Chapter Summaries

Zhang Ming survived the Space-Time Worm’s rule taking control of him after Stone Mama and the world’s forces sealed it with a fiery-red leaf. He awakened ten days later, learned that the experience had cost him much of his Mental Value, and began reconsidering what he could safely learn about Demon Gods.

• Stone Mama, the volcano, the World Tree, and the Source of the World helped seal the Demon God’s rule as sunlight weakened its hold on Zhang Ming.
• Zhang Ming regained consciousness after ten days and recovered some Mental Value by drinking water, eating, and letting the monkeys massage him.
• Zhang Ming found most of his supplies destroyed and noticed that he had grown a lot of hair, though he could not tell what else the rule had changed.
• Zhang Ming examined the fiery-red leaf sealing the Demon God-Space-Time Worm icon and realized he could not safely undo it or remember most of the possession.
• Zhang Ming concluded that the Demon God’s rule was far stronger than the Blue Crystal People had calculated and began dividing idealist rules into categories.

Zhang Ming discovered that the Demon God’s unique rule had overwhelmed his Memory Library, but he recovered an insight into how the Blue Crystal People had devised a rule to counter the Space-Time Worm. He entered the Space-Time Worm’s planet in person and began exploring its strange, idealist reality, where his Attribute Conversion revealed the rule inside a red stone.

• Zhang Ming found that the Demon God’s information had filled and wrecked his Memory Library, then vanished without being recorded.
• Zhang Ming uncovered the insight left by the Pillar of Heaven’s attack and realized that a carefully designed rule could cut the Demon God rule into usable pieces.
• Zhang Ming took the little tree and coordinate stone, passed through the tiny hole, and arrived on the Space-Time Worm’s planet in his real body.
• Zhang Ming tested the planet’s idealist rules by imagining gravity and a monkey, but found that his creations could not persist without logical support.
• Zhang Ming picked up a red stone, and his Attribute Conversion revealed the specific rule it contained.

Zhang Ming spent ten days studying the Space-Time Worm’s corpse and identified its major systems, including movement, energy, self-repair, evolution, and organs. He planned to learn a manageable core rule and eventually absorb the Demon God’s power while keeping his sanity, but the chapter ended with a monkey putting a louse on his head.

• Zhang Ming used the Leaf Seal and the World Tree’s protection to study the Space-Time Worm’s rules, but found its movement abilities too complex to learn safely.
• Zhang Ming determined that the Space-Time Worm gained Space-Time Tidal Energy by altering or destroying civilizations and used that energy to power itself.
• Zhang Ming examined the worm’s self-repair, evolution, and organs, then let the World Tree absorb a small amount of its pitch-black energy.
• Zhang Ming returned to the real world at dawn and planned to master a simple central rule before gradually absorbing the entire Space-Time Worm.
• Zhang Ming told the monkeys he would become a Transcendent, and one monkey placed a louse on his head.

Zhang Ming risked fusing with a fragment of the Space-Time Worm’s heart and endured a twenty-hour struggle to seize a small portion of its power. He gained the Supernatural Ability Soul Burning and activated it, leaving the World Tree to watch over him as Stone Mama joined the celebrating monkeys.

• After discussing the danger and cost of mastering a Strong Rule with Stone Mama, Zhang Ming prepared to fuse with a fragment of the Space-Time Worm’s heart.
• Zhang Ming ate the heart fragment and used Attribute Conversion while the Red Moon’s power strained against its seal.
• With help from the World Tree and Stone Mama, Zhang Ming suppressed the power and survived the twenty-hour struggle.
• Zhang Ming saw that he had gained the Supernatural Ability Soul Burning, which could consume lifespan to strengthen all his abilities.
• Zhang Ming activated Soul Burning, while Stone Mama went outside to celebrate with the monkeys and the World Tree watched over him.

Zhang Ming mastered Soul Burning, discovering that it temporarily doubled his attributes and strengthened his abilities at the cost of his lifespan. He returned to the Demon God's heart and found it had become an unruled zone that might serve as storage and contain valuable irregular matter.

• Zhang Ming activated Soul Burning and found it doubled his attributes and greatly strengthened his abilities, but one minute of use consumed about a month of his lifespan.
• Zhang Ming played soccer with the monkeys, Little White, and Stone Mama before returning to his room.
• Zhang Ming wondered what had happened to the Demon God's original heart after he absorbed its heart rule, so he traveled back to the Space-Time Worm's corpse with Stone Mama and the World Tree.
• Zhang Ming found that the Demon God's heart had turned into a huge, empty rock and realized its unruled chambers might store his accumulated loot.
• Stone Mama suggested that the heart stone was rare irregular matter that other rules could not affect.

Zhang Ming finished mining the Three-Tailed Monkey World and prepared to leave with his companions, grateful for the refuge and recovery it had provided. He set out east with a hundred monkeys following aboard his ship, beginning another long journey.

