Chapter Summaries

Huyan Lan punished Lin Ying for his advances before joining Imperial Crown's 5v5 match against Sovereign Dominion. As Su Hang prepared to face his former team, he reflected on the Imperial Ring and settled on a four-protect-one strategy, ending by revealing his first-game marksman pick.

• Huyan Lan punched Lin Ying after he mistook her intentions, warned him not to make advances, and left for the team match with Silver Dragon, Mountain Lord, Huranlang, and Yujingzi.
• Lin Ying vowed to take revenge on Phoenix after she left.
• Su Hang recalled that Imperial Crown's twelve core members had given him the Imperial Ring as a sign of loyalty, but every core member later betrayed him in some way.
• Su Hang agreed with Zhou Keyu's plan to use a four-protect-one strategy and told his teammates to play freely in the first game.
• Su Hang named his first-game marksman pick, surprising Zhou Keyu.

The 5v5 team match between Imperial Crown and Sovereign Dominion began, with the best-of-three deciding the wager’s ultimate winner. Imperial Crown assembled a formidable lineup, and the chapter ended as everyone waited to see which marksman Exalted Emperor would choose.

• Pingzi and Tianyun introduced the match, while Tianyun noticed Imperial Emperor was absent from the visible preparation room and wondered whether he would enter as a substitute.
• Yinuo, Menglei, Huahai, Qingrong, and Wanmo speculated about Imperial Emperor’s age and whether he would appear if Exalted Emperor lost the first game.
• Pingzi announced the start of the team match, and Imperial Crown and Sovereign Dominion completed their opening bans.
• Phoenix picked Diaochan for Imperial Crown, while Shura and Xiang Yang chose Ukyo Tachibana and Mulan for Sovereign Dominion.
• Mountain Lord, Silver Dragon, Huranlang, and Yujingzi filled out Imperial Crown’s lineup, while Snow Woman and Zashiki picked for Sovereign Dominion; the audience then waited for Exalted Emperor’s marksman choice.

Su Hang’s Sun Quan tried to farm safely and reach level twelve before Imperial Crown could end the match. Imperial Crown baited Sovereign Dominion with a false jungle route and caught Ukyo Tachibana in an ambush, leaving Su Hang warning his teammate away from the Tyrant pit.

• The commentators explained that Sun Quan needed to reach level twelve before Imperial Crown’s midgame lineup could force a decisive fight.
• Su Hang farmed the bottom lane while Zashiki’s Sang Qi protected him and pressured Li Xin away from the falcon.
• Su Hang took the falcon and ground chicken, moving into first place in economy as Ukyo Tachibana cleared his red buff.
• Su Hang agreed to try diving Li Xin, but Zhao Yun appeared from the jungle and knocked Ukyo Tachibana into the air while Diaochan teleported to the tower.
• Lanling King joined Zhao Yun to attack Ukyo Tachibana, but Sang Qi arrived and knocked them up, helping Ukyo escape.
• Su Hang warned Ukyo Tachibana not to go toward the Tyrant pit.

Imperial Crown's Five Emperors overwhelmed Sovereign Dominion early, killing Ukyo Tachibana and Mulan. As Tyrant spawned, Yugong Youjing, Snow Woman, and Zashiki launched a risky steal, and Yugong Youjing brought Tyrant into kill range before a woman’s voice sounded.

• Mountain Lord's Lian Po switched to Boots of Mobility and ambushed Shura's Ukyo Tachibana, securing first blood.
• Silver Dragon's Zhao Yun, Mountain Lord's Lian Po, and Phoenix's Diaochan tower-dived Xiang Yang's Mulan and killed her.
• Su Hang insisted Sovereign Dominion had to secure the four-minute Tyrant, and Yugong Youjing volunteered to steal it with Snow Woman and Zashiki.
• Snow Woman's Zhen Ji froze Zhao Yun while Zashiki's Sang Qi knocked Lian Po and Huranlang's Li Xin away from the pit.
• Yugong Youjing's Ukyo Tachibana attacked Tyrant until its health reached kill range, then heard a woman say, “The flowers are blooming~”

Phoenix’s Diaochan eliminated three Imperial Crown players with her Perpetual Motion Machine maneuver, but Shura stole the Tyrant, helping Exalted Emperor’s Sun Quan reach level eight. Imperial Crown built a commanding lead and began the second Tyrant as Sovereign Dominion moved in to contest it.

