Chapter Summaries

Qin Siyang and Li Tianming negotiated improved offers from universities and research institutes while keeping their preferences hidden. After leaving the meeting to decide, they realized neither had figured out what the other wanted.

• The competing institutions improved their offers, and Zhao Longfei promised Qin Siyang the eight units on the East Guesthouse’s tenth floor at Nanrong University.
• Qin Siyang signaled Li Tianming to negotiate for his research team, and Li Tianming offered to invite professors to collaborate by sharing his Vine Heart.
• Li Tianming negotiated detailed terms with each institution while the recruiters tried to secure commitments from him and his team.
• Qin Siyang and Li Tianming left the meeting to discuss which offer to accept, then discovered that neither knew the other’s intentions.

Qin Siyang and Li Tianming accepted Nanrong University's special admission offers, and Qin Siyang secured the rent from a guesthouse floor. Their plans to hunt gods were disrupted when Qian Wendao warned that their usual hunting area had been emptied and renamed.

• Qin Siyang and Li Tianming chose Nanrong University, signed the admission and employment agreements, and Zhao Longfei confronted them about negotiating with other institutions.
• Qin Siyang asked Zhao Longfei about colleges near Southern Glory, and Zhao recommended Nine Dragons College while repeatedly teasing Qin Siyang about his supposed girlfriend.
• Zhao Longfei warned Qin Siyang that he would need more points to retain his privilege, then agreed to send the East Guesthouse's tenth-floor rent to Qin Siyang's account.
• Qin Siyang and Li Tianming argued about money and planned to hunt mid-level gods outside Safe Zone Exit No. 38324.
• Qian Wendao arrived with an assessment report showing that bandits had cleared the area of gods, prompting the exit to be renamed Safe Zone Exit No. 120911 and damaging the Administration Bureau's performance prospects.

After learning that the area around Safe Zone Exit No. 38324 had been depleted, Qin Siyang arranged to travel to Area No. 9 with Li Tianming and seek out Zhang Kuang. Before setting out, Qin Siyang offered Wen Shu housing while she studied at Nine Dragons College, and she was astonished by his arrangements.

• Qin Siyang decided to hunt gods elsewhere after hearing that the hunters near Safe Zone Exit No. 38324 had exhausted the area, and he ruled out Area No. 7 because the Sacrificial Giant Vine was rampaging there.
• Li Tianming told Qin Siyang to find Zhang Kuang at Yucai Kindergarten in Area No. 9, and Qin Siyang insisted Li come along as his Insurance Provider, threatening to withhold the Vine Heart.
• Qin Siyang and Li Tianming planned to leave for Area No. 9 on March thirteenth, the nearest day marked auspicious for travel on the Earth Calendar.
• Qin Siyang asked Wen Shu about Nine Dragons College, and she said she preferred it to United Glory College because its campus was less stifling.
• Qin Siyang offered to arrange a private room for Wen Shu and her grandmother in the residential building at Nanrong University, and Wen Shu was amazed by his housing arrangement.

Qin Siyang and Li Tianming traveled to Area No. 9 to hunt gods while Wen Shu stayed behind with a phone so she could contact them. As kidnappers targeted Wen Shu and a mysterious four-eyed man confronted Xiao Zhigang about missing followers, the danger surrounding Qin Siyang and his associates grew.

• Qin Siyang gave Wen Shu a phone with his and Li Tianming’s numbers, then left with Li Tianming for Area No. 9 in Governor Jonathan’s car.
• Qin Siyang told Li Tianming that Jonathan’s son Edward planned to apply for special admission, and Li Tianming said Zhu Li was managing Ju'an School in their absence.
• Two men followed Wen Shu after school, intending to kidnap her as leverage against Qin Siyang, but she chose not to call him for help.
• In a Western restaurant, a four-eyed man told Xiao Zhigang that both of the Sequence Level four followers he had sent after Qin Siyang had gone missing.

