Chapter Summaries

Yu Shouyi visited Shen Qian to invite him to enroll at Jiangzhong Military University, which was reopening admissions after ten years. He destroyed Shen Qian’s military recruitment file to show his sincerity, leaving Shen Qian to consider the offer.

• Huang Lizhi recalled that Ding Yi had been a Beginner Martial Artist Level Seven when he recruited her, and Shen Qian later learned that Wei Sijian had left to discuss a plan with the teachers.
• Shen Qian found Yu Shouyi, a Mountain-Sea powerhouse and Jiangzhong Military University’s dean of academic affairs, waiting in his suite.
• Yu Shouyi explained that Jiangzhong Military University had finalized its reopening plans a month earlier and had prepared to recruit students through military channels.
• Yu Shouyi presented Shen Qian’s file, which bore a military seal because of the Zhao Xin incident, then tore it up and invited Shen Qian to enroll.

Yu Shouyi offered Shen Qian extraordinary incentives to enroll at Jiangzhong Military University, explaining that his perfect SSS-Class performance made him a rare talent the rebuilding school urgently needed. He also revealed that Shen Qian would be expected to help restore the university’s glory and rebuild its Military Soul after a devastating incident ten years earlier.

• Shen Qian told Yu Shouyi that he had not seriously considered a military university and was more curious than interested in Jiangzhong Military University.
• Yu Shouyi offered Shen Qian three million, a military post and rank, unrestricted scholarship access, freedom to choose mentors, university points, and custom Psionic equipment.
• Yu Shouyi showed Shen Qian a video of him destroying all eighteen bronze figures in the formation in twenty seconds and explained that his SSS-Class performance prompted the generous offer.
• Yu Shouyi explained that Jiangzhong Military University needed top geniuses because it was rebuilding from scratch and could not let its reputation fall.
• Yu Shouyi told Shen Qian that a deadly incident ten years earlier had caused many student casualties, and that enrollment would obligate Shen Qian to help restore the university and rebuild its Military Soul.

Yu Shouyi tried to recruit Shen Qian to Jiangzhong Military University but agreed not to force his enrollment after the Marquis of Jingcheng and the new Principal intervened. He hinted at a national Martial Champion rule Shen Qian had never noticed, and Shen Qian left for the Jiuzhou Martial Arts Hall to continue training.

• Yu Shouyi offered Shen Qian resources and explained that the Jiangzhong Army backed Jiangzhong Military University, but Shen Qian said his inclination would still be difficult to change.
• Yu Shouyi revealed that a senior officer had proposed forcibly conscripting Shen Qian, but the Marquis of Jingcheng had spoken with the new Principal, leading Yu Shouyi to abandon the plan.
• Shen Qian learned that Chen Feng was part of the Jiangzhong Army and understood how Yu Shouyi had learned about his status as the Marquis of Jingcheng's disciple.
• Yu Shouyi challenged Shen Qian to consider why China had never had a national Martial Champion since the exams were restored, then left.
• Shen Qian searched for national exam rankings, found that champions were recognized only by province, and headed to the Jiuzhou Martial Arts Hall to train.

On the final day of high school classes, Shen Qian treated his Training Class friends to a day of gaming and hotpot, but his thoughts kept returning to Ding Yi and his own strange condition. After taking Huo Ling'er home, he went to Jiuzhou Martial Arts Hall, expecting his physical fitness to reach its cap that night.

• Shen Qian watched his classmates linger over a math problem before he quietly supplied the answer and left.
• Shen Qian refused Wang Yangming and Zhou Xu's invitation to the VR Hall, then met Huo Ling'er and the Training Class students at the school gate.
• Shen Qian joined the group at Blue Sea VR Hall, played as the Blade Empress, and thought about Ding Yi's birthday and the gifts they had exchanged.
• The group chose Chaoshan beef hotpot after gaming, and Huo Ling'er paid the bill before falling asleep against Shen Qian on the way home.
• Shen Qian took Huo Ling'er home, then headed to Jiuzhou Martial Arts Hall to push his physical fitness to its cap.

