Recaps

The Empress ordered an investigation into allegations against Lu Xiao, and Councilor Mabel led the team to question him in Sailai County. Lu Xiao explained that the God Statue on his desk had been bestowed by Mother, and Mabel invoked Mother as a witness before continuing her questions.

• After reviewing a complaint and its evidence, the Empress sent an investigation team to Sailai County.
• Mabel's team interviewed residents discreetly before meeting Lu Xiao at City Hall.
• The investigators presented accusations that Lu Xiao had neglected his duties, led a disorderly private life, and profaned divine and imperial authority.
• Mabel skipped the allegation of inaction and asked Lu Xiao to explain why he kept Mother's God Statue on his desk despite not believing in her.
• Lu Xiao said Mother had given him the statue to oversee his work, and Mabel accepted his claim and prepared to continue the questioning.

Mabel questioned Lu Xiao about accusations of exploiting the common people and uncovered his plan to link the cities into an economic community, though he refused to explain Pulixidian’s exclusion. After he also declined to explain the photograph of the Dark Star Clan’s Hidden One, Weidiya took back the God Statue and photograph, and Lu Xiao dismissed her anger over City Hall’s betrayal.

• Weidiya vouched for Lu Xiao’s finances, and Mabel said the accusations of exploitation and other charges had no basis.
• Mabel asked whether Lu Xiao meant to unite the cities into an economic community, and he confirmed that was part of his purpose.
• Lu Xiao refused to explain why he had excluded Pulixidian from his plans.
• Mabel asked why Lu Xiao kept a photograph of the Dark Star Clan’s Hidden One, and he declined to answer, leaving Mabel to watch him depart with a smile.
• Weidiya took Life’s God Statue and Night’s photograph from the Mother God Elf and followed Lu Xiao out of the meeting hall.
• Weidiya accused City Hall of betraying Lu Xiao, but he said the Andreiro Family’s influence over them did not matter.

Lu Xiao met privately with Mabel after she signaled that she wanted to cooperate with him. Mabel revealed that her interest group intended to remove him and take over his plans, and Lu Xiao considered whether to help her form a new faction.

• Weidiya offered to strengthen security around Lu Xiao, and he told her to protect herself as well.
• After completing her investigation, Mabel sent the team back to Pulixidian and stayed in Sailai County to meet Lu Xiao.
• Mabel noticed the God Statue and photograph on Lu Xiao’s desk, and he let her believe he had won the favor of the gods.
• Mabel told Lu Xiao that her companions wanted him removed so they could take over his plans and gain political credit.
• Mabel said she wanted to leave her interest group and form a faction of her own, while Lu Xiao weighed her motives and what position to offer her.

Lu Xiao considered whether to help Mabel gain an independent voice in the Deliberative Council and decided to intervene despite the risk of arousing the Empress’s suspicions. He entered the photograph imprisoning Night to apologize and end their conflict, then told her about her people, Antie’s wager, and Technology’s reasons for keeping her captive.

• Lu Xiao asked Weidiya for her view on supporting Mabel, and she warned that the Empress might oppose giving Mabel an independent voice because of her family.
• Lu Xiao considered how Liu Ni’s alliance with Lan could concentrate power, then decided to intervene so the Mother God Elves would continue to face internal competition.
• Lu Xiao told Life’s statue that he did not want the clan to decline, then entered the photograph imprisoning Night.
• Night asked whether Lu Xiao feared she would kill him, and he replied that she would have done so already if she wanted to.
• Lu Xiao apologized to Night and said he wanted to end their conflict, then told her Antie had lost their wager and her people on Earth were doing well.
• Lu Xiao offered to arrange for Night’s people to return to the Dark Star Clan and said he would speak to Technology about ending her captivity, explaining that Technology had delayed her ascension.

Lu Xiao let “Night” leave after appealing to Ruiqi, then ordered Weidiya to close the net against the Andreiro Family. Morningstar and the Elf Cloud Company began a public campaign crediting Lu Xiao with Sailai County’s recovery, and local opinion started to turn in his favor.

