Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Officials and faction representatives gather on West Lake after Mo Xie summons them to discuss Hangzhou’s Plague Disease. The White Demon Eagle Legion remains an urgent military threat.
• Mo Xie arrives with Leng Lingling and reveals that the Plague was deliberately caused by people, not by nature.
• He explains that a batch of Blood Potions sent from Bai Town was substandard and contained Plague Blood from Plague Claw Rats.
• The dangerous potions were intercepted before reaching West Fortress. Military Commander Ming Kuo swapped them for safe, high-quality potions supplied by Mo Xie, preventing an outbreak among the wounded soldiers.
• Leng Lingling projects Mo Xie’s research, showing the link between Plague Claw Rat blood and the disease.
• When Chief Judge Li Tian begins to recognize the implication that Plague Blood resembles Mutant Blood, Councilor Luo Mian abruptly redirects attention to the White Demon Eagles. His response makes the others suspicious.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Xie shifts from investigator to accuser, presenting evidence and taking control of the gathering. He calmly explains why Ming Kuo kept the potion problem secret.
• Ming Kuo confirms the swap and supports Mo Xie’s account, accepting that he withheld information under Mo Xie’s instructions.
• Zhu Meng begins impatient and skeptical, but is relieved when Mo Xie arrives and listens as the revelation unfolds.
• Tang Zhong remains confident in Mo Xie and urges the officials to hear him out.
• Luo Mian tries to appear concerned for Hangzhou, but his unease grows when the tainted potions are revealed. His hurried attempt to change the subject deepens suspicion about his involvement.
• Yun Feng is alarmed that substandard potions might have reached his soldiers, then accepts Mo Xie’s explanation for the secrecy.
• Leng Lingling supports the investigation by displaying its findings, while Li Tian spots a potentially important connection before Luo Mian interrupts him.

Significant themes

• Truth and accountability: Evidence begins to expose the human cause behind what seemed like a natural disaster.
• Deception and suspicion: Luo Mian’s evasions contrast with Mo Xie’s investigation and make hidden responsibility a central tension.
• Duty and sacrifice: The potion swap prevents harm to West Fortress’s wounded soldiers, while officials must weigh the Plague against the looming military threat.
• Knowledge as power: Mo Xie’s research and Leng Lingling’s presentation turn scientific findings into a public challenge to authority.

Plot points and events

• Mo Xie explains that the plague and the White Demon Eagles’ assault are connected: the tainted Blood Potions infected Hangzhou’s residents, making their blood resemble that of Plague Claw Rats—the eagles’ preferred prey and a source of power. The Eagles began targeting the city after infected people were gathered there.
• Leng Lingling presents a chart linking the potion scandal to Deputy Chief Judge Wang Yi’s wife and, by implication, Councilor Luo Mian.
• Luo Mian immediately accuses Wang Yi of acting behind his back. Wang Yi, understanding the cue, confesses to using diseased rat blood to counterfeit exotic blood and produce the potions.
• Li Tian denounces Luo Mian, arguing that mages should not have to die defending Hangzhou from a catastrophe caused by human greed. Luo Mian calmly claims Wang Yi’s confession clears him.
• Mo Xie plays a recording of Luo Mian and Wang Yi discussing the tainted potion batch, directly connecting Luo Mian to the scheme. Luo Mian challenges the recording’s authenticity, but the officials’ contempt for him grows.
• The chapter ends with Luo Mian privately deciding that, even if Mo Xie has exposed him, Mo Xie may have paid a price too.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Xie stays composed and methodical, explaining the Eagles’ motive and revealing stronger evidence when Luo Mian tries to evade blame.
• Leng Lingling supports the investigation by presenting the network of people involved.
• Luo Mian shifts from apparent composure to anger and then calculated denial, sacrificing his subordinate to protect himself.
• Wang Yi initially appears stunned, then follows Luo Mian’s signal and takes the blame. The recording undermines his confession.
• Li Tian openly confronts Luo Mian, driven by anger at the corruption and the needless deaths it caused.
• Zhu Meng voices the group’s disbelief as the link between the plague and the Eagle attack becomes clear.

Significant themes

• Greed and responsibility: Human corruption created both the plague and the invasion crisis.
• Scapegoating and power: Luo Mian exploits his authority to shift blame onto a subordinate.
• Evidence versus denial: Even direct evidence is met with attempts to discredit it when powerful figures face exposure.
• The cost of leadership: Li Tian insists that citizens and mages should not bear the burden of disasters deliberately caused by those in power.

