Chapter Summaries

The trainees began their delayed training camp, where coaches grouped them according to their cultivation methods and assigned them to dangerous environments. Ran Ran learned that she and Xin Rui would train in the Deep Water Zone with Ling Ji, while Tai Yu explained their schedule and commented on Ran Ran’s Shadow Guard Diagram method.

• The coaches regrouped the twenty-two client trainees and assigned their cultivation sites after the underground zones were closed.
• Ran Ran worried about her assignment to the Deep Water Zone and Strong Acid Toxin Zone, and wondered if her father had chosen the sites to make her quit.
• Tai Yu told Ran Ran and Xin Rui that they were assigned to the Deep Water Zone’s second sequence alongside Ling Ji.
• Tai Yu explained that their land adaptation and coordination training would last two extra days before they entered the water at midnight on Thursday.
• Tai Yu described the Shadow Guard Diagram method as focused on nimble movement, rapid shifts, explosive strikes, and assassination, and Ran Ran said she was not committed to its more violent aspects.

Tai Yu explained how the Heaven-Man Landscape method trained Xin Rui to fight in coordination with Ran Ran’s priestess blessings, then offered Ran Ran a specialized service for cultivating the Spine Boundary Pattern. Ran Ran agreed to try it as part of adaptive training, and Xin Rui had no objections.

• Tai Yu described how Xin Rui could work with Ran Ran in combat and outlined the four abilities the Inner Refinement Method developed.
• Tai Yu explained that mastering the blessing field on land before adding deep-water conditions would provide a sound progression for cultivation.
• Tai Yu offered Ran Ran a service based on Collective Qi Dynamic Fitting to strengthen her awareness of blessing boundaries through the Spine Boundary Pattern.
• Enke Ma confirmed the method’s reputation and secretly warned Ran Ran to avoid rejecting Tai Yu outright because his connections and behavior were unclear.
• Ran Ran agreed to try the service during adaptive training, and Xin Rui said he had no objections.

Tai Yu organized a trial of his Collective Qi Dynamic Fitting method, bringing Ran Ran, Xin Rui, Ling Ji, and others to Practice Field Four for coordinated training. He assigned their roles and prepared them to test team movement and combat coordination, leaving Ran Ran poised to begin an assassination exercise with her High-Frequency Blade.

• Tai Yu pooled qi dynamic contributions from former teammates Shang Gelush and Hai Ling, then brought them and Ling Ji into his training group.
• Ran Ran questioned Tai Yu about the method and suspected he was a Sky Abyss Remnant, while Lady Enke Ma judged that his approach had the style of the Sky Abyss Empire.
• Tai Yu led the group to Practice Field Four and divided the venue into light and dark zones for training.
• Tai Yu assigned Xin Rui to command buffs, Ling Ji to system affinity, Ran Ran to the Dedicated Military Force role, and Enke Ma to intervene for safety.
• Ran Ran drew her High-Frequency Blade for the assassination exercise, and Tai Yu warned that it could break.

Ran Ran began a cultivation trial in the Dark Zone, where Tai Yu unexpectedly made the moving target much more dangerous and forced Lady Enke Ma to rescue her. After seeing her Life Sketch and hearing Tai Yu explain the Reverse Blessing, Ran Ran agreed to continue the official trial.

• Tai Yu began a normal trial run, and Ling Ji and Xin Rui used their abilities to support Ran Ran.
• Ran Ran left the Dark Zone’s blessing and rushed toward a moving mech, but mud armor and living shadows transformed it into a dangerous opponent.
• Ran Ran threw her High-Frequency Dagger at the mech, and Lady Enke Ma rescued her from its counterattack.
• Tai Yu explained Ran Ran’s Life Sketch and said her foundation and suitability for the Heaven-Man Landscape had impressed him.
• Ran Ran clenched her teeth and agreed to try again.

Ran Ran used the Spine Boundary Pattern with Ling Ji and Xin Rui’s support, experiencing a new connection with Xin Rui before unleashing a powerful strike. She destroyed the Mud Mech but collapsed from the strain, while Enke Ma was injured protecting her.

• Ran Ran returned to the Dark Zone with an unsharpened dagger and prepared to experience the Spine Boundary Pattern’s power.
• Tai Yu, Ling Ji, and Xin Rui activated and augmented Ran Ran, whose perception shifted into a surreal sensation of descent and balance.
• Ran Ran connected her consciousness with Xin Rui and received Xin Rui’s command to attack the mech’s neck.
• Ran Ran broke free of the imagined balance and rushed from the Dark Zone, cutting off the Mud Mech’s head with her dagger.
• Enke Ma was struck in the calf while protecting Ran Ran, who collapsed and suffered pain as her Life Sketches merged.