After waking from another mysterious dream, Shen Qian discovered that he had reached the physical limit of an Extreme Quasi-Martial Artist and prepared to study Liu Changqing’s cultivation manual. He ended up opening a video from the manual’s “Study Materials” folder and was shocked by its suggestive contents.

• Shen Qian dreamed of the White-robed Man on a familiar bridge before Xiao Xuan woke him and massaged his brow.
• Xiao Xuan asked Shen Qian where he planned to attend university and whether they were friends, then hurried out of the room.
• Shen Qian felt an intense craving for origin energy, sensed qi, and confirmed his physical fitness had reached its theoretical limit by testing himself on the Simulation Machine.
• Shen Qian decided to study Liu Changqing’s manual before attempting Spirit Absorption and Origin Transformation, then opened the “Study Materials” folder on the USB drive.
• Shen Qian watched the first video and was stunned when its suggestive opening revealed what Liu Changqing had included as study material.

Shen Qian studied Liu Changqing’s records about his unusual Origin Energy before visiting Gao Wenyuan at the Sky-Reaching Tower. Gao Wenyuan revealed that the renovations on the ninety-ninth floor were being done for Shen Qian.

• Shen Qian discovered Liu Changqing’s notes on becoming a martial artist and using wind-attributed Origin Energy, then memorized them without intending to try the dangerous method himself.
• After a restless night, Shen Qian asked Wu Hongxu to help arrange paid admission to Jingcheng Martial University for a friend’s relative.
• Shen Qian went to the Sky-Reaching Tower to meet Gao Wenyuan and found workers renovating the ninety-ninth floor.
• Shen Qian asked Gao Wenyuan for a bottle of Fenghua Xueyue beer and asked who would live on the ninety-ninth floor.
• Gao Wenyuan told Shen Qian that the renovated floor had been prepared for him.

Gao Wenyuan gave Shen Qian a renovated residence and a hundred Origin Fusion Pills to prepare him for breaking through to the martial artist realm. After warning Shen Qian that both Military Martial Arts and going north would bring difficulties because of the Duke of Yanshan, he sent him on his way, but the elevator stopped on the thirty-third floor and opened onto a pair of familiar, beautiful eyes.

• Gao Wenyuan revealed that he had renovated the ninety-ninth floor for Shen Qian as a gift.
• Gao Wenyuan used an extraordinary alchemy method to make a hundred Origin Fusion Pills for Shen Qian's breakthrough.
• Gao Wenyuan explained that Shen Qian's Perfected Physique required many pills to preserve the quality of his vital energy.
• Gao Wenyuan told Shen Qian to choose his own path after the college entrance exam and warned him that the Duke of Yanshan was in the north.
• Shen Qian left the top floor, but the elevator stopped on the thirty-third floor and opened before a pair of beautiful eyes.

Shen Qian resisted the system’s control around Ji Ruoshui, claimed his rewards for clearing the Bronze Man Formation, and began an extraordinary breakthrough using Jing City’s Weather Adjustment System. As the city’s weather changed through all 120 combinations, Shen Qian opened his eyes with opposing black-and-white pupils, and Liu Changqing and Shi Dingyan recognized that he had reached the breakthrough’s final step.

• Shen Qian woke on Ji Ruoshui’s floor after she knocked him unconscious, learned that his conduct had torn her robe, and left in embarrassment.
• Shen Qian collected a one-million-yuan reward and five Martial Practice Tokens from the Martial Arts Bureau, including three sent by Minister Wu Wei.
• Shen Qian packed supplies, set conditions for his idle task, and began a breakthrough to Beginner Martial Artists using Jing City’s Weather Adjustment System.
• As the system malfunctioned and brought hail and other extreme weather to Jing City, Song Ye and Wang Yangming sought Shen Qian, and Liu Changqing arranged for his admission tickets to be printed.
• Shi Dingyan and Liu Changqing watched Shen Qian absorb the system’s 120 weather combinations while Gao Wenyuan remained away from the tower.
• At night, Shen Qian opened his eyes amid shaking spiritual-energy chains, and Shi Dingyan identified the final step as Spirit Absorption and Origin Transformation.

