Chapter Summaries

Ronan discovered that the External Neuron’s Outer Space Flying Ship had activated part of its systems and was loading external data while its Offline Test function underwent maintenance. He observed the Soul-Magnetized Horned Demon, then translated Layered Interference Technology for Dean Wan as a storm gathered over Ban City and the true god returned.

• Ronan found the Outer Space Flying Ship’s powered section and recognized its active display as the Offline Test interface, which reported that it was loading external data and undergoing maintenance.
• Ronan examined the Horned Demon and found its mind and body reorganizing after Soul Magnetization, then decided to move it somewhere safer.
• Ronan received Dean Wan’s coded coordinates, realized his friend had sent them, and began translating the Layered Interference Technology materials to share in return.
• Ronan worked through the night with Snake Tongue’s help, while thunder and strong winds gathered over Ban City.
• Ronan told Snake Tongue that the true god had returned in a terrible mood and asked what she thought of him; she replied that he was not gentle.

Old Hand met Mister Mo to help him find a workshop, while Xiao Jiang left negotiations to him. As Old Hand rode away, Captain Jimmy’s team entered his home and used the restrained Mister Neo to monitor him.

• Old Hand discussed the Soul Order’s future with Xiao Jiang and agreed to meet Mister Mo about finding a workshop.
• Old Hand and Mister Mo left in a black business vehicle with Yin Le, while another nearly identical vehicle returned toward Old Hand’s home.
• Captain Jimmy ordered Team Three to search Old Hand’s home without making it look like a forced search.
• Captain Jimmy addressed the restrained Mister Neo, whose equipment displayed shifting images that included Old Hand.

Mister Mo toured workshops with Old Hand and Wu Li while seeking a suitable place for technical conversion work. During the drive, Wu Li showed Ronan a Question-Drilling Pad, and Yin Le explained how it helped people prepare for the Vagrant Exchange’s credit exams.

• Wu Li took Mister Mo to visit several workshops and quietly tried to steer him toward more upscale options, prompting Old Hand to warn him and later apologize.
• Mister Mo said he wanted a suitable work environment for technical conversion work, while Old Hand praised his factory workers’ skills and experience.
• Wu Li claimed the factory had designed many popular questions for Ping Trade Market’s Question-Drilling Pad and showed the pad to Ronan.
• Yin Le explained how Ping Trade Market operated around the Vagrant Exchange and how people used practice question banks to improve their credit ratings and earn Black Market Currency.
• Ronan marveled at the practice system’s role in encouraging people to study, then wondered what External Question Banks and pre-entry questions were.

Ronan explored Ban City's External Question Bank and realized that its user-created questions could provide a rich source of regional data, possibly connected to the real-world information behind Frost River Reality. The chapter ended when his External Neuron trembled and the Void Brain interface asked whether to import something.

• Yin Le explained how the External Question Bank collected user-created questions, while Old Hand criticized it as a scam and argued with Wu Li about the official trading App.
• Ronan browsed the Question-Drilling Pad, assessed its varied questions, and recognized that they revealed Ban City's Mechanical Design practices and information about local Aberrant Species.
• Wu Li showed Ronan that several top question setters shared the identifier Hengduan Seven Divisions, and Old Hand explained that the tribe had once lived around the Hengduan Mountains.
• At a former Frost River Reality branch converted into workshops, Ronan connected the Question-Drilling Pad's information to the real-world data used for Frost River Reality and Wilderness Ten Days.
• Ronan reflected on how large-scale data collection had supported humanity's counteroffensive against Aberrant Species, then received an "Import?" prompt on the Void Brain interface.

Ronan explained that he wanted Daze Company's Processing Plant primarily for its skilled technicians, whom he hoped would help turn his designs into reality. Old Hand and Wu Li were unsettled by Ronan's priorities until he proposed that the team broaden its skills through training outside Ban City.

• Ronan discovered that his External Neuron could import and analyze external data, then started it processing information from Ban City and other sources.
• Ronan discussed the Question-Drilling Pad and Ban City's narrow focus on marine Aberrant Species products with Old Hand and Wu Li.
• Ronan told Old Hand that acquiring the Processing Plant was mainly about securing skilled technicians to support his research and designs, not building a large industry.
• Old Hand worried that Ronan's priorities conflicted with his goal of keeping the tribe's people settled through a stable business.
• Ronan told Old Hand that the technicians needed broader experience and further training beyond Ban City, startling Old Hand and Wu Li.

Ronan offered Old Hand and Wu Li an opportunity for the tribe’s young people to receive entrusted training, giving Old Hand hope despite the restrictions on Aberration Infected. Meanwhile, Captain Jimmy prepared a raid on Ping Trade Market, but Supervisor Bai refused to authorize it.

