Chapter Summaries

Han Shuo learned that Trunks and his men had vanished, and suspected the Soul Annihilation Mercenary Group was in danger. While Han Shuo sent Xuan Demons to watch the factions in Sun Radiance Valley, Trunks was revealed to be imprisoned and tortured by Asa, who planned to destroy the group with the other factions.

• Gilbert and Grant told Han Shuo that Trunks and a dozen men had disappeared after leaving Janet's place.
• Han Shuo ordered the group to recall its men, avoid missions, and guard the valley while he went out with Gilbert.
• Han Shuo sent twelve Xuan Demons to surveil the major factions and other groups in Sun Radiance Valley.
• Asa tortured the chained Trunks in a hidden cave and revealed that he was Gustav's son.
• Asa said the factions planned to destroy the Soul Annihilation Mercenary Group and taunted Trunks about Annie, provoking Trunks to swear revenge.

Han Shuo uncovered that Loretta, Florida, and the Monroe Family had joined forces to capture and torture Trunks, then tracked him to a hidden cave. He freed Trunks, and as Asa tried to flee, strange footsteps in the passage forced him back.

• Han Shuo used his Xuan Demons to learn that Loretta, Florida, and the Monroe Family had captured Trunks and planned to attack the Soul Annihilation Mercenary Group.
• Han Shuo found Trunks's prison and flew to the cave with Gilbert.
• Asa tortured Trunks until Qilula stopped him, insisting that Trunks had to be kept alive.
• Han Shuo appeared beside Trunks and began cutting through his chains, filling the cave's guards with dread.
• Asa fled toward the passage but returned when the approaching footsteps continued to echo.

Han Shuo rescued Trunks from the three major powers’ torture and crippled the fifteen guards who had held him captive. After promising Trunks revenge on Loretta, Florida, and Adam Monroe, Han Shuo and Gilbert prepared to leave with him and their prisoners.

• Han Shuo healed Trunks enough to revive him, while the undead creatures he had summoned sealed the mountain’s only exit.
• Trunks regained consciousness, vowed revenge on Asa, and learned Han Shuo could restore his severed tendons; Gilbert emerged to care for him.
• Han Shuo attacked the fifteen experts guarding Trunks, breaking their bones and severing their tendons, and cut out the tongues of the mages so they could not cast spells.
• Han Shuo spared the crippled captors for Trunks to punish, and Trunks laughed at Asa before telling Han Shuo that Loretta, Florida, and Adam Monroe had joined forces against him.
• Han Shuo promised revenge, and he, Gilbert, and Trunks prepared to leave with the captives skewered on bones as the undead cleared the passage.

Han Shuo healed Trunks and prepared the Soul Annihilation Mercenary Group for an assault by six thousand enemies. The chapter ended as Han Shuo confronted Florida in the sky amid thousands of attacking gargoyles.

• Han Shuo used demonic essence to repair Trunks's severed meridians while Gilbert restrained the furious Soul Annihilation mercenaries and tortured their captured attackers.
• Loretta, Florida, and Adam Monroe assembled forces to attack the Soul Annihilation Mercenary Group, then planned to fly three hundred elite fighters down to its cliffside headquarters.
• After healing Trunks, Han Shuo warned Gilbert, Grant, and Lanya about the flying assault and prepared gargoyles, archers, and other defenses.
• Adam Monroe and Florida led the first wave of elite fighters toward the headquarters, where Gilbert attacked them in his dragon form before retreating from their spells.
• Han Shuo unleashed more than four thousand gargoyles against the flying force, while Gilbert and Lanya joined the battle and Han Shuo approached Florida with Little Skeleton.

Han Shuo and his undead forces devastated the three allied forces attacking the Soul Annihilation Mercenary Group, while Little Skeleton defeated Adam Monroe with a hidden explosion and killed him. Loretta ordered a retreat, but Han Shuo was still closing in on Florida as the battle turned against the attackers.

• Han Shuo mocked Florida and attacked him while swarms of Gargoyles overwhelmed the three forces and Little Skeleton advanced toward Adam Monroe.
• Little Skeleton signaled Gilbert and Lanya to leave Adam Monroe to him, then fought the Sky Knight and the Golden-Winged Roc alone.
• Han Shuo wounded Florida as his subordinates and mounts fell, while Florida urged the remaining Rainbow Sickle Mercenary Group fighters to keep fighting.
• Loretta ordered the Jialuo Mercenary Group to retreat, and Adam Monroe decided his surviving forces should withdraw as well.
• Little Skeleton's hidden death-energy explosion crippled the Golden-Winged Roc, and he pierced Adam Monroe through the chest with his bone spike.
• Little Skeleton asked Han Shuo whether he had done well, and Han Shuo stood speechless.

