Chapter Summaries

Duke Han Xi and Qin Yingying returned from death after rolling the Rebirth Die, while Doctor Chen used a special version of the die to revive He Li. The chapter ended with He Li confirming that events had unfolded as Doctor Chen predicted.

• Duke Han Xi returned to life after rolling the die three times and received orders from the Supreme Council to capture Xu Ye and Doctor Chen and carry out reforms in Sky City.
• Duke Han Xi learned that Meng Chengfei had forced the Nobles to compromise and accepted the Council's demands under the gaze of the being in the sky.
• Qin Yingying returned to life at Night Spirit City No. 1 High School, worshipped the Lord of Darkfall, and reclaimed the Eternal Holy Book.
• In the Wilderness, Doctor Chen recognized the Rebirth Die and changed all its faces to six before tossing it to revive He Li.
• He Li appeared beside Doctor Chen and told him that everything had unfolded as he predicted.

Doctor Chen explained the Rebirth Die’s limits to He Li and revealed that Xu Ye, Han Xi, and Qin Yingying had been revived, while he planned to destroy the world. In Night Spirit City, Lu Mingwang mourned the Ninth Squad’s dissolution, then decided to go to the Front Lines to grow stronger and help Zhou Ye.

• He Li gave Doctor Chen files on Captain Meng, pollution incidents, and Xu Ye, then asked how the Rebirth Die worked.
• Doctor Chen said the die could be rolled three times, with one guaranteed six, and that his modification allowed it to revive only He Li; he described how Han Xi and Qin Yingying had also returned to life.
• Doctor Chen said the Supreme Council had issued a kill order against him, the Sanctuary had found the spark, and Xu Ye had gone to the Land of Exiles, then proposed destroying the world.
• Lu Mingwang passed the sealed Ninth Squad office and sensed Captain Ye inside, but chose not to disturb him.
• Lu Mingwang decided to leave for the Front Lines to become stronger and help Zhou Ye, as a white plane flew toward the Land of Exiles.

Xu Ye fled Night Spirit City with Li Yunyao aboard a plane, reflecting on the Captain’s sacrifice and discovering that his hat had become an E-Rank Taboo Object. As the plane passed Seaside City, he heard a mysterious voice calling him “Bonfire Bearer,” then learned that Alice’s egg was hatching.

• Xu Ye left Night Spirit City with the sleeping Li Yunyao after Duke Aldrich arranged their escape, and he remembered the Captain’s fragile balance with the Nobles.
• As the plane passed Seaside City, Xu Ye heard a voice repeatedly call him “Bonfire Bearer,” but the Bandit Lord could not explain it.
• Xu Ye considered the clue Li Yunyao’s unconscious mind held to locating the Glorious Holy Grail and examined the golden Key, which showed no unusual signs.
• Xu Ye reflected that the Captain’s hat had become the E-Rank Taboo Object [Emotional Hat] after his death and used it to restore his calm.
• Xu Ye sensed a weak Awakened clinging outside the plane, then the Bandit Lord warned him that Alice was acting strangely.
• Alice’s egg cracked as she announced her emergence from seclusion, then she abruptly became bewildered.

Alice awakened Sequence 7-004 [Delusion], gained the ability to appear in the real world, and Xu Ye tested his control over it. When both pilots died midflight, Xu Ye announced that he could fly the plane and urged the passengers to stay calm.

• Alice awakened Sequence 7-004 [Delusion], a talent powered by what other people believed about it.
• Alice discovered it could become solid and eat real food, while Xu Ye found he could summon it and return it to his mind at will.
• Xu Ye decided Alice was not his Second Personality and kept it hidden aboard the plane.
• A heart warning told Xu Ye that both pilots would die, the plane would crash into mutated Great Fiend Thunder Eagles, and everyone aboard would perish.
• The flight attendant announced that both pilots had died, and Xu Ye stood up, claiming he had studied at the Night Spirit City First Aviation Academy and could fly.

Xu Ye used [Delusion] to take control of the plane after both pilots died, while Alice absorbed their souls. Their memories revealed that a hook-nosed man had cursed them, suggesting someone intended to crash the plane.

• Xu Ye claimed he was an experienced pilot, and the flight attendant brought him to the cockpit, where both pilots were dead.
• Alice drew the pilots’ fading souls into herself while Xu Ye used [Delusion] to operate the plane and avoid Thunder Eagles.
• Xu Ye stabilized the flight and contacted the ground, then tested [Delusion] by asking a flight attendant whether she believed he could give birth.
• Xu Ye analyzed the limits and risks of [Delusion] as Alice examined the pilots’ memories.
• Alice showed Xu Ye images of a hook-nosed man who had appeared repeatedly to the pilots, and the Bandit Lord identified a curse that could stop hearts.

