Chapter Summaries

Qian Wendao told Qin Siyang how decades of deaths and failures had left him numb, though he believed the Eighth Domain was on the path to victory. When the Invaders stopped attacking, Qin Siyang chose to hunt them and try to break through to the Domain Sequence, hoping to save Qian Wendao.

• Qian Wendao described his five hundred deaths, two devastating failures, and the memories that had drained him of feeling over thirty-eight years.
• Qian Wendao said Qin Siyang had given him hope and that the people of the Eighth Domain were now on the right path toward final victory.
• The Invaders stopped attacking the Sigma District, and their flower web dissolved as they descended and gathered in groups.
• Qin Siyang put on his Crimson Armor and told Qian Wendao he would hunt isolated Invaders while they were separated.
• Qin Siyang said he would risk dying to try to reach the Domain Sequence and save Qian Wendao, while Qian Wendao warned that the Invaders would return.

Qin Siyang launched a surprise attack on an isolated invader, but his target vanished into red petals and revealed herself as an elderly woman of the Bamboo Kingdom with a standing equal to Sima Ji's. The chapter left Qin Siyang hurtling past her, unable to react, as she praised his spear.

• Qian Wendao accepted Qin Siyang's decision to take a risk and arranged for the rescued hostages to be dispersed among nearby War Readiness Zones.
• Qin Siyang surveyed the invaders from Giant Ridge, chose a fire-wielding target, and ordered She Haqiang to launch a mass attack when he appeared outside the Safe Zone.
• Qin Siyang burrowed beneath the battlefield and waited for the defense line's attacks to cover his approach.
• Qin Siyang teleported beside his target and drove his Tier Six Long Spear toward the invader's heart.
• The target vanished into red petals, revealing an elderly Bamboo Kingdom woman whom Qin Siyang recognized as an invader equal in standing to Sima Ji.
• The woman watched Qin Siyang fly past her and whispered, "Fine spear."

Qin Siyang was trapped by Granny Hua, who revealed that her ceasefire had been a ruse, and he sent his Tier Six Long Spear underground to keep it from her. She Haqiang ordered a massive bombardment that drove Granny Hua away but engulfed Qin Siyang, and the Crimson Crystal linked to him shattered afterward.

• Granny Hua immobilized Qin Siyang with petals and revealed that she had set a trap for fighters seeking to advance to the domain sequence.
• Qin Siyang sent his Tier Six Long Spear underground to keep it from the invaders, and Granny Hua tried to pursue it with flying petals.
• She Haqiang ordered tens of thousands of defenders to bombard Qin Siyang's position, forcing Granny Hua to scatter and flee.
• The defenders' attack engulfed Qin Siyang and left a vast crater with no sign of him.
• She Haqiang found that the Crimson Crystal linked to Qin Siyang had crumbled into powder.

After Qin Siyang's death was confirmed, Qian Wendao explained that he had been lured into a trap and killed by Sigma District's own fire. With the survivors evacuated, Qian Wendao resolved to sacrifice himself to preserve the Safe Zone's resolve and left the office.

• Qin Siyang's contracted materials disintegrated across the Safe Zone, confirming his death to its leaders and powerful figures.
• Qian Wendao told Li Tianming and Zhao Longfei that Qin Siyang had fallen for the invaders' trap and was killed by Sigma District's fire.
• Olof arrived, and Qian Wendao explained the evacuation and screening of War Readiness Zone 931's remaining survivors.
• Qian Wendao told Olof he would go out and die to strengthen public resolve and prevent the enemy from exploiting his broken promise.
• Qian Wendao urged Olof to support Gu Weirong as secretary-general, then left the office.

Qian Wendao addressed the Safe Zone, named Gu Weirong as his successor, and charged toward the invaders to buy time for a concealed counterattack. As his troops fired their skills at William’s formation, both Qian Wendao and the invaders were swallowed by the blast.

• Qian Wendao livestreamed his final speech and confirmed that Olof had safely accommodated the hostages.
• Qian Wendao announced Gu Weirong as the next Secretary-General and urged the Safe Zone to resist the invaders to the bitter end.
• Qian Wendao crossed the Defensive Shield and charged at William and the invaders as Chu Zhongxiong ordered the soldiers to attack along his path.
• Chu Zhongxiong’s troops unleashed a barrage of skills that engulfed Qian Wendao and the invaders’ position.

