Recaps

Xianyu fretted over Hua’s future marriage and laid out an exacting list of requirements, while Hua learned the workings of the Xianzhou and traveled across its ships and worlds. After Hua turned eighteen and chose ballroom dancing as an elective, Xianyu worried she would have to dance with some blond punk.

• Xianyu told Lan to dispose of any future partner who betrayed Hua, but Guan Liang argued Hua could handle such a person herself.
• Xianyu asked Hua what kind of partner she wanted, then listed his demanding standards; Hua said she wanted a normal person and declared she would not marry.
• Hua met Xianzhou senior officials, learned how the Six Commissions worked, and visited the other ships during holidays under the generals’ guidance.
• Xianyu gave Hua a yacht, a starskiff, and fishing grounds, and Hua traveled across the eight ships and their affiliated planets, sharing a photograph of the aurora with him.
• After Hua turned eighteen and chose ballroom dancing as an elective, Xianyu objected because she might have to hold hands with a blond punk.

Xianyu agreed to attend Hua’s graduation ball and chose her an evening gown, while Guan Liang secretly arranged to arm the Astral Express for Xianyu’s planned travels. Guan Liang learned that Xianyu intended to give Hua Fenghuang Down later, deepening his suspicion that Xianyu was guarding against having his memories erased.

• Hua showed Xianyu a recording of her ballroom dancing practice and told him she could graduate early after passing her exam.
• Xianyu promised Hua three gifts and chose a trailing satin gown for her graduation ball, planning to attend in the afternoon.
• Guan Liang arranged with Akivili and Marty to refit the Astral Express with a Planet-Buster Weapon before Xianyu traveled with the Aeon.
• Chenzhen asked Guan Liang whether Hua could use Fenghuang Down to erase her memories, and Guan Liang told her to ask Xianyu.
• Xianyu told Guan Liang that Fenghuang Down would be one of Hua’s gifts, but he would give it to her later, prompting Guan Liang to suspect Xianyu feared memory erasure.

Xianyu planned how to escape the system’s repeating cycles, considering how to shut it down and what to do if Zandar opposed him. As Hua prepared to use Fenghuang Down to erase Chenzhen’s memories, Chenzhen asked Xianyu to braid her hair.

• Xianyu wrote a cryptic hint in the Fable for his future self and contacted Zandar about learning programming and finding the imaginary tree.
• Xianyu worried Zandar might resist his plan to shut down the system, then considered persuading him to leave and finding someone capable to replace him.
• Chenzhen arrived at Yaoqing and asked Xianyu to let Hua use Fenghuang Down to erase her memories; he agreed after Hua practiced at the Ten-Lords Commission.
• Chenzhen met Hua, noticed her braid, and told Xianyu he cared about the Crown Princess.
• Before Hua used Fenghuang Down, Chenzhen asked whether she would forget Xianyu; he reassured her, and she asked him to braid her hair.

Xianyu helped Chenzhen recover from having some memories erased, then braided her hair before she returned to the Zhuming. On Hua’s coming-of-age day, her guardian, Guan Liang, and Lan offered gifts and advice as she prepared to take over the Marshal’s position.

• Hua erased part of Chenzhen’s memories, and Xianyu returned Fenghuang Down to his System Inventory.
• Chenzhen teased Xianyu about calling him “daddy,” then asked him to braid her hair like Hua’s; Xianyu sent her off with Hua.
• While accompanying Hua, Chenzhen discussed Hua’s coming-of-age ceremony and asked about the Marshal, and Hua shared stories about Mimi and her guardian.
• On her coming-of-age day, Hua received a satin gown from Xianyu and learned Lan would accompany her to the ceremony.
• Guan Liang warned Hua that the generals might not accept her as Marshal, then praised Xianyu’s record; Lan echoed the praise and said he had wanted to tell Xianyu that for a long time.

Xianyu accompanied Hua to her coming-of-age ceremony, where Lan questioned whether a gravely ill patient should be saved. As Hua received her guardian’s gifts, Xianyu arranged for Lan to take her to the Xuling and proposed testing whether humans could handle an Abundance Emanator disaster, beginning with the Cangcheng.

