Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen, a modern man, transmigrates into the body of Xiao Chen, the crippled eldest son of the Zhenbei King in the Great Xia Dynasty.
• Xiao Chen learns about his predecessor's tragic life: born with an exceptional King Physique, he became a cripple after protecting his younger brother and was later abandoned by his family.
• Xiao Chen is summoned to a meeting by his father, Xiao Zhentian, who demands he kneel due to his tardiness.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen (original): A kind-hearted individual who valued family, he never held grudges against his brother or parents despite their mistreatment. He died due to injuries inflicted by his brother.
• Xiao Chen (transmigrator): Initially excited about transmigrating into a powerful character, he becomes enraged upon facing his family's disrespect and lack of warmth.
• Xiao Zhentian: The Zhenbei King, he values strength and talent above all else, leading him to abandon his eldest son in favor of his younger, more talented son.
• Wen Wanrong: Xiao Zhentian's wife, she shares her husband's disregard for their eldest son and favors their younger son.
• Xiao Lingtian: The younger brother of Xiao Chen, he possesses top-grade Heaven Rank talent and has taken everything that originally belonged to Xiao Chen, including his fiancée.

Significant Themes

• The importance of strength and talent in a world where the strong prey on the weak.
• The consequences of favoritism and neglect within a family.
• The struggle between one's nature and the circumstances they face.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen's interactions with his family reveal their disregard and disrespect towards him, leading to his anger and desire for change.
• Xiao Zhentian's double standards towards his sons are evident in his treatment of Xiao Chen's tardiness compared to Xiao Lingtian's.
• The system's sudden appearance offers Xiao Chen hope and the potential for change in his circumstances.

Chapter Summary: Martial God Physique

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Life Blind Box Choice system presents Xiao Chen with two options:
  1. Kneel before Xiao Zhentian, accept humiliation, and remain under the Zhenbei King Manor’s protection.
  2. Sever his blood ties with the Xiao family, leave the manor, and risk death from the rampant Demon Race.
• The possible rewards include a Dog Whip, Dog Tail Grass, ten Qi Blood Pills, and the legendary Martial God Physique.
• Xiao Chen realizes that the humiliating choice is likely linked to the insulting “dog” rewards, while choosing independence may grant the Martial God Physique.
• He chooses to sever ties with Xiao Zhentian’s family, valuing dignity and freedom over safety.
• The system rewards him with the Martial God Physique, explaining that it can rebuild his body and restore his shattered dantian.
• Xiao Chen receives the Martial God Heart from the dying former Martial God, who has waited ten thousand years for a successor. Because Xiao Chen’s body is not yet ready, the system seals the physique until he chooses to activate it.
• Xiao Zhentian, unaware of Xiao Chen’s transformation, orders him to kneel for three days and refuses him food because he arrived late.
• Xiao Chen openly confronts his father, accusing him of despising him after his dantian was destroyed and reminding him that he sacrificed himself to save Xiao Lingtian.
• Enraged by Xiao Chen’s defiance, Xiao Zhentian threatens to break both of his legs.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Changes from a suppressed, crippled young man who depends on the manor for protection into someone determined to reclaim his dignity. His choice reflects courage, pride, and a refusal to continue living as a powerless “dog.” After receiving the Martial God Physique, he becomes confident enough to challenge his family openly.
• Xiao Zhentian: Reveals his contempt and authoritarian nature. He views Xiao Chen as a useless cripple and reacts violently when his authority is questioned.
• Xiao Lingtian: Is exposed as someone whose life Xiao Chen once saved, yet who has apparently shown him no gratitude after the sacrifice left Xiao Chen crippled.
• Wen Wanrong: Like Xiao Lingtian, she is portrayed as part of the family that abandoned and mistreated Xiao Chen after his injury.
• The former Martial God: Appears as a mysterious predecessor who passes the Martial God Heart to Xiao Chen, suggesting a larger destiny connected to the Martial God lineage.

Significant Themes

• Dignity versus survival: Xiao Chen must choose between humiliating security and dangerous independence. He chooses to preserve his dignity despite the possibility of death.
• Betrayal and ingratitude: The Xiao family benefits from Xiao Chen’s sacrifice but later treats him as worthless once he becomes crippled.
• Rebirth and hidden potential: The Martial God Physique offers Xiao Chen a chance to restore his ruined dantian and reclaim—or surpass—his former greatness.
• Fate and succession: The former Martial God’s appearance suggests that Xiao Chen has been selected to inherit a unique, world-shaking legacy.
• Power and family authority: Xiao Zhentian equates obedience with filial loyalty, while Xiao Chen rejects the idea that family ties justify abuse and humiliation.
• Courage under oppression: Xiao Chen’s verbal confrontation marks the beginning of his resistance against those who once controlled his life.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and the system: Xiao Chen questions the system’s strange rewards and tries to interpret the hidden meaning behind them. The system gives no direct advice but confirms that the Martial God Physique can restore him.
• Xiao Chen and the former Martial God: The dying Martial God identifies Xiao Chen as his long-awaited successor and transfers the Martial God Heart into him.
• Xiao Chen and Xiao Zhentian: Their relationship reaches a breaking point. Xiao Zhentian demands submission, while Xiao Chen responds with accusations and openly challenges his father’s authority.
• Xiao Chen and Xiao Lingtian: Xiao Chen reminds Lingtian that he once saved his life, exposing the resentment caused by Lingtian’s failure to repay that sacrifice.
• The family and onlookers: Wen Wanrong, Xiao Lingtian, and the servants are shocked by Xiao Chen’s sudden boldness, while the servants fear Xiao Zhentian’s anger and expect Xiao Chen to be punished.

Chapter Summary: “What a Mother Could Say?”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen openly challenges his father, Xiao Zhentian, after being threatened with having his legs broken for speaking out.
• His anger exposes the family’s hypocrisy: Xiao Chen sacrificed his cultivation and shattered his dantian to save his younger brother, Xiao Lingtian, yet was later abandoned, insulted, and treated as worthless.
• Xiao Chen’s buried resentment erupts. He recalls that he once possessed a Born King Physique, a supreme talent, but lost everything to save Lingtian.
• He bitterly calls himself foolish for treating the Xiao family as his true relatives despite their rejection and ingratitude.
• Xiao Zhentian defends Lingtian and condemns Xiao Chen for insulting his younger brother, revealing his clear favoritism.
• Xiao Lingtian demands that Xiao Chen kneel and apologize. Xiao Chen refuses and instead reminds him that he would be dead if Xiao Chen had not saved him.
• Xiao Chen further attacks Lingtian’s pride, claiming that Lingtian’s current status depends on family favoritism and access to treasures rather than personal ability.
• Wen Wanrong attempts to calm the conflict by acknowledging that the parents have wronged Xiao Chen and offering to compensate him.
• However, her proposed solution is that Xiao Chen break off his engagement with Ye Qingxuan so that she can be with Xiao Lingtian.
• Xiao Chen is shocked and outraged that his own mother would ask him to surrender the woman he has loved for years to the brother who betrayed him.

2. Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Changes from the former owner’s submissive, excessively filial personality into a cold, confrontational figure. Although he briefly experiences the original owner’s grief, his transmigrator identity allows him to detach from the family and reject his former role as the obedient son. He begins reclaiming his dignity and openly exposing the family’s injustice.
• Xiao Lingtian: Revealed as arrogant, ungrateful, and deeply insecure. He despises Xiao Chen despite owing him his life and reacts violently when Xiao Chen challenges his talent and status.
• Xiao Zhentian: Demonstrates extreme favoritism toward Lingtian. He is willing to punish Xiao Chen immediately while excusing or protecting Lingtian’s cruelty.
• Wen Wanrong: Shows some awareness that Xiao Chen has been mistreated, but her proposed “compensation” still prioritizes Lingtian’s desires. Her attempt at maternal mediation exposes how little she truly values Xiao Chen’s happiness.
• The servants: Their reactions suggest that many recognize the injustice done to Xiao Chen and understand the magnitude of his former sacrifice, even if they do not openly intervene.

3. Significant Themes

• Family betrayal and conditional love: Xiao Chen’s family values him only according to his usefulness and current status, while Lingtian receives unconditional protection.
• Sacrifice without gratitude: Xiao Chen gave up a supreme physique and ruined his cultivation to save Lingtian, but his sacrifice is dismissed as merely a brother’s duty.
• Hypocrisy and injustice: The family condemns Xiao Chen for speaking harshly while ignoring Lingtian’s repeated insults and ingratitude.
• Reclaiming identity and dignity: The transmigrated Xiao Chen rejects the former owner’s submissiveness and refuses to continue accepting humiliation.
• Talent, status, and favoritism: The chapter questions whether Lingtian’s success comes from genuine ability or from family resources and preferential treatment.
• The corruption of familial bonds: Blood relations are shown to be meaningless when affection, loyalty, and respect are absent.

4. Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Xiao Zhentian clash over punishment, respect, and the family’s treatment of him.
• Xiao Chen directly confronts Xiao Lingtian, reminding him of the life-saving sacrifice and attacking his inflated sense of superiority.
• Xiao Zhentian sides with Lingtian and attempts to silence or discipline Xiao Chen.
• Wen Wanrong intervenes as a mediator but ultimately asks Xiao Chen to sacrifice his engagement for Lingtian’s benefit.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Chen stunned and enraged by his mother’s request, emphasizing the depth of his family’s betrayal.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen confronts his parents about their favoritism towards Xiao Lingtian and their neglect of him.
• Xiao Chen refuses to give up the marriage contract with Ye Qingxuan, leading to a heated argument with his parents.
• Xiao Chen reveals his resentment towards his parents for abandoning him and not caring for him, despite his disability.
• Xiao Zhentian, the Zhenbei King, admits his wrongdoings silently, but his pride prevents him from apologizing.
• Xiao Chen decides to cut ties with the Xiao Family, declaring that he is no longer their son and they are no longer his parents.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Becomes more assertive and stands up to his parents, finally expressing his resentment and pain. He decides to cut ties with the Xiao Family to pursue his own path.
• Xiao Zhentian: Realizes his mistakes in neglecting Xiao Chen but struggles to apologize due to his pride. His silence is a sign of concession, showing a hint of remorse.
• Wen Wanrong: Shows favoritism towards Xiao Lingtian and tries to manipulate Xiao Chen into giving up the marriage contract, revealing her lack of maternal affection towards him.

Significant Themes

• Family and parental love: The Xiao Family's neglect and favoritism towards Xiao Chen highlight the theme of dysfunctional family dynamics and the absence of genuine parental love.
• Resentment and forgiveness: Xiao Chen's resentment towards his parents and their eventual realization of their wrongdoings explore the themes of resentment, forgiveness, and the difficulty in apologizing and making amends.
• Pride and humility: Xiao Zhentian's pride prevents him from apologizing to Xiao Chen, while Xiao Chen's decision to cut ties with the family shows humility and acceptance of his own path.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Xiao Zhentian: Their confrontation reveals the deep-seated resentment and pain Xiao Chen feels towards his father, while Xiao Zhentian silently admits his wrongdoings but struggles to apologize.
• Xiao Chen and Wen Wanrong: Their interaction highlights Wen Wanrong's favoritism towards Xiao Lingtian and her lack of maternal affection towards Xiao Chen, leading to a tense and emotional argument.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen demands to be released from his engagement to Ye Qingxuan, leading to a heated argument with his parents.
• Xiao Zhentian, enraged, strikes Xiao Chen's name from the family registry, effectively disowning him.
• Xiao Chen, undeterred, writes a Severance Writ, formally cutting ties with his family. Both Xiao Zhentian and Xiao Lingtian sign it, but Wen Wanrong refuses.
• Xiao Chen prepares to leave the Xiao Family, with Xiao Lingtian taunting him as he goes.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen shows unexpected resolve and courage in standing up to his parents and cutting ties with his family.
• Xiao Zhentian and Xiao Lingtian display their selfish and cruel nature, prioritizing their own interests over family bonds.
• Wen Wanrong, despite her past neglect of Xiao Chen, shows regret and tries to stop him from leaving.

Significant Themes

• Family bonds and their fragility.
• The consequences of neglect and mistreatment within a family.
• The struggle between personal desires and familial obligations.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen's confrontation with his parents highlights the tension and resentment that has built up over years of neglect.
• The interaction between Xiao Chen and Xiao Lingtian underscores the sibling rivalry and lack of brotherly affection between them.
• Wen Wanrong's attempts to stop Xiao Chen from leaving reveal her complex emotions regarding her eldest son.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen leaves the Zhenbei King Manor after signing the severance letter, determined to make a name for himself.
• Xiao Zhentian and Xiao Lingtian are shocked by Xiao Chen's decision and words.
• Butler Li reveals that Xiao Chen has never received any pocket money, leaving him penniless.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen shows remarkable resilience and determination, deciding to forge his own path.
• Xiao Zhentian and Xiao Lingtian are initially dismissive of Xiao Chen but later show signs of concern or unease.
• Wen Wanrong is devastated by Xiao Chen's departure.

Significant Themes

• The theme of family and blood ties is explored, with Xiao Chen choosing to leave despite the lack of support and affection from his family.
• The theme of self-reliance and determination is emphasized as Xiao Chen decides to make his own way in the world.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen's interactions with his family members are tense and unsupportive, leading to his decision to leave.
• Xiao Chen's determination and resilience are evident in his interactions with Xiao Zhentian and Xiao Lingtian.
• Butler Li shows concern for Xiao Chen, revealing the truth about his lack of pocket money.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Butler Li reveals that Xiao Chen, the eldest son, has been living in the servants' quarters since his return, despite not having his own courtyard.
• Xiao Zhentian and Wen Wanrong are shocked and displeased to learn this.
• Xiao Lingtian is exposed as the one who ordered Xiao Chen's living arrangements, falsely claiming it was the Zhenbei King's order.
• Wen Wanrong scolds Xiao Lingtian for his actions and expresses her regret for not treating Xiao Chen fairly.
• Wen Wanrong leaves, threatening to never stop until Xiao Chen is brought back into the family.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen's miserable living conditions in the Zhenbei King Manor are revealed, highlighting his unfair treatment.
• Xiao Lingtian's resentment towards Xiao Chen grows, and he fails to acknowledge his wrongdoings.
• Wen Wanrong realizes her past biases and feels guilty for not treating Xiao Chen fairly, leading her to stand up for him.
• Xiao Zhentian shows concern for both his sons but prioritizes Xiao Lingtian due to his potential as the only remaining heir.

Significant Themes

• Family dynamics and sibling rivalry
• Fairness and bias in family relationships
• The consequences of past actions on present relationships

Character Interactions

• Xiao Zhentian and Wen Wanrong's marriage is strained due to their differing opinions on how to handle the situation with their sons.
• Xiao Lingtian's resentment towards Xiao Chen grows, leading to further conflict between them.
• Wen Wanrong's realization of her past biases leads her to stand up for Xiao Chen, causing a rift between her and Xiao Lingtian.

