Chapter Summaries

Ronan used a simulated Service Demon Scroll technique to draw Gray Substance from Meng Tu and explain how he had built the Information Chain Network across the Great Golden Triangle. He hoped to formally master the Heavenly Human Demon Subduing Diagram, but his lack of a Lawcraft plan suited to Earth humans left him blocked at the Innate Furnace stage.

• Ronan explained that the apparent fish tugging at Meng Tu’s organs were Gray Substance within his body, shaped into threads by a simulated Service Demon Scroll technique.
• Ronan described how he combined the Deep Blue Cluster, Magneto-Optical Mica, and other resources to establish the Information Chain Network of Extraordinary Species across the Great Golden Triangle.
• Ronan watched the Gray Substance respond to his vital energies and planned to reduce his reliance on Hand-Crafted Time-Space as he cultivated the body-and-spirit structure required by the Heavenly Human Demon Subduing Diagram.
• Ronan reviewed his progress in the general education courses and identified Lawcraft as the obstacle preventing him from advancing to specialization and furnace formation.
• Ronan realized the External Neuron database had no Lawcraft plans for Earth humans, whose genetic inheritance and evolution had never been studied by the Sky Abyss Empire.

Ronan joined the Deep Blue Cluster’s mixer while recovering from nearly collapsing his furnace, then questioned Fris about the relaxed Forward Base near Hundred Peaks Monarch. He ended the conversation by inviting Fris to go out with him and see what was happening.

• Fris and Cha Zheng privately exchanged messages at the mixer while Zhao Xi watched.
• Ronan arrived, drank several beers to cool down, and told the group he had nearly collapsed his furnace during cultivation.
• Ronan asked Fris about Lake City and the Forward Base’s relaxed attitude despite Hundred Peaks Monarch being nearby.
• Fris raised a toast to ease the awkward atmosphere, and Ronan joined the group in drinking.
• Ronan invited Fris to go out with him and take a look because he felt restless.

Ronan and the Deep Blue Cluster group crossed into Lake City’s South District to attend a lively gathering presented as a Nuo Ritual. Major Liu Fengming identified the honored old gentleman as Hundred Peaks Monarch as the group reached the venue and heard the revelers inside.

• Fris led more than twenty Deep Blue Cluster Burners across the Dividing Line after learning that a gathering was underway in the South District.
• Fris questioned two Close Defense Force NCOs, who explained that the gathering included a Nuo Ritual held to thank an old gentleman for showing mercy.
• Ronan explained the history of Nuo dances, while Fris suspected that a Secret Cult had adapted the tradition into rituals for inviting gods.
• The group reached a brightly lit venue, where Major Liu Fengming identified the old gentleman as Hundred Peaks Monarch.
• The group went up to the entrance as the doors opened and the sounds of drums, shouts, and chanting poured out.

Ronan and his group observed a massive Nuo Ritual organized by the Hun Dun Order in Lake City, where worshippers reenacted the Hundred Faces Sacrifice to honor Hundred Peaks Monarch. As the ritual continued, a participant earned a mask and joined the inner dance, while Liu Fengming explained that masks granted their wearers the right to take what they wanted from ordinary believers.

• Liu Fengming explained that the Hun Dun Order organized the Nuo Ritual to worship Hundred Peaks Monarch, an Aberrant Nest whose influence and cult had grown rapidly.
• The venue manager guided Ronan, Fris, Zhao Xi, Liu Fengming, and the others to a viewing balcony overlooking the ritual.
• From above, the group saw a central enclosure piled with Wilderness specimens beneath the open roof and the motley Sky Screen.
• An Uncontrolled man rushed onto the stage and grabbed a masked dancer, who flung him away as the crowd trampled him.
• A participant joined the dancers, earned a mask from the central enclosure, and was welcomed into the inner circle with worshipful gestures.
• Liu Fengming said the masks represented divine power and gave their wearers the right to take what they wanted from ordinary believers, making several observers eager to try.

Ronan and the others learned how the Hun Dun Order’s Hundred Faces Sacrifice worked and discussed its rapid expansion and possible links to Gao Wenfu. Ronan remained focused on the Nuo Ritual and noticed Fan Lu in a nearby private room.

