Chapter Summaries

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou discovers a Last Will in a public restroom at Yuanmeng Middle School, written by someone who died there.
• He finds several Ritual Symbols hidden around the school, indicating that the school has a problem.
• Bai Zhou decides to investigate the school further and find a way to infiltrate it.
• Ya suggests that Bai Zhou replace the school's Psychological Teacher to gain access to the students.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou shows determination and caution in his investigation, understanding the gravity of the situation.
• Ya demonstrates her knowledge and experience, guiding Bai Zhou and providing him with useful information.

Significant Themes

• The taboo of crossing the boundary between life and death in the Extraordinary world.
• The contrast between the ordinary, youthful experiences of the students and the supernatural events happening at the school.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou eavesdrops on students discussing their experiences and troubles, highlighting the normalcy of their lives despite the supernatural events happening around them.
• Bai Zhou and Ya discuss their findings and plans, with Ya offering guidance and support to Bai Zhou.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Black Warriors infiltrate Star Tower, encountering and triggering Bai Zhou's traps.
• Bai Zhou uses a series of mechanical traps and explosions to hinder and weaken the Black Warriors.
• The Black Warriors reach the top floor, where Bai Zhou is waiting.
• Bai Zhou reveals that he has set up an alchemy experiment in the building.
• Bai Zhou jumps out of the twentieth-floor window, triggering a massive explosion that destroys the entire building.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou demonstrates his resourcefulness and strategic thinking in setting up traps and preparing for the Black Warriors' attack.
• Major Luo grows frustrated and angry as his plans are thwarted by Bai Zhou's traps.
• The Black Warriors show their resilience and determination in overcoming the traps, but suffer significant losses.
• The two Painters, a man and a woman, are revealed to be working with Major Luo and the Black Warriors.

Significant Themes

• The theme of preparation and strategy is emphasized through Bai Zhou's traps and the Black Warriors' infiltration.
• The power of perseverance and resilience is shown through the Black Warriors' determination to overcome obstacles.
• The consequences of failed experiments and the dangers of playing with fire are highlighted through Bai Zhou's alchemy experiment.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou interacts with the Black Warriors and the Painters, taunting them and revealing his plans.
• Major Luo interacts with his Male Secretary, discussing his plans and expressing his frustration.
• The Black Warriors and the Painters work together to infiltrate Star Tower and confront Bai Zhou.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou escapes the explosion by using his paraglider and acrobatic skills, landing on an air conditioner unit.
• He reflects on his injuries and the challenges ahead as a psychological teacher at Yuanmeng Middle School.
• The explosion at Star Tower is attributed to a gas leak by the authorities to calm the public.
• The Major is enraged by Bai Zhou's escape and the losses suffered by the Black Warriors and the Art Club.
• The Supervision Team from headquarters arrives at Branch 36, causing the Major to panic.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou demonstrates his resourcefulness and acrobatic skills in escaping the explosion.
• The Major becomes increasingly desperate and panicked due to Bai Zhou's escape and the arrival of the Supervision Team.
• The Female Artist, Sofonisba Anguissola, vows to personally kill Bai Zhou.

Significant Themes

• The theme of perseverance and adaptability is shown through Bai Zhou's determination to face any challenges that come his way.
• The theme of desperation and the consequences of poor decisions is demonstrated through the Major's actions and the arrival of the Supervision Team.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou interacts with Ya, his cat companion, and they discuss his new role as a psychological teacher.
• The Major interacts with the Female Artist, Sofonisba Anguissola, and the Secretary, discussing their plans and the arrival of the Supervision Team.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Major Luo is visited by the Supervision Team at night, who suspect him of hiding something and offer to help, but Major Luo declines.
• The Gem Witch decides to take matters into her own hands to catch Bai Zhou.
• Bai Zhou starts his new job as a psychological teacher at Yuanmeng Middle School.
• A student, Xiao Fang, seeks refuge in Bai Zhou's office, claiming to be hunted.

Character Developments

• Major Luo maintains a calm and collected demeanor, but sweats inexplicably when facing the Supervision Team, hinting at his nervousness or anxiety.
• The Gem Witch becomes more determined to catch Bai Zhou and claims the bounty.
• Bai Zhou struggles with his new identity as a psychological teacher and is nervous about his new job.
• Xiao Fang shows a vulnerable side, unlike her usual mature and poised demeanor, revealing that she is frightened and in danger.

