Chapter Summaries

Guan Tong suspected a wilderness food commission was bait and sent Shadow to investigate its coordinates, while the Fifth Squad continued its sweep of violent camps. The squad then encountered Gu Fei and several others, leaving Xu You and his team shocked.

• Guan Tong rejected a commission to transport food allegedly stolen from a supply warehouse and offered Night Owl legitimate food instead.
• Night Owl requested a month's worth of food for ten people and sent Guan Tong a coordinate that made him suspect a trap.
• Guan Tong decided to send Shadow to scout the coordinate without carrying any goods.
• Xu You's Fifth Squad killed the last surviving murderer at a wilderness camp and arranged for the stolen supplies to be recovered.
• Xu You's squad saw a black SUV arrive, and its members reacted with shock when Gu Fei stepped out.

Gu Fei’s new team fought Fifth Squad, and the young man with Headphones revealed an ability to absorb stamina and Mind Power before releasing devastating attacks. Meanwhile, Guan Tong discovered that the Official Department had baited him with a delivery request and sent First Squad to capture him.

• Xu You recognized Gu Fei and confronted his group, but the young man with Headphones insisted that they could not let Official Team members leave, and the two sides began fighting.
• The young man with Headphones drained Xu You’s stamina and Mind Power through eye contact, while Xu You warned his squad to avoid looking at him and use their artifacts.
• Fifth Squad bombarded the enemy with offensive artifacts, but the young man with Headphones emerged unharmed and killed Old Iron with needle-thin rays from his eyes.
• First Squad waited at a wilderness camp to capture the administrator of Ascendant’s Home, while Guan Tong listened from nearby and confirmed the commission was bait set by the Official Department.
• Silver Fox and Dragon Soul discussed Shadow’s potential, and Guan Tong learned that the Official Department considered him important enough to cultivate and protect.

After Guan Tong exposed a fake commission, the First Squad reinforced the battered Fifth Squad, but the enemy escaped before they arrived. The Seventh Apocalypse Rule ended, and Guan Tong collected his reward before receiving a call from Wang Yan.

• Guan Tong banned Night Owl and the fake warehouse administrator for their fraudulent commission, prompting widespread support from website users.
• Dragon Soul led the First Squad to assist the Fifth Squad after Dr. Zhang reported they were in danger, while Xu You ordered his team to retreat from Xiao Cao's team.
• Xiao Cao's team withdrew after learning the First Squad was coming, and the two squads found the battlefield empty before returning to base with enemy blood samples.
• The Fire Thief announced that the Seventh Apocalypse Rule had ended, and Guan Tong reflected on the month of enforced silence and its toll on people.
• Guan Tong opened his reward chest, received a Storage Ring, and stored his Silver Hunter firearm inside it.
• Guan Tong received a phone call from Wang Yan.

After the Rule ended, Guan Tong chose to rest while Wang Yan prepared to meet the organization holding her daughter, Chen Na. As post-Rule suicides mounted, the Countermeasure Research Institute debated ways to restore hope, proposing public access to confidential data and celebrity Ascendants.

• Wang Yan told Guan Tong that the organization had promised a meeting with Chen Na but warned her not to involve the Public Security Bureau, and she planned to record the members secretly.
• Guan Tong decided not to interfere in Chen Na’s choices and spent several days resting, taking walks, tending his yard, and playing with Coal Ball.
• Authorities opened shelters and gathering points, but people remained withdrawn after the Rule, and suicides continued even after it ended.
• At the December 7 review meeting, the Countermeasure Research Institute learned that about 12,000 people had died by suicide during the Rule and its aftermath.
• A sociologist proposed releasing confidential data to give the public a greater sense of participation, while an entertainment expert proposed creating celebrity Ascendants.
• Gao Liangwei agreed to report both proposals to higher authorities for consideration.

Guan Tong bought and tested a Passerby Transformation Device, then used its disguise to meet Yu Hong and Zhao Yu when they came seeking food. He arranged a paid delivery to their camp and left the story with the food crates stacked beside their jeeps.

• Gao Liangwei ordered Dr. Zhang to find the base of the organization behind the squad that attacked Fifth Squad.
• Guan Tong practiced circulating Mind Power, reviewed Ascendant's Home's operations, and browsed the market for useful items.
• Guan Tong bought the Passerby Transformation Device for 200,000 Ascension Coins and tested its disguise and ability effects.
• Guan Tong met Yu Hong and Zhao Yu while disguised as a middle school student, and learned that they wanted to buy food for their camp.
• After the device's cooldown ended, Guan Tong transformed into a burly man and brought three crates of food to Yu Hong and Zhao Yu, asking for 100 Ascension Coins.

Wang Yan reunited with Chen Na, who remained with the mysterious organization after receiving medicine that cured her mother’s cancer, while the Short-haired woman warned Wang Yan not to investigate. Guan Tong then read an official announcement about public data and support for the Tertiary Industry before the Eighth Apocalypse Rule arrived.

