Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Zhou Sining makes amends for Han Ji paying his enormous fine by giving him the valuable Soul-Burning Soul Seed, whose rare flames can attack an opponent’s soul.
• The fine reaches the local government, resolving the diplomatic crisis. With Red Ornament Guild leader Kaso captured, hunters begin pursuing the remaining members, and Vanilla Village celebrates its rescue.
• Temple Mage Aoluna reports the incident to the Venice Competition committee, crediting Zhou’s strength while concealing the true scale of his spell. China’s victory is confirmed, and Zhou receives the Shadow Cloak. Japan objects, while Japan and India worry about facing him in the upcoming competition.
• The National Team reaches Bongersa City in Mexico after field training. Mu Ningxue’s excellent performance makes her return to the team likely, so the mentors must decide whom to remove.
• Han Ji delivers Zhou’s reward and confirms his Soul Defect is nearly healed. He warns Zhou to avoid drawing attention, especially by using his dangerous magic blade in public.
• The mentors plan one-on-one duels among six team members—Jiang Shaoxu, Guan Yu, Jiang Yu, Mu Tingying, Zu Jiming, and Li Kaifeng—to determine who will be eliminated. Zhou and Mu Nujiao go to watch.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou remains generous and loyal, repaying Han Ji despite treating the costly Soul Seed as an easy purchase. He also shows a playful, irreverent side when joking about finding it in an ancestral grave.
• Han Ji scolds Zhou for recklessness but accepts the gift; beneath his humor, he is genuinely concerned for Zhou’s safety and the danger his powers could attract.
• Zhou recognizes that being conspicuously powerful could endanger not only himself but also those close to him, and promises to exercise caution.
• The villagers’ relief and gratitude underscore Zhou’s impact, though he declines their thanks because he sees himself as simply keeping his promise.
• Mu Nujiao explains the selection process and likely contenders. Zhou is eager to see the duels, treating the impending elimination as entertainment.

Significant themes

• Responsibility and gratitude: Zhou honors his commitment to the village and repays Han Ji’s support.
• Power and risk: Exceptional abilities bring recognition but can also attract threats, making discretion a form of self-protection.
• Competition and uncertainty: Mu Ningxue’s return forces the team to choose who will leave, while individual duels test how well each member performs outside team combat.

Key plot points

• The contestants gather at the Arena for one-on-one elimination matches; three initial losers will fight again until one is eliminated. Feng Li notes that strong performances may still count in a contestant’s favor.
• Jiang Shaoxu easily defeats Jiang Yu, using her Mind Element to restrain him after her armor blocks his Night Rakshasa’s attack.
• Mu Tingying overwhelms Zu Jiming: her Ice Element neutralizes his poisonous insects, and she wins with Icebound Coffin.
• Guan Yu quickly defeats Li Kaifeng, whose speed-based role overlaps with Guan Yu’s stronger assassination style.
• The three losers—Jiang Yu, Zu Jiming, and Li Kaifeng—enter the elimination round. Jiang Yu and Li Kaifeng face each other first.
• Li Kaifeng opens with Shadow attacks aimed at Jiang Yu, but Jiang Yu counters with Radiant Light, removing his shadow. Li Kaifeng’s pre-set Wind Trap wounds Jiang Yu’s Night Rakshasa, though the creature remains mobile.
• Jiang Yu then summons his powerful Rock General alongside the Night Rakshasa. The bout is still underway at the chapter’s end.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Shaoxu’s strength is confirmed: her Mind Element, Thought Stone-enhanced mental power, armor, and Light Element make her a formidable opponent. Jiang Yu accepts the predictable loss without complaint.
• Mu Tingying demonstrates the advantage of her Ice Spirit Seed, while Zu Jiming’s poisonous insects prove ineffective against her.
• Guan Yu’s Demon-Slaying Tool gives him a clear edge over Li Kaifeng, reinforcing the overlap between their combat roles.
• Li Kaifeng shows he is more tactical than Jiang Yu expected, using a Wind Trap to exploit the Night Rakshasa’s charge. Jiang Yu, in turn, anticipates Li Kaifeng’s Shadow attack and reveals the strength of his two summoned beasts.
• Zhou Sining jokes about the lopsided matchups and hopes Zu Jiming will be eliminated. He flirts with Mu Nujiao, who slaps away his hand but eventually stops resisting.
• The contestants’ anxiety reflects the importance of securing a place on the National Team, despite Feng Li’s assurance that a loss need not be decisive.

Significant themes

• Competition and selection: The trials test both victory and overall performance, with National Team places at stake.
• Strategy versus raw strength: Jiang Yu and Li Kaifeng’s exchange turns on prediction, preparation, and elemental counters, not simply speed or power.
• Specialization and role overlap: Guan Yu’s advantage over Li Kaifeng highlights how a contestant’s usefulness to the team matters alongside individual ability.
• Uneven matchups: Several bouts are decided by pronounced differences in power, while the elimination match offers a more balanced contest.

Plot points and events

• Li Kaifeng, facing Jiang Yu’s Night Rakshasa and Rock General, uses a forbidden technique called the Azure Forbidden Art to amplify his magic dramatically.
• He pins the Rock General with Shadow magic, overwhelms the arena with unusually powerful Wind attacks, and nearly defeats Jiang Yu. The Rock General is badly injured and recalled; Jiang Yu’s defensive equipment is largely destroyed.
• The Night Rakshasa tears off Li Kaifeng’s right arm. Li responds by launching Shadow Blades at the exhausted Jiang Yu, but Zhou Sining stops them with a Gravity Field.
• As the Night Rakshasa moves in for a potentially fatal attack, Mu Nujiao restrains her with vines. Feng Li orders Jiang Yu to recall his pet, and the duel ends in a tense silence.
• Han Ji heals both competitors, questions Li about using the forbidden technique, and requires him to apologize to Jiang Yu. He then declares that the incident will be reported to the National Government Committee for assessment, warning that forbidden techniques can disqualify the entire team from the World Academy Competition.

