Chapter Summaries

Tan Yuwen explained why she suspected Chief Steward White was Xize’s successor and might be the creator of the Digital Series Cards. Meanwhile, Bagnell’s corps escaped into the jungle, and the pursuing Blood Card Adept Corps began tracking them as Wang Yong recalled the legendary Black Hibiscus Card Adept Corps.

• Tan Yuwen told Ji Zhi Hao how her mother met Xize and Shui Qingyan while searching for a Path Window near Dongshang Guard City, and how she discovered Xize’s Perception could also craft cards.
• Tan Yuwen explained that Chief Steward White might have inherited Xize’s knowledge and could be connected to the masked creator of the Digital Series Cards; Tan Zhi woke, identified the man as him, and collapsed again.
• Bagnell led the Snow Silk Worm Card Adept Corps through the blockade and into the jungle, where the terrain would hinder pursuit and force both sides to contend with beasts.
• Wu Yan ordered the Blood Hammer Division to pursue the corps at full speed after Wang Yong tracked their route and estimated they had more than two hundred noncombatants.
• Wang Yong told Qi Li about the Black Hibiscus Card Adept Corps, and Shi Fengfei confirmed it had been the Federation’s strongest corps before asking him to continue.

Wang Yong recounted the Black Hibiscus Card Adept Corps’ legendary victory over the Sixth Legion and its mysterious disappearance. Wu Yan ordered the card adepts to resume pursuit, while Bagnell estimated the Blood Hammer Division was close behind their group in the jungle.

• Wang Yong described how Bosnian Wolf led the Black Hibiscus Card Adept Corps through an encirclement by ten thousand Sixth Legion soldiers, killing a battalion commander and losing only a thousand soldiers.
• Wang Yong recounted the skills and reputations of Draw Blade, Scent-Seeking Civet, and Zhifei, and said the corps had vanished in Dongxing District without explanation.
• Wu Yan ordered everyone to pursue at full speed and told Qi Li and Wang Yong to take the lead.
• Shi Fengfei watched Wu Yan thoughtfully as the card adepts set off again.
• Bagnell told Lu Xiaoru that the Blood Hammer Division was likely no more than two days behind them, while Ru Qiu wondered whether Su Liu Cherou’s preparations would lure their pursuers.

After the battle destroyed Taishu Cheng's building, Taishu Yong tried to protect the Taishu Family's prospects while Chen Mu made plans to build a force of his own. The chapter left Chen Mu and Xie Yanbai holding invitations to Tan Yuwen's Rain Legion Grand Assessment, with Xie Yanbai visibly concerned.

• Taishu Yong told Chen Mu that Tan Yuwen had asked to buy the Taishu Family's Golden-Spotted Soft Jelly Fungus, and admitted he had revealed that Chen Mu obtained it.
• Tan Yuwen invited Chen Mu and Xie Yanbai to observe the Rain Legion Grand Assessment three days later.
• Chen Mu agreed to train Card Adepts recruited by the Taishu Family, on the condition that he received half of them and first choice.
• Chen Mu planned to use his new force to disrupt the Blood Card Adept Corps Headquarters and support Bagnell's campaign.
• Xie Yanbai sparred with Xiao Bo and Sang Hanshui, then reacted with concern when Chen Mu showed him Tan Yuwen's invitation.

Jia Yingxia sought Xize’s help against Su Hanhào while discussing the threat posed by Tang Hanpei and Frostmoon Cold Isle’s Alliance conference. Chen Mu learned that the Federation Comprehensive Academy had sent a powerful hunting squad, and Qiu Shanyu proposed using Faya advertisements to draw the owner of the biaoqing to Thousand Lakes City.

• Jia Yingxia told Xize that Su Hanhào had arrived and asked him to help deal with him.
• Jia Yingxia offered to have Bai Yue lead a team to help Xize’s student, but Xize refused and warned her not to interfere.
• The Federation Comprehensive Academy publicly dispatched a twenty-person hunting squad led by Lei Xu, and Xie Yanbai suspected Tang Hanpei also had Frostmoon Cold Isle’s Alliance conference in mind.
• Chen Mu asked Qiu Shanyu to prove her worth by helping find the owner of the biaoqing inside him.
• Qiu Shanyu proposed that Chen Mu send Faya a plan to make the biaoqing a brand trademark and advertise Frostmoon Cold Isle’s Elite Tournament as a signal to its owner.

