Chapter Summaries

Wu Xiaoqi discovered that his basketball had been stolen, while Shan Xiao encouraged him and strengthened his resolve to keep playing. Shan Kaiquan asked Jiang Ning and their classmates for advice about confessing to a girl, and Class 8 began moving to Building No. 3.

• Wu Xiaoqi questioned Class 8 about his missing basketball and cursed the thief, while Shan Xiao secretly enjoyed his reaction.
• Shan Xiao comforted Wu Xiaoqi and praised his dreams, prompting Wu Xiaoqi to calm down and declare that he would not give up basketball.
• Shan Kaiquan asked Jiang Ning and several classmates how his friend should confess to a girl, but their suggestions did not produce a plan.
• Shan Qingrong announced that the freshman classes had to move to Building No. 3, and the students began packing their belongings.
• Jiang Ning left his backpack with Xue Yuantong so she could pack his books, while Ma Shicheng carried his desk alone to show off.

Class 8 changed seats according to their Monthly Exam rankings, with Xue Yuantong choosing a desk by the south windows and Jiang Ning sitting beside her. Shan Kaiquan took the empty seat beside Bai Yuxia, while Miao Zhe was left isolated again.

• Jiang Ning carried Xue Yuantong's backpack to Building No. 3 as the class prepared to change seats.
• Shan Qingrong called students to choose desks in grade order, and Xue Yuantong chose a seat in the third row by the south-side windows.
• Jiang Ning sat beside Xue Yuantong, and Bai Yuxia chose the desk in front of them instead of joining Chen Qian and Dong Qingfeng.
• Wang Longlong, Ma Shicheng, Guo Kunnan, and Hu Jun took the connected seats at the back, while Geng Lu chose the desk behind Jiang Ning.
• Shan Kaiquan sat beside Bai Yuxia, surprising the class, and Miao Zhe was left with an empty seat beside him until Wang Yanyan, Pang Jiao, and other girls took nearby desks.

Jiang Ning inspected a factory with Shao Shuangshuang and arranged plans to expand Evergreen Liquid’s production and business. After giving her a protective jade pendant, he returned for evening self-study, where Xue Yuantong checked whether he was cold.

• Jiang Ning used a Wind Art to clear the odor from the factory and approved it as a production site for Evergreen Liquid.
• Jiang Ning instructed Shao Shuangshuang to set up a restricted production room, plan ingredient procurement, track sales, arrange security and staff meals, and prepare a Wencheng branch.
• Jiang Ning asked Shao Shuangshuang to secure a Tiger Perch Mountain villa and investigate contracting its mountain forest for future medicinal herb cultivation.
• Jiang Ning gave Shao Shuangshuang a Body Protection Jade Pendant and told her not to take it off.
• At evening self-study, Xue Yuantong offered Jiang Ning a jacket, then touched his hand and found it burning hot.

Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong settled into their new classroom routine as the first snow approached, while Jiang Ning learned of Bi Ling Wood submerged in a lake near Huaicheng. The chapter ended with Class 8 pouring into the corridor to watch Yuzhou’s first snow of 2013.

• Xue Yuantong made Jiang Ning wear a coat and the pink scarf she had knitted, and Jiang Ning used a spell to keep them warm on the bike ride to school.
• Jiang Ning read Yu Wen’s G-Dragon fan post and watched Ma Shicheng argue with Jiang Yanan both online and in class.
• Guo Ran gave Jiang Ning test papers and snacks, and Jiang Ning shared some walnuts with Xue Yuantong.
• Jiang Ning received a message identifying the submerged wood as Iron Knot Wood, recognized it as Bi Ling Wood needed for a Spirit Boat, and considered traveling to Huaicheng to retrieve it.
• Snow began falling during evening self-study, and Huang Zhongfei let Class 8 go outside for five minutes to watch it.

Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong traveled home safely through the snow, and Jiang Ning reflected on how she had managed the journey in his previous life. The next morning, he joined her for breakfast and agreed to handle the dishes.

• Jiang Ning lent Xue Yuantong money for milk tea and Egg Pancakes, then pushed his Mountain Bike as they shared food on the snowy walk home.
• Jiang Ning wondered how Xue Yuantong had gotten home during evening self-study in his previous life, then set aside his worries and brought her safely to Aunt Gu’s house.
• On Monday morning, Jiang Ning used spiritual power to wash and warm himself before going to Xue Yuantong’s house.
• Jiang Ning helped set out breakfast while Xue Yuantong cooked Pickled Mustard Greens with Shredded Pork, and he agreed to wash the dishes.

Jiang Ning and his classmates played in the snow, where a snowball fight escalated into several clashes. After Miao Zhe scratched Cui Yu, Cui Yu followed Ma Shicheng’s advice and factory-reset Miao Zhe’s phone, locking him out.

• Hu Jun posted rat photos in the Class Group, prompting Chen Qian to complain to Huang Zhongfei and ask him to remove Hu Jun and Guo Kunnan.
• Jiang Ning went outside to enjoy the snow after setting up a Warmth Preservation Array for Xue Yuantong, while Shan Kaiquan and the back-row boys joined the snowball fight.
• Ma Shicheng and Yang Sheng traded snowballs, and Ma Shicheng accidentally hit Bai Yuxia, who stopped playing in anger.
• Cui Yu told Ma Shicheng that Miao Zhe had scratched him after a snowball hit, then asked Ma Shicheng how to lock Miao Zhe out of his phone.
• Cui Yu took Miao Zhe’s phone from beneath the Multimedia station and, with Ma Shicheng’s guidance, factory-reset it and set a complicated password.

Cui Yu used RE Mode to lock Miao Zhe out of his phone, leaving Miao Zhe to seek help at a phone shop. During evening self-study, Jiang Ning began helping Geng Lu practice drawing cultivation materials while Shen Xu sold seat cushions to the class, prompting Shan Kaiquan to consider selling goods himself before he returned to trying to talk to Bai Yuxia.

• Cui Yu and Ma Shicheng watched as Miao Zhe repeatedly failed to unlock his phone, and Miao Zhe left to find a phone shop after Cui Yu admitted he had forgotten the password he set.
• Jiang Ning asked Geng Lu to draw a cultivation material based on his description, and she began sketching it.
• Shen Xu from Class 9 entered the classroom and sold three seat cushions for fifteen yuan each.
• Shan Kaiquan tried to give a cushion to Bai Yuxia, but she declined, and the other students discussed Shen Xu’s prices and reputation.
• Shan Kaiquan imagined reselling goods but grew wary after hearing Shen Xu had ties to the delinquent Deng Xiang; he returned to his seat and awkwardly tried talking to Bai Yuxia again.

Jiang Ning searched a Huaicheng lake and recovered the Bi Ling Wood he needed to make a Spirit Boat. When he returned home, Xue Yuantong surprised him with a birthday cake, which she mostly ate herself.

• Jiang Ning arranged for Shao Shuangshuang to handle company matters and prepare a truck in Huaicheng.
• Jiang Ning traveled to Huaicheng and used his Spiritual Sense to search the lake for Bi Ling Wood.
• Jiang Ning pulled a plank of Bi Ling Wood from the lakebed and arranged to have it sent to the factory district in Yuzhou.
• Jiang Ning returned home to find Xue Yuantong waiting for him with a birthday cake she had made ready.
• Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong ate cake together, though Xue Yuantong ate most of it.

Jiang Ning activated the Spirit Gathering Array on Tiger Perch Mountain, drawing attention across Yuzhou and advancing his cultivation to Qi Refining Layer 4. After the array vanished, classmates discussed the spectacle online, and Xue Yuantong sent Jiang Ning a picture of it.

