Chapter Summaries

Jiang Xiao told Two Tails he wanted to compete in the current World Cup and explained that he planned to use a Di Jin Zhe Star Pearl to conceal his Star Map. Two Tails agreed to arrange Decoy and the Star Pearls, then took a disguised Decoy Jiang Xiao with her to the Great Northwest, while Jiang Xiao returned home to find Xia Yan asleep beside Han Jiangxue.

• Jiang Xiao asked Two Tails to help him enter the current World Cup and obtain Di Jin Zhe Star Pearls so he could conceal his Star Map.
• Two Tails accepted Jiang Xiao's decision and promised to handle Decoy and the Star Pearls.
• Jiang Xiao summoned Decoy and left him with Two Tails before driving away.
• Two Tails arranged a new appearance for Decoy and took him to the Great Northwest the next day.
• Jiang Xiao returned to the Half Mountain Maple Forest District and found Xia Yan asleep with her head on Han Jiangxue's lap.

After Xia Yan recovered her spirits, the three friends helped Teacher Fang clean her home and discussed setting her up with Hai Tianqing, whose past troubled Two Tails. Xia Yan also revealed that she had absorbed the Platinum-grade Desperate Blade Star Skill but failed to gain a One Star Double Technique.

• Jiang Xiao teased Xia Yan until she returned to her usual self, and Han Jiangxue watched with relief.
• After breakfast, Teacher Fang left for work, and Jiang Xiao, Xia Yan, and Han Jiangxue cleaned the house.
• Jiang Xiao suggested that Teacher Fang and Hai Tianqing would make a good match, while Two Tails told Lure Jiang Xiao that Hai Tianqing loved someone who had abandoned him forever.
• Jiang Xiao learned that Xia Yan had absorbed Shadow Blade, Shadow Blade Wrath, and Platinum-grade Desperate Blade after feeling distressed about her missing teammates.
• Xia Yan said she had felt as though she might gain a One Star Double Technique when absorbing Desperate Blade, but she failed, and Han Jiangxue rebuked Jiang Xiao for criticizing her.

Jiang Xiao gave Xia Yan a White Mountain Snow Feather Star Pearl so she could pursue a defensive Star Skill, while he prepared to absorb the Di Jin Zhe Star Beads. He also decided to enter this year's World Cup selection, and the chapter left Xia Yan attempting to absorb a Star Skill.

• Jiang Xiao explained the Desperate Blade Star Skill's rapid triple dash and its heavy Star Power and weapon costs, while Xia Yan said she wanted a weapon that could increase her strength.
• Han Jiangxue warned Xia Yan that the Black Flame Weapon required a Star Skill that burned away her life, and Jiang Xiao persuaded Xia Yan to call him Xiao Pi Gege in exchange for a White Mountain Snow Feather Star Pearl.
• After Xia Yan accepted the Star Pearl, Jiang Xiao found the three Di Jin Zhe Star Beads Xia Yan had bought for him and told Han Jiangxue he had made up his mind.
• Jiang Xiao announced that he would participate in this year's World Cup selection, and Xia Yan regretted losing the chance to absorb the Gold Quality Frost Wind Star Skill.
• Xia Yan held the White Mountain Snow Feather Star Pearl and began trying to absorb its Star Skill, while Jiang Xiao promised to replace it if it shattered.

Jiang Xiao tested the Di Jin Zhe Star Pearl’s Star Skills and discovered he could change both his face and appearance, then used Earth Light to raise the skills’ quality. The chapter left him able to imitate Xia Yan almost perfectly, though his height, voice, and proportions remained imperfect.

• Xia Yan noticed Jiang Xiao had changed his face, and he demonstrated Vice Minister by switching between different appearances.
• Jiang Xiao tested Star Stealth and considered how useful it could be for covert missions and border operations.
• Jiang Xiao absorbed a second Di Jin Zhe Star Pearl, upgrading Earth Light, Star Stealth, and Vice Minister and adding another Gold Star Slot.
• Jiang Xiao activated Earth Light, which made his Star Map appear Bronze, while the upgraded skill descriptions showed reduced Star Power interference and a broader disguise ability.
• Xia Yan celebrated gaining Heart of Nature, and Jiang Xiao transformed into a near-identical copy of her, including her Two-Handed Sword Star Chart.
• Han Jiangxue identified differences in height, proportions, and expression, and Jiang Xiao said he would use the disguise skills sparingly.