• Phoenix’s Diaochan killed Sang Qi, Zhen Ji, and Ukyo Tachibana with her ultimate, while Shura stole the Tyrant with Smite.
• Imperial Crown’s players planned to defeat Sovereign Dominion by nine minutes and have the Three Champion Emperors take revenge on Imperial Emperor in the game.
• Huranlang’s Li Xin and Yujingzi’s Lanling King ambushed and killed Zashiki’s Sang Qi in the red-buff jungle, forcing Sovereign Dominion to retreat to its high ground.
• By six minutes, Imperial Crown had taken all of Sovereign Dominion’s outer towers and established a five-thousand gold lead.
• At eight minutes, Imperial Crown started the second Tyrant, and Shura led four Sovereign Dominion players toward the pit to contest it.

Su Hang’s Sun Quan tried to reach level twelve before Imperial Crown’s early all-out attack, but Imperial Crown wiped out Sovereign Dominion’s defenders and left him alone at the crystal. As Imperial Crown prepared to finish the game, Sun Quan reached level twelve.

• Su Hang predicted Imperial Crown would attack around nine minutes and ordered Sovereign Dominion to retreat and defend the crystal.
• Imperial Crown took the Tyrant and pushed through the middle lane while Su Hang tried to farm enough experience to reach level twelve.
• Silver Dragon’s Zhao Yun and Mountain Lord’s Lian Po initiated on Sovereign Dominion’s defenders, and Zhou Keyu’s Mulan interrupted Phoenix’s Diaochan before Imperial Crown killed the defenders one by one.
• Imperial Crown nearly wiped out Sovereign Dominion, leaving Su Hang’s Sun Quan as the sole defender while minions approached all three lanes.
• Su Hang cleared the bottom-lane wave and reached level twelve as Imperial Crown prepared to attack the crystal.

Su Hang's Sun Quan fought alone against Imperial Crown, killing four opponents and trading kills with Phoenix's Diaochan in a spectacular team wipe. Despite his efforts, Imperial Crown's super minion destroyed Sovereign Dominion's crystal, giving Imperial Crown the first match.

• Su Hang's Sun Quan killed Yujingzi's Lanling King and Huranlang's Li Xin, then fought off Silver Dragon's Zhao Yun and Mountain Lord's Lian Po.
• Su Hang used successive equipment swaps to survive the enemy assault and kill Zhao Yun and Lian Po at the crystal.
• Phoenix's Diaochan escaped Su Hang's freeze and used her ultimate to kill him after he finished her off.
• Imperial Crown's super minion destroyed Sovereign Dominion's nearly depleted crystal, ending the first match in Imperial Crown's victory.

Lin Ying joined Imperial Crown’s lineup for the second match after the team dominated Sovereign Dominion, while Huranlang and Yujingzi discovered a knife in Xu Dog’s bag. Su Hang then maxed out all five of his talents, starting a mission that promised him death at midnight.

• Huyan Lan praised Imperial Crown’s victory and invited Lin Ying to replace Huranlang for the second match, and Huranlang agreed.
• Huranlang and Yujingzi noticed a knife in Xu Dog’s long bag and wondered why he had brought it.
• Su Hang dismissed Sovereign Dominion’s concerns and told them they would win the second match regardless of their lineup or strategy.
• Su Hang asked Yousu Fox God about their deal and learned that his death would erase every trace of him from the world.
• Su Hang used the command to max out his five talents, triggering the “Number One Team in the Country” mission and a countdown to his death.

Imperial Crown substituted Jueying in for Huranlang, while Sovereign Dominion sent Imperial Emperor in to replace Exalted Emperor. The unexpected substitution stunned the arena, and Huahai wondered why Imperial Emperor had chosen to replace his brother.

