Chapter Summaries

Xilǐ'er set out for Yiluo'en Province and reluctantly agreed to take a mapmaking Soul Returner along. Back in a Fitz Province village, the Son of God’s people began registering residents and offered to take those near death for treatment.

• A Tree Worship Church elder directed the armored Xilǐ'er toward Yiluo'en Province and warned him about its bandits.
• A Soul Returner caught up with Xilǐ'er, asked to travel with him and draw maps, and joined him under the name Zhou Cang.
• After Xilǐ'er and Zhou Cang left, the elder returned to find newcomers ringing a bell to gather the villagers.
• A newcomer announced that Fitz Province residents would receive copper coins and Scarlet Millet for registering, and that those close to dying of old age might be saved.
• The villagers learned that the Church’s common people suffered a painful decline as their Symbiotic Trees spread through their bodies.

Soul Returners registered villagers willing to leave their Symbiotic Trees behind, while Xilǐ'er and a player called "Zhou Cang" ran into a ruined mountain road and tried to find another route. After the player knocked out his stubborn Hoofed Beast and strengthened himself, he prepared to carry it through the forest.

• An elderly villager called Old Bei'er agreed to register with the Soul Returners and said he was forty-five years old.
• Xilǐ'er and "Zhou Cang" found that the mountain path was badly damaged, so Xilǐ'er decided to backtrack and take a route through the forest.
• Radish followed Xilǐ'er into the woods, but the player's Hoofed Beast refused to leave the path.
• The player used drugged incense to knock out the Hoofed Beast, then shouted, "Deep Blue, add points!" and felt his strength surge.
• The player lifted the unconscious Hoofed Beast onto his shoulders, preparing to carry it through the forest.

Xilǐ'er and [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] traveled through the mountains and reached Yiluo'en Province, where they planned to continue toward its capital. Their first night in the province ended with the discovery that its towns and capital had names that seemed oddly familiar to the Soul Returner.

• Xilǐ'er and [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] continued through the forest, discussing Ed's staff of authority and the Soul Returner's unusual stamina.
• Xilǐ'er and [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] took a direct route through the mountains and reached Yiluo'en Province on the third day.
• Xilǐ'er and [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] rode to a village and learned that Hibiscus Town and Lotus Town lay along the route to the provincial capital.
• Xilǐ'er and [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] stayed overnight in an empty house, where the Soul Returner began painting.
• Xilǐ'er revealed that the provincial capital was called Golden Leaf City, surprising [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang].

[Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] uploaded a painting video that became popular, while he and Xilǐ'er traveled to Hibiscus Town to investigate the local church. The town's bishop revealed that he had heard of the Second Holy See's expansion into neighboring provinces.

• [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] and Xilǐ'er left the nameless town and traveled to Hibiscus Town.
• [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] uploaded a video showing how he painted a village sunset, and it quickly surpassed a million views.
• [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] refused to reveal the video's location, then returned to the game after checking its comments.
• Xilǐ'er claimed to be an envoy of the Second Holy See and demanded to meet Hibiscus Town's bishop.
• The bishop told Xilǐ'er that a document from the provincial capital reported the Second Holy See's forces had taken Aduolin Province and most of Fitz Province.

Xilǐ'er and [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] confronted the fat bishop of Hibiscus Town about withholding news of Fitz Province’s fall and his reluctance to choose a side. When they questioned whether he was one of the Stained Ones, he revealed that their existence was no secret in Yiluo'en Province.

• Xilǐ'er told the fat bishop that the Second Holy See had taken Fitz Province and learned that the bishop had kept the news quiet to prevent unrest.
• Xilǐ'er told the bishop that the Son of God had captured Cuiske and driven Adelaide into flight, strengthening the Second Holy See’s position.
• The fat bishop said he was willing to submit but cited his small forces and Hibiscus Town’s location between the Second Holy See and Golden Leaf City.
• [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] rebuked the bishop for trying to please both sides and asked whether he was one of the Stained Ones.
• The fat bishop denied being a Stained One, then explained that the Stained Ones were no secret in Yiluo'en Province.

Xilǐ'er and the Soul Returner learned that escaped test subjects had exposed the Stained Ones across Yiluo'en Province, then questioned Bishop Alter about Hibiscus Town. After they left for Golden Leaf City to meet the archbishop, Alter entered another secret passage.