Ran Ran endured painful Inner Refinement training and pursued Tai Yu’s advanced service, while her father Ran Ming investigated Tai Yu and ordered an inquiry into Feng Yan. The chapter left Ran Ming wary of the unresolved danger surrounding Feng Yan and determined to investigate further.

• Tai Yu explained that Ran Ran’s injuries could help her begin the Inner Refinement Method and offered advanced service, which she accepted.
• Tai Yu assigned Shang Gelush to continue adaptation training with Ling Ji and Xin Rui, while Ling Ji asked to try the Combat Command enhancement.
• After resting and receiving treatment, Ran Ran argued with Ran Ming to secure financial support, then told Enke Ma that she wanted to prepare her father for future demands.
• Ran Ming reviewed intelligence about Tai Yu, questioned his abilities and police connections, and ordered Butler Pi Teng to gather daily reports.
• Ran Ming directed Butler Pi Teng to investigate Feng Yan through his work relationships after learning that the Pantheon had provided no definite information and Feng Yan’s supervisor had resigned.

Ran Ming investigated the connection between Tai Yu, Xin Rui, and the Frontier Training Ground after Butler Pi Teng uncovered a dispute over Xin Rui’s family debt. The chapter ended with Ran Ming questioning why Tai Yu had tried to buy the debt claim using his own contact number.

• Butler Pi Teng told Ran Ming that Tai Yu was connected to Xin Rui through the Frontier Training Ground.
• Pi Teng explained that his investigation led him to Azar, who said Xin Rui’s parents owed him a large sum.
• Pi Teng reported that the Frontier Training Ground had taken on about twenty million in debt to resolve the matter and bring Xin Rui into its training camp.
• Ran Ming connected Tai Yu, Xin Rui, Ran Ran, Azar, and Vagero in the Virtual Work Area and inferred that Tai Yu’s role was important.
• Pi Teng revealed that Tai Yu had tried to buy the Xin family’s debt claim from the Dark Web using his personal contact number.

Ran Ming traced the connections surrounding Azar and concluded that the businessman was in grave danger, then agreed to help him leave Star Ring City in exchange for the truth about the 26th Week. On You Chong Star, Tai Yu noticed the Spirit Demon Eye staring at him and wondered if it was not the one he sought.

• Ran Ming mapped the links among Farul, Tai Yu, Azar, Vagero, and others, naming the cluster the "Sensitive Layer" and judging Azar to be in the most danger.
• Ran Ming ordered Pi Teng to cut contact with Azar and erase their traces while preserving their latest connection.
• Azar messaged Ran Ming, offering the "Truth of the 26th Week" in exchange for help leaving Star Ring City.
• Ran Ming recognized Feng Yan's connection to the sensitive information and told Pi Teng to accept Azar's offer and negotiate the exchange.
• At the Training Ground on You Chong Star, Tai Yu saw the Spirit Demon Eye staring at him and wondered if it was not the one he sought.

Tai Yu used a psychic connection to draw a portrait of Azar, whose movements the Spirit Demon Eye tracked through a newly accessed dream-based information system. The Black Inspector learned that Azar might flee the country through Ran Ming’s channels, while Tai Yu’s two Spirit Demon Eyes changed in response to the merged networks.

• Tai Yu sensed a distorted figure through Smoke Mist and realized the First Awareness Society was using the Nation of Sinful Dreams information system.
• Tai Yu drew a portrait of Azar in the Dark Zone, and Lan Da recognized him as the man who had handled Xin Rui’s debt through the Gray Circle.
• Tai Yu’s right Spirit Demon Eye turned black and white as it mapped Azar, and his left eye then located Azar with clearer details.
• Lan Da reported that Azar might leave the country through Ran Ming’s channels, and Zhe Rong explained Ran Ming’s rumored ties to Great Lord Lu Ande.

Tai Yu discussed Ran Ming, Great Lord Lu Ande, and Azar with Zhe Rong while the Black Inspector began monitoring Azar in Star Ring City. He continued guiding the Divine Palace School students with the Spine Boundary Pattern and looked forward to Xin Rui’s crash-course method.

• Tai Yu asked Zhe Rong whether Ran Ming was a Sky Abyss Remnant, and Zhe Rong explained that Ran Ming had served under Great Lord Lu Ande but had no confirmed deeper ties.
• Zhe Rong and Lan Da explained why different factions sought connections to Great Lord Lu Ande, and Zhe Rong cautioned that rumors about Great Monarchs becoming senile needed investigation.
• Tai Yu asked whether his Psychic Map counted as a contribution, and Zhe Rong ordered Lan Da to track Azar’s movements in Star Ring City in real time.
• Tai Yu’s two Demon Eyes focused on Azar as he added details to the image, while Zhe Rong watched the students training at the Training Ground.
• Zhe Rong told Tai Yu that he had sent the papers on the Inner Refinement Method for the Spine Boundary Pattern and said Xin Rui’s observation period at Da Xin Laboratory was nearly over.

