Chapter Summaries

After Xiao Han defeated Luo Bing with one punch, the academy took notice, and Instructor Lin Qingxia summoned him to ask what he had found in the Trial Secret Realm. Xiao Han arrived prepared to conceal his secrets, but Lin Qingxia directly challenged his explanation.

• News of Xiao Han's one-punch defeat of Luo Bing spread across the academy forum, and the academy's higher-ups began investigating his strength and disappearance in the Trial Secret Realm.
• Lin Qingxia heard from her teaching assistant that Xiao Han had defeated Luo Bing and concluded that he had gained something extraordinary in the secret realm.
• Lin Qingxia sent Xiao Han a summons, and he left his dormitory while students watched him with new awe and scrutiny.
• Xiao Han entered Lin Qingxia's office and braced himself under the pressure of her Martial King aura.
• Lin Qingxia confronted Xiao Han about his rapid rise in strength and demanded to know what he had encountered in the secret realm.

Xiao Han claimed an ancient inheritance to explain his strength, but Lin Qingxia saw through his attempt to hide his true cultivation. Impressed by his ability and foundation, she decided to guide him personally and seek his transfer into Zero Class’s Core Sequence.

• Xiao Han told Lin Qingxia that an ancient inheritance connected to his Martial Soul had helped him break through to the Second Level of the Martial Master Realm.
• Lin Qingxia warned Xiao Han to keep his trump cards hidden and sent him back to consolidate his cultivation.
• After leaving the office, Xiao Han reflected on Lin Qingxia’s perceptiveness and welcomed the challenge of stronger opponents.
• Lin Qingxia called Xiao Han back and revealed that she had sensed his actual Third Level cultivation and unusually solid foundation.
• Lin Qingxia offered to guide Xiao Han personally and said she would propose transferring him into Zero Class’s Core Sequence for priority access to the academy’s best resources.

Xiao Han accepted Lin Qingxia’s offer to join Zero Class’s Core Sequence, gaining access to privileged cultivation resources and academy opportunities. He learned that the position came with brutal monthly competition and ended ready to challenge the other core students.

• The God-Level Choice System offered Xiao Han rewards for accepting or declining Lin Qingxia’s tutelage, and he chose to accept.
• Lin Qingxia made Xiao Han a member of Zero Class’s Core Sequence and explained his access to a private grade-A cultivation room, the Star Pavilion’s second floor, and priority opportunities.
• Lin Qingxia warned Xiao Han that the nine existing core students were formidable, resources depended on rankings and contributions, and the lowest-ranked student would be demoted.
• Xiao Han welcomed the challenge and received an updated student card, a cultivation-room keycard, and 10,000 academy contribution points.

Xiao Han moved into his exclusive core-rank courtyard, where Shi Lei challenged him to prove himself in the martial arena. Xiao Han’s Annihilation Divine Fist failed to knock Shi Lei back, and the chapter ended as he evaded Shi Lei’s counterattack with his footwork.

• Xiao Han entered his grade-A courtyard in Zero Class’s exclusive area and admired its cultivation facilities.
• Shi Lei, the fifth-ranked core member, challenged Xiao Han to spar at the core martial arena, and Xiao Han accepted.
• Xiao Han arrived at the arena, where Xia Yubing, Instructor Qin Zhen, and other core members watched.
• Shi Lei activated his Titan Body and invited Xiao Han to strike him head-on.
• Xiao Han hit Shi Lei’s blocking forearm with the Annihilation Divine Fist, but Shi Lei only swayed and stayed on his feet.
• Shi Lei charged with a powerful punch, and Xiao Han used A Step to the Ends of the Earth to evade it at a tricky angle.

Xiao Han defeated Shi Lei by combining his strange movement technique with the Eternal Night Monarch’s defense-piercing shadow power, securing his place in the Core Sequence. He returned to cultivate with the sequence’s facilities, then was summoned by Lin Qingxia a few days later.

• Xiao Han used altered footwork to evade Shi Lei, then pierced Shi Lei’s Titan Body with a shadow-coated Annihilation Divine Fist.
• Shi Lei admitted defeat, and Instructor Qin Zhen accepted Xiao Han’s claim that the technique came from his ancient inheritance.
• The Core Sequence members watched Xiao Han leave with wariness, while Xia Yubing admired him and Qin Zhen reflected on Lin Qingxia’s discovery.
• Xiao Han returned to courtyard A-07 and cultivated in the A-grade spiritual energy chamber and the ten-times-gravity chamber.
• A few days later, Lin Qingxia summoned Xiao Han and greeted him with greater appreciation and curiosity.

