Recaps

Xiao Yu and Esmehalda attacked the seemingly defeated black dragon, but it revealed itself as Deathwing and swallowed Big Broadsword Wang Wu. As Mephist arrived and demanded they keep the dragon alive for Stormwind City, Xiao Yu recognized a resemblance to Mephisto and asked whether he was Mephisto.

• Deathwing pretended to be dead beneath rubble, then swallowed Big Broadsword Wang Wu when he rushed in to claim the kill.
• Xiao Yu and Esmehalda attacked the trapped Deathwing with spells, dealing damage as he remained pinned beneath the wreckage.
• Mephist (Dragonslayer) rode up and ordered Xiao Yu and Esmehalda to stop, saying Stormwind City needed to capture and interrogate the dragon.
• Xiao Yu and Esmehalda refused to give up their prey, each claiming a reason to kill Deathwing.
• Xiao Yu recognized Mephist's catchphrase and asked if he was Mephisto; Mephist asked how Xiao Yu knew him.

Mephisto revealed to Xiao Yu that he had transformed from an ancient black dragon into a human hero and joined the Alliance. After Xiao Yu helped him capture Deathwing, he uncovered that Mephisto had staged his dragon-slaying reputation to infiltrate Stormwind City.

• Mephisto revealed that his human form was his black dragon character transformed into a hero template, and asked Xiao Yu to leave the little black dragon to him.
• Xiao Yu agreed in exchange for a favor, and Mephisto's cavalry surrounded Deathwing, whom Mephisto subdued and had bound.
• Mephisto invited Xiao Yu and Esmehalda to a tavern and explained that the Alliance had hunted him after he attacked a dwarven archaeological camp.
• Mephisto claimed he had faked his death by presenting another black dragon's head and then hiding in Stormwind City as a human hero.
• Xiao Yu accused Mephisto of planning the attack and dragon-head deception from the beginning to gain Alliance reputation and infiltrate Stormwind City.

Mephisto explained his plan to infiltrate the Alliance and use adventurers to help him win the strongest boss competition, while Madman joined the Horde and Old E built a monster army. Xiao Yu declined to join Mephisto's group but agreed to share information, then accompanied Esmehalda to Stormwind City's Royal Library.

• Mephisto revealed that he had infiltrated the Alliance to gain popularity and planned to transform into an ancient black dragon during a conflict, while directing adventurers against rival monster factions.
• Mephisto said Madman had joined the Horde and Old E was building a monster army, and he invited Xiao Yu to join their conspiracy.
• Xiao Yu declined to join but proposed an alliance to share information and cooperate when useful, and Mephisto agreed.
• After Mephisto left, Xiao Yu and Esmehalda headed to the royal palace, where they saw Stormwind City recovering from the World-Destroying Dragon Clan's attack.
• Esmehalda used her Kirin Tor Councilor status to enter the palace with Xiao Yu, and a royal guard led them to the Royal Library.

Xiao Yu searched the Stormwind City Royal Library for the origins of the Seeds of Elements and learned where all three had gone. He planned to pursue the naga-held Seed first, but a system announcement warned that Sky World would undergo maintenance in an hour.

• Xiao Yu and Esmehalda entered the Royal Library and searched separately for information about the night elves and Medivh.
• Xiao Yu asked Library Manager 4000 to locate records about the Seed of Elements and found a passage in Night Elf History, volume two.
• Xiao Yu learned that Galax or Dark Rod might possess the first Seed, the blood elves of Silvermoon City held the second, and the naga had the third.
• Xiao Yu decided to return to the Elemental Plane, gather underlings, and prepare to attack the naga in the Endless Sea.
• Esmehalda told Xiao Yu she had found what she wanted, and a system announcement stated that Sky World maintenance would begin in one hour.

After emerging from a half-month gaming session, Xiao Yu met Liu Xiaoyu and her friends at a breakfast shop and learned she had become an elite mermaid guard. He discovered that Qin Shiyue was the mermaid princess and guild master he hoped to approach, and the chapter ended with a possible alliance dependent on Xiao Yu proving his strength.

• Xiao Yu left his game pod, adjusted to reality, and went to a breakfast shop for his first real meal in half a month.
• Xiao Yu learned Liu Xiaoyu had quit her job to pursue professional gaming and had become an elite mermaid princess's lady-in-waiting and guard.
• Liu Xiaoyu introduced Xiao Yu to her friends Guo Tianxue and Qin Shiyue, and Xiao Yu asked whether she could arrange a meeting with the mermaid princess.
• Qin Shiyue revealed she was the princess of the Raging Tide Kingdom, commanded three thousand mermaid troops, and led the Song of the Ocean guild.
• Qin Shiyue said cooperation with Xiao Yu could be possible if he proved his strength, and Xiao Yu offered to gather a few thousand troops from the Water Elemental Plane.

