Chapter Summaries

Xu An opened a shop on Sixth Street, met General Chop and glimpsed his neighbor Wise before discovering a stat allocation system. After improving his attributes, he gained three more points when Belle became curious about him and returned to organizing the shop.

• Xu An finished setting up his shop and went to General Chop's noodle shop for dinner, where he introduced himself as a new neighbor.
• Wise saw Xu An leave for his new shop and asked General Chop about him, then considered visiting him the next day.
• Xu An discovered the Stat Allocation System, which awarded points for causing emotional fluctuations in characters from Zenless Zone Zero.
• Xu An spent all ten available points on his attributes, raising his constitution, spirit, ether aptitude, and cooking, and found himself much stronger.
• The system reported that Belle had become curious about Xu An and awarded him three attribute points, which he put into spirit before returning to work.

Xu An opened Safe and Sound Restaurant and welcomed Wise and Belle as his first customers, discovering that their reactions to his cooking earned him attribute points. After they devoured six dishes, he gave them egg fried rice for free and exchanged introductions with the siblings.

• Xu An arranged the restaurant’s furnishings and renovations while Wise and Belle watched from their video store and wondered about their new neighbor.
• Xu An opened Safe and Sound Restaurant with limited serving hours and a reservation system, prompting Wise and Belle to come inside and order six dishes.
• Wise and Belle watched Xu An cook, and their curiosity and amazement earned him attribute points as he prepared the meal in under half an hour.
• Wise and Belle finished all six dishes, and Xu An made them egg fried rice to take home as a free treat for being his first customers.
• Wise introduced himself and Belle, invited Xu An to visit their video store, and Xu An agreed.

Xu An joined Belle and Yixuan on their trip to Waifei Peninsula, where their airship was attacked and fell into the Lemnian Hollow. He found Belle alive after the crash, and the two waited together for Yixuan.

• Xu An learned Wise and Belle were leaving for Waifei Peninsula to investigate a photograph of their teacher, Carole Arna, and decided to go with them.
• Yixuan agreed to let Xu An join the trip, and the three boarded an airship to Waifei Peninsula.
• As the airship approached the Lemnian Hollow, an explosion sent it plunging into the Hollow.
• Xu An woke after the crash and found Belle unconscious nearby, then stayed with her until she came to.
• Belle woke and teased Xu An over how close he had been; Xu An suggested they wait for Yixuan, who he believed had survived.

Xu An and Belle searched the Hollow for Yixuan, who rescued them and accepted Xu An as her disciple after he copied her Mount Yunkui arts. Yixuan revealed that someone had attacked their airship, then led them toward an exit while Xu An demonstrated that he could manipulate Corruption.

• Belle and Xu An tried to avoid the Corruption and Ethereals as they searched for Yixuan, but Yixuan arrived and defeated the Ethereals with her arts.
• Xu An poured his saved attribute points into Mount Yunkui Arts and demonstrated a technique he had learned by watching Yixuan, impressing her and Belle.
• Yixuan asked Xu An to become her disciple, and he accepted; she explained that she recognized him as her disciple without requiring the usual ceremony.
• Yixuan told Belle and Xu An that their airship had been attacked by a ranged weapon and that suspicious figures had watched the crash site.
• Yixuan used a prepared copy of the Carrot Data to find them and led them toward a way out of the Hollow.
• Yixuan explained how to manipulate Corruption, and Xu An immediately demonstrated the technique as the group cleared Corruption along their route.

Xu An, Belle, and Yixuan escaped Lemnian Hollow and reached the coast, where Yixuan arranged a ship ride toward Waifei Peninsula. After making Xu An swim ashore as training, they met Ju Fufu, their senior sister, who offered to show the new disciples around on the way back to Yunkui Summit.

• Xu An, Belle, and Yixuan exited Lemnian Hollow near the sea and boarded a passing cargo ship bound toward Waifei Peninsula.
• Yixuan made Xu An swim to shore for physical training while she and Belle continued aboard the ship.
• Yixuan told Belle that her senior sister was coming to meet them and explained that Belle and Xu An were Mount Yunkui's newest disciples.
• Ju Fufu arrived at the shore, introduced herself to Belle and Xu An as their eldest senior sister, and welcomed them.
• Xu An reached shore and used his ability to dry himself, impressing Ju Fufu with how quickly he had learned to control it.
• Yixuan headed back to Yunkui Summit while Ju Fufu offered to show Belle and Xu An around on the way and went to settle the boat fare.

Xu An, Belle, and Ju Fufu explored Chenghui Terrace after arriving, then witnessed workers confronting a Hui Crystal Meike representative over delayed accident compensation. Xu An challenged the representative, who tried to attack him, but Ju Fufu stopped him and he fled.