Character developments

• Li Kaifeng reveals how far he is willing to go to win and reach the Venice Competition. After the danger passes, he admits his wrongdoing, apologizes, and promises not to use the technique again; his case, however, remains subject to official review.
• Jiang Yu survives the near-fatal attack and accepts Li’s apology, though he remains cold and clearly recognizes how close he came to being killed.
• Zhou Sining proves crucial in protecting Jiang Yu with his timely Gravity Field.
• Mu Nujiao recognizes that Li’s power is abnormal and prevents the Night Rakshasa from killing him.
• Han Ji shifts from healing mediator to firm authority, insisting that the rules and consequences be upheld despite the apology.

Themes and interactions

• The chapter explores the dangerous cost of ambition: Li’s desire to win turns a controlled duel into a near-death fight.
• It contrasts personal forgiveness with institutional accountability. Jiang Yu accepts the apology, but Han Ji makes clear that forgiveness does not erase the violation.
• The duel also highlights the team’s interdependence: Zhou and Mu intervene to save opponents on both sides, while the familiars’ loyalty intensifies the danger.
• Li’s apology and Jiang Yu’s reluctant acceptance ease their immediate conflict, but Han Ji’s ruling leaves the wider consequences unresolved.

Plot points and events

• Li Kaifeng is left behind with the Chinese team after President Han Ji suspends the duel and reports his use of a forbidden technique to the National Team Committee. Though the team’s open spot might still be filled by a strong performance, Li realizes his reckless attempt to win has put his place in jeopardy.
• Nan Rongni comforts Li Kaifeng and urges him to return to training—but warns him never to use the forbidden technique again. He regains his composure and travels with the others to Mexico, where they secure the National Pavilion Badge.
• The team then visits the American National Pavilion on Liberty Island. Temple Mage Aoluna guides them, grateful to Zhou Sining for helping expose the Caribbean pirate king Kaso’s secrets.
• At the pavilion, the Chinese team discovers a record board showing that every visiting team—including France and Italy—has lost. Ferom, Aoluna’s brother, has already marked China as a loser before the match.
• Ferom openly insults and dismisses the Chinese team. Zhou Sining challenges his arrogance, mocks his possessiveness toward Aoluna, and accepts Ferom’s offer to fight him.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Kaifeng shifts from despair toward renewed effort, though his future on the team remains uncertain.
• Nan Rongni shows concern for Li and tries to keep him focused.
• Aoluna treats Zhou Sining warmly and offers to help the team, while trying to smooth over her brother’s behavior.
• Ferom is introduced as proud, combative, and overprotective of Aoluna. His contempt for the Chinese team quickly turns into a personal challenge.
• Zhou Sining remains calm and blunt, refusing to tolerate Ferom’s disrespect. His remarks expose Ferom’s sister complex and provoke the confrontation.
• Mo Fan flirts with Aoluna, angering Ferom, and seems amused when Zhou draws Ferom’s attention toward himself. Mu Nujiao also pushes back against the claim that strength excuses disrespect.

Significant themes

• Responsibility and consequences: Li’s forbidden technique may cost him his place, and encouragement cannot erase the seriousness of his choice.
• Pride versus respect: Ferom treats victory as the only basis for respect; the Chinese team argues that confidence does not justify insulting others.
• Team rivalry and national reputation: America’s unbroken winning record intimidates the Chinese team, while Ferom’s premature prediction makes the coming match personal.

Plot and key events

• After Ferom insults China’s National Team, both sides skip formalities and agree to settle things with a five-on-five match at the American National Pavilion.
• Ai Jiangtu lets Zhou Sining lead the Chinese lineup, keeping his own abilities concealed. Zhou chooses Mu Tingying, Mo Fan, Li Kaifeng, and Nan Rongni; Zhao Manyan declines, confident Zhou’s expensive defensive gear means the team does not need him.
• The American lineup includes captain Boblin, Ferom, and three other mages. The battle starts immediately.
• A hardened, earth-element American charges Mo Fan, disrupting the Chinese team’s formation. Nan Rongni restrains him with plant magic, while Mu Tingying prepares to counter the Americans’ fire attack.
• Ferom launches an unusual Icebound Coffin made of flying spikes as another American rains down fire. Zhou Sining blocks the ice with a powerful Flame Shield, revealing the advantage of his Soul-grade fire.
• Boblin recognizes Zhou as the main threat and draws him away from the others, engaging him in the air. Both mages manifest wings.
• Mo Fan summons the newly awakened Little Flame Fairy. She absorbs the lingering flames overhead and transforms them into a massive volcanic eruption, forcing the American team to scatter in panic. The match’s outcome is not yet shown.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Sining confidently takes charge, gives Mo Fan room to fight, and protects the team when the Americans’ coordinated attacks threaten them. He is relaxed but clearly powerful.
• Mo Fan joins partly to punish the American who has been targeting him and Mu Ningxue. He gets his chance to display Little Flame Fairy’s increased strength.
• Little Flame Fairy returns from her sleep after the Peru incident, stronger but irritable, and dramatically turns the Americans’ own fire-based attack into a devastating counter.
• Mu Tingying is eager to prove herself, driven by anger at Ferom and rivalry over Mu Ningxue’s return. She volunteers to face the Americans’ fire magic.
• Li Kaifeng helps Mo Fan evade the charging giant, though their team’s formation quickly falls apart.
• Nan Rongni supports the team with a blessing and restrains the giant using plant magic.
• Boblin identifies Zhou as the key opponent and confronts him directly, showing confidence and tactical awareness.
• Ferom’s smugness falters when Zhou’s flames effortlessly stop his ice attack.