• Xianyu praised Hua as his chosen successor and told her that no one, not even an Aeon, could take his place.
• On the way to the Academy, Hua joked with Lan about the Galaxy Rangers, then firmly said that anyone who could be saved should be saved.
• At the ceremony, Xianyu gave Hua sunflowers and her hamster, then told Lan to take her to the Xuling when the time came.
• Xianyu suggested that humans try to deal with an Abundance Emanator disaster, starting with the Cangcheng.
• Xianyu gave Hua a gemstone crown as her second gift, then warned her to reject any suitor whose engagement ring had a smaller stone.

Hua asked Xianyu for Fenghuang Down as her third gift, but he dodged the request and danced with her at her Graduation Ball. He then assigned her the Cangcheng disaster as her first job, while he prepared to travel there under a new identity, leaving Guan Liang on the Yaoqing.

• Hua agreed to Xianyu's rules about her public clothing in exchange for choosing her third gift, then asked for Fenghuang Down.
• Xianyu distracted Hua from her request with an exaggerated declaration of love, and Hua invited him to dance at her Graduation Ball.
• Xianyu danced with Hua, discussed her future partner, and assigned her to help handle the Abundance Emanator Disaster in Cangcheng.
• Xianyu took Hua to the Xuling, then returned with her to the Yaoqing and arranged to travel to Cangcheng while Guan Liang stayed behind.
• Guan Liang gave Xianyu documents for his new identity, Eric Fish, and found Xianyu standing by his bedside the night before the departure.

Xianyu told Guan Liang he would free him and agreed to delay his own death until Hua could stand on her own. He then took Hua and Lan to Cangcheng, where he was angered to find Marty had joined the dangerous project.

• Xianyu apologized to Guan Liang for the choice he faced, and Guan Liang reassured him that Chenzhen would also accept dying alongside him.
• Guan Liang urged Xianyu to wait until Hua could stand on her own before considering death, and Xianyu promised to try and set Guan Liang free before leaving.
• The next day, Xianyu left Yaoqing with Hua and Lan, leaving his Labrador with Guan Liang and letting Hua take charge of their arrival in Cangcheng.
• Xianyu accepted Cangcheng's general's offer to bring Shuhu along, then boarded a starskiff with Hua and Lan despite the general's concerns about their safety.
• When Xianyu saw Marty in Cangcheng, he asked Hua why she had let him join the dangerous project, and Marty protested that he should be allowed to come if Hua could.

Xianyu confronted Hua and Marty over the danger of the Abundance Emanator project, then joined the Cangcheng general for a meal and a walk through the city. As the Cangcheng prepared to relocate its people, Xianyu noticed a Vidyadhara and reflected on their nature.

• Lan comforted Hua after Xianyu's harsh remarks, and Hua told Lan that Xianyu had left her many curios but not the Fenghuang Down.
• Xianyu reassured Marty that the dangerous project was why he had not wanted Marty's team to come to the Cangcheng, then set aside the discussion to eat.
• The Cangcheng general urged Xianyu to accept traditional ceremony and physical Strales, but he refused both proposals.
• At dinner, the general recounted her battle against Shuhu, and Xianyu promised to get even with him after hearing what Shuhu had said.
• The general assigned more than a dozen concealed guards to protect Xianyu, who then went for a walk with Marty through the busy streets.
• Xianyu watched a Vidyadhara disappear into the crowd as the Cangcheng's residents prepared to relocate to other Xianzhou ships.

Xianyu encouraged Marty to continue the dangerous Cangcheng project and promised him a future Vidyadhara research project, but forbade him from exploring Zandar’s theory about the essence of the world. After Zandar warned Xianyu about a technology that could create life from bodily samples, he ended their call and discussed Eric with the Gray-White-Haired Girl.

• Xianyu told Marty to take his time with the Cangcheng project and promised him a future project to help the Vidyadhara.
• Marty said Zandar had invited him to explore the essence of the world, and Xianyu firmly forbade him from accepting.
• Marty asked for the Neutron Gun, and Xianyu found it and handed it to him.
• Xianyu contacted Zandar, who defended his invitation to Marty and remarked that Xianyu did not seem to be having fun.
• Zandar warned Xianyu about technology that could create life from human hair and blood, then abruptly ended the call.
• Zandar and the Gray-White-Haired Girl discussed Eric’s food preferences and why he kept returning to the Xianzhou.

