Chapter Summaries

Fang Cheng trained on a seaside cliff and pushed his Handstand Push-Ups skill to Grandmaster Level, earning 12 free attribute points. As he returned to Haitian Garden, a young man watching from an apartment wondered whether Fang Cheng had secretly warned him about Noah.

• Fang Cheng completed a pre-dawn run along the coast and decided to practice Handstand Push-Ups on a cliff.
• Fang Cheng advanced from two-finger handstand push-ups to one-finger repetitions, completing 105 reps at the cliff's edge.
• Fang Cheng's Handstand Push-Ups reached Grandmaster Level, and he received 12 free attribute points.
• Fang Cheng dressed and headed back toward Haitian Garden, planning to spend his attribute points at home.
• A young man in a Haitian Garden apartment watched Fang Cheng through a telescope and wondered whether he had passed along a warning about Noah.

Fang Cheng raised his Agility to 60, enduring an intense transformation that left him leaner, stronger, and desperately thirsty and hungry. His airtime increased, bringing him close to unlocking a new hidden skill, and he planned to meet Xiaosa that afternoon with a proposal.

• Fang Cheng saw the wheelchair-bound girl in Haitian Garden before returning home to spend 20 attribute points on Agility.
• Fang Cheng endured a painful transformation, then drank heavily and ate all the food he had brought home as his body processed the change.
• Fang Cheng examined his extremely defined physique and spent his remaining 2 attribute points on Strength, bringing his attributes to Strength 52, Agility 60, Constitution 50, and Spirit 50.
• Fang Cheng discovered that his airtime had increased by 0.6 seconds, giving him a maximum static airtime of 7.98 seconds.
• Fang Cheng found a sealed hidden skill that required 1.02 more seconds of airtime to unlock, then began cleaning before his planned afternoon meeting with Xiaosa.

Fang Cheng met Xiaosa at a teahouse, learned about his position inside Chen Chen’s circle, and entrusted him with establishing the prototype of a secret organization. Xiaosa accepted the task and was ordered to find a headquarters for their cover Cleaning Company.

• Fang Cheng ate at the teahouse while Xiaosa recognized him as the President and reported that Chen Chen had appointed him a consultant at Yuan Chen Group.
• Xiaosa described a silver-gray-suited man who had left Chen Chen’s office, and Fang Cheng suspected he was Noah Organization cadre Zhuo Feng and told Xiaosa to watch him discreetly.
• Xiaosa brought Fang Cheng 9.8 million yuan in cash and said he had kept 200,000 yuan aside as operating funds.
• Fang Cheng asked whether he could trust Xiaosa, then instructed him to combine 1.8 million yuan from the cash with the 200,000 yuan to build a secret organization disguised as a Cleaning Company.
• Fang Cheng made Xiaosa responsible for choosing the office, building the headquarters structure, and recruiting personnel, and Xiaosa vowed to carry out the task.
• Fang Cheng told Xiaosa to begin by finding a lair for the organization.

Fang Cheng planned the Illumination Society as a hidden organization to protect his family, gather intelligence, and support his growing operations, then established its name, emblem, and creed with Xiaosa. Their meeting was interrupted when armed robbers entered the teahouse and found Fang Cheng and Xiaosa in their private room.

• Fang Cheng explained the need for an organization with a concealed headquarters, reliable specialists, and carefully vetted recruits, and Xiaosa accepted his assignments.
• Fang Cheng drew the organization's emblem—a Lighthouse, sun, and eye—and named it the Illumination Society, defining its purpose as protecting what was worth protecting and imposing order on chaos.
• Fang Cheng told Xiaosa that members would be Cleaners who targeted criminals rather than indiscriminately killing people, and he advised Xiaosa on practicing the Great Sun Burning Body Art.
• Robbers stormed the teahouse, threatened its occupants, and one robber kicked open Fang Cheng and Xiaosa's private-room door before calling his companions to join him.

Fang Cheng stopped three robbers from stealing ten million in cash, overpowering them and sending them fleeing. The robbers regrouped in a shabby room, where their leader warned that Fang Cheng was far stronger than they were; Master Jia then arrived for their meeting.

• Black Ox and Mouse tried to steal Fang Cheng and Xiaosa’s cash, but Fang Cheng used the robbers and their suitcases as weights and forced them to let go.
• Fang Cheng took the leader’s pistol, disassembled it, and threatened the three robbers until they fled; he gave Xiaosa the reassembled gun and keys and ordered him to deliver the money.
• The robbers returned to a shabby room, where their leader said that even ten versions of himself could not defeat Fang Cheng.
• Black Ox and Mouse complained as they waited for Master Jia, who arrived in work clothes and was greeted respectfully by the leader.

