Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Yao Jianyue’s Rebuke”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan learns that Jin Fan’s Snow Shadow Mountain training qualification has been revoked. The person who granted Jin Fan the qualification discovered that he had used it as a wager and took it back after Jin Fan lost.
• Li Yuan’s own qualification is also confirmed to be unavailable, but Jin Fan’s loss prevents him from gaining any advantage from the situation.
• Jin Fan and Gu Yu both stay away from school after their defeats. Their colleagues mock them, criticizing Jin Fan’s motives for entering education and Gu Yu’s lack of commitment as an intern.
• Director Liu attempts to assign tasks, but the teachers increasingly ignore the school leadership. Principal Yin and the administration have lost authority because Yin’s previous judgments—particularly about Gu Yu, Li Yuan, and Yin Yi—have proven unreliable.
• The Organization Department begins an open assessment of Li Yuan for possible promotion. Director Zeng privately encourages him, explaining that the decision-makers are satisfied with his performance and may promote him further if he continues developing.
• Li Yuan is reminded that advancement as a martial arts teacher depends not only on teaching ability but also on Martial Dao strength, since students and parents expect teachers in higher positions to possess sufficient authority and skill.
• While Li Yuan meets with the Organization Department, Principal Yin gathers several administrators to devise a way to prevent Li Yuan’s promotion from threatening their positions and privileges.
• That night, Jin Fan and Gu Yu receive a video call from their mentor, Yao Jianyue. Yao orders Gu Yu to remain at the school until he defeats Li Yuan, a middle school teacher, and tells him not to return if he cannot win.
• Yao then turns his anger toward Jin Fan, rebuking him for wasting the rare opportunity to train at Snow Shadow Mountain after gaining the favor of the prodigy Xia Zhao.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Remains calm and pragmatic despite losing the Snow Shadow Mountain opportunity. His growing reputation and demonstrated victories have weakened Principal Yin’s influence and earned him consideration for promotion. He also recognizes that he must strengthen his Martial Dao realm to advance further.
• Jin Fan: Suffers a major setback after losing both the wager and the training qualification. His normally privileged position is shaken, and he becomes visibly dejected under Yao Jianyue’s criticism.
• Gu Yu: Avoids school after another defeat and is ordered by Yao Jianyue to remain until he defeats Li Yuan. His continued failure and dependence on his mentor’s approval reveal his declining confidence and status.
• Yao Jianyue: Appears as a strict and disappointed mentor. Although he had been proud that Jin Fan earned Xia Zhao’s favor, he now views Jin Fan’s subsequent choices as an unacceptable waste of opportunity.
• Principal Yin and the school administrators: Become increasingly defensive and fearful as Li Yuan’s rise threatens their control and comfortable positions. Their authority over the teachers continues to erode.

Significant Themes

• Consequences of arrogance and poor judgment: Jin Fan’s decision to gamble away a priceless opportunity results in its loss, while Principal Yin’s mistaken evaluations damage his credibility.
• Changing power structures: Li Yuan’s victories empower the teachers and weaken the school leadership’s ability to command obedience.
• Merit versus favoritism: Li Yuan’s promotion prospects arise from demonstrated ability, contrasting with the administrators’ reliance on status, influence, and personal privilege.
• The importance of strength and authority: The chapter emphasizes that martial arts teachers must cultivate genuine power to command respect from students, parents, and colleagues.
• Mentorship and pressure: Yao Jianyue’s harsh reaction shows the expectations placed on disciples and the severe consequences of failing to capitalize on rare opportunities.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan engages calmly with colleagues discussing Jin Fan’s disgrace, while Chen Yong openly celebrates Jin Fan’s misfortune.
• The teachers collectively ridicule Jin Fan and Gu Yu, reflecting their loss of respect within the school.
• Li Yuan’s success indirectly inspires the teachers to resist Director Liu and Principal Yin’s authority.
• Director Zeng offers Li Yuan encouragement and guidance regarding his assessment and future promotion.
• Principal Yin pressures the vice principals and Director Liu to find a way to stop Li Yuan, framing the issue as a threat to all their livelihoods.
• Yao Jianyue delivers a harsh ultimatum to Gu Yu and then reprimands Jin Fan for squandering Xia Zhao’s favor and the Snow Shadow Mountain opportunity.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jin Fan, overwhelmed by regret, asks his mentor, Yao Jianyue, to arrange a meeting with the Xia Family so he can explain his actions. Yao reveals that Xia Zhao is furious and refuses to see him.
• Yao harshly criticizes Jin Fan for gambling away his qualification to train at Snow Shadow Mountain, emphasizing that the opportunity was valuable and that his careless decision damaged his reputation.
• Yao also condemns both Jin Fan and Gu Yu for their poor performance and declining reputations since the Youth Martial Tournament, warning that neither is likely to develop significantly for the next few years.
• After the call ends, Jin Fan suggests that Li Yuan’s disappearance would solve their reputational problems. He proposes killing Li Yuan, believing that the remote location of Li Yuan’s home would make it possible to avoid detection.
• Gu Yu is shocked and frightened by the idea, warning Jin Fan that murder would be a serious crime. Jin Fan dismisses his concern, says he will act alone if necessary, and leaves to plan the attack.
• Meanwhile, Li Yuan continues cultivating with the newly acquired Heavenly Refining Body. He estimates that he can reach Fifth Grade Perfection within three months and believes the method will help him attain the physical pinnacle of that realm.
• Li Yuan evaluates his strength after defeating Gu Yu. He recognizes that Jin Fan is far stronger than he previously assumed—actually at Sixth Grade Perfection—but remains confident because his cultivation methods, martial techniques, movement skills, and [Flaw Insight] talent are superior.
• On Tuesday, Director Zeng informs Li Yuan that winning the Youth Martial Tournament has secured his qualification for the Lanwu Trial. The trial will likely take place during summer vacation, giving Li Yuan two weeks to prepare.
• Director Zeng also informs Li Yuan that he is likely to be promoted to Teaching Affairs Director of Lingshan No. 1 High School. Although Li Yuan was initially considered for Office Director, his strong reputation as a teacher led the Organization Department to favor the Academic Affairs position.
• The promotion would involve educational research, project management, teacher training, and oversight of academic administration. However, Director Zeng warns that Li Yuan would bear responsibility if the school performs poorly in the upcoming provincial Open Class assessment.

Character Developments

• Jin Fan: His regret turns into bitterness and murderous intent. Unable to repair his relationship with the Xia Family or recover his reputation, he begins seeking revenge against Li Yuan.
• Gu Yu: Revealed to be more morally cautious and fearful than Jin Fan. Although he has been disgraced alongside his senior brother, he is unwilling to immediately contemplate murder.
• Yao Jianyue: Acts as a stern mentor, refusing to excuse Jin Fan’s irresponsibility. She makes clear that his current troubles are the direct result of his own choices.
• Li Yuan: Continues to grow rapidly in strength and confidence. He remains calm and analytical, recognizing Jin Fan as a serious threat without becoming intimidated. His achievements also begin to improve his standing within the school administration.
• Director Zeng: Supports Li Yuan’s promotion while honestly warning him about the heavier responsibilities and risks attached to the position.

Significant Themes

• Consequences of reckless choices: Jin Fan’s decision to gamble away a valuable training opportunity damages his relationship with the Xia Family, his reputation, and his future prospects.
• Regret versus responsibility: Jin Fan acknowledges that he was wrong but seeks revenge rather than accepting the consequences, showing that regret alone does not equal genuine change.
• Moral boundaries: Gu Yu’s hesitation contrasts with Jin Fan’s willingness to commit murder, emphasizing how resentment can erode ethical judgment.
• Growth through disciplined cultivation: Li Yuan’s steady training and superior techniques demonstrate the rewards of patience, preparation, and long-term effort.
• Rising responsibility: Li Yuan’s possible promotion reflects his development beyond martial strength, while the Open Class assessment introduces the pressure and accountability accompanying his advancement.
• Hidden strength and underestimation: Both Jin Fan and Li Yuan possess abilities beyond what others initially understood, setting up a future confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Jin Fan and Yao Jianyue: Their conversation centers on Jin Fan’s failed attempt to repair the damage caused by his wager. Yao responds with blunt criticism and refuses to offer false hope.
• Jin Fan and Gu Yu: Jin Fan attempts to draw Gu Yu into a plot against Li Yuan. Gu Yu objects out of fear and moral concern, but Jin Fan decides to proceed alone.
• Li Yuan and Jin Fan: They do not meet directly in the chapter, but Li Yuan’s success and growing reputation fuel Jin Fan’s hatred, while Li Yuan prepares mentally and physically for their eventual conflict.
• Li Yuan and Director Zeng: Director Zeng informs Li Yuan of both his Lanwu Trial qualification and likely promotion, balancing congratulations with warnings about the responsibilities ahead.

