Recaps

Gray Moth reported that the Calamity Beasts defeated at the previous city had scattered, while Shuofeng and Leiya prepared to attack Bedrock City. Shen Heng tested how Source Cores could temper his body, then watched Shuofeng’s scattered beast tide begin its assault on the city.

• Shuofeng cursed Gray Moth for failing to hold out, and Leiya learned the escaped Calamity Beasts had scattered beyond easy gathering.
• Shen Heng drew icy energy from a Source Core, removed its corrosiveness, and slightly improved his physique.
• Shuofeng kept his Calamity Beasts spread across the mountains and wilderness, then ordered the Shadow Wolf to begin the assault.
• Shen Heng and the defenders waited on Bedrock City’s walls as the beast tide advanced, led by an Earth-Shaking Mountain Ape.
• Shen Heng heard that Lord Shuofeng had ordered the assault to begin and wondered why the apparent leader seemed weak for a fifth-tier beast.

Shen Heng and the defenders of Bedrock City began fighting a beast tide of more than ten thousand Calamity Beasts. After Qin Yu identified a deceptively small beast as an S-Class threat, Shen Heng discovered that the tide contained twelve similar Fourth Tier beasts and two possibly Fifth Tier ones.

• More than ten thousand Calamity Beasts charged Solid Rock Mountain, and Shen Heng suspected that Lord Shuofeng, rather than the Earth-Shaking Mountain Ape, was directing the siege.
• The defenders opened fire as the foremost beasts climbed the mountain, while Shen Heng searched the tide for the hidden threat.
• Qin Yu pointed out a small, blade-horned Calamity Beast and said she had seen one before and believed it was at least S-Class.
• Han Ling fired at the beast, which dodged the shot; Han Ling concluded it was at least early Fourth Tier despite its small size.
• Shen Heng counted twelve similar Fourth Tier beasts in the tide and spotted two more outside it that might be Fifth Tier.

Shen Heng discovered that more than a dozen S-Class Kamaitachi were hiding in the beast tide and devised a way to kill them without alerting the other Calamity Beasts. Zhou Zhenguo approved the plan, and Shen Heng prepared Han Ling and Qin Yu to target the Kamaitachi while the defenders increased their attacks.

• Zhou Xuan confirmed that multiple Kamaitachi were hidden in the beast tide, and Shen Heng realized they could break through Bedrock City's defenses if they went undetected.
• Shen Heng contacted Zhou Zhenguo, who arrived and asked for a plan to eliminate the Kamaitachi without revealing that they had been spotted.
• Shen Heng proposed increasing attacks across the line so the Kamaitachi could be killed amid the apparent escalation, and Zhou Zhenguo approved the plan.
• Shen Heng ordered the inspectors to prepare for a coordinated attack without telling them about the S-Class Kamaitachi.
• Shen Heng chose Han Ling and Qin Yu to alternate attacks on the Kamaitachi, and Qin Yu said her bow could handle Fourth Tier targets without exposing her attacks.

Shuofeng and Leiya realized humans were deliberately killing the Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi, but chose to lead the surviving kin into the assault anyway. Shen Heng watched the Calamity Beasts surge forward and recognized that the defenders faced a desperate fight against three fifth-tier enemies.

• As explosions killed more Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi, Leiya urged Shuofeng to withdraw them, but Shuofeng initially refused.
• After noticing their kin pause just before being struck, Shuofeng realized humans were targeting them; he still ordered an advance rather than a retreat.
• Shuofeng and Leiya rallied the Calamity Beasts, sending the attackers up the mountain with renewed force.
• Shen Heng watched the two kamaitachi-type Calamity Beasts lead the charge and assessed the threat posed by three fifth-tier Calamity Beasts.
• Zhou Zhenguo approached Shen Heng and asked whether the enemy had discovered their plan.