• Liu Fengming explained that the Hundred Faces Sacrifice awarded masks and status to cultists, while the Hun Dun Order kept its ranks open through elimination.
• Liu Fengming said the Hun Dun Order had absorbed many small sects, and Fris and Zhao Xi suspected Gao Wenfu had allowed or encouraged its growth.
• Liu Fengming described how annexed believers feared that the Hundred Peaks Monarch could erode their minds and turn them into violent slaves.
• Ronan asked how the Hun Dun Order granted power, and Liu Fengming explained that blessed masks offered instinctive abilities such as physical enhancement and danger sensing.
• While the others considered the cult’s threat, Ronan spotted Fan Lu in a nearby private room.

Ronan investigated Fan Lu’s suspicious presence at a Nuo Ritual linked to Hundred Peaks Monarch and sent his companions to obtain one of the ritual masks for study. While Zhao Xi searched for beer, Ronan noticed Fan Lu meeting two wary men who had brought a disturbing mask in a suitcase.

• Ronan reviewed why Auntie Kui’s mark on Hundred Peaks Monarch and Fan Lu’s unusual behavior made the Nuo Ritual worth investigating.
• Ronan asked for a ritual mask to study, and Liu Fengming and most of the group went downstairs to try to obtain one by following the venue’s rules.
• Ronan sent Zhao Xi to fetch iced beer, but Zhao Xi found the refrigerator nearly empty and went into the corridor to call for a waiter.
• Zhao Xi passed two suspicious men carrying a suitcase and saw them enter a nearby private room, unaware that Ronan was observing them.
• Fan Lu confronted the men over their choice of meeting place and recoiled when they opened the suitcase to reveal a painted wooden mask resembling a severed demon’s head.

Fan Lu tried to escape after the Chen Brothers forced him to sample a stolen Nuo mask, but the mask exposed them and drew the ritual’s guards. During his flight, Fan Lu recognized the young man called Boss Ronan, who had intervened to help him, and wondered whether Ronan had been waiting for him.

• Fan Lu refused the Chen Brothers’ request to sample their stolen mask, but they held him until he reluctantly agreed to take samples.
• The security officer and two black-robed figures entered, and the mask rose from its suitcase and announced that its thieves were present.
• Fan Lu escaped onto the balcony railings, dodging pursuers and interceptions as he fled between private rooms.
• A man in a military Combat Uniform redirected Fan Lu’s fall and stopped the pursuing masked figure, and Fan Lu recognized him as Boss Ronan.
• Ronan asked whether the ritual mask could be taken as a souvenir, learned its power would expire the next morning, and left with his team.
• The security officer’s party pinned Fan Lu down, while Zhao Xi asked the officer to explain the illegal transaction to someone who could make decisions and requested more beer.

Ronan attended the Nuo Ritual with Fris and Zhao Xi, judged that an unseen force was manipulating the Hun Dun Order and Hundred Peaks Monarch, and discussed Gray Substance with High Priest Lanier. Lanier proposed cooperation on the missing Dream Weaver and revealed that the Inexplicable Faction’s plan concerned Mountain Lord’s left and right hands.

• Liu Fengming completed the mask trial, and Ronan led Fris, Zhao Xi, and the others down into the crowded auditorium.
• The Nuo Ritual reached its climax as flames and Extraordinary Power surged through the crowd, prompting Ronan to call Hundred Peaks Monarch an undisciplined wastrel whose power was being manipulated.
• Ronan left the auditorium to answer High Priest Lanier, who challenged his claims about Gray Substance and asked for the evidence behind them.
• Lanier proposed cooperation on finding the missing Dream Weaver in the Mist Labyrinth, and Ronan connected the project to Li Taisheng’s Dream Entry Method.
• Lanier raised Mountain Lord’s arm and clarified that the Inexplicable Faction’s plan concerned Mountain Lord’s left and right hands.

Ronan learned from High Priest Lanier that Mountain Lord’s injured left arm might be controlled by someone connected to Apocalypse Laboratory, while the Justice Cult sought closer cooperation with him. As Mountain Lord and Tu Ge approached Lake City, Ronan watched Tu Ge disappear into the Hundred Peaks Monarch’s territory and considered whether the two were connected.

