Chapter Summaries

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Junlin confronts Liu Zhiyin in the laboratory, accusing him of betraying their former friendship and attempting to kill him.
• Their argument centers on the deaths of Kong Yiming, Zhang Chao, Liu Nan, and many Flying Cloud Vine students. Fu Junlin exploits Liu Zhiyin’s guilt, reminding him that he helped Fu obtain the Black-Eyed Energy Core’s power and may feel responsible for the deaths.
• The confrontation turns physical. Liu Zhiyin blocks Fu Junlin’s attacks with the Gene Shield and uses the Voidreturn Spear to impale Fu Junlin, but Fu survives and continues attacking.
• Liu Zhiyin is shown to have grown significantly stronger after following Xiao. His Gene Shield now contains black-blue energy connected to the Black-Eyed Energy Core, allowing him to survive Fu’s powerful strikes.
• Liu Zhiyin deduces how Fu Junlin impersonated Tan Tianze: Fu used tiny machines to stimulate the muscles of corpses and the Gu-Ghost Black Cat, making them appear to be controlled by Tan Tianze’s corpse-manipulation techniques.
• Fu Junlin approaches the Energy Stabilizer. With Big Black’s assistance, the stabilizer dissolves into energy and is absorbed into Fu’s body, stabilizing the dangerous power within him.
• Xiao enters the laboratory and demands the Energy Stabilizer. Fu mockingly tells him that he has already “eaten” it.
• Xiao asks Fu to reveal the “little thing” inside him, but Fu rejects him and attacks with the Voidreturn Spear, ending the chapter on a new confrontation.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin has become more ruthless, confident, and powerful. He weaponizes Liu Zhiyin’s guilt rather than relying only on physical strength. His control over the Black-Eyed Energy Core and his mysterious inner monster continues to grow.
• Liu Zhiyin is no longer the weaker mage he once was. His enhanced Gene Shield and black-blue energy allow him to withstand Fu’s attacks, though he remains psychologically vulnerable to guilt over the deaths connected to his actions.
• Xiao remains calm, arrogant, and manipulative. He treats Fu as an interesting subject or source of entertainment, but his reaction to the absorbed Energy Stabilizer suggests that Fu’s growing power may disrupt his plans.
• Big Black provides comic relief while also playing an important role by helping Fu absorb the Energy Stabilizer.

Significant Themes

• The collapse of friendship: Fu and Liu Zhiyin’s former bond has been replaced by hostility, suspicion, and violence.
• Guilt and responsibility: Fu uses the deaths of their former companions to torment Liu Zhiyin, while both characters struggle with whether they are responsible for the consequences of their past choices.
• Humanity versus monstrosity: The chapter repeatedly raises questions about what makes someone a monster, especially through Fu’s transformation and Xiao’s interest in the creature within him.
• Science and supernatural power: Fu’s technological manipulation of corpses contrasts with Tan Tianze’s genuine corpse-controlling abilities, blending scientific ingenuity with supernatural phenomena.
• Power and control: The Energy Stabilizer, Black-Eyed Energy Core, and Fu’s inner monster all represent unstable forces that various characters seek to control or exploit.

Character Interactions

• Fu and Liu Zhiyin exchange bitter accusations about their broken friendship and the deaths of their comrades before fighting.
• Fu deliberately provokes Liu Zhiyin by exposing his guilt and suggesting that the dead never forgave him.
• Liu Zhiyin analyzes Fu’s methods and recognizes the technological trick behind his impersonation of Tan Tianze, showing their mutual intellectual respect despite their hatred.
• Xiao arrives while Fu and Liu are still facing each other, creating a tense three-way standoff.
• Xiao treats Fu patronizingly and demands the Energy Stabilizer, while Fu responds with mockery and immediate violence, launching an attack against him.

Summary: “Xiao’s Whitening, First Stage”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao effortlessly blocks Fu Junlin’s Spear Intent by manipulating the surrounding force field with Ultra-Energy Control, causing the attack to lose its force before reaching him.
• Fu Junlin switches tactics, using his 10% Gene Lock and Localized Muscle Strength Enhancement to attack Xiao physically, but Xiao defeats him with a single palm strike that sends him crashing through the laboratory wall.
• Despite suffering a crushed breastbone, Fu Junlin heals himself and continues provoking Xiao. He repeatedly attacks, but Xiao catches or repels every punch with overwhelming ease.
• Fu Junlin demonstrates extraordinary endurance, recovering from each devastating blow and continuing to fight. Xiao becomes increasingly impressed by his durability.
• Xiao eventually stops restraining himself and drives Fu Junlin across the floor, leaving him badly injured and temporarily unconscious.
• Because Fu Junlin is near death, Big Black takes control of his body. Fu Junlin’s eyes turn red, and Big Black announces himself in a familiar voice.
• Big Black’s strength and speed are vastly greater than Fu Junlin’s, even while using the same 10% Gene Lock. He attacks Xiao with a powerful strike enhanced by purple Secondary Energy through Cellular Mimicry.
• Excited by the challenge, Xiao activates a new form: his hair, skin, eyebrows, and controlled energy turn pure white. This transformation is identified as his “first stage.”
• Xiao and Big Black exchange a devastating punch, producing a shockwave that cracks the floor and destroys roughly one-third of the walls on the level.
• Xiao claims that Big Black’s attack forced him to enter his first stage, but he suddenly realizes that Fu Junlin/Big Black has disappeared.

Character Developments

• Xiao: Establishes himself as overwhelmingly powerful, capable of neutralizing attacks with minimal energy and effortlessly overpowering Fu Junlin. His excitement and confidence grow as the fight becomes more challenging. His white transformation reveals a previously unseen combat stage and suggests even greater power.
• Fu Junlin: Displays remarkable resilience and refusal to surrender. Though physically crushed multiple times, he repeatedly heals and returns to the fight. His persistence ultimately pushes his body to the point where Big Black must emerge.
• Big Black: Reveals himself as a far more dangerous combatant than Fu Junlin, possessing superior speed, strength, and control over Secondary Energy. His arrival changes the balance of the fight and forces Xiao to use his first-stage transformation.
• Liu Zhiyin: Watches the battle with growing shock, particularly when Fu Junlin survives Xiao’s attacks and when Big Black emerges. He recognizes Big Black’s voice and is stunned by the destructive clash.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power versus endurance: Xiao dominates through superior control and strength, while Fu Junlin’s defining advantage is his near-inhuman ability to withstand punishment.
• Hidden identities and unleashed potential: Fu Junlin’s apparent limitations conceal Big Black, whose emergence reveals a much greater level of power.
• The thrill of worthy opposition: Xiao welcomes danger and praises Fu Junlin’s pressure technique, showing that he values the excitement of confronting a powerful opponent more than simply winning.
• Transformation and escalation: The battle continually rises in intensity, culminating in Xiao’s whitening transformation and the revelation that both fighters possess deeper forms of power.
• Control versus raw force: Xiao uses refined Ultra-Energy Control to neutralize attacks, while Big Black relies on overwhelming physical power and Secondary Energy.

Character Interactions

• Xiao repeatedly taunts and praises Fu Junlin, expressing curiosity about the “other” personality within him.
• Fu Junlin answers Xiao’s remarks through continued attacks rather than words, refusing to submit despite repeated defeats.
• Xiao’s comments about Fu Junlin potentially becoming his opponent are sincere, marking a rare acknowledgment of another fighter’s potential.
• Liu Zhiyin acts as an observer, reacting with surprise to Fu Junlin’s durability and Big Black’s emergence.
• Once Big Black appears, Xiao responds with enthusiasm rather than fear, inviting him to attack. Their first direct collision forces Xiao to reveal his white first-stage form, but Big Black vanishes immediately afterward, leaving the outcome unresolved.

Chapter Summary: “Undercurrents Surge in Crimson Crown City”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Junlin realizes that Big Black has fled rather than confronting Xiao. Big Black explains that his Energy Stabilizer is not fully charged, leaving him unable to remain outside for long. He also sensed an unusual energy within Xiao—possibly comparable to Secondary Energy—and decides to postpone the fight.
• Before escaping, Big Black insists on retrieving his “nest”: a turtle-shell-shaped metal object stored in a laboratory on the eleventh floor of the Zhonghe Institute. Using Cellular Mimicry, he disguises himself as Xiao, breaks the display case, and takes the object.
• Big Black then retreats back inside Fu Junlin. Fu Junlin disguises himself as a researcher and escapes through the crowded evacuation routes while the Institute descends into chaos. He avoids identification checks and successfully leaves the building.
• On the thirteenth floor, Xiao and his companions discover Tan Tianze pinned to a wall and apparently dead. Xiao removes the knives with Ultra-Energy Control.
• Tan Tianze survives because he is partly a Hexghost. A Gu Worm emerges from his forehead wound and helps regenerate him. Upon awakening, Tan Tianze immediately asks about his cat.
• Xiao reveals that Fu Junlin used them and escaped with the advantage. However, he promises Tan Tianze and the others another opportunity to fight Fu Junlin.
• Xiao announces plans to create a spectacle even larger than the chaos in Flying Cloud City, with stronger and more numerous opponents. His battle-hungry subordinates are excited by the prospect.
• Rather than evacuating through the stairwell, Xiao and the other four leap from the thirteenth-floor window, confident that their enhanced bodies allow them to survive the fall.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin remains cautious and pragmatic. Although he wants to kill Xiao, he recognizes the danger of fighting him and prioritizes concealing his identity and escaping.
• Big Black demonstrates both cowardice—or tactical restraint—and resourcefulness. He avoids an unwinnable battle, steals his important metal “nest,” and uses Cellular Mimicry effectively.
• Xiao proves emotionally controlled and strategically ambitious. Despite being frustrated that Fu Junlin escaped, he quickly turns the setback into motivation for a larger future conflict.
• Tan Tianze survives a brutal attack and emerges with intensified hatred toward Fu Junlin, especially because he was forced to witness his cat’s death.
• Xiao’s subordinates are shown to crave genuine combat. Their excitement at Xiao’s promise reflects their confidence, restlessness, and desire to test themselves against powerful enemies.