• Zhang Ming moved ores and other supplies into the Demon God's Heart, then spent ten days mining the volcano's local minerals.
• Zhang Ming decided it was time to leave because the harvest and mining were finished, the world offered few attribute points, and merging with more Demon God rules was too dangerous.
• Zhang Ming told the monkeys he was leaving to seek new knowledge, said farewell at Jiji and Maomao's graves, and left the troop seeds and knowledge inscribed on stone slabs.
• Zhang Ming wished the Monkey Kings well and carried his sailing ship away from the valley as the monkeys watched him go.
• Little White called out to the troop, and a hundred monkeys climbed onto Zhang Ming's ship to follow him east; Zhang Ming cursed as he carried them.

Zhang Ming led Stone Mama, Little White, Brother Hao, and a hundred monkeys toward the volcano at the center of the world, encountering strange creatures and learning that the local Gaia Consciousness viewed him as a threat. After reaching the volcano’s region, he defeated a powerful winged lizard and planned to preserve its body for humanity.

• Zhang Ming traveled east with his companions and helped Stone Mama and Little White teach the monkeys the Three-Tailed Monkey Breathing Technique.
• Stone Mama warned Zhang Ming that approaching the volcano could provoke its Gaia Consciousness into a fight because it regarded him as an ominous presence.
• Zhang Ming encountered dangerous creatures, ate bei meat, and gained the Seven Times a Night ability; the meat sent the monkeys and Brother Hao into a frenzy, so he knocked them unconscious.
• Zhang Ming and the monkeys crossed the volcanic region, where carnivorous flowers poisoned many of them before they found an antidote.
• Zhang Ming killed a powerful winged lizard with Soul Burning and asked Stone Mama how to preserve its body and bloodline for humanity.

Zhang Ming and his companions reached the eastern edge of the continent and said goodbye to the Three-Tailed Monkeys, who began a tradition honoring their journey. As the ship departed, Zhang Ming absorbed space-time tidal energy from the civilization’s historical upheaval, strengthening his Soul Burning ability and calming the Demon God Rule.

• Zhang Ming crossed the continent with his companions and reached the easternmost shore, where he bid farewell to the Three-Tailed Monkeys and urged them to return home with what they had learned.
• Little White gave the monkeys parting advice, while Zhang Ming gifted them Strange Object weapons and sent them west along the road.
• The monkeys knelt as the ship sailed away, raised a statue and murals to commemorate the travelers, wrote Journey to the East, and established an eastern journey as a trial for future monkey kings.
• Zhang Ming suddenly felt an extraordinary force surge toward him and returned to the World Tree, where he sensed the moon icon and Demon God Rule settling down.
• After three days of visualization and recovery, Zhang Ming realized that space-time tidal energy had strengthened his Soul Burning ability, making it easier to control at the cost of more lifespan.

At the Supernatural Exchange Conference in Donghua City, scientists discussed how Zhang Ming’s broken computer had reduced the information he could send, and introduced a new device to maintain communication. Researcher Yuan Ping also presented mutant rice that could boost health and Human Breathing Technique training, with seeds made viable by germinating them in the Demon God's Sea.

• Scientists at the conference learned that Zhang Ming’s computer had broken, limiting the amount of research information sent to Earth.
• Li Xianfeng presented a light-and-shadow-stone data storage device that conveyed information directly to the mind and could serve as a communication medium with Zhang Ming.
• Yuan Ping introduced new era type III rice, which strengthened the body, extended lifespan, and improved the efficiency of the Human Breathing Technique.
• Yuan Ping reported that the rice yielded poorly on Earth but could produce far more in the Demon God's Sea.
• Yuan Ping proposed taking the seeds to the Demon God's Sea for a few days to germinate them, then returning them to Earth for cultivation, prompting discussion of the plan’s potential.

At a scientific conference, Wang Fumin and Qin Yiwei discussed humanity’s resource shortage, the progress of the New Century Defense Line, and a newly discovered civilization mining nearby. They agreed to prioritize the Mutant Rice project to strengthen humanity’s population, while the question of contacting the other civilization remained unresolved.

• Experts presented new supernatural achievements, including mutant organisms and an expensive anti-cancer drug, and said both depended on scarce resources from the Demon God's Sea.
• Wang Fumin attended with Qin Yiwei, having recently become the only person on Earth to break through two Human Limit bottlenecks, while Qin Yiwei’s health had declined as the New Century Defense Line began implementation.
• Qin Yiwei told Wang Fumin that humanity’s supernatural resources were extremely limited and that probes had detected a fourth civilization, consisting of ten large wooden ships, mining more than sixty thousand kilometers away.
• Wang Fumin said he could not break through the third bottleneck for decades, and Qin Yiwei weighed whether humanity had enough strength to make contact with the nearby civilization.
• Wang Fumin and Qin Yiwei agreed that advancing the Mutant Rice project was crucial to improving humanity’s overall strength and developing more talent.

