Recaps

Ye Buyu learned from Little Whale that it had helped orchestrate several crises and that its allies would remain dormant for six months after she defeated their combined assault. Little Whale then revealed that their work with Thousand Tides Tracing the Moon had enabled the rewind after the Sun exploded, leaving Ye Buyu unsure how to share what she knew with the Present World's leaders.

• Ye Buyu pressed Little Whale to explain its goals and schemes, and it admitted that it had helped force the River of Forgetfulness reform and expose [Earthshaker].
• Little Whale said it had bet with [Eternal Frozen Silence] and the [Seedling Eater] that they would remain dormant for half a year if Ye Buyu defeated the combined assault of the [Perception Controller] and the [Hunger King].
• Little Whale told Ye Buyu that her bad luck came from her own extraordinary-luck buff, and that it had returned Thousand Tides Tracing the Moon to its rightful owner.
• Little Whale revealed that the creations it and the others made from studying Thousand Tides Tracing the Moon were used to rewind the Present World after the Sun exploded and destroyed it.
• Ye Buyu choked on her water after hearing the revelation, then returned to the table, where Wusu, Ma Zhuo, and Lou Guanshan asked what was wrong.
• Ye Buyu decided to eat before considering whether she could safely pass her new information to the Present World's leaders.

Ye Buyu informed Minister Wusu that [Eternal Frozen Silence] and [Seedling Eater] would avoid attacking the Present World for six months and arranged for new weapons to be deployed on the Frontline. Back at Command Headquarters, Wusu began planning deeper Third Zone exploration, while a message about the Hold Up the Heavens Team shocked the Vermilion Bird Division; the chapter ended with an angry stranger confronting Wan Lan in New Rome.

• Ye Buyu told Wusu that [Eternal Frozen Silence] and [Seedling Eater] would restrain their forces for six months.
• Ye Buyu explained that the Scholars' Association would send weapons to the Frontline and warned that Soul Power had to be stored and could not be overdrawn without risking lives.
• Wusu returned to Command Headquarters and told Shen Juan that the six-month lull might allow an expedition deeper into the Third Zone.
• Wusu ordered Bai Zhao to go, and Bai Zhao lamented that the Hold Up the Heavens Team was causing trouble on multiple fronts.
• The Vermilion Bird Division gathered around Bai Zhao's Terminal message and reacted with shock.
• Wan Lan encountered an unfamiliar young man in the Knights' Order, and he accused her of forcing him to self-detonate twice.

Wan Lan confronted the [Wind and Thunder King], whose avatar revealed that [Tempest Fiend] had died for the Present World and left it unable to ascend. The [Wind and Thunder King] said it had come seeking a way to survive and suggested it might surrender.

• Wan Lan stabbed the [Wind and Thunder King]'s avatar before hearing its explanation, then allowed it to speak when it offered information about the Present World, the Third Zone, and her teammates.
• The [Wind and Thunder King] said [Tempest Fiend]'s death had been suspicious and claimed [Tempest Fiend] had been on the Present World's side, but Wan Lan challenged its honesty.
• The [Wind and Thunder King] told Wan Lan that Calamities were stirring at the Frontline, remnants of [Abyssal Erosion] had approached Mu Bingge, and the [Void Order] was colluding with Man-Made Calamities in the Americas.
• The [Wind and Thunder King] explained that restraints left by [Tempest Fiend] prevented it from ascending beyond its current stage because [Tempest Fiend] had fused its core into the Present World.
• The [Wind and Thunder King] said it had come looking for a way to survive and asked why it could not surrender.

[Wind and Thunder King] told Wan Lan it wanted to defect from the Calamities and work with the Present World against the Calamities it despised. After presenting proof that it had killed a King-level Calamity, it proposed an undercover alliance, leaving Wan Lan to decide whether to trust it.

• [Wind and Thunder King] complained to Wan Lan that the Calamities had mocked [Earthshaker] after its death and said it no longer wanted to remain among them.
• [Wind and Thunder King] offered to work undercover with the Present World, while Wan Lan questioned its motives and whether it was truly on the right side.
• Wan Lan said she would need proof and asked [Wind and Thunder King] to bring back the head of a King-level Calamity.
• [Wind and Thunder King] produced a jade-green bone and explained that it had killed the Calamity that wanted to claim [Earthshaker]'s title, along with its Priests and Blessed Ones.
• [Wind and Thunder King] proposed marking targets and killing their leaders while Wan Lan's side dealt with the weaker Calamities, on the condition that they kept its existence secret.

