Chapter Summaries

Ziyue and Xiao Mingyue found the badly injured Old Man Lu, who revealed that the Chen Household had betrayed and slaughtered the weakened ancient warlocks after stealing their blood essence. A powerful but weakened Dragon King’s pressure then appeared, and Ziyue suspected Liu Yu or Gu Ying had set a trap to stop the Chen Household from withdrawing.

• Ziyue found Old Man Lu hiding in a coral forest and promised to spare him if he shared useful information.
• Old Man Lu explained that the Chen Household had infiltrated the Dragon Palace, seized control of several yakshas, and attacked the ancient warlocks after their blood essence was extracted.
• Old Man Lu revealed that the Chen Household had thirteen transformed dragons, including the Dragon King Breed Chen Baifeng, making a direct fight dangerous for Xiao Mingyue’s group.
• Old Man Lu predicted that the cautious Chen Household would withdraw before the grand formation activated, giving Xiao Mingyue a chance to search for the East Sea Dragon King.
• A powerful, weakened Dragon King’s pressure appeared, and Ziyue suggested Liu Yu or Gu Ying had created a trap to prevent the Chen Household from leaving.
• Ziyue asked Xiao Mingyue whether they should follow the apparent trap.

Chen Baifeng persuaded the Chen Household to investigate the draconic lure, while Xiao Mingyue and Gu Ying also headed toward the Dragon King's location. The three forces converged on Liu Yu, leaving Chen Qing wondering how he planned to face them.

• Chen Baifeng argued that Liu Yu was likely behind the Dragon King's draconic pressure and proposed securing some Chen Household members and legacies before investigating.
• The Chen ancestors put Chen Baifeng in command, and he assigned three elders to evacuate with copied secret arts while the rest advanced toward the lure.
• Xiao Mingyue followed Ziyue toward the Dragon King's location despite Shen Laowu's concerns.
• Gu Ying emerged from the darkness and headed toward the same location, suspecting Liu Yu's ambitions would overreach.
• The Chen Household, Xiao Mingyue's group, and Gu Ying approached from different directions without attacking one another, intending to confront Liu Yu first.
• Chen Qing sensed the three powerful forces closing in and wondered how Liu Yu could withstand them before finishing his work on the Dragon King.

The factions found the East Sea Dragon King guarded by Dragon Palace nobles, but Chen Baifeng discovered that the nobles were severely weakened and stopped Ao Yun’s attack. Liu Yu revealed that he had awakened them with a scant supply of blood essence, leaving Chen Qing to wonder where he had obtained it and what danger it might signal.

• The Chen Household, Xiao Mingyue, and Gu Ying reached the Dragon King and encountered Ao Bo and Ao Yun, who demanded that the humans leave.
• Ao Yun attacked the Chen Household’s eldest ancestor, badly shattering his Baxia body and forcing the household to retreat.
• Chen Baifeng halted Ao Yun’s coral attack and realized that the Dragon Palace nobles were too weak to sustain their power.
• Liu Yu confirmed to Chen Qing that he had awakened the nobles with minimal blood vitality, and Chen Qing tried to determine where Liu Yu had obtained the blood essence.

Chen Baifeng joined forces with Xiao Mingyue and Gu Ying to attack the East Sea princess and her guards, while Chen Qing realized Liu Yu had used the Outer Heaven Demon Statue's blood essence. The princess and elder killed themselves, leaving the Dragon King in tears and an ominous threat looming.

• Chen Baifeng persuaded Xiao Mingyue and Gu Ying to help fight Liu Yu's forces, and they charged into the Dragon Palace formation.
• Xiao Mingyue used the Dragon Shark general's own saber momentum to cut his neck, while Gu Ying slipped past the guards and killed four Dragon Sharks with black ice spikes.
• Gu Ying confronted the East Sea princess and elder, but they pierced their own hearts before he could subdue them.
• The Dragon King shed a tear, and Chen Qing recognized the source of his unease as Liu Yu's use of the Outer Heaven Demon Statue's blood essence.