• The Soul Returner tested Bishop Alter with a code phrase, and Alter’s confusion convinced him that the bishop was not a Stained One.
• Alter explained that escaped test subjects from White Sand Town had formed a group of nearly a hundred, whose raids and rescue attempts had exposed the Stained Ones throughout Yiluo'en Province.
• Alter revealed that Hibiscus Town had been the site of a prison break and showed the two emissaries the collapsed tunnel beneath the church.
• Xilǐ'er reassured Alter that the Son of God punished the Stained Ones and agreed to postpone the question of Alter’s submission until they learned the archbishop’s position.
• Alter gave Xilǐ'er and the Soul Returner a map, watched them ride toward Golden Leaf City, and then entered a secret doorway in his study.

After suspecting Alter was hiding something beneath Hibiscus Town’s church, [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] and Xilǐ'er doubled back and broke into his study. Alter meanwhile brought several dozen youths out of a hidden underground refuge, then heard the pair crash into the church.

• [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] told Xilǐ'er that Alter’s behavior seemed overly theatrical and suggested he was concealing a secret in the church’s collapsed underground prison.
• Xilǐ'er agreed that Alter might be suspicious but said they should first force the archbishop in Golden Leaf City to take a stance.
• [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] persuaded Xilǐ'er to race back to Hibiscus Town and catch Alter off guard.
• Xilǐ'er and Radish charged through the town and hurled [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] through a window into Alter’s study before following him inside.
• Alter led several dozen youths out of a hidden passage and asked whether they had stayed away from a forbidden door.
• As Alter stepped out of the passage, he heard two crashes from inside the church.

Bishop Alter admitted that Hibiscus Town was the rebels’ main base and that he was their leader after Xilǐ'er and [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] confronted him. When Alter took Xilǐ'er's staff, Ed's gaze fell upon him, compelling him to answer truthfully.

• [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] held a saber to Alter's throat, and Xilǐ'er demanded that the bishop reveal what he had concealed.
• Alter admitted that the youths were rescued children, then confessed that Hibiscus Town was the rebels’ main base and that he was their leader.
• A tall, thin boy asked whether the visitors were Stained Ones and defended Alter, so the bishop closed the hidden passage and spoke with the two envoys alone.
• Xilǐ'er gave Alter a wooden staff that Ed had enchanted to draw his gaze whenever someone outside the Second Holy See's creations or Xilǐ'er touched it.
• Ed's gaze pressed upon Alter, and the bishop began answering the envoys' questions.

Alter confessed that he had discovered the clerics’ abuses in Hibiscus Town and secretly became the Stained Ones’ protector. He led Xilǐ'er and the Soul Returner through the underground passage to show them proof of what happened to the captured rebels.

• Alter recounted how an intruder revealed a hidden door, leading him to discover the clerics’ abuses and the children imprisoned beneath the church.
• Alter said he rescued the children, captured the Stained Ones in town, and secretly sheltered them while they organized their activities.
• Xilǐ'er questioned why Alter distrusted the Second Holy See, and Alter admitted that he had lied about the archbishop recalling the Stained Ones to Golden Leaf City.
• [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] accused Alter of killing the captured Stained Ones, but Alter invited him and the knight to follow so he could prove what happened.
• Alter reassured the boys in the underground hideout and led Xilǐ'er and the knight past the empty cells to the door at the end of the tunnel.

Alter revealed that he had imprisoned nineteen Stained Ones in a basement for nearly two years, and the Soul Returner and Xilǐ'er condemned his treatment as too lenient and wasteful. The Soul Returner began explaining the Second Holy See’s plans for punishing the prisoners, starting with a labor facility where their Symbiotic Trees could be removed.

• Alter led the Soul Returner and Xilǐ'er into a dark basement, where they found nineteen emaciated Stained Ones chained and pinned to the walls.
• Alter explained that he had imprisoned them for nearly two years and that their Symbiotic Trees had rooted into the stone, keeping them alive while leaving them unable to move.
• The Soul Returner and Xilǐ'er both said the punishment was too lenient and wasteful, and Xilǐ'er offered to contact the Son of God and execute the prisoners.
• The Soul Returner stopped Xilǐ'er and said the Second Holy See had prepared three destinations for the Stained Ones, then described the High-Quality Charcoal Processing Plant as a labor facility for less serious offenders.
• The Soul Returner explained that the Son of God could command Symbiotic Trees to leave their hosts, and Alter listened closely to learn the Son of God's intentions.

Alter learned about the Second Holy See and, convinced by the Soul Returner’s account of Ed’s origins and policies, declared Hibiscus Town part of the Second Holy See. Ed contacted Xilǐ'er through the staff and settled the town’s arrangements, leaving the knight to tell Alter and the Soul Returner that everything was settled.

