Chapter Summaries

Yin Le and Madam Harold discovered that the Blood Soul Temple was undergoing an irreversible change, then learned someone had created a Ritual Blood Soul Temple and was altering its framework. At the same time, Ronan completed the implantation of the new temple into the Fire God Ant Nest’s heart, replacing its core structure.

• Yin Le followed Madam Harold into the Blood Soul Temple’s lower levels and tried to stabilize the believers’ chaotic thoughts as the Order’s founding anniversary passed in disarray.
• Strange tremors shook the temple’s stone forest and Lava Lake while the Abyss Zone storm intensified, distorting the temple’s framework before Madam Harold brought Yin Le back to the real world.
• Madam Harold told Yin Le that someone had created a Ritual Blood Soul Temple and was modifying its framework, then ordered her to obtain surveillance images from Xia City Central Station and arrange an uninterrupted chance to contact Ronan.
• Ronan declared the work complete after the Extreme Domain bombardment killed the Queen Ant and stone pillars formed an altar inside the Fire God Ant Nest’s heart.
• The Blood Soul Temple broke into the nest’s defenses and began reshaping its heart into a new structure supported by a stone forest and Lava Lake.

Ronan established the Stone Forest Lava Lake as the foundation of the Blood Soul Temple, but his tests showed that it was not absorbing heat efficiently enough to restore Jin Tong's Seed Imprint. After working through the night to diagnose the design, he emerged from the Simulation Pod to find Raven waiting with breakfast and asked how she had entered.

• Ronan used the Stone Forest Lava Lake to drain energy from the Fire God Ant Nest while planning to disrupt the other Ant Chambers and finish the Blood Soul Temple's next layers.
• Ronan had Morun retrieve Electromagnetic Vanguard Number One's head module and place it in the lava lake to protect and nurture Jin Tong's Seed Imprint.
• Ronan checked the lake's temperature and realized that the armor's insulation kept it too cool, cutting the Seed Imprint's energy absorption efficiency by at least half.
• Ronan spent the night reviewing and recalculating the Blood Soul Temple's design until an alarm alerted him that someone had entered.
• Ronan found Raven outside the Simulation Pod with breakfast and asked how she had gotten in.

Ronan explained the Cloud Top World and his plan to kill Gong Qi to Raven, using projected star charts and a map of the Ability User Association Headquarters. He left Raven understanding the plan and ready to train for the attack.

• Raven brought Ronan breakfast and quietly waited while he worked on the Blood Soul Temple design.
• Ronan stopped working and showed Raven a star chart, explaining the Cloud Top World and why he wanted to protect it.
• Ronan explained Gong Qi's threat and compared his strength with Jin Tong's, describing why Gong Qi would be difficult to defeat.
• Ronan outlined a plan to destroy Gong Qi's body at the Ability User Association Headquarters, then attack him in the Cloud Top World with Raven delivering the final blow.
• Raven recognized that their Blood Intent Ring drills were preparation for the plan and said she would work hard.

Ronan explained his plan to prepare for killing Gong Qi and showed Raven the volcanic site where he was building up the resources and structures he needed. After Raven showed how much she wanted to see the Cloud Top World, Ronan offered to take her there, and she eagerly agreed.

• Ronan promised Raven they would not attempt the final step against Gong Qi until they were certain it was safe, and explained how he was strengthening Jin Tong's Seed Imprint.
• Ronan showed Raven the Volcanic Zone, explaining its connection to the Cloud Top World, the Fire God Ant nest, and the Blood Soul Temple he was building there.
• Ronan described his plan to cultivate the Fire God Ants' collective consciousness and control their colony, joking that Raven could become the Fire God Ant Princess.
• Raven's reaction to Ronan's talk of the Cloud Top World revealed that she wanted to visit it, so Ronan offered to take her there using her Form-Spirit Blending ability.
• Raven nodded eagerly at Ronan's offer and smiled with unreserved joy.

Ronan watched Gong Qi and Snake Tongue while helping Raven learn to fly through the clouds, then explained the risks in his plan to ambush Gong Qi. He left the plan unresolved, facing a difficult precision problem and dangerous interference near the Volcanic Archipelago.

• Ronan guided Raven as she practiced flying through the Cloud Top World and monitored Gong Qi and Snake Tongue studying a captured Rotten-Mouth Ape.
• Ronan told Raven that Gong Qi might be keeping Snake Tongue occupied to forestall her growing suspicion that they were trapped together.
• Ronan explained that killing Gong Qi required perfectly synchronizing attacks on his physical body and soul because Gong Qi could teleport across great distances.
• Ronan described the Grand Coordinate System and the conditions required to distort spacetime, then identified the Volcanic Archipelago's distance and Extraordinary Species as major obstacles.

