Chapter Summaries

Sun Hai and the others fought a Variant whose ability scrambled their senses, relying on Si Xiaobei’s directions to strike back. Nanming remained unaffected but could not attack, leaving the team to keep battling the Variant.

• The Variant ate the wind man, then confused Sun Hai’s senses as he attacked; Sun Hai escaped through a shadow and warned Xing Lan about its ability.
• The Variant scrambled Xing Lan’s senses and renewed its attack on Sun Hai, who lost his balance and fled blindly until Si Xiaobei directed him out of danger.
• Feng Xuan, Liu Xiaogang, Nanming, Si Xiaobei, and Ye Yiqing joined the fight, and Sun Hai warned them that the Variant disrupted their senses.
• Si Xiaobei used Divine Detective to guide the others as Xing Lan rescued Ye Yiqing, Liu Xiaogang speared the Variant, and Sun Hai and Ye Yiqing wounded its hand.
• Nanming caught Ye Yiqing and explained that the Variant could not affect him because of his higher cultivation, but said he still could not attack.

Feng Xuan discovered that [Satellite] could not deploy [Heavenly Tribulation], while Nanming transformed into a monstrous shark-like creature to save Si Xiaobei and fight the Variant. Nanming and the Variant traded brutal blows, with Nanming tearing flesh from the Variant and biting off its thumb.

• Feng Xuan tried to order [Satellite] to use [Heavenly Tribulation], but it refused because the ability was in a special state.
• The Variant targeted Si Xiaobei, and Nanming threw him clear before the Variant's hand struck the ground.
• Nanming transformed into a half-human, half-beast creature and blasted the Variant's hand away.
• The Variant knocked Nanming down and repeatedly stomped on him, but Nanming grew into a humanoid shark, flipped the Variant over, and attacked its face and neck.
• The Variant smashed Nanming into a rock wall, but Nanming bit off its thumb, making the Variant cry out in pain.

Nanming killed the Variant but lost control and attacked the others, until a crazed old man intervened and revealed himself as a powerful Variant Human. The old man fought Nanming after he transformed, leaving their battle underway.

• Nanming killed the Variant and devoured its head, horrifying Xing Lan, Ye Yiqing, Sun Hai, Liu Xiaogang, and Si Xiaobei.
• Ye Ciqing and Hela arrived, and Nanming attacked them before Sun Hai blocked his claws and drew the group back.
• The crazed old man ordered everyone except Nanming to kneel, then fought Nanming with his wooden stick.
• Nanming grew to nearly eight meters tall and swallowed the old man, who burst out in the form of a red-faced, six-armed demon.
• The old man struck Nanming into the air and attacked him with his four short staffs.

After a mysterious elder defeated Nanming, the team treated his injuries and learned more about Ye Yiqing’s ties to Five Gates Mountain. As the group regrouped, Hela discovered purple mist forming from the dead Variant’s runes, and it attacked her.

• The Red-Faced Ghost defeated Nanming, inspected Ye Yiqing, and vanished without harming the others.
• Si Xiaobei examined Nanming and treated his severe injuries while Sun Hai explained that Nanming could transform and might be a Variant Human.
• Sun Hai and the others affirmed they trusted Nanming, and Ye Yiqing identified the Red-Faced Ghost as likely a former elder of Five Gates Mountain’s Staff Gate.
• Ye Yiqing explained that he belonged to Five Gates Mountain’s Saber Gate, while Liu Xiaogang went to bring Feng Xuan down from the mountaintop.
• Hela noticed the purple runes on the dead Variant fading into a cloud, and the cloud formed an eye that fired a dark purple ripple at her.

Ye Yiqing killed the Variant with his ultimate technique, Demon Slaying, after it nearly took over Ye Ciqing's body. The injured squad returned to City D for treatment, and the chapter ended as a nurse came out of Nanming's operation.

• Hela discovered that her attacks could not hit the Variant, while Sun Hai found that his dark sword qi could damage it.
• The Variant exploited Sun Hai's guilt and Xing Lan's despair, then flew toward Ye Ciqing to make him its vessel.
• Ye Yiqing stopped the Variant with his killing intent and destroyed it with the ninth form of the Nine Forms of the Blade School, Demon Slaying.
• Ye Ciqing explained that Ye Yiqing alone could perform the technique, and Ye Yiqing collapsed from exhaustion.
• Sun Hai said Nanming was in life-threatening condition, so Feng Xuan called for an aircraft to take the injured squad to a hospital.
• At Central Hospital in City D, Shan'an, Si Xiaobei and Feng Xuan waited anxiously until a nurse came out after Nanming's operation.