Significant Themes

• Power Struggles: The Supervision Team's visit highlights the power dynamics and politics within the Authorities, with Major Luo trying to maintain control and independence.
• Trust and Suspicion: The Supervision Team's suspicion of Major Luo raises questions about trust and loyalty within the Authorities.
• Identity and Disguise: Bai Zhou's new identity as a psychological teacher and his use of disguise to infiltrate the school explore the theme of identity and the consequences of hiding one's true self.

Character Interactions

• Major Luo and the Supervision Team's leader have a tense yet polite exchange, with the leader hinting at his suspicion of Major Luo's actions.
• Bai Zhou interacts with the Dean of Studies and the Director, who welcome him warmly but are puzzled by his quiet and reserved demeanor.
• Bai Zhou's interaction with Xiao Fang is brief but reveals her fear and desperation, while Bai Zhou is put on high alert by her news.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A mysterious Maiden, later identified as Class Monitor Xiao Fang, claims to be hunted by an alien ultimate weapon, seeking help from Bai Zhou, the new Psychological Teacher.
• Xiao Fang recounts the school's Ghost Story, "Kao Shi Wang", an entity that appears during exam seasons, causing students to study hard out of anxiety.
• Bai Zhou investigates the Small Forest where Xiao Fang encountered "Kao Shi Wang" but finds nothing unusual.
• He learns that the Dean of Studies believes "Kao Shi Wang" is a manifestation of students' mental state and not a real threat.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou: Starts as an Extraordinary investigating the school, but shifts his focus to his role as a Psychological Teacher after realizing the potential harm to students' mental health.
• Xiao Fang: Initially appears anxious and scared, but later shows resilience and willingness to help Bai Zhou understand the "Kao Shi Wang" phenomenon.

Significant Themes

• Mental Health: Bai Zhou's primary concern, as he aims to help students cope with academic pressure and anxiety.
• The Power of Belief: The students' belief in "Kao Shi Wang" drives them to study harder, highlighting the influence of collective belief on individual behavior.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou and Xiao Fang: They form a temporary alliance, with Xiao Fang providing information about "Kao Shi Wang" and Bai Zhou offering support and protection.
• Bai Zhou and the Dean of Studies: They discuss the "Kao Shi Wang" legend, with the Dean of Studies providing a different perspective on its existence and impact on students.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Xiaoyan's existence is questioned, with students claiming they've never heard of her.
• Bai Zhou finds a future self-portrait of Fang Xiaoyan, signed as "Fang Xiaoxia," in the Small Forest.
• A panicked "Fang Xiaoyan" appears, seeking Bai Zhou's help against Kao Shi Wang, who has targeted another student.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou: Struggles with the mysterious circumstances surrounding Fang Xiaoyan and Fang Xiaoxia, leading to uncertainty and doubt.
• "Fang Xiaoyan": Shows vulnerability and desperation, pleading for Bai Zhou's help against Kao Shi Wang.

Significant Themes

• Identity and existence: The question of whether Fang Xiaoyan and Fang Xiaoxia are the same person or related, and whether Fang Xiaoyan truly exists.
• Urgency and desperation: The sense of immediacy and helplessness felt by "Fang Xiaoyan" as she seeks Bai Zhou's assistance.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou and "Fang Xiaoyan": Their interaction is tense and uncertain, with Bai Zhou questioning "Fang Xiaoyan's" true identity and intentions, while she desperately seeks his help.
• Bai Zhou and the students: Bai Zhou interacts with students who claim they've never heard of Fang Xiaoyan, adding to his confusion and doubt.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jia Tingting, a once-proud student, struggles with her academics due to intense pressure and auditory hallucinations.
• She experiences a mental breakdown and attempts suicide in the school restroom.
• Two teachers, Bai Zhou and another, discover her and intervene, saving her life.

Character Developments

• Jia Tingting: Struggles with academic pressure, auditory hallucinations, and a mental breakdown. She attempts suicide but is saved by the teachers.
• Bai Zhou: Shows concern and intervention for Jia Tingting's well-being, demonstrating his role as a caring teacher.

