Chapter Summaries

Old Liu saw how Wang Dong’s Players abused their power in the Great Fortune Safe House and refused to risk himself to help a young girl. After Wang Dong deemed his ability too weak for the High Combat Team, Old Liu learned that Gambling Venues offered a possible way to gain power.

• Wang Dong’s group killed five Players who resisted them, and the bodies they left outside the safe house terrorized the others.
• Wang Dong summoned Old Liu, tested his Soul General ability, and rejected him as too weak for the High Combat Team.
• Old Liu saw a young girl kneeling beside Wang Dong, but left without intervening when she silently pleaded for help.
• Wang Dong assigned Old Liu to the Mine-Clearing Team and let another man take the girl away.
• A middle-aged Player told Old Liu that Gambling Venues had opened in the Temple District Star Gate, where chips could be wagered for rewards including Mystical Ability Items and Star Source.

Old Liu won a rare reward at the Life arcade, then realized Wang Dong had likely murdered the middle-aged man for possessing a valuable item. Fearing he would be targeted next, Old Liu fled the safe house with a captive girl and killed two Players who tried to rob him.

• The middle-aged man told Old Liu about the gambling arcades and claimed a rare luck box could guarantee victory in the Defy Heaven and Change Fate game.
• Old Liu went to the Life arcade, bet all seven thousand of his chips on a 777 machine, and won a black luck box containing an item that left him overwhelmed.
• Old Liu found the middle-aged man’s tortured corpse at the safe house and suspected Wang Dong had killed him to take his rare item.
• Old Liu decided to flee before Wang Dong could seize his own reward, and he freed a captive girl from a locked room in the safe house.
• Two Players intercepted Old Liu and demanded his item, so he used his Soul-Slaying Blade to kill them both.

Old Liu was cornered by Wang Dong’s group in the Temple District Star Gate, but a squad of bald men intervened and let him escape with the young girl. After hearing what happened, Ren Ye decided to enter the Star Gate to rescue Old Liu and prepared to leave the informants in custody until he returned.

• Old Liu used his Oddball item as Wang Dong’s group surrounded him, but Players with soul-countering items suppressed his ability and pinned him down.
• Wang Dong’s group robbed Old Liu of his Star Gate chips, then Wang Dong stabbed his left eye and beat him while demanding the item’s location.
• A squad of bald men in black charged into the Hutong and forced Wang Dong’s group to defend themselves, giving Old Liu time to escape with the young girl.
• Old Liu vowed that he would never again be spineless and would stand or die.
• Ren Ye detained the fat man and his companions after questioning them about Old Liu, then told Huang Wei he would enter the Star Gate to save him.

Ren Ye obtained a chip that let him enter the Giant City Star Gate and persuaded Xu Qingzhao to join him in rescuing Liu Ji Shan. After entering the Star Gate alone, he reached Wang Dong’s group and introduced himself under a false name.

• Ren Ye arranged for Brother Huang to recruit willing First Tier helpers, then received the ownerless Base Chip from the fat man.
• Ren Ye learned Xu Qingzhao could sense the Giant City Star Gate and persuaded her to enter with him in disguise.
• After the Star Gate’s player count dropped, Ren Ye told Xu Qingzhao to follow after half an hour if he had not returned, then entered Giant City.
• Ren Ye found the Gate Spirit at the One Step to Heaven Mahjong Parlor and used the phrase “Defy Heaven and Change Fate” to enter the Star Gate.
• Ren Ye met Wang Dong, claimed his name was Tang Feng and his nickname was Little Songstress, and said he had a warrior-lineage inheritance.

Ren Ye and Xu Qingzhao kept their abilities understated in the Temple District Star Gate and began searching for Old Liu by taking a mission together. As they approached the Mingyuan Building, a distressed old man rushed toward Ren Ye while a nearby voice called for the Great Might Heavenly Dragon Squad.

• Ren Ye showed Wang Dong the disguised Human Emperor Sword, accepted a room and daily fees, and left without revealing his real strength.
• Ren Ye met Xu Qingzhao in disguise and told her to keep a low profile until nightfall, when they could leave the safe house separately.
• After night missions began, Ren Ye evaded the Players watching him and found Xu Qingzhao, who was bewildered by the modern city and its customs.
• Ren Ye and Xu Qingzhao agreed to leave recognizable signals at mission sites to help Old Liu find them, then accepted a two-person mission at the Mingyuan Building.
• Near the Mingyuan Building, a bedraggled old man ran toward Ren Ye asking for help as someone nearby called the Great Might Heavenly Dragon Squad.

Ren Ye rescued Yang Dong from two Enforcers, and Yang Dong guided Ren Ye and Xu Qingzhao through Mingyuan Building so they could complete their intelligence mission. After infusing the mission’s green Luck Box with Destiny until it turned black, Ren Ye opened it and heard the Demon Monk’s voice.

