Recaps

Zhou Zhenguo argued that Great Xia needed to reduce its heavy losses by luring Calamity Beasts into ambushes, but Li Boyuan and most of the officers opposed the risky plan. The meeting ended in a heated debate, with Zhou Zhenguo frustrated that the others would not accept the need to take risks.

• Zhou Zhenguo challenged the officers to consider the national burden of more than five thousand casualties in one battle and the enormous losses Great Xia suffered each month.
• Zhou Zhenguo proposed using the battles at Eagle-Sorrow Ravine and Frontier-Pacifying City as models, scouting Calamity Beast movements and luring them into ambushes.
• Li Boyuan objected that the plan depended on uncertain timing and routes and could leave the bait unit trapped or the ambush ineffective.
• Other officers debated the proposed ambushes, with some supporting them as a way to reduce casualties and others warning that a failed operation could cause even greater losses.
• Most officers opposed Zhou Zhenguo's plan, and he grew irritated as the discussion became heated.

At a military seminar, Zhou Zhenguo presented a valley ambush plan for luring the Calamity Beasts away from Shuofang City. The proposal had four votes in favor and three opposed before Shen Heng declared that he opposed it, leaving the decision unsettled.

• Zhou Zhenguo called on Cheng Lixuan, who voiced reservations and redirected the discussion to Shen Heng.
• Shen Heng asked Zhou Zhenguo whether he had a concrete plan, prompting Zhou to reveal a map and photographs of a valley northeast of Shuofang City.
• Zhou Zhenguo explained how a small reconnaissance force could lure the Calamity Beasts into the valley, where forces on the ridges could attack them.
• Li Boyuan questioned whether the beasts would enter the valley, while Shen Heng studied the terrain and judged it might be the best available location.
• The officers voted, with four in favor, three opposed, and Liang Yanhao abstaining; Shen Heng then said he opposed the plan.

Shen Heng explained why he wanted to delay Elder Zhou’s plan to ambush the Calamity Beast, despite its better-than-even chance of success. He and Han Ling were interrupted by the Stone-Armored Beast, which greeted Han Ling and then recognized Shen Heng.

• Han Ling told Shen Heng she thought Elder Zhou’s prepared ambush plan was worth trying, and Shen Heng said she should speak her mind rather than follow his preferences.
• Shen Heng asked Han Ling to trust her own judgment if he ever privately urged her to oppose a plan supported by most people, and Han Ling said she trusted his instincts.
• Shen Heng explained that even a successful ambush would offer little beyond temporary relief, while leaving them with few chances to ambush the Calamity Beast again and many ways for the plan to fail.
• Shen Heng decided they should postpone Elder Zhou’s plan, though he said it might still be used later, and reassured Han Ling that Elder Zhou would not take his opposition personally.
• The Stone-Armored Beast ran up to Shen Heng and Han Ling, greeted Han Ling, and then recognized Shen Heng.

Shen Heng trained the Stone-Armored Beast, criticizing its slow progress in combat techniques before sparring with it. Knocked flat, the beast reflected on its former life in the Ruins Realm and realized it no longer wanted to return.

• The Stone-Armored Beast showed its trust in humans by staying close to Han Ling, and Shen Heng noted that it could now join the war without constant supervision.
• Shen Heng took the Stone-Armored Beast to the training ground and questioned its progress on three B-Class combat techniques and Threefold Force.
• The Stone-Armored Beast admitted it had not mastered Armor-Shattering Claw or the third layer of Threefold Force, and Shen Heng challenged it to spar.
• The Stone-Armored Beast charged Shen Heng, who quickly knocked it down.
• Staring at the sky, the Stone-Armored Beast remembered life in the Ruins Realm and concluded that it no longer wanted to go back.

Zhou Xuan watched a military-managed martial arena match and teased Lü Wenrui about losing a large bet. He then invited Lü Wenrui to join him on a hunt for Calamity Beasts, leaving Lü Wenrui to consider the proposal.

• Zhou Xuan watched soldiers spar in the martial arena, where the military district regulated fights and betting.
• Lü Wenrui lost his bet, and Zhou Xuan teased him about it and his luck-based ability.
• Lü Wenrui said he had lost eight Fourth Tier Origin Crystals so far.
• Zhou Xuan invited Lü Wenrui to gather people and hunt Calamity Beasts for more Origin Crystals.

Lü Wenrui agreed to join Zhou Xuan on a hunting excursion so he could use his saved-up luck to earn more Origin Crystals. Xu Yu’s squad received approval to explore the Erosion Zone, and Zhou Xuan then applied to take his own squad out as well.

