Chapter Summaries

Eizuka asked Ronan for a sample of the Rotten-Mouth Ape for her research into Distributed Aberrant Gene Network Ecology, but Ronan refused to provide one immediately because the creature’s connection to the New Plane made it too sensitive. He agreed to reconsider after a few days, then watched Eizuka demonstrate her Dissociation ability by extracting a Fire God Ant’s crop intact.

• Eizuka told Ronan that she wanted a Rotten-Mouth Ape sample for her research and explained her field, Distributed Aberrant Gene Network Ecology.
• Old Hand identified LCRF as the research institute’s backer, and Ronan warned that news of a sample could attract dangerous attention from groups seeking the New Plane.
• Ronan told Eizuka to wait a few days before pursuing the sample, and she accepted his promise to reconsider.
• Eizuka explained that her Extraordinary Power was called Dissociation and demonstrated it on a Fire God Ant.
• Ronan detected the extracted crop in Eizuka’s palm and praised her ability as a remarkable substitution.

Ronan investigated the relationships between Old Hand, Eizuka, and Matsudaira Yoshio, then turned his attention to Sagaemon’s call for help and the nature of Fantasy Species. His External Neuron surfaced research on the evolution of faith and configurations, ending with a paper by Zhan He.

• After Old Hand and Eizuka left, Ronan and Yin Le discussed their bond and whether it began in the Wilderness before the Hengduan Seven Divisions became living materials.
• Ronan considered whether Matsudaira Yoshio and Old Hand might also be old acquaintances, found no evidence, and decided to monitor Eizuka and Matsudaira Yoshio.
• Ronan noticed Snake Tongue reacting to a disturbance in the Mental Domain, and she reported that Sagaemon was calling for help.
• Yin Le told Ronan that Slope City’s religious factions were unsettled after the appearance of the Fusang Divine Tree System, while Ronan considered how worshipped beings could develop into Fantasy Species.
• Ronan’s External Neuron surfaced research about configurations, faith, and Fantasy Species, and he recognized Zhan He as the author of the first paper.

Ronan accessed Lord of Zhanhe’s article, which transformed into electric light and drew information from the External Neuron, the Altar Spiderweb, and the Sun Wheel Absolute Prison. It showed him a clearer reconstruction of the Relay Station conflict before his consciousness entered a vast hall filled with statues and flowing mist.

• Ronan considered whether his authorization would let him access Lord of Zhanhe’s work and decided to open it.
• The article appeared in Ronan’s Mental Layer as electric light that stamped strange symbols into the mist.
• Ronan realized the information came not only from the External Neuron but also from the Altar Spiderweb and Sun Wheel Absolute Prison.
• The symbols developed into Configurations and physical structures, showing Ronan a broad reconstruction of the Relay Station conflict and ending with a clear image of the Shadow Louse.
• After the vision ended, Ronan found himself in a vast hall where statues stood among shifting mist and Smoke Mist.

Ronan explored how information streams and Lord of Zhanhe’s article formed the Mist Palace in his Mental Layer, where projections of the Shadow Louse and Magneto-Optical Mica appeared unusually clear. After he began considering whether Layered Interference Technology could bridge the gap between principle and reality, Zhang Yingying contacted him about the completed ice Segmenters, whose assembly unexpectedly produced a humanoid outline.

• Ronan determined that the Mist Palace arose from information structures combining with his own projections, with the Veil of Silence contributing to its formation.
• Ronan found that the Shadow Louse and Magneto-Optical Mica were the clearest figures in the hall and gained a deeper understanding of the Shadow Louse’s Configuration.
• Ronan considered using Layered Interference Technology to bring principles closer to reality, but an incoming call from Zhang Yingying pulled him back.
• Zhang Yingying reported that the ice Segmenters were ready, and Ronan sent her a revised assembly blueprint and guided her over video call.
• The assembled ice Segmenters unfolded and mostly exploded into vapor and fragments, revealing a faint, lifelike humanoid outline.

Ronan experimented with long-range psychic-wave transmission while traveling with Zhang Yingying and learned that the High Seas Auction was not in Di City but at sea. The group arrived at the Martial Emperor’s private manor in Di City, where Ronan joined Zhang Yingying and the Martial Emperor with only hours remaining before the auction.