Gao Wenyuan used the Five-colored Stone to balance Shen Qian’s unstable Origin Energy, allowing Shen Qian to complete his breakthrough with help from Ji Ruoshui’s peach. After reading his AFK records, Shen Qian learned that his 120 fused Origin Energies had formed Chaos Origin Energy, which could transform between attributes and devour weaker power.

• Shen Qian’s body began to fail as his Origin Energies fell out of balance, but Gao Wenyuan arrived and used the Five-colored Stone to stabilize him.
• Shen Qian absorbed vast amounts of spiritual energy during his breakthrough, and Ji Ruoshui’s peach repaired his collapsing body.
• Gao Wenyuan left Shi Dingyan to watch over Shen Qian and admitted he did not know what the fused Origin Energy would become.
• Shen Qian awoke on June 7 as a Beginner Martial Artist and reviewed his AFK records, discovering that he had fused 120 types of Origin Energy.
• Shen Qian learned that his new Chaos Origin Energy could shift between existing attributes and devour external power no stronger than his own.

Shen Qian tested his newly awakened Origin Energy and learned that his ten opened acupoints gave him extraordinary physical amplification, while Chaos Origin Energy could devour incoming attacks. After preparing his college entrance exam choices and leaving Jiuzhou Martial Arts Hall to answer his mother's call, he saw Jing City celebrate the exam eve with fireworks.

• Shen Qian visited Ji Ruoshui to thank her for the peach porridge, then went to Jiuzhou Martial Arts Hall to test his strength.
• Shen Qian measured 1,039 Kg of strength and learned from Martial Arts Human Body Structure that opening ten acupoints let his Origin Energy circulate throughout his body and amplify his strength far beyond an ordinary martial artist's.
• Shen Qian used the system to produce 1,299 Kg of strength, then tested Chaos Origin Energy and discovered its devouring ability could absorb incoming Origin Energy attacks.
• Shen Qian checked his admission ticket, chose English and Japanese for the foreign-language exam, selected his arts-comprehensive subjects, and confirmed his martial arts exam would be in the provincial capital.
• Shen Qian left Jiuzhou Martial Arts Hall after his mother called, then watched fireworks announce the start of Jing City's college entrance examinations.

Shen Qian chose to rely on his own knowledge during the liberal arts college entrance exam, then prepared to leave Jing City for the martial arts exam. At No.7 High School’s send-off ceremony, the City Lord and other major officials waited in silence until Shen Qian arrived late.

• Ding Yi woke Shen Qian early and watched him leave for the liberal arts exam, while Huo Ling'er drove him to No. 1 Middle School and tried to kiss him for luck.
• Shen Qian submitted his final exam early and later faced public criticism after a television report portrayed him as the first student in Jingcheng City to leave an exam room.
• Shen Qian reassured Ding Yi that he had completed the liberal arts exam and told her his strength had passed 140 kilograms.
• Shen Qian prepared to travel to Mingcheng City for the martial arts exam, spotted Old Hu near Jiuzhou Martial Arts Hall, and lost sight of him when a bus passed.
• Chai Haotian, Shao Weiyuan, and Lu Yingfu attended No.7 High School’s send-off ceremony, where students recalled former No.7 High School genius Jiang Chengye.
• Just as Chai Haotian was about to speak, his secretary informed him of something that made the officials pause, and Shen Qian arrived late and greeted Grandpa Xu before Liu Simin called out to him.

Shen Qian attended No.7 High School’s assembly as City Lord Chai Haotian warned that Jing City’s declining education and loss of young talent threatened its future. Chai revealed Shen Qian as the peerless genius who had defeated Wang Shuo and called him to represent Jing City, leaving Shen Qian walking toward the stage to give an unprepared speech.

• Shen Qian joined Class 109 in a white suit, and his classmates teased him about his appearance as they noticed Chai Haotian on the stage.
• Chai Haotian described Jing City’s declining educational results and warned that the city could face the fate of ruined Lucheng if its young talent continued leaving.
• Chai Haotian revealed that Wang Shuo had left Jing City for North Capital, then announced that a peerless genius of Wang Shuo’s age had defeated him.
• Chai Haotian named Shen Qian as Jing City’s student representative and invited him to give a speech.
• Shen Qian steadied himself by visualizing the forbidden statue, then walked through the crowd toward the stage.

