Chapter Summaries

Su Wen accepted the River of Space-Time’s costly offer to gain the peak Battle God’s power, then decided to train by beating the Battle God. The chapter ended as Su Wen prepared to unleash Forbidden Magic and four Talisman Treasures on him.

• Su Wen agreed to pay five hundred thousand Wealth Source for the power of the peak Battle God, seeing it as a way to protect Huaxia and confront its enemies.
• Su Wen took goji berries and tea from Old Master Theater God, then asked the Battle God to practice with him.
• The Battle God agreed to spar alone, believing Su Wen’s attacks would be less painful than those of the Theater God and Star God.
• Su Wen trapped the Battle God in a Forbidden Magic Space Cage and explained that it would compress the enclosed space until it crushed him.
• Su Wen told the Battle God that being beaten would help him grow stronger, then summoned his magic book and four Talisman Treasures to begin the attack.

Su Wen used four supreme-grade talisman treasures to temper and strengthen the Battle God, while a powerful figure in the Holy Spirit Realm discovered that the Battle God had gained a chance to transcend and summoned Meng Qi to help prevent it. The chapter left Meng Qi eager to accept the task after being promised that her clan could send three people to the Holy Spirit Blessed Land.

• Su Wen unleashed four supreme-grade talisman treasures and forbidden spells to heal and temper the Battle God's body, soul, consciousness, and senses.
• The Battle God endured the painful training and recognized that Su Wen's methods were making him stronger, though he doubted they were ordinary training.
• An indistinct figure in the Holy Spirit Realm divined that the Battle God's fate had changed and learned he had gained a chance to transcend.
• The figure saw that the Flower Calamity Clan and Weili Clan had planted gu in the Battle God's perineum and feared they would put him on his guard.
• The figure summoned Meng Qi of the Dream Aspect Clan and offered her clan entry for three people into the Holy Spirit Blessed Land if she completed his request.

An unseen figure ordered two golden-robed men to use a fragment of combat-rule power and a destiny treasure to create Battle God’s ideal lover and destroy him without killing him, while secretly resolving that Martial God must die. Su Wen returned with the battered Battle God, and a later account explained how Star God and Theater God differed in what they sought to protect.

• An ancestor gave two golden-robed men a combat-rule fragment and ordered them to work with the Dream Aspect Clan to create Battle God’s perfect lover and cripple him without killing him.
• The ancestor suffered a severe backlash after divining the God of Wealth and decided Martial God must die, while insisting Battle God’s soul be preserved if he was killed.
• Su Wen and the badly injured Battle God returned to the office, where healing magic and the Lightning Talisman Treasure helped restore Battle God.
• Battle God asked Su Wen why he had beaten him, but Su Wen said he would explain after Star God and Theater God emerged from seclusion.
• Battle God resumed reading a Martial Dao book, while Su Wen wondered whether Star God and Theater God would also beat him after learning the reason.
• A later account said Star God prioritized the Main Space-Time and the God of Wealth, while Theater God focused on protecting and advancing his own space-time in the present.

Su Wen declined to pay the River of Space-Time for its answers, then watched the Star God and Battle God prepare for a major act that alarmed the Arrow Realm and sparked hopes in Huaxia that the Martial God had returned. The Theater God recognized the Battle God’s path of atonement and headed back to Huaxia, where he was about to meet Su Wen.

• Su Wen decided not to spend three hundred thousand Wealth Source on the River of Space-Time’s answers and planned to save his money for a Battle God blessing.
• The elderly Battle God asked the Star God whether he should reach his peak state, and the Star God agreed.
• The Battle God released a fearsome aura, prompting the Arrow Realm’s Emperor Rank Limit experts to activate their preparations for his possible attack.
• The Star God and Battle God combined their powers, leading Huaxia’s Heavenly Mandate Bearers and martial artists to believe the Martial God might still be alive and returning.
• The Theater God, investigating the Arrow Realm in disguise, realized the Battle God had chosen to atone for his sins and set off for Huaxia to meet Su Wen.

The Theater God brought Su Wen into the Theatrical Phenomena World to study the future’s knowledge while the Star God and Battle God worked through their complicated fusion. As the River of Space-Time offered to accelerate Su Wen’s learning for one million Wealth Source, Su Wen suspected it had raised the price to spite him.

• The Theater God returned and protected Su Wen, the Star God, and the Battle God, then warned that their work could take months or years.
• The Theater God offered Su Wen the chance to study future knowledge in the Theatrical Phenomena World, and Su Wen accepted.
• Su Wen found the world stocked with organized knowledge and training areas, realizing the Theater God had prepared it for him.
• Su Wen began replicating and studying the future’s knowledge, while the River of Space-Time offered to speed his learning and help him develop new Martial Dao theories.
• The River of Space-Time asked Su Wen to pay one million Wealth Source for its offer, and he suspected the price increase was retaliation for calling it black-hearted.

