Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan plans to return to Lingshan City before traveling to Dragon River Forest for the upcoming Trial Tournament.
• Although Dragon River Forest is publicly known as a famous summer retreat, information about its martial arts tournament is difficult to find, suggesting that the event is deliberately kept confidential.
• After spending time with the Xia Family, Li Yuan gains a clearer understanding of how great families operate. Ambitious members are constantly occupied with missions and cultivation, while less talented or unmotivated juniors are allowed to enjoy themselves rather than interfere with family affairs.
• Li Yuan returns to Lingshan City and resumes his duties as Vice Principal of Lingshan No.1 High School.
• His training has greatly improved the school’s teachers’ understanding of Martial Arts Techniques, making them highly attractive to other schools. Nearby cities begin aggressively trying to recruit them.
• Director Zeng worries that losing too many teachers will damage both the school and Lingshan City’s educational standing. Li Yuan reassures him that moderate losses are manageable but warns that losing over ten percent of the staff at once would be disastrous.
• Li Yuan and Director Zeng devise a backup plan: recruit and train trainee teachers in advance so they can replace teachers who leave.
• During the following twenty-odd days, Li Yuan continues working and eagerly awaits Xia Zhao’s replies to his messages, mainly to confirm that she is safe.
• When the Dragon River Forest Trial Tournament begins, Li Yuan travels to a major northwestern city, meets Xia Jin, and rides with him to Dragon River Forest.
• Xia Jin explains the tournament’s history: it began over a century ago as an informal competition among martial artists vacationing in the area but has gradually become a formal and high-pressure event.
• The modern tournament includes foreign martial artists, making it a matter of national pride rather than merely a friendly youth competition.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Becomes more pragmatic and observant about the Xia Family’s internal structure. He maintains a careful outsider’s attitude toward his in-laws, believing this helps preserve harmony. As a school leader, he demonstrates responsibility and foresight by preparing replacements for potentially poached teachers.
• Director Zeng: His anxiety over the teacher shortage reveals how seriously he takes his responsibility for Lingshan City’s education. His mood improves after Li Yuan offers a practical contingency plan.
• Xia Jin: Acts as Li Yuan’s guide to the Dragon River Forest tournament and provides important background information. He is friendly and familiar with Li Yuan, addressing him as “Brother.”
• Xia Zhao: Though absent for most of the chapter, her importance to Li Yuan is shown through his concern over her messages and safety. His marriage to her also increases the attention he is likely to receive at the tournament.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility and preparedness: Li Yuan refuses to rely solely on retaining existing teachers and instead prepares trainees to handle future losses.
• Freedom versus family obligation: The Xia Family allows less talented members to live freely but prevents them from taking on responsibilities they cannot handle.
• Competition and national honor: The Dragon River Forest event has evolved from entertainment into a serious contest involving international rivalry and the reputation of the Xia Kingdom’s martial artists.
• Maintaining harmony through boundaries: Li Yuan believes treating himself as an outsider within the Xia Family helps him avoid conflict and maintain respectful relationships.
• The commercialization of talent: The aggressive poaching of Lingshan No.1 High School’s teachers reflects how valuable skilled educators have become.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan and Director Zeng discuss the teacher-poaching crisis over dinner, balancing concern with practical planning.
• Li Yuan’s relationship with Xia Zhao remains emotionally important despite their physical separation, as he looks forward to her messages.
• Xia Jin and Li Yuan converse casually during the journey, with Xia Jin explaining the tournament’s origins and modern significance.
• Xia Jin warns Li Yuan that, as Xia Zhao’s husband, he will likely attract considerable attention from other competitors at the tournament.

Chapter Summary: “Arrival at Dragon River Forest”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan and Xia Jin travel to Dragon River Forest for the upcoming Martial Dao tournament.
• Xia Jin warns Li Yuan that the event will attract unusual attention because Pei Xiaoyan, a former domestic martial arts prodigy, is participating.
• Pei Xiaoyan was once considered comparable to Xia Zhao, but five years earlier she married a martial artist from a neighboring island nation, obtained permanent residency there, and began publicly insulting and spreading rumors about the Xia Kingdom.
• Xia Jin shows Li Yuan Pei Xiaoyan’s social media posts, which have stirred anger among many Xia Kingdom citizens.
• Li Yuan interprets Pei Xiaoyan’s behavior as an example of someone who becomes zealously contemptuous of the group they once belonged to after joining another society.
• Xia Jin urges that they must defeat Pei Xiaoyan, believing that losing to her would be especially humiliating.
• After arriving, Li Yuan and Xia Jin check into a hotel and eat at a local boiled-dish restaurant.
• Another group of martial artists arrives. Their leader, Second Brother Pei, reveals that Pei Xiaoyan’s own family has rejected her and no longer considers her their sister.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan remains calm and determined despite the pressure surrounding the tournament. He accepts that being Xia Zhao’s husband means being judged against her reputation and is prepared to give his best.
• His Eidetic Memory is briefly emphasized: he remembers names and images instantly, though Pei Xiaoyan is someone he has genuinely never heard of.
• Li Yuan demonstrates clear analytical thinking by identifying Pei Xiaoyan’s behavior as a form of ideological zealotry rather than reacting purely emotionally.
• Xia Jin shows strong loyalty to Xia Zhao, Li Yuan, and the Xia Kingdom. His concern for Li Yuan reveals that he knows the tournament’s circumstances are more serious than the older generation realizes.
• Xia Jin’s anger toward Pei Xiaoyan intensifies into a collective determination to win, and he rallies his martial artist friends through a voice message.
• Pei Xiaoyan is characterized indirectly as a talented but disgraced martial artist whose public hostility toward her homeland has alienated both the public and her own family.
• Second Brother Pei reveals that Pei Xiaoyan’s family has emotionally disowned her, suggesting her actions have caused deep personal as well as national resentment.

Significant Themes

• Reputation and personal responsibility: Li Yuan understands that marrying Xia Zhao places him under public scrutiny, forcing him to prove his own worth.
• National loyalty and betrayal: Pei Xiaoyan’s conduct transforms a martial arts competition into a symbolic confrontation between the Xia Kingdom and the nation she now supports.
• Public opinion and social media: Her frequent bilingual posts and fabricated rumors show how online platforms amplify resentment and influence collective attitudes.
• Family rejection and alienation: Pei Xiaoyan has lost not only her national belonging but also the support of her own family.
• Pressure versus composure: While Xia Jin and others are emotionally provoked, Li Yuan remains measured and focused.
• Identity after migration: The chapter explores how adopting a new social environment can lead some people to reject and ridicule their former community.

Character Interactions

• Xia Jin privately advises Li Yuan and provides information that Xia Zhao’s older relatives overlooked.
• He introduces Pei Xiaoyan’s history, shows Li Yuan her social media posts, and encourages him to understand the stakes of the tournament.
• Li Yuan responds calmly, analyzing Pei Xiaoyan’s behavior rather than joining Xia Jin’s emotional condemnation.
• Xia Jin communicates his anger to his martial artist friends, strengthening their resolve to defeat Pei Xiaoyan.
• At the restaurant, Xia Jin confronts Second Brother Pei, who coldly declares that Pei Xiaoyan is no longer his sister. This exchange confirms that her estrangement extends beyond national politics into her family relationships.

