Chapter Summaries

The Survival Convoy discovered that the Third Elder had likely engineered the zombie siege in the Thirty-Sixth District, trapping more than two thousand people while the Core Area remained sealed. Cao Xianming chose to keep moving toward the Barbican, then found that the district’s residents could not get word of the attack beyond their blocked accounts.

• Qi Peiliang asked Cao Xianming why the Nine Great Elders had not left the Core Area, and Cao explained that only a full-scale siege could bring them out early, while the attack was confined to their district.
• Zheng Xiaofeng reported that Outer City patrol members were fighting zombies ahead, but Cao ordered the Survival Convoy not to intervene and to continue toward the Light Gate.
• Residents emerged to seek help as the convoy passed, and one woman’s cries attracted zombies that climbed into her building and killed her.
• Cao posted a warning about the attack on the mission interface, but the message was held back from approval.
• Cao asked Yang Yong whether his device could send messages, and Yang revealed that everyone’s accounts in the district had been blocked.

The Survival Convoy fought through growing Zombie hordes to reach the Barbican, where a wall of corpses blocked the gate. Yang Yong produced a flame-patterned Iron-Plate Token and ordered the Red-Clothed Female Ghost to place it in the gateway.

• Yang Yong and Cao Xianming cursed the Third Elder, then focused on reaching the Barbican and closing the Light Gate.
• Zheng Xiaofeng and Wang Ying cleared Zombies ahead of the convoy while Yang Yong used the Nine Nether Yuanchen White Bone Ring and Ten-Thousand-Forged Primordial Furnace to consume them and recover energy.
• Xiao Yuxia, the Monk, and Ma Xiaotong attacked the Zombie hordes, using holy light, Dragon-Shaped Qi Force, and lightning to clear the road.
• The convoy reached the Barbican, but a densely packed wall of Zombies blocked the gate and quickly re-formed after Wang Ying cut through it.
• Yang Yong pulled out a flame-patterned Iron-Plate Token, summoned the Red-Clothed Female Ghost, and told her to place the token in the gateway.

Yang Yong used an explosive token to blast open the city gate, letting the Survival Convoy enter a barbican packed with zombies pouring from the Light Gate. With the convoy trapped by the horde and no tokens left, he launched the Nine Nether Yuanchen White Bone Ring into the zombies.

• The Red-Clothed Female Ghost planted Yang Yong’s token in the city gate, and it detonated, blowing a huge hole through the alloy wall.
• Cao Xianming cursed Yang Yong for destroying the gate, but Yang Yong ordered everyone to charge through the breach.
• The Survival Convoy drove into the barbican and found it packed with zombies, while more corpses emerged from the Light Gate.
• Wang Ying’s blade attack failed to clear a path, and Yang Yong told the others he had no more explosive tokens.
• Yang Yong removed the Nine Nether Yuanchen White Bone Ring and sent it into the densest part of the zombie horde.

The Survival Convoy fought its way to the Light Gate, but every attack passed through it because it had entered combat mode. With Zombies closing in and no way to break the gate, Cao Xianming searched for a solution while Yang Yong and the others defended the convoy.

• Yang Yong used the Nine Nether Yuanchen White Bone Ring to devour Zombies and clear a path, but the attack nearly drained his Supernatural Power.
• Wang Ying, Monk, Ma Xiaotong, Zhang Bihuang, He Jing, and Liu Hong fought alongside the convoy until it reached the Light Gate.
• Cao Xianming ordered everyone to attack the Light Gate, but their abilities passed through it without affecting it.
• Cao Xianming discovered that Mechanical City's Light Gates were immune to physical and energy attacks in combat mode, then searched the convoy's Data Model for another way to close it.
• As Zombies surrounded the convoy, Yang Yong summoned Yezi, whose Climbing Vines formed a defensive barrier around the vehicles.
• Heavy footsteps sounded from behind the Zombie horde.