Significant themes

• Pride and retaliation: The match is fueled by the Americans’ insults and the Chinese team’s desire to answer them through combat.
• Concealed strength and spectacle: Ai Jiangtu hides his abilities, while Zhou and Mo Fan reveal formidable powers in the arena.
• Teamwork under pressure: The Chinese fighters struggle to maintain formation, but support and individual interventions keep them in the battle.
• Power turning the tide: Little Flame Fairy’s eruption transforms the Americans’ apparent advantage into sudden chaos.

Key events

• Little Flame Fairy appears in her growth-stage form and unleashes more than a dozen Flame Elemental Direwolves, turning the battle against the American National Pavilion team.
• While Zhou Sining keeps captain Boblin occupied and Nan Rongni restrains the Stone-Skinned Giant, Mo Fan and his teammates overwhelm the remaining Americans.
• Ferom and Wang Chi attempt a coordinated attack on Mo Fan. Li Kaifeng intercepts Ferom in the air, while Mo Fan’s Thunderstorm and Silent Thunder Death Ray smash through Wang Chi’s defense.
• Li Kaifeng completes Night Ruler, weakening opponents without black magic. With Mo Fan and Li Kaifeng unaffected, the main battlefield becomes decisively one-sided.
• Zhou Sining reveals a massive White Flame spell, Heavenly Flame Funeral—Thousand Petal Flame Flower. Before it can detonate, Aoluna signals the American team’s surrender. Zhou Sining dismisses the spell, and the Chinese team wins.

Character developments and interactions

• Little Flame Fairy has grown from a chubby baby into a formidable young flame spirit with Commander-level power, prompting awe—and envy—from Zhao Manyan and Jiang Yu.
• Mo Fan proves he is dangerous beyond his summoning ability: his own Advanced-level Lightning and Fire magic make him a powerful combatant. He protects his team’s advantage by striking Wang Chi as Li Kaifeng engages Ferom.
• Li Kaifeng shows confidence and tactical skill, challenging Ferom’s flight and using the distraction to complete Night Ruler.
• Zhou Sining appears relaxed and in control throughout his duel with Boblin. His Wing Magic Tool and flame control keep Boblin at bay, and his final spell forces the surrender without causing further harm.
• Boblin grows frustrated as his plan to occupy the Chinese captain fails to give his teammates an opening. The Americans’ coordinated attack collapses under the Chinese team’s teamwork and superior power.

Significant themes

• Momentum and teamwork: Little Flame Fairy’s entrance shifts the battle, while coordinated support lets Mo Fan and Li Kaifeng dismantle the enemy’s attack.
• Hidden depth and underestimated strength: Mo Fan is far more than a summoner, and Zhou Sining has not yet needed to reveal his full capabilities.
• Control and restraint: The Chinese team wins decisively, but Zhou Sining stops his devastating spell as soon as the Americans surrender.

Key plot points

• Zhou Sining easily defeats American National Pavilion captain Boblin, using a Star Constellation and a controlled Advanced Level Three Heavenly Flame Funeral. He pulls back the flames before they can destroy the Pavilion.
• Boblin concedes, and the American team apologizes and agrees to correct the boastful message on their wall. Aoluna presents the medal for China’s victory.
• Boblin learns Zhou Sining is not China’s National Team captain and worries about how strong the full team must be. The chapter looks ahead to the World Academy Competition in Venice as the real test between elite young mages.
• Later in New York, Zhou Sining takes Mu Nujiao back to the hotel while Zhao Manyan tries to persuade Mo Fan to go out.
• When Zhou Sining meets the others again, he learns that a Black Vatican assassin attacked Mo Fan. A Temple Mage intervened, but the powerful attacker escaped, and a bystander nearly died.
• Mo Fan explains that he had been targeting remaining Black Vatican members in China, possibly drawing the attention of Salang. Aoluna identified the attacker, Blue Robe, as a powerful Black Vatican Executioner.
• Zhou Sining wonders whether the Black Vatican may also have sent an assassin after him.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Sining demonstrates overwhelming strength and precision, but remains casual and restrained. He teases Boblin and makes clear that China had not even sent its captain. After hearing about the assassination, he becomes serious and alert.
• Boblin shifts from disbelief and humiliation to sincere acceptance and respect, recognizing the huge gap between himself and Zhou Sining.
• Mo Fan is shaken by the attack but recovers enough to explain its likely connection to his actions against the Black Vatican.
• Zhao Manyan is still joking and pushing for a night out, but later recounts the attack with visible concern.
• Mu Nujiao and Zhou Sining share an intimate, affectionate moment at the hotel before the group’s alarming news interrupts the evening.
• Mu Ningxue and the others were unable to stop the assassin’s control of the ice element, underscoring the threat’s strength; a Temple Mage’s arrival saves Mo Fan.

Significant themes

• Power commands respect: the American team becomes courteous after witnessing Zhou Sining’s strength.
• Restraint and control: Zhou Sining’s ability to limit a devastating spell is as impressive as its power.
• Competition and scale: the National Pavilion victory is treated as a small contest compared with the coming World Academy Competition.
• A threat beyond the arena: the celebratory mood gives way to the ongoing danger posed by the Black Vatican and its assassins.

