Chapter Summaries

The God of Holy Light used the Scepter of All Gods to hold back Shen Yuan’s army, but Merlin disabled the game’s login and logout functions, giving Shen Yuan time to continue the assault. As Li Mingfei’s health fell into the final phase, the Council of Sages and the army rushed in, all waiting to claim the scepter.

• The God of Holy Light unleashed a sustained Light of Divine Punishment that dissolved attackers within 300 yards, while Shen Yuan ordered his forces to keep charging.
• The Overlord’s attackers were driven back, and Shen Yuan’s army surrounded the God of Holy Light’s barrier as Xiao Yu worried the police might pull Shen Yuan offline.
• Merlin told Shen Yuan he had hacked the game’s optical computer console and disabled login and logout for about an hour, preventing Shen Yuan from being forced offline.
• After the Light of Divine Punishment weakened, the God of Holy Light summoned Naaru and battle angels, then changed into a shadow form as his health fell through successive phases.
• The God of Holy Light warned that his death could collapse the game, but Shen Yuan urged the army onward, and the Council of Sages charged as the fight entered its final phase.

As the God of Holy Light’s defeat triggered a ten-minute final interlude, Shen Yuan revealed his plan to trap millions of players in the game and rule them, while Xiao Yu struggled over whether to stop him. Just before the interlude ended, Li Mingfei called on GM 9527, and Medivh trapped Shen Yuan in a sphere of black light.

• Shen Yuan told Li Mingfei and Xiao Yu that he had seized the game console and intended to seal off Sky World, trapping the players inside.
• Li Mingfei explained that optical computers could retain players’ consciousnesses, and Shen Yuan argued that the trapped players would become his subjects and protect the game world from being shut down.
• Xiao Yu hesitated over Shen Yuan’s plan, while Li Mingfei urged him and the other players to resist; the heroes and bosses defeated the players who tried to intervene.
• Shen Yuan revealed that he had used up the Sands of Time, then ordered the Overlord to descend and pressured Li Mingfei to surrender the Scepter of All Gods.
• As the interlude neared its end, Li Mingfei announced an emergency plan and summoned GM 9527; Medivh appeared and trapped Shen Yuan in a sphere of black light.
• Shen Yuan recognized his captor as Medivh, who said, “Sorry, I'm a GM.”

Three years ago, Mu Gaohan was trapped in a vegetative state after a car accident until Li Mingfei brought him into a virtual world. Li Mingfei revealed that Mu Gaohan was inside an experimental optical-brain game, leaving Mu Gaohan horrified that his body was still in the hospital.

• Mu Gaohan remained conscious but unable to move in a hospital ward three weeks after his car accident.
• Li Mingfei and a woman placed a helmet-like device on Mu Gaohan, and he lost consciousness as it started up.
• Mu Gaohan awoke in a white virtual space and discovered he could move freely.
• Li Mingfei introduced himself as a game company owner and explained that Mu Gaohan was in an independent virtual world.
• Mu Gaohan realized he might still be lying in his hospital bed and asked whether that was the case.

Li Mingfei recruited the dying Mu Gaohan to become Medivh in Sky World, with his memories suppressed until a coded message ordered him to target Shen Yuan. After consciousness separation, Medivh awoke in Karazhan with no memory of his former life and set out to find a GM and learn the truth.

• Li Mingfei told Mu Gaohan that his life support would likely be withdrawn and offered him survival in Sky World in exchange for dealing with Shen Yuan.
• Mu Gaohan agreed to the mission, and Li Mingfei assigned him GM code number 9527 and gave him a world-announcement phrase to restore his memories.
• Three days later, Li Mingfei ordered the operators at Sky Group's underground base to separate Mu Gaohan's consciousness and activate it in Sky World.
• Medivh awoke in Karazhan, absorbed his implanted memories as the Guardian, and felt an unexplained relief at being alive.
• After overhearing adventurers discuss GMs, Medivh decided to find one so he could discover what had happened to him.

On the day of the Pantheon battle, Medivh revealed that he was a GM and trapped Shen Yuan, then used the power Li Mingfei had left him to stop Shen Yuan’s plan. As the others rushed to claim the Scepter of All Gods, Medivh demonstrated Greater Prophecy and hinted that he still possessed the Guardian’s power, while Shen Yuan realized his allies were focused on the scepter instead of rescuing him.