Ronan explained to Raven how North Shore Gear could help him improve his precision and reconnect the passage between the Cloud Top World and Local Time-Space. He set out to study a nearby Rotten-Mouth Ape with her, but Raven remained frozen in place.

• Ronan reassured Raven that he could overcome the difficulties of retrieving Jin Tong's puppet and explained North Shore Gear's role as a fulcrum anchoring the cloud tops.
• Ronan described how Mother's Coupling Theory had created a structure connecting the Cloud Top World and Local Time-Space, and how the Gear's telescope and his External Neuron could restore it.
• Ronan told Raven that he was using North Shore Gear as a model to improve his precision and might imitate its design if he could not fully understand it.
• Ronan noticed the distant surveillance targets searching the Cloud Top World and said they needed to keep their distance from Gong Qi.
• Ronan chose to take Raven to examine an approaching Rotten-Mouth Ape, but discovered she had not moved and appeared vacant and stiff.

Ronan discovered that the Cloud Top World’s turbulent time-space structure disrupted Raven’s spatial traversal, making her movements dangerously difficult to control. Raven insisted on practicing anyway, and after a violent disturbance left her position untraceable, Ronan rushed toward the source of the last orderly vibrations.

• Raven was flung through the clouds when Ronan’s attempt to help her triggered oscillations in the void, and she gradually regained control by adjusting her Body-Spirit Fusion.
• Ronan examined the spatial structure and realized its complexity had disrupted Raven’s ability to make precise movements and spatial jumps.
• Raven admitted that spatial traversal was difficult in the Cloud Top World, but insisted she could manage it and began practicing despite Ronan’s warnings.
• Raven’s repeated jumps intensified the void’s vibrations until a violent shockwave distorted Ronan’s form and scattered his consciousness.
• Ronan recovered and sensed only emptiness where Raven had been, so he rushed toward the source of the last orderly vibrations.

Ronan entered a shrinking tear in reality to find Raven and became trapped in a dangerous Mist Labyrinth. He reunited with her, but she said she had been unable to reach something deep inside.

• Ronan sensed Raven inside the shrinking tear and rushed through it.
• The Mist Labyrinth overwhelmed Ronan with chaotic information and nearly destroyed his Soul Body.
• Ronan confirmed that Raven was nearby through their Closed System connection and called out to her.
• Raven emerged from the collapsing mist barrier, and Ronan found her alive but with torn clothes.
• Raven told Ronan that what she sought had been too deep for her to reach.

Ronan and Raven explored the Mist Labyrinth, where Raven’s resonance technique opened brief passages and helped Ronan study the layered space. Ronan concluded that the labyrinth—and possibly the Cloud Top World—was formed from accumulated Configuration fragments, but Raven sensed something deep within.

• Ronan pieced together Raven’s explanation that she needed to harmonize resonance frequencies with the layered time-space structure to travel through it safely.
• At Ronan’s request, Raven plucked invisible chords and briefly cleared a passage through the mist.
• Using the reprieve, Ronan restored his spiritual perception and judged that the Mist Labyrinth was an accumulation of Configuration fragments.
• Ronan hypothesized that the Cloud Top World was built from similar fragments and that the Mist Labyrinth might be its hidden main unit.
• Raven murmured that something was deep inside.

Ronan explored how the Mist Labyrinth’s rules suppressed his Grand Coordinate System and explained how Coupling Theory could help him work around them. He began designing a Fog Lamp for remote observation, fascinated by the Labyrinth’s countless Configuration fragments.

• Ronan learned that Raven could not see the Mist Labyrinth’s core and struggled to describe how far she could see because the environment was so complex.
• Ronan explained that the Labyrinth’s order rules suppressed his Grand Coordinate System, and Raven identified Coupling as the way to bypass the interference.
• Ronan taught Raven how Coupling Theory used one Order Framework to guide others, then compared the Labyrinth’s rules with those of the Cloud Top World and Earth’s Local Time-Space.
• Ronan examined the Configuration fragments within his limited range and planned to build a Fog Lamp on the foundation of the Soul Cape.
• Ronan became absorbed in studying the fragments, seeing the Mist Labyrinth as a rich source of practical examples despite its disorder.

Black Wolf discussed the limits of the human body with Xue Lei while recovering from his injuries, then unexpectedly crossed paths with him and Xie Junping again at Zhi Xing Institute. As Xue Lei and Xie Junping approached Gear, they found the place under construction and saw a shadow dart past them.

