Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen awakens in an unfamiliar room, restrained in black shackles and surrounded by fragmented memories that reveal he has taken over another person’s body.
• He learns that he is in Southwind City and has replaced the original Su Chen, an inferior citizen facing forced conscription into an exploration team outside the city—an assignment with an extremely high death rate.
• The original Su Chen had sought entry into Southwind Academy through Jiang He, a mysticism tutor, who possessed an admission recommendation letter and had attempted to exploit him sexually in exchange for it.
• Su Chen discovers a translucent system-like interface showing his past-life skill, Basic Combat, which can improve his physical abilities once equipped.
• He refuses to continue Jiang He’s seduction, instead dressing and preparing to leave while maintaining the original owner’s timid, taciturn persona.
• Jiang He suddenly collapses after apparently drinking a Withered-Grass Potion, suffering severe pain and glass wounds from a shattered wineglass.
• Two masked or shadow-covered intruders break into the residence, identify Jiang He as an Arcane Apprentice, and reveal that she has undergone the Whispering Trial.
• The chapter ends with Su Chen’s system identifying the Arcane Apprentice class and displaying one of its advancement requirements.

2. Character Developments

• Su Chen: Quickly adapts to his transmigration and begins analyzing his new circumstances rationally. He is cautious, observant, and skilled at suppressing his emotions while pretending to be weak and frightened. His instinctive physical reaction shows that some remnants of the original owner’s personality or bodily habits remain.
• Jiang He: Initially appears dominant, seductive, and amused by Su Chen’s apparent innocence. Her confidence collapses when the potion takes effect, revealing that she is vulnerable despite her status as a mysticism practitioner.
• The Intruders: They are introduced as threatening figures who know Jiang He’s identity and abilities. Their casual treatment of Su Chen suggests they regard him as an insignificant inferior citizen.

3. Significant Themes

• Transmigration and identity: Su Chen must survive in another person’s body while concealing that he is not the original owner.
• Social inequality and exploitation: Inferior citizens possess limited rights and are treated as disposable cannon fodder. Jiang He also attempts to exploit Su Chen’s vulnerable social position.
• Power and survival: Admission to Southwind Academy represents Su Chen’s chance to escape conscription and improve his fate, while the system offers another path toward strength.
• Hidden danger beneath appearances: Jiang He’s seductive control masks her own vulnerability, while the seemingly helpless Su Chen is far more perceptive than others realize.
• Mysticism and advancement: The chapter introduces a supernatural progression system, including classes, trials, potions, and mysterious advancement conditions.

4. Character Interactions

• Jiang He repeatedly teases and pressures Su Chen, attempting to lure him into a sexual arrangement in exchange for the academy recommendation letter.
• Su Chen carefully imitates the original owner’s timid behavior but ultimately rejects Jiang He’s advances, causing her to become angry and dismiss him.
• After Jiang He collapses, Su Chen debates whether to help her, but the arrival of the two intruders places him in danger as well.
• The intruders ignore Su Chen and focus on Jiang He, commenting on her endurance and exposing her status as an Arcane Apprentice.

Chapter Summary: “Reversal”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen realizes that his mysterious panel can identify professional classes and reveal their advancement requirements. Since professional rituals are highly secretive and dangerous, this information could be extremely valuable.
• His immediate crisis interrupts these thoughts: Jiang He, an instructor at Southwind Academy and member of the Jiang Clan, is being attacked by two professionals—Rope Master and Strongman.
• Rope Master intends to frame Jiang He and Su Chen for a scandalous murder-suicide, using his supernatural rope to control their movements and force them into compromising positions.
• The panel identifies Strongman as a first-tier intermediate profession and reveals its conditions:
  • Break through the body’s limits ten times through arduous training.
  • Possess at least one body-type proficiency skill.
• When Su Chen faces imminent danger, the Strongman profession unexpectedly reveals the remaining conditions, allowing him to qualify immediately because he possesses the [Basic Combat] skill.
• Jiang He suddenly uses a strange mental attack, uttering the syllable “Rong.” The sound severely injures Rope Master and Strongman and frees Su Chen from the rope’s control.
• Seizing the opportunity, Su Chen equips [Basic Combat] and takes up the Strongman profession.
• His body transforms, becoming leaner, stronger, and more balanced. He gains the ability [Strength].
• While Strongman is distracted sealing Jiang He’s mouth, Su Chen rapidly overpowers Rope Master, gripping his head and threatening to crush his skull.
• The chapter ends with Rope Master, Strongman, and Jiang He all stunned by Su Chen’s sudden transformation and reversal of power.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Moves from a physically weak, frightened refugee into an empowered and dangerous combatant. He demonstrates quick thinking by exploiting the panel’s information, recognizing [Basic Combat] as a qualifying skill, and waiting for the right moment to advance. His new demeanor is cold, vigilant, and ferocious.
• Jiang He: Despite being restrained and badly injured, she remains defiant and verbally attacks her captors. Her mysterious mental ability reveals that she is far more powerful and dangerous than she initially appears.
• Rope Master: Revealed as cruel, manipulative, and sadistic. He plans to fabricate a scandal to protect his employers or associates, but becomes overconfident and is caught off guard by Jiang He’s attack and Su Chen’s advancement.
• Strongman: A physically powerful professional who appears less cruel and more restrained than Rope Master. He is affected by Jiang He’s attack but retains enough control to stop her from speaking rather than immediately killing her. He is shocked by Su Chen’s sudden increase in strength.

Significant Themes

• Power through information: Knowledge of profession requirements is rare and valuable, giving Su Chen an advantage that may be more important than raw strength.
• Reversal of power: The chapter repeatedly shifts control—from Jiang He’s helplessness, to the attackers’ dominance, to Jiang He’s mental counterattack, and finally to Su Chen’s victory over Rope Master.
• Hidden potential: Both Jiang He and Su Chen conceal abilities that dramatically alter the situation. Their true capabilities are far greater than their opponents expect.
• Adaptation under pressure: Su Chen succeeds by analyzing the crisis, exploiting the panel’s unusual behavior, and acting decisively rather than relying only on strength.
• Identity and transformation: Su Chen’s physical and psychological change marks the beginning of his transition from vulnerable refugee to professional combatant.

Character Interactions

• Jiang He attempts to intimidate her captors by invoking her status as an academy instructor and Jiang Clan member, but Rope Master mocks her.
• She verbally humiliates both professionals, praising Strongman’s potential while insulting Rope Master’s lack of future, briefly damaging their confidence.
• Rope Master threatens and humiliates both Jiang He and Su Chen, using his rope to control them and planning to create a false account of their deaths.
• Jiang He’s mental attack temporarily incapacitates the two professionals and gives Su Chen the opening he needs.
• Strongman moves to silence Jiang He, while Rope Master prepares to resume control, but Su Chen interrupts by overpowering Rope Master.
• The chapter concludes with all three characters recognizing that Su Chen has become an unexpected and immediate threat.