• Wang Yan met Chen Na in a secret room and learned that Chen Na had joined the organization in exchange for the medicine that cured her cancer.
• The Short-haired woman ended their visit and warned Wang Yan that further investigation could prevent Chen Na from seeing her again.
• Wang Yan left the meeting and resolved to stay alive so she could reunite with Chen Na.
• On December 29th, Guan Tong read an official announcement that the authorities would publish non-core data and encourage private development of the Tertiary Industry.
• Guan Tong considered the measures a response to public distress, and the Eighth Apocalypse Rule arrived as scheduled.

The Eighth Apocalypse Rule required everyone to create or enter a challenge and maintain a World First result for 15 days, with failure reducing their Mind Power Cap. As officials and academy staff considered ways to pass, Shi Jingyi revealed that her prospective teaching assistant had declined her invitation.

• Ascenders around the world discussed creating challenges after the Eighth Apocalypse Rule was released, relieved that failure would not cause death.
• Gao Liangwei directed the research office experts to collect data and work on challenges in their specialties, while they warned that World First results had to be maintained until the rule ended.
• Students at Yong'an Mind Power Development Academy discussed challenge ideas and learned they could not specify particular people in their challenges.
• Dean Zhou Qinfeng asked Zheng Kexue, Ouyang Shanyue, and Shi Jingyi about their chances of passing, and they expressed confidence in their expertise.
• Shi Jingyi told Zhou Qinfeng that her prospective teaching assistant had declined the position, and she confirmed that he was extraordinary.

Guan Tong learned that the Eighth Apocalypse Rule rewarded repeated World Firsts with increases to the Mind Power Cap, and decided to pursue the reward despite the losses others would suffer. He opened Ascendant's Home's Site Owner's Domain and offered vague information about the reward for 50,000 Ascension Coins; organizations and Official Departments ordered their staff to buy it.

• Guan Tong examined the new challenge feature and learned that the Hidden Rule rewarded three World Firsts with 10 Mind Power Cap points, then 5 more for each additional first place, up to 500.
• Guan Tong realized that his gains would come at the cost of other Ascendants who lost their first places, but decided to compete because failures caused Mind Power decay rather than death.
• Guan Tong planned to sell only vague information about the Mind Power Cap reward so buyers would not learn how much he knew about the Hidden Rules.
• Guan Tong opened the Site Owner's Domain and posted an offer to sell secret intelligence about the Eighth Apocalypse Rule for 50,000 Ascension Coins, with delivery after 24 hours.
• The post drew widespread attention, and organizations and Official Departments instructed their staff to buy the information.

As the new challenge rules began, Guan Tong and several other Ascenders designed challenges tailored to their abilities, hoping to secure first place. Lucifer’s challenge to kill the most Ascenders drew attention from Adam and the Wolf Leader, who decided to compete for its top spot.

• Guan Tong created a challenge to travel two hundred kilometers as quickly as possible, then began browsing other people’s challenges.
• Wang Yan created a challenge to convert the greatest number of milliliters of water into oil, while Xu Xiaotian planned to use his healing Instant Noodles in a challenge treating external injuries.
• The king of the Solloma Empire told Adam to pursue as many challenge victories as possible, and Adam learned that Lucifer had created a challenge to kill the most Ascenders during the rules.
• Chen Na resolved to create a challenge suited to her perception ability as she continued preparing to grow stronger and reunite with her mother.
• After learning about Lucifer’s challenge, the Wolf Leader vowed to take first place, while the Tulip Federation’s council planned to use his World First titles to display the country’s strength.

Guan Tong searched for challenges he could win, earned 550,000 Ascension Coins by selling information, and traveled to Zenith Mountain to take first place in a speed challenge. There, he found the challenge creator and his companions guarding the summit stele, and Guan Tong prepared to confront them.

• Guan Tong searched the challenge list, bookmarked suitable events, and learned that designated locations appeared as coordinates and could restrict competitors.
• Guan Tong sold information to eleven accounts for 550,000 Ascension Coins, bringing his total to 760,000.
• Guan Tong used Shadow to travel to Zenith Mountain and disguised himself as an elderly man with the Passerby Transformation Device.
• Guan Tong found fifteen or sixteen people camped around the summit stele, where the challenge creator and his companions were blocking challengers.
• The long-haired, dark-skinned fat man claimed the challenge was his and threatened Guan Tong, who said he would teach them to respect the elderly and care for the young.

Guan Tong killed a group of Ascendants who tried to rob him, then claimed World First in the Zenith Mountain challenge. Meanwhile, the Apocalypse Rules Countermeasure Research Office learned that multiple World Firsts would increase Mind Power Caps and debated how to pursue the reward, ending with Gao Liangwei rejecting a coercive proposal.