Xu Ye and Li Yunyao reached the Land of Exiles safely, where Xu Ye discovered that his borrowed flying skills and knowledge had faded after his identity was exposed. In District 9, they encountered a young Sequence 9 Awakened carrying a Golden Key, while Zhang Qing wondered who had disrupted his plan to crash the plane.

• Zhang Qing learned that his attempt to divert the plane into the Thunder Eagles had failed and suspected he had gained a competitor.
• Xu Ye landed safely with Li Yunyao, then slipped away as investigators discovered that his identity as Xu Bai was fake.
• Xu Ye noticed his power of belief had weakened, and he traveled with Li Yunyao to District 9 of the Land of Exiles.
• Xu Ye saw the poverty and violence of District 9 before a twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy with mechanical arms ran past him.
• Alice spotted a Golden Key around the boy's neck, and the Bandit Lord urged Xu Ye to steal it.

Xu Ye used the golden Key to enter the strange space inside Li Yunyao’s mind, where he found 107 other Key holders gathered in disguises. Meanwhile, Zhang Qing and Xiao Dao also opened Gates with their Keys, and the chapter left Xu Ye trying to understand the gathering.

• Xu Ye read Duke Audirich’s warning that the Mirror of Defilement caused dangerous nighttime effects, especially for Awakened.
• A silver “1” appeared on Xu Ye’s Key, and Alice spotted black and gold Keys on Li Yunyao’s forehead.
• Xu Ye used the Key to open a golden Gate and was pulled inside.
• Zhang Qing opened a Gate with his black Key, while Xiao Dao’s Key began flashing and he opened another Gate.
• Xu Ye arrived in a vast gray plaza with 108 disguised Key holders, and the Bandit Lord explained that the space reflected Li Yunyao’s subconscious.

Xu Ye entered the Holy Grail Contest and received a task to investigate a woman’s death, but the contest’s toll left Li Yunyao dangerously ill. He resolved to find An Lu and save her, then suddenly sensed a bizarre prophecy about a murder, Xiao Dao’s death, and a miscarriage.

• Xu Ye recognized Ivy and Xiao Dao among the contestants and learned that the 108 participants were divided between golden-key Justice and black-key Evil factions.
• The Holy Grail announced that paired contestants would receive matching tasks, and Xu Ye received the assignment to investigate Zhou Meifang’s death at 115 Qingliu Street within ten days.
• Xu Ye returned from the contest to find Li Yunyao feverish, and the Bandit Lord explained that opening the Holy Grail’s space drained her mental and soul energy.
• Xu Ye prioritized finding An Lu or another treatment to wake Li Yunyao, then sensed a strange sequence of events predicting a murder, Xiao Dao’s death, and his own miscarriage.

Xu Ye suspected that the killer who had targeted Xiao Dao was staying nearby, so he used the Bride's Red Veil to reach the boy and joined the Wanderers' Society. After discovering that Xiao Dao's sick sister Xiaoyu possessed the high-sequence [Luck] talent, Xu Ye treated her and confronted Zhang Qing in the corridor.

• The Bandit Lord sensed spiritual qi next door, and Xu Ye suspected the baseball-cap-wearing man from the captain's memories was the killer pursuing Xiao Dao.
• Xu Ye used the Bride's Red Veil to descend through the building and found Xiao Dao struggling to understand a mission screen.
• Xu Ye introduced himself and asked to join Xiao Dao's Wanderers' Society, but Xiao Dao rushed to check on his feverish sister Xiaoyu.
• The Bandit Lord recognized Xiaoyu as an Awakened with 9-010 [Luck] and explained that her ability had helped Xiao Dao obtain the Golden Key and survive danger.
• Xu Ye claimed to be a doctor, examined Xiaoyu, and wrote prescriptions before leaving the siblings alone.
• Xu Ye bumped into Zhang Qing in the corridor and mocked him for blocking the way.

Xu Ye confronted and killed Zhang Qing, the Key holder who had come to murder Little Blade. Afterward, the Bandit Lord told Xu Ye to turn the Sequence 8 enemy into Human Skin.

• Xu Ye mocked Zhang Qing and lured him into his room, where Zhang Qing used [Internal Organs] to attack him.
• Xu Ye calmed his heartbeat, dodged Zhang Qing’s throwing knife, and fought him with his blade and tentacles.
• Xu Ye wounded Zhang Qing’s arm, but Zhang Qing regenerated it and forced Xu Ye onto the defensive.
• Xu Ye used a Vortex to double his strength, opened the Big Black Umbrella, and pierced Zhang Qing’s throat with its blade.
• The Bandit Lord told Xu Ye to loot Zhang Qing and prepare to turn him into Human Skin while Alice went to seize his soul.