Significant Themes

• Academic Pressure: Jia Tingting's struggle with high expectations and intense pressure from her parents, teachers, and peers.
• Mental Health: Jia Tingting's auditory hallucinations and eventual mental breakdown highlight the importance of mental health, especially in high-pressure environments.
• Intervention and Support: Bai Zhou's intervention and support for Jia Tingting emphasize the importance of caring and supportive figures in helping those in need.

Character Interactions

• Jia Tingting and her "self": Jia Tingting interacts with a manifestation of her own thoughts and pressures, which ultimately leads to her breakdown.
• Jia Tingting and Bai Zhou: Bai Zhou's intervention and support save Jia Tingting's life, showing his concern and care for her well-being.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Xiaoyan and Bai Zhou confront Kao Shi Wang, the monster terrorizing Yuanmeng Middle School.
• Kao Shi Wang reveals its true form, a mummified monster covered in test papers.
• Bai Zhou battles Kao Shi Wang, using his Extraordinary Equipment and skills.
• Kao Shi Wang summons six ghosts, its "Seven Heroes Under the King," to aid it.
• Bai Zhou uses his [Sooth] and [Light] abilities to free the ghosts from Kao Shi Wang's control.
• Bai Zhou defeats Kao Shi Wang using his Moon Ember technique.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou: Shows his strength and skill in battle, using his Extraordinary Equipment and abilities to defeat Kao Shi Wang. He also demonstrates his resilience against mental attacks.
• Fang Xiaoyan: Witnesses Bai Zhou's power and begins to understand that there are other ways to deal with Kao Shi Wang besides her own methods.
• Kao Shi Wang: Reveals its true form and summons its "Seven Heroes Under the King" to aid it. It becomes increasingly desperate as Bai Zhou gains the upper hand.

Significant Themes

• The pressure of studying and the expectations placed on students.
• The consequences of pushing students too hard and not considering their well-being.
• The importance of understanding and empathy in dealing with others' suffering.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou and Fang Xiaoyan: Work together to defeat Kao Shi Wang, with Bai Zhou taking the lead in the battle. Fang Xiaoyan provides support and information about Kao Shi Wang.
• Bai Zhou and Kao Shi Wang: Engage in a fierce battle, with Bai Zhou using his skills and equipment to gain the upper hand. Kao Shi Wang becomes increasingly desperate as Bai Zhou's power becomes apparent.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou, the mysterious teacher, defeats Kao Shi Wang, a powerful entity possessing a student, using a secret technique and the power of the "heart."
• The six students who had been controlled by Kao Shi Wang are released and their spirits find peace.
• Bai Zhou receives a "59 Point Paper Airplane" from the students, which grants him a new ability and understanding.
• Jia Tingting, a student who witnessed the battle, is hypnotized by Bai Zhou to forget the events and relieve her academic pressure.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou demonstrates his strength and compassion, using his powers to help the students and defeat Kao Shi Wang. He also gains a new ability and insight.
• Jia Tingting, though frightened, is ultimately helped by Bai Zhou to overcome her academic pressure and find happiness.

Significant Themes

• The power of the "heart" and its role in an Extraordinary's development.
• The importance of self-love, happiness, and not being overly obsessed with academic pressure, as demonstrated by Bai Zhou's hypnotic command to Jia Tingting.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou interacts with the spirits of the six students, understanding their plight and helping them find release.
• He also interacts with Jia Tingting, using hypnosis to help her overcome her academic pressure and find happiness.
• Fang Xiaoyan, another teacher, witnesses Bai Zhou's actions but misunderstands his intentions.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou discovers the "Exam King Uniform" possesses extraordinary abilities, including resistance to bewitchment and enhancement of bewitching abilities.
• He learns that the uniform might have originated from an anomaly in the Reflection Ruins Realm and speculates about its potential effects if he were to wear it and enter that realm.
• Fang Xiaoyan, revealed to be an anomaly herself, explains her origins and the battle between her and Kao Shi Wang. She tells Bai Zhou that she will disappear now that Kao Shi Wang is dead.
• Bai Zhou and Fang Xiaoyan take a walk around the campus, with Fang Xiaoyan sharing her memories and experiences as Class Monitor Xiao Fang.
• Fang Xiaoyan asks Bai Zhou to tell her past self to be confident and to believe in her abilities. She then disappears, leaving behind a notebook.
• The notebook on the ground resonates with the one under Bai Zhou's feet.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou: He continues to demonstrate his psychological insight and empathy, showing understanding and support for Fang Xiaoyan's situation. He also shows curiosity about the potential power of the Exam King Uniform.
• Fang Xiaoyan: She reveals her true nature and the extent of her efforts to protect the students of Yuanmeng Middle School. She expresses relief at her impending disappearance and asks Bai Zhou to convey a message to her past self.

