Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Wang Wei admits that the black-market potions were dangerous, though he had previously convinced himself that Ma Cheng—not he—was responsible for those who took them. He describes the seller as a young-sounding man in a green mask, possibly connected to Cheng Xuegong.
• Zhang Ping appraises a potion and sees a brief vision of a strange man refining Mutated Beast blood in a windowless stone room. He suspects there may be many such rooms in Mingzhu City and plans to ask Sisi and the Cleanup Team to investigate.
• Zhang drinks all three remaining potions. Rather than suffering the fatal effects that killed Ma Cheng and the others, he gains three abilities: Savage Body, Enhanced Five Senses, and Communion with All Things. The potions also raise him from Level 17 to Level 19.
• Zhang’s heightened senses let him hear birds talking—and a tissue complaining—before Bai De arrives with a lead: a Great Power Faction member saw Cheng Xuegong in the White Cloud District.
• Zhang tells Bai De that he killed the people who gained abilities because their bodies were beyond saving. They agree to pursue the Great Power Faction case first, suspect the Beast-Taming Zhu Family in Zhou Dahao’s death, and detain the faction’s remaining members for a month.

Character developments

• Wang Wei stops evading his responsibility and gives Zhang a useful description of the potion seller.
• Zhang Ping gains three new abilities and approaches the investigation with renewed resolve. He says he would not have killed the victims if there had been any chance to save them.
• Bai De is troubled by the deaths but accepts Zhang’s explanation and commits to pursuing everyone behind the scheme.

Significant themes

• Responsibility and self-deception: Wang Wei’s earlier rationalizations collapse once the deaths become impossible to ignore.
• Power and risk: The potions can grant abilities, but for ordinary people they are overwhelmingly likely to cause horrific deaths.
• Duty amid tragedy: Zhang and Bai De acknowledge the victims’ fate while insisting the conspiracy must be uncovered.
• Strength and preparedness: Zhang values collecting abilities, even those that seem redundant now, in case they prove useful later.

Character interactions

• Wang Wei answers Zhang’s questions and offers clues about the masked seller.
• Bai De shares the lead on Cheng Xuegong; Zhang responds with the deaths’ outcome and explains why he had no way to save the victims.
• Zhang and Bai De agree on the investigation’s priorities and on detaining the remaining faction members, partly to protect them from further danger.

Key plot points and events

• After Bai De leaves to search White Cloud District, Zhang Ping experiments with his new ability, Communion with All Things, which lets him communicate with objects.
• He questions a potion bottle about its former owner. The bottle initially insults him, but quickly cooperates when he threatens to smash it.
• Liu Sishan and Cheng Xuejie worry that Zhang Ping has become unstable. He reassures them by showing his status and explaining that he is simply testing his power.
• The group discovers that objects can reveal private opinions: Cheng Xuejie’s ring complains about being used when she wipes her butt, so she destroys it. Sishan’s bracelet, by contrast, urges her to rest.
• Zhang Ping then returns to the place where he found the purple mist and asks the ground where the person who had been there went. It points north. Zhang Ping identifies the destination as Pearl-Watching Peak and flies there.

Character developments

• Zhang Ping shows confidence and control while adapting to his new ability. Though still hurt by recent events, he remains focused on finding Cheng Xuegong and the person behind him.
• Liu Sishan worries about Zhang Ping’s emotional state and recognizes that his rapid growth may eventually leave her behind.
• Cheng Xuejie moves from concern to playful curiosity, then becomes embarrassed and furious when her ring exposes an intimate secret.
• Bai De’s departure shifts the focus from the district search to Zhang Ping’s own investigation.

Significant themes

• Power and adaptation: Zhang Ping quickly tests and applies a strange new ability.
• Privacy and unintended consequences: Communing with objects exposes thoughts people would prefer to keep hidden.
• Grief, blame, and resolve: Zhang Ping refuses to blame himself for another person’s crimes and channels his pain into pursuing those responsible.
• Connection with the world: Even ordinary objects—and the ground itself—can become sources of information and companionship.

Character interactions

• Zhang Ping intimidates the potion bottle into answering, then trades playful banter with Sishan and Xuejie.
• Xuejie tries to stop Zhang Ping from hearing her ring’s revelations, while Sishan teases her and learns that her own bracelet is concerned for her.
• Zhang Ping treats the ground warmly by calling it “brother,” and it rewards his friendliness with a crucial clue.

Chapter Summary: “All Things Point the Way”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter opens with the wind carrying fragments of strange conversations: birds argue over a human flying without wings, while two clouds lament being separated.
• Zhang Ping arrives at Pearl-Watching Peak while pursuing Cheng Xuegong and another person. He asks the peak, nearby rocks, and a tree whether they saw the pair.
• Pearl-Watching Peak confirms that two people had recently stood on it but does not know where they went.
• A nearby tree agrees to provide information only if Zhang Ping helps warn birds nesting on its branches about a nearby snake. When the tree refuses to answer first, Zhang Ping threatens it with the Fear War Scythe.
• Frightened, the tree reveals that the two travelers went north. Other trees mock it, creating a humorous exchange.
• Zhang Ping realizes more clearly how his ability, Communion with All Things, works: it temporarily gives objects, plants, and other natural things artificial personalities and speech based on information they have absorbed and on what Zhang Ping himself can understand.
• Continuing north, Zhang Ping questions a wildflower about footprints. He follows the trail until his enhanced senses allow him to track the travelers without further assistance.
• By examining footprints, scent, disturbed vegetation, and fibers caught on plants, Zhang Ping determines that two people passed through: one dressed in blue and one in white, with differing heights and builds. He then accelerates after them.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping demonstrates persistence, resourcefulness, and growing mastery of his supernatural abilities. He combines conversation with natural objects, physical tracking, and enhanced senses to pursue his targets.
• His interactions reveal a blunt and intimidating side: although he begins politely, he readily threatens the tree when it becomes obstructive.
• Zhang Ping gains an important insight into the limits and mechanics of Communion with All Things. The entities he speaks with are not genuinely conscious; their personalities are temporary constructs shaped by accumulated information and Zhang Ping’s own understanding.
• The natural objects display amusing pseudo-personalities: the tree is anxious and moralizing, the pine is spiteful and mocking, and the flower is shy and flirtatious.

Significant Themes

• Connection between all things: The chapter emphasizes that traces of human movement remain everywhere—in wind, scents, footprints, plants, and trees—making the natural world an interconnected source of information.
• Perception and interpretation: Zhang Ping’s ability does not reveal objective consciousness in nature; instead, it translates natural information into forms he can understand. This raises questions about whether communication is genuine or shaped by the observer.
• Humanization of nature: Inanimate objects and plants are given voices and personalities, often reflecting human humor, gossip, resentment, or fear.
• Pursuit and deduction: Zhang Ping’s hunt relies less on brute force than on careful observation and the ability to interpret subtle environmental clues.
• Humor amid danger: The absurd conversations between birds, clouds, trees, and Zhang Ping lighten the otherwise serious pursuit.

Character Interactions

• The birds’ quarrel combines jealousy, family accusations, and misunderstanding, establishing the chapter’s comic tone.
• Two clouds mourn their separation as the wind scatters them, presenting a brief image of loss and attachment.
• Zhang Ping questions Pearl-Watching Peak, a rock, a tree, and a flower, treating each as a potential witness.
• The tree attempts to bargain with Zhang Ping, while Zhang Ping counters with intimidation. The neighboring pine and other trees then ridicule the tree, revealing an imagined social world among the natural surroundings.
• Zhang Ping and the wildflower exchange a gentle, playful conversation before he continues tracking the fugitives.

Key plot points and events

• Zhang Ping tracks down Pan Fu, the strange man behind the Great Power Faction, as Pan Fu and Cheng Xuegong carry supplies back to their secret base.
• Zhang kills Cheng Xuegong with a surprise punch. Pan Fu threatens to destroy Mingzhu City using a remote that can release Salt Frost Fruit Essence, which could attract Mutated Beasts.
• Zhang disables the remote with a Floating Cannon Gem, then cuts off Pan Fu’s escape. Pan Fu defends his human experiments as necessary sacrifices, but Zhang finds him beyond redemption and executes him.
• Elsewhere, Zhu Wuneng and Zhu Shi meet in White Cloud District and exchange information: something is hidden beneath the well at Number Thirteen, and Prince Yue is being held by Zhu Chengmian. Zhu Shi departs; Zhu Wuneng’s smile fades, and he crushes the jade ornaments in his hand.

