The Soul-Severing Chessboard: Shen Xiunian's Battle to Trace His Origins

Bizarre mind-related crimes are occurring throughout Xinhancheng. Every victim's cause of death is a mystery, witnesses repeatedly suffer mental breakdowns, and neither technology nor supernatural detection can find a trace. The mastermind is the perfect experimental subject of the "Pure Mind Project": the Soul-Leaving Mastermind. His core ability lets his soul leave his body while his flesh appears dead, hiding him from view. His disembodied soul leaves no trace, allowing him to spy on the entire city's secrets, invade people's minds to construct realistic illusions, control them without a trace, and silence them, leaving every case unsolvable. The protagonist, Shen Xiunian, possesses the ability [Trace the Afterimage], the only hope of solving the mysteries. In this game of one-way transparency, he gradually discovers a flaw in the soul imprint the villain leaves when killing. Using soul power on the same level as his opponent, he fights back and ultimately uncovers the truth behind an ultimate contest that has spanned a thousand years, with all living beings used as pieces on a board.

Theme: Set in a cyberpunk city, this book explores the struggle over human nature at the intersection of technology and supernatural abilities through the Soul-Leaving Mastermind's crimes and his use of all living beings as pieces in a game. It condemns the disregard for individuals shown by those in power and by experimentation, exposing the ambition and evil behind the "Pure Mind Project." Through Shen Xiunian's journey as he holds fast to his principles in a one-way transparent dead end and uses his tracing ability to fight an unseen darkness, the story celebrates perseverance and courage. It also reflects on the preservation and redemption of humanity in an age of technological alienation. Even against seemingly unsolvable darkness and an overwhelming contest, justice and truth will eventually break through the fog, reminding us to cherish human dignity and fairness, and carrying the message that we must never give up.