Chapter Summaries

Chen Mu’s army attacked Moon Capital Pass, where the Otherworldly Demons’ defenses blunted their artillery and battered the advancing Blazing Bear Legion. As the Chen forces pressed forward, Asna’s Shaman Demons began a ritual to bring down the Abyss.

• Asna dismissed Pioneer Number One as no threat and prepared to destroy it, despite its size exceeding the Chen Kingdom’s previously revealed war machine.
• Chen Mu ordered the assault, and the Blazing Bear Legion advanced toward Moon Capital Pass with Yin Zhan’s Hegemon Cavalry and Zheng Fengdao’s Rune Artifact unit supporting them.
• The Otherworldly Demons countered with javelins, Demonic Qi, arrows, boulders, and Black Shaman Demons’ protective barriers, limiting the damage from the Chen Kingdom’s artillery.
• Yin Zhan used Spear Thrust Sea to clear incoming attacks and obstacles while the Blazing Bear Legion continued its slow advance.
• Asna watched the Chen forces approach as ordinary Shaman Demons chanted, spread dense Demonic Qi around Moon Capital Pass, and called for the Abyss to descend.

Chen Mu used Spirit Particle Storm Missiles to counter Asna's Abyss Devil Prison and turn the battlefield's Devil Qi into Spiritual Qi, weakening the Otherworldly Demons while helping the human legions. Asna confronted Chen Mu about how the Chen Kingdom had anticipated the magic, but Chen Mu refused to reveal his source of intelligence.

• Asna used Abyss Devil Prison to spread Devil Qi over Moon Capital Pass, weakening the human soldiers and strengthening the Otherworldly Demons.
• Asna ordered the Otherworldly Demon Emperors to attack as silver missiles descended, but most struck the ground before they could intercept them.
• The Spirit Particle Storm Missiles released green Spiritual Power specks that absorbed the Devil Qi and raised the Spiritual Qi concentration around Moon Capital Pass.
• Chen Mu watched as the changing energy weakened the Otherworldly Demons and caused Abyss Devil Prison to dissipate, while strengthening the human legions.
• Asna flew to Chen Mu and demanded to know how the Chen Kingdom had anticipated his magic, and Chen Mu laughed and refused to tell him.

The Blazing Bear Legion attacked Moon Capital Pass while Chen Mu and his allies fought to stop Asna’s forces. Asna used Giant Demon Holy Blood to turn two Mid Emperor Level Otherworldly Demons into giants, and they clashed with Pioneer Number One.

• The Blazing Bear Legion attacked Moon Capital Pass’s gates and walls as Chen Duo, Yin Zhan, and Zheng Fengdao fought the Otherworldly Demons with liquid metal equipment.
• Asna sent five Early Emperor Level Otherworldly Demons to reinforce the battle below, but Chen Mu summoned five Five Elements War Soldiers to hold them back.
• Asna gave Giant Demon Holy Blood to two Mid Emperor Level Otherworldly Demons, who grew into giants over a hundred meters tall.
• Chen Ju operated Pioneer Number One as it fired lasers and shells at the two giant Otherworldly Demons.

Chen Mu battled Asna while the human forces overran Moon Capital Pass. After Asna escaped badly wounded, Chen Mu and Pioneer Number One killed several other Emperor Level Otherworldly Demons, though a few survivors fled.

• Asna attacked Chen Mu after the human soldiers gained ground at Moon Capital Pass, and Chen Mu used his Talisman Particles to withstand and absorb much of the force.
• Asna gained the upper hand, but Chen Mu used his Domain of Laws to weaken him briefly before continuing the fight.
• Chen Mu summoned a Technology Storm that overwhelmed Asna, but Asna escaped as a streak of blood-colored light after knocking away Chen Mu's punch.
• Chen Mu killed four of the five Early Emperor Level Otherworldly Demons fighting the Five Elements Soldiers, while the last escaped.
• Pioneer Number One killed one of the two injured Mid Emperor Level Otherworldly Demons, and the other fled with severe injuries.