Chapter Summary: “Encountering Ye Qingxuan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Zhentian becomes angry with his youngest son, Xiao Lingtian, for mistreating Xiao Chen and driving him away. However, despite recognizing Xiao Chen as his own brother and former lifesaver, Xiao Zhentian ultimately chooses to abandon him because Xiao Chen’s cultivation has been crippled while Xiao Lingtian possesses extraordinary talent.
• Xiao Zhentian focuses instead on Xiao Lingtian’s upcoming entrance examination for the Five Great Martial Arts Academies of Barren North, especially the prestigious Saintly Wasteland Academy.
• Saintly Wasteland Academy accepts only three students each year and uses the ancient Martial Spirit Mirror to judge not only talent but also a person’s future fortune and potential.
• Xiao Zhentian reveals that the Martial Spirit Mirror once predicted he had the potential to become a Great Emperor, but that he lost this opportunity after turning against a blood relative. The prediction also stated that this would become his greatest regret. Xiao Zhentian suspects the prophecy concerns Xiao Chen.
• Xiao Lingtian dismisses the prophecy and confidently declares that he will enter Saintly Wasteland Academy, believing his Top-Tier Heavenly Realm talent makes his admission inevitable.
• After leaving the Zhenbei King Manor, Xiao Chen travels to a barren mountain and enters a cave to activate his Martial God Physique through the system.
• The Martial God Heart produces a terrifying heavenly phenomenon, including lightning, spatial cracks, and the phantom of a destructive god. The system conceals the disturbance before it attracts attention.
• The Martial God Heart fuses with Xiao Chen, regenerating his shattered dantian and transforming his body. He gains immense physical strength, powerful defenses, rapid recovery, and enormous cultivation potential.
• The transformation expels black impurities from his body, forcing Xiao Chen to wash himself in a nearby river.
• Xiao Chen is unexpectedly confronted by Ye Qingxuan, his fiancée, who followed him after learning that he had severed ties with the Zhenbei King Manor.

Character Developments

• Xiao Zhentian: Reveals his favoritism and moral weakness. Although he knows Xiao Chen was wronged and remembers that Xiao Chen once saved his life, he chooses political and familial advantage over loyalty. His obsession with Xiao Lingtian’s success also reflects his unresolved regret over failing to enter Saintly Wasteland Academy himself.
• Xiao Lingtian: Displays arrogance and contempt toward Xiao Chen, whom he calls trash. His immense confidence comes from his rare martial talent, but his dismissive attitude may prevent him from understanding the importance of fate, character, and opportunity.
• Xiao Chen: Begins rebuilding his life after being abandoned by his family. His activation of the Martial God Physique marks a dramatic reversal in his fortunes, restoring his cultivation foundation and granting him extraordinary potential. He is now determined to grow stronger in a dangerous world dominated by the Demon Race.
• Ye Qingxuan: Re-enters the story as Xiao Chen’s fiancée. She appears concerned enough to follow him after hearing of his departure, but her disgust upon seeing him suggests that her attitude toward his ruined condition may be complicated or unsympathetic.

Significant Themes

• Family betrayal and abandonment: Xiao Zhentian knowingly sacrifices Xiao Chen for the sake of the more talented Xiao Lingtian, emphasizing how power and usefulness have replaced familial loyalty.
• Talent versus fate: The chapter questions whether innate aptitude alone guarantees success. Saintly Wasteland Academy values future potential, fortune, and destiny in addition to talent.
• Cause and effect: The Martial Spirit Mirror’s prophecy suggests that Xiao Zhentian’s betrayal of a blood relative caused him to lose his chance at becoming a Great Emperor, establishing a possible connection between his past choices and Xiao Chen’s future rise.
• Rebirth and transformation: Xiao Chen’s regeneration symbolizes a new beginning. His shattered dantian and weak body are replaced by a powerful foundation, suggesting that his former status as a cripple is coming to an end.
• Hidden power: The system suppresses the Martial God Physique’s heavenly phenomenon, allowing Xiao Chen to gain immense strength without immediately exposing himself.
• Conflict between arrogance and humility: Xiao Lingtian’s pride contrasts with Xiao Chen’s practical awareness that survival in the dangerous Barren North requires rapid improvement.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Zhentian reprimands Xiao Lingtian for driving Xiao Chen away but ultimately reassures him that he will handle the matter, making clear that Xiao Lingtian’s academy examination matters more to him.
• Xiao Zhentian explains the Martial Spirit Mirror and his lost Great Emperor potential, indirectly revealing that Xiao Chen may be central to his fate.
• Xiao Lingtian mocks Xiao Chen and rejects the idea that a cripple could have affected Xiao Zhentian’s destiny.
• Xiao Chen has no direct interaction with his family after leaving the manor, instead beginning his transformation in isolation.
• The chapter ends with Ye Qingxuan confronting Xiao Chen beside the river after tracking him from the manor and asking whether he truly severed ties with the Zhenbei King.

Chapter Summary: “Leave the Money Behind, Then You Can Get Lost”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ye Qingxuan, the Ninth Princess of Great Xia, visits Xiao Chen after his expulsion from Zhenbei King Manor.
• Xiao Chen and Ye Qingxuan had been childhood sweethearts and were engaged by the Xia Emperor because Xiao Chen possessed the terrifying Born King Physique.
• Their relationship changed after Xiao Chen’s dantian shattered at fifteen. Ye Qingxuan became cold, returned to the imperial palace, and allegedly had Xiao Lingtian force Xiao Chen to dissolve their engagement.
• Ye Qingxuan confronts Xiao Chen and confirms that he has severed ties with the Zhenbei King. She belittles him as a cripple who cannot survive without his former family.
• Xiao Chen, no longer emotionally attached to her, responds with open contempt and refuses to tolerate her arrogance.
• Ye Qingxuan brings a dissolution-of-engagement document and offers him one thousand taels of gold, believing he has been reduced to menial labor.
• Xiao Chen signs the document immediately and orders her to leave after handing over the money. Their engagement and personal connection officially end.
• After Ye Qingxuan leaves, Xiao Chen discovers a heartfelt letter from Liu Sanji, an unrelated elder who had cared for him during his exile. The letter reassures Xiao Chen that Bear Martial City will always be his home.
• The system then issues a new mission: Xiao Chen must participate in the Barren North Martial Academy examination in three days.
• He is presented with two possible paths: joining Saintly Wasteland Academy for a smooth and privileged future, or joining Sword Immortal Academy to pursue the dangerous Sword Dao.
• The corresponding rewards are the powerful sword technique Heaven-Defying Demon Slayer Art and the defensive Indestructible Divine Skill.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Completely rejects his former submissive and sentimental self. He becomes decisive, sharp-tongued, and emotionally detached from Ye Qingxuan. Although bitter about his betrayal, he remains capable of gratitude and affection, as shown by his emotional response to Liu Sanji’s letter.
• Ye Qingxuan: Reveals herself to be prideful, status-conscious, and deeply influenced by strength and social standing. She views Xiao Chen as worthless after his cultivation is destroyed and believes Xiao Lingtian is the only suitable husband for her.
• Liu Sanji: Though absent from the scene, he is characterized as loyal and compassionate. His kindness contrasts sharply with the coldness of Xiao Chen’s relatives and former fiancée.
• Xiao Lingtian: Mentioned as a rising Heavenly Prodigy and Ye Qingxuan’s preferred future husband. He represents the powerful figures who now look down on Xiao Chen.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and ingratitude: Xiao Chen’s past sacrifices for his brother and fiancée are repaid with violence and abandonment.
• Strength-based social values: The chapter emphasizes a world where people respect power and status while discarding those who become weak.
• Emotional liberation: Signing the dissolution document symbolizes Xiao Chen finally breaking free from a relationship built on false hope.
• True loyalty versus blood ties: Liu Sanji’s sincere care demonstrates that genuine family can come from loyalty rather than blood.
• Rebirth and self-transformation: As a transmigrator, Xiao Chen consciously abandons his former identity and begins building an independent future.
• Choice and destiny: The system’s academy mission introduces the next major stage of Xiao Chen’s development and frames his future as a choice between safety and hardship.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Ye Qingxuan: Their confrontation exposes how completely their relationship has deteriorated. Ye Qingxuan speaks from superiority and pity, while Xiao Chen answers with indifference and ridicule.
• Xiao Chen and Liu Sanji: Their relationship is shown through Liu Sanji’s letter. His protective concern and unconditional support deeply move Xiao Chen.
• Ye Qingxuan and Xiao Lingtian: Though Xiao Lingtian does not appear, Ye Qingxuan’s preference for him confirms that she values talent, prestige, and power over past affection.
• Xiao Chen and the system: The system interrupts the aftermath of the broken engagement, giving Xiao Chen a new objective and presenting him with a decisive choice that will shape his martial future.

