Chapter Summaries

Chu Sheng and the convoy defeated the Anomalies near Mechanical City and prepared to trade their abilities and supplies there. As the city opened its gates, Youming assessed the entrance as low-threat, and Chu Sheng ordered the convoy inside.

• The Butcher rapidly dismembered the Anomalous Chicken while the Netherworld Mecha helped wipe out the surrounding Anomalies.
• Captain Hui proposed trading at Mechanical City, discussing Xingzi's medical supplies and Old Man Li's supernatural plants.
• Chu Sheng said he would reveal his crafting ability and described himself as a craftsman who made his living through his craft.
• Wang Jianguo ordered Xiao Zhan to open Mechanical City's gate and welcome the convoy.
• Youming assessed the entrance as low-threat, and Chu Sheng ordered the convoy to enter Mechanical City.

Chu Sheng’s convoy entered the Mechanical City, where Xingzi healed a mother and her newborn. As they drove on, Chu Sheng secretly left the family infant formula, making An Xi reconsider what she understood about him.

• Youming drove the convoy through the Mechanical City’s thick gate tunnel as Captain Hui explained that hundreds of Sequence superhumans had helped build the city.
• The convoy passed curious survivors, and Chu Sheng, Captain Hui, An Xi, and Lu Guan compared the Mechanical City’s cautious residents with the survivors from the Train.
• Chu Sheng noticed a frail woman holding a newborn, and Xingzi sent healing light to restore both their health.
• Chu Sheng told the onlookers that Xingzi’s light was healing, then closed the window after the mother and baby recovered.
• A case of six cans of infant formula fell from the Netherworld Light as it sped away, and An Xi realized she had never truly understood Chu Sheng.

Chu Sheng’s convoy reached Mechanical City, where Wang Jianguo invited them to stay and discovered Xingzi’s Adrenaline could prevent sleep during extreme mental-power depletion. Chu Ci revealed he belonged to the craftsmanship Sequence and could craft Sacrificial Items, while Wang Jianguo confirmed Mechanical City already had a blacksmith Sequence adept.

• The convoy passed through Mechanical City’s shifting steel walls and met Wang Jianguo and Xiao Zhan at the entrance.
• Wang Jianguo invited the convoy to settle in Mechanical City, but Captain Hui and the others showed little interest in accepting.
• Xingzi demonstrated her bandages, Adrenaline, and Reinforced Cold Medicine, then changed the Adrenaline’s information to clarify its effects and risks.
• A Xin suggested Sacrificial Items might restore Xiao Zhan’s emotions, and Chu Sheng offered to craft one if they had supernatural materials.
• Wang Jianguo said Mechanical City had a blacksmith Sequence adept, and Chu Sheng introduced himself as Chu Ci of the craftsmanship Sequence.

Wang Jianguo urged Chu Sheng to join the Mechanical City by offering him control of its supernatural-material stores, then explained how rare and unreliable sacrificial-item crafting abilities were. Chu Sheng and his companions realized his heavenly craftsman sequence was far more exceptional than they had thought, while Wang Jianguo admired the Netherworld Light.

• Wang Jianguo offered Chu Sheng access to more than a thousand supernatural materials and leadership of the storage department if he joined the Mechanical City.
• Wang Jianguo explained that many of the seventy-two known sacrificial-item crafters could only create one item, and only eight could craft reliably; none could control supernatural-material results as Chu Sheng could.
• An Xi told Wang Jianguo that Li Da Niu had made the Bus, and Wang Jianguo explained the limits of Li Da Niu’s mechanic sequence and recalled his accidentally healing pistol.
• Chu Sheng and his companions reconsidered the power of his heavenly craftsman sequence after hearing how rare his abilities were.
• Wang Jianguo looked at the Netherworld Light and said Chu Sheng’s sequence explained how he had made such a powerful mecha.

Wang Jianguo showed Chu Sheng and the others around the Mechanical City and explained how it served as one of the Apocalypse’s sparks of civilization. The group watched the city’s defenses battle Anomalies, and An Xi leaped from the wall to attack a Golden Armored Zombie.

