Recaps

Xiao Yu trapped Naiser in a mud ball, but Naiser escaped and charged through Xiao Yu’s attacks behind a Holy Light Barrier. Xiao Yu’s Chaos Barrier outlasted Naiser’s shield, driving him through several asteroids and leaving him badly injured.

• Naiser slashed the rubble around him, but Xiao Yu’s gravity drew the fragments and melted ice into a mud ball that trapped him.
• Xiao Yu intensified the gravity to immobilize Naiser, who used Hellfire to bake the mud into concrete and burst free after dispelling the gravity buff.
• Naiser covered himself with Holy Light Barrier and charged at Xiao Yu, resisting Xiao Yu’s successive beams.
• Xiao Yu activated Chaos Barrier and collided with Naiser repeatedly until Naiser’s Holy Light Barrier ran out.
• Xiao Yu drove Naiser through seven or eight asteroids, dealing over three million damage before his own barrier failed; Naiser flew away, spat blood, and suffered a 30% reduction to all attributes.

Xiao Yu used his Elemental Star skill and Raven of Chaos form to wear Naiser down from a distance, but Naiser unleashed Boundless Darkness and vanished from sight. The chapter ended with Naiser appearing behind Xiao Yu and attacking him.

• Naiser gained Nephalem Wrath after suffering severe injuries, increasing his attack power.
• An Ancient Creation attacked Naiser, but Naiser used it as a shield against Xiao Yu's Blazing Sun Ray and killed it to gain more Nephalem Valor.
• Xiao Yu created four Elemental Stars and transformed into a Raven of Chaos to evade Naiser while the spheres attacked him.
• After several minutes of fighting, Xiao Yu reduced Naiser's health by about another million.
• Naiser released Boundless Darkness, blinding Xiao Yu, then appeared behind him and declared that he had caught him.

Xiao Yu battled Naiser until Naiser revealed his complete Light and Shadow Twins form, and both were pulled into Xiao Yu’s simulated black hole. Trapped inside, they negotiated a partnership to search for the secret of creation after the match.

• Xiao Yu struck Naiser with Elemental Storm, but Naiser revealed his demon and angel forms and attacked from both sides.
• Xiao Yu used Simulated Black Hole to trap himself and both versions of Naiser, leaving the livestream hosts unable to show what was happening inside.
• Naiser offered to let Xiao Yu win in exchange for help finding the secret of creation in the Land of Origins.
• Xiao Yu suspected Naiser had bet heavily on him and learned that Naiser had planned to lose to gain money and escape his family.
• Xiao Yu and Naiser agreed to let Xiao Yu kill Naiser after they escaped, then search for the Land of Origins and share its secret.

Xiao Yu and Naiser tried to deceive each other after emerging from the black hole, but neither landed a decisive blow. Xiao Yu fled toward the sun to restore his elemental power while Naiser's own bet forced him to keep pursuing.

• Xiao Yu suggested Naiser kill himself or follow a staged plan, and Naiser agreed to pretend to be caught near the Earth Star.
• After the black hole expelled them, Xiao Yu trapped Naiser with Gravity Barrier and fired a beam that struck Naiser's Real Phantom.
• Naiser revealed his phantom trick and attacked Xiao Yu from behind, but Xiao Yu evaded the sword with Phase Teleportation.
• Xiao Yu escaped toward the sun to replenish his elemental power and wait for Naiser's Nephalem Valor to run down.
• Naiser chased Xiao Yu and regretted betting on himself after taking out a large loan.

Xiao Yu fought Naiser near the miniature sun, surviving a fatal strike before Ragnaros intervened and helped turn the battle around. Naiser died in the sun’s explosion, and Xiao Yu was declared victorious as teleportation began.

• Xiao Yu absorbed the miniature sun’s fire energy while Naiser pursued him and cut off part of his body with the Dark Ripper.
• Naiser trapped Xiao Yu and tried to stab his elemental core, but Ragnaros emerged from the sun and dragged Naiser into its flames.
• Xiao Yu attacked Naiser from outside the sun while Ragnaros held him, preventing his escape and wearing down his health.
• Naiser offered Xiao Yu money to let him win, but Xiao Yu refused and struck him with a massive fireball.
• Ragnaros self-destructed inside the sun, killing Naiser as the sun exploded, and the system declared Xiao Yu victorious.

Xiao Yu celebrated winning the Evil Forces Competition and prepared for the Demon King Tournament’s final popularity ranking. After the other competitions crowned Elena Sunstrider and Samat as winners, Xiao Yu met Elena at a game company gathering and learned she was the real person behind Phoenix Woman.

