Chapter Summaries

Ronan returned home and faced a family meeting after arranging for Cat's Eye and the Security Team to look after Raven while they were apart. He began explaining Raven's past to his aunt and uncle by showing them footage from the Underground Fighting Arena.

• Ronan asked Qin Yikun and Cat's Eye to look after Raven, then reminded Raven how to contact him or visit his home.
• Ronan reviewed He Yueyin's plans for handling his family and asked his friends in a group chat to cover for him if anything went wrong.
• Ronan arrived home, where Mo Ya and Mo Peng joked and bickered while his aunt and uncle waited upstairs.
• Ronan told his aunt and uncle that he had helped a child complete paperwork, then explained that Raven was not homeless.
• Ronan showed Luo Shuqing footage of Raven fighting in the Underground Fighting Arena and said that the man in the recording had always protected her.

Ronan used edited footage of Raven’s brutal past in the Underground Fighting Arena to persuade his family to help her through a Kin Recognition Event and a welfare institute. His family agreed to look into it, but Mo Haihang later questioned Ronan alone about why he had visited the arena.

• Ronan showed Mo Peng, Mo Ya, and Luo Shuqing footage of Raven’s fights, revealing her abuse and prompting their sympathy.
• Ronan explained that Raven’s registration had been transferred to Lan Town Welfare Institute through a Kin Recognition Event, and he proposed helping her find support.
• Mo Haihang and Luo Shuqing agreed to contact the welfare institute, while Mo Ya said she would visit it when she had time.
• After Mo Haihang asked Ronan to speak privately, he questioned why Ronan had gone to the Underground Fighting Arena.

Ronan partially revealed his Ability User identity and recent activities to his uncle, Mo Haihang, while hiding the dangers and key details. Mo Haihang accepted the explanation for now but went to think in the study, leaving Ronan to await further scrutiny.

• Ronan told Mo Haihang that his abilities emerged on September 30 and that his consciousness had attached to Ink, leading him to the Underground Fighting Arena.
• Ronan said he had joined the Ability User Association, officially awakened with Soul Hosting and Precise Perception, and recruited Xue Lei.
• Ronan described a reconnaissance assignment involving Aberrant Species infiltrating Xia City, and Mo Haihang connected it to a Three Gates Security case.
• Mo Haihang asked a few more questions, warned Ronan to be careful at the association, and went to the study to think.
• Ronan reviewed his omissions and accepted responsibility for concealing the dangers from his family, knowing further verification might follow.

Ronan struggled to navigate his family’s suspicions while traveling to school with Luo Shuqing, but a call from Zhai Weiwu brought news that Zhai Gong had achieved a breakthrough. Luo Shuqing fell silent after Ronan explained his role, leaving him uncertain what she was thinking.

• Ronan went to leave for school, but Luo Shuqing offered to drive him, so he reluctantly accepted and asked the Friends Advisory Group for help.
• Cat's Eye revealed that she had added Raven to the group, where Raven posted her first smile emoji.
• On the drive, Ronan asked whether Uncle had told Luo Shuqing about him, but she misunderstood him as asking about divorce.
• Zhai Weiwu showed Ronan that Zhai Gong had created a semi-permanent Water Condensation Ring and awakened by activating Six Ears's third function.
• Ronan congratulated Zhai Gong and tried to explain his involvement to Luo Shuqing, who silently leaned over the steering wheel and stared at the road.

On the drive to Zhi Xing Institute, Luo Shuqing recalled how Ronan’s father had once been praised as a genius, easing Ronan’s complicated feelings toward him. Ronan arrived at school to find himself asked to teach a beginner class, then learned that the branch had deducted 137 Honor Points and put his account into credit mode.

• Luo Shuqing asked Ronan about his father’s birthday and recalled the day a caller told Luo Zhongheng that his idea had worked and called him a genius.
• Luo Shuqing told Ronan that he and his father were both geniuses, then spent the rest of the drive asking about Ronan’s friends and achievements.
• Ronan read Paper Cut’s praise for Zhai Gong’s awakening and received five Honor Points from him.
• Zhang Yingying told Ronan that Boss wanted him and Zhai Gong to share their Dripping Water Sword methods with the Beginner Training Class, but Ronan asked her to explain his situation to the Martial Emperor.
• Ronan met Raven and the others at the parking lot exit and planned to take Raven to Gear.
• Six Ears announced that the Finance Committee had deducted 137 Honor Points, leaving Ronan with a balance of -124 and a two-hour countdown before relevant permissions would close.

Ronan discovered that the Finance Committee had saddled him with a growing Honor Points debt, which He Yueyin traced to the Martial Emperor’s authority. The Martial Emperor summoned him to a charity art exhibition, where she hinted that the event’s real significance lay in what had happened behind the scenes.