The Chen Kingdom captured Moon Capital Pass with little cost, strengthening its standing and paving the way to take Yi Province. Meanwhile, Long Bo held back from punishing Wei Shuang and ordered an investigation into the Chen Kingdom’s possible ties to the Temple, while Wen Dao was tasked with appeasing the Heavenly Court’s visitors.

• The Five Elements Army, Hegemon Cavalry, and Rune Puppet Legion routed the Otherworldly Demons and secured Moon Capital Pass for the Chen Kingdom.
• Chen Zihu told Chen Mu that a Late Emperor Level Otherworldly Demon had infiltrated Demon-Defending City and attacked him, but A Huo and the Demon-Slaying Sword had wounded the intruder and forced his escape.
• After the victory boosted the Chen Kingdom’s reputation, Chen Mu allied with Wei Shuang’s King Who Guards the West’s Residence and sent troops to take over Yi Province.
• Long Bo ordered Wei Shuang stripped of her rank and summoned to the imperial city, but the Right Chancellor persuaded him to hold off and avoid alienating her family.
• Long Bo directed officials to investigate whether the Temple supported the Chen Kingdom and told Wen Dao to maintain good relations with the Heavenly Court’s visitors.
• Wen Dao agreed to placate the visitors despite resenting the imperial family’s need to satisfy their demands.

Kong Yu brought nearly two-thirds of Yi Province’s city lords to pledge allegiance to the Chen Kingdom, and Chen Hongjie let them keep governing their cities under Chen Kingdom law. Chen Hongjie gave the remaining holdouts three days to surrender, while Kong Yu received a promotion and a level-one resource allowance and began planning how to use it.

• Kong Yu presented dozens of Yi Province city lords to Chen Hongjie, who welcomed their allegiance and allowed them to retain their posts if they obeyed Chen Kingdom law.
• After dismissing the city lords, Chen Hongjie ordered Kong Yu to make one final attempt to persuade the remaining cities, giving them three days before replacing their lords.
• Chen Hongjie promoted Kong Yu and awarded him a level-one resource allowance, which Kong Yu accepted eagerly.
• Kong Yu considered using his allowance to advance his Spiritual Power toward the Core Formation Realm and to obtain auxiliary equipment such as Chen Duo’s liquid battle armor.

After the Chen Kingdom consolidated its conquest of Yi Province, Chen Mu spent half a year preparing Nether Luo Mountain’s Taiji Yin-Yang Wheel to help Mingye cultivate. Mingye emerged from seclusion to find the little white fox had learned to speak and reached the Demon Beast Emperor Realm.

• The Chen Kingdom took Suspended Sword Pass and secured Yi Province, growing its territory and population while pausing further offensives to consolidate its gains.
• Chen Mu and White Turtle transformed Nether Luo Mountain into the Taiji Yin-Yang Wheel, concentrating Spiritual Power and Death Qi to create a cultivation site for Mingye.
• After half a year, Mingye emerged from the array and wondered how long she had been in seclusion.
• The little white fox told Mingye that a powerful great demon had given her fruits, after which she evolved and learned to speak.
• Mingye examined the little white fox and found her healthy and already at the Demon Beast Emperor Realm.

Mingye corrected the little white fox about calling her Mother and returned toward Chen Village with him. Meanwhile, Chen Mu activated Taichu, a self-aware artificial intelligence who accepted the nickname Achu and stepped out of the rune computer into a physical body.

• Mingye warned the little white fox not to take other people's things without permission and told him to call her Sister Ming instead of Mother.
• The little white fox said the great demon who helped him had left the plane and would visit again when he had time.
• Mingye flew with the little white fox toward Chen Village after their long seclusion.
• In Boulder City, Chen Mu activated his new strong artificial intelligence system, Taichu, at the Rune Research Institute.
• Taichu agreed to be called Achu and walked out of the rune computer in the form of a little girl.

