Recaps

Shen Bai escorted Hu Zihao, Feng Wanshu, and their captured attackers from the hospital while explaining that Xi Yao of “Lichuan” was treating the injured students and teachers. At the hospital, Xi Yao used her power to repair the damage to their minds, leaving the wards restored.

• Hu Zihao reassured Feng Wanshu that Shen Bai and the others were his classmates, and she agreed to leave with them after warning that her butler would call the police if she did not check in.
• Shen Bai and the group found the attackers’ accomplice outside the ward and used his scissors to sever the invisible restraint or concealment affecting him.
• Shen Bai drove Feng Wanshu, Hu Zihao, and the others away from the hospital, explaining that Xi Yao of “Lichuan” was treating the injured teachers and students.
• Xi Yao expanded her perception through the Surgery Building and identified teachers and students whose minds had been damaged.
• Xi Yao unleashed her power across the hospital wards, filling the gaps in the teachers’ and students’ minds before the distorted surroundings returned to normal.

At the police station, Liu Yiyi explained the supernatural incident and the danger facing Hu Zihao, who had awakened as one of the Gifted. Feng Wanshu accepted that her son needed to join Liu Yiyi’s group, and Hu Zihao broke down crying in her arms.

• Shen Bai spoke with Xi Yao by phone, then joined Liu Yiyi and the others at the police station.
• Liu Yiyi told Feng Wanshu that supernatural forces were involved in the school incident and that Hu Zihao was one of the Gifted.
• Shi Yu warned Hu Zihao that the authorities and the Curtain-Callers could both threaten him, leaving him little choice but to join Liu Yiyi’s group.
• Feng Wanshu asked to speak alone with Hu Zihao, comforted him, and learned that he had become a Gifted.
• Feng Wanshu agreed that Hu Zihao should join Liu Yiyi’s group, and he sobbed in his mother’s arms.

Shen Bai presented Feng Wanshu with a chance to join [Stars] and arranged protective measures for her; she accepted and left with He Siying. Shi Yu, Han He, and Hu Zihao signed their contracts and were welcomed into the organization as new members.

• Shen Bai told Liu Yiyi that she had broken her father’s arm when her inheritance awakened, then sent Li Yanguo and the other officers away.
• Feng Wanshu agreed to Shen Bai’s proposal, and he arranged rotating protection while allowing Hu Zihao to visit her at home.
• Feng Wanshu hugged Hu Zihao and left with He Siying, while Shen Bai told the young men to read their contracts and warned them that fighting the Netherworld and Evil Sin was dangerous.
• Shi Yu signed his contract, and his name turned gold on a black page that filled with the names of [Stars] members before dissolving into golden dust.
• Shen Bai and Liu Yiyi welcomed Shi Yu, Han He, and Hu Zihao into [Stars], identifying them as members of number 597, “Snow Cedar.”

Shen Bai explained how an Evil Sin disguised itself as Yang Desheng and moved a Netherworld into the school, leading to the incident Shi Yu and the others survived. He left the newcomers with the case’s remaining details to learn, including the suspected involvement of a Curtain-Caller.

• Shen Bai welcomed Shi Yu, Hu Zihao, and Han He into the group and asked them to report their Staircases or inheritances and share abilities where appropriate.
• Shi Yu realized Huo Qiuliang had asked him about information he was not required to disclose, and Shen Bai assigned Huo Qiuliang extra training as punishment.
• Shen Bai explained that a level 4 Evil Sin used cognitive distortion and memory manipulation to merge with Yang Desheng, then killed Yang Desheng’s wife and son to move a small Netherworld into the school.
• The disguised Evil Sin performed a Birth in the boys’ restroom, creating a second Evil Sin, and the pair hunted students and teachers while growing stronger.
• Shen Bai clarified that the newcomers had sensed the aura of molting ascension rather than the Evil Sins themselves, and explained that Evil Sins could advance by fulfilling their individual requirements.
• Shen Bai said the Evil Sin had used Yang Desheng’s authority to control the school and tamper with people’s memories, and might have colluded with a Curtain-Caller.

