Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• After ten minutes, Lin Qing calms down and apologizes for squeezing Chen Xuan too hard.
• Chen asks what happened aboard Space City. Lin explains that the six-legged mech was a Nano-Lifeform: an intelligent, self-aware being formed from Nanoworm Technology. Nano-Lifeforms once caused widespread disasters, but their apparent rebellions were a diversion from their real goal: bringing down Crystal Palace.
• Crystal Palace’s Annihilation Reaction Core would devastate Earth if it struck intact, potentially sterilizing the surface. Lin and nineteen teammates tried to stop it, but all of them died before Chen’s intervention left Lin as the sole survivor.
• Lin insists the catastrophe is still preventable because the enemies already exist in Chen’s era. She says she checked the internet and recognizes this period from her memories.
• She identifies the Dimensional Limit Organization, a secret group that monitors and detains people with abilities. Lin says she belonged to it in her future, but now believes its approach failed and that the organization must be stopped.
• Lin proposes that she and Chen work together to change humanity’s fate. Chen refuses, telling her to get a job and repay the damage to his shop; he doubts they can—or should—try to prevent a disaster supposedly a century away.

Character developments

• Lin Qing moves from grief over her lost team to determined urgency. Her experience has made her reject the organization she once served, and she sees Chen as a necessary ally.
• Chen Xuan listens and shows some sympathy, but remains skeptical and practical. He questions Lin’s evidence and refuses to take responsibility for saving the world.

Significant themes

• Fate versus intervention: Lin believes the future can be changed; Chen questions whether her future applies to his world.
• The costs of technology: Nanoworm Technology’s benefits gave rise to intelligent threats, while Crystal Palace’s power source could destroy the biosphere.
• Trust and responsibility: Lin asks Chen to commit to a world-saving mission; he insists that extraordinary claims do not automatically make it his duty.
• Institutions and control: Lin’s disillusionment with the Dimensional Limit Organization raises questions about whether controlling people with abilities can truly protect society.

Character interactions

• Lin’s gratitude is physically affectionate, while Chen responds with concern and questions about her past.
• She shares the history of the Nano-Lifeforms and Crystal Palace, then warns him about the organization that may target independent ability users.
• Lin reaches out to Chen as a partner. He rejects the offer and redirects their relationship toward repayment for the shop damage, leaving their potential alliance unresolved.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Xuan assesses Lin Qing’s value as a customer: she has only two remaining abilities, while her cybernetic enhancements do not count as abilities to the Ability Store. Though sympathetic, he refuses to help her oppose the powerful Dimensional Limit Organization.
• Lin Qing offers an alternative: her memory contains classified records of erosion incidents and ability users, which could help Chen Xuan acquire abilities. She identifies an upcoming incident involving Fei Wuniang, a dangerous criminal, at an abandoned club in two days.
• Lin Qing sends Chen Xuan the file using her advanced communications technology. She argues that the incidents are evidence of a future catastrophe caused by Nanoworm Technology, and offers the abilities of intruders in exchange for his help.
• Two days later, Chen Xuan goes alone to the abandoned Lushui Club. Lin Qing stays behind because her injuries prevent her from fighting, but guides him through an earpiece.
• At the club, Chen Xuan confirms that the building matches the recent photo in Lin Qing’s file. This lends credibility to her claim that her ruined future may be this world’s future. He enters and heads toward the second-floor erosion point, having used Heavenly Cloud Skill to verify that the building is empty.

Character developments

• Chen Xuan remains cautious and self-interested, reluctant to challenge a powerful organization for a distant, uncertain threat. Still, Lin Qing’s offer and the matching evidence make him willing to investigate.
• Lin Qing proves resourceful, technologically capable, and ruthless when proposing that Chen Xuan take abilities from criminals. She also reveals a pragmatic morality shaped by the lawless world she came from: she has killed to survive but tried to spare bystanders.
• Fei Wuniang, though absent, is introduced as a criminal responsible for dozens of deaths. Lin Qing complicates the picture by explaining that the organization sought to capture her alive, and that she died during the ensuing conflict.

Significant themes

• Trust and verification: Chen Xuan does not accept Lin Qing’s claims on faith; the file and the matching location offer a way to test them.
• Pragmatism versus responsibility: Chen Xuan weighs immediate risk against a potential future catastrophe, while Lin Qing urges him to act before it is too late.
• Justice and containment: The Dimensional Limit Organization prioritizes stabilizing the world and capturing targets, rather than serving as a conventional law-enforcement or justice system.
• Moral compromise and survival: Lin Qing’s willingness to use force reflects the brutal conditions of her future, while the chapter questions whether good intentions can justify extreme methods.

Character interactions

• Chen Xuan refuses Lin Qing’s initial request, but listens when she proposes supplying him with ability users from her records.
• Lin Qing presses him to help by warning that billions could die if history repeats itself; Chen Xuan remains skeptical but agrees to investigate the first case.
• During the trip and entry into the club, Chen Xuan and Lin Qing coordinate remotely. Their exchange about Fei Wuniang’s death reveals differing concerns: Chen Xuan focuses on the outcome, while Lin Qing explains the organization’s aims and the dangers of combat.

Chapter Summary: “Superpower Showdown”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xuan and Lin Qing investigate an abandoned unlicensed club containing an undiscovered Erosion Point.
• Lin Qing explains how the Dimensional Limit Organization detects Erosion Points, why many remain hidden, and why the anomalies tend to cluster geographically.
• The chapter clarifies the nature of other worlds: they resemble alternate versions of Earth, linked to particular historical or thematic settings.
• Chen Xuan learns about three categories of ability users:
  • Hidden: People with abilities who remain unaware of them.
  • Awakened: Those who consciously use their abilities for personal gain.
  • Wanderers: Rare ability users who repeatedly travel between worlds and are especially dangerous.
• Fei Wuniang is identified as a Wanderer whose repeated crossings caused the organization to detect her Erosion Point.
• Chen Xuan waits near the Erosion Point instead of entering it, hoping to avoid alerting the organization.
• Fei Wuniang emerges from the bathroom doorway. Though she appears frightened and vulnerable, Chen Xuan’s Voice of Trust detects overwhelming malice.
• Fei immediately attacks with a semitransparent chain, apparently using her Strong Seize ability to kill ordinary people or steal abilities from other users.
• She follows the attack with gunfire, but Chen Xuan uses the Divine Eye Method to predict and evade her shots.
• Chen Xuan grabs her, punches her hard enough to break several teeth, and forces her away from the Erosion Point, leaving her unable to escape back into the other world.