Plot points

• Luo Mian hints that Mo Fan may be dead, provoking Mo Xie’s anger and leading Zhu Meng and Tang Yue to suspect the worst.
• Mo Xie reveals he already knows the cure for the Plague Disease: Eagle Red Grass, found on the West Ridge. Luo Mian argues that reaching it is impossible because the area is the White Demon Eagles’ lair.
• Yun Feng suggests using a Sky Eagle to retrieve the herb, but the fortress has already killed all its Sky Eagles—and a remaining one would likely be overwhelmed by the demon eagles.
• Mo Fan, Wang Xiaojun, and the Gray Eagle arrive alive, shocking Luo Mian. Luo Mian accidentally lets slip that he had arranged for them to be killed.
• Zhu Meng confronts Luo Mian, who is left exposed and unable to defend himself.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Xie initially appears enraged by Luo Mian’s insinuation, then calmly reassures Tang Yue and reveals the cure. His composure shifts the scene and frustrates Luo Mian.
• Tang Yue fears that Mo Fan has been harmed and clings to Mo Xie, but is reassured when Mo Xie says nothing happened.
• Zhu Meng moves from confusion to anger and guilt as he realizes Luo Mian manipulated him. He physically confronts Luo Mian, repeatedly grabbing his beard.
• Luo Mian goes from smug confidence to panic as the cure is identified, his scheme is exposed, and his intended victims return alive.
• Yun Feng proposes a practical solution, but Ming Kuo reminds him that his own order to eliminate the Sky Eagles has made it unworkable.
• Qin Zhan becomes hostile toward Luo Mian, suspecting he tried to silence Mo Fan and Wang Xiaojun.

Significant themes

• Deception and accountability: Luo Mian’s public image as a caring official collapses under evidence of his secret crimes.
• Hope amid danger: Finding a cure offers a way forward, though obtaining it requires entering a perilous stronghold.
• Consequences of past decisions: The destruction of the Sky Eagles removes a possible means of reaching the herb.
• Loyalty and trust: The characters’ reactions reveal who protects one another—and how deeply Zhu Meng regrets trusting Luo Mian.

Key plot points and events

• Mo Fan gives Mo Xie the Spatial Ring containing the Eagle Red Grass. Zhu Meng urges Mr. Lu to take it to the quarantine zone and develop a cure for the plague.
• Mo Xie explains that Wang Xiaojun and his Gray Eagle gathered the rare grass. Xiaojun admits he secretly kept the eagle despite orders to put down the Sky Eagles, then rode it into the West Ridge.
• Military Commander Yun Feng honors Xiaojun and the Gray Eagle by naming them Sky Eagle Mages. Xiaojun, overwhelmed, embraces the eagle and tearfully shares the moment with it.
• Xiaojun accuses Councilor Luo Mian of trying to intercept them and steal the grass. Luo denies it, but Mo Xie has Ling Ling show recorded footage of their encounter.
• The recording reveals Luo Mian demanding the Eagle Red Grass, threatening Mo Fan and Xiaojun, and using his Curse Element to conjure a Crimson Evil Spider and ensnare them.
• After the footage ends, the gathered officials recognize that Luo Mian intended to kill the two young men. Enraged and exposed, Luo threatens Mo Xie.

Character developments

• Wang Xiaojun moves from a nervous young man into a publicly recognized hero. His disobedience, motivated by loyalty to his Gray Eagle, proves crucial to the rescue effort.
• Yun Feng sets aside concern for military discipline and status, openly praising Xiaojun for saving Hangzhou.
• Luo Mian is exposed as ruthless and corrupt, his respectable public image contradicted by his threats and attempted murder.
• Mo Xie calmly turns the evidence against Luo, while Ling Ling provides the recording that makes his guilt undeniable.

Significant themes

• Courage and conscience: Xiaojun’s decision to protect the eagle, though it broke orders, ultimately saves lives.
• Loyalty and companionship: Xiaojun and the Gray Eagle’s affection is shown through their reunion and the eagle’s comforting gesture.
• Power and corruption: Luo abuses his office and magic for personal gain, while the recording holds him accountable.
• Recognition and redemption: Xiaojun’s act is formally honored, transforming a past breach of orders into a source of pride.

Character interactions

• Mo Xie credits Xiaojun and invites him to explain how the grass was obtained.
• Ming Kuo praises Xiaojun, and Yun Feng salutes and honors both him and the Gray Eagle.
• Xiaojun confronts Luo directly; Luo responds with denial and threats.
• Mo Xie and Ling Ling expose Luo through the recording, shifting the crowd’s sympathy toward the victims and leaving Luo openly furious.

Chapter Summary: “A Desperate Counterattack”

Key plot points and events

• Mo Xie reveals that he discovered Luo Mian’s listening device and deliberately used it to lure him into exposing himself. He had prepared Xiao Fan with an illusion-trapping Magic Tool and a Space Scroll in case Luo Mian intervened.
• With witnesses and recorded evidence against him, Luo Mian admits that he tried to conceal his role in the plague by directing suspicion toward the Totem Black Snake. Li Tian orders the Judgment Hall to arrest him.
• Realizing he may be able to escape but unwilling to leave without revenge, Luo Mian chooses Mo Xie as his target.
• Luo Mian uses his subordinate Wang Yi as a decoy. He forces dark energy into Wang Yi until he explodes, then casts the Shadow Element spell Night Ruler, covering West Lake in darkness and disrupting everyone’s senses.
• Qin Zhan realizes Luo Mian is not heading for the perimeter but rushing toward Mo Xie. Leng Qing, Zhu Meng, and Tang Zhong race to protect him as Luo Mian launches his attack.