• Leah Bloodmoon and Xiao Yu’s teammates congratulated him after his victory, while Naiser left for Purgatory Royal City in despair.
• A black-robed figure offered Naiser a plan to escape his bleak future, and Naiser agreed to hear the details.
• Xiao Yu awaited the results of the remaining competitions while preparing a publicity campaign for the final online vote.
• Elena Sunstrider defeated Abbas in the Strongest Demon King Competition, and Samat the Dracolich won the Demon King Team Competition.
• Xiao Yu attended a game company gathering with Leah Bloodmoon and Big Water Cunt, where he met Elena Sunstrider in person.

Xiao Yu met Ailin, Ashes, and Samat before Li Mingfei summoned the winning teams to unveil his Virtual Idol Project. Li Mingfei proposed turning players with real identities and popular game personas into stars, and Xiao Yu listened with interest.

• Xiao Yu introduced himself to Ailin, who arrived with her girlfriend and battle partner, Ashes.
• Samat the Dracolich met Xiao Yu and acknowledged that Xiao Yu had defeated Naiser.
• Li Mingfei appeared in the conference hall and said he had summoned the winning teams to discuss a plan more important than the tournament prizes.
• Li Mingfei explained that the Virtual Idol Project would use players' real identities and popular virtual personas to create a new generation of stars.
• Xiao Yu considered Li Mingfei's proposal and found it more enticing than Shen Yuan's plan to create a perfect game.

Li Mingfei offered the tournament winners contracts to become virtual gaming stars, with the game company managing their careers and taking a share of their income. Xiao Yu and the others signed, and Li Mingfei said agents would be assigned to keep them active in Sky World.

• Li Mingfei explained that the game company would act as the players’ agency, manage their careers, and take a percentage of their earnings.
• Xiao Yu realized Li Mingfei’s claim that contracts would not affect the upcoming vote was an implied threat.
• Li Mingfei argued that the players’ fame and deeds in the virtual world could earn them lucrative endorsements and other commercial work.
• Xiao Yu signed first, and Leah Bloodmoon and Big Water Cunt signed after Li Mingfei assured Leah that her existing endorsement could be renegotiated.
• The other players signed their contracts, and Li Mingfei said he would assign them agents to manage their commercial affairs and keep them active in Sky World.

Ma Xiaoyun told Xiao Yu that the company had selected Azathoth, Elemental King, as the expansion’s likely final boss and planned to promote his rise from a free player. Xiao Yu won the public vote, and the chapter ended with the expansion’s title and its other finalists announced.

• Ma Xiaoyun became Xiao Yu’s agent and explained why the company had ruled out Elena Sunstrider and Samat the Dracolich in favor of Azathoth, Elemental King, as the final boss.
• Ma Xiaoyun planned an underdog publicity campaign focused on Xiao Yu’s rise from a free player to the game’s top player.
• Xiao Yu’s studio and the game company promoted him, and he remained ahead when voting began three days later.
• Azathoth, Elemental King, won the vote and became the final boss of “Sky World: Rise of the Elemental King,” while Elena, the Phoenix Woman, and Samat the Dracolich placed second and third.
• The company announced ten finalist awards, including awards for the Dragon Covenant team, Naiser, Lord of Purgatory, the five angels of the Light of Heavenly Punishment, the Angel-Loving Witch Duo, and Altair, King of Shadows.

The legendary hero selection concluded, and Xiao Yu collected his championship prize before undergoing a successful surgery that cured his condition. With the expansion set to launch in a month, he returned home and entered his gaming pod, uncertain what awaited him as its final boss.

• The officials announced the hero selection results, with Ox taking first place, Kaya Shadowhunter second, and Ferdenan third.
• Xiao Yu recognized finalists Phoenix, Mofeitosi, and Esmehalda, along with several popular hero groups.
• The expansion selection event ended, and Xiao Yu received his championship prize after paying Big Water Cunt and Leah Bloodmoon their shares and taxes.
• Xiao Yu used his remaining prize money to undergo a successful surgery that removed his condition.
• Xiao Yu considered the coming expansion and Shen Yuan's secret task, then returned home and climbed into his gaming pod.

At the game company’s virtual office, Zhang Xinghun presented a four-stage expansion plot centered on Azathoth, Elemental King, and his plan to alter the Prime Material Plane’s timeline. Xiao Yu and Leah Bloodmoon learned the roles planned for their territories, while the expansion’s later stages remained partly undecided.