After the school incident, Shi Yu, Hu Zihao, and Han He filled out ability registration forms and learned why Curtain-Callers targeted newly awakened Gifted. Liu Yiyi began explaining how Heirs advance, leaving Han He's question unanswered.

• Shen Bai confirmed that Shi Yu, Hu Zihao, and Han He's teacher and former classmates had died, and praised Huang Qingyang and the three boys for surviving the Evil Sins.
• Shi Yu wrote “Psychological Suggestion” on his form, Han He listed his “Hunter” inheritance, and Hu Zihao reluctantly reported that he could heal himself.
• Liu Yiyi introduced herself as Snow Cedar's captain and explained that Hu Zihao's Origin leakage after awakening had exposed him as a Gifted.
• Liu Yiyi described Curtain-Callers as traitors who aid Evil Sins, relay written information, and kill Gifted who oppose them.
• Han He asked Liu Yiyi how Heirs advanced.

Liu Yiyi explained how Heirs advanced through insight and warned that growing stronger could intensify their desires and lead to a Heart Nightmare. After Shen Bai arrived, he said the higher-ups had received the files and footage, then prepared to discuss Shi Yu and the others' Staircases and focuses.

• Liu Yiyi learned that Han He had awakened at the Ninth Art without passing through the Hunter's Entering the Wild stage, and she was impressed by his unusual advancement.
• Liu Yiyi explained that Heirs could keep advancing in theory, but each person faced a personal bottleneck and needed insight connected to their inheritance and focus.
• Liu Yiyi warned Shi Yu, Han He, and Huo Qiuliang that growing stronger could make their desires and madness harder to control, eventually creating a Heart Nightmare.
• Huo Qiuliang interrupted Liu Yiyi, who admitted she had been trying to scare them while insisting that balancing desire and power was important.
• Shen Bai entered and told them the footage and replay files had been sent to the reviewers, then said they could discuss their Staircases and focuses.

Shen Bai, Liu Yiyi, Han He, and Huo Qiuliang introduced their inheritances and abilities to Shi Yu and Hu Zihao. After Liu Yiyi suggested a future practice session, she turned to the two Gifted and asked them to speak.

• Shen Bai introduced himself as Snow Cedar’s deputy captain and explained that his Tailor inheritance focused on cutting things apart.
• Liu Yiyi introduced herself as Snow Cedar’s captain, described her Smelting inheritance’s focus on heat, and demonstrated it with a burst of sparks.
• Liu Yiyi revealed that Han He had awakened at the Hunter inheritance’s Ninth Art, and Han He said he might focus on preparation.
• Huo Qiuliang described his Thin Moon Staircase abilities and joked that he lacked direct combat strength, while Shi Yu privately doubted him.
• Liu Yiyi proposed that the group practice elsewhere another day, then asked Shi Yu and Hu Zihao to introduce themselves as the Gifted.

Hu Zihao and Shi Yu explained their Staircase abilities to their new teammates, who warned Shi Yu to conceal how powerful and versatile his gift was. The group exchanged contact information and protective gifts before Shen Bai drove them home, while Liu Yiyi promised the newcomers training.

• Hu Zihao described the Staircase of Resilience and its strengthening, healing, and adversity-driven abilities, and Liu Yiyi welcomed him as a fighter who could charge alongside her.
• Shi Yu explained the Staircase of Thought and its ability to make reasonable outcomes happen, reach conclusions, and move objects; Shen Bai and Liu Yiyi warned him to keep its true nature secret.
• Liu Yiyi told Shi Yu to describe his abilities vaguely if questioned, while Huo Qiuliang joked about how Shi Yu's gift had caused his diarrhea.
• Shen Bai arranged protection for Hu Zihao's mother, gave Shi Yu and Han He protective items, and told the newcomers where and when they would meet next.
• Liu Yiyi revealed her heavily muscled arm, assessed the boys' physiques, and promised to train them; Shen Bai then led the group out of the Police Station and offered them a ride home.