Shen Heng rejected Zhou Zhenguo’s proposal to evacuate Bedrock City immediately and planned to test whether he could stall two weasel-type Calamity Beasts while the soldiers attacked the rest of the beast tide. Zhou Zhenguo agreed to let him try, but reserved the right to order him to retreat if things went wrong.

• Zhou Zhenguo urged Shen Heng to evacuate the Supervision Bureau members using a teammate’s underground escape ability before the weasel-type Calamity Beasts could rise.
• Shen Heng refused to abandon Bedrock City without trying to hold off the beast tide.
• Shen Heng proposed stalling the two possible S-Class beasts while the soldiers used their ammunition to inflict heavy casualties on the rest of the Calamity Beasts.
• Shen Heng told Zhou Zhenguo he would retreat and evacuate if his plan failed, and said he had a way to save his life.
• Zhou Zhenguo agreed to Shen Heng’s plan but said he would order Shen Heng to fall back if he saw danger.

As four S-Class sickle-weasel-type Calamity Beasts were identified among the advancing beast tide, Shen Heng prepared his squad to confront the threats. He ordered Zhou Xuan to stay behind and evacuate others if the defense failed, then headed to the wall’s edge to carry out a dangerous plan.

• Xu Yu and his companions heard that four S-Class sickle-weasel-type Calamity Beasts were in the beast tide and searched for them among the attackers.
• Shen Heng watched the Calamity Beasts use debris and bodies to advance through the defenders’ gunfire as the tide neared the mountaintop.
• Shen Heng ordered Zhou Xuan to stay behind, save his Origin Power, and evacuate the squad underground if the defense became untenable.
• Shen Heng assigned Qin Yu to handle the Earth-Shaking Mountain Ape and Han Ling to handle an early fifth-tier sickle weasel.
• Han Ling asked Shen Heng to come back alive, and he nodded before walking toward the edge of the city wall.
• Wu Hao watched Shen Heng prepare to send late fourth-tier members down into the beast tide to engage the S-Class Calamity Beasts.

Shen Heng and the Supervision Bureau fighters leaped from Solid Rock Mountain to confront the S-Class Calamity Beasts below. Shen Heng clashed with Shuofeng, who revealed his sickle-like weapons, leaving Shen Heng in pain and facing a formidable opponent.

• Wu Hao asked Shen Heng whether they would win, and Shen Heng calmly answered that they would before the fighters shouted “Victory!” and leaped from the wall.
• Shen Heng fell toward the kamaitachi-type Calamity Beast, prepared to risk his life as he unleashed Origin Power despite the strain on his body.
• Wu Hao led the fighters down the mountainside, where they split into groups to engage the S-Class Calamity Beasts; Zheng Guomin also dropped in to fight one.
• Shuofeng met Shen Heng’s descending saber with his bladed horn and was surprised when the impact forced him back.
• Shuofeng pulled out his horns and wielded them as sickles, blocked Shen Heng’s next strike, and made him retreat while Shen Heng’s body throbbed with pain.

Shen Heng fought Shuofeng, the Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi, and used sound to detect and deflect its invisible wind blades. Across the battlefield, Zheng Guomin’s inspectors struggled to reach the S-Class beast while Frost Throat and Xu Yu fought amid the chaotic assault.

• Shuofeng swung its scythe blades to send invisible wind attacks at Shen Heng, who dodged the first volley and then used sound to locate and parry the next ones.
• Shuofeng’s contempt for Shen Heng faded after he blocked its attack.
• Zheng Guomin ordered his inspectors to avoid getting bogged down by other Calamity Beasts and push toward the S-Class beast, while the Kamaitachi harassed his team.
• Frost Throat commanded expendable Calamity Beasts to attack and took an opening to kill a human, counting it as its third victim.
• Xu Yu used his flaming lance to kill a Calamity Beast, then looked toward Old Chen, A-Kai, and Sister Zhao as they occupied the S-Class Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi.

