Chapter Summaries

Ronan tried to locate Wu Jun, the Evil Luo Order’s chief priestess, and discovered he could intuitively sketch her through traces left by her surroundings. He used Curtains and the vast ocean of information as a spirit-communication method, then found his attention drawn to the simulated waves obscuring her portrait.

• Ronan endured the fallout from the leaked paternity test and turned his attention to the Evil Luo Order.
• Ronan learned that Wu Jun had gone on a secret operation in the Wilderness and planned to search for her using facial recognition and the Authority System.
• While remotely observing Wu Jun’s shop, Ronan unconsciously sketched her from a photograph and recognized the effect as Spirit Core Interference.
• Ronan tried adding the Curtains he associated with Developer Mode to Wu Jun’s portrait as a way to communicate across space.
• Ronan covered the portrait with a silhouette drawn from a vast ocean of information, then felt his attention drawn toward the simulated Sea Waves.

Ronan used the Abyss Sun Wheel to probe the current of human emotions, intensifying Cat's Eye's nightmares and exposing her to its overwhelming influence. As rumors about Ronan's supposed paternity spread, he sent Cat's Eye a DNA report and then asked her to investigate events held at sea involving a large cruise ship.

• Ronan focused the chaotic flow of human information around the concept of a sea wave and observed how the Abyss Sun Wheel disrupted emotions and desires.
• Cat's Eye woke from a nightmare in which the sun wheel's light and heat penetrated her defenses, then angrily called Ronan and told him to stop bothering her.
• Cat's Eye saw that gossip about Ronan's supposed paternity had spread across the Inner World and dragged her, Zhang Yingying, and He Yueyin into rumors about his harem.
• Ronan sent Cat's Eye a DNA parentage report disproving a blood relationship, then explained that he had sent it to her by mistake.
• Ronan sent Cat's Eye a sketch of a woman and asked her to look for recent Inner World events at sea with a large cruise ship as the backdrop.

Cat's Eye visited the Wild Shop to gather intelligence about a cruise ship shown on Ronan's Psychic Map. Zong Qiu revised the shop's listings for her and offered an additional recommendation, which Cat's Eye had yet to assess.

• Cat's Eye traveled to the black market in Mangzhong and studied the cruise ship on Ronan's Psychic Map.
• Cat's Eye entered the Wild Shop, ordered Blood Energy as a code for intelligence services, and rejected the outdated listings the bartender provided.
• Zong Qiu recognized Cat's Eye, took over the transaction, and apologized for the shop's recent troubles and lack of experienced staff.
• Cat's Eye asked Zong Qiu to improve the intelligence listings, and he removed useless entries and added new information about sea events.
• Zong Qiu offered Cat's Eye an extra recommendation for an event he helped run, and she waited to see what he would propose.

Cat's Eye gathered information about the Emerald Light and sent it to Ronan, then spoke with Mister Bai about Ronan's spirit communication. Mister Bai explained the different methods used by Xia City's spirit communicators and described his own Dream Entry Method as Spirit Communication Technique.

• Zong Qiu told Cat's Eye about the Emerald Light cruise and shared its event information with her.
• Cat's Eye matched a photograph of the Emerald Light to the Psychic Map and sent Ronan the comparison and related information.
• Cat's Eye questioned why Ronan had sent her to gather intelligence and discussed her unease with Mister Bai over drinks.
• Mister Bai explained that Xia City's spirit communicators used different methods and said Ronan had achieved a one-hundred-percent success rate.
• Mister Bai described his Dream Entry Method, which used Mental Layer material and special Logic to construct scenarios and guide people.

Ronan used spirit communication and his search for Wu Jun to infer that the Emerald Light cruise ship in Ban City might be where their paths would meet. After Octopus shared the results of a paternity test, he sent Ronan an image of a notebook that looked like his grandfather’s.

• Ronan searched people around the Emerald Light and Ban City for traces connected to Wu Jun but did not find her.
• Ronan reasoned that his vision might point to a future meeting with Wu Jun aboard the Emerald Light and considered traveling to Ban City.
• Ronan accepted Octopus’s call and demanded they settle their grudges in the Fighting Arena.
• Octopus explained that genetic testing ruled out Ronan and the other person sharing a paternal line, reassuring Ronan about Bo Luo.
• Octopus sent Ronan an image of an old, nearly full Paged Notebook that Ronan recognized as his grandfather’s notebook.

Ronan traveled to Shang Ding Building to negotiate for one of his grandfather’s notebooks with the person who claimed the bounty. The claimant turned out to be Horned Demon, who demanded three thousand points after theatrically apologizing to He Yueyin.