• Xu An secretly left Denny for the captain who had helped them, and then he, Belle, and Ju Fufu explored Chenghui Terrace while Yixuan returned to the temple.
• Ju Fufu explained the cicada sculptures’ symbolism to Xu An and Belle as they walked through the city.
• At Yin Tea House, Hongdou welcomed Ju Fufu and met Xu An and Belle, but Ju Fufu chose to return to the temple with them instead of stopping for tea.
• Xu An, Belle, and Ju Fufu joined a crowd as workers demanded overdue compensation from a Hui Crystal Meike representative.
• Xu An mocked the representative for withholding workers’ pay, and when the man tried to punch him, Ju Fufu caught his fist and forced him to flee.

Xu An, Belle, and Ju Fufu returned to the temple, where Xu An settled in to cultivate while Belle nervously messaged Vivian about being alone with a man she liked. After cultivating until dusk, Xu An reminded Belle that he was now her senior brother because he had formally joined the temple.

• Belle recalled that workers were demanding compensation from TOPS over a workplace accident in the Hollow, and the group joked about Ju Fufu's tiger Thiren identity.
• Ju Fufu showed Xu An and Belle around the temple and told Xu An he would sleep on the sofa in Belle's room until his own room was ready.
• Xu An began cultivating while Belle messaged Vivian to ask what she could talk about with a man she liked, shocking Vivian and earning Xu An a burst of attribute points.
• Xu An noticed Belle's flushed face and checked whether she had a fever, but she blamed the heat and opened a window to cool down.
• At dusk, Belle called Xu An to dinner, and he told her to call him Senior Brother because he had formally joined while she remained a nominal disciple.

Xu An met Yixuan, Pan Yinhu, Ye Shiyuan, and Ju Fufu at Yunkui Summit, where he and Belle settled in and discussed the airship attack and the Lemnian Hollow investigation. Yixuan warned that the attack had exposed Mount Yunkui’s return and that their investigation would face obstacles, but reassured Xu An they would handle whatever came.

• Xu An met his senior disciples, and Ju Fufu eagerly ordered a long list of dishes after learning Xu An could cook.
• Ye Shiyuan suspected Yixuan had arranged the airship accident for insurance money, while Xu An and Belle revealed that the airship had been attacked with a rocket launcher.
• Belle admitted that Tomato Beef Brisket was her alternate account and that her main identity was Proxy Phaethon; Xu An showed no concern.
• Ju Fufu explained that Yunkui Summit was a base on the Waifei Peninsula, where the group had gathered to investigate the Lemnian Hollow.
• Xu An told Yixuan that Ye Shiyuan had accused her of seeking insurance money, and Yixuan admitted his guess was not wrong.
• Yixuan told Xu An that the attack had compromised their secrecy and would complicate the investigation, then reassured him that they would face each obstacle as it came.

Xu An discovered how to use his attribute points and poured them into strength, leaving him unable to control his power. Yixuan took him into the wilderness to practice, carrying him off as people on Chenghui Terrace watched.

• Yixuan taught Xu An to control the Ether energy he used to form a sword, and her excitement earned her ten attribute points.
• Xu An found new skills and energy entries on his attribute panel, then realized that strength increased his physical attribute as well.
• Xu An spent most of his saved points on electric energy and strength, making his body feel saturated and his power difficult to control.
• Xu An cracked a floor tile and snapped a door handle, then asked Yixuan to take him somewhere remote to practice.
• Yixuan flew off with Xu An, explained her Ink attribute and cultivation path, and carried him in her arms as people on Chenghui Terrace watched.

Xu An tested his greatly increased strength in a Hollow while Yixuan watched, then returned to Yunkui Summit. There, he caught an orange cat and accidentally grabbed a woman’s hand as Ju Fufu fell face-first to the ground.

• Xu An shattered a steel-plated wall with a punch, and Yixuan let him train in the Hollow until he could control his strength.
• Xu An defeated several Ethereals, tested his abilities, and asked the Qingming Bird to summon Yixuan when he was ready to leave.
• Yixuan praised Xu An, let him rub his head with her hand, and twisted his ear before taking him back to Chenghui Terrace.
• Xu An bought pastries at Yin Tea House and found A-Shuo waiting for him inside his room.
• Xu An caught an orange cat sliding off the roof and tried to catch Ju Fufu, but another person caught her by the tail; Xu An grabbed that person’s hand, and Ju Fufu landed face-first.