The Special Investigation Squad recovered in the hospital after defeating the [Soul Snatcher], and Feng Xuan explained the Variant’s abilities to the team. When they visited Nanming, the squad gave Hela a handmade necklace featuring a group picture of its members.

• The nurse told Si Xiaobei and Feng Xuan that Nanming was out of danger but would need to stay in the hospital for a few months.
• Feng Xuan visited the recovering Special Investigation Squad and reported that the [Soul Snatcher] manipulated emotions, possessed people, and could only be destroyed by a special attack.
• The team discussed their injuries and credited Ye Yiqing and Hela with helping them survive and uncover the truth about the Variant.
• At six o’clock, Si Xiaobei and the others visited Nanming, who reassured Si Xiaobei that he was feeling well.
• Xing Lan gave Hela a handmade necklace containing a group picture of the Special Investigation Squad, and Hela felt a strange emotion as she looked at it.

After learning that the food they ate in Chicken Village had been made from the bodies of villagers who committed suicide, the Special Investigation Squad underwent stomach pumping and psychological treatment. Months later, Nanming recovered and returned to the squad’s home, where Feng Xuan later arrived with Ye Ciqing’s package and snacks for Hela.

• Feng Xuan read the mission report and told the ward that some villagers had committed suicide and their bodies had been served as food, prompting the squad to vomit and remain hospitalized for several more days.
• After the squad recovered, Hela, Ye Ciqing, and Ye Yiqing officially joined the team and received weapons, while the members resumed taking investigation missions during Nanming’s hospitalization.
• Nanming recovered and was discharged, and the Special Investigation Squad welcomed him outside the hospital before taking him back to their home.
• Feng Xuan returned to the Star Barbershop with Ye Ciqing’s package and snacks he had bought with Hela.

The group visited Disneyland, where Ye Yiqing confessed his feelings to Hela, who said she saw him as a good friend and comrade-in-arms. After they returned to Star Barbershop, Feng Xuan learned he had to travel to City B in Guangshen the next day to help fix a problem with an artificial intelligence.

• Ye Ciqing and Ye Yiqing opened a package containing skull earrings and a strange model, while Xing Lan suggested a trip to Disini Amusement Park.
• After Sun Hai and the others agreed, Feng Xuan took the group by plane to Disneyland and bought everyone tickets.
• At the central plaza, Ye Yiqing asked Hela about their relationship, and Hela called them good friends and comrades-in-arms.
• The group returned to Star Barbershop and shared a meal prepared by Ye Yiqing and Nanming.
• Feng Xuan received a call asking him to go to City B in Guangshen the next day to help fix a problem with an artificial intelligence.

Feng Xuan revealed his unusual background as the team traveled to Electronics City, where Commander Zhou Fan summoned him for urgent work. Sun Hai and the others spent the day searching for lodging and ended up with nowhere to stay until Si Xiaobei offered a possible solution.

• Feng Xuan told the team he had helped create the artificial intelligence [Satellite] before his father sent him into the army, and he agreed to bring the investigation squad to Electronics City.
• The squad flew to Guangshen, where Commander Zhou Fan greeted them and took Feng Xuan away for urgent work, leaving the rest to find their own lodging.
• Xing Lan learned that Feng Xuan's surname was Zhuge and that Zhou Fan was the highest authority over Great Xia's Night Stars and a 'Starlight'-realm powerhouse.
• Sun Hai led the squad through a day of unsuccessful hotel searches, while the team discovered Electronics City was much like any other city.
• With night approaching and no place to stay, Si Xiaobei raised his hand and said he knew somewhere they could go.

Si Xiaobei brought the group to his girlfriend Sister Liu’s luxurious villa, where she teased him for inviting them without asking. Meanwhile, Feng Xuan discovered that [Satellite]’s data concealed a threat, and the research institute’s screens revealed a data variant calling itself [X].

• Si Xiaobei brought everyone to his girlfriend’s villa in Guangshen and admitted that he had not mentioned their relationship before.
• Sister Liu arrived home, pulled Si Xiaobei into her arms, and playfully threatened to punish him for bringing guests without telling her.
• At the research institute, a researcher went to the archives without noticing a huge green-bellied spider on the ceiling.
• Feng Xuan continued investigating [Satellite] and realized that its data was camouflaged.
• The institute’s screens filled with red Xs that formed eyes, and the entity identified itself as the data variant [X].

