Chapter Summaries

Su Ming advanced the Pansy's refit and planned a major expedition, while Quail demonstrated how low-quality magic crystals could be processed into useful crystal sand. As preparations expanded, Su Ming arranged a defensive project and evacuation on Brown Gold Island, appointed Beianqi captain of the Pansy, and Xiwo discovered a Naga smuggling operation.

• Stacy told Su Ming that Hechun had more to report, and Su Ming and Zijin went to Experimental Workshop No. 2 to see Quail demonstrate the processing of low-quality magic crystals into aligned, usable crystal sand.
• Su Ming assigned Newman to build a disguised defensive array on Brown Gold Island and told Younier to evacuate its residents; after hearing her concerns, he agreed to relocate everyone together and provide housing and work.
• Su Ming finalized the Pansy's upgrade into a 28,000-ton expedition ship, with support from fifty supply ships and the Feather Race fleet, and outlined the force's planned deployment.
• Su Ming told Beianqi that her Spinal Hub was stable, revealed a shipboard electromagnetic weapon, and appointed her captain of the Pansy and its operator.
• At Red Luo Port, Xiwo learned that the Naga Clan was preparing for war and, after receiving word of an order for ten extra-long bathtubs, prepared to intercept the suspected Naga buyers.

Su Ming’s team captured a Naga sabotage group carrying earthquake rune pillars and uncovered a plan to trigger a landslide-dammed lake and weaken Celestite Hydropower Station’s defenses. Su Ming ordered a counteroperation that would use the pillars to create a lake and draw out the hidden Naga squad, then ended the chapter embarrassed by Zijin’s kiss in front of Xiwo.

• Su Ming’s team overwhelmed the merchant caravan, and Rupert’s mortar crews used concussion shells to incapacitate most of the fleeing Naga in the White River.
• Xiwo identified the cargo as earthquake rune pillars, and interrogations revealed the Naga planned to trigger a landslide that could send a devastating flood toward Celestite Hydropower Station.
• Su Ming and his allies concluded that the sabotage was meant to distract the dam’s defenses while a separate team attacked, so Su Ming ordered heightened security and tasked Rupert with patrols across the White River basin.
• Su Ming ordered Bowers to deploy the captured rune pillars and blow open a low riverbank to create a lake, hoping the disturbance would expose the hidden Naga squad.
• Su Ming admitted to Zijin that he also wanted the lake for freshwater fish and crops, and Zijin kissed his cheek before Xiwo noticed the call was still open.

Su Ming tested whether Summoning of All Things could transfer uranium’s nuclear properties, then planned an enrichment program and a small modular reactor after the experiment showed it could only transfer crystal structure. As Zijin departed aboard the Pansy, Su Ming considered how to prepare for war and turned to other work at the Ruby Industrial District.

• Zijin asked Su Ming whether he would miss her before she left aboard the Pansy for its sortie against the Divine Covenant Faction.
• Su Ming, Sangzi, and Miao Xin tested transferring uranium dioxide and found that Summoning of All Things did not enrich uranium-235 across worlds.
• Su Ming chose to pursue uranium enrichment in the Taya Plane, first aiming for four percent uranium-235 to power a small modular reactor and future operations.
• Jin Rongjia helped Su Ming consider alternatives to relying on nuclear weapons, and Su Ming proposed using continuous-rod weapons against giant targets.
• Zijin left for the Pansy before dawn, and Su Ming later ordered the mining department to extract a thousand tons of uranium ore.
• Su Ming interrupted Miao Xin’s sparring and took her along to work.

Su Ming diverted White River into the lowlands to ease the flood peak and create a lake, while arranging construction of a giant aircraft from the super Crystal Dragon’s remains. Rupert uncovered suspicious merchant caravans but was captured by Naga planning a flood-assisted raid; Su Ming and Ruixiuli arrived as Rupert was about to be tortured.

• Bowers detonated charges to breach White River’s bank, sending water into the designated flood diversion area.
• Su Ming ordered a hangar built near Celestite Reservoir and arranged for Crystal Dragon bones and materials to be used in an H-6 WZ aircraft.
• Rupert reviewed surveillance footage, identified suspicious caravans, and sent teams to track them without making contact.
• Rupert flew toward one caravan’s route, was ambushed by Naga, and learned they planned to raid the warehouses using floodwaters from a barrier lake.
• A Naga warrior prepared to cut off Rupert’s arm, but Su Ming struck the warrior and a mage while Ruixiuli attacked the Naga leader.