Liu Yu’s trap infected Xiao Mingyue, Gu Ying, and the East Sea princess’s group with the deadly spores from Thousand Decays, turning the allies against one another. As the Chen Household struggled to hold off the transformed Xiao Mingyue and Gu Ying, Ziyue warned that the infection might not make them collapse.

• Xiao Mingyue and Gu Ying were infected by spores released from the Dragon Shark Fish’s wound and cut away infected flesh to survive.
• Chen Baifeng sealed himself and the Chen Household elders inside a vacuum zone, then attacked Xiao Mingyue and Gu Ying when they charged toward it.
• The East Sea princess and the elders also began mutating as Liu Yu’s plan turned the factions against each other.
• Xiao Mingyue and Gu Ying became heavily deformed but continued attacking the Chen Household, forcing Chen Baifeng and the elders to maintain costly wind spells.
• Ziyue warned Chen Baifeng that the infection might not make Xiao Mingyue and Gu Ying collapse, then admitted she did not know much about it.

Ziyue identified the poisonous blood infecting Xiao Mingyue and Gu Ying as power from the Outer Heaven Demon Statues and led Chen Baifeng toward the Dragon King as their safest refuge. Liu Yu trapped the pursuing forces and spreading blood in sealed spatial fragments, then vowed to uncover Chen Qing’s origins and find him.

• Ziyue explained that the Outer Heaven Demon Statues’ powers spread like viruses and that Xiao Mingyue and Gu Ying would grow stronger as they were corrupted.
• Ziyue deduced that Liu Yu had used Painted Skin Mister to control the Dragon King and that the Dragon King’s vicinity was safe from the divine blood.
• Chen Baifeng opened a wind path toward the Dragon King, and the Chen Household charged through it with Xiao Mingyue and Gu Ying close behind.
• Liu Yu shattered the wind path with a spatial formation, dividing the pursuers and the spreading blood among sealed spatial fragments.
• Liu Yu told Chen Qing that the Dragon Palace would soon be his and promised to uncover Chen Qing’s origins and find him.

The emperor and empress watched the North Sea battle and Xiang Tianyu unleash terrifying giant snakes into the Dragon Palace. Meanwhile, Chen Qing revealed that Wang Ye had survived and that Painted Skin Mister had secretly been the last Ancient Insect, leaving Liu Yu caught in a collision of spatial fragments.

• The emperor praised the foremost imperial preceptor and learned from the empress that the North Sea Plan was proceeding smoothly.
• Xiang Tianyu opened a bronze gate in the North Sea Dragon Palace and unleashed enormous snakes from beyond it.
• Chen Qing challenged Liu Yu’s claim that Wang Ye was only his puppet and explained Liu Yu’s demon-seeding method.
• Chen Qing revealed that Wang Ye had been waiting nearby and used Flying Star to guide Xiao Mingyue and Gu Ying’s spatial cages toward Liu Yu.
• Chen Qing deduced that Painted Skin Mister was the last Ancient Insect and had hidden inside Liu Yu.
• Liu Yu twisted Painted Skin Mister’s body, but several spatial fragments crashed together around him.

Liu Yu detonated the energy threaded through the East Sea to escape Xiao Mingyue and destroy the Dragon King, while Chen Baifeng survived through the sacrifice of his ancestors. Liu Yu then reunited with Ziyue, only to discover that Chen Qing had followed her.

• Xiao Mingyue seized Liu Yu and demanded an antidote, but Liu Yu told her no antidote could cure divine blood and escaped through the Dragon King.
• Liu Yu snapped the Thousand Net Threads and detonated their stored energy, engulfing the Dragon King and the East Sea in white light.
• Chen Baifeng was nearly killed by the blast, but his grandfather and other ancestors gave their dragon souls to protect him and entrusted the Chen Household's future to him.
• Liu Yu met Ziyue far from the explosion and challenged her over why she had not searched for him after realizing he survived.
• Ziyue and Liu Yu argued about their past, and Chen Qing appeared behind her, surprising Liu Yu.