Yang Yong and the convoy fought back the zombie horde while Cao Xianming searched for a way to escape the Light Gate. Yang Yong realized the Cause-and-Effect Scissors might cut the gate and that Xiao Ying’s endless lifespan could pair with Mang Dabiao’s lifespan-consuming Evil-Slaying Blade.

• Withered Wood Zombies shielded the horde, but Mang Dabiao cut them down with the Evil-Slaying Blade, which consumed his lifespan.
• Yang Yong sent the Red-Clothed Female Ghost and the Little Girl Eerie to help Wang Ying hold the Light Gate while Cao Xianming investigated the data model.
• Cao Xianming discovered that Yang Yong, Liu Hong, and Xiao Ying were connected to the escape solution and urged Yang Yong to think of their connection.
• Yang Yong realized the Cause-and-Effect Scissors could attack the Light Gate on the level of cause and effect, then gave them to Liu Hong and told him to cut it apart.
• Yang Yong concluded that Xiao Ying’s endless lifespan could offset the Evil-Slaying Blade’s lifespan cost, creating a powerful combination with Mang Dabiao.

Xiao Ying wielded the Evil-Slaying Blade to ease the pressure on the defenders while Liu Hong fought toward the Light Gate with the Cause-and-Effect Scissors. Cao Xianming ordered Wang Ying to cut off Liu Hong’s ear after calculating his likely death, and the Zombie King’s hand then drove the Barbican’s zombies into a frenzy.

• Yang Yong urged Xiao Ying to take Mang Dabiao’s Evil-Slaying Blade, and she accepted after Cao Xianming reminded her of the Corpse Ancestor’s orders.
• The blade turned golden in Xiao Ying’s hand, and she slashed through the zombie horde, relieving pressure on the rear defensive line.
• Cao Xianming ordered everyone to protect Liu Hong as he advanced toward the Light Gate with the Cause-and-Effect Scissors.
• Cao Xianming’s data model showed a 100% probability, so he ordered Wang Ying to cut off Liu Hong’s ear; Yang Yong caught the severed ear to preserve a piece of Liu Hong for regeneration.
• The Zombie King’s hand appeared beyond the Light Gate, and the zombies in the Barbican turned away from Liu Hong and charged toward Yang Yong.

Yang Yong fled a Zombie horde while Liu Hong used the Cause-and-Effect Scissors to shatter the Light Gate, but the backlash reduced him to ash. With the Zombie King fixing its gaze on him, Yang Yong reached the gate’s former location, where Yezi planted a seed that created a green domain.

• The Zombie King directed the Zombies to abandon the defensive positions and hunt Yang Yong, who fled through the Barbican in the Demoness Pickup Truck with his Supernatural Power nearly depleted.
• As Yang Yong drew most of the Zombies away, Liu Hong reached the Light Gate and cut its cause-and-effect threads, shattering it.
• The backlash from breaking the Light Gate covered Liu Hong in cracks and disintegrated his body into gray powder.
• Yang Yong saw Liu Hong’s death and clutched the piece of Liu Hong’s ear that he had kept as a hope for his resurrection.
• The Zombie King withdrew its hand and fixed its hollow gaze on Yang Yong as he sped back to the gate’s former location.
• Yezi planted a seed that rapidly grew into a green domain, which enclosed the group while Xiao Ying remained outside fighting Zombies.

Yang Yong and the Survival Convoy recovered after destroying the Light Gate, then used a makeshift laptop to contact survivors and map the zombie siege in the Outer City. As the survivors began coordinating a counterattack, Liu Yang and Wang Hongyu watched Yang Yong from a hidden room and identified him as their target.