• Ronan asked High Priest Lanier about Mountain Lord’s Left and Right Hands, and Lanier said someone might control Mountain Lord’s left arm because of his old injury.
• Lanier said Apocalypse Laboratory had treated Mountain Lord after his battle with the Skull Demon King and that Tu Ge and Wang Yong might have come from the laboratory, with Tu Ge likely its direct descendant.
• Mora sent Ronan a surveillance image of Mountain Lord’s tattooed left arm, and Ronan told Lanier he would clarify his earlier remarks and support further cooperation.
• Ronan observed Mountain Lord and Long Qi traveling toward Lake City while Tu Ge abandoned his vehicle and entered the Hundred Peaks Monarch’s territory to conceal himself.
• Ronan wondered whether Tu Ge had ties to the Hundred Peaks Monarch and took his evasive, threatening behavior as a sign that he had struck a sore spot.

After the Nuo Ritual, Zhao Xi, Fris, and Liu Fengming found Ronan testing unstable card configurations at the riverbank. Ronan examined and wore the ritual mask Liu Fengming had won, revealing that its power seemed to amplify Ronan himself.

• Zhao Xi, Fris, and Liu Fengming went to the riverbank pier to report to Ronan after the Nuo Ritual.
• The three watched Ronan test card configurations amid heat, rain, mist, and flickering sparks.
• Liu Fengming presented Ronan with the wooden mask he had won at the ritual.
• Ronan put on the mask, which stayed fixed to his face without straps, and Liu Fengming explained that a Hundred Faces Sacrifice artifact bound to its wearer until the next sacrifice.
• Ronan tested fighting stances in the mask, and the group sensed intense firepower radiating from him.

Ronan questioned Liu Fengming and the others about Fan Lu’s illegal body-modification business and the Hun Dun Order’s internal hierarchy, learning how its members competed for mask blessings and how senior figures profited from the system. Liu Fengming shared intelligence connecting the Order’s leadership to Deng Yunwei and Wen Huilan, leaving Ronan with a clearer picture of the people behind it.

• Ronan tested a mask that stimulated extreme bodily heat, then asked Liu Fengming whether people could make masks privately.
• Zhao Xi explained how Fan Lu’s genetic-enhancement service drew in the Chen Brothers, who were caught trying to upgrade their plan before the next Hundred Faces Sacrifice.
• Liu Fengming described the Hun Dun Order’s Red, Blue, and Green Zones and suggested that Fan Lu might funnel profits to an upper-level figure.
• Zhao Xi identified Deng Yunwei as a prominent Hun Dun Order figure, and Liu Fengming sent Ronan, Fris, and Zhao Xi a file mapping the companies’ controllers.
• Zhao Xi noticed Wen Huilan in the intelligence file, and Liu Fengming explained that she linked Deng Yunwei to Gao Wenfu.

Zhao Xi woke late and feared he had been left behind, but Fris had kept the Deep Blue Cluster waiting at the dock. As the group prepared to depart for Lake City, Long Qi livestreamed their surroundings and captured a woman emerging from a cabin with Ronan.

• Zhao Xi woke to find the rest area and equipment depot deserted, then learned from Fris that the unit was waiting at the dock and he had seven minutes to gather the other stragglers.
• Zhao Xi assembled the seven soldiers and led them to the North District Dock, where Long Qi joined them and described the group's plans for Lake City.
• At the dock, Zhao Xi saw the cargo ship, a luxurious pontoon boat, and a grim-looking Mountain Lord while the Deep Blue Cluster loaded its equipment.
• Long Qi livestreamed the ships and shared updates about the mission, Raven, Yuan Wuwei, and the Gray Substance crisis while avoiding filming the officers' faces.
• A woman emerged from the cargo ship's cabin, followed by Ronan, who handed her a patterned scarf and told her not to forget it.

Long Qi livestreamed Ronan’s group as they traveled upstream with Wen Huilan, while Liu Fengming pushed to reach Hundred Peaks Monarch’s Activation Zone. Ronan chose to go deeper into the mountains, and Long Qi wondered why viewers had not recognized Wen Huilan from her past.

