Chapter Summaries

Shen Xing, Qin Lang, and Xu Jiayi entered a practical combat match against a well-equipped student team, while Zhou Zheng and Director Liu discussed the newcomers’ prospects and the growing threat of anomalies. The match began with Shen Xing’s team launching a coordinated attack on the opposing dark elf archer.

• Director Liu promised 2,000 contribution points for exceptional combat performance and told Zhou Zheng that the bureau would support strong newcomers.
• Shen Xing, Qin Lang, and Xu Jiayi prepared for their match and went to combat area eight with Zhou Zheng.
• The opposing team summoned an elite one-star dark elf archer and spearman and an elite two-star iron-armored shield guard.
• Shen Xing’s team summoned Da Hou, an elite two-star orc warrior, Moon Arrow, an elite one-star human archer, and Little Shadow, an elite one-star halfling assassin.
• At Shen Xing’s command, Da Hou feinted toward the shield guard before charging at the dark elf, while Little Shadow attacked her from behind and Xu Jiayi’s archer fired at her head.

Shen Xing, Qin Lang, and Xu Jiayi won their arena match after Da Hou overwhelmed the opposing shield guard and the team thwarted attacks against Shen Xing. After a powerful fireball ended the fight, Shen Xing became dizzy and swayed.

• Shen Xing sent Da Hou to attack the shield guard while Qin Lang and Xu Jiayi held off the other fighters.
• Da Hou battered the shield guard until he lost his shield, while the opposing team launched a hidden sword and assassin attack on Shen Xing.
• Qin Lang knocked away the sword, and Shen Xing and Xu Jiayi stopped the assassin with Hand of the Void and Roundhouse Kick.
• Shen Xing unleashed a Hellfire Fireball, and the middle-aged man beside Zhou Zheng swallowed it after the opposing captain surrendered.
• The staff declared Shen Xing's team the winner, and Zhou Zheng recognized that Shen Xing and his teammates had concealed their abilities.
• Shen Xing suddenly became dizzy, and Qin Lang steadied him as Xu Jiayi hurried over.

After their practical combat, Shen Xing, Qin Lang, and Xu Jiayi recovered in a treatment room while Zhou Zheng explained troop control, warned that the Void Realm might open early, and rewarded them with contribution points and identity cards. They left for the trading area, where players were selling troops, equipment, and other items.

• Zhou Zheng explained that a lord's control and combat experience affected troops' performance in reality, and urged the three to train at Jiangcheng's Pioneer Activity Center.
• Zhou Zheng confirmed their secret-realm spots, warned that the Void Realm might open a week or half a month early, and noticed they were concealing some of their strength.
• Zhou Zheng awarded Shen Xing, Qin Lang, and Xu Jiayi 2,000 contribution points each and gave them internal identity cards for official facilities and trading.
• Shen Xing and the others left the treatment room and took the elevator to the second-floor trading area.
• The three entered the crowded trading hall and saw players advertising recruitment scrolls, equipment, and troop nests.

Shen Xing, Xu Jiayi, and Qin Lang visited the player trading area, where Shen Xing exchanged a Frost Gem for a Moon Well blueprint. Back in his apartment, Shen Xing researched troop breakthroughs and planned to gather materials in the Mist Void Realm before upgrading his forces.

• Qin Lang explained the player stalls and official trading windows, and the three decided to prioritize items that would help their territories develop.
• Shen Xing bought [Well] and [Basic House] blueprints, while Xu Jiayi and Qin Lang each acquired items for their territories.
• Shen Xing traded his rare Frost Gem with a stall owner for the mysterious Moon Well building.
• Qin Lang told Shen Xing and Xu Jiayi that experts were preparing for the Mist Void Realm and its rewards, and Shen Xing privately considered his two elite three-star troops and Hellscream’s potential evolution.
• After returning home, Shen Xing read about troop breakthrough materials and resolved to strengthen his forces and gather materials in the Void Realm.

Shen Xing placed the Moon Well in his territory, discovered he could teleport more than one item a day, and started building dwellings for his orcs. After considering whether to fuse Hellscream with Lesser Demon Essence Blood, he searched the forum for advice on troop bloodlines.

• Shen Xing teleported and placed the Moon Well, which produced Moon Spring Water that could heal injuries, restore stamina, and help plants grow.
• Shen Xing teleported a second item and learned that Qin Lang and Xu Jiayi could still teleport only one item each day.
• Shen Xing learned a basic dwelling blueprint and began constructing seven dwellings using salvaged wood and collected stone.
• Shen Xing considered giving Hellscream Lesser Demon Essence Blood, then found Li Feifei's forum post about bloodline fusion and troop advancement.