Chapter Summary: “Sudden Outburst”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Su Chen, Jiang He, Old Ghost, and the Strongman become trapped in a tense standoff, Old Ghost proposes a trade: Su Chen releases him while the Strongman lets Jiang He go.
• Su Chen notices that his newly acquired Strongman profession grants him a powerful ability, [Strengthen], which temporarily boosts his explosive strength. He also realizes Jiang He is secretly signaling that she has another plan.
• Old Ghost attempts to manipulate Su Chen by warning that killing him will cause the Strongman to kill Jiang He. Su Chen ignores the threat and crushes Old Ghost’s skull.
• The Strongman instinctively tightens his grip on Jiang He, but Jiang He apparently interferes with him mentally or otherwise causes him pain. Su Chen uses the opening to attack.
• Su Chen activates [Strengthen] and clashes directly with the Strongman. His superior physical power breaks the Strongman’s arm, and he defeats him with a series of devastating blows.
• Su Chen learns that the Strongman’s enormous physique came from potions rather than a genuine, high-quality professional advancement. Unlike Su Chen, the man did not possess the true [Strengthen] ability.
• After the fight, Jiang He gives Su Chen a provisional admission letter. Su Chen questions her about it and realizes she had used deliberately vague wording when describing his opportunity to enter the academy.
• Jiang He explains that provisional students may attend the academy but must periodically leave the city to perform relatively safe patrol duties, unlike ordinary drifters who face far greater danger outside.
• Su Chen also learns the significance of perfect employment: a person with exceptional compatibility with a profession gains stronger professional abilities and has a lower risk of mutation. The Strongman’s lack of perfect employment explains his weakness despite his size.
• Suspicious of Jiang He and unwilling to leave her unconstrained, Su Chen asks whether she has any “life-or-death leverage”—some secret or weakness that would prevent her from turning against him later.
• When Jiang He cannot immediately provide anything convincing, Su Chen threatens to kill her, forcing her into panic as she realizes she may have to bargain for her life.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Reveals his ruthless and calculating nature. He acts decisively, kills Old Ghost without hesitation, defeats the Strongman through overwhelming physical power, and immediately begins assessing Jiang He as a potential future threat. He also discovers that he achieved perfect employment as a Strongman and begins investigating the implications of his new status.
• Jiang He: Demonstrates resourcefulness by secretly signaling Su Chen and helping create an opening against the Strongman. However, she becomes frightened and uncertain after seeing Su Chen’s brutality. Her previous manipulation of the truth about the admission letter damages his trust in her.
• Old Ghost: Tries to preserve his life through negotiation and psychological pressure but fails because Su Chen refuses to be intimidated. He is killed abruptly when Su Chen takes advantage of the Strongman’s distraction.
• The Strongman: Appears physically imposing but is revealed to be an inferior, potion-enhanced professional. His lack of perfect employment leaves him without the true professional ability and causes him to lose quickly against Su Chen.

Significant Themes

• Power versus appearance: The Strongman’s huge body suggests overwhelming strength, but his artificial enhancement is inferior to Su Chen’s genuine professional advancement.
• Trust and manipulation: Jiang He’s vague wording and hidden intentions make Su Chen question whether she has been using him. Their relationship shifts from cooperation toward mutual suspicion.
• Survival through calculation: The characters constantly assess hostages, threats, and escape routes. Su Chen survives by acting faster and more decisively than his enemies.
• The value of perfect employment: The chapter establishes that professional compatibility is more important than superficial physical development, granting stronger abilities and better long-term prospects.
• Control and vulnerability: Su Chen’s demand for a fatal weakness reflects his desire to ensure that Jiang He cannot later exploit him, while Jiang He’s panic highlights how quickly power can shift between people.

Character Interactions

• Old Ghost attempts to negotiate with Su Chen, using the Strongman and Jiang He as mutual hostages.
• Jiang He covertly signals Su Chen, allowing him to understand that she can help counter the Strongman.
• Su Chen and the Strongman engage in a direct physical confrontation, with Su Chen’s perfect employment giving him a decisive advantage.
• Jiang He tries to regain Su Chen’s trust by thanking him and presenting the admission letter, but his probing questions expose her earlier deception.
• The chapter ends with Su Chen threatening Jiang He and demanding a means of controlling her, leaving their alliance unstable and Jiang He desperate to save herself.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang He proposes a Blood Oath Contract with Su Chen: if one dies, the other dies as well. Su Chen would prefer a contract that gives him direct control over her life, but Jiang He explains that such a contract is impossible. Accepting the oath is their best option.
• Because Jiang He’s mental strength is depleted from the Withered-Grass Potion and her earlier mental attack, they delay forming the contract.
• While waiting, Su Chen examines the items left behind by the assassins. His ability identifies the Blue-veined Hemp Rope and Shadow-Hiding Garments as first-tier items, revealing that his identification ability applies to certain equipment.
• Su Chen questions Jiang He about who arranged the assassination. He points out that her husband may be involved, since:
  • She was poisoned by something that had to be administered orally.
  • Only a limited number of people could have drugged her.
  • Old Ghost implied that her family and academy would not investigate deeply if she died, but said nothing about her husband.
• Jiang He realizes the likely motive may involve a coveted opportunity: her father had secured one of three family-supported positions for advancement to the third-tier profession, Arcane Weaver. If Jiang He died, the position could potentially go to someone else.
• She suspects her husband, though she cannot explain how he obtained the services of two professionals or learned about the family’s secret arrangement.
• Su Chen asks about the Arcane profession system. Jiang He confirms the progression appears to be Arcane Apprentice → Arcane Scholar → Arcane Weaver, but advancement details are confidential.
• Jiang He reveals the requirements for becoming an Arcane Apprentice:
  1. Sufficient mental strength.
  2. Passing the Whispering Trial.
• She gives Su Chen the Candlefire Mental Training Method, stored in her study. The method trains the mind by constructing and repeatedly visualizing a candle flame within one’s mental realm.
• Su Chen attempts the method and unexpectedly succeeds at constructing the flame on his first try. Jiang He believes he will need months—or at least weeks—of practice, but Su Chen realizes the technique is unusually easy for him.
• His skill panel reveals a new ability: Candlefire Mental Training Method—Beginner: 50%, suggesting his transmigration may have granted him exceptional compatibility with mental training.

Character Developments

• Su Chen becomes more cautious and analytical, probing Jiang He’s motives, investigating the assassination plot, and seeking opportunities to improve his own power.
• He demonstrates strong mental resistance, possibly due to his transmigration, and discovers that he can rapidly learn mental-training techniques.
• His distrust of Jiang He remains, but he accepts cooperation because leaving Southwind City would be even more dangerous.
• Jiang He shifts from desperation to partial composure as her mental strength recovers. She relies on Su Chen’s reasoning to uncover the likely motive behind the attack.
• She reveals more about her family, her advancement prospects, and the confidential Arcane profession system, showing that she is willing to exchange valuable information to secure Su Chen’s cooperation.
• Jiang He’s suspicion turns toward her husband, creating a new personal and political threat.

Significant Themes

• Trust and mutual dependence: Su Chen and Jiang He do not fully trust each other, yet their survival may depend on cooperation and the Blood Oath Contract.
• Betrayal within families: The possible assassination by Jiang He’s husband highlights how ambition and inheritance can corrupt intimate relationships.
• Power and secrecy: Profession advancement, especially toward Arcane Weaver, is tightly controlled, making knowledge itself a valuable and dangerous resource.
• Transmigration and hidden potential: Su Chen’s unusual resistance and rapid mastery suggest that his arrival in this world has granted him unexplained advantages.
• Strategic reasoning: Su Chen survives not only through strength but by remembering details, identifying motives, and exploiting weaknesses in the situation.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Jiang He negotiate the terms of their potential Blood Oath Contract, with Su Chen pressing for greater control and Jiang He insisting on the limits of the available agreement.
• Su Chen interrogates Jiang He about the assassination and guides her toward suspecting her husband.
• Jiang He shares restricted knowledge about Arcane professions and gives Su Chen access to the Candlefire method.
• Their relationship becomes more cooperative but remains tense, shaped by suspicion, leverage, and their shared danger.

Chapter Summary: “The Victim’s Prying Eyes”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen clarifies the advancement requirements for the Arcane Apprentice class. The system panel reveals that the second requirement is to raise the Candleflame Tempering Method to the proficient level, rather than simply completing ten cycles per minute as Jiang He had believed.
• Jiang He explains the Whispering Trial: Su Chen must use the Blood-Drawn Inverted Cross in a sealed room to resist unknown mental interference, stopping before forty seconds. Su Chen realizes that the people of this world are experimenting with class advancement and lack the system’s precise standards.
• To secure Jiang He’s cooperation, Su Chen demands a Blood Oath Contract. Jiang He uses his blood to draw a symbol on her chest, binding her life to his and forcing the two of them into a temporary alliance.
• Jiang He tells Su Chen to report to Southwind Academy the following day with his transfer letter. She intends to keep him under observation, both because of the assassination attempt against her and because Su Chen may attract the attention of whoever tried to kill him.
• Su Chen changes into clothing Jiang He provides after his original clothes were damaged. Their exchange contains mutual suspicion and sexual tension, but Su Chen remains focused on practical matters.
• Extremely hungry after the battle, Su Chen eats a huge amount of food while questioning Jiang He about class advancement. She explains the requirements for the low-tier Rope Master class.
• Su Chen’s panel confirms the Rope Master requirements: obtaining a carefully woven hemp rope at least 1.5 meters long and completing three thousand bindings, each with at least thirty knots.
• Jiang He claims Rope Masters have little potential, though they may advance into Illusionists or Puppeteers. Su Chen realizes that the world contains complicated and partly unknown advancement paths beyond what people openly understand.
• Upon leaving, Su Chen observes the world’s strange environment: an artificial sun, a pitch-black sky, fog, and blue phosphorescent lights.
• An unseen observer with pale blue eyes watches Su Chen depart and is shocked that he is still alive—and that he is wearing “my clothes,” suggesting a connection to the assassination attempt or the prior owner of the clothing.