Qian Wendao sacrificed himself to draw the invaders into a surprise attack by War Readiness Zone 1, helping the defenders kill seventeen enemies. His death sparked a unified cry for the heroes and freedom throughout the Safe Zone.

• Qian Wendao asked Chu Zhongxiong to order a concealed saturation strike on his position after he left for the enemy, then departed without finishing his cigarette.
• Qian Wendao flew into the invaders’ midst, using his red light to conceal the attacks Chu Zhongxiong sent along his path.
• War Readiness Zone 1’s invisible attacks devastated the battlefield and killed seventeen invaders, though more than a dozen escaped.
• Xu Qingnan reported Qian Wendao’s sacrifice to the Safe Zone, and a grieving squad leader shouted, “May heroes live forever! Long live freedom!”
• Soldiers and civilians across all nine hundred and ninety-nine War Readiness Zones joined the chant, raising their fists and calling for the heroes and freedom.

William struggled with the First Domain’s heavy losses after Wen Daoqian’s sacrifice rallied the Eighth Domain. Sima Ji warned that the Eighth Domain’s united resistance had made military intimidation ineffective, leaving the invaders to consider retreat or a dangerous escalation.

• William blamed his followers for falling for Wen Daoqian’s deception and dying in the attack.
• Granny Hua, Sima Ji, and Alan discussed the First Domain’s losses and grew more united through their shared conflict with the Eighth Domain.
• Sima Ji explained that Wen Daoqian’s death had united the Eighth Domain and made its people determined to fight rather than surrender.
• Sima Ji warned that William might massacre an area or retreat, and advised the others to provide support from the outskirts if the battle continued.
• Granny Hua worried that the Eighth Domain’s system could spread if it survived the First Domain’s assaults.

William weighed whether to continue the First Domain’s invasion after losing many elite fighters, then accepted Margaret’s advice to attack another region immediately. The chapter ended with him ordering his troops to assemble for a massacre intended to secure a victory before retreating became necessary.

• William seethed over the First Domain’s casualties and Qian Wendao’s death while Sima Ji, Granny Hua, and Alan watched from a distance.
• William asked Margaret for her assessment, and she praised his leadership while explaining the Eighth Domain’s vast population and advanced technology.
• Margaret suggested that the First Domain attack another region and wipe out its natives before the survivors’ fear made them unwilling to return.
• William offered to recommend Margaret for a seat at the Round Table Meeting, and she urged him not to retreat in disgrace.
• William ordered the troops to assemble and attack the region Sima Ji had identified as having the second-weakest defenses.

After Qian Wendao died to expose the invaders’ true intentions, William’s forces overran War Readiness Zone 937 and slaughtered hundreds of thousands of civilians for their corpses. The massacre extinguished hopes of peaceful coexistence and left the Safe Zone with only struggle against the invaders.

• Between a hundred and seventy and a hundred and eighty invaders, including William, Margaret, and three Domain Masters, broke through War Readiness Zone 937 in half an hour, losing only two people.
• Gu Weirong begged William to spare the hundreds of thousands of civilians, but William ignored him and dismissed the weak as undeserving of freedom.
• William’s subordinates slaughtered the civilians and collected their bodies to help the invaders cross the boundary of the Eighth Domain.
• The people watching the massacre felt panic, grief, and fury harden into hatred, and illusions of peaceful coexistence died throughout the Safe Zone.

Sima Ji returned to the Seventh Domain after an assault on the Eighth Domain that killed its Domain Master but cost more than a dozen Domain Sequence fighters. He told Chen Xiao'en that Wen Daoqian had sacrificed himself to expose the outsiders’ brutality, leaving the Eighth Domain a slim chance to survive the next attack.

• Sima Ji returned to the Seventh Domain and announced that the Eighth Domain's Domain Master had been killed, promising a future assault and a share of its resources.
• Sima Ji told Chen Xiao'en that the Eighth Domain's massed Sequence Ability Users and the local gods had overwhelmed the attackers, forcing them to retreat after heavy losses.
• Sima Ji revealed that Qian Wendao was Wen Daoqian, who had become the Eighth Domain's Domain Master by taking over a native's body and gaining the [Apocalypse Fragment]'s recognition.
• Sima Ji explained that Wen Daoqian had surrendered himself to save hostages and expose William's atrocities, even though William continued slaughtering people afterward.
• Chen Xiao'en concluded that Wen Daoqian's death might give the Eighth Domain a slim chance of surviving the next full-scale assault.

