Chapter Summaries

After Ink Academy’s battle against criminal forces ended, its exhausted students returned to the hotel while Yu Sheng’s Scroll bottle neared unlocking. Sun Yingxiong announced that the students would begin the Heart-Training Path the next day, then became absorbed in an anime only he could see.

• Yuan Qingshan and Qi Changshan soothed Black Angel after interrogating him, then privately discussed matters with Sun Yingxiong and Luo Qing.
• Ink Pavilion announced that its forces had captured evil cultists and dismantled thieves’ hideouts, and the criminal forces had been purged.
• Sun Wen’s team returned to the hotel in stages: Zhao Zicheng and Lin Xiaoxiao brought back an exhausted Big White, Mu Yu returned with injured A Tai, and Yu Sheng arrived last.
• Xu Yuanqing collapsed asleep before he could speak to Sun Wen, and the exhausted students went to bed; Yu Sheng noted that the bottle in his Scroll was almost clear.
• Xu Yuanqing woke briefly and called for a grenade as a joke, but Yu Sheng offered him the two he had left, prompting Xu Yuanqing to cancel lessons and go back to sleep.
• Sun Yingxiong told his secretary that Ink Academy had won and ordered the students to gather at Ink Pavilion Tower at noon for the Heart-Training Path, then watched an unseen anime in his office.

Xu Yuanqing tried to sell the students advice about the Heart-Training Path, then Sun Yingxiong led them to Ink City’s secluded mountain and sent each onto a separate path. Yu Sheng’s path began in a ruined world where desperate humans hid from a monstrous Demon Beast.

• Xu Yuanqing demanded credits to share his Heart-Training Path experience, but Zhao Zicheng bargained him down to three credits and was given only advice not to litter or talk loudly.
• Sun Yingxiong led Yu Sheng and the other students away from Ink Pavilion while Xu Yuanqing admitted he had never walked the path himself.
• Sun Yingxiong explained that the mountain and the Human Race Hall were humble places, then told the students to climb and follow the footsteps of those who came before.
• The mountain shrouded itself in mist and revealed six paths, and Sun Wen, Zhao Zicheng, Lin Xiaoxiao, Mu Yu, A Tai, and Yu Sheng each entered one.
• Yu Sheng found himself in a desolate ruin where despairing humans fled and hid as an enormous Demon Beast prowled nearby.

Yu Sheng witnessed visions of Yu Yongyan rallying humanity against the Demon Clan, founding the Ink Pavilion, and uniting survivors to build the Four Passes. The visions left Yu Sheng questioning the Heart-Training Path as he watched the sacrifices that shaped the Human Race’s history.

• Yu Yongyan killed a giant beast, urged survivors to fight the Demon Clan, and gave them Demon Crystals and Demon Cores.
• As awakened people and villages multiplied, Yu Yongyan established the Ink Pavilion to shelter humanity, and survivors endured a deadly year-long journey to gather together.
• Yu Yongyan patrolled above the united Human Race while organizations formed, awakened people grew stronger, and ordinary people helped build fortified passes.
• Yu Sheng watched defenders die protecting the unfinished Four Passes and wondered whether the visions of the Forerunners were the Heart-Training Path.

As Yu Sheng climbed the mountain, visions showed how Yu Yongyan’s sacrifice and Li Mocheng’s last stand protected the Human Race from successive Demon Clan assaults. The Human Race gained years to rebuild and prosper, though new crimes began to emerge.

• The Demon Clan launched an all-out assault, and Yu Yongyan killed the Black Dragon Demon God and devastated the Demon Domain before dying above Skyvault Ravine.
• After the first-generation ancestors vanished, three middle-aged men forced the Demon Clan to sign a treaty that limited its attacks and bought the Human Race nearly twenty years to recover.
• When the Demon Clan massed a million demons beneath Demon-Suppressing Pass, Li Mocheng broke through to the Ninth Awakening with the Black Dragon Demon Core and faced them alone.
• Li Mocheng stopped the army and died outside the pass; the Human Race left his body at the gates, and the Demon Clan stayed away for five years.
• During that respite, the Human Race rebuilt cities and expanded the Ink Pavilion, while crimes began to appear as society grew more prosperous.