• Zhou Xuan persuaded Lü Wenrui to go hunting by arguing that a successful excursion would bring Origin Crystals for betting, while a poor haul would leave his luck intact for the next battle.
• Shen Heng approved Xu Yu’s squad to explore northwest for about 1,500 km and told them to try to return within ten days.
• Xu Yu told Shen Heng he pursued strength and military rank so he could protect more people.
• After Xu Yu left, Shen Heng reflected on his own reasons for fighting and considered Xu Yu’s strong performance as a Full Moon Star.
• Zhou Xuan entered Shen Heng’s office and applied for a hunting excursion.

Zhou Xuan asked Shen Heng for permission to hunt with Lü Wenrui, but Shen Heng rejected the application until they found a scout. After Zhou Xuan left, Shen Heng reviewed the dangers and rules governing hunting zones before someone arrived at his office.

• Zhou Xuan told Shen Heng he wanted to go hunting with Lü Wenrui, and Shen Heng advised them to recruit a scout.
• Shen Heng rejected their application until Zhou Xuan submitted a new one with a scout, and he reminded him to return within ten days.
• Shen Heng explained that hunters needed approval to enter designated zones and that even the buffer zone contained dangerous fourth-tier Calamity Beasts.
• Someone knocked and came to Shen Heng's office to speak with him.

Shen Heng and the others buried the fallen soldiers in a mountain hollow, where Kuang Jie mourned Zhao Ming and asked whether their sacrifices meant anything. The story then shifted to Shen Shuning arriving in the Grassland Erosion Zone and staring at its immense defenses.

• Zhou Zhenguo, Li Boyuan, Shen Heng, and the soldiers buried the fallen in an unmarked grave near Shuofang City.
• Zhou Zhenguo, Li Boyuan, and Shen Heng reflected on the soldiers’ deaths before heading back to their duties.
• Shen Heng joined Kuang Jie at the grave, remembered Zhao Ming, and apologized for being unable to protect him.
• Kuang Jie broke down in tears and asked Shen Heng whether sacrifices like theirs meant anything; Shen Heng told him they would.
• Shen Shuning arrived in the Grassland Erosion Zone, where metal buildings, massive walls, and drones filled the landscape.

Shen Shuning and Xiao Bai'er explored the Grassland Erosion Zone with the second batch of students, marveling at its technology and military defenses. Their instructor explained why giant combat robots were impractical and began introducing the Erosion Zone.

• Xiao Bai'er pointed out the base's robots, weapons, and Origin Power vehicles while Shen Shuning took in the Light Gate and the surrounding defenses.
• Shen Shuning and Xiao Bai'er lamented that Xingyu had been transferred away and would not be with their group of students entering the Erosion Zone.
• A student asked whether the Erosion Zone had Gundams, and the instructor explained that its construction robots were not combat machines.
• The instructor said giant robots had been abandoned for combat because they consumed too many resources and Calamity Beasts quickly targeted them, while drones and robot dogs were cheaper to deploy.
• The instructor said the Research Department was still developing powered armor in the direction of Iron Man, then began explaining the Grassland Erosion Zone.

An instructor explained why corps-level combat was the least disastrous way to fight inside Erosion Zones, despite its heavy casualties. Shen Shuning and the students learned that the war offered no real choice, as elite duels would cost more high-tier personnel and could leave humanity unable to face the Ruins Realm’s invasion.

• The students watched a long procession of wounded soldiers leaving the Grassland Erosion Zone, and the instructor warned them that surviving an Erosion Zone was already fortunate.
• Shen Shuning asked whether small elite squads could replace corps-level combat, and the instructor explained that Calamity Beasts would counter them with high-tier fighters.
• Shen Shuning outlined the possible outcomes of high-tier duels and showed that only one outcome would benefit humanity, while the others brought losses or no gain.
• The instructor said that fewer deaths among ordinary fighters would mean more high-tier personnel lost, leaving humanity less able to confront future threats.
• The instructor concluded that humanity had never truly had a choice in how to fight the war.

Shen Shuning and Xiao Bai'er enjoyed a welcoming banquet in the Grassland Erosion Zone, where Southern Martial Arts' student council president explained the new military ranking insignia. The gathering learned that the president's father worked in Long Wind City, one of the cities deep inside the zone.

