Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “C Grade Mission!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After lunch, Li Yuan learns from Chen Moying that his new mission can be arranged by 2:30 p.m. He spends the remaining time resting and cultivating.
• At the mission office, Chen Moying welcomes him warmly, partly to provoke Zhuang Meng, who previously treated Li Yuan poorly.
• Chen Moying recommends a D Grade mission to kill an Iron-Bodied Spider for 60 Performance Credits. Li Yuan instead examines the exchange catalogue, studying the costs of advanced martial skills, Movement Arts, and cultivation methods.
• Li Yuan discovers that the techniques he wants will require approximately 3,300 Performance Credits, meaning years of missions for most martial artists. Many high-level techniques also require completion of specific difficult missions.
• Rather than accept a D Grade assignment, Li Yuan asks to see the C Grade missions. Despite Chen Moying’s uncertainty, he selects a mission to kill a Sea Ape.
• Zhuang Meng dismisses his choice as an attempt to appear impressive and make her regret abandoning him. Jin Qianhui, however, senses that Li Yuan may genuinely be confident.
• Li Yuan studies the mission materials in the hotel café. The Sea Ape is intelligent, dexterous, and skilled at hiding or falsifying tracks, making locating it the main challenge.
• At 4 p.m., Li Yuan enters the Wild Mountain Forest. Within an hour, he detects suspicious traces and realizes that the Sea Ape’s imitated tracks differ subtly from human footprints because of its thick fingers.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan demonstrates increasing ambition and confidence. He is no longer satisfied with low-level D Grade missions and directly pursues a C Grade assignment, believing his abilities are sufficient.
• His careful study of the exchange catalogue shows that he is planning for long-term improvement, especially in Movement Arts and cultivation techniques.
• His Enlightenment to Perfection ability allows him to understand the Sea Ape-tracking methods more deeply and quickly, reinforcing his analytical advantage.
• Chen Moying treats Li Yuan favorably and genuinely tries to help him, even though she is surprised by his willingness to take a C Grade mission.
• Zhuang Meng remains resentful and arrogant, assuming Li Yuan is bluffing and trying to provoke regret in her and Jin Qianhui.
• Jin Qianhui begins to question Zhuang Meng’s judgment after observing Li Yuan’s confidence.

Significant Themes

• Ambition and self-improvement: Li Yuan is focused on obtaining powerful techniques and refuses to remain limited by the ordinary mission system.
• Judgment and underestimated ability: The liaison officers assume Li Yuan cannot handle C Grade missions, but his confidence and preparation suggest they may be mistaken.
• Merit versus favoritism: The mission system is influenced by personal connections, with Zhuang Meng’s relationship to Tang Shuchen giving her access to better assignments.
• Preparation and observation: Li Yuan’s success depends not merely on strength but on studying mission details and noticing subtle evidence others might overlook.
• Long-term perseverance: The enormous Performance Credit requirements emphasize how difficult it is for martial artists to advance through ordinary means.

Character Interactions

• Chen Moying deliberately shows Li Yuan extra courtesy in front of Zhuang Meng, irritating her.
• She advises him to choose a suitable D Grade mission and warns him about the additional requirements attached to advanced techniques.
• Li Yuan politely but firmly rejects the suggested missions and asks for C Grade options, surprising the surrounding liaison officers.
• After he leaves, Jin Qianhui comments on his apparent confidence, while Zhuang Meng insists he is merely pretending.
• Li Yuan has no direct confrontation with Zhuang Meng in the chapter, but his decision to accept a C Grade mission implicitly challenges her assumptions about his abilities.

Chapter Summary: “The Astonished Liaison Officers”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter emphasizes that mission difficulty cannot be judged solely by rank. Even lower-ranked missions can involve unexpectedly powerful Fierce Beasts, especially in abandoned regions.
• Li Yuan tracks a Sea Ape for a C Grade mission. Sea Apes are highly intelligent, capable of setting traps, concealing their scent, and reaching B-level strength.
• Using traces left behind and information from the mission briefing about the Sea Ape’s odor, Li Yuan discovers one hiding beneath dead leaves and kills it instantly with his longsword.
• He returns to Lan Eagle City that night, stores the corpse in the hotel’s cold storage, and submits it the next morning.
• His completion of the C Grade mission in less than half a day astonishes the liaison officers, since even experienced martial artists may need several days—or longer—to finish such missions.
• The mission earns Li Yuan 120 Performance Credits. Encouraged by the ease of the task, he decides to attempt a B Grade mission.
• Chen Moying recommends a difficult B Grade mission that does not require directly killing a B-level Beast, though encountering one remains possible. Li Yuan accepts it.
• After Li Yuan leaves, Chen Moying approaches Zhuang Meng’s desk, clearly pleased by the fact that the martial artist Zhuang Meng had dismissed has proven exceptionally capable.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Demonstrates strong tracking ability, combat power, caution, and efficient use of mission intelligence. His confidence grows after completing the C Grade mission quickly, leading him to pursue more rewarding B Grade work.
• Chen Moying: Initially shocked by Li Yuan’s performance, she quickly recognizes his value and begins treating him with enthusiasm and respect. She sees him as a major opportunity to improve her own standing through the Performance Credits system.
• Zhuang Meng: Though not directly present for much of the chapter, he is implicitly shown to have misjudged Li Yuan’s abilities. His earlier dismissal now appears foolish.
• Liaison officers: Their attitude toward Li Yuan changes from ordinary curiosity to admiration and interest after witnessing his accomplishment.

Significant Themes

• Appearances versus true ability: Mission rankings and official judgments do not always reflect actual danger or a martial artist’s capabilities.
• Preparation and knowledge: Li Yuan succeeds not through brute force alone but by combining observation, tracking, and information from the mission briefing.
• Institutional incentives: The mission system claims to test martial artists and restrict access to powerful techniques, but it also uses rewards and requirements to push people toward undesirable or dangerous tasks.
• Recognition of talent: Li Yuan’s ability is initially underestimated, but his achievement forces others to reassess him.
• Progress through challenge: After mastering a C Grade mission, Li Yuan deliberately seeks a more difficult task to gain greater rewards and continue advancing.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan and Chen Moying interact after he submits the Sea Ape’s corpse. Her shock gradually turns into enthusiastic hospitality, including offering him both coffee and lemonade.
• Chen Moying confirms the mission’s successful completion and credits Li Yuan with 120 Performance Credits.
• She then assists him in choosing a suitable B Grade mission, balancing its high reward with the danger of potentially encountering a B-level Beast.
• The other liaison officers observe Li Yuan with newfound respect and interest, while Chen Moying’s excitement suggests she intends to confront or remind Zhuang Meng of his poor judgment.

Chapter Summary: “Solving It, B-Grade Mission!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Moying confronts Zhuang Meng in front of the other liaison officers, criticizing her for nearly driving away Li Yuan despite his obvious talent.
• She implies that Zhuang Meng may have driven away other capable martial artists in the same manner. Jin Qianhui intervenes, defending Zhuang Meng by explaining that she assigned missions according to regulations.
• The incident creates tension within the office. Many newcomers already feel that liaison officers treated them unfairly during the Lanwu Trial, and Li Yuan’s success strengthens their suspicions.
• Jin Qianhui reprimands Zhuang Meng privately, pointing out that Li Yuan completed both the Sea Ape mission and the “Dust Clearing and Obstacle Removal” mission in less than a day. She warns that Li Yuan’s success with his newly accepted B-Grade mission could seriously damage Zhuang Meng’s reputation.
• Zhuang Meng remains doubtful that Li Yuan can complete such a difficult mission, while Jin Qianhui worries that other promising martial artists may follow Li Yuan and change liaison officers.
• Zhuang Meng begins calling the martial artists assigned to her to reassure them and prevent further problems.
• Chen Moying studies Li Yuan’s B-Grade mission: activating a complicated machine in a factory occupied by Fierce Beasts. The operator must memorize and perform more than ten procedures within one minute while resisting attacks.
• Li Yuan’s Eidetic Memory makes the mission manageable because he can recreate the factory and procedures mentally. He spends the night cultivating and practicing the process in his Sea of Consciousness.
• He maintains an increasingly comfortable relationship with Xu Nianxing through frequent messages, sharing his experiences in Lan Eagle City.
• At dawn, Li Yuan travels back to Wugang City, avoids Fierce Beasts by reading their tracks, and heads toward the factory to begin the mission.

Character Developments

• Chen Moying gains confidence after Li Yuan’s success. Her long-standing rivalry with Zhuang Meng, fueled by comparisons in appearance, ability, and romance, finally gives her an opportunity to retaliate.
• Zhuang Meng begins to recognize that she badly misjudged Li Yuan. She becomes anxious about the consequences of her earlier treatment of him and worries about losing other capable martial artists.
• Jin Qianhui acts as both Zhuang Meng’s defender and critic. She protects her colleague publicly but privately emphasizes the seriousness of Li Yuan’s abilities and Zhuang Meng’s mistake.
• Li Yuan continues demonstrating that his practical abilities far exceed what his Martial Dao realm suggests. His Eidetic Memory and careful preparation give him confidence in tackling the B-Grade mission.
• Xu Nianxing and Li Yuan grow closer through relaxed, sincere conversations. Their interaction suggests increasing mutual comfort and trust.