Wang Fumin decided to lead a human diplomatic delegation into the Demon God's Sea to contact an extraterrestrial Ancient Civilization, prompting fierce debate on Earth. Zhang Ming worried about the risks as he continued through the Frozen Abyss, then felt an ominous unease as night fell.

• Wang Fumin agreed to meet the extraterrestrial civilization, and Qin Yiwei promised to persuade the others and told him to prepare.
• Earth announced a joint fleet and a diplomatic delegation led by Wang Fumin, sparking public arguments over whether humanity should make contact.
• Supporters promoted the potential benefits of the Demon God's Sea, including mutated rice, livestock, and valuable ores, while many people remained wary.
• Zhang Ming reflected on humanity's weakness compared with the Blue Crystal Civilization but accepted that Earth had chosen to seek contact.
• Zhang Ming pushed his sailboat through the frozen domain, made Little White continue its cold-weather cultivation, and studied Soul Burning.
• As night fell, Zhang Ming and Little White sensed danger nearby, but Zhang Ming reassured himself, cooked meat-stuffed flatbreads, and gained an attribute point.

Zhang Ming encountered a space-time disturbance filled with fleeing creatures and hostile monsters, then discovered a spreading green force that Stone Mama thought might be an unknown entity devouring the sea. As Zhang Ming fled with his ship, the green light caught up, leaving his survival uncertain.

• After sensing an abnormal storm, Zhang Ming used Extraordinary Vision boosted by Soul Burning to spot a vast vortex and countless creatures fleeing from it.
• Zhang Ming saw strange, dangerous monsters near the vortex and learned from Stone Mama that entering the turbulence could strand him for millions or billions of years.
• Zhang Ming steered his ship around the vortex’s edge, trying to escape its pull while observing the monsters, including a boy-like creature approaching him.
• A fissure opened on the seabed and released green flames that spread across the ocean, turning towering waves and icebergs ablaze.
• Zhang Ming carried his ship and ran for safety, while Stone Mama warned that the green force might be an unknown entity devouring the region and then suggested he hope it was a living thing.

Zhang Ming and his ship were swept into a mysterious sea engulfed by green fire, where the Source of the World's Sanctuary was their main protection. As he assessed the danger and searched for a way to survive, a radio broadcast revealed that a human expedition had entered the Demon God's Sea.

• Zhang Ming activated the Source of the World's Sanctuary to shield his ship from green fire as the ocean and a vast vortex pulled them away.
• Zhang Ming saw a steamship vanish into its own sanctuary and was carried with his ship into an unknown, silent sea.
• Stone Mama endured the green flames unharmed, while Zhang Ming found that Diamond could temporarily protect him from them.
• Zhang Ming discovered that most materials burned in the flames and sent Stone Mama to search the fog for the steamship and its civilization.
• Radio reported that Wang Fumin's scientific expedition had entered the Demon God's Sea with 63 large vessels, including aircraft carriers, agricultural ships, and submarines.

Zhang Ming used Demon God's heart stone coating to protect the Sailing Ship from the green flames, but the black fog brought Rule Monsters aboard. After fighting a teleporting boy and a four-eyed creature, Zhang Ming seized the second monster and began to suspect how their rules worked.

• Little White showed Zhang Ming that Ruleless Coating kept the green flames from burning a wooden board, so Zhang Ming coated himself and the Sailing Ship with it.
• Zhang Ming switched off the Source of the World's Sanctuary, but black fog engulfed the ship and concealed a little boy who made Brother Hao and Little White disappear.
• The little boy teleported behind Zhang Ming and attacked him with a gray-mist hand, but Diamond blocked the blow and Zhang Ming struck back with his Ice Spear.
• A four-eyed monster appeared on Zhang Ming's neck and bit him, while the little boy did not return to attack during Zhang Ming's ten-second countdown.
• Zhang Ming suspected the monsters followed a rule that prevented the little boy from appearing alongside the four-eyed creature, then grabbed the four-eyed monster with his bare hand.

Zhang Ming killed a four-eyed rule monster and realized that Abyss creatures grew stronger under specific rules, while more monsters gathered around his ship. Elsewhere in the Abyss, Admiral Gangduo tried to rally his crew and identify a way to survive, but the ship remained damaged and the seabed was dangerous.

• Zhang Ming dodged Little Boy’s attack and smashed the four-eyed monster’s head against the deck until it died.
• Zhang Ming deduced that the monsters grew stronger when attacking from behind and that Little Boy could teleport only after taking three thudding steps.
• Zhang Ming sensed that many more monsters were approaching, considered several escape plans, and challenged them while preparing a ball of purple electricity.
• Gangduo’s crew repaired their damaged steamship after entering the Abyss, where one monster had already killed 112 crew members.
• Gangduo told the crew that the Abyss might eventually spit them out and urged them to search for valuable materials while learning the monsters’ rules.
• Gangduo asked Tongba about finding irregular minerals, and Tongba explained that they were likely on the deep, monster-filled seabed.