Chapter Summary: “Hidden Dangers All Around!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Political Education Office is described as relatively low-pressure, while the Academic Affairs Office bears the greatest responsibility because it oversees teaching quality, inspections, and examination results.
• Li Yuan is expected to be promoted from his current position to Teaching Affairs Director. The upcoming provincial Open Class inspection will occur soon after his appointment.
• Director Zeng worries that Principal Yin and others intend to use Li Yuan as a scapegoat if the school performs poorly during the inspection. Li Yuan remains confident, claiming he already has plans to improve teaching quality.
• News of Li Yuan’s likely promotion spreads among the staff. Teachers become more respectful because the Teaching Affairs Director would become their direct superior.
• Director Ma, who previously served as acting Deputy Teaching Affairs Director, feels conflicted about Li Yuan surpassing him. Although he has supported Li Yuan in the past, he struggles with jealousy and the need to accept Li Yuan’s growing success.
• After school, Li Yuan takes the bus home rather than buying a car, choosing to save money for martial arts training and medical expenses for his parents.
• He checks his cultivation-related progress and sees that he has accumulated 246/500 Experience Points, leaving him halfway from obtaining his fifth Talent Point.
• Li Yuan plans to continue teaching Classes Nine and Fourteen through the current semester. From the next semester onward, he intends to teach large combined classes and personally train other teachers, believing that improving the teachers’ abilities will benefit the students most and help the school pass the provincial inspection.
• After buying braised pork trotter rice near his bus stop, Li Yuan senses that something nearby is wrong. His heightened senses suggest that an unseen presence has been deliberately avoiding his vision.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan demonstrates confidence, ambition, and strategic thinking. He understands the risks of the Teaching Affairs Director position but also recognizes that it offers the clearest opportunity to produce visible achievements.
• His priorities remain practical and responsible: despite being able to afford a car, he saves money for martial arts advancement and his parents’ medical needs.
• His plans reveal growing confidence in his abilities as both a martial artist and educator. He intends to improve the entire teaching staff rather than merely handle his own classes.
• Director Zeng shows concern for Li Yuan and recognizes the political danger surrounding his promotion.
• Director Ma experiences mixed emotions. He is not openly hostile toward Li Yuan but feels uncomfortable watching his former subordinate advance beyond him.
• Principal Yin and the other administrators appear opportunistic, intending to assign Li Yuan responsibility for a difficult inspection and potentially shift blame onto him if the school fails.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility and scapegoating: Promotion brings authority but also exposes Li Yuan to political risk, particularly because administrators may blame him for long-standing institutional problems.
• Power and workplace hierarchy: Li Yuan’s impending promotion changes how colleagues treat him and creates tension with those who once held higher or equal status.
• Visible achievement versus hidden labor: The Teaching Affairs Director receives blame for failure but also gains recognition for success, making the role both dangerous and rewarding.
• Self-improvement and education: Li Yuan connects his martial arts cultivation with improving the school’s teachers and students, emphasizing the importance of strengthening the foundation rather than relying on superficial fixes.
• Family responsibility and frugality: Li Yuan balances ambition with concern for his parents and carefully manages his finances.
• Emerging danger: The final scene shifts the chapter from workplace politics to suspense, suggesting that Li Yuan’s heightened senses have detected a concealed threat.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan and Director Zeng: Zeng warns Li Yuan about the risks of the provincial inspection, while Li Yuan reassures him that he has a plan.
• Li Yuan and Chen Yong: Chen Yong, prompted by curious coworkers, asks about the “Teaching Affairs Director” remark. Li Yuan modestly claims the promotion is not official, though he clearly expects it to happen.
• Li Yuan and the surrounding teachers: The staff become more cautious and respectful after learning about his likely promotion.
• Li Yuan and Director Ma: Their relationship is outwardly civil, but Ma privately struggles with Li Yuan’s advancement and the reversal of their former hierarchy.
• Li Yuan and his family: Though they do not appear directly, his decision to save money for his parents’ medical care shows his continuing sense of responsibility toward them.
• Li Yuan and the unseen presence: The chapter ends with Li Yuan unknowingly—or perhaps soon knowingly—sharing his surroundings with something that is actively concealing itself from him, setting up the next conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Make a Move, Kill!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan senses that he is being watched while on his way to his usual training area. Although Lingshan City is relatively safe, his past experiences have taught him to trust his instincts.
• He deliberately continues to the secluded training ground, intending to observe whether the danger is real while practicing the Sinking Mountain Fist.
• Jin Fan emerges from hiding and launches a surprise attack with his longsword, intending to kill Li Yuan.
• Li Yuan’s vigilance allows him to react in time. He blocks with the Cloud Extreme Fist and immediately counterattacks Jin Fan’s abdomen, forcing Jin Fan to abandon the advantage of his ambush.
• Understanding that the undeveloped area lacks surveillance, Li Yuan realizes Jin Fan planned to kill him without leaving evidence. He retreats toward the residential complex, where cameras are present.
• Jin Fan pursues him at full strength, revealing his Sixth-Grade Great Perfection cultivation and the specialized martial technique known as the Red Dragon Killing Technique.
• Jin Fan’s sword qi and movement techniques put pressure on Li Yuan, but Li Yuan uses Flaw Insight to identify weaknesses and repeatedly targets Jin Fan’s vulnerable points.
• When Jin Fan attempts to stop Li Yuan with a palm strike, their attacks collide and both are forced back. Li Yuan remains unharmed and continues fleeing, frustrating Jin Fan’s plan.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Demonstrates increased alertness, tactical judgment, and confidence. Rather than recklessly fighting, he prioritizes survival, evidence, and reaching a monitored area. His mastery of the Cloud Extreme Fist, Cloud Treading Step, and Flaw Insight allows him to withstand a stronger opponent.
• Jin Fan: Reveals himself as willing to violate the law and assassinate Li Yuan to protect his reputation and future. Despite being a Grandmaster’s disciple and possessing superior cultivation, he becomes increasingly angry and desperate when his carefully planned ambush fails.

Significant Themes

• Vigilance and trusting one’s instincts: Li Yuan’s survival depends on taking his unease seriously instead of dismissing it.
• Martial power and responsibility: Martial artists are valued as protectors, making Jin Fan’s attack a serious betrayal of the principles and laws governing them.
• Reputation and resentment: Jin Fan’s motives are tied not only to revenge but also to erasing the embarrassment Li Yuan has caused him.
• Strategy over strength: Though Jin Fan is stronger, Li Yuan’s awareness, defensive techniques, and tactical retreat prevent him from being defeated.
• Law versus hidden violence: Jin Fan carefully chooses an isolated location to avoid surveillance, showing how power can be abused when accountability is absent.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan and Jin Fan: Their confrontation begins as an attempted assassination but quickly becomes a contest between Jin Fan’s superior strength and Li Yuan’s superior awareness and tactical adaptability.
• Li Yuan repeatedly targets Jin Fan’s weak points, forcing him to abandon the advantages of surprise.
• Jin Fan attempts to overwhelm Li Yuan with sword qi, specialized anti-martial-artist techniques, and a direct palm clash, but Li Yuan remains mobile and escapes toward the residential complex.

Chapter Summary: “Bright Lights, Dim Night”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After escaping Jin Fan’s attack, Li Yuan reaches a convenience store whose surveillance cameras provide him protection. He deliberately remains beneath the bright lights while Jin Fan stands in the darkness outside the camera-covered area.
• The two confront one another without fighting. Jin Fan, frustrated that his carefully prepared ambush failed, decides that leaving Li Yuan alive is an even more satisfying revenge. He plans to continue threatening and attacking Li Yuan whenever he finds him in an unmonitored location.
• After waiting for ten minutes, Jin Fan withdraws into the darkness. Li Yuan then enters the convenience store, buys another dinner, and returns calmly to his apartment rather than allowing fear to disrupt his routine.
• On the way home and afterward, Li Yuan analyzes the confrontation. He recognizes that Jin Fan, a Sixth-Rank Full-Circle martial artist and disciple of Grandmaster Yao Jianyue, possesses superior martial skills and movement techniques.
• Li Yuan concludes that he can probably survive a direct encounter but remains vulnerable to ambushes. The danger forces him to reassess his safety, his social position, and his ability to protect his parents.
• Worried that Jin Fan might target or use his parents against him, Li Yuan calls Director Zeng and asks whether his family can move into Heavenly River Garden, a heavily guarded residential complex reserved for high-ranking officials, outstanding talents, and High-Rank Martial Artists.
• Director Zeng immediately senses that something serious has happened. When asked for the reason, Li Yuan finally tells him: “Jin Fan wants to kill me.”