Chen Qing confronted the fully corrupted Xiao Mingyue after discovering that Liu Yu’s spatial techniques had let the divine blood infect his Evening Elephant and the surrounding land. He sealed himself inside a wall of wind with Xiao Mingyue and prepared to fight, while honoring her choice not to unleash her Red Lotus Karmic Fire and destroy humanity.

• Chen Qing explained that forces beyond the heavens could bypass Liu Yu’s spatial defenses, and Liu Yu blamed Chen Qing for giving the divine blood an opening.
• Ziyue revealed that Liu Yu’s Evening Elephant had been corrupted since his first attempt to trap the divine blood, and explained how his spatial techniques had allowed the enemy to reach him.
• Chen Qing summoned a trident from a vast current of wind as Xiao Mingyue emerged from the spatial rupture and corrupted the land around her.
• Chen Qing declared that Xiao Mingyue had protected humanity by withholding her Red Lotus Karmic Fire, then vowed to clean up Liu Yu’s mess one last time.
• Chen Qing enclosed himself and Xiao Mingyue within a wall of wind, formed dragon-scale armor, and formally bid farewell to the eldest princess of Great Jin.

Ziyue and the watchers struggled to identify Chen Qing, whose words suggested a connection to the Development Team, while Chen Qing fought Xiao Mingyue and discovered that another presence was speaking through her. The chapter left Chen Qing’s origins unresolved as the old man and young man debated whether he could be their missing lead designer.

• Ziyue wondered whether Chen Qing was a pioneer, Chen Xiaopang, or another member of the Development Team, since he was not among the people she and the King of Qin had found.
• Chen Qing struggled to hit Xiao Mingyue, whose martial skill let her repeatedly wear down his dragon scales with corrosive fire poison.
• Xiao Mingyue questioned where Chen Qing’s power came from, then revealed that someone else was speaking through her and asked whether he belonged to the King of Qin’s people.
• Two hidden observers agreed Chen Qing did not seem to be one of their people and ruled out Chen Xiaopang and Xiaohui as his identity.
• The old man noted that Chen Qing sounded like the young man, the Development Team’s lead designer, when he spoke of cleaning up Xiaopang’s messes.

Chen Qing defeated the entity possessing Xiao Mingyue with a sword technique she had taught him, and Xiao Mingyue regained control of her body. A white-clad man who looked exactly like Chen Qing appeared, then crushed Xiao Mingyue’s head as he passed.

• The emperor and empress discussed the danger of the divine blood and the King of Qin’s Abyssal Extreme Cold technique, while the emperor hoped Chen Qing would win.
• Chen Qing struggled against the entity controlling Xiao Mingyue, which mocked his fighting ability and reminisced about earlier cycles of the world.
• Chen Qing challenged the entity to a single move and beheaded it with Xiao Mingyue’s Three Scorching Wind Forms.
• The entity threatened Chen Qing and mentioned a passage before Xiao Mingyue expelled its consciousness and regained control.
• Xiao Mingyue praised Chen Qing’s swordsmanship and greeted a returning man in white who looked exactly like him.
• The white-clad man ignored Xiao Mingyue’s affection and crushed her head beneath his foot.

Chen Qing learned from the King of Qin that this world was built on the game’s original model and that its powerful ancient beings were largely controlled by players. The King of Qin explained that reincarnation cost players their memories, while the pioneers’ pursuit of immortality had turned the world into one where the strong preyed on the weak, leaving latecomers like him and Ziyue dispossessed.