Qin Siyang and Li Tianming arrived in Area No. 9 and visited Li Tianming’s old friend Zhang Kuang at Yucai Kindergarten. Zhang Kuang offered them food and lodging but explained that they would need to arrange their own transport to Safe Zone No. 213 Exit for their God-Hunting trip.

• Qin Siyang and Li Tianming traveled for nearly a week to reach Area No. 9 and entered Yucai Kindergarten after leaving Qin Siyang’s God-Hunting Artifacts at the gatehouse.
• Li Tianming and Qin Siyang met Zhang Kuang in his director’s office and caught up after two years apart.
• Zhang Kuang explained that he had quit smoking because parents’ complaints could cost him his salary.
• Zhang Kuang said he could provide food and lodging but could not help with their God-Hunting plans.
• Zhang Kuang told them to rent or buy a vehicle to reach Safe Zone No. 213 Exit, and Li Tianming confirmed he could drive.

Zhang Kuang arranged for Qin Siyang and Li Tianming to stay in a kindergarten room where a child had died, and Qin Siyang chose it to avoid costly rent. The pair then tried to buy a car, but Qin Siyang’s budget and lack of local residency left them considering a taxi to the Safe Zone exit.

• Zhang Kuang showed Qin Siyang and Li Tianming the unused children's room where a child had died, and Qin Siyang decided to stay there rather than pay for an apartment.
• Qin Siyang and Li Tianming put their bags in the room, and Qin Siyang began combining the small beds.
• Zhang Kuang directed Qin Siyang and Li Tianming to a car dealership, where Qin Siyang tried to find a car costing three to four hundred silver coins.
• The salesperson told Qin Siyang that the dealership did not sell used cars, and Qin Siyang left without buying a vehicle.
• Li Tianming pointed out that Qin Siyang could not rent a car without local residency, leaving them to consider taking a taxi to a Safe Zone exit.

Qin Siyang and Li Tianming left the kindergarten and traveled by taxi to Safe Zone No. 213 Exit, where they prepared to pass through the checkpoint. The chapter ended with Qin Siyang insisting he would never work as an exit inspector, while Li Tianming warned him not to rule it out.

• Qin Siyang and Li Tianming ate dinner at Zhang Kuang's kindergarten, slept, then woke before dawn and left with the food Zhang Kuang had set out for them.
• Qin Siyang called a well-reviewed, nonspeaking taxi driver and rode with Li Tianming to Safe Zone No. 213 Exit.
• On the ride, Qin Siyang explained that Insurance Providers could enter without the required 1,800 God-Hunting Points, and admitted he had not researched what gods awaited outside.
• Qin Siyang paid the driver two thousand copper coins, then he and Li Tianming walked toward the checkpoint at Safe Zone No. 213 Exit.
• While waiting in the long checkpoint queue, Qin Siyang said he would never become an exit inspector, and Li Tianming replied that nothing was impossible.

Qin Siyang pushed deeper into the wilderness with Li Tianming to hunt stronger gods and raise his God-Hunting Points. When they found a mysterious scarlet skull, Li Tianming revealed his intense interest in whatever it concealed, and the two argued over how to divide any treasure they might find.

• Qin Siyang and Li Tianming left the Safe Zone and traveled into the wilderness, where Qin Siyang hunted small gods while Li Tianming urged him not to venture too far.
• Qin Siyang insisted on hunting medium gods to protect his special admission privileges, but he stopped going deeper after Li Tianming warned him about the danger.
• The two searched the surrounding area for over an hour, fighting small gods and collecting their valuable disc carapaces.
• Qin Siyang explained that Li Tianming, as an [Insurance Provider], could only assist him and could face prison or death for secretly bringing back forbidden items.
• Li Tianming reacted eagerly to a vivid red skull and proposed splitting their gains, but Qin Siyang refused to divide treasures such as a Vine Heart.