• At Crossroads, Yang Dong ran past Ren Ye and Xu Qingzhao without asking for help, and Ren Ye chased off the Enforcers to save him.
• Ren Ye killed the two Enforcers in an alley, then returned to Crossroads and invited Yang Dong to join them.
• Yang Dong explained that he had avoided dragging Ren Ye into trouble and offered to guide him and Xu Qingzhao to Mingyuan Building.
• Yang Dong led Ren Ye and Xu Qingzhao through danger zones, and the pair completed their intelligence mission and received a green Luck Box.
• Ren Ye infused the Luck Box with Destiny until it turned black, opened it, and heard the Demon Monk threaten him.

Ren Ye received a one-use Demon Monk's Reincarnation Finger amulet after witnessing Mumu kill the palace guard, then teamed up with Old Yang to run missions and leave a coded message for Old Liu. Meanwhile, Old Liu struggled to feed himself and the little girl while planning a risky mission run, and Tang Feng was left desperately trying to get water.

• Ren Ye witnessed Mumu kill the night security guard with the Reincarnation Finger and enter the palace, then learned the black Destiny box had awarded him a one-use Demon Monk's Reincarnation Finger amulet.
• Ren Ye and Xu Qingzhao left Mingyuan Building with Old Yang, and Ren Ye invited him to team up for the remaining days of the Star Gate.
• Old Yang warned Ren Ye that gambling in the Star Gate was dangerous, and Ren Ye planned to use the man's knowledge of mission sites to leave messages for Old Liu.
• Ren Ye wrote a coded message for Old Liu at several mission sites while running missions with Old Yang.
• Old Liu gave the little girl their remaining food and planned to risk another mission before dawn to earn enough chips to reach the final table.
• Tang Feng struggled in a dim room, calling out to God and Buddha because not a single drop of water remained.

Ren Ye and Xu Qingzhao searched for Old Liu, while Old Yang explained that he entered the Star Gate only to earn money for his family. The chapter ended with Ren Ye mistaking a furtive figure for Old Liu, who instead asked about the secret in the Little Garden.

• Old Yang told Ren Ye he planned to exchange his Star Source for cash to help his sons and would not take part in the final game.
• Ren Ye decided to stake out a quiet area overnight to find Old Liu, and Xu Qingzhao agreed to search Temple Grove.
• Xu Qingzhao went to a hair salon near Temple Grove and requested a retro afro while keeping watch for Old Liu.
• Ren Ye waited in an unfinished building until after two in the morning, then called a furtive figure “Babe” when it appeared.
• The figure stiffened and asked Ren Ye whether he had heard of the secret in the Little Garden.

Ren Ye reunited with Old Liu, learned he had a rare stone that could unlock a hidden mission, and promised to help him enter the Defy Heaven and Change Fate Game. As the final day ended, the game was set to begin at midnight, giving Ren Ye time to gather chips and carry out his plan.

• Ren Ye found Old Liu at the Temple District Star Gate, and Old Liu told him Wang Dong had gouged out his eye.
• Old Liu explained that a rare stone could unlock a hidden mission if he won the Defy Heaven and Change Fate Game, and Ren Ye agreed to help him secure a seat.
• Ren Ye learned that Old Liu had just over ten thousand chips and still had his Base Chip, then told him to wait safely while Ren Ye and Xu Qingzhao gathered more chips.
• Ren Ye met Xu Qingzhao and discussed their plan before returning with her to the Great Fortune Safe House.
• Wang Dong and his Players agreed to wait for the final game's arrangements before separating and attacking the ordinary Players.
• The Star Gate announced that the Defy Heaven and Change Fate Game would begin at midnight at the casino by the main entrance to the Temple Grove, and Ren Ye saw an opportunity to act.

On the Star Gate’s final night, Ren Ye watched Wang Dong’s people while Xu Qingzhao used divination to win a jackpot and was confronted by four of Wang Dong’s subordinates. Xu Qingzhao defeated them brutally, while Ren Ye and Old Liu prepared to act on their own plans.

• Ren Ye offered to cover Old Yang’s gambling chips, but Old Yang refused and left to run missions; Ren Ye then watched the residential building where Wang Dong’s people stayed.
• Wang Dong worried that the player whose eye he had stabbed might still be alive, and he lamented that the Star Gate would soon end.
• Xu Qingzhao lost ten thousand chips at the Life Game Arcade, then used Six-Line Divination to win a jackpot and received 150,000 chips and a dark green luck box.
• A mysterious presence changed the rules and awarded Xu Qingzhao the title “Metaphysical Cheater,” after which she found she could no longer divine.
• Wang Dong’s four subordinates tried to rob Xu Qingzhao, but she shattered one player’s Silver Ring, killed the burly man, and forced another to break his own leg.
• Ren Ye stopped waiting for Wang Dong’s direct underlings to leave and vanished into the night, while Old Liu prepared to make one desperate attempt.