Chapter Summary: Rules of the Dragon River Forest Trial Tournament

Key Plot Points and Events

• After dining at a hot pot restaurant, Li Yuan and Xia Jin leave and politely greet Second Brother Pei. Xia Jin introduces Li Yuan, who realizes he had seen Second Brother Pei at the Xia family wedding but had never learned his name.
• While walking, Xia Jin explains the Pei Family’s history. The family once invested heavily in Pei Xiaoyan after she revealed exceptional martial talent, even diverting resources from other younger relatives to support her cultivation.
• Pei Xiaoyan later went abroad for martial arts exchanges, married overseas, and began publicly belittling her home country’s martial arts and technology. She also failed to repay or support the Pei Family, leaving them feeling betrayed and disgraced.
• Xia Jin recounts meeting Pei Xiaoyan abroad. She was polite and modest before foreigners but arrogant and contemptuous toward domestic martial artists, deepening his resentment.
• Li Yuan and Xia Jin visit the Dragon River Forest tournament grounds, located in a park. They observe foreign martial artists preparing for the upcoming competition.
• Xia Jin plans to spend the following day consolidating his foundations before the tournament, while Li Yuan remains relaxed and supportive.
• The next morning, Li Yuan receives the official tournament rules:
  • The competition is a one-on-one martial arts tournament.
  • When opponents differ in age, the older fighter must suppress their realm to match the younger fighter’s level.
  • Sixty-four contestants participate: thirty-two domestic and thirty-two foreign martial artists.
  • Anyone who has competed cannot enter again for four years.
  • Domestic and foreign fighters initially compete among their own groups, then face opponents from the other group after advancing.
  • The drawing of lots may cause strong fighters to meet in the opening round, but such unpredictability is accepted as part of competition.
• On tournament morning, Li Yuan and Xia Jin eat breakfast among many martial artists and spectators. Media crews and photographers begin gathering as they head toward the park.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan remains calm, observant, and pragmatic. He forms a negative impression of Pei Xiaoyan based on her betrayal of the Pei Family but refuses to become overly anxious about the tournament.
• Xia Jin reveals strong resentment toward Pei Xiaoyan and a desire to prevent her from returning triumphantly. At the same time, he demonstrates discipline by focusing on consolidating his martial foundation before competing.
• Second Brother Pei is portrayed as deeply disgusted and ashamed by Pei Xiaoyan’s behavior, suggesting that her actions have damaged the family’s reputation.
• Pei Xiaoyan, though absent, is characterized as talented but ungrateful, nationalistically contemptuous, and hypocritical—humble around foreigners but arrogant toward people from her own country.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and ingratitude: The Pei Family’s sacrifices for Pei Xiaoyan contrast sharply with her refusal to support them and her public criticism of her homeland.
• National pride and identity: The tournament’s domestic-versus-foreign structure and Pei Xiaoyan’s behavior emphasize tensions between foreign admiration and domestic contempt.
• Fairness versus unpredictability: The age-based realm suppression rule attempts to create fairness, but the random draw can still produce unequal or premature matchups.
• Composure in competition: Li Yuan recognizes that excessive concern over results can create unnecessary problems, emphasizing emotional control and a stable mindset.
• Martial arts as both combat and growth: The tournament is framed not only as a contest but also as a trial by fire through which participants can gain experience.

Character Interactions

• Xia Jin and Li Yuan maintain a friendly, trusting relationship as they travel together and discuss the tournament.
• Xia Jin respectfully greets Second Brother Pei and introduces Li Yuan, creating a formal but cordial connection.
• Xia Jin shares his personal frustrations with Li Yuan, who listens and evaluates the situation calmly.
• Xia Jin and Li Yuan cooperate in preparing for the tournament, with Xia Jin focusing on cultivation and Li Yuan offering quiet support.

Chapter Summary: “First Meeting with Pei Xiaoyan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Dragon River Forest Trial Tournament attracts a much larger crowd than expected. Martial artists receive access to the inner viewing areas, while ordinary spectators sit farther back for safety.
• Xia Jin explains that this seating system was introduced after a martial artist was thrown into the crowd during a previous tournament, killing one spectator and injuring others.
• In the competitors’ rest area, Li Yuan impresses the other martial artists by remembering their names despite having met most of them only once at a wedding.
• Li Yuan encounters Pei Xiaoyan, who has returned from abroad and now openly looks down on domestic martial artists and the Xia Kingdom.
• Pei Xiaoyan claims foreign martial artists are fundamentally superior, insisting that even a foreign Seventh-Rank practitioner could defeat a domestic Eighth-Rank practitioner. She also praises foreigners’ appearance and education while dismissing local people.
• After leaving Li Yuan and the others, Pei Xiaoyan becomes extremely submissive and flattering toward the foreign martial artists, revealing a sharp contrast between her arrogance toward domestic people and her servility toward foreigners.
• The tournament begins with opening remarks and a drawing of lots. However, the process is shown to be loosely managed, with some competitors arranging their matchups in advance.
• It is revealed that Pei Xiaoyan has changed her name to Yamamoto Yan, voluntarily adopting her foreign husband’s surname despite not being legally required to do so.
• The first matches alternate between foreign and domestic martial artists. Li Yuan studies the foreign fighters carefully, memorizing their techniques.
• He concludes that the first foreign fighters, although physically powerful, rely on flashy and inferior martial techniques.
• The chapter ends as Yamamoto Shin, Pei Xiaoyan’s husband, enters the arena. He proves considerably stronger than the earlier foreign fighters, using an unusual movement technique that creates afterimages.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan demonstrates strong memory, social awareness, and confidence by correctly recalling the names of numerous martial artists. His combat talent is further emphasized when he instantly analyzes and mentally masters the techniques of the foreign competitors.
• Xia Jin acts as Li Yuan’s guide, explaining the tournament’s seating system, its history, and the identities of important competitors.
• Pei Xiaoyan is portrayed as arrogant, xenophilic, and deeply contemptuous of her homeland. At the same time, her exaggerated humility toward foreign martial artists exposes her insecurity and lack of genuine independence.
• Yamamoto Shin is introduced as a powerful and technically unusual martial artist, appearing to be a more serious opponent than the other foreigners.
• The domestic martial artists and Pei Family members clearly resent Pei Xiaoyan, suggesting that her betrayal and contempt have caused deep personal and familial hostility.

Significant Themes

• National identity and cultural self-contempt: Pei Xiaoyan’s worship of foreign countries contrasts sharply with the disgust others feel toward her behavior.
• Pride versus servility: Her confidence around domestic people disappears entirely when she interacts with foreigners, undermining her claims of independent thought.
• Appearance versus reality: Pei Xiaoyan presents herself as sophisticated and enlightened, but her actions reveal insecurity and submissiveness.
• Martial Dao comparison: The chapter questions the supposed superiority of foreign martial arts by showing that the early foreign competitors possess strength but lack refined technique.
• Observation and hidden strength: Li Yuan’s calm analysis suggests that his true abilities far exceed what others realize.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Yuan and Xia Jin: Xia Jin provides context about the tournament while Li Yuan responds politely and demonstrates his exceptional memory.
• Li Yuan and Pei Xiaoyan: Though Pei Xiaoyan indirectly insults him and domestic martial artists, Li Yuan remains observant and composed, recognizing her hypocrisy.
• Pei Xiaoyan and her companion: Pei Xiaoyan attempts to indoctrinate the younger woman into admiring foreign people and institutions, dismissing her natural preference for domestic men.
• Pei Xiaoyan and the foreign martial artists: Her behavior shifts from arrogant superiority to excessive flattery, revealing her submissive attitude toward foreigners.
• Li Yuan and the foreign competitors: Li Yuan carefully studies their fighting styles, memorizes their techniques, and begins assessing the true quality of foreign Martial Dao.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan assesses Yamamoto Shin’s performance and concludes that, while skilled by the standards of younger warriors from prominent families, Yamamoto is not among the very strongest.
• Xia Jin warns that Yamamoto is concealing his true strength. Li Yuan agrees but explains that a warrior’s foundations and martial style cannot be fully hidden. His [Eidetic Memory] allows him to analyze every detail of Yamamoto’s techniques.
• Li Yuan recognizes that Yamamoto’s greatest advantage lies in his varied foreign martial techniques and his familiarity with Xia Kingdom fighting styles. Pei Xiaoyan, his highly deferential wife, has likely taught him how to counter domestic martial arts.
• Yamamoto wins his match. The audience applauds politely, while Pei Xiaoyan enthusiastically records the event and posts a slanted commentary online, implying that domestic spectators admit their warrior was outclassed.
• The fourteenth match begins, placing Li Yuan against Wei Ziran, an academy-trained warrior from an ordinary background who advanced through talent and institutional support.
• Before fighting, Li Yuan and Wei Ziran agree to suppress their cultivation to the Fifth Grade Full Circle Realm and conserve energy for the coming matches against foreign warriors.
• Li Yuan uses seemingly basic techniques—Collapse Extreme Fist and Cloud Treading Step—but applies them with extraordinary mastery. His control of force and movement makes the ordinary techniques nearly impossible for Wei Ziran to counter.
• After fewer than twenty exchanges, Wei Ziran concedes. Relieved to avoid the intense pressure of the later international matches, he sincerely encourages Li Yuan: “Keep it up in the matches ahead. We’re counting on you.”

