Chapter Summaries

Qin Siyang challenged Qin Yingguang to a private fight in Yu Jianyun's Combat Arena, hoping to avenge Gu Weiyang and protect his eight thousand soldiers. After their brutal exchange left both wounded, Qin Siyang activated his hidden strength and launched a decisive attack, telling Qin Yingguang to write his last words.

• Qin Siyang accused Qin Yingguang of being willing to kill his eight thousand soldiers and insisted they settle things in the arena.
• Yu Jianyun provided a Combat Arena, and Qin Siyang and Qin Yingguang entered it to fight unseen by the others.
• Qin Siyang's attacks wounded Qin Yingguang, but Qin Yingguang's burst of swordlike light severed Qin Siyang's arm and pierced his body.
• Remembering Gu Weiyang's final wish, Qin Siyang activated Sacrificial Giant Vine's [Mighty Vine Strength] and [Profane Feast].
• Qin Siyang used Flash Step to attack Qin Yingguang and told him to go back and write his last words.

Qin Siyang defeated Qin Yingguang and became the United Government’s Minister of Armaments. The meeting then erupted into a dispute over who would appoint the next Governor of State No. 5, whose production was vital to the Safe Zone.

• Qin Yingguang admitted defeat, astonishing the other zones and leaving Zone 1 stunned.
• Olof mocked Ander for agreeing to the fight, while Qin Yingguang privately feared Qin Siyang’s strength and left the Hall of Hope.
• Ander announced that Qin Siyang was the new Minister of Armaments, and Qin Siyang accepted the position.
• Qian Wendao raised the need to replace Gatson Stein as Governor of State No. 5 after his ties to the Reincarnation Church were exposed.
• Ander insisted that Zone 1 alone would appoint the new governor, while Qian Wendao demanded that the choice be discussed openly.

Ander and Qian Wendao argued over who should govern State No. 5, with Qian insisting that the candidate be qualified. After rejecting several options, Ander appointed Yang Xian, who protested that he did not want to leave Zone 1.

• Qian Wendao demanded the right to be informed and veto the governor selection, and warned Ander not to invoke Gu Weiyang’s death again.
• Ander proposed An Youlu, but Qian rejected him as overburdened with other duties.
• Ander then proposed Ma Liangdong, whom Qian and Olof criticized as unfit to govern.
• Qian recommended Yang Xian, who angrily accused him of trying to send him away and get him killed.
• Ander told Yang Xian to suggest another qualified candidate, then appointed him governor of State No. 5 when he could not.

After becoming Minister of Armaments, Qin Siyang asked Li Tianming to help assess whether common Underground City artifact commissions could be made profitably. The chapter ended with Zhao Longfei joining their conversation and Li Tianming asking where Director Zhang had gone.

• Qian Wendao and Ander appointed Yang Xian governor of State No. 5 and warned him to keep the state in order.
• Qin Siyang told Li Tianming that Professor Lu had left research on Tier Five Artifacts, and they discussed how Lu had died detonating one.
• Qin Siyang asked Li Tianming to estimate the costs of making commonly requested artifacts for the shop he had opened with Shan En.
• Qin Siyang explained that the shop needed to account for research labor as well as materials before accepting commissions.
• Zhao Longfei joined Qin Siyang and Li Tianming, asked about the Sigma District commissions, and Li Tianming asked where Director Zhang had gone.

Zhang Kuang learned from Olof that his missing elder brother, Zhang Yang, had led the first-batch Chosen Ones and died by suicide after losing a civil war. Olof explained that Zhang Yang had sought to rule the Safe Zone through a feudal system, leaving Zhang Kuang stunned and devastated.

• Olof confirmed that he and the people in Zone 1 were first-batch Chosen Ones, and Zhang Kuang asked whether Qi Tian belonged to the same group.
• Olof identified Zhang Kuang as Zhang Yang's younger brother and confirmed that Zhang Yang had killed himself.
• Zhang Kuang pressed Olof for the reason, and Olof said Zhang Yang lost a war after trying to establish a feudal system in the Safe Zone.
• Olof said Zhang Yang wanted first-batch Chosen Ones to rule separate territories with absolute power, while he, Qian Wendao, Gu Weiyang, Qi Tian, and others opposed him.
• Olof said Zhang Yang's side lost despite outnumbering their opponents, and Zhang Yang killed himself; Zhang Kuang slumped in silence.

Qin Siyang traveled to District 2 with Sun Linshou and Tang Wangong, who explained how the Ministry of Armaments obtained military supplies and why requisitions were difficult. Tang promised the Administration Department would support Qin with Sequence Potions, while the other supply problems remained.