• Long Qi kept streaming the pontoon boat ride despite viewers urging him to focus on Wen Huilan, whose scarf and clothing made her look like a tour guide.
• Wen Huilan described routes from Hundred Zhang Rock toward the Main Peak Area and Gao Ting Lake as Ronan asked the group for their opinions.
• Fris, Zhao Xi, and Liu Fengming joined Ronan’s party as security personnel, and Liu Fengming objected that turning back at Hundred Zhang Rock would leave them outside Hundred Peaks Monarch’s Activation Zone.
• Mountain Lord deferred to Ronan, who said he still wanted to travel deeper and asked the bodyguard how far the boat could go.
• The bodyguard said the boat could reach the Activation Zone, while Long Qi wondered why livestream viewers had not recognized Wen Huilan and recalled her connection to the ZM explosion and aberrant products.

Ronan’s group traveled by pontoon boat toward the Activation Zone, while Long Qi livestreamed their journey through the dangerous territory around Hundred Peaks Monarch. At Hundred Zhang Rock, Fris recognized the Supply Point and nearby river bend, and Liu Fengming reacted with a mocking sneer.

• Ronan said Mora was flying from Xia City to Lake City Air Harbor before joining them to visit Hundred Peaks Monarch, prompting Fris to warn Meng Tu about the possible encounter.
• Long Qi’s livestream viewers discussed Hundred Peaks Monarch as the group traveled through its territory, where a Shadow Blade Water Boa approached the boat and then retreated.
• The pontoon boat reached Hundred Zhang Rock after crossing fifty kilometers of river channels, and Wen Huilan identified Eagle Head Yard as a cargo yard and Supply Point.
• Fris recognized Eagle Head Yard and the nearby Rabbit Pile at Eagle Beak River Channel, accused Wen Huilan of neglecting her guide duties, and drew a mocking sneer from Liu Fengming.

Fris and Liu Fengming challenged Wen Huilan’s knowledge of Eagle Head Yard and hinted at her past connection to the place as Ronan toured the bustling Supply Point. The group’s restrained tension sharpened when Ronan recited a line about Winter Holly and asked where the Shore was.

• Fris criticized Wen Huilan’s tour and recalled visiting the mountain settlement in the early '80s, while Zhao Xi suspected Fris resented what had happened to the region.
• Wen Huilan suggested stopping at Eagle Head Yard, and Ronan agreed to explore the Supply Point and listen to its people.
• Ronan and Wen Huilan shared a conspicuously intimate tour before the group arrived at the busy unloading dock and drew attention from the livestream viewers.
• Ronan chose to disembark at the cargo yard, and an old patrolman abruptly stopped complaining after recognizing someone in the group.
• Liu Fengming pointed out that Wen Huilan had filmed at Eagle Head Pile, and Fris recalled details of the location as the atmosphere grew tense.
• Ronan recited a line about Winter Holly seeds and asked where the Shore was.

Ronan and the others visited a riverside storage yard while viewers recognized Wen Huilan as the former actress Wen Qing and argued over the group’s treatment of her. The tour brought them to Manager Deng, who revealed he was Deng Yunwei’s son and Wen Huilan’s godson.

• Ronan explained that he had watched Wen Huilan’s film twice and described how Yingying Jie had reacted to it.
• Viewers identified Wen Huilan as the beloved former actress Wen Qing and flooded the livestream with quotes from her film.
• Zhao Xi accidentally suggested that Fris and Liu Fengming opposed Wen Huilan, triggering furious comments that Long Qi shut off while keeping the livestream running.
• The group walked to the storage yard, where Wen Huilan explained its shipping schedule and the risks of frequent river travel.
• Manager Deng greeted Ronan and introduced himself as Deng Yunwei’s son and Wen Huilan’s godson.

Ronan toured Deng Chun’s storage yard to find materials for masks, then explained that he wanted to test mask materials as substitutes for Covenant Books in his experiments. The chapter ended with Ronan’s unsettling public attention to Wen Huilan and Deng Chun agreeing to discuss the ritual implements.