Xianyu spent the night investigating a rumor that he had fathered a child, then prepared to visit the Forest of Utmost Loyalty with Marty. As a convoy approached an academy in Cangcheng, the teacher asked Jingliu whether she had seen the class monitor.

• Zandar told Gray Wind he feared Eric might sacrifice himself for humanity, and Gray Wind agreed that Eric would likely spend the night worrying over a nonexistent child.
• Xianyu asked Guan Liang to investigate his medical supplies, while Guan Liang secretly warned the former Cauldron Master to destroy anything remaining.
• Guan Liang discovered that Zandar might know the truth and suggested silencing him, but Xianyu told him to focus on the investigation; they confirmed Xianyu's medical supplies had all been disposed of.
• Xianyu and Guan Liang stayed up until dawn tracing the old rumor that Xianyu had a child with Aha, then Xianyu blamed Aha for the sleepless night.
• Marty told Xianyu he had turned down Zandar, and Xianyu invited him to breakfast before agreeing to visit the Forest of Utmost Loyalty.
• Marty gave Xianyu a Jade Abacus wristband and Neutron Gun holster before Xianyu left; at an academy in Cangcheng, the teacher asked Jingliu whether she had seen the class monitor.

Xianyu and Cangcheng’s leaders visited the Forest of Utmost Loyalty, where Jingliu and the schoolchildren honored the dead. On the return trip, Hua and Marty compared what Xianyu had given them, leaving Hua stunned by the difference in their fortunes.

• A teacher escorted selected students to the Forest of Utmost Loyalty while a Cloud Knight driver helped the convoy avoid delays and joked about the general’s security measures.
• Cangcheng’s general nervously prepared to receive Xianyu, then escorted him to the memorial as he accepted a child’s flowers and watched Hua, Marty, Lan, and the others pay their respects.
• Xianyu allowed people to return to Cangcheng despite restrictions imposed during the Abundance Emanator Disaster.
• Jingliu saw the medals on the general’s uniform and reflected that becoming a Cloud Knight might be worthwhile after learning what the memorial tablets represented.
• Hua and Marty compared Xianyu’s gifts, and Hua learned that Marty had received enormous sums while her guardian had kept her allowance small.

Xianyu prepared to leave Cangcheng with Akivili, bringing the captured Shuhu along as a potted plant for the Astral Express. After settling aboard, he called Hua and asked whether he had given her enough love, leaving her braced for another difficult conversation.

• Marty told Hua and Xianyu that he and Hua had gotten along wonderfully, and Hua reluctantly confirmed it.
• After receiving a message, Xianyu welcomed Shuhu, slapped him, and wondered aloud whether Shuhu's pain could please him before deciding to take him to the Astral Express.
• Xianyu learned that Akivili had arrived, changed into his white coat, and told his subordinate to put Shuhu in a flowerpot.
• Lan shared some of his divine power with Xianyu, and Akivili joined him on his journey after Xianyu wished to see the sights of the Starsea together.
• Xianyu and Akivili boarded the Astral Express, where Xianyu handed Shuhu over to Pom-Pom and settled into his room.
• Xianyu called Hua and asked whether he had given her enough love over the years, making her suspect that another awkward conversation was beginning.

Hua learned that Xianyu was leaving the Xianzhou Alliance to her, while Xianyu joined the Astral Express and met its new Nameless, Bacchus. The chapter ended with Bacchus repeating a scandalous rumor about the Xianzhou Marshal and several Aeons as Xianyu and Akivili listened in horror.