Character Developments

• Chen Xuan demonstrates increasing knowledge of the supernatural world and greater confidence in combat. He combines several abilities—Divine Eye Method, Golden Cicada Shell, Thousand Thoughts Sword, Heavenly Cloud Skill, and the Scanner Gun—to prepare for the confrontation.
• His ability to read malice through the Voice of Trust allows him to see through Fei Wuniang’s deceptive appearance.
• Chen Xuan also reveals a thoughtful side when he considers Lin Qing’s dependence on her belief that the alternate worlds correspond exactly to Earth’s history.
• Lin Qing acts as Chen Xuan’s guide and tactical adviser. Her serious concern contrasts with Chen Xuan’s occasional teasing, especially when he jokes about needing to use the restroom.
• Fei Wuniang is established as manipulative, dangerous, and highly deceptive. Her alluring appearance and feigned vulnerability conceal extreme hostility and a willingness to attack without hesitation.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Fei Wuniang presents herself as helpless, but her true nature is revealed through her malicious intent and immediate attack.
• The danger of hidden supernatural forces: Erosion Points are widespread, difficult to detect, and capable of quietly transforming ordinary people and environments.
• Faith and uncertainty: Lin Qing’s belief in the correspondence between worlds may be shaken if the worlds prove different, raising questions about how people cope when their guiding convictions collapse.
• Control and boundaries: The organization avoids interfering with other worlds because doing so can worsen invasions, while Chen Xuan possesses unusual freedom through the Ability Store.
• Preparation versus deception: The confrontation emphasizes the importance of gathering intelligence, recognizing traps, and using abilities strategically rather than trusting appearances.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xuan and Lin Qing maintain a cooperative but playful relationship. She gives him serious warnings, while he deliberately jokes to unsettle her.
• Lin Qing warns Chen Xuan not to trust Fei Wuniang’s vulnerable act, correctly anticipating her deception.
• Chen Xuan confronts Fei verbally, then allows her to underestimate him before countering her attack.
• The battle ends with Chen Xuan gaining the positional advantage: he stands between Fei and the Erosion Point, effectively trapping her in the abandoned club.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xuan encounters Fei Wuniang, who uses her ability to force a coin toss gamble.
• The gamble's rules are revealed: three coins are tossed, and the winner is decided by the majority of heads or tails. The loser forfeits all abilities.
• Chen Xuan uses his Divine Eye technique to see the coin faces and outsmart Fei Wuniang in the first round.
• In the second round, Fei Wuniang uses extra hands to block Chen Xuan's view, but he still guesses correctly.
• In the final round, Chen Xuan reveals he knows about Fei Wuniang's marked coin and uses a Thousand Thoughts Sword to pin it, winning the gamble.
• Fei Wuniang's abilities are transferred to Chen Xuan, causing her to wither and die.

Character Developments

• Chen Xuan demonstrates his strategic thinking and adaptability in outsmarting Fei Wuniang.
• Fei Wuniang's true nature is revealed as she enjoys toying with others and seizing their abilities.

Significant Themes

• The power of strategy and adaptability over brute force.
• The consequences of one's actions and the price of greed.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xuan and Fei Wuniang engage in a tense and strategic gamble, with Chen Xuan ultimately outsmarting her.
• Lin Qing provides guidance and support to Chen Xuan through an earpiece.

Chapter Summary: “A Step Too Late”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wang Baihu, Honglian, and the inexperienced recruit Xiao Jiu investigate a hidden Erosion Point inside a private room.
• They discover a recently deceased woman beside the Erosion Point. Scans reveal that she is not from their world, identifying her as the likely Wanderer they were searching for.
• The corpse has no obvious fatal wounds, leading the team to conclude that an ability user killed her. Evidence suggests the killer had planned the ambush:
  • He knew the bathroom door was the Erosion Point.
  • He blocked the victim’s escape route.
  • He forced a position-switch with her and dragged her away from the doorway.
  • He deliberately left the body and crime scene intact.
• Honglian reconstructs the fight and realizes the corpse was bait. The killer likely wanted the Dimensional Limit Organization to arrive so he could identify its agents.
• She rushes outside to search for the killer, suspecting he may be watching from the surrounding roads or buildings, but finds no clear trace.
• Meanwhile, Chen Xuan travels around the city instead of returning home immediately. He processes the memories he acquired from Fei Wuniang through Coin Toss and reviews the abilities he obtained from her.
• Fei Wuniang’s past is revealed: she grew up in a brothel, learned the Union Technique from a foreign man, and began collecting abilities after his death. Her memories do not explain how she found the Erosion Point or what she had done in the current world.
• Chen Xuan obtains six abilities from Fei Wuniang: Dance Prodigy, Innate Charm, Immunity to Poisons, Union Technique, Strong Seize, and Coin Toss. However, the experience gives him unsettling identity confusion and raises questions about the organization’s ability-detection methods.

Character Developments

• Honglian demonstrates strong investigative instincts and combat awareness. Rather than accepting the scene at face value, she notices the victim’s hand, gunshot placement, footprints, and lack of obvious wounds, eventually recognizing the trap.
• Wang Baihu acts as a cautious but somewhat pragmatic team leader. He worries about Xiao Jiu’s lack of experience and the danger posed by unregistered ability users, while also feeling frustrated by the organization’s staffing decisions.
• Xiao Jiu is introduced as an inexperienced but enthusiastic recruit. She is nervous but determined to prove herself and avoid burdening the team.
• Chen Xuan becomes increasingly uneasy about the consequences of acquiring abilities. The memories transferred through Coin Toss blur the boundary between his own identity and Fei Wuniang’s, forcing him to confront the risks of his power.
• Fei Wuniang, through recovered memories, is characterized as someone shaped by exploitation and loss who became increasingly powerful and dangerous through ability acquisition.

Significant Themes

• The danger of being observed: The killer turns the investigation into a method of identifying the organization’s agents, making surveillance and deduction central to the conflict.
• Abilities as both power and burden: Chen Xuan gains many abilities, but their side effects and ethical implications make them dangerous rather than purely beneficial.
• Identity and memory: Fei Wuniang’s memories intrude on Chen Xuan’s consciousness, suggesting that acquiring abilities may also mean inheriting fragments of another person’s life.
• Institutional vulnerability: The Dimensional Limit Organization is understaffed, overwhelmed after the Mirage Incident, and struggling to track the growing number of ability users.
• Moral ambiguity and exploitation: The descriptions of abilities—especially Union Technique and Strong Seize—raise questions about ownership, consent, and whether power obtained through force can ever be legitimate.
• Being too late: The title reflects the organization’s failure to reach the Erosion Point before the Wanderer was killed and its agents’ possible arrival exactly as the killer intended.

Character Interactions

• Honglian and Wang Baihu work as investigative partners, with Honglian providing sharper tactical deductions while Wang Baihu voices practical concerns.
• Wang Baihu reassures and warns Xiao Jiu, revealing his protective attitude toward the inexperienced recruit.
• Xiao Jiu looks to both senior agents for guidance and tries to maintain a cheerful attitude despite her fear.
• Honglian’s deductions challenge Wang Baihu’s initial assumptions, shifting the team’s understanding of the crime from a simple murder to a carefully prepared trap.
• Chen Xuan has no direct interaction with the investigation team in this chapter, but his actions appear connected to the same hidden world of Wanderers, Erosion Points, and ability users.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xuan analyzes Fei Wuniang's abilities and the Dimensional Limit Organization's records.
• He discovers that the Organization's definition of abilities differs from the Ability Store's.
• Lin Qing prepares a celebration feast for Chen Xuan upon his return.
• Chen Xuan decides to hire Lin Qing as an employee.

Character Developments

• Chen Xuan: Becomes more cautious and strategic in dealing with the Dimensional Limit Organization. He also shows consideration for Lin Qing's situation and agrees to hire her.
• Lin Qing: Demonstrates her cooking skills and expresses her desire to stay and work at the shop. She shows eagerness to help Chen Xuan and is relieved when he agrees to hire her.

Significant Themes

• The Dimensional Limit Organization's methods and power dynamics.
• The variety and potential combinations of abilities.
• The differences between the Organization's and the Ability Store's definitions of abilities.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xuan and Lin Qing: They discuss the Dimensional Limit Organization, abilities, and Lin Qing's future. Chen Xuan decides to hire Lin Qing as an employee, and she eagerly accepts.
• Chen Xuan and the Butler APP: Chen Xuan uses the APP to print an employee contract and add Lin Qing to his employee list, unlocking a new ability provider in his inventory.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qing and Chen Xuan hold their first strategy meeting to discuss stopping the Dimensional Limit Organization (DLO) and preventing the nanomachines disaster.
• Lin Qing suggests finding the former leader of a DLO splinter group, Honglian, for potential alliance.
• Chen Xuan proposes exposing the DLO's secrets and abilities to the public to stir up public opinion and make the Organization deal with public backlash.