After killing Zhang Qing, Xu Ye turned his corpse into his second Human Skin and learned that Zhang Qing had been a soul placed in a body trained by the Fallen Knights, who worshipped the dangerous Blood Ancestor. As Xu Ye examined the Human Skin’s abilities, a black key among Zhang Qing’s belongings began to disappear.

• Alice devoured Zhang Qing’s departing soul while Xu Ye prepared to make his corpse into a Human Skin.
• Xu Ye completed the ritual, creating his second Human Skin and letting the Bandit Lord absorb some of the blood energy.
• Alice learned from Zhang Qing’s memories that the Fallen Knights had installed his soul in a specially trained body and worshipped a Deity called the Blood Ancestor.
• Xu Ye examined the Human Skin’s close-combat skills and Sequence Talents, including [Internal Organs] and [Bone Regeneration].
• Xu Ye noticed that the black key among Zhang Qing’s belongings had begun to disappear.

Lu Xiao Dao learned that his opponent’s death had let him pass the first Holy Grail trial, while Xu Ye planned his next steps in the Land of Exiles and avoided drawing the Spirit Mirror Knight’s attention. When Lu Xiaoyu’s fever returned, Xu Ye suspected her luck ability had helped kill Zhang Qing and warned her not to use it so often.

• Lu Xiao Dao received a message that Black Key holder No. 54 had died, allowing him to pass the first round of trials.
• Xu Ye searched Zhang Qing’s belongings, but a warning revealed that trying to use Zhang Qing against the Fallen Knights would lead to his death at the Spirit Mirror Knight’s hands.
• Xu Ye took Zhang Qing’s clothes, blades, and furniture, then decided to seek Count An Lu, investigate Zhou Meifang’s death, build up the Wanderers’ Society, and pursue Sequence 7.
• Xu Ye went downstairs at night to learn what dangers the city held, but Lu Xiao Dao called him in because Lu Xiaoyu’s fever and cough had worsened.
• Xu Ye suspected Lu Xiaoyu had used her luck ability to help her brother and warned her that using it too often would harm her; she opened her eyes in surprise and fear.

Xu Ye secured Lu Xiaoyu's agreement to help him join the Mushroom Society, while Lu Xiao Dao endured a painful return of his mysterious condition. Xu Ye discovered that the Mirror of Defilement had no apparent effect on him, then felt his heart writhe as he prepared to investigate a mission site.

• Xu Ye learned that the Mushroom Society had exploited Lu Xiaoyu's luck ability, then promised to help her in exchange for membership and occasional, harmless boosts.
• Lu Xiaoyu recovered, told Lu Xiao Dao to get Xu Ye an application, and gave him coins and flatbread to take to Xu Ye.
• Lu Xiao Dao suffered a painful episode in which he saw the Beast Tide, then speculated that reaching Sequence 8 or visiting a church might help his condition.
• Xu Ye waited outside at night but experienced no negative effects from the Mirror of Defilement.
• Xu Ye decided to investigate the mission location early, but his heart began to writhe as he was about to move.

Xu Ye evaded the attention of a powerful watcher by pretending to be drunk, then reached his mission destination and recognized a dead woman from the plane. Meanwhile, Lü Xiao Dao returned home and found Alice applying makeup to a burly man in the unlocked apartment.

• Xu Ye removed his Taboo Objects, hid his storage ring, and acted drunk until the Sequence 5 watcher left.
• Xu Ye retrieved his belongings and walked to 115 Qingliu Street for his mission.
• Xu Ye recognized a woman being carried to an ambulance as Zhou Meifang, the mistress from the plane.
• Lü Xiao Dao brought flatbreads to Xu Ye’s apartment and entered after hearing singing.
• Lü Xiao Dao and Alice froze when he found her applying makeup to a burly man.

Alice subdued Lü Xiao Dao and convinced him that she was a deity, recruiting him as her first follower while hiding the encounter from Xu Ye. Meanwhile, Xu Ye cautiously investigated Zhou Meifang’s death, unaware that someone was watching him.

• Alice used Wang Han to attack Lü Xiao Dao, whose [Mosaic] talent briefly blocked out Wang Han’s appearance.
• Alice used [Delusion] to pose as the Cat God and claimed Wang Han and Xu Ye were her human puppets.
• Lü Xiao Dao submitted to Alice, received a follower mark, and left to seek protection from the Apocalypse Church.
• Alice sensed a distant observer and decided to investigate without telling Xu Ye.
• Xu Ye sent Zhang Qing out as a decoy while approaching the scene from another direction, unaware that someone watched him through a telescope.

A hidden opponent tried to kill Zhang Qing, but Xu Ye survived and tracked the shooter’s escape. Xu Ye recovered the opponent’s equipment and considered how to investigate Zhou Meifang’s death, while Lü Xiao Dao sought Father Hall’s help against an evil god.