• Black Wolf told Xue Lei that the body had limits and said he planned to undergo deep bodily modification after his injuries recovered.
• Xue Lei received calls from Aunt Luo and Xie Junping about Raven, then joined Xie Junping in his flying car.
• Xue Lei explained how he had injured Black Wolf during the Human-Faced Spider disaster, and Xie Junping noticed Black Wolf's car following them to Zhi Xing Institute.
• Black Wolf explained that he and his senior brother had taken a private job from the Starry Sky Club, and the groups went their separate ways.
• Xue Lei and Xie Junping reached Gear and saw a transport plane and construction work at the site.
• A shadow darted past Xue Lei and Xie Junping, and Xie Junping called out, "Hey, son!"

Xie Junping learned that the Mystic Studies Society planned to break the lake ice and recreate the Eleusinian Mysteries, while he and Xue Lei suspected the ritual involved Withered Tree Sandbar. As Xie Junping heard that Ou Que was preparing for the Grand Banquet, a tremor and the sound of cracking ice hinted that something had begun at the lake.

• Jerry clung anxiously to Xie Junping, who encountered Ou Que and learned the Mystic Studies Society planned to break the lake ice.
• Xue Lei and Xie Junping suspected the society's plan was connected to Withered Tree Sandbar when Lao Hai revealed they intended to conduct a fire ritual.
• Lao Hai explained that the society planned a creative reconstruction of the Eleusinian Mysteries at North Shore Gear.
• Xie Junping learned that Ou Que hoped to make a debut at the Grand Banquet with Tang Yi as his companion and Fei Jin as a backup.
• Xie Junping heard that the Grand Banquet's main venue was Cloud Capital Shuiyi, then felt a tremor and heard ice cracking along the lakeshore.

Xie Junping tried to stop the Mystic Studies Society from burning the withered tree, warning that its lake array could not produce the intended magical effect. Ronan challenged the design, and Senior Fei’s arrival beside him left Ou Que humiliated as Black Wolf and his senior brother appeared nearby.

• Jerry escaped Xie Junping and sprinted across the ice toward the center of the lake.
• Xie Junping studied the Mystic Studies Society’s plans and realized their array was intended to channel power toward Withered Tree Sandbar and ignite the withered tree.
• Ou Que insisted the project had the necessary approvals and ordered the crew to finish it before Christmas Eve while keeping outsiders away.
• Ronan arrived at the lakeshore, and Xie Junping noticed Xue Lei and Raven nearby, with Raven wearing Ronan’s coat.
• Ronan told Ou Que that the Star of David framework could not support or amplify magical power, and a young woman joined Ronan and took his arm.
• Ou Que recognized the woman as Senior Fei, while Xie Junping spotted Black Wolf and his senior brother in the distance.

After Ronan’s lecture, Fei Jin asked him to partner with her at the Feast party, and Huan Huo praised his ideas about the spiritual world before leaving Xia City. The chapter ended with Xie Junping wondering why Huan Huo and Black Wolf had come to speak with Ronan.

• Xie Junping led Ronan away from the humiliated Ou Que, and Ronan told Raven to go home and rest after their research.
• Fei Jin approached Ronan and asked him to partner with her at the Feast party, offering him Mystic Studies Society votes in return.
• Ronan accepted Fei Jin’s offer and added her as a friend, then explained to Xie Junping that he wanted to spend less attention on the society and the Feast.
• Huan Huo introduced himself as a wandering magician and praised Ronan’s Cage Theory and ideas about the spiritual world.
• Huan Huo said he was leaving Xia City that night and departed with Black Wolf, leaving Xie Junping puzzled about their visit.

After their assignment at Zhi Xing Institute, Huan Huo took Black Wolf to a private villa that served as a ticket hall for his mission at sea. There, Black Wolf overheard Fei Jin arguing with another woman before she saw him and he was knocked unconscious.

• Fei Jin stayed behind after Huan Huo and Black Wolf departed, then angrily complained to someone through her wristband.
• Huan Huo told Black Wolf he was heading to a private dock for a mission in the waters off Xia City, and Black Wolf drove him there.
• Huan Huo led Black Wolf into a villa that he called the ticket hall and went back outside to retrieve a tool bag.
• Black Wolf overheard Fei Jin arguing that her connection to Mister Luo was only nominal and that she would report the recent work arrangements.
• Fei Jin emerged from a second-floor room and saw Black Wolf, who was struck with numb pain, seized by the neck, and knocked unconscious.