• Ronan received a bill listing 127 Honor Points in unexplained expenses, and He Yueyin explained that Association resources used to investigate his situation were being charged to him.
• He Yueyin said the Martial Emperor controlled the Finance Committee, so Ronan contacted Zhang Yingying to ask whether he had offended her; Zhang left to check with the Martial Emperor.
• Ronan went to class with Xue Lei, who was troubled about his upcoming duel with Duan Hong, and both were caught off guard when their teacher called on them.
• Ronan left class after claiming his stomach hurt, then traveled with Qin Yikun to Tiancao Art in Tianyun Tower after receiving an invitation from Zhang Yingying.
• Ronan met Zhang Yingying and the Martial Emperor, who led them into the charity exhibition and told him that understanding the events behind it might change how he valued the art.

The Martial Emperor explained that the art auction was part of a coordinated political and financial offensive by investment backers seeking influence over Raven. She then challenged Ronan to consider whether his unusual potential had produced real value and what path he intended to pursue.

• Zhang Yingying explained that the gallery’s expensive works were tied to city councilors and that donors received private dinners with artists.
• The Martial Emperor identified the exhibition as bribery and a test of Xia City’s bureaucratic stance, alongside military-related arrangements involving Boma Corporation’s space-survival project.
• Ronan realized that investment backers were probing Raven through coordinated political, financial, and Inner World pressure.
• The Martial Emperor criticized Ronan’s impulsive approach and argued that the Xia City Branch’s investment in him needed to be judged by its actual results.
• The Martial Emperor framed Ronan as a possible culmination of Format Theory and asked what direction he would take, while warning that investors and scholars would demand results.

The Martial Emperor advised Ronan to present his Format Theory observations as a limited Dripping Water Sword lesson and develop the theory’s potential as a system capable of becoming “Ten Thousand Enemies.” She then brought him face to face with the Spokespeople and officials involved in the Xia City hunt, leaving Ronan to greet them calmly.

• The Martial Emperor assessed Ronan’s Pure Observation as unparalleled but warned that he lacked the foundation to explain the process behind what he saw or teach a broad cultivation system.
• The Martial Emperor urged Ronan to prepare a lesson focused on the Dripping Water Sword and explained why Format Theory might grow beyond individual combat into a powerful system of knowledge.
• Ronan agreed to discuss the lesson plan with Zhai Gong and ask the Martial Emperor to review it.
• The Martial Emperor led Ronan, Zhang Yingying, and Qin Yikun to the Spokespeople and officials at the exhibition, freezing their bodyguards and Ability Users in place.
• The Martial Emperor told Ronan to remember the group and invest in himself; Ronan recognized the people hunting in Xia City and greeted them with a slight bow.

Ronan mapped the people and power networks behind Xia City’s corrupt capital interests while using Demon Rune to infiltrate their minds. As he stored his sketches, the Brain of Emptiness app and the External Neuron’s drawing software merged into a shared interface, which presented him with another unreadable choice.

• Ronan used the association’s intelligence and his Soul Cape abilities to map Xia City’s power brokers, while Demon Rune marked and infiltrated their minds.
• After staying up all night drawing and organizing hundreds of sketches, Ronan stored them in the second layer of the drawing software.
• Ronan discovered that the Brain of Emptiness app and the drawing software now shared an interface and core, with his accumulated sketches still accessible within it.
• Ronan considered what the merger revealed about the External Neuron, the Coordination Technique, and the two unreadable satellites.
• A translucent panel appeared and demanded that Ronan choose among unreadable options.

Ronan’s External Neuron scanned his Closed System and revealed a layered Celestial System in the Void Brain interface, with the Demon Rune, Blood Soul Temple, and its puppets being analyzed. He left to meet Raven and discuss matters with Qin Yikun and the others while the analysis continued.

• Ronan selected the default option, causing his External Neuron to scan his Closed System.
• Ronan traced the stars in the Void Brain interface and saw a Demon Rune projection appear beside the exoskeleton.
• The Blood Soul Temple, Yuan Er, Morun, and Jin Tong’s Spirit Light Seed appeared in successive layers beneath the Demon Rune.
• Ronan observed the analysis progress: Jin Tong’s Spirit Light Seed reached 1.3%, Morun reached 0.7%, the Blood Soul Temple reached 0.4%, and Yuan Er reached 0.1%.
• A preset alarm reminded Ronan to go running, so he wrote down his questions, washed up, and headed out to meet Raven and speak with Qin Yikun and the others.

Ronan practiced the Coordination Technique while studying the fallout from the battle at White Bone Mountain and planning a broader strategy for Xia City. The chapter ended with the Void Brain app showing Jin Tong’s Spirit Light Seed analysis far ahead of the other scans, at 37%.