Chapter Summary: “What Is This Trash Doing Here for the Assessment?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen receives two possible mission rewards: joining Saintly Wasteland Academy would grant him the Nine Heavens Starfall Technique, while joining Sword Immortal Academy would grant him the Heaven-Defying Demon Slayer Art.
• Because of his preference for sword cultivation and the technique’s effectiveness against the Demon Race, Xiao Chen chooses Sword Immortal Academy.
• He leaves the mountain, buys clothes, and stays at an expensive inn near Barren North Plaza while waiting for the annual entrance assessments of Barren North’s five major martial academies.
• The city fills with hopeful applicants and their families. Xiao Chen learns that Xiao Lingtian, the “Qilin Child” of the Zhenbei King Manor, intends to enter Saintly Wasteland Academy and avenge the academy’s former rejection of his father.
• Passersby mock Xiao Chen, calling him a cripple with corrupt morals and noting that he was expelled from the Zhenbei King Manor and abandoned by the Ninth Princess.
• At Barren North Plaza, the five prestigious academies establish impressive recruitment camps, while Sword Immortal Academy appears poor and neglected, represented only by a few battered furnishings and a drunken old man.
• Martial Hall deacon Zhao Cang begins testing applicants with the Martial Purity Instrument, which measures cultivation and martial aptitude.
• Most applicants fail. Only a few demonstrate talent, and merely three with high-grade Yellow Rank aptitude receive academy invitations.
• Before Xiao Chen’s assessment, Xiao Lingtian notices him and publicly berates him for appearing at the examination despite being considered a cripple.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen remains confident and ambitious despite public humiliation. His determination to rebuild himself and rise above those who scorned him becomes stronger.
• He reveals a practical understanding of his needs: the Martial God Physique consumes enormous resources, requiring roughly thirty times more cultivation materials than ordinary practitioners.
• His preference for sword cultivation shows his desire for overwhelming offensive power and a style suited to the ongoing war against the Demon Race.
• Xiao Lingtian is presented as arrogant and status-conscious. He is proud of his expected admission to Saintly Wasteland Academy and views Xiao Chen as an embarrassment and threat to his prestige.
• Zhao Cang acts as the impartial authority overseeing the assessment.
• Sword Immortal Academy’s apparent decline is emphasized through its shabby camp and lone drunken representative, contrasting sharply with the grandeur of the five major academies.

Significant Themes

• Rise after humiliation: Xiao Chen’s disgrace and expulsion contrast with his determination to make a spectacular comeback.
• Power and social status: The city quickly abandons the powerless and praises the gifted, showing how reputation depends on strength.
• Talent and opportunity: Admission to a major academy is portrayed as a life-changing chance, though naturally gifted candidates are extremely rare.
• Appearance versus reality: Sword Immortal Academy looks insignificant compared with the prestigious academies, suggesting that appearances may conceal true strength or value.
• Resource inequality: Wealth determines where people can live and study, while poorer citizens face both financial hardship and greater danger from demon attacks.

Character Interactions

• Citizens and examinees gossip about Xiao Lingtian, Xiao Chen, and the Zhenbei King Manor, reinforcing Xiao Chen’s damaged reputation.
• Applicants interact with Zhao Cang during the testing process, with most receiving disappointment and only a few gaining academy invitations.
• Xiao Chen observes the contrast between the powerful academies and the neglected Sword Immortal Academy.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Lingtian confronting Xiao Chen and ordering him to leave, setting up a public clash during the assessment.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen arrives at the martial academy assessment, shocking the crowd due to his crippled state.
• He publicly severs ties with the Zhenbei King Manor, causing his parents to disown him.
• Ye Qingxuan, with top-tier Earth Rank talent, takes the assessment and chooses Zhenkun Academy.
• Xiao Chen is ridiculed and challenged by others for his arrogance towards Ye Qingxuan.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: He has grown more independent and assertive, no longer seeking his parents' approval. He remains confident despite his crippled state.
• Ye Qingxuan: She is proud of her top-tier Earth Rank talent and believes she is out of Xiao Chen's league. She is haughty and dismissive of him.

Significant Themes

• Talent and Aptitude: The assessment highlights the importance of talent in the martial world. Those with higher ranks are treated with more respect and offered better opportunities.
• Rejection and Disownment: Xiao Chen's parents disown him, emphasizing the harsh reality of the martial world, where success and failure can lead to abandonment by family and loved ones.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and the Zhenbei King Manor: Xiao Chen publicly severs ties with his family, leading to his disownment.
• Xiao Chen and Ye Qingxuan: Ye Qingxuan dismisses Xiao Chen due to his crippled state and her own exceptional talent, while Xiao Chen remains confident and arrogant in her presence.
• Xiao Chen and the Crowd: The crowd ridicules and challenges Xiao Chen for his arrogance and crippled state.