Key plot points and events

• After the failed assassination attempt on Mo Fan, Zhou Sining worries that the Black Vatican may actually be targeting him—or the people close to him. Mu Nujiao suggests returning to China, but Zhou refuses: he wants to uncover the threat rather than live in hiding.
• The Temple of Freedom shelters the National Team and searches New York for the Executioner. After three days without success, the attacker is identified through Li Yu’e, the injured woman Mo Fan rescued: Pei Li, a former Temple mage expelled for a crime.
• Pei Li is a powerful mage specializing in Ice, Mind, and Wind; his vast Ice Domain makes him especially dangerous. The group discusses how to counter it. Mu Ningxue offers to suppress the ice, while Zhou says his Gangsha Domain can oppose Pei Li’s and promises the Executioner will not escape.
• Zhou suspects he may be Pei Li’s true target, or that Pei Li has an accomplice, because of Zhou’s role in the Ancient Capital Cataclysm. Despite Mo Fan’s concern, Zhou insists on helping.
• Li Yu’e sends Mo Fan an SOS, then calls asking him to visit her alone. Jiang Shaoxu recognizes that the call is likely a trap: Pei Li may have taken control of Li Yu’e’s mind and is luring Mo Fan to the hospital.
• The team decides to respond without alerting the Temple Mages, who might scare Pei Li away. Zhou urges Mo Fan to go first, gives him the Dark Duke Cloak, and promises to stop Pei Li from escaping.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Sining confronts his fear for his loved ones but chooses to face the Black Vatican directly. His suspicions about being the real target deepen, and he takes responsibility for helping Mo Fan.
• Mo Fan accepts the team’s support and agrees to go to the hospital, though he remains wary of risking Zhou’s safety and the sinister power of his Evil Blade.
• Mu Nujiao understands the danger from her experience during the Ancient Capital Cataclysm. She worries about Zhou but ultimately respects his decision.
• Ai Jiangtu protects team morale by rebuking Zu Jiming and his friends for blaming Mo Fan.
• Mu Ningxue offers a tactical way to prevent Pei Li from establishing his Ice Domain.
• Jiang Shaoxu quickly identifies the likely trap in Li Yu’e’s contradictory SOS and phone call; Zhao Manyan’s clumsy curiosity briefly eases the tension.

Significant themes

• Courage versus fear: Zhou acknowledges his fear but refuses to let it dictate his choices.
• Trust and solidarity: The team’s willingness to help Mo Fan contrasts with the blame and infighting that Ai Jiangtu suppresses.
• The danger of concealment: Zhou believes hiding will only delay the Black Vatican’s next attack.
• Deception and vigilance: Pei Li’s disguise, possible mind control, and the staged hospital invitation make information and trust central to the coming confrontation.

Key plot points

• The group launches a coordinated plan to confront Executioner Pei Li at the hospital. Mo Fan uses the Dark Duke Cloak to conceal his aura and hide his Night Ruler, while Mu Ningxue prepares to counter Pei Li’s Hail Domain. Zhou Sining and Mu Nujiao wait nearby as backup.
• Pei Li attacks Mo Fan, who breaks out of Li Yu’e’s room. Zhou Sining rushes to join him, expecting Pei Li may have an accomplice.
• Pei Li reveals he is working alone and says he had planned to target Zhou Sining as well. Relieved—and furious that he had worried unnecessarily—Zhou Sining draws the Burning Heaven Blade.
• Zhou Sining unleashes a powerful attack that traps Pei Li in an apocalyptic vision. White-flame chains bind and pierce the Executioner, and the Shadow Demon’s blade kills him, destroying his soul. The attack leaves a crater and severely weakens Zhou Sining.
• Mu Nujiao catches Zhou Sining as he falters. She chastises him for using such an exhausting technique when he could have won without it.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Sining demonstrates just how formidable the Burning Heaven Blade and his Shadow Demon ability are, but his willingness to overexert himself worries Mu Nujiao. He is also visibly relieved that Pei Li had no accomplice.
• Mo Fan contributes through stealth and preparation, then witnesses the full extent of Zhou Sining’s power.
• Mu Nujiao supports Zhou Sining, remains ready to defend herself, and catches him after the battle. She balances trust in his abilities with concern for his safety.
• Pei Li underestimates the young mages and is overwhelmed by Zhou Sining’s attack before he can escape.

Significant themes

• Preparation and teamwork: The group divides responsibilities and makes contingency plans, even though the feared accomplice never appears.
• Power and its cost: Zhou Sining’s devastating technique quickly ends the fight, but leaves him drained and prompts concern about the risks of pushing himself.
• Fear and perception: The attack’s nightmarish vision crushes Pei Li’s will, showing how mental pressure can be as decisive as physical force.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Sining kills Pei Li instantly with Crimson Blade: Burning Heaven. The blade is still dangerous to use, but Zhou can now wield it without losing consciousness, at the cost of drained magic and mental strength.
• The team discovers Pei Li’s attack was a diversion: while he drew Temple Mages away with Hail Domain, another Black Vatican group stole a forbidden item from the Temple of Freedom. The temple keeps both the theft and Pei Li’s death quiet; the stolen item remains unknown.
• The National Team travels to Spain. At the harbor in Tinoaya, they find the enormous, eerily clean skeleton of a Sea Territory Mammoth, which died within the past two days. Its tusks are already beginning to darken, suggesting the remains are recent.
• Unable to explain how such a powerful creature died without visible wounds or traces of flesh, most of the team leaves the mystery to Spain’s authorities. Zhou Sining decides to stay and investigate, recalling a story connected to a “Drowning Curse.”