• Jiang Ning activated the seven-cornered Spirit Gathering Array, creating a vast azure disk in the sky above Tiger Perch Mountain.
• Jiang Ning absorbed the gathered Spiritual Energy, broke through to Qi Refining Layer 4, and made the array disappear.
• Dong Qingfeng and other classmates shared pictures of the sky spectacle in the Class 8 QQ Group and discussed Tiger Perch Mountain.
• Ma Shicheng boasted about starting a company and buying a villa, while the class group celebrated when the class monitor muted Hu Jun.
• Xue Yuantong sent Jiang Ning a picture of the azure wheel, and they reminisced about a rainbow and the Rainbow Cookies she had made.

After reaching Qi Refining Layer 4, Jiang Ning used the Aura Observation Art to search for Taiyi Cloud Marrow, hoping to protect Xue Yuantong from leukemia. He found enough marrow in the clouds, but his final scan revealed a patch of absolute blackness that left him puzzled.

• Jiang Ning broke through to Qi Refining Layer 4 and resolved to find Taiyi Cloud Marrow to prevent Xue Yuantong from developing leukemia.
• Jiang Ning used a spirit array and the Aura Observation Art to scan his surroundings, locating Void Profound Crystal but not Taiyi Cloud Marrow.
• Jiang Ning powered a Spirit Wood Board with his Spiritual Energy, concealed himself from satellite radar, and flew into the clouds.
• Jiang Ning found Taiyi Cloud Marrow among the clouds and spent the afternoon gathering enough to replace Xue Yuantong's marrow.
• Jiang Ning spotted a one-square-meter area of absolute blackness, which showed no aura, and wondered why it seemed familiar.

Jiang Ning’s memories revealed his power in the Fallen Cloud Sect and his quiet fixation on locust trees as the sect faced a looming war. Uncle Xu left Jiang Ning in charge of the sect before departing for Northern Court, while Jiang Ning remained by the cliff after hearing the elder’s final apology.

• Wen Yuehan and Lu Wenhao watched Jiang Ning emerge from seclusion as a Flame Giant and launch himself across the sky, while Uncle Xu revealed that Jiang Ning had a fire spiritual root.
• Uncle Xu sent Lu Wenhao to deal with two newly advanced Golden Core Demon Cultivators and ordered Wen Yuehan to watch Jiang Ning at the Ten Thousand Souls Sect.
• Wen Yuehan found Jiang Ning standing before several locust trees amid the battle, and he uprooted the mountain and disappeared through a Formation gate without taking her.
• Uncle Xu told Jiang Ning that Northern Court had ordered the sects to send cultivators to war after discovering that the Eastern Domain’s vital energy and laws had been stripped away.
• Uncle Xu entrusted the Fallen Cloud Sect to Jiang Ning, warned him to defend its legacy, and departed after relaying Senior Brother Cheng’s apology for making him cultivate the technique.

Jiang Ning settled into his new cultivation routine after reaching Qi Refining Layer 4 and told Xue Yuantong that his illness was cured. At school, classmates argued over cleaning duty, and Shen Xu sold rechargeable Hand Warmers, but Shan Kaiquan’s attempt to impress Bai Yuxia fell flat.

• Jiang Ning rejected cultivating the technique that had turned him into a block of wood and decided to use the little houses beneath the River Dam for cultivation.
• Jiang Ning rode to school with Xue Yuantong, told her he had been busy, and said his illness was cured.
• Hu Jun ordered Yang Sheng’s group to take out the trash, and Dong Qingfeng volunteered after Yang Sheng assigned the job to Jiang Yanan.
• Shen Xu entered Class Eight and offered to sell rechargeable Hand Warmers for 34 yuan each.
• Shan Kaiquan bought the last pink Hand Warmer for Bai Yuxia, but she pointed out that it was not charged.