Jiang Xiao and Han Jiangxue were questioned by representatives of the Triumphant Army and Pioneering Army after the Flame Tribunal incident. Qin Wangchuan invited Jiang Xiao to join a new on-campus Pioneering Apprentice program, leaving Jiang Xiao weighing the army’s interest against his existing ties to the Night Watch Army.

• Teacher Fang brought Triumphant Army and Pioneering Army representatives to question Jiang Xiao and Han Jiangxue separately at her home.
• The Triumphant Army offered Jiang Xiao a direct path to become a deputy captain, but he said he would focus on his studies and consider it after graduation.
• Qin Wangchuan explained that the Pioneering Army planned to establish a post at Imperial Capital Star Warrior University and jointly train three apprentice squads with the school.
• Qin Wangchuan invited Jiang Xiao to join the first on-campus Pioneering Apprentice squad and said he could choose between the Pioneering Army and Night Watch Army after graduation.
• Jiang Xiao pushed back against Qin Wangchuan’s pitch, while Qin Wangchuan privately believed Han Jiangxue was the real reason the Pioneering Army wanted Jiang Xiao.

After the armies left, Han Jiangxue questioned what goal she should pursue after reaching her dream university and admitted she might want to become a Pioneer and visit the Dragon Cave. Jiang Xiao pledged to join her as a Pioneer Apprentice, then showed Han Jiangxue and Xia Yan the Star Map he planned to present during selection.

• Qin Wangchuan left his contact information for Jiang Xiao and Han Jiangxue and offered to help them, while Teacher Fang prepared dinner and hurried off to a blind date.
• Han Jiangxue told Jiang Xiao and Xia Yan that the Pioneering Army had invited her to become a Pioneer Apprentice, but she was unsure what she wanted to do after graduation.
• Han Jiangxue said she might want to follow her parents’ path and visit the Dragon Cave, and Jiang Xiao reminded her that this had long been her ambition.
• Jiang Xiao revealed that he had asked Qin Wangchuan to reserve Pioneer Apprentice number KX1100001 for him, showing Han Jiangxue that he would support her by joining too.
• Jiang Xiao displayed his Star Map and explained which abilities and secrets he planned to conceal during the selection process and the World Cup.

After the Pioneering Army opened apprentice positions at Imperial Capital Star Warrior University, Song Chunxi challenged Xia Yan for a place on Team One to protect Han Jiangxue and Jiang Xiao. Qin Wangchuan selected them both, then ordered Song Chunxi to make peace with Xia Yan, leaving the team’s lineup unsettled.

• The Pioneering Army stationed a squad at the university and invited students to apply for twelve voluntary Pioneer Apprentice positions.
• Song Chunxi registered and insisted on replacing Xia Yan on Team One, saying she wanted to protect Han Jiangxue and Jiang Xiao.
• Qin Wangchuan arranged a fight between Song Chunxi and Xia Yan to decide who would take the Battle Warrior position.
• Song Chunxi overwhelmed Xia Yan, who lost control after activating Berserk and was healed unconscious by Jiang Xiao.
• Qin Wangchuan selected both Song Chunxi and Xia Yan as apprentices, despite concerns that their team would lack a Shield Warrior.
• Song Chunxi offered to leave Team One and compete for a Battle Warrior position on Team Two, but Qin Wangchuan rejected the idea and ordered her to reconcile with Xia Yan within three days.

Song Chunxi hosted Jiang Xiao, Han Jiangxue, and Xia Yan for dinner, where they discussed their goals and reconciled after the Pioneering Army selection battle. As they walked past the repaired road where tragedy had struck, Jiang Xiao announced his resolve to compete in the World Cup and challenged He Xu to hold his place on the team.