Su Ming captured the Naga high priestess and learned in a dream interrogation that a mysterious backer had hired the Naga to steal the super Crystal Dragon materials. Suspecting King Xialike of the Star Empire, Su Ming ordered Ambassador Dalilan'an detained and planned to accuse him publicly, turning the incident into an opportunity for his broader strategy.

• Ruixiuli, the dragons, and their companions defeated the Naga forces, while Su Ming fought the high priestess and captured her with a shock weapon after Elder Mo Yuan trapped her.
• The necromancers failed to preserve the Naga souls, but they removed a self-destruction runestone from the unconscious high priestess.
• Grand Elder Zhimeng used a dream to make the high priestess reveal that a wealthy backer had paid the Naga Clan to steal the super Crystal Dragon materials.
• Su Ming suspected King Xialike had hired the Naga to avoid paying for the materials directly after Ambassador Dalilan'an repeatedly avoided inspecting the steamship.
• Su Ming ordered Dalilan'an detained and instructed his staff to accuse him of planning the theft and the damage to the White River embankment, declaring that the incident would advance his strategy.

Beianqi asked Zijin about Su Ming’s marriage proposals while the Pansy sailed toward the Arctic, and Zijin struggled with thoughts of their relationship. In the Star Empire, Xialike ordered Baxter to deny involvement in a covert operation and reviewed how Su Ming had previously used a letter to secure additional compensation.

• Beianqi wrote in her diary, checked the Pansy’s surveillance feeds, and watched Hansite and Qiluo prepare a harpoon on deck.
• Zijin sent a sealed letter to Ruby Base and explained that two seasick dragons would leave the operation near Snow Wing Island.
• Beianqi told Zijin that the Pearl Duchy had offered Princess Ximina to Su Ming as a consort and that Su Ming had refused; Zijin learned that other marriage proposals had also been made.
• King Xialike ordered Fernand to send Baxter to Dragon Valley and instructed him to firmly deny the Star Empire’s involvement in the operation.
• The Star Empire’s ministers reviewed Su Ming’s earlier dealings with them and learned that he had used a letter to demand another five hundred thousand gold coins in compensation.

Su Ming assembled Zijin’s Bone Dragon Form into the H-6 WZ and listened to the sea sounds she had recorded in a magical letter. Meanwhile, Pope Augustus uncovered the secret alliance between Su Ming, Zijin, and Fernand, but chose to conceal what he knew and reduce cooperation with the Star Empire.

• Su Ming read Zijin’s letter about the Pansy’s propulsion system and the Bone Dragon Form, then traveled to the Celestite hangar.
• Su Ming merged Zijin’s Bone Dragon Form into the H-6 WZ, establishing a mental bond with the aircraft, and began transferring its equipment.
• Su Ming activated Zijin’s letter in private and heard the sea, gulls, and her breathing; they exchanged affectionate words through their connection.
• Su Ming explained to Miao Xin that the earlier recording in a letter to Xialike had fabricated a meeting with Fernand as a trap.
• Augustus listened to the God's Wind Decree letter and discovered that Fernand had secretly negotiated with Su Ming and Zijin to target the Temple of Light’s Four Seasons Archipelago.
• Augustus recognized Fernand’s voice and, rather than openly confront the Star Empire, quietly reduced cooperation and guarded against its schemes.

Janet told Augustus that Bone King and Bay Owl had framed the Plundering Clock for the Sacred Mountain massacre, prompting him to consider a possible alliance and convene the Council of Cardinals. Meanwhile, the Star Empire’s leaders suspected Katharine had commanded the goblin campaign, and Katharine continued preparing for war from the Northern Lands.

• Janet apologized to Augustus for failing to assassinate Su Ming, and he reassured her while concealing the truth about McIntyre’s possible resurrection.
• Janet told Augustus that Bone King and Bay Owl had carried out the Sacred Mountain massacre and framed the Plundering Clock and the Truth Cult; Augustus ordered an emergency meeting of the Council of Cardinals.
• Janet reported that she had established contact with Fate Manipulator inside the Final Bone Mad Machines, and Augustus said the Church had changed its defenses to limit the danger of leaked intelligence.
• Xialike and the Star Empire’s officials concluded that Katharine had likely led the goblin campaign, but Xialike rebuked them for underestimating Su Ming and urged them to identify his own military strengths.
• Katharine declined Xialike’s request to return to the capital, sent Dafulin a sealed letter, checked on Tuanzi, and began her 142nd simulation of an assault on the Radiant Holy City.