Xiao Yu browsed the Sky World forum during the game’s 24-hour maintenance and watched videos from the new Demon King Hall. He found a provocative video about Crazy Zoo and Rexxar, leaving him startled by its title.

• Xiao Yu checked the forum and discovered new Demon King Hall and Hero Hall sections created for the game’s official competitions.
• Xiao Yu watched a popular video showing Stormwind’s gryphon knights defeating the World-Destroying Dragon Clan, while viewers mocked the dragons in the comments.
• Xiao Yu browsed videos of story campaigns and battles between heroes, bosses, and rival guilds, noting that powerful named characters were dying frequently.
• Xiao Yu spotted a video titled "Crazy Zoo's First Battle-the Death of Beastmaster Rexxar" and felt his eyelid twitch.

Xiao Yu watched footage of Crazy Zoo’s beasts killing Rexxar and suspected they had been united by a powerful force. He then checked the Demon King Hall rankings, where he learned that the most popular monster organization was Heavenly Punishment, a faction of celestial beings.

• Xiao Yu watched a video showing Rexxar and his companions surrounded and killed by a vast, coordinated horde of beasts.
• Viewers debated the beasts’ strength and organization, while a participant warned that Crazy Zoo had defeated Rexxar and challenged others to fight them.
• Xiao Yu noticed the beasts’ faint purple glow and suspected they had been united or empowered by a powerful being.
• Xiao Yu reviewed the Demon King Hall rankings and learned that Heavenly Punishment, made up of celestial beings, ranked first among monster organizations.

Xiao Yu watched Heavenly Punishment’s promotional video and learned that the faction’s seven angels were modeled on the idol group Dynamic Angels, led by An Xiaoya as Anya. He doubted the celebrity group would remain active long enough to dominate Sky World and believed that less-publicized factions might ultimately prove stronger.

• Xiao Yu questioned why Celestial Realm creatures had become monsters and opened the Heavenly Punishment section to watch its promotional video.
• The video explained that Anya wanted to purify the mortal world, and that angels who shared her vision founded Heavenly Punishment.
• Xiao Yu recognized Anya as An Xiaoya and saw that the other six angels matched the remaining members of Dynamic Angels.
• Xiao Yu noted that all seven angels had advanced hero templates and could fight together, making them a formidable faction.
• Xiao Yu doubted Dynamic Angels would devote enough time to the game and judged that powerful factions building strength in the shadows could outlast the popular ones.

Xiao Yu watched a video of Xingtian, the Dragon-Slaying Sword Saint, killing an ancient red dragon alone and reconsidered how powerful heroes could be. As he browsed hero profiles, Little Black contacted him with a warning that someone had come to investigate him.

• Xiao Yu found Esmehalda's video among the Hero Hall listings and saw that wealthy players and studios were helping heroes rise quickly through the rankings.
• Xiao Yu spotted Phoenix in seventeenth place and Xingtian, the six-star Dragon-Slaying Sword Saint, at the top of the hero prestige rankings.
• Xiao Yu watched Xingtian fight an ancient red dragon and realized the Blood-Drinking Demon Sword let him recover health as he dealt damage.
• Xingtian was swallowed by the red dragon, then cut his way out from inside and killed it.
• Xiao Yu considered how adventurers might exploit Xingtian's lack of area attacks, then received a message from Little Black saying someone had come to investigate him.

After learning that someone had investigated him, Xiao Yu suspected Long Ao Jiutian but decided to ignore the threat. He watched Sky World’s update preview, then entered the game as maintenance ended, eager to experience its new realistic combat systems.

• Little Black warned Xiao Yu that a licensed private investigator had questioned him about Xiao Yu.
• Xiao Yu suspected Long Ao Jiutian had hired the investigator and decided he would deal with any threat if it came.
• Xiao Yu watched Sky World’s update video, which showed realistic physics, lethal strikes, protective magic, crushing blows, and other combat changes.
• Xiao Yu noted that the changes might favor elemental creatures like him, whose core was difficult to strike, and learned players would receive a free skill reset.
• When maintenance ended, Xiao Yu entered his gaming pod and prepared to return to Sky World.