Character Developments

• Lin Qing: Shows strategic naivety but is open to learning and adapting. She reveals her past as a combatant and expresses her determination to protect Chen Xuan.
• Chen Xuan: Demonstrates strategic thinking and business acumen. He is cautious about exposing himself to the DLO and prioritizes the safety of the Ability Store.

Significant Themes

• The Dimensional Limit Organization's dual nature: initially established to protect the world from interdimensional invasions, it now seeks to control and seal all abilities.
• The power of public opinion and its potential to challenge oppressive institutions.
• The creation of demand for abilities, which could benefit the Ability Store's business.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qing and Chen Xuan collaborate on strategies to stop the DLO, with Chen Xuan taking the lead in planning due to Lin Qing's lack of strategic experience.
• Their interaction is casual and friendly, with Lin Qing showing appreciation for Chen Xuan's ideas and Chen Xuan being patient and understanding of Lin Qing's inexperience in strategy.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Shuyue arrives at the shop, finding Chen Xuan and Lin Qing together.
• Fu Jiaolu, a former hunter, seeks Chen Xuan's help to connect his room to Mala Village.
• Chen Xuan agrees, and the villagers help renovate the shop.
• Chen Xuan asks Liu Shuyue to delay her departure to assist him in a task.
• Chen Xuan and Lin Qing stage a performance on the Shajiang River, involving Fu Jiaolu and his group, to attract attention and set the stage for the shop's opening.

Character Developments

• Chen Xuan: Shows his ability to remember details (like Fu Jiaolu) and his strategic thinking in using the villagers' skills to benefit the shop.
• Liu Shuyue: Demonstrates her resourcefulness and willingness to help, showing interest in learning about Lin Qing's era.
• Fu Jiaolu and the villagers: Display their loyalty, diligence, and skill in renovating the shop, showing their potential value to Chen Xuan.

Significant Themes

• The power of unity and cooperation (seen in the villagers' renovation of the shop).
• The importance of preparation and rehearsal (seen in the performance on the river).
• The contrast between the modern world and the ancient/cultivation world (seen in the villagers' attire and the reactions of the modern people watching the performance).

Character Interactions

• Chen Xuan and Liu Shuyue: They discuss the shop's repairs and Liu Shuyue's delay in departure, showing a level of mutual respect and understanding.
• Chen Xuan and Fu Jiaolu: They discuss the room connection and Fu Jiaolu's past, showing Chen Xuan's ability to remember details and Fu Jiaolu's eagerness to please.
• Lin Qing and Liu Shuyue: They become familiar with each other, showing a willingness to learn from and help one another.
• The villagers and Chen Xuan: They work diligently to renovate the shop, showing their loyalty and desire for Chen Xuan's approval.
• The modern people and the performers: They react with surprise, curiosity, and fear to the performance on the river, showing the contrast between their world and the cultivators'.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A traffic jam on the Shajiang Bridge is disrupted by the sudden appearance of a woman in white, who stands calmly on the railing amidst lightning and chaos.
• The woman, later revealed to be Liu Shuyue, is accompanied by two others, and they perform a water-walking feat, leaving behind only a half-burnt stick and tattered cloth.
• The incident goes viral, sparking widespread discussion and speculation about superpowers and immortals.

Character Developments

• Liu Shuyue: First appearance; demonstrates extraordinary calm and composure in the face of chaos, hinting at her unusual abilities.
• Chen Xuan: Shows satisfaction at the unfolding events, suggesting he has knowledge or involvement in the incident.

Significant Themes

• The Supernatural/Extraordinary: The chapter introduces the idea of superpowers and immortals into the otherwise ordinary world.
• Curiosity and Excitement: The crowd's reaction to the incident highlights human curiosity and the allure of the extraordinary.

Character Interactions

• Liu Shuyue and the Crowd: Liu Shuyue's calm demeanor contrasts with the crowd's excitement and panic, creating intrigue and mystery.
• Chen Xuan and the Uncle: Chen Xuan's casual interaction with the uncle reveals the incident's impact on the public and hints at Chen Xuan's potential involvement.

Chapter Summary: “Strike While the Iron Is Hot”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xuan and Lin Qing investigate online discussions about the bridge incident involving the “immortal” woman.
• Numerous posts claim the event was merely a promotional stunt for a movie called Ascension. Photos of filming equipment, staff, and a woman in white are used to support this explanation.
• Chen Xuan notices that the woman in the photos resembles Liu Shuyue, suggesting the supposed movie promotion was designed to discredit eyewitness accounts and make people doubt the supernatural event.
• Lin Qing confirms that the Dimensional Limit Organization is likely behind the campaign. Its logistics division specializes in blending truth and falsehood to manipulate public perception.
• Lin Qing’s AI assistant, Little Green, analyzes the online comments and determines that more than 85% of the supportive replies were generated by the organization’s AI, “Cow.”
• Rather than simply suppressing the information, Lin Qing decides to retaliate by exploiting weaknesses in the world’s network security.
• Meanwhile, members of the Execution Team discuss the mysterious woman. Wang Baihu, Honglian, and Xiao Jiu debate whether she has returned to her own world or remains in Jiangcheng.
• The Intelligence Department has found no evidence of the expected Erosion Point activity, creating uncertainty about the woman’s true movements and identity.
• Honglian explains that even a peaceful outsider must be expelled if they continue using Erosion Points, because their expansion threatens the world and could spread dangerous abilities.
• Suddenly, all the office computers are hijacked. A countdown appears, ending with a masked figure announcing to everyone watching that they are an ability user.

Character Developments

• Chen Xuan becomes more analytical and skeptical, recognizing that the online campaign is too coordinated to be an ordinary rumor. He also shows growing familiarity with futuristic technology and AI.
• Lin Qing demonstrates confidence, technical expertise, and initiative. Instead of merely investigating the Dimensional Limit Organization, she plans an aggressive counterattack.
• Little Green is introduced as Lin Qing’s advanced AI assistant, highlighting Lin Qing’s access to future technology and her ability to use AI against AI.
• Wang Baihu appears relaxed and somewhat careless, relying on appearances and intuition when assessing the mysterious woman. However, he also accepts the necessity of strict policies to protect his world.
• Honglian remains practical and uncompromising. She believes even benevolent outsiders must be driven away if they endanger the world’s stability.
• Xiao Jiu displays empathy and moral uncertainty. She questions whether it is fair to treat a potentially harmless outsider as an enemy, though she ultimately learns that the organization’s policies prioritize collective survival.

Significant Themes

• Truth versus manufactured reality: The organization uses staged evidence, actors, and fabricated online discussions to reshape public understanding of supernatural events.
• AI manipulation and counter-manipulation: Artificial intelligence is used both to deceive humans and to expose that deception, suggesting a future where information warfare is largely automated.
• Security versus individual freedom: The characters debate whether outsiders should be allowed to enter their world, even if they are peaceful, because their presence may threaten the entire population.
• Appearance and prejudice: Wang Baihu initially assumes the woman is probably harmless because she looks beautiful and nonviolent, exposing the danger of judging character by appearance.
• Escalating conflict: Lin Qing’s planned cyberattack and the masked figure’s broadcast mark a shift from covert investigation to direct confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xuan questions Lin Qing about the evidence and the Dimensional Limit Organization, while Lin Qing explains the organization’s methods and her AI-based investigation.
• Chen Xuan and Lin Qing cooperate closely, with Chen Xuan providing judgment and skepticism and Lin Qing supplying technical knowledge and action.
• Wang Baihu, Honglian, and Xiao Jiu discuss the mysterious woman’s identity and whether she should be treated as a threat.
• Xiao Jiu challenges Honglian’s rigid stance, asking whether a good person who distrusts the organization should still be expelled.
• The chapter ends with the Execution Team and their colleagues collectively confronted by the mysterious hacker, setting up a direct clash between the two sides.