Ding Yi watched Shen Qian’s televised speech and learned that he had become a citywide sensation after defeating Wang Shuo. As Jing City’s students began their escorted journey to Mingcheng City, Shen Qian was placed in an armored vehicle with the Southwest Army commander and several of the region’s top students.

• Ding Anbai realized Ding Yi had taken leave to wait for news of Shen Qian and urged her to return to training, but she watched his speech on television instead.
• Shen Qian spoke at No.7 High School’s departure ceremony about talent, hard work, and perseverance, ending with a promise that Jing City would not fall.
• Ding Yi, moved to tears by Shen Qian’s speech, worried she was dreaming until Ding Anbai assured her that Shen Qian had truly turned things around.
• Shen Qian read the messages that flooded his wristband, including Ding Yi’s note that she would wait for him in North Capital, then learned that the Southwest Army would escort the students through the restricted zone.
• Captain Sun’s force reassigned Shen Qian and several other students to armored vehicles, where Shen met Ouyang Fei and recognized that their vehicle carried some of Jing City’s most talented examinees.

On the way to the provincial capital, Shen Qian met Jing City's remaining top students, who challenged him and reviewed information about their rivals in the Martial Arts College Entrance Exam. He returned from talking with Captain Song to find Gu Zifang irritated that he seemed unconcerned about the competition.

• Ouyang Fei explained the exam's physical fitness, willpower, and practical combat tests as Gu Zifang asked Shen Qian to fight her and the other Jing City students after they reached the provincial capital.
• Gu Zifang described the group's strengths, and Shen Qian agreed to fight them; they also discussed eating together at Nine Heavens Pavilion.
• Shen Qian shared the City Lord's profiles of rival students, and the group learned about Tongcheng City's Geng Qianqiu and Xicheng City's Li Jiaqi before growing worried about the competition.
• While the others studied the rivals, Shen Qian went to chat with Captain Song and learned that he was Song Ye's younger brother and that the military avoided strange patches of light in the restricted zone.
• Gu Zifang confronted Shen Qian for seeming carefree about the exam, and Ouyang Fei urged him to join their discussion of their opponents.

Shen Qian arrived in Mingcheng City with the Jing City students, learned that online commenters were questioning his sudden rise, and went to meet Ouyang Fei and the others at a rooftop arena. The chapter ended with Shen Qian challenging them to fight him all at once.

• Shen Qian entered Mingcheng City, exchanged messages with Ji Ruoshui, and said goodbye to Song Ben and the soldiers returning to camp.
• Ouyang Fei declared that he would attend a military university after watching the soldiers depart.
• Shen Qian received a private room with a training area and learned that his physical fitness test would be held at the provincial stadium the next afternoon.
• Zhou Xu showed the Class 109 students hostile forum posts about Shen Qian, and Shen Qian left the dining hall without responding to the criticism.
• Shen Qian joined Ouyang Fei and the others in the rooftop arena and challenged them to fight him together.

After Ling Xiao escorted Shen Qian to the provincial examination site on a flying sword, he explained that a perfect score of 300 could earn the unprecedented national Martial Champion title. Shen Qian began the physical fitness test, realized that full marks might require exactly 999.99 kilograms of burst strength, and had the system automate his next attempt.

• After a friendly brawl, Gu Zifang and Ouyang Fei offered to share exam information with Shen Qian, and he agreed to do his best for Jingcheng City.
• Ling Xiao met Shen Qian and explained that the scoring rules capped ordinary results, but a perfect 300 could qualify someone as national Martial Champion.
• Ling Xiao sent Shen Qian flying on his wooden sword to the Provincial Sports Stadium, where Shen Qian arrived nauseated and joined the exam line.
• During his first physical fitness attempt, Shen Qian recorded burst strength above the simulator's limit and realized that precisely hitting 999.99 kilograms might be necessary for full marks.
• Shen Qian instructed the system to pass the test with exactly 999.99 kilograms of burst strength, and the system began plotting the attempt.