• Deng Chun led Ronan and the others through the storage yard, while Zhao Xi noticed the old man from the dock standing guard at the entrance.
• Ronan asked whether a specialized business collected materials for making masks, and Deng Chun connected the question to Nuo dance masks and Ronan’s visit to the Nuo Ritual.
• Deng Chun described common mask materials and carefully answered Ronan’s questions about the Hun Dun Order and the Hundred Peaks Monarch.
• As Deng Chun spoke, Ronan touched Wen Huilan’s gauze scarf, leaving her and the gathered crowd stunned until Liu Fengming redirected the conversation to Hundred Faces Sacrifice masks.
• Ronan said he wanted to test mask materials as temporary substitutes for Covenant Books, and Deng Chun offered his expertise in mask Magical Artifacts.

While Long Qi livestreamed Ronan’s visit, public anger spilled onto social media and revived discussion of Wen Huilan’s past and the Wilderness Vagrant Policy. He Yueyin contacted Long Qi and appeared to broaden the controversy rather than contain it, leaving Long Qi to wonder whether Ronan shared a larger plan.

• Long Qi received a call from He Yueyin through a military communication channel while Ronan and Deng Chun discussed mask materials.
• He Yueyin told Long Qi that the Xia City Branch and the main association wanted him to address the backlash over Raven’s livestream.
• Long Qi defended letting the online discussion continue, while viewers heard the call and grew angrier with him.
• Influencers linked Wen Huilan’s return as Wen Qing to the Wilderness Vagrant Policy debate, spreading the topic as Long Qi intended.
• He Yueyin formally warned Long Qi to change course, and he realized her call had exposed the association’s and military’s involvement to the livestream audience.
• Ronan walked past Long Qi at the storage yard, and Long Qi wondered whether Ronan and He Yueyin were coordinating a broader effort.

Ronan's group traveled from Eagle Head Yard's dock to its high ground, where Deng Chun explained the changing river channels and the dangers of the Black Flood Season. The chapter ended with Deng Chun recognizing Fris's past service in Lake City and identifying the time of his redeployment.

• Deng Chun arranged two off-road vehicles and drove Ronan, Wen Huilan, and Fris toward Eagle Head Yard's high ground while Zhao Xi drove Long Qi, Liu Fengming, and Mountain Lord.
• Zhao Xi nearly hit the old patrol man, who rushed out from behind a transport vehicle; Long Qi recognized him from the dock and noticed his prosthetic arm.
• Mountain Lord said the patrol man was deeply Contaminated and that limb-regeneration treatment could trigger cancerous growth in his cells.
• Deng Chun showed Ronan's group the makeshift high-ground settlement and explained how rising water levels could turn Eagle Head Yard into Eagle Head Shoal.
• Deng Chun described the Great River's Black Flood Season, and Wen Huilan explained how floodwaters carried swarming Aberrant Species downstream.
• Fris criticized Lake City's river defenses and eastern plains policies, and Deng Chun recognized his past Lake City service and the timing of his redeployment.

Wen Huilan, Fris, and Deng Chun recounted the devastating Black Flood of 80 Year, which destroyed settlements around Lake City and led to years of severe population decline. Deng Chun then led Ronan’s group to his shop at Eagle Head Yard, where they unexpectedly encountered the familiar old man Lao Wei.

• Wen Huilan and Fris described how prolonged Bleeding Season rains caused the Black Flood to destroy Upper River Satellite City and force Lake City’s defenses into retreat.
• Deng Chun explained that the floods and ensuing Aberration Infection caused roughly twelve million confirmed third-stage infections and seven consecutive years of population decline in Lake City.
• Deng Chun revealed that Wen Huilan had come to Eagle Head Yard during the flood while preparing for Winter Holly and living among vagrant tribes.
• Deng Chun described how the flood submerged Rabbit Pile and the surrounding buildings, leaving only parts of Eagle Head Yard visible above the water.
• Deng Chun led Ronan and the others across the plaza toward his shop and explained the history of the old buildings and their owners.
• Deng Chun greeted Lao Wei near the shop, and Zhao Xi recognized him.