Chen Mu reviewed the Calculation Box’s optimized energy structures and entered the Mysterious Card to learn the Single-Breath Perception Training Method. After achieving a perception sensitivity index of 95, he read the method’s instructions and prepared to replace his flawed training with a safer, more systematic approach.

• Chen Mu memorized the Calculation Box’s latest optimized structures and assigned it new tasks.
• Chen Mu considered the diverse knowledge in the Mysterious Card and suspected Rosenberg had created it, though planning cards remained unexplained.
• Chen Mu gave Ru Qiu basic planning card knowledge so she could help repair Bagnell and the others’ cards.
• Chen Mu entered the Mysterious Card to strengthen his perception before the threats drawn by Tan Yuwen’s announcement could reach him.
• Chen Mu scored a perception sensitivity index of 95 and unlocked the seven great energy structures and the Single-Breath Perception Training Method.
• Chen Mu learned that the method trained perception through everyday breathing, building strength safely and explosively.

Chen Mu examined the Mysterious Card’s advanced tools, then struggled to learn the Single-Breath Perception Training Method while investigating Tan Yuwen’s motives. Qiu Shanyu revealed Tan Yuwen’s family ties to Bitter Solitude Temple and her mother’s history with Xize, leaving the group listening as she began describing Tan Xiaoyi’s abilities.

• Chen Mu discovered that the High-Star Card Making Method and Energy Structure Deduction Model required more perception strength than he possessed, while the Dynamic Demonstration of the Seven Energy Structures was usable.
• Chen Mu repeatedly failed to complete the forty-three steps of the Single-Breath Perception Training Method before dinner.
• Chen Mu asked Xie Yanbai about Tan Yuwen, and they questioned why she had exposed Chen Mu’s identity publicly.
• Qiu Shanyu revealed that Tan Yuwen’s mother, Tan Xiaoyi, was the daughter of the head of Bitter Solitude Temple’s West Temple.
• Qiu Shanyu said Tan Xiaoyi, Shui Qingyan, and Mei Ji had traveled with Xize into the Jungle, and that Tan Xiaoyi was gifted in card making, Card Adept training, and card machinery.

Qiu Shanyu revealed the history behind Tan Yuwen’s inheritance and explained why Tan Yuwen might be pursuing Chen Mu. Chen Mu made two Illusion Cards to carry out Qiu Shanyu’s plan and secretly delivered them to a Faya base, where Rong Ping found the envelope outside his office.

• Qiu Shanyu recounted how Tan Xiaoyi discovered Rosenberg’s student’s card machinery notebooks, died amid a struggle between the Star Academy and the Bitter Solitude Temple, and left Tan Yuwen to inherit them.
• Xie Yanbai deduced that Qiu Shanyu was Madam Faya and that Chen Mu was Qiao Yuan, then wondered why Tan Yuwen was targeting Chen Mu.
• Chen Mu suspected Tan Yuwen wanted the Golden-Spotted Soft Jelly Fungus and questioned why her interest in him had intensified.
• Chen Mu obtained ordinary materials from Taijia Fort’s chief steward and crafted two Illusion Cards based on Qiu Shanyu’s plan.
• Chen Mu secretly delivered the cards to a Faya base in East Rui City’s municipal hall, where Rong Ping discovered the envelope outside his office.

Chen Mu and Xie Yanbai discussed the military and the Six Great Academies before Madam Zhi Lian told Xie Yanbai that Zhongda Academy's head had died. Xie Yanbai decided to return to the academy to support his teacher, leaving Chen Mu to attend Tan Yuwen's gathering alone.