Significant Themes

• Strategic retreat versus pride: Fu Junlin and Big Black choose survival over an uncertain confrontation, while Xiao’s group values direct combat and dramatic displays of strength.
• Hidden identities and deception: Fu Junlin disguises himself as Liu Zhiyin to ambush Tan Tianze, while Big Black impersonates Xiao to steal the metal object.
• Escalation of conflict: The failed encounter does not resolve the rivalry; instead, Xiao promises a much larger confrontation than the events in Flying Cloud City.
• Survival and unnatural regeneration: Tan Tianze’s recovery highlights the extreme biological powers and altered forms possessed by the characters.
• Battle as a form of fulfillment: Xiao’s followers are not merely loyal soldiers; they actively seek worthy opponents and view combat as their primary outlet.

Character Interactions

• Fu Junlin and Big Black: They argue while escaping, with Fu Junlin criticizing Big Black’s retreat and Big Black explaining his energy limitations. Their relationship combines irritation with practical cooperation.
• Fu Junlin and Xiao: Their brief conflict establishes Xiao as a far more formidable opponent than Fu Junlin expected. Fu Junlin ultimately chooses not to risk exposing himself in a prolonged battle.
• Fu Junlin and Tan Tianze: Fu Junlin’s deception and attack leave Tan Tianze humiliated and enraged, creating a personal vendetta.
• Xiao and Tan Tianze: Xiao reassures Tan Tianze that he will have another chance to fight Fu Junlin, redirecting his anger toward the coming conflict.
• Xiao and his subordinates: Xiao’s promise of a larger battle energizes the group and strengthens their collective anticipation of future confrontations.

Chapter Summary: “New Soft Alloy Successfully Developed”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the laboratory at Crimson Crown City’s Blazing Sun Cemetery, Fu Junlin examines Big Black’s newly acquired indestructible turtle-shell escape pod.
• Big Black explains that the shell can survive extreme conditions, including magma and intense cold, but must remain pressed against Fu Junlin’s body so Big Black can move between it and Fu’s body. Fu turns the shell into a pendant.
• Big Black takes the Bèi Demon’s Energy Core, which is contained within Fu’s Voidreturn Spear, into the turtle shell to interrogate and study her.
• Fu reflects on Xiao, recognizing that Xiao is unlikely to attack the school directly and becoming increasingly curious about the nature of Xiao’s strange pale energy.
• Fu continues experimenting on the New Soft Alloy, using Cellular Mimicry and Biological Vision to analyze and reproduce its structure. After 429 failed attempts, he finally succeeds on the 430th.
• The resulting material is softer and more malleable than the previous 2.4 Soft Alloy, behaving like modeling clay while retaining its shape. Fu realizes it could have major practical value and potentially earn a platinum-level merit award.
• Fu plans to have Shangguan negotiate the merits, since he is better at bargaining.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin demonstrates increasing scientific capability through his use of Cellular Mimicry and Biological Vision. Despite growing frustrated, he persists until he successfully develops the new alloy.
• His relationship with Big Black remains highly comedic and antagonistic, with their exchanges resembling a bickering parent and child. Fu also becomes more comfortable treating Big Black’s turtle shell as a useful personal safeguard.
• Big Black gains a private refuge and a means of rapidly recovering energy. He also takes on the role of interrogating the Bèi Demon, though his claims of having behaved properly are treated skeptically by Fu.
• Fu continues to think strategically about Xiao, analyzing his personality and anticipating that Xiao will pursue him again.
• Fu fondly recalls his younger brother Fu Junting, whose reputed luck or talent becomes the humorous “reason” Fu finally succeeds.

Significant Themes

• Scientific persistence and breakthrough: Fu’s success comes only after hundreds of attempts, emphasizing the patience and frustration required for innovation.
• Resourcefulness and adaptation: The turtle shell serves as an escape pod, energy-recovery chamber, and secure containment space, while Fu’s abilities allow him to create advanced materials.
• Comedic companionship: The chapter balances technical development with the playful hostility and mutual dependence between Fu and Big Black.
• Power and advancement: The new alloy represents another step in Fu’s growing influence and may provide both practical advantages and institutional rewards.
• Mystery and foreshadowing: Xiao’s unexplained pale energy and the Bèi Demon’s nature remain unresolved, hinting at future conflicts and discoveries.

Character Interactions

• Fu and Big Black trade insults over the turtle shell, with Big Black jokingly calling himself Fu’s “father” because he helped Fu unlock his Gene Lock.
• Big Black and Fu argue over Big Black’s interrogation of the Bèi Demon, with Fu teasing him about possible impropriety.
• Big Black mocks Fu’s slow progress by comparing him unfavorably to Fu Junting, inadvertently inspiring the breakthrough.
• Fu imagines future uses for the turtle shell, including sending Big Black away during private moments with Shi Hongyu.
• Fu anticipates Shangguan’s involvement in negotiating the value of the newly created Soft Alloy.

Chapter Summary: “Conspiracy Converged on the Ice World”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Junlin sends Shangguan Mengzhi a sealed sample of Soft Alloy, hoping its value will prompt his master to summon him back to Flying Cloud City so he can reunite with his mother and younger brother.
• Before he can produce more alloy, Commander Viper urgently orders Fu Junlin to assemble his team.
• The Third Expedition Team entered Light Gate No. 18, the Ice Layer World, two days earlier. They discovered ancient ruins resembling those Fu Junlin had previously found, along with:
  • Evidence that many Deformed Species were nearby
  • A functioning energy device apparently left behind by an earlier civilization
• After fighting the monsters, one expedition member was killed, while the remaining survivors became trapped inside the ruins and lost contact with headquarters.
• Fu Junlin’s Fifth Expedition Team is assigned to rescue them. Sima Wugou joins the team because of his experience in the Ice Layer World and familiarity with its terrain.
• The team quickly enters Light Gate No. 18 and arrives in a frozen wasteland containing a large white fortress and smaller outlying fortresses.
• Local soldiers provide the team with cold-weather gear. The Zoo animals accompanying Ling Xiaobing are also outfitted with improvised protective clothing, producing several humorous sights.
• Rather than travel slowly in Cheng Xiaoyu’s transformed mech-vehicles, the team chooses speed:
  • Fu Junlin and Shi Hongyu run
  • Qiao Zishu rides a modified motorcycle
  • The Twin Little Tyrants race ahead
  • Ling Xiaobing rides Poka Poka
  • Sima Wugou runs with the group
  • Cheng Xiaoyu eventually uses his jet equipment to pursue them
• The chapter ends as the entire team races across the ice toward the endangered expedition members.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin demonstrates responsibility and leadership by immediately responding to Viper’s emergency order and taking charge of the rescue mission. His hopes of returning home are interrupted, but he prioritizes his duty.
• Shangguan Mengzhi remains off-page, but Fu Junlin’s delivery of the Soft Alloy shows his continued effort to prove its value and reconnect with his master.
• Shi Hongyu insists on joining Fu Junlin, claiming concern for his safety. Her eagerness also reflects her playful desire to avoid teaching duties.
• Viper appears unusually anxious and serious, emphasizing the danger of the situation and the urgency of the mission.
• Sima Wugou is formally introduced as a capable new Expedition Team member. His prior experience in the Ice Layer World makes him a valuable guide, and his calm demeanor contrasts with the team’s more chaotic energy.
• Cheng Xiaoyu continues to rely on his upgraded mechanical equipment, but his practical plan to use the mech-vehicles is rejected because speed is more important than convenience.
• Ling Xiaobing remains closely connected to her animals and ensures they accompany the team despite the brutal cold.
• Qiao Zishu displays initiative and technical creativity through her modified motorcycle, while the Twin Little Tyrants continue their mischievous behavior.