Xiao Yu rebuilt his skills for fighting in the sea, summoned his Immortal subordinates to the Throne of the Tides, and traveled there to meet the Water Elemental Plane’s leaders. Ashali escorted him toward the Elemental Elders’ Council, where he found the city crowded with troops, creatures, and players.

• Xiao Yu chose Frostfire Bolt, Frost Nova, Biting Wind Protection, elite-template Summon Boiling Water Elemental, Elemental Absorption, and Deep Sea Maelstrom for his skills.
• Xiao Yu summoned the Immortals to the Throne of the Tides within three days and began traveling through the rivers toward the Endless Sea.
• Xiao Yu crossed the waterfalls into the Endless Sea and swam toward the Throne of the Tides, avoiding enormous sea beasts.
• Ashali introduced herself as a subject of Lord Neptulon and asked whether Xiao Yu had come for the Elemental Elders’ Council.
• Xiao Yu followed Ashali through the heavily guarded city and saw sea creatures, water elementals, and many players gathered near the Throne of the Tides.

At the Elemental Council, Neptulon struggled to persuade the water elementals to confront the naga invading through the Maelstrom. Azathoth volunteered to destroy their staging ground, Hydra City, and received an army of three thousand troops, with a promise of promotion if he succeeded.

• Ashali escorted Xiao Yu through the Throne of the Tides to the Elemental Council hall, then left him to enter alone.
• Neptulon told the gathered elders and lords that the naga were invading through the Maelstrom and asked for someone to destroy the artifact enabling their passage.
• Aktumen and other elementals argued for caution, while no one volunteered to cross the Maelstrom and fight the naga.
• Azathoth stepped forward and offered to lead the campaign against the naga, asking Neptulon to provide troops.
• Neptulon promised to promote Azathoth to water elemental lord and grant him territory if he defeated the naga and destroyed Hydra City.
• Neptulon assigned Azathoth an army of three thousand water elementals, sea elementals, and siren priests.

Xiao Yu accepted Neptulon’s appointment as commander of the Water Elemental Legion and prepared to lead the campaign against the naga, seeing it as a chance to build his own power. After assembling troops from allies, subordinates, and players, he waited for the march toward the Maelstrom.

• Xiao Yu accepted command of three thousand water elementals and resolved to use the campaign to advance his ambitions in the Prime Material Plane.
• Monari, Kukuker, and Typhon offered troops in exchange for joining the story event, and Xiao Yu negotiated for twenty priests from each of their forces.
• Xiao Yu declined Monari’s invitation to join the Boundless Sea Guild and went with Ashali to inspect the army Neptulon had assigned him.
• Xiao Yu found that most of his three thousand soldiers were low-level ordinary elementals, though elite sea sprite priests and the priests from his allies strengthened his forces.
• During the next three days, Xiao Yu recruited players and gathered his Immortals Legion subordinates, who arrived with more than three hundred elemental troops.

Xiao Yu led a newly assembled water elemental army toward the Maelstrom to confront the naga, assigning his generals and player volunteers their roles. The naga army appeared ahead in overwhelming numbers, and Xiao Yu ordered his forces into a wall formation as the battle approached.

• Xiao Yu recruited more than two thousand ordinary-template players, bringing his water army to over five thousand troops.
• Xiao Yu assigned Wotkud, Sairen, Ximeng, Agnes, and Big Water Cunt to command different parts of the army.
• Xiao Yu marched toward the Maelstrom, joined en route by three player bosses and their forces.
• Sea siren scouts clashed with naga scouts, who retreated after spotting the advancing army.
• Xiao Yu saw a vast wall of naga and enslaved sea beasts ahead, then ordered his legions to form up for battle.
• Xiao Yu ordered the sea elemental legion to the left, the water elemental legion to the right, and the volunteers to the center in a wall formation.

Xiao Yu and Azathoth led the elemental armies against the naga advance, first cutting down the sea-beast vanguard with powerful spells and Frostbolts. The naga then surrounded the formation and attacked with lightning magic, leaving Xiao Yu struggling to keep his troops together as he spotted a gigantic naga who might be their commander.

• Monari and Kukuker disrupted the sea-beast charge with Ocean's Wrath and Frost Storm.
• Azathoth ordered the Elemental Legion to fire Frostbolts, killing most of the charging sea beasts.
• The naga bypassed the frontal barrage and surrounded the elemental armies while naga sea witches attacked with lightning spells.
• Naga warriors breached the formation, and Xiao Yu's orders failed to stop the players from losing control.
• Xiao Yu searched for the naga commander and spotted a gigantic naga.