• Chen Qing recognized the King of Qin, who confirmed that they had met before but that this was Chen Qing’s first time seeing him.
• Ziyue questioned the King of Qin for killing Xiao Mingyue despite her devotion, and he said Xiao Mingyue was beyond saving and that he could take over her forces.
• The King of Qin showed Chen Qing a model of the world that matched the game’s original design, prompting Chen Qing to suspect that he and Ziyue were connected to the project team.
• The King of Qin explained that the pioneers arrived in the ancient era and used endless reincarnation to find ways to contend with ancient beings.
• The King of Qin revealed that players now controlled most powerful ancient beings, but their pursuit of immortality and power had made them fight over scarce resources.
• The King of Qin said that reincarnation gradually erased players’ memories, while he, A Li, and Ziyue had arrived too late to rise and had been forced into repeated reincarnations.

The King of Qin explained how players could become ancient demons and described his plan to stop the Ancient Revival by controlling humanity and sealing the demons. He concluded that the people of this world were unworthy of cooperation, leaving Chen Qing to consider whether humanity could be trusted to resist the ancients.

• Chen Qing asked the King of Qin how he had survived in this world, and the King explained that outsiders could take the place of reincarnating demons by killing them.
• The King of Qin described how he had unified the Central Plains, allied with the great clans, and sealed the ancients to give humanity time to grow.
• Chen Qing agreed that the King of Qin's plan had been reasonable, but remained wary of his motives and his connection to A Li.
• The King of Qin said his plan had failed because the great clans rebelled out of greed and his supporters turned against him after learning he was a demon.
• The King of Qin asked Chen Qing whether humans were worth cooperating with, arguing that both the powerful and the common people had betrayed him.

The King of Qin argued that Chen Qing’s plan to strengthen humanity would eventually provoke conflict with the demons and chief gods, then proposed that they rule the living world and Underworld together. When Chen Qing asked for his name, the King of Qin said he was Pu Yunchuan, leaving Chen Qing stunned.

• The King of Qin warned Chen Qing that humans would eventually challenge demonic chief gods, and Chen Qing doubted whether humanity was worth supporting.
• The King of Qin explained that the Ghost Domain had blocked his reincarnation, but Chen Qing’s arrival opened a passage that let him hide inside Chen Qing.
• The King of Qin revealed that he had initially planned to take Chen Qing’s body, but offered instead to rule the living world while Chen Qing presided over the Underworld.
• Chen Qing asked what the King of Qin intended to do and what his name had been in their former world.
• The King of Qin identified himself as Pu Yunchuan, and Chen Qing reacted with shock.

Chen Qing investigated why the King of Qin and Ziyue seemed unfamiliar with the Divine Path Style, then heard the King of Qin's plan to control reincarnation and treat humanity as livestock. He rejected the proposal and attacked.

• Chen Qing recognized the King of Qin as Pu Yunchuan and Ziyue as Mu Ling'er, then realized several people connected to the game had suffered serious misfortune before the Divine Path Style launched.
• Ziyue said the Development Team had fifteen members, leading Chen Qing to suspect their memories came from before the game launched.
• Chen Qing pretended not to know who he was and agreed in principle to cooperate, while asking about the King of Qin's plans.
• The King of Qin said he would give most divine positions to Dragon Palace demons and use control of reincarnation to negotiate with the ancient beings, keeping humanity as nourishment.
• Chen Qing called the King of Qin a new evil dragon, refused the deal, and struck.

Chen Qing was defeated by the King of Qin but Ziyue freed him and joined his side, refusing to let humanity be treated as livestock. Chen Qing and Mr. Heavenly Secrets were pulled into the Heavenly Secrets Cave, leaving Ziyue to protect Jiangnan until Chen Qing returned.

• The King of Qin froze Chen Qing with the profound ice of the Heavenly Extremity Abyss and explained why he planned to abandon humanity.
• Ziyue shattered the ice, rejected the King of Qin's plan, and helped Chen Qing attack him.
• The King of Qin called on Heavenly Secrets to kill Chen Qing, but Heavenly Secrets instead entered the Heavenly Secrets Cave with him, sending them into the void.
• Chen Qing invested Ziyue as the Great Emperor of the Central Heaven's Purple Tenuity North Pole and asked her to protect Jiangnan.
• Ziyue agreed to cover the first half of the night, and Chen Qing recognized her as Mu Ling'er.