Character developments

• Mo Xie shows foresight and composure: he anticipated Luo Mian’s reaction and prepared safeguards, turning the listening device into part of his trap.
• Luo Mian drops his pretense once exposed. He proves ruthless and calculating, sacrificing Wang Yi to create an opening and choosing vengeance over a clean escape.
• Wang Yi shifts from fearful loyalty to helpless victimhood. Though he tries to flatter Luo Mian and owes his career to him, he is betrayed and killed.
• Li Tian and the others move from confidence in the arrest to urgent alarm as Luo Mian turns the situation into a direct attack.
• Leng Qing reacts immediately to Mo Xie’s danger, showing her protectiveness and resolve.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and exploitation: Luo Mian treats even his longtime aide as disposable.
• Revenge and the cost of exposure: Mo Xie’s success in revealing the truth makes him Luo Mian’s immediate target.
• Power and moral corruption: Luo Mian uses his formidable magic not to face justice but to sacrifice an ally and attack a younger opponent.
• Preparation versus desperation: Mo Xie’s planning exposes Luo Mian, but Luo Mian’s sudden counterattack keeps the danger alive.

Character interactions

• Mo Xie confronts Luo Mian with the evidence, while Li Tian publicly orders his arrest.
• Luo Mian threatens Mo Xie, then manipulates Wang Yi by invoking his past help and promising to care for his family before demanding his life.
• Wang Yi’s fearful deference contrasts with Luo Mian’s cold cruelty.
• As Luo Mian targets Mo Xie, Leng Qing, Zhu Meng, Tang Zhong, and Qin Zhan respond—setting up a race to stop him in the darkness.

Key plot points and events

• Luo Mian emerges from the black mist and attacks Mo Xie with a massive axe, furious that Mo Xie has ruined his plans.
• Mo Xie uses a menacing, shadow-related power to distract Luo Mian. His animated shadow strikes from behind and cuts off Luo Mian’s arm, forcing him to retreat.
• Mo Xie then summons Little Thunder through Possession and reveals the Tyrant Domain, a lightning domain that draws elemental power from the surrounding area.
• Luo Mian dismisses the threat and attacks again, but Mo Xie forms a lightning spear and blocks his axe, dispersing the black mist and exposing them to view.
• Unable to continue openly, Luo Mian flees after threatening Mo Xie.
• Mo Xie’s Qilin Pendant flashes, and blue-black mist spreads across the sky over Hangzhou. Zhu Meng assumes Luo Mian is casting Night Ruler again, but Tang Zhong says, “Our god has returned,” implying the mist signals something more significant.

Character developments

• Mo Xie demonstrates that he is prepared for Luo Mian and can combine shadow abilities with Little Thunder’s lightning. His strength and control are far beyond what the others expected, though he recognizes that killing a Super Level Shadow mage outright is difficult.
• Luo Mian shifts from confidence to pain and alarm after losing an arm and having his attack blocked. He withdraws rather than risk capture or defeat.
• Tang Zhong moves from cautious concern to excitement at the spreading mist, interpreting it as the return of a revered figure or force.
• Qin Zhan and Zhu Meng are stunned by Mo Xie’s domain and the possibility that it comes from a Lightning Soul Seed.

Character interactions

• Luo Mian’s hatred drives him to attack Mo Xie, but Mo Xie turns the confrontation around with a surprise strike and then a direct show of power.
• Qin Zhan recognizes Mo Xie’s domain, while Zhu Meng voices shock at his apparent Soul Seed.
• Tang Zhong urges the group to seize Luo Mian, then stops Zhu Meng from pursuing him when the sky darkens.

Significant themes

• Hidden power and reversal: The apparent victim uses surprise and concealed abilities to wound a much stronger opponent.
• Power and its limits: Mo Xie can resist a Super Level mage, but recognizes that defeating one outright remains difficult.
• Uncertainty and ominous change: The spreading mist closes the chapter on a larger mystery, with Tang Zhong’s words suggesting a powerful presence has returned.

Key events

• The Totem Black Snake returns to West Lake after shedding its skin, arriving in a massive splash and swallowing the fleeing councilor Luo Mian.
• The snake spits Luo Mian back out, badly digested but still alive. He begs Zhu Meng and then Tang Yue to save him. Tang Yue rejects him, slaps him, and condemns him for his actions. Li Tian orders Luo Mian taken into custody.
• A warning flare signals an emergency at West Fortress: a Monarch-Level creature has appeared among the White Demon Eagle Legion. With the Sky Eagle System disabled, the fortress is struggling to repel the attackers, and the city itself may be threatened.
• Zhu Meng orders the Judgment Officers and Court Guards to reinforce the front line. Palace Guard Captain Wu Pingjing leads the airborne force, while Mo Xie sends his own mages to assist.
• Tang Zhong assigns Tang Yue and Leng Qing to lead the Judgment Hall in evacuating residents from the western district.
• Mo Xie turns to the Totem Black Snake and invites it to join the fight.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Yue welcomes the Black Snake’s return, but shows no mercy toward Luo Mian, revealing her contempt for his betrayal and lack of humanity.
• Luo Mian falls from powerful councilor to helpless captive, pleading first with Zhu Meng and then Tang Yue; neither rescues him.
• Mo Xie supports Tang Yue and quickly shifts his attention to the coming battle, asking the Black Snake to help.
• Zhu Meng responds to the military crisis with urgency, mobilizing the city’s defenders.
• Tang Yue and Leng Qing accept responsibility for protecting civilians, while Wu Pingjing demonstrates his formidable power by leading the airborne troops.