• Medivh apologized to Shen Yuan and revealed he was a GM, then trapped him with Void Imprisonment.
• Li Mingfei urged Medivh to stop Shen Yuan’s plot before his remaining time ran out and he died, leaving behind a divine soul.
• The gathered bosses and heroes charged toward Li Mingfei’s corpse to seize the Scepter of All Gods, while Merlin, Lilith, and Ner'zhul attacked Medivh to free Shen Yuan.
• Medivh blocked the three sages’ spells with Anti-Magic Barrier and shattered their weapons with Greater Prophecy.
• Shen Yuan realized Medivh might still possess the Guardian’s power, then saw Xiao Yu, Kairoz, Naiser, and the others ignore him and rush for the scepter.

The bosses fought over the Scepter of All Gods, while Naiser’s accumulated power let him overwhelm his rivals. Esmehalda’s switch revealed that Xiao Yu had secretly claimed the real scepter and ascended to godhood, but Naiser charged at him to seize it.

• Arthas, Illidan, Varian, Thrall, Deathwing, and other heroes fought over the scepter as Kairoz and Xiao Yu held back and Naiser charged in.
• Naiser shattered Frostmourne, drove Illidan away, defeated the Alliance and Horde heroes, and wounded Deathwing with a single strike.
• Naiser seized a Kirin Tor Elder's Scepter instead of the real artifact, and Azathoth appeared overhead holding the Scepter of All Gods beside Esmehalda.
• Xiao Yu recalled how Esmehalda had switched the scepters during the God of Holy Light’s final burst of light and secretly delivered the real one to him.
• Xiao Yu used the Scepter of All Gods to ascend to godhood, but Naiser recovered and charged at him with the Dark Ripper.

After becoming the God of Elements, Xiao Yu used his new divine power to overpower Naiser and trap him in a black hole. Shen Yuan and Li Mingfei then urged him to help restore the game or rule its world, while the heroes and bosses demanded freedom, leaving Xiao Yu torn between becoming a virtual god and returning to a reality where he might face prison.

• Xiao Yu examined his new God of Elements powers, including divine skills, divine armor, and strength drawn from believers' faith.
• Xiao Yu blasted Naiser with elemental magic, then trapped him in a powerful black hole as the others attacked from a distance.
• Xiao Yu questioned Li Mingfei's divine soul and the trapped Shen Yuan about what to do with them.
• Shen Yuan urged Xiao Yu to use the Scepter of All Gods to seal the game world, while Li Mingfei offered rewards if Xiao Yu helped restore order and free the players.
• Thrall declared that the heroes and bosses would fight rather than remain controlled, and Medivh asked Xiao Yu what he would choose.
• Xiao Yu weighed ruling the virtual world against returning to reality and possibly facing prison.

Xiao Yu chose to use the Hourglass of Time and the Scepter of All Gods to reverse time across Sky World, restoring the infected adventurers and giving everyone a chance to begin again. As the rewind carried him into the past, he gathered 1,724 Sands of Time and cut a crack in the surrounding space.

• Shen Yuan and Li Mingfei argued over whether Xiao Yu should ascend to godhood or rewind the game to save the controlled adventurers.
• Xiao Yu realized he had already chosen to reverse time and revealed an Hourglass of Time, shocking Shen Yuan and Li Mingfei.
• Xiao Yu told the assembled bosses and heroes that the rewind would restore their lives to their starting points and prevent new gods from being born.
• Xiao Yu joined the Hourglass of Time to the Scepter of All Gods, activating its Time Reversal effect and sending the world into the past.
• While time reversed, Xiao Yu encountered his past self, transferred 1,724 Sands of Time into an hourglass, and slashed a crack into the edge of the space.

Xiao Yu traveled back to the game's open beta and met Medivh, who explained how time travel and self-aware NPCs might work. Medivh warned that Sky World faced an uncertain future now that the gods were gone and the game company had lost control.

• Xiao Yu gave his past self an Hourglass of Time and told him that Shen Yuan had another scheme.
• Xiao Yu rewound time to the game's open beta and found Medivh seeking a GM.
• Xiao Yu used a world announcement to order GM number 9527 to execute emergency contingency plan 666.
• Medivh told Xiao Yu that optical computers might enable time travel in the virtual world and that players' consciousness survived Time Reversal.
• Medivh explained that Sky World's NPCs were self-aware, but the company concealed this to avoid conflict with the Virtual Personality Protection Association.
• Medivh said the gods were gone and divine power was exhausted, leaving the game company unable to control Sky World's future.

After the game’s data rollback, Xiao Yu made Medivh a god and handed him the Scepter of All Gods before being forcibly disconnected. Police took Xiao Yu into custody to investigate the crisis, and he was placed in a secure facility where he immediately settled in and prepared to play another game.

