim the Wooden Fish, saying it is not his.
• The group learns the true story behind Narahara Sora and Miyata: they were innocent, but rumors tied to a secret meeting by monk Qihai led Miyata to take her own life. Narahara’s grief and hatred turned him into an Artifact Spirit.
• One mystery remains: Miyata’s island appeared in the Wooden Fish’s illusion, though witnesses insist it never existed. Mo Fan rejects Guan Yu’s suggestion that Miyata fabricated the story, and the two argue.
• The team leaves for Osaka, where they must challenge Japan’s National Pavilion and earn its Recognition Badge before proceeding to Tokyo. They plan to rest first and save a visit to the major sea battlefield for Tokyo.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Sining accepts that Nan Jue cannot explain the blade and shows restraint by refusing to touch either the blade again or the Wooden Fish.
• Mo Fan openly clashes with Guan Yu, defending Miyata’s innocence and trading insults with him later on the train.
• Ai Jiangtu keeps the team focused on its mission, while Jiang Yu explains Japan’s sea-monster conflicts and the strategic importance of Tokyo.
• Zhou Sining, exhausted, leans on Mu Nujiao’s shoulder to sleep. Jiang Shaoxu lightly teases them, then lets them rest.

Significant themes

• Rumor and injustice: False accusations destroy Miyata’s life and shape Narahara’s transformation.
• Memory and uncertainty: The missing island raises questions about what the Wooden Fish preserves and whether its visions can be trusted.
• Duty and competition: The team’s journey combines field training, National Pavilion challenges, and the wider conflict between humanity and sea monsters.

Key plot points and events

• The team arrives in Osaka at night. Jiang Shaoxu takes the women shopping and to eat, leaving the men to find a hotel. Ai Jiangtu books rooms, and the group plans to visit the Osaka National Pavilion the next day.
• Mo Fan teases Guan Yu by claiming Mu Ningxue was his first kiss and once asked him to take her away. Guan Yu becomes furious, while Zhao Manyan joins in the mockery. Ai Jiangtu ends the argument and gets everyone moving.
• Jiang Shaoxu tells the women that Mu Nujiao and Zhou Sining will share a room, apparently because Mo Fan arranged it.
• Mu Nujiao confronts Zhou Sining about his exhaustion. He admits he spent the previous night using Magic Energy to study the writing on his blade, Burning Heaven. She rebukes him for risking his health, especially given his lingering soul injury and President Han Ji’s warnings.
• Zhou Sining explains why he is so determined to investigate the blade: the System Shop lists it as “This item has been sold,” implying his may be the only one. He wants to decipher its mysterious inscription.

Character developments and interactions

• Mu Nujiao shows how deeply she worries about Zhou Sining; her anger comes from fear for his safety. Her icy magic makes her concern tangible.
• Zhou Sining reveals both his curiosity and recklessness. He insists he used only Magic Energy, though his fatigue suggests he overexerted himself.
• Mo Fan is boastful and provocative, deliberately needling Guan Yu over Mu Ningxue.
• Guan Yu is jealous and hostile toward both Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan, while Zhao Manyan answers his accusations with equal bluntness.
• Ai Jiangtu acts as a steady captain, stopping the men’s quarrel and organizing the group.

Significant themes

• Curiosity versus self-preservation: Zhou Sining’s desire to uncover Burning Heaven’s origins pushes him to ignore serious risks.
• Care expressed through conflict: Mu Nujiao’s sharp reprimand reflects genuine affection and concern.
• Rivalry and romantic jealousy: Mo Fan’s teasing provokes Guan Yu and highlights the tensions around Mu Ningxue.
• Mystery and uniqueness: The blade’s absence from the System Shop, aside from its “sold” entry, raises the possibility that it is a one-of-a-kind artifact.