• Xiao Yu answered Zhang Xinghun’s questions about Lost Island, saying Wotkud commanded the territory, a few naga remained, and Leah Bloodmoon guarded the Elemental Throne with dark shamans.
• Zhang Xinghun outlined the first stage, in which Azathoth would invade Sky World with an elemental army before adventurers defeated the invasion.
• Zhang Xinghun explained that the second stage would send the Alliance and Horde to Lost Island, where players would defeat Wotkud and Azathoth’s projection.
• Zhang Xinghun described the third stage, in which the factions would attack the Elemental Throne, defeat Leah Bloodmoon, and learn of Azathoth’s timeline-altering ritual.
• Zhang Xinghun said the fourth stage would take adventurers into the Elemental Plane to defeat the Elemental Princes and Azathoth at the Immortal Throne.

Zhang Xinghun explained how the expansion’s stories and character deaths would be shaped by the players’ performance, while Xiao Yu negotiated for Azathoth to be sealed rather than killed. After Xiao Yu recalled the heroes connected to Azathoth, Zhang Xinghun singled out Esmehalda as a potential focus for the Elemental King’s story.

• Xiao Yu argued that Azathoth should survive the expansion, and Zhang Xinghun agreed that the Elemental King could be sealed in the Twisting Nether instead of killed.
• Zhang Xinghun outlined how elemental bosses, other monster factions, and independent storylines would contribute to the expansion and future expansions.
• Zhang Xinghun explained that players would improvise during events, with hero deaths and leadership roles depending on performance; the heroes realized their standing with Xiao Yu could affect their prospects.
• Xiao Yu listed the heroes who had met Azathoth, including Esmehalda, Mofeitosi, Bolvar, Maiev Shadowsong, and Medivh.
• Zhang Xinghun identified Esmehalda as a promising story character, and the mage raised her hand before he gave Xiao Yu a suggestive smile.

Xiao Yu and the gathered Alliance and Horde heroes discussed which characters would die during the Elemental Tide, since the game company could only influence events rather than control them. They agreed to put forward NPCs as the main casualties, leaving Xiao Yu to kill the chosen targets when the event began.

• Xiao Yu reassured Mofeitosi, Esmehalda, and several female heroes that he would avoid killing them during the event.
• The heroes proposed NPCs as casualties, and the Alliance debated whether Varian, Bolvar, or other leaders should die.
• Mofeitosi warned General Raymond that Katrana Prestor was the black dragon princess Onyxia, then opposed sacrificing Bolvar and suggested Marshal Maxwell instead.
• Alliance heroes also suggested Marshal Windsor, and they ultimately chose Windsor and Maxwell as their casualties.
• Horde heroes argued over possible targets, then settled on Varimathras and General Nazgrel to die during the Elemental Tide.

Xiao Yu read the official novel based on Azathoth’s rise and learned that Sky Game Company had released the companion card game Sky Heroes. He turned three of his characters into exclusive cards, including a mythic Azathoth card that amazed the other players.

• Xiao Yu spent the month helping writers and checking on the nearly completed Immortal Throne.
• Xiao Yu read the finished first volume of Rise of the Elemental King, which told how Azathoth defeated Ragnaros and became the Elemental King.
• Leah Bloodmoon told Xiao Yu about the newly launched Sky Heroes, where players could turn eligible story characters into exclusive cards.
• Xiao Yu created cards for Azathoth, Eric the Goblin Pyromancer, and Raglios, the Balrog Lord.
• Xiao Yu showed Leah Bloodmoon and Big Water Cunt his mythic Azathoth card, drawing the other players’ attention.

Xiao Yu showed his cards to the crowd, learned about Mofeitosi’s secretive card, and was summoned to meet Li Mingfei. Li Mingfei explained his class-based office design before telling Xiao Yu he knew what had happened that day.

• Xiao Yu displayed his three cards, and the crowd focused on his mythic Azathoth, Elemental King card and discussed Naiser’s card.
• Mofeitosi privately showed Xiao Yu his legendary card, whose Deathrattle risked revealing that Mofeitosi was a black dragon.
• Xiao Yu noticed Phoenix looking at him as if she recognized him, then Ma Xiaoyun summoned him to meet her boss.
• Ma Xiaoyun offered Xiao Yu ten thousand credits for his exclusive card, but he refused and went up to Li Mingfei’s office.
• Li Mingfei described the elevator as a symbol of class and order, served Xiao Yu iced black tea, and said he knew what had happened that day.