Chapter Summary: “Xiao Chen, If You’ve Got the Guts, Come Up Here!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ye Qingxuan confronts Xiao Chen after he rejects her, angered by his sudden indifference. She cannot understand how the man who once obeyed her every word has become so cold.
• Xiao Lingtian is called forward for his talent assessment. Seeing Ye Qingxuan close to Xiao Chen, he becomes jealous and hostile.
• The Martial Purity Instrument reveals that Xiao Lingtian possesses Top-Tier Heavenly Realm talent, an extremely rare Heaven Tier aptitude, along with cultivation at the seventh level of the Martial Disciple Realm.
• The revelation shocks the crowd and excites the major academies. Profound Yellow Academy, Zhenkun Academy, Southern Mausoleum Academy, Overlord Academy, Sword Immortal Academy, and Saintly Wasteland Academy all compete to recruit him.
• The academies offer extraordinary incentives, including Holy Son status, unlimited cultivation resources, protection from enemies, and—in Sword Immortal Academy’s case—access to everything the academy possesses.
• Sword Immortal Academy is mocked as a fallen and impoverished institution whose inheritance has been severed. Xiao Lingtian, believing it useless, insults its elder and rejects it.
• Xiao Chen realizes that Sword Immortal Academy is likely the academy connected to the system’s hidden opportunity, and that its apparent weakness may conceal something important.
• Saintly Wasteland Academy also expresses interest in Xiao Lingtian, stunning everyone because of its notoriously strict admission standards.
• Xiao Zhentian and Wen Wanrong celebrate Xiao Lingtian’s success, while the city’s influential figures congratulate the family. Xiao Chen is ignored and treated as an unwanted outsider.
• Xiao Lingtian then challenges Xiao Chen to undergo the test, intending to humiliate him publicly and destroy the last of his dignity.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Remains calm and detached despite public contempt. He recognizes that Sword Immortal Academy’s ruined state may be connected to his own opportunity, showing greater insight beneath his apparently powerless condition.
• Xiao Lingtian: His arrogance, jealousy, and need to dominate become more apparent. His Heaven Tier talent confirms his status as a genuine prodigy, but his contempt for others—especially Xiao Chen and Sword Immortal Academy—reveals his immaturity.
• Ye Qingxuan: Feels humiliated and enraged by Xiao Chen’s changed attitude. Her wounded pride and inability to accept his rejection expose how much she took his former devotion for granted.
• Xiao Zhentian and Wen Wanrong: Publicly revel in Xiao Lingtian’s success and effectively erase Xiao Chen from their attention, emphasizing their favoritism and emotional abandonment of him.
• Academy representatives: Their desperate competition to recruit Xiao Lingtian demonstrates how valuable Heaven Tier talent is, while their mockery of Sword Immortal Academy reveals the declining reputation of that institution.

Significant Themes

• Talent and destiny: Xiao Lingtian’s Heaven Tier aptitude makes him the center of attention, reinforcing the world’s belief that natural talent determines status and future greatness.
• Humiliation and social hierarchy: Xiao Chen is publicly treated as useless because of his damaged dantian, while Xiao Lingtian is praised as a future True Dragon.
• Appearances versus hidden potential: Sword Immortal Academy appears ruined and worthless, but Xiao Chen suspects its decline may conceal a powerful opportunity.
• Favoritism and rejection: Xiao Chen’s family celebrates the favored son while disregarding him, highlighting the cruelty of familial abandonment.
• Pride and changing relationships: Ye Qingxuan and Xiao Lingtian both struggle with Xiao Chen’s refusal to remain submissive, while Xiao Chen’s emotional withdrawal signals his independence.

Important Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Ye Qingxuan: Their confrontation shows the reversal of their former relationship; she expects his obedience, while he responds with indifference.
• Xiao Chen and Xiao Lingtian: Xiao Lingtian openly provokes him, viewing him as an obstacle and rival. Xiao Chen silently regards him with contempt rather than fear.
• Xiao Lingtian and the academies: The academies aggressively compete for his allegiance, inflating his pride and confirming his exceptional status.
• Xiao Lingtian and Sword Immortal Academy: After hearing that it has declined, he insults its representative and rejects the academy without recognizing its possible hidden value.
• Xiao Chen and his family: Although physically present, Xiao Chen is emotionally excluded as his father and stepmother celebrate Xiao Lingtian, intensifying his isolation.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• At the Saintly Wasteland Academy assessment, the crowd mocks Xiao Chen for attempting to participate despite his supposedly shattered dantian.
• Xiao Lingtian, Xiao Chen’s younger brother, deliberately challenges him to take the test, hoping to humiliate the former prodigy who once overshadowed him.
• Xiao Chen reflects on how quickly people abandon the weak and embrace the powerful. Though previously revered for his King Physique, he is now treated as a disgrace after losing his cultivation.
• Wen Wanrong urges Xiao Chen to leave so he will not interfere with Xiao Lingtian’s important day. Xiao Chen angrily rejects her, accusing her of favoring Xiao Lingtian.
• Xiao Zhentian confronts Xiao Chen and orders him to leave, threatening to break his legs. Xiao Chen invokes Great Xia law, which grants all citizens the right to take martial academy assessments.
• When Xiao Chen hints that his dantian may have recovered, everyone ridicules him. Xiao Zhentian and Wen Wanrong insist they had done everything possible to save him.
• Xiao Chen ignores them and steps onto the plaza to undergo the assessment.
• Zhao Cang initially dismisses him, but Xiao Chen places his hand on the Martial Purity Instrument. The instrument erupts with dazzling azure light and registers Heaven Tier talent.
• The result shocks everyone. Xiao Chen’s talent appears even stronger than Xiao Lingtian’s, suggesting that his dantian has indeed recovered.
• Xiao Lingtian refuses to accept the result and claims the instrument must be malfunctioning.

2. Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Transforms from a humiliated former prodigy into a calm, confident challenger. His resentment toward the Xiao family becomes explicit, but he no longer seeks their approval. His hidden recovery and extraordinary talent reveal that he may be more powerful than ever.
• Xiao Lingtian: His arrogance and long-suppressed jealousy become apparent. He eagerly anticipates humiliating Xiao Chen, but the test destroys his confidence and leaves him desperate to deny reality.
• Xiao Zhentian: Reveals his anger, favoritism, and concern for the family’s reputation. He treats Xiao Chen as a burden and prioritizes Xiao Lingtian’s future.
• Wen Wanrong: Her claimed maternal concern is exposed as deeply partial toward Xiao Lingtian. She worries more about protecting his reputation than supporting Xiao Chen.
• Ye Qingxuan: Watches Xiao Chen with contempt and feels reassured about breaking off their engagement, but the test forces her to reconsider his supposed weakness.
• Zhao Cang and the academy mentors: Initially dismiss Xiao Chen, but their attitudes change instantly when the instrument reveals his Heaven Tier talent.

3. Significant Themes

• The fickleness of public opinion: The crowd once respected Xiao Chen but now ridicules him, demonstrating how society honors strength and condemns weakness.
• Family favoritism and betrayal: Xiao Chen’s parents claim to care for him while openly prioritizing Xiao Lingtian, deepening his estrangement from the family.
• Reversal of fortune: The chapter centers on Xiao Chen’s dramatic return from “cripple” to exceptional talent.
• Hidden strength and vindication: Xiao Chen’s confidence suggests he knows the truth about his recovery, while the public revelation proves his detractors wrong.
• Pride and jealousy: Xiao Lingtian’s identity has been built around surpassing Xiao Chen, making the revelation of Xiao Chen’s superior talent especially devastating.
• Law versus power: Xiao Chen uses the law to defend his right to participate, contrasting with Xiao Zhentian’s attempt to exclude him through authority and intimidation.

4. Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Xiao Lingtian trade insults, with Xiao Lingtian denying their brotherly relationship and calling Xiao Chen a stray dog.
• Wen Wanrong attempts to remove Xiao Chen from the event, but Xiao Chen responds with bitterness and rejects her maternal authority.
• Xiao Zhentian threatens Xiao Chen and accuses him of causing trouble, while Xiao Chen challenges his assumptions about the irreversibility of a shattered dantian.
• Xiao Chen and Zhao Cang clash over whether he should be allowed to test, ending with Zhao Cang’s astonishment at the Heaven Tier result.
• Xiao Lingtian’s triumphant anticipation turns into disbelief and panic when Xiao Chen’s talent surpasses his own.
• The crowd, Xiao Zhentian, Wen Wanrong, Ye Qingxuan, and the academy mentors all undergo an abrupt change in perception after witnessing Xiao Chen’s result.