Xu Yu and the other fighters battled the Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi while Shen Heng held the S-Class Calamity Beast at bay. Shen Heng’s enhanced state began to falter, but Shuofeng believed the fight would still end in its favor.

• The Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi broke A-Kai’s spear and killed him before Xu Yu could reach him, then narrowly missed Sister Zhao.
• Xu Yu regrouped with Sister Zhao and followed orders to keep attacking the Calamity Beast despite A-Kai’s death.
• Shen Heng exchanged blows with the Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi, using Running Flow · Overclock and his vibrating saber to withstand its attacks.
• Shen Heng’s hand dipped as the strain of maintaining his enhanced state took its toll.
• Shuofeng considered Shen Heng’s counters and unusual reactions, then looked toward the other Calamity Beasts falling in battle and called them useless.

Shen Heng pursued Shuofeng and joined the fight against Shuofeng and Leiya while a gunner on the city wall attacked from above. As the inspectors suffered heavy losses trying to kill the Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi, Zheng Guomin warned them to retreat whenever they heard its invisible wind blades.

• Shuofeng abandoned its fight with Shen Heng, hurled a Shadow Wolf into the path of a blade, and rushed to help Leiya, whose wounds were worsening under attacks from the city wall.
• Shuofeng and Leiya decided to kill Shen Heng while he was within reach, and both lunged at him as he arrived.
• Shen Heng blocked Leiya’s scythe blades, but Shuofeng’s wind blades knocked him back; his Fluid Battle Armor withstood their attacks.
• Shuofeng noticed the gunner had reduced her firing rate to avoid hitting Leiya and ordered the pair to kill Shen Heng.
• Zheng Guomin watched inspectors die in the fighting and shouted that they should retreat as soon as they heard the Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi’s invisible wind blades.

As Bedrock City’s defenders fought off the Calamity Beasts, Zhou Zhenguo realized that two S-Class Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi were overwhelming the inspectors below. He ordered artillery to saturate their battlefield despite the risk of hitting Shen Heng and the other inspectors, gambling that the barrage could keep the Kamaitachi at bay.

• Zhou Zhenguo estimated that the defenders had killed thousands of Calamity Beasts, but two Kamaitachi-type beasts remained nearly unharmed as inspectors fell around them.
• Zhou Zhenguo considered sending reinforcements or having Han Ling and Qin Yu attack the Kamaitachi, then rejected both options because the inspectors were vulnerable and the women had to suppress the fifth-tier beasts.
• Zhou Zhenguo ordered fire units three, five, eight, and twelve to saturate the area where the inspectors were fighting.
• Han Ling protested that the artillery could hit Shen Heng and the other inspectors, but Zhou Zhenguo insisted it was their only chance to slow the Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi.
• A commander warned that shifting firepower could let more Calamity Beasts reach the wall, and Zhou Zhenguo ordered the units to fire anyway.

Shen Heng and the inspectors struggled to hold off the Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi as Zhou Zhenguo ordered a missile barrage to disrupt the battlefield. The explosions created an opening for the inspectors to attack the beasts, and Song Ze joined the charge against their target.

• Shen Heng, badly wounded and strained by Flow · Overclock, kept fighting Shuofeng and Leiya as Zhou Zhenguo warned that missiles would strike the area.
• Han Ling hit Leiya with a Marrow-Exploding Bullet, then missiles began raining down on the battlefield.
• Zhou Zhenguo ordered further missile volleys, forcing humans and Calamity Beasts alike to focus on dodging the explosions.
• Song Ze and his companions took cover as the bombardment disrupted the Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi and eased the pressure on the inspectors.
• Zheng Guomin urged the inspectors to seize the opening and kill the beast, and Song Ze joined their charge.

Shen Heng combined spiritual power with sound-wave perception to build a faster, three-dimensional view of the battlefield, letting him anticipate attacks and fight more efficiently despite his worsening injuries. He looked toward the mountaintop as the beast tide continued to climb.