Xiao Yu commanded the elemental forces and player legion against the naga army, using disciplined formations and healing to turn the battle in their favor. After the naga retreated, he ordered a pursuit and prepared his troops for more fighting.

• Azathoth ordered the three player groups to attack Slafar Redscale, and Typhon, Monari, and Kukuker led the charge against the sharkmaster lord.
• Xiao Yu kept the elemental army in formation, rotated troops, and ordered priests to support the fighters while they wore down the naga forces.
• Monari, Kukuker, and Typhon killed Slafa Redscale, earning Xiao Yu 163 reputation points and throwing the naga army into confusion.
• Xiao Yu sent the player legion into the disordered naga ranks and ordered elemental priests to heal their damaged troops with Light of the Elements.
• Xiao Yu advanced the restored elemental army as the naga fled, then ordered sea nymph scouts to pursue them and told Big Water Cunt to gather his forces for further fighting.

Xiao Yu confronted Lady Xiwadelin at the Maelstrom, but she escaped into its currents after ice fiends and his forces attacked. He rallied the elemental army with a speech and led it into the Maelstrom toward the Prime Material Plane.

• The elemental army reached the Maelstrom, where Lady Xiwadelin challenged Azathoth and struck him with a long-range lightning spell.
• Agnes and the ice fiends ambushed Lady Xiwadelin, but her Magic Shield blocked their attacks as the rest of Azathoth's forces advanced.
• Lady Xiwadelin knocked back the ice fiends, taunted Azathoth, and fled on her whale into the Maelstrom.
• Wotkud urged Azathoth to let the army recover, but Azathoth argued that stopping would give the naga time to prepare.
• Azathoth rallied the elemental army with a speech about reclaiming its former glory, and the troops and players chanted, “The Immortals-deathless and undying, everlasting for all ages!”
• Azathoth led the elemental army into the Maelstrom, while Boundless Sea's three boss players and their subordinates stayed behind to watch.

Xiao Yu led the Water Elemental Legion through the Maelstrom into Azeroth and advanced toward Hydra City. The naga were ready for battle, and their forces surged out to meet the elementals.

• Xiao Yu emerged from the Maelstrom into Azeroth as water elementals arrived and clashed with naga patrol guards.
• Xiao Yu stopped the elementals from pursuing the retreating naga and gathered more than two thousand troops around him.
• Xiao Yu ordered Sairen to gather scattered reinforcements while Wotkud led the formed units toward Hydra City.
• Xiao Yu led the army through a trench and discovered Hydra City defended by three or four thousand naga.
• Xiao Yu ordered his forces into a wall formation, but the naga poured out of their fortresses and charged.

Azathoth used Deep Sea Maelstrom and Wotkud’s Polar Storm to devastate the naga army before leading his reinforced water elemental forces into battle. After heavy losses forced the naga back toward Hydra City, Lady Xiwadelin ordered a sea witch to promise the imprisoned Sgelari freedom in exchange for its offspring’s full support.

• Lady Xiwadelin sent her naga royal guards and army to attack Azathoth, who unleashed Deep Sea Maelstrom and dragged hundreds of naga into its currents.
• Azathoth summoned boiling water elementals, then retreated as the royal guards pressed forward; Wotkud froze the trapped naga with Polar Storm, killing hundreds more.
• The water elementals held the trench against repeated naga assaults until Sairen, Big Water Cunt, Agnes, and more than two thousand reinforcements arrived.
• Azathoth led the enlarged elemental army out of the trench, and its massed Frostbolts inflicted over a thousand naga casualties, driving them toward Hydra City.
• Lady Xiwadelin told a naga sea witch to promise Sgelari freedom if its offspring fought for the naga, despite the witch’s warning that Queen Azshara would never permit it.

Lady Xiwadelin summoned a horde of Nine-Headed Sea Serpents that drove Xiao Yu’s forces back, but powerful elemental reinforcements turned the battle around. She abandoned the battlefield after her mysterious master revealed that the invasion had only been bait to draw out Xiao Yu and ordered her to bring him in.

• Lady Xiwadelin unleashed dozens of Nine-Headed Sea Serpents, which devoured water elementals and pushed Xiao Yu’s army into retreat.
• Xiao Yu ordered his troops to hold the line, but the hydras’ strength and resistance overwhelmed his forces.
• Three or four hundred elemental reinforcements arrived and froze the Nine-Headed Sea Serpents, forcing the naga warriors to rout.
• Lady Xiwadelin went to the naga temple to use a divine artifact, but a mysterious voice told her that the invasion had already served its purpose and ordered her to bring Xiao Yu to it.
• The conch artifact cracked as the voice vanished, and Lady Xiwadelin left with the naga sea witches while the Naga Royal Guard captain continued fighting.
• A naga warrior informed the captain that Lady Xiwadelin had fled.