Huan Huo transformed into Black Wolf through a ritual in the villa and left with the metal remains, while Sun Jiayi revealed that she had arranged Fei Jin as an opportunity for Yin Le to approach Mister Luo. Yin Le challenged Sun Jiayi’s methods, but Sun Jiayi insisted she had found the contact she needed.

• Fei Jin witnessed Huan Huo kill Black Wolf, then Sun Jiayi knocked her unconscious and sent her over the railing.
• Huan Huo positioned himself and Black Wolf on a patterned floor, performed a ritual, and burned away until only a metal construct remained.
• Black Wolf awakened as Huan Huo, dismantled the construct, restored the villa, and left without acknowledging Fei Jin.
• Sun Jiayi asked Yin Le what she thought of Fei Jin as a target and said she had secured an opportunity for Yin Le to get close to Mister Luo.
• Yin Le questioned Sun Jiayi’s use of people with complicated connections, and Sun Jiayi defended her choice as a way to avoid unnecessary screening.

Sun Jiayi revealed that she had coordinated the meeting to bring the Blood Flame Order and Soul Order into contact with Mister Luo and each other. After Sun Jiayi left, Madam Harold warned Yin Le that every cult had the backing of an Extraordinary Species or a similar power, and questioned who might have recently risen or stopped remaining lonely.

• Sun Jiayi explained that Fei Jin could serve as a buffer for contacting Mister Luo, while admitting she also wanted to undermine Fei Jin, a new agent investigating her.
• Madam Harold spoke through Yin Le and asked Sun Jiayi for a reason to maintain their cooperation, so Sun Jiayi disclosed that the Soul Order was interested in contacting Madam Harold and infiltrating the Xia City Branch.
• Sun Jiayi said the Soul Order had sent a message urging the struggling Blood Flame Order to seek allies or a new power to rely on.
• Sun Jiayi advised Madam Harold to use the Soul Transfer Array and revealed that Fei Jin had already accumulated enough fear for the Blood Flame Order's secret arts before Sun Jiayi left.
• Madam Harold told Yin Le that every cult had the support of an Extraordinary Species or a comparable existence, then asked who had recently risen or refused to remain lonely.

Tian Si visited North Rock Gear to deliver an invitation to Ronan and saw the Devil Fish that had nearly killed her in Sea Sky Cloud Capital. On the way to meet Ronan, Cat's Eye recognized Tian Si's interest in becoming an Ability User and explained that talent determined who could enter the field.

• Tian Si met Tian Qi at the crowded bar and told him she had received Professor Pan Wen's official notice to join her project.
• The Devil Fish swam past the reinforced glass, bringing back Tian Si's memories of nearly being killed by it in Sea Sky Cloud Capital.
• Tian Qi explained that the Devil Fish had been bought by someone in the club and brought to North Shore Jungle, where it might only remain temporarily.
• Cat's Eye arrived, sent Tian Qi away, and offered to take Tian Si to wait for Ronan, who was discussing technical problems with Gao Meng and Paper Cut.
• As they descended the stairs, Cat's Eye asked whether Tian Si wanted to join their circle and become an Ability User.
• Cat's Eye said that talent determined whether someone could truly enter the field, regardless of how hard they worked.

Cat's Eye challenged Tian Si to reconsider her goals and hinted that Ronan's work might change the limits imposed by talent. In Gear's Experimental Zone, Ronan, Paper Cut, and Gao Meng tested a Talisman Paper ring that fit Gao Meng's bracelet.

• Cat's Eye told Tian Si she lacked the qualifications to enter the Inner World and asked her to examine what she truly wanted.
• Cat's Eye led Tian Si into the Restricted Area and explained that Paper Cut's prospects had changed despite his former talent limitations.
• Tian Si watched Ronan and Paper Cut discuss old papers and suspected Ronan was explaining a way to overcome talent barriers.
• Gao Meng shaped a Talisman Paper into a ring with his ability and fitted it over his metal bracelet.

Ronan tested an External Attachment for the Blood Intent Ring while Ability Users worked together inside the Space Fortress. Tian Si brought Professor Pan’s invitation to Ronan, then admitted she wanted to move forward.

• Gao Meng and Paper Cut tested a new function for the Space Fortress, and Ronan sent Cat's Eye and other Ability Users to join them.
• Ronan recorded his observations and explained that he wanted to develop the Blood Intent Ring into a more complex framework with supporting functions.
• Tian Si told Ronan that Professor Pan wanted him to visit her home, and Ronan worried that his enemies might put her at risk.
• Ronan warned Tian Si not to believe everything Cat's Eye said, and Tian Si realized she had been influenced by her own feelings.
• Tian Si told Ronan she wanted to move forward.