Character Developments

• Su Chen becomes more cautious and calculating. He uses the Blood Oath to ensure Jiang He cannot betray him and recognizes that the system gives him a major advantage over people relying on guesswork.
• He also demonstrates growing confidence. Despite Jiang He’s power and seductiveness, he remains focused on gathering information, testing advancement paths, and securing access to Southwind Academy.
• Jiang He shifts from hostile captor and potential predator to a reluctant collaborator. The blood oath frustrates her, but it also gives her a reason to cooperate. She remains suspicious of Su Chen and plans to use him as bait to draw out his enemies.
• Jiang He is visibly affected by Su Chen’s physical transformation after becoming a Strongman. Her attraction and surprise reveal that she now sees him as a dangerous, mature presence rather than someone easily dominated.
• The mysterious observer introduced at the end appears to be connected to Su Chen’s survival, clothing, or assassination plot, creating a new threat and mystery.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge as power: Su Chen’s system provides exact, reliable advancement requirements, while others must rely on incomplete traditions and experimentation.
• Mutual distrust and forced alliances: The blood oath creates cooperation without genuine trust. Both Su Chen and Jiang He continue pursuing their own agendas.
• Identity and transformation: Su Chen’s physical and psychological change—from a weak former self into a capable Strongman—alters how others perceive and respond to him.
• Class hierarchy and limited potential: Jiang He’s contempt for the Rope Master class highlights the social and strategic importance of advancement paths and the belief that low-tier classes have restricted futures.
• Hidden conspiracies: The assassination attempt, Su Chen’s mysterious background, and the watcher at the end suggest that his survival is tied to larger secrets.

Important Character Interactions

• Su Chen interrogates Jiang He about advancement requirements and tests whether she is being truthful.
• Their blood oath binds them together while reinforcing their uneasy relationship.
• Jiang He offers Su Chen clothing and food, showing practical cooperation despite continued suspicion.
• During the meal, Su Chen draws information from Jiang He about class systems and higher advancement routes.
• The final unseen observer watches Su Chen from the shadows, implying that someone connected to him is actively monitoring his movements.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen returns to his home in the slums after leaving Jiang He's villa.
• He encounters his former friends, who taunt and provoke him.
• Su Chen meets Little Pigeon, who gives him food and shares her plans to leave the slums with Bai Fengxi.

Character Developments

• Su Chen maintains his composure and dignity despite the provocation from his former friends, demonstrating growth from his previous passive self.
• Little Pigeon shows kindness and concern for Su Chen, indicating her maturity and empathy for others despite her young age.

Significant Themes

• Class divide: The stark contrast between the wealthy district and the slums highlights the social inequality in Southwind City.
• Friendship and loyalty: Despite the harsh conditions, Little Pigeon remains loyal to Su Chen, showing that genuine connections can still exist among the downtrodden.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen's former friends: Their taunts and provocations reveal their jealousy and resentment towards Su Chen's perceived success, as well as their own bitterness and resignation to their circumstances.
• Su Chen and Little Pigeon: Their interaction showcases their mutual affection and concern for one another, with Little Pigeon demonstrating her desire to help Su Chen despite her own challenging situation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen decides that becoming an Arcane Apprentice is essential for improving his ability to protect himself, especially after the recent assassination attempt.
• His contempt for the weak Rope Master profession unexpectedly triggers a panel reaction: Rope Master attempts to consume Arcane Apprentice, but is itself swallowed.
• The two professions merge into a new first-rank top-tier profession: Mystic Artificer, which inherits the traits of both professions.
• Mystic Artificer’s advancement requirements are revealed:
  1. Obtain a first-rank special item, with the Blue-veined Hemp Rope already qualifying.
  2. Raise the Candlefire Mental Training Method to the Master stage.
  3. Survive for one minute in the Whispering Trial.
     Completing all conditions may grant an additional reward.
• Su Chen immediately begins practicing the Candlefire Mental Training Method. His progress rapidly rises from Beginner to Proficient, 55%, demonstrating the method’s effectiveness.
• After eating and preparing to register at Southwind Academy, Su Chen encounters former acquaintances from the refugee district.
• Captain Zhang Man confronts him and demands the money supposedly owed for arranging his encounter with Jiang He. Su Chen reveals his Southwind Academy admission card instead.
• Zhang Man is shocked and quickly changes his attitude, agreeing to wait for the promised five hundred gold. He acknowledges that Su Chen is now protected by the academy and cannot be easily exploited.
• Su Chen leaves to complete his academy formalities, while the surrounding refugees watch with envy and disbelief.

Character Developments

• Su Chen becomes more determined and confident. His desire for strength leads him to pursue Arcane Apprentice, but the unexpected fusion gives him an even greater opportunity through Mystic Artificer.
• His mental training ability proves unusually strong, allowing him to advance rapidly in a short period.
• Su Chen also demonstrates growing composure and social authority. Rather than arguing with Zhang Man, he calmly uses his academy status to reverse the power dynamic.
• Zhang Man is revealed as an exploiter who arranges relationships between refugees and wealthy or influential people for profit. However, he is pragmatic and immediately becomes respectful once Su Chen gains academy protection.
• Huang Peng, Black Dog, and the other refugees shift from dismissing Su Chen to feeling shocked, jealous, and uneasy about his sudden rise.
• Jiang He’s influence remains important even though she does not appear directly: her connection to Su Chen has enabled his academy admission and potentially transformed his future.

Significant Themes

• Strength and social status: Su Chen’s admission to Southwind Academy instantly changes how others treat him, showing that power and institutional protection determine social standing.
• Unexpected opportunity: His disdain for Rope Master accidentally produces a superior profession, suggesting that misfortune or absurd circumstances can lead to major gains.
• Transformation and self-improvement: Su Chen’s physical enhancement, mental training, improved appearance, and academy admission all mark his movement away from poverty and powerlessness.
• Exploitation and survival: Zhang Man treats refugees as resources, while the refugees depend on group cooperation and questionable arrangements to survive.
• Recognition versus resentment: Su Chen’s success inspires admiration but also jealousy, emphasizing the isolation that can accompany sudden advancement.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen’s interaction with the profession panel results in the fusion of Rope Master and Arcane Apprentice into Mystic Artificer.
• His silent progress in mental training contrasts with the hostility and gossip of the refugees outside.
• Zhang Man initially attempts to intimidate Su Chen and collect his payment, but Su Chen’s admission card forces him to adopt a deferential attitude.
• The refugees’ reactions highlight the dramatic change in Su Chen’s position: those who previously rejected him can now only watch as he moves toward a more powerful future.

Chapter Summary: A Strange World: Living Off a Woman the Hard Way

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen travels to Southwind City, marveling at its advanced yet chaotic technology, including elevated railways, enormous buildings, artificial lighting, toll gates, and mechanical prosthetics.
• Using his transfer letter, he enters the inner city without money and eventually reaches Southwind Academy, where Jiang He has been waiting impatiently for him.
• Jiang He takes Su Chen to the Academic Affairs Office to officially enroll him as a first-year Mysticism student. She also arranges to pay his tuition, accommodation, and other fees.
• Su Chen is assigned a private dormitory in Building 13, District B, and receives a student ID.
• The academy staff and students gossip about Jiang He’s apparent relationship with Su Chen, assuming she is financially supporting an attractive young man. Her association with a refugee further fuels their speculation.
• During registration, Jiang He and Su Chen discover that his records have been altered: he is scheduled to leave the city in only half a month, rather than the three or four months they expected.
• Jiang He suspects that someone deliberately changed Su Chen’s records to use him as bait or to investigate the events of the previous night. She explains that several people may be involved in the conspiracy.
• Jiang He leaves to investigate who tampered with the records, while Su Chen goes to the library to educate himself about the unfamiliar world.
• At the library, Su Chen studies occupational systems, learning that occupations are broadly classified as physical, spiritual, or miscellaneous. He discovers that some occupations combine physical and spiritual abilities, while others possess highly unusual powers.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Becomes more independent and proactive in adapting to the new world. He uses the original owner’s memories to navigate the city, enrolls in school, and begins systematically filling gaps in his knowledge. His growing strength as a “Strongman” makes him useful in Jiang He’s investigation.
• Jiang He: Reveals herself to be influential, impatient, and protective of Su Chen, handling his enrollment and agreeing to cover his expenses. She is also involved in a larger investigation and recognizes that Su Chen may be central to uncovering the conspiracy.
• Teacher Zhao: Initially processes Su Chen’s transfer routinely, but becomes shocked upon learning that he is a refugee and that he must leave the city soon.
• The academy community: Students and staff judge Su Chen and Jiang He based on appearances, assuming their relationship is romantic and financially dependent.