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Demonstrates exceptional analytical ability, confidence, and mastery of foundational techniques. He also shows strategic awareness by conserving energy and hiding his capabilities before facing foreign opponents.
• Yamamoto Shin: Is established as capable but not overwhelmingly powerful. His hidden strength, unfamiliar techniques, and knowledge of domestic martial arts make him a dangerous opponent.
• Pei Xiaoyan: Continues to display her strong admiration for foreign warriors and her tendency to manipulate public perception through social media. Her willingness to teach Yamamoto domestic counters may significantly endanger Xia Kingdom’s fighters.
• Wei Ziran: Is shown to be talented, disciplined, and patriotic. Though defeated, he accepts Li Yuan’s superiority without resentment and feels reassured that the domestic team has someone capable of carrying the burden.
• Xia Jin: Becomes more serious after hearing Li Yuan’s assessment, suggesting concern about Li Yuan’s confidence and the threat posed by the foreign warriors.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength versus true foundation: Warriors can conceal their realm and abilities, but deep observation reveals the quality and style of their techniques.
• Adaptation between martial traditions: Differences between domestic and foreign martial arts create both advantages and vulnerabilities, especially when one side has studied the other’s methods in advance.
• National pressure and reputation: The matches are not merely personal contests; victories and defeats may be used to judge the entire martial system or even the nation.
• Mastery of fundamentals: Li Yuan proves that basic techniques can become formidable when understood and executed at an exceptional level.
• Patriotism versus blind admiration of foreign powers: Pei Xiaoyan’s behavior contrasts with the domestic warriors’ sense of responsibility and concern for their country’s reputation.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Yuan and Xia Jin discuss Yamamoto’s concealed strength, revealing a difference between Xia Jin’s cautious uncertainty and Li Yuan’s confidence in his analysis.
• Pei Xiaoyan publicly praises Yamamoto and records the audience’s reaction, exposing her biased attitude and manipulative approach to public opinion.
• Li Yuan and Wei Ziran cooperate tactically by limiting their realms and conserving strength. After losing, Wei Ziran acknowledges Li Yuan’s superior ability and entrusts him with the upcoming battles.

Plot points and events

• Pei Xiaoyan wins her opening match easily, using foreign-looking techniques to disguise her continued reliance on domestic methods.
• The first round concludes, setting up the tournament’s main event: domestic competitors facing foreign martial artists.
• Before the draw, Second Brother Pei urges the team to stay composed and fight honorably, while admitting he hopes they can defeat Pei Xiaoyan’s side.
• Li Yuan warns that Pei Xiaoyan may have shared domestic fighters’ habits and tactics with the foreigners. He advises the team not to change long-established habits at the last minute, but to avoid relying on any single decisive move and prepare follow-ups.
• Li Yuan draws number nine. His bracket could lead to a match with Yamamoto Shin, Pei Xiaoyan’s partner, after his first two bouts.
• Pei Xiaoyan approaches Li Yuan, boasts of her broader horizons and superior choice of partner, and urges him to win his first two rounds so he can face Yamamoto. She leaves after Second Brother Pei angrily tells her to go, adding that Yamamoto is stronger than she is.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yuan shows strategic judgment, offering practical advice that the team accepts. He is intrigued by the possibility of facing Yamamoto.
• Second Brother Pei acts as the team’s supportive leader, emphasizing dignity and unity, but his anger reveals deep resentment toward Pei Xiaoyan.
• Pei Xiaoyan displays confidence and contempt for her former family, framing her foreign partner as evidence of her superior perspective. Her challenge to Li Yuan makes Yamamoto the looming focus of the tournament.
• The team listens to Li Yuan’s tactical reasoning, while Second Brother Pei directly confronts Pei Xiaoyan and she dismisses him.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and betrayal: Pei Xiaoyan’s departure from her family remains a source of bitterness, especially for those who feel the family invested in her.
• Preparation versus adaptability: Li Yuan argues that sound strategy means adapting within one’s established skills rather than attempting a risky last-minute overhaul.
• Pride and national identity: The tournament becomes a contest over honor as well as victory, with both sides’ reputations and allegiances at stake.
• Perception and status: Pei Xiaoyan treats her partner and foreign connections as proof of superior judgment, while the chapter sets up a test of those claims through competition.

Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Pei Xiaoyan remains obsessed with surpassing her former rival, Xia Zhao. Since both women are now married, Pei shifts her competitive focus toward comparing their husbands.
• After learning that Xia Zhao’s husband, Li Yuan, is a middle school teacher, Pei mocks him publicly on social media and posts a secretly taken photograph, implying that Xia Zhao could only find an inferior partner in Xia Kingdom.
• Xia Jin shows the post to Li Yuan, drawing attention to the growing public controversy surrounding him.
• The Dragon River Forest Trial Tournament resumes with sixteen matches. The first Xia Kingdom fighter, Lin Xu, faces a foreign opponent who already knows the techniques commonly used by Xia Kingdom martial artists.
• Lin Xu fights steadily despite being disadvantaged, but ultimately loses. Pei Xiaoyan immediately uses his defeat to disparage both him and Xia Kingdom martial artists.
• The tournament reveals that foreign competitors have studied Xia Kingdom’s martial arts in depth, largely because Pei Xiaoyan has demonstrated and explained those techniques to them.
• Across the remaining matches, Xia Kingdom fighters struggle against opponents who understand their styles. The final tally is six domestic victories and ten foreign victories.
• Li Yuan wins his own match with ease. His opponent cannot identify any consistent style in Li Yuan’s movements, while Li Yuan’s ability to perceive flaws allows him to exploit every opening.
• Pei Xiaoyan posts another condescending message, portraying Li Yuan’s decisive victory as a barely earned win and expressing hope that he survives long enough to face Yamamoto Shin.
• In the next knockout round, Li Yuan is matched against Second Brother Pei. After exchanging only a few moves, Second Brother Pei recognizes Li Yuan’s overwhelming strength and concedes.
• Li Yuan advances, likely setting up the anticipated confrontation with Yamamoto Shin. Pei Xiaoyan celebrates, convinced that this fight will prove the superiority of foreign Martial Dao.

Character Developments

• Pei Xiaoyan is shown to be deeply insecure beneath her arrogance. She relies on foreign Martial Dao and seeks validation by comparing Xia Zhao’s husband with her own partner, Yamamoto Shin. Her public mockery also reveals her willingness to betray or undermine Xia Kingdom martial artists.
• Li Yuan demonstrates exceptional confidence and control. His unorthodox, styleless movements and Flaw Insight make him difficult to predict and allow him to dismantle opponents efficiently.
• Xia Zhao does not appear directly, but her marriage remains central to Pei Xiaoyan’s rivalry and resentment.
• Lin Xu displays determination and composure after realizing his opponent has studied his techniques, though he is ultimately defeated by the opponent’s preparation and superior advantage.
• Second Brother Pei develops a more accurate understanding of Li Yuan’s ability. He abandons his earlier skepticism and accepts that Li Yuan is strong enough to represent the team in the later rounds.
• Wei Ziran’s previous assessment of Li Yuan is indirectly vindicated when Second Brother Pei realizes that Li Yuan’s strength is genuine rather than exaggerated.

Significant Themes

• Preparation versus adaptability: Foreign fighters gain an advantage by studying Xia Kingdom’s predictable techniques, while Li Yuan succeeds because his fighting style cannot be easily analyzed.
• National pride and betrayal: The tournament becomes more than a competition, as Pei Xiaoyan’s actions expose commonly used Xia Kingdom techniques and contribute directly to her countrymen’s defeats.
• Public image and humiliation: Social media amplifies the rivalry, allowing Pei to belittle Li Yuan and the defeated fighters while shaping how the public interprets their performances.
• True strength versus empty confidence: Pei boasts about foreign superiority, but Li Yuan’s effortless victories suggest that genuine power does not require publicity or external validation.
• Rivalry and comparison: Pei’s long-standing competition with Xia Zhao has evolved into a contest over their husbands, making Li Yuan’s progress personally important to her.

Character Interactions

• Xia Jin informs Li Yuan of Pei Xiaoyan’s insulting post, linking the personal rivalry to the public tournament.
• Lin Xu receives encouragement from Second Brother Pei after his loss and apologizes despite having fought honorably.
• Li Yuan’s performance confirms Wei Ziran’s earlier claims about his strength.
• Second Brother Pei initially confronts Li Yuan but quickly recognizes the gap between them and voluntarily concedes.
• Pei Xiaoyan repeatedly uses social media to provoke and demean Li Yuan, while Li Yuan remains focused on fighting and advancing toward Yamamoto Shin.