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Demonstrates composure and self-control by continuing with ordinary activities after the confrontation. At the same time, he becomes more aware of the limitations of his current martial abilities and the dangers created by Jin Fan’s social status. His determination to improve both his martial strength and personal position intensifies.
• Jin Fan: Reveals deep resentment over losing face and being disqualified from training at Snow Shadow Mountain. His confidence in his superior cultivation and background leads him to underestimate Li Yuan and view psychological harassment as an effective form of revenge.
• Director Zeng: Shows perceptiveness and concern. He understands that Li Yuan’s unusual urgency indicates a serious threat and is willing to consider helping him relocate his parents.

Significant Themes

• Power and social inequality: Jin Fan’s status as a Grandmaster’s disciple gives him confidence that Li Yuan’s death would have limited consequences, exposing how social standing influences justice and protection.
• Security versus vulnerability: Surveillance cameras temporarily protect Li Yuan, while unmonitored spaces become potential killing grounds. Modern society is safer than the past, but powerful individuals can still exploit gaps in protection.
• The importance of strength: The encounter reinforces that martial ability remains essential for personal freedom and safety. Li Yuan’s desire to cultivate and improve reaches a new peak.
• Composure under pressure: Li Yuan refuses to let fear destroy his daily habits, though he also recognizes the need to respond practically to the danger.
• Family responsibility: His concern shifts from merely surviving Jin Fan’s attacks to protecting his parents, showing the broader consequences of his conflict.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Yuan and Jin Fan: Their silent confrontation beneath the bright lights and dark night symbolizes their opposing positions. Jin Fan believes he has psychological control, while Li Yuan calmly assesses him and prepares for the future.
• Li Yuan and Director Zeng: Li Yuan breaks his usual reluctance to ask for help and honestly reveals the assassination threat, marking a significant step toward seeking institutional protection for his family.

Chapter Summary: “The Conditions for a Blind Date”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Director Zeng arranges safer housing for Li Yuan and his parents in Heavenly Vista Garden, a commercial complex adjacent to the highly secure Heavenly River Garden. Although it is not as protected as Heavenly River Garden, it employs some of the latter’s security personnel and has comprehensive surveillance and security measures.
• Director Zeng explains that Li Yuan cannot obtain residency in Heavenly River Garden because eligibility is extremely limited and prioritized for high-level martial artists. Even Director Zeng is waiting for an opening, making the arrangement in Heavenly Vista Garden especially valuable.
• Director Zeng urges Li Yuan to prioritize his own safety, reminding him that Jin Fan wants him dead and that Li Yuan is an important future member of Director Zeng’s developing team.
• He also reminds Li Yuan to prepare for the upcoming Lanwu Trial, which will offer opportunities to increase his strength and obtain cultivation resources. Director Zeng hopes Li Yuan can reach Fifth Grade Perfection during the summer break.
• Li Yuan travels to his parents’ home and tells them about his promotion prospects and improved salary, deliberately hiding the dangers and pressures he faces.
• He persuades his reluctant parents to move to Lingshan City by claiming that his workplace-provided housing will be taken away if they do not live with him, forcing him to pay expensive rent.
• His mother brings up marriage and a blind date. Li Yuan agrees to go on one—but only if his parents agree to move in with him.
• The family returns to Lingshan City that night and spends the night in Li Yuan’s rental apartment. The next day, Li Yuan arranges for a moving company to transfer their belongings into Heavenly Vista Garden.
• Li Yuan informs Director Zeng that his parents are now in the city and will soon move into the safer complex, reducing the likelihood that Jin Fan will attack them.

Character Development

• Li Yuan demonstrates confidence, foresight, and responsibility. He believes Jin Fan lacks the ability to kill him, yet he still takes practical steps to protect his parents and improve their living conditions.
• He shows emotional maturity by hiding the dangerous aspects of his life from his parents, knowing they would be unable to help and would only worry.
• Li Yuan also reveals his willingness to compromise with his traditional parents: he uses the prospect of a blind date as leverage to persuade them to relocate.
• Director Zeng becomes increasingly supportive of Li Yuan. His concern reflects both gratitude for Li Yuan’s role in securing his promotion and recognition of Li Yuan’s talent and importance to his future plans.
• Li Yuan’s parents remain loving, traditional, and somewhat out of touch with modern society. They value stable employment, promotions, marriage, and financial practicality, while Li Yuan must gently manage their expectations.

Significant Themes

• Family responsibility and protection: Li Yuan’s primary concern is ensuring his parents’ safety despite his dangerous martial-arts-related circumstances.
• Generational differences: His parents view success through conventional ideas of promotions, workplace housing, and marriage, while Li Yuan lives in a world shaped by martial power, threats, and advanced security.
• Compromise and persuasion: Li Yuan negotiates with his parents by connecting their move to familiar concerns about saving money and maintaining his career.
• Security and social status: Access to safe housing depends on martial rank and institutional influence, emphasizing how power determines privilege.
• Balancing ordinary life with extraordinary danger: Everyday matters such as noodles, work promotions, moving house, and blind dates exist alongside assassination threats and martial cultivation.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Yuan and Director Zeng: Their phone conversation establishes mutual trust and strategic cooperation. Director Zeng advises Li Yuan on safety, housing, career advancement, and cultivation.
• Li Yuan and his parents: Their reunion is warm and domestic, but their differing worldviews create tension. Li Yuan reassures them with good news while concealing the threats he faces.
• Li Yuan and his mother: His mother’s pressure regarding marriage leads to the chapter’s central bargain: he will attend a blind date if his parents move to the city.
• Li Yuan and Jin Fan: Though Jin Fan does not appear directly, his threat motivates the relocation and the emphasis on secure housing.

Chapter Summary: Zhuang Meng, Xu Nianxing

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan completes his move into a two-bedroom apartment in Heavenly Vista Garden. His parents help prepare a welcome dinner, and he invites his friend Chen Yong.
• During dinner, Li Yuan’s parents praise Chen Yong and ask him to encourage Li Yuan to take marriage seriously. They remind Li Yuan about a blind date arranged for Sunday, and he agrees to attend.
• Li Yuan tells Chen Yong that he may participate in the upcoming Lanwu Trial during the summer, possibly near Lan Eagle City. Chen Yong mentions hearing that Zhuang Meng may also be there, but Li Yuan deliberately avoids discussing her.
• Li Yuan and Chen Yong talk about their families’ pressure to marry. Li Yuan reassures Chen Yong that not everyone values wealth, status, or public recognition; a modest and stable life can also be attractive.
• Li Yuan enjoys his first peaceful night in the new apartment, appreciating its security and quiet compared with his noisy former rental.
• On Saturday, Li Yuan practices with Chen Yong in a rented practice room. He cultivates and gives Chen Yong guidance, helping motivate him to improve professionally and martially.
• On Sunday, Li Yuan prepares for his blind date at his parents’ urging. He meets Xu Nianxing at a dessert shop, where they introduce themselves and begin an initially awkward conversation.
• Xu Nianxing comments that Li Yuan does not look thirty, then quickly realizes her wording may have been inappropriate and tries to clarify.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Shows greater willingness to cooperate with his parents, agreeing to attend the blind date instead of resisting. He remains emotionally guarded regarding Zhuang Meng and the past, but he continues to support Chen Yong through advice and training. His improved living conditions also give him a greater sense of comfort and stability.
• Chen Yong: Feels pressure about marriage and worries that his lack of career achievements will make him undesirable. Li Yuan’s reassurance restores some of his confidence. He is also motivated to pursue advancement after receiving encouragement from Director Zeng and Li Yuan.
• Li Yuan’s parents: Are pleased with Li Yuan’s new home and increasingly concerned about his unmarried status. Their insistence on the blind date reflects their anxiety that he is falling behind socially.
• Xu Nianxing: Makes a positive first impression by arriving on time and speaking openly, though her nervous comment about Li Yuan’s age reveals some awkwardness and uncertainty.

Significant Themes

• Marriage and social expectations: The chapter explores the pressure placed on unmarried adults by family and society, while also acknowledging that people have different desires and definitions of happiness.
• Emotional healing and moving forward: Li Yuan’s refusal to discuss Zhuang Meng suggests unresolved history, but his willingness to attend the blind date indicates a tentative step toward a new stage of life.
• Stability and quality of life: The secure, quiet apartment represents Li Yuan’s improving circumstances and contrasts with his former noisy rental.
• Friendship and encouragement: Li Yuan supports Chen Yong both emotionally and practically, helping him regain confidence and pursue self-improvement.
• Personal ambition versus ordinary contentment: The conversation emphasizes that success does not have to mean fame or great wealth; a stable and comfortable life can be equally meaningful.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan’s parents warmly welcome Chen Yong and use him to reinforce their wishes regarding Li Yuan’s marriage.
• Li Yuan and Chen Yong share a candid conversation about relationships, insecurity, career goals, and personal values.
• Li Yuan avoids engaging when Chen Yong mentions Zhuang Meng, signaling discomfort and emotional distance from that subject.
• Li Yuan and Chen Yong train together, with Li Yuan taking on a mentoring role.
• Li Yuan and Xu Nianxing meet for the first time in a polite but slightly awkward blind-date exchange, establishing the beginning of a potentially significant relationship.