• Chu Sheng asked Wang Jianguo for a few days to consider his offer, and Wang Jianguo took the visitors toward the city wall on a steel platform.
• Wang Jianguo explained that the Train, the Mechanical City, and other official teams were sparks of civilization with different roles, and that the Mechanical City studied the Apocalypse and Anomalies.
• Chu Sheng saw the city’s guns destroy Anomalies and learned that Wang Jianguo’s people had delivered the supernatural materials from the convoy’s earlier fight to their rooms.
• Captain Hui signaled for his ten-percent share of the materials, and Chu Sheng agreed to follow their established rules.
• An Xi asked to help fight the Golden Armored Zombie below, then leaped from the wall with her Black Jade Bone Spear glowing and golden-veined wings appearing behind her.

An Xi used her newly transformed Geng Metal Fire to pierce the Golden Armored Zombie’s defenses and continued fighting him up close, while Zhu Qing volunteered to intercept an approaching Eerie Pig. Wang Jianguo revealed that An Xi’s White Tiger Sequence was a myth Sequence and Chu Sheng’s craftsmanship Sequence was a concept Sequence, leaving Chu Sheng wondering whether other allies’ Sequences might qualify as well.

• An Xi combined Geng Metal Essence with her Eternal Flame and struck the Golden Armored Zombie, burning a hole through his armor and preventing his wound from healing.
• An Xi continued attacking the Golden Armored Zombie at close range, while Zhu Qing declined to help her because he feared the pain of her flames.
• The Wolf King warned Wang Jianguo and the others that an Eerie Pig was approaching, and Zhu Qing jumped from the wall, enlarged himself, and set out to intercept it.
• Wang Jianguo told Chu Sheng that An Xi had the White Tiger myth Sequence and that Chu Sheng’s craftsmanship Sequence was a concept Sequence.
• Wang Jianguo described the known concept and myth Sequences, including hope, kunpeng, and phoenix, while Chu Sheng wondered whether Eight Trigrams and A Xin’s protection Sequence were also concept Sequences.

Wang Jianguo told Chu Sheng and the others how Chen Shi used the future sequence to change humanity’s fate, then asked them to help find him. Outside the walls, An Xi empowered Zhu Qing’s baton with geng metal fire, and Zhu Qing fought the Eerie Pig.

• Wang Jianguo explained that concept and myth sequences appeared unique, then recounted how the overdraft sequence adept sacrificed himself to let Chen Shi use future abilities up to sequence three.
• Wang Jianguo said Chen Shi had reached into the future to retrieve a powerful sacrificial item, bring a future attack into the present, and create a future with far more survivors before becoming lost in it.
• Wang Jianguo revealed that Chen Shi’s Soul Lamp still burned and asked Chu Sheng’s group to spread the information and help bring him back.
• Zhu Qing ran beyond the walls toward the Eerie Pig, and An Xi sent geng metal fire to coat Zhu Qing’s Retractable Steel Baton.
• Zhu Qing struck the Eerie Pig with the flaming baton, then switched to the Black Blade Gloves and charged as the Eerie Pig lowered its remaining tusk to attack.

Zhu Qing and An Xi fought the Eerie Pig and Golden Armored Zombie while Chu Sheng and Xingzi supported them from the wall. The battle intensified when Chu Sheng sent his Butcher Knife into the Golden Armored Zombie’s head, and Xiao Zhan reported that the Anomalies on the other sides had been defeated.

• Zhu Qing grabbed the Eerie Pig and tried to restrain it, but it dragged him toward the Mechanical City as Geng Metal Fire poured from its wounds.
• Chu Sheng shot the Eerie Pig with Red Celebration and White Funeral Arrows, confusing it and leaving a wound in its skull.
• The Eerie Pig crashed into the Golden Armored Zombie, knocking it down, while Chu Sheng’s arrows struck both Anomalies and accidentally pierced Zhu Qing’s arm.
• Xingzi healed Zhu Qing and An Xi, and An Xi hurled her Black Jade Bone Spear into the Eerie Pig as Captain Hui observed that it had lost more than half its black vapor.
• After An Xi called for Chu Sheng to stop confusing the Anomalies, Chu Sheng threw his Butcher Knife from the wall, and it plunged into the Golden Armored Zombie’s head.
• Xiao Zhan told Wang Jianguo that the Anomalies on the other sides had been dealt with, leaving only those in this battle.