Chapter Summary: “Li Yuan Makes His Move”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After his match, Li Yuan returns to the rest area, where Pei Xiaoyan immediately approaches him.
• Pei Xiaoyan asks Li Yuan to persuade his wife, Xia Zhao, to travel abroad with her so Xia Zhao can gain an “international perspective.” She also criticizes Li Yuan for marrying Xia Zhao, claiming Xia Zhao should have married a foreign martial artist instead.
• Second Brother Pei repeatedly orders Pei Xiaoyan to leave and condemns her interference, but she ignores him and continues talking.
• Pei Xiaoyan warns Li Yuan about his upcoming confrontation with Yamamoto Shin, suggesting that he study Yamamoto’s techniques so his eventual defeat will be less humiliating. Li Yuan responds by moving away and refusing to engage with her.
• The tournament continues with a match between Yamamoto Shin and the previously underestimated Cole Anderson, a Northern European martial artist.
• Li Yuan realizes that Cole has deliberately hidden most of his strength in earlier matches and has pretended to be weaker than he really is.
• Yamamoto initially relies on his country’s famed deceptive footwork, creating afterimages and confusing movements. However, Cole’s overwhelming physical power renders the technique ineffective.
• Cole abandons his low-profile strategy and defeats Yamamoto decisively with a powerful barrage of attacks.
• The spectators are shocked by Cole’s concealed strength. The foreign martial artists, who had respected Yamamoto, are especially surprised.
• Pei Xiaoyan immediately shifts her admiration from Yamamoto to Cole, using his victory to praise foreign martial artists and insult domestic martial artists.
• Xia Jin and others mock Pei Xiaoyan about Yamamoto’s loss. She responds by claiming that Cole’s victory proves foreign martial artists possess extraordinary hidden potential and that Xia Kingdom martial artists lack independence.
• The chapter ends with concern over Li Yuan’s chances against Cole. Although defeating Yamamoto had seemed difficult, Cole’s unexpected dominance makes Li Yuan’s next match appear even more dangerous.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan remains calm, observant, and unwilling to waste time arguing with Pei Xiaoyan. His ability to recognize the true nature of Cole’s strength highlights his sharp perception.
• Pei Xiaoyan is shown as arrogant, self-important, and deeply biased in favor of foreign martial artists. She changes her loyalties instantly depending on who wins and rationalizes every result as proof of foreign superiority.
• Second Brother Pei becomes openly hostile toward Pei Xiaoyan, recognizing that she is meddling in another couple’s affairs.
• Cole Anderson develops from an apparently insignificant competitor into the chapter’s greatest surprise. His hidden strength, patience, and desire for international recognition establish him as a serious threat.
• Yamamoto Shin, previously regarded as a powerful and promising fighter, is exposed as completely outmatched by Cole.
• Xia Jin and the other Xia Kingdom spectators grow more skeptical of Pei Xiaoyan and recognize the inconsistency of her arguments.

Significant Themes

• Prejudice and inferiority complexes: Pei Xiaoyan automatically assumes foreign martial artists are superior, even when the evidence changes. Her attitude reflects an internalized belief that domestic talent is inherently inferior.
• Appearance versus reality: Cole’s deliberately weak performances conceal his true ability, while Yamamoto’s impressive afterimage technique is revealed to be largely an illusion.
• Strength over reputation: Yamamoto has greater fame and a more recognizable style, but Cole’s actual power proves more important than public reputation.
• National pride and resilience: The chapter contrasts Pei Xiaoyan’s contempt for the Xia Kingdom with the pride of its martial artists, who are willing to train, recover from defeat, and challenge stronger opponents.
• Opportunism: Pei Xiaoyan constantly changes her interpretation of events to support whatever position allows her to praise foreigners and criticize her own country.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Yuan and Pei Xiaoyan: Pei Xiaoyan attempts to involve Li Yuan in Xia Zhao’s affairs and belittles his marriage and martial ability. Li Yuan dismisses her by silently moving away.
• Pei Xiaoyan and Second Brother Pei: He repeatedly tells her to leave, while she ignores him, emphasizing her shamelessness and refusal to recognize boundaries.
• Yamamoto Shin and Cole Anderson: Their match reveals the vast difference between Yamamoto’s technical deception and Cole’s overwhelming strength.
• Pei Xiaoyan and Xia Jin’s group: They ridicule her after Yamamoto loses, but she turns the defeat into another excuse to glorify foreign martial artists.
• Li Yuan and the tournament: Though he does not fight in this chapter, his observations establish that he understands Cole’s abilities better than almost everyone else, setting up the coming confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Stunned Pei Xiaoyan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Cole Anderson defeats Li Yuan’s fellow Xia Kingdom martial artist, the Xia Kingdom participants lose confidence and worry about Li Yuan’s upcoming match.
• Xia Jin and Second Brother Pei comfort Li Yuan, reminding him that the tournament is meant for experience and that victory is not everything. Li Yuan remains calm and reassures them.
• Only three Xia Kingdom martial artists remain against five foreign competitors.
• Pei Xiaoyan continues openly praising Cole on social media while disparaging Xia Kingdom martial arts. She even shouts advice and criticism at Li Yuan before his match, insisting that he is certain to lose.
• Yamamoto Shin, Pei Xiaoyan’s husband, continues to look down on her family and the Xia Kingdom, refusing to interact with Second Brother Pei.
• When the match begins, Li Yuan uses the Extreme Force Form of the Cloud Extreme Fist rather than his more powerful Collapse Extreme Fist.
• Cole is immediately surprised and knocked backward by the concentrated strength of Li Yuan’s attack. His earlier confidence disappears as Li Yuan repeatedly identifies and exploits weaknesses in his technique.
• Cole attempts both aggressive and defensive strategies, but each exposes further flaws. Li Yuan controls the fight, forcing Cole into increasingly awkward retreats and evasions.
• The spectators realize that Li Yuan is holding back and could have dealt even heavier blows.
• Foreign martial artists become solemn observers, while Pei Xiaoyan is left pale, stunned, and unable to explain away Cole’s obvious defeat.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Demonstrates exceptional calm, confidence, and technical superiority. He shows mercy by restraining his attacks while completely reading and controlling Cole’s movements.
• Cole Anderson: Begins arrogant and certain of victory, believing Li Yuan will be easily eliminated. He becomes serious and increasingly flustered after discovering that Li Yuan’s strength and technique far exceed his expectations.
• Pei Xiaoyan: Her deep prejudice toward Xia Kingdom martial arts is exposed. Even as Cole is clearly overwhelmed, she continues making excuses for him; by the end, she is visibly shaken and speechless.
• Yamamoto Shin: His contempt for the Xia Kingdom and Pei Xiaoyan’s relatives is emphasized. He remains passive while Pei Xiaoyan criticizes Li Yuan and does not acknowledge her family.
• Xia Kingdom participants: Initially discouraged, they regain confidence and excitement as Li Yuan gains the upper hand.
• Second Brother Pei and Xia Jin: Act supportively toward Li Yuan, revealing the camaraderie among the Xia Kingdom participants.

Significant Themes

• Prejudice versus reality: Pei Xiaoyan’s belief in foreign superiority collapses when confronted with Li Yuan’s undeniable skill.
• Humility and overconfidence: Cole’s arrogance prevents him from recognizing Li Yuan as a serious opponent, while Li Yuan’s composure allows him to dominate.
• Technical mastery over brute strength: Although Cole relies on powerful, straightforward attacks, Li Yuan wins through precision, timing, and identifying vulnerabilities.
• National pride and camaraderie: The Xia Kingdom fighters support one another despite setbacks, and Li Yuan’s performance restores their morale.
• Bias and denial: Pei Xiaoyan repeatedly invents explanations for Cole’s poor performance rather than accepting that he has been thoroughly outmatched.

