Chapter Summaries

Han Shuo discovered that Water Armored Corpse could absorb the energy sustaining the Ice and Snow Goddess’s statue, and left him to drain it. When Ice God Corey and the temple’s disciples arrived, Han Shuo attacked them and revealed himself as Corey demanded.

• Water Armored Corpse absorbed the girl’s ice-water energy, and Fire Armored Corpse told Han Shuo that this might let him join the Heavenly Corpse Five Elements Formation.
• Han Shuo realized the Ice and Snow God Temple had noticed the energy draining and prepared to buy Water Armored Corpse time.
• Ice God Corey and the temple disciples entered the chamber, saw Water Armored Corpse holding the girl, and Corey ordered them to kill him.
• Corey struck down a disciple and then ordered the temple experts to protect the statue and attack Water Armored Corpse.
• Han Shuo’s bone spears disrupted Corey’s forces, and Corey recognized him and called him out.
• Han Shuo ordered Golden Armored Corpse to kill the fleeing researchers, then emerged from the passage.

Han Shuo lured Ice God Corey and his fighters into pursuing him through the mountain passages while the Water Armored Corpse drained energy from the Ice and Snow Goddess Statue. After killing Abra and escaping Corey again, Han Shuo left the temple’s fighters to realize that the Water Armored Corpse remained their urgent problem.

• Han Shuo retreated into a passage in the stone wall as Ice God Corey and his fighters attacked, then ambushed Sword Saint Abra as he descended.
• Han Shuo shattered Abra’s defenses and killed him with the Heavenly Demon Blade hidden in his fingernails, despite freezing currents slowing his movements.
• Han Shuo withdrew through another opening in the wall, forced the freezing currents from his body, and mocked Ice God Corey for hesitating to attack.
• Corey ordered his followers to kill Han Shuo, but Han Shuo disappeared as the wall closed before them.
• A follower warned Corey that the Water Armored Corpse was draining the Ice and Snow Goddess Statue, so Corey ordered his fighters to deal with it instead.

Han Shuo endured the Ice and Snow God Temple’s Ice Explosion and used his terrifying regeneration and Heavenly Demon Sound to frighten Corey and the Sword Saints. After the Water Armored Corpse finished absorbing the statue’s energy and the statue collapsed, Han Shuo escaped through the rock wall while Corey charged after him.

• Han Shuo abandoned his attack on the two Mages and struck at Corey and the Sword Saints, who combined their powers to trap him in an Ice Explosion.
• The blast grievously wounded Han Shuo, but his flesh began rapidly healing, frightening Corey and his companions.
• Han Shuo used his horrifying appearance and Heavenly Demon Sound to intensify their fear while he repaired his body.
• The Water Armored Corpse told Han Shuo it had finished absorbing the statue’s energy, and the Ice and Snow Goddess Statue crumbled.
• The Golden Armored Corpse killed the two Saint Archmages with the Ruyi Jingu Bang as Han Shuo and the Water Armored Corpse escaped through the rock wall.
• Corey charged at Han Shuo, but Han Shuo left the temple without engaging him.

After escaping the Ice and Snow God Temple, Han Shuo recovered in Bingling City and transferred Gilbert’s soul into a Soul-Hiding Ring. He offered Gilbert two ways to return to the world, and Gilbert chose to become a demon so he could grow stronger.

• Han Shuo escaped the Ice and Snow God Temple with the Water Armored Corpse, whose appearance had transformed after absorbing the Ice and Snow Goddess Statue’s energy, and sent both corpses back to the Undead World.
• Han Shuo declared that his revenge against the Ice and Snow God Temple had only begun, then fled its snowy domain and recovered from his injuries at an inn in Bingling City.
• Han Shuo crafted a Soul-Hiding Ring and moved Gilbert’s soul out of the Demon-Slaying Edge and into the ring.
• Han Shuo told Gilbert that his grandfather and the Black Dragon Clan had escaped the Ice Jade Cage and were in Black Dragon Gorge.
• Han Shuo offered Gilbert the choice of becoming a Bone Dragon through Necromancy or a demon through Demonic Cultivation Art, and Gilbert chose to become a demon because he wanted to be stronger.

Han Shuo visited Xiluo City to gather rare materials for refining Gilbert’s body and learned that the Lancelot Empire’s invasion of the Seven Grand Duchies was succeeding. After buying an essence storage stone at a street stall, he unexpectedly saw Sophie.