Azathoth defeated the naga at Hydra City, recruited Boundless Sea's elemental players, and discovered the imprisoned hydra demigod Sgelari. After accepting Sgelari's weakened oath of loyalty, Azathoth learned the Seed of Elements was on Lost Island and freed him.

• Valak Leilin was killed by Azathoth and the elemental bosses, causing the naga to flee and ending their resistance.
• Boundless Sea's elemental players asked to join Azathoth's guild, The Immortals, and he welcomed them.
• Big Water Cunt found Sgelari, a nine-headed hydra demigod imprisoned in a cavern beneath Hydra City.
• Azathoth demanded Sgelari swear loyalty rather than offer an alliance, and Sgelari accepted despite the oath's weakened binding force.
• Sgelari revealed that the Seed of Elements was in the naga temple on Lost Island, which Azathoth declared their next target.
• Azathoth's forces broke Sgelari's cage and seals, freeing the badly injured demigod.

After defeating the naga and capturing Hydra City, Xiao Yu chose to occupy it and made it the capital of The Immortals. He inspected the city’s resources and available buildings, but found that rare materials stood in the way of expanding its facilities.

• Xiao Yu left the weakened Sgelari behind and entered Hydra City, where his forces had defeated or driven off the remaining naga.
• Xiao Yu received reputation, the Commander and Naga Bane titles, and loot that included a Shark Rider's Spear and Azshara's Royal Insignia.
• Xiao Yu chose to occupy Hydra City, making it his territory and raising The Immortals to a level-four city faction.
• Xiao Yu reviewed Hydra City's buildings, population, and resources, then found that many new buildings required rare materials he lacked.

After conquering Hydra City, Xiao Yu organized its murloc workforce, founded and expanded the Immortals, and began rebuilding the city and raising an army. He left Hydra City’s construction underway and reached level 35 while patrolling his territory.

• Xiao Yu ordered Luluqi to demolish the naga buildings and train murloc babies into slaves, then began recruiting members for the Immortals.
• After learning that Ximeng had died in battle, Xiao Yu delivered a speech and recruited more than two thousand players, assigning them ranks by template and strength.
• Over the next three days, Xiao Yu demolished naga structures, built a Water Elemental Temple, hydra nests, Water Elemental Halls, and coral caves, and issued a resource-donation quest.
• Xiao Yu spent the city’s resources training forty hydras, filling all four nests.
• Xiao Yu patrolled the territory with guards and scouts, killed monsters, and reached level 35.

Xiao Yu learned Fission Orb and tested its true damage before returning to Hydra City, where Neptulon's envoy Ashali arrived with a legendary gift. The Elemental Lord's Crown gave him the chance to become an elemental lord.

• Xiao Yu chose Bursting Orb and advanced it into Fission Orb, a skill that dealt mixed damage and area-of-effect true damage.
• Xiao Yu tested Fission Orb on a dragon turtle and killed it with three shots.
• Wotkud told Xiao Yu that Neptulon's special envoy had arrived in Hydra City.
• Xiao Yu recognized Ashali, who congratulated him on defeating the naga and ending the crisis in the Water Elemental Plane.
• Ashali gave Xiao Yu the Elemental Lord's Crown, whose special effect could crown him an elemental lord.

Xiao Yu accepted the Elemental Lord's Crown, gaining a new title, powers, and Hydra City as his proposed fief. He reviewed the Elemental Lord rankings and found himself in thirty-seventh place as he prepared to pursue his plans for the Lost Island.

• Xiao Yu put on Neptulon's crown and advanced to a Water Elemental Lord, gaining a health bonus, Leader Aura, and access to the skin and faction systems.
• When Ashali questioned why he had not destroyed Hydra City, Xiao Yu argued that the city should remain a defensive base against attacks on the Water Elemental Plane.
• Xiao Yu asked Ashali to tell Neptulon that he would hold Hydra City as his fief and requested Primal Water as compensation.
• After Ashali left, Xiao Yu planned to attack the Lost Island and contact the Mermaid Kingdom and Song of the Ocean before learning how his new lord functions worked.
• Xiao Yu checked the faction rankings, saw that Ragnaros led the Elemental Lords, and found himself thirty-seventh with Hydra City and a relatively weak faction rating.