• Ghost Eye Che Yi discussed White Bone Mountain on “Lan Xiang Guan” and pointed out Tian Bang’s strange expression in the battle footage.
• Ronan used the Coordination Technique to process Che Yi’s program alongside Qin Yikun’s report that Che Yi remained neutral and had no plans to enter Xia City.
• Ronan studied the Martial Emperor’s bill and used its details to refine his plans for a wider campaign involving the Soul Cape, Demon Rune, and Xia City Branch resources.
• After an hour of running, Ronan checked the Void Brain app and found that Jin Tong’s Spirit Light Seed analysis had reached 37%, far ahead of the other scans.

Ronan’s family planned a meal with Raven and other children, while Mo Haihang revealed that Ronan’s search index across the Inner World ranked second among people at the Xia City Branch. On the way to school, Mo Haihang showed Ronan a photograph of two members of the Luo Family, leaving Ronan transfixed.

• Lady Luo Shuqing planned a family outing with Raven and invited Zhai Gong and Zhai Weiwu to join them.
• Mo Peng asked how he would get to the outing, and Mo Haihang arranged to take Ronan to school instead.
• Ronan checked the Brain of Emptiness APP and found that his Spirit Light Seed’s analysis had passed sixty percent.
• Mo Haihang told Ronan that his search index ranked second among Xia City Branch SCA-record holders, behind the Martial Emperor.
• Mo Haihang said the Luo Family drew attention wherever they went, then showed Ronan a photograph of two Luo Family members.

Ronan received a photo of his grandfather and father, then learned that his father had taken most of the family’s photos and recordings before leaving. After Ronan killed a suspected observer near his school, senior observers offshore discussed ways to pressure Xia City and identified the singer associated with Guardians as a possible target.

• Mo Haihang showed Ronan a comical photo of Luo Yuandao and Luo Zhongheng, and Ronan accepted an electronic copy.
• Ronan asked about photos of his mother, and Mo Haihang explained that Luo Zhongheng had taken most of the family photos and videos when he left.
• The Security Team warned Ronan about a suspected sniper nearby, and Ronan eliminated the observer before heading into school.
• Mo Haihang pinched Ronan’s cheek and said that this was better than his family throwing darts at his headshot.
• Senior observers on a yacht confirmed the dead observer’s findings and discussed ways to unsettle Xia City, including using the singer associated with Guardians.
• The observers proposed manipulating an opportunity involving Extraordinary Power.

Observers aboard a ship were discussing plans to exploit Xia City when a Blood Flame attacker killed most of them and escaped. At the Wild Shop, owner Johnny weighed new ways to profit from the interest in Student Luo before his manager reported that Baze wanted to run up another tab.

• Senior observers refined a plan to blame the Blood Flame Order for future trouble in Xia City and discussed exploiting the Guardians’ vulnerabilities.
• A humanoid attacker entered the observers’ cabin through a wall and killed two people with Blood Flame.
• Xu Hu rushed into the cabin, then retreated as the attacker unleashed Suffocating Mist Shattered Fire that consumed the cabin and burned most of the observers to death.
• Xu Hu found a dying observer who said the Blood Flame Order and the spider had gone mad, while the attacker had already vanished.
• At the Wild Shop near Xia City, Johnny considered profiting from interest in Student Luo and his abilities.
• The lobby manager told Johnny that Baze wanted to put his expenses on the tab again.

Johnny’s information deal at the Wild Shop spiraled into a bloody brawl when Baze attacked Iron Box and killed Johnny, invoking his lord as Johnny’s soul entered a vast webbed realm. By noon, news of the massacre had reached Xia City, where Zhang Yingying confronted Ronan about his apparent influence over the Blood Flame Order and the Justice Cult.

• Johnny traded money with Iron Box for information about a Welfare Institute and the Xia City Branch’s upcoming plans.
• Baze stopped Iron Box, and their fight triggered a chaotic brawl that overwhelmed the Wild Shop’s security and residents.
• Baze killed Iron Box and then pinned Johnny to a wall with a shattered bottle, declaring, “All glory to my lord.”
• As Johnny died, he glimpsed a vast webbed realm and a blood-red, spider-like presence before his consciousness faded.
• Ronan returned to Gear with Xue Lei and ate lunch with Raven and his Security Team.
• Zhang Yingying confronted Ronan about his supposed ties to the Blood Flame Order and the Justice Cult.

Ronan used the Demon Rune to spread the Altar Framework across Xia City, turning the forces hunting him into participants in a system where deaths rewarded the survivors. The framework had taken hold across the city, though Ronan still needed to test how far its rules could reach.