Han Shuo killed Florida and Adam Monroe while repelling the allied forces attacking the Soul Annihilation Mercenary Group. With the alliance falling apart and its leaders dead, Loretta struggled to decide how to proceed, while several smaller groups withdrew.

• Han Shuo, Little Skeleton, Gilbert, and Lanya surrounded Florida, and Han Shuo killed him with the Demon-Slaying Edge.
• Han Shuo's forces killed many more attackers, leaving only nineteen people and eleven Magical Beasts from the first wave alive to return to Loretta.
• Han Shuo told Loretta that the Jialuo Mercenary Group was now his sworn enemy, then returned to the Soul Annihilation Mercenary Group.
• The Rainbow Sickle Mercenary Group and Monroe Family argued over whether to seek revenge or withdraw, while Loretta realized the alliance could no longer mount an effective attack.
• Loretta rejected Harris's suggestion to attack the divided groups, and several smaller mercenary leaders withdrew with their men.

Han Shuo left Trunks to reclaim control of Sun Radiance Valley through his own strength, then returned to the Death Cemetery and discovered the third-level barrier’s secrets. He learned he could not enter the next level until becoming an Undead Saint Archmage, but gained the incantations for the Skeleton Magic Staff and the three legendary Necromancer barriers.

• Trunks told Han Shuo he intended to defeat Loretta and the Jialuo Mercenary Group himself so he could earn the respect of Sun Radiance Valley.
• Han Shuo agreed to leave Trunks to his struggle, ordered Gilbert to care for him, and returned to the Death Cemetery.
• Han Shuo reached the barrier to the third level, where his Skeleton Magic Staff revealed information and incantations in his mind.
• Han Shuo learned that only an Undead Saint Archmage could pass the barrier and that the next level held the secret to a Necromancer’s ascension to godhood.
• Han Shuo memorized the Skeleton Magic Staff’s remaining incantations and the methods for casting the Fear Barrier, Weakness Barrier, and Aging Barrier.

After returning to Osen City, Han Shuo learned that Utrede had backed Lawrence for the throne, but the king’s illness left Lawrence vulnerable to Charles and Grand Duke Ashiborne’s powerful faction. Han Shuo joined Lawrence’s secret meeting, where the group considered seeking support from Van Razer.

• Han Shuo returned from the Death Cemetery and learned from Callas that Utrede had publicly supported Lawrence, while Carola and the Dark Curtain Organization had also drawn closer to him.
• As Utrede fell unconscious again, the princes secretly mobilized their forces, and Van Razer returned to Osen City.
• Han Shuo went to Lawrence’s mansion and met with Lawrence, Ibu, Boris, Phoebe, Emily, Old Hahn, and Lawrence’s other supporters.
• Lawrence introduced Han Shuo to several powerful nobles and explained that Charles and Grand Duke Ashiborne still posed a serious threat despite Utrede’s support.
• Old Hahn suggested that Van Razer could change the balance of power, and Lawrence looked to Han Shuo, who realized Lawrence knew about his connection to Van Razer.

Han Shuo confessed to Phoebe that Fanny was another woman in his life, and Phoebe drove him away in tears. He then told Fanny he had two other women, but she admitted she already knew about Phoebe and chose to remain with him.

• Han Shuo told Phoebe that he had another woman, Fanny, and explained their history.
• Phoebe screamed at Han Shuo to leave, and he flew out of the carriage in anguish.
• Han Shuo went to Fanny's laboratory and confessed that he had two other women.
• Fanny revealed she had long known about Han Shuo and Phoebe but could not bring herself to leave him.
• Han Shuo promised he would never leave Fanny, and she embraced and kissed him.

Han Shuo refused Fanny’s advance when Teacher Gene approached, then returned to his mansion and rejected First Prince Charles and Duke Ashiburn’s offer of friendship and cooperation. Charles left him with a veiled threat, leaving Han Shuo certain their factions would become enemies.

• Fanny passionately kissed Han Shuo and asked him to take her, but Han Shuo refused because Gene was approaching and she had a class to teach.
• Fanny urged Han Shuo to leave before Gene reached her laboratory, and Han Shuo departed while reflecting on her devotion to him.
• Steward Callas told Han Shuo that First Prince Charles and Duke Ashiburn were waiting at his mansion.
• Charles and Ashiburn claimed Cameron had acted without their knowledge and offered to help Brettel City through cooperation with Sea Mist City.
• Han Shuo rejected their offer, saying he valued old ties and repaid kindness, and Charles left with a pointed warning.

Han Shuo discovered that Ashburn and First Prince Charles had launched a bloody coup in Osen City after King Utrede’s death. He warned his servants to flee and raced to the Buster Trading Company to save Phoebe as soldiers began attacking it.