Yu Sheng reached the end of the historical path and began crossing a cliff toward the future, where each step showed a new stage of his life in Sin City. The chapter left him at fourteen or fifteen, walking its streets as people avoided his gaze.

• The heart-training path showed how the Human Race’s ninth-awakened quietly scattered across its territory and rose to punish the Demon Domain when it broke the accord.
• Yu Sheng returned to the low mountain, where Sun Yingxiong declared that the path behind them was history and the path ahead was theirs to walk.
• The mountain split open, and Yu Sheng stepped into the abyss, creating a translucent step beneath his foot and seeing an image of a lonely child at the gates of Sin City.
• His next step showed the child methodically killing men and working with a girl to loot their bodies and dump them in a Dead Man’s Pit.
• Yu Sheng continued without hesitation, and his third step revealed him at fourteen or fifteen, walking through Sin City as people avoided his gaze.

Yu Sheng confronted memories and visions on the Heart-Training Path, completed the climb, and joined Sun Yingxiong at the summit. He believed his friends would also overcome their trials as they waited to see what the others chose.

• Yu Sheng recalled caring for the wounded girl in Sin City, leaving the city after years of killing, and the warmth of Liu Qingfeng and his classmates.
• Yu Sheng kept climbing despite Yu Sanshui's threat and visions of Demon Beasts, but halted when he saw the girl and his friends gravely injured.
• Yu Sheng decided that how he walked the road ahead was his choice, shattering the visions and revealing a broad road to the heavens.
• Yu Sheng reached the summit and told Sun Yingxiong that he believed his friends could complete the Heart-Training Path.
• Sun Yingxiong said he knew his grandson, then joined Yu Sheng in watching the five remaining stairways.

A Tai confronted the memories of his abduction, brutal modification, and escape as he climbed the steps, then overcame his fear by thinking of Yu Sheng and his friends. After A Tai reached the summit and fell asleep, Sun Yingxiong spoke with Yu Sheng and asked him whether he knew the story about the sack.

• A Tai relived how he was taken from his father, brought into the Demon Domain, and modified alongside other children.
• The old man at Demon-Suppressing Pass rescued and healed A Tai, then sent him toward Ink Academy, but A Tai threw away the paper because he could not read it.
• As demon beasts appeared around the steps, A Tai heard Yu Sheng's voice and remembered Yu Sheng, Zhao Zicheng, and his other friends.
• A Tai declared that the demon beasts could not hurt his friends, pushed through his fear, reached the low mountain, and fell asleep beside Yu Sheng.
• Sun Yingxiong reassured Yu Sheng that he considered A Tai a good child of the Human Race, then asked Yu Sheng about his dream, hopes, hobbies, and the story about the sack.

Mu Yu, Sun Wen, and Zhao Zicheng completed the Heart-Training Path, while Lin Xiaoxiao faced memories of her life with Big White and the dog’s final decline. Lin Xiaoxiao and Big White chose to leave the past behind together, and Sun Yingxiong kicked Sun Wen off the cliff after declaring Yu Sheng had lost.

• Mu Yu emerged from the mist with renewed resolve, and Sun Wen followed after breaking through his inner trials, pausing to fix his appearance before asking Lin Xiaoxiao and Zhao Zicheng to keep his showboating secret for five credits.
• Zhao Zicheng walked the path with little difficulty, reflecting that his life had offered few hardships, while Sun Wen watched in disbelief.
• Lin Xiaoxiao’s trial showed her as a young girl living with Big White in the forest, where he guarded her each night as they depended on each other to survive.
• After two years, Lin Xiaoxiao had become a capable Forest Ranger, but Big White returned badly exhausted and near death; on the path, Lin Xiaoxiao and Big White chose not to keep watching the painful memory.
• Big White carried Lin Xiaoxiao across the abyss on steps that appeared beneath his paws, and Sun Yingxiong told Yu Sheng he had lost before kicking Sun Wen off the cliff.