• Ronan and Yin Le explained Castle Conglomerate’s entrusted trainee system to Old Hand and Wu Li, who considered the opportunity for their young people.
• Old Hand weighed whether Ronan could overcome the restrictions imposed on the tribe’s Aberration Infected members.
• Captain Jimmy returned to a makeshift Command Center with Mister Neo and reviewed surveillance of Shouxiong, the Blood Flame Order investors, and other targets.
• Director Ohara confirmed that Shouxiong and the Hengduan Seven Divisions faced strict movement and employment restrictions, making Ronan’s offer impractical under current rules.
• Captain Jimmy ordered a daytime operation against Ping Trade Market and asked Director Ohara to secure local cooperation through Supervisor Bai.
• Supervisor Bai refused to authorize the operation, prompting Captain Jimmy to react in disbelief.

Captain Jimmy canceled the planned arrests after Bai Xinyan and Yan Yongbo ordered him to wait, while Ronan considered how to establish an Entrusted Trainee system in Ban City. Ronan asked Yin Le to gather global data on Aberration Infected as he began linking them with the Deep Blue World and the Soul Order.

• Captain Jimmy argued with Bai Xinyan over arresting the vagrants, but she ordered him to monitor them and submit a new plan instead.
• Captain Jimmy complained to Yan Yongbo, who replied that he should watch the show, so Jimmy canceled the operation and ordered his team to keep watching the targets, including the two Blood Flame Order members.
• Yin Le warned Ronan that Ban City and other cities followed established procedures for handling Aberration Infected, making a system that let people leave difficult to implement.
• Ronan reviewed the Deep Sea Psychic Map and asked Yin Le to gather global figures on Aberration Infected, including their numbers, living arrangements, treatment, containment, and deaths.
• Ronan said Aberration Infected, the Deep Blue World, and the Soul Order all needed to be considered together, and Yin Le accepted the task.

Ronan and Dean Wan studied “Layered Interference Technology” through a series of encrypted exchanges and agreed that Ronan would redesign its Configuration for their specific needs rather than compromise its advanced manufacturing requirements. As Ronan worked, Old Hand visited and sank into memories of the Wilderness before a vibration on his wrist interrupted the quiet.

• Dean Wan explained that his Creation Method knowledge had come to him through a mysterious experience he disliked calling “Divine Revelation.”
• Dean Wan sent Ronan detailed praise and analysis of “Layered Interference Technology,” helping Ronan grasp its concepts and Configuration designs while exposing flaws in his translation.
• Ronan and Dean Wan agreed to study the technology gradually and create a private Configuration suited to their conditions, with Ronan taking responsibility for the redesign.
• Ronan continued designing in the Virtual Work Area, considering ways to combine Soul Power and spacetime structure while muttering about Dean Wan’s ideas.
• Old Hand entered the workroom, rested quietly, and recalled his years in the Wilderness and thoughts of his possible death there.
• A vibration on Old Hand’s wrist interrupted his reflections, and Ronan looked over with a frown.

Old Hand delivered the processed Bull Demon bone exoskeleton to Mister Mo, who tested its unusual flexibility and transformation. After reassuring Old Hand about the Osawa Order’s wavering, Mister Mo watched him return to adjusting the design while secretly observing his physical and vital changes.

• Old Hand received a call from Okudaira Yuzo, stepped outside, and returned after ending the brief conversation.
• Mister Mo examined the exoskeleton Old Hand had processed from Bull Demon bones and activated its waxy surface with flames.
• Mister Mo tested the material as it changed between elastic and rigid states, and the skeleton remained intact after burning.
• Mister Mo told Old Hand that the Osawa Order’s uncertainty was normal amid confusion in Ban City and urged him to focus on his work.
• Old Hand set aside his worries and began adjusting the exoskeleton while Mister Mo secretly studied his emotions, body, vital aura, and magnetic field.

Ronan examined Old Hand’s condition and continued developing his Ideal Outline while arranging adjustments to a crude exoskeleton. He used his External Neuron to project a complex, three-layer structure that left Old Hand certain Ronan’s work went beyond Deep Dive Camouflage.

• Ronan assessed the lingering effects of True God’s outburst and observed that Old Hand’s injuries, Aberration Infection, and aging were draining his vitality.
• Ronan asked Old Hand to make fine adjustments to the crude exoskeleton and tried it on, despite his supposed disability.
• Ronan used his External Neuron to switch his Virtual Work Area into an experience projection and align it with his body.
• Old Hand recognized three layers in Ronan’s projection: Ronan’s Core Layer, the exoskeleton, and an intricate outer structure he could not decipher.

