Chapter Summaries

Yin Le watched Ronan expose the foundations of Secret Cult Configurations, while Li Taisheng concluded that Ronan had obtained his knowledge from an outside source. The chapter ended with Li Taisheng identifying that source as the Gate of Truth and insisting Ronan be eliminated.

• Yin Le realized Ronan's explanation had revealed the secrets of the Secret Cult system, while Madam Harold urged her to focus on something more worthwhile.
• Ronan apologized for his remarks, left the exchange with Li Taisheng, and hurried away with his group.
• Li Taisheng returned to a secured lounge with Zheng Xiao and declared that Ronan had to be eliminated immediately.
• Li Taisheng rejected the idea that Ronan was born knowing and argued that Ronan had neither the background nor teachers to acquire his knowledge.
• Li Taisheng dismissed Jin Tong as the likely source and named the Gate of Truth as the source behind Ronan's knowledge.

Ronan explained that Li Taisheng had approached him with a preexisting suspicion about the Gate of Truth, then pursued patterns in the Turbid Spiritual Stream to study how intense emotions formed resentment. He headed toward a crowded transfer escalator to search for similar emotional structures, leaving Zhang Yingying and the others alarmed by his priorities.

• Octopus assigned the group monitoring duties while Ronan's companions joked about his earlier comparison of Plant Type and Tool Type.
• Ronan identified Li Taisheng's hostility as linked to the Justice Cult's Solidified Configuration and the Gate of Truth, prompting Zhang Yingying to alert the branch and higher-ups.
• Ronan explained that Li Taisheng had arrived with a clear conclusion and suspected that earlier rumors had helped form his belief about the Gate of Truth.
• Ronan projected Cloud Capital Shuiyi's layout and headed toward a transfer escalator to search for emotional patterns resembling Boss Zou's resentment.
• Zhang Yingying grabbed Ronan and challenged his focus on probability models while everyone worried about the Justice Cult's threat.
• Octopus asked Ronan how he could distinguish newly formed thoughts from thoughts that had been developing for a long time.

Ronan argued that the Branch should treat Li Taisheng’s hostility as a manageable conflict with one part of the Justice Cult, while strengthening the Fortress Project to address broader changes in the Abyss Zone. He then led the group into a restricted private club to investigate resentment around himself and verify his predictions about the Turbid Spiritual Stream, reaching a set of ornate doors that were suddenly kicked open.

• Ronan explained that he could read Li Taisheng’s hostility through traces in the Mental Layer and argued that the Branch could handle Li without provoking the entire Justice Cult.
• Ronan said the Branch should prioritize the Fortress Project because system-level conflicts were affecting the Abyss Zone and the Turbid Spiritual Stream.
• Ronan led the group into a restricted Authority Zone despite the warnings, and his External Neuron made the security robots move aside.
• The trainees subdued the club’s security guards while Ronan followed his spiritual perception through the club’s corridors.
• Ronan reached a pair of golden Rococo-style doors, which were kicked open just as the attendants greeted him.

Ronan forced his way through a private club while tracking malicious intent connected to the Turbid Spiritual Stream, and he seized Cao Shanhai after recognizing signs of a hidden plot. Just as Ronan’s group approached the garden’s VIP passage, Mo Peng called to report that Mo Ya’s performance had been rescheduled.

• Ronan entered the club’s garden, incapacitated two security guards, and pushed past the manager toward the performance venue.
• Ronan dragged Cao Shanhai out from behind a pillar, and Zhang Yingying and the bodyguards recognized him as a Mystic Studies Society officer who had been hiding near the A2 Elevator Entrance.
• Ronan said Cao Shanhai showed signs of the same malicious intent as Boss Zou, then ordered him to follow as Cao broke down and claimed he had only overheard something.
• Ronan continued through the club, explaining that he was tracing unformed structures of malicious intent in the Turbid Spiritual Stream while watching the time remaining before Mo Ya’s performance.
• A woman hurried past Ronan’s group after leaving a man behind in the garden, and Octopus tried to steady her before she pulled away.
• Mo Peng called Ronan and urgently told him that Mo Ya and the others’ performance had been rescheduled at the last minute.

Ronan investigated a disrupted backstage scene and discovered that Huang Bingzhen had arranged to drug Sister Shui Yi as part of a scheme targeting Ronan’s sister’s band. The group realized an unknown Ability User was involved, and Cao Shanhai revealed that Huang Bingzhen had a dark-skinned accomplice who was still nearby.