Wan Lan learned that [Wind and Thunder King] wanted to defect after discovering a higher existence watching the Present World, and she alerted the Emperor of New Rome. Si Erweiqi conscripted his reluctant younger brother Slyder for the mission, despite Slyder's hatred of Hold Up the Heavens and refusal to go.

• Wan Lan asked [Wind and Thunder King] whether it had come to cooperate because it was angry, and it revealed that it had discovered a higher existence watching the Present World while investigating [Tempest Fiend]'s death.
• Wan Lan messaged the Emperor of New Rome, and the Knights' Order initiated a lockdown as preparations began for the mission.
• Slyder tried to flee after hearing Hold Up the Heavens mentioned, but Si Erweiqi's Old Secretary pulled him back inside with an illusory hand.
• Slyder argued with Si Erweiqi and insisted he would not work with Hold Up the Heavens again, while Si Erweiqi said the mission was important and both Knights' Order leaders would attend.
• Slyder dismissed [Wind and Thunder King] as a piece of trash that had been ostracized by the Calamities.

Wan Lan, Slyder, Gerard, and Kelin accompanied [Wind and Thunder King] into the Third Zone, where he claimed to be defecting while secretly guiding them to massacre Calamities. They cleared enemy groups with ease, but Wan Lan warned him to rein in his power and leave before [Withered Glory Theatre] could expose him as a traitor.

• Si Erweiqi sent Slyder to protect Wan Lan while allowing him to investigate the matter that preoccupied him.
• Wan Lan met Slyder, Gerard, and Kelin at the Knights' Order's records repository, where Gerard and Kelin challenged [Wind and Thunder King] about breaching the Archives' security.
• The group entered the Third Zone, and [Wind and Thunder King] attacked the Calamities while Wan Lan, Slyder, and Kelin covered him.
• [Wind and Thunder King] led the group through the zone, killing Calamity bosses and helping the others wipe out enemy groups before they could respond.
• Wan Lan warned [Wind and Thunder King] that Calamities in the Level Six Zone could recognize him and urged him to leave before [Withered Glory Theatre] put his actions into a script.

Wan Lan tried to break the standoff between Slyder and the Royal Knights over his plan to enter [Iron Prison]'s territory. She chose to help investigate, and the [Wind and Thunder King] agreed to conceal their auras after Wan Lan trusted it.

• Slyder decided to enter [Iron Prison]'s territory, but Gerard refused to let him explore alone.
• Slyder warned Gerard that his presence could expose them and provoke [Iron Prison], while Gerard and Kelin insisted he could not go because his foundation had already been shattered once.
• Wan Lan asked the [Wind and Thunder King] whether it could conceal their auras, and it warned her that [Iron Prison] was one of the strongest level-ten Calamities.
• Wan Lan told the [Wind and Thunder King] that she trusted it because the wind said it was not lying.
• The [Wind and Thunder King] was moved by Wan Lan's trust and agreed to help conceal their auras.

Wan Lan joined Kelin, Gerard, and Slyder on a concealed expedition into [Iron Prison] territory, while [Stillwater King] declared its intent to approach Mu Bingge. The group followed Slyder’s watch to find the Calamity that killed Knight Changsi, Slyder’s mother and their teacher.

• Wan Lan persuaded Kelin, Gerard, and Slyder to let her accompany them into [Iron Prison] territory, and [Wind and Thunder King] concealed their presence with wind.
• [Stillwater King] told [Wind and Thunder King] it was heading toward Mu Bingge and believed all rivers had to return to their Origin.
• [Wind and Thunder King] reflected on the struggle against calamities and the uncertainty of hope as the group entered [Iron Prison]'s steel-built territory.
• Slyder used an old pocket watch to lead the group toward a Calamity that Kelin said had killed Knight Changsi, their teacher and Slyder's mother.