Mister Mo tested the Exoskeleton Old Hand had made, using it to channel his power until it twisted and vanished in a strange fading effect. He said it nearly met his requirements, asked Old Hand to prepare ten or twenty more sets, and then took a call from Sister Yueyin.

• Old Hand examined the Exoskeleton and realized Mister Mo had activated its mutagenic traits as fuel for a layered structure.
• Mister Mo's power drove the Exoskeleton and its projections into a chaotic process that made the framework fade away completely.
• Mister Mo told Old Hand that the Exoskeleton nearly met his requirements but needed design and craftsmanship adjustments.
• Mister Mo asked Old Hand to prepare at least ten or twenty sets of raw materials because the Exoskeletons were consumables.
• Mister Mo received a communication from Sister Yueyin, and Old Hand left after recognizing the need for privacy.

Ronan spoke with He Yueyin about Bai Xinyan, requested information on the Deep Blue World and Li Wei, and discussed attending the Emerald Light Auction. He Yueyin offered a way for Ronan to travel with the Martial Emperor, though he had not yet made arrangements.

• He Yueyin told Ronan that Bai Xinyan had left Ban City, and Ronan questioned her loyalties and whether she had alerted the Amaterasu Order.
• Ronan asked He Yueyin for information about the Deep Blue World, its laboratories, and Li Wei; she offered basic materials and a route to request classified documents.
• He Yueyin asked how Ronan would reach the Emerald Light Auction, and Ronan admitted he had not planned his trip.
• He Yueyin told Ronan that the Martial Emperor would travel to Di City and then Emerald Light, offering the coordinates of her shuttle so he could meet up with her.

Ronan reassured Old Hand about the exoskeleton deal, then turned his attention to an operation Captain Jimmy was pushing through in Ban City. On an airship bound for the venue, Bai Xinyan reviewed the pending application as Yuchuan Yingjie questioned whether it was another arrest order.

• Ronan declined to commit to He Yueyin’s proposal and asked Old Hand to prepare for the exoskeleton production process.
• Ronan promised Old Hand that Secretary Yin would arrange a serious discussion with the Osawa Order’s president, then extended his awareness to check on the operation.
• Captain Jimmy learned that three of five officials had approved his operation request and ordered his team to move that night.
• Yuchuan Yingjie invited Bai Xinyan to travel by private spacecraft, but she said she felt safer among more than a thousand passengers.
• Bai Xinyan studied a pending application in the Virtual Work Area, and Yuchuan Yingjie asked if it was another arrest order.

On a commercial flight, Bai Xinyan questioned Yuchuan Yingjie about a woman caught trying to obtain something from a guest and prepared to sign an application. Yuchuan Yingjie suddenly lost control of his mouth, and Bai Xinyan realized someone else was speaking through him.

• Yuchuan Yingjie discussed the trouble in Ban City and wondered why Bai Xinyan had held back Apocalypse's action teams.
• Bai Xinyan asked Yuchuan Yingjie about his relationships with women and presented him with a hypothetical about a woman who had angered a guest.
• Bai Xinyan began to sign an application in the Virtual Work Area and asked whether the answer was YES or NO.
• Yuchuan Yingjie's mouth spoke against his will while his face showed terror, and he struggled to cover it with his hand.
• Bai Xinyan recognized that Yuchuan Yingjie had not been completely taken over and shouted for him to calm down.

Bai Xinyan and the Yugawa Family’s guards confronted the intruder controlling Yuchuan Yingjie aboard a supersonic airship. Bai Xinyan identified the intruder as Ronan, and the guards realized the airship’s route and infrasound array pointed to the Cage Instructor.

• Bai Xinyan warned Beiye Hayato that Yuchuan Yingjie had been hit by Soul Hosting possession.
• Shanbei Xia Hui judged that the attacker was aboard the airship and tried to seize Yuchuan Yingjie.
• Yuchuan Yingjie stopped Shanbei Xia Hui and revealed a protective Magatama before the guards restrained his body and took it.
• The intruder spoke through Yuchuan Yingjie and mocked him, then addressed Bai Xinyan.
• Bai Xinyan identified the intruder as Ronan, and Beiye Hayato connected the airship’s location, speed, and infrasound array to the Cage Instructor.

Beiye Hayato tried to calm the airship’s passengers as Shanbei Xia Hui used the Magatama to expose and restrain Ronan’s intrusion into Yuchuan Yingjie. Shanbei tracked the intruder while Bai Xinyan warned that the confrontation was escalating, and Ronan withdrew after threatening to return.