Janet argued that the Final Bone Mad Machines had attacked Sacred Mountain without help from the Plundering Clock, but the cardinals remained unconvinced. The Cold Mountain Kingdom then presented evidence that faulty communication components from the Star Empire’s Wonderland Chamber of Commerce had caused the emergency arrays to fail, and the Star Empire’s ambassador arrived as the council began to consider the accusation.

• Janet presented the missing coal at the Dome Mine as evidence that the White Bone Train had reached Sacred Mountain and argued that the Final Bone Mad Machines could have destroyed it alone.
• Janet claimed that the Plundering Clock had trafficked girls to establish ties with Sabina and Javier, and that the Final Bone Mad Machines later ambushed its transport party at Him Cavern.
• A priest interrupted Janet to announce that Cold Mountain Kingdom’s ambassador had arrived with an explanation for the communication failures, and Janet left the chamber.
• General Emilio and Kalila told the cardinals that defective transmission modules, including components from the Wonderland Chamber of Commerce, could overload when two emergency messages arrived together.
• A priest tested the components and confirmed the defect, prompting the cardinals to debate whether the Star Empire was responsible.
• Emilio and Kalila learned that the Star Empire’s ambassador had arrived and welcomed the prospect of the empire having to answer for the faulty products.

Yise exposed Star Sand’s involvement in the Sacred Mountain attack before the Temple of Light could hear the Star Empire’s accusation against Katharine. Katharine then ordered Star Sand to declare its independence across the Northern Lands, while Su Ming’s H-6 WZ began its water taxi test.

• Yise secretly listened to Janet and the Stars ambassador discuss blaming Katharine and the Northern Stream priests for the Sacred Mountain attack, then revealed that Katharine had founded Star Sand and that it had participated in the attack.
• Yise left the council hall with Emilio after her disclosure stunned Augustus, the cardinals, Janet, and the Stars ambassador.
• Su Ming stopped Miao Xin from piloting the H-6 WZ because she lacked a license, then supervised the aircraft’s preflight checks and engine startup.
• Miao Xin accelerated the H-6 WZ across the reservoir as Su Ming monitored its readings and ordered additional engines started.
• After receiving Yise’s message, Katharine ordered Star Sand’s temples to replace their banners and proclaim independence from the Temple of Light.
• Star Sand declared a holy war against the Divine Covenant Faction in the name of Pale New Words.

Katharine consolidated Star Sand’s control in the Northern Lands while Su Ming and the Temple of Light prepared for a confrontation over Dawn Territory. The chapter ended with the Temple mobilizing its forces, including Cortes and the Atonement Spikes.

• Katharine let dissenting priests leave, arranged for Silver Mask to publicize the truth behind the Divine Language incident, and tasked Stanton with helping him imitate his former mannerisms.
• Su Ming assigned Younier to lead Ruby Base, left Bowers in charge of its defenses, and ordered Magelaili to protect Celestite and keep Red Ridge Mine operating.
• After reviewing battlefield reports, Su Ming ordered Star Sand’s forces to concentrate in Dawn Territory and instructed them to avoid a direct confrontation if they could evacuate by ship.
• Augustus invoked the Light Holy War Passage Clause with the Cold Mountain Kingdom and ordered the Temple of Light’s fleet east, away from the Northern Lands war zone.
• Gelenhate reported that the Northern Continent jurisdiction had mobilized its troops, while Cortes pledged the Atonement Spikes to the Temple’s campaign.

Augustus and Cortes planned to draw out the Final Bone Mad Machines while the Church of Light prepared to pressure the Star Empire and Star Sand. In Dawn Town, Katharine arranged a public speech for Pale New Words, but former Northern Lands clergy infiltrated the packed gathering, leaving Aoleisi and Ge'enda'er waiting for a safe chance to respond.

• Augustus praised Janet for proving the Plundering Clock had not caused the Sacred Mountain tragedy, then sent her to seek intelligence-sharing from Xialike of the Star Empire.
• Augustus and Cortes identified the suspected Pansy fleet and agreed to stage a feint against Dawn Territory before withdrawing and preparing a counterattack.
• Cortes proposed using an undercover agent and Zijin's identity as Pale New Words to undermine Katharine, and Augustus approved the operation.
• Katharine ordered Star Sand to build only superficial defenses, while Aoleisi organized the gathering and received supplies delivered by the dwarves.
• As the crowd filled Dawn Town before Pale New Words's speech, Ge'enda'er spotted more than a hundred former clergy led by Jialepien, and Katharine ordered Star Sand guards not to act rashly.
• Aoleisi told her forces to hold position and wondered where Katharine was as the former clergy moved through the crowd.