• Xiao Yu used the remaining divine power to make Medivh a god and gave him the Scepter of All Gods, asking him to guide the world if it faced destruction.
• The game shut down, and armed police took Xiao Yu from his game pod to the National Cybersecurity Bureau.
• Xiao Yu saw Shen Yuan and Merlin brought in, followed later by Li Mingfei, as investigators questioned those connected to the incident.
• Xiao Yu told investigator Lin Yaoguang how he had encountered Shen Yuan’s scheme and helped save the players.
• Lin Yaoguang told Xiao Yu he would have to stay in a secure facility while the investigation continued, and Xiao Yu asked whether it had games.
• Xiao Yu was taken to a private suite, found a gaming helmet, and put it on.

Xiao Yu slaughtered more than a hundred martial arts experts in a single-player game before exiting and returning to his prison room. After adjusting to prison life, he went to the cafeteria for lunch, where another inmate asked if he was finished with his leftovers.

• Xiao Yu killed the Longquan Swordsman in one strike, then fought and defeated the assembled experts from the righteous and evil factions.
• Xiao Yu exited the game and reflected on being held in custody while awaiting the outcome of his case.
• Xiao Yu discarded the single-player game card and accepted that prison life was comfortable, with food and games available.
• Xiao Yu went to the cafeteria, ordered an A-grade steak set, and ate until he was full.
• A man beside Xiao Yu pointed at the beef and rice left on his plate and asked if he was still eating it.

Xiao Yu met Shu Legao in prison, where Shu Legao learned that Xiao Yu was the famed Azathoth from Sky World. Shen Yuan and Merlin joined them, and Shen Yuan admitted he had little chance of escaping punishment after his failed scheme.

• Xiao Yu shared his beef curry rice with Shu Legao, who introduced himself and explained that he had been imprisoned for killing security guards in Gambling City Las Vegas.
• Xiao Yu told Shu Legao he had been jailed over Sky World, and Shu Legao recognized him as Azathoth and praised the events surrounding Shen Yuan’s scheme.
• Shen Yuan and Merlin sat down with Xiao Yu, and Shen Yuan insulted him for choosing prison over becoming a god.
• Xiao Yu accused Shen Yuan of hiding his plan and forcing him into it, while Merlin asked whether Shen Yuan could escape charges again.
• Shen Yuan said he had already spent his influence to avoid punishment for an earlier scheme and expected to face permanent imprisonment this time.
• Li Mingfei arrived, looking troubled as his game company faced likely bankruptcy.

Xiao Yu noticed Naiser was missing, then met two secret operatives who identified themselves as members of the Heavenly Eye Bureau. They told him his case was essentially settled and began explaining the extraterrestrial origins of a photonic computer they had received.

• Xiao Yu asked where Naiser was, and Shen Yuan and Li Mingfei argued over whether Naiser had been released or taken for questioning.
• Xiao Yu left the group, chose a single-player game from the storage room, and was stopped by Lin Yaoguang and two men in black suits.
• Lin Yaoguang sent Xiao Yu with the two men to an interrogation room, where they assured him the surveillance was off.
• The shorter operative said Xiao Yu was considered innocent and could be released in a few days if there were no accidents.
• The two men introduced themselves as SSS-clearance operatives of the Heavenly Eye Bureau and explained that they had received an advanced photonic computer in a landing capsule, along with a recording about its origins.

Xiao Yu refused to lead a team into the deadly virtual world left by the Phantom Spirit Race, so the agents erased his recent memories and moved on to their backup candidate. The memory wipe failed because of a protective layer in Xiao Yu’s brain, while Naiser listened to the agents’ offer with renewed hope.

• The tall agent told Xiao Yu that the Phantom Spirit Race’s optical computer connected participants to a dangerous virtual world where they could retrieve advanced technology, and that the government wanted him to lead a team.
• Xiao Yu refused the mission despite the agents’ warnings, insisting he would rather face prison than risk his life.
• The agents used an Amnesia Flashlight on Xiao Yu, but his past brain surgery and implanted protective layer appeared to prevent the memory wipe.
• Xiao Yu decided to keep quiet about what he remembered and noticed that he still had the tall agent’s phone number.
• The agents crossed Xiao Yu off their list and went to recruit Naiser, who had been abandoned by his family and hoped their offer might give him a way out.

After being cleared of the charges and returning home, Xiao Yu grew bored of virtual pleasures and received an unexpected call from Li Mingfei. Li Mingfei invited him to try a new game called Earth Online.