Su Wen asked Sycee whether the River of Space-Time’s purchase suggestions could be refused and learned that, although they were business transactions, his low rank made refusal inadvisable. After the River withdrew its gaze, Su Wen turned to studying and planned to compile books on the Heavenly Mandate Bearer system.

• Su Wen asked Sycee if he could refuse the River of Space-Time’s suggested purchase, and Sycee said he could but generally should not because of his low rank.
• Su Wen asked how much Wealth Source Sycee had saved, but stopped Sycee from answering when he realized the River might learn the stash’s value and raise its prices.
• Su Wen told Sycee he would respect their privacy, while privately considering whether he might later use the hidden Wealth Source.
• After Su Wen refused the River’s suggestion again, the River withdrew its gaze and decided not to make further suggestions before he left that time.
• Su Wen studied the theories he had brought back and decided to begin compiling books on the Heavenly Mandate Bearer system.

Su Wen told Sycee to study audiovisual arts so future projections would be easier to watch, then put him to work fetching snacks. Wealth Spirit returned from the Insect Spirit Clan with a King Rank companion and joined the Zither Master's squad for an Arrow Realm mission.

• Su Wen told Sycee to study audiovisual language, film history, theater history, and film and television aesthetics to improve future projections.
• Sycee agreed to study, then brought Su Wen a bag of snacks while Su Wen typed.
• Wealth Spirit returned from the Demon Capital's No. 9 Arrow Realm after the Insect Spirit Clan welcomed him and told him of its ancient ties to Lord God of Wealth.
• Wealth Spirit signed companion contracts with powerful insect spirits, including a King Rank insect spirit.
• Wealth Spirit told the Zither Master he would join the squad on an Arrow Realm mission and protect them with his King Rank companion.

Wealth Spirit told Zither Master that he had King Rank combat power, and the team decided to support North Korea after an Arrow Realm rift triggered an orange alert. Meanwhile, Su Wen explained the mobilization to Battle God, who was left in supreme command, and suggested he could join the mission.

• Wealth Spirit confirmed that he had a King Rank summoned beast, and Zither Master agreed to change the team's mission.
• An orange level-two alert reported that an Arrow Realm rift had opened in North Korea and creatures from four races were emerging.
• Zither Master explained that beings could pass through unstable rifts before an Arrow Realm gateway opened, and the team chose to provide support.
• Zither Master warned the team not to underestimate the incident because North Korea's request for help suggested the threat was serious.
• Battle God learned he had supreme command of the mobilization, and Su Wen clarified that he did not have to participate.
• Battle God suspected Su Wen's undisclosed important matter concerned him, and Su Wen recognized that it did.

Su Wen sent the Battle God to help suppress the Arrow Realm uprising in North Korea while he stayed behind and ordered Sycee to study film history. The Theater God returned from secluded cultivation stronger and explained how he had earned the Arrow Realm’s fear by killing enslavers and enforcing rules among Heavenly Mandate Bearers.

• Su Wen gave the Battle God a spatial mark for emergencies and sent him to the orange-alert crisis near the border.
• Su Wen ordered Sycee to study early films and take notes while he worked on his book at the Martial God workstation.
• The Battle Fury Priest emerged from the Arrow Realm rift in North Korea, introduced himself to the local Heavenly Mandate Bearers, and attacked the beings trying to cross.
• The Theater God returned from secluded cultivation, thanked Su Wen for the Insight Air Mass, and said he could defeat two versions of his former self.
• The Theater God explained that he had earned the Arrow Realm’s fear by killing its enslavers and had stopped Heavenly Mandate Bearers from enslaving one another by enforcing rules.

Su Wen told Theater God about Battle God’s future death and the plot that had set him up, then discussed the prices of the gods’ Insight Air Masses and warned him about the Holy Spirit Clan. As Theater God prepared to act against hostile races, the Star Grand Array above the Imperial Capital suddenly shifted.

• Su Wen told Theater God that Battle God had killed him in the future, explained the Arrow Realm’s plot, and admitted he had beaten Battle God to teach him a lesson.
• Theater God praised Su Wen for beating Battle God and learned that Battle God had already absorbed his Insight Air Mass.
• Su Wen explained that Battle God’s Insight Air Mass was extremely cheap compared with the others, while Star God’s was the most expensive.
• Theater God offered to bring back racial specialties, and Su Wen asked for specialties from the Dream Aspect Clan.
• Theater God warned Su Wen not to trust the Holy Spirit Clan’s excuses and said their actions proved their guilt.
• A rumble sounded as the invisible Star Grand Array above the Imperial Capital began to shift violently.