• Lu Xiao revealed that Futiya was pregnant with Mr. Antie's child, apologized to Ruiqi, and let “Night” leave without making her his Chosen One.
• Lu Xiao explained that he had persuaded Ruiqi to reach “Night” and had revealed Futiya’s pregnancy to divert her attention from the Mother God Elves and the Andreiro Family.
• Lu Xiao ordered Weidiya to close the net, and she went to Morningstar with her bodyguard to convey his wishes.
• Morningstar mobilized the Elf Cloud Company and Sailai County’s business community to force the Andreiro Family out and clear Lu Xiao’s name.
• City Hall published a letter of commendation from the Elf Cloud Company, followed by a jointly signed letter detailing Lu Xiao’s plans and praising his leadership.
• Mother God Elves began to recognize the Elf Cloud Company’s role in Sailai County’s economic recovery, and public opinion about Lu Xiao gradually shifted.

Lu Xiao used interest-free loans and employment assistance to win over Sailai County’s residents, while the Warden recognized the strategy’s threat to the Andreiro Family. Meanwhile, Night and Iswama concluded that an outside universe might be tracking theirs, and Night ended the chapter isolated with a voice in her mind praising Lu Xiao.

• Lu Xiao introduced policies for Sailai County’s ordinary people, including interest-free loans and employment assistance, prompting Mother God Elves to apply and improving his reputation.
• The Warden explained to Moli'an that Lu Xiao’s loans let human banks secure mortgages on Sailai County assets, while his growing public support made it harder for the Andreiro Family to act against him.
• The Andreiro Family’s World God tried to contact the Dark Star Clan about defecting, but received no response.
• Night met Iswama, and they concluded that life from another universe might have detected their universe through rule resonance when Technology stopped their advancement.
• Night returned to the Dark Star Clan, gave up on advancing for the time being, and heard an incessant voice in her mind praising Lu Xiao.

Night descended on Earth to investigate the possibility of humans producing offspring with succubi, but Lightline warned her not to cause trouble, so she decided to lie low. Meanwhile, Lu Xiao continued expanding economic cooperation across Mother Goddess Star, and Pulixidian again considered making him its City Administrator.

• Night observed Lu Xiao's schemes on Mother Goddess Star and grew interested in his abilities, while withholding help from Andrelo and the Andrelo Family.
• Night learned that a human and a succubus were expecting a child and descended on Earth to investigate Antie Icarus.
• Lightline appeared and warned Night that he would not spare her or her clan if she caused trouble on Earth.
• Night realized Earth had both a Super Hive and Lightline guarding it, abandoned her plan to capture Antie and the succubus, and chose to lie low.
• Lu Xiao's cooperative projects improved the economies of several Mother Goddess Star cities, prompting them to seek further partnerships with Sailai County.
• Pulixidian's City Hall grew envious of the pan-Mother Goddess Star super economic zone's exclusion of its city, and Lu Xiao's appointment as its City Administrator was raised again at a Deliberative Council meeting.

After the Deliberative Council approved Lu Xiao as Pulixidian’s next City Administrator, he returned to the capital and met Andrelo, head of the Andrelo Family, who sought peace because he feared him. Lu Xiao planned to work with the Warden in Pulixidian, but first needed to placate the angry Empress, and spent the following year waiting for the right moment.

• The Deliberative Council voted to approve Lu Xiao as City Administrator of Pulixidian, prompting Sailai County’s people to object to his departure after his successful tenure there.
• Lu Xiao recalled how the Andreiro Family had considered targeting Imperial Princess Weidiya but had never attempted to assassinate him, and how his victories had made him revered in Sailai County.
• After returning to Pulixidian, Lu Xiao delayed taking office to study the city’s power structure and met Andrelo at a restaurant, accompanied by Moli'an and the Warden.
• Andrelo thanked Lu Xiao for ceding interests in the Woll Galaxy, while Lu Xiao recognized that Andrelo had come to make peace because he was afraid.
• Lu Xiao decided he would need the Warden’s help in Pulixidian and would have to calm the Empress, who had reassigned Weidiya after Lu Xiao reconciled with the Andrelo Family.
• Lu Xiao spent the next year relaxing at home, attending occasional Deliberative Council meetings, and visiting the Dream Clan Group’s braindance flagship store.