Chapter Summary: “Or Perhaps I’d Be Willing to Bear Those Dangers?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan and Xu Nianxing begin their blind date by introducing themselves and discussing their personal circumstances.
• Li Yuan explains that he is a teacher at Lingshan No. 1 High School and a fifth-grade Martial Dao practitioner.
• Xu Nianxing, twenty-seven, works for a major internet company in the central Provincial City. Although she earns more than Li Yuan, her expensive city and demanding job have made it difficult to settle down.
• They discuss why Xu Nianxing has remained single, including her heavy workload, the shortage of suitable men in major cities, and the limited career opportunities for talented martial artists away from the border regions.
• Xu Nianxing asks why Li Yuan is still unmarried. He says that he devoted most of his energy to teaching and simply reached thirty without realizing it.
• Impressed by him, Xu Nianxing asks Li Yuan to teach her basic Martial Dao practices for health and fitness, deliberately creating an opportunity for them to meet again.
• Li Yuan recognizes her interest but warns her that he has recently offended a disciple of a Grandmaster. Their hostility is serious, and the person could endanger those close to him.
• Xu Nianxing is initially shocked, but instead of withdrawing, she suggests that Li Yuan’s ability to provoke such a powerful enemy may indicate considerable strength of his own.
• When Li Yuan emphasizes that the danger is real, Xu Nianxing responds that they have only just met and may never reach the point where she is endangered. She then adds that she might be willing to face those dangers with him.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Shown as honest, responsible, and considerate. Although attracted to Xu Nianxing, he refuses to conceal the danger surrounding him or allow her to enter a relationship without understanding the risks.
• Xu Nianxing: Revealed to be confident, perceptive, and proactive. Rather than adopting a passive attitude during the blind date, she openly expresses interest and takes the initiative to arrange a future meeting. Her response to Li Yuan’s warning shows courage and a willingness to judge him for herself.
• Their mutual favorable impressions deepen, with Xu Nianxing particularly impressed by Li Yuan’s appearance, character, and seriousness.

Significant Themes

• Honesty and responsibility in relationships: Li Yuan believes Xu Nianxing must know about his enemies before their relationship progresses.
• Choice versus fear: Xu Nianxing acknowledges the danger but refuses to let fear determine her decision before she understands the situation fully.
• Modern social and economic pressures: The chapter examines how demanding careers, expensive housing, regional inequality, and the distribution of martial arts opportunities affect marriage and relationships.
• Mutual initiative: The chapter challenges the idea that one side should remain passive, presenting Xu Nianxing’s directness as a positive and effective approach to romance.
• Danger as a test of commitment: Li Yuan’s conflict with a Grandmaster’s disciple creates a potential obstacle, while Xu Nianxing’s willingness to consider facing it establishes the possibility of a deeper bond.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan and Xu Nianxing’s conversation begins awkwardly but quickly becomes comfortable and engaging.
• Xu Nianxing skillfully asks about Li Yuan’s career, income, family situation, and romantic history without making him uncomfortable, while also volunteering information about herself.
• She teasingly suggests that Li Yuan may be domineering because he is a teacher, creating a lighthearted atmosphere.
• By requesting Martial Dao guidance, Xu Nianxing subtly signals her interest and attempts to secure another meeting.
• Li Yuan responds with unusual seriousness by disclosing his dangerous feud.
• Xu Nianxing’s final statement—that she may be willing to bear the danger—turns the conversation from an ordinary blind date into the beginning of a potentially meaningful relationship.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan and Xu Nianxing spend more than an hour talking during their blind date. Although she has lunch plans with a friend, the meeting leaves Li Yuan with an unexpectedly positive impression.
• After returning home, Li Yuan tells his parents that Xu Nianxing seems suitable and provides details about her job, family, and background. His parents become excited but temper their expectations when he reminds them that she may not be interested in him.
• Li Yuan reflects on Xia Zhao, whom he views as almost unattainably exceptional, and considers whether he should abandon unrealistic hopes in favor of someone more compatible, such as Xu Nianxing. However, he also worries that his current enemies could endanger anyone close to him.
• Xu Nianxing messages Li Yuan soon after they add each other as friends. She shares a photo of an attractive but disappointing lunch, then continues sending him updates about her life throughout Sunday, reviving the kind of easy companionship he has not experienced since university.
• The upcoming National College Entrance Examination and Final Exams are discussed. Unlike the more unpredictable Youth Martial Tournament, the entrance examination will use standardized measurements of strength, speed, vision, hearing, and other abilities.
• Li Yuan’s appointment as Teaching Affairs Director is officially announced. The former acting director, the Vice Principal, is removed from the position, while Li Yuan’s formal takeover is delayed until the next semester.
• Director Zeng’s arrangement protects Li Yuan from immediately bearing responsibility for both the entrance examination and Final Exams. His promotion is widely accepted because it was earned through his achievements in the Youth Martial Tournament and his strong reputation as a teacher.
• Li Yuan encounters Jin Fan for the first time since their previous confrontation. Jin Fan openly behaves like a hunter observing prey and reveals that he has been monitoring Li Yuan, even knowing that Li Yuan moved to Heavenly Vista Garden.
• Jin Fan believes he can attack Li Yuan safely as long as he avoids surveillance cameras. His threatening attitude and knowledge of Li Yuan’s home cause Li Yuan’s murderous intent toward him to intensify.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Becomes more emotionally open toward Xu Nianxing but remains conflicted because of his feelings for Xia Zhao and the danger surrounding him. He also advances professionally, gaining a leadership position through merit. His fear and anger toward Jin Fan harden into a serious desire to kill.
• Xu Nianxing: Shows genuine interest in maintaining contact after the blind date by initiating casual messages and sharing details of her daily life.
• Li Yuan’s parents: Grow hopeful about Xu Nianxing and continue to express confidence in Li Yuan’s future, particularly his expected promotion.
• Jin Fan: Displays increasing confidence and cruelty. He sees himself as having the advantage and deliberately attempts to unsettle Li Yuan while preparing for another attack.

Significant Themes

• Romantic suitability versus idealized admiration: Li Yuan contrasts the approachable Xu Nianxing with the seemingly unattainable Xia Zhao, questioning whether a realistic relationship is preferable to an unrealistic fantasy.
• Responsibility and danger: Li Yuan recognizes that his enemies could place loved ones at risk, making romance difficult while he remains threatened.
• Merit and legitimacy: His promotion is accepted because it is supported by visible achievements and professional ability, emphasizing earned authority over favoritism or connections.
• Standardization and fairness: The National College Entrance Examination represents a structured, measurable alternative to the unpredictability of martial competitions.
• Threat and retaliation: Jin Fan’s surveillance and confidence escalate the conflict, while Li Yuan’s growing murderous intent signals that their rivalry is becoming increasingly violent.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan and Xu Nianxing establish a comfortable rapport during and after the blind date, with Xu taking the initiative in continuing communication.
• Li Yuan discusses Xu with his parents, who respond with excitement and encouragement.
• Li Yuan’s colleagues largely accept his promotion and begin addressing him as “Director Li,” reflecting his improved status within the school.
• Li Yuan and Jin Fan share a tense encounter marked by veiled hostility. Jin Fan’s congratulatory remark about Li Yuan’s new home functions as both intimidation and evidence that he has been investigating him.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gu Yu accompanies Jin Fan but remains uneasy around Li Yuan after losing to him in a spar. Although resentful of the defeat, Gu Yu has no desire to kill Li Yuan and is morally opposed to underhanded tactics.
• Jin Fan taunts Li Yuan by suggesting they might travel together during summer break. Li Yuan counters by reminding him that Jin Fan has lost his qualification for the Lanwu Trial and Snow Shadow Mountain training.
• As the incoming Teaching Affairs Director, Li Yuan warns Jin Fan that his poor attitude and habitual absenteeism will no longer be tolerated. He outlines escalating punishments, eventually leading to expulsion and a D Rating.
• Jin Fan threatens Li Yuan, but Li Yuan points out that they are already mortal enemies, making further restraint or fear unnecessary. Jin Fan is left unable to respond.
• After Li Yuan leaves, Jin Fan’s murderous intent intensifies. He begins considering using accidents during competitions or spars to cripple or kill Li Yuan, since such incidents would appear less serious than a deliberate assassination.
• The final week of regular teaching begins. National exam proctors from the Border Front observe students both to ensure fairness and to identify promising martial artists for future recruitment.
• Li Yuan spends the week reviewing material with Classes Nine and Fourteen before beginning his summer break and preparing for the Lanwu Trial. He recognizes that many students’ foundations remain weak despite completing the curriculum.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan becomes increasingly confident and authoritative. He openly asserts his power as Teaching Affairs Director and refuses to be intimidated by Jin Fan’s threats.
• Jin Fan is revealed to be deeply concerned about his career prospects. Expulsion or a D Rating could ruin his path toward becoming a university professor and damage his future opportunities, including possible service on the Border Front. His frustration and fear drive him toward increasingly dangerous assassination plans.
• Gu Yu is contrasted with Jin Fan. Though prideful and resentful after losing to Li Yuan, he retains a sense of honor and does not wish to kill him or rely on sneak attacks.