Tai Yu discussed Da Xin Laboratory’s offer and his theories about Spine Boundary Pattern with Zhe Rong. He left Zhe Rong wondering whether Tai Yu’s ideas were an indirect hint about him.

• Xin Rui told Tai Yu that Da Xin Laboratory and Bai Dan had nearly reached an agreement, sent him the Spine Boundary Pattern Inner Refinement Method, and forwarded the laboratory’s request to contact him.
• Lan Da reported that Azar had left Star Ring City through Ran Ming’s channels, and Zhe Rong decided not to intercept him.
• Tai Yu suggested that Azar might have fled because someone had replaced him, while Zhe Rong proposed using Ran Ran to contact Ran Ming for further leads.
• Tai Yu asked Zhe Rong to make Spine Boundary Pattern the reward and proposed exchanging a common-language version of Heaven-Man Landscape for a better Ceremonial Ancient Script version.
• Tai Yu described Spine Boundary Pattern as adapting to and manipulating different space-time Rule Environments, strengthening allies while suppressing enemies.
• Zhe Rong objected that Tai Yu’s theory exceeded ordinary Celestials’ practical abilities, then suspected Tai Yu’s explanation was hinting at him.

Zhe Rong, Qing Wu, and their superior debated Nameless One’s value and the risks of following his leads about Lu Ande and the Lord of Silent Extinction. The discussion ended with Zhe Rong realizing that acting on those leads could ignite a crisis among powerful figures in the Red Silicon Star System.

• Qing Wu argued that Nameless One’s casual historical details and Spirit Communication Technique made him uniquely valuable, while Zhe Rong backed his case.
• Zhe Rong raised Vagero’s Spine Boundary Pattern, and his superior said Vagero had displayed the Star Chart Domain when he escaped.
• Zhe Rong explained that Nameless One believed the Spine Boundary Pattern could reveal concealed dual answers, but his superior noted that they first needed to obtain its text.
• Zhe Rong’s superior warned that following Nameless One’s leads could expose a hidden organization and set off a crisis involving Lu Ande, Seao, Maierni, Carbone, Bifur, and Shan Long High Priest.
• Zhe Rong fell silent as he understood the dangerous reality his superior had envisioned.

Zhe Rong monitored Tai Yu under orders to keep the volatile informant from disrupting the Red Silicon Star System, but Tai Yu's disciplined routine left him little opportunity to intervene. The chapter ended when Ming Fan's negotiations with Da Xin Laboratory broke down, bringing trouble from the side Zhe Rong had thought secure.

• Zhe Rong followed his superior's orders to monitor Tai Yu and keep his actions aligned with the Black Inspector's mission.
• Zhe Rong realized that Tai Yu's freedom and established routine made him difficult to control, even though he appeared focused on training and cultivation.
• Zhe Rong had refused Tai Yu's request for a Celestial-level text on the Spine Boundary Pattern, and Tai Yu continued cultivating in composite regions and sharing his insights with the project team.
• On Day 9 of Week 32, Ming Fan's negotiations with Da Xin Laboratory broke down.

Xin Rui told Tai Yu that Da Xin Laboratory’s acquisition had derailed her contract, and he asked Yi Ya to approach Madaruvir about whether its crucial clause could still be retained. Tai Yu also asked Yi Ya to help him obtain the official cultivation texts, prompting her to warn him not to rush his studies.

• Xin Rui explained that Jixiu’s merger with Da Xin had led reviewers to reject the contract’s guarantee of the determination-of-death clause.
• Xin Rui said Loren had asked Madaruvir about the matter, but Madaruvir had refused to discuss it.
• Tai Yu called Yi Ya and asked her to inquire whether Xin Rui’s contract could still be signed with its key clause intact.
• Tai Yu told Yi Ya he was studying the Spine Boundary Pattern Inner Refinement Method and asked whether she knew how to obtain its official cultivation texts.
• Yi Ya agreed to ask around, then cautioned Tai Yu that he had studied the method for only about six weeks and should not overreach.

Tai Yu sought a way to study the Celestial-stage methods of the Spine Boundary Pattern, but Yi Ya explained that reliable procurement required Contribution Points and could not be handled through ordinary channels. Yi Ya proposed a military-connected route through donations to veterans, leaving Tai Yu with a possible way to meet people who might know the pattern.

• Tai Yu explained that he wanted to study the Celestial-stage Spine Boundary Pattern, and Yi Ya warned that a formal commission would cost two million and still could not bypass Pantheon restrictions.
• Tai Yu accepted Yi Ya’s free consultation, and she said she would investigate the matter while he spoke with Xin Rui about seeking Contribution Point opportunities through her mother.
• Yi Ya called back and suggested using military channels linked to Great Lord Lu Ande, explaining that money could provide access without Tai Yu enlisting.
• Yi Ya sent Tai Yu a flyer for the Red Silicon Star System Veterans Mutual Aid Society and proposed that a large donation might lead to a meeting with veterans who could know the Spine Boundary Pattern.

