Chapter Summaries

Fang Cheng pursued the men who abducted Xu Hao, but their gunfire wrecked his taxi and left the driver unconscious. He donned the Stone Mask and sprinted after the fleeing sedan, closing in as Zhou Liang and A Li spotted him behind them.

• Fang Cheng recognized that Xu Hao had been taken and hired a taxi driver to follow the black Wuling sedan.
• Fang Cheng told the driver that he was chasing his brother-in-law to catch him cheating, and the driver sped after the sedan.
• A gunman in the Wuling shot out the taxi’s tires, causing it to crash and knocking the driver unconscious.
• Fang Cheng activated the taxi’s emergency rescue system, put on his Stone Mask, and sprinted after the escaping sedan at extraordinary speed.
• Zhou Liang and A Li discussed why the taxi had followed them until A Li spotted Fang Cheng rapidly catching up behind their car.

Fang Cheng chased Zhou Liang and A Li as they fled with the unconscious Xu Hao, wrecked their car, and discovered they belonged to Dongdu’s Special Affairs Investigation Team rather than Noah. As Fang Cheng questioned them, Chief Gao arrived and confronted him for attacking his colleagues.

• Zhou Liang drove the black sedan at full speed while Fang Cheng dodged A Li’s gunfire, leapt onto the roof, and tore it open after the car crashed off the road.
• Fang Cheng checked that Xu Hao was alive, then questioned Zhou Liang and A Li, who refused to answer.
• Fang Cheng found Zhou Liang’s identification card and learned that the two men were Special Affairs Investigation Team officers, not members of Noah.
• Chief Gao appeared on the slope and demanded that Fang Cheng explain why he had attacked his colleagues.

Fang Cheng fought Chief Gao, whose living Bio-Armor absorbed much of the damage from his attacks, and broke through it with a flame-powered punch. As Chief Gao flew backward, he formed a huge red energy Guard around himself, leaving Fang Cheng and the Special Search Team members facing an unexplained change.

• Chief Gao attacked Fang Cheng with a red energy beam and a Wave Sword, while Fang Cheng dodged and countered with rapid strikes.
• Fang Cheng found that Chief Gao’s Bio-Armor absorbed much of the impact and pulled back from a bone-claw counterattack.
• Fang Cheng unleashed his Crimson True Qi through Flame Breathing and struck Chief Gao’s armor with a flaming punch that cracked it and sent him flying.
• As Zhou Liang and A Li watched in alarm, Chief Gao formed a translucent red energy Guard around himself.

Fang Cheng battled Gao Jin, whose Biological Force Field and devastating energy attack made him too dangerous to defeat easily. After Gao Jin mistook him for White Owl and promised Xu Hao would be returned safely, Fang Cheng left, while Gao Jin’s depleted Core Device failed and he fell.

• Gao Jin’s red force field halted his fall and rapidly regenerated his damaged armor, while Fang Cheng tried to break through the barrier with a Flame Uppercut but was thrown back.
• Gao Jin fired a destructive beam at Fang Cheng, who dodged most of the blast; the shockwave injured Zhou Liang and A Li, and Gao Jin’s Core Device dimmed from the effort.
• Gao Jin recognized Fang Cheng as White Owl and suspected he had joined the Noah Organization, but Fang Cheng denied any affiliation and said he had come because Xu Hao was connected to an old friend.
• Gao Jin claimed the Special Search Team had taken Xu Hao for an investigation and promised he would be released safely by morning; with police approaching, Fang Cheng accepted the explanation and left.
• After Fang Cheng disappeared into the night, Gao Jin’s Core Device sounded an alarm, and he lost the energy keeping him aloft and fell.

After Fang Cheng escaped, Gao Jin and his subordinates assessed the battle and prepared to take Xu Hao back to the Special Search Team base. Fang Cheng stayed nearby in hiding, confirmed the injured taxi driver was being taken for treatment, and called his mother with a false account of a business trip.

