Chapter Summaries

Ronan discovered that the External Neuron’s Assembly Drawing interface could identify real-world components needed to build an exoskeleton, and he suspected it was preparing a customized Deep Blue Walker for him. After arranging to seek more neural medication, he applied through He Yueyin for a complete suit of Exoskeleton Armor, listing “Lesson preparation” as his reason.

• Ronan explored the Assembly Drawing interface and realized its detailed blueprints might correspond to a real exoskeleton compatible with the External Neuron.
• The External Neuron altered Ronan’s perception, highlighting components in military exoskeletons and a military factory that matched parts in the interface.
• Ronan recorded his suspicions about Wilderness Ten Days and his Father, then told Octopus he needed a higher dose of neural medication; Octopus said he would ask for approval.
• Ronan spotted matching white light on Gao De’s Deep Blue Walker equipment and noticed its Overlap Rate was unusually high.
• Ronan called He Yueyin to request a complete Deep Blue Walker suit, and she sent him an application form requiring an approved justification.
• Ronan submitted the request with “Lesson preparation” as the reason.

Ronan received another injection while trying to understand the External Neuron’s detailed assembly interface and the secrets behind its apparent connection to genuine Format Theory. As the medication eased his mental strain, he continued considering how the system originated and what his Father had known about it.

• Ghost Eye Che Yi discussed Xia City’s freezing rain and ongoing conflicts with hostess Dan Yi on “Lan Xiang Guan,” while carefully avoiding a clear position.
• Octopus prepared Ronan’s medication and warned that the escalating stimulation could have lasting effects, as Cat’s Eye teased Ronan with footage of his strange training poses.
• Cat’s Eye received the order “Inject it” through the Spirit Wave Network, and Octopus administered Ronan’s medication.
• Ronan’s thoughts settled somewhat as the injection took effect, and he recognized that he envied the research system supporting the Deep Blue Walker and Prototype Format.
• Ronan examined the External Neuron’s assembly interface in his thoughts and wondered about its origin, his Father’s role, and whether its secrets could be uncovered through analysis.

Ronan struggled to match the Brain of Emptiness Exoskeleton’s inner armor to anything he could obtain, but an urgent military delivery brought him a Deep Blue Walker prototype to examine. Under the effects of drugs and excitement, he began planning modifications and called for an engineer when his ideas outpaced Gao De’s expertise.

• Ronan found no real-world counterpart for the Brain of Emptiness Exoskeleton’s polymer-and-liquid inner armor and worried that he could not build it.
• Octopus and Cat's Eye discussed Ronan’s drug dosage and joked about the responsibility for keeping him under control.
• Gao De delivered the Deep Blue Walker engineering prototype, and Ronan eagerly asked him to open its case.
• Gao De explained that Deep Blue Walker activation required DNA and Format Fire authorization, while Ronan considered how its Machine Core compared with the Brain of Emptiness APP.
• Ronan examined the prototype’s right-arm module and began asking how to remove components and alter its structure and wiring.
• Gao De suggested calling an engineer, and Ronan laughed when a communication request arrived on Six Ears.

Ronan’s attempt to sleep under supervision plunged him into a chaotic state where he discovered a simple dancing figure and began performing the mysterious posture. His movement stirred a powerful force across Xia City, and an old man’s outburst helped Ronan’s scattered perceptions converge on the character “I.”

• Zhai Gong arrived at Gear and modified Deep Blue Walker’s arm module while Ronan rambled excitedly about the changes he wanted.
• Cat's Eye and Octopus explained to Zhai Gong that Ronan needed sleep after sixty hours of intense brain activity, and they monitored him as he entered light sleep.
• Ronan drifted through a confused vision of his External Neuron, Demon Rune, Closed System, and Soul Cape before glimpsing a simple figure dancing.
• Ronan abruptly woke, assumed the mysterious posture, and chanted as invisible chains seemed to bind Octopus and the others.
• Ronan’s will spread over Xia City as Ability Users sensed a growing force approaching the Abyss Zone.
• An old man at a sanatorium broke free of a nurse and declared that all things were complete within him, helping Ronan’s scattered perceptions resolve into “I.”

Ronan traced a complex star map and realized it embodied the meaning of “I,” unleashing a new perception of the world. He recognized the dazzling, shifting scene as the world of the mind before a familiar force interrupted him.

• Ronan remained frozen in a strange state, and Octopus tried to use a projector to see what he was drawing until Cat's Eye switched it off and warned him against it.
• Ronan connected the stars in the Void Brain interface, combining the matchstick figure, the photograph of Grandfather and Father, and his own Self Format into a detailed dancing figure surrounded by eight structures.
• Ronan realized that the figure represented the character “I,” whose meaning resonated with his long-held ideals and memories.
• Ronan's perceptions collapsed and then reopened into a new information structure through which he saw Xia City, the surrounding Wilderness, and living creatures as countless changing bubbles.
• Ronan identified the spectacle as the world of the mind, but a cold, towering force struck it as a familiar thought said, “You've been preparing your lessons seriously.”