• Shen Heng struggled to track the two Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi, invisible wind blades, and incoming missiles while his injuries accumulated.
• Shen Heng combined his spiritual power with incoming sound waves to create a dynamic map of the battlefield.
• Shen Heng used the map to anticipate attacks, block a wind blade, and evade the surrounding enemies and missiles.
• Shuofeng noticed that Shen Heng’s movements had become increasingly fluid and suspected he was predicting attacks.
• Shen Heng fought with precise, efficient movements, then saw the beast tide rapidly climbing toward the mountaintop.

Xu Ruiyu and the soldiers fought as the Calamity Beasts breached the city wall, and Qin Ye was killed protecting Xu Ruiyu. With the city behind them and no one retreating, Xu Ruiyu charged back into the bloody close combat.

• Xu Ruiyu and Qin Ye kept firing as the Calamity Beasts closed in, while the old commander ordered the bombardment to continue and soldiers prepared for close combat.
• A Fourth Tier Calamity Beast hurled a carcass onto the wall, and a Rotting Armor Scorpion climbed over before the beasts began pouring into the city.
• Xu Ruiyu fought several Calamity Beasts, but a Dragon-Taunting Lizard broke his left arm before Qin Ye drove it away.
• A Shadow-Claw Dire Wolf stabbed Qin Ye through the chest from behind, and he collapsed as Xu Ruiyu watched.
• Xu Ruiyu and the other soldiers continued fighting without retreating, and Xu Ruiyu met another charging Calamity Beast with his saber.

Wu Hao chose to pursue the fleeing Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi rather than help defend the city, arguing that it could return and threaten the others. With Zhao Gang and the remaining inspectors holding the beast in place at terrible cost, Wu Hao unleashed his Spear of Deadly Thorns.

• Wu Hao ordered the squad to pursue the Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi even as Calamity Beasts reached the city wall.
• Zhao Gang and nine inspectors charged the Kamaitachi to create an opening for Wu Hao.
• The Kamaitachi cut down an inspector and wounded Zhao Gang, who clung to its scythe blade and urged the others to hold it down.
• The inspectors pinned the Kamaitachi with their bodies and weapons while Wu Hao gathered Origin Power into his spear.
• Wu Hao thrust his spear with Spear of Deadly Thorns as the Kamaitachi turned toward the attack.

Shuofeng and Leiya abandoned their attack on Bedrock City after the beast tide faltered and their forces suffered devastating losses. Shen Heng and the defenders survived the assault, and Xu Yu joined the city in celebrating its victory.

• Shuofeng learned that Frost Throat was dead and Short Fang was near death, while Leiya urged it to retreat and save their remaining kin.
• Shuofeng refused to withdraw at first, insisting the surviving Kamaitachi could still win despite their losses.
• The defenders pushed the Calamity Beasts back from the wall, and artillery drove the weakening beast tide down the mountain.
• Shuofeng recognized the defenders' resolve, ordered a retreat, and Leiya signaled the beasts to withdraw.
• Shen Heng watched the Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi retreat and checked the Azure Talisman Jade, which he had nearly used.
• Xu Yu watched the enemy disappear and joined the cheering defenders in declaring victory.

Shen Heng returned to Bedrock City after the battle and learned the heavy casualty toll, while wounded soldiers were treated across the devastated city. As Zheng Guomin’s team returned from the mountain, Shen Heng quietly closed the eyes of a fallen colleague.

• Shen Heng refused treatment so healer Chen Xin could focus on the critically wounded.
• Shen Heng learned that 1,247 regular soldiers and 133 Supervision Bureau personnel had died, while an estimated 11,000 to 12,000 Calamity Beasts had been killed.
• Zhou Xuan learned that Zheng Guomin’s team had lost nine people but had failed to kill the S-Class Calamity Beast they restrained.
• Zheng Guomin heard that Wu Hao’s team had killed its S-Class Calamity Beast at the cost of nearly two-thirds of its members being killed or wounded.
• Zheng Guomin found Shen Heng crouched beside a fallen inspector, gently closing his colleague’s eyes.