• Gao Jin recovered from the fight, activated a signal device, and checked on the injured Zhou Liang and A Li.
• Zhou Liang and A Li reported how they had captured Xu Hao and how White Owl had subdued them; Gao Jin questioned what he knew about White Owl’s motives and abilities.
• Special Search Team reinforcements arrived, and Gao Jin ordered them to take Xu Hao to base; when Xu Hao woke and cursed, A Li stunned him with an Electric Baton.
• Fang Cheng watched the taxi driver being taken away by ambulance, then called Li Biyun and told her he had to go on a two- or three-day business trip.
• Fang Cheng ended the call and remained concealed near the wreckage, watching the Special Search Team clean up the scene.

After watching Gao Jin’s Special Search Team remove Xu Hao and clean up the battle site, Fang Cheng retreated to his secret apartment in Guanlan District. During an intense morning workout, he reviewed his combat gains and discovered that reaching grandmaster-level Boxing had unlocked the Infinite Combo effect.

• Fang Cheng observed Gao Jin’s team treat Zhou Liang and A Li, load the unconscious Xu Hao into a van, and leave after cleaning the scene.
• Fang Cheng checked that no one was watching him, then went to his bare apartment in Guanlan District to use it as a temporary base.
• Fang Cheng completed an exhausting workout of push-ups, two-finger push-ups, pull-ups, and leg raises, improving several skills.
• Fang Cheng inspected his training experience and noted that his Leg Raises, Pull-Ups, and Handstand Push-Ups were nearing their next levels.
• Fang Cheng reviewed gains from the previous night’s battle and found that Boxing had reached grandmaster level, granting the Infinite Combo special effect.

Fang Cheng examined the combat potential of his new Infinite Combo skill, then resumed his morning routine and considered the strength of the Special Search Team. He left the beach wary of how many powerful investigators and Espers might exist.

• Fang Cheng analyzed Infinite Combo, concluding that its escalating attack speed and enemy suppression could make it a powerful close-combat trump card, though its strongest effect demanded extreme speed and stamina.
• Renovation workers arrived at Fang Cheng's apartment, and he concealed his excitement about the skill before greeting them and heading out for breakfast.
• Fang Cheng ate an enormous breakfast, noticed the shopkeeper's alarm, and slowed down to avoid drawing attention.
• Fang Cheng walked along the beach and reflected on Gao Jin's Bio-Armor and energy shockwave, wondering how many stronger members the Special Search Team might have.

After avoiding a fight with the Special Search Team, Fang Cheng resolved to stay inconspicuous, test his new skill somewhere secluded, and contact Xu Hao for information about who was investigating him. At the Midnight Forest bar, Xu Hao returned injured, blamed his disappearance on the East City Association to rally his gang, and learned that his trusted thug had reported the incident to the gang leader.

• Fang Cheng considered the risks behind his clash with the Special Search Team and wondered whether the Noah Organization, the team, or another force was investigating him.
• Fang Cheng watched a girl struggle through leg rehabilitation at the beach, then decided to find a secluded place to test Infinite Combo and disguise his bald head before contacting Xu Hao.
• Xiao Qing treated Xu Hao's injuries at the Midnight Forest bar while he insisted he was fine and eager to get back to business.
• Xu Hao told his waiting Red Tiger Gang subordinates that the East City Association had attacked him, prompting them to demand revenge.
• Xu Hao tried to quiet the gang's angry calls for retaliation, then learned that his trusted thug had reported his disappearance to the gang leader.

Xu Hao tried to conceal his abduction and secret dealings from the Red Tiger Gang, then faced Fang Cheng, who came seeking information about the people investigating him. Fang Cheng exposed Xu Hao’s connection to the Special Search Team, and Xu Hao attacked him as the chapter ended.