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Sining shows greater control over his cursed blade, though using it still leaves him exhausted. He is eager for new challenges in Europe, but Ai Jiangtu dismisses his enthusiasm with an insult.
• Mo Fan checks that Zhou is all right after the fight. Mu Ningxue raises the diplomatic problem of Pei Li’s disappearance, while Jiang Shaoxu argues that the Americans have little right to complain and hints again at her secretive family background.
• Jiang Yu identifies the skeleton as a Sea Territory Mammoth and explains the significance of its tusks; Nan Jue voices the team’s concern that its death makes no sense.

Significant themes

• Power and its cost: Zhou’s weapon enables a swift victory but consumes his physical and mental reserves.
• Hidden threats and misdirection: Pei Li’s apparent attack conceals a larger Black Vatican operation.
• The unknown in nature: The mammoth’s pristine, unexplained death foreshadows a mystery beyond the team’s current understanding.

Plot points

• Mo Fan, Zhou Sining, and much of the team decide to stay near the shore and investigate a mysterious skeleton. Mo Fan also suspects the case could lead to a paid Hunters’ Alliance job.
• Mu Ningxue leaves the group to investigate something she overheard: people have been dying strangely along the beach. Mu Nujiao follows her.
• The two women find a corpse being cremated on the shore. An old local says the deaths resemble suicides: victims rush into the sea, drown themselves, and emerge pale and shriveled.
• Mu Ningxue recognizes the symptoms as the Drowning Curse, which she previously witnessed in East Sea City. Its appearance in coastal Spain, thousands of miles away, alarms both women.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Fan’s interest in the investigation is partly practical: he hopes a Hunter assignment will help him earn money for a Soul Seed and Domain before the World Academy Competition.
• Mu Ningxue shows both perceptiveness and compassion. She investigates the deaths and worries that Mu Nujiao’s friendship with her might strain Mu Nujiao’s relationship with Zhou Sining.
• Mu Nujiao explains Zhou Sining’s resentment stems from the deaths of his family during the Bo City disaster, which he associates with Mu Yuang—not with Mu Ningxue herself. She believes he may eventually reconcile with her.
• Mu Nujiao also tells Mu Ningxue that Mu Bai has been struggling with the stigma of his family connection to Mu He, but is trying to rebuild his life. Mu Ningxue is glad to hear news of him.
• The team’s banter continues as Jiang Shaoxu teases Zhou Sining about his wife, and he turns the joke back on her.

Significant themes

• Grief and reconciliation: Zhou Sining’s past shapes his attitude toward Mu Ningxue, while Mu Nujiao encourages understanding rather than blame.
• Stigma and resilience: Mu Ningxue and Mu Bai both bear the consequences of their relatives’ crimes and hope to move forward.
• Mystery and spreading danger: The Drowning Curse’s presence in distant locations suggests the threat is not confined to one coast.

Key plot points and events

• Mu Ningxue and Mu Nujiao learn that eight people have died from the mysterious Drowning Curse on the Spanish coast, with no clear pattern or known cause.
• Mu Ningxue explains her earlier encounter with the curse in East Sea City: victims become pale and emaciated before going into the sea and drowning themselves.
• Zhou Sining compares the symptoms to a fictional “horsehair worm” that drains its host’s nutrients and drives it toward water to reproduce. The group considers whether a similar organism could explain the curse.
• Mo Fan connects the theory to a giant, hollow skeleton they recently found, suggesting it may also have been drained of its nutrients.
• When Zhou jokes about the Khufu Pyramid appearing in China, Mu Nujiao explains that it houses the powerful undead Pharaoh Khufu; its arrival could trigger a disaster on the scale of the Ancient Capital Cataclysm.
• Mu Ningxue and Mo Fan decide to investigate further. Mu Nujiao also wants answers, questioning how the curse could have spread between distant locations. Zhou suggests it might move between hosts through the sea and its water cycle.

Character developments and interactions

• Mu Ningxue remains focused and analytical, steering the group back to the Drowning Curse and resolving to uncover its cause.
• Mu Nujiao shows unusual anger when Zhou’s jokes touch on a catastrophic threat. Her reaction also reflects lingering anxiety over having once waited for Zhou to return from the dead.
• Zhou Sining uses humor and a fictional story to offer a possible explanation, but apologizes when he upsets Mu Nujiao. He later expands his theory to explain how the curse could travel across oceans.
• Mo Fan is initially horrified and skeptical, but takes the possibility seriously when the theory fits the hollow skeleton. He tries to defuse the argument between Zhou and Mu Nujiao.
• The group’s discussion moves between speculation and caution: they are intrigued by Zhou’s explanation but recognize it is not proof.

Significant themes

• The unknown and fear: The curse’s unexplained, self-destructive effects unsettle even experienced characters.
• Speculation versus evidence: A compelling theory may connect clues, but Mo Fan stresses that they should not mistake plausibility for certainty.
• Humor amid danger: Zhou’s jokes ease tension at times, but can also trivialize dangers others take seriously.
• Hidden consequences: The pyramid discussion shows how a seemingly absurd scenario could have catastrophic implications in their world.

Key plot points

• Mo Fan, Mu Ningxue, Mu Nujiao, and Zhou Sining agree to investigate the Drowning Curse, but lack useful leads. Mo Fan calls Leng Lingling, their experienced strategist.
• Ling Ling reveals that the curse has caused deaths in coastal cities around the world and has drawn the attention of the World Hunters’ Alliance. A special bounty pool—now worth 350 million, plus substantial Hunter Points—awaits whoever solves it.
• Mo Fan persuades Zhou Sining to stay out of the bounty competition by jokingly calling him “Dad.” Zhou then promises to find Mo Fan a Soul Seed, eventually learning that Mo Fan wants one for his Lightning Element.
• The National Team returns to its coastal hotel after successfully facing Spain’s National Pavilion team. Li Kaifeng is allowed to remain in the World Academy Competition, but is forbidden from using the Azure Forbidden Art again.
• Zhou Sining checks his system points and explains that his unusual Contract Beast can locate buried treasures and avoid danger—helping explain his wealth and his knowledge of valuable graves.
• Ling Ling arrives in Tinoaya with a map of confirmed cases. She finds that the victims all died in coastal cities, with none reported near rivers or lakes, and that Tinoaya has the highest concentration. She vows to solve the mystery.