Shen Xing helped Hellscream fuse Lesser Demon Essence Blood, transforming him into a Hell Vanguard with powerful new skills. After the territory prepared for an apparent attack, Xia Wanyin arrived to explore and asked Shen Xing to add her on Green Bubble.

• Shen Xing explained the risks of fusing Lesser Demon Essence Blood, and Hellscream chose to undergo the fusion.
• Hellscream endured the painful transformation and evolved from an Orc Fighter into a Hell Vanguard, gaining 30% to all attributes and two bloodline skills.
• Shen Xing praised Hellscream, whose words seemed to inspire both Hellscream and Gorehowl into enlightenment, then examined Hellscream's new abilities.
• The arrow towers attacked an approaching group, but Shen Xing recognized Xia Wanyin and stopped the towers before they could harm her.
• Xia Wanyin entered Shen Xing's territory, sensed the Moonwell, and asked to add him on Green Bubble.

Gideon attacked Shen Xing’s territory after Shen Xing and Xia Wanyin left to explore the mist, while their guards prepared to defend it. Xia Wanyin helped Shen Xing uncover several resource points, but a warning of the attack forced them to turn back.

• Shen Xing and Xia Wanyin took their troops into the mist to search for resource points, leaving Gorehowl and Da Hou to guard the territory.
• Gideon watched Shen Xing’s group leave, waited to make sure they were gone, and then led his forces toward the territory.
• Gorehowl and Da Hou readied the defenders as Gideon demanded their surrender, then ordered his transformed wolf troops to attack.
• Xia Wanyin guided Shen Xing to three resource points in half an hour and revealed that she could sense them nearby.
• Shen Xing received a warning that another lord was attacking his territory, and Xia Wanyin identified the attacker as Gideon.
• Xia Wanyin urged Shen Xing to hurry back, but Shen Xing said Gideon could not take his territory.

Shen Xing’s territory repelled Gideon’s werewolf raid with bear traps, arrow towers, and orc defenders, and Shen Xing formed an alliance with Xia Wanyin to deal with him. After healing the injured orcs with Moon Well water, they resumed exploring the fog and discovered several resource points.

• Gideon’s werewolves blundered into bear traps and were driven off by the orcs, forcing him to retreat into the fog.
• Shen Xing returned to find the battle over, learned Gideon had led the attack, and agreed with Xia Wanyin to join forces against him.
• Shen Xing gave Moon Well water to the wounded orcs, and their injuries rapidly healed.
• Shen Xing ordered the orcs to reset the traps, then continued exploring with Xia Wanyin and her Light Spirit squad.
• The group lit the Black Crystal Tower and Afterglow Sacrificial Tower and occupied a small black iron vein.

Shen Xing and Xia Wanyin discovered a lumberyard guarded by Fallen Overseers, and their troops defeated the guards. Shen Xing found the exhausted slave laborers working there and questioned them about where they came from.

• Xia Wanyin led Shen Xing to a hidden lumberyard in a black forest near his territory.
• Shen Xing agreed to Xia Wanyin's offer of ranged support and ordered Hellscream to attack the two Fallen Overseers.
• Hellscream knocked down the overseers and fought them while Xia Wanyin's Light Spirit archers killed most of the Fel Hounds.
• Shen Xing's forces defeated the remaining guards and brought him to a group of slave laborers.
• Shen Xing asked the frightened, exhausted laborers where they came from, but they stayed silent.

Shen Xing recruited 24 former slaves, occupied a lumber mill, and gained supplies and a whip that boosted workers’ efficiency. He and Xia Wanyin then discovered a quarry, but Dark Goblins attacked them before they could occupy it.

• Shen Xing recruited 24 slaves and gave them black bread, which increased their work efficiency for 48 hours.
• Shen Xing occupied an intermediate lumber mill, gained 1,364 wood, and named the limping former slave Heishi as the workers’ leader.
• Hellscream gave Shen Xing loot from the Fallen Overseers, including a green-quality whip that could raise workers’ efficiency while lowering morale.
• Xia Wanyin found a quarry, and Shen Xing ordered his troops to approach and occupy it.
• Dark Goblins emerged from behind the rubble and attacked Shen Xing and Xia Wanyin’s troops.

Shen Xing occupied a quarry, expanded his territory’s resource operations, and ended his exploration with Xia Wanyin. The next morning, he began planning a well and realized that digging partway by hand first could reduce its construction cost.

