Chapter Summaries

Yu Sheng told the Mountain-Guarding Old Man that he was unsuited to undercover work, prompting the old man to abandon his failed mission and seek a new plan. The old man tried to enlist Yu Sheng’s help and then awkwardly claimed Yu Sheng spoke about Shi Guang as his girlfriend, leaving the two staring at him in cold silence.

• The Mountain-Guarding Old Man admitted he had wasted three years undercover and asked Yu Sheng whether he was suited to the work.
• Yu Sheng said the Mountain-Guarding Old Man was not suited to undercover work, and the old man complained that Yu Sheng had been too blunt.
• The Mountain-Guarding Old Man rejected the idea of returning to the mountain and declared he would build a reputation for the Reserve Corps in Skyvault Ravine.
• The Mountain-Guarding Old Man praised Yu Sheng’s cleverness and asked him for another plan in exchange for extra supplies.
• The Mountain-Guarding Old Man tried to act as a wingman by telling Shi Guang that Yu Sheng often thought about her, and both Yu Sheng and Shi Guang stared at him coldly.

Yu Sheng told the Mountain-Guarding Old Man that Ji Hong had kept Lao Liu’s true intentions from him, leaving the old man devastated. The Mountain-Guarding Old Man decided to seek Ji Hong after matters in Barbarian City were settled, but Yu Sheng’s cheap counterfeit cigarettes soon pushed him toward anger.

• Yu Sheng urged the Mountain-Guarding Old Man to abandon his undercover plan and revealed what he believed about Ji Hong and Lao Liu.
• The Mountain-Guarding Old Man grieved that Lao Liu had hidden the truth from him and asked Yu Sheng for a cigarette.
• The Mountain-Guarding Old Man said he would find Ji Hong after Barbarian City was settled, trusting him if Yu Sheng’s account proved true and killing them both if it did not.
• The Mountain-Guarding Old Man complained about the cigarettes’ price, and Yu Sheng explained that he bought them in bulk.
• The Mountain-Guarding Old Man realized the cigarettes were counterfeit and grew furious when Yu Sheng revealed they had cost only two yuan fifty per pack.

Yu Sheng and Shi Guang prepared to disrupt Barbarian City and forced Azure Bird to reveal where the auction items were hidden. They left with the supplies, while the Mountain-Guarding Old Man stayed behind to torment Azure Bird and question his connection to Old White Ape.

• Shi Guang gave Yu Sheng the supply inventory, and Yu Sheng said he wanted Barbarian City thrown into chaos.
• The Mountain-Guarding Old Man beat Azure Bird until Yu Sheng removed his gag and asked where the auction items were hidden.
• Azure Bird said the items were in a huge red-stone building in East City, and Yu Sheng gagged him again.
• Shi Guang packed the supplies, and he and Yu Sheng left the room and disappeared into the night.
• The Mountain-Guarding Old Man taunted Azure Bird about Azure Bird Eggs and asked when he had become Old White Ape's disciple.

The Mountain-Guarding Old Man learned Azure Bird’s habits, killed him, and took his form so he could infiltrate Old White Ape’s group. While the Demon Beasts continued searching Barbarian City for Yu Sheng and Shi Guang, Xiao Nan arrived at the gates carrying a large stash of Demon Crystals and entered the city.

• Azure Bird told the Mountain-Guarding Old Man about Old White Ape and his two brothers, and the old man decided to kill Azure Bird and impersonate him.
• The Mountain-Guarding Old Man destroyed Azure Bird’s corpse and staged himself as unconscious.
• Two figures slipped into another building, where a brief burst of energy went unnoticed as the auction goods changed hands.
• Demon Beasts searched Barbarian City for Yu Sheng and Shi Guang while more than a hundred avian Demon Beasts watched the streets from above.
• Xiao Nan arrived at Barbarian City’s gates with a backpack full of level-six and level-seven Demon Crystals, startling the Heavenly Star Leopard.
• Xiao Nan entered the city and hung ten Demon Crystals around his neck, thinking he might use them to save himself some effort.

Xiao Nan was mistaken for the human the Demon Beasts were hunting and fled through Barbarian City as they closed in. Yu Sheng and Shi Guang chose to stay hidden, and after Xiao Nan shouted for Yu Sheng to save him, Yu Sheng decided to wait and see.

• Xiao Nan sensed hostile eyes on him, tested the streets with poison-gas threads, and realized something had gone wrong in Barbarian City.
• Xiao Nan removed his Demon Crystal necklace and fled as the Demon Beasts pursued him, believing he was the human they needed to capture to enter Skyvault Ravine.
• Yu Sheng and Shi Guang discussed the chaos and decided not to leave, since Yu Mo might use them and there could still be benefits to staying.
• Shi Guang asked whether they should save the human, and Yu Sheng said to help if it was convenient.
• Xiao Nan ran past their door, cursed Yu Sheng, and shouted that his name was Sikong Nan; Yu Sheng then decided to wait and see whether to save him.