After Lin Qingxia corrected Xiao Han’s cultivation and urged him to find skills suited to his Chaos Green Lotus Martial Soul, he visited the Star Pavilion and used the God-Level Choice System to obtain the Green Lotus Sword Song. He returned to cultivation room A-07 and began studying the sword art.

• Lin Qingxia advised Xiao Han on the Shadow Void Scripture, spatial control, and breaking through to the Great Martial Master Realm, then recommended he seek compatible martial skills.
• Xiao Han went to the second floor of the Star Pavilion to search for new skills, but found few that suited his Martial Souls.
• The God-Level Choice System offered Xiao Han a choice between a seventh-grade wood-element attack skill and a hidden ancient book, and he chose the book.
• Xiao Han secretly infused the battered book with Chaos Green Lotus spiritual power and received the Green Lotus Sword Song fragment, which contained its opening stance and first form, Lotus Stirring.
• Xiao Han copied material about exotic beast weaknesses, left the Star Pavilion, and began studying the Green Lotus Sword Song in cultivation room A-07.

Xiao Han strengthened his martial arts and prepared for the approaching Academy Grand Competition before the God-Level Choice System tasked him with shouting at a wall of ghost faces in the Old Book Tower. He chose the embarrassing mission for its powerful competition reward and began sneaking into the forbidden tower.

• Xiao Han cultivated his arts and improved his strength, techniques, and coordination between his Twin Martial Souls.
• As the Academy Grand Competition approached, the God-Level Choice System offered Xiao Han a modest reward for ordinary preparation or a greater reward for shouting a scrap-collector slogan at the Old Book Tower's ghost-faced wall.
• Xiao Han chose the second task, which required him to enter the forbidden area within 24 hours while avoiding detection.
• Xiao Han learned that the Old Book Tower's third basement level was off-limits and planned to use his stealth techniques to infiltrate it.
• Under cover of darkness, Xiao Han concealed his aura and slipped toward the Old Book Tower, evading the academy's detection systems and patrols.

Xiao Han infiltrated the Old Book Tower to complete a system mission at the Ghost Face Wall, but encountered five powerful intruders and fought his way through them. He completed the mission’s minimum requirement and escaped before the group could stop him.

• Xiao Han descended to the Old Book Tower’s third underground floor, where he found the Ghost Face Wall and felt his Eternal Night King Martial Soul respond to the surrounding energy.
• Five stealthy intruders appeared, and Xiao Han unleashed his Domain of darkness to attack them before they could identify him.
• Xiao Han used his Annihilation Divine Fist, Green Lotus Sword Song, and Shadow Devour to injure the intruders and scatter their formation.
• Xiao Han shouted the system’s required message beside the Ghost Face Wall, completing the mission’s minimum requirement and receiving the Academy Grand Competition Champion’s Blessing.
• Xiao Han escaped using A Step to the Ends of the Earth, while the intruders’ leader struck only the wall with his saber beam.

Xiao Han escaped the Old Book Tower after driving off mysterious infiltrators, then received the rewards for completing the forbidden grounds mission. Back in his courtyard, he explored his new Shadow Avatar ability and used the Champion’s Blessing to improve his comprehension before practicing his cultivation and sword technique.

• The infiltrators’ leader suspended the mission and ordered his group to withdraw after recognizing Xiao Han’s strength and their exposure.
• Xiao Han escaped the Old Book Tower and returned to his private courtyard, resolving to investigate its mysteries later and focus on the Academy Grand Competition.
• The system awarded Xiao Han the Academy Grand Competition Champion’s Blessing and a Random Lesser Divine Ability for completing the exploration mission.
• Xiao Han discovered that his new Shadow Avatar could form a shadowy duplicate with about thirty percent of his strength, and he successfully created one briefly before it dispersed.
• Xiao Han activated the blessing, which restored his mental energy and sharpened his understanding of his techniques, then stabilized his cultivation and practiced the Green Lotus Sword Song.

Xiao Han completed a night of cultivation and arrived at the Academy Grand Competition confident in his improved strength and new techniques. As the ceremony began and the rewards were announced, he stood among the Core Sequence and exchanged a brief, charged glance with Su Linglong.

• Xiao Han refined Lotus in Motion and gained insight into Shadow Avatar during a night of secluded cultivation, though his cultivation realm did not advance.
• Xiao Han headed to the central martial arena as the Academy Grand Competition began and students speculated about his chances against Luo Bing, Shi Lei, and the Core Sequence.
• The academy principal opened the competition, and an official announced rewards including access to the Star Pavilion, a secret-realm trial, and possible provisional instructor status.
• Xiao Han stood among the Core Sequence as spectators questioned his strength and his Third Level of the Martial Master Realm.
• Su Linglong met Xiao Han's gaze, blushed faintly, and quickly looked away.