Wan Lan and the others reached the coffin-shaped palace of [Iron Prison], where she coaxed a guard into revealing that [Iron Prison] had gone to New Rome during the Great Cataclysm after a nameless Calamity visited. As they tried to leave, [Iron Prison] summoned them inside, and Slyder sent Wan Lan away with Gerard.

• Wan Lan, Slyder, Gerard, and Kelin reached the palace where [Iron Prison] slept, but its guard warned them that the Calamity Lord granted no audiences.
• Slyder stared at the palace in anger, and Kelin blocked his gaze while Wan Lan distracted the guard with praise.
• Wan Lan persuaded the guard to reveal that [Iron Prison] had gone to New Rome during the Great Cataclysm after a nameless Calamity visited.
• As the group prepared to leave, the molten iron stopped and [Iron Prison] summoned them inside.
• An invisible force bound Wan Lan, but Slyder broke its hold and told Gerard to take her away; Wan Lan was transported into a place of black steel.

Wan Lan and the others confronted [Iron Prison], who revealed that it had engineered Slyder’s suffering to forge him into a weapon capable of killing it. The chapter ended with Wan Lan resisting its manipulation and trying to pull Slyder out of his rage as the palace shook.

• [Iron Prison] caught Gerard’s sword between two fingers, broke it, and greeted Wan Lan and the others.
• Kelin accused [Iron Prison] of plotting against Wierlt, framing Changsi, and destroying Slyder’s foundation; [Iron Prison] admitted its role and explained how Changsi and Wierlt died.
• [Iron Prison] revealed that it had targeted Slyder to turn him into a blade that could kill it, and Slyder realized his parents and Si Erweiqi had been endangered for that purpose.
• [Iron Prison] provoked Slyder and threatened to hurt Kelin, but Wan Lan fired arrows at it and rejected the idea that they were anyone’s weapons.
• Wan Lan threatened to publish a book of Slyder’s meltdown screams, jolting him out of his fury.

Wan Lan and Slyder escaped the Coffin Palace as Gerard stayed behind to fight [Iron Prison] and began activating soul self-destruction. As Gerard prepared to sacrifice himself to keep [Iron Prison] from recovering, it revealed that its Origin was not in the Palace.

• Wan Lan grabbed Slyder and fled with Kelin through the Palace while Kelin cut a path through [Iron Prison]'s attacks.
• Gerard split the Palace with a sword strike, letting Wan Lan, Slyder, and Kelin escape, then vowed to kill [Iron Prison].
• Gerard attacked [Iron Prison], activated his soul self-destruction pathway, and fought it through the collapsing Palace.
• [Iron Prison] claimed Gerard's death would feed Slyder's hatred and said it would survive by recovering over time.
• Gerard seized [Iron Prison] and promised to keep it from interfering with their lives for a hundred years.
• [Iron Prison] silently revealed that its Origin was not in the Palace, and Gerard froze as the severed Coffin Palace rose again.

Slyder and his allies escaped [Iron Prison] after Gerard nearly sacrificed himself, and Slyder wounded the weakened Calamity with the broken Knight's Sword. [Iron Prison] conceded that the Knight had won, while Narrator recorded the battle and hinted that restoring the civilization [Iron Prison] destroyed would matter far more than killing it.

• A mysterious Soul-Suppressing Song interrupted Gerard's Soul Self-Destruction, letting him escape the Coffin Palace before [Iron Prison] could trap him.
• Slyder, Kelin, and Wan Lan rescued the wounded Gerard and fought their way out as Slyder drove the broken Knight's Sword through [Iron Prison].
• [Iron Prison] collapsed after the group fled, acknowledged Gerard's strength, and said, "Knight, you won."
• [Wind and Thunder King] questioned Narrator's presence, and Narrator explained that it had recorded the battle as a routine performance.
• Narrator said that restoring the civilization destroyed by [Iron Prison] would be significant, then departed and left [Wind and Thunder King] alone.

Wan Lan and Kelin explained how [Iron Prison] had manipulated Slyder’s past and driven Gerard to attack it, leaving Gerard unconscious. Slyder directed the others to prepare for a future campaign, then called Wan Lan outside to ask for the meltdown compilation.