• Han Shuo learned from the Dark Curtain that Dokes’s army had conquered the Bavenden Duchy and was pressing the Seven Grand Duchies while the Bart Trade Alliance struggled with magical beast attacks.
• Han Shuo found tearwood and mottled stone among the goods near Xiluo City’s grand auction and planned to use rare materials to refine Gilbert a powerful new body.
• Han Shuo noticed a dull palm-sized stone containing traces of strange energy and bought it from an old woman for a hundred gold coins.
• Han Shuo spotted Sophie browsing at a stall and recognized the girl who had shared hardships with him in the Dark Forest.

Han Shuo searched the Kasi Empire’s market for rare materials to rebuild Gilbert’s body and prepared for the auction. After strengthening Gilbert’s soul with a Demon Gate technique, Han Shuo studied the Disintegration Technique and headed to the auction at dawn.

• Han Shuo spotted Sophie shopping but avoided approaching her because his actions at the Ice and Snow God Temple could bring her trouble.
• Han Shuo found several rare materials for Gilbert’s new body, including an Essence Storage Stone, and left the market when night fell.
• Han Shuo promised Gilbert that his reconstructed body would preserve and strengthen his desires, then urged him to practice a soul-refining technique.
• Gilbert practiced the Demon Gate method for refining Fiendish Souls while Han Shuo reflected on his Necromancy training and studied the Disintegration Technique.
• Han Shuo ended his study early the next morning and hurried to the opening-day auction.

Han Shuo spotted Sophie while searching the crowded streets for materials, and she recognized him as she rode toward the auction with Black. Sophie broke away from Black and pursued Han Shuo on her pegasus.

• Han Shuo found two pieces of earth ash stone while browsing the stalls near the auction venue.
• Sophie rode toward the auction beside Black, who reminded her that her father had agreed to their marriage and promised to find her a treasure.
• Sophie noticed Han Shuo in the crowd and recognized his face.
• Han Shuo hurried away to avoid causing Sophie trouble, pushing through the crowd as he left.
• Sophie told Black she had spotted an old friend, then flew after Han Shuo on her pegasus.

Han Shuo tried to avoid Sophie to keep her safe from the Ice and Snow God Temple, but she chased him down and insisted on helping him disguise himself. After playfully reshaping him into a fat man, Sophie forgave him for running away and took him to the auction.

• Han Shuo fled from Sophie through the city, while onlookers mistook her pursuit for proof that she favored him and Black ordered Tulam to identify him.
• Han Shuo stopped in a secluded square and warned Sophie that the Ice and Snow God Temple was after him and that contact with him could endanger her family.
• Sophie refused to abandon Han Shuo and used Shapeshifting Fruit to disguise herself and then transform his face into that of a fat man.
• Sophie added a pillow to Han Shuo's clothes to give him a belly, revealing that her disguise was partly revenge for his attempts to avoid her.
• Han Shuo changed clothes in front of Sophie, flustering her, and she then invited him to go with her to the auction.

Han Shuo showed Sophie that seemingly worthless goods could hide useful treasures by buying a density stone and refining it into her longsword. The transformed sword responded to battle aura much faster, leaving Sophie amazed at Han Shuo’s skill.

• Sophie disguised herself as an ordinary country girl and haggled over a cheap crystal button while browsing the stalls with Han Shuo.
• Sophie said she enjoyed haggling because it let her feel like an ordinary person, and Han Shuo offered to show her that the stalls held valuable items.
• Han Shuo bought a gray stone and revealed that it was density stone, then used a flame and his demonic essence to merge its powder into Sophie’s longsword.
• Sophie found that the sword had become several jin heavier and responded to her battle aura much faster.
• Han Shuo explained that the sword’s faster response could give her the advantage in a crucial battle, and Sophie praised his skill.

Han Shuo accompanied Sophie through the market, helping her find more valuable items before persuading her to visit the Kasi Empire’s auction. They entered after Sophie produced invitations and took seats in the back rows when no private rooms were available.

• Han Shuo helped Sophie find several more bargains, including a jade bracelet that eased fatigue.
• Han Shuo persuaded Sophie to leave the market stalls and visit the auction venue.
• A guard initially barred Han Shuo and Sophie from entering without invitations, but Sophie presented two and the guard let them through.
• Han Shuo and Sophie watched the host praise the Magic Wand Blue Dream, while Han Shuo judged its design impractical despite its appeal to Water Mages.
• Sophie asked for a private room, learned that they were all reserved, and followed an attendant to seats in the back rows.

At the auction, Han Shuo recognized a strange jade-green leaf as something valuable to him and joined the bidding after learning that Black Pilon was also competing for it. The price leapt to one hundred thousand gold coins, leaving the hall in uproar.