Chapter Summary: “The Day the Whole City Gossiped”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Masked Woman hijacks phones, computers, and the giant electronic billboards across Jiangcheng, broadcasting a public declaration.
• She reveals that superpowers exist and accuses the Dimensional Limit Organization—officially the Agency for Maintaining World Stability and Restricting Ability Proliferation—of concealing abilities and persecuting those who refuse to submit.
• Claiming to have been persecuted for ten years, she presents ability possession as a basic human right and vows to resist the organization.
• She announces that she will appear at the Panda Pavilion in Jiangcheng Zoo at 2 p.m. the day after tomorrow to prove the existence of abilities before the public.
• The declaration enrages the local agency. Wang Baihu calls it deliberate provocation, while Team Leader Wang Chongshan treats it as an open declaration of war and orders the team into an emergency conference.
• News of the announcement spreads rapidly. More than ten thousand people gather outside the zoo, many camping overnight to witness the promised revelation.
• Chen Xuan encounters a regular elderly customer whose daughter, reporter Qiao Xi, is covering the event. The old man plans to attend with his family to support her, prompting Chen Xuan to warn him about possible crowd violence and stampedes.
• Lin Qing returns to the Ability Store, having recovered enough of her cybernetic body to walk and function independently.
• She reports that the agency has heavily infiltrated and surveilled the zoo using disguised personnel, cleaners, guards, tourists, and ability users.
• Lin Qing believes the agency has specialists prepared for the confrontation and may even possess the power to erase or conceal the entire zoo in front of the crowd.

Character Developments

• The Masked Woman moves from secrecy to open rebellion, transforming herself into a public symbol of resistance against the agency. Her broadcast suggests confidence, deep knowledge of the organization, and willingness to risk death.
• Wang Baihu reacts with anger and frustration, recognizing the announcement as both an attack on the agency and a threat to the stability it has maintained.
• Wang Chongshan abandons his usual composure and responds forcefully, revealing how seriously he views the Masked Woman’s challenge.
• Honglian appears unusually shaken by the broadcast. Her hesitation at the window suggests she may know more about the Masked Woman or feel a personal connection to the situation.
• Chen Xuan displays concern for the elderly customer, warning him not to approach danger. His interactions also show his continued effort to maintain the store’s ordinary routine despite the escalating crisis.
• The elderly customer is proud of his daughter and eager to support her publicly, demonstrating how the event has become a personal and emotional matter for ordinary citizens.
• Lin Qing has made significant physical progress, recovering to roughly sixty percent functionality. Her calm analysis emphasizes her technical awareness and growing ability to participate in the crisis.

Significant Themes

• Truth versus institutional control: The Masked Woman argues that the agency’s secrecy and monopoly over abilities are unjust, while the agency views its secrecy as necessary for social stability.
• Public awakening and mass hysteria: The broadcast turns a hidden conflict into a citywide spectacle, drawing huge crowds and making secrecy nearly impossible.
• Individual rights versus collective safety: The claim that abilities are a “basic human right” directly conflicts with the agency’s belief that controlling ability users prevents chaos.
• Information as a weapon: By hijacking every major screen and device, the Masked Woman bypasses official channels and forces the entire population to confront the existence of abilities.
• The fragility of social order: The massive spontaneous gathering, potential for panic, and threat of a stampede show how quickly public stability can collapse.
• Performance and concealment: Reporters, disguised agents, hidden abilities, and the possibility of making the zoo disappear all reinforce the tension between what the public sees and what is actually happening.

Character Interactions

• Honglian and Wang Baihu watch the broadcast together, with her hesitation contrasting against his immediate outrage.
• Wang Baihu and Xiao Jiu debate the Masked Woman’s motives, considering whether she is a local enemy or an outsider challenging the agency.
• Wang Chongshan rallies the team and orders them to prepare for what he considers an act of war.
• Chen Xuan and the elderly customer discuss reporter Qiao Xi, revealing the old man’s pride and Chen Xuan’s cautious concern for his safety.
• Chen Xuan and Lin Qing exchange information about the zoo: he provides support, while she reports on the agency’s extensive preparations.
• Lin Qing’s final warning suggests that the coming confrontation may involve not only the Masked Woman and the agency, but also a large-scale deception witnessed by the entire city.

Summary of “Erosion Returns”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xuan and Lin Qing discuss the Dimensional Limit Organization’s eventual exposure to the public. Lin explains that increasing Erosion Points, rising ability-related crimes, government involvement, and the emergence of public “heroes” gradually forced the Organization out of secrecy.
• Chen worries that the growing crowd at the Zoo might give the Organization an excuse to shut the place down. Lin argues that they will instead confront the Masked Woman directly, hoping to discredit her and suppress the public controversy.
• Lin emphasizes that exposing the Organization is only the first step in changing the future, but thanks Chen for helping her pursue the plan. She kisses him, describing it as a future custom for expressing gratitude, then retreats upstairs, leaving him stunned.
• The next afternoon, a huge crowd gathers at the Zoo’s Panda Pavilion to witness the Masked Woman’s announced appearance. Police are deployed throughout the area to control the crowd.
• The Dimensional Limit Organization prepares an ambush. Wang Baihu watches from a nearby rooftop, while Honglian waits near a convenience store so she can instantly reach the Masked Woman using her spatial ability. Two unidentified reinforcements have also been sent in, though their identities and powers are kept secret.
• A woman dressed as the Masked Woman appears early. The Organization recognizes her as a fake created by its Logistics Team. They intend to let the impostor discredit the Masked Woman’s supporters and expose the real target as a fraud if they can capture her.
• Just before the operation begins, multiple Erosion warnings appear. The incidents occur in rapid succession, escalating from C-Class to B-Class and clustering in the nearby Botanical Garden.
• Wang Baihu realizes the pattern may indicate a Wanderer repeatedly crossing between worlds, causing the Erosion Points to expand. Before he can warn Honglian, she suddenly disappears from her position.

Character Developments

• Lin Qing shows strong resolve to change the future, even if doing so requires opposing former allies and innocent members of the Organization. Her determination is balanced by guilt over betraying people connected to her past.
• Chen Xuan remains cautious and strategic, thinking through the Organization’s likely responses, but he also openly commits to supporting Lin Qing. His assurance that the store will always be a place for her reveals his growing emotional attachment.
• Lin Qing and Chen Xuan’s relationship advances significantly through Lin’s sudden kiss. Her playful explanation disguises sincere gratitude and affection.
• Wang Baihu is presented as an observant operative who understands the Organization’s tactics and quickly recognizes that the new Erosion pattern may signal a much more serious threat.
• Honglian is frustrated by the Organization’s secrecy but remains ready to act immediately once given a target. Her unexplained disappearance suggests that she may already have been drawn into the developing crisis.