Character developments

• Zhang Ping acts decisively and mercilessly, using his resources and abilities to prevent a threat to the city. His judgment of Pan Fu reflects his firm moral opposition to sacrificing innocents.
• Pan Fu is revealed as a talented but fanatical researcher who refuses to accept responsibility for the deaths caused by his experiments. His threat confirms that he is willing to endanger the whole city.
• Cheng Xuegong remains fearful and deferential to Pan Fu, but is killed before he can respond to Zhang.
• Zhu Shi and Zhu Wuneng are calculating and guarded. Their friendly manner masks a mutual exchange of useful intelligence.

Significant themes

• Ethics and ambition: Talent and scientific goals do not excuse cruelty or experimentation on innocents.
• Justice and responsibility: Zhang acts as investigator and judge, treating Pan Fu’s crimes as deserving execution.
• Power and manipulation: Threats, hidden information, and strategic exchanges shape the characters’ actions.

Character interactions

• Zhang confronts Pan Fu, defeats his attempt to coerce him, and rejects Pan Fu’s justification of his research.
• Pan Fu’s earlier relationship with Cheng Xuegong is hierarchical: Cheng tries to reassure his master but is threatened with punishment.
• Zhu Shi and Zhu Wuneng trade information as equals, each revealing what the other wants while maintaining polite appearances.

Plot points and events

• Zhu Wuneng learns that Zhu Chengmian has taken Prince Yue. Because Chengmian is much younger than the other elders, Wuneng fears he could hold power long enough to block Wuneng’s own bid to become family head. He therefore wants Chengmian’s plans—and possibly his prospects—undermined.
• Wuneng considers Zhu Shi’s news about Mingzhu City and weighs the risks of confronting its defenders, Situ Shibai and Zhang Ping. Retaking the city or defeating one of them could be a major step toward claiming leadership.
• After returning to Mingzhu City, Zhang Ping visits the sentient ground where he found the purple mist. He shares wine with it, and a crack in the ground opens and closes to swallow the wine. Zhang Ping wonders whether his abilities have produced an unexpected new effect.
• The ground becomes tipsy and enthusiastically embraces its identity, while Zhang Ping jokes and encourages it. Passersby recognize Zhang Ping and give him a wide berth.
• At Gui Tower, Zhang Ping falls asleep. Zhang Shouzhong complains that Zhang Ping went drinking with his “ground brother” without inviting him, prompting silent disbelief from Liu Sishan and Cheng Xuejie.
• Chen Shuang explains that Zhang Ping did not want to kill potion-maker Pan Fu at first: Pan’s creations had given Zhang Ping several useful abilities. But Pan’s cruelty and lack of remorse ultimately made Zhang Ping kill him.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhu Wuneng is revealed as an ambitious political schemer, chiefly worried about Zhu Chengmian’s youth and the threat he poses to Wuneng’s future.
• Zhang Ping shows both playful curiosity and a firm moral boundary. He regrets losing access to Pan Fu’s ability-granting potions, yet chose not to spare or control a man whose crimes he could not overlook.
• The ground develops a lively, childlike personality through its conversation with Zhang Ping, becoming delighted by wine and proud of being “the ground.”
• Zhang Shouzhong displays comical jealousy over Zhang Ping’s friendship with the ground; Liu Sishan and Cheng Xuejie react with disbelief.
• Chen Shuang offers a more sympathetic explanation of Zhang Ping’s motives, distinguishing his practical interest in Pan Fu’s abilities from his final judgment of Pan’s actions.

Significant themes

• Power and succession: The Zhu family’s leadership struggle is driven by ambition, factional conflict, and fear of being shut out of the future.
• Power versus conscience: Zhang Ping benefits from Pan Fu’s abilities but refuses to let usefulness outweigh responsibility toward the victims.
• Unexpected connection and change: Zhang Ping’s casual companionship with the ground hints that his abilities may have effects neither he nor the ground understands.
• Respect for strength: The bystanders’ caution reflects the status and influence Zhang Ping has gained in Mingzhu City.

Chapter Summary: “Investigation Team Returns”

Key Plot Points and Events

• For two weeks, Mingzhu City remains peaceful while Zhang Ping follows a strict routine of training, studying his abilities, and working at Gui Tower.
• He continues practicing forging, researching Investigation Team knowledge, and learning Beast King Fist from Bai De despite already possessing many abilities.
• Zhang Ping accompanies Qiu Qiang to meet master blacksmith Liu Tiefeng. After testing Zhang Ping’s forging ability and confirming his qualifications, Liu Tiefeng allows Qiu Qiang to continue teaching him advanced techniques.
• Wang Jieming joins the Gui Team as an intern. He must eventually complete a Training Grounds mission to become a full member.
• Zhang Ping enjoys a quiet afternoon studying in Gui Tower’s library with Liu Sishan. His rapid recovery allows him to regain his energy after only a brief nap.
• Zhang Shouzhong reports that the Ding Team has returned to Mingzhu City and that its captain challenged City Lord Jin Bo after refusing to recognize his authority.
• Rumors suggest Jin Bo may attempt to purge or control the Investigation Teams because of the Heavenly Fox incident. Since only nine of the twenty-two teams have returned, further conflicts are likely as more teams arrive.
• Liu Sishan warns that the Gui Team and Patrol Team may be targeted because many outsiders believe they were appointed by Jin Bo. She begins gathering information on the other teams, while Zhang Shouzhong agrees to monitor their returns.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping continues to grow stronger through ability research, specialized nutrition, forging, and martial arts training. He is approaching the High-Level Awakened stage and expects to reach it within roughly half a year.
• His peaceful daily life reveals a more relaxed side of him; he genuinely hopes the city can remain stable.
• Liu Sishan has fully recovered from her facial injuries thanks to Zhang Ping. She remains calm, analytical, and cautious, acting as the group’s strategist.
• Wang Jieming begins his path toward full membership in the Gui Team.
• Zhang Shouzhong serves as an informal source of news and agrees to track political developments among the Investigation Teams.
• Liu Tiefeng recognizes Zhang Ping’s forging talent and entrusts him to continue advanced training under Qiu Qiang.

Significant Themes

• Peace versus impending conflict: The chapter contrasts Zhang Ping’s calm routine with the growing political tension among the Investigation Teams.
• Power and legitimacy: Jin Bo’s authority is questioned because he replaced the former city lord and may be attempting to interfere with established teams.
• Preparation and foresight: Liu Sishan emphasizes understanding potential rivals and counters before conflict begins.
• Continuous self-improvement: Zhang Ping keeps learning new skills despite already possessing powerful abilities, reflecting the value of versatility and preparation.
• Reputation and perception: The team may be judged not by its actual loyalties but by how other Awakened perceive its connection to Jin Bo.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ping and Liu Sishan study together in a comfortable, familiar atmosphere, showing their growing ease around one another.
• Zhang Shouzhong brings Zhang Ping news about the Ding Team and Jin Bo, prompting discussion of the political situation.
• Liu Sishan challenges Zhang Shouzhong’s optimistic assumptions and explains why the Gui Team may become a target.
• Zhang Shouzhong defends Zhang Ping’s reputation as “Giant God,” while Liu Sishan remains concerned that opponents may exploit weaknesses in his abilities.
• The chapter ends with the three coordinating their response: Liu Sishan researches rival teams, Zhang Shouzhong monitors developments, and Zhang Ping becomes aware that the Gui Team may soon be drawn into larger conflicts.

Plot points and events

• As Investigation Teams return to Mingzhu City, their conflicts with City Lord Jin Bo intensify. Jin Bo has subdued several captains, while unrest grows within the teams, especially among members who have lost family to the Heavenly Fox.
• Gui Team worries that the Investigation Teams could fracture and become an independent force near the city, potentially leading to war. Shi Jun and Bai Yating—the influential leaders of the Ten Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches—are still missing, making the situation more uncertain.
• Liu Sishan reveals that Gao Yuan of Geng Team and Sun Rong of Yin Team recently tried to recruit Gui Team to challenge Jin Bo, but he blocked them.
• In response, Zhang Ping’s group decides to confront the two captains. Zhang Ping will face Gao Yuan, a Top-Tier Awakened with lightning abilities; Zhang Shouzhong will take on Sun Rong, whose poisonous mist can form attacking creatures. Cheng Xuejie objects to being left out, but Zhang Ping explains she would struggle against a Top-Tier opponent, while Zhang Shouzhong can fight from the nearly indestructible Alloy Overlord.
• The group heads to Yin Tower. Sun Rong meets them with contempt, dismissing Zhang Ping’s reputation as luck and threatening him. Zhang Ping uses Mutation Eye to hear Sun Rong’s thoughts and confirms that Sun Rong genuinely intends to kill him.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Ping shifts from concern about the Investigation Teams’ instability to decisive action. He remains confident and controlled, but Sun Rong’s murderous intent makes the confrontation personal.
• Liu Sishan provides intelligence and argues that Gui Team should not remain passive, showing her awareness of the broader political danger.
• Zhang Shouzhong reacts indignantly to Jin Bo’s defense of Gui Team and eagerly volunteers to fight Sun Rong, relying on his Alloy Overlord.
• Cheng Xuejie wants to prove herself in the fight, but accepts Zhang Ping’s assessment that Gao Yuan is beyond her current level.
• Sun Rong is arrogant and dismissive of Zhang Ping, believing his victory over the Heavenly Fox was merely a lucky matchup. His private intent to kill Zhang Ping reveals that his challenge is more than posturing.