Su Wen sensed a new connection to the Star Grand Array as the Star God arrived with information about transcending the Emperor Rank. The Star God explained the orthodox path to God Rank and its conditions, leaving the Theater God eager to hear the second way.

• The Theater God discussed using changes to the Star Grand Array to promote the Basic Body Tempering Method, while Su Wen predicted the public would speculate about a spiritual energy revival.
• A powerful wind phenomenon erupted from the Wind God's office, and Su Wen sensed he could exercise basic control over the Star Grand Array.
• The Theater God announced he would visit the Dream Aspect Clan and surprise his friends there.
• The Star God arrived and revealed that insights from the Insight Air Mass had uncovered a way to transcend the Emperor Rank.
• The Star God explained that the first path to God Rank required being chosen by a god, receiving an inheritance, and succeeding to a divine position, but the Theater God asked about the second path.

Star God explained that reaching godhood required either a god’s guidance or a difficult self-forged path through the Demigod realm, but he had no information on how to become a Demigod. Su Wen and Star God agreed to keep improving and seek answers through future transactions, while Star God set out to upgrade the Star Grand Array, which Su Wen suspected would produce a startling surprise.

• Star God told Theater God that he knew two methods of ascending to godhood but did not know how Emperor Rank cultivators could break through to Demigod.
• Star God suggested that they might eventually have to forge their own route to Demigod, but Su Wen urged him to wait because they still had room to improve.
• Theater God left to speak with an old friend from the Dream Aspect Clan, while Star God promised to seek money from the Arrow Realm after adjusting the Star Grand Array.
• Star God said he had many ideas for improving the Star Grand Array, then dissolved his incarnation into starlight.
• Su Wen remarked that the array’s coming surprise might exceed Star God’s expectations.

Su Wen read the Theater God's notes on three ways to become a Demigod and learned that the River of Space-Time's blessing could create the strongest kind. He realized he had already received that blessing twice and was asked whether he would spend Wealth Source to thank it.

• Su Wen entered the Martial God's office and found Sycee eating snacks while watching movies.
• Su Wen read the Theater God's account of how the Martial God obtained a Heavenly Official's explanation of Demigod breakthroughs.
• The Theater God's notes described faith, divine power, and the River of Space-Time's power as three routes to Demigodhood, with the last producing the strongest Demigods.
• Su Wen learned that reaching Emperor Rank Limit would let him advance to the strongest Demigod because the River of Space-Time had already blessed him twice.
• The interface asked whether Su Wen would spend Wealth Source to thank the River of Space-Time and ease his guilt for calling it a black river.

Su Wen considered the River of Space-Time’s demand for payment and opened a channel with it, only to learn that Physical Immortality would cost 10 million Wealth Source Points. The River offered him a loan with steep repayment terms, leaving him suspicious of its promises and unwilling to become indebted.

• Su Wen speculated that the River of Space-Time had granted him Soul Immortality as an advance investment and noted that he had 78,473 Wealth Source Points.
• Su Wen spent 10,000 Wealth Source Points to open a channel with the River of Space-Time, which assessed his Fourth Rank physique and quoted 10 million Wealth Source Points for Physical Immortality.
• The River of Space-Time promised that Su Wen would eventually reach True Godhood if he accepted its contract and did not die.
• Su Wen suspected the contract could conceal a deadly loophole and realized he could not afford the price outright.
• The River of Space-Time offered repayment plans, including a hundred-year loan totaling 48 million Wealth Source Points, and Su Wen recognized the deal as a rip-off.

Su Wen asked Sycee why the River of Space-Time was demanding so much Wealth Source, and Sycee warned him against taking a loan he might not be able to repay. Sycee also suggested that borrowing an enormous sum could force the River to keep him alive and help him earn enough to pay, but Su Wen remained uninterested in borrowing for now.

• Su Wen asked Sycee why the River of Space-Time needed Wealth Source so urgently, and Sycee explained that its unique wares were expensive because it held a monopoly.
• Sycee advised Su Wen not to borrow from the River of Space-Time, warning that declining income could leave him unable to meet the monthly payments.
• Sycee said the River could seize Su Wen’s physical immortality and other valuables if he defaulted, while Su Wen said he had no intention of taking the hundred-year loan.
• Sycee proposed that if Su Wen ever borrowed, he could take trillions or more so the River would have to protect him and provide opportunities to repay.
• Sycee cautioned that such a strategy could leave Su Wen working for the River of Space-Time for the rest of his life.

Su Wen rejected the River of Space-Time’s offer after Sycee explained that Physical Immortality would not make him a Demigod. Theater God's notes revealed that the Heavenly Officials had avoided contact to protect themselves from a deadly threat.