Significant Themes

• The danger of judging by appearances or rank: Li Yuan’s Fifth Grade Martial Dao status causes others to underestimate him, even though his actual capabilities are much greater.
• Consequences of prejudice and poor judgment: Zhuang Meng’s dismissive treatment of Li Yuan threatens her professional reputation and relationships with other martial artists.
• Competition and resentment: Chen Moying’s rivalry with Zhuang Meng is driven by years of losing to her in work, appearance, and romance.
• Preparation versus brute strength: The B-Grade mission requires precision, memorization, and composure rather than simple combat power.
• Trust and changing relationships: Li Yuan’s bond with Xu Nianxing develops naturally, contrasting with the distrust and rivalry surrounding the liaison officers.

Character Interactions

• Chen Moying publicly attacks Zhuang Meng, while Jin Qianhui steps in to prevent the confrontation from becoming more damaging.
• Jin Qianhui privately warns Zhuang Meng that Li Yuan’s success may expose her error and cause other martial artists to abandon her.
• Zhuang Meng responds by contacting her assigned martial artists to preserve their trust.
• Li Yuan and Xu Nianxing exchange messages, with Li Yuan sharing his experiences and Xu Nianxing showing enthusiastic curiosity.
• Li Yuan prepares independently for the mission, relying on his unique talent rather than assistance from the liaison officers.

Chapter Summary: “Only Moying Knows How to Handle Real Work”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan arrives at a massive mineral-processing factory in Wugang City, where one-fifth of the facility has been shut down because its core machine cannot be safely restarted.
• Senior engineers have refused to enter the dangerous area, leaving the problem unresolved as a B Grade task.
• Li Yuan studies the machine’s different control layout in his Sea of Consciousness until he has memorized every step.
• Before beginning, he kills a nearby Fierce Beast to intimidate the surrounding herd and reduce the risk of a reckless ambush.
• Using his exceptional strength from cultivating the Heavenly Refining Body, Li Yuan turns the enormous air valve and follows the activation procedure precisely.
• The machine starts successfully, and its parameters stabilize. Since connecting it to the assembly lines is outside his assignment, Li Yuan leaves without interfering.
• He returns safely to Lan Eagle City that afternoon but deliberately postpones submitting the task. He worries that completing it too quickly would cause others to underestimate its difficulty or lower its rating.
• Instead, he exchanges his performance points for B-grade Nutrient Fluid and spends the next day cultivating, hoping to break through to Sixth Grade.
• Meanwhile, Director Zhang praises Chen Moying for successfully arranging the task, contrasting her effectiveness with the other liaison officers’ habit of avoiding difficult assignments.
• Director Zhang uses Li Yuan’s successful completion of the B Grade task to criticize the office staff for complaining about task ratings and rewards while competing only for easy work.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Demonstrates technical precision, physical strength, caution, and growing social maturity. He not only completes a dangerous task efficiently but also understands workplace politics and deliberately delays reporting it to avoid making the task appear too easy. His recent combat experience also motivates him to pursue a breakthrough to Sixth Grade.
• Chen Moying: Gains recognition from Director Zhang as the only liaison officer currently handling meaningful work. Her reputation improves because she arranged for Li Yuan to complete a difficult B Grade assignment.
• Director Zhang: Appears satisfied with Chen Moying’s performance but frustrated with the rest of his staff. He openly reprimands them for avoiding difficult tasks and complaining about evaluations.
• Other liaison officers: Are portrayed as passive and self-interested, preferring easy assignments and higher rewards rather than taking responsibility for challenging work.

Significant Themes

• Competence versus appearances: Genuine ability may make a task look easier than it is, causing others to undervalue the work.
• Workplace politics and fairness: Li Yuan recognizes that completing a task too quickly can lead decision-makers to downgrade its difficulty, revealing how bureaucratic judgments often ignore individual talent.
• Responsibility and restraint: Li Yuan completes only the work assigned to him instead of interfering with the factory’s procedures.
• Risk and preparation: Thorough mental rehearsal and careful observation allow Li Yuan to operate safely in a dangerous environment.
• Recognition and accountability: Chen Moying is rewarded for taking on real responsibility, while her colleagues are criticized for avoiding difficult tasks.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan interacts indirectly with the factory’s engineers and staff by solving the problem they refused to face, though he does not meet them personally.
• He communicates with Xu Nianxing during breaks, sharing details of his day.
• Director Zhang praises Chen Moying and holds her up as an example before the other liaison officers.
• His speech establishes Li Yuan’s task as proof that difficult assignments can be completed when properly arranged, while exposing the others’ reluctance to accept challenging work.

Chapter Summary: “Praise from Director Zhang”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Director Zhang praises Chen Moying while criticizing the Liaison Office for failing to assign and complete missions efficiently. Many B Grade missions, especially those involving dangerous factory machinery, remain unclaimed.
• The mission Li Yuan completed at Temple Mountain Factory earned 400 performance points—well above the usual B Grade reward—because it had been ignored for so long.
• Director Zhang reveals that the factory owner personally confirmed the mission’s successful completion. This proves that Li Yuan completed the difficult mission only a day after accepting it.
• Chen Moying realizes that Li Yuan is far more capable than she previously understood. Director Zhang privately urges her to find ways to have Li Yuan handle more difficult B Grade missions and promises increased rewards for both liaison officers and martial artists.
• Director Zhang deliberately avoids meeting or claiming Li Yuan directly, preserving professional credibility and preventing accusations that he is taking a subordinate’s martial artist.
• The other liaison officers learn that Li Yuan is Chen Moying’s martial artist and immediately become envious and interested in obtaining someone of similar ability.
• Zhuang Meng and Jin Qianhui are forced to confront the consequences of having driven Li Yuan away. Zhuang Meng can no longer dismiss his earlier success as luck.

Character Developments

• Chen Moying: Gains recognition and improved prospects after being associated with Li Yuan’s success. Rather than boasting, she becomes astonished and somewhat overwhelmed by his abilities, realizing she has unexpectedly acquired an exceptional martial artist.
• Li Yuan: Though absent from the chapter, his reputation rises dramatically. Completing a difficult B Grade mission so quickly establishes him as exceptionally skilled, precise, and reliable under dangerous conditions.
• Director Zhang: Demonstrates strong leadership and political awareness. He holds the liaison officers accountable, encourages Chen Moying to exploit Li Yuan’s abilities, and avoids interfering directly with subordinate relationships.
• Zhuang Meng: Suffers humiliation and regret. Her previous justifications for rejecting or driving away Li Yuan collapse after his B Grade success, leaving her unable to deny his talent.
• Jin Qianhui: Becomes openly resentful toward Zhuang Meng for creating the situation. Her frustration reflects the professional damage caused by Zhuang Meng’s decisions.
• Other liaison officers: Shift from indifference to envy and regret after realizing they missed the opportunity to work with Li Yuan.

Significant Themes

• Recognition of true ability: Li Yuan’s achievement exposes the difference between genuine skill and dismissive assumptions.
• Regret and missed opportunities: Those who rejected Li Yuan now realize they personally caused their loss.
• Professional responsibility: Liaison officers are expected to solve assignment problems rather than merely complain alongside martial artists.
• Power, credibility, and fairness: Director Zhang’s refusal to seize Li Yuan for himself highlights the importance of maintaining trust and avoiding abuses of authority.
• Consequences of prejudice and poor judgment: Zhuang Meng’s biased assessment of Li Yuan damages both her professional standing and her partnership with Jin Qianhui.