Feng Xuan taunted [X] after discovering it had replaced his AI, but the Variant unleashed spiders inside the research institute and sent one after him. Lin Wushuang arrived with [Night Kill] and attacked Zhou Fan, who revealed he could manipulate magnetic fields to strike Lin Wushuang's heart.

• Feng Xuan identified [X] as a data-type Variant disguised as his AI and mocked its threats.
• showed Feng Xuan footage of spiders killing a researcher and filling the lobby with eggs and Variants.
• A giant green spider attacked Feng Xuan, who fled while checking the phone he had secretly programmed.
• Zhou Fan saw the spider-infested institute as Lin Wushuang and [Night Kill] appeared on its roof, and Lin Wushuang left to carry out his mission.
• Lin Wushuang repeatedly struck Zhou Fan and sent him flying through buildings before Zhou Fan used magnetic fields to pull an iron needle from Lin Wushuang's body and attack his heart.

Zhou Fan battled Lin Wushuang, who unleashed a destructive vortex to keep him from reaching the Digital Building. As Sun Hai and the others rushed to rescue Feng Xuan, Si Xiaobei left his girlfriend and joined them.

• Lin Wushuang revealed that he could distort magnetic fields and created a vortex that swept buildings and residents into the air to stop Zhou Fan.
• Zhou Fan used his Starlight realm aura to rescue the residents and lift the battlefield into the sky, then fought Lin Wushuang with metal fragments.
• Zhou Fan and Lin Wushuang's attacks collided in a blinding flash that lit up City B.
• Ye Ciqing spotted the fight, and Sun Hai ordered Xing Lan to bring Hela while he flew toward the Digital Building to investigate.
• Liu Xiaogang set off with his spear to help Feng Xuan, and Si Xiaobei said goodbye to his girlfriend before joining the others on their way to the building.

Liu Xiaogang’s group and Sun Hai’s team fought through the Venomous Spiders surrounding the electronics building while trying to reach Feng Xuan. [Satellite] guided Xing Lan and Hela toward Feng Xuan, but more spiders emerged behind them as the map turned blood red.

• Liu Xiaogang, Ye Yiqing, Ye Ciqing, and Nanming avoided fighting the Variants after Si Xiaobei found a clear route through the city.
• Sun Hai discovered that razor-sharp spider silk covered the building and sent Xing Lan and Hela ahead to rescue Feng Xuan while he held off the spiders.
• Xing Lan and Hela entered the building and found [Satellite], which marked Feng Xuan’s location and identified the attackers as the Light God Society.
• Xing Lan took Hela toward Feng Xuan’s location as [Venomous Spiders] began crawling out of the shadows behind them and [Satellite]’s screen turned blood red.

Ye Yiqing, Ye Ciqing, and Liu Xiaogang reached the building to search for Feng Xuan, but [Night Kill] ambushed them and dragged Liu Xiaogang into a swarm of [Venomous Spiders]. As Ye Yiqing and Ye Ciqing continued upstairs, [Night Kill] spotted Si Xiaobei and Nanming nearby and raced toward them.

• Nanming and Si Xiaobei agreed to stay behind while Ye Yiqing, Ye Ciqing, and Liu Xiaogang went to find Feng Xuan.
• Liu Xiaogang shut the lobby door against a swarm of [Venomous Spiders], and Ye Ciqing made a bone staircase so the three could climb to the second floor.
• [Night Kill] burst through a window, knocked Liu Xiaogang out of the building, and left him surrounded by Variants as Ye Yiqing pulled Ye Ciqing onward to search for Feng Xuan.
• [Night Kill] searched the building for the people she had been told to find, then spotted a person on a nearby building and rushed toward them.
• Nanming and Si Xiaobei hid in an alley, where Nanming wondered whether the Light God Society had come looking for him.

Nanming and Si Xiaobei reminisced about how they had changed each other before Night Kill attacked and demanded that Nanming return to the Light God Society. Night Kill brutally disabled Nanming, and the chapter ended as another blade flew toward her from behind.

• Nanming reassured Si Xiaobei and recalled how Si Xiaobei had helped him trust people again.
• Night Kill attacked Si Xiaobei, but Nanming tackled him out of her reach and stood between them.
• Night Kill revealed that the Light God Society wanted its former core founder Nanming to return, and Nanming refused.
• Night Kill overpowered Nanming, pinned his thigh with a steel bar, severed his right hand, and crushed his other hand.
• Night Kill mocked Nanming as a straight blade flew toward her from behind.