• Song Chunxi apologized to Xia Yan for competing for the same position, and Xia Yan told her she did not blame her.
• Han Jiangxue said she and Xia Yan were mostly joining the Pioneering Army to accompany her, while Xia Yan declared she wanted to surpass Xia Shanhai and Jiang Xiao said he hoped to become a social Pioneer.
• Wu Yao shared her plans to travel the world after graduation, and He Xu said he wanted to continue studying at Emperor Capital Star Warrior.
• Xia Yan gave Jiang Xiao and Han Jiangxue new Fruit 7 Plus phones, then Jiang Xiao photographed the repaired road by the school's southern gate and posted that everything except life and death was just a scrape.
• Jiang Xiao told He Xu he had decided to enter the World Cup and would replace him or join another team if necessary, and He Xu accepted the challenge.

On Evil Night Mountain, Yin Ni and Fei Xue struggled with the isolation of their training while watching Nine Tails practice alone, and Yin Ni broke down over how much she missed home. Elsewhere, Jiang Xiao pushed himself through brutal training until his Xia Family Blade Art reached Gold Quality Lv.3, while Nine Tails continued practicing in the wilderness.

• Yin Ni woke Fei Xue and took him to a cliff to watch the stars and observe Nine Tails training below.
• Yin Ni asked Fei Xue whether they had to become solitary like Nine Tails to qualify as Night Watchers, then admitted she missed home and feared becoming like him.
• Fei Xue summoned an orange-cat-like creature for Yin Ni, but Two Tails appeared and ordered them back to the tent.
• Jiang Xiao collapsed after sprinting on the football field, and his Inner Star Map reported that his Xia Family Blade Art had reached Gold Quality Lv.3.
• Qin Wangchuan ordered Jiang Xiao and Gu Shi'an to keep running, and Jiang Xiao stood up and continued training.
• Nine Tails silently resumed swinging his blade at the massive rock.

Jiang Xiao recovered from Qin Wangchuan’s brutal training and reunited with Hai Tianqing, who had traveled to the capital out of concern for him. Jiang Xiao then arranged for Hai Tianqing and Fang Xingyun to meet, leaving Hai Tianqing to realize he had been set up on a blind date.

• Jiang Xiao woke after a night of training, used Blessing to recover his body, and slept until the afternoon.
• Hai Tianqing called Jiang Xiao and arrived at his dormitory, where the supervisor stopped him at the entrance.
• Jiang Xiao and Hai Tianqing went to a café, caught up, and discussed Jiang Xiao’s Pioneer training and Two Tails.
• Jiang Xiao invited Fang Xingyun to join them, and Hai Tianqing realized Jiang Xiao had arranged the meeting as a blind date.
• Jiang Xiao teased the pair by asking for a dessert to bring a man and woman closer together and humming a song about finding love.

Jiang Xiao returned to Imperial Capital Star Warrior and discussed the World Cup selection with Gu Shi'an, who considered challenging Qin Wangchuan but backed down after remembering Xie Ala. With the university’s three team slots already occupied, Jiang Xiao decided to enter the individual selection tournament instead.

• Jiang Xiao returned to the dormitory and found Gu Shi'an researching the criminal penalties he might face if the Pioneering Army sued him.
• Gu Shi'an suggested picking a fight with Qin Wangchuan, but he and Jiang Xiao abandoned the idea after recalling Xie Ala’s Standards for Being a Good Pupil and Child.
• Jiang Xiao asked Gu Shi'an about joining a World Cup team, and Gu Shi'an explained that Imperial Capital Star Warrior had three approved teams with their positions already filled.
• Gu Shi'an warned that Jiang Xiao would have to pass the university’s screening and displace an approved team to compete.
• Jiang Xiao decided to compete in the individual selection tournament and searched for its rules.

Jiang Xiao and Gu Shi'an studied World Cup matches as Jiang Xiao assessed the disadvantages of Support players in individual competition and identified the abilities he needed to improve. Jiang Xiao believed he could become qualified for the World Cup by strengthening purification, output, and Star Power, but he had not yet considered the public opposition to a Support player taking a national team slot.