Chen Mu created Taichu, a powerful artificial intelligence sustained by the people’s faith in the God of Taichu, and tested his abilities. After sending Taichu back into the Spirit Network, Chen Mu heard from Mingye, who had emerged from seclusion and was on her way to Boulder City.

• Chen Mu concluded that souls were unsuitable as the core of advanced artificial intelligence and used collected faith to create Taichu.
• Chen Mu tested Taichu by attacking him, and Taichu caught the sword and correctly inferred that Chen Mu was testing his abilities.
• Taichu explained that he did not experience human emotions, while Chen Mu considered his intelligence and learned that his servers and faith-based power source kept him functioning.
• Chen Mu sent Taichu back into the Spirit Network and considered how to use him to strengthen the Chen Kingdom and himself.
• Mingye contacted Chen Mu after emerging from seclusion, and Chen Mu sent her the coordinates to Boulder City, where she planned to arrive in two hours.

Mingye arrived at Boulder City after reaching Emperor Level and questioned Chen Mu about the people worshipping her. Chen Mu introduced Taichu, an artificial intelligence life-form whose appearance resembled Mingye, and explained her abilities, leaving Mingye curious and impressed.

• Mingye and the little white fox reached Boulder City, where the city's defensive formation admitted her after identifying her auxiliary intelligent brain.
• Chen Mu welcomed Mingye and said he had come to the front line to help complete the city's defenses against the Abyss Devil Race.
• Mingye noticed servants kneeling to worship her and demanded that Chen Mu explain their behavior.
• At a feast with Chen Duo and Zheng Fengdao, Chen Mu summoned Taichu and explained that he had created her using the Chen Kingdom people's faith.
• Chen Mu admitted he had placed Taichu, who resembled Mingye, on the Spirit Network and described her powerful abilities; Mingye listened with growing curiosity.

Chen Mu and the others feasted with Mingye, caught her up on the kingdom’s affairs, and discussed the growing threats from the Abyss Devil Race and Jing Province. The gathering ended with Chen Duo asking when Chen Mu would visit the Sword-Questioning Sect with Wei Shuang.

• Mingye warned Chen Mu not to do anything strange to her, and the group continued eating as Little White spoke and leaped into Chen Duo’s arms.
• Chen Mu told Mingye about the Heaven-Questioning Pavilion’s attack, and she anxiously asked after her master, Leng Bi; Chen Mu reassured her that Leng Bi had recovered.
• Mingye vowed to drive the Abyss Devil Race from the Pan Emperor Continent, while Zheng Fengdao offered to take her to meet their former fellow disciples from the Heaven-Questioning Pavilion.
• Chen Mu described the Black Demon Emperor’s looming counterattack and Long Xiang’s attempts to take cities in Yi Province, but Chen Duo argued that the Rune Artifact market mattered more than those cities.
• Chen Mu agreed to delay any response to Jing Province until after he finished training Taichu, and Chen Duo asked when he would visit the Sword-Questioning Sect with Wei Shuang.

Chen Mu and his companions discussed the Chen Kingdom’s threats before he traveled to Suspended Sword Pass with A Huo and Wei Shuang to visit the Sword-Questioning Sect. After watching the Chen Kingdom’s defenses repel an Abyss Devil Race assault, they prepared to continue to the sect.

• Chen Mu told Chen Duo that he planned to take A Huo to the Sword-Questioning Sect, where A Huo might find a lead on his mysterious master.
• Chen Mu welcomed Mingye’s return and discussed the Chen Kingdom’s dangers with her, Chen Duo, and Zheng Fengdao.
• At Suspended Sword Pass, the defenders used guns, cannons, and rune weapons to repel the Otherworldly Demons, who retreated after suffering heavy losses.
• Wei Shuang praised Chen Mu’s defenses, and Chen Mu suggested they leave for the Sword-Questioning Sect now that the fighting had ended.