• Zhang Yingying told Ronan that his beginner workshop would follow Zhai Gong’s discussion, leaving him responsible for answering the audience’s questions.
• Xue Lei suggested Ronan use a disclaimer if he could not answer, but Bamboo Pole shared an automatic program to track Ronan’s repeated phrases, embarrassing him.
• Ronan considered how to build a framework beyond the Xia City Branch’s constraints while deciding what to reveal and what to keep hidden.
• Ronan recognized that profit linked the powers and enemies pursuing Raven, and he directed the Demon Rune to spread the Altar Framework through their connections.
• The Altar Framework began transmitting the vital essence of anyone killed within its reach to all survivors, and tests confirmed it worked in both direct and chaotic battles.
• Ronan turned Xia City’s encirclement into a sacrifice under his rules, incorporating nearly all the hunters into his Ten Thousand Enemies framework.

Ronan’s Altar Framework and cultivation continued to yield rapid gains, while he discussed his upcoming lecture and Xue Lei’s plans to study Human-Computer Interaction. The chapter ended with Ronan reflecting on the tangled situation involving Bai Xinyan and the unexpected effects of operating the Altar Framework.

• Zhai Gong and Ronan planned the topics for their gathering and agreed to prepare Ronan’s lecture materials together on Wednesday.
• Ronan circulated a surge of Qi and Blood through his body, then told Xue Lei that deep body-spirit coupling seemed to accelerate his cultivation.
• Ronan reviewed how the Altar Framework and his Closed System were strengthening his God Wheel, Body Wheel, and Root Potential, while several analysis readings advanced rapidly.
• Xue Lei told Ronan that Master Xiu had advised him to study Human-Computer Interaction and exoskeletons, and Ronan supported the plan.
• Ronan suggested that Xue Lei study Format Fire and use the military’s Burner Simulator, then thought about Bai Xinyan’s role in the trouble and the Altar Framework’s unexpected effects.

Ronan joined Xue Lei and Cat's Eye in a playful attempt to recreate a pose from an old family photograph, and the exercise led him to wonder whether it concealed a deeper meaning. Just as Cat's Eye captured Raven copying the pose, a strange sound swept through the room and Ronan fell to the floor.

• Ronan went with Xue Lei to discuss Burners and Deep Blue Walkers with Gao De, who recommended that Xue Lei try professional Simulators first.
• Cat's Eye teased Raven about copying the pose in Ronan's family photograph and called Ronan and Xue Lei over to demonstrate it.
• Ronan and Xue Lei struggled to hold the awkward pose, so Cat's Eye demonstrated it herself and Xue Lei analyzed its possible training benefits.
• Ronan tried the pose and wondered whether it might reveal a deeper meaning, while Raven quietly copied it beside him.
• A strange sound wave filled the room as Cat's Eye prepared to photograph Raven, freezing her fingers and startling Ronan into falling over.

Ronan struggled to make sense of the mysterious posture after Master Xiu offered two possible approaches, while his exhaustion and the demands of the Two Thousandths incident continued to overwhelm him. At a family dinner, the group discussed Raven’s future, and Ronan suddenly received new information in his Brain Palace.

• Xue Lei relayed Master Xiu’s view that the posture could not be understood through physical arts alone, and Master suggested exploring its link to the outside world or abstracting it through Format Theory.
• Ronan reflected on his mounting exhaustion and the many responsibilities draining his energy as the family gathering continued.
• Zhai Weiwu brought up the Underground Fighting Arena, while Raven spoke more than usual and answered questions with clear, concise explanations.
• Ronan returned to the table after washing his face, and Aunt asked about Raven’s schooling and hobbies.
• Ronan proposed taking Raven to see Master Xiu, but Mo Ya suggested Raven might enjoy playing music with her.
• A new stimulus from Ronan’s Brain Palace delivered information into his already tangled thoughts.

Ronan saw the Brain of Emptiness interface finish parsing Jin Tong's Spiritual Seed, but several unreadable pop-ups frustrated him before a new equipment interface appeared. He discovered that it contained a detailed, page-turning assembly drawing, leaving him to wonder what the strange interface meant in the real world.

• Mo Ya promised Raven that she would help with her enrollment, then told Ronan she had to leave for a last-minute engagement and could not handle the school arrangements.
• Ronan repeatedly selected the default option on unreadable Void Brain pop-ups, triggering another pop-up and cursing in Mo Ya's car.
• Ronan calmed himself by deciding that the Void Brain's changes might still offer a way to increase his strength.
• Ronan selected the default option again, causing the interface to brighten and display a brief blood-red warning pop-up.
• Ronan recognized a human-shaped equipment bar and opened a chest section showing a detailed assembly drawing.
• Ronan checked the dates for the External Neuron and Wilderness Ten Days, then discovered that the assembly drawing could turn pages.