• Chen Mu noticed that the Single-Breath Perception Training Method had already improved his perception.
• Xie Yanbai explained the strength of the Six Great Academies' elite units and praised commanders including Song Chengyan and Luo Xiju.
• Madam Zhi Lian told Xie Yanbai that Zhongda Academy's head had died and urged him to return before the academy fell apart.
• Xie Yanbai admitted that he could not abandon his teacher, who had grown up at the academy, and decided to go back.
• Xie Yanbai said goodbye to Chen Mu and left, while Chen Mu prepared to attend Tan Yuwen's gathering alone.

Chen Mu visited Tan Yuwen at the Rain Legion headquarters, where he remained wary of her attempts to apologize and claim a connection through Senior Xize. He discovered that the Rain Legion had 150 elite Combat Card Adepts and five squad captains ranked among the top hundred on the [Black Line Star Ranking], leaving him shocked by Tan Yuwen’s strength.

• Chen Mu arrived at the Rain Legion headquarters and met Tan Yuwen and her assistant, Ji Zhihao.
• Tan Yuwen apologized for revealing Chen Mu’s identity and mentioned that her mother, Tan Xiaoyi, had been friends with Senior Xize, but Chen Mu responded coldly.
• Ji Zhihao led Chen Mu to meet roughly 150 Combat Card Adepts, most of whom had at least level-six perception and radiated killing intent.
• Chen Mu saw five level-seven Card Adepts whose pressure matched the assembled fighters.
• You Yin, Cao Anli, Qi Feng, Pan Yue, and Zhu Yunming introduced themselves as Rain Legion squad captains, and Chen Mu recognized all five as top-hundred [Black Line Star Ranking] Card Adepts.

Chen Mu watched the Rain Legion’s selection and learned that the force had grown to several thousand powerful Card Adepts. After the captains overwhelmed every challenger, Qi Feng singled Chen Mu out and invited him to fight.

• Ji Zhihao explained that the Rain Legion’s selection paired Card Adepts in combat, with winners facing challenges before qualifying.
• Chen Mu estimated that the Rain Legion had around three thousand members and observed the recruits’ fights, concluding that the force was extremely powerful.
• Seventy-five Card Adepts qualified, and You Yin announced that they could challenge the five squad captains for their positions.
• Qi Feng defeated his challenger in a single swift strike, and the other captains also easily beat those who challenged them.
• After the selection ended, Qi Feng invited Chen Mu into the arena for a fight.

Chen Mu accepted Qi Feng’s challenge and used his murderous presence to seize the initiative before their duel began. He entered the Zero Style State and exposed a weakness in Qi Feng’s electric net, then raised his other hand as the attack continued.

• Chen Mu decided that backing down from Qi Feng would invite more enemies, so he agreed to trade moves.
• Chen Mu entered the Training Ground and overwhelmed the onlookers with murderous intent, declaring that battles meant life or death.
• Chen Mu started the duel before Qi Feng could recover his composure and dashed toward him at extreme speed.
• Qi Feng retreated and formed a thin electric net, expecting Chen Mu to trigger its lethal arcs with his energy spike.
• Chen Mu used the Zero Style State to identify the net’s weakness and detached his energy spike before it reached the net.
• Chen Mu raised his other hand with his eyes still closed as Qi Feng realized his defense had been countered.

Chen Mu killed Qi Feng in a duel at Rain Legion headquarters, then received treatment for his injured shoulder. Tan Yuwen ordered the others away and met with Chen Mu alone, leaving their discussion unresolved.

• Qi Feng used [Silk Bait] and tried to strike Chen Mu with [Thunderfinger Burst], but Chen Mu anticipated his escape and killed him with an Energy Sword Vine.
• Chen Mu’s shoulder was badly injured by the silver beam, and Cao Anli confronted him until Tan Yuwen ordered the captains to stand down.
• Tan Yuwen closed Qi Feng’s eyes, arranged for You Yin to handle the funeral, and asked the Medical Card Adepts to treat Chen Mu.
• Chen Mu wondered whether Tan Yuwen wanted to discuss the Golden-Spotted Soft Jelly Fungus as the Medical Card Adepts treated his shoulder.
• Tan Yuwen appeared alone after Chen Mu’s treatment, and all the doors closed, leaving the two of them in the hall.