Significant Themes

• Adaptation to an unfamiliar society: Su Chen must reconstruct his understanding of the world by combining inherited memories with firsthand observation and study.
• The relationship between power and status: Jiang He’s authority allows Su Chen to enter the academy and bypass financial obstacles, while Su Chen’s strength gives him value within the political intrigue surrounding him.
• Social prejudice and gossip: Su Chen’s refugee identity and Jiang He’s unconventional support of him provoke suspicion and judgment.
• Hidden conspiracies and manipulation: The altered records suggest that powerful figures are controlling events behind the scenes and may be using Su Chen as a pawn.
• The classification of supernatural abilities: The chapter introduces a world where professions and powers are organized into physical, spiritual, and miscellaneous occupations, expanding the story’s magical system.

Important Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Jiang He: Their banter shows Jiang He’s impatience and Su Chen’s blunt practicality. Though outsiders interpret their closeness romantically, their relationship is primarily based on protection, investigation, and mutual usefulness.
• Su Chen and Teacher Zhao: Their enrollment exposes Su Chen’s refugee status and shortened city stay, triggering concern and surprise.
• Su Chen and the students: His appearance beside Jiang He attracts envy and curiosity, while his student ID immediately causes others to treat him with greater respect.
• Su Chen and the library student: A brief exchange demonstrates how institutional status affects social interactions within the academy.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen studies the academy’s information on professions. Professions are divided into lower, middle, upper, and top tiers, while special professions have no rank but possess unusual abilities.
• He discovers the special profession [Scholar], whose requirements are:
  1. Study diligently for twelve years.
  2. Learn twelve different kinds of knowledge for at least one year each.
  3. Obtain information about one top-tier profession.
• Su Chen has already fulfilled the second and third requirements, while his past-life education counts as nine of the required twelve years of study. He realizes that his previous life has given him an enormous advantage.
• The chapter explains that people can theoretically possess unlimited professions, though profession conflicts, physical rejection, and limited energy make this dangerous. Advancing one profession is generally more effective than collecting many weak ones.
• After leaving the library, Su Chen becomes extremely hungry because of his unusually fast metabolism. He discovers that the academy cafeteria requires money stored on student IDs, but his account is empty.
• He considers borrowing or even stealing food before recognizing Bai Fengxi, an acquaintance from his former life in the wasteland.
• Bai Fengxi initially mistakes Su Chen for someone confessing to her because of his changed appearance. Once she realizes who he is, she is surprised that he has become a student at Southwind Academy.
• When Su Chen asks for money, Bai Fengxi gives him a bottle of concentrated nutrient solution instead, claiming that she is also struggling financially.
• Bai Fengxi’s companions become curious about Su Chen, especially after Zhou Zong recalls seeing him with the powerful teacher Jiang He.
• The group assumes Su Chen may have a relationship with Jiang He. Bai Fengxi responds with the ambiguous comment “Impressive,” apparently interpreting the rumor as Su Chen having successfully entered Jiang He’s bed.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Demonstrates the benefits of his past-life knowledge and education. He is close to unlocking the Scholar profession but remains frustrated by the rigid three-year study requirement. His hunger and lack of money also reveal his practical difficulties despite his growing power and status.
• Bai Fengxi: Recognizes Su Chen after initially failing to identify him because of his cleaned-up appearance. She remains cool and guarded but shows concern by giving him valuable nutrient solution. Her final reaction suggests she may misunderstand or tease him about his connection to Jiang He.
• Jiang He: Does not appear directly, but her reputation as a powerful and influential teacher shapes how others view Su Chen.
• Zhou Zong: Shows interest in Bai Fengxi and becomes suspicious of Su Chen, viewing him as a possible rival.
• Bai Fengxi’s companions: Treat the encounter as entertaining gossip, especially because of Su Chen’s apparent connection to Jiang He.

Significant Themes

• The lasting value of past experience: Su Chen’s previous-life education unexpectedly helps him meet the requirements for a rare special profession.
• Knowledge as power: The Scholar profession emphasizes long-term learning, broad expertise, and access to high-level information rather than direct combat ability.
• The limits of advancement: Profession strength depends not only on acquiring a profession but also on developing it, while taking too many professions can cause dangerous conflicts.
• Social status and misunderstanding: Su Chen’s changed appearance, association with Jiang He, and mysterious entry into the academy cause others to speculate about him.
• Material hardship despite talent: Even as Su Chen gains access to extraordinary opportunities, he still struggles with basic needs such as food and money.

Important Character Interactions

• Su Chen internally compares Jiang He’s strength to her likely profession development level.
• Su Chen asks a cafeteria worker about food but cannot pay, embarrassing himself before the waiting students.
• Su Chen approaches Bai Fengxi for financial help. She is initially suspicious but gives him concentrated nutrient solution.
• Bai Fengxi’s friends question her relationship with Su Chen, while Zhou Zong implies that Su Chen was seen with Jiang He.
• Bai Fengxi’s sarcastic or admiring “Impressive” remark leaves the others confused and fuels the implication that Su Chen and Jiang He have a romantic or improper relationship.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen returns to the academy dormitory after obtaining directions and settles into his private room.
• He hides the hemp rope and Shadow-Hiding Garment beneath his bed, then begins intense physical training to repay his Strongman profession loan.
• After training until exhaustion, he breaks through one physical limit, and his panel displays [Strongman: 1%], confirming that profession development progress can be quantified.
• Su Chen realizes ordinary exercises are becoming inefficient because of his enhanced physique and concludes that he needs advanced, profession-specific training methods.
• He practices the Candlefire Mental Training Method overnight. It reaches Mastery: 10%, restoring much of his mental fatigue despite his lack of sleep.
• After consuming more nutrient solution and training again, Su Chen breaks through another physical limit.
• The Scholar profession finally reacts to his diligence, reducing its study requirement from twelve years to eleven years and eleven months. Su Chen deduces that sustained effort may significantly shorten the time needed to complete the profession.
• He examines his other professions and confirms that profession traits determine possible advancement paths. Mystic Artificer can develop along either the Rope Master or Arcane Apprentice route.
• With his nutrient solution depleted, Su Chen realizes he must find Jiang He soon to avoid hunger, but his schedule reveals that he has no classes that day and will not attend Jiang He’s mysticism class until the following morning.
• Before returning to training, a student named Li Ming arrives to tell Su Chen that a handsome, blue-eyed man is waiting downstairs for him.
• Suspecting that the visitor is someone connected to his past conflict, Su Chen refuses to go down unless the man pays one hundred gold coins.
• Li Ming relays the demand. The blue-eyed man, clearly a powerful professional, gives Li Ming all the gold coins he has and says he will continue waiting.
• Su Chen receives the coins and is left wondering how to deal with the aggrieved party now that he has finally come to confront him.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Demonstrates remarkable persistence, training despite extreme exhaustion and hunger. He becomes more aware of the mechanics behind profession advancement, the need for specialized training, and the benefits of sustained diligence. He also displays caution and opportunism when dealing with the mysterious visitor, using the situation to demand compensation rather than immediately confronting him.
• Li Ming: Initially acts as a messenger but becomes frightened by Su Chen’s physical strength and the blue-eyed man’s threatening presence. His resentment turns into reluctant cooperation after both professionals intimidate him.
• The blue-eyed man: Emerges as the likely aggrieved party from Su Chen’s previous actions. He appears polite and controlled, but his ability to intimidate Li Ming and his apparent professional status suggest considerable power. His willingness to pay Su Chen’s outrageous demand hints at either urgency, wealth, or a strong desire to settle the matter.