• [Wind and Thunder King] sent Wan Lan and the others back toward the Present World, where Kelin brought the unconscious Gerard to New Rome.
• Wan Lan briefly recounted their encounter with [Iron Prison], and Kelin revealed that it had caused the deaths of Knight Changsi and His Majesty Wierlt to shape Slyder into a weapon against it.
• Si Erweiqi learned why Slyder had distanced himself from his companions and slaughtered the nobles, while the Old Secretary recalled Slyder’s past sacrifices to protect them.
• Slyder emerged from behind a pillar, ordered Kelin to bring the others back, and told Si Erweiqi to stabilize the situation and coordinate a future campaign against [Iron Prison].
• Slyder took Wan Lan outside and asked her for the meltdown compilation.

Wan Lan and Slyder discussed his past and his resolve to protect the Present World before returning to find Gerard and Kelin arguing for Slyder’s titles and position to be restored. Wan Lan proposed a public account that secured Slyder’s title of Prince, while Gerard continued pressing for his old command.

• Slyder told Wan Lan that he had endured years of manipulation because losing control would have endangered his friends and solved nothing.
• Slyder said he would keep growing stronger, fighting Calamities, and protecting the Present World.
• Gerard, Kelin, and the Old Butler urged Si Erweiqi to restore Slyder’s title of Prince and his position as Commander of the Knights' Order.
• Wan Lan presented a polished account of the group’s battle with [Iron Prison] and declared Slyder’s title of Prince restored.
• Si Erweiqi and the others approved Wan Lan’s proposal, and Gerard asked again about restoring Slyder’s command.

Slyder reluctantly accepted the decision to make him a prince as Hold Up the Heavens received word of its members’ victories and dangerous projects across the Present World. The world’s leaders realized that neither splitting up the team nor keeping it together prevented trouble, and they dreaded the Awakened League in five months.

• Slyder rejected becoming commander of the Knights' Order and resisted being made a prince, but Gerard, Kelin, the old butler, and Wan Lan insisted on the decision.
• The Old Secretary read reports that Ye Buyu and Lou Guanshan helped the Frontline defeat the [Hunger King] and repel the [Perception Controller], while Mu Bingge captured the [Stillwater King] and killed the other Calamities in North Russia.
• The Old Secretary reported that Kou Ying helped track Man-Made Calamities and the [Void Order] in the Americas, while Su Wuwei helped upgrade the Sun Project into a potential weapon.
• Wan Lan asked Slyder to release news of her safety so she could contact her teammates, and Slyder imagined the six members reporting that they were safe across the world.
• The Present World Union Secretariat concluded that separating Hold Up the Heavens did not prevent trouble and learned that the Awakened League was five months away.

Kou Ying asked Kaitis to capture a [Void Order] member alive, then questioned the captive about the group’s motives. The captive revealed what the [Void Order] knew and believed about Kou Ying before the interrogation continued.

• Kou Ying asked Kaitis to capture a [Void Order] member, and Kaitis returned half an hour later with one bound and gagged.
• Kou Ying used his shadow to remove and replace the captive’s apple, then accused him of plotting unrest and trying to seize the Americas’ weapons systems.
• The Void Cultist mocked Kou Ying as a mere shadow of Kou Cheqie'er and claimed Kou Cheqie'er had betrayed the [Void Order] by abandoning its ideals.
• The Void Cultist revealed that the [Void Order] knew of Kou Ying, lacked Kou Cheqie'er's technology, and believed Kou Ying was a clone created by him.

Kou Ying interrogated a Void Cultist, learned the Order’s plans, and survived the cultist’s explosive death while worrying that the world might discover his identity. In North Russia, Mu Bingge learned that the [Abyssal Erosion] remnants’ power had made her its successor and that she was destined to become a water Calamity if the Present World fell.