• The commentators announced that Imperial Crown had replaced Huranlang with Jueying for the team match, and Li Jiu accused Jueying of seeking revenge on Exalted Emperor.
• Imperial Crown fans attacked Li Jiu for defending Sovereign Dominion, while Pingzi and Tianyun urged him to stop risking his career to support the team.
• Li Jiu declared that Sovereign Dominion would defeat Imperial Crown, but the committee announced that Imperial Emperor was replacing Exalted Emperor.
• The crowd fell silent and then erupted in astonishment and excitement at Imperial Emperor's return to competition.
• Yinuo celebrated seeing his idol, while Menglei, Huahai, Qingrong, and Wanmo questioned why Imperial Emperor had replaced Exalted Emperor.

Imperial Emperor appeared at the arena wearing his signature ring and an Emperor Hero mask, while spectators and players noticed how much his clothes resembled Exalted Emperor’s. Lin Ying believed his scheme was about to succeed, but Silver Dragon, Phoenix, and Mountain Lord ignored him and headed for Sovereign Dominion’s area.

• Imperial Emperor entered the arena in a gold uniform and Emperor Hero mask, and fans recognized the genuine Imperial Ring.
• Li Jiu, Tianyun, and others noticed Imperial Emperor’s outfit and mannerisms matched Exalted Emperor’s, while Imperial Crown players questioned whether the masked man was really Imperial Emperor.
• Huahai and his teammates discussed the resemblance between Imperial Emperor and Exalted Emperor, but Qingrong insisted they were different people.
• Lin Ying sat with Imperial Crown and privately celebrated his plans to defeat Imperial Emperor, take over Sovereign Dominion, and imprison him under a contract.
• Silver Dragon, Phoenix, and Mountain Lord ignored Lin Ying’s call and walked toward Sovereign Dominion’s competition area, leaving him wondering whether they meant to taunt Imperial Emperor.

Su Hang reviewed Imperial Crown’s history and reaffirmed his plan to reclaim the team and punish Silver Dragon, Phoenix, and Mountain Lord, whom he believed had betrayed him. The three insisted they had never betrayed him and began explaining what happened after they learned he was Imperial Emperor, but Su Hang still suspected they were trying to deceive him.

• Su Hang reviewed the Imperial Emperor account’s history, from Imperial Crown’s founding through its rise, the Three Champion Emperors’ departures, and Nurarihyon’s takeover.
• Su Hang vowed to reclaim Imperial Crown and secretly execute Silver Dragon, Phoenix, and Mountain Lord after the competition.
• Silver Dragon, Phoenix, and Mountain Lord visited Su Hang after his match, and Phoenix taunted him about dying at her hands.
• Su Hang accused the three of betrayal and threatened to kill them, while they insisted they had always considered him family and had never betrayed him.
• Mountain Lord said she would help Su Hang reclaim Imperial Crown, punish Nurarihyon, and judge the traitors.
• Silver Dragon began recounting what happened after they discovered Su Hang was Imperial Emperor on August 25.

After learning that Su Hang was Imperial Emperor, Huyan Lan persuaded Yin Long and Hu Xiao to abandon revenge and help him reclaim Imperial Crown. She proposed using the Crowned and Proclaimed Emperor tournament to force a decisive wager, then assigned Jiang Sui to gather evidence against Nurarihyon.

• Yin Long and Hu Xiao agreed to kill Imperial Emperor to avenge themselves, but Huyan Lan knelt and begged them to help Su Hang instead.
• Yin Long and Hu Xiao both admitted they had only been testing one another and agreed to give up revenge and help Su Hang.
• Huyan Lan revealed her plan to bring Su Hang and Nurarihyon into a wager at the Crowned and Proclaimed Emperor tournament, using the Three Champion Emperors' teams as stakes.
• Jiang Sui tried to return home to comfort her brother, but Yin Long and Huyan Lan convinced her that Su Hang needed to reclaim Imperial Crown.
• Huyan Lan asked Jiang Sui to collect evidence of Nurarihyon's persecution of the King of Glory community for use at the tournament.

At the Crowned and Proclaimed Emperor event, Yin Long, Hu Xiao, and Huyan Lan explained their past actions and tried to reconcile with Su Hang, but he continued to call them traitors. Huyan Lan insisted she had been absolutely loyal and pulled a transparent packet from her pocket to prove it.