• Yang Yong used the World Tree Sapling’s healing energy to recover while the Survival Convoy prepared to counterattack the zombies.
• Cao Xianming found that the Third Elder had blocked the convoy’s electronic devices, so Yang Yong had Mang Dabiao and Hu Xian'er dismantle Mechanical City’s communication system.
• Yang Yong forged a semi-curio laptop, and Cao Xianming used it to contact survivors and map the living and the zombies across District 36 of the Third Ring.
• Survivors reported their positions and began gathering strength to clear the Outer City while Xiao Ying continued fighting the zombies.
• A hidden observer identified Yang Yong as Li Zhi, and Liu Yang and Wang Hongyu discussed targeting him after the Zombie King failed to pass through the Light Gate.

Wang Hongyu and Liu Yang opened a Sequence door between Yang Yong and the Zombie King, hoping the two would weaken each other. As the Survival Convoy attacked the doorway and Liu Yang struggled to keep it open, Wang Hongyu told him to hold on while secretly waiting for something.

• Wang Hongyu learned that the Zombie King had not left and told Liu Yang to open a door between it and Yang Yong.
• Liu Yang opened the door, bringing Yang Yong face-to-face with the Zombie King, and both attacked through it.
• The Zombie King grabbed Yang Yong and dragged him toward the doorway until Yang Yong cut free from his Semi-Curio clothes and escaped its grasp.
• Cao Xianming ordered the convoy to attack the door, and Wang Ying and the others battered it while Yang Yong retreated.
• Liu Yang warned that he could not hold the door much longer, but Wang Hongyu told him to endure while a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes.

Wang Hongyu killed Liu Yang, absorbed his Void-Opening Sequence, and abducted Yang Yong. Inside Wang Hongyu’s hidden room, Cao Xianming’s offhand remark that Yang Yong would return soon made Wang Hongyu wary and ruined Yang Yong’s attempt to conceal his strength.

• The Survival Convoy destroyed Liu Yang’s Void Gate, and Cao Xianming’s Data Model reported that the person behind it was dead.
• Wang Hongyu killed Liu Yang, swallowed the light he pulled from his body, and used the Void-Opening Sequence to open a gate.
• Wang Hongyu captured Yang Yong with a chain and took him through the gate, while Mang Dabiao and Cao Xianming reassured the Survival Convoy.
• Yang Yong saw the convoy on a screen in Wang Hongyu’s dark room and tried to act helpless while assessing his captor.
• Cao Xianming said Yang Yong would return soon, prompting Wang Hongyu to retreat warily and exposing Yang Yong’s plan.

Wang Hongyu bound Yang Yong with talismans that suppressed his supernatural power, then removed his ghost-face mask and recoiled in terror at Yang Yong’s monstrous face. After restoring the mask and confirming Yang Yong was restrained, Wang Hongyu transformed his hand into a ghostly claw and reached for Yang Yong’s chest, while Yang Yong shifted to evade it.

• Wang Hongyu drew talismans in the air and pinned Yang Yong’s supernatural power down.
• Wang Hongyu remembered Little Fatty and laughed as he prepared to devour another Sequence.
• Wang Hongyu removed Yang Yong’s mask, saw his eye-covered and bone-masked face, and screamed that he was a ghost.
• Wang Hongyu put the mask back on and checked that the chains and talismans still restrained Yang Yong.
• Wang Hongyu turned his hand into a ghostly claw and reached for Yang Yong’s chest, and Yang Yong shifted aside.

Yang Yong’s bone armor and scarlet eyeball overwhelmed Wang Hongyu when he tried to devour Yang Yong’s sequence. Yang Yong broke free of his chains and talismans, while Wang Hongyu’s consciousness was dragged back into the terrifying vision.

• Wang Hongyu’s ghost claws struck Yang Yong’s exposed body, but a layer of bone armor beneath his robe stopped them.
• Wang Hongyu pressed his forehead against Yang Yong’s and used his sequence-devouring ability to find a scarlet eyeball in Yang Yong’s consciousness.
• The scarlet eyeball looked at Wang Hongyu, trapping his consciousness in a bizarre world where monsters painfully devoured him.
• Yang Yong shattered his chains and revealed that bone spikes had pierced the talismans, allowing his supernatural power to flow freely.
• Wang Hongyu briefly returned to awareness before his devouring ability pulled him back toward the scarlet eyeball, which looked at him again.