• Jiang Xiao researched past World Cup results and concluded that Support players struggled in individual competition because their offensive Star Skills were weakened and easy to counter.
• Jiang Xiao and Gu Shi'an watched videos of powerful Support competitors, and Gu Shi'an felt that the World Cup was beyond his own ability.
• Jiang Xiao decided he needed a strong attack, a purification Star Skill, and more Star Power, and he considered using his ninth Star Slot for a Star Pet.
• Jiang Xiao reviewed his existing defensive, endurance, control, and mobility abilities and resolved to choose his remaining Star Skills carefully.
• Gu Shi'an worried that competing would make him a national embarrassment, while Jiang Xiao remained unaware that public opinion could oppose a Support player taking one of the country's limited individual slots.

Jiang Xiao asked Qin Wangchuan about finding a Star Pearl with both purification and offensive abilities, while Qin Wangchuan doubted he could absorb both skills effectively. Yin Ni discovered that Nine Tails wanted such a Star Pearl, told him about the Tear Spirit near Brahma Temple, and began trying to speak with him more personally.

• Jiang Xiao and Gu Shi'an trained through the night under Qin Wangchuan, who required them to push past their limits until they reached the Star River Stage.
• Jiang Xiao asked Qin Wangchuan about Star Pearls with both purification and offensive abilities, and Qin Wangchuan worried Jiang Xiao would absorb only one useful skill.
• Yin Ni overheard Nine Tails mention his search for a dual-purpose Star Pearl while he sparred with Two Tails, who defeated him and told him to rest.
• Yin Ni visited Nine Tails' tent during her guard shift and told him that a Tear Spirit near Brahma Temple possessed group purification and offensive Star Skills.
• Nine Tails thanked Yin Ni and accepted the pale-blue candy she offered, while Yin Ni continued asking him about himself.

Jiang Xiao learned that Two Tails had secured the Di Jin Zhe Star Bead and would take him to Snowfield during vacation, while Yin Ni and Fei Xue would be left behind to endure a test in Evil Night Mountain. The chapter ended with Yin Ni sneaking back into Jiang Xiao’s tent and trying to coax him into talking.

• Two Tails confronted Yin Ni for bothering Jiang Xiao, sent her out to duty, and told Jiang Xiao to stand watch farther away.
• Two Tails told Jiang Xiao that his vacation was two months away and promised to give him the Di Jin Zhe Star Bead when it began.
• Jiang Xiao said he planned to train in Snowfield, and Two Tails insisted on accompanying him.
• Two Tails decided to leave Yin Ni and Fei Xue in Evil Night Mountain without telling them how long she would be gone, making their continued stay a test before they advanced underground.
• Yin Ni later crept into Jiang Xiao’s tent and tried to get him to answer her questions, but Jiang Xiao silently stared at her.

Jiang Xiao spent two months training as a Pioneer Apprentice and preparing for his first-semester exams, while Han Jiangxue and Xia Yan advanced through their own training. As exam week approached, Xia Yan tried to persuade Jiang Xiao to join her and Han Jiangxue for off-campus studying and meals, and Jiang Xiao realized his duplicate could help him avoid failing.

• Jiang Xiao and Gu Shi'an endured Qin Wangchuan's physical training and specialized meals, and Jiang Xiao reached the Star Cloud Late Stage and grew one centimeter.
• The Pioneer Apprentices received leave from January 7 to January 19 to prepare for and take their exams, while Han Jiangxue returned from training more mature and aloof.
• Over lunch, Xia Yan told Jiang Xiao that her Desperate Blade Star Skill was unreliable and that she needed the original Desperate Blade from Desperate Cave, which their teacher would only take her to once their team was complete and Qin Wangchuan approved.
• Xia Yan proposed renting a place with Jiang Xiao during exam week so they could eat well and study with Han Jiangxue, and Jiang Xiao recognized that Han Jiangxue wanted him included in her tutoring.
• Jiang Xiao worried that his coursework was weak, then concluded that Lure Jiang Xiao could study and look up answers while he took exams, making it impossible for him to fail.

Two Tails returned from training without Little Nine’s blade and explained that Jiang Xiao had begun the next stage after killing his decoy. In Imperial Capital, Jiang Xiao prepared for his exams, summoned Lure Jiang Xiao, and bet Xia Yan that the loser would hand-wash the winner’s socks.