• Shen Shuning and Xiao Bai'er ate Calamity Beast meat and relaxed with the other newcomers at the banquet.
• A newcomer asked about the three-star insignia on their sleeves, and Southern Martial Arts' student council president explained the seventeen military ranks.
• Xiao Bai'er remarked that their insignia placed them at the third rank, while Shen Shuning noted that not everyone could attain the highest rank.
• A student asked how the president knew about the ranking system, and he revealed that his father worked in Long Wind City.
• The students reacted with surprise when they learned the president had a family connection to a city deep inside the Grassland Erosion Zone.

The Southern Martial Arts Student Council president explained the students’ likely first assignments in the Erosion Zone and warned them about powerful Calamity Beasts near the base. He said high-tier beasts had guarded the area since an incident in the Plateau Erosion Zone half a year earlier, but he did not know what had happened.

• The student council president answered questions about the Erosion Zone, while Shen Shuning urged Xiao Bai'er to listen and remember the information.
• The president guessed that students would progress from hunting nearby Calamity Beasts to supply transport missions and eventually frontline service.
• He warned everyone not to approach within 50 km of the base’s main gate because a sixth-tier Calamity Beast and several third- and fourth-tier beasts were there.
• The president said the base likely could not deal with the sixth-tier beast because Chairman Jiang, Great Xia’s strongest person, was only sixth tier.
• He explained that high-tier Calamity Beasts had begun guarding the base after an incident in the Plateau Erosion Zone half a year earlier, though he did not know the details.

At a banquet, Shen Shuning learned more about the dangers of the Erosion Zone and discussed forming a hunting team with Cao Bingli. She and Xiao Bai'er talked about romance before Xiao Bai'er asked about Shen Shuning’s younger brother, whom she had not seen in two years.

• Shen Shuning considered the risks of the Erosion Zone after hearing about injured soldiers, a Sixth Tier Calamity Beast, and the Plateau Erosion Zone.
• Cao Bingli asked whether Shen Shuning would form a team, and she said she might invite him if they needed someone on the front line.
• Shen Shuning told Xiao Bai'er that she had already tried to discourage Cao Bingli, and Xiao Bai'er advised her to say plainly that she did not like him.
• Shen Shuning and Xiao Bai'er discussed the kinds of people they might like, though neither had a clear answer.
• Xiao Bai'er asked whether Shen Shuning’s younger brother supported their family, and Shen Shuning said he was busy and she had not seen him at home for two years.

Shen Shuning and Xiao Bai'er discussed Shen Heng’s wealth and joked about introducing him to Xiao Bai'er, then met Lin Yuchuan, the former Southern Martial Arts Student Council president. The chapter ended with Lin Yuchuan greeting Xiao Bai'er, leaving her wondering if he had come for her.

• Shen Shuning told Xiao Bai'er that Shen Heng had supported their family, transferred her 500,000, and bought them a home in Lan Court.
• Xiao Bai'er joked that she wanted Shen Shuning to introduce her to Shen Heng, then said she could teach him to cultivate for his health.
• Lin Yuchuan introduced himself to Shen Shuning and shook her hand.
• Xiao Bai'er noticed Cao Bingli being held back by classmates as Lin Yuchuan reached out to greet her.
• Xiao Bai'er wondered if Lin Yuchuan had come for her.

Lin Yuchuan introduced his A-Class ability, Two Me, to Shen Shuning and Xiao Bai'er, then explained why he had skipped the training camp. He revealed that he explored Light Gates through a channel outside the state, and Shen Shuning asked whether he had joined an external guild.

• Lin Yuchuan approached Shen Shuning and Xiao Bai'er, asked about their views on forming teams, and learned they were waiting for the base's official announcement.
• Lin Yuchuan described his A-Class ability, Two Me, which let him superimpose a version of himself from any moment in the past month onto his present self.
• Shen Shuning and Xiao Bai'er introduced their A-Class abilities, Moonlight and Magnetic Rail, respectively.
• Shen Shuning asked Lin Yuchuan why he had not attended the training camp, and he explained that he could explore Light Gates through channels other than the state.
• Shen Shuning asked Lin Yuchuan whether he had joined an external guild.

Lin Yuchuan explained that he had explored dangerous wild Light Gates with a team of fourth-tier martial artists, while Zhou Xuan and Lü Wenrui fled three fifth-tier Calamity Beasts through the Plateau Erosion Zone. The scout they carried tried to explain Lü Wenrui’s unexplained encounter with the beasts using coin-flip probability, and Zhou Xuan cut him off as their pursuers continued closing in.