Li Mingfei explained the expansion’s card system to Xiao Yu, discussed why he had parted ways with Shen Yuan over their differing views of games, and offered Xiao Yu a 27-million endorsement deal. They toasted the expansion’s launch in three days, leaving Xiao Yu eager for what came next.

• Li Mingfei apologized for Liu Wei and the betting company’s scheme, then explained that the expansion’s cards had hidden settings and attributes based on their in-game experiences.
• Li Mingfei revealed that Shen Yuan had designed the card game, and said he had forced Shen Yuan out of the company because they disagreed about making games realistic.
• Li Mingfei asked how Xiao Yu viewed games, and Xiao Yu said real life mattered more than a game.
• Li Mingfei offered Xiao Yu 27 million to endorse Thunderbolt Flying Cars, and Xiao Yu accepted.
• Li Mingfei and Xiao Yu toasted the expansion’s launch in three days.

Alliance leaders gathered in Stormwind to address a surge in elemental activity, but Varian Wrynn rejected a mysterious raven-shifter’s warning of imminent world-ending calamities and had him imprisoned. That evening, Varian met the prophet again in the dungeon.

• Malfurion Stormrage warned the Alliance leaders that nature’s disturbances signaled an approaching storm, while Magni Bronzebeard dismissed the threat as a Horde conspiracy and argued with Jaina.
• Varian Wrynn ended the argument and assigned General Raymond and Lord Mephist to investigate the elemental unrest.
• A black raven entered Stormwind Keep, transformed into a black-robed figure, and foretold that elemental fury would bring the world to the brink of destruction.
• Marshal Maxwell and Jaina urged Varian to hear the stranger, but Varian ordered the guards to take him to the dungeon.
• Varian met the black-robed man again in the dungeon that evening.

Varian Wrynn and Jaina Proudmoore questioned a black-robed prophet who foretold an elemental invasion of Stormwind City and Orgrimmar three days later. Varian prepared Stormwind’s defenses, and he and Jaina waited on the city walls as the predicted attack approached.

• Varian Wrynn questioned the black-robed man, who asked for Jaina Proudmoore to join them.
• The prophet predicted that Azathoth would lead an elemental army through a rift to attack Stormwind City and Orgrimmar at nine in the morning, three days later.
• The black-robed man hinted that an invisible hand controlled their fates, then vanished from the magic-suppressing prison after snapping his fingers.
• Varian decided to prepare for the invasion and asked Jaina to help him face the crisis.
• Varian summoned Stormwind’s marshals and generals, arranged the city’s defenses, and persuaded other Alliance leaders to stay.
• Three days later, Varian and Jaina waited on the walls of Stormwind Keep for the appointed time.

Varian and Jaina noticed adventurers suddenly returning to Stormwind City in huge numbers and prepared for the coming war. Outside the city, Leah Bloodmoon completed a ritual that summoned Azathoth’s manifested avatar into the Prime Material Plane, where adventurers gathered to face the enormous boss.

• Varian and Jaina saw adventurers reappear across Stormwind City, and Varian ordered his generals summoned to prepare for war.
• A guard reported that adventurers were talking about an expansion launch and a powerful boss appearing that day.
• Leah Bloodmoon led the Elemental Cult’s dark shamans in a summoning ritual outside Stormwind City, sacrificing a sunstone to call Azathoth.
• Xiao Yu accepted Leah Bloodmoon’s summons from the Immortal Throne.
• Azathoth appeared as a gigantic 9-skull boss with 27.83 million health, and nearby adventurers rushed to prepare for the fight.

Azathoth began the Elemental Tide by flying to Stormwind City and opening gates to the elemental planes, unleashing widespread destruction. Stormwind’s defenders and adventurers fought back as the legendary event officially began.

• Adventurers fled or prepared to fight when Azathoth arrived, while one eager warrior was killed by dark shamans before reaching him.
• Xiao Yu transformed into a Chaos Dragon, flew above Stormwind City, and announced that the Elemental King had returned.
• Azathoth used Elemental Gate to tear open a fissure, allowing earth elementals to pour into the city.
• Azathoth summoned fire, water, and wind elementals, triggering volcanoes, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and lightning across Stormwind City.
• Stormwind’s defenders and tens of thousands of adventurers attacked the elemental creatures as the system announced the start of the Elemental Tide.

The Elemental Tide overwhelmed Stormwind City's defenses as elemental elders and four elemental lords joined the attack, while adventurers fought back for the loot. Azathoth faced Varian Wrynn and the Alliance heroes above the cathedral, but he held back from killing Varian and the king escaped his grasp.