• Xu Hao lied to his thugs about escaping the East City Association and told Chen Chen a fabricated account of his abduction, blaming Shen Wei and the association.
• Chen Chen warned Xu Hao to keep a low profile and not let the gang’s superiors hear about the incident, leaving Xu Hao unsure whether Chen believed him.
• Fang Cheng secretly entered Xu Hao’s lounge and demanded to know who was investigating him.
• Xu Hao asked whether Fang Cheng had an organization that could help with the side effects of human modification, then revealed that he had undergone a Human Modification Experiment with Noah.
• Fang Cheng threatened to expose Xu Hao’s cooperation with the Special Search Team to Chen Chen, and Xu Hao lunged at him with an ashtray and a punch.
• Fang Cheng dodged Xu Hao’s attack and clamped a hand around his throat.

Fang Cheng forced Xu Hao to reveal Noah Organization’s investigation into abnormal fighters and the massacre at Wu Shihao’s stronghold, including its search for a missing Experimental Subject. He recruited Xu Hao as an inside man and secured his agreement with a promise of protection, leaving them to establish a safe way to communicate.

• Fang Cheng overpowered Xu Hao’s attempted attack and threatened him into explaining what he knew about Noah Organization.
• Xu Hao said Noah Organization was investigating unusually skilled people in Eastern Capital and had singled out Fang Cheng because of his rising reputation and suspected connection to the Red Tiger Gang Drug Factory.
• Xu Hao revealed that Noah Organization was secretly searching for the killer of nearly two hundred gang members because an important Experimental Subject had disappeared during the massacre at Wu Shihao’s Stronghold.
• Fang Cheng concluded that Xu Hao’s bodily changes were connected to Noah Organization’s Human Modification Experiment and demanded that Xu Hao become his inside man.
• Xu Hao agreed to provide intelligence in exchange for Fang Cheng’s protection, and Fang Cheng swore to help him if he faced mortal danger because of their cooperation.
• Fang Cheng told Xu Hao to bring urgent intelligence to him at the Global Elite Club and warned him to report any developments involving Noah Organization or the Special Search Team.

Fang Cheng taught Xu Hao surveillance and safe-contact techniques, then tasked him with investigating the Noah Organization while he weighed how to protect his loved ones. After picking up Wen Xin with Zhou Xiumei, Fang Cheng realized their silent mental communication might offer a safer way to contact Xu Hao and resolved to explore his Meditation ability.

• Fang Cheng taught Xu Hao counter-surveillance methods and ordered him to learn how much the Noah Organization knew about Fang Cheng within three days.
• Xu Hao discovered Fang Cheng had slipped away and woke the thugs guarding the room.
• At the Global Elite Fighting Club, Fang Cheng considered the threat from Noah and worried that the organization might target his family and friends.
• Xu Maocai told Fang Cheng about Xu Hao's troubled relationship with his parents, and Fang Cheng promised to help guide him.
• Fang Cheng met Zhou Xiumei after training, then stopped to pick up Wen Xin from school.
• Wen Xin silently sensed Fang Cheng's worry, and their mental exchange gave him the idea to use a similar method to contact Xu Hao safely.

Fang Cheng spent the night meditating, stabilizing the Golden Benba Vase’s spirituality and raising his Spirit Attribute to 48. He then used the expanded Memory Palace’s Golden Orb to connect with another consciousness, though the chapter ended before he saw what awaited him.

• Fang Cheng checked his home for signs of intruders and surveillance before cooking dinner and settling in to rest.
• Fang Cheng meditated through the night, resisting intrusive whispers as the Spirituality Fire grew steadier and his Spirit Attribute reached 48.
• Fang Cheng entered the expanded Memory Palace and observed the brighter Golden Orb and its clearer light patterns.
• Fang Cheng touched one of the Golden Orb’s patterns, and his consciousness followed an invisible thread to another conscious entity.

Fang Cheng successfully established a long-distance Mental Link with Wen Xin, then tested its limits and considered what made the connection possible. The next day, he met Xu Hao in secret at the fighting club and asked about the investigation he had requested.