Ronan explored the Mental Layer and was caught by the Martial Emperor, who drove him back to the Extreme Domain while shielding him from outside probes. He returned to preparing his lesson plan and discovered that he could understand the Void Brain interface’s warning about Jin Tong’s Spirit Light Seed.

• Ronan realized his Soul Power had reached the Abyss Zone and Deep Belt, and the Martial Emperor accused him of invading her Consciousness Level.
• The Martial Emperor forced Ronan out of the Mental Layer and crushed perceptual probes that had crossed in from beyond Xia City.
• Ronan observed the clash from the Extreme Domain until Cat's Eye called him back and relayed the Martial Emperor's order to work on his lesson plan.
• Ronan thanked Zhai Gong for helping prepare the lesson plan, then opened the Void Brain interface to inspect what had changed.
• Ronan opened Jin Tong's Spirit Light Seed equipment interface, read its warning about temporary reinforcement, and realized he understood the technical requirements.

Ronan deciphered the Brain of Emptiness System’s interface and used its manual to revise the Emergency Combat Equipment design, hoping to replace the unavailable Artificial Muscle. He entered development mode and began generating a new solution, drawing energy from the Gear Building as the system worked.

• Ronan realized he could understand the Void Brain interface’s pictographs and gathered answers about configuration and Machine Core from its messages.
• He confirmed that Artificial Muscle was too scarce to obtain in the quantity needed for the Emergency Combat Equipment.
• Ronan studied the Brain of Emptiness System’s User Manual and formed a plan to remove the Inner Armor and request a replacement design.
• He entered development mode, removed the Inner Armor structure, and rejected the system’s offer to automatically restore it.
• Ronan authorized the External Neuron to draw energy from the Gear Building while the system processed his request for a new solution.

Ronan studied the Spirit Core System’s User Manual for more than forty hours, then rushed to join the others for the Beginner Training Class exchange. Just before leaving, he received the completed equipment analysis and discovered that its specially marked core equipment was called God Binding.

• Ronan let the Spirit Core System scan him and his surroundings while he studied the User Manual in the Central Control Room.
• Qin Yikun and Cat's Eye reminded Ronan that the Beginner Training Class exchange was about to begin, and Ronan hurried to meet the group.
• Ronan’s psychic perception expanded through the Altar Spiderweb as he left Gear, and Xue Lei and the others gathered to support him.
• Cat's Eye noticed Raven was missing, so Ronan contacted her; Raven emerged from the woods and released a muskrat she had been carrying.
• Ronan saw that the Spirit Core System’s analysis was complete and learned that the specially designated core equipment was called God Binding.

Ronan traveled with the Security Team while War Maiden joined their shuttle to livestream and interview him. As the viewers speculated about Ronan and the Security Team, Ronan opened his eyes and looked down at the city lights.

• Ronan realized the God Binding Hoop design might use Jin Tong's Iron Hoop, which Morun's puppet had stored in an unregistered locker in Xia City.
• War Maiden appeared at the shuttle platform, explaining that Major General Tian Bang had arranged an opportunity to interview Ronan.
• Qin Yikun blocked War Maiden from approaching, but Ronan identified that she was livestreaming and accurately estimated her viewer count.
• Ronan invited War Maiden aboard, and Cat's Eye persuaded the Security Team to let her join because their destination was public.
• War Maiden served the group and interacted with viewers as her livestream audience surged, while Ronan stayed silent.
• Ronan opened his eyes and looked through the shuttle window at the sea of lights below.

Ronan arrived at the Xia City beginner training with Zhang Yingying, Cat's Eye, and War Maiden, whose livestream drew a growing audience. After discovering the Martial Emperor's scathing review of his lesson plan, Ronan walked onto the stage before the security team could stop the broadcast, leaving the room reacting with laughter.

• Ronan observed how War Maiden's livestream affected the Mental Layer as their shuttle arrived at Shang Ding Building.
• Zhang Yingying met the group and asked Ronan about the revised lesson plan, prompting him to check his unread messages.
• Ronan read the Martial Emperor's review, which began, "Utter nonsense!", while War Maiden's livestream audience surged.
• Zhang Yingying ordered the network cut and Gao De blocked War Maiden's camera, but Ronan walked toward the training venue.
• Ronan entered the conference room and headed to the stage, where laughter rose before the security team caught up.

Ronan surveyed the crowded beginner training class as War Maiden’s livestream and her exchange with Long Qi turned his appearance into a source of suspicion and unrest. He studied the attendees’ spiritual worlds while preparing to speak, leaving the class on edge before his presentation began.