• Alliance soldiers and adventurers fought the elementals around Stormwind City's Elemental Gates, briefly stabilizing the battle.
• Dozens of elemental elders and four elemental lords emerged from the gates, devastating the city's defenders and spreading the battle into surrounding areas.
• Adventurers separated and defeated elemental elders for their loot while Stormwind's defenders held off the elemental lords.
• Alliance heroes surrounded Azathoth above the cathedral, and Varian Wrynn attacked him after demanding to know why he had turned against Stormwind.
• Azathoth caught Varian in his dragon claw but remembered he was not supposed to kill important plot characters, and an archbishop's Divine Protection freed Varian.

Azathoth fled Varian and the assembled heroes, then staged a battle with Mofeitosi that led to Marshal Maxwell's death. He captured Long Ao Jiutian and offered him a chance to join the Elemental King's faction, but bit down as Long Ao Jiutian's Divine Shield expired.

• Varian's allies and other heroes drove Azathoth from the cathedral, and Azathoth sent Gangdake to fight them as he flew away.
• Azathoth fought Mofeitosi and his Dragon Knight Order, then lured Mofeitosi toward Marshal Maxwell's troops.
• Mofeitosi turned aside, leaving Marshal Maxwell exposed, and Azathoth seized and killed the Alliance commander.
• Azathoth attacked Long Ao Jiutian II, captured him, and offered him a chance to swear allegiance to the Elemental King.
• Long Ao Jiutian hesitated over the system's allegiance prompt as his Divine Shield expired, and Azathoth bit down.

Phoenix, Kaya Shadowhunter, and Esmehalda arrived to fight the Elemental King, and Esmehalda faced Azathoth alone after sending the others to evacuate civilians. Though she held her own and won the crowd’s admiration, she appeared exhausted as Azathoth prepared a powerful attack.

• Phoenix used Divine Protection to save Long Ao Jiutian, and Kaya Shadowhunter freed him from the Chaos Dragon’s claw with Moon Goddess Arrow.
• Long Ao Jiutian retreated behind his adventurers while Esmehalda confronted Azathoth and refused his offer to rule at his side.
• Azathoth unleashed Meteor Storm, but Esmehalda protected the three heroes with an elemental resistance barrier and countered with Pyroblast.
• Esmehalda teleported Phoenix and Kaya Shadowhunter away to evacuate the crowd, then fought Azathoth alone, dodging and countering his attacks.
• Esmehalda pierced the Chaos Dragon with an Arcane Energy Ray, but exhaustion left her struggling to stand as Azathoth offered her one last chance to submit.
• Esmehalda refused to surrender, and Azathoth began gathering a powerful spell.

Xiao Yu’s Meteor Burst Strike nearly overwhelmed Esmehalda, but Phoenix rescued her before Khadgar arrived and took command of the fight. With Gangdake and Kal Evilflame dead and six powerful mage lords surrounding Azathoth, Xiao Yu chose Maigeluoen as his next target.

• A system notification reported that Varian Wrynn, Raymond, and Malfurion had slain Gangdake, prompting Xiao Yu to prepare his attack on Esmehalda.
• Xiao Yu launched Meteor Burst Strike, but Esmehalda survived by using Ice Block, and Phoenix caught her as she weakened.
• Khadgar arrived, praised Esmehalda for holding off the Elemental King, and sent her away to recover.
• A system notification reported that Kaya Shadowhunter, Magni Bronzebeard, and Mekkatorque had slain Kal Evilflame.
• Rhonin, Khadgar, Jaina, Feierdenan, Aier sha Moonfire, and Maigeluoen teleported in to surround Azathoth.
• Xiao Yu decided to target Maigeluoen, judging him a less important figure than the other mages.

As Azathoth, the Elemental King, faced defeat in Stormwind City, he killed Maikeluoen before the Alliance heroes destroyed his avatar and banished him to the Elemental Plane. The new expansion began, while the surviving NPCs were left amid the battle’s destruction.

• The Alliance and adventurers defeated the elemental army and the other Elemental Lords, leaving Azathoth as the last enemy in Stormwind City.
• Azathoth killed tens of thousands of adventurers with powerful spells as they and the heroes steadily wore down his health.
• Azathoth targeted Maikeluoen, shattered his magic shield, and killed him with a Hammer of Chaos.
• The Alliance heroes struck Azathoth until his health ran out, and he declared that their battle was only the beginning before being banished to the Elemental Plane.
• The system announced the start of the Rise of the Elemental King expansion, and the adventurers logged off as NPCs remained among the ruins.