• Yin Long explained that he had returned to Imperial Crown to trick Nurarihyon into signing a wager with Su Hang, while Hu Xiao and Huyan Lan denied that she had knelt to beg for help.
• Su Hang learned that Yin Long had kept Imperial Crown's stolen funds untouched in the bank and that Hu Xiao regretted threatening Su Hang under Nurarihyon's influence.
• Huyan Lan argued that she and Su Hang were even because neither had explained themselves during past misunderstandings, but Su Hang accused all three of pretending and called them traitors.
• Su Hang accused Huyan Lan of betraying both him and Imperial Emperor by pursuing Su Hang while dating Imperial Emperor online.
• Huyan Lan declared that she had never confessed to either man and had waited for one of them to choose her, but Su Hang said he would try to love Liuli if she wanted to remain his wife.
• Huyan Lan claimed she was absolutely loyal to Su Hang and pulled a transparent packet from her pocket to prove it.

Huyan Lan proved her loyalty to Su Hang by drinking what she believed was poison and forcibly kissing him, though the supposed pesticide was harmless. She and the other Three Champion Emperors then prepared to expose Nurarihyon’s crimes and help Su Hang reclaim Imperial Crown.

• Huyan Lan drank the cola containing the supposed pesticide, then forcibly kissed Su Hang and passed the liquid into his mouth.
• Su Hang revealed that the pesticide was only a harmless fitness supplement, and Huyan Lan angrily confronted him for tricking her.
• Su Hang said Huyan Lan had proved her loyalty and tentatively trusted Yin Long and Hu Xiao, who vowed to demonstrate their loyalty through their actions.
• Huyan Lan contacted Suisui and Yaya to lower the soundproof glass and prepare to reveal evidence of Nurarihyon’s crimes.
• Huyan Lan declared that the Three Champion Emperors would help Su Hang take back Imperial Crown and take revenge on the traitors.
• Pingzi, Tianyun, and Li Jiu speculated about Phoenix’s kiss and the Three Champion Emperors’ allegiance as the soundproof glass descended.

Phoenix, Silver Dragon, and Mountain Lord quit Imperial Crown, apparently joining Imperial Emperor in his effort to reclaim the team. Huahai and Qingrong considered the coming clash between Imperial Emperor and Exalted Emperor, and Qingrong suspected they were the same person as Imperial Emperor prepared to reveal his face.

• Phoenix, Silver Dragon, and Mountain Lord announced that they were leaving Imperial Crown, stunning the fans in the arena.
• Menglei concluded that the Three Champion Emperors had joined Imperial Crown to help Imperial Emperor reclaim it and target the Imperial Crown Core Committee member who benefited most from his expulsion.
• Huahai said Jueying likely led the vote to expel Imperial Emperor and warned that Exalted Emperor and Imperial Emperor could fight for control after Sovereign Dominion took over Imperial Crown.
• Qingrong argued that Phoenix would not have kissed Imperial Emperor publicly unless they were close in real life, then suggested Imperial Emperor and Exalted Emperor might be the same person.
• Qingrong predicted that Imperial Emperor would soon remove his mask and reveal his true face.

Lin Ying realized the Three Champion Emperors had trapped him and tried to terminate his Imperial Crown contract and flee abroad, but their control over the Legal, Personnel, and Judgment departments blocked him. Silver Dragon exposed Lin Ying’s escape plan to the crowd, and Huyan Lan called for evidence as fans defended him.

• Lin Ying understood that the Three Champion Emperors’ departure left him facing certain defeat and that Imperial Emperor could take back Imperial Crown.
• Lin Ying planned to terminate his contract, keep his money, and flee to the United States, but Jin Ni and Peacock said he needed Silver Dragon’s and Phoenix’s consent.
• Lin Ying tried to use his authority over the Judgment Department to remove Silver Dragon and Phoenix from their posts, but Anya said Mountain Lord’s consent was required.
• Silver Dragon confronted Lin Ying in front of the crowd and mocked his failed attempts to escape, including his plan to change the rules.
• Imperial Crown fans defended Lin Ying and accused Silver Dragon of framing him, while Lin Ying demanded evidence.
• Huyan Lan took the microphone and called on Suisui to begin presenting evidence.