Character development and interactions

• Ling Ling eagerly takes charge, combining research, pattern-finding, and determination; the investigation gives her a welcome chance to use her talents.
• Mo Fan is driven by his need for money to obtain a Soul Seed and Domain. His shameless humor helps secure Zhou Sining’s promise, while his envy of Zhou’s treasure-finding ability highlights his ambitions.
• Zhou Sining shows generosity beneath his teasing, agreeing to help Mo Fan despite pretending to withdraw the offer. He also reveals a secret behind his resources.
• Mu Ningxue and Mu Nujiao witness the exchange between Mo Fan and Zhou Sining, reacting with disbelief to Mo Fan’s shamelessness.

Significant themes

• Friendship and loyalty: The group joins forces, and Zhou Sining’s promise reflects trust and generosity.
• Ambition and material need: Mo Fan’s pursuit of power is closely tied to the high cost of Soul Seeds.
• Mystery and investigation: Ling Ling turns scattered deaths into a pattern, shifting the group from speculation toward a focused inquiry.
• Humor amid danger: The banter and grave-robbing jokes contrast with the curse’s scale and severity.

Key plot points and events

• Ling Ling connects the Drowning Curse to Zhou Sining’s theory about parasites and identifies a likely culprit: the Jellyfish Vile Maggot, a nearly invisible sea creature that enters a host, consumes its nutrients, and eventually compels it to seek water.
• Mo Fan and Mu Ningxue investigate recent victims. They find that eight people shared key symptoms: a sudden increase in appetite, unexplained weight loss, and a strong attraction to water.
• At the home of Spanish mage Bobby, they discover his younger brother dead, apparently after drowning in his own blood. His older brother had also died from the curse.
• Ling Ling examines the body and filters the blood, uncovering a tiny, transparent, wriggling Jellyfish Vile Maggot. This confirms that the parasite causes the Drowning Curse and provides the specimen needed for her to work on a vaccine.
• The creature’s ability to take on a host’s appearance after developing raises a more alarming possibility: it may have transformed into the powerful Sea Territory Mammoth seen near the harbor.

Character developments

• Ling Ling proves herself an exceptionally capable strategist and investigator. She rapidly links the symptoms to a species she researches, confirms the diagnosis through forensic examination, and remains composed amid the grisly scene. She believes a vaccine may be feasible once she has parasite tissue.
• Zhou Sining contributes the key idea by recalling a fictional “horsehair worm invasion” premise. His speculation helps Ling Ling identify a real-world parallel.
• Mo Fan and Mu Ningxue gather the victim evidence and recognize the pattern in the cases. Mo Fan is impressed by Ling Ling’s speed and skill.
• Mu Nujiao asks practical questions about prevention and treatment, while also witnessing how frighteningly little is known about the parasite.

Significant themes

• Hidden threats and delayed discovery: The parasite is almost impossible to detect in its juvenile stage, so victims may be infected long before anyone understands what is happening.
• Knowledge turning speculation into action: Zhou Sining’s unusual idea gives Ling Ling a lead, which she tests through research and physical evidence.
• Scientific uncertainty and urgency: The species is poorly studied, but identifying it offers hope of a vaccine—while its unknown capabilities create serious danger.

Character interactions

• Zhou Sining shares his theory with Ling Ling, who takes it seriously and investigates it rather than dismissing it.
• Ling Ling explains the parasite’s life cycle to Mu Nujiao, Zhou Sining, and the others, then directs the group through the investigation.
• Mo Fan and Mu Ningxue bring Ling Ling the victim evidence; Mo Fan later helps her obtain gauze and collect the specimen.
• Bobby permits the examination of his brother’s body, while the group waits together and discusses the curse.
• The possibility that the parasite became a Sea Territory Mammoth shifts the group from relief at solving the curse toward concern about a powerful creature nearby.

Chapter summary

Ling Ling explains that the juvenile Vile Maggot is too small to provide a useful vaccine sample, so she releases it into the sea after implanting a tracking mark. Because few Vile Maggots survive long enough to mature, she asks Mo Fan and the others to protect it until it reaches its adult form—an estimated two weeks away. The group is appalled at having to guard a creature responsible for so much suffering, but Ling Ling stresses that a vaccine could save countless people from the increasingly common Drowning Curse. Guided by the memory of her father’s final words, she refuses to let them ignore a threat that could destroy other families. The five agree to help, despite their National Team obligations.
Bobby, a local Water mage and experienced guide, secures a yacht and helps the group follow the maggot from a safe distance. Ling Ling directs the operation, while Mo Fan, Mu Ningxue, Mu Nujiao, and Zhou Sining are expected to intervene if it encounters danger. After several days, the maggot settles near a large reef cave that shelters many Sea Monsters. Bobby identifies Sea Monkey Monsters in the shallower depths and a vast colony of Thunderstorm Squids farther down, warning that the deep waters are especially dangerous.
Bobby and Mu Nujiao suspect the maggot may be drawn to a Black Sea Pseudo-Dragon, a vicious hybrid whose territory is marked by dark, mildly poisonous, electrically charged water. Mu Nujiao explains how formidable dragon-like creatures can be, and Mo Fan proposes killing the maggot before it reaches the monster. Mu Ningxue notes that fighting such a beast at sea would favor it, though she makes an exception for Zhou Sining. Zhou insists they need not fear it, claiming he can rely on the others to prevent its escape.