After Chen Xin warned Shen Heng to take care while recovering from his severe injuries, Shen Heng joined Zhou Zhenguo to discuss the S-Class Calamity Beasts and their possible next moves. Their discussion was interrupted by a warning that a beast tide was approaching Chongshan City.

• Chen Xin told Shen Heng that his damaged meridians and strained muscles would take several more days to heal, and advised him to limit his Origin Power use.
• Shen Heng reflected on the S-Class Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi and the deaths and injuries among the inspectors who had fought it.
• At the command post, Zhou Zhenguo told Shen Heng that personnel and supplies were on their way and that the intelligence about S-Class Calamity Beasts would help other cities prepare.
• Shen Heng and Zhou Zhenguo considered whether the Sky-Sundering Kamaitachi would return or attack other cities instead.
• A broken mechanical voice warned that a beast tide was approaching Chongshan City and called on other cities to prepare.

After learning that a beast tide was approaching Chongshan City, Shen Heng agreed to let Han Ling lead a team to attack an Anchor Point while he recovered. He later sat with soldiers mourning their fallen squad leader and answered their doubts about the war with confidence.

• A broadcast warned that a beast tide of more than ten thousand Calamity Beasts was approaching Chongshan City, and Shen Heng told Zhou Zhenguo he needed several more days to recover.
• Han Ling proposed leading a team to attack another Anchor Point, arguing the recent bombing could leave the Calamity Beasts unprepared; Shen Heng approved her plan and instructed her to verify the intelligence and withdraw if uncertain.
• Shen Heng watched Han Ling and the team depart, then joined soldiers from their original camp by a fire.
• Xu Ruiyu revealed that their squad leader, Qin Ye, had died in battle while saving him, and blamed himself as he wept.
• When a soldier asked whether they truly had a chance of winning, Shen Heng said, "We will win!"

The teams at the Anchor Point defeated a Silver Claw Beast and pursued the fleeing Calamity Beasts to gather resources. In Chongshan City, Wang Hu watched the Calamity Beasts retreat, then collapsed after they had all disappeared.

• Qin Yu used Environmental Assimilation and a surprise arrow to kill the Silver Claw Beast while her teammates kept it distracted.
• Han Ling ordered the team to pursue the fleeing Calamity Beasts as long as they could stay safe.
• Xu Yu explained to Zhao Ran and Chen Zhanming that the pursuit aimed to gather resources while another large beast tide was unlikely soon, then led them after the beasts.
• In Chongshan City, Wang Hu stood amid the Calamity Beast corpses and faced down a jelly Calamity Beast until it turned away.
• The Calamity Beasts retreated down the mountain as Wang Hu watched, and he collapsed after the last one disappeared.

After recounting the costly victory against the Calamity Beasts, Shen Heng discussed the next possible attack with Zhou Zhenguo. They considered intercepting beasts summoned from distant gathering grounds, but left the plan unresolved while weighing how much firepower Bedrock City could spare.

• Han Ling told Shen Heng that the operation killed twenty-five Supervision Bureau members and three hundred and twenty-three soldiers, while the survivors killed over four thousand eight hundred Calamity Beasts; Zhou Xuan and Zheng Guomin described their progress toward the fifth tier.
• Shen Heng went to the command center, where Zhou Zhenguo reported that Chongshan City had held out at the cost of nearly half its people being killed or wounded.
• Zhou Zhenguo showed Shen Heng a map marking locations between Bedrock City and Calamity Beast gathering grounds, proposing that soldiers attack beasts there before they could assemble.
• Shen Heng agreed that Bedrock City should send some firepower to those locations, but advised taking only weapons the soldiers could carry so the city would retain its defenses.