Li Tianming explained how to obtain the Crimson Crystal inside a Blood Salamander without letting its Waterlogged Begonia kill it first. He planned to use Earth Bind to hold the flower aboveground while Qin Siyang killed the creature, but Qin questioned how the skill could restrain such a massive God.

• Li Tianming and Qin Siyang agreed to seek the Crimson Crystal before negotiating how to divide it.
• Li Tianming explained that Blood Salamanders lived inside Waterlogged Begonias and that their Crimson Crystals lost their value if the begonia killed them first.
• Li Tianming told Qin Siyang that Waterlogged Begonias were nearly impossible to kill because their vast roots let them flee underground.
• Li Tianming said he would use Earth Bind to hold the Waterlogged Begonia's flower aboveground while Qin killed the Blood Salamander.
• Qin Siyang questioned how Li Tianming's Earth Bind could restrain a God with roots stretching several kilometers.

Qin Siyang plunged into the Waterlogged Begonia to hunt the Blood Salamander while Li Tianming restrained the flower for ten seconds. Qin Siyang wounded the fast, blind creature, but the corrosive pool began eating through his armor as Li Tianming counted down.

• Li Tianming and Qin Siyang found the Waterlogged Begonia and prepared to hunt the Blood Salamander inside its pool.
• Li Tianming used Earth Bind to keep the begonia from closing or retreating while Qin Siyang dived into the water.
• Qin Siyang spotted the Blood Salamander and lunged after it, but it evaded his first grab and released fluorescent red toxin.
• Qin Siyang struck the Blood Salamander with the Blind Blade, but Li Tianming warned him that the creature was already blind.
• The Blood Salamander slowed and stopped releasing toxin, while the pool's corrosive liquid began eating through Qin Siyang's Green-Patterned Armor.
• Li Tianming shouted that Qin Siyang had to hurry as he continued counting down.

Qin Siyang captured and killed the Blood Salamander, but a hidden man dragged him back into the Waterlogged Begonia before he could escape. As the corrosive water ate through Qin Siyang’s armor, he used the man’s Air Barrier to breathe and grappled with him, racing to kill him before he died.

• Qin Siyang feinted around the stamen, grabbed the Blood Salamander, and stabbed the back of its head with the God-Hunting Dagger.
• Qin Siyang hurled the Blood Salamander toward Li Tianming, but a hidden person grabbed his ankle and dragged him beneath the water.
• Li Tianming lost control of the Crimson Array Pattern and used vines to try to keep the Waterlogged Begonia from retreating underground.
• Qin Siyang discovered that a middle-aged man in a Cold-Proof Suit had been hiding inside the flower and was holding him underwater.
• Qin Siyang pressed his faceplate against the man’s body to breathe inside his Air Barrier, then grappled with him as the corrosion began eating through his armor.

Qin Siyang escaped the Waterlogged Begonia after stabbing the middle-aged man and stealing his backpack, then climbed through the collapsing tunnel toward the surface. His Violence ability faded before he could reach the entrance, leaving him in excruciating pain and still trapped underground.

• Li Tianming saw the Waterlogged Begonia pull Qin Siyang and the middle-aged man into the pit and feared Qin Siyang was dead.
• Qin Siyang realized the middle-aged man was weaker and stabbed him with the God-Hunting Dagger, leaving him exposed to the corrosive liquid.
• Qin Siyang took the man's backpack and used [Feast Domain] to teleport out of the begonia and farther up the underground passage.
• Qin Siyang climbed through the unstable tunnel, punching through collapsed sections as he searched for the entrance.
• Qin Siyang's [Violence] ability ended before he reached the surface, and he shook with pain while trying not to cry out.

Qin Siyang used [Violence] for one last desperate climb out of Waterlogged Begonia’s collapsing tunnel, but ran out of time and hid in a sealed cavity near the exit. After waking badly injured, he found a bag likely full of Crimson Crystals and knocked himself unconscious, hoping sleep would heal him before he risked leaving.