Yu Sheng used the Skyvault Ravine invitations and auction items to turn the Demon Beasts against Azure Bird and Cheetah. Azure Bird escaped while Cheetah was overwhelmed by the crowd.

• Yu Sheng appeared with Shi Guang and took control of the auction, threatening to destroy the invitations and auction items if the Demon Beasts attacked him.
• Yu Sheng refused to return Old White Ape’s possessions and challenged it to come kill him in Barbarian City.
• Yu Sheng offered two Skyvault Ravine invitations as rewards for killing Azure Bird and Cheetah.
• Xiao Nan urged the Demon Beasts to attack, convincing them that they could share responsibility and keep the incident secret.
• Cheetah tried to intimidate the Demon Beasts with its status as a special envoy, while Azure Bird fled.
• Cheetah’s own subordinates attacked it from behind, and the Demon Beasts swarmed over it.

Yu Sheng turned the chaos in Barbarian City to his advantage, rewarding Cheetah’s killer with an invitation and announcing an auction to the Demon Beasts. He left with Shi Guang after using the promise of his treasure to draw Gray Aura from the crowd and exhaust their excitement.

• A wounded hyena brought Cheetah’s head to Yu Sheng, who gave it an invitation to Skyvault Ravine.
• The Demon Beasts chased Azure Bird through Barbarian City until a hawk pinned it down and the horde killed it.
• Yu Sheng announced an auction at the High Platform for five days later and opened a Space Rift to display his treasure, warning that killing him would make it disappear.
• Yu Sheng opened and closed the Space Rift six times, drawing Gray Aura from the Demon Beasts until they grew numb to the display.
• Yu Sheng repeated the auction time and left with Shi Guang, while Xiao Nan followed them.

The Demon Beasts agreed to keep the auction’s news within the sixth level so they could compete for the divine beast blood without attracting Demon Kings. As Barbarian City descended into violence and preparations for the auction, Yu Sheng and Shi Guang left with Xiao Nan trailing behind them.

• The Demon Beasts decided to keep the auction’s upper limit at the sixth level and began searching Barbarian City for the two invitation holders.
• Xiao Nan asked Yu Sheng why he had saved him, then awkwardly tried to flatter Shi Guang after learning he had called Yu Sheng a bastard.
• After Shi Guang and Yu Sheng walked away, Xiao Nan cursed Yu Mo before hurrying after them and fawning over Shi Guang.
• The Demon Beasts began robbing one another to gather supplies for bidding, while large tribes sent experts and goods into Barbarian City without deploying Demon Kings.
• Fighting spread throughout Barbarian City, and Old White Ape and the Eight-Tailed Fox remained unaware that their plan for a fair and safe city had collapsed.

Old White Ape asked Ji Hong to explain why his three disciples had gone silent and why the Human Race had disrupted his plans in Barbarian City. Ji Hong concluded that the recent events did not fit Yu Mo’s usual methods, leaving the cause of the upheaval uncertain.

• Old White Ape worried that his three disciples in Barbarian City had died or been turned after failing to send letters for three days.
• Ji Hong identified the Human Race as the force behind the unexpected trouble in Barbarian City.
• Old White Ape explained that Yu Mo had accepted his gift but then refused to cooperate and overturned their arrangement, threatening Old White Ape’s standing among the Demon Beasts.
• Ji Hong considered the recent events and said they did not resemble Yu Mo’s usual strategy of building support for the Human Race among the Demon Beasts.

Old White Ape revealed that he had been monitoring Barbarian City and tested Ji Hong to confirm whether he could be trusted. Ji Hong considered Yu Sheng’s auction and Yu Mo’s role, while Old White Ape warned he would turn against the Human Race if its actions threatened his life.

• Old White Ape gave Ji Hong a messenger bird containing reports from his informants in Barbarian City.
• Ji Hong struck Old White Ape down for testing him, and Old White Ape explained that he had risked injury to reassure himself Ji Hong was not cooperating with the Human Race.
• Old White Ape said he could trust Ji Hong regarding Barbarian City but warned he would attack the Human Race if its next actions threatened his life.
• Ji Hong rejected Old White Ape’s claim that they were alike and warned that turning against the Human Race could destroy him.
• Ji Hong reflected on Yu Sheng taking over the auction and wondered what stance Yu Mo had taken, then lamented his own past naivety as he watched the stream.