• Maekawa Vice-Minister revealed the danger by naming the Infrasound Array, prompting first-class passengers to panic and share information.
• Beiye Hayato urged the passengers to stay calm while Maekawa pleaded with Ronan to spare the innocent people aboard.
• Shanbei Xia Hui activated the Magatama, whose light weakened Ronan’s control of Yuchuan Yingjie and exposed the intruder within the Mental Layer.
• Shanbei used the Magatama’s power to bind the intruder and told the others to track Ronan by radar or satellite.
• Bai Xinyan warned that the Yugawa Family could not defeat Ronan, while Shanbei insisted the order could act and continued his technique.
• Ronan said he would use a more suitable method next time, and Shanbei vowed there would not be one.

Ronan used Yuchuan Yingjie to reverse the Magatama’s Configuration and seal Shanbei Xia Hui, ending the threat in first class. As Yuchuan Yingjie tried to dismiss the passengers, the Visitor entered the cabin, prompting him to condemn Ban City’s widespread superstition.

• Shanbei Xia Hui activated the Magatama and connected with the Fusang Divine Tree Great Divine Treasure to summon its power against Ronan.
• Ronan distracted Shanbei Xia Hui, reversed the Configuration, and forced the Magatama’s power back into him, sealing him unconscious.
• Ronan left Yuchuan Yingjie badly injured, and Beiye Hayato ordered the bodyguards to release him.
• Yuchuan Yingjie apologized to the passengers, and Maekawa Vice-Minister and others responded with bows and nervous remarks.
• The Visitor entered first class despite the flight attendant’s objections, and Yuchuan Yingjie complained about Ban City’s feudal superstition.

Ronan, acting through Yuchuan Yingjie, confronted the Baiji Pope aboard an airship as the Pope tried to open a dialogue about Ronan’s hostility toward the Amaterasu Order. Their exchange ended with Yuchuan Yingjie collapsing and a brilliant light illuminating the Pacific sky.

• The Baiji Pope’s possessed business elite touched Maekawa Vice-Minister, killing him, and the gruesome sight sent first class into panic.
• The Baiji Pope identified himself, and Beiye Hayato, Bai Xinyan, and the bodyguards bowed while Yuchuan Yingjie remained defiant on Ronan’s behalf.
• The airship lost altitude and plunged into a turbulent cloud layer, throwing passengers around as the Baiji Pope warned Yuchuan Yingjie about the dangers of the Mental Domain.
• Ronan dismissed the Baiji Pope’s offer to discuss matters and accused the Amaterasu Order of being cunning and sinister.
• The Baiji Pope realized that Ban City was too close; Yuchuan Yingjie fell backward as brilliant light spread across the Pacific sky.

After the Amaterasu Order's True God illuminated the airship with his power, Baiji Pope questioned Bai Xinyan about the Daydream Nightmare and identified the Mimicry Diagram Generator in Yuchuan Yingjie's suitcase. As violent weather began battering the airship, Baiji Pope told them to open the suitcase and inspect it.

• The True God's brilliant light swept through the airship, throwing the passengers into panic.
• Baiji Pope asked Bai Xinyan to compare the True God's power with the Daydream Nightmare, and she said she could not recall the event clearly.
• Baiji Pope noticed the Mimicry Diagram Generator in Yuchuan Yingjie's fallen suitcase and called out Yuchuan Yingjie's petty scheme.
• Bai Xinyan remarked that Yuchuan Yingjie had called Baiji Pope magnanimous.
• Torrential rain and flashes struck the airship, which drifted sideways as Baiji Pope checked the time and ordered the suitcase opened.

Bai Xinyan and Beiye Hayato watched Baiji Pope struggle to maintain his remote support for the pursuit of Ronan, while the Pope used a bodyguard’s life to recover his strength. Baiji Pope then operated the Mimicry Diagram Generator and ordered Bai Xinyan to protect it and collect data for at least 200 seconds so the laboratory could uncover Ronan’s methods.

• Bai Xinyan began calibrating the Mimicry Diagram Generator as the battle outside the airship continued, but she warned that the device was too slow for combat.
• Beiye Hayato brought the unfinished instrument to Baiji Pope, who stopped the bodyguards from moving Shanbei Xia Hui and pressed a hand to his shoulder.
• Baiji Pope’s puppet killed a bodyguard to recover its strength, leaving the surrounding guards terrified.
• Baiji Pope operated the instrument himself, completing its preliminary analysis far faster than Bai Xinyan expected and deepening her suspicions about the connection between Apocalypse Laboratory and the Amaterasu Order.
• Baiji Pope explained that he was acting as a Signal Tower to help Qianju locate Ronan and ordered Bai Xinyan to protect the device and collect data for at least 200 seconds.