Lu Xiao learned more about the universe while delaying his advancement to the Old One level until after the Species Ranking Tournament. Liu Guang visited him and explained why he had sold intelligence that led to a Starry Sky Sea Demons World God’s capture, leaving Lu Xiao to consider the fate of the Abyssal Rats.

• Lu Xiao chose to postpone becoming an Old One until after the preliminary round and focused on accumulating Faith Power instead of Divinity.
• Liu Guang arrived with an Old One-level member of the Hidden Light Race, who concealed him from those seeking his life.
• Lu Xiao asked Liu Guang why the Shadow Organization had sold intelligence that led to a Starry Sky Sea Demons World God being captured.
• Liu Guang explained that he suspected the Starry Sky Sea Demons were working with the Neutral Faction and recalled his promise to help Marnal rebuild the Abyssal Rats’ civilization.
• Liu Guang revealed that the Starry Sky Sea Demons had caused Particle Life to exterminate the Abyssal Rats after they witnessed the Demons’ dealings with the Neutral Faction.
• Lu Xiao said that if he had stomped on a swarm of ants, he would count how many he had killed.

Liu Guang explained how he had used information about the Starry Sky Sea Demons to worsen tensions among the major factions, creating an opportunity to become a Chess Player. He introduced Xiao Zhe to Lu Xiao, who observed the ambitious new bank manager after he arrived on Mother Goddess Star.

• Liu Guang told Lu Xiao that the Starry Sky Sea Demons had manipulated the Particle Life species into wiping out the Abyssal Rats, and that he had passed the truth to 'Technology' and the Chaos Faction.
• Liu Guang explained that the leaked information would deepen distrust among the Neutral Faction, the Order Faction, and the Chaos Faction, giving him a chance to become a Chess Player.
• Liu Guang arranged for Xiao Zhe to arrive on Mother Goddess Star as a bank manager and told Lu Xiao to decide how to use him.
• After the first batch of Human Bank employees finished their assignments, Lu Xiao returned to Sailai County and met Xiao Zhe, but chose to observe him before putting him to work.
• Xiao Zhe entered Sailai County's merchant circles through his bank position, declined offers to start businesses, and focused on enjoying the small amount of power he held while awaiting a greater challenge.

Lu Xiao met with the Empress before taking office as Pulixidian's City Administrator and explained why he had kept the Andreiro Family in place. They settled their dispute, but the Empress startled Lu Xiao by proposing that he interact with Weidiya—and even offering to interact with him herself.

• Lu Xiao arranged for Xiao Zhe to meet him in Pulixidian and invited the Warden to a welcome dinner.
• With Weidiya's help, Lu Xiao met the displeased Empress before taking office as City Administrator.
• Lu Xiao explained that Andrelo had become too important to force out without risking severe losses to the Mother Goddess Elves.
• The Empress proposed making Weidiya Technology's Chosen One as compensation, but Lu Xiao said he had already given Weidiya a chance; the Empress accepted that he had helped her build a connection with Technology.
• The Empress proposed that Mother God Elves interact with outstanding humans and revealed that she wanted Lu Xiao to interact with Weidiya, then offered to interact with him herself.
• Lu Xiao fled the palace, then wondered at home whether the proposal might not be entirely out of the question.

Lu Xiao took office as Pulixidian’s City Administrator and used his first Deliberative Council meeting to redistribute interests, secure support, and pass proposals. The meeting ended with plans to rebuild the Municipal Team, while Lu Xiao promised fair treatment for the previous Administrator’s staff.

• Lu Xiao arrived at Civic Square with Xiao Zhe, who networked with the assembled Mother God Elves after screening them beforehand.
• Lu Xiao met with the Deliberative Council and outlined his plans to redistribute Pulixidian’s interests.
• Lu Xiao proposed making Bai Ning a full Councilor, and the Director became a provisional Councilor by an overwhelming majority vote.
• Lu Xiao announced that he would rebuild Pulixidian’s Municipal Team and choose its members himself under His Majesty’s supervision; the Warden backed the plan without a vote.
• Lan asked Lu Xiao to make reasonable arrangements for the previous Administrator’s team, and Lu Xiao promised that the clan would treat its contributors fairly.