Character developments and interactions

• Ling Ling takes command of the mission and reveals the moral conviction behind it: she is determined to prevent future victims, honoring her father’s words.
• Bobby proves essential as the team’s local guide and marine-life expert, though the Black Sea Pseudo-Dragon clearly frightens him.
• Mo Fan and the others overcome their initial anger at being asked to protect the Vile Maggot and commit to the larger goal.
• Zhou Sining avoids unnecessary underwater fighting, presenting himself as backup; his confidence at the end contrasts with the others’ caution.
• Mu Nujiao and Mu Ningxue contribute crucial knowledge and assess the danger, while Mo Fan voices the group’s understandable desire to eliminate the maggot early.

Significant themes

• Responsibility and prevention: The team accepts danger and inconvenience to prevent future deaths.
• The value of a difficult choice: Protecting a harmful creature temporarily may be necessary to develop a vaccine that saves many people.
• Knowledge and teamwork: Ling Ling’s planning, Bobby’s expertise, and the others’ abilities complement one another.
• Nature’s danger and uncertainty: The deeper sea holds threats powerful enough to make the mission far more dangerous than simply tracking the maggot.

Plot points and events

• The group waits for the Vile Maggot, which Ling Ling believes is hiding deep underwater and planning to infest the Black Sea Pseudo-Dragon.
• Ling Ling insists they capture the maggot alive to obtain tissue for a vaccine against the increasingly common Drowning Curse.
• To avoid fighting the pseudo-dragon underwater, Mu Nujiao proposes driving it to the surface by provoking a colony of Thunderstorm Squid. Their combined lightning turns the surrounding sea into a dangerous electrical zone.
• Mu Ningxue lures the pseudo-dragon while Mo Fan agitates the squid; the others prepare insulation and move the boat to safety.
• Forced out of the water by the lightning, the pseudo-dragon attacks the group on the reef. Mo Fan, Mu Ningxue, and Mu Nujiao fight together and eventually restrain it.
• Zhou Sining is distracted from joining the battle when Baby Black Dragon escapes its Contract Space and insists on fighting. After a comic struggle, Zhou returns it to the space—but by then, the others have already subdued the beast.

Character developments and interactions

• Ling Ling demonstrates firm resolve and a strong sense of responsibility, refusing to abandon the effort to secure a vaccine.
• Mu Ningxue takes charge of the plan, volunteering to lure the beast and assigning roles to the others. Mo Fan and Mu Nujiao support her in the fight.
• Zhou Sining remains confident that he can handle the pseudo-dragon, but his confidence is undercut by his inability to control his rebellious juvenile dragon. He apologizes afterward for being distracted.
• Baby Black Dragon shows growing independence and eagerness to prove its strength, refusing Zhou’s orders to stay put.
• Bobby is initially skeptical and afraid, but helps with the operation and evacuates the boat once the beast surfaces. Mu Nujiao gives Zhou a resentful look after his absence from the main fight, though she accepts that no one was hurt.

Significant themes

• Persistence and public responsibility: Ling Ling’s determination to pursue a vaccine outweighs the risks and inconvenience.
• Teamwork and strategy: The group uses the environment and the squid colony’s behavior to overcome a formidable enemy.
• Growing independence: Baby Black Dragon’s rebelliousness reflects its development, while also creating a humorous contrast with the battle’s danger.
• Confidence versus action: Zhou’s assurance that he can handle the beast is tested when he is sidetracked, leaving the others to win through cooperation.

Key plot points and events

• After Mu Ningxue and Mu Nujiao trap the Black Sea Pseudo-Dragon in ice and vines, Ling Ling warns that the Vile Maggot is acting.
• White maggots swarm over the immobilized pseudo-dragon, rapidly consuming it until only its skeleton remains. The Vile Maggot then disappears.
• Back aboard the ship, Ling Ling questions Zhou Sining for not helping in the fight. He gives a vague excuse, and Mu Nujiao defends him.
• During three days of waiting, Ling Ling keeps watch over the Vile Maggot with little sleep. When its signal moves rapidly toward the ship, Zhou Sining prepares to confront it.
• A huge creature attacks from underwater, but Zhou Sining blocks its bite with a Spatial Wall, then blasts it away with advanced Space magic and steadies the ship against the resulting waves.
• The others wake to find what looks like another Black Sea Pseudo-Dragon. Ling Ling reveals that it is actually the Vile Maggot.

Character developments and interactions

• Ling Ling remains focused and diligent, closely tracking the Vile Maggot despite exhaustion. Her initial suspicion of Zhou Sining shifts after she sees the strength of his magic and accepts that he had a genuine reason for missing the earlier fight.
• Zhou Sining first appears evasive and unhelpful, but demonstrates exceptional power by protecting the ship and repelling the approaching monster.
• Mu Nujiao stands up for Zhou Sining, who responds warmly; their affection briefly frustrates Ling Ling.
• Mo Fan and the others are horrified by the Vile Maggot’s feeding and later stunned by its transformed appearance.

Significant themes

• Horror and transformation: The Vile Maggot’s grotesque feeding turns a powerful monster into a skeleton, then apparently takes on its form.
• Appearances and hidden power: Zhou Sining’s apparent idleness conceals formidable abilities, while the familiar-looking pseudo-dragon is revealed to be something else entirely.
• Vigilance and responsibility: Ling Ling’s persistence in monitoring the creature helps the group recognize the danger before it reaches the ship.