• A man hiding in a nearby room shot Zhang Qing, but Zhang Qing survived the headshot and stared back at him.
• The shooter fled to the Night Market, changed his appearance, and returned to the Apocalypse Church, where Lü Xiao Dao asked Father Hall to exorcise an evil god.
• Father Hall sold Lü Xiao Dao purification from an Oil Lamp, charging him two Federation Currency coins.
• Xu Ye recovered Zhang Qing’s Paper Human Skin and searched the shooter’s room, finding a Sniper Rifle and an Infrared Telescope.
• Xu Ye considered investigating Zhou Meifang’s father, her lover from the plane, or involving the Heart of the Order Keeper, and also thought about killing his opponent.

Xu Ye questioned Li Wan about his wife Zhou Meifang’s death and nudged him toward reporting the suspicious circumstances to the Heart of the Order Keeper. Li Wan privately revealed he was an Awakened in a Holy Grail Contest, had wanted his wife dead, and was focused on protecting Guan Ze as his mission continued.

• Xu Ye waited until dawn and approached Li Wan, who had returned carrying Zhou Meifang’s urn.
• Xu Ye stopped Zhang Qing’s [Internal Organs] curse on Li Wan, earning his trust and learning that Zhou Meifang had killed herself after experiencing a growing sensation of being watched.
• Li Wan explained that Zhou Meifang had returned from a business trip with her superior, Guan Ze, and described his close relationship with her without suspecting their affair.
• Xu Ye encouraged Li Wan to seek an investigation and left after learning that Guan Ze had traveled with Zhou Meifang.
• At home, Li Wan revealed a Black Key marked 108 and concluded that another Awakened had killed Zhou Meifang, while his mission was to protect Guan Ze and keep him in his position.

Xu Ye discovered that Li Wan was another Holy Grail Contest participant and recruited him to serve as his double. Li Wan accepted after mistaking Xu Ye’s Golden Key for proof of his ties to the vanished Thunder Sound Society leader, while Xu Ye unexpectedly gained access to lightning power.

• Xu Ye startled Li Wan by appearing in his mirror, then revealed himself and learned that Li Wan’s mission was to keep Secretary Guan Ze in his position.
• Li Wan explained his past, his ambition to climb the Federation ranks, and his Sequence 9 talent, which let him catch objects with his bare hands.
• Xu Ye asked Li Wan to become his shadow and stand in for him, but Li Wan initially refused because he wanted to finish his mission and avoid Awakened affairs.
• Xu Ye claimed to be Sequence 5 and showed Li Wan his Golden Key, leading Li Wan to assume Xu Ye had close ties to the Thunder Sound Society’s vanished leader.
• Li Wan pledged to obey Xu Ye, and Xu Ye noticed that he seemed to have gained the ability to use lightning power.

Xu Ye used Li Wan to gain the Heart of the Order Keeper’s protection while planning to advance through an act of blasphemy against a deity. The Bandit Lord explained that Xu Ye’s advancement ritual was an unusually difficult requirement for reaching the Ancient Sage threshold, and Xu Ye narrowly avoided being recognized by Zhu Dalong.

• Xu Ye pressured Li Wan into revealing his identity to the Heart of the Order Keeper and sharing the resources he gained, then left him shaken by a display of power.
• Li Wan suspected Xu Ye was connected to the Thunder Sound Society, but a human-skin apparition frightened him into calling for help.
• Xu Ye told the Bandit Lord that he planned to create a disaster involving the Blood Ancestor to fulfill the blasphemy required for advancement in the Blasphemer Sequence.
• The Bandit Lord explained that reaching Sequence 4 and becoming an Ancient Sage required high-sequence Sequence Talents and an individual advancement ritual, while Xu Ye’s ritual targeted deities.
• Xu Ye passed Zhu Dalong and two teammates without revealing himself, though Zhu Dalong used [Heaven-Stealing] on him and wondered why he seemed familiar.

Father Hall used Crystal Divination to locate Xu Ye at the Wangchun Building, where they met without revealing their suspicions. After Xu Ye recognized the Harvest Mother Goddess as the deity linked to the Shenchuan Family, Father Hall left with a list of residents and identified Zhang Qing as his target.

• Father Hall recovered from the Mirror of Defilement's side effects, took a blue pill, and later used minced internal organs to learn his opponent was at the Wangchun Building.
• Xu Ye sensed that someone was using Crystal Divination to find him, and the Bandit Lord said it had interfered but could not fully conceal their traces from a powerful diviner.
• Xu Ye met Father Hall on the stairwell and realized the Harvest Mother Goddess was connected to the Shenchuan Family, though he hid his alarm behind a polite smile.
• Lü Xiao Dao told Xu Ye that Father Hall had asked for a list of recent arrivals, which Lü Xiao Dao had sold him for two units of Federation Currency.
• Father Hall returned to the church with the residents' list, looked at Zhang Qing's photograph, and said he had found him.