• Yin Ni asked Two Tails where Little Nine was, and Two Tails recalled that she had killed Jiang Xiao’s decoy after he taunted her to hurt him.
• Two Tails told Yin Ni that Jiang Xiao had begun the next stage of training and returned to camp carrying his blade.
• Jiang Xiao woke at Xia Yan’s apartment, summoned Lure Jiang Xiao while brushing his teeth, and learned the exams would begin that morning.
• Jiang Xiao and Xia Yan bet that the loser of their exams would hand-wash the winner’s socks, and Jiang Xiao added Han Jiangxue’s socks to the wager.
• Lure Jiang Xiao stayed in Jiang Xiao’s bedroom to study with the marked question collection and a question-solving app.

Jiang Xiao finished his exams and prepared to leave for winter training with Two Tails, while Han Jiangxue promised to meet him at home for the New Year. He left his roommates and sister behind with a farewell and money for his supplies.

• Jiang Xiao copied answers from himself during the exams, then deliberately missed some questions so he would not take scholarships from other students.
• After the exams, Jiang Xiao ended the duplicate of himself at the Half Mountain Maple Forest District and told his roommates he was leaving for the holidays.
• Jiang Xiao revealed to Gu Shi'an that he had been healing him throughout the semester, and Gu Shi'an thanked him as he left.
• Jiang Xiao teased Xia Yan about her exam answers and warned her that she had made several mistakes, leaving her convinced she had lost their bet.
• Jiang Xiao told Han Jiangxue that he would train with Two Tails and return for the New Year, and she offered him one hundred thousand yuan for equipment and supplies.

Jiang Xiao returned to Jiangbin City and reunited with Two Tails, who planned to take him to the volcanic range for training instead of spending the New Year with his family. He invited her to celebrate with him and Han Jiangxue, but she refused, leaving their plans unsettled as Teacher Fang Xingyun invited him to hot pot the next day.

• Jiang Xiao returned to his apartment building and waited for a delivery, wary because Two Tails's car was outside.
• Jiang Xiao found Two Tails at home, shared grilled cod with her, and dried her hair while they talked about the approaching New Year.
• Jiang Xiao invited Two Tails to spend the New Year with him and Han Jiangxue, but Two Tails refused and said they would leave for the volcano immediately.
• Two Tails said she had once considered taking Han Jiangxue on as a Night Watch Apprentice, but her personality reminded her of someone.
• Teacher Fang Xingyun messaged Jiang Xiao and invited him to hot pot with her and Hai Tianqing the next day.

Jiang Xiao accompanied Two Tails into the volcanic Other Dimension Space to train, where she ordered him to run 176 kilometers to the sacred ruins. He fled ahead after using Blessing on her, while Two Tails sent her Platinum Star Pet, Little Little, to follow him and clear away Lava Ghouls.

• Jiang Xiao turned down Fang Xingyun’s hotpot invitation because he was still serving as a Night Watch Apprentice.
• Two Tails presented her Night Watch Officer Certificate to the Guardian Army and took Jiang Xiao into the volcanic Other Dimension Space.
• Two Tails questioned Jiang Xiao about his Pioneering Army training, then ordered him to run nonstop to the sacred ruins unless he encountered a Lava Ghoul Witch.
• Jiang Xiao used Blessing on Two Tails and ran ahead while she summoned Little Little to follow him from the air.
• Little Little blasted nearby Lava Ghouls with its Platinum Ice Roar, startling Jiang Xiao as he continued running.

Jiang Xiao fought alongside his combat-capable Decoy in the Volcanic Other Dimension Space, then tried to help a Lava Ghoul Witch rank up before hiding it when someone approached. He met an Awakened teenager who recognized him as an idol and called him the North River Star.

• Jiang Xiao summoned a combat-capable Decoy, and the two fought the Lava Ghouls in perfect coordination while Two Tails watched.
• Jiang Xiao used Light of Reversal on a Lava Ghoul Witch, then hid the trembling creature in the Calamity Shadow Ruins when Two Tails warned that someone was coming.
• Jiang Xiao harvested Star Pearls as a four-person team of Awakened arrived in the volcanic space.
• Mu Yi recognized Jiang Xiao, rushed over, and excitedly told him he wanted to become like the North River Star.