Significant Themes

• Authority versus defiance: Li Yuan’s promotion places him in direct control over Jin Fan, turning their personal conflict into an official power struggle.
• Consequences of attitude and responsibility: The chapter emphasizes that professional conduct matters as much as ability, especially in education and military service.
• Moral contrast: Gu Yu’s reluctance to use dishonorable methods highlights Jin Fan’s willingness to manipulate accidents and kill for personal advancement.
• Foundations and long-term growth: Li Yuan stresses that martial improvement requires consistent practice and individual effort, not merely a teacher’s instruction or brief exposure to techniques.
• Hidden corruption in competition: Jin Fan considers exploiting spars and competitions as cover for murder, showing how dangerous ambition becomes when concealed beneath legitimate systems.

Character Interactions

• Jin Fan repeatedly provokes and threatens Li Yuan, but Li Yuan responds calmly, directly, and with institutional authority.
• Li Yuan’s warning makes clear that Jin Fan’s future at the school depends on obedience, while Jin Fan’s reactions reveal his inability to accept subordination.
• Gu Yu’s silent discomfort and avoidance of eye contact distinguish him from Jin Fan and suggest that, despite resentment, he still respects certain moral boundaries.
• Li Yuan’s interactions with his students are constructive and focused on review, while his observations of their Experience Light Points reveal his concern about their weak fundamentals.

Chapter Summary: Arrival in Lan Eagle City and a Familiar University Classmate

• Li Yuan reflects on teaching and Martial Dao: After a week of final-term review, Li Yuan is satisfied with the progress of Class Nine and Class Fourteen. He accepts that not every student can pursue Martial Dao and believes that helping them become upright people is still a teacher’s responsibility. He also recognizes that Martial Dao requires long-term discipline, not merely the excitement of early cultivation.
• Preparing for the Lanwu Trial: Li Yuan plans to travel to Lan Eagle City for the Lanwu Trial, an important proving ground where martial artists complete missions in the dangerous Lan Eagle City and Wugang City region. The area was devastated decades earlier by a massive Fierce Beast Tide: Lan Eagle City survived, while Wugang City was destroyed and abandoned.
• The trial’s importance and rewards: The Lanwu Trial is famous for producing powerful martial artists, with roughly forty percent of current Grandmasters having participated. Participants earn Performance Credits by completing missions, which can be exchanged for cultivation resources, martial techniques, weapons, medicine, protective equipment, and expert guidance. Though the credits are valuable, officially selling them for money is prohibited because the authorities want participants to reinvest them in their own growth.
• Li Yuan identifies his weaknesses: With his Experience Points at 446/500, Li Yuan is close to gaining his fifth Talent Point. He also realizes that his current techniques are becoming inadequate. His Cloud Treading Step lacks the speed and advantage needed against stronger opponents, while Six Martial Chain Blade has sufficient variation but insufficient power. His immediate goals are to exchange Performance Credits for a superior Movement Art and weapon technique.
• Journey to Lan Eagle City: Before leaving, Li Yuan contacts Director Zeng and Chen Yong so they will not worry if communication becomes difficult during the trial. During the long train journey, Xu Nianxing frequently messages him, sharing her daily life and teasing him into sending photographs because she wants to see both the scenery and him.
• Conditions in Lan Eagle City: Li Yuan arrives on Sunday afternoon. The city no longer has ordinary permanent residents; its fewer than one hundred thousand inhabitants are mainly martial artists, resource-company workers, and trial participants. The local government center functions more like a security command center, handling matters connected to the city’s dangerous environment.
• Meeting Zhuang Meng: Around twenty qualified martial artists gather for an introductory briefing. The officials explain that summer is especially dangerous because Fierce Beasts become more active and mission numbers increase. One of the presenters is Zhuang Meng, Li Yuan’s former university classmate. She now appears mature, calm, and professional, contrasting with her livelier personality in university.
• Character interaction and cliffhanger: Zhuang Meng notices Li Yuan among the participants and recognizes him immediately. Although she tries to remain composed, her expression changes and her brows furrow, suggesting surprise, discomfort, or unresolved feelings. The chapter ends just as she prepares to begin the briefing, setting up a reunion between the two former classmates.
• Key themes: The chapter emphasizes personal growth, the limits of conventional education, the discipline required for Martial Dao, preparation for increasingly dangerous challenges, and the contrast between past and present identities. It also introduces the importance of old relationships resurfacing as Li Yuan enters a new stage of his martial career.

Chapter Summary: “Post-Meeting Chat”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhuang Meng, appointed by Lan Eagle City Command Headquarters as the liaison officer, briefs the visiting martial artists on the Lanwu Trial.
• She explains that the trial’s primary purpose is not simply to help martial artists improve, but to control the surrounding Fierce Beast population and prevent a catastrophic Fierce Beast Tide.
• The trial also supports Lan Eagle City’s businesses and facilities, particularly those in the dangerous, fallen Wugang City, which require martial artists for protection and maintenance.
• Participants receive guidebooks explaining trial procedures, missions, Performance Credits, and survival precautions.
• Training footage demonstrates local Fierce Beasts, their changing habits, effective combat methods, and the deadly consequences of failure. The material reinforces the importance of caution and adaptability.
• Li Yuan gains substantial Experience Light Points from the briefing and footage, reaching 516/500 Experience Points, enough to acquire his fifth Talent Point. He postpones choosing how to use it.
• The participants are taken to dinner. Their living expenses are covered if they earn enough Performance Credits—three hundred monthly under normal conditions, or one hundred during their first month.
• Afterward, Zhuang Meng privately confronts Li Yuan. She assumes he came to Lan Eagle City because she is there and urges him to leave after seeing her.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan remains composed and focused on the trial. He pays close attention to the briefing, benefits from the accumulated experience, and clearly states that he came to participate in the Lanwu Trial—not to pursue anyone.
• Zhuang Meng appears professional and controlled during the official meeting, deliberately avoiding Li Yuan. In private, however, she becomes forceful, defensive, and emotionally guarded. She has already convinced herself that Li Yuan’s arrival is connected to their past relationship.
• Zhuang Meng reveals that she is planning to marry later in the year and does not want to reconnect with her former boyfriend or revisit their history.

Significant Themes

• Duty and survival: The Lanwu Trial is presented as a necessary defense mechanism for society, not merely a martial arts opportunity.
• The danger of complacency: The training footage emphasizes that Fierce Beasts are intelligent, adaptable, and unpredictable; rigid assumptions can lead to death.
• Personal motives versus mistaken assumptions: Li Yuan’s practical goal conflicts with Zhuang Meng’s belief that he has come for her.
• The burden of the past: Zhuang Meng’s reaction shows how unresolved history and fear of emotional disruption influence present behavior.

Character Interactions

• Zhuang Meng avoids Li Yuan during the public briefing, signaling tension between them.
• After the meeting, she blocks his path and demands an explanation for his presence in Lan Eagle City.
• She refuses to let him fully explain, instead claiming that he came because Duan Lin told him about her.
• Li Yuan calmly denies this, but Zhuang Meng continues treating him as an unwanted former lover who has intruded on her new life.
• Their conversation ends with their misunderstanding unresolved, setting up further conflict between them.

Chapter Summary: “Guidance from Xia Zhao?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan meets his former university classmate, Zhuang Meng, under the streetlights of Lan Eagle City.
• He is surprised by how much she has changed. Once cheerful and approachable, she now speaks arrogantly and treats him condescendingly.
• Zhuang Meng tells Li Yuan that she is engaged and will marry early next year. She asks him not to attend the wedding or interfere with her relationship.
• She proudly praises her fiancé, Tang Shuchen, describing him as a young and exceptionally talented martial artist:
  • He ranked first in monthly Performance Credits during the previous year’s Lanwu Trial.
  • Despite being younger than Li Yuan, he has reached the Mid-Sixth Grade.
  • He was reportedly the only participant able to understand most of Xia Zhao’s guidance during a special instructional session.
  • A Grandmaster allegedly intends to accept him as a disciple.
• Li Yuan is uninterested in hearing about Tang Shuchen and repeatedly clarifies that he came to Lan Eagle City for the Lanwu Trial, not to see Zhuang Meng.
• Zhuang Meng demands that Li Yuan leave the city the next morning and even offers to purchase his ticket, fearing that his presence could disrupt her relationship.
• Li Yuan refuses, emphasizing that he worked hard to earn his trial qualification and will not abandon the opportunity because of her.
• When Zhuang Meng hints that his qualification may have been obtained improperly, Li Yuan calmly challenges her to report him if she believes there is a problem.
• After leaving, Li Yuan goes to the hotel restaurant. Inside, he notices a photograph of Xia Zhao, taken during her visit to Lan Eagle City the previous year.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Displays increasing maturity, restraint, and confidence. Although irritated by Zhuang Meng’s attitude, he does not argue emotionally or allow her to manipulate him. He remains focused on his martial arts goals and refuses to surrender his chance to participate in the Lanwu Trial.
• Zhuang Meng: Is shown to have become vain, defensive, and status-conscious. She treats Li Yuan with open superiority while maintaining a warm public image around colleagues. Her pride in Tang Shuchen and fear that Li Yuan might threaten her relationship reveal her insecurity.
• Tang Shuchen: Never appears directly, but is characterized through Zhuang Meng’s praise as a highly talented young martial artist and an admired figure among Lan Eagle City’s female colleagues.
• Xia Zhao: Appears only through recollection and a hotel photograph. Her reputation as a genius martial artist is reinforced, though Li Yuan’s personal experience suggests her teaching is clearer and more accessible than Zhuang Meng claims.