• Qin Siyang offered Sun Linshou and Tang Wangong a ride to District 2 and said Qian Wendao was no longer his benefactor, though he was not an enemy.
• Qin Siyang took the two ministers underground in his Drill Pod and asked them to explain the Ministry of Armaments.
• Sun Linshou explained that the ministry received everyday necessities from State No. 5 and State 13, combat items from research institutes, and Sequence Potions from the Administration Department.
• Sun Linshou warned Qin Siyang that other departments could resist requisitions despite the secretary-general's approval, because ministers struggled to control even their own subordinates.
• Tang Wangong promised the Administration Department would support Qin Siyang's requests for Sequence Potions, and Sun Linshou pointed out that Tang had previously held up Dmitri's requisitions.

Qin Siyang learned how Sequence Potion controls kept the Safe Zone’s legions from expanding unchecked and discussed the Ministry of Armaments’ political importance with Tang Wangong and Sun Linshou. As they prepared to visit the ministry’s office building, they discovered its defenses were largely ineffective.

• Tang Wangong and Sun Linshou explained that the United Government restricted Sequence Potion production to prevent an arms race among the legions, and that unauthorized expansion had led to the destruction of offending factions.
• Sun Linshou described the Ministry of Armaments as a supplier to the legions and the Administration Department as its client, while Tang Wangong said Deputy Ministers Gong and Liu would soon resign and transfer.
• Tang Wangong suspected Zhang Haozhong had backing from Zone 1, and Sun Linshou advised keeping him in the Administration Department until Qin Siyang grew stronger.
• Sun Linshou said Qin Siyang could build on his solution to the Sequence Potion problem by directing the ministry’s quota beyond the legions.
• Sun Linshou and Tang Wangong agreed to accompany Qin Siyang to the Ministry of Armaments’ office building and help him learn its personnel.
• Qin Siyang asked about the building’s defenses, and Tang Wangong said research institutes had taken most of the installation funds, leaving the systems ineffective.

Qin Siyang, newly appointed Minister of Armaments, secretly entered his office with Sun Linshou and Tang Wangong and confronted four liaison directors who had been plotting how to handle him. He left them wary but still openly defiant.

• Lin Dexing, He Feifei, and Ma Liangcai discussed Qin Siyang’s appointment and agreed to resist him, while Wang Jilai reluctantly agreed to join them.
• Qin Siyang, Sun Linshou, and Tang Wangong appeared in the office after using concealment to enter unnoticed.
• Qin Siyang warned the directors that the building’s Protective Tools were inadequate and said he could kill them if he chose.
• Sun Linshou revealed that Qin Siyang had defeated Qin Yingguang in a duel to become Minister of Armaments, shocking the directors.
• The directors ignored Qin Siyang’s remarks, and he compared the Ministry to a Crystal Palace full of Flood Dragons before calling himself an unremarkable stone monkey.

Qin Siyang questioned the Ministry of Armaments directors, investigated the ministry's leadership, and signed off on delayed military supply orders. He left after learning how rival factions had placed directors in the ministry to obstruct the legions, while Lin Dexing and the others began a thorough review of the supplies.

• Qin Siyang learned that Deputy Minister Chao Shishan had died in the battle and announced plans to investigate the Ministry of Armaments with Minister Sun of the Department of Justice.
• Wang Jilai told Qin Siyang that first-quarter military supplies were overdue, and Qin Siyang reviewed and signed every page of the distribution document.
• After Qin Siyang left, Lin Dexing told He Feifei, Ma Liangcai, and Wang Jilai to follow Qin Siyang's order by checking the supplies thoroughly, and they called to arrange the review.
• Tang Wangong and Sun Linshou explained the factional ties of the four directors and how the ministry's past leaders had restricted the legions' growth.
• Sun Linshou warned Qin Siyang that he was in a tiger's den, and Qin Siyang replied that the situation was interesting.

After reaching origin sequence level three, Qin Siyang read the newly revealed third part of the [Apocalypse Fragment] and learned that his world was the eighth and final evolutionary sequence domain. The fragment left him with warnings about the future and a furious question about how he was supposed to stay safe while obtaining primordial starshine.

• Qin Siyang secretly took out the [Apocalypse Fragment] and read its third part, enduring grief over Lu Daoxing and Gu Weiyang as his mental energy drained.
• The [Apocalypse Fragment] declared Qin Siyang the first chosen one to reach origin sequence level three and revealed that only he would ever read its third part.
• Qin Siyang learned that there would be eight evolutionary sequence domains in total and that his was the last.
• The fragment explained that after twelve Earth years, holders who left the eighth domain would be transported to a random location beyond Earth.
• The [Apocalypse Fragment] told Qin Siyang to keep advancing and stay safe while obtaining primordial starshine, and he angrily demanded to know how that was possible.