After reaching the physical test’s 999.99 kg cap, Shen Qian joined his friends at Nine Heavens Pavilion, where they learned his Black Card came from a special invitation tied to his master. As the candidates ate a rare soup said to strengthen willpower, Geng Qianqiu received an early invitation to the prestigious Thousand Stars Society, and Shen Qian’s friends suspected he might be invited next.

• Shen Qian ended his exam after scoring 999.99 kg in Burst Strength, and a Ministry of Education official ordered his data and recording sealed at the highest security level.
• Gu Zifang and Ouyang Fei met Shen Qian outside, confirmed that he had hit the physical test cap, and took him and their friends to Nine Heavens Pavilion.
• Manager Yun Lan seated Shen Qian’s group in the Black Card Members’ area and revealed that his group-wide membership had been issued by special invitation two months earlier.
• The group ordered expensive specialty dishes, including Immortal’s Guidance soup made with Mountain Sea Realm Dragon Rhinoceros tendons to help candidates prepare for the Willpower Exam.
• Shen Qian exchanged greetings with Geng Qianqiu, then judged that Geng was weaker than Wang Shuo based on his perception of their strength.
• A Spirit Dove delivered the Thousand Stars Society’s invitation to Geng Qianqiu, prompting the candidates to discuss the society and guess that Shen Qian might receive an invitation too.

Shen Qian took the Willpower Exam, endured the trials of all fifty-two suit cards with the system repeatedly rescuing him, and realized that the exam’s apparent consciousness space was itself an illusion created by the two jokers. He uncovered the final test just as the Big King and Little King appeared before him.

• The Thousand Stars Society invited several candidates at Nine Heavens Pavilion, but no invitation arrived for Shen Qian, prompting Geng Qianqiu to mock him.
• Ouyang Fei shared advice about the Willpower Exam before Shen Qian entered the exam room and began with the Spade K card.
• The system pulled Shen Qian out of the Spade K’s despair illusion, and he realized he could switch cards and pursue a perfect score by passing every trial.
• Shen Qian endured twenty-six or more card trials, including intense emotional ordeals, as the system repeatedly activated AFK mode to prevent him from losing control.
• After passing the fifty-two suit cards, Shen Qian noticed that a complete deck also contained two jokers and understood that the darkness concealing them was part of the exam’s illusion.
• The Big King and Little King appeared, and Shen Qian recognized them as the source of the consciousness-space illusion and the final test.

Shen Qian passed the Willpower Exam, but an invisible rule prevented him from explaining its contents. After learning that Jing City's public support had become tied to his fortune, he discovered the practical combat assessment had been postponed because the exam questions changed.

• Shen Qian ended the consciousness-space trial just before time ran out and left the only occupied seat in the examination hall.
• Wang Jing Tian ordered Examination Hall Three sealed after receiving word that its Willpower Exam data had been classified, and Ou Peiliang revealed Shen Qian had also earned a perfect physical fitness score.
• Ouyang Fei and Gu Zifang worried that Shen Qian had failed, but Shen Qian found himself unable to explain the assessment and told them they would understand later.
• Chai Haotian explained that Jing City's public support had gathered around Shen Qian and that their fortunes were now connected.
• Shen Qian received a Ministry of Education notice postponing the practical combat assessment from June 16 to June 17 because of changes to the exam questions.

Shen Qian trained at a Jiuzhou Martial Arts Hall, tested his growing strength, and discovered that the postponed practical combat exam had become a nationwide contest in a shared simulation space. After learning the rules of the Ascending Heavenly Ladder, he stepped forward to begin his first battle.

• Shen Qian trained through the night at the martial arts hall and measured his burst strength at 1,147 kilograms.
• Shen Qian arrived at the provincial stadium and learned that the morning examinees had not yet finished their exams.
• Shen Qian saw that each examinee was assigned a military Simulation Machine and entered one with his group.
• Education Minister Ma Gongzuo announced that more than a million examinees would compete simultaneously on the Ascending Heavenly Ladder, with their physiques adjusted to the Quasi-Martial Artist standard.
• Shen Qian prepared as the countdown ended and stepped onto the first stair to begin the assessment.