Significant Themes

• Duty versus personal desires: Fu Junlin wants to return home, but the rescue mission forces him to postpone that reunion.
• The danger of unexplored civilizations: The active energy device suggests that the ancient ruins may not be abandoned and that a larger mystery—or threat—may be developing.
• Teamwork and adaptability: Each team member uses different abilities and equipment to cope with the harsh environment and move rapidly toward the rescue site.
• Urgency and sacrifice: The death of one expedition member and the loss of contact with the survivors establish the seriousness of the mission.
• Humor amid danger: Jokes about the cold-weather clothing, the animals’ ridiculous appearances, and the team’s improvised transportation provide comic relief without diminishing the threat.

Important Character Interactions

• Viper gives Fu Junlin the rescue order and entrusts the team with a high-risk mission.
• Fu Junlin welcomes Sima Wugou, revealing that the two already know each other.
• Big Black jokes about spying on the women changing, but Fu Junlin immediately rejects the idea because Shi Hongyu, Ling Xiaobing, Qiao Zishu, and Ba Xiaomei are present.
• Sima Wugou advises the men to wear extra underwear for warmth, demonstrating his practical knowledge of the Ice Layer World.
• Cheng Xiaoyu proposes using his mech-vehicles, but Fu Junlin and Shi Hongyu push for a faster approach.
• Qiao Zishu and the Twin Little Tyrants race ahead, while Ling Xiaobing teases Cheng Xiaoyu for falling behind and urges him to catch up.

Chapter Summary: “Xiao Organization Everywhere”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Junlin leads the Fifth Expedition Team through the freezing Ice Layer World toward the Third Expedition Team’s last known location.
• The eight members travel quickly but maintain formation so they can support one another. Fu Junlin and Shi Hongyu move ahead, while Ling Xiaobing’s Zoo group follows behind.
• The group admires the beautiful, fairy-tale-like ice landscape, but remains aware that a dangerous battle is likely awaiting them.
• As they near the rescue site, Fu Junlin orders everyone to slow down. The terrain becomes increasingly complex, filled with icebergs, hollows, tunnels, and massive blocks of ice.
• Ling Xiaobing’s animals detect an unfamiliar scent, and she identifies it as blood. Fu Junlin immediately shifts the team into stealth mode.
• With assistance from Viper and Cheng Xiaoyu, the team deploys nearly silent drones for reconnaissance and advances cautiously.
• They discover an enormous massacre: nearly two hundred monsters, most of them fifth-layer Deformed Species, have been killed and scattered across the ice.
• Fu Junlin determines that the creatures were not defeated in a normal battle. Their wounds are exceptionally smooth, suggesting overwhelming strength and precision on the part of their attacker.
• Shi Hongyu finds corpses whose neck wounds froze instantly, indicating that the attacks were so powerful and rapid that the blood froze at the moment of death.
• Viper confirms that abnormal monster-spawning events occurred shortly before the team entered the area. The unusual “Flickers” correspond to the timing of the massacre.
• Fu Junlin concludes that the Xiao Organization is present in the Ice Layer World and was responsible for the slaughter.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin demonstrates growing authority as a commander. He gives clear orders, prioritizes stealth and team safety, and quickly connects the evidence to the Xiao Organization.
• Shi Hongyu adjusts to Fu Junlin’s new leadership role. Although she was formerly the captain during their missions, she feels pride and affection as she watches him command the team.
• Ling Xiaobing proves useful through her sensitivity to danger and her bond with the Zoo creatures. She detects the smell of blood and alerts Fu Junlin before the team advances farther.
• Viper acts as an effective remote command partner, providing reconnaissance support and investigating the abnormal monster-spawning data.
• Cheng Xiaoyu contributes by deploying a second silent drone, supporting the team’s stealth operation.
• Big Black remains playful and curious despite the tense situation, providing a brief contrast to the team’s seriousness.

Significant Themes

• Leadership and changing roles: Fu Junlin’s transition from team member to captain is emphasized, while Shi Hongyu accepts and admires his authority.
• Trust and teamwork: The group stays close, combines technological surveillance with animal senses, and relies on one another to investigate the threat safely.
• Beauty concealing danger: The peaceful, magnificent ice scenery contrasts sharply with the bloody massacre hidden among the icebergs.
• Overwhelming power and mystery: The unnatural wounds and scale of the slaughter reveal that a far stronger force is active in the area.
• The expanding threat of the Xiao Organization: Their presence is suggested not merely by direct evidence but also by their ability to manipulate or coincide with unusual monster-spawning events.

Character Interactions

• Fu Junlin issues commands to the team, and Shi Hongyu privately reflects on how naturally he has assumed the captain’s role.
• Ling Xiaobing warns Fu Junlin about the blood scent after her animals detect something abnormal.
• Fu Junlin communicates with Viper to obtain drone support and later asks him to investigate monster-spawning records.
• Shi Hongyu calls Fu Junlin over to inspect the unusual corpse wounds, helping confirm his suspicions.
• Viper and Fu Junlin work together to connect the battlefield evidence with the earlier spawning anomalies.
• Big Black jokingly addresses Fu Junlin, but Fu Junlin ignores him because of the increasingly dangerous situation.

Summary of “Mysteries Beneath the Ice”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Junlin concludes that Xiao is responsible for the recent attacks, based on the strength of the defeated Advanced Deformed Species, the distinctive Liu Zhiyin-style “Fan Slash,” and Xiao’s apparent pursuit of Energy Cores.
• Viper becomes enraged and orders an extermination operation, mobilizing several colonels to surround and kill Xiao. Fu Junlin allows the plan but doubts it will succeed, believing Xiao has already prepared an escape route.
• Prioritizing the rescue of Team Three, Fu Junlin leads his group through the mountain range.
• Shi Hongyu discovers that the “ground” beneath the frost is actually transparent ice. Ling Xiaobing melts the surface frost, revealing a vast blue-lit space beneath them, suggesting an unknown light source deep below the ice.
• The group realizes that the surrounding “mountains” are actually enormous, tilted, crystalline structures resembling buildings. Their regular shapes and urban-like features suggest they have entered ancient ruins.
• Sima Wugou breaks part of an ice pillar and reveals that the physical structure overlaps with an undamaged, translucent phantom or projection. The phantom begins regenerating, indicating that the visible ruins are not ordinary buildings.
• Big Black suggests that the structures resemble shadows. Fu Junlin infers that they are projected images of real ruins located beneath the ice layer.
• Fu Junlin attempts to investigate with Biological Vision but can only see several hundred meters down, leaving the true ruins undiscovered.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin remains cautious and strategic. He recognizes Xiao’s likely involvement but focuses on rescuing his comrades rather than becoming distracted by the planned pursuit. His ability to interpret the strange ruins develops as he connects the structures to projected shadows.
• Viper shows his intense hatred of Xiao and shifts immediately toward a large-scale military response, ordering an extermination operation.
• Shi Hongyu demonstrates alertness by noticing the transparent ice before the others.
• Ling Xiaobing contributes through her fire magic, using it to clear the frost and expose the hidden landscape despite her relatively weak abilities.
• Big Black provides the key conceptual insight that the structures may be “shadows,” helping Fu Junlin understand their true nature.
• Sima Wugou actively investigates the ruins by physically damaging one of the structures, uncovering the distinction between the real ice model and its projected phantom.
• Cheng Xiaoyu contributes a logical explanation for the blue glow, suggesting the existence of a light source beneath the ice.

Significant Themes

• Hidden civilizations and buried mysteries: The group discovers evidence of an enormous ruin concealed beneath an immense ice sheet.
• Appearance versus reality: The visible “buildings” are not the true ruins but projected shadows or representations, emphasizing the unreliability of surface appearances.
• Exploration and the unknown: The transparent ice, unexplained blue light, and inaccessible depths create a sense of cosmic or archaeological mystery.
• Strategy versus aggression: Viper responds to Xiao with force, while Fu Junlin remains focused on practical priorities and recognizes the limits of military pursuit.
• Limits of perception and technology: Even Fu Junlin’s enhanced Biological Vision cannot reach the true bottom, highlighting how far beyond human understanding the ruins may be.

Character Interactions

• Fu Junlin and Viper discuss Xiao’s presence and coordinate opposing responses: Viper prepares an attack, while Fu Junlin continues the rescue mission.
• Shi Hongyu alerts Fu Junlin to the transparent ice, prompting the group’s investigation.
• Fu Junlin directs Ling Xiaobing to melt the frost, and her magic reveals the blue expanse below.
• Cheng Xiaoyu offers an explanation for the mysterious light, while Qiao Zishu voices the group’s astonishment.
• Sima Wugou’s experiment with the ice pillar draws everyone together and exposes the overlapping physical and projected structures.
• Big Black’s remark about “shadows” gives Fu Junlin the insight that the real ruins must lie beneath the ice.