Character Interactions

• Director Zhang publicly criticizes the Liaison Office and praises Chen Moying’s unexpected success.
• Chen Moying questions him about the mission, then confirms that Li Yuan was the martial artist who completed it.
• The surrounding liaison officers question Chen Moying and react with envy when they learn of Li Yuan’s achievement.
• Zhuang Meng silently struggles with humiliation as Li Yuan’s success disproves her excuses.
• Jin Qianhui glares at Zhuang Meng with resentment, blaming her for driving away a highly valuable martial artist.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jin Qianhui confronts Zhuang Meng for deliberately making Li Yuan’s first mission difficult and underestimating his abilities. Li Yuan has completed a B Grade mission in a single day—an achievement far beyond the office’s expectations.
• Jin accuses Zhuang Meng of allowing personal bias to interfere with her work and warns that Director Zhang may punish the liaison officers for obstructing such a talented martial artist.
• Zhuang Meng considers revealing that she and Li Yuan were once romantically involved, but ultimately keeps the relationship secret. She remains frustrated because Li Yuan’s success makes it increasingly difficult to drive him away.
• Chen Moying celebrates Li Yuan’s achievement by buying desserts for the office, recognizing the major performance benefits he could bring her. Zhuang Meng refuses the dessert.
• The chapter explains that Li Yuan’s success also benefits Director Zhang, since Li Yuan is solving the backlog of difficult missions from the Wugang City factory. Because of this, Zhang is unlikely to dismiss Li Yuan even under outside pressure.
• After a night of cultivation, Li Yuan senses that he is close to breaking through from Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade. He plans to submit his mission, rest, and prepare for the breakthrough.
• The Temple Mountain Factory independently confirms that its main machine is functioning, officially completing Li Yuan’s mission before he even submits his report.
• Rather than taking an easier C Grade mission, Li Yuan immediately chooses to consider another B Grade mission, shocking the liaison officers and exciting Chen Moying because of the rewards he could generate.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Demonstrates exceptional ability and confidence. His completion of one B Grade mission and willingness to attempt another establish him as far more capable than his former classmates believed. He is also approaching the important Sixth Grade breakthrough.
• Zhuang Meng: Her mistaken judgment and personal resentment are exposed. She becomes increasingly desperate and irritated as Li Yuan’s achievements strengthen Chen Moying’s and Director Zhang’s determination to retain him.
• Jin Qianhui: Takes a firm, professional stance, openly criticizing Zhuang Meng for letting personal feelings damage her judgment and the office’s interests.
• Chen Moying: Becomes highly enthusiastic about Li Yuan, recognizing that his achievements can bring her significant performance bonuses and departmental rewards. She actively tries to retain and support him.
• Director Zhang: Though he does not appear directly, his position is clarified: Li Yuan’s success solves an important administrative problem, making Zhang likely to protect him.
• Xia Zhao: Her past guidance to Li Yuan is shown to have been valuable. She considers him highly perceptive—possibly on her level or better—and has shared cultivation insights with him that she rarely explains to others.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus prejudice: Zhuang Meng’s outdated view of Li Yuan contrasts sharply with his current achievements, showing the danger of judging people by their past reputation.
• Personal feelings versus professional duty: Zhuang Meng’s unresolved emotions and hostility interfere with her responsibilities, while Jin Qianhui emphasizes the need for objective judgment.
• Institutional self-interest: Li Yuan is valued not only for his talent but also because his success benefits Chen Moying, Director Zhang, and the entire office.
• Cultivation and advancement: Li Yuan’s impending breakthrough highlights the increasing difficulty of progressing beyond Fifth Grade and the importance of personal understanding and accumulated experience.
• Recognition and opportunity: Li Yuan’s abilities create new opportunities for those around him, but also provoke jealousy and competition among the liaison officers.

Character Interactions

• Jin Qianhui reprimands Zhuang Meng for obstructing Li Yuan and demands an explanation for her behavior.
• Zhuang Meng silently struggles with the truth of her past relationship with Li Yuan while plotting ways to prevent him from remaining with Chen Moying.
• Chen Moying publicly celebrates Li Yuan’s success and personally brings him into her care, signaling her determination to keep him as her assigned martial artist.
• Li Yuan calmly rejects the suggestion of taking an easier mission and asks to review B Grade missions again, reinforcing his confidence and ambition.

Chapter Summary: “Heart Ailment, Heart Demon”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Moying explains why Li Yuan’s success with the factory-operation mission is so valuable. Although the mission was rated B Grade, its actual difficulty was closer to E Grade in terms of the Fierce Beasts involved; the true challenge lay in mastering complicated machinery procedures while remaining alert to hidden beasts.
• The Lan Eagle City Command Headquarters originally rated these missions C Grade, but almost no martial artists accepted or completed them. After repeated failures, the missions were raised to B Grade, yet they still remained largely untouched. Responsibility for finding someone capable of completing them was shifted to the Liaison Office.
• Because Li Yuan successfully completed one of these difficult missions, Chen Moying expects to receive significant rewards and recognition as his liaison officer.
• Chen presents Li Yuan with four similar B Grade missions in Wugang City. He chooses one that is roughly seventy percent similar to his previous assignment, and Chen immediately processes it.
• Chen believes Li Yuan may have a strong future completing factory-operation missions, since activating one central machine will likely lead to further missions involving the rest of the production line.
• Li Yuan leaves without acknowledging Zhuang Meng. His indifference causes her to question whether he ever came to Lan Eagle City because of her.
• At Treasure Lion Mountain Estate, Jin Fan struggles to cultivate during summer break. His anger over losing his Snow Shadow Mountain training qualification repeatedly disrupts his concentration.
• Jin Fan finally understands the concept of a “Heart Demon.” He concludes that his resentment can only disappear if he takes revenge on those responsible, especially Li Yuan.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Demonstrates unusual competence by completing missions that other martial artists avoid or cannot finish. He remains practical and restrained, accepting another mission without boasting or making grand promises. His indifference toward Zhuang Meng suggests he has moved beyond any concern for her reaction.
• Chen Moying: Becomes increasingly enthusiastic and flattering toward Li Yuan because his success directly benefits her career. She recognizes his potential and begins planning for a long-term series of factory-related missions.
• Zhuang Meng: Experiences humiliation and emotional uncertainty when Li Yuan ignores her completely. She begins doubting her assumption that he came to Lan Eagle City because of her.
• Jin Fan: Suffers a psychological and emotional setback. His inability to suppress his resentment reveals that revenge has become an obsession and a major obstacle to his cultivation. He shifts from frustration to actively justifying retaliation against Li Yuan.

Significant Themes

• Ability and reward: Those capable of completing neglected or misunderstood tasks gain disproportionate opportunities and benefits.
• Institutional blame and misjudgment: The command headquarters underestimates the missions’ practical difficulty, then shifts responsibility onto the Liaison Office when martial artists fail.
• Indifference and wounded pride: Li Yuan’s lack of attention affects Zhuang Meng more deeply than open hostility would have.
• Resentment as a Heart Demon: Jin Fan’s hatred shows how unresolved anger can obstruct both mental stability and martial cultivation.
• Revenge versus self-control: Jin Fan believes revenge is the only way to restore balance, setting up a likely conflict with Li Yuan.

Character Interactions

• Chen Moying and Li Yuan discuss the available missions, with Chen adopting an unusually gentle and flattering tone. Li Yuan awkwardly asks her to speak normally, maintaining a straightforward relationship despite her enthusiasm.
• Chen explains the likely continuation of the factory missions, while Li Yuan agrees only to let her monitor future opportunities rather than making confident claims.
• Li Yuan and Zhuang Meng do not interact directly; his deliberate or indifferent lack of acknowledgment deeply unsettles her.
• Jin Fan’s central emotional conflict is directed toward Li Yuan. Although he can restrain his hostility toward Young Master Liu because of their comparable backgrounds, he cannot accept Li Yuan’s role in his loss and increasingly resolves to retaliate.

Chapter Summary: “Another Route to Resolve the Problem”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gu Yu returns to Yao Jianyue’s residence despite having supposedly been forbidden to come back until defeating Li Yuan.
• He spars with his senior brother, Jin Fan, but loses due to Jin Fan’s superior cultivation, experience, and martial and movement techniques.
• During the fight, Gu Yu realizes that battling Jin Fan is straightforward: he can clearly identify his own weaknesses. By contrast, Li Yuan’s techniques create a much more oppressive and unpredictable feeling, making Gu Yu unable to tell whether to attack or retreat.
• This leads Gu Yu to suspect that, despite Jin Fan’s greater present strength, Li Yuan may possess greater long-term potential.
• When Jin Fan asks what Gu Yu has been thinking about, Gu Yu indirectly suggests that Jin Fan is troubled by something. Jin Fan admits that he is consumed by anger and wants to kill Li Yuan.
• Jin Fan resents Li Yuan for taking the opportunity to train at Snow Shadow Mountain and, more importantly, for becoming his superior at Lingshan No. 1 High School.
• Gu Yu warns that secretly attacking Li Yuan could lead to an investigation and destroy Jin Fan’s future if evidence were discovered.
• Gu Yu proposes exploiting a sanctioned martial arts event—the Stone Peak River Teaching Seminar Competition—as a safer way to attack Li Yuan. Injuries sustained during a competition could be dismissed as accidents.
• Jin Fan worries that Li Yuan might not give him an opportunity to confront him, but Gu Yu reveals that all teaching affairs directors in the Southeast Region are required to participate, ensuring that Li Yuan will attend.