Ren Ye arrived as Xiao Hai and Wang Dong’s men robbed Old Yang and other Players, then killed one of them with the Human Emperor Sword. He ordered Xiao Hai to summon his allies within a minute, setting up a confrontation with Wang Dong’s group.

• Ren Ye left the Great Fortune Safe House area to seek lower-ranking leaders before midnight, while Old Liu said farewell to the little girl and departed for the battlefield.
• Xiao Hai and six accomplices cornered Old Yang and five Players, demanding all their chips and Star Source to limit who could enter the Defy Heaven and Change Fate Game.
• Xiao Hai kicked Old Yang and began forcing his head toward the ground when Old Yang begged to keep some Star Source.
• Ren Ye kicked Xiao Hai away, helped Old Yang up, and demanded that the group return what they had taken.
• When the brawny young man attacked with a spectral wolf soul, Ren Ye cut him and the wolf soul in half with the Human Emperor Sword.
• Ren Ye told Xiao Hai to call his people over within one minute.

Ren Ye fought Xiao Hai and eleven other players alone, using the Human Emperor Sword and Seal to defeat several of them and inspire the ordinary players to resist. Xiao Hai’s group attempted to flee as the ordinary players joined the fight, while Wang Dong headed toward the scene and a masked figure emerged from a casino.

• Ren Ye rejected Xiao Hai’s offer to join his group and challenged the ordinary players to stand against their oppressors.
• Ren Ye used Radiant Might to destroy the ghosts, then cut down the ghost-controlling woman and three other players with the Human Emperor Sword.
• Old Yang and other ordinary players rallied behind Ren Ye, forcing Xiao Hai and the surviving players to retreat and attempt a breakout.
• Ren Ye pursued the fleeing players and disabled one, whom the ordinary players surrounded.
• Wang Dong left the Great Fortune Safe House to check on Xiao Hai’s group.
• A masked figure appeared in an unlit casino and celebrated being freed from its long confinement.

Ren Ye led the controlled players in defeating Xiao Hai’s group and demanded payment for their lives, then took Xiao Hai aside to ask about Wang Dong robbing a player with a black rare item.

• Ren Ye’s call roused the controlled players, who joined forces to trap Xiao Hai and his companions in a dark alley.
• Ren Ye stopped the crowd from killing the defeated players and demanded that they kneel and pay to live.
• Xiao Hai’s group handed over their chips and Star Source, while Ren Ye claimed the chips and arranged for the ordinary players to divide the Star Source.
• Ren Ye ordered the group to demand seventy thousand Star Source from each powerful player, or take items instead.
• Ren Ye took Xiao Hai to an abandoned building and asked whether he knew about Wang Dong robbing a player who carried a black rare item.

Ren Ye finished questioning Xiao Hai, then joined Old Liu and Xu Qingzhao to plan their chip allocations and strategy for the Defy Heaven and Change Fate Game. As the game began, Ren Ye confronted Wang Dong over the missing Players, and Old Liu stepped forward to face him at the gambling table.

• Ren Ye learned from Xiao Hai that Wang Dong had taken a black rare item, then left Xiao Hai to the crowd, who beat him and the other crippled high-combat Players.
• Ren Ye met Old Liu and Xu Qingzhao in the park and reported that he had robbed 830,000 chips and crippled thirteen high-combat Players; they planned to reserve chips for Xu Qingzhao and have Old Liu compete for first place.
• Ren Ye estimated that Wang Dong held at least 500,000 chips and proposed that Old Liu use 500,000, Xu Qingzhao keep 350,000, and Ren Ye hold 220,000 for the final game.
• Old Yang declined to gamble and planned to give his chips to Little Songstress, while other Players urged him to join the table.
• At the casino, Wang Dong realized Xiao Hai and the others were missing, and Ren Ye announced that they had died in the People's Hutong Court.
• The white-robed Gate Eye forbade fighting and began the game; Old Liu stood up to challenge Wang Dong as the countdown ended.

The Star Gate announced the rules for the Defy Heaven and Change Fate Game, a chip-based poker contest offering special invitations to the twenty richest Players. As Players weighed the risks, Ren Ye, Wang Dong, and Old Yang chose to enter the competition, while others waited for the final settlement.

• The Star Gate announced the poker contest rules, including the chip shop, the top-twenty invitations, and the ban on transferring chips.
• Old Yang's companions urged him to risk thirty thousand chips, but he initially decided to stay among the spectators.
• Wang Dong persuaded six of his powerful Players to join him at the tables, while the others chose to wait; they also threatened Ren Ye.
• Ren Ye wished the short, chubby fellow good luck and entered the corridor, while Old Liu tried to encourage himself to compete.
• After further urging, Old Yang changed his mind and entered the corridor as the last Player.