• Xianyu told Hua that he was leaving the Xianzhou Alliance to her as his final gift, then ended their call and left her stunned and furious.
• Akivili explained to Pom-Pom that their friend Eric Fish struggled with post-traumatic stress and asked Pom-Pom to look after him aboard the Express.
• Akivili and Pom-Pom agreed that Eric, Akivili, and the new Nameless would work together, then Akivili went to invite Eric to meet the crew.
• Xianyu met Bacchus, who tearfully said he had no parents after Xianyu commented on his mythological name.
• Akivili reassured Xianyu that the Express welcomed all Nameless and told him they would share cooking duties with Bacchus.
• Bacchus told the Nameless a rumor that the Xianzhou Marshal had been intimate with several Aeons and had a child with one, leaving Xianyu and Akivili speechless.

Xianyu resisted Aha’s attempts to provoke him aboard the Astral Express, then joined Akivili on a journey with Bacchus. The chapter ended with Bacchus asking for a truce after Xianyu turned his own childish act back on him.

• Xianyu refused to fight Bacchus over his fabricated stories about the Xianzhou Marshal and countered with an invented rumor about Aha.
• Bacchus visited Xianyu’s room, discussed people’s dependence on miraculous systems, and returned Xianyu’s book after Xianyu called him a good boy.
• Xianyu continued helping Hua with Xianzhou affairs and tending his potted plant before choosing to travel with Akivili.
• Bacchus tried to turn the Nameless against Xianyu by mocking his expensive clothes and pressuring him to buy things, but Xianyu ignored his provocations.
• Xianyu volunteered to travel with Bacchus, who eventually stopped and asked for a truce.

Xianyu and Bacchus gathered information on a troubled planet before Akivili and the Nameless intervened, and Xianyu’s practical preparations helped the group survive as wanted fugitives. On the rooftop, Akivili urged Xianyu to rest and then asked why he had not become a god, prompting Xianyu to suspect he would become an evil god like Nanook.

• Xianyu teased Bacchus and sent him to gather information from locals, who revealed their rulers’ harmful policies and suffering.
• Bacchus collected local specialties while Xianyu drafted a reconstruction plan, then Xianyu passed the goods off to the Nameless as Bacchus’s contribution.
• Akivili led the Nameless to take action, while Xianyu stayed at the inn and Bacchus spent time with local youths; three days later, they became wanted fugitives.
• Xianyu used a gemstone brooch to obtain a hidden courtyard for the group, helping the Nameless recognize his preparations and let go of their prejudices.
• Akivili took Xianyu aside and insisted he had invited him to rest, not work, then asked why he had not ascended to godhood.
• Xianyu privately blamed his incompatible power system and wondered if becoming a god would make him an evil Aeon like Nanook.

Xianyu helped Akivili and the Nameless resolve a planet’s crisis, then amused himself by coaching Bacchus and evaluating a stranger’s dating profile. The chapter left Xianyu back at the victory feast after contacting Guan Liang about the surveillance and Shuhu aboard the Astral Express.

• Akivili and the Nameless withdrew the wanted notices and overthrew the incompetent ruler, and Akivili proudly reunited with Xianyu.
• Xianyu recorded Bacchus praising Akivili, critiqued his performance, and polished the wording of Akivili’s wanted history into a résumé.
• Xianyu warned a Nameless that his sister’s prospective date might have been a former prisoner, and Bacchus asked Xianyu to teach him in exchange for meals.
• Bacchus cooked for the victory feast despite Xianyu’s extensive list of disliked ingredients, and Xianyu made him eat most of a suspicious shredded-ginger dish.
• Xianyu spotted a sniper and called Guan Liang, who discussed the surveillance, Hua’s attempt to bring Xianyu back, and Xianyu’s time with Shuhu.
• Akivili and Bacchus joined Xianyu at the feast, where Bacchus revealed that the prospective date had been a shut-in, divorced three times, and imprisoned.

Guan Liang learned that Marty had secretly added health-monitoring and recording functions to the Marshal’s Neutron Gun, then negotiated shared access to the data. Meanwhile, Xianyu, Akivili, and Bacchus’s escalating pranks culminated in Pom-Pom ordering them to make up, and the chapter ended with Bacchus lying on the Data Bank floor as Xianyu claimed they had reconciled.