The giant serpents protected the Northern Wasteland kingdoms from demons in exchange for human sacrifices, while the Murong Family debated whether to flee to Jiangnan. The chief elder warned that dependence on sacrifices would drive the kingdoms to war, leaving the family itself at risk.

• A Northern Desolation Kingdom delegation delivered healthy human captives to a giant serpent and received demon flesh in return.
• The giant serpent warned the old priest to bring stronger sacrifices, recalling how it had punished a kingdom that delivered starved captives.
• Murong Yunbo welcomed his granddaughter back from Jiangnan and asked what its people had said.
• A Murong Family elder questioned whether they should still migrate, since the serpents’ demon flesh could strengthen the family.
• Murong Yunbo argued that rising slave prices would lead to wars for captives and could eventually leave the Murong Family sacrificed to the serpents.

Beiyu, Murong Qingxue, and other Northern Wasteland youths discussed how the giant snakes were driving human sacrifice and likely preparing to provoke another war. Their efforts to persuade their families to flee seemed hopeless, until news from the capital revealed that Wutu Muer had asked to marry Xiao Mingxue, Chen Qing’s betrothed.

• Beiyu and the other youths discussed noble families abducting ordinary people to supply human sacrifices and predicted that war would break out in the Northern Wasteland within two months.
• Beiyu explained that the giant snakes were using Earth Spirit and human suffering to manipulate people, while Murong Qingxue agreed that the ancient powers would keep humanity at war.
• Beiyu urged the youths to get their families out before the fighting began, but they admitted they had little influence over their elders.
• A youth revealed that his family had secretly maintained contact with the Wang Household in the capital through deathsworn messengers.
• The youth reported that Wutu Muer had asked to marry Xiao Mingxue, prompting Beiyu and the others to question the imperial court’s intentions while Chen Qing remained absent.

Ziyue assessed Jiangnan’s rapid growth and the divisions threatening its coalition while Chen Qing remained missing. After hearing that news from the capital had spread, she called the seven prefectures’ Underworld leaders and Princess Ao Zhen to Liuzhou.

• Ziyue learned that people across the capital were discussing newly released news and ordered the Underworld leaders of the seven prefectures and Princess Ao Zhen to gather in Liuzhou.
• Ziyue reviewed how Jiangnan had secured the West Sea and half the North Sea Dragon Palace, revived its troops, resettled northerners, and rapidly expanded its armies and research.
• Ziyue recognized that Tian Heng’s unequal distribution of the Power of Faith had fueled resentment among the Dragon Palace forces, with Ao Zhen keeping them in check.
• Ziyue noted that the West Sea and Xu Hu’s Fighter Army were clashing over limited resources as they pursued expansion and defended the North Sea.
• Ziyue realized that Chen Qing’s absence and her own lack of authority left her unable to resolve Jiangnan’s disputes, and she wondered what the capital intended by releasing the news.

Jiangnan’s leaders realized the court was testing whether Chen Qing was absent by spreading news of a Southern Barbarian prince seeking Xiao Mingxue’s hand. Unable to contact Chen Qing, they decided to use A Li as his stand-in to marry Xiao Mingxue and bring her to Jiangnan, with Ao Zhen assigned as escort.

• Master Shen San warned that a traitor within Jiangnan’s faction might exploit Chen Qing’s absence and that the court was testing whether he was away.
• The officials discussed the danger of Jiangnan’s divided factions and the rumor that a Southern Barbarian prince had proposed to Xiao Mingxue.
• Ziyue argued that Jiangnan had to respond firmly to protect Chen Qing’s dignity and proposed finding someone to stand in for him.
• Ziyue nominated A Li to impersonate Chen Qing and marry Xiao Mingxue, prompting Chen Ying to object because she distrusted the Thousand-Faced Fox.
• Ao Zhen was assigned to escort A Li, and Master Shen San supported Ziyue’s proposal.