• Ronan arrived at the scene, ignored Huang Bingzhen’s attempts to provoke him, and had the Military and Political Trainees restrain him.
• Ronan recognized Huang Bingzhen from the Frost River Reality incident and asked Octopus to examine the scattered clothes and traces.
• Octopus identified a professionally processed hallucinogen made from nearby plants, and Ronan concluded that an Ability User had prepared it by hand.
• Ronan asked Octopus to watch over Sister Shui Yi, the band’s drummer, while the group considered how the incident fit into the Turbid Spiritual Stream.
• Cao Shanhai said Huang Bingzhen and another man had planned to use Sister Shui Yi to draw Ronan’s sister into the scheme.
• Cao Shanhai identified Huang Bingzhen’s accomplice as a lean, wiry, dark-skinned man who had been at the scene.

Ronan investigated the abnormal surge in the Turbid Spiritual Stream and found that Huang Bingzhen’s extreme emotions were being guided by a structure planned in advance. As Ronan considered how that structure had been designed, a new insight made him close his eyes and send an unsettling sensation through those around him.

• Ronan concluded that Huang Bingzhen’s present malice could not account for the earlier wave crest and that an external factor had guided it.
• After communications arrived from various parties, Ronan asked Huang Bingzhen where his “fellow traveler” was, then restrained him and examined his emotional and physical reactions.
• Ronan and Bamboo Pole observed that Huang Bingzhen’s Soul Power was moving toward order despite his chaotic control on the Mental Layer.
• Ronan proposed that someone had built channels and Containers on the Material Layer to guide Huang Bingzhen’s Soul Power, and he explained the need to raise a subject through carefully designed stages.
• Ronan suddenly stopped speaking, closed his eyes, and sent an invisible current-like sensation across Zhang Yingying, Bamboo Pole, and the others.

Ronan investigated Cloud Capital Shuiyi’s strange structure and identified Huang Bingzhen as a Native Infected. By probing and intensifying Huang Bingzhen’s emotions, Ronan caused him to advance to the Third Phase.

• Ronan mapped Cloud Capital Shuiyi with his mental senses but admitted he could not extract a specific Configuration from the complex area without a starting point.
• Bamboo Pole suggested establishing a characterization that the government could accept, and Ronan agreed to seek a more understandable explanation.
• Ronan told He Yueyin that a Native Infected had appeared at Cloud Capital Shuiyi, alarming Zhang Yingying, Bamboo Pole, and the others.
• Ronan examined Huang Bingzhen’s subconscious and realized that Huang Bingzhen’s excitement about Aberration Infection could provide a way to work backward toward the Configuration.
• Ronan provoked Huang Bingzhen’s hatred until a tangible imprint formed, causing veins to spread across Huang Bingzhen’s face.
• Ronan released Huang Bingzhen and announced over the Spirit Wave Network that Huang Bingzhen had reached the Third Phase.

Ronan investigated Huang Bingzhen’s failed aberration while his team gathered evidence about the man who had brought him to the club. The group left the incident unresolved, with Ronan asking to be informed of any new developments in the wider aberration investigation.

• Huang Bingzhen’s aberration drained his body of energy, and He Yueyin recommended three nutrient injections to keep him alive.
• A trainee gave Huang Bingzhen the injections, briefly restoring his clarity before fear and hatred overwhelmed him and his transformation failed.
• Ronan analyzed Huang Bingzhen’s physical and spiritual changes, revised his temporary Configuration, and used the Spirit Wave Network to search for matching structures.
• Zhang Yingying questioned the club manager about Huang Bingzhen’s companion, while He Yueyin arranged to review surveillance footage.
• Ronan and Bamboo Pole discussed whether the aberration was connected to the Three Gates Security invasion or an organization, and Ronan considered possible links to Luo Yuan and Mo Ya.
• Zhang Yingying told Ronan that Octopus and Cat’s Eye were mobilizing, and Ronan asked her to have Peony contact him with any progress on the aberration investigation.

Ronan began using his old detection method to search for Second Phase Infection targets, but he found that his induction network needed substantial correction. As he rebuilt it with help from his Mother’s research data and the Brain of Emptiness System manual, the improved network revealed infected targets scattered across Xia City, while Ronan left to attend Mo Ya’s performance.

• He Yueyin asked Ronan to resume searching for Second Phase Infection targets while the investigation into the Aberrant Species intrusion continued.
• Ronan tried to use his old ladder-like induction model, recognized its flaws, and consulted his Mother’s configuration research and the Brain of Emptiness System manual.
• Ronan began reconstructing his spiritual induction network, refining its screening and evaluation structures while the project team gave him space to work.
• Mo Peng called Ronan and urged him to come to Mo Ya’s performance, prompting Ronan to loosen control of his newly formed perception structure and locate his family.
• Ronan marked several suspected targets for Zhang Yingying, then realized his expanding network had detected numerous possible Second Phase Infection targets across Xia City.

Ronan met Zhang Yingying and Bamboo Pole backstage at the theater after detecting more than thirteen thousand suspected native infection patients across Xia City. The group discussed the authorities’ quiet response, which left Ronan questioning the saying that great things were not discussed in public.