• Ronan took a seat beside He Yueyin and surveyed the packed conference room, where many attendees were peripheral members invited to the expanded training class.
• War Maiden entered and began livestreaming the venue, drawing more than twenty thousand viewers as information about Ronan spread among the attendees.
• War Maiden recognized Long Qi as a modified Burner now working with Quantum Corporation, and his presence as an observer provoked anger in the room and the livestream.
• He Yueyin interrupted Zhai Gong’s speech to restore order, while Long Qi explained to War Maiden that her stream had made Ronan’s planned introduction much harder.
• Ronan assessed the spiritual worlds around the hall and reviewed the lesson plan the Martial Emperor had rejected.

Ronan took the podium to explain the Water Condensation Ring, using a story about his first forty days of practice after He Yueyin helped him find an opening. As he spoke, the audience connected his account to an old forum post, and the Inner World erupted over the revelation that he had practiced the technique on November fourth.

• Ronan struggled to organize his ideas until He Yueyin sent him a collaborative document and advised him to use humor and personal stories.
• Ronan realized the audience of roughly twenty-seven thousand people gave him a chance to speak directly, then began his presentation by writing “Water Condensation Ring” on the display.
• Ronan explained that he had encountered the technique only forty days earlier and recounted learning about it from Paper Cut and watching the Martial Emperor’s demonstration.
• A front-row attendee questioned the timeline, and Ronan checked his calendar before confirming that he began practicing on November fourth.
• Pandora drew attention to the RT8313 forum thread, where REE posted an old anonymous message about practicing all morning and getting a rainstorm in return.
• Viewers matched the old post and its Human-Shaped Water Mark to Ronan’s account, setting off a frenzy across the Inner World network.

Ronan’s online identity as Sprinkler Man was exposed during his lesson, but he turned the ensuing argument into a survey of the audience’s knowledge and an improvised explanation of Configurations and Machine Cores. He demonstrated a luminous, animated Babel Tower structure as the chapter ended, prompting Long Qi to recognize its significance.

• Pandora and REE posted registration records that exposed Ronan as Anonymous, igniting a fierce online dispute between the Xia City and headquarters factions.
• An attendee challenged Ronan about the RT8313 thread, and Ronan checked the forum before redirecting the unruly class toward the audience’s limited practice of the Dripping Water Sword.
• Ronan introduced the Water Condensation Ring and Configuration, then described Jack, Quantum Corporation, Machine Cores, and their role in Burners and Deep Blue Walkers.
• Ronan drew the Deep Sea IV Machine Core as a Babel Tower linking the material and Mental Layers, while Long Qi watched intently.
• Ronan illuminated the drawn structure, making its human outline stand and move; Long Qi called it a magic trick etched into the Middle Belt.

Ronan demonstrated how carefully structured light and energy could leave an imprint on the Mental Layer, then taught the audience about Assistant Number One’s neural structure. Meanwhile, Long Qi secretly transmitted intelligence about the event, which reached Quantum Corporation’s Wang Yu and Herman, prompting Wang Yu to summon Jeff and Yan Hong.

• War Maiden closed her eyes and saw Assistant Number One on the Mental Layer, then described the experience to her viewers.
• REE joined War Maiden’s live stream to attack Ronan, but Zhang Yingying took a seat beside War Maiden and insulted him on camera.
• Ronan ended his demonstration and explained how structured projector energy could imprint on the Mental Layer before describing Assistant Number One’s neural network and its connection to Quantum Corporation and the Justice Cult.
• Long Qi transmitted intelligence about the conference, including information about Ronan and C2834, to a secret channel while continuing to observe the lesson.
• Wang Yu and Herman reviewed Long Qi’s intelligence, and Wang Yu ordered an attendant to bring Jeff and Yan Hong to him.

Wang Jue’s team watched Ronan’s lecture and debated whether his demonstration threatened the Deep Blue Project’s technology and investments. When Ronan proposed that familiar mental-level zones might be illusions within a person’s own force field and consciousness space, Jeff and Yan Hong reacted with shock.

• Wang Jue summoned Yan Hong and Jeff to review footage of Ronan’s Configuration demonstration and hear their professional opinions.
• Jeff dismissed Ronan’s luminous structure as outdated Deep Sea IV technology, but Yan Hong’s explanation of commercial generations made Herman realize Ronan’s work could threaten the project’s market position.
• Herman considered using legal protections and control of materials and production lines to defend his investment, while Wang Jue asked whether Ronan could deduce newer technology.
• Yan Hong said Ronan would likely remain within outdated principles, and Jeff agreed that Ronan’s approach was limited by old concepts.
• Ronan explained that a qualified Configuration required a stable connection between matter and spirit, then suggested the Shallow, Middle, and Deep Belts might be only a self-imposed cage within one’s force field and consciousness space.
• Yan Hong struck a table and Jeff’s scooter collided with him, but both turned to watch Ronan’s lecture continue.