Significant Themes

• Changing the future: Lin Qing’s mission requires confronting people and institutions she once knew, showing that meaningful change demands painful choices.
• Truth versus propaganda: The Organization plans to discredit the Masked Woman rather than disprove her claims, illustrating how public perception can be manipulated through staged evidence and personal attacks.
• Control and exposure: The Organization’s authority depends on secrecy, but growing Erosion incidents and public attention are steadily weakening its ability to control events.
• Trust and companionship: Chen Xuan’s willingness to stand beside Lin Qing gives her hope and makes the struggle feel less impossible.
• Hidden threats and divided priorities: The Organization’s attempt to manage public relations is suddenly disrupted by an escalating Erosion crisis, suggesting that larger forces may be operating beyond its control.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xuan questions Lin Qing about the Organization’s history, while she explains how its hidden influence eventually became public.
• The two debate how the Organization will respond to the Zoo gathering, with Lin correctly predicting a direct confrontation.
• Lin thanks Chen for joining her cause, kisses him, and leaves him speechless.
• Wang Baihu, Captain Wan, and Honglian coordinate the operation through earpieces, while Wang Chongshan reminds Honglian to follow orders despite not knowing the reinforcements’ identities.
• The Organization’s operatives prepare to use a disguised substitute as part of a larger plan to destroy the Masked Woman’s credibility, but the sudden Erosion warnings throw the mission into uncertainty.

Chapter Summary: “The Beginning of Chaos and Upheaval”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Honglian realizes that the Masked Woman’s apparent target at the Zoo was a decoy. The true objective is the Botanical Garden’s Erosion Point.
• She orders Captain Wan and the other members of the Dimensional Limit Organization to intercept the other exits, seal surrounding roads, and evacuate civilians. Captain Wang Chongshan accepts responsibility and sends the team to support her.
• At the Botanical Garden, a strange roar precedes the emergence of enormous dinosaurs from the Great Forest. More dinosaurs follow, causing panic, though many visitors initially stop to film rather than flee.
• Honglian follows the dinosaurs’ trail into an increasingly unnatural forest and discovers that the Erosion Point has expanded into a vast prehistoric landscape. A rainforest has transformed into a grassland filled with dinosaurs, streams, and wildlife.
• She finds the Masked Woman outside a service building, luring a dinosaur back and forth across the boundary between worlds. Honglian concludes that the Masked Woman is deliberately using the dinosaur to expand the Erosion Point.
• Honglian attacks with tranquilizer rounds, but the mysterious swordsman who previously fought her blocks the shots with air swords. His improved attacks destroy her pistol and nearly injure her hands.
• The Masked Woman declares that she is doing “the only right thing” before disappearing, along with the air swords. A helicopter and numerous observers begin recording the spatial distortion, making it impossible for the Organization to conceal the incident.
• Civilians enter the merged environment, while dinosaurs continue wandering outside. Honglian realizes the event may trigger widespread public exposure, disorder, and global chaos.

Character Developments

• Honglian: Demonstrates strong leadership and quick reasoning by identifying the true target and organizing an emergency response. Her anger and urgency intensify when she realizes she has been manipulated. Despite her combat skill, she is overwhelmed by the swordsman’s improved abilities and begins questioning the enemy’s motives and knowledge.
• Captain Wang Chongshan: Shows authority and trust in Honglian’s judgment. Although he initially questions her certainty, he accepts responsibility and mobilizes the team.
• The Masked Woman: Reveals herself as an intentional agent of destruction rather than a passive observer. Her calm conviction suggests that she believes the spreading Erosions serve a righteous or necessary purpose.
• The Air-Sword User: Appears to be cooperating with the Masked Woman and has grown more dangerous since the previous encounter. His unseen presence and precise attacks make him a significant threat.
• The Public: Acts with curiosity rather than caution, filming the dinosaurs and entering the distorted space. Their behavior increases the danger and ensures the incident will attract widespread attention.

Significant Themes

• The onset of uncontrollable chaos: A contained supernatural event begins spilling into ordinary society, threatening both public safety and the secrecy of the Organization.
• Manipulation and deception: Honglian discovers that the enemy deliberately misdirected the Organization and exploited its own methods of detecting Erosion Points.
• Conflicting ideas of righteousness: The Masked Woman insists her actions are “right,” raising questions about whether she sees destruction as necessary for a greater purpose.
• Limits of institutional control: The Organization cannot easily evacuate civilians, contain the Erosion, or prevent the public and media from witnessing it.
• Human curiosity versus survival instinct: Visitors prioritize recording and exploring the impossible landscape, illustrating how fascination can override danger.
• The collapse of boundaries: The Erosion merges two worlds physically and symbolically, signaling that the separation between ordinary reality and supernatural phenomena is failing.

Character Interactions

• Honglian urgently coordinates with Wang Chongshan, demanding government assistance and immediate action.
• She confronts the Masked Woman directly, attacking her after witnessing the deliberate expansion of the Erosion.
• The unseen swordsman intervenes to protect the Masked Woman, demonstrating their cooperation and forcing Honglian into retreat.
• The Masked Woman calmly answers Honglian’s accusation before vanishing, leaving her with more questions than answers.
• Honglian then observes civilians and media entering the transformed area, recognizing that the enemy’s actions have created a crisis far beyond a single battle.

Chapter Summary: “An Ability User Like Him”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qiao Xi, a television reporter, is thrilled to cover the public appearance of the Masked Woman, expecting the event to attract major attention.
• The Masked Woman arrives but refuses to demonstrate any abilities, instead promoting her fan page and disappointing the crowd. Qiao Xi quickly concludes that the woman is merely seeking fame.
• The event changes dramatically when someone shouts that a dinosaur has appeared. Qiao Xi discovers a living Brontosaurus in the nearby Botanical Garden.
• Abandoning the Masked Woman interview, Qiao Xi crosses the railing into the Botanical Garden with her colleagues to report on the dinosaur firsthand.
• She finds several prehistoric creatures, including Brontosauruses, Stegosaurs, and a Pterosaur. Excited by the unprecedented discovery, she provides a live broadcast and draws increasingly closer to the animals.
• Qiao Xi accidentally steps into the path of a frightened Brontosaurus. She falls and is nearly crushed.
• A masked, sunglasses-wearing man suddenly rushes in and strikes the dinosaur’s leg twice. Despite the enormous difference in size, his blows cause the dinosaur to alter its course, saving Qiao Xi.
• The mysterious man briefly checks whether Qiao Xi is unharmed before chasing after the dinosaur. His voice seems familiar to her, though she cannot identify him.
• Qiao Xi’s colleague Zhou Yuanjun marvels at the man’s strength and suggests that, if people with abilities truly exist, the rescuer is exactly the kind of person who would possess one.

Character Developments

• Qiao Xi is shown to be ambitious, energetic, and highly opportunistic as a reporter. She prioritizes the most sensational story, immediately abandoning the Masked Woman once the dinosaurs appear.
• Her professional instincts overcome her fear: despite the danger, she continues filming and explaining the dinosaurs to viewers.
• Her recklessness becomes apparent when she enters the Botanical Garden and approaches the creatures too closely, nearly costing her life.
• Zhou Yuanjun proves less daring than Qiao Xi but remains committed to filming and concerned for her safety. His humorous reaction after the rescue provides comic relief.
• The masked man is introduced as powerful, decisive, and selfless. He risks himself to save Qiao Xi and displays strength far beyond that of an ordinary human, strongly hinting that he is an ability user.
• The Masked Woman is characterized as shallow and publicity-driven, contrasting sharply with the mysterious man’s quiet, genuine heroism.

Significant Themes

• Reality versus performance: The Masked Woman publicly claims extraordinary abilities but offers only publicity tactics, while the true supernatural event—and a genuinely powerful individual—appears unexpectedly.
• The lure of sensationalism: Qiao Xi and the crowd are drawn to the dinosaurs because of their enormous news value, showing how quickly public attention shifts toward more spectacular events.
• Hidden abilities and mystery: The masked rescuer’s strength suggests that supernatural powers may genuinely exist, despite the public’s skepticism and the Masked Woman’s apparent fraudulence.
• Professional ambition versus personal safety: Qiao Xi’s determination to obtain an exclusive report drives her into serious danger.
• True heroism versus fame-seeking: The chapter contrasts the Masked Woman’s attempt to attract followers with the rescuer’s anonymous intervention and lack of interest in recognition.