• Hellscream leaped into the air and struck the Goblin settlement with Rift Heavy Strike, allowing the Orc infantry to finish the survivors and occupy the quarry.
• Shen Xing sent twelve slave laborers to mine stone and left Orc infantrymen to guard the quarry and logging camp.
• Xia Wanyin said Shen Xing could call her Wanyin and promised to explore with him again the next day before returning through the fog.
• Shen Xing returned to his apartment, browsed forum posts about rising powers and threats, and studied until late at night.
• The next morning, Shen Xing saw that new wooden houses had been completed and learned a Well Construction Blueprint, which showed estimated digging depths and costs.
• Shen Xing realized that having Orcs dig before building the well could save materials, then summoned a squad of Orc infantry and equipped them with shovels and hoes.

Shen Xing strengthened Da Hou, explored nearby resource points with Xia Wanyin, and began building a Water Well in his territory. After nightfall, he distributed Soul Stones, logged out, and stayed up messaging Xia Wanyin and browsing his study app.

• Shen Xing collected the previous night's monster spoils and used [Life-Sacrifice Evolution] to raise Da Hou to Elite Three Stars, unlocking [Flying Axe Throw].
• Shen Xing joined Xia Wanyin and Hellscream's exploration party and spent the day finding nearby resource points in the mist.
• Xia Wanyin and Shen Xing lit all the resource points within two kilometers of his territory, including crystal towers, sacrificial towers, mines, a logging camp, and a quarry.
• Shen Xing returned to the village and confirmed construction of a Water Well in the pit the orcs had dug.
• Shen Xing distributed Soul Stones, logged out, exchanged messages with Xia Wanyin, and opened a study app after noticing it was past two in the morning.

Shen Xing evolved a skeleton archer into a skeleton marksman, recruited more archers and orcs, and activated troop bonds. As he prepared to explore for Soul Stones, Xia Wanyin offered to team up with him.

• Shen Xing evolved a skeleton archer, awakened its Rapid Fire skill, and named it Black Arrow.
• Shen Xing spent resources to recruit six skeleton archers and twenty orcs, activating bonds that improved their range, accuracy, and constitution.
• Shen Xing sent Gorehowl and Black Arrow to train the new recruits and realized his Soul Stones were running low.
• Xia Wanyin messaged Shen Xing, proposing that they team up to explore and extend their lanterns' burn time.

Shen Xing and Xia Wanyin explored the mist together and encountered Garrett, a wandering merchant who offered a range of goods. After they purchased supplies, Garrett offered them the gold-quality Drum of Invigoration in exchange for helping him, leaving Shen Xing to consider the hidden quest.

• Shen Xing met Xia Wanyin at his territory, and they led their troops into the mist to explore together.
• Shen Xing and Xia Wanyin relit three extinguished resource points and dealt with several monster attacks as they traveled.
• Xia Wanyin spotted Garrett, a wandering merchant, approaching with a pack beast laden with chests.
• Shen Xing bought Eyes of True Seeing, a lighthouse blueprint, Hellfire Seeds, and Underground Dwarf Spirits, while Xia Wanyin bought a blueprint, Viper Potions, and Soul Stones.
• Garrett offered Shen Xing and Xia Wanyin the gold-quality Drum of Invigoration if they would complete a commission for him.

Shen Xing and Xia Wanyin negotiated better rewards from a wandering merchant for retrieving his late wife's bracelet from the Dark Naga in the Blackwater River. As they traveled there, Shen Xing inspected several useful items and planned how to strengthen his territory before the group reached the river.

• The wandering merchant asked Shen Xing and Xia Wanyin to recover his late wife's pearl bracelet from a Dark Naga, and Shen Xing negotiated an extra 500 Soul Stones and a treasure map in addition to a Drum of Invigoration.
• The merchant accepted Shen Xing's terms, provided Dark Naga bait, and required them to kill the Naga wearing the bracelet.
• Xia Wanyin excitedly praised Shen Xing and leaned against his wheelchair before pulling back in embarrassment when he pointed it out.
• Shen Xing inspected an Eye of True Seeing, a Lighthouse Construction Blueprint, Underground Dwarf Spirits, and a Hellfire Seed, considering how to use them for his territory and troops.
• After twenty minutes of travel through the mist, Shen Xing, Xia Wanyin, and their escort reached the Blackwater River.