Significant themes

• Political fracture and the threat of civil conflict: Distrust among the Investigation Teams and the City Lord’s Manor could destabilize the city.
• Power, reputation, and respect: Sun Rong judges Zhang Ping by rank and dismisses his achievements, while Zhang Ping’s actions challenge that hierarchy.
• Loyalty and responsibility: Gui Team feels obligated to support Jin Bo after he protected them, and worries that inaction will worsen the crisis.
• Restraint and controlled violence: Zhang Ping permits serious injuries but expects to keep opponents alive, confident in his healing abilities.

Chapter Summary: “New Ability: Cursed Eye”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sun Rong orders the Yin Team to attack Zhang Ping, confident that Zhang Ping and City Lord Jin Bo will be unable to retaliate against the Investigation Teams collectively.
• Zhang Ping effortlessly defeats the Yin Team members by using enhanced laser beams to sever their legs. He also wounds Sun Rong and neutralizes his poisonous mist.
• Revealing that he is not limited to his giant transformation, Zhang Ping explains that his Mutation Eye has developed and strengthened multiple abilities. His Laser Eye is already powerful enough to overwhelm Top-Tier Awakened, while his even deadlier Purple Light Eye can dissolve a target’s cells.
• Rather than killing the defeated Yin Team members, Zhang Ping has Zhang Shouzhong hang them outside Yin Tower as punishment and a warning.
• Sun Rong continues threatening Zhang Ping, believing he will not dare kill a captain because doing so could unite the other Investigation Teams against Jin Bo.
• Zhang Ping spares Sun Rong’s life but unveils a new ability, the Cursed Eye. He curses Sun Rong so that every time Sun Rong uses an ability, he must perform one hundred good deeds that day. Failure will cause unbearable physical and mental suffering.
• Zhang Ping explains that the Cursed Eye works through direct eye contact when the target cannot resist. Mental curses are especially effective, while fate- or luck-based curses are less reliable.
• The group then travels to confront the Geng Team. Its leader, Gao Yuan, initially greets Zhang Ping politely but soon challenges him to settle their conflict through combat.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping demonstrates a stronger and more controlled approach to power. He is willing to punish enemies severely but refuses to kill Sun Rong because, despite his hostility, Sun Rong has contributed to Mingzhu City and has not yet crossed Zhang Ping’s absolute moral boundary.
• Zhang Ping’s growing arsenal is revealed, particularly the enhanced Laser Eye, the lethal Purple Light Eye, and the newly developed Cursed Eye. These abilities reinforce his status as an extremely powerful, possibly Infinite Tier, Awakened.
• Sun Rong is shown to be arrogant, politically calculating, and blinded by his belief that collective opposition will protect him. Even after being defeated, he refuses to repent and continues provoking Zhang Ping.
• Zhang Shouzhong remains fiercely loyal to Zhang Ping and favors a more direct, lethal solution. He is surprised when Zhang Ping chooses punishment over execution.
• Gao Yuan, unlike Sun Rong, presents himself as diplomatic and amiable. However, his friendliness proves to be a façade or at least a surface manner, as he quickly shifts toward confrontation.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus rules: Sun Rong believes rules restrain only the weak, while Zhang Ping demonstrates that overwhelming strength can also be used to enforce order rather than simply dominate others.
• Justice and restraint: Zhang Ping distinguishes between punishment and execution. He refuses to kill indiscriminately, suggesting that his morality remains important despite his immense power.
• Consequences for abuse of power: The Cursed Eye gives Zhang Ping a fitting punishment for Sun Rong—forcing him to perform good deeds whenever he uses his abilities.
• Fear and authority: Zhang Ping’s overwhelming victory and public punishment of the Yin Team serve as a warning to other Investigation Teams and strengthen Jin Bo’s authority.
• The danger of unchecked confidence: Sun Rong’s certainty that political alliances will protect him leads to his defeat and humiliation.

Character Interactions

• Sun Rong challenges Zhang Ping and orders an attack, but Zhang Ping reverses the power dynamic almost immediately.
• Zhang Shouzhong urges Zhang Ping to kill Sun Rong, arguing that sparing him will invite future revenge. Zhang Ping rejects this, choosing a curse instead.
• Zhang Ping and Sun Rong exchange threats, with Sun Rong mistaking Zhang Ping’s restraint for weakness. Zhang Ping makes clear that he is sparing Sun Rong deliberately, not because he lacks the courage to kill him.
• Gao Yuan greets Zhang Ping with apparent respect and humor, but the exchange quickly turns into a challenge. Zhang Ping welcomes the confrontation, signaling that he is prepared to continue confronting the Investigation Teams one by one.

Chapter Summary: “Bai Yating”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Shouzhong explains Bai Yating’s many titles, including White Pearl, the Witch, Light Mage, Lady Thousand Hands, and Goddess of Radiance. Her reputation reflects both her extraordinary beauty and formidable combat ability.
• The group discusses Bai Yating’s light-based powers and Shi Jun’s mysterious Sea of Earth ability, speculating that it may allow him to transform terrain into swamps, oceans, or destructive waves.
• Wang Jieming announces that Bai Yating has returned to Mingzhu City through the south gate. Zhang Shouzhong, Zhang Ping, and Wang Jieming go to observe her, suspecting she may be allied with Sun Rong.
• They travel to Cloud Guest, an unusual restaurant suspended between the air and the city, whose private rooms provide a panoramic view of Mingzhu City.
• From the restaurant, they spot Bai Yating riding a white elk through the southern streets while reading a seemingly blank book.
• Zhang Ping uses Appraisal Technique on her. Bai Yating notices the direction of his gaze, seemingly realizing that someone is observing her.
• Her appraisal reveals that she is a Level 39 Top-Tier Awakened affiliated with the Investigation Team. Her abilities center on divine knowledge, mental holy power, powerful blessings, and extremely rapid spellcasting.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping remains calm and analytical despite Bai Yating’s overwhelming beauty. He is more interested in evaluating her abilities and determining whether she could become a potential ally—or threat.
• His thoughts briefly turn toward marriage and finding a powerful partner who could help protect him from the Beast-Taming Zhu Family. However, he recognizes that his current acquaintances are unsuitable for various reasons.
• Zhang Shouzhong is openly fascinated by Bai Yating’s appearance and acts impulsively, rushing to see her and making crude observations.
• Wang Jieming provides information about Bai Yating’s arrival and joins the others in observing her, though he is more easily embarrassed by Zhang Shouzhong’s comments.
• Liu Sishan contributes knowledge about Bai Yating’s influence, revealing that many of the captain’s abilities originated from Bai Yating.
• Cheng Xuejie becomes irritated when the men abandon the tea she prepared in their excitement to see Bai Yating.

Significant Themes

• Beauty versus strength: Bai Yating’s titles emphasize that her appearance is only one aspect of her identity; her combat reputation as “the Witch” is equally important.
• Observation and hidden power: Bai Yating’s blank-looking book and ability to detect Zhang Ping’s appraisal suggest that her true abilities and knowledge are not immediately apparent.
• Speculation and uncertainty: The characters attempt to infer Shi Jun’s powers and Bai Yating’s affiliations without complete information, highlighting the dangers of judging powerful Awakened based on rumors.
• Strategic relationships: Zhang Ping considers whether personal relationships could provide protection against future threats, showing how romance, alliance, and survival are intertwined in his world.
• Social humor and gender dynamics: The men’s exaggerated reactions to Bai Yating’s beauty contrast with Cheng Xuejie’s annoyance and Zhang Ping’s restraint.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Shouzhong acts as the primary source of information about Bai Yating and tries to persuade Zhang Ping that observing her is a strategic mission.
• Zhang Ping and Zhang Shouzhong exchange teasing remarks, particularly when Zhang Shouzhong questions Zhang Ping’s lack of interest in Bai Yating.
• Cheng Xuejie criticizes the men for abandoning the tea she served, adding comic tension to the group.
• The group collaborates at Cloud Guest to observe Bai Yating from a safe distance.
• Bai Yating and Zhang Ping have a brief but significant silent interaction when she detects his appraisal and looks directly toward him, establishing her awareness and perceptiveness.