• Qin Siyang activated [Violence] and struggled upward through worsening collapses, realizing Waterlogged Begonia had dragged him more than a thousand meters underground.
• Near the exit, Qin Siyang ran out of time and received no answer when he shouted for Old Li, so he punched a cavity into the tunnel wall and sealed it with gaps for air.
• Qin Siyang ate bread from the middle-aged man's backpack and passed out, wondering whether the dim red crystals inside were valuable.
• Qin Siyang woke with corrosive fluid still eating through his body, removed his ruined Green-Patterned Armor, and concluded the red crystals were likely Crimson Crystals.
• Qin Siyang decided to sleep again so his injuries could heal, then punched himself in the head twice and heard a possible bone crack before losing consciousness.

Qin Siyang woke injured and naked far outside the Safe Zone, then met Zhao Sifang, who guided him toward Exit No. 213. As they traveled, Zhao Sifang complained about Qin Siyang’s special-admission advantage and claimed he was dead, leaving Qin Siyang stunned.

• Qin Siyang woke from a strange dream, ate his last unspoiled bread, and used a scrap of Green-Patterned Armor to cover himself.
• Qin Siyang realized he was lost far outside the Safe Zone and asked Heaven to send him another reckless Sequence User.
• Zhao Sifang appeared, gave Qin Siyang directions, and offered to escort him back to Safe Zone No. 213 Exit.
• Qin Siyang introduced himself as Liu Dazhi and walked with Zhao Sifang, who said he was eighteen and ran a merchants' association.
• Zhao Sifang complained that Qin Siyang’s Vine Heart and connection to Li Tianming had prompted institutions to open special admissions early.
• Zhao Sifang told Qin Siyang that Qin Siyang was already dead, and Qin Siyang asked when it had happened.

Qin Siyang learned that several factions were fighting over the Crimson Crystal he had left behind and that Li Tianming had paused the dispute to hold a memorial for him. As he and Zhao Sifang approached Safe Zone No. 213 Exit, Qin Siyang secretly used his blood on the crystals in his backpack and asked Zhao to carry it inside.

• Qin Siyang learned from Zhao Sifang that Li Tianming had returned to the Safe Zone with Qin Siyang’s Crimson Crystal, and universities, the United Government, churches, and the military were contesting its inheritance.
• Zhao Sifang said Li Tianming had declared a truce so he could hold Qin Siyang’s memorial on the seventh day after his death at Safe Zone No. 213 Exit.
• Qin Siyang learned that Zhao Sifang’s second uncle was Zhao Longfei and that many prominent figures had gathered to pay respects at the memorial.
• As they neared the Safe Zone entrance, Qin Siyang cut his palm and secretly soaked the dark red crystals in his backpack with his blood.
• Qin Siyang asked Zhao Sifang to carry his backpack inside, and Zhao Sifang questioned whether Qin Siyang trusted him not to steal it.

Qin Siyang returned to the Safe Zone and revealed himself at his own funeral, shocking the mourners and reclaiming the Crimson Crystal. Zhao Sifang opened Qin Siyang’s backpack and reacted with horror, leaving its contents undisclosed.

• Qin Siyang entered the Safe Zone with Zhao Sifang and found a large funeral held in his honor.
• Qin Siyang saw Li Tianming mourning at his memorial and told Zhao Sifang to hold onto his belongings while he put on a show.
• Qin Siyang walked through the incense line and revealed himself to the stunned crowd.
• Zhang Kuang, Zhao Longfei, and Li Tianming recognized Qin Siyang, who confirmed he was alive and took the Crimson Crystal from the offering table.
• Zhao Sifang realized the man he had called a menace was Qin Siyang and opened his backpack, then shouted in shock.

Zhao Sifang discovered that Qin Siyang had already blood-bound every Crimson Crystal in his backpack and decided to keep the discovery secret. At Qin Siyang’s funeral gathering, Minister Xiao Zhigang tried to seize a Crimson Crystal, but Qin Siyang rallied the other factions against him.