Character Interactions

• Qiao Xi dismisses the Masked Woman’s failed appearance and redirects her team toward the dinosaurs, overriding Ai Xiaoya’s confusion.
• She orders Zhou Yuanjun and Ai Xiaoya to help cross the railing and continue broadcasting, demonstrating her decisive leadership.
• Zhou Yuanjun warns Qiao Xi of the approaching dinosaur and later jokes nervously about having to attend her funeral.
• The masked man saves Qiao Xi, briefly speaks with her, and advises her not to approach the dinosaurs so recklessly.
• After witnessing the rescue, Zhou Yuanjun speculates that the man may possess abilities, reinforcing the chapter’s central mystery.

Chapter Summary: “Level 4 Shopkeeper”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xuan returns to the Ability Store at 8:30 p.m. using his shopkeeper recall ability after successfully exposing Erosion Point No. 109.
• He and Lin Qing discuss the incident at the zoo, where dinosaurs—including the Utahraptor Guagua and several herbivores—crossed into the modern world.
• Chen stayed behind after sending Lin Qing back to ensure the dinosaurs did not attack the crowd. He used the Eight Trigrams Palm to control them discreetly.
• The dinosaur incident creates widespread public awareness of Erosion and abilities. The government seals off the Great Forest area, while online discussions focus on the existence of supernatural abilities.
• The Dimensional Limit Organization is thrown into disorder because it never expected Erosion Point No. 109 to appear so early or in that location. Chen and Lin Qing’s advance knowledge allowed them to outmaneuver the organization.
• Chen worries about Guagua’s fate, but Lin Qing believes the organization will not dissect her and may simply contain her.
• Later, Chen receives confirmation that his application for Shopkeeper Level 4 has been approved.
• Level 4 grants him:
  • Permission to establish one Branch Store
  • Access to “Secret Transaction” and “One-Way Demand” methods
  • An increased ability synchronization limit of Level 4
• The requirements for Level 5 are revealed: 1,000 Performance Points and becoming either “rich enough to rival a nation” or “famous throughout the world.” The reward would be an additional ability slot.
• Chen studies the newly unlocked Branch Store rules and learns that opening one requires a legally rented or purchased space of at least fifty square meters, with all expenses paid by him.

Character Development

• Chen Xuan demonstrates greater confidence, strategic thinking, and responsibility. He is willing to challenge the Dimensional Limit Organization but remains concerned about collateral damage and Guagua’s safety.
• His moral instincts are emphasized when he chooses to protect ordinary people and prevent the dinosaurs from harming anyone, even though doing so was not necessary to his plan.
• Chen also becomes more ambitious after learning that Level 5 will grant another ability slot, motivating him to pursue the vague and difficult advancement requirements.
• Lin Qing continues to act as Chen’s adviser and partner. She understands the wider consequences of their actions but respects Chen’s decision to help people when he can.
• Her softer attitude toward Chen, including waiting for him before eating, suggests growing personal affection and closeness.
• Guagua is established as an unusually intelligent dinosaur and likely an ability user, making her fate an unresolved concern.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility and morality: Chen believes that those who cause a dangerous situation should also take responsibility for minimizing its consequences.
• Knowledge as power: Chen and Lin Qing’s understanding of Erosion gives them a decisive advantage over the Dimensional Limit Organization.
• Public awareness and social change: The dinosaur incident makes the existence of abilities impossible to conceal, accelerating humanity’s awareness of supernatural phenomena.
• Humanity toward the unknown: Chen’s concern for Guagua reflects the idea that intelligent nonhuman beings deserve protection rather than exploitation.
• Growth through commerce and power: The shopkeeper system increasingly links Chen’s personal development to business expansion, wealth, fame, and increasingly difficult achievements.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qing criticizes Chen for remaining near the Dimensional Limit Organization but ultimately accepts his reasoning.
• She waits for Chen to return before eating, and they share a quiet meal while analyzing the incident.
• Chen and Lin Qing jointly assess the organization’s confusion and recognize that their plan succeeded because they possessed information from the future.
• Their discussion of Guagua reveals a difference in emphasis: Lin Qing is practical about containment, while Chen is emotionally concerned about the dinosaur’s welfare.
• The chapter ends with Chen independently reviewing the Branch Store rules, preparing for the next stage of his development as the Ability Store’s shopkeeper.

Chapter Summary: “Public Declaration”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xuan realizes that a Branch Store can be opened anywhere, including in another customer’s world, as long as he has a legal storefront. Once established, it would function as a wormhole connecting that world to the Main Store. Although the possibility could revolutionize travel and deliveries, the enormous cost and legal requirements mean he decides not to pursue it immediately.
• The elderly customer who frequently buys cigarettes returns with his family. He indirectly confirms that Chen Xuan was seen at the Jiangcheng Zoo and Botanical Garden during the dinosaur incident. Chen Xuan disguises his voice and pretends he was asleep, successfully preventing the old man’s daughter from recognizing him.
• A sudden emergency broadcast interrupts television programming. It announces that the Dimensional Limit Organization will issue a global public statement.
• The neighborhood gathers in the store to watch. The organization’s leader is revealed to be Jiang Yiheng, a highly respected scientist with expertise in several advanced fields.
• Jiang publicly confirms that abilities are real and may appear in anyone. He describes them not as gifts, but as dangerous curses caused by “Erosion,” or the intrusion and overlap of other worlds.
• Footage shows an Erosion Point in Jiangcheng Botanical Garden, where space has become distorted and contaminated by another environment. Jiang warns that such areas may persist for years and expose civilians to radiation, gravitational distortions, pathogens, dangerous creatures, and mutation.
• He condemns the people who expanded the Botanical Garden Erosion Point and lured thousands of civilians into danger, labeling their actions equivalent to terrorism.
• Jiang predicts a major rise in ability-related crime, claiming that every Erosion incident increases local crime rates. The customers become worried about whether authorities can control ability users.
• He denies that the Organization persecutes or controls ability users, stating that some members possess abilities themselves. He claims the Organization concealed information to prevent public panic and social disorder.
• The Organization announces a policy change: it will cooperate openly with governments, share its research, combat Erosion, suppress ability-related crime, and recruit members of the public who possess or suspect they possess abilities.

Character Developments

• Chen Xuan demonstrates continued caution and strategic thinking. He recognizes the immense potential of Branch Stores but postpones experimentation because of the cost and legal complications. He also successfully conceals his involvement in the dinosaur incident by altering his voice.
• The old man acts as though he does not know Chen Xuan’s secret identity, indirectly helping him maintain his disguise.
• The old man’s daughter shows that she is observant enough to connect Chen Xuan with the man seen at the zoo, though she ultimately fails to identify him because he disguises his voice.
• Lin Qing remains suspicious of official explanations, muttering that Jiang Yiheng is lying. Her reaction suggests she knows more about the incident or the Organization than ordinary civilians do.
• Jiang Yiheng emerges as a powerful public figure: a prestigious scientist, polished spokesman, and leader attempting to redefine the Organization’s image and authority.