The Seven-Tailed Fox reported that all three special envoys in Barbarian City had been killed and urged the Eight-Tailed Fox to retake the city by force. The Eight-Tailed Fox dismissed him, then identified Yu Sheng as the real key to Barbarian City and quietly sent several Demon Beasts on an undisclosed task.

• The Seven-Tailed Fox told the Eight-Tailed Fox that the three special envoys in Barbarian City had been wiped out and that the Human Race agent had seized control of the city.
• The Seven-Tailed Fox proposed using the Demon Lord’s authority to march on Barbarian City and reclaim it, but the Eight-Tailed Fox dismissed him without approval.
• After leaving the hall, the Seven-Tailed Fox concealed his disappointment and reflected that appearing incompetent was necessary to avoid being killed by his brother.
• The Eight-Tailed Fox privately concluded that Yu Sheng was the real key to Barbarian City and questioned whether he could handle the situation.
• The Eight-Tailed Fox spoke instructions to several Demon Beasts, who entered the hall and then left to carry them out.

Major tribes took control of Barbarian City and demanded Yu Sheng hand over his auction goods, but he refused and exposed their desire for Skyvault Ravine’s resources and Divine Beast Blood. His words provoked the Young Chieftains as Gray Aura rose around them.

• Major tribes drove unaffiliated Demon Beasts out of Barbarian City and blocked others from entering.
• Sixteen Young Chieftains confronted Yu Sheng and demanded his auction items, offering worthless Demon Plants and safe passage in return.
• Yu Sheng challenged the Young Chieftains to kill him after they threatened him.
• Yu Sheng questioned why they had cleared the city if they did not care about the auction, provoking Gray Aura from them.
• Yu Sheng said they wanted Skyvault Ravine’s valuable Demon Plants and Divine Beast Blood, then taunted them about their tribes’ weakness and envy of Skyvault Ravine.

Yu Sheng used Xiao Nan’s PUA script to expose how Skyvault Ravine had manipulated some Young Chieftains and left others feeling unworthy, fracturing their alliance. When the silver fox demanded the invitations, Yu Sheng revealed he had two left, destroyed one, and kept the last as the Young Chieftains seethed.

• Yu Sheng described the Young Chieftains’ history of being treated as cannon fodder and claimed Skyvault Ravine had promised invitations in exchange for sabotaging the auction.
• The Young Chieftains recalled their ambitions to rise above their fates, while those Skyvault Ravine had not contacted realized they had been used and drew away from the others.
• The silver fox demanded the invitations and offered Yu Sheng safe passage if he surrendered the auction items.
• Yu Sheng opened a Space Rift and revealed that he had two invitations left, having already given away two.
• Yu Sheng tore up one invitation and put the last away, enraging the Young Chieftains.

Yu Sheng used the Young Chieftains’ fear of losing their invitations to draw out Gray Aura and unseal the Scroll’s fourth item, then headed for the riot outside Barbarian City. Xiao Nan tried to rally the Demon Beasts but was rescued by a bloodied strongman who called out to Yu Sheng.

• Yu Sheng raised and lowered the last invitation, making the Young Chieftains plead with him and generating Gray Aura until the Scroll’s fourth item appeared.
• Yu Sheng put the invitation away after noticing that a bird had flown into Barbarian City, and a Goshawk reported a riot outside the city.
• The Young Chieftains rushed toward the outskirts, while Yu Sheng and Shi Guang followed toward the gates.
• Xiao Nan urged the gathered Demon Beasts to fight the clans, but they hesitated, and he fled when nearly a hundred beasts charged him.
• A massive rock struck the herd, and a bloodied, bare-chested strongman attacked a Demon Beast before calling out to Yu Sheng, saying he was there.

Mu Yu, Lin Xiaoxiao, A Tai, Sun Wen, and Zhao Zicheng arrived to help Yu Sheng fight the Demon Beasts surrounding Barbarian City. Yu Sheng questioned Xiao Nan for bringing the 140th Cohort instead of the people he had requested, and Xiao Nan explained that Yu Mo had not answered his calls or messages.

• A Tai and Lin Xiaoxiao attacked the Demon Beasts, and Mu Yu arrived by dropping a gravestone into the horde.
• Mu Yu used his iron chain and flying gravestone to scatter the Demon Beasts as they formed battle groups and counterattacked.
• Xiao Nan disappeared after A Tai arrived, while Sun Wen convinced Zhao Zicheng to charge into the horde by offering to open a Gold Ingot Group branch in Mobei City.
• The students of Ink Academy's 140th Cohort gathered in the Demon Domain after Xiao Nan said Yu Sheng was in trouble.
• Yu Sheng reached Barbarian City, confronted Xiao Nan for bringing the cohort instead of the people he had requested, and heard that Yu Mo had ignored calls and messages.