Jia Liang gave Black Ox and Mouse a lethal dose of Pioneer's Blood 2.0, then killed Wang Wu when he confronted him. After recording the failed trial, Jia Liang checked a list of names that included Xiao Jianren, identified as the godson of Red Tiger Gang leader Chen Chen.

• Wang Wu told Jia Liang that Fang Cheng had stopped their mission at the teahouse and asked whether Black Ox and Mouse could join the Pioneer Talent Selection Program.
• Jia Liang gave Wang Wu three doses of Pioneer's Blood 2.0 and one dose each to Black Ox and Mouse, then urged the two subordinates to inject themselves.
• Black Ox and Mouse suffered catastrophic reactions to the drug and died as Jia Liang recorded their symptoms.
• Wang Wu seized Jia Liang's handgun and accused him of knowingly using poisonous medicine, but Jia Liang disarmed and killed him with a Military Dagger.
• Jia Liang recorded the failed experiment and found Xiao Jianren's name in a notebook, listed as Chen Chen's godson.

Jia Liang left the scene after killing three Experimental Subjects, but a masked figure ambushed and overwhelmed him in a fight. The figure revealed himself as Fang Cheng, the Smiling Devil, and began questioning Jia Liang.

• Jia Liang marked Xiao Jianren for extra attention, called for the recovery of the three bodies, and left the building.
• Jia Liang encountered a masked figure who asked whether he was a Noah Organization cadre, then attacked when he believed the stranger had lowered his guard.
• The masked figure outmaneuvered Jia Liang’s dagger and hidden Foot Blades, then knocked him through a door with a single kick.
• Jia Liang fired his handgun at the figure, but the shots missed; he then saw the figure clinging upside down to the ceiling.
• Fang Cheng revealed that he was the Smiling Devil and told Jia Liang it was his turn to answer questions.

Fang Cheng captured Noah Organization investigator Jia Liang and learned the organization was tracing the source of the Demon Hunt Operation leak. After Jia Liang mutated from an injected experimental drug, Fang Cheng killed him, painted a devilish face in blood, and escaped as Noah’s cleanup team arrived.

• Fang Cheng found Xiao Jianren and Xu Hao’s names, along with many Noah Organization cadres, in Jia Liang’s notebook and questioned him about the investigation.
• Jia Liang’s words led Fang Cheng to realize Noah was searching for the Mole behind the Demon Hunt Operation leak and that Jia Liang suspected Chen Chen of colluding with outsiders.
• Fang Cheng injected Jia Liang with enhanced Pioneer's Blood after threatening him, and Jia Liang transformed into a violent monster.
• Fang Cheng killed the mutated Jia Liang with a punch when a Noah Organization cleanup team arrived downstairs.
• Fang Cheng painted a grotesque smiling face on the wall with Jia Liang’s blood and escaped through the window before the team entered.

Luo Lie and Zhuo Feng investigated the Smiling Devil’s killing of Jia Liang and discussed how the murder might expose the mole behind the Demon Hunt Operation leak. After a mysterious alarm at Noah Pharmaceuticals, the chapter ended with the White Masked Man confronting Chief Gao on a rooftop.

• Zhuo Feng told Luo Lie that Jia Liang and three experimental subjects had been killed, leaving a grinning devil face at the scene.
• Zhuo Feng reasoned that Jia Liang had been investigating a target connected to the Demon Hunt Operation leak and believed the killer had taken the investigation list.
• Zhuo Feng outlined a plan to narrow down the mole, but an alarm sounded after someone tried to access the Experiment Zone.
• Luo Lie and Zhuo Feng watched guards secure the building, but the intruder vanished without appearing on the surveillance feeds.
• The White Masked Man met Chief Gao on a rooftop opposite the Noah Group Building and greeted him.

Gao Jin and Cheng Jiashu agreed to work together against the Noah Organization after Cheng Jiashu discovered the heavily guarded Experiment Zone at Noah Pharmaceuticals. They began planning an operation to steal evidence, while Gao Jin left the rooftop wondering whether Cheng Jiashu and White Owl were the same person.

• Gao Jin met Cheng Jiashu on a rooftop and confirmed that they would cooperate against the Noah Organization.
• Cheng Jiashu reported finding the Experiment Zone but said its dense, interconnected security sensors made infiltration difficult without help.
• Gao Jin explained Noah Pharmaceuticals' illegal Genetic Modification Experiments and offered Cheng Jiashu protection through the Special Search Team.
• Cheng Jiashu warned that escaping with stolen data would require more allies, and suggested inviting a shy friend whose strength was about equal to his own.
• Gao Jin and Cheng Jiashu discussed a plan and emergency contingencies before Cheng Jiashu used his spatial ability to leave.
• Gao Jin questioned whether Cheng Jiashu might have Split Personality Disorder, then took heart from having a powerful ally against the Noah Organization.