Summary: “Liu Sishan’s New Ability”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ping notices Bai Yating observing him and suspects she may have seen his status, though he has no proof.
• Zhang Shouzhong and Wang Jieming jokingly assume Bai Yating was interested in them. Shouzhong boasts that he can control the Alloy Overlord from inside his Storage Contract and defeat her.
• After eating at Cloud Guest, Zhang Ping, Zhang Shouzhong, and Wang Jieming return to Gui Tower, anticipating that Bai Yating’s return will stir up the Investigation Teams.
• In the backyard, Liu Sishan and Cheng Xuejie are training intensely because Zhang Ping’s rapid growth has made them fear becoming burdens to the team.
• Zhang Ping challenges both women to attack him together. Their coordinated assault combines Liu Sishan’s Pure Water weapons with Cheng Xuejie’s invisible Bioforce Field.
• Zhang Ping easily defeats their strategy:
  • He blocks Liu Sishan’s water blades and throws Cheng Xuejie away with Psychokinesis.
  • He uses Flame Eater to drive them underwater and freeze the lake.
  • He briefly severs Liu Sishan’s control over the water with his lasers, then uses his own Pure Water to trap her.
  • He dodges Cheng Xuejie’s attack and restrains her with Psychokinesis.
• After the sparring match, Zhang Ping explains that Enhanced Five Senses has greatly improved his perception and Mental Strength, making his abilities far more effective.
• He secretly gives Liu Sishan and Cheng Xuejie extra Contract Gems, hoping they may eventually develop Infinite-Tier abilities.
• Zhang Shouzhong overhears them and jokingly complains about being excluded. When he tries to take Cheng Xuejie’s gem, she blasts him into the water. Zhang Ping eventually gives him one as well.
• The chapter ends with Liu Sishan suddenly announcing that she believes she has acquired a new ability.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping: Demonstrates a major increase in combat ability, combining Pure Water, Flame Eater, lasers, Psychokinesis, and Enhanced Five Senses with impressive timing and coordination. He is also becoming more supportive and protective of his teammates.
• Liu Sishan: Trains seriously to keep pace with Zhang Ping and shows improved control over Pure Water. Her sudden discovery of a new ability is the chapter’s cliffhanger.
• Cheng Xuejie: Works hard to strengthen her Bioforce Field and coordinates effectively with Liu Sishan, though she is still decisively outmatched by Zhang Ping. She remains playful and quick to punish Zhang Shouzhong’s antics.
• Zhang Shouzhong: Continues acting boastful and comedic, imagining romantic and heroic scenarios involving Bai Yating and the Alloy Overlord. Despite his complaints, he remains part of the team and receives a Contract Gem.
• Wang Jieming: Shows less confidence and appetite than the others, reflecting his insecurity about his own strength.

Significant Themes

• Rapid growth and power imbalance: Zhang Ping’s overwhelming advancement forces his teammates to confront their own weaknesses.
• Team improvement and mutual support: Liu Sishan and Cheng Xuejie train to avoid holding the group back, while Zhang Ping helps them by providing Contract Gems.
• Creative ability combinations: The sparring match highlights how timing, perception, and combining multiple abilities can be more important than raw power alone.
• Comedic camaraderie: Teasing, exaggerated boasts, and playful attacks balance the serious focus on training and power progression.
• Impending change: Liu Sishan’s new ability suggests another stage of development for the team.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ping dismisses Zhang Shouzhong’s romantic speculation about Bai Yating but plays along with his confidence.
• Zhang Ping and Wang Jieming discuss the danger of Bai Yating’s return and the likely renewed activity of the Investigation Teams.
• Liu Sishan and Cheng Xuejie work together seamlessly during their attack on Zhang Ping.
• Zhang Ping tests and defeats both women while explaining how his new perception-related improvements have strengthened him.
• Zhang Ping secretly rewards Liu Sishan and Cheng Xuejie with Contract Gems, prompting Zhang Shouzhong’s humorous jealousy.
• Cheng Xuejie repeatedly keeps Zhang Shouzhong in check, blasting him into the lake when he tries to steal her reward.
• The group’s teasing abruptly ends when Liu Sishan reveals her new ability.

Chapter Summary: “Water-Mirror Scrying”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Sishan gains a new ability, Water-Mirror Scrying, after repeatedly receiving Contract Gems from Zhang Ping.
• She creates a water mirror that can display distant locations and potentially allow travel through space. The ability’s effectiveness depends on the amount of water present, distance, and her Mental Strength.
• The group tests the ability by observing Gui Tower and then attempting to spy on the Zi Team’s office building.
• The image becomes increasingly blurry near the Zi Building, suggesting either extreme dryness or interference.
• Zhang Ping uses his Enhanced Eye ability through physical contact with Liu Sishan, significantly strengthening her scrying and restoring the image’s clarity.
• They observe Bai Yating arriving at the Zi Building and interacting with its servants. The group learns that higher-ranked Investigation Teams receive more funding and occupy more prestigious headquarters.
• Zhang Ping expresses a preference for remaining with the relatively peaceful Gui Team rather than pursuing a higher rank.
• Zhang Shouzhong jokes about defeating Shi Jun and taking over the Jia Team so that he can become a pair with Bai Yating. Zhang Ping warns that Shi Jun is an extremely powerful opponent and should not be underestimated.
• The water mirror later reveals Wang Huashi, captain of the Xu Team, speaking with Bai Yating. Their discussion ends tensely, with Bai Yating leaving coldly after they apparently fail to reach an agreement.

Character Developments

• Liu Sishan becomes considerably more valuable to the team. Her new ability gives her long-range surveillance, battlefield repositioning, defensive options, and possible spatial travel.
• Zhang Ping demonstrates both strategic caution and supportiveness. He enhances Liu Sishan’s ability and carefully evaluates the danger posed by Shi Jun rather than assuming victory.
• Zhang Shouzhong remains flirtatious, impulsive, and comic, fantasizing about Bai Yating despite the enormous difference in status and strength.
• Cheng Xuejie continues to provide skeptical and teasing commentary, especially toward Zhang Shouzhong’s ambitions.
• Bai Yating is presented as an important and authoritative figure within the Zi Team, treated almost like royalty by the building’s servants.
• Wang Huashi is introduced as a shrewd and potentially suspicious captain, possibly connected to the Beast-Taming Zhu Family.

Significant Themes

• Growth through shared power: Liu Sishan’s ability and Zhang Ping’s enhancement skill show how the team’s abilities become stronger through cooperation.
• The value of versatility: Water-Mirror Scrying is not merely a scouting technique; it can support infiltration, defense, combat, and transportation.
• Power and rank: The Investigation Teams’ hierarchy affects funding, prestige, facilities, and social status.
• Ambition versus contentment: Zhang Shouzhong dreams of rising in rank, while Zhang Ping prefers the stability and freedom of the Gui Team.
• Caution and strategic judgment: Zhang Ping emphasizes respecting powerful enemies, particularly Shi Jun, rather than relying on confidence alone.
• Surveillance and hidden conflict: The water mirror allows the group to observe events from afar, while the tense exchange between Bai Yating and Wang Huashi hints at political or organizational conflict.

Character Interactions

• Liu Sishan demonstrates her new power for Zhang Ping and the others, while Zhang Ping helps amplify it through physical contact.
• The team jokes about the Zi Team’s lavish headquarters and servants, contrasting it with their own more modest Gui Team.
• Zhang Shouzhong’s romantic interest in Bai Yating becomes a source of teasing from Cheng Xuejie and criticism from Zhang Ping.
• Bai Yating and Wang Huashi engage in a private discussion that ends in disagreement, suggesting tension between the Zi and Xu Teams or between their respective interests.