Significant Themes

• Diligence and advancement: Persistent effort directly improves Su Chen’s professions, while the Scholar’s reaction shows that hard work can influence seemingly fixed requirements.
• The limits of basic methods: Su Chen’s growing strength makes ordinary training ineffective, emphasizing the importance of acquiring rare, higher-level techniques.
• Resource scarcity and survival: Food, money, and training efficiency remain constant concerns. Su Chen must balance his hunger, nutritional needs, loan repayment, and professional development.
• Power and negotiation: Strength and intimidation shape social interactions. Su Chen leverages his own power and cleverness, while the blue-eyed man demonstrates influence by making Li Ming comply.
• Mystery and impending conflict: The arrival of the blue-eyed visitor signals that Su Chen’s past actions are catching up with him and sets up a likely confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen deals briefly with the dormitory guards while entering the academy.
• He interacts with Li Ming, first questioning him and then physically pressuring him for information about the visitor.
• The blue-eyed man questions Li Ming and sees through his attempt to avoid involvement, forcing him to deliver Su Chen’s demand.
• Su Chen and the blue-eyed man do not meet directly yet, but their indirect exchange establishes a tense negotiation and foreshadows their confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “The Wronged Husband at the Door, Threats”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ming informs Su Chen that Qi Chuan is waiting downstairs to meet him. Su Chen recognizes that Qi Chuan is likely using him as a way to investigate Jiang He, but deliberately delays the meeting.
• Su Chen rewards Li Ming with a gold coin for delivering the message and spends the evening improving the Candlefire Mental Training Method instead of going downstairs.
• Qi Chuan waits outside the dormitory throughout the night. The next morning, Su Chen finally leaves and encounters him beneath a maple tree.
• Qi Chuan confronts Su Chen, accusing him of having an affair with Jiang He and of deliberately mocking him by delaying their meeting.
• Su Chen responds with feigned innocence and sarcasm, refusing to be intimidated by Qi Chuan’s status as Jiang He’s husband.
• Qi Chuan initially threatens Su Chen by hinting that he influenced the reduction of Su Chen’s permitted stay in Southwind City—from three months to half a month.
• When intimidation fails, Qi Chuan changes tactics and asks Su Chen what happened on the night he was with Jiang He.
• Su Chen deliberately gives an exaggerated, explicit, and provocative account of the encounter, causing Qi Chuan to lose his composure.
• Qi Chuan suppresses his anger and offers Su Chen access to elite training, greater resources, and a delayed departure from the city in exchange for information.
• He gives Su Chen a gilded card and instructs him to break it once he has decided to accept the offer.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Becomes increasingly confident and calculating. He recognizes that Qi Chuan is trying to use him as bait but refuses to react according to expectations. His progress in physical and mental training continues, with the Strongman indicator reaching 3% and the Candlefire Mental Training Method reaching 15% proficiency. He uses humor, feigned confusion, and deliberate provocation to control the conversation.
• Qi Chuan: Is introduced as Jiang He’s husband and a powerful, emotionally volatile figure. Though he begins with threats and hostility, Su Chen’s composure forces him to abandon direct intimidation and negotiate instead. His jealousy and anger remain evident despite his attempts to appear calm.
• Li Ming: Acts as the messenger between Qi Chuan and Su Chen. He is nervous and self-serving, but Su Chen’s gold coin encourages his cooperation.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and counter-manipulation: Qi Chuan tries to exploit Su Chen as a source of information about Jiang He, but Su Chen recognizes the scheme and manipulates Qi Chuan’s emotions in return.
• Power versus composure: Qi Chuan possesses social influence and authority, while Su Chen’s greatest advantage is his refusal to be intimidated. Calmness allows Su Chen to resist threats from someone more powerful.
• Jealousy and wounded pride: Qi Chuan’s investigation is driven not only by practical concerns but also by his humiliation and anger over Jiang He’s relationship with Su Chen.
• Progress through effort: Su Chen’s visible training indicators reinforce the theme that consistent effort produces measurable growth and greater independence.
• Information as leverage: Both characters treat knowledge as a bargaining tool. Qi Chuan offers resources and protection in exchange for information, while Su Chen withholds what he knows to preserve his advantage.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Li Ming: Su Chen gives Li Ming a gold coin after receiving Qi Chuan’s message, establishing a transactional but controlled relationship.
• Su Chen and Qi Chuan: Their confrontation shifts from threats and accusations to psychological sparring. Qi Chuan attempts to dominate through status and coercion, but Su Chen repeatedly disarms him with sarcasm and false innocence.
• Su Chen and Jiang He: Jiang He does not appear directly, but remains central to the conflict as the alleged lover and the source of Qi Chuan’s suspicions. Her relationship with both men drives the confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “The Charms of a Pretty Boy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen goes to the Mysticism classroom and is surprised to find it packed with students, most of them male. The large turnout is mainly due to the popularity and beauty of Teacher Jiang He rather than the subject itself.
• Rumors circulate that Jiang He has taken a new favorite or “flame,” and students speculate that Su Chen is the lucky individual because she personally handled his enrollment.
• Jiang He teaches about Sun Mist and Night Mist, explaining their dangers, the increased threat during Night Mist, and the use of Morningstar Stone to protect cities from mist contamination and monsters. Su Chen listens attentively because the practical knowledge is valuable to him.
• Elsewhere, Zhou Zong receives information about Su Chen. He learns that Su Chen is a refugee and appears to know Bai Fengxi, prompting him to investigate the connection further.
• After class, Su Chen follows Jiang He to her private office and tells her that Qi Chuan approached him. Qi Chuan offered him a place on the academy’s priority cultivation list, suggesting that he is trying to recruit or manipulate Su Chen.
• Jiang He proposes that Su Chen accept Qi Chuan’s offer so they can discover who is supporting him. She suspects that gaining access to the priority list would require influence beyond merely paying someone to alter records.
• Su Chen agrees to act as an undercover informant, but negotiates for compensation. He asks first for the advancement method from the Strongman profession’s first tier to its second tier, but Jiang He claims she cannot provide it.
• He then requests a professional body-training method, which Jiang He agrees to provide. He also asks for money because he has no funds even for food. Jiang He jokingly characterizes the arrangement as “keeping a pretty boy” and promises to transfer money.
• When Su Chen leaves the office, he finds a crowd waiting outside, having come to see the rumored “pretty boy.” Their jealousy and mockery embarrass him, and he quickly departs.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Demonstrates caution, intelligence, and negotiating skill. He recognizes the danger posed by Qi Chuan but also understands that the offered resources could greatly aid his development. He manipulates Jiang He into offering the training method he truly wants while pretending to make a reluctant concession. His serious behavior in class contrasts humorously with the romantic rumors surrounding him.
• Jiang He: Maintains her aloof and professional demeanor during class but reveals a more calculating and playful side in private. She views Su Chen as useful bait for investigating Qi Chuan’s backer, while also teasing him about their apparent relationship. She is willing to support him with money and training resources.
• Qi Chuan: Though absent from the chapter’s main events, he becomes increasingly threatening. His offer of priority cultivation indicates that he is actively trying to draw Su Chen into his plans.
• Zhou Zong: Begins investigating Su Chen’s background, especially his refugee status and relationship with Bai Fengxi. His actions suggest that Su Chen’s identity and past are attracting attention from multiple forces.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and counter-manipulation: Qi Chuan attempts to recruit Su Chen, while Jiang He intends to use Su Chen to expose Qi Chuan’s backer. Su Chen, in turn, negotiates with Jiang He to secure resources for himself.
• The value of resources and information: Training methods, professional advancement knowledge, money, and academy privileges are all treated as crucial forms of power.
• Appearance versus reality: Jiang He’s seductive reputation contrasts with her restrained classroom behavior, while Su Chen’s reputation as her “pretty boy” has little connection to his actual motives or personality.
• Survival through alliances: Su Chen lacks money and reliable channels for advancement, forcing him to cooperate with Jiang He despite the risks.
• Mysteries of the mist-covered world: The lecture introduces the practical dangers of Sun Mist and Night Mist, reinforcing the importance of preparation and specialized knowledge.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen observes the students’ obsession with Jiang He and becomes unwillingly associated with her through rumors.
• Jiang He and Su Chen discuss Qi Chuan’s recruitment attempt, with Jiang He encouraging Su Chen to accept the offer as part of an investigation.
• Their negotiation reveals a relationship based on mutual usefulness, distrust, and playful provocation. Su Chen demands concrete benefits, while Jiang He tests and teases him.
• The crowd outside Jiang He’s office interprets Su Chen’s private meeting with her as evidence of a romantic connection, creating a comic misunderstanding that embarrasses Su Chen.