Xu An met Ye Shunguang, learned she was his second senior sister, and immediately found himself falling for her. After she left, Belle heard about the encounter and wrestled with her own feelings while telling Wise about the Hollow attack and Xu An’s talent.

• Xu An recognized Ye Shunguang from Fufu’s description, called her Senior Sister, and learned she was delighted to have a junior brother.
• Xu An introduced himself to Ye Shunguang, who asked him to keep her visit secret before leaving for an undisclosed errand.
• Xu An realized he had fallen for Ye Shunguang and told Belle about their meeting; Belle suspected his feelings and privately worried her own romance had ended before it began.
• Belle reassured Xu An that she would keep Ye Shunguang’s visit secret, then returned to her room and called Wise.
• Belle told Wise about the airship crash, the attackers in the Hollow, and Xu An’s rapid progress, while Wise urged her to stay safe and refused to stay away.

Damian Blackwood visited Yunkui Summit and warned Yixuan’s group to stay away from the Bright Porcelain production area in the Lemnian Hollow. Suspecting the mining operation was connected to abnormal Hollow data and reports of worker harm, the group planned an investigation and arranged to bring Belle’s brother in to calibrate the data.

• Xu An woke to find Yixuan, Belle, and the other disciples speaking with Damian Blackwood, who apologized for the airship incident and warned them not to enter the Bright Porcelain production area.
• Yixuan confirmed that Mount Yunkui had Mayor Mayflower’s authorization to investigate the Lemnian Hollow, while Ju Fufu and Pan Yinhu reported rumors of a workplace incident and worker corruption.
• Ye Shiyuan linked the production-area problems to the Hollow’s abnormal observation data and proposed finding a way inside despite Damian’s warning.
• Belle explained that her brother needed to come in person to calibrate the Hollow data, and Yixuan split the group between investigating local workers and driving to Sixth Street to pick him up.
• Yixuan said she would cast a divination before the group set out.

Xu An and Belle investigated a safety incident in the Lemnian Hollow and met Komano Masato, who was seeking answers after his friend was hospitalized. The misunderstanding over whether they were Hui Crystal Meike agents cleared, and they found they shared a goal of investigating the incident.

• Xu An held Belle’s hand as they set off, but Vivian appeared, hugged Belle, and glared jealously at Xu An.
• Belle and Xu An left Vivian to look around Chenghui Terrace while they continued their investigation.
• Xu An and Belle asked a worker about compensation for the Hollow safety incident, and he directed them to Paro, who was with Masato.
• Masato mistook Xu An and Belle for agents sent by Hui Crystal Meike and accused them of trying to provoke a fight for compensation.
• Belle explained that they were Yunkui Summit disciples investigating the Lemnian Hollow, and Masato introduced himself as Komano Masato and revealed his friend had been hospitalized after the incident.

Xu An and Belle uncovered evidence that defective corruption suppressants had caused Ether Corruption among Hollow workers, and a worker offered to help them enter the Hollow and meet someone with more information. Belle also failed to learn anything about her missing teacher, while Mount Yunkui prepared to continue the investigation.

• Xu An and Belle learned from Paro that a faulty batch of corruption suppressants had sickened Hollow workers and that Damian had sealed off the affected area.
• Paro agreed to help the investigators enter the Hollow and connect them with someone who knew more about the incident, while Komano Masato offered to ask around about Belle's teacher.
• Paro and Komano Masato could not identify the person in Belle's photograph or its location, leaving Belle discouraged about finding her teacher.
• Xu An comforted Belle on their return to Yunkui Summit, where Senior Brother Pan and Fufu reported that their own inquiries had found no leads.
• Xu An and Belle told Yixuan that Paro would help them enter the Hollow and that defective TOPS suppressants had caused the workers' symptoms; Belle asked Yixuan what help Mount Yunkui had once given the workers.

Yixuan recalled Mount Yunkui’s aid during the fall of the Old Capital, then began teaching Xu An how to sense Ether and regulate his meridians. After he comforted her over painful memories of siblings, Xu An returned to his room and fell asleep, with the group set to investigate the Lemnian Hollow the next morning.

• Yixuan explained that Mount Yunkui members had helped evacuate refugees when the Old Capital fell, and the group arranged to enter the Lemnian Hollow early the next morning.
• After Belle left to meet Vivian, Yixuan taught Xu An to regulate his meridians, and he quickly mastered the technique.
• Xu An asked whether Yixuan had siblings, prompting her to recall painful memories and end their conversation for the night.
• Xu An hugged Yixuan before leaving, and the embrace eased her sadness.
• Xu An reflected on his growing attachment to the people around him, continued practicing, and fell asleep before waking the next morning.