Chapter Summary: “Assigning Each to Their Battlefield”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A massive explosion near the Third Expedition Team’s position sends five energy-filled black objects—likely Energy Cores—scattering across the area.
• Fu Junlin’s group rushes toward the blast and finds the Third Expedition Team fleeing from more than twenty Deformed Species.
• The Third Team is severely wounded and exhausted. Their captain carries an injured comrade, Old Han, who has lost a leg but still clutches the severed limb.
• The Fifth Expedition Team arrives just in time, giving the Third Team renewed hope and allowing them to escape.
• Fu Junlin and the others engage the pursuing monsters. They rapidly slaughter the Deformed Species using overwhelming coordinated attacks.
• Cheng Xiaoyu protects the exhausted Third Team from monsters that break through the main battle line, destroying them with his mechanical armor and gunfire.
• After the battle, the Third Team’s captain reveals that the Xiao Organization is inside the ruins. A functioning energy reactor can draw a massive number of Energy Cores from beneath the ice, potentially causing an unprecedented disaster.
• Old Han sacrificed himself by detonating the Energy Crystal Blocks needed to activate the reactor, losing his leg in the process. Five Energy Cores were scattered by the explosion, and Xiao’s forces are pursuing them.
• Fu Junlin promises to stop Xiao, repairs Old Han’s leg, supplies the Third Team with crystals, and orders them to retreat.
• Fu Junlin then assigns each member of his team to pursue one of the five scattered Energy Cores, dividing the group into separate battlefields.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin demonstrates leadership, speed, tactical awareness, and compassion. He immediately recognizes the danger, rescues the Third Team, treats Old Han, and organizes the pursuit of the Energy Cores.
• The Third Expedition Team’s captain remains determined despite overwhelming injuries and exhaustion. His urgent warning shows his loyalty and sense of responsibility.
• Old Han is portrayed as exceptionally courageous. He sacrifices his leg to prevent Xiao from activating the reactor and becomes a symbol of the Third Team’s resolve.
• The Fifth Expedition Team is established as a powerful and dependable force. Their arrival restores the Third Team’s morale and showcases their growing reputation.
• Shi Hongyu, Ba Xiaomei, Cheng Xiaoyu, Ling Xiaobing, and the others each display distinctive combat abilities while cooperating effectively under Fu Junlin’s command.

Significant Themes

• Teamwork and solidarity: The arrival of fellow expedition members gives the wounded team hope and allows them to survive.
• Sacrifice and courage: Old Han’s willingness to lose his leg to prevent a catastrophe highlights the cost of resisting Xiao.
• Trust in leadership: Fu Junlin’s teammates immediately follow his battlefield assignments, demonstrating their confidence in him.
• Hope amid desperation: The Third Team’s despair turns into renewed strength when they see their allies arrive.
• The danger of unchecked power: The reactor and Energy Cores represent a potentially catastrophic force that Xiao seeks to exploit.

Character Interactions

• The Third Team’s captain emotionally recognizes Fu Junlin’s group as rescuers and urges his teammates to keep running.
• Fu Junlin reassures the captain that Xiao will not be allowed to obtain the Energy Cores.
• Fu Junlin and the captain exchange a firm gesture of mutual trust before the Third Team withdraws.
• Fu Junlin repairs Old Han’s leg and equips the retreating team with supplies, reinforcing his protective role.
• He then communicates directly with each teammate, assigning them specific directions and opponents, transforming the scattered crisis into an organized counter-operation.

Plot points and events

• Ba Dawang and Ba Xiaomei reach the place where the Energy Block fell, only to find Broadsword Uncle has already taken it.
• Broadsword Uncle introduces them to Xie Ba, once known as the Little Monkey King—the strongest and most brutal child among the subjects of Xiao’s Little Monkey Mountain experiments. He then leaves the siblings alone with him.
• Xie Ba reveals that he wants to kill the siblings to strengthen himself and attract Xiao’s attention. He inhales vapor from a crushed vial, apparently enhancing his power.
• His ability weaponizes fear: his voice revives and magnifies the siblings’ traumatic memories, while eye contact can make victims too afraid to resist.
• Ba Dawang urges Xiaomei not to give in and attacks, but Xie Ba catches his punch and crushes his alloy gauntlet, injuring him. Xie Ba argues that freedom is worthless if they will remain powerless and exploited.

Character developments

• Ba Dawang tries to overcome his fear and protect Xiaomei, forcing himself to attack despite Xie Ba’s psychological assault.
• Ba Xiaomei is overwhelmed by trauma, collapses, and drops her weapon. Her distress also shows her struggle to control the involuntary sounds associated with her Tourette syndrome.
• Xie Ba emerges as both a physically formidable fighter and a deeply ambitious, cruel figure. He seeks strength and recognition from Xiao, and sees domination as the answer to powerlessness.
• Broadsword Uncle prioritizes leaving with the Energy Block over helping the siblings, abandoning them to face Xie Ba.

Significant themes

• Trauma and fear: Xie Ba turns the siblings’ painful memories into a weapon, showing how past abuse continues to control them.
• Power and freedom: The characters disagree over whether freedom matters without strength; Xie Ba has embraced domination as protection from helplessness.
• Exploitation and ambition: Xie Ba’s desire to impress Xiao reflects how the experiment’s abusive system has shaped its victims and their ideas of worth.

Character interactions

• Broadsword Uncle taunts the siblings with Xie Ba’s arrival, then leaves with the Energy Block.
• Xie Ba belittles and threatens the siblings, targeting their shared history to undermine them.
• Ba Dawang tries to reassure Xiaomei and resist Xie Ba; she cannot withstand the fear, while he manages to launch one attack before Xie Ba stops him effortlessly.

Chapter Summary: “Xie Ba Overpowers the Twin Little Tyrants”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie Ba launches a devastating attack on Ba Dawang and Ba Xiaomei, kicking Ba Dawang through an ice pillar and knocking Ba Xiaomei away with a single punch.
• He condemns them for remaining at Little Monkey Mountain and blames them for the suffering endured by the other test subjects after his escape. He calls them “wild dogs,” claiming they abandoned their chance to become “lions.”
• Although Ba Dawang and Ba Xiaomei fight together, fear and emotional turmoil prevent them from using their full strength. Xie Ba quickly overwhelms and bloodies them.
• Xie Ba uses his terrifying gaze and the command “Fear me” to trap both siblings in a distorted perception where he appears gigantic and they seem powerless.
• He deliberately calls Ba Dawang “Little Turtle,” a name connected to Ba Dawang’s past and hidden strength. The insult triggers Ba Dawang’s rage, allowing him to break through his fear and unleash his true power.
• Ba Dawang engages Xie Ba in a fierce exchange of punches. Their powers appear to share the same origin, and Ba Dawang can barely match Xie Ba despite using gauntlets.
• Meanwhile, Ba Xiaomei’s encounter with Xie Ba’s mental influence awakens memories of their childhood as test subjects in a prison-like facility.
• The flashback reveals that the children were taken there because of congenital physical defects. They lived together in fear, watching others—including the young Xie Ba—being removed and returned after horrifying experiments.
• The chapter ends with the young Xie Ba being thrown back into the cell after torture, his neck freshly stitched and his body expelling blood mixed with hundreds of strange ants.

Character Developments

• Xie Ba is shown as overwhelmingly powerful, ruthless, and deeply traumatized. His anger toward the twins stems from years of resentment over their survival and his belief that their escape condemned the remaining subjects to greater suffering.
• Ba Dawang initially struggles under fear and emotional pressure, but the insult “Little Turtle” awakens his buried fury and fighting ability. His rage allows him to resist Xie Ba’s mental domination and access his true strength.
• Ba Xiaomei is physically defeated but mentally reconnects with their shared past. Her memories reveal the origins of the group’s fear and suggest that she may be beginning to understand Xie Ba’s hatred.
• The former test subjects are presented as victims bound together by shared abuse, though their different responses—escape, endurance, resentment, and anger—have driven them apart.

Significant Themes

• Trauma and blame: The former companions carry the consequences of their captivity differently, leading them to blame one another rather than only their tormentors.
• Fear as a weapon: Xie Ba’s gaze and psychological pressure are nearly as dangerous as his physical attacks.
• Identity and transformation: Xie Ba’s description of the escapees as “wild dogs” versus potential “lions” reflects the characters’ struggle over whether survival has made them stronger or degraded them.
• Memory and buried power: Ba Dawang’s nickname and Ba Xiaomei’s flashback show how the past controls the present, while emotional triggers can unlock hidden strength.
• Victims turning against victims: The chapter emphasizes the tragedy of abused children becoming enemies, with no simple division between hero and villain.

Character Interactions

• Xie Ba attacks both siblings while accusing them of abandoning the others.
• Ba Dawang confronts Xie Ba verbally, questioning what they could have done differently, but Xie Ba refuses to acknowledge his argument.
• Xie Ba psychologically dominates both twins before provoking Ba Dawang with the old nickname “Little Turtle.”
• Ba Dawang responds with uncontrolled fury and fights Xie Ba directly, revealing that their abilities may originate from the same experiments.
• The flashback shows the younger test subjects forming tentative bonds and reacting with fear and sympathy when the tortured young Xie Ba is returned to them.