Chapter Summary: Molten Stone Training Method

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen worries that, despite the blood oath, he remains vulnerable to Jiang He and considers finding a way to escape her control or gain powerful backing. He decides not to reveal his hidden profession because doing so could create more complications.
• Jiang He quickly gives Su Chen 100 gold, which he spends on compressed nutrient solutions to support his extreme training. He skips classes, reasoning that as a Professional he already qualifies for graduation.
• After crushing the communication token Qi Chuan gave him, Su Chen trains intensely, exhausting his body before practicing mental strength. His progress reaches 6% in Strongman and 25% in the Candlefire Mental Training Method.
• Qi Chuan confirms that Su Chen probably knows something about the previous incident. In a private discussion with an older associate, he reveals plans to deal with Su Chen before the boy leaves the city, since Southwind Academy’s limited special-cultivation slot could interfere with their plans.
• Zhou Zong visits Su Chen and insults him as a lowborn drifter who gained entry to the academy through Jiang He. He offers Su Chen an “opportunity” in exchange for information about Bai Fengxi, but Su Chen dismisses him by shutting the door in his face.
• Jiang He visits Su Chen to ask whether Qi Chuan has contacted him. She gives him an F-rank Refinement Method, the Molten Stone Training Method, as well as another 100 gold after he demands additional money.
• Jiang He then consults her father. They realize Qi Chuan’s silence was deliberate: his earlier contact with Su Chen was likely only a test, and he intends to act once Su Chen leaves the city.
• Jiang He’s father warns that Qi Chuan may have prepared multiple contingencies. He urges Jiang He to advance to Arcane Scholar within ten days so she can better handle the situation, while suggesting the circumstances may still present an opportunity.
• Su Chen begins studying the Molten Stone Training Method, which accelerates blood circulation and stimulates internal bodily tempering.

Character Developments

• Su Chen becomes increasingly cautious and self-reliant. He recognizes that both Qi Chuan and Jiang He may be using him, but continues exploiting the resources available to him while concealing his true abilities.
• Jiang He shows growing concern for Su Chen and takes practical steps to support him, though she remains irritated by his shameless dependence on her money. Her position becomes more precarious because the blood oath remains active.
• Qi Chuan is revealed as calculating and dangerous. Rather than immediately confronting Su Chen, he appears to be waiting for the best moment to capture or interrogate him.
• Zhou Zong is portrayed as arrogant and opportunistic, attempting to manipulate Su Chen through insults and vague promises.
• Jiang He’s father demonstrates strategic insight, correctly interpreting Qi Chuan’s behavior and warning Jiang He to prepare for a confrontation.

Significant Themes

• Power imbalance and manipulation: Su Chen is surrounded by stronger figures who view him as a tool, while he tries to turn their assumptions to his advantage.
• Concealment and misdirection: Su Chen hides his true progress, and Qi Chuan similarly conceals his intentions. Both sides attempt to read and deceive one another.
• Self-improvement through hardship: Su Chen’s relentless physical and mental training reflects his determination to overcome his low status and dependence on others.
• Social prejudice: Zhou Zong’s contempt highlights the academy’s class hierarchy and the way Su Chen is judged as a lowborn outsider.
• Time pressure: With fewer than ten days before Su Chen must leave the city, multiple characters are forced to act quickly.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Qi Chuan do not meet directly, but their crushed communication tokens symbolize their ongoing strategic standoff.
• Su Chen rejects Zhou Zong’s attempt to obtain information about Bai Fengxi, showing his refusal to be intimidated or bribed.
• Jiang He provides Su Chen with money and the refinement manual, while their banter reveals both their unusual dependence on each other and her frustration with his blunt demands.
• Jiang He and her father analyze Qi Chuan’s scheme and recognize that Su Chen’s departure could prevent them from controlling the situation.
• The chapter ends with Su Chen beginning a new professional cultivation method that may strengthen him before Qi Chuan makes his move.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen practices the Molten Stone Training Method, discovering that it greatly improves his physical training efficiency. Even half an hour produces more progress than several hours of his former training.
• The system registers his discovery of new knowledge, deducts one year of his lifespan, and unlocks the option to change jobs.
• Su Chen changes from Strongman to Scholar, receiving the class ability Scholar’s Stance, which increases proficiency gain efficiency by 50%.
• His memory, concentration, observation, and mental activity also improve. His Candlefire mental training rises rapidly to 40% proficiency.
• The next morning, members of the Southern Academy Inspection Department attempt to force their way into Su Chen’s room under the pretense of a random inspection. Su Chen easily stops one of them through sheer strength and warns them against acting on Zhou Zong’s orders.
• Su Chen follows the inspectors to a secluded grove while wearing his Shadow-Hiding Garment. There, he overhears Zhou Zong speculating about Su Chen’s hidden abilities and plotting to subdue him.
• Su Chen ambushes Zhou Zong, knocking him unconscious. Rather than kill him, he strips him as a warning and steals two bottles of Blood-Activating Potion.
• Recognizing the potions from his improved scholarly memory, Su Chen consumes them and trains for twelve hours. His physical development accelerates dramatically, raising the Strongman proficiency to 15% and the Molten Stone Training Method to 55%.
• The increased progress allows him to repay his Strongman loan, removing the threatening countdown from his class panel.
• Zhou Zong reports the incident to the Academic Affairs Office, claiming he was robbed and accusing Zhang Hengyu of attacking him to prevent him from becoming a class-holder.

Character Developments

• Su Chen becomes significantly more capable after changing jobs. His Scholar abilities improve both his mental training and his ability to recall information, while his physical strength remains formidable.
• He grows more confident and pragmatic, confronting the inspection team without hesitation and choosing to incapacitate rather than kill Zhou Zong to avoid attracting the City Lord’s attention.
• Su Chen also becomes increasingly aware of the importance of resources, realizing that specialized items such as Blood-Activating Potions can dramatically accelerate advancement.
• Zhou Zong is revealed to be ambitious, suspicious, and willing to use institutional authority against Su Chen. After being humiliated and robbed, he lashes out by framing Zhang Hengyu.