• Han Shuo and Sophie discussed the magic wand, and Sophie explained that she wore the crystal button because Han Shuo had bought it for her.
• Sophie spotted her father, Suluo, and hid with Han Shuo while Suluo went to a VIP room; she revealed that Black Pilon was Prince Bradley's son and warned Han Shuo about the Pilon Family's power.
• Black bought a suit of dwarven-made armor for twenty thousand gold coins, and Sophie grew increasingly dispirited as he continued flaunting his wealth.
• The auctioneer presented a jade-green leaf that refreshed the hall and strengthened nearby plants, and Han Shuo recognized its importance to him.
• After bidding reached fifty thousand gold coins, Han Shuo offered one hundred thousand, prompting the host and the auction hall to erupt in surprise.

Han Shuo outbid Black and Zuo Fei to buy Green Jade Wood for three hundred thousand gold coins, hoping to strengthen the Wooden Armored Corpse. After the auction, he opened the box and realized something was wrong with the treasure.

• Han Shuo bid a hundred thousand gold coins on Green Jade Wood, drawing the attention of the auction hall and angering Sophie, who feared he would provoke the Pilon Family.
• Black bid a hundred and fifty thousand gold coins and revealed that he wanted Green Jade Wood as a gift for Sophie; Sophie warned Han Shuo not to compete with him.
• Han Shuo bid two hundred thousand gold coins and told Sophie that Ice God Corey was the Pilon Family's oldest elder; Paladin Soro recognized Sophie by the red mole on her earlobe but kept her identity secret.
• Zuo Fei raised the bid to two hundred and fifty thousand gold coins to curry favor with Black, but Han Shuo offered three hundred thousand and won the auction.
• Han Shuo paid for Green Jade Wood after the auction, opened its box, and coldly said that something was wrong.

Han Shuo discovered that the Green Jade Wood he won at auction was a counterfeit, then sensed the genuine treasure nearby and suspected Black had taken it. He went with Sophie to explore Dream City while planning to investigate further.

• Han Shuo found that the Green Jade Wood delivered by the auction house was counterfeit, and Zaya refunded his three hundred thousand gold coins while promising to find the genuine item.
• Sophie suspected Black had arranged the switch, and Suluo saw Han Shuo and Sophie leave together before worrying that Black would pursue her.
• Han Shuo sensed the genuine Green Jade Wood nearby, rushed to its location, and found that its aura had vanished; he suspected Black and considered taking the treasure by force.
• Sophie caught up with Han Shuo and urged him to leave the matter to the auction house, but he questioned whether it could stand up to Black.
• Sophie pulled Han Shuo along to sample food and see Dream City at night, teasing him about holding her hand and playfully tugging him through the streets.

Han Shuo infiltrated Black's manor to find and seize the Green Jade Wood, with Sophie following him. The Wooden Armored Corpse sensed the treasure and caused it to fly from Zuo Fei's ring, leaving the nobles scrambling after it.

• Han Shuo learned about Black's manor at the Dark Curtain Stronghold, then went there at night to take the Green Jade Wood.
• Han Shuo spotted Gabriel, Aski, Zuo Fei, and the noblewoman from the auction among the banquet guests.
• Sophie followed Han Shuo to the manor after tracking the fragrance she had left on him.
• Han Shuo summoned the Wooden Armored Corpse, which sensed the Green Jade Wood inside a fat man's Spatial Ring.
• The Green Jade Wood burst out of Zuo Fei's ring, mangling his left hand, and flew toward the Wooden Armored Corpse.
• Black hesitated as the noblewoman rushed after the Green Jade Wood.

Han Shuo and Sophie escaped Black's manor after the Green Jade Wood chose the Wooden Armored Corpse and vanished into his hands. Back at the inn, Han Shuo sensed the Hexagon Clan King approaching and deliberately provoked him, leaving the king moving toward his location.

• The Green Jade Wood broke free of Zuo Fei's Spatial Ring and flew toward Han Shuo and the Wooden Armored Corpse, drawing the manor's guests after it.
• The Green Jade Wood vanished into a tree, and a noblewoman revealed herself as a Druid while trying to recover it for the Nature Church.
• The Green Jade Wood appeared in the Wooden Armored Corpse's hands, and Han Shuo sent him back to the Undead World before escaping with Sophie.
• Suluo reached Han Shuo and Sophie but told them to leave, then said he would settle matters with his daughter later.
• At the inn, Han Shuo studied Necromancy and sensed the Hexagon Clan King in Talaga Gorge, then sent him a provocative aura.
• The Hexagon Clan King grew furious and began moving toward Han Shuo.