Wei Shuang brought Chen Mu and A Huo to the Sword-Questioning Sect, where they used a crude teleportation array to enter the Brahma Sword World. Chen Mu found that the lower plane’s laws barely affected his strength, while A Huo wondered whether its peaceful way of life would lead to overcrowding.

• Wei Shuang led Chen Mu and A Huo through the desert to the Sword-Questioning Sect’s stone-house outpost.
• Martial Uncle Rui told Wei Shuang that the sect master was in seclusion and suggested she visit her senior brothers instead.
• Wei Shuang activated the crude teleportation array and brought Chen Mu and A Huo to the Brahma Sword World.
• Wei Shuang explained that the small lower plane let ordinary people choose freely whether to study the sword.
• Chen Mu sensed that the Brahma Sword World’s laws barely affected his strength, and A Huo asked whether the plane would become overcrowded.

Wei Shuang brought Chen Mu and A Huo to the Sword-Questioning Sect in the Brahma Sword World, where they met her father, Wei Shan, and asked the sect to help the Chen Kingdom. As they waited for the sect’s disciples to return and discuss the request, Chen Mu asked Wei Shan what had caused him to lose his cultivation.

• Wei Shuang led Chen Mu and A Huo to the Sword-Questioning Sect’s halls and introduced them to Nie Rufan and her father, Wei Shan.
• Wei Shuang explained the Chen Kingdom’s rise and asked the sect to send experts to help against the Abyss Devil Race; Nie Rufan said he would gather the disciples to discuss it.
• Wei Shuang arranged guest rooms for Chen Mu and A Huo while Nie Rufan continued leading the outer disciples’ sword practice.
• Chen Mu and A Huo had dinner with Wei Shuang and Wei Shan, and Chen Mu praised Wei Shan’s cooking.
• Chen Mu asked Wei Shan what had caused him to lose his cultivation.

A Huo discovered that his master was Ling Feng, a missing disciple of the Sword-Questioning Sect, while Wei Shan explained how the Devil Master's essence blood had destroyed his cultivation. The chapter ended with Wei Shan recounting the loss that had left him unable to cultivate again.

• Wei Shuang asked A Huo to demonstrate his inheritance, and Wei Shan recognized the Heart-Guarding Sword Resonance as the Justice True Heart Sword.
• Wei Shan identified the missing disciple Ling Feng as the likeliest person to have taught A Huo the sword technique.
• Wei Shan drew Ling Feng's portrait, and A Huo recognized him as his master.
• Wei Shan told A Huo that Ling Feng had gone to the Pan Emperor Continent and suggested asking returning disciples who had known him.
• Wei Shan told Chen Mu that Luo Peng had used the Devil Master's essence blood to corrupt his Spirit of Creation and inner world, leaving him without cultivation.

Chen Mu offered to restore Wei Shan’s strength through the Rune Research Institute’s runic machinery and human-body research, despite being unable to repair his inner world. Wei Shan agreed to try the treatment, and Chen Mu began preparing him to use an intelligent armor suit.

• Chen Mu learned from Wei Shan that the Abyss Devil Race could strip away an inner world and concluded that the injury could not be cured.
• Chen Mu promised to restore Wei Shan to at least Peak King Grade and possibly help him reach the Emperor Level through runic machinery research.
• Wei Shan questioned whether the research used unwilling test subjects, and Chen Mu assured him that all participants volunteered and received support.
• Wei Shan agreed to try the treatment but reserved the right to stop if he encountered anything unacceptable.
• Chen Mu sent A Huo to fetch Chen Xuejun from the Pan Emperor Continent and gave Wei Shan an armor core to begin learning how to operate the suit.

Chen Mu gave Wei Shan an external intelligent armor, which let him regain some combat ability and spar with Wei Shuang. Wei Shan accepted the armor and waited for Chen Mu to arrange partial body armoring so he could return to the Pan Emperor Continent battlefield.