• Guan Liang discovered that Marty had secretly modified the Marshal’s Neutron Gun to record her condition and location, then secured shared access to its data and the Jade Abacus.
• Bacchus asked Xianyu what kind of woman he liked, and Xianyu said he wanted someone who would take him away from a banquet.
• Akivili and Bacchus left Xianyu as collateral at a restaurant, where he ignored their matchmaking scheme and helped the owner’s daughter with a math problem.
• Bacchus tried to desensitize Xianyu to compliments, but Xianyu retaliated by joking that Bacchus was worth less than a hundred Credits, starting their ongoing feud.
• Pom-Pom ordered Xianyu and Bacchus to hold hands and make up; Akivili joined them in the Data Bank, where laughter soon brought Pom-Pom rushing in to find Bacchus sprawled on the floor.
• Xianyu told Pom-Pom that he and Bacchus had made up and invited the Conductor to look more closely.

Akivili and Bacchus caused trouble aboard the Astral Express, while Xianyu helped resolve the resulting Snouter infestation and dealt with Chenzhen’s efforts to prolong the train’s repairs. After the Nameless departed, Bacchus decided to stir up more trouble.

• Akivili teamed up with Bacchus against Xianyu, then helped Bacchus buy 250 baby Snouters that multiplied and flooded the Astral Express.
• Xianyu gave Akivili coordinates for a nearby planet where the crew could replace the train’s fittings, and Akivili arranged homes for the Snouters.
• Chenzhen arrived with Artisanship Commission workers and Cloud Knights, then extended the repairs while urging Xianyu to let the Xianzhou rule more of the universe.
• Xianyu checked on Hua, got her to send him one billion Strales, returned the money, and added four hours to his work schedule.
• Chenzhen’s team finished the Astral Express modifications after another half month, and the Nameless resumed their journey.
• Bacchus decided to look for more fun and wondered which of two opposing forces would prevail.

Bacchus tricked the Astral Express into crashing through one of Qlipoth’s creations, causing minor injuries but leaving the train intact. As the Nameless gathered for a group photo beside the breach, Qlipoth appeared beside the Express.

• Bacchus secretly entered the driver’s cab and set the Astral Express on a collision course despite Akivili’s warning.
• The Express struck Qlipoth’s creation, and Xianyu found fragments of it and the Imaginary Tree on the System Map before asking Hua to send people.
• Akivili treated the injured Nameless and confronted Bacchus, while Xianyu prepared to punish him as well.
• The Nameless celebrated surviving the crash and posed for a group photo with Akivili, Bacchus, and Pom-Pom.
• As Xianyu took the photo, Qlipoth appeared beside the Astral Express.

The Nameless took photos with Qlipoth after the Aeon repaired the Subspace Crystal Wall, while Xianyu and Akivili celebrated the encounter aboard the Astral Express. Three days later, Pom-Pom learned that Xianyu’s idea of a rich person’s gift was giving them shares in the Interastral Peace Corporation, along with a glimpse of his powerful connections.

• Xianyu helped the Nameless photograph themselves with Qlipoth, who had paused after Akivili apologized for the Astral Express damaging his creation.
• Akivili scolded Bacchus for his prank and then thanked Qlipoth, who left without speaking to him.
• Xianyu posted a photo with Akivili and Qlipoth, and Zandar invited him to visit and see interesting things.
• After Akivili led most of the Nameless away on their journey, a visitor offered Xianyu an enormous sum in credits, but Xianyu turned him away.
• A second guest offered Xianyu shares in the Interastral Peace Corporation and had Pom-Pom sign a share transfer agreement benefiting the Nameless and the Galaxy Rangers.
• The guest declared his family’s loyalty to Xianyu and asked why he fell short of Hua, leaving Pom-Pom stunned.

Xianyu persuaded Pom-Pom to accept one percent of the Interastral Peace Corporation’s shares for the Nameless and secretly planned to leave the rest to Akivili. As Akivili returned carrying golden Fruit from the Aeon of abundance, they worried about Xianyu’s isolation and sought advice from the Aeon of Erudition.