• Ronan explained his crude Kite String method for linking signal receivers and planned to refine it while changing forms.
• Zhang Yingying told Ronan that the Emerald Light had left Kolo Base and would reach the auction site after roughly thirty hours; Ronan arranged for the manor’s Processing Plant to prepare Segmenters.
• Zhang Yingying warned Ronan to be careful around Madam Harold and arranged for the Blood Flame Order’s delivery to be sent to the manor.
• Ronan vanished into the clouds, and Zhang Yingying spotted him briefly shaping a smiling face from the mist before it scattered.
• The Martial Emperor’s airship landed at a private manor in Di City, where Zhang Yingying and Ronan joined her.
• Ronan learned it was about 2 a.m. on the 15th and that the High Seas Auction began at 8 p.m. on the 16th.

Ronan arrived at Martial Emperor’s estate in Di City and met Barty, who offered to broker support for the upcoming Round Table Conference. Meng Chong then delivered Segmenters and a military experimental Deep Blue Walker unit, leaving Ronan with materials to examine and use.

• Martial Emperor introduced Barty as her investment manager in Di City and left Ronan with him.
• Barty urged Ronan to meet people ahead of the Round Table Conference, but Ronan declined, saying he lacked time and confidence in his speaking skills.
• Meng Chong arrived and presented four cylinders of Segmenters, which Ronan tested and found had a low yield rate.
• Meng Chong opened a case containing a military experimental Deep Blue Walker unit that had been registered under Castle Conglomerate’s security department.

Ronan left the mountain for Eber Estate to conduct an experiment, while Barty was tasked with analyzing the defective Segmenters. Barty arranged testing and told Director Yan to bring his professionals to Bitter Reef Laboratory for a possible transaction.

• Ronan praised Yin Le for preparing the Water Vapor Clone and heard that the Exoskeleton frame design was being advanced.
• Ronan asked Meng Chong about Madam Harold's training beach, learned it was near Eber Estate, and decided to go there for an experiment.
• Ronan gave Barty Segmenter particles and asked him to study their production and improve their assembly precision.
• Barty ordered the collection of all 262 defective Segmenters and arranged a materials laboratory, a Deep Blue Platform experimental unit, and Configuration experts for analysis.
• Director Yan demanded to know what the Luo Family's young man was doing, and Barty invited him to Bitter Reef Laboratory in six hours with his professionals.

Barty and Yan Yongbo assessed the mysterious object Ronan had released, and Barty argued that Ronan was screening potential allies for New Plane development. After Barty spoke with Zhang Yingying, Ronan called her and asked if she was spying on him.

• Barty arrived at Bitter Reef Laboratory and met Yan Yongbo, who was observing an experiment with his Extraordinary Power active.
• Laboratory professionals argued over whether Ronan's little thing was a material component, a distributed architecture, or a biomimetic model.
• Barty suggested that Ronan was releasing information to find allies willing to negotiate over New Plane development.
• Yan Yongbo promised that the laboratory would fulfill its contract with Barty, including its value-added clauses.
• Barty called Zhang Yingying, who noticed fog over Zeolite Beach while looking through a telescope and then received Ronan's call.
• Ronan asked Zhang Yingying if she was spying on him, and she accused him of spying on her.

Ronan explained his research into the Segmenter and its basis in Super Configuration theory to Zhang Yingying, connecting it to layered interactions between matter, life, and fantasy. Zhang Yingying asked if she could record his explanation.

• Zhang Yingying mistook Ronan’s current work for the Cloud Fortress and asked whether he was in Xia City.
• Ronan said his research was more complicated than the Cloud Fortress and that his mental capacity and resources were nearly exhausted.
• Zhang Yingying warned Ronan that Barty was an anxious, determined hardliner with terminal pancreatic cancer whose illness the Boss had slowed.
• Zhang Yingying said she had sent the Segmenter plans to Xia City, and Ronan began explaining how the Segmenter might relate to the Blood Intent Ring Fortress.
• Ronan described Super Configuration theory and the Segmenter’s Material, Life, and Fantasy layers, and Zhang Yingying asked to record his explanation.

Ronan explained the Scavenger project’s technical problems and proposed using the Segmenter to improve research on the Blood Intent Ring Fortress. After sending Zhang Yingying instructions, he turned back to Meng Chong, who was struggling to understand his role in testing the Deep Blue Walker.

• Zhang Yingying reminded Ronan that he had neglected his role as Chief Technology Officer on the Scavenger project and described its troubled research progress.
• Ronan explained that the project lacked foundational knowledge and proposed teaching the team to analyze the Blood Intent Ring Fortress with the Segmenter.
• Ronan told Zhang Yingying that the Segmenter could replace the Blood Intent Ring Bracelet for research, provided users had suitable training and software support.
• Ronan sent Zhang Yingying basic Segmenter techniques and design notes, then ended their conversation.
• Ronan watched Meng Chong face the Deep Blue Walker, and Meng Chong insisted that he could continue despite his confusion.