Significant Themes

• Secrecy versus public disclosure: The Organization moves from concealment to openly acknowledging abilities and Erosion, raising questions about its motives and the timing of the announcement.
• Power and responsibility: Abilities are portrayed as dangerous forces that can benefit humanity but also cause crime, mutation, and social instability.
• Control of information: Jiang frames secrecy as necessary protection, while his opponents accuse the Organization of oppression and deception.
• Public fear and social disorder: The broadcast reveals how quickly extraordinary events can alter public consciousness, crime rates, and trust in institutions.
• Expansion of worlds and reality: The concepts of Branch Stores, wormholes, and Erosion emphasize that different worlds are increasingly overlapping and reshaping ordinary life.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xuan and the old man maintain their usual friendly customer relationship while covertly testing one another’s knowledge of the zoo incident.
• The old man’s daughter watches Chen Xuan suspiciously, but his altered voice prevents her from confirming his identity.
• Chen Xuan, Lin Qing, the old man’s family, and local residents watch the broadcast together, creating a shared moment of public revelation.
• Lin Qing’s quiet accusation that Jiang is lying contrasts with the crowd’s uncertainty and alarm.
• Jiang Yiheng addresses both the global public and the gathered reporters, presenting the Organization as a necessary protector rather than a persecuting authority.

Chapter Summary: “Journey to Yun Prefecture”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the customers leave Chen Xuan’s shop, an elderly customer reflects on how major historical events can divide life into a clear “before” and “after.” His comments make Chen realize how isolated he has become in the city.
• Chen invites Lin Qing to drink with him outside the shop. They discuss the Dimensional Limit Organization and its mysterious supporter, codenamed Doctor.
• Lin Qing explains that Doctor is a highly capable scientist and major financier, but removing him would not stop the organization. Dimensional Limit’s influence is deeply embedded in nanobugs, artificial intelligence, robotics, military technology, medicine, and prosthetics.
• Lin Qing believes dismantling the organization is the most practical way to prevent the future disaster caused by the technological revolution. Chen questions whether destroying Dimensional Limit would truly prevent those technologies from eventually being developed.
• Lin Qing accepts that humanity may eventually create similar dangers, but insists that her responsibility is to stop the disaster directly before her. The two share a humorous moment about her mission, especially her desire to prevent wasteful “Crystal Palaces.”
• They agree that the future may already be changing: Dimensional Limit has been forced to recruit ability users openly, suggesting that resistance is beginning to affect the organization.
• The chapter then shifts to Liu Shuyue, who arrives at Jiufeng City in Yun Prefecture, home of the Liu family.
• She finds the city surrounded by a military camp, with sentry posts and defensive barriers aimed toward the city rather than outward. The streets are nearly deserted, shops are boarded up, and corpses hang from gallows as punishment for attempting to flee.
• Liu realizes that the King of Qi has prepared a campaign of intimidation and may intend to massacre the city. She remains determined to reject his authority and sever her relationship with Great Qi.
• Using an Invisibility Talisman, she enters the city, then reveals herself to question a beggar. She gives him a Snickers bar, which he eagerly eats, and learns that the Liu family residence lies northwest. The beggar warns her that the entire family may be killed by the end of the day.

Character Developments

• Chen Xuan becomes more aware of his loneliness after recognizing that he has no close friends in the city. His conversation with Lin Qing also shows him thinking more deeply about causality, technology, and whether changing the present can truly prevent future disasters.
• Lin Qing demonstrates exceptional resolve and emotional discipline. She is prepared to make extreme sacrifices for her mission, yet she also possesses a dark sense of humor and can share genuine camaraderie with Chen.
• Liu Shuyue is shown as increasingly independent and morally defiant. After killing the dragon, she has firmly rejected serving the King of Qi, even if doing so places her family and herself in danger. Her compassion is evident when she helps the starving beggar despite being focused on her urgent mission.
• The elderly customer serves as a reflective figure whose memories emphasize the significance of historical turning points and prompt Chen’s realization of his social isolation.

Significant Themes

• Historical change and turning points: The old man’s reflections and the technological crisis suggest that societies often experience major events as dividing lines between radically different eras.
• Isolation versus companionship: Chen’s loneliness contrasts with the temporary friendship he forms with Lin Qing while drinking and talking.
• The limits of changing history: Chen questions whether eliminating one organization can prevent technologies that humanity may eventually develop anyway.
• Duty and sacrifice: Lin Qing accepts that she may not be able to solve every future problem, while Liu Shuyue risks everything to resist political oppression.
• Power, coercion, and moral responsibility: The King of Qi uses military force, executions, and fear to control Jiufeng City, while Liu refuses to accept obedience purchased through terror.
• Hope through resistance: The forced recruitment of ability users suggests that Dimensional Limit is not invincible, while Liu’s decision to confront the crisis represents personal resistance against tyranny.

Character Interactions

• The old man urges Chen to contact friends, indirectly exposing Chen’s loneliness.
• Chen and Lin Qing share drinks, discuss Doctor and Dimensional Limit’s strategy, debate the inevitability of technological progress, and bond through humor.
• Liu Shuyue interacts with a beggar, offering him food in exchange for information. His warning reveals the immediate danger facing the Liu family and sets up her impending confrontation with the authorities and the threatened family residence.

Chapter Summary: “The Liu Family”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Shuyue learns from a beggar that the Liu family is under attack and rushes to their manor in Jiufeng City.
• She finds the estate surrounded by constables and discovers that many Liu family servants have been killed. Two young family members, Liu Qing and “Brother You,” are barely resisting two rogue cultivators hired by the government.
• Brother You unexpectedly uses the Spirit Sword Technique, a signature art of the Lotus Cloud Sect, while Liu Qing employs Talisman Armor. Their abilities reveal a clear connection to Shuyue’s sect.
• Shuyue intervenes dramatically. She kills the paper-doll-controlling cultivator by crashing onto him from the sky, then incapacitates the whip-wielding cultivator with a Body-Binding Spell and a sword strike.
• The Liu family recognizes Shuyue as the “Immortal Master Liu.” The constables panic and flee, while the family members celebrate her return and urge her to oppose the King of Qi.
• Shuyue realizes that rescuing the Liu family publicly may expose her location and signal to the King of Qi that she has rejected his warning. Nevertheless, she decides to deal with the situation rather than retreat.
• She questions the family and learns that they have adopted her identity and the Lotus Cloud Sect’s reputation as the basis of their family’s status and beliefs. Their use of sect techniques suggests a deeper connection than simple fraud.
• The chapter ends when Brother You bitterly confronts Shuyue, blaming her for arriving too late to save his mother, Aunt Shen, and Ah Hu. Shuyue recognizes that the family’s situation is more complicated than she expected and agrees to speak with their head.

Character Developments

• Liu Shuyue: Demonstrates overwhelming combat ability and decisiveness, but remains emotionally detached from the Liu family’s claims that she is their sister and protector. Her rescue forces her to reconsider her assumptions: she had believed the family’s false identity was motivated primarily by greed, but their sacrifices and sincere faith suggest something deeper. Brother You’s accusation also forces her to confront the consequences of her absence.
• Liu Qing: Reveals herself as a courageous but inexperienced practitioner of Lotus Cloud Sect techniques. She attempts to protect Brother You with Talisman Armor and openly embraces Shuyue as her elder sister, showing both genuine faith and emotional dependence.
• Brother You: Emerges as a determined fighter willing to risk his life against the rogue cultivators. His gratitude toward Shuyue is overshadowed by anger and grief over the family members she failed to save, making him the first person to challenge the idealized image of her as an omnipotent Immortal Master.
• Liu Qing’s father/family head: Presents himself as a loyal believer in Shuyue and rejects the King of Qi’s accusations against her. His defense of the family’s beliefs suggests that he may sincerely view Shuyue as their protector rather than merely exploiting her name.
• The Liu family: Shifts from appearing like opportunistic impostors to seeming like a community genuinely invested in its constructed identity and faith in Shuyue.