• Xie Ba’s past and the control threads: Ba Xiaomei recalls the horrors of the children’s experiments, including Xie Ba’s agonizing ordeal with ants. She recognizes that powerful test subjects share matching scars on their necks—evidence of something implanted there—and remembers that she and Ba Dawang once escaped together after promising to become siblings and protect one another.
• The battle turns: Ba Dawang and Xie Ba fight without holding back, both suffering devastating injuries. When Xie Ba is about to finish Ba Dawang, Ba Xiaomei steps in, summons an Azure Dragon Phantom, and delivers a powerful strike that leaves Xie Ba near death.
• The truth is revealed: At Xie Ba’s request, Ba Xiaomei opens the scar on his neck and pulls out a red, fleshy thread. It snaps, releasing him from Xiao’s mental control. Xie Ba explains that the threads distorted the test subjects’ emotions, thoughts, and actions—and that he never truly wanted to torment Ba Dawang and Xiaomei.
• Xie Ba’s final gift: Xie Ba gives Ba Dawang a USB drive containing the means to expose Xiao and help the test subjects. He reveals that Xiao’s plan was to make them stronger by setting them against one another, but true strength comes from unity. Xie Ba also admits he saw the siblings escape and let them go, though the control thread often prevented him from resisting.
• Character developments and relationships: Ba Xiaomei acts on her promise to protect Ba Dawang, while Ba Dawang must reconcile his anger with the truth of Xie Ba’s suffering. Both grieve for someone who hurt them but was also a fellow victim. Xie Ba dies entrusting the other test subjects to them, leaving his unfinished words about the “puppy and the lion.”
• Themes: The chapter explores how manipulation can make people appear cruel, the possibility of compassion beneath violence, and the strength found in solidarity rather than competition. It also underscores the bonds formed by shared suffering—and the cost of freedom.

Chapter Summary:

Xie Ba Seals the Small Relic in Ice

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie Ba dies peacefully after finally breaking free from the mental control that had tormented him. In his final moments, he remembers the night Ba Dawang and Ba Xiaomei escaped. Although an implanted influence urged him to report them and gain merit, the real Xie Ba resisted and silently wished for their successful escape.
• Ba Dawang mourns Xie Ba’s death in the freezing wilderness. Along with Ba Xiaomei, he preserves Xie Ba’s corpse inside a massive ice pillar using the projection’s power, ensuring that the body will not decay. He also carefully stores the USB drive Xie Ba entrusted to him.
• Elsewhere, Ling Xiaobing and Sima Wugou reach a destination containing an energy block. They arrive before Tan Tianze and Xu Qianqian and seize it.
• Ling Xiaobing recognizes Tan Tianze as a member of the Xiao Organization and notices the large group of Hexghosts pursuing him. She urges Sima Wugou to flee after obtaining the energy block so they can return to Fu Junlin.
• Sima Wugou instead chooses to fight Tan Tianze, explaining that he came to test his strength against him and determine how he compares with Ma Xingkong and Xiao.
• Xu Qianqian challenges Ling Xiaobing, taunting her as inexperienced. While Sima Wugou charges Tan Tianze and is surrounded by Hexghosts, Xu Qianqian launches a strange magical attack against Ling Xiaobing.

Character Developments

• Xie Ba: Achieves emotional freedom before death. His final memories reveal that he retained compassion and loyalty despite the psychological manipulation imposed on him. He dies without regret after helping his old companions escape and entrusting the USB drive to Ba Dawang.
• Ba Dawang: Shows deep grief and respect by preserving Xie Ba’s body in ice. His careful handling of the USB drive suggests he understands the importance of Xie Ba’s final trust.
• Ba Xiaomei: Shares Ba Dawang’s grief but is too overwhelmed to act, emphasizing the emotional weight of Xie Ba’s death.
• Sima Wugou: Demonstrates boldness, confidence, and a strong desire to test himself. Rather than retreat after securing the energy block, he deliberately provokes Tan Tianze and accepts the danger of fighting him.
• Ling Xiaobing: Acts cautiously and strategically, immediately recognizing that their priority should be escape. However, she is also easily provoked when Xu Qianqian dismisses her as weak and inexperienced.
• Tan Tianze and Xu Qianqian: Both display confidence in their abilities. Tan Tianze responds to Sima Wugou’s challenge with interest and killing intent, while Xu Qianqian takes the initiative by selecting Ling Xiaobing as her opponent.

Significant Themes

• Freedom versus control: Xie Ba’s death represents his final victory over the force that manipulated him. His true feelings emerge when he chooses to protect his friends instead of betraying them.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Xie Ba’s actions, Ba Dawang’s mourning, and the preservation of Xie Ba’s body all emphasize the lasting bond between the characters.
• Grief and remembrance: Freezing Xie Ba in ice becomes both a practical act of preservation and a symbolic memorial to his life and sacrifice.
• Pride and self-testing: Sima Wugou’s refusal to retreat reflects the warriors’ desire to measure themselves against powerful opponents, even when a safer option is available.
• Strategic conflict: The energy block is the immediate objective, but obtaining it quickly leads to a confrontation between the two groups.

Character Interactions

• Xie Ba’s final emotional connection is with Ba Dawang, whom he remembers helping escape and later entrusts with the USB drive.
• Ba Dawang and Ba Xiaomei mourn Xie Ba together, with Ba Dawang taking responsibility for preserving his remains.
• Ling Xiaobing repeatedly warns Sima Wugou of danger and urges him to retreat, but he ignores her caution and challenges Tan Tianze.
• Sima Wugou and Tan Tianze exchange provocative remarks before engaging in battle.
• Xu Qianqian taunts Ling Xiaobing, prompting Ling to accept her challenge despite her initial reluctance.
• The chapter ends as Sima Wugou is engulfed by Tan Tianze’s Hexghosts and Xu Qianqian begins attacking Ling Xiaobing.

Chapter Summary: Xiaobing Falls for the Trap and Into Despair

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ling Xiaobing’s “Zoo” relies on overwhelming enemies with numbers, but their coordinated attacks fail against a constantly rotating square-shaped energy field that deflects their assaults.
• While the pandas protect Ling Xiaobing, Thunder Thorn and Venom Thorn attack Xu Qianqian. Xu appears injured and retreats, leading Ling Xiaobing to believe she is weak and vulnerable.
• Ling Xiaobing orders her beasts to pursue Xu Qianqian, leaving six Flatheads behind to assist Sima Wugou. Unaware that the surrounding landscape has been manipulated, Ling follows Xu into a trap.
• Xu suddenly seals Ling and the pursuing beasts inside a massive, seamless iceberg. The trap is enhanced by illusion, preventing Ling from realizing the danger until escape is nearly impossible.
• Xu reveals that she deliberately pretended to flee and mocks Ling for lacking combat experience. She can pass through the ice using her strange energy ability, while the beasts cannot.
• Salt-Crisp Peanut attempts to attack Xu but gets its paw frozen in the ice. The others rescue it by breaking through part of the wall.
• Ling realizes the group is trapped inside a confined space with limited oxygen. Her fire magic is ineffective and potentially dangerous because it consumes oxygen, leaving the beasts’ claws, teeth, and brute strength as their only means of escape.
• Meanwhile, Sima Wugou demonstrates a disturbing new ability during his battle with the Hexghosts. When injured, his body releases sticky black strands instead of blood, allowing him to immobilize an enemy before crushing it with his whip.

Character Developments

• Ling Xiaobing: Her confidence and reliance on numbers lead her to underestimate Xu Qianqian. She is shown to be inexperienced in combat strategy, easily distracted by unfamiliar powers, and increasingly panicked once trapped.
• Xu Qianqian: Reveals herself to be highly intelligent, deceptive, and tactically experienced. Her apparent weakness was deliberate, and she successfully manipulates Ling into pursuing her. Her ability to merge with ice makes her extremely difficult to fight in her chosen terrain.
• Sima Wugou: Displays much greater strength than previously suspected. His fighting style is brutal and direct, and his new black, thread-like substance gives him a grotesque defensive and offensive advantage.
• The Beasts: Although physically powerful and loyal, they are vulnerable to environmental manipulation and unfamiliar abilities. Salt-Crisp Peanut’s injury emphasizes the danger of Xu’s ice trap.

Significant Themes

• Overconfidence and inexperience: Ling’s assumption that Xu is weak causes her to ignore warning signs and walk directly into danger.
• Intelligence versus brute force: The beasts’ numbers and physical strength cannot overcome Xu’s carefully prepared trap.
• Deception and battlefield awareness: Xu succeeds by controlling what Ling sees and by making retreat appear genuine.
• Despair and confinement: The iceberg creates both a literal and psychological prison, with suffocation adding urgency to Ling’s predicament.
• Monstrous transformation: Sima Wugou’s black, thread-filled wounds suggest that he may no longer be entirely human, introducing a darker and more unsettling form of power.

Character Interactions

• Ling commands her transformed beasts to pursue Xu, believing she has gained the advantage.
• Xu taunts Ling after trapping her and demonstrates her superiority by passing through the ice while the beasts remain imprisoned.
• Salt-Crisp Peanut attacks Xu to protect Ling but is caught by the ice, prompting the other beasts to cooperate in freeing it.
• Sima Wugou battles the Hexghosts separately, using his whip and sticky black bodily threads to immobilize and destroy one of them while Tan Tianze and the others witness his frightening new ability.