Significant themes

• Consequences and justice: Luo Mian’s grotesque punishment reflects the consequences of his actions, and Tang Yue refuses to confuse pity with forgiveness.
• Duty amid crisis: The characters set aside the confrontation with Luo Mian to defend the city and evacuate its residents.
• Power and vulnerability: The Black Snake’s immense strength contrasts with the helplessness of even a high-ranking councilor, while the looming aerial attack tests the defenders’ collective strength.

Key events

• West Fortress is attacked by a vast White Demon Eagle Legion, while the Sky Eagles have turned against the humans. With many Beginner and Intermediate Mages unable to fight effectively, the fortress’s lower and middle defenses are in serious danger.
• A Monarch-Level Demon, the Silver Dome Lord, has joined the assault. Zhu Meng and Wu Pingjing agree to confront it, despite the risk that Commander-Level demons may surround it. Their immediate goal is to hold the beast at West Fortress until Lu develops an antidote for the Plague.
• Tang Zhong reveals that Mo Xie had the Totem Black Snake conceal its return to Hangzhou. The White Demon Eagles do not know the snake is nearby, and it may be waiting to ambush the Silver Dome Lord. This raises the defenders’ hopes and strengthens their resolve.
• The battle spreads across more than a dozen kilometers. Ground troops hold square formations and try to draw eagles into range; flying Advanced Mages attack the main flock; and the strongest human fighters clash with Four-Clawed Demon Eagles high among the clouds. The humans are badly outnumbered, and casualties mount.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhu Meng remains determined to fight despite his earlier misjudgments, seeing the battle as a chance to make amends. He and Wu Pingjing prepare to face the Silver Dome Lord together.
• Tang Zhong recognizes Hangzhou’s weakness and resolves to strengthen it after the crisis, considering cooperation with Mo Xie and the growing faction Mo Xie has established.
• Li Tian questions why the White Demon Eagles have not retreated now that the Totem Black Snake has returned. Tang Zhong explains that its presence is hidden; Qin Zhan infers that Mo Xie intends for it to strike the Silver Dome Lord.
• Yun Feng moves from grave concern to cautious optimism upon learning that the snake may be lying in wait.
• Rank-and-file soldiers endure the heaviest immediate suffering, watching comrades fall while depending on the commanders and elite fighters to turn the battle.

Significant themes

• Duty and perseverance: The defenders fight despite overwhelming odds because retreat would leave the fortress exposed.
• Sacrifice and unequal burdens: Ordinary soldiers bear the battlefield’s pain first, while the outcome depends heavily on elite combatants.
• Strategy and hidden advantages: Concealing the Totem Black Snake’s return may give the humans a decisive surprise.
• Regret and rebuilding: Zhu Meng hopes to atone for past mistakes, while Tang Zhong looks beyond survival toward rebuilding Hangzhou.

Key plot points and events

• Ten Super-Level mages confront the Silver Dome Lord, the aerial ruler of the West Ridge, which is protected by ten Commander-Level Four-Clawed Demon Eagles.
• Zhu Meng proposes wearing down the escorts so the Totem Black Snake might have a chance to attack. He charges first, joined by Palace Guard Captain Wu Pingjing and other mages.
• The Silver Dome Lord proves exceptionally dangerous: it surrounds itself with a cyclone of razor-sharp feathers that disrupts Super-Level spellcasting, and it uses its escorts to block attacks while striking at the mages.
• Zhu Meng reorganizes the fight: Tang Zhong and Li Tian engage the escorts, while he and the Cold Hunter King focus on the Silver Dome Lord and the others seek openings to cast.
• The Silver Dome Lord attacks Wu Pingjing. Qin Zhan shields him with Holy Magic and uses spatial and gravity forces to slow the eagle; Zhu Meng and Yun Feng also intervene, but the Lord evades their attacks.
• Reinforcements—three Super-Level mages brought by Little Evil—begin pushing back the Four-Clawed Demon Eagles. With the escorts occupied, the group can concentrate on the Silver Dome Lord.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhu Meng reveals formidable speed and combat ability, shedding his formal demeanor to lead the assault. Though frustrated by the Lord’s evasiveness, he stays determined and adapts the plan.
• Wu Pingjing is established as a powerful mage, but weaker than the leading fighters; his peril prompts Qin Zhan and Zhu Meng to defend him.
• Qin Zhan risks himself to protect Wu Pingjing, layering shields and using spatial and gravity magic despite the Lord’s overwhelming force.
• Yun Feng supports the defense by petrifying many of the feather blades, though his Earth Element specialization limits his effectiveness in aerial combat.
• Tang Zhong and Li Tian take on the escorts, helping draw them away from the main fight. The arrival of Little Evil’s reinforcements gives the group renewed confidence.

Significant themes

• Cooperation against overwhelming power: The mages divide their roles and combine their abilities because no one can face the Lord alone.
• Adaptability and sacrifice: The fighters revise their tactics as the Lord exposes the limits of their initial approach, while Qin Zhan accepts danger to save Wu Pingjing.
• The cost of defending human territory: The mages are fighting not just a powerful beast, but a threat that could bring the West Ridge’s vast eagle forces into human lands.