Qin Siyang and other mourners attended Gu Weiyang’s funeral in District 2, where the Zhao family helped support Gu Yunxuan. Yu Jianyun and Fan Baoluo discussed Gu Weiyang’s final arrangements and the political struggle over Zone 1, which remained unresolved as the funeral procession awaited its start.

• Qin Siyang arrived at Gu Weiyang’s funeral and saw the Zhao brothers guarding the entrance while Zhao Sifang helped Gu Yunxuan arrange the mourning hall.
• Qin Siyang offered incense and kowtowed to Gu Weiyang, prompting Gu Weihong to announce his titles and Gu Yunpeng to return the bow.
• Qin Siyang found Yu Jianyun and Fan Baoluo talking outside and learned Fan Baoluo was still recovering from Royt’s poison with a fully prosthetic lower body.
• Yu Jianyun said Gu Weiyang had asked him to guide Fan Baoluo’s son, Fan Hans, if Fan Baoluo died in battle.
• Fan Baoluo urged Yu Jianyun to honor Gu Weiyang by helping with public affairs in Zone 1, where Ander and Qian Wendao remained the main rivals.

After Gu Weiyang’s funeral, Qin Siyang learned that Wang Family members planned to defect to Zone 1 with the family’s mines. He agreed to help Wang Xugong take control of the family in exchange for twenty percent of its mines and arranged for the Chu Character Legion to intervene.

• Gu Yunpeng broke the offering basin, carried Gu Weiyang’s coffin to its burial site, and led the funeral procession.
• Yu Yongyou and Wang Xugong spoke privately with Qin Siyang about Wang Xugong’s bid to become family head and the Wang Family’s plans to defect to Zone 1.
• Yu Yongyou told Qin Siyang that Huan Qi had detained the Wang Family members seeking to defect, but might not be able to resist Zone 1’s forces for long.
• Qin Siyang promised to help Wang Xugong become family head in exchange for twenty percent of the Wang Family’s mines.
• Qin Siyang asked Chu Baxing to send troops from the Chu Character Legion to Zone 5 and secure the mines, and Chu Baxing agreed.

Qin Siyang arranged for the Chu Character Legion to move on the Wang Family’s mines and secure Wang Xugong’s claim as family head. Qian Wendao refused to authorize the deployment, but pointed out a Red-Line Law Qin Siyang could use to defend the legion’s actions.

• Qin Siyang sent Yu Yongyou and Wang Xugong back to Zone 5 to secure Wang Xugong’s position and oversee the Wang Family mining handover.
• Qian Wendao told Qin Siyang that Gu Weiyang had trusted him and hoped Qian would help him.
• Qin Siyang admitted he had killed Shen Shisong, and Qian Wendao explained that he had ordered Shen to conceal his sequence ability and level.
• Qin Siyang asked Qian Wendao to authorize the Chu Character Legion’s deployment, but Qian refused to involve the United Government and said Qin and Chu Baxing should settle the matter with Zone 1.
• Qian Wendao reminded Qin Siyang that extorting a legion’s supplies also violated the Red-Line Laws, giving him a possible defense for the deployment.

After Gu Weiyang’s death, Qin Siyang recognized that Qian Wendao’s hands-off governance would let powers rise and fall, and moved to expand his influence. He urged Zhao Sifang and Gu Yunpeng to strengthen the Zhao Merchants’ Association by taking in weakened associations on generous terms.

• Qin Siyang decided to pursue the agreement he had made with Gu Weiyang to take over as much power as possible from those who died in battle.
• Qin Siyang spoke with Gu Weirong, Gu Weihong, and Zhao Longfei, who praised his strength and thanked him for helping save them from the World-Destroying Church.
• Zhao Longfei told Qin Siyang that Zhao Sifang and Gu Yunpeng had taken charge of the Zhao Merchants’ Association as their families accelerated their succession plans.
• Qin Siyang met Zhao Sifang and Gu Yunpeng and learned that Gu Yunpeng was being considered for Bureau Chief of the Administration Bureau in Area No. 7.
• Qin Siyang proposed that the Zhao Merchants’ Association use money and manpower to absorb weakened associations, and he argued that generous offers would help rather than exploit them.

Qin Siyang persuaded Zhao Sifang to turn the Zhao Merchants' Association into a united merchants' association by bringing in other associations through equity rather than cash buyouts. Zhao Sifang agreed to pursue the plan and prepare a proposal, while Qin Siyang offered financial and material support in exchange for equity.