• Fang Cheng used the Golden Orb to contact Wen Xin across more than ten kilometers, sharing thoughts and visual perception during her class.
• Fang Cheng ended the link after confirming it worked, noticed the Golden Orb had dimmed, and failed to establish stable links with other people.
• Fang Cheng concluded that Mental Links depended on spiritual sensitivity, consumed Mental Energy, and required an existing bond or resonance between both parties.
• After returning to the Real World, Fang Cheng realized he was hungry and headed out to buy food.
• At the Global Elite Fighting Club, Fang Cheng trained while Xu Hao arrived, drew attention with his arrogant behavior, and was eventually calmed by Xu Maocai.
• Fang Cheng and Xu Hao met privately in the club bathroom, where Fang Cheng asked whether Xu Hao had made progress on the investigation.

Fang Cheng learned that Noah had temporarily paused its pursuit while it dealt with a new opponent, then met with his uncle Li Dingjian to discuss their roles in the Lu Family Manor treasure operation. Li Dingjian revealed why he had joined the professor’s team and hinted at an unfinished dream involving Fang Cheng, before demanding to know how Fang Cheng had gained his remarkable abilities.

• Xu Hao told Fang Cheng that Noah had uncovered his family history but would need about a week to send more skilled investigators to the Eastern Capital.
• Fang Cheng asked Xu Hao to seek control of the investigation and find out what powerful newcomer was causing Noah trouble.
• Fang Cheng planned to train during Noah’s delay, put on his wig, and went to meet his uncle, Li Dingjian.
• Fang Cheng and Li Dingjian admitted that Fang Cheng had been the masked White Ghost and Li Dingjian had been Crow during the operation at Lu Family Manor.
• Li Dingjian explained that he had risked the operation to pay for Fang Cheng’s maternal grandfather’s surgery and retirement home, but said he still had an important task tied to Fang Cheng to finish.
• Li Dingjian asked Fang Cheng to explain the source of his extraordinary skills.

Fang Cheng learned from Li Dingjian that his awakened Fang bloodline could drive him toward madness and slaughter, and that his father had been wronged but the truth remained hidden. After Li Dingjian left, Fang Cheng put on the Evil Spirit Mask and decided to create a separate identity for hunting enemies and protecting his family.

• Fang Cheng told Li Dingjian a fabricated story about how he gained his abilities and admitted that meditation had helped control his hallucinations.
• Li Dingjian explained that awakened Aberrants risk losing control, and that the Fang Family descended from Fang Xiangshi, whose bloodline carried a legacy of violent power.
• Li Dingjian warned Fang Cheng to restrain his desires and revealed that Fang Cheng's father had been wronged, though he would not yet explain how he died.
• Li Dingjian invited Fang Cheng to a family dinner and agreed to arrange a meeting with the Professor when he returned to Eastern Capital.
• After Li Dingjian left, Fang Cheng put on the Evil Spirit Mask and resolved to create a hunting identity separate from Fang Cheng.

Fang Cheng endured the Golden Benba Vase’s spiritual imprint resonating with Spirit Spring Temple’s religious atmosphere, absorbed its remaining spirituality, and raised his Spirit Attribute to 50. After sensing a malicious presence, he left the woods, while Revered One Roger arrived moments later and found the meditation site empty.

• Fang Cheng meditated in the woods near Spirit Spring Temple as its chanting and the Golden Benba Vase’s Black Sect imprint assaulted his consciousness.
• Fang Cheng used his True Qi to strengthen his Spirituality Fire, which burned away the visions and completed his fusion with the vase’s remaining spirituality.
• Roger sensed the Golden Benba Vase’s presence during the temple’s Morning Lesson and hurried toward the woods, interrupting the chanting.
• Fang Cheng’s Spirit Attribute permanently increased by 0.4 and reached 50, while his Meditation skill neared Master Level.
• Fang Cheng sensed malice, dressed after recalling that his flames had burned his clothes before, and left the woods for safety.
• Roger arrived at Fang Cheng’s empty meditation spot several minutes later.

Fang Cheng’s refined Golden Benba Vase spirituality caused Roger and Xiao Linye to sense his presence, while Xiao Linye realized his poison had become Fang Cheng’s power. Fang Cheng then reached Master Level Meditation and gained the Mind Resonance ability, leaving him with a new way to connect with other minds.