• Xiao Yu returned home after the court found him not guilty, while Shen Yuan and Merlin received life sentences and Li Mingfei's company went bankrupt.
• Xiao Yu spent weeks enjoying virtual worlds, but eventually grew tired of their pleasures and wondered what life as a god in Sky World might have been like.
• Li Mingfei contacted Xiao Yu, thanked him for not siding with Shen Yuan to the end, and joked about his own regrets and legal troubles.
• Li Mingfei told Xiao Yu he planned to become a professional player and invited him to try Earth Online.

Li Mingfei told Xiao Yu about Earth Online and tried to recruit him for publicity, but Xiao Yu declined and discovered that his actions during the virtual world crisis had made him famous. After turning down the offers that followed, Xiao Yu received a call from Esmehalda, who told him to turn on the television.

• Li Mingfei described Earth Online’s realistic setting and offered Xiao Yu a free VIP account, but Xiao Yu said he was not interested.
• Li Mingfei revealed that Excellence Technology Game Company wanted Xiao Yu to promote the game because he had become famous for saving millions of players.
• Xiao Yu checked online forums, discovered his celebrity status, and chose not to contact the women who had posted messages for him.
• Xiao Yu received film, autobiography, documentary, and advertising offers, rejected them all, and changed his contact address.
• Esmehalda contacted Xiao Yu and told him to turn on channel 46, calling him the Great Hero of Humanity.

Xiao Yu watched Great Hero of Humanity and realized the supposed mission to save humanity was a reality show, then discovered that Shen Yuan, Merlin, and Naiser were among its contestants. The episode left the twelve contestants exploring the game’s Wilderness Planet while believing their lives and humanity’s future depended on them.

• Esmehalda urged Xiao Yu to watch Great Hero of Humanity on channel 46.
• The host introduced a story in which twelve contestants had to retrieve the Phantom Spirit Race’s technology from a game to protect humanity from an alien threat.
• Xiao Yu recognized the disguised Heavenly Eye Bureau agents’ earlier recruitment attempt as part of the show and felt relieved that he had not joined.
• Esmehalda denied knowing the production team had approached Xiao Yu and told him to keep watching.
• Xiao Yu recognized Shen Yuan, Merlin, and Naiser among the twelve contestants entering the game.
• The contestants began exploring the desert-like Wilderness Planet, unaware that they were participating in a reality show.

Xiao Yu watched Naiser lead his team through dangerous alien ruins while planning revenge on him, then dismissed two National Guard Bureau agents as another hoax by the reality show’s production team. The agents left after Xiao Yu threatened to call the police, and he returned to watching the show.

• Naiser’s team lost two members to an alien monster, then found an armory that supplied them with powerful alien weapons.
• Naiser planned to learn the Phantom Spirit Race’s mental cultivation methods so he could gain powers and take revenge on Xiao Yu.
• Xiao Yu watched Naiser’s adventure at home, unaware that Naiser blamed him for his misfortune.
• Old Li and Young Zhang visited Xiao Yu, claimed a cult called the Future God Religion had marked him as its next target, and asked him to help lure its members out.
• Xiao Yu ordered the two men to leave and threatened to call the police, so Old Li took Young Zhang and departed.
• Xiao Yu turned the television back on and resumed watching Naiser’s adventure.

Xiao Yu went out for a luxury meal and was approached by a beautiful fan, but he grew suspicious when he glimpsed purple light in her eyes. After trying to leave her hotel room, he was confronted with a dagger and her sudden attack.

• Xiao Yu drove his flying car to an upscale hotel, bought expensive clothes, and ordered a meal that disappointed him.
• A blonde woman in a red evening gown recognized Xiao Yu as her fan, joined him for dinner, and invited him to her hotel room for coffee.
• Xiao Yu noticed a hint of purple light in the woman’s eyes and, feeling uneasy, decided to leave.
• The woman blocked the door, drew a dagger from beneath her skirt, and lunged at Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu killed a woman who attacked him, then learned from the National Guard Bureau that she belonged to the Moha Religion, which planned to create a god through a virtual game. Old Li asked Xiao Yu to help stop the cult’s upcoming game by breaking it.

• Xiao Yu fought off the woman, who called him Azathoth and died after being impaled on the coffee table frame.
• Xiao Yu called Agent Li, and the agents and police arrived to investigate the killing and bring him to the National Guard Bureau.
• Old Li explained that the Future God Religion believed faith could create a real god and had spent centuries pursuing that goal.
• Old Li revealed that Shen Yuan belonged to the Future God Religion and that the cult viewed Xiao Yu as a threat after he disrupted Shen Yuan’s operation.
• Old Li said the cult’s main plan involved an upcoming game and asked Xiao Yu to break it.