Significant Themes

• The power of belief and self-confidence.
• The struggle against negativity and the importance of positivity.
• The consequences of one's actions and the impact on others.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou and Fang Xiaoyan: They share a moment of understanding and connection as they walk around the campus. Fang Xiaoyan entrusts Bai Zhou with her final message to her past self.
• Bai Zhou and the students: Though not directly interacting, the students' relief and sadness upon the departure of Fang Xiaoyan indicate the impact she had on them, even if they were unaware of her existence.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou's school uniform and Fang Xiaoyan's notebook emit light and form a link, reflecting a faint, incomplete school projection.
• Bai Zhou discovers that the notebook belongs to Fang Xiaoxia, Fang Xiaoyan's departed ideal, and contains her childhood dreams and aspirations.
• He finds a torn page in the notebook, which fits perfectly with the drawing of "Class Monitor Xiao Fang" he picked up earlier.
• Bai Zhou learns that Fang Xiaoyan's final wish for Fang Xiaoxia to become a strong adult remains unfulfilled.
• He hears students discussing a campus-wide power outage due to a toilet explosion.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou shows empathy and understanding as he reads Fang Xiaoyan's notebook, feeling her dedication and hard work.
• He decides to help complete Fang Xiaoyan's unfinished business and rewards her efforts with a red flower grade in her notebook.

Significant Themes

• The power of dreams and aspirations, as seen through Fang Xiaoyan's list of wishes.
• The impact of a single person's actions on a community, demonstrated by Fang Xiaoyan's influence on her schoolmates.
• The importance of recognition and validation, as Bai Zhou gives Fang Xiaoyan's efforts a "red flower" grade.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou interacts with the memories and belongings of Fang Xiaoyan, feeling a sense of connection and responsibility towards her.
• He overhears students discussing a campus incident, showing his continued involvement with the school's affairs.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Dead Sea Scrolls react to Fang Xiaoyan’s abandoned notebook, drawing pale-golden remnants of her essence into its pages. Although Bai Zhou still cannot access the Scrolls’ locked later sections, he realizes that part of Fang Xiaoyan may have been preserved.
• Bai Zhou begins to hope that the Dead Sea Scrolls might eventually contain a method to restore Fang Xiaoyan, even though he recognizes the danger of interfering with life and death.
• Ya finds Bai Zhou still at school and notices his exhaustion. Bai Zhou tells her about Fang Xiaoyan’s disappearance. Ya comforts him by comparing Fang Xiaoyan’s departure to a bittersweet farewell in a small Human Material story, arguing that some beautiful encounters only need to happen once.
• Ya warns Bai Zhou against attempting resurrection-related techniques, citing Dr. Diyi’s fate and the dangers of forbidden rituals.
• Ya explains that the Ritual Symbols Bai Zhou discovered were not newly created. They were remnants of a completed medium-sized Ritual that had been abandoned and later reawakened by accumulated emotions at the school.
• The original Ritual likely transported students from the Present World into Yuanmeng Middle School in the Reflection Ruins Realm. When it activated in reverse, it instead produced Fang Xiaoyan and Kao Shi Wang—intelligent anomalies who were likely unintended byproducts.
• Bai Zhou and Ya connect this scheme to the Major and to the disappearances associated with Evening City. Bai Zhou suspects that students and teachers who vanished from Yuanmeng Middle School years earlier were also transported into the Reflection Ruins Realm.
• Bai Zhou confirms through the school’s gatekeeper that multiple disappearances occurred five or six years earlier. The Ritual’s completion, Fang Xiaoyan and Kao Shi Wang’s creation, and the school’s sudden rise in academic prestige all occurred around the same time, suggesting a deliberate connection.
• Ya performs a divination concerning the Reflection Ruins Realm. Bai Zhou sees a horrifying vision of the ruined school: monstrous teachers, dangerous buildings, purple mushrooms, living mathematical formulas, and other supernatural threats.
• The vision leads to an abandoned teaching building containing a vast mass of conjoined flesh, forming a beating Meat Mountain. At its center hangs a serene woman upside down, surrounded by black markings and mysterious symbols.
• Bai Zhou recognizes the Hanging Girl as the mysterious classmate from Fang Xiaoxia’s graduation photograph—the forgotten girl who left behind a Last Will.
• The Major appears, bringing Dolls containing Human Material. He feeds the material to blood-vessel-like appendages emerging from the Meat Mountain. The vessels resemble the F-Class Black Box known as [Legacy of Blood Thirst], but in a much more powerful and developed form.
• The chapter ends with Bai Zhou realizing that the Major is actively feeding the Hanging Girl and the Meat Mountain, confirming his involvement in the terrifying scheme.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou: Becomes emotionally affected by Fang Xiaoyan’s disappearance and develops a cautious hope that she may be recoverable. His suspicions about the Major grow into a concrete investigation linking the school, the Reflection Ruins Realm, Evening City, and the Blood Worship Cult. His divination vision also reveals the scale of the threat he faces.
• Ya: Acts as Bai Zhou’s emotional support and supernatural adviser. She balances comfort with stern warnings about forbidden life-and-death techniques. Her investigation shifts from examining the Ritual Symbols to uncovering their original purpose, and she takes the decisive step of divining the Reflection Ruins Realm.
• Fang Xiaoyan: Though gone, she may not be entirely lost; a remnant of her essence now exists within the Dead Sea Scrolls. Her disappearance continues to influence Bai Zhou’s choices and discoveries.
• The Major: Is revealed as more deeply involved than previously suspected. He is not merely connected to the school’s mysteries but is personally supplying Human Material to the Hanging Girl and the Meat Mountain.
• The Hanging Girl: Is identified as the mysterious forgotten student from Fang Xiaoxia’s past. Her connection to the Meat Mountain and the feeding ritual suggests she is central to the Major’s plan.
• Fang Xiaoxia: Remains indirectly important through the graduation photograph and her connection to the Hanging Girl, whose identity she has somehow forgotten.