Sitika opposed Lu Xiao’s proposal to rebuild Pulixidian’s municipal team with him in full control, arguing that appointments should follow the established council process and receive the Empress’s approval. Weidiya only conceded that Sitika had a point, leaving Sitika confused about whether the Imperial Princess supported her.

• After Lu Xiao’s proposal drew applause, Sitika, the representative of the third interest group, declared that she disagreed.
• Sitika argued that Pulixidian’s importance required its City Administrator’s decisions to remain under the council’s supervision.
• Lan asked Sitika what she thought they should do, and Sitika called for the laws of their ancestors to remain unchanged.
• Sitika proposed that the Deliberative Council discuss municipal appointments and submit them to the Empress for a final ruling.
• When Sitika asked for her view, Weidiya said only that Sitika had a point, leaving Sitika momentarily confused.

Lu Xiao backed Sitika’s proposal at the Deliberative Council, but after several members voted against it and narrowly defeated it, he decided to use the result as an opportunity to move against Sitika. Later, he appointed Xiao Zhe as his prospective adjutant and asked him to investigate Pulixidian’s factions.

• Sitika asked Lu Xiao to weigh in, and Lu Xiao supported putting her proposal to a vote.
• The Warden endorsed Sitika’s proposal, but the vote rejected it by one vote as several members opposed it.
• Lu Xiao addressed Sitika as “Ms. Sitika” and resolved to use his supporters’ opposition to cut Sitika down and discourage future resistance.
• At the City Administrator’s office, Lu Xiao told Xiao Zhe he would serve as his adjutant and asked him to map the factions in Pulixidian.
• Xiao Zhe warned that his methods were dirty, then said the people he had screened lacked ambition and would struggle to work with him.

Lu Xiao decided to have the Warden remove Sitika from the Deliberative Council and learned that Xiao Zhe was best used as an adviser unless the situation became desperate. He then focused on securing his position at City Hall and preparing Liu Ni’s coronation, with Liu Ni set to become a figurehead empress.

• Lu Xiao warned Weidiya to keep her distance from Xiao Zhe and asked her to bring the Warden to discuss Sitika.
• Lu Xiao chose to have Sitika removed from the Deliberative Council, while the Warden warned that the move could make the Empress wary and put Lu Xiao at risk if he failed to deliver results.
• The Warden described Xiao Zhe as highly capable but ruthless, and suggested keeping him as an adviser until a desperate situation called for his direct involvement.
• Lu Xiao asked whether Xiao Zhe would be formidable as a battlefield commander, and the Warden said his methods would terrify their enemies.
• The Warden said he would initiate impeachment proceedings against Sitika in the name of the Andrelo Family, while Lu Xiao planned to focus on City Hall before preparing for Liu Ni’s coronation.
• The Warden warned that Lan might become a powerful minister, but Lu Xiao said Liu Ni only needed a stable partner and could serve as a figurehead empress.

Lu Xiao set his plans in motion while the Warden prepared to challenge Sitika. At an expanded Deliberative Council meeting, the Warden used the council’s inefficiency to propose sending some members away from Mother Goddess Star, leaving the Empress and the others facing a choice that could weaken their influence.

• The Warden told Lu Xiao that Moli'an had failed to find a way for him to ascend, and Lu Xiao suggested he consider giving up his ability.
• After the Warden left, Lu Xiao ordered Xiao Zhe to build an intelligence network, then sent Weidiya to bring Nico and Yi Hao to Mother Goddess Star and arrange a visit by Princess Lu Qian with the Zerg.
• When Nico and Yi Hao arrived, Lu Xiao welcomed them, sent Nico to Liu Ni, and kept Yi Hao for another purpose.
• A month later, the Warden chaired an expanded Deliberative Council meeting that Lu Xiao skipped, proposing that members divide their duties by specialty; the council rejected the plan because it threatened their interests.
• The Warden then proposed assigning some members to handle affairs beyond Mother Goddess Star, and the Empress and council members considered the plan as a likely way to preserve their positions while sidelining others.