• Lin Yuchuan told Shen Shuning and Xiao Bai'er that he had explored wild Light Gates with a team, which lost three members despite having five fourth-tier martial artists.
• Shen Shuning and Xiao Bai'er reacted to the danger of wild Light Gates, and Lin Yuchuan argued that martial artists accepted risks for substantial rewards.
• Zhou Xuan fled with Lü Wenrui and a scout while three Calamity Beasts pursued them through the Plateau Erosion Zone.
• Zhou Xuan questioned Lü Wenrui about the three pursuing fifth-tier Calamity Beasts, but Lü Wenrui said he did not know why they had appeared.
• The scout tried to explain the encounter with a coin-flip analogy, and Zhou Xuan told him to stop talking as they continued their escape.

Zhou Xuan and Lü Wenrui fled three Fifth Tier Calamity Beasts while Zhou Xuan struggled against a mental attack and tried to identify the Arcane Lizard. Zhou Xuan turned to face the pursuers with a lightning feint to help them escape, but one of the Calamity Beasts saw through his trick.

• Zhou Xuan and Lü Wenrui fled a Gloomlight Butterfly, an Arcane Lizard, and an Earth-Splitting Bear while the Arcane Lizard attacked their minds.
• Lü Wenrui recognized the Arcane Lizard as a notorious Fifth Tier beast from the forum, while Zhou Xuan wondered where he had seen it before.
• Zhou Xuan handed the scout to Lü Wenrui and flew backward to confront the pursuing beasts.
• Zhou Xuan unleashed a weak-looking wave of purple lightning to distract the Calamity Beasts and help them escape.
• One of the Calamity Beasts warned the others that Zhou Xuan was tricking them and urged them to charge through.

Zhou Xuan and Lü Wenrui escaped the Calamity Beasts by tricking them with a weak lightning net and burrowing underground. The Two-Horned Lizard resumed discussing the Lion King's plan, while privately worrying about keeping up its act as a powerful, selfless leader.

• Zhou Xuan and Lü Wenrui landed, and Zhou Xuan switched from the Thunder God to the Earth God before the Arcane Lizard's mental attack briefly stopped him.
• Zhou Xuan pressed Origin Power into the ground and sank underground, escaping the pursuing Calamity Beasts.
• The Two-Horned Lizard stopped the Earth-Splitting Bear from pursuing and explained that the humans had escaped too far to catch.
• The Two-Horned Lizard said the humans had little time to warn others about the Lion King's plan, and the Gloomlight Butterfly accepted its explanation.
• The Two-Horned Lizard concealed its fatigue and urged the others to find a solution before more Calamity Beasts were sacrificed, earning their reverence.

Zhao Yuan’s squad celebrated an unusually successful hunt and discussed the growing gap between themselves and Captain Shen. Xu Yu argued that higher-tier cultivation required more Origin Power and Configuration optimization, while the squad also praised his leadership; they ended without learning how Shen had advanced so quickly.

• Zhao Yuan and her squad counted thirty-seven Calamity Beasts killed, including seven fourth-tier beasts and one fifth-tier beast, and credited Lu Ning’s improved detection range for their haul.
• Chen Zhuo wondered whether the squad would fall further behind Captain Shen because Shen earned more Origin Crystals per campaign.
• Xu Yu explained that advancement slowed at higher tiers and that warriors above the fourth tier also had to optimize their Configuration.
• Chen Zhuo asked how Shen had reached such a high tier at age twenty-three, and Xiao Yu jokingly claimed strange heavenly signs had appeared at Shen’s birth.
• Zhao Yuan and the others praised Xu Yu for protecting them from the Sharp-Winged Bird and Flying Thunder Ape, and Lu Ning acknowledged that Xu Yu had saved his life.

Xu Yu’s squad debated whether they would rather become Xu Yu or Captain Shen, joking about strength, loyalty, and special treatment. Lu Ning questioned whether Captain Shen was actually happy, and Zhao Yuan quietly pointed to the pressure he carried.

• Xu Yu’s squad praised Captain Shen’s power, while Xu Yu awkwardly redirected their praise back to the discussion.
• Xiao Yu suggested that everyone choose whether they would rather become Xu Yu or Captain Shen.
• Zhao Yuan and Chen Zhuo chose Xu Yu so they could stay with their squad, while Xiao Yu chose Captain Shen so he could later give his friends special treatment.
• Zhao Yuan warned Xiao Yu that she could not handle Captain Shen’s dangerous missions, so he offered to take her hunting after major battles.
• Lu Ning asked whether Captain Shen was happy, and the squad fell silent as they recalled how little genuine happiness they had seen in him.
• Zhao Yuan lowered her head and murmured that Captain Shen was under pressure.