Xu An and the others met Eric and Doctor Lor to investigate Hui Crystal Meike’s failure to compensate miners sickened by faulty anti-corrosion medicine. Lor revealed that the company had falsified hospital records, and the investigators agreed to pursue evidence in the dangerous area.

• Xu An, Belle, and the others entered the production area with Paro and met Eric, who explained that Hui Crystal Meike was delaying compensation for miners who had developed Corruption sickness.
• Eric said the faulty medicine batch could prove the company’s responsibility, but workers depended on its treatment until Doctor Lor began providing cheaper medicine made with abandoned equipment.
• Belle asked Eric whether he had seen the person in her photo, and he said the person was likely deep inside Lemnian Hollow.
• Xu An brought Doctor Lor to the group, and Lor explained that Hui Crystal Meike kept workers dependent on weak medicine while avoiding compensation.
• Yixuan asked about evidence, and Lor said falsified hospital records concealed the cause of the miners’ illness and compensation claims, but the records were in an area too dangerous for him to investigate.

Xu An followed Dr. Lor while Yixuan's group investigated foul miasma and corruption traces in the Lemnian Hollow. Xu An's mental power broke through ten thousand, and the group found an unusual infinity-shaped mark before encountering Pan Yinhu with Dr. Lor's Bangboo.

• Xu An suspected Dr. Lor and followed him by sword while Yixuan's team split off to investigate the Hollow.
• Xu An increased his mental power to ten thousand, recovered vivid memories, and expanded his perception to a one-kilometer radius; he thought this could help Ye Shunguang master the Qingming Sword.
• Yixuan, Belle, and Ju Fufu investigated the Hollow, defeated Ethereals, and Yixuan taught Belle the Sense Perception Technique, which Belle learned on her first try.
• The group found the area with the heaviest foul-miasma residue and photographed an unusual infinity-shaped mark on the ground.
• As Yixuan's group followed the traces, they ran into Pan Yinhu, who had Dr. Lor's Bangboo with him.

Belle, Xu An, and their companions gathered enough evidence about the Hollow corruption incident while Xu An swiftly defeated the Ethereals guarding the sample site. After the group returned, Yixuan praised Belle’s progress and unexpectedly comforted Xu An, leaving Belle stunned.

• Pan Yinhu brought Axin to Belle, and the Bangboo guided the group to an abandoned production center marked by Doctor Lor.
• The group found Xu An had rescued Lor, who planned to collect more corruption samples and said the evidence would support a case against Hui Crystal Meike.
• Xu An destroyed the frog-shaped Ethereal and the other attackers with single punches, allowing Lor to gather samples and complete the evidence chain.
• Lor explained that he and Eric’s mutual aid association planned to protest Hui Crystal Meike, then the group left the Hollow with the evidence.
• Back at Mount Yunkui, Xu An teased Yixuan for ignoring him, and she caught his hand and rubbed his head, shocking Belle.
• Yixuan told Belle she was progressing quickly with spells and advised her to balance cultivation with rest.

Xu An borrowed Yin Tea House’s kitchen to make chocolate mousse and brought it with pastries to visit Ye Shunguang on Mount Yunkui. Ye Shunguang welcomed him warmly, but his blunt compliment flustered her, and she left to practice swordsmanship.

• Xu An asked Hongdou to use Yin Tea House’s kitchen and made chocolate mousse for Ye Shunguang.
• Xu An left extra Denny for the pastries and flew to Mount Yunkui with the food.
• Xu An asked the gatekeepers where Ye Shunguang was and followed a disciple to the back mountain.
• Ye Shunguang happily welcomed Xu An, and he shared the pastries and his homemade dessert with her.
• Xu An told Ye Shunguang she was so beautiful that he had gotten lost staring at her, making her flustered and prompting her to leave for sword practice.

Xu An spent the afternoon with Ye Shunguang, watching her practice swordplay and sharing a playful, affectionate conversation before returning to the others. After he left, Ye Shunguang wrote about their meeting in her diary and wondered whether Xu An liked her.

• Xu An watched Ye Shunguang practice swordplay and offered her the pastries and chocolate mousse he had brought.
• Ye Shunguang asked Xu An to call her senior sister several times, then playfully ruffled his hair after he teased her.
• Ye Shunguang asked Xu An to call her Xiaoguang, and promised to protect him from future storms; Xu An flew away, saying he would visit again.
• Ye Shunguang returned to her room, tasted the chocolate mousse, and wrote about Xu An and their afternoon in her diary.
• Ye Shunguang wondered whether Xu An liked her, then stopped writing and gazed at the moonlight.