Chapter Summary: “Fall of the Colossus”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Shouzhong suspects that Wang Huashi is hiding something, though Wang Jieming and Cheng Xuejie dismiss his suspicion as jealousy over Wang Huashi’s conversation with Bai Yating.
• The group uses Liu Sishan’s water mirror to observe Bai Yating entering Zi Team’s office building. However, a barrier prevents them from seeing inside. Liu Sishan’s mental strength is nearly exhausted, so Zhang Ping ends the surveillance.
• Wang Huashi visits Sandstorm Club, founded by Li Yan, where he meets Xu Zheng and Li Yan to discuss their plan against the newly appointed City Lord, Jin Bo.
• Bai Yating has refused to support the investigation teams. She will not interfere with their actions, but she is also unwilling to fight on their behalf. The captains acknowledge that she is too powerful to challenge directly.
• Gao Yuan has withdrawn from the operation after becoming frightened by Zhang Ping’s growing strength. Without Gao Yuan’s strategic support, the plan is temporarily suspended until Shi Jun returns.
• Despite the setback, Xu Zheng and Li Yan decide to continue spreading rumors to damage Jin Bo’s reputation.
• After Xu Zheng and Wang Huashi leave, Li Yan reveals that he is actually Zhu Wuneng in disguise. He recognizes Zhang Ping as an increasingly dangerous Infinite-Tier Awakened and confirms that the Zhu Family’s goal is to kill him before he becomes even stronger.
• At the bottom of a mysterious cliff near the Training Grounds, Zhu Shi negotiates with Zuo Xiangming, a corpse-controlling figure who commands numerous Living Corpses.
• Zhu Shi offers the Zhu Family’s supply of corpses in exchange for Zuo Xiangming’s assistance in killing Zhang Ping. Zuo agrees because he already holds a grudge against Zhang Ping and wants to obtain his corpse.
• The joint operation is named “Fall of the Colossus,” symbolizing the plan to bring down Zhang Ping, whose power is likened to that of a colossal dragon.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping is established as the central threat in the eyes of the Zhu Family and its allies. His ability to transform into a powerful red giant, along with his rapid growth, has made him a target before he becomes impossible to defeat.
• Bai Yating is shown to be independent and unwilling to sacrifice herself for the Twelve Earthly Branches. Her refusal disappoints Xu Zheng but also reinforces her overwhelming strength and authority.
• Wang Huashi acts as an intermediary for the investigation teams but is unable to advance their plan after Bai Yating’s refusal and Gao Yuan’s withdrawal.
• Gao Yuan, previously the operation’s strategist, loses his nerve after witnessing or learning about Zhang Ping’s power, significantly weakening the conspiracy against Jin Bo.
• Li Yan is revealed to be a disguised member of the Zhu Family, Zhu Wuneng. His apparent support for the investigation teams hides a larger agenda: manipulating them and using Shi Jun’s loyalty to further the Zhu Family’s objectives.
• Zuo Xiangming becomes an active enemy of Zhang Ping. His desire for Zhang Ping’s Infinite-Tier corpse makes his motives both personal and materialistic.
• Xu Zheng remains pragmatic, abandoning immediate action while supporting the campaign to damage Jin Bo’s reputation through misinformation.

Significant Themes

• Fear of rising power: Zhang Ping’s rapid advancement has turned him from an underestimated figure into a perceived existential threat.
• Manipulation and hidden identities: The chapter emphasizes deception, with Li Yan secretly being Zhu Wuneng and various factions using rumors, pity, and political schemes to influence others.
• Power and authority: Bai Yating’s position rests on her proven strength rather than consensus, while Zhang Ping’s emerging power challenges the existing balance.
• Political intrigue and betrayal: The investigation teams’ plans rely on alliances that are fragile, while the Zhu Family secretly exploits the teams’ conflict with Jin Bo.
• Greed and exploitation of the dead: Zuo Xiangming’s desire to claim Zhang Ping’s corpse reflects the value placed on powerful bodies and abilities in this world.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhang Shouzhong’s suspicion of Wang Huashi creates light tension within Zhang Ping’s group, though it is mocked as jealousy.
• Zhang Ping supports Liu Sishan and stops the surveillance once her strength is depleted, showing consideration for her condition.
• Wang Huashi, Xu Zheng, and Li Yan discuss Bai Yating’s refusal and Gao Yuan’s withdrawal, exposing the investigation teams’ weakening position.
• Li Yan privately assesses the situation and decides that Shi Jun can still be manipulated into helping them.
• Zhu Shi and Zuo Xiangming form a dangerous alliance based on shared hostility toward Zhang Ping and mutual benefit: corpses for assistance.
• The chapter ends by framing Zhang Ping as the target of a coordinated conspiracy involving the Zhu Family and Living Corpse forces.

Chapter Summary: “New Ability of the Mutant Eye”

• Discovery of a new eye ability: Zhang Ping examines his many mutant-eye abilities, reviewing useful powers such as laser vision, microscopic sight, mind-reading, curses, acceleration, enhanced vision, and power enhancement. He discovers a new pair of green, diamond-shaped pupils, but initially has no idea what they do.
• Cautious testing: Because unknown abilities could be dangerous, Zhang Ping refuses to test the power inside Mingzhu City. After recovering from creating Contract Gems, he uses a key-shaped gem to open a door and travels to an uninhabited area outside the city.
• Creation of invisible marks: Activating the new eye produces a green diamond-shaped mark on the ground. The mark is illusory and cannot be touched. Zhao Yanhu, whom Zhang Ping summons from a Storage Contract, cannot see it. The mark disappears from Zhang Ping’s sight when he deactivates the eye and reappears when he activates it again.
• Failed initial theory: Zhang Ping wonders whether the marks function like teleportation markers from Naruto. However, activating the ability elsewhere creates additional marks rather than transporting him to the original one, so he abandons the theory for the moment.
• Emerging clue: After returning to Gui Tower, Zhang Ping closes his eyes and suddenly perceives the locations of the marked areas clearly. He senses that he may be able to do something with them, ending the chapter on a mystery.

Character Development and Interactions

• Zhang Ping is shown as powerful but cautious, refusing to experiment recklessly with an unknown ability. He is also lazy and easily fatigued, choosing to postpone further investigation when the power’s function remains unclear.
• Zhang Shouzhong returns with materials for research and potential future weapon or armor creation. His blunt, impatient exchange with Zhang Ping provides humor and highlights their familiar relationship.
• Zhao Yanhu assists Zhang Ping during the field test but cannot perceive the mysterious marks, confirming that they are visible only to the activated eye—or perhaps exist on a different level.

Significant Themes

• Caution versus curiosity: Zhang Ping’s desire to understand his new power is balanced by concern that it could cause catastrophic damage.
• Unexplored potential: The chapter emphasizes that Zhang Ping possesses many abilities, but even he does not fully understand the limits of his mutant eyes.
• Mystery and experimentation: The invisible marks and Zhang Ping’s newfound awareness of their locations establish a puzzle that will likely reveal a spatial, tracking, or remote-interaction ability in the next chapter.
• Team support and preparation: Zhang Shouzhong’s material research and Zhang Ping’s Contract Gems reflect the Gui Team’s ongoing preparation and expansion of its resources.

Chapter Summary: “New Ability—Reset Eye”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ping discovers that his new ability, the Reset Eye, allows him to record a target’s state and later restore it to that recorded condition.
• He tests the ability on:
  • A rock he had previously kicked apart, restoring it to its original form.
  • An apple, which returns after being eaten, apparently restoring both the fruit and its contents.
  • A Forest Outlaw, whose head is destroyed by lasers and then completely regenerated through Reset.
  • A beetle, which is repeatedly killed through crushing, burning, and total annihilation, yet returns each time to its recorded state.
• Through repeated testing, Zhang Ping determines that:
  • A target must first be recorded before it can be reset.
  • Recording speed depends largely on the target’s mass; small objects record faster.
  • Each target can only be marked once.
  • A target can be reset a maximum of nine times.
  • After nine resets, it cannot be reset or marked again.
• Zhang Ping begins considering practical applications, including using the ability to restore his organs to a youthful state, replenish depleted Nether Mist, and preserve or repeatedly recover valuable equipment.

Character Development

• Zhang Ping becomes increasingly impressed—and slightly alarmed—by the overwhelming potential of the Reset Eye.
• His initial curiosity develops into systematic experimentation. He carefully tests the ability on different materials, living creatures, corpses, and ability-created beings.
• He shows caution by avoiding experiments on himself and instead using a Forest Outlaw as a test subject.
• As he understands the limitations of the ability, his thinking shifts toward strategic and long-term uses, especially immortality, resource recovery, and financial gain.
• His imagination becomes increasingly ambitious, as he considers resetting internal organs to reverse aging and restoring rare items after selling or damaging them.