The Warden pushed to remove Sitika from the Deliberative Council’s core of power, and the Empress agreed despite her misgivings about disrupting Mother Goddess Star’s existing order. The Warden’s thoughts revealed why he wanted to settle the matter before Lu Xiao turned Xiao Zhe loose on Sitika.

• The Empress recognized that the Warden was targeting Sitika and her Interest Group, but knew she could not oppose his appeal to efficiency without losing public support.
• Lan suspected Lu Xiao had prompted the Warden’s unusually aggressive plan, while Sitika anticipated the coming vote and its consequences.
• The Warden believed acting quickly would spare Sitika from Xiao Zhe, whose methods had subdued the Dream Clan and could leave opponents with fates worse than death.
• The Warden recalled Xiao Zhe’s rise from an unschooled childhood to a powerful cult leader, his imprisonment and recruitment into the Special Task Force, and his overriding hunger for power.
• The Empress agreed to the Warden’s proposal.

Sitika accepted Li Changqing's proposal but asked the Empress to let her leave the Deliberative Council's core and retain authority over affairs outside Mother Goddess Star. Her appeal put the Empress in a difficult position as the meeting considered Sitika's future.

• The Warden proposed voting on a small group to manage clan affairs outside Mother Goddess Star, and the Empress agreed.
• Sitika recognized that the Empress had sided with Lu Xiao and decided to protect her own interests.
• Sitika praised Li Changqing's proposal and recalled her long service in the Deliberative Council.
• Sitika asked to focus on external affairs and appealed to the Empress to preserve her authority over them.
• The Warden was stunned, and the Empress frowned as Sitika's request and implied warning placed her under public pressure.

The Warden rejected Sitika’s attempt to use the Empress to secure a dignified exit and insisted that she lacked the ability to remain a councilor. The Conference Hall fell silent as the Empress and Lan realized how far the Warden was willing to go, while Sitika saw that she had lost her leverage.

• The Empress asked the Warden to respond to Sitika’s proposal, giving him the chance to decide her fate.
• The Warden agreed to Sitika taking charge of affairs beyond Mother Goddess Star, then argued that the Deliberative Council served the Clan under the Empress’s leadership.
• The Warden revealed his human face and told Sitika that a lack of ability was the original sin, questioning why she should continue occupying her position.
• Sitika realized the Warden would not yield to pressure from the Empress, while the Empress remained silent and Lan frowned.

The Warden told Lu Xiao how the Empress had protected Sitika’s faction while retaining control of its benefits, and they discussed using the issue to hasten her abdication. The Warden also warned that Xiao Zhe’s Commercial Mutual Aid Society could become a path for him to build his own influence.

• The Empress postponed dealing with the Deliberative Council’s inefficiency and said the empire lacked oversight of its people abroad, leaving Sitika with no way to retreat.
• The Warden reported the meeting to Lu Xiao, who agreed that the Empress had likely protected Skadi’s faction to keep its share of the benefits for herself.
• The Warden admitted he had hoped to provoke the Empress and redirect the benefits to Lu Xiao, but Lu Xiao said they could instead use them as leverage to secure her earlier abdication.
• The Warden suspected the other council members had stayed quiet because they hoped to profit from Sitika’s faction falling, and Lu Xiao said Sitika should still face consequences.
• Lu Xiao said he would skip the next meeting but speak with the Empress beforehand so the Warden would not have to manage such disputes alone.
• The Warden warned Lu Xiao that Xiao Zhe might use the Commercial Mutual Aid Society to build personal connections and gradually maneuver toward power.

Lu Xiao decided not to suppress Xiao Zhe, but agreed to watch his actions while the Warden investigated Mabel. After hearing Weidiya's report and learning Nico had gained a water-type authority, Lu Xiao went shopping with Weidiya, who declared that he would pay for her clothes.

• The Warden warned Lu Xiao that Xiao Zhe could become difficult to control, but Lu Xiao chose to let him act as long as he did not threaten their goal.
• Lu Xiao asked the Warden to reassess Mabel, who had confirmed she was on their side.
• Weidiya reported that the Zerg Princess would visit Mother Goddess Star with Tina Empress, the Goddess's reputation was improving, and Nico had merged with a water-type elemental authority.
• Lu Xiao and Weidiya visited Pulixidian's largest commercial center after her report.
• Weidiya entered a clothing store, ordered its new styles, and told Lu Xiao to pay, then challenged his objections by asking, “How is that the same?”