An Xi, Zhu Qing, and the Butcher defeated the Eerie Pig and Golden Armored Zombie while Chu Sheng discussed Sacrificial Item rankings and the power of Concept Sequences. The Butcher then spotted a Cat-Rat approaching and hurled a snarling cat's head at it.

• The Butcher emerged from the Golden Armored Zombie and joined the battle after An Xi assigned it the target.
• Chu Sheng told Wang Jianguo that the Butcher and Netherworld Light ranked in the four thousands and three thousands, concealing their true rankings.
• Xiao Zhan praised the extraordinary abilities of Concept Sequence Adepts, and Captain Hui speculated that a Miracle Sequence might exist.
• An Xi and Zhu Qing weakened the Eerie Pig while the Butcher stripped the Golden Armored Zombie of its armor and killed it.
• The Butcher noticed an approaching Cat-Rat, formed a snarling cat's head in its hand, and hurled it at the Anomaly.

Chu Sheng’s convoy entered Mechanical City, where Wang Jianguo and Xiao Zhan showed them the guest area and exchanged plans to share their logs. After the convoy settled in, Chu Sheng discussed their next move while Wang Jianguo briefed Mechanical City’s leaders, who suspected the visitors had lied but did not believe they meant them harm.

• The Butcher destroyed the Cat-Rat hybrid Anomaly with Cat-Head Bomb, then returned to Chu Sheng for praise.
• A Xin covered Mechanical City with a barrier that concealed its signs of life for six hours, and Xiao Zhan brought the convoy to the guest area.
• Wang Jianguo explained the guest area, arranged to exchange logs with Captain Hui, and told Chu Sheng that the collected supernatural materials were on the wall.
• Chu Sheng ordered Youming to shoot anyone who approached his vehicle, then explained to Xingzi why he acted harshly toward the survivors.
• Captain Hui called for a discussion about their next steps and Mechanical City’s invitation.
• Wang Jianguo told Old Qin, Old Wang, and Little Li that the convoy’s members had lied, but he believed they bore Mechanical City no ill will.

Wang Jianguo’s group discussed the convoy’s lies and decided to cooperate with them while keeping them away from Sequence Adepts and survivors. Meanwhile, Chu Sheng’s group divided their supernatural materials and negotiated over an Eerie Pig trotter, leaving Chu Sheng advising An Xi to choose a more suitable material for her spear.

• Little Li revealed that the Lie Detector had exposed Chu Sheng’s group’s false names and Sequences, and Wang Jianguo decided to test Chu Sheng’s Sacrificial Item ability with a trade.
• Old Wang recommended recruiting An Xi while maintaining cooperation with the rest of the convoy, and Wang Jianguo ordered him to monitor them and keep them away from Sequence Adepts and survivors.
• Captain Hui asked A Xin to shield their meeting, then told the group that the Mechanical City had been spying on them and had detected their lies.
• Chu Sheng explained that the group had revealed some combat strength to avoid being treated as weak, and An Xi suggested using the Eerie Pig’s unusual trotters to seek a flying ability.
• An Xi and Zhu Qing divided the materials from two Sequence Seven Anomalies, while Chu Sheng traded five materials to Captain Hui for a trotter.
• An Xi offered Chu Sheng a trotter in exchange for fusing her Black Jade Bone Spear with a leg bone, but Chu Sheng warned that the bone would make the spear heavier and blunt its tip.

Chu Sheng upgraded An Xi’s Black Jade Bone Spear with two supernatural bones, adding an ability that suited her fighting style, while Captain Hui prepared the convoy to conceal its secrets from Mechanical City. After the group settled in atop the city wall, Chu Sheng shielded the area from onlookers and fed four pig’s trotters to the Netherworld Light’s tires.