• Octopus warned Ronan that the bounty reward was too low and asked He Yueyin to help negotiate.
• Ronan, Octopus, and He Yueyin contacted the bounty claimant by video call.
• The claimant introduced himself as Horned Demon, a veteran B-Rank Mental Side user from Xia City.
• Horned Demon recognized He Yueyin and knelt to apologize three times, fulfilling a punishment from a wagered fight with the Martial Emperor.
• Horned Demon rejected the ten-point bounty and demanded one thousand points, then raised his demand to three thousand for the notebook.

Ronan negotiated with Horned Demon for a collection of old Paged Notebooks found in his grandfather’s Wilderness Laboratory, while Horned Demon raised the price and threatened to destroy them. Ronan confirmed that people were at the laboratory and asked what Horned Demon would charge for that information.

• Horned Demon demanded three thousand Honor Points for the notebooks, and Ronan challenged his lack of sincerity.
• Ronan confronted Horned Demon about their psychological bargaining tactics, prompting Horned Demon to reveal a heap of notebooks in a ruined underground setting.
• Horned Demon raised his demand to four thousand points, required a fifty-percent deposit, and set a twelve-hour deadline for the deal.
• Horned Demon threatened to burn the notebooks if Ronan refused, while Octopus accused him of kidnapping them.
• Ronan inferred that Horned Demon had entered his grandfather's Wilderness Laboratory and asked whether anyone was there and what that information would cost.

Ronan and Octopus tried to expose Horned Demon’s supposed location, but He Yueyin discovered his wilderness scene was a virtual set. After Ronan paid Horned Demon 500 points, he used his psychic perception to find him in a Lake City soundstage, where an unknown middle-aged man unexpectedly crossed Ronan’s awareness.

• Horned Demon demanded a 500-point deposit from Ronan and gave him twelve hours to complete the deal.
• He Yueyin determined that Horned Demon’s wilderness backdrop was a virtual set, but traced his signal to Relay Station No. 4 in Lake City.
• Octopus forwarded Horned Demon’s friend request, and Ronan transferred the 500-point deposit.
• He Yueyin pinpointed Horned Demon’s signal to a high-level container station on Dan Tu Street in Jin Yao District.
• Ronan reconstructed the area with his psychic perception and found Horned Demon celebrating inside a film and television special effects soundstage.
• A lean, middle-aged man passed through Ronan’s area of awareness without being detected by psychic perception.

Ronan discovered that Luo Yuan was connected to the Horned Demon and the missing notebooks, then followed Luo Yuan as he left Lake City while learning that the Horned Demon’s extortion was part of a larger operation. The Horned Demon finalized a deal for 1,200 points and twelve damaged notebooks, and Ronan chose to step away before the Association’s planned meeting.

• Ronan spotted Luo Yuan leaving the film and television production base and suspected he was involved with the Horned Demon and Grandfather’s notes.
• Ronan secretly monitored Luo Yuan’s flying car and heard him describe the Horned Demon’s genetic modification and the operation as a young person’s business.
• Luo Yuan’s aura disrupted Ronan’s water-vapor surveillance, but Ronan continued following his car toward the airport expressway and the Wilderness.
• The Horned Demon ended negotiations with Octopus at 1,200 points, agreeing to provide twelve notebooks from Luo Yuandao’s Wilderness Laboratory and offering copies of their earlier condition.
• Octopus warned Ronan that paying the price would leave him nearly 600 points short, while He Yueyin arranged a meeting with President Ouyang, the Martial Emperor, and Old You.
• Ronan told He Yueyin he wanted to go out and clear his head.

Ronan recognized that Horned Demon’s deal was part of a trap designed to manipulate his anger and draw him into meeting someone under the guise of a normal transaction. After confirming that his grandfather’s notebooks were being used as bait, Ronan chose to let the scheme continue, eager to see how it would unfold.

• Octopus urged Ronan to stay calm, and Ronan asked He Yueyin to investigate Horned Demon and trace the deal involving Luo Yuandao’s Wilderness Laboratory.
• Ronan left the Shang Ding Building alone and reasoned that the Treating Guests Plan was using his anger to steer him toward a meeting.
• He Yueyin told Ronan that two notebooks had arrived for verification, and Ronan confirmed that they contained his grandfather’s handwriting.
• Ronan used his mental sensing network to locate Horned Demon, Luo Yuan, the delivery man, and the remaining notebooks.
• Ronan chose not to seize the notebooks or stop the transaction, anticipating the next move in the scheme.