• Sycee warned Su Wen that Physical Immortality would make him hard to kill but would not raise his strength to Demigod level.
• Su Wen decided to reject the River of Space-Time’s deal and pursue steady advancement instead.
• The River of Space-Time accepted Su Wen’s refusal, offered to help settle Wealth Source during his future travels, and expressed disappointment.
• Su Wen reviewed Theater God's notes and learned that black chains had killed the Heavenly Official on duty in Arrow Realm No. 78 shortly after Su Wen and Theater God questioned him.
• Theater God realized the Heavenly Officials had avoided him because they feared for their lives.

Su Wen reasoned that the Heavenly Officials might serve the God of Wealth and be able to return from deaths caused by the black chains, so he planned to question them in Sub-Space-Times. Wondering why Xu Zimin had never appeared in those timelines, he ordered a search and discovered that a Heavenly Mandate Bearer named Xu Zimin worked at headquarters as a statistician.

• Su Wen linked the Heavenly Officials’ willingness to answer the God of Wealth’s questions to their knowledge of his sub-talents and the possibility of resurrection.
• Su Wen decided to ask the Heavenly Officials more questions in future Sub-Space-Times and investigate gaps in the Arrow Realm races’ histories.
• Su Wen noticed that Xu Zimin had never appeared in his Sub-Space-Time explorations and ordered a search for people with that name.
• At Heavenly Mandate Bearer Headquarters, the operator realized her colleague Xu Zimin was a likely match and asked him to help with the search.
• Xu Zimin found that he was the only Heavenly Mandate Bearer with that name and quickly compiled records of people with similar names.
• Su Wen reviewed the records and noticed that Xu Zimin was a Heavenly Mandate Bearer whose profession was statistician.

Su Wen recognized statistician Xu Zimin as a key figure in developing the Martial Dao and arranged for him to join the National University of Defense Technology’s Martial Dao Department. After reading the Theater God’s reflections on space-time and sacrifice, Su Wen discovered the Theater God Air Mass was valued at 300,000 Wealth Source.

• Su Wen told his colleague to guide Xu Zimin into the Martial Dao Department and have him run for class monitor.
• Su Wen considered whether Xu Zimin’s statistical skills could help develop Martial Dao in a future Sub-Space-Time.
• The Theater God’s essays described his shock at learning about space-time, his doubts about sacrificing Sub-Space-Times, and his determination to keep fighting for Huaxia.
• Su Wen finished reading, and the essays dissolved into the Theatrical Phenomena World.
• The River of Space-Time appraised the Theater God Air Mass at 300,000 Wealth Source, prompting Su Wen to remark on the repeated price.

Su Wen bought the Theater God’s and Star God’s insight orbs and refused the River of Space-Time’s offer of Physical Immortality. The Star God asked whether the mysterious patterns at the core of the Star Grand Array should be removed, and Su Wen realized they were useful because he could already control the array enough to launch a rough Star Strike.

• Su Wen saw the Star God’s insight orb appraised at 500,000 Wealth Source, bringing his spending on the orbs and the Battle God’s power to 1,300,000.
• The River of Space-Time offered Su Wen the Battle God’s insight orb for free and discounted Physical Immortality to 9,990,000 Wealth Source, but he refused to buy it.
• The Star God visited Su Wen and explained that some unexplained patterns in the Star Grand Array’s core seemed useless but could not be removed without risking the array’s collapse.
• The Star God said he wanted to remove the patterns to make room for eighteen supporting Star Arrays, but feared the unknown markings might cause trouble in battle.
• Su Wen realized the patterns were useful and that he could already exert limited control over the Star Grand Array to launch a rough Star Strike.

Star God told Su Wen that Li Wenze had been imprisoned by the Demon Witch Clan in the Arrow Realm and asked how he wanted to handle the rescue. Su Wen decided to repay his old favor by sending Wind God, while keeping his own identity and power concealed, and wondered whether the Demon Witch Clan was connected to the Demon Prison Clan.

• Star God confirmed that the star-path patterns in the Star Grand Array were beneficial to Su Wen and explained that its new body-tempering function could help martial artists.
• Star God told Su Wen that Li Wenze had been trapped by the Demon Witch Clan for half a month and was being held for ransom.
• Su Wen decided to repay the favor Li Wenze had earned by lending him three million and agreed to arrange a rescue.
• Star God advised Su Wen not to confront the Demon Witch Clan himself and suggested asking Wind God to rescue Li Wenze.
• After Star God departed, Su Wen reflected on Li Wenze's favor and wondered whether the Demon Witch Clan had ties to the Demon Prison Clan.