Gangduo and the Macrosteel People prepared mithril-plated diving suits to retrieve minerals from the Abyss, but their first expedition turned dangerous when Lai was attacked and Gangduo encountered a speaking stone. Gangduo continued back toward the surface with the stone stuck to him, unsure what it was.

• Gangduo used mithril to have several diving suits plated against the green fire, then chose to lead the mineral-retrieval expedition with Lai.
• Gangduo descended into the Abyss while Lai guarded their boat, and Gangduo endured growing contamination and mental pressure.
• A humanoid monster boarded the boat and attacked Lai, who fought back with his Heavenly Strange Object axe as another eerie voice approached.
• Gangduo reached 1,500 meters before deciding to ascend, but a green-burning stone stuck to his backside and spoke to him.
• Gangduo calmed down, suspected the stone might be an intelligent outsider, and continued swimming upward without removing it.

Gangduo and Lai met Stone Mama in the Abyss and followed it toward Zhang Dasheng, hoping to learn whether its civilization could help them survive. Meanwhile, Zhang Ming heard that humanity had discovered the Snake People Civilization and worried that failed contact could threaten humanity’s survival.

• Gangduo and Lai questioned Stone Mama, learned that only four members remained in its expedition, and decided to meet Zhang Dasheng.
• Gangduo told the Honggang Civilization’s crew that he and Lai would investigate the other civilization, then asked Stone Mama to lead the way.
• Stone Mama said the Black Tortoise had been the strongest but was dead, and Gangduo tried to comfort it.
• A broadcast reported that humanity had discovered the Snake People Civilization, which had six large ships, many smaller vessels, and control over mutated creatures.
• Zhang Ming worried about humanity’s possible contact with the Snake People while standing among the monster corpses he had accumulated over three days, his arms and shoulders badly wounded.

Zhang Ming recovered from his injuries by eating poisonous monster meat while listening to reports about humanity's planned contact with the Snake People Civilization. Stone Mama brought two Macrosteel People to his boat, and their warriors suspected Zhang Dasheng was a Transcendent.

• Zhang Ming used his defenses and Attribute Conversion to eat a poisonous scorpion tail and gained four attribute points.
• The Radio reported that Jenny Bath would learn the Snake People language and that Wang Fumin would lead a diplomatic team, while public opinion remained divided over contact.
• Zhang Ming rested with protective gear and sensed Stone Mama approaching with two humanoid guests in a boat.
• Gangduo and Lai grew fearful when they found no monsters near Zhang Ming's boat and concluded a powerful being might have cleared the area.
• Stone Mama told Gangduo that Zhang Dasheng was aboard, and Gangduo concluded Zhang Dasheng was the Transcendent.

Gangduo and Lai boarded Zhang Ming’s ship, mistaking his slaughtered-monster-filled vessel and strange behavior for signs of a mad Transcendent. Zhang Ming tried to welcome them with Stone Mama’s help, and Gangduo cautiously entered a room to speak with him.

• Gangduo and Lai decided to board the small vessel, believing its owner might be a Transcendent who had gone mad.
• Gangduo found the deck covered in powerful monsters’ corpses and saw Zhang Ming eating Abyss creature meat, which heightened his fear.
• Stone Mama urged the Macrosteel People inside, and Gangduo wondered whether the stone was the Transcendent’s avatar.
• Zhang Ming told Stone Mama to be polite, then flattered it into translating for the guests.
• Zhang Ming activated the Source of the World's Sanctuary, offered the guests seats, and lit an oil lamp.
• Gangduo told Lai he would enter the room and instructed him to escape and warn the Main Base if Zhang Ming killed him.

Zhang Ming met Gangduo, an admiral from the Honggang Civilization, whose expedition ship and twelve thousand crew members were trapped in the Abyss. Zhang Ming considered trading irregular minerals for their remaining Fountain of Life, while Gangduo nervously offered access to the ship and its other compensation.

• Zhang Ming washed the Ruleless Coating from his face, and Gangduo removed his helmet to greet him.
• Zhang Ming offered Gangduo a stool made from a powerful monster's shell, whose baleful aura tormented him as he sat.
• Gangduo explained that the Honggang expedition had been swallowed by the Abyss and needed irregular minerals before the Source of the World ran out.
• Zhang Ming asked what he would gain in return, and Gangduo offered a portion of the Fountain of Life intended for the Peak Civilization.
• Gangduo realized his offer might seem insulting and proposed that Zhang Ming visit the ship and choose suitable compensation, while Lai called out to him from outside.