Shen Xing and Xia Wanyin used a merchant’s bait to lure and defeat waves of Dark Naga along the Blackwater River, gathering a large haul of resources. They left without finding the Naga that had taken the bracelet, and Xia Wanyin explained that the corpses should be returned to the river because the Dark Naga were born from its darkness.

• Shen Xing placed the merchant’s bait on the beach, and he and Xia Wanyin ambushed the Dark Naga that came ashore.
• The group defeated the Naga, including an elite Vanguard, before it could unleash its waterspout attack.
• Shen Xing and Xia Wanyin spent more than four hours farming repeated waves of Dark Naga and collected 512 Soul Stones, 535 Vinar Silver Coins, and many soul fragments.
• They divided the loot and decided to end the hunt for the day, having failed to find the Naga that had taken the bracelet.
• Xia Wanyin told Shen Xing to throw the Naga corpses back into the river because the creatures had been born from the darkness at its bottom.

Shen Xing returned to his territory and began a second round of construction, upgrading the Bonfire and establishing a Dretch Unit Nest. After summoning two dretches and assigning them to Hellscream to train, he logged off and decided to enjoy the night breeze by the river.

• Shen Xing sent the Dark Naga corpses into the river and returned to his territory after saying goodbye to Xia Wanyin.
• Shen Xing spent resources to begin building four lighthouses and upgrading the Bonfire to level 4.
• Shen Xing placed the Dretch Unit Nest in an open area, where it formed a pool of magma.
• Shen Xing spent resources to summon two level 1 dretches and assigned them to Hellscream to train.
• Shen Xing logged off and decided to visit the riverside park near his home.

Shen Xing learned that several powerful Jiangcheng players were preparing to compete in the Mist Void Realm and believed his units could give him a chance at first place. He entered the game the next morning to find his territory’s Bonfire upgraded and its Lighthouse completed, then checked Hellscream’s level.

• Shen Xing returned home from a late-night riverside trip and read messages from Qin Lang, Xu Jiayi, and Xia Wanyin.
• Shen Xing browsed a forum post about Gu Feng and learned that Gu Feng, Yu Feifei, Du Feiyu, and Xiang Dong were among the strong players entering the Mist Void Realm.
• Shen Xing thought he could compete if he advanced Hellscream to Boss Rank and brought his Elite Three Stars units.
• Qin Lang messaged Shen Xing late at night with an existential question, and Shen Xing told him to go away before turning off his phone.
• Shen Xing entered the game the next morning and saw that his level 4 Bonfire had expanded the territory and that the four Lighthouses were complete.
• Shen Xing wheeled over to Hellscream and asked what level he was.

Shen Xing expanded his territory’s resources and spent several days hunting Dark Naga with Xia Wanyin, earning large quantities of Soul Stones. During the latest battle, Da Hou found a strange living object on a Naga that Shen Xing recognized as a freshwater clam.

• Shen Xing trained his troops, collected Moon Spring Water, and promised the laborers food, homes, and possible supernatural powers, raising their work efficiency by 20% for 48 hours.
• Shen Xing set up Eyes of Truth around the territory and joined Xia Wanyin at the Blackwater River to hunt Dark Naga, earning hundreds of Soul Stones and other loot.
• Shen Xing and his troops repeated their river hunts over the next two days, while he evolved Black Arrow and a warg, unlocking Dark Arrow Rain and Wolf Pack Call.
• On the afternoon of Shen Xing’s thirteenth day in the game, Da Hou used a crude imitation of Bladestorm during another battle and found a strange object on a large Naga.
• Da Hou showed Shen Xing the palm-sized black object, and Shen Xing recognized it as a freshwater clam rather than a stone.

After four days of hunting Dark Naga, Shen Xing and Xia Wanyin were confronted by a legion led by the level-nine boss Xilia and fled through the fog. They escaped the pursuit and stopped near a Black Crystal Tower.

• Shen Xing and Xia Wanyin discussed the strange bracelet quest and agreed to hunt one last wave before heading back.
• A legion of more than a hundred Dark Naga emerged from the river, led by the level-nine Dark Naga Priestess Xilia.
• Xilia accused Shen Xing and Xia Wanyin of killing her people and ordered the Naga to attack them.
• Shen Xing and Xia Wanyin fled as Xilia used a waterspout and Rain of Corrosion to pursue them, while the Light Shield Guard blocked the waterspout.
• Xia Wanyin used a golden scroll to dispel the fog and corrosion, allowing both teams to escape the Naga.
• More than ten minutes later, Shen Xing and Xia Wanyin stopped near a Black Crystal Tower.