Significant Themes

• Farewell and remembrance: Ya argues that a meaningful encounter retains value even if it ends in separation, while Bai Zhou’s discovery that Fang Xiaoyan may remain within the Scrolls complicates the idea of accepting her death.
• The dangers of reversing death: The chapter repeatedly emphasizes that resurrection and boundary-crossing rituals are dangerous taboos with consequences even for powerful practitioners.
• Hidden history and recurring patterns: The school’s present anomalies, past disappearances, Evening City, and the Major’s activities appear to be parts of a larger repeating scheme involving the Reflection Ruins Realm.
• Corruption of education and achievement: Yuanmeng Middle School’s rise to academic dominance coincides with disappearances and supernatural experimentation, suggesting that its success may have been built on concealed sacrifice.
• Human exploitation: Human Material is treated as fuel for supernatural entities, revealing the brutal commodification of people within the Mystic World.
• The unknown behind appearances: Fang Xiaoyan, the Hanging Girl, the abandoned Ritual, and the Major all demonstrate that seemingly ordinary people and institutions conceal vast, disturbing truths.

Important Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou and Ya: Their conversation combines grief, reassurance, warning, and investigation. Ya comforts Bai Zhou over Fang Xiaoyan but insists he must not recklessly pursue resurrection.
• Bai Zhou and the gatekeeper: Bai Zhou uses cigarettes to obtain information about the school’s historical disappearances, confirming his suspicions.
• Bai Zhou and the divination vision: Through Ya’s Crystal Ball, Bai Zhou witnesses the Reflection Ruins Realm and identifies the Hanging Girl and the Major.
• The Major and the Hanging Girl/Meat Mountain: The Major performs a submissive ritual and feeds Human Material to the flesh mass, indicating both reverence and an ongoing cooperative or sacrificial relationship.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou and Ya use a Crystal Ball for divination, revealing a Demon Summoning ritual in progress at Yuanmeng Middle School in the Reflection Ruins Realm.
• They learn about an emergency broadcast from the Disaster Prevention Agency, recruiting Extraordinary individuals to help suppress the unrest at the school.
• Bai Zhou decides to infiltrate the school by wearing the school uniform and notebook, posing as an "anomalous middle school student."

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou demonstrates maturity and resolve, accepting the risks involved in infiltrating the school to gather evidence against Major Luo.
• Ya shows concern for Bai Zhou's safety and tries to prepare him for the potential dangers ahead.