Ronan presented his hypothesis that the Mental Layer might not be a shared external space, but a result of individuals’ perceptions, and demonstrated how he could alter what Ability Users sensed. The chapter ended with the audience discovering that their votes formed an image of Assistant Number One.

• Ronan defended his hypothesis against objections, explaining that Ability Users could move from passively receiving information to actively sensing and influencing it.
• Ronan asked the audience to close their eyes, then made Assistant Number One disappear from many people’s spiritual perception while it remained visible in the hall.
• Ronan organized three rounds of voting to compare the audience’s perceptions, producing sharply divided results and an exact split in the final round.
• He Yueyin displayed the voting distribution, and attendees recognized that its pattern formed an image of Assistant Number One.

Ronan presented Format Theory’s Cage Hypothesis, linking the Perception Domain, self-awareness, and Configuration to explain how people could strengthen their abilities. After an unexpected burst of insight about Babel Tower and the Water Condensation Ring, he paused the lecture and went backstage to rest.

• Ronan described the Perception Domain as a personal cage that both isolated and protected each person, and named “My Heart is a Prison” as a central idea of Format Theory.
• Ronan argued that Extraordinary Domains and personal cages had no essential difference, then linked self-awareness and Configuration to strengthening a fragile domain.
• Ronan compared Assistant Number One’s Babel Tower configuration with the Water Condensation Ring and explained how the latter supported Zhai Gong’s abilities.
• Ronan experienced a sudden burst of inspiration while comparing Babel Tower with the Water Condensation Ring, but He Yueyin told him to take a break.
• Ronan ended the lecture segment and went backstage, while Paper Cut, Red Fox, Octopus, and Bamboo Pole discussed his teaching and wondered why he had stopped.

Deep Blue’s investors debated the threat Ronan’s Cage Theory posed to their research and market, while Yan Hong argued that Ronan lacked the resources and rigor to surpass them. Assistant Number One’s visible presence undermined his dismissal, leaving Wang Yu to note that others might soon revere Ronan.

• Jeff outlined how Deep Blue’s four groups were evaluating Ronan’s theory and its implications for their research.
• Herman pressed for a market assessment, warning that Ronan’s ideas could disrupt a hundred-billion-level industry and force costly changes.
• Yan Hong projected his group’s evaluation and argued that Cage Theory was speculative and that developing a product for ordinary people would take ten to twelve years.
• Jeff pointed out that Luo Yuandao’s Wilderness Laboratory had laid the foundation for later research, provoking Yan Hong to insist that Luo’s work had been wrong and its data belonged to Quantum Corporation.
• Jeff challenged Yan Hong to account for Assistant Number One, whose presence at the conference remained visible to the gathered Ability Users.
• Wang Yu remarked that people might soon want to worship Ronan, then asked who had been calling while his line was busy.

After his lecture on Cage Theory, Ronan weighed how to clarify his ideas and found himself inundated with attention and questions. He chose to continue by using a practical demonstration to address the theory’s disputed points.

• Ronan reflected on his lecture and compared the Water Condensation Ring with Babel Tower, concluding that the Ring’s Configuration theory was far more advanced.
• He Yueyin told Ronan that influential figures, including Tian Bang and her Father, had contacted her, while Ronan found numerous messages of praise and requests for cooperation.
• Zhang Yingying reported that thousands of questions had arrived, War Maiden’s Live Stream Room had more than thirty-two thousand viewers, and a joint broadcast was being arranged.
• Ronan connected the collected questions to the Spirit Wave Network and used his Calculation Space to sort them into a few main categories.
• Ronan combined the questions with his experiences and his understanding of Babel Tower and the Water Condensation Ring, then decided to continue with a practical demonstration.

Ronan resumed his lecture by refining his Configuration model and explaining how his observations supported Cage Theory and Format Theory. He concluded that the Mental Layer resembled an immense ocean collectively, but that each individual's spiritual world was far too narrow.

• War Maiden interviewed Ronan outside the lounge, but he ignored her first question and returned to the podium.
• Ronan saw that the audience's collective attention had formed a more orderly structure, strengthened by messages and reactions to Cage Theory spreading worldwide.
• Ronan restored Assistant Number One and used a Regular Tetrahedron with inscribed and circumscribed spheres to explain the basic, central, and expansion units of Configuration.
• Ronan described the central unit as the part that acted on the Mental Layer and clarified that his claims came from observation and contemplation rather than completed scientific experiments.
• Ronan compared the spiritual world to a vast ocean of countless beings, then said that each individual's spiritual world was far too narrow.