Chapter Summary: “The Hunting Black Snake”

Key plot points and events

• The Totem Black Snake stalks the wounded Silver Dome Lord from concealment, waiting for the right moment to attack. Tang Jin observes that the eagle is so badly pressured by the mages that it has failed to notice the approaching predator.
• On the Cloud Summit Battlefield, Zhu Meng and the others continue trying to break through the Silver Dome Lord’s Blade Domain. The Black Snake’s ambush depends on opening a gap in the eagle’s defenses.
• Zhu Meng risks everything by pushing his Magic Tools to their limits. Clad in lightning armor and wielding a blazing spear, he charges into the domain. His flames overwhelm the silver blades and destroy much of the defense.
• With the domain broken, Mo Xie signals the attack. The Silver Dome Lord is hurled away, carving a vast path of destruction through the mountains before crashing into the city’s western district.
• As civilians flee toward the Safe Barrier, they witness the enormous eagle rise amid the ruins. The Totem Black Snake then plunges from the sky and lands nearby, revealing itself as more than twice the eagle’s size and setting up a direct confrontation.

Character developments

• Zhu Meng proves his resolve and willingness to take extreme risks, using his armor and spear to break the Silver Dome Lord’s defenses.
• Tang Jin remains composed and observant, assessing the wounded eagle and recognizing the advantage the hidden Black Snake has.
• Mo Xie waits for the precise moment to launch the ambush, showing confidence in the plan and the serpent’s hunting instincts.
• Qin Zhan stays calm amid the battle, whistling when Zhu Meng’s attack succeeds rather than joining the assault.

Character interactions

• Tang Jin speaks with the Totem Black Snake, noting the eagle’s weakness while the serpent silently prepares to strike.
• Zhu Meng’s attack creates the opening Mo Xie has been waiting for, allowing the Black Snake to make its move.
• The other mages support the fight by defending Zhu Meng, holding back the White Demon Eagles, and searching for weaknesses in the Silver Dome Lord’s defenses.
• Civilians and students watch the monsters’ arrival with terror as the battlefield’s destruction reaches the city.

Significant themes

• Predator and prey: The Black Snake’s patient hunt contrasts with the chaotic battle, and even a powerful monster can become vulnerable when wounded.
• Risk and sacrifice: Zhu Meng’s dangerous assault shows that breaking through the eagle’s defenses requires personal commitment.
• Human vulnerability before overwhelming power: The fleeing civilians and devastated city reveal how small ordinary people and human-made defenses seem beside Monarch-Level Beasts.
• Coordination in crisis: The mages’ combined efforts create the opening needed for the ambush, showing the importance of cooperation against a superior threat.

Key plot points and events

• After the mountain collapses, the Silver Dome Lord calls the White Demon Eagle Legion to help it confront the Totem Black Snake.
• The eagles repeatedly charge the snake’s Cyan Barrier Poison Gas, but those that touch it die. The Silver Dome Lord eventually orders them back and attacks with its storm of blades instead.
• The blades barely scratch the snake’s metallic scales. It remains calm and airborne, watching the Silver Dome Lord.
• People in Hangzhou spot Mo Xie standing on the Totem Black Snake’s head. Photos spread online, and the public realizes he is riding the serpent.
• As reports clarify that the snake did not cause the plague and that Mo Xie helped uncover the truth, opinion shifts: the snake is hailed as Hangzhou’s protector.
• Zhu Meng watches the battle and reconsiders his long-held belief that the Totem Black Snake threatens the city.

Character developments and interactions

• The Totem Black Snake displays overwhelming strength and composure, ignoring the eagle legion’s attacks and directly confronting the Silver Dome Lord.
• The Silver Dome Lord is furious and wary of the snake, but its attacks prove ineffective; it shows concern for its troops by ordering them to retreat.
• Mo Xie becomes a public symbol of hope when people see him riding the serpent.
• Zhu Meng undergoes a major change in perspective. After years of trying to eliminate the snake, he recognizes its willingness to defend Hangzhou and begins to see it as a guardian.
• The citizens of Hangzhou move from fear and suspicion to gratitude and support for Mo Xie and the snake.

Significant themes

• Misjudgment and revelation: The city’s view of the serpent changes once its true role becomes clear.
• Protection and belonging: The snake’s defense of Hangzhou challenges the assumption that a powerful creature must be a threat.
• Power and the food chain: The eagle-versus-snake imagery shows that apparent predators can also become prey.
• Public opinion and shared hope: News and images reshape how people understand the crisis and rally them behind their defenders.

Key plot points and events

• The Totem Black Snake keeps the Silver Dome Lord from taking flight, repeatedly knocking it down with its huge tail. The eagle’s destructive Sound Wave cracks the snake’s scales, but the snake interrupts the attack with another blow.
• A poison barrier protects Hangzhou from the White Demon Eagle Legion, while the Silver Dome Lord is forced outside the city and cannot safely return.
• When the Silver Dome Lord finally climbs high enough to regain an aerial advantage, the Totem Black Snake vanishes into dark teal mist and reappears above it.
• The snake creates a vast Heavenly Stele Seal from the markings on its scales. Empowered by Earth Element Magic and immense gravity, the seal slams the Silver Dome Lord into the ground, burying it in a deep crater between two highways.
• Mo Xie, watching from behind the snake’s scales, considers testing his evolved Mangekyo Sharingan on the helpless Monarch. He closes and reopens his eyes, revealing a new hexagram pattern.