Significant Themes

• Fate and prophecy: The divination reveals a possible future, but the outcome is not set in stone. Bai Zhou must still make his own choices and face the consequences.
• Growth and courage: Bai Zhou acknowledges the risks but decides to face them head-on, demonstrating his determination and resilience.
• The struggle between good and evil: The Demon Summoning ritual represents the dark forces at work, while the Disaster Prevention Agency and Bai Zhou represent those trying to stop it.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou and Ya work together to interpret the divination and plan their next move.
• Bai Zhou shares his thoughts and fears with Ya, showing trust in their partnership.
• Ya offers guidance and support to Bai Zhou, helping him prepare for the challenges ahead.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou, as Black Cat, travels to West City District to set up a ritual.
• He senses danger and changes his plan, avoiding a Black Warrior ambush.
• A female assassin, Sofonisba Anguissola, finds and confronts Bai Zhou.
• She uses her secret art, [The Rain of Mannerism], to disrupt Bai Zhou's rituals.
• Bai Zhou reveals that he has prepared stickers with pre-set rituals, unaffected by her art.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou demonstrates adaptability and resourcefulness, using cheap and readily available materials for his rituals.
• Sofonisba Anguissola shows confidence and cunning in her approach to combat, but underestimates Bai Zhou's resourcefulness.

Significant Themes

• The theme of adaptability and resourcefulness is highlighted through Bai Zhou's use of simple, readily available materials for his rituals.
• The theme of underestimation is shown through Sofonisba Anguissola's assumption that Bai Zhou's rituals are easily disrupted.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou and Sofonisba Anguissola engage in a tense standoff, with Bai Zhou using wit and deception to gain the upper hand.
• Their interaction reveals Sofonisba's overconfidence and Bai Zhou's resourcefulness and adaptability.

Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou encounters Anguishola, an assassin from the Art Club, at an abandoned villa.
• Anguishola reveals she can track Bai Zhou due to his unique scent.
• Bai Zhou uses a Life-Stealing ritual to fake his death and escape, but Anguishola survives and returns using her secret art, [Death Portrait].
• Bai Zhou returns to finish off Anguishola, using his saber and a makeshift spear with an attached flashlight and revolver.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou demonstrates his resourcefulness and adaptability in combat, using various weapons and tactics to outmaneuver Anguishola.
• Anguishola shows her resilience and cunning, surviving Bai Zhou's initial attack and returning to fight him again.

Significant Themes

• The theme of deception and misdirection is prominent, with both characters trying to gain an advantage through trickery and surprise attacks.
• The theme of perseverance is also evident, as both characters refuse to give up despite their injuries and the dire situation.

Character Interactions

• The interaction between Bai Zhou and Anguishola is tense and filled with mutual respect and animosity, as they both recognize each other's strength and skill.
• Bai Zhou's use of taunts and warnings during combat shows his confidence and desire to provoke Anguishola into making mistakes.
• Anguishola's frustration and disbelief at Bai Zhou's continued survival and resourcefulness highlight her growing desperation and vulnerability.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou defeats [Anguishola] using a chain reaction of three Extraordinary Weapons.
• He discovers a parchment scroll on [Anguishola]'s corpse and hides it in his wooden horse.
• Bai Zhou senses danger approaching and decides to take a detour.
• An old man, Feng Xingyuan, an A+-rank Fugitive, is tracking Bai Zhou.
• Gem Witch appears and confronts Feng Xingyuan, preventing him from pursuing Bai Zhou.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou shows growth in his combat skills and strategic thinking, managing to defeat [Anguishola].
• Bai Zhou's concern over his Spirituality's recovery hints at his desire to become stronger.
• Feng Xingyuan is introduced as a formidable and sinister opponent, driven by his desire to "eat" geniuses.
• Gem Witch demonstrates her determination and initiative in pursuing fugitives, showing her ambition to earn rewards.