Character Interactions

• Xia Jin and Second Brother Pei encourage Li Yuan before the match, strengthening the sense of unity among the Xia Kingdom fighters.
• Pei Xiaoyan verbally attacks Li Yuan and praises Cole, provoking Second Brother Pei into arguing with her.
• Yamamoto Shin’s silence and dismissive attitude toward Pei Xiaoyan’s family reveal his contempt for the Xia Kingdom.
• During the match, Li Yuan’s precise counters repeatedly disrupt Cole’s attacks, turning what was expected to be an easy victory for Cole into a one-sided demonstration of Li Yuan’s superiority.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Pei Xiaoyan’s Martial Dao progress has stagnated since going abroad because she lacks confidence in her own origins and continues to underestimate Xia Kingdom martial artists.
• Li Yuan overwhelms Cole during their match. Even after Cole uses a dangerous technique that temporarily boosts his physical strength and stamina, Li Yuan remains in control.
• Li Yuan tests his newly learned techniques, including the Space Breaking Technique, which creates invisible Qi barriers that disrupt Cole’s attacks and expose his weaknesses.
• Li Yuan’s talent, “The More You Fight, the Braver You Become,” activates during the battle, increasing his strength by more than thirty percent.
• Li Yuan defeats Cole decisively but deliberately stops short of striking him directly, preserving his opponent’s dignity.
• Cole acknowledges the defeat respectfully and thanks Li Yuan for sparing him unnecessary humiliation before leaving the ring.
• Li Yuan then challenges Pei Xiaoyan and Yamamoto Shin, criticizing Pei Xiaoyan’s claims that foreign martial artists are inherently superior to those from Xia Kingdom.
• He gives Yamamoto Shin five minutes to enter the ring, intending to settle the dispute publicly and expose Pei Xiaoyan’s supposed “international perspective.”
• When Yamamoto hesitates, Li Yuan further provokes Pei Xiaoyan, sarcastically suggesting that she fight him herself if her chosen champion refuses.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan demonstrates overwhelming strength, technical control, and confidence. He is not only powerful but also considerate, choosing to defeat Cole without humiliating him. However, Pei Xiaoyan’s insults toward Xia Kingdom and Li Yuan’s family push him into openly confrontational behavior.
• Cole proves himself determined and respectful. Though he uses a desperate strength-enhancing technique, he recognizes the gap between himself and Li Yuan and accepts defeat honorably.
• Pei Xiaoyan is revealed as deeply biased and insecure. Her admiration for foreign martial artists appears less like genuine objectivity and more like a rejection of her own background. Even after witnessing Li Yuan’s superiority, she remains committed to her prejudiced views.
• Yamamoto Shin loses confidence after seeing Cole’s defeat. Since he previously lost badly to Cole, he realizes he is unlikely to defeat Li Yuan and becomes hesitant to accept the challenge.
• Xia Jin feels both satisfaction at Pei Xiaoyan’s embarrassment and astonishment at Li Yuan’s ability. Other martial artists begin praising Li Yuan and Xia Zhao’s judgment in recognizing his talent.

Significant Themes

• Confidence and self-perception: Martial progress depends not only on technique but also on confidence and acceptance of one’s origins.
• National identity and internalized prejudice: Pei Xiaoyan’s contempt for Xia Kingdom reflects a rejection of her homeland and an attempt to elevate herself through association with foreign culture.
• Strength with dignity: Li Yuan’s treatment of Cole shows that true superiority includes restraint and respect for an opponent.
• Words versus reality: Pei Xiaoyan’s ideological claims are challenged by the undeniable results of the martial contest.
• The corruption of noble concepts: Li Yuan criticizes how terms such as “international perspective” and “independent thinking” have been twisted into excuses for contempt and self-denigration.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan and Cole fight respectfully, with Li Yuan testing his abilities while deliberately avoiding an unnecessarily humiliating finishing blow.
• Cole responds with gratitude, recognizing Li Yuan’s restraint and acknowledging the match as a clean contest without personal hostility.
• Li Yuan directly confronts Pei Xiaoyan, turning her own claims against her and demanding that Yamamoto Shin prove them in the ring.
• Yamamoto Shin’s hesitation exposes his fear and lack of confidence after witnessing Li Yuan’s victory.
• The Xia Kingdom spectators rally behind Li Yuan, while many foreign martial artists watch neutrally and privately disapprove of Pei Xiaoyan’s behavior.

Chapter Summary: “Li Yuan Claims the Crown”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Pei Xiaoyan admits internally that, despite years of studying foreign Martial Dao, she is not strong enough to defeat Yamamoto Shin, much less Li Yuan.
• Fearing a humiliating defeat, she pleads with Yamamoto for help, but he coldly refuses, insisting that she resolve the trouble she created herself.
• Li Yuan publicly rebukes Pei Xiaoyan for her double standards and her habit of belittling Xia Kingdom while glorifying foreign martial arts. He warns her to learn independent thinking and recognize the difference between truth and empty rhetoric.
• Cole’s defeat and Li Yuan’s performance completely undermine Pei Xiaoyan’s previous arguments. Unable to respond, she becomes the target of ridicule both domestically and overseas.
• As the tournament continues, the other Xia Kingdom competitor is eliminated, but Li Yuan keeps winning and ultimately claims the championship.
• Li Yuan’s victory restores the pride of the local spectators and compensates for Xia Kingdom’s disappointing performance in the previous tournament.
• During the award ceremony, people mock Pei Xiaoyan by asking about her claims regarding independent thinking and Yamamoto’s superiority. She is left speechless.
• A celebration banquet is held, but the foreign martial artists do not attend, revealing that Pei Xiaoyan’s idealized view of foreign social relationships is also misleading.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Demonstrates overwhelming martial strength and growing confidence. He also becomes more outspoken, directly challenging Pei Xiaoyan’s hypocrisy rather than remaining silent.
• Pei Xiaoyan: Suffers a public collapse of credibility. She begins to question her choices, her marriage, and her rejection of Xia Kingdom, but concludes that she has gone too far to turn back.
• Yamamoto Shin: Reveals himself to be emotionally detached and unwilling to support Pei Xiaoyan. His refusal exposes the weakness of their supposedly “independent” relationship.
• Cole: Though not central to the chapter’s later events, his earlier defeat by Li Yuan serves as decisive evidence against Pei Xiaoyan’s claims of foreign superiority.
• Pei Xiaoyan’s parents: Through her memories, her mother and father are reassessed. Pei Xiaoyan realizes that although her mother’s marriage involved restrictions, her father accepted responsibility and protected the family during hardship.

Significant Themes

• Reality versus self-deception: Pei Xiaoyan’s belief in foreign superiority collapses when actual competition exposes the gap between her rhetoric and reality.
• Accountability: Li Yuan insists that people must face the consequences of their own words and actions instead of hiding behind excuses or others’ reputations.
• The limits of idealization: Pei Xiaoyan romanticized foreign Martial Dao, society, and marriage, but discovers that each was less admirable than she imagined.
• Support and responsibility in relationships: Her comparison between her parents and Yamamoto highlights the difference between personal freedom and genuine mutual support.
• Public humiliation and reputational collapse: Social media turns Pei Xiaoyan’s old statements into evidence against her, transforming her former confidence into lasting ridicule.
• National pride and collective relief: Li Yuan’s championship gives the Xia Kingdom spectators a sense of vindication and releases the resentment caused by earlier defeats.

Important Character Interactions

• Pei Xiaoyan and Yamamoto Shin: Her desperate plea for assistance is met with indifference, revealing the emotional isolation within their marriage.
• Li Yuan and Pei Xiaoyan: Li Yuan confronts her publicly, attacking the double standards behind her opinions and forcing her into silence.
• Pei Xiaoyan and the spectators/social media users: Formerly confident in her public commentary, she becomes the subject of sarcasm and mockery after Li Yuan’s victory.
• Pei Xiaoyan and her memories of her parents: She reconsiders her childhood judgment of her mother and recognizes the value of a partner who accepts responsibility.
• Local spectators and Li Yuan: His victory restores their confidence and earns him widespread approval, even though the other Xia Kingdom martial artists receive little individual recognition.

Chapter Summary:

Jin Lou’s Decision

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Xia Kingdom celebrates Li Yuan’s success in the Dragon River Forest Trial Tournament, which prevents another humiliating defeat and temporarily eases the organizers’ crisis.
• Second Brother Pei thanks Li Yuan for helping prevent Yamamoto Yan from gloating again. He also expresses guilt over the Pei Family’s role in Pei Xiaoyan’s betrayal and disgrace.
• Li Yuan comforts him by arguing that family members and teachers can guide others, but individuals ultimately make their own choices. This helps ease Second Brother Pei’s burden.
• Li Yuan and Xia Jin travel back toward the Xia Family Estate. Xia Ping and Xia Cheng are surprised by Li Yuan’s unexpected victory, since they had originally sent him mainly to gain experience and possibly suffer a setback.
• Li Yuan worries because Xia Zhao has not responded to his messages for two days. He plans to check in with the family before returning to Lingshan City.
• At the Jin Family compound, the Rainbow-Scaled Tiger corpse intended for Jin Fan’s treatment has been ruined after more than three months in storage. The valuable Brocade Sinew was damaged, and the Jin Family could not hire any skilled Anatomists.
• The Jin Family’s inexperienced Anatomists fail to extract even the tiger’s organs, eliminating their chance to use the corpse to heal Jin Fan.
• Jin Fan loses hope of recovery and focuses entirely on revenge. He considers allowing a Grandmaster to use him for dangerous medicine testing if that is the only way to gain power.
• Jin Lou, pressured by Jin Fan’s resentment and desperation, finally decides to personally attack Li Yuan and urges Jin Fan to stop sacrificing himself.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan shows maturity and compassion by rejecting the idea that the Pei Family is entirely responsible for Pei Xiaoyan’s choices. His perspective reflects his experience as a teacher and strengthens his relationship with Second Brother Pei.
• Second Brother Pei reveals deep guilt and emotional exhaustion over the Pei Family’s disgrace, but Li Yuan’s words give him some relief.
• Xia Ping and Xia Cheng recognize that Li Yuan has exceeded their expectations. Their earlier assumptions about the tournament’s likely outcome are proven wrong.
• Jin Fan becomes increasingly consumed by bitterness and revenge. He has abandoned hope of recovery and resents Jin Lou for refusing to take action.
• Jin Lou moves from caution and hesitation to open determination. Fearing that Jin Fan will destroy himself, he agrees to risk directly confronting Li Yuan.