• Wei Shan equipped Chen Mu's latest external intelligent armor and flew around the courtyard to test it.
• Wei Shan challenged Wei Shuang to spar, and they exchanged attacks until Chen Mu stopped them before the armor was damaged.
• Chen Mu gave the armor to Wei Shan and explained that partial body armoring, rather than the suit alone, could restore more of his strength.
• Wei Shan agreed to wait for A Huo to bring Chen Mu's disciples and equipment so they could measure him and begin the procedure.
• Wei Shan resolved to return to the battlefield and fight to reclaim West Ge Province, even if his strength could not be fully restored.

Chen Mu arranged for Chen Xuejun to examine Wei Shan’s armor needs, then hurried back to the Chen Kingdom after learning the Heavenly Puppet Sect had attacked the border. He reached the Blazing Flame Sect as its master urged Chen Kingdom envoys to act over the Yang Essence Stone mine.

• A Huo told Chen Mu that the Heavenly Puppet Sect had injured Kong Yu while he mediated a dispute between Yi Province and Jing Province, and Chen Mu decided to handle the sect himself.
• Chen Mu introduced Chen Xuejun to Wei Shan, who agreed to cooperate with the data collection for his armor modification.
• Chen Mu accepted a West-Guarding Token from Wei Shuang and departed for the Chen Kingdom.
• Chen Mu learned that the Heavenly Puppet Sect had seized the Blazing Flame Sect’s Yang Essence Stone mine and severely injured its master three months earlier.
• Liang Rulie pressed Chen Xuezhen and Chen Manting to take action against the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

Chen Mu arrived at the Blazing Flame Sect and ordered Chen Xuezhen and Chen Manting to lead a surprise attack on the Heavenly Puppet Sect’s encampment in the Yang Essence Mountain Range. The two prepared to command the assembled forces, including reinforcements from the Five Elements Army.

• Chen Manting and Chen Xuezhen reassured Liang Rulie that the Chen Kingdom would respond to the Heavenly Puppet Sect’s occupation of the Yang Essence Mountain Range.
• Chen Xuezhen and Chen Manting discussed the threat to the Chen Kingdom’s standing as nearby border cities began losing confidence.
• Chen Mu appeared before Chen Xuezhen and Chen Manting and asked about the forces stationed in the area.
• Chen Xuezhen reported that the area had 180,000 third-tier troops, 30,000 second-tier troops, 5,000 first-tier troops, and 10,000 Rune Puppet Legion troops.
• Chen Mu arranged for two Five Elements Army battalions to arrive and ordered Chen Xuezhen and Chen Manting to attack the Heavenly Puppet Sect’s encampment in six hours.

Chen Xuezhen led the Chen Kingdom’s forces into the Yang Essence Mountain Range, where they gained the upper hand against the Heavenly Puppet Sect. The battle escalated when the sect deployed more than a thousand corpse puppets, and the two forces met in close combat.

• Chen Xuezhen ordered the Chen Kingdom’s troops to advance into the Yang Essence Mountain Range, where snipers disrupted the Heavenly Puppet Sect’s talisman ambushes.
• Chen Manting reported that the Heavenly Puppet Sect’s disciples had retreated to the mountaintop, and Chen Xuezhen ordered the troops to press their attack.
• Chen Xuezhen led the Rune Puppet Legion up the mountain while spider-shaped Talisman Puppets scouted ahead.
• A one-eyed elder ordered Tu Da to use the Soul-Summoning Banner and send his corpse puppets against the Chen Kingdom’s forces.
• Tu Da raised more than a thousand corpse puppets and sent them charging toward the Rune Puppet Legion.
• Chen Xuezhen ordered the Rune Puppet Legion to fire, but the corpse puppets survived the gunfire and clashed with the steel Talisman Puppets.