The group finished the Heart-Training Path and left the mountain, while Zhao Zicheng sold Xu Yuanqing an embellished account of its supposed wonders. They set off for Jiangcheng with their championship, though Yu Sheng’s driving lessons left everyone fearing for their safety.

• Sun Yingxiong restored the mountain, scolded Sun Wen, and considered charging the teenagers for visiting the brick-and-tile house.
• Xu Yuanqing questioned the teenagers about the Sacred Hall, and they ignored him until Zhao Zicheng offered to sell him secrets about the mountain.
• Zhao Zicheng described a horned flood dragon and an energy-filled spring, leaving Xu Yuanqing enthralled while the others struggled to hide their laughter.
• Zhao Zicheng asked about plans after returning to school, and Xu Yuanqing told Sun Wen to arrange a roomy van with a driver.
• Sun Wen arranged a customized van, and Yu Sheng questioned the driver about his driving techniques as the others silently worried.
• The group departed for Jiangcheng as champions, and Xu Yuanqing fell asleep dreaming of the mountain.

White Ape was ordered to recover A Tai and threatened with his clan being sent against the Human Race if he failed, while Qiu Xiaoxiao considered how the Divine Cult could survive its conflicts with Soul Hunt and the Ink Pavilion. Yuan Qingshan then brought Luo Yu to the interrogation room, claiming it was for his protection from Soul Hunt.

• Giant Beast warned White Ape to bring A Tai back or the White Ape Clan would lead an attack on the Human Race’s passes.
• The White Ape Tribe chief ordered half-demon humans in the Human Domain to follow his letter’s instructions, threatening to withhold medication if they failed.
• Qiu Xiaoxiao reported to the Divine Cult’s leader that the Soul Hunt Team had likely caused the Evil Cult’s losses and suspected the Ink Pavilion was trying to provoke a clash.
• After learning Qiu Xiaoxiao had been at the fifth awakening for two years, the leader told her to handle the matter before advancing further.
• Qiu Xiaoxiao decided the Divine Cult needed to secure Chu Yu and renew cooperation with the Demon Domain, while continuing to suppress Soul Hunt.
• Yuan Qingshan led Luo Yu into the interrogation room and told him the Ink Pavilion was hiding him there to protect him from Soul Hunt.

Qi Changshan took up a Dark Pavilion group leader post and eagerly went to arrest a suspected Evil Cult member, while Zhao Zicheng and the others returned to Ink Academy and noticed a suspicious boy outside its gates. Yu Sheng recognized similarities between the boy and the killer who had murdered Senior Xu, and Sun Wen prepared to investigate him.

• Yuan Qingshan locked Luo Yu in the Interrogation Room and gave Dark Pavilion members strict instructions to watch over him.
• Qi Changshan revealed he had become a Dark Pavilion group leader, learned that Wang Kai was an Evil Cult member, and hurried out to make the arrest.
• Zhao Zicheng and the others returned to Ink Academy, where they saw a ragged boy watching the gates; Zhao then fell through a sabotaged bed and lost credits after slandering the Vice Principal.
• Yu Sheng said the boy resembled the person who had killed Senior Xu, prompting Sun Wen and the others to decide to approach him and test his reaction.

Sun Wen questioned a timid, apparently mute boy outside Ink Academy but found no clear proof that he was the person Yu Sheng suspected. In the Demon Domain, An Xin and the wounded Zhao Qingyi prepared to face approaching Demon Beasts, with Zhao Qingyi urging An Xin to escape.

• Sun Wen offered the boy a cigarette and used sign language to ask why he had come to Ink Academy, then took him to get food.
• Yu Sheng said the boy’s gait and build differed from the person he remembered, and Sun Wen abandoned his idea of interrogating him after hearing the legal penalties.
• An Xin treated Zhao Qingyi’s arm with a strip of her skirt, found her an herb, and gave her a lollipop while they rested in the Demon Domain.
• An Xin and Zhao Qingyi traded insults before An Xin noticed that Eagle Ravine Mountain’s Demon Beasts were closing in.
• Zhao Qingyi urged An Xin to escape and offered her share of the Demon Cores, including the Heavenly Demon Flower, while An Xin stood ready to fight.