Chapter Summary: Martial Spirit Mirror

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen’s test takes an astonishing turn when the Martial Purity Instrument becomes overwhelmed by the energy in his dantian. It cracks and explodes, proving that his aptitude surpasses the Heaven Tier.
• The spectators realize that Xiao Chen’s previously crippled or ruined dantian has recovered. His legendary Born King Physique appears to have returned.
• Xiao Zhentian and Wen Wanrong are overwhelmed with excitement, while Ye Qingxuan deeply regrets breaking off her engagement with Xiao Chen.
• Xiao Lingtian is devastated and refuses to believe that Xiao Chen’s talent has recovered, especially since his own reputation is now overshadowed.
• Representatives from the major academies immediately compete to recruit Xiao Chen, offering him prestigious positions, limitless resources, and even personal connections.
• Their rivalry nearly escalates into a fight. Li Manxiong of Overlord Academy reveals the terrifying Savage Beast Scripture and insists that Xiao Chen is too valuable to surrender.
• A mediator prevents the academy leaders from fighting in front of the students, allowing the recruitment contest to continue.
• Zhang Qitian of Saintly Wasteland Academy then steps forward. Because Saintly Wasteland Academy is vastly superior to the others, the rival academies effectively lose hope of competing for Xiao Chen.
• Zhang Qitian asks Xiao Chen to undergo testing with the Martial Spirit Mirror—but notably does not call Xiao Lingtian forward, suggesting that Saintly Wasteland Academy may now be prioritizing Xiao Chen over him.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: His extraordinary talent is publicly restored and confirmed to be beyond Heaven Tier. He remains unusually calm despite receiving attention from every major academy, hinting at strong confidence and composure.
• Xiao Lingtian: His confidence collapses after Xiao Chen’s breakthrough. He becomes fearful and incredulous, realizing that his position as the celebrated genius may be threatened.
• Ye Qingxuan: She experiences intense regret over ending her engagement with Xiao Chen, recognizing that she rejected a future Born King Physique for a lesser talent.
• Xiao Zhentian and Wen Wanrong: They regain hope for the Xiao Family’s future and imagine that both of its exceptional heirs might enter Saintly Wasteland Academy.
• Zhang Qitian: He becomes much more interested in Xiao Chen than before and treats him as a potential candidate worthy of the academy’s highest attention.
• Academy representatives: Their dignified public image gives way to aggressive competition, bribery, insults, and threats as they fight to recruit Xiao Chen.

Significant Themes

• The return of suppressed talent: Xiao Chen’s explosive test symbolizes the restoration of his former glory and the reversal of the humiliation he suffered.
• Reversal of fortune: Those who once looked down on Xiao Chen are forced to admire or pursue him, while those who previously stood above him now face embarrassment.
• Talent and power: The academies’ desperate attempts to recruit Xiao Chen demonstrate how greatly a rare physique can influence status, resources, and political strength.
• Regret and opportunism: Ye Qingxuan’s remorse and the academies’ sudden enthusiasm reveal how quickly people’s attitudes change when someone’s value becomes apparent.
• Pride versus dignity: The academy leaders nearly fight publicly, showing how ambition and rivalry can overpower their responsibility to maintain institutional honor.
• Family prosperity: Xiao Chen’s recovery is presented not only as a personal triumph but as a potential turning point for the entire Xiao Family.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen’s test shocks the entire arena and directly humiliates Xiao Lingtian.
• Ye Qingxuan silently compares Xiao Chen with Xiao Lingtian and regrets choosing the latter.
• The academy leaders crowd around Xiao Chen, each trying to outbid the others with promises and inducements.
• Li Manxiong and the other representatives exchange insults and nearly battle over Xiao Chen, exposing their longstanding grudges.
• Zhang Qitian’s arrival changes the power balance: the other academies recognize that Saintly Wasteland Academy is the strongest possible destination for Xiao Chen.
• The chapter ends with Zhang Qitian preparing to test Xiao Chen with the Martial Spirit Mirror, while Xiao Lingtian appears to be excluded from the opportunity.

Chapter Summary: “Reversal! The Heaven-Jealous One!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Qitian announces that Saintly Wasteland Academy will accept only Xiao Chen, excluding Xiao Lingtian because Xiao Chen possesses a Born King Physique.
• Xiao Lingtian angrily accuses Zhang Qitian of deceiving him. Zhang Qitian responds with overwhelming pressure, causing Xiao Lingtian to vomit blood until Xiao Zhentian intervenes.
• Xiao Chen considers whether to join Sword Immortal Academy or Saintly Wasteland Academy. He ultimately allows the Martial Spirit Mirror to evaluate his potential before deciding.
• The ancient mirror gives Xiao Chen an astonishing assessment: “Peerless talent, unparalleled throughout the ages.” This shocks Zhang Qitian and the leaders of the various academies, since even King Physiques had never received such praise.
• The mirror then begins revealing a second verdict: Xiao Chen’s talent is so extraordinary that it will provoke the Heavenly Dao’s jealousy, bringing disasters and the possibility of death. Before the full message can appear, a mysterious force destroys the remaining words.
• The crowd assumes Xiao Chen is a doomed “Heaven-Jealous One” who will not live past the age of twenty. Zhang Qitian declares that Xiao Chen likely has only two years left.
• Saintly Wasteland Academy withdraws its interest, unwilling to spend resources nurturing someone believed to be short-lived.
• Unknown to everyone else, the system reveals that the missing half of the prophecy stated Xiao Chen would ultimately become invincible with the system’s assistance. The system deliberately concealed this part from the others.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: His status rises dramatically when the Martial Spirit Mirror identifies him as an unprecedented genius, but it immediately collapses again when he is labeled a Heaven-Jealous One. He cleverly pretends to be devastated while secretly remaining confident because he knows the system has protected his fate.
• Xiao Lingtian: Experiences a humiliating reversal. After expecting to enter Saintly Wasteland Academy, he is rejected in favor of Xiao Chen. He becomes pleased when Xiao Chen is declared doomed, showing resentment and schadenfreude rather than concern.
• Xiao Zhentian: Defends Xiao Lingtian from Zhang Qitian’s pressure but realizes that Zhang Qitian is stronger than himself. He is also deeply worried by Xiao Chen’s supposed short lifespan.
• Wen Wanrong: Celebrates Xiao Chen’s recovery but is devastated by the prophecy and begins mourning his apparent fate. She finds some comfort in believing she still has Xiao Lingtian.
• Ye Qingxuan: Her contempt for Xiao Chen returns after hearing that he may die young. She feels reassured that breaking off their engagement was the correct decision.
• Zhang Qitian: Initially values Xiao Chen’s King Physique, then becomes astonished by the mirror’s unprecedented evaluation. However, once he believes Xiao Chen is doomed, he pragmatically withdraws Saintly Wasteland Academy’s offer.