• Xianyu rejected a family’s attempt to bind themselves to him, then explained to Pom-Pom that the Astral Express deserved a share of the Corporation’s wealth.
• Pom-Pom agreed to accept one percent of the Corporation’s shares for the Nameless, while Xianyu decided to leave the remaining shares to Akivili.
• Xianyu tried to make amends for his secret plan by preparing food for Pom-Pom, who told him Akivili’s birthday was approaching.
• Akivili returned to the Express carrying golden Fruit from the Aeon of abundance, and Xianyu told them to store it safely away from children.
• Akivili asked Pom-Pom whether Xianyu had been socializing, then contacted the Aeon of Erudition for advice about his loneliness.

Akivili consulted Zandar about Eric’s emotional detachment and arranged calming herbs while celebrating their birthday with the Nameless and Eric’s gift. The chapter ended with Bacchus realizing that Eric’s promised destination was a place he could not take him.

• Akivili contacted Zandar, who profiled Eric as emotionally guarded and recommended space, calming herbs, and a sedative if needed.
• Akivili received herbs through Guan Liang and celebrated their birthday with the Nameless, opening Eric’s captain-themed gift and making a wish.
• Xianyu gave Bacchus an IOU for ten billion strales as his birthday gift, then spoke with Hua about her future coming-of-age ceremony and promised to try to attend.
• Xianyu told Bacchus he wanted to take him and Akivili to a place where they could explore the essence of the world, and Bacchus replied that he could not take him there.

Xianyu’s time aboard the Astral Express continued as Akivili secretly helped manage his health and the Nameless dealt with a disastrous romance. After Xianyu agreed to return to the Luofu for the annual meeting and birthday celebrations, Bacchus hinted that he had left a present in Xianyu’s room.

• Bacchus indirectly revealed his identity to Xianyu by calling him his best friend, then fled when Xianyu said nothing.
• Akivili secretly gave Xianyu medicated tea and coordinated with Zandar and Guan Liang, while Xianyu’s condition gradually improved.
• Xianyu persuaded a Nameless to block her unfaithful lover by warning that the relationship would ruin her finances.
• Akivili agreed to travel with Xianyu to the Luofu for Hua’s birthday and the annual meeting, while Bacchus searched the carriage for something.
• Xianyu told Guan Liang he could take a few more months of leave, and Guan Liang said his formalwear was ready for the Luofu.
• Bacchus told Xianyu he had left a birthday present in his room and invited him to see it.

Xianyu survived Aha’s bombing attempt and used Mirror Flower, Water Moon to try to learn the secret of the tree from Bacchus, but Bacchus resisted and Akivili intervened. After Akivili reprimanded them both, Xianyu waited for treatment, badly injured.

• Xianyu saw through Bacchus’s planned surprise and followed him to his room, while a bomb and fires triggered alarms across the Astral Express.
• Akivili organized the Nameless and went to confront Bacchus as Xianyu watched him recover from the blast.
• Xianyu used Mirror Flower, Water Moon to hypnotize Bacchus and asked him about the tree’s secret, but Bacchus broke free after touching Xianyu’s blood.
• Akivili entered, seized Bacchus, and scolded him and Xianyu for endangering the planet and themselves.
• Akivili and Pom-Pom arrived later to treat Xianyu, who could not lift his arms, and Akivili began tending to him alone.

Akivili left the Express for Yaoqing, worried that Eric’s blood could be exploited and determined to keep him from learning the truth. Meanwhile, Guan Liang discovered evidence of the Marshal’s encounter with Shuhu and tried to summon the Cloud Knights, only to find that the Marshal had suspended him.

• Akivili asked Pom-Pom to watch over the injured Eric, then went to Yaoqing to speak with Hua and decided to seek Guan Liang’s help instead.
• Eric asked to use Akivili’s room while Pom-Pom cleaned his damaged quarters, and Pom-Pom later realized the potted plant was missing.
• Akivili suggested using Fenghuang Down to erase Eric’s memories, but Hua said she did not have it.
• Marty showed Guan Liang two recordings from the Marshal’s Neutron Gun, including one of Shuhu kneeling as the Marshal fed him fruit.
• Guan Liang tried to send Cloud Knights to retrieve the Marshal, but his Jade Abacus showed that the Marshal had suspended him from the Xianzhou Alliance.