• An Xi traded the Golden Armored Zombie leg bone to Chu Sheng for two supernatural materials, and he chose bones that would better improve her spear’s sharpness.
• Chu Sheng fused two bone fragments into the Black Jade Bone Spear, granting it Bone Blade, and An Xi explained how the ability would help her conserve Geng Metal Essence and Geng Metal Fire.
• An Xi challenged Zhu Qing to spar so she could test the upgraded spear, while Captain Hui told the convoy to hide everything except its combat strength when Mechanical City questioned them.
• A Xin expanded her ability to cover both buildings atop the wall and the space between them, following Captain Hui’s plan to prevent the watchers from observing the convoy.
• Chu Sheng used the Netherworld Light to create a pixelated barrier around the area, then fed four pig’s trotters into its tires.

Chu Sheng fused his mental-power mosaic barrier with the Netherworld Light, giving it levitation and completing its ability to travel across land, sea, and air. After learning about its underwater limits, he reviewed his strength and supernatural materials as he considered further upgrades.

• Chu Sheng fused his mosaic barrier with the Netherworld Light's tires, granting the vehicle levitation at speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour.
• Youming explained that the Netherworld Light could travel underwater along the seabed, but its speed would fall to ten percent and its oxygen supply would last only three hours.
• Chu Sheng told Youming to keep the underwater information secret and returned to his bedroom inside the Netherworld Light.
• Chu Sheng reflected on his Sequence Seven strength and the combat abilities that made him confident Mechanical City could not easily threaten him.
• Chu Sheng counted the twenty-nine supernatural materials he had left and wondered how anomalies had dropped items such as a history book, triangular steel, and tumbler dolls.

Chu Sheng traded supernatural materials and other items to Zhu Qing for the Golden Armor, then fused it with additional materials to create a dark-gold battle armor. He completed the armor with exceptional stability and strong protection against outside attacks and intrusion.

• Chu Sheng fused bones and flesh into Netherworld Light, improving its frame but not changing its ranking.
• Chu Sheng woke Zhu Qing and negotiated to trade Anomalous Chicken eyes, zombie eyes, and a Honey-Water Tumbler Doll for Zhu Qing's Golden Armor.
• Zhu Qing accepted the offer, and Chu Sheng promised to deliver the items before they met the people from Mechanical City.
• Chu Sheng combined the Golden Armor with yarn, rope, angle iron, a golden armored zombie leg bone, and part of a gold bar.
• After an hour of shaping the fusion, Chu Sheng completed the Dark-Gold Battle Armor, ranked 6123, whose stability prevented most attacks and abilities from changing its shape or penetrating it.

Chu Sheng tested the Dark-Gold Battle Armor, then fused Anomalous Chicken eyes with zombie eyes to create sacrificial eyes for Zhu Qing. After Zhu Qing installed them and discovered their strange new vision, Chu Sheng returned to the Netherworld Light with his remaining materials unused.

• Chu Sheng examined the Dark-Gold Battle Armor’s defensive abilities and found that it concealed itself as leather armor, protected him from ambushes, and did not hinder his movement.
• Chu Sheng fused the Anomalous Chicken’s eyes with zombie eyes, creating Zombie Chicken Eyes that could detect Anomalies and summon phantom images.
• Chu Sheng gave Zhu Qing the Zombie Chicken Eyes and a Tumbler Doll.
• Zhu Qing gouged out his own eyeballs and installed the Zombie Chicken Eyes, then discovered that they showed him a gray, hazy world, unlike Chu Sheng’s crimson vision.
• Chu Sheng left Zhu Qing and returned to the Netherworld Light without using his remaining supernatural materials or gold.

Chu Sheng let An Xi into the Netherworld Light for a five-hour role-play session after she came to collect on the supernatural materials he owed her. Outside, Xingzi misunderstood their transaction as An Xi threatening and corrupting Chu Sheng, and resolved to intervene.

• Chu Sheng woke to knocking at the Netherworld Light and learned Youming thought An Xi was most likely outside.
• An Xi admitted she had come to collect what Chu Sheng owed her and entered the Netherworld Light.
• Xingzi watched from the Black-Heart Off-Road Vehicle, misinterpreted An Xi's words as threats, and decided to save Chu Sheng with her own supernatural materials.
• A Xin overheard the exchange and realized An Xi was paying Chu Sheng, but stayed still to watch what Xingzi would do.
• Chu Sheng silenced Youming and spent five hours role-playing with An Xi before leaving her asleep inside.