• Roger searched the woods near Spirit Spring Temple for the flame-wreathed bald man but found only a charred boulder and traces of smoke.
• During meditation, Xiao Linye sensed the Golden Benba Vase’s purified spirituality in Fang Cheng and was shocked that Fang Cheng had absorbed it despite his sinister restrictions.
• Fang Cheng ate breakfast with his family, returned to his hotel room, and decided to avoid the temple woods to keep from drawing unwanted attention.
• Fang Cheng meditated until his Spirituality Fire absorbed the Golden Benba Vase’s spirituality completely and his Meditation skill reached Master Level.
• Fang Cheng examined his new Mind Resonance special effect, which could link minds to share thoughts, senses, emotions, and memories.

Fang Cheng explored his newly awakened Mind Resonance ability, using the Golden Orb to project his consciousness through several Mental Link channels. He realized the links formed a growing network that could gather Mental Energy and slowly increase his Spirit, leaving him wondering what power the network might eventually bring.

• Fang Cheng entered his Memory Palace and used Single-Directional Projection to experience Wen Xin’s perspective in the school cafeteria, sensing her thoughts and emotions.
• Fang Cheng projected into a member of the Truth and Meditation Co-cultivation Society during a ritual, but Chen Jiandong noticed something unusual and Fang Cheng cut the connection.
• Fang Cheng projected into an apparent prison inmate and experienced the man being beaten before the painful sensations severed the channel.
• Fang Cheng concluded that Mind Resonance created a deeper, more stable connection than the Golden Benba Vase’s forced intervention, and that the vase now served as a catalyst for his own abilities.
• Fang Cheng sensed that the Golden Orb’s light patterns connected him to a growing network that gathered information and Mental Energy, then noticed his Spirit attribute continued to increase without deliberate meditation.

After breaking through in Meditation, Fang Cheng tested his new Mind Resonance ability by guiding Xu Hao through meditation and establishing a Mental Link with him. Xu Hao felt relieved of some mental strain and agreed to practice the method Fang Cheng named the Great Sun Burning Body Art.

• Fang Cheng realized that Mind Resonance could let him observe linked targets and use them to gather intelligence and protect his family, though he still needed to discover how to form links with them.
• Fang Cheng decided to test Mind Resonance on Xu Hao and, after attempts at emotional bonding and hypnosis failed, guided him to meditate while visualizing Fang Cheng.
• Fang Cheng projected a guiding light toward Xu Hao’s consciousness and saw a new, dim line of light appear on the Golden Orb, establishing their Mental Link.
• Fang Cheng observed Xu Hao dreaming of a dark road, a golden sun, and a figure resembling Fang Cheng, while sensing Xu Hao’s turbulent emotions through the link.
• Fang Cheng told Xu Hao to meditate morning and evening while visualizing him, and Xu Hao agreed before Fang Cheng named the practice the Great Sun Burning Body Art.

Fang Cheng learned that the Noah Organization was closing in on the masked killer’s identity and asked Xu Hao to investigate the organization’s deployed experts and discreetly find trustworthy members with mental troubles. After confirming how Mind Resonance could establish a Mental Link, Fang Cheng left to continue improving his abilities and physical skills.

• Xu Hao told Fang Cheng that the Noah Organization had linked its search for the killer who massacred the Red Tiger Gang and wiped out a special operations team to a clue that could reveal his identity.
• Fang Cheng tasked Xu Hao with identifying Noah Organization experts in Dongdu City and quietly screening lower-level members with mental troubles as possible students of their sect.
• Xu Hao explained that the organization’s Touch of the Revealer injection temporarily suppressed mental symptoms and injuries but caused addiction and worsening symptoms, making it a tool for controlling personnel.
• Fang Cheng used meditation guidance to experiment with Mind Resonance and confirmed that focused mental states could help him guide another person’s consciousness into a Mental Link.
• Fang Cheng concluded that Mind Resonance worked by making his amplified mental fluctuations a beacon for another person’s thoughts, then checked his running and Sanda skills as his next training priorities.