Tan Yuwen threatened to expose Chen Mu as the creator of the Digital Series Cards and revealed her plan to use his abilities and Card Machinery Blueprints to destroy the Bitter Solitude Temple and Star Academy. Chen Mu rejected her offer and returned the Bracelet, leaving their confrontation unresolved.

• Tan Yuwen stopped Chen Mu from leaving by threatening to reveal his identity as the creator of the Digital Series Cards.
• Tan Yuwen told Chen Mu that her mother had died at the hands of her father and maternal grandfather, and that she intended to destroy them.
• Tan Yuwen explained that she had investigated Chen Mu, learned of his combat, card-making, and strategic abilities, and believed his training plan could impress her father.
• Tan Yuwen proposed that she and Chen Mu build a card machinery legion together and destroy the Bitter Solitude Temple and Star Academy.
• Tan Yuwen offered to marry Chen Mu, but he returned the Bracelet and refused to join her plan, warning her not to threaten him.

Chen Mu rejected Tan Yuwen’s alliance and left the Rain Legion, while Ji Zhihao reaffirmed his devotion to helping her. Tang Hanpei received reports of shifting threats and unrest among his forces, then ordered his mixed army to retreat to the Binidia Mountains, leaving five subdistricts unclaimed.

• Chen Mu refused Tan Yuwen, called her too mad, and flew away from the Rain Legion’s base after she warned that they would be enemies.
• Tan Yuwen told Ji Zhihao that Chen Mu had already used the Golden-Spotted Soft Jelly Fungus, and Ji Zhihao vowed to help her fulfill her wish even if she used him until his death.
• Shao Xue reported that Chief Steward White had visited Tan Yuwen, Zhongda Academy’s Academy Head had died, and Su Hanhào might have entered Tiandongli District.
• Tang Hanpei ordered the pursuit force to capture Chief Steward White at any cost and learned that the mixed army under Tao Ning was growing unruly.
• Tang Hanpei ordered the mixed army to retreat five subdistricts to the Binidia Mountains, and neither Faya nor Zhongda Academy moved to claim the abandoned territory.

Wu Yan realized the Blood Hammer Division had to defeat the Snow Silk Worm Card Adept Corps despite its losses, while Bagnell reviewed his side’s lower casualties and prepared another plan. The chapter ended with the two forces recognizing their respective advantages and vulnerabilities as Jiang Liang began preparing Plan Two.

• Wu Yan and his officers mourned a squad captain killed by an Energy Shuttle and concluded the Snow Silk Worm Card Adept Corps fought with exceptional accuracy, coordination, and discipline.
• Shi Fengfei and Qi Li suspected the enemy might be military, but Wu Yan insisted the Blood Hammer Division had to wipe them out to survive.
• Wu Yan identified the Snow Silk Worm Card Adept Corps’ lack of experts as its weak point, and Shi Fengfei agreed that the disparity gave them a chance.
• Bagnell learned that his force had suffered seventy-seven deaths and two hundred and six wounded, while Su Liu Cherou explained that her slow-acting poison had reduced the enemy’s perception.
• Bagnell acknowledged the threat posed by the Blood Hammer Division’s high-level experts and told Jiang Liang to prepare Plan Two.

Chen Mu learned that the Federation Comprehensive Academy’s Pursuit Corps was targeting him and devised an ambush at Cold Fir Town to exploit the pursuers’ exhaustion and depleted Energy Cards. He ordered his team to rest for five hours before setting out, while privately considering the next stage of his plan.

• Chen Mu received intelligence from a Zhongda Academy Card Adept that the Pursuit Corps was three days from East Rui City and heading directly for him.
• Chen Mu gathered Wei'a, Little Bu Mo, Xiao Bo, and Sang Hanshui, and used a Three-Dimensional Map to identify the Pursuit Corps’ location in Qimengeli City.
• Chen Mu concluded the Pursuit Corps would likely take the shortest route through Cold Fir Town and planned to ambush it there before it could reach East Rui City.
• Chen Mu predicted the pursuers would arrive exhausted after a long flight with their Four-Star Energy Cards nearly depleted, and said his [Snake Mirror] could help track them.
• Xiao Bo and Sang Hanshui were impressed by Chen Mu’s strategic thinking, and Chen Mu ordered the group to rest for five hours before departing.