Plot points and events

• Mu Nujiao’s anger at Zhou Sining subsides after he reassures her. They return to the hotel, where she insists he rest; she cultivates while he falls asleep beside her.
• The next day, the National Team is delayed because several members stayed up late. Mu Nujiao has spicy noodles prepared for Zhou Sining, prompting lighthearted teasing about their different food preferences.
• The group sets out for Japan’s National Pavilion at the Twin Guardian Pavilion, a pair of imposing castles atop Mutual Gaze Mountain, connected by a suspended walkway. The site also overlooks a major naval battlefield.
• At the entrance, a kimono-clad woman mistakes the Chinese team for tourists and insults Chinese people, threatening to throw them off the mountain. Mo Fan and the others take offense, ending the chapter in a tense confrontation.

Character developments

• Zhou Sining is affectionate and playful with Mu Nujiao, but is also preoccupied with his cultivation, hungry Battle Pets, and plans to improve his magic. He intends to let Mo Fan obtain the Condensed Evil Pearl, since he has other resources and Mo Fan needs it.
• Mu Nujiao shows care through both her protective insistence that Zhou rest and her thoughtful preparation of food suited to his tastes. Their different habits are a source of gentle humor, not conflict.
• Mo Fan and the team are proud of their abilities and quickly become defensive when confronted with prejudice and disrespect.

Character interactions

• Zhou Sining and Mu Nujiao share an affectionate, domestic moment at the hotel, followed by playful banter over food.
• Zhou Sining reflects on Mo Fan’s future role in obtaining the Condensed Evil Pearl and plans to give him the Blood Lizi later.
• Mo Fan speaks for the team at the pavilion gate, but the woman’s hostility turns the exchange into a collective affront.

Significant themes

• Care and intimacy: Mu Nujiao’s concern and small acts of consideration reveal the couple’s closeness.
• Ambition and preparation: Zhou Sining weighs cultivation, resources, and future battles against immediate goals.
• Pride and prejudice: The gatekeeper’s discriminatory treatment clashes with the National Team’s confidence and sets up a likely test of their resolve.

Key plot points

• The Chinese National Team arrives at Osaka’s Twin Guardian Pavilion, where Mochizuki Chiharu orders them away and insults them.
• Mo Fan angrily answers back, threatening to tear down the pavilions. Chiharu responds by unleashing a powerful Plant Element spell that rapidly spreads across the plaza.
• Mu Nujiao counters with glowing emerald vines that overpower Chiharu’s bellflower-like plants. Before the conflict escalates, an older man, Mochizuki Meiken, orders Chiharu to stop; both sides withdraw their magic.
• Meiken recognizes the visitors as China’s National Team and says he expected them. The Chinese group remains suspicious when he does not check their credentials.
• Zhou Sining mocks the pavilion staff and dismisses the idea that Meiken is a threat. A blond Japanese man challenges him, prompting another round of insults.
• Meiken cuts off the argument and tells his people to show the team around while he arranges the match.

Character developments

• Mo Fan quickly shifts from trying to calm his teammates to openly confronting Chiharu when she insults them.
• Mu Nujiao reveals formidable Plant Element abilities and keeps her counterattack controlled, withdrawing once Chiharu stops.
• Chiharu is shown to be powerful but quick-tempered; her anger drives her to attack before confirming who the visitors are.
• Meiken appears experienced and pragmatic, stepping in twice to prevent the dispute from escalating.
• Zhou Sining remains provocative and dismissive, while Zhao Manyan encourages his barbs.

Significant themes

• National pride and mutual disrespect: Both sides trade insults, turning an official visit into a confrontation.
• Restraint amid provocation: The magic clash ends because both combatants withdraw when ordered, avoiding a larger fight.
• Power and status: The characters boast about strength and authority, but the brief clash demonstrates that reputation alone does not settle who is stronger.

Character interactions

• Chiharu’s hostility sparks Mo Fan’s retaliation and fuels the Chinese team’s indignation.
• Mu Nujiao directly counters Chiharu, establishing a tense rivalry through their competing Plant Element magic.
• Meiken reprimands Chiharu, then tries to manage the Chinese visitors diplomatically.
• Zhou Sining’s taunts provoke both Meiken and the blond man, while Meiken’s intervention keeps the dispute from becoming a second fight.