Significant Themes

• Personal responsibility versus outside influence: Li Yuan emphasizes that families and teachers can guide people, but individuals remain responsible for their own decisions.
• Guilt and redemption: Second Brother Pei believes the Pei Family must repay the damage associated with Pei Xiaoyan, while Li Yuan challenges his excessive self-blame.
• Hope versus revenge: Jin Fan’s lost hope of recovery leaves revenge as his only perceived purpose.
• The consequences of delay and failure: The Jin Family’s inability to secure a master Anatomist causes the Rainbow-Scaled Tiger corpse to spoil, eliminating a crucial chance to save Jin Fan.
• Family loyalty and sacrifice: Jin Lou is willing to endanger himself to prevent Jin Fan from sacrificing his body and future to obtain revenge.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Yuan and Second Brother Pei: Their toast becomes a sincere conversation about guilt, responsibility, and the limits of parental or familial influence.
• Li Yuan and Xia Jin: They travel home together, with Xia Jin suggesting they stop for breakfast and helping maintain a relaxed atmosphere before returning to the elders.
• Li Yuan and Xia Zhao: Though Xia Zhao does not appear directly, Li Yuan’s unanswered messages reveal his concern for her.
• Jin Lou and Jin Fan: Their exchange is the chapter’s central confrontation. Jin Fan accuses Jin Lou of refusing to help, while Jin Lou ultimately yields and promises to personally attack Li Yuan.

Chapter Summary: Discussion Between Jin Lou and Jin Fan

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jin Lou and Jin Fan discuss taking revenge on Li Yuan. Jin Lou initially hesitates because attacking another Martial Artist is a serious crime and would risk severe punishment for both himself and the Jin Family.
• Li Yuan’s recent marriage to Xia Zhao has greatly increased his status and connected him to the powerful Xia Family. Any attack against him would therefore provoke the Xia Family’s retaliation.
• Jin Lou ultimately promises to personally plan an attack on Li Yuan and attempts to reassure Jin Fan that he will find a way to cripple Li Yuan, allowing Jin Fan to finish him off later.
• Jin Fan’s despair is partly caused by his physical injuries but primarily by his hatred and jealousy toward Li Yuan, especially because Li Yuan married Xia Zhao—a woman Jin Fan believes should have been his.
• Li Yuan returns to Lingshan City after visiting the Xia Family. His strength has improved significantly, particularly through his “The More You Fight, the Braver You Become” talent and his developing mastery of the Space Breaking Technique.
• He considers combining Space Breaking Technique with his blade and movement techniques. His Qi barriers can strengthen Blade Qi, but he avoids using the most dangerous applications during the Dragon River Forest tournament to prevent seriously injuring opponents.
• After returning, Li Yuan resumes his duties as Vice Principal at Lingshan No. 1 High School, which is hosting an exchange delegation from a central-city school.
• Li Yuan encounters Gu Yu, Jin Fan’s junior martial brother and a former intern at the school. Gu Yu is nervous around him because he knows about Li Yuan’s victory over Jin Fan, marriage to Xia Zhao, and completion of the A-level Trailblazing Mission.

Character Developments

• Jin Lou: Shifts from caution to determined action, deciding that he must personally deal with Li Yuan despite the political and legal risks. He remains protective of Jin Fan and tries to restore his hope.
• Jin Fan: Reveals that his hatred is driven by wounded pride, jealousy, and resentment over Li Yuan’s increasingly successful life. His recovery gives him renewed motivation to seek revenge.
• Li Yuan: Becomes more powerful and confident, with improved endurance, combat ability, and technical understanding. He is also increasingly calm and composed when facing former enemies or rivals.
• Gu Yu: His earlier judgment that Li Yuan was exceptional is proven correct. Unlike Jin Fan, Gu Yu recognizes Li Yuan’s strength and now feels intimidated by him.

Significant Themes

• Revenge and jealousy: Jin Fan’s obsession with Li Yuan is fueled less by his injury than by envy over Li Yuan’s success and marriage to Xia Zhao.
• Power and political consequences: Martial strength cannot be used freely against other people; Li Yuan’s connection to the Xia Family makes attacking him especially dangerous.
• Growth through hardship: Li Yuan’s abilities improve through combat experience, particularly in prolonged battles against Fierce Beasts.
• Restraint and responsibility: Although Li Yuan possesses increasingly dangerous techniques, he deliberately avoids seriously harming opponents and continues to take his teaching duties seriously.
• Changing status: Li Yuan has moved from being underestimated to becoming one of the strongest members of the younger generation, while Jin Fan’s position and confidence have deteriorated.

Character Interactions

• Jin Lou comforts Jin Fan and promises to personally arrange an attack against Li Yuan, even suggesting that Li Yuan may be left alive for Jin Fan to defeat.
• Li Yuan maintains a professional relationship with the Xia Family before returning home.
• At the school exchange, Li Yuan and Gu Yu meet again. Gu Yu avoids attention and remains visibly uneasy, while Li Yuan handles the encounter with calm confidence.
• The contrast between Jin Fan’s emotional fixation and Li Yuan’s composed development highlights how differently the two men respond to victory, failure, and changing circumstances.

Chapter Summary: “Danger by His Side”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The three-day exchange meeting concludes successfully. Li Yuan’s promotion of Chen Yong to Teaching Affairs Director begins to show results, as Chen becomes more diligent and proactive in his work.
• Li Yuan’s reforms—particularly the improved bonuses and better incentives—have transformed the atmosphere at Lingshan No. 1 High School. Teachers are now more motivated, internships have increased, and more teachers are seeking permanent positions.
• Gu Yu returns from the exchange meeting and unexpectedly sees his injured senior fellow apprentice, Jin Fan, in Lingshan City.
• Suspecting that Jin Fan has come to target Li Yuan, Gu Yu informs Li Yuan through a former colleague. Gu Yu does this partly to improve his relationship with Li Yuan and distance himself from Jin Fan.
• Li Yuan receives confirmation from both the school and Xia Cheng that Jin Fan has left the Jin family estate and traveled toward Lingshan City.
• Because of their irreconcilable hostility, Li Yuan assumes Jin Fan’s arrival is connected to an assassination attempt or another plot against him.
• Li Yuan begins taking precautions. He relies on his Eidetic Memory Talent to memorize suspicious people and has already installed surveillance cameras around his home.
• After several days of observing his surroundings, Li Yuan notices an unfamiliar person watching him from a windowsill. Rather than immediately confronting them, he plans to track and investigate the watcher.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Demonstrates confidence in his reforms and his ability to support Chen Yong. He remains calm and analytical despite the danger posed by Jin Fan. His increased strength, surveillance preparations, and use of eidetic memory show that he is no longer as vulnerable as he was during the Stone Peak River incident.
• Chen Yong: Becomes significantly more hardworking after receiving the promotion. His change illustrates how meaningful rewards and opportunities can motivate employees who previously appeared passive or unambitious.
• Gu Yu: Reveals his opportunistic and pragmatic nature. Because of his poor relationship with Jin Fan and his desire to gain Li Yuan’s favor, he willingly reports Jin Fan’s movements. His actions also reflect his recognition of Li Yuan’s growing status and connection to the Xia Family.
• Jin Fan: Though injured and physically disabled, he remains a serious threat. His unexplained arrival in Lingshan City suggests that he may be planning revenge against Li Yuan or arranging for others to attack him.
• Xia Cheng: Shows increasing concern and approval toward Li Yuan. He now views Li Yuan as a valuable potential member of the Xia Family’s broader business and industrial plans.