• Zhao Sifang opened Qin Siyang’s backpack and found that every Crimson Crystal inside had already been blood-bound.
• Zhao Sifang realized he had told Qin Siyang about blood contracts, then decided to hide the crystals’ status and preserve his relationship with him.
• Qin Siyang announced at the mourning hall that he would form a blood contract with the Crimson Crystal, drawing the crowd’s attention.
• Xiao Zhigang invoked the Ministry of Education’s past support for Qin Siyang and tried to stop him from claiming the crystal.
• Qin Siyang accused Xiao Zhigang of trying to steal a god-hunter’s spoils and called on the other factions for support.
• Dozens of powerful representatives appeared behind Qin Siyang, leaving Xiao Zhigang furious and isolated.

Qin Siyang faced Xiao Zhigang’s hostility and realized that binding the Crimson Crystal himself would limit his freedom, so he decided to give it to Li Tianming. At Qin Siyang’s funeral, he publicly thanked Li Tianming for protecting and supporting him.

• Xiao Zhigang angrily confronted Qin Siyang’s allies, but Chu Zhongxiong and Wang Bozhong refused to take his orders, so Xiao left with his people.
• Li Tianming warned Qin Siyang that rising political stakes could make him a target and urged him not to underestimate his enemies.
• Qin Siyang considered how binding the Crimson Crystal would restrict his ability to leave the Safe Zone and hunt gods, then offered it to Li Tianming.
• Li Tianming hesitated but agreed to accept the Crimson Crystal and promised to repay Qin Siyang by sharing the results of his research.
• Qin Siyang addressed the mourners at his funeral and publicly thanked Li Tianming for guiding, protecting, and honoring him.

Qin Siyang secured the Crimson Crystal by arranging for Li Tianming to establish a contract, then asked him to negotiate Qin’s terms. After Zhao Longfei raised the possibility of replacing Li as Qin’s [Insurance Provider], Qin threatened to exclude Nanrong University from the allocation meeting, forcing Zhao to offer to renegotiate their agreement.

• Qin Siyang thanked Li Tianming and used Wang Bozhong’s God-Hunting Dagger to cut Li’s palm, letting Li’s blood establish a contract with the Crimson Crystal.
• Li Tianming agreed to hold a meeting about allocating the Crimson Crystal and to negotiate Qin Siyang’s terms.
• Crawford realized that Qian Wendao could negotiate with Qin Siyang on the Sequence Ability User Management Department’s behalf.
• Qin Siyang told Li Tianming to demand more for his terms, while Zhao Longfei warned that Li might no longer be able to serve as Qin’s [Insurance Provider].
• Qin Siyang asked Li Tianming to exclude Nanrong University from the Crimson Crystal allocation meeting, and Zhao Longfei hurried to offer to renegotiate their agreement.

Qin Siyang negotiated with Principal Zhao Longfei to ease the conditions for his special privilege, while Zhao Longfei tried to use his nephew Zhao Sifang’s friendship with Qin Siyang to secure a share of the Crimson Crystal. Zhao Sifang realized his family would condemn him for revealing the blood-contract secret, so he decided to keep it hidden.

• Zhao Longfei offered to relax Qin Siyang’s privilege conditions from ranking first to ranking in the top three for god-hunting and research points, and Qin Siyang accepted.
• Qin Siyang thanked Zhao Sifang for helping him outside the Safe Zone, prompting Zhao Longfei to claim they were family and bring up the Crimson Crystal.
• Zhao Sifang was stunned by his second uncle’s shameless bargaining but recognized him after receiving a familiar slap.
• Qin Siyang said it was too early to discuss the Crimson Crystal, and Zhao Longfei urged him to call Zhao Sifang Little Zhao.
• Zhao Sifang decided to conceal the truth about the blood contract from his family and nodded resolutely at Qin Siyang.