• Han Shuo detected troops approaching his mansion and used his Xuan Demons to survey the city.
• Han Shuo saw Ashburn’s forces massacre Count Tailirui’s household and realized King Utrede might be dead.
• Han Shuo ordered Callas to evacuate the mansion’s servants and left for the Buster Trading Company.
• Han Shuo learned that Ashburn and Charles’s forces had seized the palace, killed King Utrede, and taken control of the city’s teleportation arrays.
• Han Shuo’s Xuan Demon saw soldiers attacking the Buster Trading Company, and Han Shuo hurried to reach Phoebe.

Ashburn's forces attacked the Buster Trading Company, and Phoebe was captured by Crespo and Aubrey until Han Shuo arrived and freed her. Han Shuo faced the attackers and began summoning undead, declaring that none of them would escape alive.

• Ashburn's soldiers and Charles's experts overran the Buster Trading Company, killing its guards and servants as Phoebe led the survivors toward the rear gate.
• Aubrey and Crespo trapped Phoebe with spatial magic and overwhelmed her with their attacks, then ordered knights to bind her.
• A black streak severed the hands of knights who tried to touch or seize Phoebe, revealing that Han Shuo had arrived.
• Han Shuo shattered Phoebe's restraints, and she moved freely again while rebuking him for calling her his woman.
• Crespo and Aubrey realized Han Shuo had escaped Zhankesi and Blount, while Han Shuo summoned undead and vowed to kill everyone present.

Han Shuo rescued Phoebe from an attack on the Buster Trading Company, then raced to Lawrence’s mansion after learning it was under siege. He arrived to find the mansion burning and surrounded by powerful forces, including a Temple Knight favored by the God of Light, and entered through a passage opened by the Earth Armor Zombie.

• Han Shuo summoned undead creatures, blocked the archers’ arrows, and pursued Aubrey as Crespo tried to stop him.
• Han Shuo killed Crespo with the Demon-Slaying Edge, while Aubrey vanished after recklessly casting Spatial Teleportation Magic.
• Han Shuo took Phoebe toward Lawrence’s mansion, explaining that he was going to save Lawrence for the sake of their shared interests.
• Han Shuo and Phoebe saw Lawrence’s mansion burning as Ashburn’s, First Prince Charles’s, and the Church of Light’s forces attacked it.
• Han Shuo recognized Cross Sword Saint Carola fighting a Temple Knight bearing an Angel Statue and opened a passage into the mansion with the Earth Armor Zombie.

Han Shuo and Phoebe traveled underground toward Lawrence’s besieged residence, where Carola fought the Church of Light’s Paladin and Dempsey Gale prepared a devastating earth spell. Han Shuo redirected the Earth Armor Zombie to shift the coming earthquake toward Dempsey and the crowded forces around him, then thrust upward with the Demon-Slaying Edge.

• Phoebe questioned Han Shuo about the Earth Armor Zombie’s ability to open tunnels, and Han Shuo said his techniques differed from magic and battle aura.
• Han Shuo learned that Carola was fighting a Paladin and told Phoebe to wait underground while he looked for a chance to help her master.
• Han Shuo watched Carola and the Paladin battle as soldiers and knights surrounded Lawrence’s residence, while Dempsey urged Carola to abandon Lawrence.
• Dempsey began gathering earth elements for a powerful spell, and Han Shuo recognized him as the earth-element Saint Archmage Dempsey Gale.
• The Earth Armor Zombie told Han Shuo it could redirect the earthquake Dempsey was summoning, and Han Shuo ordered it toward the crowded area around Dempsey.
• Han Shuo reached the earth beneath Dempsey and thrust upward with the Demon-Slaying Edge.

Han Shuo disrupted Dempus’s Earth Rift Spell and wounded the Paladin, but the Paladin had anticipated his ambush and badly injured him. After the Earth Armor Zombie was struck while defending him, Han Shuo sent it back to the Undead World and vowed to bring the Church of Light no peace as he fled toward Carola and Lawrence.

• Han Shuo’s Demon-Slaying Edge struck Dempus, and Dempus’s misdirected Earth Rift Spell killed and injured Church of Light soldiers and knights.
• The Paladin anticipated Han Shuo’s attack, crushed his underground ambush with Divine Power and Battle Aura, and pierced him with golden Battle Aura.
• The enraged Earth Armor Zombie emerged to attack the Paladin, but the Paladin struck it and damaged its chest armor.
• Han Shuo forcibly returned the Earth Armor Zombie to the Undead World and vowed that the Church of Light would never know peace while he lived.
• Sabocas began drawing a Teleportation Array beneath Lawrence as Carola held Phoebe back, and Han Shuo rushed toward them.

Han Shuo and his allies faced an overwhelming assault as Sabocas prepared a teleportation array to get Lawrence and the others to safety. After Sabocas sent them away, he confronted Dempus and the Paladin, then vanished when the Paladin revealed that Dark Curtain Headquarters might be compromised from within.