Significant Themes

• The value of knowledge and class advancement: Becoming a Scholar grants Su Chen both concrete system benefits and enhanced memory and perception.
• Resources determine growth: Potions and nutrient solutions allow Su Chen to progress nearly ten times faster than through ordinary effort alone.
• Power and intimidation: Su Chen’s strength enables him to resist harassment and punish those who underestimate him.
• Pragmatism and restraint: He avoids killing Zhou Zong, recognizing the political consequences of drawing unwanted attention.
• Competition and suspicion: The academy’s class system encourages rivalry, manipulation, and attempts to eliminate potential competitors.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen confronts the academy inspectors and exposes their connection to Zhou Zong.
• Zhou Zong discusses Su Chen’s strength with the inspectors and sees him as a valuable target to subdue.
• Su Chen secretly observes Zhou Zong, ambushes him, and takes his Blood-Activating Potions.
• Zhou Zong later appeals to the Academic Affairs Office for justice and falsely accuses Zhang Hengyu, setting up a new conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Unexpected Attack: The Stolen Special Profession”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen continues progressing in the Candlefire Mental Training Method, reaching 50% proficiency and moving steadily toward becoming a Mystic Artificer.
• Upon leaving his dormitory, he discovers that the academy is under unusually heavy security. Inspection Guards from outside the school have taken over patrol duties, suggesting a serious incident.
• Rumors spread that the academy was attacked, robbed, and that several senior, Tier 2 instructors may have been killed. Su Chen suspects the incident could be connected to Zhou Zong or other recent conflicts.
• Inspection Guards search students, but Su Chen passes without being exposed as a Tier 1 Strongman.
• Su Chen meets Bai Fengxi and warns her that Zhou Zong has been investigating her identity, likely hoping to exploit her hidden background.
• Bai Fengxi explains that Teacher Yuan Chenyang, the academy’s vice principal and head of the Inspection Department, falsified her records and accepted her as a student under the identity of an orphan.
• The two discuss Zhou Zong’s current troubles. Zhou believes Zhang Hengyu stole his Blood-Activating Potion because of a disputed quota for travel to Yingfeng Megacity. Zhou was allegedly stripped and recorded as punishment or humiliation, leaving him preoccupied with revenge.
• Bai Fengxi also reassures Su Chen that Little Pigeon is doing well and has begun receiving an education.
• Su Chen asks Bai Fengxi to help him become Yuan Chenyang’s student. He hopes this would free him from dependence on Jiang He and protect him from threats such as Qi Chuan.
• Bai Fengxi later meets privately with Yuan Chenyang. They reveal the true reason for the academy’s lockdown: an undeciphered special profession was stolen during the attack.
• Yuan Chenyang suspects the thief had inside assistance and says the stolen item had only been half deciphered before being taken. Yingfeng is investigating and may send representatives to the academy.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Shows increased confidence, initiative, and strategic awareness. He actively seeks better protection and opportunities by trying to connect with Yuan Chenyang. His rapid progress in mental training also raises the possibility that he possesses exceptional mental talent.
• Bai Fengxi: Reveals more of her concealed history and her connection to Yuan Chenyang, though she remains guarded. She demonstrates concern for Su Chen and Little Pigeon while maintaining a pragmatic, emotionally controlled attitude.
• Yuan Chenyang: Emerges as a powerful and authoritative figure responsible for academy security and the investigation. His concern over the stolen special profession shows the incident’s major importance.
• Zhou Zong: Though absent from the chapter, he is portrayed as manipulative and suspicious, seeking leverage over Bai Fengxi. His attention is temporarily diverted by his feud with Zhang Hengyu.
• Zhang Hengyu: Is indirectly characterized as cunning and willing to use underhanded methods, having apparently stolen Zhou Zong’s potion—or at least being blamed for it.
• Little Pigeon: Is progressing well under Bai Fengxi’s care, strengthening Su Chen’s emotional connection to her.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identities and concealed backgrounds: Bai Fengxi’s records have been altered, and her true connection to Yuan Chenyang remains mysterious.
• Power and protection: Su Chen seeks a stronger patron because his current relationship with Jiang He is unstable and insufficient for long-term security.
• Talent and advancement: The chapter introduces physical and mental talent as important factors in determining a Professional’s growth, prompting Su Chen to reconsider the reason for his rapid training progress.
• Suspicion and conspiracy: The academy attack appears to involve an insider, suggesting a larger plot rather than a simple theft.
• Rumor versus truth: Students spread conflicting stories about the attack, while the real stolen object—a special profession—remains hidden from the public.
• Control through secrets: Zhou Zong attempts to control Bai Fengxi by uncovering her past, while the academy and outside authorities compete over the stolen profession.

Important Character Interactions

• Su Chen and the Inspection Guards: Su Chen is searched but successfully conceals his enhanced status.
• Su Chen and Bai Fengxi: Their conversation develops mutual trust. Su Chen warns her about Zhou Zong, asks about her mentor, seeks help becoming Yuan Chenyang’s student, and checks on Little Pigeon.
• Bai Fengxi and Yuan Chenyang: Their private meeting reveals that they are connected beyond a normal teacher-student relationship and are jointly involved in investigating the academy attack.
• Zhou Zong and Zhang Hengyu: Their off-screen conflict over the stolen potion and Yingfeng quota creates a major distraction and possible false lead.
• Yuan Chenyang and the academy authorities: Yuan is leading the investigation into the theft and suspects an internal accomplice.

Chapter Summary: “Elite Training, Nepotism”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Fengxi asks Vice Principal Yuan Chenyang to help Su Chen, explaining that Su Chen protected her while she was being investigated by Zhou Zong and has entered Southwind Academy as a transfer student.
• Yuan initially refuses to take Su Chen as a student, but Bai’s quiet disappointment persuades him to give Su Chen a place in the academy’s Elite Training Class.
• Yuan warns Bai not to become too involved with Su Chen. After leaving, Bai reveals that her request was calculated: she knows how to use her influence with Yuan and believes Su Chen deserves an opportunity, partly because of Little Pigeon, their shared hometown, and her admiration for his connection to Jiang He.
• Wei Zhigao, the Elite Training Class administrator, informs Su Chen that he has been added to the program. He views the admission as blatant nepotism, believing Su Chen was inserted through Jiang He and Vice Principal Yuan rather than through merit.
• Meanwhile, Jiang He and his father discuss the situation. Jiang He is angry that Su Chen has been brought into the academy and wants retaliation against Qi Chuan, whom he believes tried to kill him. His father warns him not to act because Yuan Chenyang’s involvement makes the matter politically dangerous.
• Jiang He is ordered to remain hidden while preparing for promotion to a second-rank Arcane Scholar. His father intends to investigate why Yuan is supporting Qi Chuan and hopes the arrival of officials from Yingfeng Megacity may put pressure on Yuan.
• Qi Chuan speaks with an unidentified associate and insists that Su Chen’s transfer into the Elite Training Class is harmless because Su Chen will still be required to leave the city on patrols. Qi Chuan accepts responsibility, suggesting Su Chen may know important information.
• Su Chen learns about the Elite Training Class’s advantages: regular compressed nutritional fluid, discounted training potions, specialized instructors, and individualized career development. In exchange, graduates must serve Southwind City for three to five years.
• Because Su Chen missed the term’s general assessment, the academy cannot properly evaluate his talents. He chooses the physical-development route and selects the ambitious first-rank upper-tier profession Gale Walker.
• Wei Zhigao doubts Su Chen can achieve this profession within three years, considering his background as a drifter and lack of formal training. He gives Su Chen a temporary Spirit Communicator and tells him to attend physical training that afternoon.

Character Developments

• Bai Fengxi: Demonstrates political awareness and strategic manipulation. She appears submissive toward Yuan but deliberately uses his concern for her to secure benefits for Su Chen. Her motives are mixed—loyalty, shared origins, Little Pigeon, and personal admiration.
• Yuan Chenyang: Shows considerable influence within the academy and a willingness to protect Bai Fengxi’s interests. His support for Su Chen alarms both Jiang He’s faction and Qi Chuan’s associates, suggesting deeper political implications.
• Su Chen: Gains access to elite resources despite lacking qualifications and formal recognition. Rather than being intimidated by others’ doubts, he confidently chooses the difficult Gale Walker path and begins moving toward a stronger future.
• Wei Zhigao: Acts professionally but with clear resentment. He sees Su Chen as a nepotistic admission and expects him to fail, though he avoids openly challenging the connections that brought Su Chen in.
• Jiang He: Becomes increasingly frustrated and powerless. Although he wants revenge, he is forced into hiding and must rely on his father’s political judgment.
• Jiang He’s father: Emerges as cautious and calculating, prioritizing political stability and investigation over immediate revenge.
• Qi Chuan: Appears anxious about Su Chen’s knowledge and Yuan’s protection. His willingness to assume responsibility indicates that Su Chen may be connected to a larger conspiracy.

Significant Themes

• Nepotism and privilege: Su Chen enters an elite program through personal connections rather than merit, prompting resentment from academy officials and highlighting unequal access to opportunities.
• Political influence and factional conflict: Yuan’s support destabilizes the balance between Jiang He, Qi Chuan, and their allies. Personal disputes are governed as much by institutional power as by combat or ability.
• Opportunity versus ability: Although Su Chen receives an unfair advantage, he must still prove himself through training, patrols, and the demanding Gale Walker profession.
• Manipulation and strategic relationships: Bai Fengxi, Yuan, Jiang He’s father, and Qi Chuan all use alliances and information to protect their interests.
• Social prejudice: Wei Zhigao judges Su Chen by his background as a drifter and assumes that he is incapable of succeeding, while Su Chen refuses to let those assumptions limit his ambition.
• Hidden motives and danger: The academy attack, Su Chen’s unknown importance, and the involvement of outside authorities suggest that the conflict extends beyond a simple personal dispute.