Shen Bai explained the Curtain-Callers’ attack pattern and arranged protection for Hu Zihao’s family before dropping Shi Yu and Han He off. Shi Yu and Han He headed to the supermarket, while Shi Yu reflected on joining the police system.

• Shen Bai told Liu Yiyi that Xi Yao had treated the hospitalized teachers and students, and stopped Liu Yiyi from dwelling on Sister Yuan’s murder.
• Shen Bai drove Hu Zihao, Shi Yu, and Han He home, while Shi Yu and Han He privately misunderstood each other’s thoughts about Han He staying at Shi Yu’s place.
• Liu Yiyi drove Huo Qiuliang away on her motorcycle, frightening him with her speed.
• Shen Bai explained that the Curtain-Callers usually stop targeting someone after two failed attacks, but warned that Hu Zihao’s mother could be used as leverage.
• Shen Bai said He Siying would guard Hu Zihao’s mother and told Shi Yu that official paperwork would soon add him to the police system.
• Shi Yu and Han He got out near Shi Yu’s residential complex to buy groceries.

Shi Yu and Han He went to a supermarket to buy food, but Han He rejected the meat because it was not fresh. They bought vegetables instead, and Han He paid before Shi Yu could offer, leaving Shi Yu to plan to pay next time.

• Han He stopped Shi Yu outside the supermarket to complain that its meat was no longer fresh.
• Shi Yu agreed to buy vegetables, and Han He explained that he accepted poor food at school because surviving there was enough.
• Han He picked out vegetables and took the basket from Shi Yu after misunderstanding his gesture.
• Shi Yu considered paying because he suspected Han He was poor, but Han He paid at the checkout before Shi Yu could scan his phone.
• Shi Yu followed Han He out, deciding he would pay next time.

Liu Yiyi brought Huo Qiuliang to the abandoned factory where two Curtain-Callers awaited interrogation, but she held back from attacking them until Shen Bai arrived. While she waited, she remembered a young teammate killed by a Curtain-Caller, and her anger began to kindle her flames.

• Liu Yiyi sped Huo Qiuliang to the abandoned factory, where he recovered from the ride and learned that Shen Bai had arranged for two Curtain-Callers to be brought there under Xi Yao's supervision.
• Liu Yiyi prepared to hurt the Curtain-Callers for attacking her rookies, but Huo Qiuliang showed her Shen Bai's message asking them to wait.
• Liu Yiyi remembered a sixteen-year-old teammate with the Glimmering Flame Staircase who had been stabbed by a Curtain-Caller while protecting someone she thought was ordinary.
• Liu Yiyi recalled burning her teammate's body and how she had once sought comfort by using her flames against Evil Sins and Curtain-Callers.
• Liu Yiyi's anger made heat radiate from her as Huo Qiuliang hoped Shen Bai would arrive before nightfall.

Shi Yu reunited with Granny Sun, used Thought to check that she was safe, and learned from Han He that his eyes glimmered when he used the ability. Meanwhile, Liu Yiyi met Shen Bai at an abandoned factory to question two captured Curtain-Callers.

• Shi Yu reassured Granny Sun that he was unharmed and introduced Han He as his deskmate, who was staying with him.
• After Granny Sun left, Shi Yu used Thought to check that her walk would be safe, and Han He warned him that his eyes glimmered when he used the ability.
• Han He explained that Shi Yu's eyes had not glowed when he used Telekinesis, and Shi Yu resolved to be more careful with Thought.
• A car horn roused Liu Yiyi from her memories, and she hurried to meet Shen Bai, eager to question the two captured Curtain-Callers.
• Shen Bai and Liu Yiyi reached the factory location Xi Yao had provided, where the captives had been secured, and he warned Liu Yiyi not to start a fire while burning them.