Character developments and interactions

• Totem Black Snake: Demonstrates overwhelming strength, tactical cunning, and deliberate cruelty. It lets the Silver Dome Lord believe it can escape upward, then uses its mist-traveling ability to trap and crush it.
• Silver Dome Lord: Shifts from furious confidence to helpless pain. Its flight and sonic attack fail against the snake’s reach and control of the battlefield.
• Mo Xie: Moves from observing the battle in awe to seeing an opportunity to test his new power. The Sharingan has evolved after absorbing demonic power from the Blood Benefit Seed.
• Human mages: Watch in astonishment and feel relief that the Totem Black Snake is defending Hangzhou.

Significant themes

• Power and hierarchy: Though both demons are Monarch-Level, the Totem Black Snake’s superiority is unmistakable.
• Tactical dominance: The snake wins not only through force but by anticipating the Silver Dome Lord’s strategy and controlling its escape routes.
• Human vulnerability: Mo Xie’s awe emphasizes how small human beings seem beside Monarch-Level Demons.
• Escalating power: The chapter closes by introducing Mo Xie’s newly awakened abilities, suggesting another threat or shift in the battle.

Key plot points and events

• Mo Xie uses his Mangekyo Sharingan technique, Amaterasu, on the Silver Dome Lord. The black flames cannot be extinguished, forcing the Monarch-level eagle to sever its burning wing to keep the fire from spreading.
• The watching mages are stunned by the ancient Totem Black Snake’s power and by Mo Xie’s unfamiliar flame. Zhu Meng sends reinforcements to defend the West Fortress while he and Qin Zhan stay near the snake to prevent the Silver Dome Lord from escaping.
• Injured and weakened, the Silver Dome Lord tries to flee. Mo Xie calls on the Totem Black Snake, which catches it, coils around it, and bites its throat.
• The White Demon Eagles launch a desperate attack to save their leader, but the defenders hold them back. Unable to break free or harm the snake, the Silver Dome Lord dies. Its soul enters the Qilin Pendant.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Xie demonstrates a powerful new ability, though he recognizes that his current strength cannot make Amaterasu consume a Monarch-level demon’s entire body. Its use strains his eyes, which he can partly relieve with Healing and Psychic magic.
• Mo Xie and the Totem Black Snake work together to finish the fight: Mo Xie cripples the eagle and prevents its escape, while the snake delivers the killing blow.
• Qin Zhan recognizes that Mo Xie has more secrets and privately admires his effectiveness, even imagining him as a good son-in-law. Zhu Meng responds practically, organizing the defense and helping ensure the enemy leader cannot escape.
• The Silver Dome Lord’s decision to amputate its wing shows its desperation and resolve, but its injuries leave it unable to overcome the Totem Black Snake.

Significant themes

• Power and hidden potential: Mo Xie’s unfamiliar ocular abilities reveal how much he can still develop.
• Teamwork and battlefield strategy: The combined efforts of Mo Xie, the Totem Black Snake, and the human defenders secure victory.
• The cost of survival: The Silver Dome Lord sacrifices a wing to contain the flames, only to fall while trying to escape.
• War and loyalty: The White Demon Eagles continue fighting desperately to save their leader, even as their defeat becomes unavoidable.

Key plot points and events

• The White Demon Eagle Legion retreats after the Totem Black Snake kills its leader, the Silver Dome Lord, ending the immediate siege of Hangzhou.
• The city celebrates the snake as its protector and savior, recognizing that it never caused the plague or harmed humans.
• Military forces clear the battlefield, recover casualties, treat the wounded, and reinforce Hangzhou’s aerial defenses after the Sky Eagles’ betrayal exposed a major weakness.
• Eagle Red Grass reaches the Central Quarantine Zone in time. Mr. Lu’s cure saves the infected, and survivors begin recovering from both the plague and the assault.
• Although the White Demon Eagles withdraw, the defenders remain alert. The Totem Black Snake’s presence also deters other Demon Beast hordes across the region.
• Councilor Zhu Meng apologizes to Tang Zhong, promises to stop targeting the snake under his Threat Elimination Strategy, and bows in gratitude.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Yue is overwhelmed with relief and guilt that the snake was once blamed. Leng Qing comforts her, while Tang Yue privately resolves to repay Mo Xie, whom she regards as her savior.
• Leng Qing shares Tang Yue’s relief and shows affection toward the distant figure atop the snake.
• Zhu Meng confronts his past mistake and publicly acknowledges the Totem Black Snake’s role in saving the city.
• Wang Xiaojun is remembered as an example of courage: despite lacking military rank, he risked his life when others hesitated.
• Citizens who once feared or condemned the snake now praise it, while officials and soldiers recognize how crucial it was to Hangzhou’s survival.

Significant themes

• Misjudgment and redemption: The Totem Black Snake is vindicated, and those who opposed it must face their error.
• Courage versus internal decay: The chapter suggests that fear and loss of the will to resist can be as destructive as an external enemy.
• Gratitude, sacrifice, and community: Survivors honor those who acted bravely and reflect on the value of life.
• Vigilance after victory: The siege has ended, but the danger remains, so the city must learn from its failures and stay prepared.