• Alter asked about the Second Holy See’s destinations and heard that the Dungeon held Stained Ones in endless life and that they could be drafted into the Wild Hunt.
• The Soul Returner told Alter that Ed had come from the underground prison beneath the church in White Wax Town and said that nonhuman allies supported him.
• Alter declared that Hibiscus Town had joined the Second Holy See and offered to lead the envoys to their camp in the mountains.
• As Alter grasped Xilǐ'er's staff, Ed established a Psionic Energy connection with the knight.
• Ed told Xilǐ'er to speak directly during future connections, and Xilǐ'er later told Alter and the Soul Returner that the matters concerning Hibiscus Town had been settled.

Xilǐ'er delivered the Son of God's orders for Hibiscus Town and continued with [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] toward Golden Leaf City. The chapter ended with the provincial archbishop personally leading Radish through the city gate while the horse resisted.

• Xilǐ'er told Alter to become acting bishop of Hibiscus Town, bring the mountain rebels into town, and convert the church into a dungeon for the nineteen Stained Ones fused to its walls.
• Alter explained that he could not hand over the Territory Secret Pact because the archbishop held all the pacts for Yiluo'en Province, and then left to carry out the orders.
• Xilǐ'er told [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] that they would help Alter by removing the person occupying the bishop's position.
• Xilǐ'er and the Soul Returner reached Golden Leaf City and found the archbishop, subordinate bishops, and Holy Crusader commanders waiting outside its open north gate.
• Xilǐ'er rode past the welcoming clerics without acknowledging them, so the archbishop took Radish's reins and led the horse toward the city while Radish snorted and tried to make him let go.

Xilǐ'er publicly explained the Second Holy See’s achievements to Yiluo'en Province’s officials, and Archbishop Burns offered to bring the province over without a fight. Kunjinkao Tangtangtang realized Burns was not merely surrendering but investing in the Second Holy See by offering its manpower.

• Xilǐ'er stopped Radish at the city gate and announced the Second Holy See’s mission and recent achievements to Archbishop Burns and the officials.
• Burns decided the Second Holy See had grown powerful enough to support and proposed adding Yiluo'en Province to its territory.
• Burns pledged to lead Yiluo'en Province’s Holy Crusaders against the Holy City, while some officials cheered and others looked alarmed.
• Xilǐ'er asked Burns whether he was staking everything on the Second Holy See, and Burns argued that his province’s large population would help it grow.
• Kunjinkao Tangtangtang realized Burns was effectively buying into the Second Holy See by offering its labor force.

Archbishop Burns offered Yiluo'en Province’s allegiance to the Second Holy See, believing it would make him a powerful ally. Xilǐ'er accepted his offer but demanded that Burns declare himself a Pure One, while [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] took a cleric aside just before a nearby explosion.

• Burns proposed joining the Second Holy See and expected to become its second-largest shareholder, unaware that Ed already controlled Fitz Province and commanded hundreds of thousands of Soul Returners.
• [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] realized Burns was acting on outdated information and watched as Xilǐ'er announced she could make the decision herself.
• [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] brought a burly cleric to a roadside mound, learned he was not one of the Stained Ones, and told him he was lucky not to die that day.
• Xilǐ'er told Burns that the Son of God would visit the Holy City and that the Second Holy See would accept anyone who wished to join.
• Burns asked whether he had become an archbishop of the Second Holy See, and Xilǐ'er told him to hold out a wooden staff and say, “I am a Pure One.”

Xilǐ'er challenged Archbishop Burns over the Stained Ones Project and declared that its participants could not join the Second Holy See until they had repaid their sins. Burns revealed his burning, toxic-smoke powers and attacked Xilǐ'er, then charged into the smoke with several grand knight commanders.

• Xilǐ'er asked Burns to affirm that he was a Pure One, then accused the Stained Ones of causing the Tree Worship Church Theocracy's divisions and rebellions.
• Burns claimed the Son of God had been created by the Stained Ones Project and ordered Xilǐ'er to leave Yiluo'en Province.
• Xilǐ'er said the Tree God's will could have returned through natural birth and announced that anyone who participated in the Stained Ones Project was barred from joining the Second Holy See until their sins were repaid.
• Burns transformed through his Heart-Eroding Tobacco mutation, hurled toxic, scorching smoke at Xilǐ'er, and declared himself the sun in Yiluo'en Province.
• Burns charged into the smoke to kill Xilǐ'er, followed by several grand knight commanders.