Lu Xiao and the Empress discussed how to preserve the Mother God Elves’ political stability after he and his companions left Mother Goddess Star. They negotiated support for humanity in exchange for political concessions, but the Empress proposed a marriage alliance, prompting Lu Xiao to point to Li Changqing and Moli'an.

• The Empress complained that Li Changqing was throwing his weight around, and Lu Xiao told her he would not let her use Sitika’s benefits to win over the other councilors for her own gain.
• The Empress warned Lu Xiao that the power balance he was creating could lead to infighting after his group left, so she planned to use Sitika’s concessions to secure a councilor’s seat alongside Lan.
• Lu Xiao suggested that the Empress speak with Mabel and support Li Changqing when he raised Mabel at the next meeting, while keeping their arrangement secret from him.
• Lu Xiao asked the Empress to abdicate soon and support humanity unconditionally in the Species Ranking Tournament, and she agreed to the tournament support but questioned whether humans would remain loyal afterward.
• The Empress proposed a marriage alliance as a firm bond between their species, and Lu Xiao asked whether Li Changqing and Moli'an already counted.

Lu Xiao and the Empress settled on a marriage alliance between Lan and Li Xiuqi, with Li Xiuqi moving to Mother Goddess Star, and the Empress agreed to cooperate with Lu Xiao’s plans. Lu Xiao left the palace after asking to be reimbursed for Weidiya’s shopping bill, then headed with Weidiya to the Goddess’s bedchamber to give Liu Ni instructions.

• The Empress proposed that Lan marry Li Xiuqi, explaining that they had feelings for each other and that the alliance would benefit the clan.
• The Empress said Li Xiuqi would need to move to Mother Goddess Star and marry into Lan’s family, and Lu Xiao agreed if Li Xiuqi wanted it too.
• Lu Xiao told the Empress about his plans, and she agreed to cooperate with him.
• Lu Xiao asked the Empress to reimburse him for Weidiya’s shopping expenses, but she claimed she had no money.
• Lu Xiao left the palace with Weidiya and headed to the Goddess’s bedchamber to give Liu Ni instructions.

Lu Xiao visited Liu Ni to discuss her future as Empress and arranged for her to gain public support during the Zerg delegation’s visit. A month later, the Zerg arrived on Mother Goddess Star, where Lu Xiao led the welcoming party at the imperial palace.

• Lu Xiao and Weidiya met Liu Ni and Nico at the Goddess's Palace after Qin Nuo admitted them.
• Lu Xiao told Liu Ni that Lu Qian and Empress Tina would visit in a month, and that Liu Ni should appear alongside Lu Qian to strengthen her prospects of taking the throne.
• Liu Ni asked whether Lu Xiao was leaving and whether he thought she should become Empress; Lu Xiao said he respected her choice, while Nico explained that his father wanted Liu Ni to live well.
• A month later, the Zerg delegation arrived at Pulixidian Spaceport, and a Rainbow Bridge carried its members to the imperial palace.
• Lu Xiao stood at the head of the Mother Goddess Elves’ welcoming party with the Scepter, while Xiao Zhe circulated among the guests handing out business cards.

Xiao Zhe used his Political Intelligence Network to gather information for Lu Xiao and worked to expand his own connections at the palace. When the Zerg delegation arrived, Tina greeted Lu Xiao intimately, and Princess Lu Qian shocked the onlookers by calling him her father.

• Xiao Zhe used the Commercial Mutual Aid Society's weekly gatherings to collect gossip and report information about Pulixidian's interests to Lu Xiao.
• Xiao Zhe handed out business cards to officials welcoming the Zerg delegation, then stood beside the Director to make others speculate about his status.
• The Zerg delegation arrived with Tina Empress at its head and Princess Lu Qian behind her.
• Lu Xiao greeted Tina, who pinched his cheek and said she wanted to eat him, leaving Lu Xiao awkward.
• Lu Qian rushed into Lu Xiao's arms and called him father, shocking the onlookers.