An Xin and Zhao Qingyi were captured by a powerful monkey demon, who spared them and asked them to carry a message proposing cooperation between Eagle Ravine Mountain and the Human Race. After losing their Demon Cores and Heavenly Demon Flower, An Xin saw a chance to turn the monkey’s hair into a new source of wealth and hurried off with Zhao Qingyi.

• A monkey in a scholar’s robe appeared and suppressed An Xin’s attempt to self-detonate.
• The monkey stopped An Xin from stabbing Zhao Qingyi and restrained them both.
• The monkey said Eagle Ravine Mountain might cooperate with the Human Race and asked them to deliver a message, giving An Xin a glowing hair as a token.
• An Xin and Zhao Qingyi escaped with the monkey’s hair but discovered their Demon Cores and Heavenly Demon Flower were gone.
• An Xin realized the hair might be a new secret to wealth and dragged Zhao Qingyi away.

Ji Hong persuaded the Giant Beast to consider an alliance against Skyvault Ravine, while Xu Yuanqing began his first lesson at the academy and mocked his inattentive students. The Vice Principal intervened over the loudspeaker, ordering Xu Yuanqing’s debt to Zhao Zicheng deducted from his salary with extra credits charged as interest.

• Ji Hong argued that the Giant Beast could gain influence by joining forces with the Fei Clan, the Xiangliu Clan, and others against Skyvault Ravine.
• The Giant Beast agreed that the alliance might give them a say in Skyvault Ravine, but insisted that other humans entering the Demon Domain would not be released.
• Xu Yuanqing gathered his students beneath the academy’s loudspeakers and surveillance cameras to begin their delayed first lesson.
• Xu Yuanqing called the students’ recent results “utter trash,” but none of them had been listening to him.
• Zhao Zicheng asked Xu Yuanqing to repay two credits, and the Vice Principal ordered the Academic Affairs Office to deduct five credits from Xu Yuanqing’s salary, counting the extra three as interest.

Xu Yuanqing warned Zhao Zicheng and Sun Wen about relying too much on money and resources, but his attempt to manage their assets ended with them ignoring him and treating him to breakfast. In Jiangcheng, a group of people planned to join the demons, while a suspicious boy kept waiting outside Ink Academy and wondered why nobody had brought him inside.

• The loudspeaker charged Xu Yuanqing ten credits for Zhao Zicheng, who said he expected to reach Fourth Awakening within a month, or half a month if he trained harder.
• Xu Yuanqing cautioned Zhao Zicheng and Sun Wen against relying too heavily on Sun Wen’s wealth, then suggested that he hold their money and belongings while they started over with nothing.
• Zhao Zicheng, Sun Wen, and the others ignored Xu Yuanqing’s proposal and went to the Cafeteria, where Sun Wen bought him breakfast.
• In a Jiangcheng restaurant, a chef and a group of others decided to notify more cities and act together to join the demons rather than face their situation alone.
• The ragged boy continued waiting outside Ink Academy, convinced the academy was watching him, though he was hungry, thirsty, and frustrated that no one had invited him inside.

A Tai was exposed on the human forum as a demon, sparking public outrage and demands that the Ink Academy hand him over. Yu Sheng asked where the academy stood and promised to protect A Tai, who had already overheard the accusations in secret.

• Yu Sheng refused to confront the suspicious man outside and told Sun Wen to wait for evidence, though Sun Wen considered using laxatives against him.
• The Vice Principal summoned everyone to the teaching building, where Zhao Zicheng showed Yu Sheng a flood of posts accusing A Tai of being a demon and demanding his punishment.
• Sun Wen blamed the Evil Cult, while Xu Yuanqing said the Evil Cult had been ruled out and suspected the Demon Clan or Soul Hunt, with the Demon Clan most likely.
• The Vice Principal said the academy would not sacrifice A Tai for public approval, and Yu Sheng sent Sun Wen to investigate the leak.
• Zhao Zicheng said A Tai had not yet learned about the scandal, while A Tai secretly listened from inside the teaching building and trembled with pain and guilt.