Character Developments

• Gu Yu: His loss to Jin Fan helps him reassess both fighters. He recognizes Li Yuan’s unusual combat instincts and realizes that raw cultivation does not necessarily equal greater potential. Gu Yu also demonstrates caution and strategic thinking by discouraging an illegal assassination and suggesting a legally defensible alternative.
• Jin Fan: His pride and resentment become more apparent. Although he is one of the strongest talents of his generation, he feels humiliated by Li Yuan’s rise and is especially distressed by the prospect of having to work under him. His anger has developed into murderous intent.
• Li Yuan: Though absent from the chapter, he gains importance through the others’ perceptions of him. Gu Yu views him as a uniquely difficult opponent with considerable potential, while Jin Fan dismisses him as an ordinary teacher unworthy of competing with him.
• Yao Jianyue and the other disciples: Their relationships establish Jin Fan’s position as the strongest conventional talent among Yao Jianyue’s disciples, while Xia Zhao is portrayed as an exceptional figure outside ordinary comparisons.

Significant Themes

• Potential versus current strength: Jin Fan is stronger at present, but Gu Yu senses that Li Yuan’s combat ability and future potential may be greater.
• Pride and resentment: Jin Fan’s hatred stems less from physical defeat than from wounded status and the prospect of being subordinate to someone he considers inferior.
• Law versus exploitation: The chapter contrasts illegal violence with the attempt to manipulate legitimate competition rules to achieve the same harmful goal.
• Perception and combat insight: Gu Yu’s differing experiences against Jin Fan and Li Yuan emphasize that technical complexity and psychological pressure can matter as much as cultivation level.
• Institutional power: Li Yuan’s upcoming administrative position gives him authority over Jin Fan, showing how workplace hierarchy can intensify personal rivalries.

Character Interactions

• Gu Yu and Jin Fan: Their sparring session reveals the gap in their current abilities, while their conversation exposes Jin Fan’s anger and Gu Yu’s cautious concern. Gu Yu attempts to restrain Jin Fan but ultimately offers a calculated plan that redirects his hostility.
• Jin Fan and Li Yuan: Although they do not meet directly, Jin Fan’s contempt and resentment toward Li Yuan drive the chapter. Their future workplace relationship is presented as a major source of conflict.
• Gu Yu and Li Yuan: Gu Yu’s past fight with Li Yuan shapes his judgment and causes him to view Li Yuan as more dangerous and promising than Jin Fan realizes.

Chapter Summary: Advancing to Sixth Grade in Martial Arts!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gu Yu proposes a strategy for Jin Fan to deal with Li Yuan’s harassment after the latter becomes Teaching Affairs Director. Jin Fan could ask Principal Yin to arrange his participation in a martial arts seminar, where he could confront Li Yuan publicly during the required demonstrations.
• Gu Yu warns Jin Fan to be especially careful, noting that Li Yuan possesses something unusual after defeating him twice. Jin Fan dismisses the warning, confident that he can handle Li Yuan.
• Li Yuan accepts a new B Grade mission but postpones it for three days so he can attempt to break through from Fifth Grade Perfection to Sixth Grade.
• Chen Yong informs Li Yuan about the school’s examination results. Li Yuan’s former classes, Class Nine and Class Fourteen, achieved first and second place among the Parallel Classes, strengthening his reputation before he assumes the Teaching Affairs Director position.
• The school’s graduating students performed poorly in the National College Entrance Examination. As a result, Lingshan No. 1 High School will face a strict provincial Open Class inspection next semester, which will serve as Li Yuan’s first major test as director.
• Li Yuan spends three days attempting his breakthrough. He realizes that his difficulty is not due to insufficient training, but because the Heavenly Refining Body and his protective Gang Qi have made his physical limitations much harder to overcome.
• By repeatedly condensing and directing energy against the Gang Qi, Li Yuan eventually creates cracks in it. He endures severe pain and finally breaks through into Sixth Grade.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan demonstrates patience, analytical thinking, and determination. He understands the underlying reason for his failed breakthrough and adjusts his approach rather than blindly following conventional advice.
• His advancement to Sixth Grade marks a major improvement in his martial strength and confirms the exceptional foundation created by the Heavenly Refining Body.
• Jin Fan regains confidence after hearing Gu Yu’s plan. However, his dismissive attitude toward Gu Yu’s warning suggests overconfidence and may leave him vulnerable to Li Yuan.
• Gu Yu acts as a thoughtful adviser, using his own experiences with Li Yuan to caution Jin Fan.
• Chen Yong supports Li Yuan’s transition into school administration by updating him on the school’s academic situation and upcoming challenges.

Significant Themes

• Surpassing personal limits: The transition from Fifth to Sixth Grade represents the Martial Dao’s central purpose—breaking through the body’s natural boundaries.
• Understanding over memorization: Li Yuan’s success comes from understanding why he is struggling, rather than simply accepting the standard explanation that his foundation is insufficient.
• Persistence and endurance: His breakthrough requires three days of repeated effort and intense physical pain.
• Power and responsibility: Li Yuan’s growing authority as Teaching Affairs Director brings both prestige and political pressure, especially with the upcoming provincial inspection.
• Confidence versus caution: Jin Fan’s confidence contrasts with Gu Yu’s warning, foreshadowing a possible confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Gu Yu and Jin Fan discuss how Jin Fan can legally and publicly challenge Li Yuan through a school martial arts seminar.
• Gu Yu warns Jin Fan about Li Yuan’s unusual abilities, but Jin Fan mocks the concern and leaves believing he can manage the situation.
• Chen Yong and Li Yuan speak by phone about the school’s examination results, Li Yuan’s former students, and the difficulties awaiting him as Teaching Affairs Director.
• Li Yuan internally draws on Xia Zhao’s earlier guidance about the nature of the Fifth-to-Sixth Grade breakthrough, applying her insights to overcome his obstacle.

Chapter Summary: The Second B-Level Mission, Accomplished

Key Plot Points and Events

• After breaking through to Martial Sixth Grade, Li Yuan remains behind for an extra day to restore and re-condense the Gang Qi surrounding his body.
• He uses the process as practice for controlling, destroying, and reforming his protective Gang Qi—an important skill for mastering Heavenly Refining Body.
• At the Lan Eagle City Liaison Office, Chen Moying becomes increasingly worried because Li Yuan has not reported back after three days and cannot be contacted. His colleagues, including Zhuang Meng and Jin Qianhui, secretly feel relieved, since his continued success had made them envious and uncomfortable.
• Once fully recovered, Li Yuan travels to Wugang City to complete his second B-level mission: activating a large factory machine responsible for scheduling and allocation.
• Before entering the factory, he is attacked by a Little Rock Bear, a particularly dangerous B-level Fierce Beast known for its rock-hard body, agility, and history of killing Martial Artists.
• Rather than retreating, Li Yuan confronts the beast directly. His breakthrough, physical strength from Heavenly Refining Body, Cloud Treading Step, and precise saber attacks allow him to match the beast and exploit its weaknesses.
• After five exchanges, the Little Rock Bear realizes it cannot win and flees, badly wounded. Li Yuan does not kill it, but forcing a B-level Beast to retreat at Martial Sixth Grade demonstrates his exceptional combat strength.
• The other Fierce Beasts nearby are intimidated and abandon any plans to attack. Li Yuan then enters the factory, inspects the area, and begins activating the enormous machinery.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: His advancement to Martial Sixth Grade greatly increases his confidence and combat ability. He proves that he can fight beyond the level normally expected of someone at his rank, especially through superior technique, physical strength, and awareness of weak points. He also continues developing precise control over Gang Qi.
• Chen Moying: Her earlier confidence turns into anxiety when Li Yuan fails to return on schedule and cannot be reached, revealing how much she has come to rely on his consistently impressive performance.
• Zhuang Meng and Jin Qianhui: Their jealousy and frustration ease temporarily when Li Yuan appears to encounter difficulty, showing that his rapid success had made them feel increasingly inferior.
• Little Rock Bear: Despite being a formidable B-level Beast with experience fighting humans, it is unable to adapt to Li Yuan’s unusual willingness to confront it directly in strength and technique. Its accumulated combat experience becomes ineffective against him.

Significant Themes

• Self-awareness and measured expectations: Cultivators must understand their own condition and level so they can face setbacks without unnecessary frustration.
• Growth through practice: Li Yuan treats the reconstruction of his Gang Qi as preparation for future mastery rather than merely recovery.
• Strength beyond conventional limits: Although official guidance says Martial Sixth-Grade fighters should flee from B-level Beasts, Li Yuan’s abilities allow him to challenge one successfully.
• Adaptation and unpredictability: The Little Rock Bear’s past experience cannot help it against Li Yuan’s unconventional combat style.
• Professional responsibility amid danger: Even after fighting a powerful beast, Li Yuan calmly proceeds to complete the practical objective of his mission.