Shen Heng arranged Bedrock City’s defenses around the possibility that the Calamity Beasts would gather forces from nearby sites, while keeping weapons ready to redeploy if they came from the Ruins Realm. Meanwhile, Mei Duo’s group cleared a Light Gate near Linhai without casualties, and the chapter ended with a newcomer asking whether Light Gate exploration usually caused many deaths.

• Shen Heng explained to Zhou Zhenguo and Lu Xunzhou that they should prioritize portable weapons and prepare for the Calamity Beasts’ possible attack methods.
• Shen Heng judged that nearby gathering sites would likely yield a manageable force and confirmed he had inspectors available to assign.
• Thirteen people emerged from the cleared Light Gate outside Linhai after defeating more than a hundred Calamity Beasts in three days.
• Mei Duo dismissed the martial artists and thanked Shi Chongguang for helping clear the Light Gate.
• Lin Xiaoyu and Mei Duo expressed relief that no one had died, and the remaining girl asked whether Light Gate explorations caused many casualties.

Luo Wenshan learned why Light Gate clearing teams needed scouts and why squads balanced safety, resources, and training when choosing members. As the group waited for an inspector to confirm the gate was safe, a dog in armor arrived by car and entered it, leaving Luo Wenshan stunned.

• Luo Wenshan asked why clearing teams did not bring more people or recruit only the strongest, and Lin Xiaoyu explained the limits on resources, training obligations, and the value of different abilities.
• Fang Ji explained that Li Yunfan’s scouting ability was essential because teams needed to explore Light Gates and avoid ambushes, and Mei Duo said other guild teams brought scouts too.
• Mei Duo told Luo Wenshan that they had to wait for an inspector to confirm the Light Gate was safe before specialists could survey it for resources.
• Inspector Dahuang arrived in an expensive car, jumped out as an armored yellow-and-white dog, and ran into the Light Gate.
• Luo Wenshan watched the dog disappear and asked Mei Duo why a dog could drive.

Luo Wenshan learned that Inspector Dahuang was an animal who could drive, then accidentally addressed it by its private nickname instead of its real name, Huang Chen. As the team drove away, she worried about whether Huang Chen would remember the mistake, and Lin Xiaoyu began explaining how the process around Light Gates worked.

• Fang Ji told Luo Wenshan that Inspector Dahuang was an animal and explained that inspectors could get credentials and custom-made cars.
• Inspector Dahuang emerged from the Light Gate and confirmed that all the Calamity Beasts inside had been eliminated.
• Luo Wenshan called Inspector Dahuang by its nickname to its face, and the others’ reactions made her realize her mistake.
• Fang Ji explained that Inspector Dahuang’s real name was Huang Chen, while Mei Duo and Lin Xiaoyu reassured Luo Wenshan that it might not cause trouble.
• Luo Wenshan asked why inspectors arrived only after a Light Gate had been cleared, and Lin Xiaoyu asked whether she knew how the process worked.

Lin Xiaoyu explained to Luo Wenshan how the Supervision Bureau scouted Light Gates and allocated them to associations or guilds, with guilds obtaining clearing rights through competitive bidding. The Qiming Harbor Guild had paid 15.28 million for its current Light Gate and expected to earn a little over ten million in profit.

• Luo Wenshan admitted she did not know how Light Gates were allocated, so Lin Xiaoyu explained that the Supervision Bureau scouted them and handled high-threat gates itself.
• Mei Duo added that allocating lower-threat Light Gates to civilian martial artists also helped nurture them.
• Lin Xiaoyu explained that guilds bid at auctions organized by the Light Gate Management Committee, while about thirty to forty percent of discovered gates went to the association.
• Mei Duo said Qiming Harbor Guild had paid 15.28 million for its current Light Gate, and Fang Ji compared it with the Dust-Cleansing Brigade’s bid of over twenty million.
• Mei Duo explained that guilds used committee data to estimate resources and maintained a tacit understanding during bidding, so Qiming Harbor Guild expected to make a little over ten million in profit.