Summary of “Sima Wugou’s Strength”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tan Tianze sends the Gu-Ghost Black Cat to attack Sima Wugou. The cat nearly cuts Sima in half, but Sima responds by releasing a massive amount of living black slime from his wound.
• The slime immobilizes the Black Cat and restricts the surrounding Gu-Ghosts, allowing Sima to destroy them with his steel whip. He also captures and crushes one of Tan Tianze’s Gu insects.
• Sima mocks Tan Tianze, claiming that Xiao’s trusted lieutenant is unimpressive. Furious, Tan retreats into the air with Ultra-Energy Control and gathers his remaining Gu insects. Sima does not pursue him because he cannot fly and has no intention of killing him.
• After Tan leaves, Sima discovers that Ling Xiaobing and the six Flathead beasts have disappeared. Rather than follow them, he checks the energy block and returns along his original route, which does not lead toward Fu Junlin.
• Inside the iceberg, Ling Xiaobing and the beasts are trapped after digging only twenty meters through the extremely dense ice. Their oxygen is nearly exhausted, and the animals collapse one by one.
• Near death, Ling Xiaobing apologizes to the beasts and hallucinates a happy wedding with Fu Junlin. A digging sound then restores her awareness.
• The six Flathead brothers outside break through the remaining eighty meters of ice, severely injuring their claws and noses in the process. Fresh air reaches the trapped group, reviving Ling Xiaobing and the collapsed beasts.
• Flathead Boss carries Ling Xiaobing out while the others support one another. Seeing their bloodied tunnel and shattered claws, Ling Xiaobing realizes how desperately they fought to rescue her.

Character Developments

• Sima Wugou reveals an unusual and powerful ability: his body contains an enormous supply of controllable adhesive black slime. His resilience, cruelty, and confidence increase as he turns a near defeat into an overwhelming victory.
• Tan Tianze is humiliated and enraged by Sima’s counterattack. Although he recognizes Sima as unusually dangerous, he chooses to retreat rather than continue a battle he cannot win.
• Ling Xiaobing reaches the limits of physical and emotional endurance. Her hallucination exposes her longing for Fu Junlin, but her connection with the beasts ultimately helps her regain consciousness and survive.
• The Flathead brothers demonstrate extraordinary loyalty and self-sacrifice. Despite severe injuries, they continue digging until they rescue Ling Xiaobing.
• Poka and Salt-Crisp Peanut, initially unable to continue, show deep emotional attachment to Ling Xiaobing and despair at the thought of losing her.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and devotion: The Flathead brothers endure terrible pain because Ling Xiaobing is their master and emotional center.
• Survival against overwhelming odds: Both Sima’s battle and the iceberg rescue emphasize endurance, adaptability, and the ability to survive seemingly fatal circumstances.
• Power and humiliation: Sima’s victory reverses the earlier balance of power and exposes Tan Tianze’s frustration over his repeated failures involving Fu Junlin.
• Love and longing: Ling Xiaobing’s hallucinated wedding reflects her deep, unresolved love for Fu Junlin.
• Sacrifice and compassion: Ling Xiaobing’s remorse toward the beasts contrasts with their willingness to sacrifice themselves for her.

Character Interactions

• Sima and Tan Tianze clash through both combat and insults, with Sima asserting dominance by destroying Tan’s Gu-Ghosts and Gu insect.
• The Gu-Ghost Black Cat attacks Sima fiercely but is neutralized by the black slime.
• Ling Xiaobing shares a powerful emotional bond with Poka, Peanut, and the Flathead brothers, regarding them as companions rather than mere beasts.
• The Flathead brothers’ rescue of Ling Xiaobing culminates in an affectionate exchange: she comforts the injured Flathead Boss, while it cheerfully tries to reassure her.

Chapter Summary: “When Enemies Meet, Their Eyes Burn Red”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After escaping the underground tunnel, Ling Xiaobing heals her injured pets with the Battle Banner and attempts to contact her allies. With no nearby drones to relay the signal, she cannot reach either the command center or Sima Wugou.
• She returns to the site of Sima Wugou and Tan Tianze’s battle but finds only corpses. Sima Wugou has disappeared, leaving her uncertain whether he survived. She decides to search for Fu Junlin, whom she relies on for direction and security.
• At another energy-block location, Jie and his massive companion, Pan, arrive just as Cheng Xiaoyu fires a bullet that blasts the energy block into a nearby ice pillar.
• Jie recognizes Cheng Xiaoyu and Qiao Zishu as people he previously defeated. Cheng, whose spine Jie shattered in the past, and Qiao are consumed by hatred toward him. Their personal anger is intensified by the Xiao Organization’s responsibility for the deaths of over a hundred thousand people in Flying Cloud City.
• Cheng proposes a formal duel: Jie must shoot once, then Cheng or Qiao will shoot once, continuing in turns until one side dies. Jie accepts, confident in both his marksmanship and Pan’s defense.
• Pan agrees to participate and promises not to dodge if the opponents can penetrate his enormous Energy Core shield.
• Cheng’s mechanical body transforms into a wheelchair, allowing him to face Jie despite his paralysis. Jie courteously lets Qiao take the first shot.
• Using her knowledge of energy compression and the frozen environment, Qiao converts Passive Energy into ice-element energy and prepares a highly destructive “Mirror Image” bullet.
• The chapter ends as Qiao fires an icy-blue bullet directly at Jie’s chest.

Character Developments

• Ling Xiaobing: Shows persistence and responsibility by healing her pets and searching for her allies despite isolation and uncertainty. Her dependence on Fu Junlin becomes clear.
• Cheng Xiaoyu: Transforms his past helplessness into determination. Rather than avoiding Jie, he deliberately challenges him to a direct, ritualized confrontation, seeking revenge and perhaps emotional closure.
• Qiao Zishu: Reveals intense loyalty and shared trauma with Cheng. Her mastery of elemental ammunition has advanced considerably, and she is increasingly devoted to developing specialized bullets.
• Jie: Remains calm, controlled, and confident despite Cheng and Qiao’s hatred. His limited but deliberate politeness suggests discipline and self-assurance.
• Pan: Displays immense physical strength and confidence in his defensive abilities. He acts as Jie’s protector and is willing to stand still and endure attacks rather than evade them.

Significant Themes

• Revenge and unresolved trauma: Cheng and Qiao’s encounter with Jie forces them to confront the source of their nightmares and suffering.
• Justice versus personal vengeance: Their hatred is both private and political, since Jie represents the broader crimes of the Xiao Organization.
• Strength through adaptation: Cheng compensates for paralysis with mechanical transformations, while Qiao expands her fighting style through elemental energy techniques.
• Honor and controlled violence: The proposed turn-based duel imposes structure on an otherwise chaotic conflict, creating a test of skill, endurance, and confidence.
• Isolation and uncertainty: Ling Xiaobing’s inability to contact her allies highlights the dangers of the fragmented battlefield and the characters’ dependence on their teams.

Character Interactions

• Ling Xiaobing searches for Sima Wugou but finds no trace of him, emphasizing her separation from the others.
• Jie and Pan cooperate closely, with Pan serving as a defensive shield and Jie as the primary marksman.
• Cheng confronts Jie verbally and challenges his confidence, while Qiao silently supports him through her role in the duel.
• Jie’s courteous acceptance contrasts sharply with Cheng and Qiao’s anger, heightening the tension between personal hatred and professional composure.
• The chapter concludes with Qiao initiating the deadly exchange, placing the outcome of the confrontation in immediate doubt.

Chapter Summary: A Turn-Based Game for Gentlemen

Key Plot Points and Events

• Pan and Jie successfully block Qiao Zishu’s opening shot. Pan strengthens his ice shield at the last moment, but the bullet still destroys most of it, demonstrating the attack’s power.
• The battle follows Cheng Xiaoyu’s proposed turn-based format: each side alternates between firing and defending without changing fighters.
• Both teams deliberately target the opposing defender rather than the attacker. Killing the attacker would end the opponent’s ability to continue defending, while killing the defender would leave the attacker alive to retaliate.
• Jie fires an enhanced ice bullet at Cheng Xiaoyu and Qiao Zishu. The attack causes a massive explosion and freezes the area, but Cheng Xiaoyu’s invisible defense protects them both completely.
• Cheng Xiaoyu dismisses Jie’s attack as merely “average,” forcing Jie to recognize that the pair is stronger than expected.
• Qiao Zishu prepares to fire again, revealing the advanced technology and history behind her massive sniper rifle, including its newly installed Brachistochrone Accelerator.

Character Developments

• Cheng Xiaoyu demonstrates exceptional defensive control and psychological confidence. He protects both himself and Qiao Zishu without moving, preserving their momentum and trust.
• Qiao Zishu remains calm and composed, refusing to move while Cheng Xiaoyu defends her. Her confidence shows her faith in him, while her preparation to fire again highlights her role as the team’s principal attacker.
• Jie reveals the unusual nature of his power. He can expel energy from his body, and when that unstable energy is compressed into bullets, it undergoes a powerful fission-like amplification. Although the attack is extremely destructive, it still fails to injure Cheng Xiaoyu or Qiao Zishu.
• Pan proves capable of rapidly reinforcing his defenses and confidently absorbing a powerful sniper attack, though his shield is heavily damaged.
• The chapter also emphasizes Qiao Zishu’s connections with Fu Junlin, who provides technological support, and Cheng Xiaoyu, who supports her financially and fights beside her.