Fang Cheng completed an intense morning workout, cooked and ate a large meal, then contacted Xu Hao through their Mental Link to hear that two Noah Organization level-eight cadres had been killed. After warning Xu Hao about an investigation into the Demon Hunt Operation leak, Fang Cheng called Xiaosa back.

• Fang Cheng finished 1,000 weighted back bridges, completed his morning training, and prepared a lavish breakfast.
• Fang Cheng sensed Xu Hao calling through their Mental Link and learned that Scorpion and Jia Liang, two Noah Organization level-eight cadres, had been murdered.
• Fang Cheng asked Xu Hao about Ma Biao and warned him that the Noah Organization was investigating the Demon Hunt Operation leak, with both their names on the list.
• Fang Cheng ended the Mental Link and called Xiaosa back; Xiaosa answered respectfully.

Fang Cheng learned from Xiaosa that Noah Pharmaceuticals had been infiltrated after Jia Liang’s death, then warned Chen Chen and Xiaosa to lie low while he continued cleaning up evidence. Later, he attended karate training and quickly grasped Shen Haoming’s hand-blade technique.

• Xiaosa told Fang Cheng that Noah Pharmaceuticals had been infiltrated and that Jia Liang had overseen its Biological Testing Department.
• Fang Cheng told Xiaosa to warn Chen Chen that they were under investigation and to restrict his activities, then told Xiaosa to reduce contact.
• Fang Cheng considered the fallout from Jia Liang’s death, reviewed the experience he had gained in their fight, and resumed cleaning his home.
• At the Global Elite Fighting Club, Fang Cheng asked Shen Haoming to teach him the Spear Hand despite its risks and limited usefulness in competition.
• Shen Haoming demonstrated the Hand Side Blade by breaking a thick pine board, then taught the students its technique.
• Fang Cheng performed the hand-blade movement smoothly after watching it once, impressing Shen Haoming with his quick understanding.

Fang Cheng trained in karate under Shen Haoming, developing an insight into the hand blade as a technique of intent as well as movement. After practice, Dong Yunchuan, the dean of East Capital University's Law School and head of Bagua Zhang, called to arrange a meeting with him.

• Shen Haoming taught Fang Cheng and the new students hand-blade blocking counters and close-range combinations, then assigned them repeated practice.
• Fang Cheng quickly mastered the movements but found that his system did not unlock a karate skill, so he reasoned that he needed to learn more varied techniques.
• Fang Cheng considered seeking Goju-ryu instruction from the missing Majima Goro and decided to check Wu Datong's Audio-Visual Store for karate instructional discs.
• Fang Cheng practiced combinations on a humanoid target and realized that a hand blade depended on the intent to sever, uniting mind and body.
• Dong Yunchuan called Fang Cheng, reminded him they had met at Ma Jianguo's home, and asked to discuss something in person; Fang Cheng agreed.

Fang Cheng learned that the Special Search Team had blocked his Master of Laws admission because his father was classified as a high-risk mutant, triggering the government’s secret Firewall Protocol. Dean Dong Yunchuan promised to argue for Fang Cheng and seek Councilman Zhao’s support, but Fang Cheng’s question about the protocol’s double standard left Dong Yunchuan struggling to answer.

• Dong Yunchuan told Fang Cheng that his admission had been rejected after a background check flagged his father’s file, despite Fang Cheng’s excellent exam performance.
• Dong Yunchuan explained that the Special Search Team monitored relatives of high-risk mutants under the Firewall Protocol, which barred people considered at risk from entering sensitive fields.
• Dong Yunchuan recounted how a Snowy Plateau expedition found an unknown ruin that drove most of its team to madness, and said the global protocol was created to contain such supernatural dangers.
• Dong Yunchuan said Fang Cheng had been tagged as a potential awakener but that he would seek a delay, cite Fang Cheng’s normal examination results, and ask Councilman Zhao to vouch for him.
• Fang Cheng asked why the Firewall Protocol did not apply to Special Search Team members who used drugs to enhance themselves and risked losing control, and Dong Yunchuan answered that it was a helpless measure.

Dong Yunchuan explained to Fang Cheng how the Special Search Team relied on dangerous biochemical enhancement to fight aberrants, while the Martial Arts Research Association pursued strength through traditional cultivation. After Fang Cheng demonstrated extraordinary qi gong, Dong Yunchuan named Li Guizhen, a legendary martial artist, as a possible precedent for Fang Cheng’s unusual abilities.

• Dong Yunchuan told Fang Cheng how aberrants had overwhelmed ordinary forces and how the Special Search Team turned to biochemical enhancement to survive.
• Dong Yunchuan described the Martial Arts Research Association’s belief that traditional training could unlock power within the human body.
• Fang Cheng heated a cooled teapot with his palm, astonishing Dong Yunchuan with his progress after less than half a year of qi gong practice.
• Dong Yunchuan called Fang Cheng Uncle Dong and admitted he did not know whether Fang Cheng’s high bodily activity would make his blood tests identify him as an aberrant.
• Dong Yunchuan named Li Guizhen, the Special Search Team’s first officer and a legendary martial artist, as someone who had reached an extraordinary level through martial arts and qi cultivation.