Character Interactions

• Chen Moying’s concern contrasts with her colleagues’ concealed satisfaction at Li Yuan’s apparent delay.
• Li Yuan and the Little Rock Bear engage in a direct, intense battle in which each tests the other’s speed and strength. Li Yuan’s continuous, unpredictable saber technique gradually overwhelms the beast.
• The nearby Fierce Beasts indirectly respond to the battle by retreating once they witness the Little Rock Bear’s defeat.
• The chapter ends with Li Yuan focused on the mission’s machinery, shifting from combat to the difficult technical task of restarting an enormous, long-idle system.

Summary of “Tang Shuchen Returns”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan successfully completes his second B Grade mission by starting a massive factory machine. Despite the machine’s age and the physical strength and technical precision required, he operates it smoothly within the allotted time.
• With two B Grade missions and one C Grade mission completed, Li Yuan has accumulated nearly 1,000 Performance Credits. He realizes that completing a few more missions could earn him the cultivation techniques he needs.
• At the Liaison Office, Director Zhang reveals that Li Yuan completed the supposedly difficult mission without any problems. The factory sends a letter of thanks, and both Li Yuan and Chen Moying receive additional rewards.
• Director Zhang encourages the other liaison officers to recommend their martial artists for similar B Grade missions, suggesting that the missions are difficult mainly because of their complicated procedures, not because they are impossible.
• Inspired by Li Yuan’s success, Zhuang Meng and the other officers begin contacting martial artists under their supervision and urging them to accept the missions.
• That evening, Tang Shuchen returns to the Liaison Office and surprises Zhuang Meng. She tries to take him away before he can encounter Li Yuan, but they run into Li Yuan outside the office.
• Tang Shuchen recognizes Li Yuan as someone familiar and identifies him by name. Zhuang Meng becomes visibly anxious and begins trying to explain Li Yuan’s presence at the Lanwu Trial.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Demonstrates both exceptional technical knowledge and physical ability. He treats the B Grade missions as easy opportunities to earn Performance Credits and becomes increasingly motivated to complete more of them for cultivation resources.
• Chen Moying: Her concern for Li Yuan is replaced by relief and excitement after learning of his success. She expects to receive a promotion and additional rewards because she recruited and supported him.
• Zhuang Meng: Initially feels threatened by Chen Moying’s success, but Li Yuan’s achievements lead her to view the B Grade missions as a profitable opportunity. Her confidence collapses when Tang Shuchen encounters Li Yuan, revealing that she has been concealing Li Yuan’s involvement from him.
• Tang Shuchen: Returns earlier than expected and appears affectionate toward Zhuang Meng, bringing her a gift. However, his recognition of Li Yuan immediately makes him suspicious and introduces tension into his relationship with Zhuang Meng.
• Director Zhang: His previous frustration turns into satisfaction after learning that Li Yuan solved the mission backlog. He feels less pressure and becomes more optimistic about the office’s performance.

Significant Themes

• Specialized ability and hidden talent: Li Yuan succeeds because he possesses a rare combination of memorized technical knowledge and physical strength, turning difficult tasks into easy opportunities.
• Rewards and competition: The chapter emphasizes how Performance Credits, promotions, and mission assignments motivate the liaison officers and martial artists.
• Jealousy and insecurity: Zhuang Meng becomes uneasy because Chen Moying benefits from Li Yuan’s success, while Tang Shuchen’s arrival forces her to confront her past relationship.
• Appearance versus reality: The B Grade missions seem intimidating to others but are straightforward for Li Yuan. Similarly, Zhuang Meng’s outwardly playful behavior toward Tang Shuchen hides her panic and guilt.

Character Interactions

• Director Zhang praises the successful completion of Li Yuan’s mission and indirectly pressures the other liaison officers to catch up with Chen Moying.
• Zhuang Meng and Jin Qianhui begin actively recruiting martial artists to take the B Grade missions.
• Tang Shuchen behaves affectionately toward Zhuang Meng, but she hurriedly tries to prevent him from seeing Li Yuan.
• When Tang Shuchen recognizes Li Yuan, Zhuang Meng’s anxiety reveals that the encounter may expose her past connection to him.

Chapter Summary: “Tang Shuchen’s Doubts”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Shuchen becomes visibly angry after seeing Li Yuan, suspecting that Zhuang Meng may still have feelings for her former boyfriend.
• Zhuang Meng comforts and flatters Tang Shuchen, emphasizing the difference between them and portraying Li Yuan as inferior and unworthy of her attention.
• Tang Shuchen questions how Li Yuan qualified for the Lanwu Trial and asks about his recent performance in Lan Eagle City.
• Zhuang Meng initially claims Li Yuan is weak and only competent at memorizing procedures, but admits that he has successfully completed several B-Grade missions involving factory machinery.
• Suspicious and unwilling to accept Zhuang Meng’s explanation, Tang Shuchen decides to investigate Li Yuan’s actual situation through his parents, who work at the command center. He leaves without giving Zhuang Meng the surprise he had prepared.
• Meanwhile, Li Yuan visits Chen Moying to choose another mission. His preferred mission has already been reserved by Jin Qianhui, who refuses to release it.
• Rather than argue, Li Yuan selects a different B-Grade machinery mission. He expects others to attempt similar missions and fail, which will prove that his earlier successes were not due to exploiting an easy system.
• Li Yuan plans to complete several more B-Grade missions, earn over two thousand Performance Credits, and exchange them for a movement technique or martial skill before pausing his mission work.
• He returns to the hotel at night to study the procedures for the new machine, planning to travel to Wugang City the next morning. At the same time, other martial artists begin accepting missions that had previously been intended for him.

Character Developments

• Tang Shuchen: Reveals jealousy, insecurity, and suspicion toward Li Yuan. Although reassured temporarily by Zhuang Meng’s praise, he remains unconvinced and decides to investigate.
• Zhuang Meng: Demonstrates that she prioritizes maintaining her advantageous relationship with Tang Shuchen. She deliberately belittles Li Yuan while praising Tang Shuchen, using emotional reassurance to calm him.
• Li Yuan: Shows patience, strategic thinking, and confidence. He does not fight over the reserved mission and understands that other martial artists’ failures will eventually validate his achievements. He is focused on efficiently accumulating rewards for future martial advancement.
• Chen Moying: Attempts to help Li Yuan obtain a suitable mission but is blocked by Jin Qianhui.
• Jin Qianhui: Acts competitively and refuses to give up a mission she has already reserved, reflecting the growing rivalry over lucrative B-Grade assignments.

Significant Themes

• Insecurity and social comparison: Tang Shuchen’s jealousy is fueled by uncertainty about Li Yuan’s true abilities, while Zhuang Meng reinforces his ego by comparing Li Yuan to “scrap iron.”
• Misjudgment and appearances: Zhuang Meng’s outdated view of Li Yuan contrasts with his increasingly impressive performance. Others underestimate the difficulty of his missions because they do not understand their technical nature.
• Institutional ignorance and unfair incentives: Li Yuan recognizes that decision-makers may wrongly assume B-Grade missions are easy after seeing his success, similar to companies reducing rewards once a difficult product becomes profitable.
• Strategic patience: Rather than seeking immediate recognition, Li Yuan allows others to fail so that the true difficulty of the missions becomes undeniable.
• Ambition and resource accumulation: Li Yuan’s short-term goal is to gather enough Performance Credits to obtain a valuable martial skill or movement technique.

Character Interactions

• Tang Shuchen and Zhuang Meng engage in a tense but manipulative conversation, with Zhuang Meng soothing his jealousy by praising him and insulting Li Yuan.
• Tang Shuchen repeatedly questions Zhuang Meng about Li Yuan, exposing his distrust.
• Chen Moying tries to secure a mission for Li Yuan, but Jin Qianhui refuses to relinquish it, creating a conflict over mission assignments.
• Li Yuan overhears the dispute and calmly resolves it by choosing another mission, avoiding confrontation while continuing his larger plan.

Chapter Summary: “Exchanging for a Pinnacle Movement Art”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At breakfast, Tang Shuchen’s parents explain that the martial artist who completed the recent B Grade machine-startup task had originally been assigned to Zhuang Meng but switched liaison officers after a disagreement.
• The task ratings are scheduled to be lowered because the missions have now received publicity and become highly sought after. Tang Shuchen is encouraged to try them, but he declines, preferring Martial Dao cultivation.
• Tang Wenlou suggests that skilled technicians could help Tang Shuchen with the underground facility beneath Wugang City.
• Meanwhile, Li Yuan completes his third, fourth, and fifth B Grade tasks with increasing efficiency. After earning over 2,400 Performance Credits, he stops accepting missions to rest during the remaining summer break.
• By the time Li Yuan submits his fifth task, the machine-startup missions have been downgraded from B Grade to C Grade. Tasks accepted before the change retain their original ratings.
• Li Yuan uses his Performance Credits to exchange for the advanced Movement Art Wind River Art, having realized during his battle with Jin Fan that his Cloud Treading Step was insufficient.
• He tells liaison officer Chen Moying that he will temporarily stop accepting missions. Chen responds professionally and maintains a positive relationship with him.
• Li Yuan returns to his hotel, intending to rest and master Wind River Art.
• Other martial artists who accepted the machine-startup missions begin struggling severely. They discover that memorizing the procedures is only the first difficulty: the rusted machinery requires immense strength and precise operation, while Fierce Beasts lurk around the factories.
• Many conclude that the missions are more difficult than killing B-level beasts. Some abandon the tasks, while others must pay compensation after damaging the machines.