Significant Themes

• Strategy over brute force: The fight is governed by resource management, careful defense, and timing rather than simply using the strongest attack immediately.
• Psychological warfare and deception: Each side tries to conceal the limits of its energy and trump cards. Confidence, hesitation, and the appearance of strength are as important as actual power.
• Energy conservation: Defenders must often overcommit energy to ensure protection, gradually exhausting themselves. Attackers therefore aim to drain the opponent before unveiling their decisive techniques.
• Trust and cooperation: Qiao Zishu’s refusal to move while Cheng Xiaoyu defends her symbolizes complete mutual trust.
• Technology enhancing individual ability: Jie’s unique energy is transformed into a devastating weapon through bullets, while Qiao Zishu’s sniper rifle gains extraordinary performance through advanced engineering.

Character Interactions

• Pan and Jie coordinate their defense and offense, with Pan blocking Qiao Zishu’s shot and Jie immediately taking his turn to attack.
• Cheng Xiaoyu and Qiao Zishu operate as a tightly synchronized pair: he handles defense while she provides overwhelming long-range firepower.
• Jie’s attack and Cheng Xiaoyu’s dismissive response create a psychological exchange, with Cheng Xiaoyu attempting to undermine Jie’s confidence.
• Qiao Zishu’s stillness during the blast communicates her trust in Cheng Xiaoyu, while Jie’s surprise at their survival signals growing respect and caution.
• The battle remains a contest not only between attacks and shields, but between the two pairs’ discipline, composure, and ability to deceive one another.

Chapter Summary: “Roar of Steel Reappears”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qiao Zishu fires another concentrated ice bullet at Pan’s massive energy shield. Although the shot penetrates the shield, the resulting ice shrapnel and shockwave injure Pan, piercing his chest and shoulder.
• Pan admires Qiao Zishu’s strength, but Jie remains unharmed. Cheng Xiaoyu challenges Jie to fire his next shot, determined to protect Qiao Zishu and uphold their agreed rules.
• Jie fires a powerful red bullet. Cheng Xiaoyu blocks it with his Mantis Arm, reinforced by his massive mechanical armor. The impact creates a crater, destroys nearby ice pillars, and forces the mech backward, leaving Cheng Xiaoyu badly strained but still standing.
• With Jie’s defenses apparently exhausted, Qiao Zishu prepares a decisive shot. Her rifle’s plum-blossom patterns illuminate, revealing hidden Battle Banner patterning.
• It is revealed that Qiao Zishu secretly specializes in the advanced Battle Banner ability Armor Break, which weakens an opponent’s defenses and allows her bullets to penetrate armor more effectively. Only Fu Junlin had previously known about this secret.
• Qiao Zishu fires a pure Energy Vibration bullet. Pan activates his ultimate defense, transforming his body into a gray, mist-covered form and attempting to catch the bullet with his bare hand.
• The bullet pierces Pan’s hand and chest, destroys his heart, and kills him. The attack also tears apart Jie’s right shoulder, though Jie survives because Pan’s body slightly deflected the shot.
• Despite his devastating injuries, Jie refuses to flee and claims he still has one shot remaining. Cheng Xiaoyu insists on allowing him to take it, unwilling to break the rules Jie has followed.
• Jie activates a hidden mechanism in his silver gun, producing a terrifying metallic roar and gathering immense energy. He fires his ultimate attack, Roar of Steel, directly at Cheng Xiaoyu.
• Recognizing the attack as the same devastating shot that once tore through his bones, Cheng Xiaoyu is severely frightened and weakened—but chooses to face it directly. In a shocking move, he lunges forward and deliberately directs the bullet toward his own left eye, defiantly declaring that it cannot pierce him.

Character Developments

• Cheng Xiaoyu demonstrates extraordinary endurance, courage, and stubborn honor. Though already injured, he repeatedly shields Qiao Zishu and refuses to violate the rules of the duel, even when Jie is nearly defenseless.
• Qiao Zishu reveals a major hidden ability and a secret connection to Battle Banner techniques. Her specialization in Armor Break explains why her attacks have often been stronger than expected. She also shows deep concern for Cheng Xiaoyu’s safety.
• Jie becomes increasingly exhilarated and fanatical as the fight progresses. He respects strength, willingly accepts Qiao Zishu’s attack without dodging, and remains committed to testing himself against Cheng Xiaoyu.
• Pan shifts from confident defender to impressed combatant. Even after suffering fatal injuries, he praises Qiao Zishu’s strength, maintaining his warrior’s pride until death.

Significant Themes

• Honor versus practicality: Cheng Xiaoyu refuses to kill Jie prematurely because Jie has honored their agreement, even though continuing the duel is dangerous.
• Hidden strength and concealed identities: Qiao Zishu’s secret Battle Banner abilities reveal that her apparent fighting style does not represent the full extent of her power.
• Endurance and defiance: The battle emphasizes the characters’ willingness to endure overwhelming pain and danger rather than retreat.
• Pride and masculine stubbornness: Cheng Xiaoyu’s determination to keep his word—and the narrative’s commentary on male pride—drives the fight forward despite the obvious risks.
• Respect between warriors: Pan and Jie both recognize and admire the strength of their opponents, even amid lethal combat.

Important Character Interactions

• Qiao Zishu and Pan engage in a direct contest between concentrated offense and overwhelming defense, with Pan ultimately acknowledging her superiority.
• Cheng Xiaoyu repeatedly positions himself between Jie’s attacks and Qiao Zishu, acting as her shield.
• Qiao Zishu supports Cheng Xiaoyu but becomes increasingly alarmed by his willingness to sacrifice himself.
• Cheng Xiaoyu and Jie maintain a dangerous mutual respect, each honoring the rules of their personal duel.
• Qiao Zishu’s hidden ability surprises Cheng Xiaoyu, revealing that even within their close relationship, she still possesses secrets.

Chapter Summary: “Destruction Is the Easiest Thing”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jie unleashes his strongest attack, Roar of Steel, at point-blank range against Cheng Xiaoyu. The blast destroys the surrounding ice and carves a massive tunnel through the iceberg.
• Cheng Xiaoyu deliberately takes the attack with his most vulnerable point—his right eye—as a calculated gamble. His confidence comes from his belief that Mantis Arm’s power responds to overwhelming willpower and conviction.
• Cheng survives the attack and declares that Jie has lost. Jie accepts defeat and prepares to die according to the terms of their wager.
• Before his supposed execution, Jie asks Cheng and Qiao Zishu to name a future daughter with the character “Mei,” suggesting a deeply personal connection or lost love.
• Cheng refuses to kill him, explaining that Jie once spared the life of someone Cheng loved. Cheng considers the debt repaid: he forgives Jie this time, but warns that their next meeting may end in blood.
• Qiao Zishu accepts Cheng’s decision and shoots the ice pillar holding the Energy Block, allowing Cheng to retrieve it.
• As they leave, Jie asks whether life has any meaning beyond exclusive romantic love. Qiao Zishu responds with a reflection on purpose, duty, responsibility, and fighting to reclaim a broken world.

Character Developments

• Cheng Xiaoyu demonstrates extraordinary resolve and strategic courage. His willingness to risk his eye proves his growing confidence in Mantis Arm and his ability to act through conviction rather than desperation.
• Cheng also shows moral complexity by sparing Jie despite his crimes. He chooses repayment and personal principles over simple revenge, while making clear that forgiveness does not erase future conflict.
• Jie shifts from an enemy committed to battle into a defeated, emotionally wounded figure. His request involving “Mei” and his question about life’s meaning reveal grief, loneliness, and uncertainty beneath his ruthless exterior.
• Qiao Zishu continues to trust Cheng’s judgment, even though she initially expects Jie to be killed. Her reflections reveal her admiration for people who take responsibility and serve others.
• Qiao’s memories of Fu Junlin explain the ideals she values: courage, sacrifice, leadership, service, and a willingness to confront the world’s suffering rather than pursue comfort.
• Cheng’s relationship with Qiao is reinforced through mutual understanding, while Qiao’s earlier feelings for Fu Junlin are placed in a broader context of admiration for responsibility and self-sacrifice.

Significant Themes

• Willpower and conviction: Cheng’s survival suggests that true strength comes not only from physical ability but from an unbreakable purpose.
• Mercy, debt, and moral choice: Cheng spares Jie because of a past act of mercy, showing that justice is complicated by personal obligation and gratitude.
• Love and loss: Jie’s request about “Mei” and his question about one-of-a-kind love imply that his actions are driven by the memory of someone he has lost.
• Purpose beyond pleasure: The chapter contrasts passive enjoyment with meaningful action in a world devastated by catastrophe.
• Creation versus destruction: The concluding idea is that destruction is easy, while creating, protecting, rebuilding, and accepting responsibility require far greater strength.
• Heroism and responsibility: Qiao’s admiration for Fu Junlin illustrates the chapter’s ideal of heroism: voluntarily entering danger, helping others, and using power for the wider world rather than personal gain.