• Kou Ying used Truth-Telling Shadow to learn that the [Void Order] planned to attack the Americas’ weapons systems, strengthen Man-Made Calamity, and investigate or destroy him.
• The Void Cultist revealed that the [Void Order]’s core force was in the Forbidden Zone, then exploded; Kou Ying protected himself with shadow and survived.
• Kaitis checked on Kou Ying, who resolved to prevent anyone from forcing him off the team if his identity became public.
• Mu Bingge asked the [Stillwater King] why the [Abyssal Erosion] remnants had willingly died by her hand.
• The [Stillwater King] told Mu Bingge that she had become [Abyssal Erosion], and that she was destined to become the King of All Waters if the Present World fell.

Mu Bingge reported that killing the Calamities had shown her memories of the previous world, Sintar, and shared the discovery with her five teammates. The group began comparing what they knew about Sintar and [Tempest Fiend], but the reason he had repeatedly allowed himself to be killed remained unresolved.

• Mu Bingge told Morkov she had seen memories while killing the Calamities, had reached the fifth order, and would submit a report.
• Morkov showed Mu Bingge news about her teammates, and she messaged the group to ask if they were there.
• The teammates noticed Mu Bingge seemed troubled, and she asked to explain what had happened over a video call.
• Mu Bingge revealed that the Calamities who followed [Abyssal Erosion] were remnants of the destroyed world Sintar, which had faced similar threats to the Present World.
• Mu Bingge said Sintar's first slain Calamity was [Tempest Fiend], and Wan Lan theorized that he had deliberately allowed himself to be killed in multiple worlds.

Wan Lan revealed that [Wind and Thunder King] had defected, and Mu Bingge shared what she had learned about [Abyssal Erosion] and the destruction of Sintar. The group reflected on the Calamities’ origins and their own progress before Ye Buyu warned that trouble would come in six months.

• Wan Lan told the group that [Wind and Thunder King] had joined their side and that [Tempest Fiend] might have willingly sacrificed himself.
• Wan Lan revealed that she had investigated [Abyssal Erosion], [Earthshaker], the [Void Order], the [Whale of Wailing], and the Construction Engineering Institute.
• Mu Bingge explained that the previous [Abyssal Erosion] had become a Calamity to protect Sintar’s survivors and that [Stillwater King] might carry memories from successive [Abyssal Erosion] successors.
• Lou Guanshan suggested that becoming a Calamity could be a voluntary exchange that gave someone power to protect their people, easing Mu Bingge’s doubts.
• Mu Bingge said she had broken through to the next order, and the others shared their own progress toward advancement.
• Ye Buyu said she would reach the fifth order during the Awakened League and warned that [Seedling Eater] or [Eternal Frozen Silence] would cause trouble in six months.

Ye Buyu warned that a Level Ten Calamity would attack the Present World in six months at the earliest, and that a major event would occur at the Awakened League in five months. Her companions reacted by urgently seeking training and advancement, while Slyder and Kaitis struggled to process the warning.

• Ye Buyu told Su Wuwei, Lou Guanshan, Mu Bingge, Wan Lan, and Kou Ying that a Level Ten Calamity was the conservative estimate for an attack in six months and reminded them that the Awakened League was five months away.
• Mu Bingge asked Commander Morkov to spar with her so she could gain experience fighting higher-order combatants.
• Wan Lan told Slyder about the coming Calamity, the Awakened League, and the destroyed world Sintar, leaving him stunned before he demanded an explanation.
• Su Wuwei asked Yang You to spar so he could advance, and Yang You agreed to help him train.
• Kou Ying presented Kaitis with a training plan and explained that he was rushing to improve because a Level Ten Calamity might attack in six months; Kaitis was alarmed by the warning.

The Present World Union received news that [Seedling Eater] and [Eternal Frozen Silence] would remain dormant for six months before likely attacking, while other reports deepened the Secretariat’s worries about Hold Up the Heavens. Ye Buyu entered seclusion to advance, but Little Whale told her that reaching the Fifth Order would require far more energy than her prepared materials could provide.

• The Secretariat learned that [Seedling Eater] and [Eternal Frozen Silence] would remain dormant for six months before probably launching an all-out attack, and it reviewed reports about damaged Calamity territories, [Wind and Thunder King]'s surrender, and the destroyed world Sintar.
• The Secretary-General ordered the Doomsday Observatory to monitor the two Calamities, the Four Nations to prepare for disaster, and observers to keep watch on Hold Up the Heavens during the five months before the Awakened League.
• Ye Buyu entered a sealed room to reach the Fifth Order, while Lou Guanshan wished her luck.
• Little Whale summoned Ye Buyu to the Mindscape and offered materials from a Level Ten Calamity and a Level Eleven Calamity.
• Ye Buyu rejected the dangerous materials, but Little Whale explained that her three paths required far more energy than her own supplies could provide.