Significant Themes

• The reversal of fortune: Xiao Chen and Xiao Lingtian’s reputations change repeatedly. Xiao Chen goes from disgraced cripple to unrivaled genius, then to supposedly doomed outcast, while Xiao Lingtian suffers rejection before regaining public sympathy.
• Hidden truth versus public perception: The crowd believes Xiao Chen is destined to die, but only Xiao Chen knows that the system concealed the prophecy’s favorable conclusion.
• Human nature and opportunism: Many people quickly abandon or mock Xiao Chen once they think he is doomed, revealing how easily admiration turns into contempt when someone falls into hardship.
• Heaven defying destiny: Xiao Chen’s exceptional talent threatens the Heavenly Dao, suggesting that his path will involve calamity, resistance against fate, and eventual transcendence.
• Pragmatism versus loyalty: Saintly Wasteland Academy prioritizes resource efficiency over helping Xiao Chen, while Xiao Chen’s family reacts with genuine emotional concern.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Qitian rejects Xiao Lingtian and selects Xiao Chen, creating direct tension between them.
• Xiao Lingtian’s disrespect provokes Zhang Qitian, while Xiao Zhentian intervenes to protect him.
• Xiao Chen interacts cautiously with Zhang Qitian and lets the Martial Spirit Mirror determine his future before choosing an academy.
• Xiao Zhentian, Wen Wanrong, and Ye Qingxuan all react strongly to Xiao Chen’s prophecy, though their responses differ: worry, grief, and contempt respectively.
• Xiao Lingtian comforts his mother after Xiao Chen is declared doomed, but his satisfaction reveals his continued hostility toward his brother.
• The chapter ends with Zhang Qitian asking whether any academy is willing to accept Xiao Chen, marking another sharp reversal in Xiao Chen’s fortunes.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen is rejected by the five major academies after the Martial Spirit Mirror's judgment.
• Xiao Zhentian and Wen Wanrong suggest Xiao Chen live outside, angering him.
• Xiao Chen approaches Chou Wantian of the Sword Immortal Academy, seeking to rebuild its glory and retrieve thirteen stolen immortal swords.
• Chou Wantian accepts Xiao Chen as a student, and they leave together.
• Xiao Lingtian insults the Sword Immortal Academy, drawing Chou Wantian's wrath. Xiao Zhentian intervenes and is injured.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Shows determination and resilience despite being rejected and abandoned by his family. He seeks to prove himself and rebuild the Sword Immortal Academy's glory.
• Chou Wantian: Reveals his hidden strength and protects the honor of the Sword Immortal Academy, showing that the academy is not as declined as believed.
• Xiao Lingtian: Demonstrates his cowardice and immaturity when faced with Chou Wantian's wrath.
• Xiao Zhentian: Shows concern for his son, Xiao Lingtian, and intervenes to protect him, revealing his injury from Chou Wantian's attack.

Significant Themes

• Rejection and acceptance: Xiao Chen faces rejection from his family and the major academies but finds acceptance in the Sword Immortal Academy.
• Perseverance: Xiao Chen remains determined to prove himself and rebuild the Sword Immortal Academy's glory despite the challenges he faces.
• Hidden strength: Chou Wantian's hidden strength reveals that the Sword Immortal Academy is not as weak as believed, hinting at its potential resurgence.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and the academy heads: The academy heads initially show enthusiasm towards Xiao Chen but quickly change their attitudes after the Martial Spirit Mirror's judgment.
• Xiao Chen and his family: Xiao Chen feels betrayed and abandoned by his family, leading to a tense interaction.
• Xiao Chen and Chou Wantian: Chou Wantian accepts Xiao Chen as a student, showing trust in his potential to rebuild the Sword Immortal Academy's glory.
• Xiao Lingtian and Chou Wantian: Xiao Lingtian's insult towards the Sword Immortal Academy draws Chou Wantian's wrath, leading to a tense interaction.
• Xiao Zhentian and Chou Wantian: Xiao Zhentian intervenes to protect Xiao Lingtian, revealing his injury from Chou Wantian's attack and showing the disparity in their strength.

Chapter Summary: “Nine Consecutive Last-Place Finishes”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After clashing with Chou Wantian, Xiao Zhentian, the Zhenbei King, returns injured, with blood visible on his hidden right hand. This shocks the surrounding academy heads and onlookers, who realize that Chou Wantian is far more powerful than expected.
• Xiao Lingtian continues insulting Sword Immortal Academy and nearly provokes Chou Wantian into killing him. Xiao Zhentian urgently silences his son, aware that he may not be capable of protecting him from Chou Wantian.
• The spectators discuss Chou Wantian’s past as a remarkably gifted sword cultivator. They reveal that severe injuries from an earlier battle have limited his ability to fight freely, making his current strength even more impressive.
• After leaving Barren North Plaza, Xiao Chen receives his system reward: the first volume of the Heaven-Defying Demon Slayer Art, contained in an ancient parchment scroll radiating powerful sword intent.
• Xiao Chen worries that he cannot cultivate the art without a Sword Spirit Stone, but the system assures him that system-rewarded techniques require no external medium.
• The system identifies the technique as a god-grade cultivation art created by an ancient Sword God, far surpassing ordinary Yellow, Profound, Earth, and Heaven-ranked techniques.
• Xiao Chen’s excitement fades when he learns that he has received only the first volume, which allows cultivation through the first two realms. The remaining volumes must be obtained by chance.
• Xiao Chen asks Chou Wantian how Sword Immortal Academy’s students can enter the Sword Dao without Sword Spirit Stones. Chou Wantian admits that he does not know, since the academy has had only two students in recent years, both of whom entered the Dao before the current shortage.
• Chou Wantian explains that he recruited students only because the Martial Hall academy competition is approaching and Sword Immortal Academy will lose its license after ten consecutive last-place finishes.
• Xiao Chen is stunned to discover that the academy has already finished last nine times in a row, meaning one more failure will shut it down.

Character Developments

• Xiao Zhentian: His previously invincible reputation is damaged when his injury is exposed. He demonstrates caution and restraint by stopping Xiao Lingtian from provoking Chou Wantian, revealing that he understands the danger Chou poses.
• Xiao Lingtian: His arrogance and contempt for Sword Immortal Academy collapse after seeing his father injured. His jealousy intensifies because Xiao Chen, whom he considers a worthless “trash,” now has Chou Wantian as a powerful protector.
• Chou Wantian: He is established as an extremely formidable sword cultivator capable of injuring Xiao Zhentian, despite old battle wounds limiting him. His personality also shifts from terrifyingly dominant in combat to somewhat shameless and humorous afterward.
• Xiao Chen: He gains a powerful new cultivation method and begins to understand the advantages and limitations of his system. His excitement at receiving a god-grade technique is tempered by anxiety over whether he can obtain its future volumes. He also learns the desperate condition of his new academy.
• The system: It provides Xiao Chen with an extraordinarily valuable but incomplete reward, emphasizing that his future progress depends partly on luck and chance.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deceptive appearances: Chou Wantian’s seemingly declining academy and injured body conceal immense power, while Xiao Zhentian’s invincible image is undermined by his injury.
• Arrogance versus humility: Xiao Zhentian reprimands Xiao Lingtian for his arrogance, while the chapter shows that underestimating Sword Immortal Academy can be dangerous.
• Opportunity and unfairness: Xiao Lingtian resents Xiao Chen’s good fortune, believing that someone he views as useless does not deserve such a powerful mentor and cultivation art.
• Hope amid decline: Sword Immortal Academy is on the verge of being shut down, yet Xiao Chen’s arrival and the Heaven-Defying Demon Slayer Art may provide a chance for revival.
• Dependence on fate: Even possessing a god-grade technique is not enough; Xiao Chen must rely on future opportunities to obtain the remaining volumes.

Important Character Interactions

• Xiao Zhentian sharply rebukes Xiao Lingtian for insulting Chou Wantian, prioritizing survival over pride.
• Xiao Lingtian discovers his father’s injury and is forced to reassess both Xiao Zhentian and Sword Immortal Academy.
• The academy heads discuss Chou Wantian’s past achievements and the injuries that now restrict him.
• Xiao Chen consults the system about cultivating the new technique and its grade, then questions Chou Wantian about Sword Immortal Academy’s cultivation situation.
• Chou Wantian reveals the academy’s dire circumstances, leaving Xiao Chen shocked by its nine consecutive last-place finishes and imminent threat of closure.