Octopus visited Ronan at the sanatorium after learning how badly the failed assessment had affected him, but surveillance footage revealed Ronan had been talking to someone who was not there. He Yueyin warned Octopus to avoid discussing sensitive matters with Ronan until his mental state was confirmed.

• Octopus called Ronan to check on him and learned he was visiting Luo Yuandao and Master Xiu at the sanatorium.
• Octopus and Zhang Yingying discussed Ronan’s debts and the pressure he faced, and Zhang asked whether Octopus had read the report about Ronan’s possible latent DID.
• Octopus found Ronan outside Luo Yuandao’s room, where Ronan said Master Xiu was getting along with his grandfather.
• Ronan asked Octopus about the Wilderness Laboratory coordinates, and Octopus told him Horned Demon had been negotiating a major deal with Inner World Auction Houses.
• He Yueyin sent Octopus elevator footage of Ronan speaking and gesturing to an apparently empty space, then warned him not to bring up sensitive information.

Octopus realized Ronan’s apparent amusement came from an unsettling Psychic Map and alerted He Yueyin, while Ronan continued tracing connections among the Cloak, Wu Jun, the Horned Demon, and the auction. Mo Ya visited before a long trip to Ban City, and Ronan grew suspicious of her planned cruise route as he considered whether it connected to the events he had foreseen.

• Octopus saw Ronan tracing an invisible pattern, showed He Yueyin his condition through Shared Perspective, and was told to keep observing him.
• Mo Ya arrived to visit Ronan before leaving on a business trip, and Octopus concealed his alarm from her.
• Ronan examined his Psychic Map and connected the Cloak, Wu Jun, the Horned Demon, Grandfather’s laboratory coordinates, and the auction with his prior preview.
• Mo Ya told Ronan that Mountain Stream Band would hold a Fan Club Gathering in Ban City and that she planned to travel there by cruise.
• Ronan questioned why Mo Ya was leaving so early and became wary of her five-day cruise route from Xia City Port toward Ban City.

Ronan considered investigating Mo Ya’s suspicious Fan Club Gathering and possible trip to Ban City, while reflecting on using the Psychic Map to study people and situations. Octopus reacted fiercely to Ronan’s suspicions and began mobilizing the association’s connections to uncover what was behind the event.

• Xiu Shenyu praised Ronan’s potential to understand Luo Yuandao and encouraged him to develop accurate judgments that could help Xue Lei.
• Ronan resolved to practice using the Psychic Map and considered drawing portraits of Luo Yuandao and Xiu Shenyu to study them.
• Ronan told Octopus that Mo Ya’s band’s planned Fan Club Gathering and renewed debut in Ban City seemed financially dubious and might conceal outside funding or a plot.
• Ronan recalled that Castle Conglomerate backed Ming Tang Culture and that Madam Harold’s Blood Flame Order still controlled it, offering a possible route to investigate.
• Octopus became alarmed and called people to investigate the matter thoroughly while Ronan watched Mo Ya converse with Luo Yuandao.

Ronan learned that Liyin Century had sponsored Mountain Stream Band for its Ban City trip after director Yuchuan Yingjie took an interest in the band. After arranging for Cat's Eye to accompany Mo Ya, Ronan reviewed his Psychic Map and concluded that the Treating Guests Plan was trying to lure him onto a luxury cruise ship, leaving him determined to protect his family and friends.

• Octopus told Ronan that Liyin Century was sponsoring Mountain Stream Band through legitimate festival channels and might seek to sign the band.
• Octopus revealed that Liyin director Yuchuan Yingjie had watched Mountain Stream Band perform in Xia City before the band appeared on Liyin's sponsorship list.
• Ronan agreed that Cat's Eye should accompany Mo Ya to Ban City, while Octopus began finding additional bodyguards.
• Ronan sensed his family preparing for Mo Ya's departure and reaffirmed that he would not let anyone threaten them.
• Ronan reviewed his Psychic Map, saw a luxury cruise ship among its images, and inferred that the Treating Guests Plan was trying to force him aboard.

Ronan arranged protection for Mo Ya and Tang Yi as they boarded a five-day cruise, then used Tang Yi’s help to delay the club’s plans to reclaim his laboratory while he prepared to work there during his leave. In Ban City, Yin Le welcomed Mister Luo, who appeared before her in a sudden display of strange energy.

• Ronan confirmed that Wild Jujube would accompany Mo Ya and Tang Yi, while Cat's Eye and Gao De would provide additional protection.
• Tang Yi revealed she was Mo Ya’s roommate for the voyage and explained that she was temporarily acting president of the Mystic Studies Society.
• Ronan learned that club members wanted to reclaim his North Shore Gear laboratory, and Tang Yi arranged to delay the handover until after her return.
• Mo Ya and Tang Yi boarded the cruise ship, and Ronan checked that no suspicious people were aboard before turning to his own work.
• Yin Le waited at North Mountain Lake as the preparations for a project were completed and a strange disturbance announced Mister Luo’s arrival.
• Mister Luo appeared before Yin Le, who bowed and greeted him.