As public outrage grew over A Tai’s identity as a demon, Ink Academy’s leaders resolved to protect him, but A Tai feared the cost to his friends and left the campus. Demon Domain agents followed him while a young man nearby listened and considered how the turmoil might affect his plans.

• Yu Sheng said Ink Academy would protect A Tai on campus, ordered Sun Wen to investigate, and assigned Mu Yu to keep A Tai away from the outside world.
• Zhao Zicheng and Xu Yuanqing discussed how public opinion condemned A Tai without knowing the truth.
• A Tai realized his friends would suffer for defending him, left Ink Academy, changed his clothes, and disappeared into the crowd.
• A middle-aged man and his companions tracked A Tai, suspecting Ink Academy might be using him as bait.
• A seemingly frail young man overheard the agents and analyzed whether they were targeting A Tai or Ink Academy.
• Passersby discussed the rumors, while online opinion about A Tai exploded.

As public outrage against A Tai intensified, Sun Yingxiong weighed the cost of protecting him while the Ink Pavilion searched for those stirring up the controversy. When A Tai went missing, Yu Sheng left the academy and approached a ragged boy with a bomb, saying he wanted to talk.

• Online commenters attacked A Tai and Lin Xiaoxiao, while the Ink Pavilion's Information Department struggled to trace the posters.
• Sun Yingxiong questioned whether the Human Race's stability justified sacrificing A Tai and suspected the old White Ape had devised the crisis.
• The Ink Pavilion had narrowed its search for the agitators to several cities but had not found them.
• Sun Wen, Mu Yu, and Zhao Zicheng discovered A Tai was missing and split up to search for him and check surveillance.
• Yu Sheng took daggers and two small spheres, left the dormitory unnoticed, and sat beside a ragged boy outside the academy gates.
• Yu Sheng showed the boy a sphere and claimed it was a bomb that would explode within three seconds if shaken.

Yu Sheng forced the limping boy outside Ink Academy to agree to find A Tai in exchange for his coordinates, then let him go after taking his contact details. The boy disguised himself and fled in the opposite direction, while Mu Yu and Sun Wen reported that A Tai had vanished into surveillance blind spots.

• Yu Sheng questioned the boy about A Tai and threatened him until the boy pointed in a direction and wrote a Demon Character in the dirt.
• Yu Sheng offered the boy a pill and demanded A Tai's coordinates; the boy agreed to the deal after Yu Sheng threatened to kill him.
• Yu Sheng gave the boy his Contact Number and warned him to honor the deal, then returned to the academy.
• The boy left in the opposite direction, evaded surveillance, and changed from a limping beggar into a middle-aged delivery rider.
• Mu Yu and Sun Wen told Yu Sheng that A Tai had left at 8:13 and disappeared into a blind spot; Mu Yu suggested A Tai had run to keep the others out of trouble.

As outrage over A Tai spread, the White Ape Clan chief explained how he had maneuvered the Ink Pavilion into a no-win position and ordered the demons to avoid giving it another target. Alone in hiding, A Tai read the hostile comments and lost hope, believing the Human Race saw him as a threat despite the support of Lin Xiaoxiao, Mu Yu, Zhao Zicheng, and Sun Wen.

• Yu Sheng asked everyone to wait while Lin Xiaoxiao watched the online backlash against A Tai grow into a debate about whether humans and demons could coexist.
• The White Ape reported that the Human Domain was in chaos, and the White Ape Clan chief said the public pressure had made A Tai an outlet for the Human Race’s anger.
• The White Ape Clan chief told the White Ape to leave A Tai’s fate to the Ink Pavilion, release photographs of his childhood torture if he was killed, and keep the lesser demons quiet.
• In hiding, A Tai read the comments with help from a dictionary and wondered whether he deserved to die.
• A Tai saw posts from Lin Xiaoxiao, Mu Yu, Zhao Zicheng, and Sun Wen, but learned that they were also being attacked for supporting him and became numb with despair.