Significant Themes

• Incentives and institutional reform: Li Yuan’s reforms demonstrate that employees often become more dedicated when hard work is properly rewarded and responsibility is fairly distributed.
• Ambition and social mobility: Li Yuan’s rise from teacher to vice principal, along with the Xia Family’s growing regard for him, changes how others treat him and encourages people like Gu Yu to seek his favor.
• Betrayal and opportunism: Gu Yu’s decision to expose Jin Fan reflects the unstable loyalties created by power struggles and personal resentment.
• Vigilance and strategic conflict: The conflict between Li Yuan and Jin Fan has become a long-term confrontation in which both sides observe, anticipate, and prepare for the other’s moves.
• Power and protection: Li Yuan’s increasing strength and his alliance with the Xia Family give him greater protection, but the chapter emphasizes that power does not eliminate danger; it requires constant awareness.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan promotes and supports Chen Yong, helping create a more motivated working relationship within the school.
• Gu Yu avoids speaking directly to Jin Fan but secretly informs Li Yuan of his arrival, hoping to repair his relationship with Li Yuan.
• Li Yuan receives warnings from both a school colleague and Xia Cheng, reinforcing the extent of the Xia Family’s intelligence network and concern for his safety.
• Xia Cheng offers Li Yuan protection and encourages him to seek help if the situation becomes difficult, further strengthening their familial and strategic bond.
• The chapter ends with Li Yuan observing a possible enemy, setting up a confrontation in which he intends to turn the surveillance back on the people monitoring him.

Summary: “Principal Yin’s Arrangements”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Principal Yin meets Jin Fan and Jin Lou, a Ninth-Grade Martial Artist of the Jin Family, at a secluded teahouse.
• Although Yin has lost most of his authority at Lingshan No. 1 High School to Vice Principal Li Yuan, he still desperately wants to retain his position and influence.
• Jin Lou assures Yin that they are not blaming him for the Stone Peak River incident, in which Jin Fan was humiliated and defeated. Yin had originally arranged the conference roster, but Jin Fan himself had insisted on attending, so Yin believes he bears no responsibility.
• Jin Lou asks Yin to register the school’s entire leadership team for a teaching lecture in Chishan City that weekend. His real objective is to ensure that Li Yuan attends.
• Yin realizes that the arrangement is likely intended to create an opportunity for Jin Lou to attack Li Yuan. Rather than objecting, he agrees, hoping that Li Yuan’s removal will create a power vacuum and restore Yin’s control over the school.
• Meanwhile, Li Yuan follows the person who has been monitoring him and identifies the meeting place of the Jin Family’s operatives.
• He discovers that Jin Fan and Jin Lou are behind the surveillance and confirms that Jin Lou—not an outside assassin—will likely attempt to kill or seriously harm him.
• Li Yuan returns home and begins carefully planning how to protect himself from the much stronger Ninth-Grade Martial Artist.

Character Developments

• Principal Yin: Revealed as power-hungry, politically opportunistic, and unwilling to surrender his former authority. Though outwardly cautious and submissive toward Jin Lou, he knowingly cooperates with a potentially deadly scheme because he hopes Li Yuan’s downfall will restore his influence.
• Jin Lou: Establishes himself as the Jin Family’s principal enforcer. His Ninth-Grade cultivation intimidates Principal Yin, and his calm, indirect approach shows that he intends to eliminate Li Yuan through a covert operation rather than an openly punishable attack.
• Jin Fan: Appears bitter and vindictive after his previous defeat. He remains involved in the plot against Li Yuan, but Jin Lou seems to be the more decisive and powerful figure.
• Li Yuan: Demonstrates strong awareness, investigative ability, and composure. Using his Eidetic Memory Talent, he identifies and tracks the spy without being detected, uncovers the Jin Family’s plan, and shifts his attention toward survival and preparation.

Significant Themes

• The struggle for power: Principal Yin’s loss of authority and desire to regain control drive his betrayal and cooperation with the Jin Family.
• Political manipulation and indirect conflict: The Jin Family avoids a direct confrontation and uses school arrangements and public events to create an apparently legitimate opportunity to target Li Yuan.
• Strength versus strategy: Although Jin Lou is vastly stronger, Li Yuan’s observation, memory, and caution allow him to detect the threat before it materializes.
• Moral compromise and self-preservation: Yin suppresses his doubts about the planned attack because he believes he can deny responsibility and benefit from Li Yuan’s removal.
• The danger of hidden enemies: The chapter emphasizes that threats can emerge through surveillance, institutional schemes, and covert arrangements rather than open combat.

Character Interactions

• Principal Yin behaves respectfully and nervously toward Jin Lou because of the latter’s overwhelming martial status.
• Jin Lou adopts a deceptively familiar tone by calling Yin “Old Yin,” while still exerting psychological pressure over him.
• Yin attempts to distance himself from Jin Fan’s earlier disaster and present himself as blameless.
• Jin Lou gives Yin a seemingly harmless administrative task, while making clear that Li Yuan must attend the lecture.
• Li Yuan does not confront the Jin Family directly; instead, he silently observes their meeting, confirms their intentions, and returns home to devise defensive measures.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan recognizes that Jin Lou poses a serious threat. Since Jin Lou is a Ninth-Rank Martial Artist and has the advantage of striking from hiding, Li Yuan initially considers fleeing to protect his foundation.
• After assessing his abilities—including the Heavenly Refining Body, Mountain Body-Protecting Qi, heightened perception, Space Breaking Technique, and Wind River Art—Li Yuan concludes that he may survive even a Ninth-Rank ambush.
• The next day, Principal Yin orders all school leaders and department heads to attend a Teaching Lecture in Chishan City. Li Yuan immediately suspects the event is a trap arranged by Jin Lou, especially because Principal Yin has never previously cared about such lectures.
• Li Yuan reasons that traveling to an unfamiliar city will remove him from the security of familiar, camera-monitored routes and give Jin Lou a better chance to attack.
• Rather than avoid the trap, Li Yuan decides to use it against the Jin Family. He plans to provoke an attack that can be documented and publicized, potentially creating legal and public-relations trouble for Jin Lou.
• He also intends to rely on the Xia Family’s influence to keep any resulting controversy online and prevent the Jin Family from suppressing it.
• Knowing the plan will depend on surviving Jin Lou’s first strike, Li Yuan asks Director Zeng to arrange for a powerful and reputable martial expert to attend the lecture secretly.
• Director Zeng says a Grandmaster cannot be brought in unnoticed, but offers an elderly Education Bureau instructor who has reached peak Eighth-Rank Martial Dao. Li Yuan accepts, believing this support may be enough to restrain Jin Lou.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Becomes more strategic and proactive. Instead of simply defending himself or fleeing, he chooses to turn the enemy’s ambush into an opportunity to counterattack. He remains cautious but gains confidence in his defensive abilities and begins carefully planning around Jin Lou’s likely behavior.
• Jin Lou: Is established as the Jin Family’s principal threat to Li Yuan. His status as a Ninth-Rank expert and willingness to personally arrange an attack demonstrate the seriousness of the family’s hostility.
• Principal Yin: His sudden insistence on attendance at the Teaching Lecture makes him appear either manipulated or deliberately involved in a trap. His remaining authority over staff assessments also highlights his declining control within the school.
• Director Zeng: Acts as a practical intermediary for Li Yuan. Though skeptical and irritated by the request for a secret Grandmaster escort, he still helps by offering a strong retired instructor.

Significant Themes

• Self-preservation versus confrontation: Li Yuan begins with the belief that safety comes first, but ultimately decides that confronting danger may be safer than allowing the Jin Family to prepare future, less predictable attacks.
• Strategy and counterstrategy: The chapter focuses on turning an enemy’s plan into a trap for the enemy, emphasizing preparation, information, and controlled risk over brute strength.
• Power and political influence: Martial strength is balanced by institutional authority, surveillance, public opinion, and family connections. The Xia Family’s backing may be as valuable as Li Yuan’s combat ability.
• Visibility and secrecy: Jin Lou’s hidden advantage contrasts with Li Yuan’s exposure. Li Yuan attempts to reverse this by making any attack public and politically dangerous.
• Institutional decline and control: Principal Yin’s weakened authority and fixation on personnel and finances reflect an internal power struggle within the school.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan and Principal Yin: Although they do not directly confront one another, Li Yuan interprets Principal Yin’s sudden order as part of a larger plot connected to Jin Lou.
• Li Yuan and Director Zeng: Li Yuan asks Zeng to secretly recruit a powerful expert. Zeng mocks the unrealistic request for a Grandmaster but ultimately provides a feasible alternative.
• Li Yuan and Jin Lou: Their conflict remains indirect. Li Yuan anticipates Jin Lou’s ambush and deliberately prepares to exploit it rather than simply evade it.
• Li Yuan and the Xia Family: The Xia Family is not physically present, but Li Yuan depends on its protection and media influence to make any attack against him costly for the Jin Family.