Ronan arrived at North Mountain Lake with Yin Le and settled aboard the yacht Ray Number, which she had chosen as a mobile base. As Yin Le began briefing him about the search area, Ronan abruptly asked where he could find very large trees.

• Ronan teleported to the deserted island where Yin Le was waiting and brought along a metal case of equipment.
• Ronan carried the case to a yacht on the shore and told Yin Le to leave the temporary teleportation framework behind.
• Yin Le introduced the Ray Number and showed Ronan its owner’s suite, guest room, and attendant’s room.
• Yin Le explained that North Mountain Lake was rich in Aberrant Species and began displaying information about two search areas.
• Ronan interrupted Yin Le and asked where they could find really big trees.

Ronan reviewed Yin Le’s arrangements for supplies and two potential Energy Center bases near Ban City, choosing both to support his training and preparations to assassinate Gong Qi. As the yacht approached Sagaemon, Ronan and Yin Le spotted the enormous camphor tree ahead.

• Ronan took the yacht’s controls for a brief series of sharp maneuvers before returning to the sun lounge with Yin Le.
• Ronan asked Yin Le about the consumables and Energy Center locations she had arranged for him.
• Yin Le presented Point A, a mostly shut-down hydroelectric power station, and Point B, an accident-prone Aberrant Species monitoring post on Claw Island.
• Ronan chose both sites as separate bases, ordered supplies distributed between them and the yacht, and told Yin Le to prepare for further purchases.
• Ronan and Yin Le looked toward Sagaemon and saw a huge camphor tree rising beside the lake.

Ronan and Yin Le visited Sagaemon, the revered camphor tree that had long stood beside North Mountain Lake, while investigating Snake Tongue’s trail. Ronan spotted a beautiful woman in the crowd and followed her, as an Awakened ascetic near the tree also departed.

• Yin Le explained how Sagaemon had become a local guardian symbol after floodwaters stopped behind it and described the tree’s unusual vitality and the worshippers’ faith.
• Ronan sensed something unusual about Sagaemon and asked Yin Le whether they could go ashore; she took him by fishing boat to the tree.
• Yin Le recognized a powerful Awakened meditating beneath Sagaemon’s branch and investigated him through her information channels.
• Ronan joined the crowd leaving the tree and followed a woman wearing a local kimono, while Yin Le offered to gather information about her.
• The ascetic rose, saluted Sagaemon, and left in a different direction.

Kitayama Yukie was attacked at home by Okano Soichiro, a Ten Thousand Spirits Order cadre who believed she had lost her powerful protector. Her chanting unleashed vines and roots that killed him, but she collapsed afterward as Mr. Kitayama's car arrived.

• Kitayama Yukie returned to her lakeside home while neighbors gossiped that Mr. Kitayama might be dead and that she had recently visited Sagaemon.
• Okano Soichiro disabled the Smart Butler, ambushed Kitayama Yukie, and tried to assault her, claiming his status in the Ten Thousand Spirits Order made him powerful.
• Kitayama Yukie recited the Ten Thousand Spirits Incantation as vines and roots burst out around her and pierced Okano Soichiro.
• The vines drained Okano Soichiro's body and Extraordinary Power, then carried most of his remains away while the Smart Butler's household robot cleaned the entryway.
• Kitayama Yukie tried to stand but collapsed, unable to lift herself, as the Smart Butler announced that Mr. Kitayama's car had arrived.

Ronan investigated the strange activity at Kitayama Yukie's villa and discovered she was disguised as the Curse Master known as Snake Tongue. After removing her prosthetic face, he left Yin Le stunned by the extent of his abilities.

• Ronan and Yin Le entered Kitayama Yukie's damaged villa, where the Smart Butler identified a car as its only other recognized visitor besides its mistress.
• As the vegetation stirred around them, Ronan calmed the aberrant Camphor Tree and explained that Mr. Sagaemon had built an organized plant kingdom across the region.
• Ronan and Yin Le examined Kitayama Yukie, and Ronan used ultraviolet light to detect a tightly bonded facial prosthetic.
• Ronan imitated the prosthetic's key and peeled it away, revealing a face that matched records of the Curse Master Snake Tongue.
• Yin Le recognized Snake Tongue and realized Ronan's power far exceeded her estimates.