Character Developments

• Tang Shuchen remains uninterested in administrative or mechanical tasks and shows a stronger commitment to Martial Dao cultivation. His encounter with the Grandmaster has reinforced his desire to focus on martial improvement.
• Li Yuan demonstrates rapid growth after advancing to Sixth Grade. His ability to complete difficult missions quickly and safely has increased, but he recognizes that movement techniques are a major weakness.
• Li Yuan becomes more strategic about his time and resources, choosing to stop taking missions once he has earned enough Performance Credits and instead focus on cultivation.
• Chen Moying is portrayed as tactful and professional. Unlike Zhuang Meng, she respects Li Yuan’s need for rest and prioritizes maintaining a long-term relationship.
• Zhuang Meng is indirectly characterized as less capable of handling talented martial artists, having allowed conflict with Li Yuan to damage their working relationship.
• The other martial artists experience a sharp loss of confidence when they discover that the supposedly lucrative tasks are far more dangerous and technically demanding than expected.

Significant Themes

• Specialization and self-awareness: Li Yuan understands that his combat ability alone is not enough and identifies movement as a critical weakness.
• Preparation versus real experience: Other martial artists believe memorizing the machine procedures will make the missions manageable, but actual conditions—rusted machinery, strict time limits, and lurking Fierce Beasts—reveal the gap between theoretical preparation and practical mastery.
• Strategic cultivation: Li Yuan prioritizes long-term martial growth over continuously pursuing rewards.
• Professional relationships and trust: Chen Moying’s respectful treatment of Li Yuan contrasts with Zhuang Meng’s mishandling of him, showing how liaison officers can influence future cooperation.
• The hidden difficulty of missions: Task rankings do not always reflect how complicated or dangerous a mission truly is, particularly when technical work and combat threats overlap.

Important Character Interactions

• Tang Shuchen discusses the task situation with his parents, who encourage him to consider the missions and the usefulness of technical experts.
• Li Yuan works with Chen Moying to exchange his Performance Credits for Wind River Art and informs her of his decision to take a temporary break.
• Chen Moying responds with understanding rather than pressure, preserving goodwill.
• The experiences of other martial artists indirectly contrast with Li Yuan’s exceptional competence, highlighting why he was able to complete the tasks so quickly while others struggled or failed.

Summary: “Return to Lingshan City”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Director Zhang angrily confronts the Liaison Office after several B Grade factory missions fail. The assigned martial artists not only fail to restart the machinery but damage it, leading the factory and Command Headquarters to demand compensation.
• The liaison officers attempt to avoid responsibility, but Director Zhang warns that punishment and deductions to their Performance Credits are unavoidable.
• Zhang asks Chen Moying to persuade Li Yuan to take over the failed missions. She refuses, explaining that Li Yuan has chosen to rest and may already have left Lan Eagle City.
• Chen Moying points out that the missions have been downgraded from B Grade to C Grade, reducing their rewards. She also warns that continued acceptance of downgraded missions could cause them to fall to D Grade.
• At a Command Headquarters meeting, Tang Wenlou argues that restarting the machines is easy and that C Grade is already a generous rating. He criticizes the Liaison Office for complaining and agrees to arrange a demonstration using other martial artists.
• Two days later, Li Yuan leaves Lan Eagle City by high-speed train and returns to Lingshan City. Having achieved minor mastery of the Wind River Art and gained enough experience from his recent missions, he sees no reason to stay.
• Meanwhile, Tang Wenlou’s selected martial artists begin refusing the missions. Although they are willing to cooperate with senior officials, they consider the low-reward C Grade missions and travel to Wugang City not worth the trouble.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Becomes more confident and independent. After mastering the Wind River Art to a basic level and completing several difficult missions, he chooses to leave rather than accept unfairly downgraded assignments.
• Chen Moying: Demonstrates loyalty to Li Yuan and a shrewd understanding of the situation. She protects his interests while subtly challenging the Liaison Office’s leadership and using the mission crisis to expose the consequences of poor decisions.
• Director Zhang: Revealed as a politically cautious administrator who shifts blame downward when problems arise. Although he recognizes the missions’ true difficulty, he lacks the authority to reverse the Command Headquarters’ decisions.
• Tang Wenlou: Displays arrogance and overconfidence, dismissing the practical difficulties of the missions. His confidence forces him into arranging a demonstration that may expose his misunderstanding.
• Jin Qianhui and Zhuang Meng: Both regret mishandling their previous relationship with Li Yuan, particularly as his importance becomes increasingly obvious.

Significant Themes

• Bureaucratic irresponsibility: Officials make decisions without understanding the missions’ real difficulty, then attempt to shift blame when those decisions fail.
• Undervaluing talent: Li Yuan’s successful work is taken for granted, while the missions are downgraded and their rewards reduced despite their difficulty.
• Consequences of arrogance and poor judgment: The Command Headquarters assumes the missions are easy, but capable martial artists refuse them, suggesting that the leadership’s policies will backfire.
• Strategic withdrawal and self-interest: Li Yuan and Chen Moying refuse to continue cooperating under unfair conditions, showing that talent and loyalty have limits.
• Performance and political credit: The conflict is driven not only by mission success but also by concerns over compensation, credits, commissions, and institutional reputation.

Character Interactions

• Director Zhang pressures the liaison officers to solve the crisis while implicitly blaming them for the failed assignments.
• He speaks more gently to Chen Moying, hoping she can use her connection to Li Yuan to repair the situation.
• Chen Moying firmly rejects the request and explains why Li Yuan will not accept downgraded missions, indirectly criticizing the leadership.
• Jin Qianhui glares at Zhuang Meng because she believes their earlier treatment drove Li Yuan away.
• Tang Wenlou challenges Director Zhang’s concerns, prompting Zhang to demand that Tang personally prove how easy the missions are.
• The refusal of Tang’s chosen martial artists begins to undermine the Command Headquarters’ confident claims and validates Li Yuan’s earlier position.

Chapter Summary: “New Semester, Director Li”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Wenlou’s attempt to have martial artists restart factory machinery fails completely. Although the tasks were downgraded to C Grade, they still required eliminating multiple Fierce Beasts and correctly operating complicated machines.
• After five days, only three martial artists had attempted the task, and all three gave up. They agreed that the missions were too difficult even for a B Grade rating.
• The factory owners become furious because Li Yuan had successfully activated the core machines, while no one can start the supposedly simpler supporting machinery. They bypass Lan Eagle City Command Headquarters and complain directly to provincial authorities.
• Director Zhang of the Liaison Office uses the failure to defend his department and criticize Tang Wenlou’s reckless downgrading of the task ratings. Records suggest that Li Yuan may be the only person capable of completing these missions, raising concerns that he could monopolize them.
• Xia Zhao continues trying to uncover Li Yuan’s true identity and connection to “Wuling Education,” but her assistant Cheng Jing finds no useful information. Xia eventually orders the investigation suspended, worried that pursuing him may cause trouble or make him feel targeted.
• The Snow Shadow Mountain training exercise begins.
• Li Yuan returns to Lingshan No. 1 High School for the new semester and formally begins serving as Teaching Affairs Director. He will supervise schedules, teaching quality, and the school’s overall educational work.
• Li Yuan’s parents remain uncomfortable with their new home in Heavenly Vista Garden. To keep them occupied and improve their mood, Li Yuan arranges for them to sell simple meals near the residential area.
• On his first day back, Li Yuan organizes his office. A colleague arrives and addresses him as “Director Li Yuan,” marking his new position.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: His unique ability to activate factory machinery becomes increasingly apparent, distinguishing him from every other martial artist. He also demonstrates responsibility and consideration by arranging meaningful work for his parents and taking his new school role seriously.
• Tang Wenlou: His decision to downgrade the missions is exposed as a serious mistake. His attempt to shift responsibility onto others backfires, leaving his judgment and authority under pressure.
• Director Zhang: Gains confidence and satisfaction as the failed missions vindicate the Liaison Office. He sees an opportunity to hold Command Headquarters accountable and protect his own prospects.
• Xia Zhao: Her personal feelings for Li Yuan become clearer. She admires not only his talent and character but also genuinely wants to spend more time with him. However, she chooses restraint and stops investigating his identity.
• Li Yuan’s parents: They struggle to adapt to their privileged new living environment, but begin receiving a practical way to stay active and emotionally engaged.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of poor judgment: Arbitrarily lowering mission ratings creates confusion, failed assignments, and political pressure.
• Talent and uniqueness: Li Yuan’s success reveals that some abilities cannot be measured accurately by official classifications or standard assumptions.
• Bureaucratic responsibility and blame: Different departments attempt to avoid punishment and shift responsibility, while the failed missions expose flaws in the system.
• Personal affection and restraint: Xia Zhao’s feelings for Li Yuan deepen, but she prioritizes his well-being over her own desire for answers.
• Adjustment to change: Li Yuan and his parents each face transitions—he enters a leadership role, while they adapt to a new home and lifestyle.