Dong Yunchuan recounted Li Guizhen’s legendary martial feats, and Fang Cheng realized the story could help explain his own abilities as ancient martial arts. After accepting Dong’s help with graduate admission, Fang Cheng planned to study karate and seek advice from the Martial Arts Research Association, then began another predawn run as two neighbors watched.

• Dong Yunchuan told Fang Cheng how Li Guizhen defeated a gigantic sea monster and later assassinated an enemy commander while destroying the Ghost Unit.
• Fang Cheng recalled finding Li Guizhen’s name carved in a cavern beneath Yong'an Island and recognized the legendary martial artist as a possible model for explaining his abilities as Qi Gong or ancient martial arts.
• Dong Yunchuan offered to help Fang Cheng gain graduate admission, and Fang Cheng accepted while asking him not to force the matter.
• Fang Cheng left the Law School, planning to buy a DVD player, study Wu Datong’s karate discs, and attend the Martial Arts Research Association gathering to ask Ma Jianguo about cultivation.
• Fang Cheng woke at 4:00 and went running toward the beach while a girl in a wheelchair and a man in the apartment building watched him.

Fang Cheng trained his combat skills on the beach before testing the sprinting speed he gained from reaching 60 Agility. He ran at an average of 205 meters per second, then decided to swim in the sea.

• Fang Cheng practiced several combat styles by the waves and gained experience in Boxing, Sanda, Muay Thai, Tai Chi, and Jujutsu.
• Fang Cheng reviewed his skill progress and credited his recent fight with Jia Liang for a major increase in Jiu-Jitsu experience.
• Fang Cheng practiced Goju-ryu and Kyokushin Karate Knife Hand techniques but did not unlock a new skill.
• Fang Cheng sprinted more than a kilometer in 5.33 seconds, triggering a notification that his running speed had broken 200 meters per second.
• Fang Cheng noted that his body could not yet withstand a supersonic sprint and resolved to build his strength and Physique before trying again.
• Fang Cheng looked at the ocean and decided it had been a long time since he last swam.

Fang Cheng swam through Clearwater Bay, sensed a mysterious presence underwater, and spotted Cheng Jiashu signaling from an abandoned lighthouse, but refused to meet him. Cheng Jiashu decided to approach Fang Cheng himself, who returned home to train until a knock interrupted his workout.

• Fang Cheng cooled off in Clearwater Bay after sprinting, then swam into deeper water and felt a strange oceanic presence that made his Spirituality Fire flare.
• Fang Cheng spotted a flashing signal from the abandoned lighthouse and used Eagle Eye Vision to see a figure there, but he ignored the invitation and returned to shore.
• Cheng Jiashu watched Fang Cheng leave and reflected on his belief that Fang Cheng had sent him an anonymous warning about the Noah Organization.
• Cheng Jiashu decided to seek Fang Cheng out after the latter refused to come to the lighthouse.
• Fang Cheng returned to his apartment and trained with a 500-jin weight until someone knocked at his door.

Fang Cheng completed his Back Bridge breakthrough to Grandmaster level, gaining six Strength points and the evolved Ghost Back effect. After testing its transformation, he ended the release and ordered extra breakfast to recover from his intense training.

• Fang Cheng ignored persistent knocking at his door and continued training until Back Bridge reached Grandmaster level.
• Fang Cheng received six Strength points and the Ghost Back effect, which replaced Iron Plate Bridge and increased his defense and punching power.
• Fang Cheng allocated the points to Strength, raising it from 52 to 58, and studied the new skill description.
• Fang Cheng released Ghost Back and watched the muscles on his back form a ghostly face before ending the state.
• Fang Cheng felt exhausted and hungry, checked the time, and ordered extra takeout for his recovery meal.

Fang Cheng refined an abnormal blue thought-form during dusk meditation, strengthened his Spirit, and discovered that his Memory Palace remained vulnerable to outside forces. An uninvited visitor entered the palace, and Fang Cheng recognized him as the Smiling Devil.

• Fang Cheng meditated at sunset and used his Spirituality Fire to refine the blue trace clinging to it.
• Fang Cheng’s Spirit rose to 52, and he noticed cracks and dark presences threatening the edges of his Memory Palace.
• Cheng Jiashu sensed that something had begun and hoped to meet someone in a dream.
• Fang Cheng heard knocking inside his Memory Palace, opened a glowing door to the outside, and let a green-lit figure enter.
• Fang Cheng recognized the visitor as the Smiling Devil.