Yu Sheng chose to fight alongside A Tai and the others, warning the Young Chieftains that he would tear up the Invitation Letter if any of them died. Zhao Zicheng revealed his Sixth Awakening rules, using his Sandbag to give the fighters protective and offensive support.

• Xiao Nan explained that Yu Mo could not send more elites to Barbarian City without changing the conflict with Skyvault Ravine, and said the Gold Ingot Group had contacted him first.
• Yu Sheng considered the warmth he had found since leaving Sin City and decided to stand with A Tai and the others.
• Yu Sheng warned the Young Chieftains that he would tear up the Invitation Letter if one of the fighters died, then appeared over the beasts and slammed down an enormous hammer.
• Zhao Zicheng used his Sixth Awakening rules, Guardian Rules, to turn his Sandbag into light that granted the others damage-reflecting armor and offensive support.

Sun Wen rallied the Demon Beasts to join the fight against the Young Chieftains, giving Yu Sheng and his companions a chance to escape. After the Demon Beasts charged, Yu Sheng learned that Xiao Nan had deliberately drawn Sun Wen’s attention to help him.

• Sun Wen urged the Demon Beasts to defy their tribes and join together, then began a ten-second countdown before the Human Race would withdraw its support.
• A Demon Beast charged toward the battlefield, and the rest followed in a surging wave.
• A Tai created an opening for Zhao Zicheng and Lin Xiaoxiao to retreat, while Yu Sheng, Shi Guang, and Mu Yu escaped; Xiao Nan was left behind and injured before stumbling out.
• Yu Sheng asked Sun Wen how he had learned about the situation, and Sun Wen explained that he had been monitoring Xiao Nan and guessed the trouble involved Yu Sheng.
• Yu Sheng asked whether Xiao Nan had meant to use Sun Wen’s intelligence network, and Xiao Nan admitted he had hoped his precautions would pay off.

Sun Wen assessed the dangers and commercial potential of Barbarian City and argued that the young Ink Academy graduates could establish themselves in the Demon Domain. The group remained largely unimpressed by his speech, and Sun Wen noted how much Zhao Zicheng had changed.

• Sun Wen warned Yu Sheng that the Demon Domain’s factions and Barbarian City’s demon beasts could turn against him once the auction ended.
• Sun Wen explained that Barbarian City could become a major trading hub, but it would need a powerful backer to survive the attention of stronger demon lords.
• Yu Sheng said he did not know which side his father was on, and Sun Wen let the subject drop.
• Sun Wen declared that the Human Race’s fifth generation could make its name across the Demon Domain, while Lin Xiaoxiao enthusiastically agreed and the others stayed quiet.
• Sun Wen remarked that Zhao Zicheng used to be easier to excite, and Zhao answered with an icy stare and a raised fist.

Zhao Zicheng beat Sun Wen after Sun Wen threatened him, while Mu Yu reunited with Lin Xiaoxiao as the fighting outside Barbarian City ended under sworn oaths. At Peach Blossom Pool, Old White Ape complained that the humans had broken the blockade through sheer force, but Ji Hong asked what rule they had violated.

• Zhao Zicheng stopped short of punching Sun Wen, then beat him after rejecting his threat of taxes and losing his position.
• Lin Xiaoxiao confronted Mu Yu for disappearing and ignoring her messages, and Mu Yu admitted he had watched every video.
• The Young Chieftains swore in the Demon God's name not to obstruct entry to Barbarian City or kill anyone before the Auction, ending the fighting.
• The tribes collected their dead and divided the unaffiliated Demon Beast corpses while the humans stayed back, and Barbarian City settled into a tense peace with two days until the Auction.
• Old White Ape complained to Ji Hong that the Human Race had broken the blockade with brute strength, and Ji Hong calmly asked what rule Mu Yu had broken.

Ji Hong refused to help Old White Ape deal with Yu Sheng and began considering a game of his own. The Eight-Tailed Fox planned to keep Old White Ape occupied and strengthen his clan’s position, ordering three geniuses to challenge Yu Sheng while hoping he would postpone the auction.

• Ji Hong told Old White Ape he would remain neutral in Barbarian City's affairs, and Old White Ape left to handle matters himself.
• Ji Hong wondered whether Yu Sheng could disrupt Old White Ape’s plans and decided it was time to begin setting up his own game.
• The Eight-Tailed Fox revealed that he was close to the Demon God Realm and intended for his Nine-Tailed Fox Clan to take control of the Demon Domain.
• The Eight-Tailed Fox ordered the Seven-Tailed Fox to send three clan geniuses to Barbarian City to challenge Yu Sheng.
• The Eight-Tailed Fox hoped Yu Sheng would hold on longer and become greedier by postponing the auction.