After the Safe Zone suffered devastating losses, its leaders discussed ways to defend against the Invaders and tasked Li Tianming with improving teleportation technology. Meanwhile, a newly domain-sequence figure slipped past the enemy forces hidden across the Great River and disappeared into the forest.

• The Safe Zone mourned Qian Wendao, Qin Siyang, and the hundreds of thousands killed in War Readiness Zone 937 as residents resolved to keep fighting.
• Wei Rulai blamed himself for failing to arrive in time, while Tian Luzhang and Chu Zhongxiong explained why teleporting troops near the Invaders was too dangerous.
• Han Shuo asked Li Tianming to develop a way to teleport while maintaining defensive formations, and the Ministry of Education and Administration Department promised full support.
• Old Johnny suggested searching for Zhong Dingming, who might have reached the domain sequence after killing Royt, and Gu Weirong agreed that they should look for him.
• A concealed man by the Great River reflected on Qian Wendao's death, revealed he had reached the domain sequence and possessed a Tier Five Artifact, then slipped unseen across the river into the forest where domain-sequence Invaders were hiding.

The Safe Zone mourned Qin Siyang, Qian Wendao, and the victims of War Readiness Zone 937 as the survivors faced an uncertain future. After the memorial, Liu Yingfeng surprised Olof by asking him to marry her.

• The Safe Zone held a funeral for Qin Siyang and Qian Wendao, and their allies grieved their deaths.
• The mourners visited the Memorial Hall for the Victims of War Readiness Zone 937, where footage showed hundreds of thousands being killed by Higher-Dimensional Invaders.
• Olof returned to his office in War Readiness Zone 1 and found Liu Yingfeng waiting for him.
• Liu Yingfeng told Olof, "Lei Xiaoting, marry me."

Liu Yingfeng confronted Olof, revealed she wanted to marry him before the Safe Zone’s next likely invasion, and persuaded him to wed her that night. Their simple ceremony united them as husband and wife, while Zhao Longfei reacted to the news with resentment.

• Liu Yingfeng demanded that Olof marry her, arguing that they might not survive another Invader assault and that she had waited for him for years.
• Olof admitted he could not arrange a proper wedding, but Liu Yingfeng said she wanted to end their undefined relationship rather than have a grand ceremony.
• Olof agreed to marry Liu Yingfeng that night, and they decided to inform Gu Weirong because of their positions.
• Olof and Liu Yingfeng held a simple ceremony with rings made from Crimson Crystal, officiated by Liu Yingxia and witnessed by Gu Weirong, Chu Zhongxiong, and others.
• After news of the marriage spread through the Safe Zone’s upper ranks, Zhao Longfei grumbled that Lei Xiaoting had summoned him only at the last minute.

Grieving Qin Siyang’s death, Lin Yaman wondered whether the Safe Zone had any future and regretted that she could not ask Zhao Longfei to marry her. Zhao Longfei proposed with a ring made from a Vine Heart, and Lin Yaman accepted, deciding to keep the tile his knee had shattered.

• Lin Yaman mourned Qin Siyang and worried that the Safe Zone might soon collapse.
• Zhao Longfei entered Lin Yaman’s office, knelt, and asked her to marry him.
• Lin Yaman accepted Zhao Longfei’s proposal and put on the Vine Heart ring.
• Zhao Longfei explained that he had made the ring from the Vine Heart Xiao Qin gave him and said Lei Xiaoting had urged him not to wait.
• Lin Yaman asked to keep the shattered floor tile as a memento of the proposal.

Li Tianming, Chen Fenghe, and Li Pengfei grieved Qin Siyang’s death while Zhao Longfei invited Li Tianming to his wedding. Li Tianming declined to attend, leaving the family still unable to move beyond their loss.

• Li Tianming read Zhao Longfei’s message announcing his marriage to Lin Yaman and inviting him to the ceremony.
• Li Tianming reflected on Zhao Longfei’s decision to keep living and marry despite Qin Siyang’s death, while recognizing his own grief was different.
• Chen Fenghe lay awake crying over Qin Siyang, whom she had regarded as her own child.
• Li Pengfei mourned the loss of the older brother he had felt closer to than his newly remembered biological father.
• Li Tianming congratulated Zhao Longfei and Lin Yaman but declined to attend, saying Zhu Haifeng would deliver his gift.