Xilǐ'er endured Burns's poisonous smoke and revealed his steel wings, forcing Burns to summon the other fighters around him. The six opponents saw that Xilǐ'er and his warhorse Radish had become burning skeletons, but Xilǐ'er showed no fear as they faced one another.

• Burns sent the knight commanders to surround Xilǐ'er, then attacked him inside the poisonous smoke.
• Xilǐ'er's flesh regenerated through the smoke, and his steel wings stirred the fumes with Psionic Energy.
• Burns withdrew the smoke into his body and gathered the archbishop, his assistant, and four knight commanders around Xilǐ'er.
• Xilǐ'er lifted his visor to reveal his burning skeleton, and removed Radish's faceplate to reveal the warhorse's burning bones.
• The six fighters trembled as they faced Xilǐ'er and Radish.

Kunjinkao Tangtangtang tricked a Pure One cleric with a fabricated Ghost Rider legend while painting Xilǐ'er’s battle. Xilǐ'er charged Burns with a wooden staff as Burns and the other commanders attacked, and Tangtangtang posted a sketch of the fight to the forum.

• Kunjinkao Tangtangtang told a Pure One cleric that the Soul Returners were ancient Saints and invented a story about Ghost Rider needing a lizard.
• Kunjinkao Tangtangtang offered the cleric more made-up Saint stories, then shouted for Xilǐ'er to take down the enemy leader.
• Xilǐ'er assessed Burns as the main threat, lowered his lance, and charged with the wooden staff the Son of God had given him.
• Burns unleashed poisonous smoke and led the grand knight commanders in an attack on Xilǐ'er.
• Kunjinkao Tangtangtang sketched Xilǐ'er fighting six opponents and posted the drawing on the forum with a reservation prompt.

Kunjinkao Tangtangtang watched Xilǐ'er battle Burns and five other attackers, while the Soul Returner recorded the fight for a painting. Burns discovered that Xilǐ'er's staff neutralized his fire and poison, and the chapter ended with Burns realizing the fallen grand knight commander was suffering despite showing no visible injuries.

• Kunjinkao Tangtangtang ignored the angry comments on his misleading post and watched the battlefield as the Soul Returner prepared to paint it.
• Burns recognized that his poisonous smoke could not overcome Xilǐ'er's ability to recover, so he relied on his five teammates to attack the knight.
• Burns caught Xilǐ'er's wooden staff and tried to burn it, but azure Psionic Energy dissolved his flames and poison.
• Burns warned his teammates to retreat, but Xilǐ'er swung his staff and sent a grand knight commander flying while the other four struck him.
• Burns saw that the fallen commander had no visible injuries but was curled up and barely able to wail, then noticed something unexpected enter his field of vision.

Xilǐ'er used the wooden staff created by Ed to strip Symbiotic Trees from the Tree Worship Church’s fighters and force them to surrender. He accepted their submission and ordered the four remaining knights to hold the staff and declare themselves Pure Ones.

• Xilǐ'er’s wooden staff caused the grand knight commander’s Symbiotic Tree to tear free, while Burns’s flames went out and his fusion with his plant declined.
• Burns knelt and admitted defeat, and the four Middle Tiers surrendered after seeing what the staff had done.
• Xilǐ'er demanded that everyone recognize the authority of the Son of God, and the crowd near the city gate performed gestures of respect toward the staff.
• The grand knight commander awoke and tried to reinsert his uprooted Symbiotic Tree, but Xilǐ'er told him and Burns to keep their plants for new arrangements at the Second Holy See.
• Xilǐ'er told the four surrendered knights to hold the staff and say, “I am a Pure One.”

Xilǐ'er investigated the Stained Ones in Golden Leaf City, installed Alter as archbishop, and left with [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] for the next province. On the road, they discussed their plan to move faster and Xilǐ'er began recounting how Stral, a mysterious stargazer, had united the southern empire.

• Xilǐ'er finished investigating Golden Leaf City’s Stained Ones and summoned Bishop Alter from Hibiscus Town.
• Xilǐ'er made Alter archbishop, and the Pure Ones pledged to maintain order in Yiluo'en Province and protect the Territory Secret Pact.
• Xilǐ'er and [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] sent the powerless Stained Ones to the Second Holy See under escort by the “foolish Pure Ones,” then departed for the next province.
• [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] warned that their journey was taking too long, and Xilǐ'er decided they would focus on spreading word of the Son of God's deeds.
• [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] asked about the southern empire, and Xilǐ'er explained that Stral, a stargazer without noble rank, had reunited the region after its royal bloodline died out.