Xu Yu’s team noticed that Calamity Beasts had become more numerous and stronger in the Erosion Zone, so they planned to capture some alive and investigate. Meanwhile, Shen Heng watched a live-action Naruto play staged for soldiers.

• Lu Ning sensed three Calamity Beasts southwest of the camp, including one that might be fifth tier.
• Xu Yu pointed out that the team had encountered unusually many high-quality Calamity Beasts during the trip.
• Chen Zhuo suggested that the Ruins Realm might be deploying more beasts, while Xu Yu warned that another unknown cause was possible.
• Xu Yu decided the team would approach the beasts and try to capture them alive for interrogation if they could handle them.
• Xiao Yu joked that they were protagonists uncovering an enemy plot, and Chen Zhuo asked Xu Yu if he had been reborn or transmigrated.
• Shen Heng watched a live-action play in which a performer dressed as Naruto fought figures in black robes.

Shen Heng watched a staged battle between Naruto and Pain turn into Hinata’s desperate attempt to protect Naruto. The performance ended with Naruto transforming into the Nine-Tails and threatening Pain.

• Pain knocked Naruto down and pinned her with a black rod while explaining his reasons for destroying Konoha.
• Hinata rushed in to protect Naruto and spoke of how Naruto had inspired her to keep going.
• Hinata fought Pain despite being badly outmatched, repeatedly getting back up until she finally collapsed.
• The spectators urged Naruto to protect Hinata, but the soldier playing Naruto lay frozen and watched her fall.
• Naruto transformed into the Nine-Tails, glared at Pain, and roared that he should never have touched Hinata.

A scene play staged the battle between Naruto’s Nine-Tails and Pain, while Shen Heng and Zhou Zhenguo watched and discussed the performers and practical effects. Shen Heng sensed something from Shuofang City and told Zhou Zhenguo it was time to return.

• The Nine-Tails fought through Pain’s Almighty Push, struck him away, and formed a Tailed Beast Ball as Pain taunted Naruto.
• Zhou Zhenguo praised Stone’s performance, and Shen Heng suggested Stone’s anger was connected to Han Ling playing Hinata.
• The battle grew fierce, but the soldier playing Pain used stiff, calisthenics-like moves that amused the onlookers.
• Shen Heng explained that soldiers around the hollow were creating most of the battle’s environmental effects.
• Shen Heng looked toward Shuofang City, then told Zhou Zhenguo it was time to head back.

After hunting teams returned early with injuries, Shen Heng, Zhou Zhenguo, and Li Boyuan investigated and confirmed that Calamity Beasts had grown more numerous and stronger. As they considered the beasts’ possible plans, Shen Heng decided to head out for a different reason, which he began to explain.

• Shen Heng told Zhou Zhenguo that two hunting teams had returned early, and he left the performance with Zhou Zhenguo and Li Boyuan to investigate.
• Chen Hua reported that his squad had fought a difficult fifth-tier Calamity Beast, suffered an injury, and withdrawn; he then recounted the squad’s route and encounters.
• After questioning another squad, Shen Heng, Zhou Zhenguo, and Li Boyuan concluded that the number and strength of Calamity Beasts in the area had increased.
• Zhou Zhenguo and Li Boyuan discussed possible enemy plans and whether capturing a beast could reveal them, then decided to send their findings to the base.
• When Zhou Zhenguo urged caution about going out to investigate, Shen Heng said he planned to head out for another reason and began to explain.

Xu Yu’s squad realized that the Calamity Beasts might be trying to isolate their cities by cutting off supply lines, which could leave the defenders trapped and vulnerable. The squad split up: most returned to report the threat, while Xu Yu and Lu Ning went to investigate the Calamity Beasts’ intended destination.

• Xiao Yu and the squad learned from a Calamity Beast that the Ruins Realm was trying to cut off the supply lines to their two cities.
• Zhao Yuan and Xu Yu explained that shortages of personnel and ammunition could force the cities into a cycle of starvation and costly battles against repeated beast tides.
• Xiao Yu urged the squad to return and report the threat to Captain Shen and the base.
• Xu Yu stopped the squad on the way back and decided to investigate the destination of the Calamity Beast they had questioned.
• Zhao Yuan agreed to Xu Yu’s plan, and Xu Yu took Lu Ning with him while the others headed back to report their findings and his concerns.