The elimination round of the Imperial Capital Academy Grand Competition began, and Xiao Han entered arena seventy-three for his first match. After dodging Wang Meng’s opening charge, Xiao Han sent a terrifying blast of fist wind at him, leaving Wang Meng frozen in fear.

• Luo Bing glared at Xiao Han, while Shi Lei and the top three Core Sequence members sized him up.
• Instructor Qin Zhen warned Zero Class that lethal blows were forbidden and urged them to fight for glory.
• The bell rang, and Xiao Han joined the contestants heading to their assigned arenas.
• At arena seventy-three, Wang Meng challenged Xiao Han, activated his Fierce Savage Ape Martial Soul, and charged at him.
• Xiao Han vanished from Wang Meng’s sight, dodged his punch, and struck from behind with a terrifying blast of fist wind that left Wang Meng unable to move.

Xiao Han swept through the preliminary matches at Imperial Capital Academy, defeating every opponent with overwhelming speed and without revealing his full strength. As the tournament moved into the elimination stage, his rising reputation drew attention from mentors, factions, and his classmates, while he looked forward to a more challenging opponent.

• Xiao Han defeated Wang Meng in less than two seconds, knocking him unconscious with a blow whose wind shattered his Martial Soul defense.
• Xiao Han won his next matches with effortless speed and precision, defeating opponents from the Eighth and Ninth Levels of the Warrior Realm and even Quasi-Martial Masters without summoning his Twin Martial Soul.
• Mentors and faction representatives recorded Xiao Han's performance and marked him for close observation as speculation grew that he had reached the Martial Master Realm.
• Xia Yubing celebrated Xiao Han's victories, while Luo Bing felt humiliated and threatened and Shi Lei realized Xiao Han had held back in their earlier fight.
• Xiao Han finished the preliminary round undefeated and anticipated the elimination stage, where he hoped to face more interesting opponents.

Xiao Han defeated Li Yan in the first elimination round on platform seventy-three, using his shadow-enhanced footwork to evade Li Yan’s overwhelming fire attacks before striking back. He advanced after knocking Li Yan unconscious with a single punch.

• Xiao Han faced Li Yan, a First Level Martial Master with a B+ rank Blazing Mad Lion Martial Soul, on platform seventy-three.
• Li Yan unleashed Blazing Flames Burn the Heavens, but Xiao Han used A Step to the Ends of the Earth and the Shadow Void Scripture to slip through the flames unharmed.
• Li Yan summoned flaming lions to attack Xiao Han from every direction, but Xiao Han evaded them with shadow-based movements until Li Yan’s spiritual power began to falter.
• Xiao Han charged through the flames and pierced Li Yan’s flame shield with Annihilation, striking him in the chest.
• Li Yan crashed off the platform and fell unconscious, leaving Xiao Han the victor.

Xiao Han defeated Li Yan without summoning his Martial Soul, then faced Shi Tai and his formidable defensive Martial Soul in the next elimination match. After a barrage of punches failed to break Shi Tai’s barrier, the fight reached a stalemate.

• Xiao Han defeated Li Yan with his shadow-like movement and a powerful punch, and the referee declared him the winner.
• Xiao Han returned to the Zero Class resting area, where Xia Yubing celebrated, Luo Bing watched uneasily, and Instructor Qin Zhen approved of his performance.
• Shi Tai, a Fourth Level Martial Master with the SS-grade [Mountain-Suppressing Black Tortoise], became Xiao Han’s next opponent.
• Shi Tai activated his Martial Soul and raised a [Black Tortoise Barrier], challenging Xiao Han to break through it.
• Xiao Han struck the barrier repeatedly with his Annihilation Fist Intent, but Shi Tai held firm and the match settled into a stalemate.

Xiao Han used the first form of the Green Lotus Sword Song to bypass Shi Tai’s powerful defenses and defeat him, revealing a new tournament trump card. The tournament advanced to the contest for the top eight, with Xiao Han established as its dark horse king.

• Shi Tai assumed Xiao Han had run low on spiritual power and taunted him about the strength of his Black Tortoise Barrier.
• Xiao Han summoned the Chaos Green Lotus Martial Soul and used the Green Lotus Sword Song’s first form, Lotus in Motion.
• Xiao Han’s green sword qi purified and dismantled Shi Tai’s Black Tortoise Barrier, then pierced his Mountain-Suppressing Black Tortoise armor.
• The sword qi struck Shi Tai in the chest, sending him off the stage gravely wounded and unconscious.
• The crowd cheered Xiao Han’s victory, and the Imperial Capital Academy tournament advanced to the contest for the top eight.