Character Interactions

• Tang Wenlou’s requests to martial artists lead to repeated refusals and expose the impracticality of his plan.
• Factory owners pressure higher authorities after their machinery remains unusable.
• Director Zhang and the Liaison Office interpret the failures as proof that Command Headquarters mismanaged the task ratings.
• Jin Qianhui and other liaison officers realize that Li Yuan may be the only successful operator, prompting speculation about the wealth and influence this could bring him.
• Xia Zhao and Cheng Jing discuss the failed investigation into Li Yuan’s identity, after which Xia decides to stop pursuing it.
• Li Yuan supports his parents by giving them a small business opportunity, and he begins interacting with school colleagues in his new capacity as Teaching Affairs Director.

Chapter Summary: Jin Fan and Gu Yu, Are You Here?

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yuan returns to Lingshan No.1 High School as the newly appointed Teaching Affairs Director.
• During the morning departmental meeting, he presents the school’s recent examination results, including the National College Entrance Examination and the Grade 10 and Grade 11 results.
• He emphasizes the need to improve teaching quality, especially because the school’s graduates have been criticized for declining performance and the province will conduct inspections in the new semester.
• Li Yuan promises teachers that, as long as they focus on teaching, he will reduce unnecessary administrative burdens.
• He then deliberately asks whether Jin Fan and Gu Yu are present. Both are absent despite having signed in, suggesting that someone signed attendance for them.
• Li Yuan warns that signing in for absent colleagues will be treated as an absence in the future.
• He announces that Jin Fan will lose his status as a primary subject teacher and be reassigned as an assistant teacher.
• Li Yuan supports the decision with evidence: Jin Fan frequently took leave, required substitutes more than eighteen times, and his class’s results had fallen from near the top to the bottom among the Parallel Classes.
• The demotion is not only disciplinary but also a deliberate show of authority. Li Yuan intends to demonstrate that even the Grandmaster’s disciple, Jin Fan, is not beyond his control.
• The teachers are shocked by the severity of the decision. One teacher finally objects, warning Li Yuan that the punishment is excessive and may provoke Jin Fan.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Displays confidence, administrative competence, and a stern leadership style. He uses Jin Fan’s misconduct to establish authority over the faculty and openly acts on his personal grudge.
• Jin Fan: Though absent from the meeting, he is portrayed as privileged, influential, and accustomed to receiving leniency because of his status as the Grandmaster’s disciple. His professional record is now seriously threatened.
• Gu Yu: Also absent and apparently implicated in the attendance issue, though no punishment is announced for him yet.
• The teachers: Most acknowledge Li Yuan’s teaching ability and support his promotion, but they are cautious because of the conflict between Li Yuan and Jin Fan. Their shock reveals how bold Li Yuan’s decision is.
• The dissenting teacher: Becomes the first person to challenge Li Yuan publicly, suggesting that not everyone accepts his methods.

Significant Themes

• Authority and power: Li Yuan uses a high-profile punishment to establish control over a senior and well-connected teacher.
• Merit versus privilege: Jin Fan’s martial status and connections previously protected him, but Li Yuan judges him according to attendance, teaching effort, and student performance.
• Institutional politics: Promotions, evaluations, official records, and professional reputation are shown to have long-term consequences.
• Personal conflict within formal systems: Although Li Yuan presents objective evidence, his decision is also motivated by his longstanding hostility toward Jin Fan.
• Leadership and accountability: The chapter raises the question of whether strict enforcement of rules is genuine reform or personal retaliation.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan addresses the faculty formally and attempts to gain their cooperation through promises of reduced distractions and improved teaching conditions.
• His public questioning of Jin Fan and Gu Yu creates immediate tension and reveals the hidden conflict between him and Jin Fan.
• Li Yuan’s announcement shocks the teachers, who recognize that he is directly challenging the Grandmaster’s disciple.
• A teacher openly warns Li Yuan that Jin Fan may retaliate, setting up a likely confrontation between Li Yuan and Jin Fan.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Shi Lin publicly challenges Teaching Affairs Director Li Yuan’s decision to demote Jin Fan, warning that Jin Fan will retaliate.
• Li Yuan refuses to back down, despite knowing Jin Fan has the support of a Grandmaster. He argues that Jin Fan has shown neither merit nor diligence, citing his careless teaching and Li Yuan’s need to substitute for him repeatedly.
• Li Yuan frames the demotion as a responsibility to the students, making it difficult for Shi Lin to argue against him.
• He announces mandatory teacher-training sessions twice a week to prepare for the upcoming provincial Open Class event, warning that poor results could affect teachers’ salaries and bonuses.
• Li Yuan successfully manages the meeting by first asserting authority, then easing tensions through practical concerns about pay and professional improvement.
• He assigns himself three large weekly lectures—one for each high-school grade—reducing the workload of other teachers and earning their surprise and approval.
• After the meeting, Shi Lin secretly calls Jin Fan in Baodu City to report the demotion and meeting. He urges Jin Fan to retaliate against Li Yuan, but Jin Fan responds coldly and ends the call without threatening action.

Character developments

• Li Yuan demonstrates confidence, toughness, and strong administrative ability. He refuses to be intimidated and skillfully uses rhetoric to justify his decision. His willingness to take on extra teaching shows that his leadership is not merely performative.
• Shi Lin reveals his loyalty to Jin Fan and growing hostility toward Li Yuan. He appears emotionally invested in Jin Fan’s conflict, even imagining himself as part of Jin Fan’s side.
• Jin Fan behaves unexpectedly calmly. His lack of an immediate threat or angry response suggests that he may be planning something more carefully or has changed his approach.

Significant themes

• Authority versus intimidation: Li Yuan refuses to yield to threats, even when they come from someone connected to a powerful Grandmaster.
• Responsibility to students: Li Yuan justifies his actions by emphasizing teaching quality and the welfare of the students.
• Leadership and credibility: Li Yuan earns respect by combining firmness, diplomacy, concern for teachers’ income, and a willingness to share their workload.
• Hidden motives and suspense: Jin Fan’s unusually restrained reaction creates uncertainty about his next move.

Character interactions

• Shi Lin confronts Li Yuan and attempts to pressure him into reversing Jin Fan’s demotion, but Li Yuan turns the argument against him.
• Li Yuan addresses the teachers as both an authority figure and a colleague, reducing resistance by connecting new demands to their salaries and professional interests.
• Shi Lin reports the outcome to Jin Fan and encourages revenge, yet Jin Fan’s detached response leaves Shi Lin confused and raises the possibility of a calculated retaliation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jin Fan is furious after Li Yuan demotes him from lead teacher to assistant teacher. Although he pretends to remain confident, he realizes that his threats and previous attempt to ambush Li Yuan have failed to intimidate him.
• Gu Yu advises Jin Fan to endure the situation temporarily. The teaching seminar at Stone Peak River is only a little over a month away, and they expect Li Yuan to die afterward, eliminating their problems. However, Gu Yu warns that disciplinary records could permanently damage Jin Fan’s career.
• Jin Fan and Gu Yu return to Lingshan No. 1 High School. Li Yuan records their six absences in the school’s official attendance system and reports them to the principal, carefully following all procedures. Continued violations could eventually lead to Jin Fan’s dismissal.
• In the teachers’ office, Li Yuan publicly confronts Jin Fan. He cites Jin Fan’s seven consecutive absences, removes him from his previous class because of its poor results, and formally assigns him to assist with instruction.
• Li Yuan further humiliates Jin Fan by criticizing his laziness and arrogance and reminding him that his Grandmaster mentor expects him to work responsibly rather than rely on his status.
• Jin Fan nearly loses control and appears ready to attack, but restrains himself because an assault would endanger his career. Li Yuan, now a Martial Sixth Grade practitioner with a powerful physique, is confident he can defend himself and even hopes Jin Fan will attack so that surveillance footage and witnesses can be used against him.
• Jin Fan issues a veiled threat, warning Li Yuan that disaster may come to him. Li Yuan ignores the threat and instead emphasizes that Jin Fan must attend every class or submit formal leave requests, ensuring that every future violation will be documented.
• Unable to retaliate openly, Jin Fan returns to his desk and counts the days until the seminar, becoming increasingly impatient for the opportunity to kill Li Yuan.
• As the students return and classes officially resume, Li Yuan faces the true test of his new position as Teaching Affairs Director. His future promotion depends on improving student performance, with Director Zeng prepared to support him if he achieves results.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan becomes increasingly assertive, disciplined, and fearless. He uses official procedures and public accountability as weapons against Jin Fan while deliberately provoking him into making a legal mistake. His advancement to Martial Sixth Grade gives him confidence that he can survive another attack.
• Jin Fan shifts from outward defiance to suppressed anger and strategic patience. Though humiliated and demoted, he restrains himself to protect his future and places all his hopes on the upcoming seminar, where he expects Li Yuan to die.
• Gu Yu acts as Jin Fan’s pragmatic adviser, urging him to tolerate the humiliation temporarily and focus on the long-term consequences of disciplinary action.
• Director Zeng remains an important unseen supporter of Li Yuan, offering potential assistance with promotion if Li Yuan proves capable in his new role.