Significant Themes

• Power and discovery: Zhang Ping’s new ability appears extraordinarily powerful, but its true limits must be uncovered through experimentation.
• Life, death, and restoration: The beetle experiments explore whether death—even total physical destruction—can be reversed.
• Immortality and rejuvenation: Zhang Ping wonders whether recording and resetting his organs could preserve youth, though he recognizes possible risks such as memory loss.
• Limits on power: The nine-reset restriction and one-time marking rule prevent the ability from being completely unlimited.
• Practical exploitation of supernatural power: Zhang Ping immediately considers applications involving healing, resource regeneration, equipment preservation, and wealth.
• Scientific experimentation: The chapter emphasizes observation, testing, hypotheses, and drawing conclusions from controlled trials.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ping releases Zhou Qingbai from the Storage Contract and orders him to summon a Forest Outlaw.
• He uses the Forest Outlaw as an experimental subject, first testing whether a consumed apple can be restored and later testing whether the creature itself can be resurrected after destruction.
• The Forest Outlaw’s nature as an artificial construct makes Zhang Ping uncertain whether the Reset Eye’s effects will work identically on true living beings.
• Zhang Ping has no direct interaction with other major characters, but his commands to Zhou Qingbai and manipulation of the Forest Outlaw demonstrate his growing control over his summoned resources.

Chapter Summary: “Bai Yating Pays a Visit”

Key Plot Points and Events

• While the special equipment continues recording, Cheng Xuejie asks Zhang Ping to use his Reset Eye to record the current condition of her white handbag. Although the handbag is ordinary, it has sentimental value because it was a birthday gift from Sisi.
• Bai Yating unexpectedly visits Zhang Ping’s residence. Cheng Xuejie is immediately intimidated by Bai’s height, elegance, and commanding presence.
• Bai reveals that she possesses Precognition. In one possible future, Zhang Ping dies, and Bai dies one year later, making Zhang Ping’s survival crucial to her own fate.
• Bai explains that someone is interfering with precognitive abilities, with Zhang Ping apparently at the center of the disturbance. She cannot identify the exact source of the danger.
• Based on current conflicts, Bai believes Shi Jun is the most likely threat to Zhang Ping. She explains that Shi Jun is powerful not only because of his ability, but also because he is a major shareholder of the extremely wealthy Myriad Stone Merchant Alliance and can equip himself with vast amounts of special equipment.
• Zhang Ping realizes that Shi Jun is effectively a “wealth-powered” opponent whose resources may rival or exceed Zhang’s own advantages.
• Bai offers to support Zhang if he confronts Shi Jun, promising to intervene if Zhang’s life is endangered. Zhang accepts and agrees to notify her if a conflict occurs.
• The chapter ends with Zhang asking Bai whether she would have defended Sun Rong, Gao Yuan, and the others if her Precognition had not warned her of danger.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping: Remains calm and composed around Bai Yating because he has deliberately commanded himself not to be emotionally affected. He becomes more cautious after learning about Shi Jun’s resources, but does not retreat or surrender. His trust in Bai grows after she offers genuine assistance.
• Bai Yating: Is introduced as elegant, intelligent, powerful, and considerate. Her Precognition creates a personal connection to Zhang’s fate, and she demonstrates courage by offering to stand with him rather than advising him to submit to Shi Jun.
• Cheng Xuejie: Shows sentimental attachment to her handbag and eagerness to exploit Zhang’s Reset Eye. She is also strongly affected by Bai’s presence, feeling inferior despite initially trying to maintain her confidence.
• Shi Jun: Although absent, he is established as a major looming antagonist whose wealth allows him to possess extensive special equipment.
• Sisi: Is mentioned as the person who gave Cheng Xuejie the handbag, highlighting their emotional bond.

Significant Themes

• Power and resources: Strength comes not only from supernatural abilities but also from wealth, equipment, and social influence. Shi Jun represents the threat of overwhelming financial power.
• Fate and interdependence: Bai’s future death being linked to Zhang’s death suggests that their destinies are connected, while the interference with Precognition raises questions about whether the future can be reliably understood.
• Composure and self-control: Zhang’s deliberate emotional regulation allows him to interact rationally with Bai despite her overwhelming charisma.
• Appearance versus substance: Bai’s beauty and elegance are striking, but her real appeal comes from her wisdom, restraint, and willingness to help.
• Sentimental value: Cheng’s handbag shows that seemingly ordinary objects can carry deep personal meaning.

Character Interactions

• Cheng asks Zhang to record her handbag, demonstrating her reliance on his Reset Eye and her trust in him.
• Bai and Cheng have an immediate silent rivalry, with Cheng feeling overshadowed by Bai’s elegance.
• Bai and Zhang speak respectfully but directly about his dangerous situation. Their conversation establishes mutual recognition and potential cooperation.
• Cheng contributes information about the wealth of the Myriad Stone Merchant Alliance, helping Zhang understand Shi Jun’s influence.
• Bai offers Zhang protection, while Zhang promises to inform her before confronting Shi Jun. The final question from Zhang introduces possible tension concerning Bai’s past relationship with Sun Rong and Gao Yuan.

Chapter Summary: Sea of Earth

Plot Points and Events

• Bai Yating visits Zhang Ping and directly questions his decision to support Sun Rong and Gao Yuan. When she asks what he would do in Zhang Ping’s position, Zhang Ping is forced into silence, recognizing that he might have made the same choice.
• After Bai Yating leaves on her white elk, Cheng Xuejie teasingly asks whether Zhang Ping finds her attractive. Zhang Ping praises Bai Yating as nearly perfect—feminine, independent, powerful, and intelligent—then humorously transforms his legs into water to make himself taller.
• Zhang Shouzhong enters at the wrong moment, leading to a comedic exchange with Cheng Xuejie, who retreats upstairs in exasperation.
• Outside Mingzhu City, the Jia Team of the Investigation Team slowly returns on a Broad-backed Stone-armored Giant Lizard. Their captain, Shi Jun, has deliberately delayed their return.
• Zhang Chen, a young and idealistic genius, worries that the team abandoned the city during its crisis. Shi Jun argues that the Patrol Team—not the Investigation Team—is responsible for Mingzhu City’s affairs, though he admits the city is still their home.
• Shi Jun suspects the recent Mutated Beast incident is being manipulated by someone behind the scenes. He is also intrigued by Mingzhu City’s mysterious new city lord and expects the city’s power structure, including the Investigation Team, to be reorganized.
• A message arrives reporting that Zhang Ping defeated Sun Rong and Gao Yuan, two Investigation Team captains. Shi Jun is amused and surprised that someone supposedly possessing a “Useless Tier” ability could overpower them.
• Realizing Zhang Ping is far stronger than expected, Shi Jun decides to meet him. He uses his earth-manipulating ability to create massive waves beneath the giant lizard, while a team member surfs across the shifting ground toward Mingzhu City.

Character Development

• Zhang Ping: Shows loyalty toward his subordinates and a willingness to challenge authority, even though he recognizes the political consequences. His admiration for Bai Yating also reveals a playful, vain side.
• Bai Yating: Demonstrates confidence and moral pressure, forcing Zhang Ping to confront whether he would protect his own people in the same situation.
• Cheng Xuejie: Continues to act as a sarcastic and perceptive senior figure, teasing Zhang Ping while remaining unimpressed by his antics.
• Shi Jun: Appears relaxed and humorous but is politically shrewd. He deliberately avoids rushing back to Mingzhu City and understands that Zhang Ping’s rise may destabilize existing power structures.
• Zhang Chen: Is portrayed as earnest, inexperienced, and morally concerned. His admiration for Shi Jun contrasts with his shock at Zhang Ping’s unexpected strength.
• Zhang Ping’s reputation: The chapter emphasizes the gap between public assumptions about him as a failed or unstable “Useless Tier” student and his actual combat ability.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and responsibility: The discussion of whether a leader should defend subordinates highlights the obligations attached to authority.
• Power and political maneuvering: The new city lord’s arrival, the Patrol Team’s destruction, and the possible reshuffling of the Investigation Team suggest an impending struggle for control.
• Appearance versus reality: Zhang Ping’s supposed useless ability conceals formidable strength, while Shi Jun’s carefree behavior masks strategic calculation.
• Generational and institutional conflict: The younger Zhang Chen views events through personal loyalty and moral duty, while Shi Jun approaches them through organizational boundaries and political pragmatism.
• Humor amid tension: Romantic teasing and physical comedy offset the darker developments surrounding the city’s leadership and the Mutated Beast crisis.