Zhao Sifang argued with Zhao Longteng over holding his wedding to Gu Yunxuan on the same day as Zhao Longfei and Lin Yaman. Zhao Longteng finally relented, telling his son to make his own decisions.

• Zhao Longfei and Lin Yaman announced their marriage, and Zhao Longfei's wedding was postponed by a day.
• Zhao Sifang demanded that his wedding to Gu Yunxuan be held alongside Zhao Longfei's, but Zhao Longteng objected.
• Zhao Sifang argued that danger from the Invaders made it important to marry without further delay, and said Gu Yunxuan had agreed.
• Zhao Sifang criticized Zhao Longfei for announcing his wedding without telling Zhao Longteng first and insisted that marrying together would make things easier for the family.
• Zhao Sifang invoked his late mother's advice to make his own decisions, and Zhao Longteng lowered his teacup and gave in.

Zhao Longfei and Zhao Sifang held modest weddings as the Safe Zone prepared for another possible attack. Seeing the people inspired by War Readiness Zone 1’s resolve, Gu Weirong granted the entire Safe Zone three days off, which residents used to settle unfinished matters before the coming battle.

• Zhao Longfei agreed to hold his wedding together with Zhao Sifang’s, and the two couples married in a modest ceremony.
• The Safe Zone’s leaders’ weddings helped residents understand that everyone, from decision-makers to ordinary people, might have to sacrifice their lives to defeat the Invaders.
• Gu Weirong granted the Safe Zone three days off after the Invaders carried away hundreds of thousands of corpses and could not return immediately.
• Residents used the three days to marry, visit their parents’ graves, and gather at Heavenly Peril River Ridge to drink and sing.

After Qin Siyang’s death, Sigma District erupted into a wave of revenge killings as its residents prepared for the Invaders. The Underground City remained a sanctuary under the protection of Qin Siyang’s and [Yu Gu]’s Shops, where a hooded visitor silently departed after being asked where he had come from.

• Sigma District’s residents turned the holiday into a deadly reckoning, and Yan Bunan asked Gu Yunpeng whether guards should intervene.
• Gu Yunpeng refused to stop the fighting, and Yan Bunan ordered Cleanup Trucks to clear the bodies from the Main Road.
• Desperadoes flocked to Qin Siyang’s and [Yu Gu]’s Shops for combat supplies, while Shi Tao and Huan Ruoyu killed anyone who tried to rob customers or seize goods.
• The two Shops enforced a strict no-violence rule, making the Underground City the only bloodless sanctuary in Sigma District.
• A hooded visitor lingered before both Shops, then left after a server asked where he had come from.

Qin Siyang emerged from the ruins after surviving his supposed death and struggled with grief over Qian Wendao and his defeat by the Invaders. After Woman recognized him and warned him to keep his strength hidden, he returned to the ruins to lie low until the day of Awakening of Insects.

• Woman watched Qin Siyang from her stall, then warned him not to threaten people when he approached and pressed her to say whether she recognized him.
• Qin Siyang crawled out of the ruins, mourned Qian Wendao and his own failure, then found some hope in hearing about the survivors’ plans and celebrations.
• Qin Siyang ate in the Sigma District and considered how to prepare for another fight, but realized he could not use his abilities without exposing his survival.
• Qin Siyang confronted Woman in the Underground City and concluded that she was a god who recognized him and understood his feigned death.
• Qin Siyang left the dangerous Underground City and returned to the ruins, where he decided to hide until Awakening of Insects.

Quan Taibin perfected a way to make small gods obey him and disguise inanimate objects as gods, hoping the technology would help the Safe Zone fight the Invaders. He planned to give his research to Professor Li, honoring Qin Siyang, the person he had considered family.

• Quan Taibin emerged from underground and discovered that he could command small gods and make them worship objects he disguised as gods.
• Quan Taibin mourned Qin Siyang, remembering how Qin had saved him and become the only family he had in the Safe Zone.
• Quan Taibin recalled developing the Sandworm Disguise research with Li Tianming and seeking to transfer the disguise effect onto inanimate objects.
• After hearing of Qin Siyang's death, Quan Taibin nearly abandoned his research but continued because Qin had wanted a way to fight the Invaders.
• Quan Taibin decided to give his completed technology to Professor Li so the Safe Zone could use it against the Invaders.