• Ronan told Mo Peng he was entering the theater backstage and ended their call after Mo Peng asked him to take private photos.
• Ronan explained that his Soul Cape’s detection network had found more than thirteen thousand suspected native infection patients across Xia City, though he lost track of his point before finishing.
• Ronan noticed Zhang Yingying and Bamboo Pole were tense despite joking around, and considered how easily the suspected patients might be dealt with before they reached the Third Phase.
• Zhang Yingying told Ronan that the branch’s silence came from the scale of the crisis, while Military and Political Trainees were monitoring selected Feast participants without knowing about the thousands of other suspected infected people.
• Bamboo Pole said the Fortress Project Team could only provide support, and Zhang Yingying speculated that higher-ups were still arguing over what to do.
• Ronan repeated Zhang Yingying’s phrase, “Great things are not discussed in public,” and questioned what it meant.

Bamboo Pole argued that great leaders should act without being bound by indecisive mass consultations and urged Ronan to use his unusual insight to guide humanity. Ronan privately considered how to control the Native Infected and found inspiration for a new research approach, but he needed more subjects to study.

• Bamboo Pole explained his Education Faction beliefs and criticized the Branch, military, and government for letting their competing interests impede action.
• Bamboo Pole praised Ronan as a potential guide into the unknown and asked whether he was interested in stealing Heaven's Fire.
• Zhang Yingying rebuked Bamboo Pole for his pessimism and dragged Ronan away from the conversation.
• Ronan reflected that officials were acting too slowly while Native Infected moved closer to Third Phase infection, and admitted he had not shared his latest observations.
• Ronan considered crude and technical ways to control the infected, then drew inspiration from Bamboo Pole's remarks and decided he needed more research subjects beyond Huang Bingzhen.

Ronan considered how to build a new Configuration and assessed the sordid environment around Mo Ya, then encountered Hai Jing in the theater passageway. As Mo Ya began performing, Octopus contacted Ronan to report that he might have caught the Pharmacist’s scent.

• Ronan decided to use the Blood Soul Temple as a reference for designing his complex new Configuration and considered studying the desires of people in the passageway.
• Ronan recognized Hai Jing near the metal door, and Hai Jing realized Ronan knew about the trouble surrounding the band and Mo Ya.
• Ronan tried to reassure Hai Jing about Mountain Stream Band, and Hai Jing joked that he only needed to bring food to one person’s table.
• Mo Ya’s performance began, but Octopus interrupted Ronan and said he thought he had caught the Pharmacist’s scent.

Ronan and his team investigated a suspected Pharmacist who had left traces backstage at the club, but Ronan’s sensory search failed to locate him. After narrowing down where the suspect might have gone, Ronan spotted a crowd leaving the stage and decided to set up a checkpoint.

• Octopus found traces of a drug-associated scent in the Preparation Zone, and the team suspected the Pharmacist had acted backstage before fleeing.
• The club sent Ronan surveillance footage and images of the suspect, but Ronan could not find him with his sensory network.
• Zhang Yingying and Bamboo Pole reasoned that the suspect had likely fled after learning of the raid and planned to search exits and collect DNA evidence.
• Ronan used Coordination Secret Technique to manage the investigation and refined his sensory search using the team’s analysis.
• When a crowd of performers and staff came through the passage, Ronan asked Qin-ge and Gao-ge to set up a checkpoint.

Ronan used a staged security inspection and a confrontation with Hai Jing to provoke the crowded backstage area and search for the Pharmacist through changes in the Turbid Spiritual Stream. As Mo Ya and Mountain Stream Band arrived, Ronan narrowed his suspicion to someone in the crowd and asked Hai Jing whether he knew the person he indicated.

• Qin Yikun and Gao De blocked the corridor with a fake security inspection, and Qin Yikun claimed they were searching for someone hiding drugs.
• Ronan reasoned that the Pharmacist might have escaped through the backstage emergency passage and blended in with performers passing through the corridor.
• Ronan drew attention to Hai Jing, prompting Assistant Mao to accuse him of bringing the security men and stirring up resentment among the backstage crowd.
• Ronan compared the crowd's reactions to the confrontation and began narrowing down the Pharmacist's location through the Turbid Spiritual Stream.
• Mo Ya and Mountain Stream Band arrived in the blocked corridor, shifting the spiritual current and helping Ronan focus on a likely target.
• Ronan pointed someone out to Hai Jing and asked whether he knew the person.

Ronan’s group searched the crowded backstage area for a suspected intruder and isolated a suspicious woman in a white shirt, though she showed no abnormal abilities. As Mountain Stream Band passed through, Ronan grabbed Shui Yi and insisted she help with the investigation, leaving the corridor tense and the woman still under scrutiny.