Ye Buyu received materials from Little Whale to help her advance, while Little Whale reflected on the approaching Myriad Worlds Silent Palace. At the palace, the [King of Withering and Flourishing] summoned Qin Yue to enforce their old agreement and announced that the [Withered Glory Theatre] would host the Present World Awakened League, leaving Qin Yue stunned by the revelation that Hold Up the Heavens had been his target long before their agreement.

• Ye Buyu restrained herself from attacking Little Whale and left the Mindscape to focus on advancing.
• Little Whale gazed toward the Myriad Worlds Silent Palace and wondered whether the long wait was finally about to yield a result.
• Qin Yue met the [King of Withering and Flourishing], who reminded him of their agreement and said Qin Yue must host an event.
• The [King of Withering and Flourishing] declared that the [Withered Glory Theatre] would take charge of the Present World Awakened League and offer its winners access to the Story Corridor.
• Qin Yue asked whether Hold Up the Heavens had been the target from the beginning, and the [King of Withering and Flourishing] confirmed it, hinting that his interest began even earlier.

Qin Yue agreed to let the [King of Withering and Flourishing] serve as an honorary organizer for the Awakened League, while insisting the Present World retain control. The Horizon Team returned from the Third Zone, learned about Hold Up the Heavens’ recent feats, and began preparing for the league in five months.

• Qin Yue accepted the [King of Withering and Flourishing]'s offer under strict conditions, and the king privately hinted at a long-awaited performance and his desire to trouble Hold Up the Heavens.
• The Horizon Team returned to their base after a mission and bickered over their friendly-fire mishaps on the way inside.
• Wei Changming told the team to rest and regroup before the Awakened League, and Guan Xiaomei looked forward to facing their rivals again.
• Shi Can told the Horizon Team that Hold Up the Heavens was already dealing with eighth-tier combatants and urged them to check the latest news.
• The Horizon Team read about Hold Up the Heavens' exploits and reacted with amazement at Wan Lan, Mu Bingge, and Kou Ying.

Shi Can signed Wei Changming and the other five up for the Awakened League and subjected the training-base students to the Principals’ special training. Five peaceful months later, the league’s announcement revealed [Withered Glory Theatre] as an honorary host, and Si Erweiqi asked Slyder to attend on New Rome’s behalf.

• Shi Can revealed that she had entered Wei Changming and the other five in the Awakened League’s team competition and arranged special training for them.
• Shi Can extended the Principals’ training to the other students, and the base became known as the Crying Base after months of howling.
• After five quiet months, the Present World Union Secretariat announced that [Withered Glory Theatre] would be an honorary host of the Awakened League.
• Awakened competitors and representatives from around the world gathered ahead of the league, puzzled by [Withered Glory Theatre]’s involvement.
• Si Erweiqi asked Slyder to go to the league, saying he would feel more at ease with [Withered Glory Theatre] involved.

The Awakened League competitors left their various posts and traveled toward the competition, while Ye Buyu escaped the Scholars’ Association by jumping from a warship. She and Su Wuwei spotted each other as they passed in the sky, leaving their reunion to chance.

• Slyder complained to Si Erweiqi about being assigned missions involving Hold Up the Heavens while Wan Lan looked forward to seeing her teammates.
• Lou Guanshan left Frontline after his comrades wished him luck, and Mu Bingge departed Viksu Academy after her teachers and students came to see her off.
• Kou Ying traveled toward the competition, while Su Wuwei asked Yang You to take him to the Space Elevator and exchanged a farewell with Wang Jianshe.
• Ye Buyu refused the Scholars’ Association’s pleas to stay and jumped from the warship, while Huang Songming told Newmanda to fix the association’s superstitious atmosphere.
• Ye Buyu and Su Wuwei saw each other as the Space Elevator passed her in the clouds.