Han Shuo visited the auction house and rejected Lilians’s appeal to sell the Green Jade Wood, while concealing that he already possessed it. He then heard that a Brain-Eating Magical Beast could help restore Gilbert’s brain and resolved to obtain it.

• Han Shuo skipped the auction to tour Xiluo City with Sophie, distracted by the approaching Hexhorn Clan King.
• At the auction house, Zaya apologized for not finding the item Han Shuo wanted, and Han Shuo accepted the delay.
• Lilians, a Druid of the Nature Church, asked Han Shuo to sell her the Green Jade Wood and offered up to four hundred thousand gold coins.
• Han Shuo suspected Lilians knew he had the Green Jade Wood but avoided agreeing to sell it.
• The auctioneer introduced a Brain-Eating Magical Beast, and Han Shuo recognized it could solve the problem of reconstructing Gilbert’s brain.

Han Shuo seized the Brain-Devouring Demon at the auction just as Ice God Corey and Snow God Tiana arrived, revealing that his enemies had found him. After publicly humiliating Black and defeating his guard Tulam, Han Shuo faced a stunned Suluo, who had caught the injured guard.

• Han Shuo recognized the Brain-Devouring Demon as the rare material he needed to rebuild Gilbert's brain domain and watched the bidding begin.
• Han Shuo sensed that Tiana was casting a spell outside the auction house while Corey waited at the entrance, and he realized his whereabouts had been exposed.
• Han Shuo told Sophie to leave and restore her appearance, but she guessed that his enemies had arrived and stayed alert.
• Han Shuo suddenly took the Brain-Devouring Demon from the stage and put it into his Spatial Ring, provoking protests from the bidders.
• Han Shuo told Black, “None of your damn business,” repeated it three times, and struck the attacking Tulam with a blast of red light.
• Suluo caught Tulam before he crashed into Black and discovered that the guard had several broken bones and that Han Shuo's strength was terrifying.

Han Shuo seized the Brain-Devouring Demon at the auction and prepared to flee as the Ice and Snow God Temple closed in. An old man named Kelly revealed that the temple was actually looking for him, and Han Shuo realized Kelly was a powerful Sage of the Nature Church.

• Han Shuo paid the auctioneer one hundred and fifty thousand gold coins for the Brain-Devouring Demon and signaled Sophie to leave.
• Black urged Paladin Suluo to intervene, and Suluo challenged Han Shuo to surrender the item and follow the auction rules.
• Han Shuo evaded Suluo’s attack and moved to escape, but Kelly revealed that he was the one the Ice and Snow God Temple wanted.
• Ice God Corey entered the auction house while a woman descended through the roof, and Corey addressed Kelly as an old friend.
• Lilians approached Kelly and called him Sage, leading Han Shuo to identify him as a Nature Church leader who had come for the Goddess's Hand.

Ice God Corey confronted Kaili at the auction house over the old feud between the Ice and Snow God Temple and the Nature Church, while Han Shuo concealed his strength and slipped away. Kaili noticed Han Shuo’s sudden change in demeanor as he left.

• Kaili told Corey he had not come to cause trouble, while Corey said Kaili’s arrival made him suspect the Nature Church sought revenge.
• Tiana ordered the auction house cleared, and the nobles left as the longstanding hostility between the churches became apparent.
• Black recognized Corey as an ancestor of the Pilon Family, received his praise, and obediently left the auction house.
• Suluo signaled Sophie to leave, and she glanced meaningfully at Han Shuo before slipping into the crowd.
• Han Shuo hid his power, acted frightened, and blended in with the departing crowd; Kaili watched him with an amused smile.

Han Shuo ambushed Ice God Corey in the auction hall, but Black’s warning gave Corey time to counter, and their clash destroyed the building. Han Shuo revealed his identity as Brian and confronted Snow God Tiana as Corey descended overhead.

• Han Shuo approached Ice God Corey while concealing his power, and Kaili distracted Corey as he prepared to strike.
• Black warned that Han Shuo was dangerous, forcing Han Shuo to reveal his demonic power and charge at Corey.
• Corey dodged Han Shuo’s opening attack, then met his follow-up with a sword strike that froze and cleaved the air.
• Han Shuo’s dragon-shaped attack collided with Corey’s sword, collapsing the auction hall and killing more than a dozen people in the destruction.
• Kaili recognized Han Shuo as Brian, and Han Shuo restored his appearance and said Corey had been injured further.
• Snow God Tiana confronted Han Shuo from above, and he cursed her for betraying her allies for glory.