Jiang Sui presented an authenticated recording to prove that Jueying was Nurarihyon, a Hundred Demons infiltrator who had taken control of Imperial Crown. The recording also revealed that Imperial Crown’s core members had betrayed Imperial Emperor and falsely accused him of committing the seven deadly sins.

• Jiang Sui introduced herself as Imperial Emperor’s biological sister and announced that she would present evidence against Jueying.
• Jiang Sui played a recording in which Jueying identified himself as Nurarihyon and admitted he had infiltrated Imperial Crown nine years earlier.
• Jiang Sui showed an official forensic report confirming that the recording was genuine and admissible as evidence.
• Jiang Sui explained that Nurarihyon had seized legal, judicial, and personnel authority, making him Imperial Crown’s most powerful member and its captain.
• A recording revealed that Wangsun, Yuejing, Ganglie, Chou Ox, Huranlang, Yujingzi, and Nurarihyon had betrayed Imperial Emperor and assigned the seven deadly sins to him.
• Imperial Crown’s fifty thousand fans turned toward the core members’ seats in shock and anger.

After Tai Sui exposed Nurarihyon and Imperial Crown's core members as traitors, Lin Ying tried to salvage his position by accusing Imperial Emperor of betraying the team. He challenged Imperial Emperor to remove his mask and revealed that he was actually Exalted Emperor, Sovereign Dominion's captain.

• Jiang Sui told the audience that Nurarihyon and Imperial Crown's eight core members had conspired to exile Imperial Emperor, and urged fans to support Imperial Emperor's return.
• Lin Ying admitted that he was Nurarihyon but insisted that Imperial Emperor had betrayed Imperial Crown and claimed the other core members agreed.
• Lin Ying asked Imperial Emperor to remove his mask, while the crowd grew suspicious and began demanding that he take it off.
• When Imperial Emperor remained silent and still, Lin Ying revealed that he was actually Exalted Emperor, Sovereign Dominion's captain.

Imperial Emperor removed his mask and revealed himself as Exalted Emperor, shocking the crowd and confirming that he had controlled both accounts. As Nurarihyon accused him of founding Sovereign Dominion to destroy Imperial Crown, Su Hang remained silent, leaving his intention unresolved.

• Imperial Emperor removed his mask and revealed Exalted Emperor’s face, shocking the Imperial Crown fans and players.
• Menglei and the Imperial Crown AG players realized that Su Hang had controlled Imperial Emperor and Exalted Emperor’s accounts, including when they defeated the Three Champion Emperors.
• Li Jiu and Pingzi argued that Su Hang had created Sovereign Dominion as a secret, gentler way to replace Imperial Crown as the top team.
• Li Jiu explained that the fifty thousand Imperial Crown fan representatives would decide whether Imperial Emperor had betrayed the team.
• Lin Ying pressed Su Hang to explain why he had founded Sovereign Dominion, then accused him of doing it to destroy Imperial Crown when Su Hang stayed silent.

Su Hang openly admitted that he created Sovereign Dominion to destroy Imperial Crown, prompting Yuejing and Hanlu to reveal their identities and pledge their support for him. As Imperial Crown’s other masked members approached the stage, their intentions remained unclear.

• Su Hang admitted that he intended to lead Sovereign Dominion to destroy Imperial Crown, and Lin Ying vowed to return in 2035.
• Yuejing and Hanlu appeared onstage, arguing that Nurarihyon had turned Imperial Crown toward injustice and that removing him could restore Su Hang’s control.
• Yuejing revealed that he was Yugong Nishang and explained that he had voted with Nurarihyon under threat, while Hanlu revealed his identity as Great Tengu and offered to kill Nurarihyon.
• Su Hang refused to be swayed by their pledge because he had already decided to take revenge on Imperial Crown’s core members.
• Huranlang, Yujingzi, Wangsun, Shejun, Ganglie, and Baili approached the Sovereign Dominion area as the crowd watched, leaving their next move unresolved.