Significant Themes

• Change and alienation: Li Yuan recognizes that Zhuang Meng is physically familiar but emotionally very different from the person he once knew.
• Pride and insecurity: Zhuang Meng’s arrogance and repeated praise of her fiancé seem driven partly by a need to validate her own choices and protect her relationship.
• Personal independence: Li Yuan refuses to let an old relationship dictate his future or interfere with his martial arts ambitions.
• Different levels of understanding: The chapter contrasts ordinary martial artists’ difficulty understanding Xia Zhao with Li Yuan’s ability to converse with and even advise her, hinting at his exceptional comprehension and potential.
• Public image versus private behavior: Zhuang Meng appears friendly and approachable to her colleagues but speaks harshly and possessively to Li Yuan.

Character Interactions

• Zhuang Meng alternates between a friendly public persona and an arrogant, commanding private tone when speaking with Li Yuan.
• She attempts to control Li Yuan’s actions by ordering him to leave and offering to pay for his ticket.
• Li Yuan counters her emotional pressure with calm, direct statements, repeatedly asserting that his visit concerns the Lanwu Trial rather than her.
• Their exchange exposes the breakdown of their former connection: Zhuang Meng views him as a possible threat, while Li Yuan sees her concerns as irrelevant to his goals.
• Li Yuan’s reflections on Xia Zhao’s teaching also highlight the gulf between his relationship with Xia Zhao and the understanding other martial artists have of her abilities.

Chapter Summary: “Fifth Talent Point”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan arrives at a hotel in Lan Eagle City, where participants receive wristbands for purchasing food and lodging and for receiving mission rewards.
• During dinner, he exchanges messages with Xu Nianxing. She is enjoying time in Lingshan City with her best friend but is considering moving back home, despite the lack of suitable, well-paying work there.
• Li Yuan shares his own regrets about past choices, explaining that neither staying safe nor taking risks guarantees success. He avoids making the decision for Xu Nianxing.
• Xu asks about his experiences in Lan Eagle City and invites him to visit Wuchang City after the Lanwu Trial, offering to show him around.
• Li Yuan chooses a room on the hotel’s forty-second floor so he can observe Lan Eagle City’s terrain from above the next morning.
• After settling in, he uses his fifth Talent Point. Having already invested two points each in Enlightenment and Combat, he chooses to strengthen Enlightenment rather than invest in the Skill system.
• The new Talent, Eidetic Memory, allows him to perfectly memorize and permanently recall information.
• Li Yuan discovers that the Talent is far more powerful than ordinary memory improvement: he can replay battles in exact detail and create simulated opponents within his Sea of Consciousness.
• He repeatedly simulates battles against Jin Fan, Gu Yu, and various Fierce Beasts, using the practice to improve his reactions, reduce panic, and analyze his weaknesses.
• He realizes that Fierce Beasts are patient and tactical hunters rather than mindless attackers. Since the Lanwu Trial may involve B-, A-, or even S-level Beasts, he focuses on preparing for them.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Becomes more thoughtful about his future and past decisions while strengthening his resolve to survive the Lanwu Trial. Eidetic Memory greatly expands his combat-learning ability, allowing him to rehearse battles, study opponents, and gradually become calmer under pressure.
• Xu Nianxing: Reveals dissatisfaction with her current life away from home and begins seriously considering returning to Lingshan City, though career limitations make the decision difficult.
• Jin Fan: Remains Li Yuan’s irreconcilable enemy. Their difference in martial realm, movement techniques, and combat ability forces Li Yuan to recognize that understanding his own techniques does not yet guarantee victory.
• Fierce Beasts: Are recontextualized as intelligent, patient hunters capable of exploiting hesitation and mistakes, making them more dangerous than Li Yuan had previously assumed.

Significant Themes

• The uncertainty of life choices: Li Yuan and Xu Nianxing discuss how every major decision involves possible regret, and that neither caution nor ambition guarantees a good outcome.
• Growth through preparation: Li Yuan’s new Talent demonstrates that repeated analysis and mental rehearsal can transform past experiences into practical strength.
• Limits of talent: Even exceptional comprehension cannot completely overcome gaps in martial realm, technique, or experience.
• Fear and composure: By repeatedly simulating terrifying encounters, Li Yuan attempts to become numb to panic and maintain control during real crises.
• Nature of true strength: Success depends not only on power but also on patience, observation, adaptability, and understanding an opponent’s tactics.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan and Xu Nianxing share a relaxed, emotionally open conversation. She confides in him about her career dilemma, and he responds honestly by describing his own regrets without pressuring her.
• Xu Nianxing invites Li Yuan to Wuchang City, suggesting a growing familiarity and possible emotional closeness between them. Their conversation gives Li Yuan a sense of comfort and relief from his usual pressure.
• Li Yuan mentally confronts Jin Fan through simulated battles, using their past conflict to identify weaknesses and improve his responses.
• He also revisits his encounters with Gu Yu and the Fierce Beasts of Qijia Town, turning previous battles into training material for the increasingly dangerous Lanwu Trial.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• In Lingshan City, Xu Nianxing prepares to return to her job in Wuchang City after the New Year holiday. She feels her blind date with Li Yuan went well and considers him attractive, polite, and respectable.
• Xu Nianxing’s mother objects to Li Yuan, believing that a middle-school teacher in Lingshan City is not ambitious enough for her daughter, who has established herself in a major central city. Her real concern is surpassing the husband of Xu Nianxing’s cousin.
• Xu Nianyou defends her sister, arguing that marriage depends on personal compatibility rather than social status. Xu Nianxing remains silent, understanding that arguing with their mother will only prolong the criticism.
• During the summer vacation, Jin Fan returns to Yao Jianyue’s Mountain Courtyard. His mentor initially refuses to see him, but an assistant explains that Jin Fan’s recent troubles were largely caused by Liu Moxing, who manipulated events because the Liu and Xia families wanted Xia Zhao to marry Liu Moxing.
• Although Jin Fan was deliberately targeted, the assistant reminds him that he created an opening by using his Snow Shadow Mountain qualification as a wager. Yao Jianyue wants him to learn that martial artists must consider the consequences of their words and actions.
• The chapter ends in Lan Eagle City, where Li Yuan observes the silent city and the ruins of abandoned Wugang City from a high-rise balcony. The region remains dangerous because large groups of Fierce Beasts roam outside the city.

Character Developments

• Xu Nianxing shows that she values attraction, comfort, and mutual compatibility over wealth or social prestige. She appears interested in Li Yuan despite her mother’s disapproval.
• Xu Nianyou continues to act as a supportive older sister, openly defending Xu Nianxing’s choices.
• Xu Nianxing’s mother is revealed to be status-conscious and competitive, judging potential partners partly by whether they can elevate the family’s standing among relatives.
• Jin Fan regains confidence after learning that Liu Moxing schemed against him. However, he also accepts responsibility for his reckless decision to wager his valuable training qualification.
• Li Yuan is positioned within the more dangerous setting of Lan Eagle City, where his quiet observation of the surrounding ruins suggests awareness of the region’s history and ongoing threat.

Significant Themes

• Personal happiness versus social expectations: Xu Nianxing’s preference for Li Yuan conflicts with her mother’s demand that she marry someone with greater wealth or status.
• Family comparison and vanity: Xu Nianxing’s mother is motivated less by concern for her daughter’s happiness than by a desire to outdo relatives.
• Responsibility and consequences: Jin Fan learns that even when others manipulate him, his own careless choices can make such schemes possible.
• Reputation and conduct: The chapter emphasizes that martial strength alone is insufficient; a martial artist’s words, behavior, and judgment also matter.
• The aftermath of catastrophe: Lan Eagle City and Wugang City illustrate how Fierce Beast disasters permanently reshape human settlements, leaving some areas abandoned and under constant threat.