Xiao Han faced Feng Wuying in the quarterfinals and overcame the Zero Class genius’s extreme speed by blending into the arena’s shadows. He defeated Feng Wuying with a Shadow Avatar ambush and Lotus in Motion, advancing in the tournament.

• Feng Wuying activated his SS-rank wind martial soul and attacked Xiao Han with rapid movements and sweeping wind blades.
• Xiao Han used his Eternal Night King martial soul to blend into the shadows and evade Feng Wuying’s attacks.
• Feng Wuying struggled to track Xiao Han, and his attack rhythm faltered as he tried to anticipate his movements.
• Xiao Han summoned a Shadow Avatar behind Feng Wuying, which struck him with the Annihilation Divine Fist.
• Xiao Han followed up with Lotus in Motion, pierced Feng Wuying’s defenses, and sent him out of the arena.
• The referee declared Xiao Han the winner.

After defeating Feng Wuying, Xiao Han faced Shi Potian in the quarterfinals and struggled to break through the heavily armored fighter’s earth-powered defenses. The battle remained unresolved as Shi Potian’s attacks and the energy draining from Xiao Han left him searching for an opening.

• Xiao Han’s Shadow Avatar and shadow-based movement stunned the spectators after he defeated Feng Wuying.
• The quarterfinal draw matched Xiao Han against Shi Potian, a top Core Sequence fighter with an SS-rank Heart of Mount Tai Martial Soul.
• Shi Potian transformed into a rock giant and used Earth Binding to slow Xiao Han before attacking with Mount Tai Collapse.
• Xiao Han dodged Shi Potian’s attacks and struck him with Annihilation Divine Fist, but Shi Potian’s rocky armor quickly repaired itself.
• Xiao Han’s Green Lotus Sword Qi barely marked Shi Potian, whose earth-powered defense resisted Xiao Han’s attempts to find an opening.

Xiao Han awakened the Chaos Green Lotus’s purifying domain and used it to break Shi Potian’s rock armor, defeating him and advancing to the Academy Grand Competition semifinals. After the crowd celebrated his victory, Xiao Han returned to his cultivation room to recover.

• Xiao Han spread the Chaos Green Lotus’s cyan domain, weakening Shi Potian’s connection to the earth and eroding his rock armor.
• Xiao Han combined the Annihilation Divine Fist, shadow power, and the lotus’s purifying force to crack and shatter Shi Potian’s armor.
• Xiao Han pressed his attack and struck Shi Potian’s unarmored neck, leaving him unconscious as his rocky form crumbled back to human form.
• The referee declared Xiao Han the winner, and the crowd acclaimed him as he advanced to the semifinals.
• Xiao Han declined Instructor Lin Qingxia’s invitation and the others’ greetings, then returned to his private cultivation room.

After defeating Shi Potian, Xiao Han learned that his semifinal opponent, Long Aotian, possessed an overwhelming SSS-rank Purgatory Demon Dragon Martial Soul. To gain a chance at victory, Xiao Han accepted the God-Level Choice System’s deadly challenge to temper himself with lightning at Thunder Punishment Cliff.

• Xiao Han recovered from his battle with Shi Potian and studied Long Aotian’s profile and battle recordings.
• Xiao Han assessed Long Aotian’s superior cultivation and destructive Martial Soul, and doubted his current abilities would be enough.
• The God-Level Choice System offered Xiao Han a cautious training option or a dangerous trip to Thunder Punishment Cliff for powerful rewards.
• Xiao Han chose to brave the lightning challenge, which could awaken both Martial Souls beyond SSS+ and grant him a Temporary Thunder Tyrant Body.
• The system started a 24-hour countdown, and Xiao Han rose with fierce fighting spirit to prepare for the journey.

Xiao Han abandoned his attempt to climb Thunder Punishment Cliff and followed the system’s guidance into the No. 7 Small Secret Realm to claim a Dark Night Star Soul Crystal. After fighting through increasingly powerful beasts, he reached the valley where the Netherworld Demon Spider guarded the cave.

• Xiao Han set out for Thunder Punishment Cliff to strengthen himself, but the system redirected him to the No. 7 Small Secret Realm and assigned him to retrieve a Dark Night Star Soul Crystal from the Netherworld Demon Spider.
• Xiao Han entered the secret realm and killed six Bone-Corroding Poison Lizards using his martial souls, sword qi, fists, and Shadow Avatar.
• Xiao Han fought his way through stronger beasts, sustaining serious wounds but pressing deeper into the secret realm.
• Xiao Han reached a vast valley and found the Netherworld Demon Spider guarding a cave entrance beneath its web.