Tang Hanpei consolidated his hold over the returning troops while Tan Yuwen and Ji Zhihao maneuvered to exploit tensions between Star Academy and Bitter Solitude Temple. Meanwhile, Chen Mu led his group into the snowy forest near Cold Fir Town and began preparing an ambush.

• Tang Hanpei welcomed the returning troops, took command, and improved the treatment of ordinary Card Adepts.
• Tan Zhi confronted Tan Yuwen over the designs and warned that Xianluo, the newly promoted master of the South Temple, was coming to replace him.
• Tan Yuwen and Ji Zhihao planned to use the coming dispute over the designs to escape their handlers’ control and rely on the Federation Comprehensive Academy's pursuit squad to keep Chief Steward White occupied.
• Chen Mu studied the conditions around Cold Fir Town, led his group into the cold fir forest, and began reconnaissance with [Snake Mirror].

Chen Mu and Sang Hanshui ambushed the Pursuit Corps with a massive barrage of Explosive Bombs, killing eight Card Adepts and leaving twelve survivors. As Sang Hanshui launched another attack, Zuo La recognized that their enemy was exploiting a timing gap and prepared to fight back.

• Chen Mu detected the approaching Pursuit Corps and ordered Sang Hanshui to fire more than three hundred Explosive Bombs into designated areas.
• Zuo La led the exhausted Pursuit Corps toward Cold Fir Town without assigning anyone to scan for threats.
• The Explosive Bombs detonated simultaneously, engulfing the Pursuit Corps in a blast that eliminated eight Card Adepts and stripped the Energy Shields from the twelve survivors.
• Chen Mu ordered a second barrage, and Sang Hanshui fired nearly eighty Explosive Bombs in one second.
• Zuo La deduced that the enemy was exploiting the timing gap with long-range reconnaissance and focused his Battle Intent on the coming fight.

Chen Mu’s team used a carefully planned ambush to exploit the Pursuit Corps’ dwindling energy cards, then wiped out Zuo La and his men before they could recover. The chapter ended with Xiao Bo and Sang Hanshui stunned by the victory and looking at Chen Mu with awe.

• Zuo La ordered his team to evade and land when their energy cards began running low, but Chen Mu’s explosive bombs killed one card adept during the retreat.
• Zuo La split his men between the air and the ground while five card adepts replaced their cards; two uncard flow practitioners silently killed three of the five on the ground.
• Zuo La ordered the remaining airborne card adepts to scatter, but Chen Mu locked on to him and killed him with a long-range attack.
• Xiao Bo used Nine-Wheel Bind to disrupt the surviving card adepts’ perception as Chen Mu’s explosive bombs and hidden air wave blades struck them.
• Chen Mu’s team annihilated the Federation Comprehensive Academy’s Pursuit Corps, leaving Xiao Bo and Sang Hanshui astonished by the victory.

After defeating the Federation Comprehensive Academy's Pursuit Corps, Chen Mu's group looted their cards, and Wei'a revealed that he had recovered his memory and needed Chen Mu's help against a numerous enemy force. Chen Mu promised to grow stronger and began recording the battlefield, leaving Xiao Bo and Sang Hanshui wondering why.

• Xiao Bo and Sang Hanshui searched the fallen Card Adepts and found eight five-star cards, including four with legacies, then chose cards for themselves.
• Chen Mu reflected on how close the battle had come to disaster and thanked Wei'a, Little Bu Mo, Xiao Bo, and Sang Hanshui for helping him.
• Wei'a told Chen Mu that his memory had returned and asked him to become strong enough to help fight a large enemy force he could find but could not locate by memory alone.
• Chen Mu promised to help Wei'a and clarified that Wei'a meant the strength to command a battle like the one they had just fought.
• As Card Adepts from Cold Fir Town approached, Chen Mu used a four-star Recording Card to film the battlefield and the fallen Pursuit Corps members.