Character Interactions

• Xu Nianxing and her mother clash over Li Yuan’s prospects, while Xu Nianyou repeatedly supports Xu Nianxing.
• The family discussion reveals differing standards: the mother prioritizes status and social comparison, whereas the sisters prioritize emotional compatibility.
• Jin Fan interacts with Yao Jianyue’s assistant, who both explains Liu Moxing’s interference and admonishes Jin Fan for his own poor judgment.
• The unseen conflict between Liu Moxing, Xia Zhao, and Jin Fan is driven by the Liu and Xia families’ matchmaking ambitions.
• Li Yuan has no direct interaction in the final scene, but his placement in Lan Eagle City connects the personal storylines to the broader danger facing the world.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan surveys Wugang City from a high vantage point before beginning his first Lanwu Trial mission. His [Eidetic Memory] Talent allows him to memorize the terrain in extraordinary detail and mentally construct a three-dimensional map.
• He recognizes that this ability is valuable not merely for remembering information, but for repeatedly simulating dangerous situations and planning responses. Although simulations cannot predict completely unfamiliar events, they give him a major advantage in dealing with Fierce Beasts and difficult terrain.
• Li Yuan asks whether he can access the top floor of the hotel, which serves as an observation and combat room for the Lan Eagle City Command Headquarters. He is denied because headquarters approval is required, so he instead observes the entire city from a nearby balcony.
• The chapter explains the purpose of the Lanwu Trial: martial artists protect automated energy and resource facilities in abandoned cities, ensuring that production continues. These missions demonstrate the social value of powerful martial artists.
• More than sixty thousand people have registered for the trial, but many no longer participate. The main participants are martial artists under fifty who lack resources and hope to establish themselves through dangerous missions.
• The trial’s eligibility requirements had once been relaxed, allowing anyone above Fifth Grade to participate. However, the resulting mortality rate was extremely high, so stricter standards were restored. The command headquarters now focuses on encouraging capable martial artists to take more missions instead of recruiting large numbers of weaker ones.
• Li Yuan and the other newcomers report to the command headquarters to receive their first assignments. They are paired with liaison officers, who assign missions and receive a combined 10% Performance Credits reward when missions are completed.
• Newcomers cannot choose their first mission, and all are assigned fixed E-Grade tasks. Li Yuan is assigned “Dust Clearing and Obstacle Removal,” requiring him to resolve problems with photovoltaic panels on Wugang City’s outskirts within three days for 20 Performance Credits.
• The mission is notorious as a “Newcomer Discouragement Task.” Although it appears simple and involves little overt combat, Fierce Beasts—including C- and B-Grade creatures—may be hiding beneath the panels. Its low reward and concealed danger often drive weak newcomers away from the trial.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan demonstrates growing confidence in his new [Eidetic Memory] Talent. He understands its tactical value and begins applying it methodically to terrain analysis, danger simulation, and combat preparation.
• He remains calm and disciplined when denied access to the headquarters’ top floor, showing that he does not waste energy arguing over matters beyond his authority.
• Zhuang Meng, Li Yuan’s liaison officer, appears skeptical of his abilities. By assigning him the discouragement mission, she seems to be testing him or trying to push him out of the Lanwu Trial.
• Jin Qianhui, Zhuang Meng’s partner, is surprised by the assignment and recognizes its potentially targeted nature. Her reaction suggests that she may be more observant or sympathetic toward Li Yuan than Zhuang Meng.
• The newcomer martial artists are portrayed as composed and accomplished, quietly acknowledging one another as peers rather than openly competing.

Significant Themes

• The value of preparation and information: Li Yuan’s ability to memorize terrain and simulate scenarios reflects the importance of planning in dangerous environments.
• Survival versus qualification: The Lanwu Trial is not simply a test of strength; it demands the ability to complete hazardous special missions under real conditions.
• Institutional selection and discouragement: The command headquarters and liaison system deliberately filter out martial artists who lack sufficient ability, sometimes through missions designed to expose their weaknesses.
• The social role of martial artists: Their strength is valuable because it protects automated production and resource extraction, allowing society to function in dangerous regions.
• Competition for opportunity: Liaison officers depend on capable martial artists for long-term rewards, while martial artists depend on them for missions and support, creating a relationship based on mutual benefit and potential exploitation.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan interacts briefly with hotel staff when asking about access to the top floor and accepts their refusal without conflict.
• The newcomers exchange only polite nods, establishing a restrained atmosphere of mutual respect.
• Zhuang Meng assigns Li Yuan the dangerous discouragement mission and directly warns him that the trial may not suit him.
• She suggests that he should leave rather than risk injuring himself or disrupting her stable working life, making their relationship openly tense from the beginning.
• Jin Qianhui’s surprised glance at Zhuang Meng reveals that she views Li Yuan’s assignment as unusually harsh, while the other liaison officers’ reactions imply that they also understand its discouraging purpose.

Chapter Summary: “What If Someone Else Was a Late Bloomer?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan prepares thoroughly for his first Lanwu Trial mission, relying on research and his habit of gathering information before acting.
• He learns that the Dust Clearing and Obstacle Removal assignment is an infamous rookie-discouragement mission. Though difficult and potentially dangerous, it offers only twenty Performance Credits and involves exhausting, undignified labor.
• Liaison officer Zhuang Meng, who knows Li Yuan from university, deliberately assigns him this mission, hoping he will recognize his limitations and withdraw from the trial.
• Li Yuan accepts the mission equipment and recording device but openly tells Zhuang Meng that he plans to change liaison officers after completing the assignment.
• After the rookies leave, Zhuang Meng explains to her colleague Jin Qianhui that Li Yuan was her university classmate and has limited martial potential. She claims the harsh mission is intended to protect him.
• Jin jokingly suggests that Li Yuan might become a late bloomer and that they could regret underestimating him. Zhuang Meng dismisses the possibility, insisting he has no great potential.
• Li Yuan carefully studies the mission tutorial, manual, risks, and procedures. His Eidetic Memory allows him to memorize the instructions immediately.
• He gathers supplies, eats lunch, and sets out for Wugang City to complete the mission. His immediate goal is to finish it and switch liaison officers, ending his remaining connection with Zhuang Meng.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Demonstrates careful planning, emotional restraint, and determination. He is not embarrassed by the menial nature of the work; instead, he evaluates the mission rationally based on its danger and poor reward. He firmly rejects any renewed relationship with Zhuang Meng and remains focused on proving himself through action.
• Zhuang Meng: Reveals arrogance, condescension, and lingering personal bias toward Li Yuan. Although she presents her actions as concern for his safety, she conceals their romantic history and appears convinced that he is destined to fail.
• Jin Qianhui: Functions as a more neutral observer. She lightly challenges Zhuang Meng’s certainty by joking that Li Yuan could become a late bloomer, though she does not seriously believe it herself.

Significant Themes

• Underestimation and hidden potential: The chapter raises the possibility that Li Yuan may be a late bloomer despite others’ assumptions about his limited talent.
• Preparation versus prejudice: Li Yuan relies on research and disciplined preparation, while Zhuang Meng judges him based on his age, past performance, and outdated familiarity.
• Dignity of labor: The mission is considered humiliating by many martial artists, but Li Yuan recognizes that difficult or dirty work is not inherently shameful.
• Personal history and professional judgment: Zhuang Meng’s past relationship with Li Yuan influences her treatment of him, blurring the boundary between objective evaluation and personal resentment.
• Persistence and self-determination: Rather than withdrawing when deliberately discouraged, Li Yuan calmly accepts the challenge and proceeds on his own terms.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan and Zhuang Meng exchange a tense, public conversation. She assigns him the discouraging mission, while he makes clear that he intends to replace her as liaison officer afterward.
• Jin Qianhui questions Zhuang Meng about her connection to Li Yuan and teases her about the possibility that he might eventually succeed.
• Zhuang Meng insists that Li Yuan lacks potential, revealing her dismissive attitude and unwillingness to consider that he may have changed or improved.

Chapter Summary

Plot and events

After lunch, Li Yuan leaves Lan Eagle City with two days of rations to complete a three-day “Dust Clearing and Obstacle Removal” assignment near Wugang City. The task involves restoring a solar power facility in Wugang’s abandoned suburbs, where debris, overgrown vegetation, and Fierce Beast attacks have disrupted automated maintenance equipment. While traveling through the danger zone, Li Yuan studies and memorizes the terrain, tracks Fierce Beasts, and reaches the task area in under half an hour. He detects and avoids an A-level Iron-Horn Red Ox, kills several weaker Fierce Beasts hiding beneath the solar panels, and begins clearing the facility manually.