Key plot points and events

• Lingshan No. 1 High School’s middle-level staff travel by bus to a teaching lecture in neighboring Chishan City. Principal Yin has gone ahead, unusually eager to attend despite his diminished authority at the school.
• At Li Yuan’s request, the bus collects Elder Ren, a respected retired education official. The vice principals recognize him and accompany him.
• Li Yuan gives Chen Yong a reconnaissance-grade camera and asks him to record the day continuously as evidence, especially if a serious incident occurs. Li suspects the greatest danger will be on an isolated, poorly monitored stretch between the bus and the scenic hotel.
• Elsewhere, Jin Lou and Jin Fan wait on a hillside, with Jin Fan’s mother, Ding Xiaoyue, there to protect him. Jin Lou intends to act against Li Yuan, while Jin Fan insists on witnessing the result.

Character developments

• Li Yuan is cautious and prepared, anticipating danger and arranging for a reliable record of events rather than treating the trip as routine.
• Chen Yong proves dependable: though initially curious, he understands the seriousness of Li Yuan’s warning and agrees to carry out the task carefully.
• Jin Fan shows diminished confidence. He acknowledges that he might not have been able to defeat Li Yuan even before his injury, a marked change from his former sharpness.
• Jin Lou remains committed to helping Jin Fan, but hopes the incident will let his nephew move on afterward.

Character interactions

• Li Yuan confides his concerns to Chen Yong and entrusts him with documenting the trip.
• The vice principals welcome Elder Ren, whose past position and enduring ties to the education system earn him respect.
• Jin Lou urges Jin Fan to regain his composure after the planned confrontation; Jin Fan reassures himself that he still wants to see Li Yuan suffer.
• Ding Xiaoyue is present as Jin Fan’s safeguard if Jin Lou acts.

Significant themes

• Power and authority: Principal Yin’s waning influence contrasts with Li Yuan’s growing sway.
• Preparation and evidence: Li’s insistence on continuous recording suggests danger and the importance of accountability.
• Pride and recovery: Jin Fan’s injury and loss of confidence challenge his former self-image, while his fixation on revenge keeps him from moving on.

Plot points

• Jin Fan remains physically injured and emotionally shattered after his defeat. His uncle, Jin Lou, and Ding Xiaoyue sit with him to rebuild his confidence.
• Jin Lou argues that Li Yuan has less talent and potential than Jin Fan, but more resilience: Li Yuan keeps believing in himself and getting back up. He urges Jin Fan to choose a new goal.
• Jin Lou promises to cripple Li Yuan himself, despite the danger of provoking the Xia Family. Jin Fan declares that he will surpass both Li Yuan and Xia Zhao.
• A bus carrying Li Yuan and officials from Lingshan No. 1 High School arrives at the mountain hotel. Jin Lou masks himself and takes position along the path, instructing Jin Fan and Ding Xiaoyue to leave immediately after the attack.
• Li Yuan detects Jin Lou waiting in ambush and prepares in advance. When Jin Lou attacks, Li Yuan blocks the initial force with condensed qi and readies his blade, surprising the Ninth-Rank attacker. The chapter ends as Li Yuan uses Wiping Blade, first stage: Wiping Force, Unloading Power.

Character developments and interactions

• Jin Fan regains some fighting spirit under Jin Lou’s encouragement and sets Xia Zhao as his ultimate target. He believes Jin Lou is acting out of concern for him, unaware that Jin Lou is actually his father.
• Jin Lou proves skilled at manipulating and motivating Jin Fan, while also showing his willingness to risk the Jin Family’s safety to protect his son. He enjoys Ding Xiaoyue’s admiration.
• Ding Xiaoyue watches Jin Lou’s successful encouragement with growing admiration.
• Li Yuan appears relaxed but remains vigilant; his awareness of the ambush lets him meet the attack prepared rather than be caught off guard.

Significant themes

• Resilience versus raw talent: Jin Lou presents perseverance as Li Yuan’s main advantage and tries to restore Jin Fan’s confidence by contrasting it with supposed limits in Li Yuan’s potential.
• Pride and recovery: Physical healing alone cannot restore Jin Fan; he needs a renewed sense of purpose.
• Family loyalty and hidden motives: Jin Lou’s dangerous intervention is driven by fatherly love that Jin Fan does not recognize.
• Preparation and perception: Li Yuan’s ability to detect danger transforms an ambush into a direct confrontation.

Plot points and events

• Li Yuan rejects the idea of relying on Xia Family elders for protection: that would only make Jin Lou postpone his attack and try again later.
• When Jin Lou launches a surprise attack with Ninth-Rank power, Li Yuan is prepared. His Qi Barrier disrupts the strike, and his Wiping Blade technique removes much of its force.
• Li Yuan counters with a blade attack aimed at Jin Lou’s face covering, then immediately retreats. Jin Lou is left stunned that his attack failed to injure a Seventh-Rank opponent.
• Elder Ren blocks Jin Lou from pursuing, while Li Yuan’s alarm draws attention to the scene. Jin Lou covers his face and escapes.
• Jin Fan and Ding Xiaoyue watch from a distance, then return to the city. Jin Fan’s renewed confidence collapses, and the three gather in tense silence.
• Jin Lou concludes that another attempt would be difficult, but allowing Li Yuan to grow stronger is dangerous. Ding Xiaoyue warns that their immediate problem is now the Xia Family’s likely retaliation.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yuan demonstrates preparation, composure, and technical skill under pressure. He survives not by overpowering Jin Lou, but by weakening the attack, countering, and fleeing before Jin Lou can strike again.
• Jin Lou goes from arrogant certainty to shock and reluctant respect. He can no longer dismiss Li Yuan’s ability, and his fear of Li Yuan’s future growth intensifies.
• Jin Fan loses the confidence Jin Lou had just helped him rebuild. Seeing Li Yuan withstand Jin Lou’s attack makes his ambition to surpass Li Yuan seem distant.
• Ding Xiaoyue urges Jin Fan to leave the scene and later focuses the group on the consequences of their failed plot.
• Elder Ren intervenes to prevent Jin Lou from chasing Li Yuan, helping secure Li Yuan’s escape.

Significant themes

• Preparation versus raw power: Li Yuan survives a much stronger opponent through planning and technique.
• Underestimation and shaken pride: Jin Lou’s assumptions about Li Yuan make the failed attack especially humiliating.
• Ambition and comparison: Jin Fan’s self-belief depends on seeing himself as superior to Li Yuan; that belief crumbles when reality contradicts Jin Lou’s claims.
• Escalating consequences: The failed assassination does not resolve the conflict—it exposes Jin Lou’s actions and places him and his family at odds with the Xia Family.

Key plot points and events

• Jin Lou and Ding Xiaoyue discuss Li Yuan with unmistakable admiration, revealing that they doubt Jin Fan could defeat him—even if Jin Fan were fully recovered.
• Jin Fan confronts them, demanding an honest comparison. When they avoid answering, he spirals into anger and insecurity.
• Jin Lou bluntly tells Jin Fan that he is inferior to Li Yuan, criticizes his training and behavior, and blames him for creating a crisis with the Xia Family. Jin Fan collapses into despair.
• At the hotel hosting the Teaching Lecture, news spreads that an attempted attack has failed. Li Yuan’s video helps the story circulate, while people mistakenly assume the attack may have targeted someone in education generally.
• Principal Yin, who had expected Jin Lou to succeed, initially celebrates privately. Learning the target escaped, he searches the hotel to check whether Li Yuan is injured.
• Yin finds Li Yuan unharmed and realizes the plan has failed.

Character developments and interactions

• Jin Fan is exposed as deeply insecure: he wants reassurance but distrusts it, and Jin Lou’s harsh judgment leaves him devastated.
• Jin Lou drops his efforts to placate Jin Fan and speaks with angry candor, while his failed attack underscores that Li Yuan is more formidable than expected.
• Ding Xiaoyue tries to comfort Jin Fan but cannot resolve his doubts.
• Li Yuan remains calm and unharmed; the recording of the incident helps shape public understanding of the attack.
• Principal Yin shifts from satisfaction to alarm as he learns the attack failed, then confirms it by seeing Li Yuan himself.

Significant themes

• Insecurity and denial: Jin Fan’s desire to be believed in conflicts with his awareness of his own limitations.
• Truth versus false reassurance: Jin Lou’s bluntness breaks through the family’s earlier attempts to shield Jin Fan.
• Reputation and perception: The incident’s account spreads through the hotel, shaping rumors and anxiety.
• Overconfidence and failure: Principal Yin’s confidence in the plan collapses when Li Yuan survives.