Chu Sheng and Captain Hui discussed Mechanical City's truthful but incomplete information and prepared for their noon meeting. Captain Hui then proposed telling Mechanical City about the Enclosed Tower so Xu An and Sister Yan could relocate there, leaving Xingzi to consider how limited her old understanding of safety had been.

• Xingzi mistakenly believed An Xi was Chu Sheng's rival and vowed to help him before running back to the Black-Heart Off-Road Vehicle.
• Chu Sheng joined Captain Hui and Cheng Xue for a meal, then discussed Mechanical City's records and warned that true statements could still mislead through omissions.
• Captain Hui said he had divined with the tortoise shell that Mechanical City was genuinely fighting for humanity's survival.
• After the group gathered, Captain Hui announced he planned to tell Mechanical City about the Enclosed Tower and recommend that Xu An and Sister Yan move there.
• Xingzi struggled to object and realized the Enclosed Tower was far less secure than she had once believed.

The convoy agreed to sell Mechanical City information about the Enclosed Tower, and Chu Sheng negotiated for a share of the supernatural materials. Wang Jianguo arrived with Yang Jing, a blacksmith Sequence adept, who prepared to demonstrate how he crafted sacrificial items.

• Captain Hui and the convoy agreed that Chu Sheng could sell Mechanical City information about the Enclosed Tower, while Xingzi silently accepted the plan.
• Chu Sheng arranged to collect Old Man Li's debt of ten supernatural materials in exchange for half of whatever he recovered, and Old Man Li offered him six.
• Captain Hui told Chu Sheng he needed to secure at least eight supernatural materials from the sale or cover the shortfall himself; Xingzi offered to give up her share.
• A Xin detected visitors, lowered her barrier, and Wang Jianguo arrived with Xiao Zhan and Yang Jing, Mechanical City's Logistics Minister.
• Yang Jing introduced himself to Chu Sheng as a blacksmith Sequence adept, and the two agreed to call each other Brother Yang and Brother Chu.
• Yang Jing offered to demonstrate his sacrificial-item crafting and summoned a set of smithing tools.

Chu Sheng watched Yang Jing demonstrate how his Blacksmith Sequence ability and spatial satchel worked, then examined the Sacrificial Item Yang Jing forged. After borrowing supernatural materials and Yang Jing’s tools, Chu Sheng began his own crafting demonstration.

• Wang Jianguo explained that Mechanical City had only seven Spatial Sacrificial Items and might trade one, while Captain Hui and the others considered what they could offer.
• Yang Jing forged a Fine-Steel Woodcutter's Machete and explained that using blacksmithing tools improved his sequence ability and saved mental power.
• Chu Sheng noticed that he could see the machete’s cost-reduction information, which he thought might be because the Heavenly Craftsman sequence was higher-order than the Blacksmith sequence.
• An Xi admired the machete and asked Chu Sheng to give her Black Jade Bone Spear a similar ability, but he brushed her off.
• Chu Sheng asked to borrow supernatural materials, and Yang Jing offered the remaining materials and his tools; Chu Sheng picked seven or eight materials and began crafting as white light and an orange-red flame appeared.

Chu Sheng demonstrated the Eternal Flame to Yang Jing and offered Wang Jianguo a way to obtain it in exchange for supernatural materials. He finished forging the Dark-Gold Magnetic Blade, a weapon with several abilities and a blood-drawing price that did not affect him.

• Chu Sheng used white light and the Eternal Flame to fuse supernatural materials while explaining how the flame worked to Yang Jing, An Xi, and Xingzi.
• Chu Sheng told Yang Jing that he could obtain an Eternal Flame to improve his Blacksmith Sequence.
• Wang Jianguo asked what Chu Sheng wanted in exchange, and Chu Sheng set the price at one supernatural material for each attempt, whether it succeeded or not.
• Wang Jianguo accepted the price and told Wolf King to inform Old Qin and the others that they could voluntarily exchange combat merits for supernatural materials.
• Chu Sheng examined the sacrificial item he had forged from seven supernatural materials and identified it as the Dark-Gold Magnetic Blade, whose abilities included blade-wielding phantoms, adjustable weight, defense breaking, and automatic return.