Yang Yong forced Wang Hongyu to reveal that He Jie had arranged the zombie attack to capture him and devour his sequence, then subdued Wang Hongyu and discovered a corpse in what appeared to be the Mechanical City's control room. The chapter left Yang Yong noticing a tiny girl standing behind him.

• Wang Hongyu emerged from the consciousness attack begging Yang Yong to kill him, and Yang Yong promised to do so if he answered questions.
• Wang Hongyu revealed that he could devour other people's sequences and that He Jie had ordered him to target Yang Yong's ten-thousand-forged primordial furnace sequence.
• Wang Hongyu admitted that He Jie had opened a light gate near Zone 36 of the Third Ring to let zombies into the Outer City and create a distraction for the capture.
• Yang Yong knocked Wang Hongyu unconscious, and the Little Girl Ghost's slap transformed him into a palm-sized doll that Yang Yong put away.
• Yang Yong searched the room, suspected it was the Mechanical City's Core Control Room, and devoured the corpse beside the seat with the Nine Nether Yuanchen White Bone Ring.
• Yang Yong noticed a tiny girl with two horn-like pigtails standing behind him.

Yang Yong discovered that the little girl was a mental projection who could operate Mechanical City's central control room. She used the city's weapons and mechanical soldiers to crush the zombie outbreak in District 36, while Yang Yong was denied access to the controls.

• Yang Yong asked the little girl how she had entered the central control room, and the question triggered a painful reaction when he suggested she was the city lord.
• The little girl recovered and brought up District 36 of the Third Ring, revealing streets filled with zombies and corpses.
• The little girl activated the sun's laser cannon and the Blood Moon's tendrils to destroy and consume zombies.
• The little girl deployed mechanical soldiers and automated guns, surrounding and eliminating the ordinary zombies before defeating the mutated ones.
• Yang Yong tried to use the control screens, but the system rejected his commands for insufficient permissions.

Yang Yong asked the little girl to strip Third Elder He Jie of his position, and she used Mechanical City's authority to dismiss him and appoint Yang Yong in his place. The city’s elders and Yang Yong were stunned, while the little girl seemed bewildered by what had happened.

• Yang Yong realized the little girl had exceptionally high access privileges and asked her to remove Third Elder He Jie, who had repeatedly endangered him.
• The little girl accessed He Jie’s information and pressed a red button, cutting off most of his Supernatural Power and reducing his access to that of an ordinary member.
• Mechanical City announced that He Jie had abused his privileges by allowing Zombies to attack Zone 36 and dismissed him from all positions.
• The eight remaining Great Elders suspected that the city lord had returned, since only the Council of Elders or the city lord could dismiss an elder.
• Mechanical City announced that Yang Yong had been appointed the new Third Elder, leaving Yang Yong stunned and the little girl looking bewildered.

Yang Yong became Mechanical City's Third Elder and drew on its supernatural power to open three apertures, while the little girl watched him in silence. Outside, the zombie horde was eradicated and the Survival Convoy entered the Inner City, leaving Yang Yong alone with the girl as he asked her name.

• Yang Yong received an immense supply of supernatural power as Mechanical City's Third Elder and opened an aperture, then carefully nurtured it to ease the strain on his meridians.
• The little girl watched the glowing apertures on Yang Yong's Ten-Thousand-Forged Primordial Furnace and ignored video calls from the other eight elders.
• Xiao Ying and the others wiped out the zombies in the Barbican, and citywide announcements revealed that Yang Yong had replaced He Jie as Third Elder.
• Mechanical soldiers escorted the Survival Convoy into the Inner City and served its members fresh vegetables at Yang Yong's residence.
• Yang Yong opened three more apertures, noticed the little girl's loneliness, and softly asked her name.