Character Interactions

• Bai Yating and Zhang Ping: A pointed moral exchange establishes mutual confidence and challenges Zhang Ping’s leadership principles.
• Zhang Ping and Cheng Xuejie: Their teasing conversation highlights their familiar relationship and Zhang Ping’s comic vanity.
• Cheng Xuejie and Zhang Shouzhong: Zhang Shouzhong’s unexpected arrival creates a humorous misunderstanding.
• Shi Jun and Zhang Chen: Shi Jun dismisses Zhang Chen’s worries while encouraging him to understand the broader responsibilities of the Investigation Team.
• Shi Jun and the Jia Team: The team respects Shi Jun’s judgment, though they interpret his delay as deliberate strategy. In reality, he is partly avoiding confrontation.
• Shi Jun and Zhang Ping: Though they have not yet met, the chapter sets up their coming confrontation as Shi Jun becomes interested in the supposedly weak newcomer who defeated two senior captains.

Chapter Summary: “Game Rules”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hua Junfu, leader of the Ten Heavenly Stems, returns to Mingzhu City dramatically, riding atop a massive wave of yellow mud on a surfboard.
• The city’s Awakened mock and insult him, but their teasing reveals that Hua Junfu is a familiar and controversial figure.
• Hua publicly challenges Zhang Ping, demanding that he come out and acknowledge Hua as his “daddy.” The challenge immediately attracts the city’s attention because Zhang Ping is regarded as an extremely powerful figure.
• Zhang Shouzhong volunteers to fight Hua in Zhang Ping’s place. Liu Sishan warns Zhang Ping that Hua’s ability is dangerous and advises him to be prepared to fight personally if necessary.
• Zhang Shouzhong deploys the Alloy Overlord and confronts Hua outside the city.
• Hua’s surfboard proves extraordinarily durable, shattering the Alloy Overlord’s Bioalloy fist. Zhang Shouzhong repairs it by transforming the damaged material back into Fat Energy and reconstructing the fist.
• Hua recognizes Zhang Shouzhong as his former classmate, Pang Zhong, and recalls that he once encouraged him to copy special equipment, indirectly contributing to Zhang’s misunderstanding about his own abilities.
• Zhang Shouzhong attacks with rapid-fire bullets generated from the Alloy Overlord. Hua narrowly avoids the first barrage and uses waves of earth and his surfboard as both transportation and defense.
• Hua identifies that the Alloy Overlord’s bullets and energy return to its Storage Contract, realizing that this connection is likely the machine’s weakness.
• Using the self-imposed rules of his ability, “Game Rules,” Hua creates a victory condition: he must touch the Storage Contract with his finger. He launches the surfboard into the Alloy Overlord and successfully makes contact.
• Hua’s victory condition is fulfilled, severing Zhang Shouzhong’s connection to the Alloy Overlord and causing the machine to sink underground. The battle ends with Hua demonstrating that his seemingly playful fighting style hides careful observation and strategic planning.

Character Developments

• Hua Junfu: Reestablishes himself as a bold, arrogant, and theatrical powerhouse. Although he jokes and taunts constantly, he is highly observant and tactically intelligent, carefully analyzing his opponent before exploiting a precise weakness.
• Zhang Shouzhong/Pang Zhong: Shows confidence in his improved abilities and equipment, including the Alloy Overlord’s self-repair and endless ammunition. However, his confidence is shaken when Hua recognizes the machine’s energy source and disables it.
• Zhang Ping: Remains in the background but is treated as a major figure whose reputation is being challenged. His willingness to let Zhang Shouzhong fight first suggests caution and confidence, though he may still need to face Hua directly.
• Liu Sishan: Acts as a strategist and advisor, recognizing the danger posed by Hua’s ability and urging Zhang Ping to be ready.
• The Awakened of Mingzhu City: Serve as an amused audience, mocking Hua while eagerly anticipating the confrontation. Their reactions emphasize the importance of reputation and public perception among powerful Awakened.

Significant Themes

• Strategy over brute strength: Hua defeats a powerful mechanical construct not through overwhelming force but by studying its mechanisms and identifying its energy source.
• The danger of unconventional abilities: “Game Rules” appears absurd or playful, but its conditional control becomes extremely dangerous when Hua designs rules that target a specific vulnerability.
• Reputation and public challenge: Hua’s entrance and challenge to Zhang Ping turn the conflict into a spectacle. Backing down would damage Zhang Ping’s standing, showing how status among the Awakened is tied to public displays of strength.
• Past relationships shaping present conflicts: Hua and Zhang Shouzhong’s history as classmates adds humor and personal context to their battle, while also revealing how Hua influenced Zhang’s earlier development.
• Appearance versus reality: Hua behaves frivolously and mocks his opponent, yet his combat decisions are disciplined and calculated.

Character Interactions

• Hua exchanges insults with the Awakened inside Mingzhu City, who respond with equally crude jokes.
• He directly provokes Zhang Ping, framing the confrontation as a humiliating parent-child challenge.
• Zhang Shouzhong and Hua trade taunts throughout their fight, combining old familiarity with competitive hostility.
• Hua recognizes Zhang Shouzhong’s former identity, creating a moment of shared history amid the battle.
• Liu Sishan advises Zhang Ping, emphasizing Hua’s tactical danger.
• The chapter ends with Hua decisively outmaneuvering Zhang Shouzhong by severing his control of the Alloy Overlord.

Chapter Summary: “Top-Tier!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Shouzhong struggles inside the sealed Storage Contract, aware that losing the opening match would damage Gui Team’s momentum and allow Jia Team to dominate publicly.
• He decides to leave the Storage Contract despite the danger, reconnecting with the Alloy Overlord and launching himself above the transformed earth.
• Hua Junfu taunts him while effortlessly dodging the Alloy Overlord’s gunfire. Zhang attempts to provoke Hua into a direct fight, but Hua refuses to abandon his tactical advantage.
• Zhang transforms the Alloy Overlord into mechanical armor and unveils the extremely hot Fireline Blade.
• Hua Junfu “changes the rules,” declaring that he must remain on his surfboard and win by touching Zhang. He uses the waves of earth, dust, and aerial movement to confuse and outmaneuver Zhang.
• Hua strikes Zhang from above, sending him tumbling helplessly through the air. He prepares to deliver a finishing blow to Zhang’s forehead.
• Seeing the danger, Zhang Ping transfers his consciousness into Zhang Shouzhong’s body and shouts to awaken him.
• Motivated by his memories and his desire to defend his friends’ dignity, Zhang Shouzhong discovers a new power. White wings appear, and countless tiny robots swarm around Hua Junfu, immobilizing him.

Character Developments

• Zhang Shouzhong: Begins anxious and dependent on his teammates’ abilities, but chooses to face danger alone. His resolve strengthens when he realizes he is fighting not merely for Mingzhu City, but for the dignity of Zhang Ping, Liu Sishan, Cheng Xuejie, and the rest of his friends. This determination triggers a major power breakthrough.
• Hua Junfu: Maintains his playful, boastful persona while demonstrating sharp combat instincts and sophisticated tactics. Beneath his joking behavior, he carefully exploits weaknesses and nearly defeats Zhang.
• Zhang Ping: Acts protectively at the critical moment by entering Zhang Shouzhong’s consciousness, helping him regain focus and survive.
• Shi Jun and Gui/Jia Teams: Their abilities and rivalry frame the match as a highly significant public contest over leadership among the Ten Heavenly Stems.

Significant Themes

• Courage under pressure: Zhang must overcome fear and the possibility of death to continue fighting.
• Friendship and loyalty: His breakthrough comes from wanting to protect his companions’ honor rather than seeking personal glory.
• Growth through adversity: Zhang’s willingness to abandon safety and fight independently reveals how much he has matured.
• Performance versus reality: Hua’s humorous showmanship contrasts with the genuine danger of the battle, while the public spectacle makes every move politically and socially important.
• Team responsibility: The match represents more than an individual duel; its result affects the morale and reputation of the entire Gui Team.

Character Interactions

• Zhang and Hua exchange taunts, with Zhang challenging Hua’s courage and Hua mocking Zhang’s former reliance on hiding.
• Hua refuses a straightforward duel and instead imposes rules that favor his surfboard-based mobility.
• Zhang warns Hua about the Fireline Blade, showing reluctance to treat him as a true mortal enemy.
• Zhang Ping intervenes mentally when Hua is about to kill Zhang, prompting Zhang’s decisive transformation.
• The chapter ends with Zhang’s new white-winged form overwhelming Hua with swarms of tiny robots, reversing the apparent outcome of the fight.