Plot points and events

• The Vile Maggot transforms into a Black Sea Pseudo-Dragon, inheriting the original creature’s power and leaving the group facing a dangerous new opponent.
• Zhou Sining reveals he awakened the Mind Element alongside another element. He puts Bobby to sleep so the man cannot witness what is about to happen, then asks the others to keep the secret.
• Baby Black Dragon appears as a tiny ball of flesh and wings. The pseudo-dragon recognizes his True Dragon aura and is paralyzed with fear.
• Baby reveals his enormous true form, emerging from a vast Magic Array. His pureblood dragon pressure overwhelms the pseudo-dragon, whose dragon heritage has become a weakness against a superior bloodline.
• At Zhou’s urging, Baby kills the pseudo-dragon with a single claw strike but carefully retrieves its Demon Core. Zhou receives 1,856 Life Points for the kill.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Sining shows a secretive, ruthless side: he is willing to use Mind Control on allies to protect what they witness. He also has a soul link with Baby Dragon, allowing them to communicate across a distance.
• Baby Black Dragon shifts from an innocent-looking companion to a majestic, terrifying True Dragon. He is playful about displaying his form, but decisive and lethal in battle.
• Mo Fan, Mu Ningxue, and Ling Ling are unnerved by Zhou’s actions and by Baby’s overwhelming presence. Mu Nujiao urges the others to trust Zhou and watch.
• The group is left stunned by how effortlessly Baby dominates and kills a creature that had seemed formidable moments earlier.

Significant themes

• Bloodline and hierarchy: A superior dragon lineage can overpower a weaker dragon regardless of the weaker creature’s strength.
• Hidden power and secrecy: Zhou conceals his abilities and insists the others keep Baby’s true nature secret.
• Transformation and inheritance: The Vile Maggot’s evolution grants it the pseudo-dragon’s abilities, but also its vulnerability to True Dragon dominance.

Key events

• Baby Black Dragon returns from killing the Black Sea Pseudo-Dragon, revealing that the enormous creature Mo Fan and the others feared was the dragon’s true form.
• The group learns that Baby Black Dragon is a true Black Dragon, an extraordinarily rare species whose adult members are said to be powerful enough to overwhelm Forbidden Curse mages.
• Zhou Sining warns Mo Fan, Mu Ningxue, and Ling Ling to keep the dragon’s identity secret, since revealing it could put them all in danger. They agree.
• The group refocuses on the urgent task: Ling Ling extracts tissue from the Demon Core to make a vaccine against the Vile Maggot. They then return by boat to Tinoaya City.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Fan is shocked by the difference between Baby Black Dragon’s cute appearance and its immense power, and by the revelation of what a true dragon is.
• Ling Ling is thrilled to examine a living Black Dragon and asks Zhou Sining for shed scales, but respects his ban on recording it and promises secrecy.
• Mu Ningxue recognizes the danger and importance of the secret, while Mu Nujiao, already close to the dragon, openly dotes on it and feeds it Spirit Seed Fragments. The dragon happily chooses her and Ling Ling over Zhou Sining.
• Zhou Sining protects the dragon’s identity, uses a joking claim about finding it in the Ancient King’s tomb to deflect questions, and redirects everyone toward the vaccine mission.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: the playful, tiny dragon is also a creature of overwhelming power.
• Secrecy and responsibility: the group must protect knowledge that could attract danger.
• Urgency amid wonder: despite their amazement, the characters put the vaccine ahead of satisfying their curiosity.

Plot points and events

• After Ling Ling develops a prototype vaccine, the Drowning Curse is officially declared resolved. The Azure Sky Hunter Agency receives the public credit because the student team cannot reveal its role.
• The National Team leaves Spain and heads toward Egypt. Zhou Sining regrets not visiting Britain to challenge its famously undefeated National Pavilion, but Mo Fan warns that the British team is formidable and that fighting them would expose too many of their abilities before the World Academy Competition. Zhou backs down.
• The team expects Egypt’s Recognition Badge to complete their requirements, allowing them to go directly to Venice. Zhou is also interested in Egypt’s reputation as a great center of the Undead.
• Before they reach the Mediterranean, they receive an optional emergency assignment: search the Sahara’s outskirts for a missing national team that vanished while sheltering from a sandstorm.
• The Sahara’s extreme dangers divide the group. Nan Jue favors going, and Mo Fan, Mu Ningxue, Jiang Shaoxu, Jiang Yu, and Zhao Manyan sign up. Ai Jiangtu allows the team to split, with him staying alongside those who decline.
• Despite his caution, Zhou Sining decides to join after Mu Nujiao says she wants the challenge.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Sining is restless for a serious fight and initially dismisses warnings about Britain, but accepts the team’s judgment. He is drawn to the Egyptian Undead and ultimately chooses to test himself in the Sahara.
• Mo Fan reveals how costly his fight with the British team was and joins the rescue partly because he needs money to strengthen himself and Flame Belle.
• Mu Nujiao shows a desire to push beyond the relatively easy training she has faced, prompting Zhou to join her.
• Ai Jiangtu handles disagreement pragmatically, letting members choose rather than forcing the entire team into danger.
• Zu Jiming, Li Kaifeng, and Guan Yu object to the rescue, emphasizing its risks and the fact that the reward may not justify them. Nan Jue counters that the assignment is limited to the outskirts and offers a good reward.

Significant themes

• Risk versus reward: The rescue assignment tests whether financial gain, training, and duty are worth the danger of the Sahara.
• Teamwork and individual choice: The team remains united in purpose while splitting according to each member’s willingness to take risks.
• Preparation and restraint: The discussion of Britain highlights the need to conserve abilities for the World Academy Competition.
• Hidden contributions and public credit: The team’s role in resolving the Drowning Curse remains unrecognized, with the agency taking credit.