Shan Kaiquan’s attempt to impress Bai Yuxia with a Hand Warmer left him feeling inferior and rejected, so he vowed to focus on gaming before deciding to beat her through better grades. Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong continued studying together, while Shan Kaiquan searched online for a shortcut to academic success.

• Shan Kaiquan bought a Hand Warmer from Shen Xu and offered it to Bai Yuxia, but she refused because her father was bringing her one from their family car.
• Shan Kaiquan felt the gap between his family and Bai Yuxia’s, then gave up on pursuing her and posted that he would focus on gaming.
• During evening self-study, Xue Yuantong urged Jiang Ning to solve practice questions, and they relied on their warm seats as motivation to stay near the top of the class.
• Shan Kaiquan messaged Jiang Ning for advice on improving his grades, but dismissed Jiang Ning’s recommendation to build a foundation and practice steadily.
• Shan Kaiquan searched online until class ended and decided that organizing knowledge into a mental library was a genius study method.

On Monday, the class discussed girls’ stolen clothes, while Shan Xiao and Jiang Ning spent the afternoon pursuing basketball and ping-pong in different ways. Guo Kunnan’s excitement over a girl adding him on QQ ended in rejection, and Ma Shicheng left the bathhouse humiliated after an old man stole his thermal clothes.

• Jiang Ning overheard girls discussing stolen intimate clothing, and Ma Shicheng dismissed their anger while Guo Kunnan explained why the theft was serious.
• Guo Kunnan invited Jiang Ning to play basketball, but Jiang Ning chose ping-pong; Wu Xiaoqi persuaded Shan Xiao to watch him play.
• Guo Ran played ping-pong with Jiang Ning while the biology teacher challenged Xue Yuantong and was left questioning her abilities.
• Wu Xiaoqi dominated the basketball game against Class Seven and mistook Shan Xiao’s envious stare at the ball for admiration of his dream.
• Guo Kunnan received a QQ message from the girl who had added him, learned she had a boyfriend, and realized she had added him to criticize his playing and warn him not to hit her boyfriend.
• Ma Shicheng went to the Large Bathhouse after basketball, but an old man stole his long johns and thermal shirt from the radiator, leaving him to walk out into the cold in humiliation.

Jiang Ning used Spiritual Energy to shell pecans for Xue Yuantong and shared snacks with Shan Kaiquan and Bai Yuxia. At lunch, Xue Yuantong struggled to finish her boxed meal after snacking too much, then pushed the leftovers toward Jiang Ning, who teased her before reaching for them.

• Jiang Ning secretly used Spiritual Energy to shell an intact pecan kernel for Xue Yuantong.
• Jiang Ning gave Shan Kaiquan pecans to share with Bai Yuxia, and Shan Kaiquan tried and failed to shell them neatly for her.
• Xue Yuantong persuaded Jiang Ning to buy boxed meals at the restaurant because she said the weather was too cold to cook at home.
• Ma Shicheng, Shan Kaiquan, Guo Kunnan, and the others arrived at the restaurant and greeted Jiang Ning.
• Xue Yuantong could not finish her meal after eating too many snacks, so she offered the rest to Jiang Ning, who teased her before reaching for the food.

On Christmas Eve, Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong exchanged fruit gifts, while Shan Kaiquan tried to give Bai Yuxia an apple without revealing his crush. Bai Yuxia accepted it but told him she could not return a gift because the boxes on her desk had come from other people.

• Liang Xun caught Ma Shicheng playing a game in history class and mocked him by suggesting he join the army.
• After failing to learn with the Brain Library Learning Method, Shan Kaiquan asked Jiang Ning whether hard work was his only option, and Jiang Ning said there were no shortcuts.
• Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong went to Yucai Supermarket, where they exchanged gift-boxed fruit for Christmas Eve.
• Chen Siqing gave Jiang Ning a gift, and Jiang Ning returned one to her.
• Shan Kaiquan gave apples to Ma Shicheng and the others, who passed him candies in return, then worried when he saw Bai Yuxia exchanging gifts with other boys.
• Shan Kaiquan gave Bai Yuxia an apple, but she apologized that she could not give him one back because her gift boxes were from other people.