Ren Ye entered the Defy Heaven and Change Fate Game and lost the first two hands, while Old Liu played cautiously and Old Yang won through a streak of strong cards. Old Yang defeated Wang Dong’s fighter, who lost his right leg and both arms after using his Base Chip to cover a bet; Old Yang advanced as the first winner.

• A dealer explained the ten-hand, doubling-ante rules to Ren Ye, who folded his first hand and received a weak hand in the second.
• Old Liu folded weak hands and planned to conserve chips for a later opportunity.
• Old Yang won two hands with pairs, prompting his opponent to accuse him of having absurd luck.
• Old Yang drew three sevens and bet fifty thousand against the fighter’s J-Q-K straight flush.
• The fighter used his Base Chip and body parts to cover the bet, but lost to Old Yang’s three sevens and had his arms and right leg removed.
• Old Yang learned that he was the first Player to win the round, while the injured fighter crawled through the hall seeking medical help.

After surviving the round of 32, Old Liu used calculated bets and bluffs to defeat Xiao Meng, while Wang Dong grew wary of his deep chip reserves. Ren Ye and Old Liu learned that Wang Dong’s card-swapping item had likely been used; Ren Ye withdrew from the quarterfinals, leaving Old Liu to continue as Old Yang received a bye.

• Ren Ye and Old Yang advanced to the round of 16, where Wang Dong suspected Old Liu had received help and asked Xiao Meng to test his chip reserves.
• Old Liu folded seven hands against Xiao Meng, then won the next two with large bets and a flush, prompting her to fold once and lose a showdown.
• Old Liu taunted Xiao Meng after the match, and she reported his deep reserves to Wang Dong, who concluded that he and Little Songstress were working together.
• Ren Ye and Old Liu heard an eliminated gambler complain that an item could secretly swap cards, and they realized Wang Dong had likely used the item Old Liu hoped to exploit.
• Ren Ye withdrew from the quarterfinals to keep his chips, while Old Yang was granted a bye after another player withdrew.

Old Yang and Old Liu faced each other in the semifinal while Wang Dong arranged a deal that let him build up his chip reserves. Old Yang deliberately folded despite holding three aces, giving Old Liu a chance to advance.

• Old Yang rejected Wang Dong’s offer, while Wang Dong offered a Ghost Blade to the high-combat-power Player in exchange for help in the semifinals.
• Wang Dong and the high-combat-power Player faced off, and the Player deliberately lost chips to Wang Dong after their secret agreement.
• Old Yang and Old Liu sat together at the other semifinal table, and Old Yang guessed that Old Liu had received chips from Ren Ye’s side.
• Old Yang raised blind again and again, telling Old Liu that ordinary people should not be greedy and urging him to keep winning.
• Old Liu called Old Yang’s final blind bet, and Old Yang folded before revealing that his cards were three aces.

Old Liu defeated Wang Dong in the final of the Defy Heaven and Change Fate Game by anticipating his plan to use his item to steal cards and wagering his life against Wang Dong’s. The dealer declared Old Liu the winner, giving him the chips and Wang Dong’s life.

• Old Yang was eliminated in the final four and left the table relieved, while Old Liu and Wang Dong prepared for the final.
• Old Liu and Wang Dong faced each other over five escalating hands, and Wang Dong used the early rounds to probe Old Liu’s play.
• Old Liu won a large pot with a pair of aces, then used his cautious play to convince Wang Dong that he would only bet heavily with a strong hand.
• Wang Dong went all in, used his Base Chip to raise for Old Liu’s right eye, and revealed his Gambler’s Hand item, Steal Heaven and Change Sun.
• Old Liu pulled out the Base Chip he had hidden inside himself and wagered his life, then explained how he had seen through Wang Dong’s trap.
• Wang Dong revealed 3-5-6, while Old Liu showed the K-6-8 Wang Dong had originally held, and the dealer declared Old Liu the winner.

Old Liu won the Defy Heaven and Change Fate Game, leaving Wang Dong at his mercy. Wang Dong was beaten and permanently trapped in the Star Gate, where he later became a beggar outside the casino.

• The spectators celebrated Old Liu’s victory as Wang Dong realized he had lost everything and begged Old Liu to spare his life.
• Old Liu reminded Wang Dong that he had wagered his life and announced that Wang Dong would stay there forever.
• The Gate Eye declared Old Liu the winner and said the Players had one hour before they could leave.
• Old Liu urged the ordinary Players to settle their scores, and they beat Wang Dong while Ren Ye and his group attacked the eight remaining high-combat-power Players.
• The Players left Wang Dong alive but crippled in the corridor, where the Heavenly Dao rules kept him trapped in the Star Gate.
• Years later, Players saw Wang Dong begging outside the casino and murmuring about changing his fate.