Key plot points and events

• Mo Xie and Tang Zhong conclude a partnership to expand into West Ridge. The deal will bring resources and valuable ties with Hangzhou’s Lingyin Temple Judgment Hall to Mo Xie’s rapidly growing Evil Heaven Pavilion.
• Mo Xie meets Wang Xiaojun, who thanks him for a special opportunity and says he hopes to become a Military Mage like him. Mo Xie urges him to follow his own reasons and become the person he wants to be.
• Ming Kuo thanks Mo Xie for preventing him from taking inferior blood serums to West Fortress, avoiding a potentially serious mistake. He and Xiaojun then leave for the busy fortress.
• Leng Qing says she is taking time off and returning to Magic City. Her father, Qin Zhan, has left to take a bounty job.
• Mo Xie promises Leng Lingling that he will take her Demon Hunting when he returns. After Lingling blushes at his closeness, Leng Qing unexpectedly embraces him and bids him farewell in an intimate, teasing manner.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Xie balances ambition with loyalty: he recognizes the business partnership’s benefits while insisting that helping Tang Zhong is a family matter. He also mentors Xiaojun with thoughtful advice.
• Wang Xiaojun is energized by his experience and determined to train, though Mo Xie encourages him to pursue his own path rather than imitate someone else.
• Ming Kuo openly expresses gratitude and respect for Mo Xie’s judgment.
• Leng Lingling is eager to spend time with Mo Xie and becomes visibly flustered when he pinches her cheek and makes a promise to her.
• Leng Qing shifts from a professional role to a warmer, flirtatious one. Her embrace surprises both Mo Xie and Lingling, whose shock and jealousy suggest growing romantic tension.

Significant themes

• Family and mutual support: Mo Xie frames his partnership with Tang Zhong as family helping family.
• Mentorship and individuality: Mo Xie advises Xiaojun to define his own ideals instead of becoming a copy of him.
• Trust and responsibility: Mo Xie’s warning about the blood serums protects Hangzhou and earns Ming Kuo’s gratitude.
• Romantic rivalry and initiative: Leng Qing’s closing embrace hints at a playful contest for Mo Xie’s attention, with the chapter ending on her determination to keep the upper hand.

Key events

• Outside the Judgment Hall, Mo Xie runs into Councilor Zhu Meng and mocks him over his earlier “Threat Elimination Strategy.”
• Zhu Meng surprises the Court Guards by apologizing for his past treatment of Mo Xie and thanking him for saving Hangzhou. He also hints that Mo Xie will receive good news soon, apparently related to a National Team Recommendation Vote.
• Mo Xie and Zhu Meng reaffirm their wager, and their conversation ends on friendlier terms.
• Mo Xie contacts Tang Yue and heads to West Lake, where she is waiting.
• With the plague over, West Lake has returned to peaceful daily life. The Totem Black Snake, Hangzhou’s guardian, has become a tourist attraction, though it has not reappeared since the battle.
• A group of students watches the lake, hoping to see the guardian. Their conversation is interrupted when Mingyu notices a beautiful girl and becomes instantly smitten.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhu Meng acknowledges that he was wrong, showing a more humble and fair-minded side. His apology eases the antagonism between him and Mo Xie.
• Mo Xie accepts the apology lightly and declines repayment, but reminds Zhu Meng of their wager. He suspects the promised good news concerns his recommendation for the National Team.
• The Court Guards are surprised by the councilor’s change of attitude and relieved that they no longer seem caught between him and Mo Xie.
• Mingyu shifts abruptly from eager serpent-watching to infatuation; his friends, especially the confident ponytailed girl, tease and challenge one another.

Significant themes

• Reconciliation and accountability: Zhu Meng admits his mistakes and expresses gratitude.
• Peace after crisis: Hangzhou’s residents return to ordinary leisure after the plague, while the chapter quietly asks whether they will value that safety.
• Public memory and myth: The Black Snake’s role in protecting the city turns it into a celebrated guardian and attraction.
• Humor and everyday life: Teasing, gossip, and young romance contrast with the recent catastrophe.

Plot points and events

• Tang Yue strolls along Su Causeway, drawing admiring—and sometimes leering—attention. She is pleased that the public now views the Totem Black Snake as a guardian rather than a threat.
• While resting by West Lake, she reads a message from Mo Xie and blushes, anticipating their planned evening together.
• A lecherous yellow-haired man approaches and ignores her clear rejection. When he makes an obscene gesture, Tang Yue grows furious and begins gathering crimson energy, considering using one of her rare chances to kill someone by mistake.
• Before she can act, an unseen newcomer grabs the man and punches him. Tang Yue recognizes him joyfully as “Little Evil,” and the sight brings back a memory of him as a schoolboy.

Character developments

• Tang Yue is shown as confident and accustomed to attention, but also excited and bashful about her date with Mo Xie. Her anger at the harassment reveals a volatile, lethal side; her relief and delight at the newcomer show their close bond.
• The yellow-haired man is portrayed as arrogant, predatory, and dangerously entitled, mistaking Tang Yue’s disgust for attraction.
• Little Evil appears at the end as a protective figure, though his identity and history are only suggested through Tang Yue’s recognition and memory.