• Ronan pointed out several people backstage, and Zhang Yingying helped identify them until the unclaimed woman in a white shirt became the main suspect.
• Ronan examined the woman and found no signs of an Ability User, but her eerie calm kept the group on guard.
• Ronan ordered everyone except the woman to leave, and Gao De directed the crowd, including Mountain Stream Band, through the corridor.
• Cat's Eye shielded Mo Ya as the band passed, while Ronan watched the woman in the white shirt for any move.
• Ronan suddenly grabbed Shui Yi as she tried to pass and told her she had to help with an examination, despite her frightened protests.

Ronan questioned Shui Yi about Huang Bingzhen’s companion and confirmed she did not recognize the woman in the white shirt. Octopus’s test results showed only female secretions at the scene, making the woman a stronger suspect as the search continued.

• Mo Ya and the band members left after Hai Jing led them away, while Ronan restrained Shui Yi.
• Ronan removed Shui Yi’s sunglasses and questioned her about Huang Bingzhen’s friend; she said the friend was male and denied knowing the woman in the white shirt.
• Shui Yi collapsed after Ronan fixed her with an icy stare, and Zhang Yingying suggested moving the interrogation to the 2nd Passage while continuing the backstage search.
• Ronan asked Octopus whether the trace samples contained male secretions, and Octopus reported that tests found only female secretions.
• The test results focused everyone’s attention on the woman in the white shirt.

Ronan and the others questioned the White-Clothed Woman about the suspected Pharmacist and the mass of possible infection cases, but she refused to cooperate. While disarming her with his External Neuron, Ronan detected an unknown object inside her body, and the Brain of Emptiness System began analyzing it.

• Zhang Yingying ordered an investigation of footage linking the White-Clothed Woman to the male Pharmacist and arranged a physical examination for Miss Shui Yi.
• Bamboo Pole warned Ronan that the strange odor and the Pharmacist's convincing male appearance might involve equipment implanted in the White-Clothed Woman's body.
• Ronan used the External Neuron to disable the White-Clothed Woman's electronic devices without touching her.
• Ronan's Interference Waves detected an unusual object in the White-Clothed Woman's lower abdomen, and the Brain of Emptiness System added it as a new element and began its analysis.

Ronan discovered that the mysterious object hidden inside the woman in the white shirt was connected to the Brain of Emptiness System and its Assembly Drawing interface. He pretended to leave to handle a family call, then returned to the shadows to continue analyzing the object without alerting her.

• Ronan saw a new module loading in the Assembly Drawing interface in sync with the analysis of the object inside the woman in the white shirt.
• Bamboo Pole suggested drawing out other people connected to the club incident, while Zhang Yingying warned that the plan could alert them.
• Ronan used an incoming call from his aunt as an excuse to have the woman taken into custody and leave the group.
• Ronan awkwardly told his aunt he was backstage with Hai Jing-ge and had listened to Mo Ya's song.
• The woman in the white shirt relaxed after Ronan left, and he sensed the change while maintaining the analysis remotely.
• Ronan returned to the shadows and continued examining the interface as the analysis progressed.

Bamboo Pole and Zhang Yingying discussed the pressure from Seven Colors Fund figures over Li Yiwei’s detention and learned that He Yueyin had concealed suspected infection cases from the official count. While He Yueyin checked the investigation results, Ronan studied the Void Brain interface, where the newly analyzed element had become an independent part of the system.

• Bamboo Pole told Zhang Yingying that Li Yiwei led a research group tied to Seven Colors Fund and that influential figures had come to challenge the investigation.
• Bamboo Pole explained that He Yueyin had reported only twenty-two Second Phase Infected by excluding suspected cases outside the Great Living Area.
• Executives and lawyers from Seven Colors Fund argued that the matter was a private grudge, while He Yueyin met with them in the mediation room.
• Zhang Yingying asked about Ronan, and Bamboo Pole said he had arrived and shut himself in a room at the Police Station.
• Ronan completed his analysis of the new element and saw it listed as an independent entry beside the Demon Rune in the Void Brain interface.

Ronan analyzed the device implanted in Li Yiwei and identified it as a Knight-Class Internal Implantation Basic Biochemical Reactor, then compared its crude structure with the advanced designs in the Brain of Emptiness System’s Database. He discovered that the damaged reactor had suffered uncontrolled stem-cell differentiation and was now symbiotic with a parasitic aberration.

• Ronan identified the new element inside Li Yiwei as a Knight-Class Internal Implantation Basic Biochemical Reactor embedded in her uterine wall.
• Ronan examined the reactor’s records and learned that its basic stem-cell formula had been used while its advanced formula remained incomplete.
• Ronan compared the reactor’s crude structure with the advanced blueprints stored in the Brain of Emptiness System’s Database.
• Ronan discovered warnings that the reactor was badly damaged, its stem cells had differentiated uncontrollably, and a parasitic aberration had formed a symbiotic relationship with it.