Ronan worked with Meng Chong to recreate the Fire Hell Tyrant’s behavior as part of a model for studying the Relay Station battlefield and its spacetime environment. After Meng Chong was injured and realized Ronan’s Configuration fragments pointed toward a powerful path for the Blood Flame Order, he asked to pool the church’s wisdom, and Ronan agreed.

• Ronan explained how the Fire Hell Tyrant and other forces fit into his five-part reconstruction of the Relay Station battlefield.
• Ronan guided Meng Chong in using Segmentation to adjust the Blood Flame Order’s blood and fire powers into the giant’s destructive instinct.
• Meng Chong pushed himself until his eye split from the strain, and Ronan stopped the experiment and withdrew the Segmenters.
• While recovering, Meng Chong recognized that Ronan’s Configuration fragments offered the Blood Flame Order a compelling path forward.
• Meng Chong asked Ronan whether they could pool the church’s wisdom, and Ronan agreed.

Ronan tested how well the Deep Blue Walker could simulate Standard Arrays, but its limited scale fell far short of the Relay Station’s power. After Shi Xinhe contacted him seeking to learn Configuration Theory, Ronan asked how many Ability Users he could gather.

• Ronan used Segmenters to model himself in different Standard Array combinations with the Deep Blue Walker, but many Segmenters broke when he tried a stronger formation.
• Ronan concluded that his crude model lacked the scale to reproduce the power wielded by Shiyuan Baronet and Lieutenant Lu Ande.
• Meng Chong asked Ronan to teach at the order, but Ronan questioned what he had failed to understand.
• Shi Xinhe called Ronan, introduced himself as a trainee in the Scavenger project team, and asked to stay nearby to study Configuration Theory.
• Ronan asked Shi Xinhe how many Ability Users he could gather from the military, government, and elsewhere.

He Donglou overheard He Chong urging He Bozheng to send family members to study and adapt to a changing world, then got pulled into the discussion with his cousin He Dongliang. He Dongliang revealed he planned to train under his brother-in-law, leaving He Bozheng visibly displeased.

• He Donglou heard He Chong and He Bozheng discussing sending young people to study and criticizing He Bozheng's reliance on others.
• He Dongliang appeared in the corridor, drawing He Bozheng out of the Sunlight Room.
• He Chong summoned He Donglou and He Dongliang to receive their assignment.
• He Dongliang said he would ask Sister Yueyin to help him learn from his brother-in-law, and He Bozheng's expression darkened.

He Chong questioned his family about Ronan and whether the He family should send someone to learn from him. He Donglou warned that Ronan was too influential to be treated as a tool for the family’s ambitions, leaving He Chong to consider his advice while He Bozheng bristled.

• He Chong asked He Dongliang about taking Ronan as a master, and He Dongliang said he hoped to become Ronan’s Junior Brother if he could not become his disciple.
• He Chong asked He Donglou to assess Ronan, and He Donglou described him as decent but difficult to approach while recounting their failed business deal and his social gatherings with Ronan’s friends.
• He Bozheng criticized He Donglou’s friendships, and He Donglou argued that he could use his connections to build a closer relationship with Ronan.
• He Donglou warned that Ronan had immense influence and could not be casually manipulated through He Yueyin or the family’s calculations.
• He Chong stopped He Donglou from leaving and invited him to speak freely, while He Bozheng reacted angrily to his criticism.

He Chong rebuked He Bozheng for treating the political crisis as a game of schemes instead of understanding the military balance. He Donglou left the Sunlight Room and watched a live military stream of Ronan in Di City, asking Lao Si what Ronan was saying.

• He Chong questioned He Bozheng’s view of the conflict and warned him that soldiers had to identify the enemy, allies, and the balance of power.
• He Chong revealed that Lieutenant General Joseph had contacted him rather than He Bozheng.
• He Chong kicked He Bozheng and reprimanded him for failing to understand his position as chief of staff.
• He Donglou left the Sunlight Room and learned from Lao Si that Ronan’s experiment in Di City was being livestreamed with his permission.
• He Donglou watched Ronan speak with Major Shi Xinhe on the stream and asked Lao Si to tell him what Ronan was saying.

He Donglou tried to find someone who could explain Ronan’s livestreamed experiment and realized Ronan was talking about Paper Cut. He learned Paper Cut was at the Welfare Institute with Bottle and demanded to know where they were.

