Chapter Summaries

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.

Lu Xiao welcomed Tina Empress and the Zerg delegation, while Lu Qian’s public affection revealed his close ties to the Zerg and her position as its successor. Liu Ni then arrived in a dazzling gown to lead the visit on Life’s behalf, and after the banquet began, Lu Xiao returned to City Hall and found Weidiya looking glum.

• Lu Qian called Lu Xiao Father in front of Tina Empress and the delegation, revealing their relationship and highlighting her status as the Zerg’s chosen successor.
• Lu Xiao welcomed the Zerg visitors and announced that Liu Ni would represent Life and lead the visit.
• Liu Ni arrived in a striking gown, greeted Tina Empress and Lu Qian, and became the focus of the gathering.
• The Elf Empress hosted a banquet for the Zerg delegation, whose Heavenly Insect Clan members attended with elegant manners.
• Lu Xiao skipped the banquet and returned to City Hall, where he found Weidiya at her workstation and asked why she was not at the palace.

Weidiya asked Lu Xiao if she could go to Earth with him, but his plans to prepare for the Species Ranking Tournament left her disappointed. The next morning, Lu Xiao joined the Mother Goddess Elves’ procession to welcome the Zerg Delegation, which began its public visit in Sailai County.

• Weidiya asked Lu Xiao whether she could give up her status as Imperial Princess and accompany him to Earth, but she grew disappointed when he explained he would be preparing for the Species Ranking Tournament.
• Lu Xiao accompanied the Goddess's Procession to meet the Zerg Delegation, where he recognized Nuan Meng standing beside Lu Qian.
• The processions traveled from Pulixidian toward Sailai County, chosen as the delegation's first stop after Lu Xiao helped raise its prominence.
• Morningstar prepared to welcome the delegation and promote Elf Cloud's Mother Goddess Elf products to the wider universe.
• As the Zerg procession arrived, Morningstar raised a small green sun above Sailai County, spreading a rich aura of life across the city.

The Zerg delegation learned that the Life Light Source could boost reproduction as well as heal, and Tina became interested in acquiring it. Lu Xiao advised Morningstar to trade it for mineral-planet mining rights, while Morningstar revealed her interest in Liu Guang visiting Mother Goddess Star.

• The Zerg delegation saw the Life Light Source and learned that it accelerated recovery for living beings, while the Mother God Elf diplomat hinted that its uses could extend beyond battle.
• At a banquet in Sailai County, Morningstar explained that the Life Light Source had originally been developed to improve reproductive efficiency, leaving the Zerg diplomat and Tina stunned by its potential for Mother Worms.
• After the banquet, Lu Xiao told Morningstar that the Zerg would likely buy the device but should pay with mineral-planet mining rights rather than Star Source, since humans could use the minerals.
• Morningstar agreed to Lu Xiao's proposed trade and then asked when Liu Guang would visit Mother Goddess Star.
• Lu Xiao teased Morningstar about hearing that the Empress wanted some of her people to marry humans, and Morningstar blushed and quietly confirmed it.

Lu Xiao discussed Morningstar’s wish to marry Liu Guang and offered her authority and the Biological Base if she returned to the Woll Galaxy. Morningstar instead proposed marrying Lu Xiao, but he refused, then explained to Weidiya that Morningstar had staged her emotional outburst to warn the Empress against suppressing her.

• Lu Xiao teased Morningstar about not being on the marriage alliance list, then said he could arrange a match with Liu Guang if Liu Guang agreed.
• Morningstar explained that she wanted Liu Guang’s support to protect the Ji Family from pressure and future unfair treatment.
• Lu Xiao offered Morningstar the half-finished authority and Biological Base if she relinquished her interests on the Mother Goddess Star and returned to the Woll Galaxy, but Morningstar declined.
• Morningstar proposed marrying Lu Xiao in front of Weidiya, and Lu Xiao awkwardly rejected the proposal.
• Outside City Hall, Lu Xiao told Weidiya that Morningstar had used her outburst to signal the Empress that she and Lu Xiao shared deeper interests, then asked whether Weidiya’s mother had been suppressing Morningstar again.

Lu Xiao visited Lu Qian and learned about the dangers of the Species Ranking Tournament, then remembered the two mounts he had left behind in Demon territory and resolved to retrieve them. On Hell Star, Big Good Boy and Little Well-Behaved were safe and living in a city built for them.

• Lu Xiao asked Lu Qian to stay close to Liu Ni during the upcoming trip, then learned that Tina Empress planned to abdicate before the Species Ranking Tournament.
• Lu Qian and Weidiya explained the brutal Preliminary Round, but Lu Qian said she would not participate.
• Lu Xiao decided to equip himself with Authority Weapons and focus on supporting Zhang Chu and Daimon instead of fusing with an Elemental Authority.
• Lu Xiao remembered Big Good Boy and Little Well-Behaved and resolved to bring them back from Demon territory as soon as possible.
• On Hell Star, the Demon Clan had treated Big Good Boy and Little Well-Behaved well and built them a city: Iswama's Holy City.