Zijin and Gelie defeated Jialepien’s forces in the Dawn Territory, though Ashen Repentance escaped, and Star Sand installed Weiaoyasi as the new deacon. As the Final Bone Mad Machines’ warship landed and the Temple of Light prepared a counterattack, Su Ming departed for Brown Gold Island aboard the newly tested H-6 WZ.

• Zijin protected the civilians while defeating Jialepien, who surrendered and revealed that Ashen Repentance had been waiting outside town.
• Katharine ordered Aoleisi and the other traitors interrogated and publicly executed, while Zijin revealed that Pale New Words was her younger brother Weiaoyasi, the new Dawn Territory deacon.
• Zijin told Su Ming that the crisis was over, and he ordered the ships to land in the Dawn Territory as the plan moved to its second phase.
• Pope Augustus and Cortes learned that Zijin had reached the Dawn Territory earlier than expected and that a massive warship had arrived, so Augustus planned to send two orders of holy knights north.
• Su Ming boarded the H-6 WZ with Mo Yuan and the others and began the night flight toward Brown Gold Island.

Su Ming reached Brown Gold Island aboard the H-6 WZ and prepared the island as a logistics and command base while deliberately leaking his whereabouts through several channels. The Temple of Light believed the intelligence and ordered its Expeditionary Crusaders fleet to attack Brown Gold Island, leaving the trap’s outcome unresolved.

• Miao Xin flew the H-6 WZ from Celestite Hydropower Station to Brown Gold Island, where Su Ming ordered the aircraft to Silver Island for further training and supplies.
• Su Ming arrived on Brown Gold Island, offered Fletcher a future role overseeing mining, and ordered the island’s communication array to send messages at high frequency.
• The Fate Manipulator secretly informed prisoners that Su Ming had left Ruby Base; the prisoners passed the information through a dwarf miner to the Temple of Light, while Su Ming revealed that several other deliberate leaks would corroborate it.
• Su Ming explained to Ainuobia why the dwarves had leaked information and discussed how shifting interests shaped relations between powers.
• Pope Augustus concluded that Su Ming was on Brown Gold Island and ordered the Expeditionary Crusaders fleet to sail there and attack.

Emilio and Yise learned that the Temple of Light was assembling an expeditionary fleet, while Su Ming prepared to draw it into a larger campaign. After arranging reconnaissance, a feigned retreat, and an H-6 WZ operation from Silver Island, Su Ming contacted the Pansy and promised its crew that action was coming soon.

• Emilio told Bulameike that the Cold Mountain Kingdom would briefly allow Star Sand passage through the Northern Lands, while accepting no responsibility for the consequences.
• Yise and Yuya combined their intelligence and discovered that the Temple of Light had assigned the Final Sin Edict and its remaining warships to the Expeditionary Crusaders, commanded by Feimaina.
• Su Ming learned that a fleet of roughly sixty vessels was approaching Brown Gold Island and ordered preparations to mislead the enemy while advancing Dawn Territory and shifting intelligence efforts to Janet.
• Su Ming asked Ruixiuli, Jielusi, Mo Yuan, and Yin'er to design an escape that would make his departure look dramatic, then left for Silver Island that afternoon.
• On Silver Island, Su Ming prepared the H-6 WZ and Rainbow Drones for a nighttime operation and contacted Beianqi aboard the Pansy, promising that the crew would soon be busy.

Su Ming, Xiwo, and Miao Xin prepared the H-6 WZ for a depth-charge attack on the Naga army, using sonar to locate the sleeping force at sea. The aircraft began its bombing run, and the Naga Queen’s troops were caught in a spreading barrage of underwater explosions.

• Xiwo identified the Naga army’s likely position, and the Rainbow Drone’s sonar buoys detected about thirty thousand Nagas moving toward Brown Gold Island.
• Su Ming and Xiwo calculated a depth-charge pattern, while Miao Xin and the mechanics loaded the H-6 WZ with bombs for the operation.
• The overloaded aircraft began to pitch backward during takeoff, so Xiwo used Levitation Spell to support its tail until Su Ming jettisoned one hundred depth charges.
• Su Ming learned from Xiwo that the Nagas carried heavy underwater weapons, then ordered Miao Xin to begin the attack after the sonar located the sleeping army.
• Miao Xin flew the H-6 WZ over the Naga column as the crew released depth charges across the sea, and the Naga Queen ordered her people to scatter.
• The depth charges detonated in a chain beneath the Naga force, killing many Nagas before they could escape.