Significant Themes

• Institutional power versus personal revenge: Li Yuan counters Jin Fan’s influence not through threats, but by using rules, records, and administrative authority.
• Restraint and delayed retaliation: Both men want the other dead, but Jin Fan must suppress his anger to avoid legal and professional consequences.
• Accountability and public image: Jin Fan’s status as a Grandmaster’s disciple cannot protect him from the reputational damage of documented misconduct or a public assault.
• Ambition and proving oneself: Li Yuan’s success as Teaching Affairs Director will determine whether he can advance, while Jin Fan’s career is threatened by his absences and poor performance.
• The danger of unchecked behavior: The chapter’s title reflects the idea that reckless actions eventually bring disaster, especially for those who allow anger and arrogance to control them.

Character Interactions

• Jin Fan and Gu Yu: They privately discuss Li Yuan’s demotion of Jin Fan and agree to endure the situation until the seminar.
• Li Yuan and Jin Fan: Their office confrontation makes their hostility open and irreversible. Li Yuan publicly reprimands Jin Fan, while Jin Fan responds with restrained rage and a veiled threat.
• Li Yuan and the other teachers: The staff witness the confrontation and realize that all pretense of reconciliation between the two men has ended.
• Li Yuan and Director Zeng: Though not directly interacting in the chapter, Director Zeng’s support establishes a potential path for Li Yuan’s promotion if he delivers measurable results.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The new semester begins, with students returning to school and attending a lengthy school-wide meeting led by Principal Yin.
• Jin Fan privately visits Principal Yin to complain about Li Yuan’s strict supervision and growing authority, asking the principal to restrict Li Yuan’s power.
• Principal Yin explains that Li Yuan’s victory in the Youth Martial Tournament earned him support from higher education officials, forcing the school to grant him greater authority.
• Principal Yin reveals that he moved the provincial Open Class inspection forward by nearly two months. The inspection will take place in ten days.
• He intends to use poor inspection results to blame Li Yuan and reclaim some of his authority, despite the risk that he himself may also be held responsible.
• Li Yuan receives a call from Director Zeng, who is concerned about the shortened preparation time. Li Yuan confidently claims he can improve the teachers’ abilities within ten days.
• Using his ability to detect Experience Light Points, Li Yuan plans to identify teachers’ weaknesses and determine whether students genuinely understand the material.
• Li Yuan orders all teachers except Jin Fan and Gu Yu to attend ninety-minute study sessions after work.
• The teachers, initially resentful, accept the extra work because poor Open Class ratings could reduce their bonuses, with a D rating potentially costing them all bonus income.
• Li Yuan begins the first training session in the conference room, though several teachers—including Shi Lin and Yin Yi—remain skeptical of his qualifications and methods.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan: Demonstrates confidence and strategic thinking. He views the accelerated Open Class as both a threat and an opportunity to prove his leadership abilities. He also becomes increasingly focused on advancing his position, protecting his parents, and eventually eliminating Jin Fan as a threat.
• Jin Fan: Becomes frustrated and anxious under Li Yuan’s strict oversight. Unable to challenge Li Yuan directly, he seeks Principal Yin’s protection and hopes the Open Class will weaken Li Yuan’s authority.
• Principal Yin: Reveals his hostility toward Li Yuan and his determination to prevent him from rising further. Although he risks damaging the school—and his own reputation—he manipulates the Open Class schedule to undermine Li Yuan.
• Director Zeng: Has effectively taken over the bureau chief’s duties and remains concerned about the practicality of Li Yuan’s plan, especially because teaching success depends on student cooperation as well as teacher ability.
• The teachers: Shift from annoyance to reluctant cooperation after learning that the Open Class may directly affect their income and evaluations.

Significant Themes

• Power struggles and institutional politics: Principal Yin and Li Yuan compete for authority, while higher-level officials’ support strengthens Li Yuan’s position.
• Ambition and advancement: Li Yuan recognizes that greater authority will provide safety, resources, and protection for his family.
• Pressure and accountability: The provincial inspection creates anxiety because teachers’ professional evaluations and bonuses depend on their performance.
• Innovation versus tradition: Li Yuan’s ability-based method of diagnosing understanding challenges the teachers’ traditional assumptions about instruction.
• Conflict and survival: Li Yuan views Jin Fan as a continuing threat and believes Jin Fan must eventually die for him to be truly safe.

Character Interactions

• Jin Fan appeals to Principal Yin, but Yin blames him for losing to Li Yuan and indirectly causing Li Yuan’s rise.
• Principal Yin and Jin Fan form a temporary alliance against Li Yuan, using the Open Class as a weapon.
• Director Zeng warns Li Yuan that improving teaching results cannot depend on one person alone, but Li Yuan insists his unique abilities make the plan possible.
• Li Yuan excludes Jin Fan and Gu Yu from the training sessions, refusing to share his methods with them.
• The teachers react skeptically to Li Yuan acting as their instructor, setting up resistance he must overcome during the ten-day preparation period.

Chapter Summary: “From Careless to Serious”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Many teachers doubt the value of the ten-day emergency training program, especially after pessimistic teachers such as Yin Yi and Shi Lin begin influencing others.
• Li Yuan starts the first lesson without unnecessary formalities, teaching Movement Art, one of the most difficult and commonly misunderstood subjects in the curriculum.
• He has condensed twenty planned lessons into ten and prepares his material around the subject’s major difficulties.
• At first, many teachers listen casually or remain skeptical. However, Li Yuan’s deeper understanding allows him to explain complex theories clearly and reveal the logic behind the techniques.
• As the lesson progresses, teachers realize that Li Yuan is offering more than a repetition of the textbook. Their confusion begins to disappear, and they become increasingly attentive.
• The meeting develops into an active discussion, with teachers asking sincere questions and exchanging ideas rather than merely listening passively.
• Although the lesson was scheduled to last an hour and a half, the teachers continue discussing the material until eight o’clock.
• After dismissing everyone to rest, Li Yuan checks the Experience Points he has gained, discovering that the class has earned him more than 120 points, bringing his total to 172/600.

Character Developments

• Li Yuan demonstrates that his authority comes not only from his position as Teaching Affairs Director but also from genuine mastery of cultivation techniques and martial skills. His ability to simplify profound ideas earns the teachers’ respect.
• The teachers shift from indifference and doubt to seriousness, concentration, and active participation once they recognize the practical value of the lesson.
• Shi Lin remains hostile and complains that Li Yuan is wasting time, but he gradually becomes isolated as nearly everyone else begins paying attention.
• Yin Yi and Shi Lin represent the skeptical influence that initially threatens the training program’s effectiveness.
• The teachers’ motivation is partly practical: poor performance in the upcoming Open Class could reduce their income, aligning their interests with Li Yuan’s goal of improving their teaching.

Significant Themes

• Effective teaching requires true understanding. Teachers who only possess superficial knowledge may confuse students, while those who understand underlying principles can guide them successfully.
• Responsibility cannot be placed entirely on students. The chapter criticizes teachers who blame students for poor results without examining their own limited mastery or unclear explanations.
• Experience can overcome prejudice. The teachers’ skepticism fades when they directly experience the quality of Li Yuan’s instruction.
• Learning requires active engagement and reflection. The lesson becomes more productive when teachers ask questions, discuss difficult points, and later take time to rest and absorb what they learned.
• Shared interests encourage cooperation. Both Li Yuan and the teachers benefit from improved Open Class performance, creating a practical foundation for teamwork.

Character Interactions

• Li Yuan teaches while Yin Yi and Shi Lin whisper discouraging comments among the crowd.
• A teacher who initially listens to Shi Lin’s complaints changes sides after hearing Li Yuan’s explanations and sharply tells Shi Lin not to disturb the class.
• Shi Lin tries to regain the support of nearby colleagues but realizes that most teachers are now seriously engaged.
• The teachers openly question Li Yuan about points they find difficult, creating a constructive exchange rather than an adversarial challenge.
• By the end of the meeting, the teachers and Li Yuan are cooperating in a focused effort to improve their understanding and future teaching performance.