• Guan Tong used Shadow Thorn to kill the camp's attackers, then shot the long-haired fat man after he threatened to reveal Guan Tong's appearance.
• Guan Tong gathered the camp's supplies and used Shadow and Phase Shift to complete the Zenith Mountain challenge, earning his second World First.
• At 9:00, the webmaster sent the Research Office intelligence that multiple World Firsts would raise Mind Power Caps after the Rule Period.
• Dr. Zhang urged Gao Liangwei to help Bai Xuewu and other Official Squad members win more first places so Bai Xuewu could unlock her mecha's functions.
• Gao Liangwei decided to make the intelligence public, but rejected a proposal to force people to create projects for Official Squads to win.

After the Beixing Nation revealed that multiple first places could raise Mind Power Caps, Ascendants worldwide argued over the rule as ordinary people resisted challenges and powerful groups rushed to exploit it. At Qingmei Base, Han Ling was ordered to use imprisoned Ascendants to create tailored challenges, while the Commander rejected Yu Feiwei’s request and ordered his secret execution.

• The Beixing Nation’s disclosure of Guan Tong’s intelligence triggered global debate, and groups that had not bought the information regretted waiting.
• Ordinary Ascendants called for people to stop creating Rule Challenges, while powerful Ascendants prepared to compete for more first places.
• At Qingmei Base, the Commander told Han Ling to have imprisoned resource bodies create challenges for squad members and prioritized Jiang Ming.
• The Commander denied Yu Feiwei’s request for a tailored challenge and ordered Han Ling to secretly execute him.
• Han Ling learned that more than thirty prisoners had died by suicide and considered asking the Commander to capture more people from wilderness camps.

Guan Tong continued taking first place in distance and speed challenges while ordinary people debated how to protect their rankings from stronger Ascendants. He read a post from a Tulip Federation provider calling on people to expose resource-gathering challenges and help bring down the provider system.

• Guan Tong won first place in a challenge for the greatest underground depth, bringing his total to five first-place finishes and raising his Mind Power Cap by twenty points.
• Guan Tong read forum criticism of his decision to sell the Rules intelligence and left the posts untouched without responding.
• Guan Tong saw people propose placing challenges in government shelters and forming mutual-protection alliances to defend their rankings from outsiders.
• Guan Tong reasoned that he would keep targeting people in the wilderness rather than gathering points, whose residents could protect one another.
• Guan Tong opened a popular post in which a sheep-pack Ascendant in the Tulip Federation urged providers to reveal their assigned challenges so strong Ascendants could take first place and undermine the provider system.

After reading Kaxiu’s account of Gao Xinjian forcing his group to create bicycle challenges for him, Guan Tong decided to intervene. He arrived at the abandoned Heilu County hospital just as Gao Xinjian was about to kill Kaxiu, who identified himself to Guan Tong.

• Guan Tong found Kaxiu’s post describing how Gao Xinjian had coerced more than twenty people into creating bicycle challenges and took their first-place rewards.
• Guan Tong searched the challenge list, confirmed the similar bicycle projects, and decided to travel to Heilu County.
• Gao Xinjian’s group had settled in the abandoned county hospital, where he used threats and violence to force others to support his bicycle challenges.
• Gao Xinjian caught Kaxiu checking the replies to his post, destroyed his phone, and had his subordinates pin him down after Kaxiu attacked with a dagger.
• Guan Tong arrived and asked for Kaxiu, and the young man surnamed Wang shouted that he was the person Guan Tong had come to find.

Han Ling took Chen Na to complete a challenge project, but Gu Fei made her question whether the organization’s supporters were truly volunteers. Meanwhile, the Official Countermeasure Research Institute decided to prepare action against large supporter systems in the wilderness.

• Han Ling took Chen Na to a guarded wilderness camp, where Chen Na completed a challenge project funded by people seeking the organization’s protection.
• Gu Fei told Chen Na that Han Ling might be hiding enslaved supporters beneath the base, leaving Chen Na uncertain about whom to trust.
• Chen Na returned to her room and found that the base’s computers had no internet access, deepening her doubts about Han Ling’s explanations.
• At the Official Countermeasure Research Institute, Gao Liangwei and the experts discussed the spread of large supporter systems and agreed that the authorities should intervene.
• Dr. Zhang proposed deploying the Official Squads and Armed Forces to sweep challenge-project sites, and Gao Liangwei said he would report the proposal while keeping preparations confidential.

Guan Tong rescued Kaxiu from Gao Xinjian and his men, then claimed their abandoned bicycle challenges for himself. Back at Mingdao Mountain, he reflected on the provider system and reviewed news about Lucifer and celebrity Ascendants before deciding to keep dismantling domestic provider systems.