Xi Yao had restrained two Curtain-Callers by merging their limbs into a wall, and Shen Bai, Huo Qiuliang, and Liu Yiyi came to inspect them. Li Yan broke down as she remembered how she had killed people for an Evil Sin, and Xi Yao warned Shen Bai to be careful when burning the prisoners.

• Liu Yiyi lit the way through the ruined factory, and she, Huo Qiuliang, and Shen Bai entered the room where Xi Yao had secured two Curtain-Callers.
• Huo Qiuliang saw that Li Yan and a man had merged into the walls, with Li Yan struggling and crying.
• Li Yan remembered awakening her gift after an Evil Sin attacked her shop, then being ordered to kill her two surviving coworkers to live.
• Li Yan recalled going on to kill people of all ages and occupations, telling herself that any ordinary person would do the same when forced.
• Li Yan broke down, and Xi Yao messaged Shen Bai that the prisoners were secured and warned him not to start a fire while burning them.

Liu Yiyi interrogated Li Yan about the Curtain-Callers, but when Li Yan tried to describe the being that recruited her, Evil Sin’s influence triggered a mutation and an attack. Liu Yiyi destroyed the purple substance with her power, leaving the factory wall shattered as Shen Bai began repairing it.

• Shen Bai showed Liu Yiyi the muddled memories of the man affected by Evil Sin, and Liu Yiyi decided to question Li Yan instead.
• Liu Yiyi burned Li Yan’s skin and broke her arm and leg to make her answer only the questions asked; Huo Qiuliang kept her conscious and more resistant to pain.
• Li Yan began describing the being that had brought her into the Curtain-Callers, but purple substance erupted from her body and transformed her into a threat.
• Huo Qiuliang realized Evil Sin had seen through the attempt, while Liu Yiyi moved to shield him and Shen Bai at the doorway.
• Liu Yiyi unleashed a powerful punch that destroyed Li Yan, the man, and the purple substance, blasting open the factory wall.
• Liu Yiyi withdrew the remaining heat, and Shen Bai began repairing the damaged wall.

After dinner, Han He tested Shi Yu’s Telekinesis and Thought, revealing that Shi Yu struggled to react to surprise attacks but could compel Han He to turn his head. The test ended with Han He throwing a persimmon at Shi Yu, who stopped it just before it hit his nose.

• Shen Bai, Huo Qiuliang, and Liu Yiyi assessed the remnants of the attack, confirmed they were harmless, and prepared to report what they had learned.
• Shi Yu enjoyed Han He’s cooking, explained why he avoided Grandma Sun’s meals, and used Telekinesis to move dishes toward the sink.
• Shi Yu explained how he had identified the impostor nurse, and Han He proposed testing his abilities.
• Han He surprised Shi Yu with a tangerine, exposing how difficult it was for Shi Yu to respond to sudden attacks.
• Shi Yu used Thought to make Han He turn his head, and Han He described how the compulsion felt while resisting it.
• Han He threw a persimmon at Shi Yu, who halted it less than two centimeters from his nose.

Shi Yu and Han He opened Liu Yiyi and Shen Bai’s gifts, finding powerful Pixiu figures and carefully sewn squirrel toys. Later, Shi Yu proposed burying Huang Daye’s rings on a hill the next day, and Han He agreed.

• Shi Yu stopped Han He from surprising him with a little persimmon, then they opened the starter pack Liu Yiyi and Shen Bai had given them.
• Han He identified Liu Yiyi’s iron beasts as a single-horned Tianlu Pixiu and a double-horned Bixie Pixiu, and Shi Yu sensed the power attached to them.
• Han He described the scents of Shi Yu’s power and the Smelting and Tailor powers while they examined the Pixiu and Shen Bai’s stuffed squirrels.
• Shi Yu and Han He put the protective gifts away and spent the evening at home as Han He occasionally tossed fruit at Shi Yu.
• Shi Yu took out Huang Daye’s rings and suggested they bury them on a hill the next day, and Han He agreed.