Significant Themes

• Strength and Growth: Bai Zhou's desire to become stronger to face future challenges and enemies.
• Predation and Pursuit: Feng Xingyuan's predatory nature and Gem Witch's pursuit of fugitives for rewards.
• Uncertainty and Danger: The lingering sense of danger and uncertainty that keeps Bai Zhou on edge.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou and [Anguishola]'s intense battle and its aftermath.
• Feng Xingyuan's interaction with Gem Witch, revealing his sinister nature and her determination to capture him.
• The potential interaction between Bai Zhou and Feng Xingyuan is interrupted by Gem Witch's appearance.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A fierce battle occurs between the Gem Witch and Old Toad (Feng Xingyuan) on the rooftop of the night market's snack street.
• The Gem Witch, revealed to be a Level 5 Destined One with the [Trickster] path, easily defeats Feng Xingyuan.
• Feng Xingyuan attempts to escape but is stopped by the Gem Witch using a genuine gemstone and her belt, which seems connected to a mysterious Forbidden Canon.
• After a brief struggle, Feng Xingyuan is incinerated by the Gem Witch's [Ruby, Ignition Technique].
• Unaware of the battle, Bai Zhou returns to Ya with a mysterious parchment scroll found on [Anguishola].
• The scroll reveals a [Painter] Pathway, accompanied by a warning about the risks of losing oneself within the painting.

Character Developments

• The Gem Witch's true power and status as a Level 5 Destined One are revealed.
• Feng Xingyuan's true form as a toad is shown, and his desire to escape and survive becomes apparent.
• Bai Zhou demonstrates his resourcefulness and determination by finding the parchment scroll.
• Ya shows concern for Bai Zhou's safety and interest in the parchment's contents.

Significant Themes

• The power of Destiny and the dangers of overreliance on it.
• The consequences of one's actions and the unintended consequences they may have on others.
• The risks and rewards of exploration and discovery.

Character Interactions

• The Gem Witch and Feng Xingyuan engage in a fierce battle, showcasing their respective powers and determination.
• Bai Zhou and Ya interact, with Ya expressing concern for Bai Zhou's safety and both sharing curiosity about the parchment's contents.
• The Gem Witch and Feng Xingyuan's interaction hints at a larger power dynamic and the Gem Witch's connection to a mysterious Forbidden Canon.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhou and Ya discover an ancient parchment scroll detailing the [Painter] Path, an inheritance from the [Art Club].
• The Path involves role-playing as famous painters, stealing their fortune, strength, and Path traits through a ritual.
• The parchment scroll is incomplete, with only up to Level 4 details, and its origin is uncertain.
• Bai Zhou finds an Extraordinary Brush, a potential treasure for Ritualists, which he believes is incomplete and part of a set.
• Bai Zhou secretly enters the Deep Ruins Realm of "Jurassic" using the [Jurassic Pass].

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou: Becomes more cautious and strategic in his plans. Shows interest in the potential of the Extraordinary Brush and the [Painter] Path.
• Ya: Demonstrates analytical skills by noticing the differences in handwriting on the parchment scroll. Shows concern for Bai Zhou's safety and growth.

Significant Themes

• The [Painter] Path: Its mysterious nature, potential power, and the ethical implications of 'stealing' identities and traits from historical painters.
• Caution and Preparation: Bai Zhou's approach to facing the Authorities' campaign and the Art Club's assassinations.
• Uncertain Origins: The ancient parchment scroll's unclear history and authorship, hinting at a deeper secret.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou and Ya: They work together to decipher the parchment scroll, with Ya providing insights and Bai Zhou sharing his experiences and thoughts.
• Bai Zhou and the Art Club: Their relationship remains tense, with Bai Zhou fearing their reaction to his possession of the parchment scroll.

Summary: Forbidden Ancient Script! Pilgrims and the Elite Assessment!

1. Key Plot Points

• Bai Zhou finishes looting the Ruins Realm wasteland, collecting "junk" and blackened "ashes" before activating his Adventurer token.
• A Rainbow Light Pillar descends, guiding him off the cliff (revealed to be a Teleport Anchor) and up to the Inverted Giant City in the sky.
• He navigates a winding path filled with traps (poisoned crossbow bolts, tripwires, spike lanterns, gargoyles), showcasing his improved skills, and collects a few trap items along the way.
• Arriving at the Sun Temple, he finds the door sealed by an indestructible Bronze Giant Lock that ignores his token and his strongest saber attacks.
• In desperation, he uses a half-learned Forbidden Ancient Script written with his Extraordinary Brush. This summons a black whirlwind of demons and blood-red lightning that obliterates the lock—proving the script is "erased" by the world itself, making it an unstoppable lock-breaking bomb.
• The brush gains a crack, and Bai Zhou notes he can rarely use this method again. He briefly wishes he could use it on his enemy, Major Luo.
• Entering the temple, the token is drawn out and scans him, declaring him the sole pilgrim in countless years (destiny: [Chen]), upgrading the token to silver.
• A deep scan follows, declaring him qualified for the Elite Assessment because his height (five feet five inches) exceeds three feet. The token upgrades to gold.
• He is teleported to a vast enclosed space filled with white bone skeletons (presumed former examinees) and crimson flowers—which are actually writhing Last Wills (final grudges) carpeting the floor.