Shan Kaiquan borrowed money from Jiang Ning to buy Bai Yuxia hot milk, while Yang Sheng challenged Ma Shicheng after he mocked her trash shot. Yang Sheng made the shot and demanded that Ma Shicheng eat the trash or face her contempt.

• Bai Yuxia told Shan Kaiquan not to give her gifts, while he privately resolved to keep pursuing her with holiday presents and other gifts.
• Short on money, Shan Kaiquan borrowed fifty yuan from Jiang Ning and asked him to keep the loan secret; Jiang Ning agreed.
• Yang Sheng challenged Xue Yuantong to a ping-pong match before she would play Jiang Ning in PE class.
• Ma Shicheng mocked Yang Sheng as she prepared to throw a bag of trash into a wastebasket and wagered that he would eat it if she made the shot.
• Yang Sheng tossed the trash into the red wastebasket and told Ma Shicheng to fish it out and eat it or she would look down on him.

Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong shared Christmas Eve pastries that Aunt Gu brought home from her improved job at Evergreen Liquid Company, while Shao Shuangshuang reflected on the company’s rapid growth and her loyalty to Jiang Ning. Meanwhile, Miao Zhe doted on his online girlfriend, and Ma Shicheng’s pride in his game ranking ended in an embarrassing misunderstanding.

• Guo Kunnan offered to buy Shan Kaiquan an egg pancake, and the two left campus together.
• Xue Yuantong shared pastries from Aunt Gu’s workplace with Jiang Ning and her mother, while Aunt Gu appreciated how much her new job had improved their lives.
• Shao Shuangshuang messaged Jiang Ning about the pastries and considered Evergreen Liquid’s success and her resolve to protect him.
• Miao Zhe chatted with Yun Ni, renewed her QQ SVIP, and left a romantic message on her profile.
• Ma Shicheng reached the top of a game leaderboard, then misread Xinxin’s invitation to play and was insulted and deleted.

Jiang Ning cultivated spiritual herbs, worked on his Spirit Wood Boat, and reflected on his place in the mundane world before sharing breakfast with Xue Yuantong. At school, Ma Shicheng honored his lost bet by taking over Yang Sheng’s cleaning duty, while Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong headed to class.

• Jiang Ning planted medicinal herb seeds in Tiger Perch Mountain Villa’s Spiritual Field and protected them with a spirit array.
• Jiang Ning added materials to the Spirit Wood Boat, inspected the site where aura had been stolen, and took a Void Crystal Silk he had found there.
• Jiang Ning made breakfast for Xue Yuantong and refused her request to make breakfast every day.
• Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong arrived at school, where Ma Shicheng was sweeping as Yang Sheng supervised him.
• Ma Shicheng accepted the consequences of losing his bet and continued cleaning while Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong left for class.

Class 8 arranged its New Year’s Gala, and Jiang Ning signed up to perform magic. Shan Qingrong then welcomed Song Sheng back to school and assigned him a seat beside Wu Xiaoqi, leaving their first encounter tense and uncertain.

• Huang Zhongfei and Hu Jun announced Class 8’s New Year’s Gala, collected a fifteen-yuan fee, and planned to buy food and a cake.
• Shen Qing'e gathered performance sign-ups, including Wu Xiaoqi’s basketball-and-street-dance act, Guo Kunnan’s cross-talk, and Wang Longlong’s Moonwalk.
• Jiang Ning told Xue Yuantong he would perform magic and signed up, while Shen Qing'e reflected on how distant they had become.
• Shan Qingrong brought Song Sheng back after his months-long absence and assigned him to sit beside Wu Xiaoqi.
• Song Sheng sat down with a heavy backpack, and he and Wu Xiaoqi eyed each other without recognizing one another.