Significant themes

• The chapter contrasts public admiration with the vulnerability and danger women can face in public.
• Bystanders’ reluctance to intervene highlights how fear and indifference can enable harassment.
• Tang Yue’s supernatural power and capacity for violence sit alongside her ordinary hopes for romance and companionship.

Character interactions

• Tang Yue’s message exchange with Mo Xie hints at affection and anticipation.
• She firmly rejects the yellow-haired man, who responds by escalating his harassment.
• Little Evil intervenes physically before Tang Yue can retaliate, prompting her warm, familiar greeting and a flashback-like memory.

Key plot points and events

• A yellow-haired thug harasses Tang Yue on Su Causeway. Mo Xie intervenes, punching him and then effortlessly stopping his attacks.
• When the thug tries a low kick, Mo Xie injures his knee and releases him so he tumbles into the lake. The thug leaves with his lackeys, threatening revenge.
• After the crowd disperses, Mo Xie gives Tang Yue a bouquet of roses and invites her to dinner.
• He brings out a bicycle he had arranged to have sent from Bo City because Tang Yue had once said she wanted to ride it. They cycle together along West Lake as the sun sets.

Character developments

• Mo Xie is protective and decisive when Tang Yue is threatened, but becomes gentle and thoughtful afterward. His bicycle surprise shows he remembers small details from their past.
• Tang Yue feels safe with Mo Xie and responds with increasing affection. The bicycle ride recalls their earlier relationship and deepens her sense of closeness to him.

Character interactions

• Mo Xie and Tang Yue share a familiar, teasing exchange after the fight. She accepts his roses and holds him as they ride, while he carries her along the lakeshore.
• Onlookers admire Mo Xie’s appearance, cheer his victory, and later view the couple as a romantic sight. Tang Yue posts a photo of their shadows with a grateful message about Mo Xie being there for her over the past three years.

Significant themes

• Protection and devotion: Mo Xie defends Tang Yue and makes her feel secure.
• Romance through remembered details: The roses and bicycle turn a dangerous interruption into a tender, nostalgic moment.
• Shared history and gratitude: The ride links their present to earlier memories and underscores the importance of their three years together.

Plot and events

• Mo Xie takes Tang Yue to a romantic restaurant overlooking West Lake, where they share dinner and wine.
• Tang Yue shows him the affectionate comments on her social-media post, including teasing exchanges between Xin Xia and Mo Fan.
• Mo Xie reveals a necklace hidden among Tang Yue’s roses. He fastens it around her neck and explains that it can withstand a powerful attack and block mental assaults.
• He keeps secret that the necklace can also locate its wearer—and that he has made similar ones for other women.
• During dinner, Tang Yue makes an increasingly intimate move toward Mo Xie, ending the chapter on a suggestive cliffhanger.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Yue is openly affectionate and delighted by Mo Xie’s appearance, attention, and gift. She resolves to wear the necklace and later signals strong desire for him.
• Mo Xie is attentive and romantic, but also possessive: the necklace’s hidden tracking function makes it a way to mark and locate the women who wear it.
• Their easy teasing and physical affection grow more intimate. Tang Yue also laughs at the playful online banter between Xin Xia and Mo Fan.

Significant themes

• Romance and intimacy: The candlelit setting, gifts, and flirtation strengthen the couple’s bond.
• Protection and possession: The necklace offers real magical defense, but its undisclosed tracking ability blurs care with control.
• Public relationships and jealousy: The social-media comments hint at the wider circle’s awareness and potential romantic tensions.

Plot points and events

• After dinner, Mo Xie and Tang Yue return to her home. Their quiet closeness turns into an intimate encounter that begins in the entryway and continues in her bedroom.
• Tang Yue first responds shyly, then takes the initiative, openly kissing Mo Xie and asking him to carry her to bed.
• As their intimacy deepens, she tells him he need not remove her tights if he likes them and says she is his for the night.
• When Tang Yue becomes nervous and uncomfortable, Mo Xie pauses to reassure her, gently takes her hands, and encourages her to hold on to him. The chapter implies they consummate their relationship.
• Afterward, Tang Yue falls asleep exhausted. Mo Xie covers her, kisses her forehead, and lies down beside her, choosing not to push things further.

Character developments

• Tang Yue moves from embarrassment and playful resistance to openly expressing desire and trust. In her private bedroom, her usual mature composure gives way to vulnerability, but she willingly guides the encounter.
• Mo Xie is eager and teasing, yet attentive when Tang Yue shows discomfort. He reassures her, slows down, and makes sure she can rest afterward.

Significant themes

• Trust and vulnerability: Tang Yue lets Mo Xie into her private space and entrusts herself to him.
• Affection expressed through care: Their physical closeness is paired with reassurance, tenderness, and attention to each other’s feelings.
• Private intimacy: Tang Yue’s bedroom marks a shift from playful public-space flirting to greater emotional exposure.

Character interactions

• Tang Yue and Mo Xie alternate between teasing, affection, and mutual initiative. Tang Yue chides him for being too rough, then asks him to carry her and guides his hand; Mo Xie responds with tenderness and reassurance when she becomes nervous. The encounter ends with him caring for her as she falls asleep.