Chapter Summary: “Unspoken Rules”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Shouzhong successfully advances to the Top-Tier level during his battle with Hua Junfu. His transformation is immediately noticed by the Awakened in Mingzhu City, including Little White.
• Zhang uses countless miniature robots—referred to as nanorobots—to overwhelm and defeat Hua Junfu. The robots swarm Hua, beat him severely, and briefly trap him in midair.
• After the fight, Zhang releases Hua, who falls but is safely caught and thrown onto the giant lizard’s back. Zhang Li mocks Hua, while Hua accepts the defeat calmly, recognizing that Zhang’s sudden advancement made him overwhelmingly powerful.
• The others analyze Zhang’s ability and identify a possible weakness: the halo above his head appears to control the robots. Destroying it might temporarily disable them, although the enormous number of robots makes this difficult. Nangong Shouming believes he may be capable of exploiting this weakness and volunteers to fight next.
• Zhang returns to Gui Tower and proudly celebrates his victory. Cheng Xuejie criticizes his showboating, while Zhang Ping congratulates him and gives him a Contract Gem to restore some of his strength.
• Zhang’s new abilities are revealed:
  • Fat Technology: He can convert his fat into energy to create technological products without needing to understand them.
  • Remote Deployment: His technology can be deployed within a range of 10,000 meters.
  • Enhanced Fat: His fat can store vastly more energy—over 333,333% more than before.
  • Technological Modification: He can modify existing technology and randomly grant it an additional ability.
• The nanorobots surrounding Zhang possess energy absorption, allowing them to draw energy from heat, light, wind, motion, electricity, and living organisms. Because they can sustain themselves from ambient energy, maintaining them places almost no burden on Zhang.
• Although Zhang considers fighting again, Liu Sishan and Zhang Ping decide that he should rest and learn to control his newly advanced power. Zhang Ping chooses to represent their side in the next fight.
• Liu explains that the opposing Jia Team has five Top-Tier Awakened, including Shi Jun, while Gui Team only has Zhang Ping and Zhang Shouzhong at that level. Since the older experts Zhang Ping previously contacted are not official Investigation Team members, they cannot participate.
• The match is revealed to be more than a simple sparring contest. It represents a power struggle between the new and old Investigation Teams. Winning would free Zhang Ping’s group from the influence of the Ten Heavenly Stems and allow them to support their own allies; losing would force them to obey the existing order.
• The Investigation Teams follow an unspoken rule: disputes between them must be settled by their recognized members, and the losers must accept the established hierarchy. Anyone who refuses to submit after losing risks collective punishment from every Investigation Team.

Character Developments

• Zhang Shouzhong makes a dramatic breakthrough, advancing to the Top-Tier level and gaining abilities that make him one of the strongest members of the group. His confidence and playful arrogance remain intact, but he now possesses genuinely overwhelming power.
• Hua Junfu suffers a humiliating defeat but responds with composure rather than resentment. He acknowledges Zhang’s strength and shows loyalty to the team’s leader, suggesting that he values the larger conflict more than a single victory or loss.
• Zhang Ping demonstrates confidence and leadership by deciding to fight personally rather than rely on the newly advanced Zhang Shouzhong or outside assistance.
• Liu Sishan acts as the strategist and guardian of the team’s interests. She understands the political significance of the contest and insists that they follow the Investigation Teams’ rules.
• Nangong Shouming shows eagerness for direct combat and volunteers to fight, particularly because he prefers battling people over Mutated Beasts.
• Cheng Xuejie is both impressed and irritated by Zhang Shouzhong’s advancement, revealing a hint of envy or frustration at being surpassed.

Significant Themes

• The power of advancement: Zhang Shouzhong’s evolution shows how dramatically an Awakened’s abilities can increase after reaching a higher tier.
• Technology and adaptation: His nanorobots demonstrate the terrifying potential of combining supernatural abilities with advanced technology.
• Strength versus weakness: Although Zhang appears nearly unstoppable, the others immediately search for the mechanism controlling his robots, emphasizing that even overwhelming power may have exploitable limitations.
• Rules and political order: The chapter emphasizes that the Investigation Teams operate under strict, largely unwritten rules. Victory must be legitimate, and challenging the established order carries serious consequences.
• Individual battles as political struggles: The coming fights are not merely personal contests; they will determine whether Zhang Ping’s group can act independently of the Ten Heavenly Stems.
• Humility and submission: The losing side is expected to accept the result. Refusing to acknowledge the hierarchy can lead to collective punishment.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Shouzhong taunts Hua Junfu while questioning him about the situation, then stops beating him once the fight becomes uninteresting.
• Zhang Li catches Hua after his fall and gleefully mocks him, while Hua responds with good humor and admits that Zhang Shouzhong’s advancement was unexpected.
• The team discusses the nature and possible weakness of Zhang’s nanorobots, with the silent observer identifying the halo as their likely control device.
• Nangong volunteers to fight after hearing that Jia Team is not fully staffed, eager for an opportunity to test himself against another person.
• At Gui Tower, Zhang Shouzhong boasts about his victory, Cheng Xuejie rebukes him, and Zhang Ping rewards him with a Contract Gem.
• Liu Sishan and Zhang Ping debate who should participate next, ultimately deciding that Zhang Ping must fight because the team cannot use outsiders without violating the Investigation Teams’ rules.

Chapter Summary: “King vs King”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mingzhu City’s Investigation Team follows social rules that prevent senior members from casually joining the battle. Zhang Ping therefore agrees to face Jia Team’s members himself.
• Nangong Shouming challenges Zhang Ping outside the city, using his Glow Lamp and shadow-based ability to create a dark battlefield and strengthen his defenses.
• Zhang Ping defeats Nangong with a single overwhelming attack, destroying his hand and lantern despite Nangong’s powerful defensive barrier. Zhang Ping emphasizes that he held back.
• After witnessing the defeat, Nangong acknowledges Zhang Ping’s overwhelming strength and advises the others not to challenge him unnecessarily.
• Shi Jun, Jia Team’s leader, accepts Zhang Ping’s challenge. Their battle begins with both sides launching attacks simultaneously.
• Shi Jun manipulates the earth into huge striking palms and defensive layers, while Zhang Ping uses flight, eye lasers, and ranged attacks to exploit the advantage of fighting from the air.
• Zhang Ping scatters King’s Gems over the battlefield. Shi Jun recognizes the danger and raises a tortoiseshell shield, but the gems explode together, producing a massive shock wave that shakes Mingzhu City’s walls.

Character Developments

• Zhang Ping demonstrates complete confidence in his abilities and honors Zhang Shouzhong’s faith in him. He deliberately chooses to fight the weaker opponents himself so that he can preserve strength for Shi Jun.
• Nangong Shouming begins the fight determined to punish Zhang Ping’s apparent arrogance, but quickly realizes the enormous gap between them. His defeat leads him to respect Zhang Ping and accept that further challenges would be futile.
• Shi Jun emerges as the only opponent considered capable of enduring Zhang Ping’s attacks. His calm decision to fight reveals both his confidence and his position as Jia Team’s strongest member.
• Zhang Chen is humbled after comparing himself with Zhang Ping, recognizing that his own talent is far below Zhang Ping’s level.
• Zhang Li reacts with admiration and humor, acknowledging Zhang Ping’s strength while wisely refusing to enter a battle he would certainly lose.
• Zhang Shouzhong continues to support Zhang Ping, while Zhang Ping’s determination reflects his gratitude for Zhang Shouzhong’s earlier sacrifice.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and reputation: Zhang Ping’s reputation as “Giant God” is confirmed when he effortlessly breaks Nangong’s supposedly impenetrable defense.
• Respect earned through combat: Nangong only fully understands Zhang Ping’s strength after personally exchanging blows with him.
• Strategy versus raw strength: Zhang Ping does not simply overpower Shi Jun; he analyzes the advantages of Shi Jun’s earth-based battlefield and uses flight, ranged attacks, and explosives to counter them.
• Generational comparison and humility: Zhang Chen’s reaction highlights how extraordinary Zhang Ping is and forces younger Awakened characters to reassess their own abilities.
• Preparation and restraint: Zhang Ping carefully manages his stamina and claims to hold back, suggesting that his true strength is still greater than what he has shown.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ping reassures Zhang Shouzhong that he will not lose, turning their supportive relationship into a source of motivation.
• Nangong and Zhang Ping exchange polite but competitive remarks before fighting; their brief battle ends with Nangong conceding defeat.
• Nangong warns Shi Jun and the others that Zhang Ping’s strength makes further individual challenges pointless.
• Zhang Ping openly provokes the remaining members of Jia Team, prompting Shi Jun to step forward.
• The chapter ends with Zhang Ping and Shi Jun locked in a high-level battle, their contrasting abilities—airborne ranged attacks and earth manipulation—colliding in a massive explosion.