Significant Themes

• Faith versus deception: The Liu family’s claim to be connected to Shuyue may have begun as fraud, but their continued belief appears sincere. The chapter questions whether a falsehood can become a genuine faith when people stake their lives on it.
• Consequences of absence and idealization: The family views Shuyue as an all-powerful savior, but Brother You exposes the painful gap between that ideal and reality. Even an Immortal Master cannot save everyone, yet those who depend on her may still hold her responsible.
• Political power and manipulation: The King of Qi uses the Liu family as leverage against Shuyue, while the government employs rogue cultivators to eliminate them. Shuyue’s decision to intervene publicly becomes a political act with consequences.
• Identity and inherited legitimacy: The Liu family has built its social authority around Shuyue’s name and the Lotus Cloud Sect’s techniques. Shuyue must determine how and why this connection exists.
• Retribution and moral complexity: Although the family’s downfall initially appears to be deserved punishment for exploiting Shuyue’s identity, their losses and genuine loyalty complicate the idea that they are simply receiving their due.

Character Interactions

• Shuyue rescues Liu Qing and Brother You, but rejects Liu Qing’s attempt to treat her as a sister.
• The family members and servants glorify Shuyue as their returned Immortal Master, while the constables flee in fear.
• Liu Qing’s father welcomes Shuyue and frames her as an ally against the King of Qi.
• Brother You disrupts the family’s celebratory mood by accusing Shuyue of abandoning them and failing to save the dead.
• His confrontation silences Shuyue and prompts her to seek a serious conversation with the family head.

Chapter Summary:

Family Legacy

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the Liu family estate’s main hall, Liu Zhiyuan privately questions Liu Shuyue about her conflict with the King of Qi and welcomes her despite the family’s current crisis.
• Shuyue instead asks how Liu Qing and the young cultivator You’er learned forbidden cultivation techniques. Liu Zhiyuan reveals that the Liu family has preserved secret cultivation teachings for generations.
• He claims their ancestor, Liu Zhidong, was a former disciple of the Lotus Cloud Sect and Shuyue’s martial uncle. He supposedly founded the family’s cultivation tradition, left descendants, and predicted that Shuyue would eventually be sent to the sect.
• Shuyue is deeply shocked and skeptical. She argues that she has no memories of the family and never received the letters or portraits they claim to have sent her.
• Liu Zhiyuan explains that the family watched her through a magical communication device, allowing Liu Qing and others to grow up seeing portraits of her.
• In the ancestral hall, Shuyue examines the device: a Smoke-Soul Pillar, which can transmit written messages and images through smoke. Its existence makes the family’s account more credible.
• Using divination, Shuyue detects that the device’s other connection lies northeast, likely in a remote mountain forest. This raises the possibility that Liu Zhidong—or someone connected to him—may still be alive.
• Liu Zhiyuan explains that the authorities began persecuting the family three days earlier, claiming the King of Qi ordered punishment for the entire clan. The family resisted arrest, and cultivators were sent against them.
• He reveals that You’er is the child of a servant, but the family cultivates anyone with talent regardless of social status.
• Shuyue declares that neither the Liu family nor the people of Jiufeng City deserve the disaster threatening them. She then orders the family to prepare a room where she can work undisturbed.

Character Developments

• Liu Shuyue remains cautious and analytical, refusing to accept the family connection without evidence. However, she is moved by the Liu family’s sincere concern and begins to believe they may not be impostors.
• Her discovery of Liu Zhidong creates a personal and historical mystery, connecting her to an unknown former Lotus Cloud Sect disciple.
• Shuyue also demonstrates her growing willingness to protect the Liu family and innocent civilians, accepting responsibility for determining how to resolve the crisis.
• Liu Zhiyuan is portrayed as compassionate, respectful, and principled. He treats Shuyue as family despite her doubts and defends the Liu family’s traditions.
• He also reveals progressive leadership by ensuring that cultivation opportunities are available to talented servants and members of every branch.
• Liu Qing and You’er are indirectly established as capable cultivators who helped defend the estate from government forces.

Significant Themes

• Family and belonging: Shuyue must confront the possibility that she has a family and history she never knew, despite having spent her life isolated from them.
• Truth versus belief: The chapter contrasts Shuyue’s skepticism with the Liu family’s unquestioning faith in their shared ancestry.
• Legacy and transmission: Cultivation knowledge, family records, magical devices, and portraits preserve connections across generations.
• Justice and political oppression: The Liu family is threatened by collective punishment despite apparently having committed no wrongdoing, emphasizing the cruelty of authority.
• Merit over birth: The Liu family’s practice of cultivating talented individuals regardless of their status presents an ideal of fairness and social equality.
• Isolation versus community: Shuyue’s solitary life contrasts with the Liu family’s collective loyalty and emotional support.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zhiyuan speaks gently and reassuringly to Shuyue, trying to establish trust rather than blame her for the family’s troubles.
• Shuyue interrogates him about the family’s cultivation methods and ancestry, maintaining emotional distance while carefully evaluating his claims.
• Their conversation gradually shifts from suspicion to cautious mutual recognition.
• Liu Zhiyuan asks Shuyue whether the Liu family deserves punishment, and her firm defense gives him renewed hope.
• By asking for a private room and ordering everyone to stay away, Shuyue assumes an active leadership role while preserving her independence and need for investigation.

• Public reaction to the Organization: After the Dimensional Limit Organization’s public address, crowds flock to an intrusion-adjacent plaza hoping to awaken abilities. The resulting labor shortage prompts Chen Xuan’s former employers to ask him to return. Chen realizes that people are drawn less by concern over the other world than by the prospect of gaining powers and not being left behind. He expects society to settle, though he suspects the coming era will blend industry and abilities rather than simply replace one with the other.
• Chen Xuan’s shop salary: A delivery from the Ability Store contains a magical wallet and Chen’s first pay stub: a base salary of 15,000 yuan, paid out in cash through the wallet. It can hold and withdraw the full amount, but cannot accept deposits, making it far less convenient than electronic payments. Chen is irritated by the Store’s eccentric payroll system and compares the salary unfavorably with his earnings from selling Immortal Pills.
• Liu Shuyue reports on Yun Prefecture: Liu tells Chen and Lin Qing that King of Qi’s threat against the Liu family is real. His troops are stationed outside Jiufeng City, while rogue Cultivators attack the family within it. She fears that the danger will escalate now that the king knows she has reunited with the Liu family. Still uncertain whether she is truly related to them, she agrees to a DNA test, which Chen proposes as a reliable way to confirm her parentage.
• Liu Shuyue chooses to fight: Liu once believed King of Qi wanted only to capture her, but his attacks on the Liu family and surrounding towns have changed her judgment: she now considers him a threat who must be eliminated. Rather than attempt a dangerous strike at the heavily guarded Royal City, she decides to confront his forces in Yun Prefecture. She recognizes that the local people may not flee until it is too late, so she intends to defeat the threat where it is gathering.
• Character developments and relationships: Chen remains practical and wry, offering both scientific help with Liu’s uncertain identity and support for her political crisis, while privately suspecting that her appeal may lead to another deal. Liu moves from uncertainty and restraint to a firm commitment to resist King of Qi. She believes her limited strength can be supplemented by Mala Village’s support, the Liu family’s loyalty, and Chen’s ability to solve difficult problems. Lin Qing acts as Chen’s confidante and helps manage the shop.
• Themes: The chapter contrasts ordinary work with the lure of extraordinary powers, showing how inequality and fear of missing out can disrupt society. It also explores the collision of modern methods and magical systems, and the difficulty of choosing resistance when people cling to hope. Liu’s plan embodies the theme of confronting an overwhelming enemy directly, despite the risks of fighting the many with the few.