Character development

Li Yuan demonstrates exceptional observation, memory, caution, and combat ability. His Eidetic Memory allows him to construct a detailed mental map of the region, while Flaw Insight helps him detect both enemy weaknesses and danger signs in the environment. Unlike ordinary newcomers, he treats the menial task without embarrassment and completes its dangerous aspects efficiently, though he considers the Performance Credits insufficient. He also recognizes that his liaison officer, Zhuang Meng, is incapable of handling routine responsibilities and decides that replacing her is necessary.

Important discoveries

Tracks reveal that Wugang City contains numerous Fierce Beasts living in organized groups and apparently following commands, suggesting an unusual level of intelligence or leadership. The presence of wolf-, leopard-, and cattle-type beasts in the mountainous region raises questions about how they adapted there and whether a powerful creature may have caused the earlier Fierce Beast Tide. Li Yuan chooses not to investigate further, focusing instead on earning credits and completing his assignment.

Themes

The chapter emphasizes preparedness, practical experience over textbook knowledge, and the importance of careful observation in dangerous environments. It also highlights the gap between ordinary martial artists and Li Yuan’s rapidly developing abilities. The seemingly humble maintenance task reflects the broader necessity of controlling Fierce Beast populations and maintaining human infrastructure, even when the work offers little reward or prestige.

Character interactions

Li Yuan has no direct interaction with other characters in the chapter. His discussion of liaison officers and dissatisfaction with Zhuang Meng establishes professional conflict and foreshadows her replacement. His encounters with the Fierce Beasts function as the chapter’s main confrontations, with his superior speed, strength, and ability to identify weaknesses allowing him to defeat them almost effortlessly.

Chapter Summary: “Change Liaison Officer!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan recognizes the difficulty of the task-rating systems used for martial-artist missions. The older system bases difficulty on the grade of Fierce Beast involved, while the newer Threat Rating System also considers danger levels and whether combat is necessary.
• He completes the “Dust Clearing and Obstacle Removal” task by cleaning photovoltaic panels and mowing surrounding weeds. Although the task normally takes about ten hours because workers must remain vigilant for danger, Li Yuan finishes it in only two and a half hours through his efficiency and careful use of the equipment.
• Li Yuan concludes that the task is not especially dangerous but is poorly rewarded, granting only twenty performance points. He believes other E-Grade tasks provide better returns.
• Rather than risk staying overnight in the area, Li Yuan returns safely to Lan Eagle City.
• At the liaison office, Zhuang Meng reveals that two newcomers have already withdrawn from the Lanwu Trial. The officers discuss how rare it is to find martial artists capable of completing high-level tasks, particularly B-Grade missions.
• The liaison officers also discuss Li Yuan, assuming that the discouraging task may have caused him to abandon the trial. Chen Moying criticizes Zhuang Meng for assigning him such a task, leading to a tense exchange between the two women.
• The next morning, Li Yuan submits the recording proving that he completed the task. Zhuang Meng and Jin Qianhui are shocked because they assumed he had failed or quit.
• Li Yuan then announces that, having completed his first task, he wants to change liaison officers. His declaration draws the attention of everyone in the office.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Demonstrates strong practical ability, efficiency, caution, and confidence. He is not discouraged by the deliberately unpleasant beginner task and proves that he can succeed despite others’ low expectations. He also shows independence by deciding to change liaison officers.
• Zhuang Meng: Appears dismissive and overconfident in her judgment of Li Yuan. She assumes he has failed and openly doubts that he can persevere through the Lanwu Trial. Her personal resentment toward Chen Moying further influences her attitude.
• Chen Moying: Challenges Zhuang Meng and appears interested in Li Yuan’s potential. Her criticism may be partly sincere, but it also reflects her long-standing rivalry with Zhuang Meng.
• Jin Qianhui: Acts more objectively than Zhuang Meng by checking the recording and system records. She confirms that Li Yuan genuinely completed the task.
• The liaison officers: Their conversation shows that they view recruiting capable martial artists as uncertain and competitive. They value even those who can complete C-Grade tasks because stronger candidates are difficult to find.

Significant Themes

• Underestimation and proving oneself: Li Yuan is treated as though he will fail, but his performance contradicts everyone’s assumptions.
• Efficiency versus outdated systems: The chapter questions whether existing task classifications and rewards accurately reflect the effort and danger involved.
• Risk management: Li Yuan chooses the safer option of returning to the city rather than relying on a safe house overnight, emphasizing practical survival over unnecessary bravery.
• Professional rivalry and personal conflict: The dispute between Zhuang Meng and Chen Moying shows how workplace competition can be shaped by jealousy and past relationships.
• Judgment and reputation: The liaison officers’ opinions are based largely on assumptions, while Li Yuan’s recorded performance provides objective proof of his ability.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Yuan interacts minimally with others during the task but demonstrates his competence through his actions.
• Zhuang Meng and the other liaison officers discuss Li Yuan behind his back, assuming he has quit.
• Chen Moying confronts Zhuang Meng over her treatment of Li Yuan, reigniting their rivalry connected to Tang Shuchen.
• Jin Qianhui verifies Li Yuan’s recording and confirms his success.
• Li Yuan directly challenges Zhuang Meng’s expectations by requesting a new liaison officer, shifting the balance of the office’s attention onto him.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan successfully completes the difficult newcomer discouragement task, “Dust Clearing and Obstacle Removal,” in less than a day and without any visible mistakes.
• His success shocks liaison officer Zhuang Meng, who had assigned the task because she believed Li Yuan lacked ability and potential.
• Chen Moying, Zhuang Meng’s rival, immediately tries to take Li Yuan as her assigned martial artist. She mocks Zhuang Meng for misjudging him and requests that the assignment be transferred.
• Zhuang Meng and her partner Jin Qianhui review the mission footage, hoping to find evidence that Li Yuan succeeded through luck. Jin rejects this explanation, pointing out that hidden Fierce Beasts were clearly present and that Li Yuan’s calm actions showed deliberate skill.
• Li Yuan agrees to work with Chen Moying and plans to begin accepting new tasks that afternoon.
• Zhuang Meng later summons Li Yuan to the hotel, claiming she wants to discuss his performance. Instead, she assumes he completed the task to regain her attention and attempts to persuade him to abandon the Lanwu Trial.
• She compares him unfavorably to her fiancé, Tang Shuchen, and threatens to make it difficult for him to receive suitable tasks if he remains in Lan Eagle City.
• Li Yuan rejects her threats and emotional assumptions, stating that he came only to improve through the trial. He tells her never to contact him again and leaves to prepare for his next task.
• Zhuang Meng worries that Tang Shuchen may react badly when he learns Li Yuan is still present.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Demonstrates strong combat ability, composure, and practical judgment. His successful mission disproves Zhuang Meng’s assessment of him. He also becomes more assertive, firmly cutting ties with Zhuang Meng and refusing to be manipulated by her personal concerns.
• Zhuang Meng: Is humiliated by her mistaken judgment and remains unable to accept that Li Yuan is genuinely capable. Her personal history with him clouds her professional decisions, and she continues to view his actions through the lens of their failed relationship.
• Chen Moying: Seizes the opportunity to undermine Zhuang Meng and gain a capable martial artist under her supervision. She is confident, competitive, and eager to benefit from Li Yuan’s performance.
• Jin Qianhui: Acts as the voice of professional judgment. She criticizes Zhuang Meng for assigning the discouragement task irresponsibly and recognizes that Li Yuan’s success required real skill.
• Tang Shuchen: Does not appear directly, but his influence is significant. Zhuang Meng uses him as a comparison and fears his displeasure at Li Yuan’s continued presence.

Significant Themes

• Misjudgment and prejudice: Zhuang Meng’s assumptions about Li Yuan are exposed as inaccurate, showing the danger of allowing personal feelings to distort professional judgment.
• Skill versus luck: The chapter emphasizes that completing a difficult task safely requires preparation and ability, not mere fortune.
• Professional responsibility: Liaison officers’ decisions affect both martial artists and their own reputations. Jin Qianhui stresses the importance of properly evaluating newcomers.
• Independence and self-respect: Li Yuan refuses to let Zhuang Meng dictate his future or use emotional manipulation against him.
• Rivalry and reputation: Chen Moying and Zhuang Meng’s conflict reveals how performance points, status, and professional credibility shape their interactions.

Character Interactions

• Chen Moying and Zhuang Meng: Their rivalry intensifies when Chen Moying takes advantage of Li Yuan’s success to mock Zhuang Meng’s poor judgment.
• Zhuang Meng and Jin Qianhui: Jin Qianhui confronts Zhuang Meng about her reckless assignment and forces her to acknowledge that Li Yuan is capable.
• Zhuang Meng and Li Yuan: Their meeting confirms that Zhuang Meng still interprets Li Yuan’s actions as attempts to win her back, while Li Yuan has moved beyond their relationship and rejects her interference.
• Zhuang Meng and Tang Shuchen: Though Tang is absent, Zhuang Meng’s concern about his reaction reveals her continued loyalty to and dependence on him.