After repairing the Old Factory wall, Shen Bai and Huo Qiuliang appraised the three newcomers, with Shen Bai praising Shi Yu’s potential and ability to connect the others. He Siying then used her Wind Language Staircase and Hidden Wings to descend unnoticed from a rooftop and join Shen Bai in his car.

• Shen Bai finished repairing the Old Factory wall and sent Liu Yiyi and Huo Qiuliang home while he and He Siying prepared to patrol.
• In the car, Huo Qiuliang asked Shen Bai to assess the three newcomers, and Shen Bai described Han He as decisive and Hu Zihao as upright but simple-minded.
• Shen Bai praised Shi Yu’s abstract Staircase, thoughtful judgment, and potential to help connect Han He and Hu Zihao.
• After dropping Huo Qiuliang off, Shen Bai heard He Siying speak to him through the wind and spotted her on a rooftop.
• He Siying leaped from the rooftop, used Hidden Wings to go unnoticed and the wind to slow her fall, then climbed into Shen Bai’s car.

Shen Bai and He Siying inspected a department store and discussed the growing Netherworld threat and the Taint recovered from a level 4 Evil Sin. Huo Qiuliang reviewed its file and learned that the team planned to trade it for other resources.

• Shen Bai asked He Siying about her visit with Ms. Feng, and they discussed preparing newcomers to work together as Netherworld incidents increased.
• Shen Bai told He Siying that the recovered Taint had been documented and that he and Yiyi planned to exchange it for resources.
• Shen Bai and He Siying inspected a closed department store, found no danger, and locked it again on their way out.
• Huo Qiuliang read Shen Bai’s file describing the Taint, provisionally named Residual Illusion, and its powers to alter memory and cognition or pass through solid matter at personal cost.
• Huo Qiuliang concluded the team intended to trade the Taint, then shut down his computer and went to bed.

Shi Yu and Han He climbed into the mountains to carry out Huang Daye’s final wish by burying his and Huang Qingyang’s rings. After pouring baijiu over the grave, Shi Yu could not find words to address the dead and looked toward the distant school before leaving.

• Shi Yu woke to find his razor cut had nearly healed, then remembered he needed to fulfill Huang Daye’s last wish.
• Shi Yu and Han He ate breakfast, gathered the rings and a small shovel, and set out for the mountains.
• As they climbed an unfamiliar, pathless route, Han He noticed Shi Yu’s practiced movement and stamina.
• Shi Yu led Han He to a high clearing where he had once found refuge, and Han He admired the view.
• Han He dug a hole where Shi Yu indicated, and they buried Huang Qingyang’s rings together.
• Shi Yu poured baijiu over the earth, looked toward the school, and told Han He they should leave.

Shi Yu and Han He returned home as Liu Yiyi and Huo Qiuliang worked to decode a heavily encrypted letter about the trio’s future. The Stars organization approved Shi Yu, Han He, and Hu Zihao to join Snow Cedar, easing Shi Yu’s worries as he decided to stop fretting about what came next.

• Shi Yu found himself added to the Snow Cedar group chat and a second chat named [Concave], then argued with Hu Zihao about its name.
• Huo Qiuliang decoded the letter while Liu Yiyi nervously waited, with He Siying and Shen Bai arriving to help calm her.
• The letter announced that Shi Yu, Han He, and Hu Zihao were approved to join 597 Snow Cedar immediately.
• Liu Yiyi excitedly spun Huo Qiuliang and Shen Bai around, while Shen Bai said the trio could report once their credentials arrived.
• Shen Bai shared the approval in the Snow Cedar group chat, and Shi Yu replied that he understood.
• Shi Yu told Han He he had made up his mind to stop worrying, then took a breather at home.

After Shi Yu and his friends received instructions to report to a team, they prepared to set out together for the meeting place. The chapter ended as Shi Yu refused to walk between Hu Zihao and Han He.