After [Night Kill] killed Si Xiaobei, Nanming transformed into a giant shark-like monster and tore her apart before charging toward the building where Sun Hai was fighting Variants. Meanwhile, Feng Xuan broke into the Digital Building’s server room to attack the entity in its systems, but someone confronted him at gunpoint and fired.

• [Night Kill] killed Si Xiaobei as Nanming struggled to free himself from the rebar pinning his thigh.
• Nanming transformed into a four-meter-tall monster and brutally killed [Night Kill].
• Nanming turned toward the building filled with Variants and charged at Sun Hai.
• Feng Xuan broke into the Digital Building’s server room, connected his phone to a computer, and used his blood to secretly write something inside his coat.
• Someone pressed a gun to Feng Xuan’s head, and Feng Xuan recognized the person just before they fired.

Xing Lan and Hela followed Feng Xuan’s clues to the core computer room, where they found him dead. His final message led Xing Lan to connect the Satellite charm to the server, while Ye Yiqing confessed his love to Hela.

• Xing Lan spotted Feng Xuan’s marked route, and Hela warned her that [Satellite]’s suggested path was guarded by [Venomous Spiders].
• Xing Lan and Hela followed Feng Xuan’s marks to the core computer room and found him dead with a bullet wound to the head.
• Ye Yiqing and Ye Ciqing arrived and mourned Feng Xuan as Xing Lan grieved beside his body.
• Xing Lan found Feng Xuan’s blood-written instruction, connected the Satellite charm to the server, and started a progress bar.
• Ye Yiqing told Hela, “I love you!” and left her stunned.

Ye Yiqing and Ye Ciqing revealed that they were undercover members of the Light God Society and attacked Xing Lan and Hela. After narrowly escaping their assault, Xing Lan resolved to fight the brothers, while Hela charged despite not wanting to hurt them.

• Ye Yiqing asked Hela to leave the Night Stars with him, but Hela refused because she would not abandon her responsibilities.
• Ye Ciqing asked Xing Lan to join the Light God Society, and Ye Yiqing destroyed the nearly finished computer with his sword.
• Ye Yiqing and Ye Ciqing revealed their scarlet eyes and identities as members of the Light God Society, then attacked Xing Lan and Hela.
• Hela blocked Ye Yiqing's sword attacks with her bone whips, while Xing Lan flew clear of Ye Ciqing's bone spikes.
• Ye Yiqing and Ye Ciqing continued attacking, and Xing Lan told Hela to kill them before charging at the brothers.

Xing Lan and Hela fought Ye Yiqing and Ye Ciqing, but Ye Yiqing’s protection could not prevent Hela from decapitating his younger brother. When the brothers’ scarlet eyes glowed, they merged inside a growing flesh cocoon, which exploded and left a mysterious figure standing at its center.

• Xing Lan fought Ye Yiqing while Hela attacked Ye Ciqing, and Xing Lan realized the brothers could share vision or communicate to protect each other.
• Xing Lan pinned Ye Yiqing down with a dense barrage of stars, letting Hela break through Ye Ciqing’s bone defenses and send him crashing to the ground.
• Ye Yiqing unleashed Demon Slaying to drive Xing Lan back, but Hela struck Ye Ciqing’s neck and severed his head.
• Ye Yiqing caught Ye Ciqing’s head, and their glowing scarlet eyes triggered blood-red growths that engulfed them in a pulsing flesh cocoon.
• Xing Lan struck at the cocoon, which exploded and sent her flying; Hela caught her as both women saw a figure standing in the blast’s center.

Ye Qing transformed into the Demonic Eye Twins, a peak Transcendent Variant Human, and overwhelmed Hela and Xing Lan. The chapter ended with Hela trapped inside a giant skeletal skull and Ye Qing poised to strike the exhausted Xing Lan.

• Ye Qing emerged in his fused demonic form, and Hela and Xing Lan realized they could not defeat him.
• Xing Lan tried to carry Hela toward a window, but Ye Qing blocked their escape with scorching sword qi.
• Hela attacked Ye Qing, who destroyed her bone whips and severed one of her arms before she regenerated it.
• Ye Qing launched repeated blade attacks, forcing Hela and Xing Lan to dodge and counterattack.
• Ye Qing pierced Xing Lan's thigh with bone spikes and knocked her away, then trapped Hela inside a giant skull.
• Ye Qing raised his killing-intent blade over the depleted Xing Lan.