2. Character Developments

• Bai Zhou has fully grown from a naive youth into a seasoned professional: a wanted A+ fugitive, demolition expert, and half-trap-master. He shows pragmatic greed, resourcefulness under pressure, and a willingness to take calculated risks for power.
• He displays clever lateral thinking (using forbidden knowledge as a destructive tool) and caution (immediately fleeing, limiting use of the brush).
• His backstory connection to the wasteland deepens—he finds the world of death warmer and more tranquil than the living world above.

3. Significant Themes

• Forbidden Knowledge as a double-edged sword: The Forbidden Ancient Script is powerful and indestructible in effect, but costly and dangerous to use—it damages his brush, summons demons, and nearly drags him into the black mist.
• Progression through trials: The path, the traps, the locked door, and now the assessment—all test his growth and readiness.
• The dead world still holds ancient, intelligent systems: The Divine Hall's automated assessment reacts to his very "destiny," suggesting a civilization that prepared for future pilgrims.
• Sacrifice and risk for ambition: Bai Zhou risks his life and treasures (the brush) to obtain the Adventurer Path inheritance.

4. Character Interactions

• No direct dialogue with living characters. Bai Zhou acts alone.
• Skeleton General Ale (off-screen, via memory) is referenced for giving him the token and the Sun Temple tip.
• The Divine Hall's Mechanical Voice interacts with him, delivering cold, emotionless scan results and initiating the assessment—the only direct communication in the chapter.

Key Plot Points & Events

• Bai Zhou awakens trapped in a sealed chamber of the Divine Hall. His attempt to break the wall with Moon Ember Sacred Oath Slash fails completely.
• A mechanical voice announces an "Elite Assessment": he must learn the first three forms of Basic Nine Slashes from wall engravings within 36 hours and use them to break out.
• The chamber is littered with bones and blood-written Last Wills of previous failed examinees—many containing insights about the technique.
• The wall dispenses a green "Nutrient Solution" to sustain training; Bai Zhou drinks it, enhancing his strength and mental clarity.
• Treating the scattered Last Wills as guidance, Bai Zhou studies the 81 patterns, fusing them into nine Sun Wheel forms, then into one.
• He hits a bottleneck, then realizes the technique is about "illuminating shadows," not slaying enemies. He severs his inner shadow, unlocking true "qi."
• He unleashes a warm, sunlight-like slash that leaves the first scorched mark on the wall—fully mastering the First Form.
• The chapter ends with his confirming his advancement to Level 3 Destined One (Adventurer).

Character Developments

• Bai Zhou displays rapid adaptability: from panic to resolve, he embraces the impossible deadline.
• He learns to trust inherited wisdom, using the Last Wills as stepping stones—collaborating with the dead across time.
• His breakthrough marks growth not just in power, but in understanding: the sun must illuminate shadows; he overcomes an internal obstacle rather than purely brute force.
• He transforms from reliant on a single powerful move to a more systematic, foundational understanding of martial arts.

Significant Themes

• Survival through learning: Knowledge (from patterns and Last Wills) is as vital as raw strength.
• Light vs. shadow: Inner darkness must be confronted before external power can be unleashed.
• Legacy and sacrifice: Previous failures become the keys to another's success.
• Time pressure and isolation: A hopeless deadline forces extreme focus and innovation.
• Foundational mastery: What is called "basic" proves profound, hinting at a much larger inheritance.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhou interacts mainly with the mechanical voice of the Divine Hall, which gives terse instructions.
• He engages with the wall engravings—hundreds of figures that seem to come alive.
• He communes with past examinees through their blood-written Last Wills, treating their mistakes and breakthroughs as active guidance.
• No living human appears; the chamber itself is a hostile yet instructive opponent.