Chapter Summary: “Chou Wantian’s Knot in His Heart”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen attempts to withdraw from Sword Immortal Academy, claiming he has important matters at home. Chou Wantian stops him by threatening him with a Qi Sword and reminds him that, because of Xiao Chen’s “jinxed-star” constitution, Sword Immortal Academy is the only place willing to accept him.
• Although the academy’s Sword Spirit Stone has been destroyed, Chou Wantian explains that half of it remains. If Xiao Chen truly possesses exceptional sword talent, he may still have a chance to enter the Sword Dao and become a sword cultivator.
• Chou Wantian brings Xiao Chen to Sword Immortal Academy, located atop a majestic mountain. The academy’s enormous stone stele and enduring Sword Qi reveal its former glory, but the overgrown grass and ruined buildings show how far it has declined.
• Chou Wantian explains that Sword Immortal Academy once defended humanity during the Demon Race invasion. While the academy fought at great cost, Martial Hall avoided the conflict and later took advantage of the academy’s weakened state. The Demon Race also repeatedly assassinated the academy’s talented disciples, causing its gradual collapse.
• At the mountaintop, Xiao Chen discovers that the academy is nearly abandoned and badly deteriorated. Chou Wantian directs him toward a weed-filled, dilapidated courtyard, while Xiao Chen notices the much more beautiful Slaying Heaven Courtyard.
• Chou Wantian reveals that only four people currently belong to the academy, including himself and Xiao Chen. Slaying Heaven Courtyard belongs to his senior brother, Lin Jiansan, and Lin’s granddaughter.
• Chou Wantian recounts the incident that caused the academy’s final decline: fifty years earlier, he led 103 sword cultivators to fight the Demon Race despite Lin Jiansan’s warning that it was a trap. The academy’s forces were ambushed while the other five great academies refused to help. All 103 sword cultivators died, and Chou Wantian survived with his cultivation foundation destroyed.
• Chou Wantian believes Lin Jiansan will never forgive him unless he restores Sword Immortal Academy, but he considers himself too crippled and powerless to accomplish this.

Character Development

• Xiao Chen begins as reluctant to join the academy, but his curiosity and growing sympathy gradually draw him into its history and struggles. He also shows confidence by suggesting that he may be the opportunity Chou Wantian needs to restore the academy.
• Chou Wantian is introduced as rough, sarcastic, and threatening, but his humor conceals deep guilt and grief. His past reveals that he was once a passionate, courageous leader who acted heroically against the Demon Race but made a disastrous decision that destroyed the academy’s remaining strength.
• Lin Jiansan, though absent from the chapter, is established as a major figure. He is deeply devoted to the academy and has become estranged from Chou Wantian because of the catastrophic battle.
• Xiao Chen’s Born King Physique is acknowledged as powerful, but his status as a person “envied by the Heavenly Dao” means that his life is marked by misfortune. His potential as a sword cultivator remains uncertain.

Significant Themes

• Heroism and unintended consequences: Chou Wantian acted to defend humanity, but his rash decision led to the deaths of the academy’s disciples and the destruction of its future.
• Decline and forgotten glory: The grand mountain, ancient stele, and lingering Sword Qi contrast sharply with the academy’s ruined halls and empty courtyards.
• Betrayal and political opportunism: Martial Hall and the other academies failed to support Sword Immortal Academy, later benefiting from its sacrifice and weakness.
• Guilt, responsibility, and redemption: Chou Wantian carries the burden of believing he destroyed the academy. Restoring it would serve both as redemption and as a way to regain Lin Jiansan’s forgiveness.
• Hope amid ruin: Despite the academy’s near-total collapse, Xiao Chen’s arrival and the surviving half of the Sword Spirit Stone suggest that its legacy may not be completely lost.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen repeatedly challenges Chou Wantian’s decisions, especially regarding the academy’s poor living conditions and the unfairness of being assigned a ruined courtyard.
• Chou Wantian responds with sarcasm and blunt criticism, emphasizing that Xiao Chen’s special constitution makes the academy his only refuge.
• Their conversation about Slaying Heaven Courtyard allows Chou Wantian to reveal his painful history with Lin Jiansan.
• Xiao Chen attempts to encourage Chou Wantian by suggesting that he himself could help rebuild the academy, but Chou Wantian dismisses the idea, pointing out Xiao Chen’s uncertain sword aptitude and cursed fate.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen meets Chou Wantian, who doubts Xiao Chen's potential in the Sword Dao.
• Xiao Chen is taken to the Slaying Heaven Courtyard, where he meets Lin Qingxian, Lin Jiansan's granddaughter, who is skeptical of his abilities.
• Lin Jiansan appears and dismisses Xiao Chen's ambition to become a sword cultivator, citing the high requirements for martial arts talent and sword talent.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Stands firm in his ambition to become a sword cultivator despite the doubts of others.
• Chou Wantian: Struggles to gain Lin Jiansan's trust and recognition, hoping to prove Xiao Chen's potential.
• Lin Qingxian: Initially rude and dismissive of Xiao Chen, but her opinion remains uncertain.
• Lin Jiansan: Skeptical of Xiao Chen's abilities, he expresses the high standards required to become a sword cultivator.

Significant Themes

• The difficulty and rarity of becoming a sword cultivator.
• The importance of martial arts talent and sword talent in the Sword Dao.
• The tension between Chou Wantian and Lin Jiansan, reflecting their complicated past.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Chou Wantian: Xiao Chen is displeased with Chou Wantian's initial doubts, but they maintain a cordial relationship.
• Xiao Chen and Lin Qingxian: Lin Qingxian is initially rude and dismissive of Xiao Chen, but her opinion remains uncertain.
• Chou Wantian and Lin Jiansan: Their interaction is tense, reflecting their complicated past and Chou Wantian's struggle to gain Lin Jiansan's trust.
• Xiao Chen and Lin Jiansan: Lin Jiansan is skeptical of Xiao Chen's abilities and expresses the high standards required to become a sword cultivator.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen reveals he possesses a Born King Physique, shocking Lin Jiansan and Lin Qingxian.
• Lin Jiansan offers Xiao Chen the position of the next Dean of the Sword Immortal Academy and residence in the Slaying Heaven Courtyard.
• Xiao Chen and Lin Qingxian make a bet: if Xiao Chen can become a sword cultivator, he can live next to her; if not, he must move out.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Reveals his high talent in martial arts, shows cunning in making a bet with Lin Qingxian.
• Lin Qingxian: Initially dismissive of Xiao Chen, becomes competitive and determined after the bet.
• Lin Jiansan: Overjoyed at finding a Born King Physique, eager to promote the prestige of the Sword Immortal Academy.

Significant Themes

• Talent and potential in martial arts and swordsmanship.
• The decline of the Sword Immortal Academy and the way of the sword.
• Xiao Chen's confidence and ambition to revive the way of the sword.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Lin Qingxian: Competitive and bantering, with underlying tension due to their bet.
• Xiao Chen and Lin Jiansan: Lin Jiansan is eager to please Xiao Chen due to his high talent, while Xiao Chen is polite but firm in his decisions.
• Xiao Chen and Chou Wantian: Chou Wantian is initially dismissive of Xiao Chen's chances but later shows some concern for him.