• Zhao Sifang told Qin Siyang that the association lacked funds to buy out other associations because its revenue was being used to establish the Zhao Character Legion.
• Qin Siyang proposed using equity to bring experienced people and other associations into a united merchants' association, arguing that the Safe Zone's frequent upheavals made rapid expansion and shared support essential.
• Zhao Sifang and Gu Yunpeng reflected on how their responsibilities had suddenly increased as the Safe Zone's established powers faced upheaval.
• Qin Siyang assured Zhao Sifang that the Zhao Family would remain dominant in the united association and urged him to make decisions without seeking his elders' approval.
• Zhao Sifang agreed to discuss an equity arrangement with Uncle Shan En and try to prepare a proposal by the next day.
• Qin Siyang offered to provide rare materials or funds in exchange for corresponding equity.

Qin Siyang discussed Hu Chan’s dangerous plan to escape the Path of the Believer and then proposed that the churches pool their resources through the Zhao Merchants’ Association. Hu Chan considered the partnership, while Yu Guardian remained away at Ulit’s funeral.

• Qin Siyang learned that Hu Chan had reached the start of the Path of the Believer but saw no way back to the Path of Self-Verification.
• Hu Chan planned to drink large amounts of concentrated Primordial Sequence Potion to shatter his Path of the Believer, despite the risk that his sequence ability would run wild.
• Qin Siyang offered to seek medicine to reduce the danger of Hu Chan’s plan.
• Qin Siyang proposed that the World Salvation Church lend money to the Zhao Merchants’ Association, invest in it, and open church branches alongside its business branches.
• Hu Chan said the idea of combining religion and commerce could work, and Qin Siyang named Shan En and Chu Zhongxiong as the specialists behind the advice.

After Gu Weiyang’s funeral, Qin Siyang learned from Governor Kav that Ministry of Armaments officials were using his vague verbal instruction to justify returning military supplies to their suppliers. He realized the four liaison directors were obstructing him and prepared to confront them.

• Qin Siyang coordinated with the army, the Mining Industry, the Merchants' Association, and the Church to support the Safe Zone’s new generation.
• Governor Kav called Qin Siyang and explained how the Ministry of Armaments distributed supplies through warehouse administration offices.
• Kav told Qin Siyang that State No. 3’s warehouse office had been ordered to return military supplies to the Research Institute and State No. 5 factories.
• Qin Siyang confirmed he had not ordered the returns and thanked Kav for warning him.
• Kav explained that four liaison directors were twisting Qin Siyang’s verbal instruction to check supplies carefully into grounds for claiming discrepancies and returning them.
• Qin Siyang recognized the directors’ scheme and vowed to respond.

Qin Siyang arranged for Vincent Smith to leave the Ministry of Armaments and take a leadership post in the Administration Department, while offering Tang Wangong Crimson Crystals to strengthen himself. Tang accepted the support and pledged to face the United Government’s future dangers alongside Qin.

• Qin Siyang learned that Vincent Smith wanted to transfer from the Ministry of Armaments and promised Kav he would share the contents of an Apocalypse Fragment with him.
• Qin Siyang asked Tang Wangong to transfer Vincent to the Administration Department, and Tang assigned him to direct the State 7 Administration Office as a test of his abilities.
• Qin Siyang offered Tang fifty grams of Crimson Crystal, despite Tang initially asking for only five grams.
• Tang accepted the crystals and pledged to stand with Qin Siyang through the United Government’s deadly trials.

Qin Siyang stopped four directors from carrying out an order to return Ministry of Armaments supplies and exposed their deliberate distortion of his instructions. After restoring the supplies, he demanded that the directors identify who was behind the scheme and accept responsibility.

• Qin Siyang learned that supplies might be returned and rushed to the Ministry of Armaments to order the regional warehouses to keep them.
• Lin Dexing and the other directors refused to respond, so Qin Siyang used a live-streaming camera and Lie Detector to record their defiance for Qian Wendao.
• He Feifei claimed the directors had followed Qin Siyang's instructions, but he accused her of twisting his words and revealed that her mind-clouding device did not affect him.
• The four directors called warehouse managers across the states and relayed Qin Siyang's order to keep the supplies.
• Qin Siyang said someone still had to be held accountable and told the four directors to discuss who had orchestrated the scheme.

Qin Siyang confronted four Ministry of Armaments directors over their obstruction of his orders and demanded accountability for the damage they caused. After pressuring He Feifei to name the mastermind on camera, he left Lin Dexing accused.

• Qin Siyang argued that his merit in resolving the crisis did not erase the four directors’ faults and announced he would hold them accountable.
• Qin Siyang gave Lin Dexing, He Feifei, and Ma Liangcai documents about their pasts, then threatened them with Department of Justice scrutiny unless they named the mastermind.
• Qin Siyang told the directors he sought obedience to his authority, not their positions, and rejected their pleas to escape punishment by promising to improve.
• Qin Siyang asked each director to identify the mastermind and singled out He Feifei to speak first.
• He Feifei named Lin Dexing as the mastermind, then repeated the accusation after Qin Siyang turned the camera back on.