Su Ming used the Dawn and Dusk Bracelet and hundreds of magic power crystals to defeat and capture the Naga Queen after her attack on him failed. A force of a hundred dragons routed the remaining Naga guards, and Su Ming returned to the H-6 WZ with the Queen in captivity, injured from using his domain.

• Miao Xin turned the H-6 WZ back toward the battlefield while Xiwo estimated that about half the Naga had died in the bombing.
• Su Ming sent Ruixiuli and Jielusi to capture the Naga Queen, then leaped from the plane with a bundle of magic power crystals.
• The Naga Queen abandoned her escape and attacked Su Ming with Embrace of the Sea after recognizing him.
• Su Ming used Crystal Cascade Magic Cube and Abidaqi Finger of Death to overpower the Queen, while Ruixiuli and Jielusi restrained and sealed her.
• Xiwo froze the sea into an ice platform as Su Ming collapsed and spat blood; a hundred dragons then attacked the Naga guards and drove the survivors underwater.
• Su Ming returned to the H-6 WZ with the bound Naga Queen, and Xiwo cut off a section of her hair, drawing green blood.

The Temple of Light fleet prepared to attack Brown Gold Island, while Havitron worried about the missing dragons and learned the Naga Clan could no longer help intercept Su Ming. In the capital, Janet arranged to meet Lady Death Knell; as the battle began, the fleet fired its Dragon-Breaking Cones at the attacking dragons.

• Havitron ordered the fleet to prepare for a morning assault on Brown Gold Island and sent three warships to block Su Ming's escape route, after learning the Naga Clan had suffered heavy losses in an ambush.
• Feimaina argued that the Naga Clan's losses would weaken Su Ming's forces, and Havitron warned her to keep the news from spreading.
• Janet met Anrelo in disguise, agreed to meet Lady Death Knell at Mist Mountain Bend, and ordered her household to buy cosmetics from the Blue-Eyed Chamber of Commerce.
• As the fleet approached Brown Gold Island, Havitron ordered its flying forces to form an aerial defense line when dragons took off from the island.
• Twenty dragons attacked the fleet, and Havitron ordered the ships to fire a volley of Dragon-Breaking Cones.

Su Ming and Pulilade oversaw the goblins’ steel production and secretly sabotaged the Temple of Light’s anti-dragon weapons. On Brown Gold Island, the dragons withdrew from a magical strike before taking shelter behind the island’s barrier as the Light Fleet bombarded it.

• Pulilade’s goblins held a furnace ceremony, then processed a worker’s fatal fall according to their grim workplace procedures while Pulilade discussed hidden aid for bereaved families with Annalise.
• Annalise confirmed that the Dragon-Breaking Cones supplied to the Temple of Light would self-destruct near dragons, and the weapons repeatedly exploded before reaching their targets.
• Su Ming refused Ainuobia’s suggestion to detonate every cone, saying he wanted to capture the Light Fleet after defeating the Divine Covenant Faction and taking the Temple of Light.
• The dragons withdrew when Su Ming ordered them away from Feimaina’s Firmament Severing Current, then returned to Brown Gold Island under the cover of its magical barrier.
• The Light Fleet began a full bombardment, but Brown Gold Island’s shield deflected the shells while the dragons waited safely behind it.

Su Ming staged a retreat on Brown Gold Island, then used the necromancers and a giant bone whale to destroy the Temple of Light’s interception fleet. After the island’s defense system was sabotaged and the landing vanguard was caught in an explosion, Su Ming’s group escaped aboard the H-6 WZ, while he warned that the real battle plan was only beginning.

• Feimaina and the Magisters used the Earth-Rumbling Pulse to disrupt Brown Gold Island’s magitech pool and shatter its defensive shield.
• As the Light Fleet bombarded the island, Yin'er and the other dragons acted out a panicked retreat toward Silver Island.
• Havitron ordered the Light Fleet to attack and sent three fast warships to intercept the remaining personnel, while Su Ming arranged food for the dragons and ordered the necromancers to attack the interceptors.
• The necromancers cast Spirit Rain together as a bone whale ambushed and sank the first two warships, then destroyed the third while the necromancers pursued survivors.
• Newman reconnected the island’s damaged defensive array, triggering a massive explosion that destroyed the nearby landing vanguard as Su Ming and his group escaped aboard the H-6 WZ.
• Miao Xin teased Su Ming about his movie dream, and he replied that the real battle plan was only starting.