Character Interactions

• Cheng and Jie’s battle evolves into a psychological and moral confrontation. Jie acknowledges Cheng’s strength, while Cheng recognizes both Jie’s past wrongdoing and his earlier mercy.
• Cheng and Qiao disagree silently over Jie’s fate, but Qiao ultimately respects Cheng’s decision and cooperates by retrieving the Energy Block.
• Jie’s final question prompts Qiao’s philosophical response, linking his personal grief to the larger question of how people should live in a ruined world.
• Qiao’s memories of Fu Junlin and her feelings toward Cheng reveal that her respect is rooted less in romance than in the courage and responsibility shown by those willing to protect others.

Chapter Summary: “Liu Zhiyin Suffers a Savage Beating”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qiao Zishu and Cheng Xiaoyu leave Jie and hurry toward Fu Junlin. Jie remains behind, reflecting on Cheng Xiaoyu’s resemblance to someone named Mei.
• Jie examines Pan’s corpse and decides there is still time to obtain the mechanical heart. He takes Pan’s body and leaves.
• Shi Hongyu reaches the Energy Core on the far left, only to find Liu Zhiyin waiting beside it. He has deliberately chosen her as his opponent.
• Shi Hongyu and Liu Zhiyin exchange words before fighting. She reminds him that his teacher, Sun Jianqing, blamed himself for Liu’s past failures and even attempted suicide after the disaster in Flying Cloud City.
• Liu Zhiyin responds by pointing out that Shi Hongyu’s boyfriend, Fu Junlin, was his classmate, implying that her teaching may also be questionable. Offended, Shi Hongyu attacks.
• Shi Hongyu overwhelms Liu Zhiyin in close combat, breaking his ice attacks and shattering his protective shield with a kick that sends him into an ice wall.
• She challenges him to use his mutation ability. Liu Zhiyin finally unleashes the power of the Black-Eyed Energy Core, transforming visibly as black-and-red features spread across his face.
• Shi Hongyu activates her own Black-Eyed mutation as well. The two powerful energy users confront each other.
• Taking advantage of the Ice Layer Ruins’ environment, Liu Zhiyin amplifies his ice-element abilities and summons thousands of enormous black-and-blue frost spears, ending the chapter on a major attack.

Character Developments

• Jie displays a mysterious emotional connection to Cheng Xiaoyu, recognizing her resemblance to “Mei.” His actions also reveal that he is pursuing the mechanical heart and is willing to use Pan’s corpse to achieve his goal.
• Shi Hongyu is shown as confident, aggressive, and fiercely protective of her authority as a teacher. Her combat ability is emphasized: she is a Fourth-Level Master with exceptional close-range strength and precision.
• Liu Zhiyin is portrayed as emotionally restrained but still affected by reminders of his teacher and past failures. Despite being a mage disadvantaged in close combat, he proves far tougher than before and eventually reveals the full extent of his mutation.
• Their confrontation establishes both as exceptionally powerful users of the Black-Eyed Energy Core.

Significant Themes

• The burden of guilt and responsibility: Sun Jianqing’s despair over Liu Zhiyin’s past suggests the lasting consequences of failure and perceived failure.
• Teacher-student relationships: The exchange between Shi Hongyu and Liu Zhiyin turns their battle into a personal contest involving their respective teachers and students.
• Power versus environment: Liu Zhiyin’s ice abilities become dramatically stronger because the battle takes place in the Ice Layer Ruins, showing how surroundings can determine combat advantage.
• Hidden identity and emotional memory: Jie’s reaction to Cheng Xiaoyu hints at unresolved memories and a deeper connection to the mysterious “Mei.”
• Close combat versus ranged combat: Shi Hongyu’s physical dominance initially overwhelms Liu Zhiyin, but his elemental power gives him the means to counter her.

Character Interactions

• Jie and Cheng Xiaoyu: Jie silently observes Cheng Xiaoyu and recognizes her resemblance to Mei, suggesting an important hidden history.
• Shi Hongyu and Liu Zhiyin: Their verbal sparring quickly becomes a brutal battle. Shi Hongyu uses Liu’s teacher against him, while Liu retaliates by criticizing her connection to Fu Junlin.
• Shi Hongyu and Sun Jianqing: Though Sun Jianqing does not appear, Shi Hongyu invokes his suffering to unsettle Liu Zhiyin.
• Liu Zhiyin and Fu Junlin: Their shared history as classmates becomes part of the argument between Liu and Shi Hongyu.
• Shi Hongyu and Liu Zhiyin’s mutations: Both reveal matching Black-Eyed transformations, turning their duel into a confrontation between two enhanced fighters of comparable supernatural origin.

Chapter Summary: “The Ridiculous Truth of Human Breeds”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shi Hongyu and Liu Zhiyin confront one another in an icy battlefield. Both possess Black-Eyed Energy, but Shi Hongyu has mastered it longer and more thoroughly.
• Shi Hongyu’s research reveals that Black-Eyed Energy can strengthen the body, empower Palm and Passive Energy, and potentially absorb and convert an opponent’s energy. For now, however, its main advantage is overwhelming destructive power.
• Liu Zhiyin unleashes thousands of Frost Spears, but Shi Hongyu destroys them all with a single Black-Eyed Energy-enhanced punch. Liu Zhiyin is impressed and learns from the way she channels the energy.
• Liu Zhiyin then summons a massive black energy sphere, similar in scale to the attack that destroyed Flying Cloud City. The attack obliterates much of the surrounding ice mountain and would have caused enormous casualties if used in a city.
• Shi Hongyu survives with only minor injuries and breaks out of the sphere. She condenses Black-Eyed Energy into a gigantic hand, grabs an ice pillar, and smashes Liu Zhiyin into the ground with a deliberately absurd technique she calls “Cucumber Smack.”
• The concentrated blow nearly kills Liu Zhiyin and creates a massive, tree-like fissure through the ice. Shi Hongyu completely overwhelms him.
• Shi Hongyu chooses not to kill Liu Zhiyin because he once saved both her and Fu Junlin. She instead declares that Fu Junlin should deal with him and takes Liu Zhiyin’s energy core.
• Liu Zhiyin unexpectedly begins laughing and reveals a shocking truth about the world’s racial hierarchy.

Character Developments

• Shi Hongyu: Demonstrates that she has hidden far greater strength than Liu Zhiyin expected. Her superior control of Black-Eyed Energy allows her to effortlessly counter both widespread and concentrated attacks. Despite her dominance, she shows restraint and gratitude by sparing Liu Zhiyin because of his past actions.
• Liu Zhiyin: Displays considerable power, intelligence, and preparation, but is decisively defeated. Rather than being discouraged, he remains fascinated by Shi Hongyu’s energy techniques. After losing, he shifts from confident aggressor to a bitter, self-mocking truth-teller, revealing his deep disillusionment with humanity.
• Fu Junlin: Does not appear directly, but remains important through his connection to both combatants. Shi Hongyu’s decision to spare Liu Zhiyin is partly based on Liu Zhiyin’s relationship with Fu Junlin.

Significant Themes

• Power and hidden potential: The battle emphasizes that apparent strength can conceal even greater reserves. Shi Hongyu’s abilities far exceed Liu Zhiyin’s expectations.
• Energy as knowledge and technique: Black-Eyed Energy is not merely a source of brute force; its true potential lies in absorption, conversion, and creative application. Liu Zhiyin learns from Shi Hongyu even while fighting her.
• Restraint and repayment: Shi Hongyu refuses to kill someone who once helped her and Fu Junlin, suggesting that personal bonds and moral debts still matter amid extreme conflict.
• The meaning of “human”: Liu Zhiyin challenges the idea that Superior Humans are naturally superior. He argues that all human populations were artificially engineered through generations of genetic extraction, fusion, and selective breeding.
• Social hierarchy and identity: The labels Subspecies, Superior Humans, Mighty-Species People, and Transcendent-Species People are presented as stages of artificial genetic cultivation rather than fundamentally different forms of humanity.
• Dehumanization: Liu Zhiyin compares genetically engineered humans to purebred dogs, questioning whether supposedly advanced humans can truly claim greater humanity than Subspecies.

Important Character Interactions

• Shi Hongyu and Liu Zhiyin’s fight is both a physical contest and an exchange of knowledge: Liu Zhiyin’s attacks test Shi Hongyu, while her techniques reveal new possibilities for Black-Eyed Energy.
• Shi Hongyu’s decision to spare Liu Zhiyin reflects her complicated bond with Fu Junlin and acknowledges Liu Zhiyin’s past act of saving them.
• Liu Zhiyin’s final revelation transforms the encounter from a simple battle into a confrontation over history, genetic identity, and the legitimacy of the world’s racial divisions.