Tai Yu learned how to use a sensitive donation channel to contact the Veteran Mutual Aid Society, while Zhe Rong and his superior discussed the consequences of Tai Yu’s actions. His superior admitted that Tai Yu had outgrown their assumptions and that Lu Ande would begin paying attention to him ahead of schedule.

• Yi Ya explained the rules and risks of using the donation channel, and Tai Yu agreed that he understood.
• Zhe Rong’s superior scolded him for failing to restrict Tai Yu’s communications, and Zhe Rong silently acknowledged his earlier leniency.
• Zhe Rong’s superior explained that Yi Ya and Tu Qian were connected to Lu Ande and that the Star Gate situation and Reserve Force rotation involved complicated maneuvering.
• Zhe Rong argued that Tai Yu’s contact with Yi Ya could help their efforts involving Xin Rui, Tabler, and Bifur, and suggested using two Celestial mercenaries.
• Zhe Rong’s superior warned that Lu Ande would now pay attention to Tai Yu sooner than expected and admitted that he had misjudged Tai Yu as a purposeless child.

Tai Yu secured leave to pursue the Spine Boundary Pattern through a charity donation and traveled to meet Senior Informant Ming Fan. He and Ming Fan discussed restarting contract negotiations and possible leads involving key figures, ending with Tai Yu asking whether she knew someone named Leto.

• Tai Yu told Zhe Rong he planned to donate at a charity gala to obtain the Spine Boundary Pattern, then agreed to attend only a private Veteran Meetup.
• Zhe Rong struggled to manage Tai Yu's plans and learned he intended to contact Ming Fan.
• Tai Yu arrived in Star Ring City, where Ming Fan picked him up and told him she had resigned from her job.
• Tai Yu and Ming Fan discussed the difficulty of securing an illegal clause in the contract negotiations with the Xi Clan Consortium.
• Ming Fan asked about Bifur, and Tai Yu asked whether she knew someone named Leto.

Tai Yu and Ming Fan discussed the political and commercial motives behind Ji Xiu and Da Xin laboratories' merger, then traveled to a hotel near the Veteran Meetup. Ming Fan unexpectedly returned to Tai Yu's room with a suitcase.

• Tai Yu and Ming Fan discussed Leto's role in Bifur's businesses and the Great Horn Fleet's influence in the Red Silicon Star System.
• Ming Fan linked the laboratories' research to the Extraterritorial Species incident on You Chong Star and the Stone Soul, and said the renewed negotiations with Tabler would likely yield no result.
• Tai Yu questioned whether informants like him and Ming Fan were being used as intervention nodes in a larger conflict.
• Ming Fan dropped Tai Yu at a budget hotel in the Vita Outer District and told him to rest before the Veteran Meetup.
• Ming Fan returned to Tai Yu's room with a small suitcase and entered without explanation.

Tai Yu spoke with Ming Fan about her strained relationship with Xin Rui and her willingness not to interfere in Xin Rui’s choices. Pi Teng then arrived on behalf of Ran Ming and invited Tai Yu to meet him, while Ming Fan began recording her assessment of Tai Yu.

• Ming Fan explained that she had been living at her company and in her car after losing her home and resigning.
• Ming Fan asked Tai Yu about his intentions toward Xin Rui, and he questioned whether she would sell her daughter to pay her debts.
• Ming Fan described how her choices and her relationship with Xin Rui had shaped her daughter’s distrust, then said she would not interfere if Xin Rui agreed to Tai Yu’s intentions.
• Pi Teng arrived at the hotel room on Ran Ming’s behalf and invited Tai Yu to meet him.
• Tai Yu left with Pi Teng, and Ming Fan recorded her suspicions about Tai Yu’s personality, age, and experience with the interference node.

Ran Ming thanked Tai Yu for helping Ran Ran improve and arranged a welcome banquet and meeting with friends. As they traveled, Tai Yu noticed the Spirit Demon Eye watching them and recalled that Pi Teng was Azar’s last known contact.

• Ran Ming invited Tai Yu into his hovercar and praised his role in Ran Ran’s progress at the training camp.
• Tai Yu questioned Ran Ming about Ran Ran’s Shadow Guard Diagram, and Ran Ming said Lu Ande had recommended it.
• Ran Ming said he would skip the charity dinner and arranged to expedite Tai Yu’s auction bid and veteran meetup plans.
• Ran Ming told Pi Teng to handle the arrangements and said he would call Ran Ran to report on her work.
• Tai Yu watched the Spirit Demon Eye and remembered that it had tracked Pi Teng, whom he knew was Azar’s final contact.