• Guan Tong confronted Gao Xinjian at Heilu County Hospital and killed him and the men restraining Kaxiu with his Shadow Blades.
• Guan Tong freed Kaxiu, warned the gathered people against taking Gao Xinjian’s place, and left the hospital.
• Guan Tong had Shadow transform into a bicycle and won the first-place spots in Gao Xinjian’s challenges.
• Guan Tong returned to Mingdao Mountain and read Kaxiu’s grateful update on the website.
• Guan Tong read a report that the Solloma Empire had declared Lucifer a serial killer and begun a manhunt, then considered the popularity of celebrity Ascendants.
• Guan Tong decided to keep pursuing first places and destroying domestic provider systems, though he did not feel guilty about exposing the hidden rules.

The authorities launched a nationwide crackdown on wilderness Provider Organizations while Guan Tong learned that Chen Na was imprisoned by one of them. He contacted Chen Na through her friend Qing Jin and prepared to speak with her while disguised as a young woman.

• Liu Yuqiang recalled Qingmei Base’s supply collection teams and suspected Han Ling’s urgent order was connected to the authorities’ response to Provider systems and Yu Feiwei’s disappearance.
• The authorities began Operation Wild Storm, destroying Provider Organizations with armed squads and air strikes as reports of the raids spread online.
• Guan Tong saw Qing Jin’s post about her imprisoned friend and recognized Chen Na from the challenge project names, then hid the thread to protect her.
• Guan Tong gave Qing Jin a tradable [Communication Scroll], and Qing Jin used it to contact Chen Na and send Guan Tong her Personal Terminal numerical ID.
• Guan Tong added Chen Na as a friend and used the [Passerby Transformation Device] to disguise himself as a young woman before using a [Communication Scroll] to contact her.

Chen Na secretly contacted Guan Tong through Qing Jin and revealed that her organization imprisoned Ascendants and possessed substantial weapons. Guan Tong located and infiltrated the mountain base, discovered nearly two thousand prisoners and hundreds of armed personnel, and prepared to eliminate the organization’s leaders and guards.

• Chen Na used a Communication Scroll to tell Guan Tong about her base, its weapons, and the Ascendants held there.
• Guan Tong decided not to alert the authorities and sent Shadow to search for the base near Nanlin Village.
• Shadow found the hidden facility inside the Yongzhou Mountain Range and infiltrated it past extensive surveillance.
• Guan Tong discovered that the base held nearly two thousand Ascendants in prison cells and employed roughly two hundred armed personnel and eighty guards.
• Guan Tong identified Han Ling as a likely manager and saw prominent entrepreneurs serving in leadership roles before deciding to eliminate the base’s worst offenders.

Guan Tong infiltrated Qingmei Base, subdued its manager Han Ling, and began hunting the staff who knowingly served the organization. After confronting Liu Yuqiang, he demanded to know whether he knew the Commander Han Ling had mentioned.

• Guan Tong used Shadow to kill the surveillance staff, disguised himself in a uniform, and photographed the surveillance room.
• Guan Tong entered Han Ling's office after an EMP Bullet stopped her alarm transmitter, then pinned her down despite her defensive artifact.
• Guan Tong learned Han Ling believed false intelligence that Shadow was an old man, and he fed her the claim that Shadow was a group before knocking her unconscious and binding her.
• Guan Tong took Han Ling's Highest Authority card and killed staff in nearby offices as he moved through the base.
• Guan Tong confronted Liu Yuqiang, blocked his attack with Shadow, and threatened to kill him unless he identified the Commander.

Guan Tong learned that the Green Plum Association’s elderly leader, Big Sister, was behind the kidnapping and exploitation of High Mind Power Users, while Liu Yuqiang took his own life after revealing what he knew. At the Countermeasure Research Institute, officials debated the risks of pursuing first-place finishes before dispatching forces to a large Provider Organization near the capital, only to be ordered to stand down.

• Liu Yuqiang told Guan Tong that Big Sister of the Green Plum Association had orchestrated kidnappings and used captives to provide Ascension Coins, items, and customized rules.
• Liu Yuqiang traded his Ascension Coins and Tradable Items to Guan Tong, named Han Ling as the link to Big Sister, and then shot himself.
• Gao Liangwei learned that Bai Xuewu had obtained only about twenty first-place finishes because she opposed taking other people's Mind Power, while Dragon Soul's team had collected many more.
• Dr. Zhang warned Gao Liangwei that pursuing first-place finishes might cause hidden consequences after the rule ended, and Gao Liangwei told him not to pressure Bai Xuewu.
• An intelligence officer reported a Provider Organization with more than two thousand victims in the Yongzhou Mountain Range, and Gao Liangwei dispatched First Squad with a five-hundred-man armed force.
• An unnamed caller ordered Gao Liangwei to withdraw the dispatched force, but Gao Liangwei said the troops had already boarded their aircraft.