• He Donglou asked Lao Si whether Ronan’s experiment had value compared with the Blood Intent Ring, then searched his contacts for an expert to consult.
• He Donglou chose to call Xie Junping first, but the call did not connect, so he called Paper Cut instead.
• Paper Cut told He Donglou that Bottle was doing morning practice and that he had spent the night at the Welfare Institute with the children.
• He Donglou began telling Paper Cut that Ronan was in Di City, then realized Ronan’s livestream had mentioned Paper Cut.
• He Donglou recognized that Ronan was talking about Paper Cut and shouted to ask where he was.

Paper Cut learned that Ronan was teaching Configuration techniques in a military livestream and scrambled to get a recording. As the first clip arrived at the Welfare Institute, Paper Cut and Zhai Weiwu heard someone ask Ronan why there were so many Burners.

• He Donglou told Paper Cut that Ronan was teaching a class in Di City, and Paper Cut hurried to find the livestream.
• Paper Cut discovered the livestream was on a military Internal Channel and asked He Donglou to send him a recording.
• Zhang Yingying announced she was heading to the scene while the Spirit Wave Network group reacted to the news.
• Paper Cut ran into Zhai Weiwu at the Welfare Institute, then turned back inside when He Donglou began sending the video in segments.
• Paper Cut watched the first clip with Zhai Weiwu, where someone asked Ronan why there were so many Burners.

Ronan used a beach demonstration during a livestream with Major Shi Xinhe to explain how life and Ability structures ascended, how the Self Format formed, and how different abilities could be reshaped. His explanation was interrupted as soldiers arrived, and he began preparing them to coordinate with Meng Chong, leaving Paper Cut frustrated before Ronan could explain his example.

• Ronan told Shi Xinhe that Burners were more uniform than ordinary Ability Users because artificial selection made them more standardized, then began discussing Ability Users’ underlying constraints.
• Ronan recounted how Paper Cut had taught him the Soul Activation Technique and how he had struggled to control Paper-Cut Figures before strengthening his Body Cultivator side; Paper Cut feared the story would ruin his reputation.
• Ronan reconsidered Paper Cut’s distinction between the Animation Stream and Control Stream, arguing that abilities should be understood through their fundamental levels, structures, and potential for ascent.
• Ronan demonstrated the Self Format by shaping sand into a twisting form, revealing an Inscribed Sphere and describing how Format Theory represented symbolized structures.
• Ronan explained that both ordinary Ability Users and Burners could have their forms corrected through further segmentation, but soldiers arrived before he could give an example.
• Ronan began preparing the arriving soldiers to coordinate with Meng Chong, while Paper Cut cursed at the interruption.

Ronan gathered volunteers at Zeolite Beach to begin experiments on Burners and the Formatting Domain, while Zhang Yingying launched a live stream that drew in the Xia City Ability User circle. After the volunteers revealed problems with their Machine Core versions, Ronan began by demonstrating a basic use of Format Fire, leaving the group watching a pale flame form in his palm.

• Paper Cut and others lost the end of Ronan's first broadcast, but He Donglou sent a delayed recording that captured Zhang Yingying arriving at Zeolite Beach on a Water Motorcycle.
• Zhang Yingying started her own live stream, showed the gathered personnel, and agreed with Ronan to travel by sea toward the auction the following night.
• Ronan recognized Hood as a Deep Blue operations captain and accepted seven Burner volunteers for the experiment.
• Hood and Shi Xinhe explained that differences among their Machine Core versions and authorization issues complicated forming a Standard Array, but Ronan insisted the standard should work without extra procedures.
• Ronan asked Shi Xinhe to imitate him and manifested Format Fire as a faint, bright flame above his palm.

Yan Yongbo watched Ronan demonstrate a feat that contradicted the limits of Burner Modification, shocking Yan Hong and the remote conference. Yan Hong collapsed, while Yan Yongbo left the room after revealing a burst of Blazing White Light of his own.

• Yan Yongbo met Director Mu in the CBD and watched Ronan's livestream alongside a remote video conference.
• Yan Hong argued that Ronan's experiment could not work because lower-level permissions could not integrate higher-level permissions.
• Ronan produced a distinct pale flame in his palm, disproving Yan Hong's claim that the barriers were unbreakable.
• Yan Hong stuttered in shock, exchanged a look with Yan Yongbo, and fell out of the conference camera's frame.
• Yan Yongbo released Blazing White Light that cracked his cup and boiled away its water, then excused himself and left.