Yang Yong watched the survivors in Zone 36 and tried to learn how to use his new authority as Third Elder, but the little girl in the control room began acting strangely. When she froze and the room locked him in, Yang Yong contacted Mang Dabiao, but received no reply.

• Yang Yong watched the survivors emerge after the Zombies were cleared from Zone 36 and asked the little girl if he could visit her often; she pointed to herself and raised one finger.
• Yang Yong considered the mystery surrounding the Mechanical City, the missing city lord, the dead fat man, and the Sequence Devourer, while the little girl briefly showed a disturbing expression behind him.
• Yang Yong tried to use the control-room screens to requisition supplies, but each one rejected him for insufficient permissions.
• The little girl froze, the call requests stopped, and Yang Yong discovered that every exit control denied him permission.
• Yang Yong contacted Mang Dabiao through the Contract Mark and said he was trapped in what might be the Mechanical City's control room, but Mang Dabiao did not answer.

Xiao Ying took Mang Dabiao’s Evil-Slaying Blade, and Cao Xianming’s attempt to locate Yang Yong exposed him to a terrifying presence that left him unable to divine Yang Yong’s whereabouts. In the Mechanical City, He Jie blamed Wang Hongyu and Liu Yang for ruining his plans and checked a device tracking his subordinates’ vitality.

• Xiao Ying beat Mang Dabiao for calling her “big sis” and borrowed the Evil-Slaying Blade Yang Yong had forged for him.
• Mang Dabiao received a fragmented message that Yang Yong was trapped in the Mechanical City control room and asked Cao Xianming to locate him.
• Cao Xianming’s divination revealed a writhing mass of flesh whose aura nearly exhausted his supernatural power, and he told Mang Dabiao he could not find Yang Yong.
• Mang Dabiao accepted that Yang Yong would survive and returned to the group of women while the Survival Convoy enjoyed its peaceful respite.
• He Jie smashed objects in his residence, cursed Wang Hongyu and Liu Yang, and examined a curio displaying the vitality of his Transcendents.

He Jie retrieved a beating heart and a forged City Lord token, then vanished to provoke the City Lord. A violent disaster struck the Mechanical City, the electric shield vanished, and Yang Yong saw the little girl awaken and track He Jie instead of restoring the shield.

• He Jie concluded Wang Hongyu had left the Mechanical City with Liu Yang's Void-Opening Sequence, then raged over his inability to reach him.
• He Jie used a special key to open a cabinet, took a beating heart and a forged City Lord token, and disappeared beneath a cloak to force the City Lord to appear.
• Yang Yong was thrown against a wall when the Mechanical City shook, and he saw the little girl smile at him and silently say, “You finally noticed.”
• The little girl frantically searched surveillance feeds while the screens showed that the city's electric shield had disappeared.
• Yang Yong watched footage of He Jie walking unseen through the city and wondered why the little girl tracked him instead of restoring the shield.

He Jie used the City Lord’s privileges to open every Light Gate and lock them against the Eight Great Elders, demanding that the City Lord reveal himself or let the Mechanical City fall. The elders discovered the He Jie they confronted was a decoy, while the real He Jie led a Zombie army toward the city, leaving Grand Elder Liu Yijun to order the city’s defenses.

• He Jie inserted the City Lord Token and an Eerie’s heart into the Nine-Person Conference Table, then used the City Lord’s privileges to open every Light Gate and lock the controls.
• He Jie confronted the Eight Great Elders and declared he would destroy the Mechanical City unless the City Lord appeared.
• Grand Elder Liu Yijun restrained He Jie with supernatural power, but the captive He Jie mocked the elders and then exploded.
• Liu Yijun checked the surveillance feed and saw a Zombie army approaching the open gates, with the real He Jie among them.
• Liu Yijun ordered the elders to organize the entire city’s defenses.