• Han Shuo reached Lawrence's group, where Phoebe and the others worried over his wounds, which rapidly began healing through his Demonic Cultivation Art.
• Dempus and the Paladin charged toward the group while Sabocas finished carving a Spatial Magic Teleportation Array, and Carola organized the defenders to protect him.
• Dempus cast Meteor Shower, but Sabocas swallowed the falling meteorites with a black hole before sending Lawrence and the less combat-capable allies through the array.
• Phoebe pulled Han Shuo into the array with Carola and Chloe, and Sabocas activated it before destroying the magic array.
• Sabocas confronted Dempus and the Paladin, who warned that Dark Curtain Headquarters could fall if chaos broke out inside, prompting Sabocas to teleport away.

Han Shuo and his allies arrived at Dark Curtain Headquarters on Mount Auldas and found it under attack after five higher-ups betrayed the organization and joined Charles and Ashburn. As Lawrence and the others considered how to stop the rebellion without devastating the empire, Han Shuo identified the north of Osen City as a safe base where the surviving princes and nobles had gathered.

• Han Shuo used his Xuan Demons to survey Mount Auldas and discovered that five Dark Curtain higher-ups had joined Charles and Ashburn, while an army of five thousand surrounded the headquarters.
• Han Shuo proposed eliminating the besieging soldiers, but Carola objected because they were obeying orders and should not die needlessly.
• Cecilia, Emily, Candida, Emias, and the other loyal Dark Curtain members met Han Shuo and Sabocas; Emias explained that the traitors had damaged the headquarters, but the loyalists had stabilized the defense.
• Lawrence condemned the traitors and agreed with Carola that the rebellion should be resolved within Osen City to avoid a destructive civil war.
• Han Shuo revealed that the north of Osen City remained safe and contained Old Hahn, Lawrence's father, surviving Marquises, and the Second Prince and youngest prince with their followers.

Han Shuo used his Xuan Demons to reveal Osen City’s military and political situation, helping Lawrence’s forces defend the northern district against Ashburn and Charles. As the conflict remained lopsided, Han Shuo discovered a fifty-thousand-strong army at the northern gate, and a furious middle-aged man arrived with Fanny, bringing him new trouble.

• Han Shuo told the Dark Curtain leaders that he could observe nearly all of Osen City and overhear Ashburn and Charles’s plans, including the betrayal of Bishop.
• Han Shuo promised to teach Bolands his martial technique but refused Phoebe, while Lawrence decided to go north and Candida prepared to seal Mount Auldas.
• Lawrence’s allies traveled by Magic Teleportation Array to Boris’s northern fortress, where Han Shuo supplied intelligence on enemy deployments and conspiracies.
• Over the next two days, Lawrence’s forces executed twelve traitors, rescued endangered nobles, and ambushed two attacks, securing the northern district despite Ashburn and Charles controlling most of the city.
• On the third day, Han Shuo spotted a hardened army of fifty thousand at Osen City’s northern gate, and a furious middle-aged man arrived at the fortress with Fanny.

Van Razer confronted Han Shuo over his relationships with Phoebe, Emily, and Fanny, threatening to withdraw from the empire’s crisis until the matter was settled. The confrontation left Emily facing Old Hahn’s demand to confirm Van Razer’s accusation.

• Van Razer stormed into the castle with Fanny and demanded that Han Shuo come out, angered by his repeated failures to pay respects and his relationships with other women.
• Han Shuo met Van Razer on the stairs and shattered the spear Van Razer threw at him with the Demon-Slaying Edge.
• Van Razer insulted Old Hahn and Carola, then accused their women of being involved with Han Shuo and declared the empire’s internal conflict no concern of his until his daughter was protected.
• Old Hahn and Carola confronted Van Razer, while Emily turned pale and Han Shuo realized the situation had become serious.
• Old Hahn asked Emily whether Van Razer’s accusation was true.

Han Shuo admitted that Emily was his lover and told Emily, Phoebe, and Fanny they could choose whether to stay with him. Emily and Fanny both chose him, while their family members reacted to their decisions and Van Razer demanded that Han Shuo promise to protect his daughter.

• Han Shuo confirmed his relationship with Emily, took her hand, and said he alone was responsible for pursuing her.
• Emias defended Emily, while Van Razer and Old Hahn confronted Han Shuo and demanded answers.
• Han Shuo offered the three women a choice between staying with him and ending their romantic ties.
• Emily chose Han Shuo, apologized to Emias and Old Hahn, and received Emias's support; Old Hahn left for the Council Hall.
• Fanny also chose Han Shuo and told Van Razer she would run away if he interfered, then reminded him of her mother's lonely death.
• Van Razer asked whether Fanny had made up her mind, then demanded that Han Shuo promise to make her happy; Han Shuo vowed no one would bully her while he lived.