• Shen Bai told Shi Yu and Han He that their paperwork was ready and that they should meet at a location the next morning.
• Shi Yu discovered that Han He had secretly gathered many materials, including pungent dried leaves, and warned him not to bring anything dangerous into the house.
• Han He explained that he gathered materials at night and felt uneasy without enough supplies around him.
• Hu Zihao arrived at Shi Yu's home the next morning, visibly bulkier after awakening his Staircase, and joined Shi Yu and Han He on their walk.
• Shi Yu opened the stairwell door, then stopped and said he would not walk in the middle.

Shi Yu, Hu Zihao, and Han He arrived at the Abandoned Factory and were caught off guard by an attack that Shi Yu stopped with his Psychokinesis. He Siying revealed it was a test and invited them to attack her, leaving their trial just beginning.

• Shi Yu checked the map and led Hu Zihao and Han He into the quiet Abandoned Factory to meet Liu Yiyi and Shen Bai.
• Han He noticed the unnatural silence, and the three prepared for danger as the factory doors burst open and a powerful gust hurled planks at them.
• Shi Yu used Psychokinesis and probability alteration to knock the planks off course before they could hit him.
• He Siying emerged and explained that the attack was part of a test to learn their abilities and that they had already passed its first stage.
• He Siying invited the three to attack her, checked her pocket watch, and started the test.

Shi Yu, Hu Zihao, and Han He fought He Siying and were decisively defeated despite Shi Yu’s clever use of dust and Han He’s prepared Talisman. After praising their instincts, Shen Bai invited them inside to discuss their abilities and give them IDs, cards, and access to subsidies.

• Hu Zihao charged He Siying, but she redirected his attack and threw him beneath a falling iron frame.
• Shi Yu caught the iron frame with Psychokinesis and used dust to irritate He Siying’s eye, spending 90% of his Origin without changing the fight’s outcome.
• Han He used a Talisman and Shi Yu’s Thoughts to penetrate He Siying’s wind, but she tossed him into the air while a cyclone knocked Hu Zihao down.
• He Siying praised the three newcomers, and Hu Zihao asked her to teach him her fighting techniques.
• Liu Yiyi, Shen Bai, and Huo Qiuliang arrived; Shen Bai checked the three for injuries and invited them inside to receive IDs, cards, and access to subsidies.

Shi Yu and the others received their credentials, bank cards, and standard-issue guns after joining Stars as Anomaly Handling Specialists. Shen Bai kept them at the factory for basic tests and an explanation of their work, while Liu Yiyi went on duty and Huo Qiuliang was reminded of his extra training.

• Shen Bai led Shi Yu, Han He, and Hu Zihao through the abandoned factory to an unusually clean office, where Liu Yiyi and the others joined them.
• Shen Bai gave the three men police credentials that granted them one-rank-higher authority in incidents involving supernatural phenomena.
• Shen Bai explained that their two bank cards covered their salaries and work allowances, and Shi Yu eagerly put them away.
• Shen Bai had Huo Qiuliang distribute standard-issue guns and explained that they could hurt low-level Evil Sins, while future equipment would be customized to suit their fighting styles.
• Shen Bai assigned Liu Yiyi to duty and kept the others for basic tests and a briefing, then reminded Huo Qiuliang that his training would be doubled.

Shi Yu completed his first day as an Anomaly Handling Specialist, training with his new colleagues and then celebrating with Hu Zihao and Han He. The injured students and teachers were recovering, and Shi Yu realized someone from Stars had helped them.

• Shi Yu failed the stamina tests, and Han He used the Ninth Art to ease his exhaustion.
• Shen Bai stopped Huo Qiuliang from running after he had deceived himself into ignoring his fatigue, and Huo Qiuliang complained about his punishment.
• Shen Bai drove Shi Yu, Hu Zihao, Han He, and Huo Qiuliang back, then dropped Shi Yu, Hu Zihao, and Han He off in the city.
• Hu Zihao told Shi Yu that the hospitalized students and teachers were recovering, though doctors had not identified what had harmed them.
• Shi Yu inferred that someone from Stars had intervened to help the hospitalized survivors, and he, Hu Zihao, and Han He toasted to being seventeen.