Character Interactions

• Bai Fengxi and Yuan Chenyang: Bai politely persuades Yuan to help Su Chen; Yuan agrees but warns her against becoming close to him.
• Su Chen and Wei Zhigao: Wei delivers the Elite Training Class’s conditions with open skepticism, while Su Chen responds confidently and selects an elite career path.
• Jiang He and his father: Jiang He demands action against Su Chen and Qi Chuan, but his father restrains him and emphasizes the danger of confronting Yuan.
• Qi Chuan and his associate: Qi Chuan attempts to minimize Su Chen’s advancement while admitting that Su Chen may possess valuable information.
• Su Chen and the academy system: Su Chen receives substantial institutional support but must still face the academy’s patrol obligations and the judgment of instructors who believe he entered through connections.

Chapter Summary: “Strongman: Watch Me!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Wei Zhigao leaves, Su Chen examines the Message Communicator he received. Its range is limited to Southwind City, and Wei is currently its only contact.
• Su Chen reflects on the differences between the Gale Walker and the Strongman professions. The Gale Walker emphasizes speed and has better long-term prospects, while the Strongman focuses entirely on strength.
• He checks his training progress:

Strongman: 20%

Molten Stone Training Method—Beginner: 65%

• Security at the academy has been intensified following the recent attack. Su Chen suspects the attacker may still be hiding inside.
• Elsewhere, the unidentified attacker worries that a special object cannot be removed from the academy without detection and begins planning another method.
• Su Chen attends a physical training class in a heavily secured, gym-like classroom filled with advanced metal equipment.
• He discovers that Bai Fengxi arranged his admission through Yuan Chenyang, who is no longer accepting students but gave Su Chen an opportunity instead.
• Instructor Zheng Shi introduces Su Chen to the class. The students recognize that Su Chen may be following the path of the famous Teacher Jiang He, causing envy and resentment.
• Zheng Shi gives Su Chen information about the Gale Walker profession. Su Chen’s system reveals its requirements:
  1. Accumulate three years of running time; Su Chen has completed one year.
  2. Raise a basic physical training method to mastery.
• Su Chen realizes the profession will take years to complete, explaining why Wei Zhigao reacted negatively when it was mentioned.
• Bai Fengxi warns him that the academy conducts monthly evaluations and will expel students whose progress is insufficient.
• Instructor Zheng criticizes another student for improperly developing his muscles, warning that excessive specialization could prevent him from acquiring his profession perfectly.
• At the end, Su Chen’s Strongman profession unexpectedly declares that it intends to “eat” the Gale Walker, frightening Su Chen because he does not know whether the Strongman could be defeated or whether he would lose the profession entirely.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Continues to exploit every opportunity available to improve himself. He remains calm and analytical, but his confidence is shaken by the Strongman’s unexpected autonomous behavior. His extraordinary memory is also revealed when he memorizes the Gale Walker information after one glance.
• Bai Fengxi: Demonstrates practical support for Su Chen by arranging his entry into the elite physical training class. She also shows concern for his progress by warning him about the monthly evaluations.
• Wei Zhigao: Though absent for most of the chapter, his earlier recommendation of the Gale Walker continues to influence Su Chen’s decisions.
• Instructor Zheng Shi: Established as a strict, professional instructor who carefully monitors students’ development and emphasizes correct preparation for profession advancement.
• Yuan Chenyang: His influence remains significant despite not appearing directly. His refusal to accept more students leads him to provide Su Chen with indirect access to the training program.
• The hidden attacker: Revealed to still be within the academy and searching for a way to retrieve or remove a valuable special object without being caught.
• The Strongman profession: Gains a surprising degree of apparent awareness and independence, reacting emotionally to Su Chen’s gratitude and making its own decision regarding the Gale Walker.

Significant Themes

• Opportunity versus difficulty: Su Chen gains access to a powerful training environment, but the Gale Walker’s lengthy requirements demonstrate that advancement is not easily achieved.
• Talent and privilege: Entry into the class depends on connections and recommendation, while the students’ reactions to Su Chen’s association with Jiang He reveal the importance of status and reputation.
• Specialization and sacrifice: The Strongman and Gale Walker represent different development paths—pure strength versus speed and broader potential. Choosing between them may determine Su Chen’s future.
• Discipline and proper preparation: Instructor Zheng’s criticism shows that even physical training must be carefully controlled; excessive or misguided effort can damage one’s chances of advancement.
• The unpredictability of power: The Strongman’s ability to act independently raises questions about whether professions are merely abilities or entities with wills of their own.
• Security and hidden danger: The academy’s inspections and the attacker’s continued presence create an atmosphere of suspicion and impending conflict.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Bai Fengxi: Their friendly familiarity surprises the other students. Bai explains how Su Chen entered the class and warns him about its strict standards.
• Su Chen and Instructor Zheng Shi: Zheng formally introduces Su Chen and privately gives him the Gale Walker information. He is impressed by Su Chen’s exceptional memory.
• Su Chen and the other students: The class initially questions his presence, then reacts with envy when they believe he is connected to Jiang He.
• Su Chen and the Strongman: Their relationship becomes more complicated when the Strongman responds to Su Chen’s gratitude by attempting to consume the Gale Walker, creating a potentially dangerous conflict within Su Chen himself.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen watches the profession panel during a battle between the Strongman and Gale Walker, uncertain whether the Strongman will survive or disappear if defeated.
• Despite being weaker, the Strongman fights desperately because of Su Chen’s expectations. It successfully kills and devours Gale Walker, undergoing ultimate sublimation and transforming into the first-tier top-class profession Sky-Rending Warrior.
• The new profession retains the traits of both Strongman and Gale Walker. Su Chen’s development progress reaches 25%, and he gains the ability Wind Erosion, which temporarily boosts his strength and grants the blessing of wind.
• The remaining advancement requirement is to raise a basic physical training method to Mastery. The panel clarifies that for an F-grade method, reaching merely Proficient is enough.
• The transformation causes Su Chen severe, sudden pain, especially in his legs. He nearly collapses and instinctively relies on Bai Fengxi for support.
• Their close physical contact is witnessed by Zhou Zong, who becomes jealous and humiliated when Bai Fengxi repeatedly orders him to leave.
• After Su Chen departs, Bai Fengxi discovers a bruised palm print on her shoulder, realizing how much his strength has increased.
• Zhou Zong leaves in anger, increasingly resentful toward Su Chen, and encounters further humiliations and bad luck.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Gains a powerful new profession and increased physical strength. Although he pretends that his weakness is merely a leg cramp, he is genuinely overwhelmed by the transformation. He also becomes more confident and excited about his future abilities.
• Bai Fengxi: Demonstrates unexpected concern and willingness to support Su Chen physically. She firmly protects him from Zhou Zong, though the experience leaves her shocked by his strength and visibly irritated by the bruising he caused.
• Zhou Zong: His interest in Bai Fengxi turns into open jealousy and hostility toward Su Chen. Public rejection damages his pride, and he begins to view Su Chen as a serious rival.
• Strongman/Sky-Rending Warrior: The Strongman proves its loyalty and determination by overcoming a stronger opponent. Its evolution marks a major upgrade in Su Chen’s abilities.

Significant Themes

• Growth through struggle: The Strongman’s victory and evolution show that desperate effort and perseverance can overcome an apparent disadvantage.
• The bond between host and profession: The Strongman responds to Su Chen’s expectations, suggesting that Su Chen’s emotions and ambitions influence his professions.
• Unexpected power and its consequences: Su Chen’s new strength arrives with painful physical effects and causes awkward social situations.
• Jealousy and rivalry: Zhou Zong’s wounded pride contrasts with Su Chen and Bai Fengxi’s increasingly close relationship.
• System unpredictability: The profession panel remains mysterious and inconsistent, reacting unpredictably to Su Chen’s thoughts and emotions.

Character Interactions

• Bai Fengxi catches Su Chen when he begins to collapse, allowing him to lean on her shoulder.
• Instructor Zheng notices their closeness and offers help, but Bai Fengxi refuses on Su Chen’s behalf.
• Zhou Zong enters and offers assistance, only to be harshly rejected by Bai Fengxi twice. The scene makes the surrounding students suspect that Su Chen and Bai Fengxi are romantically involved.
• After Su Chen leaves, Bai Fengxi examines the bruised handprint on her shoulder and privately acknowledges his extraordinary strength.
• Zhou Zong later confronts an Inspection Guard and is reminded of his family status, then suffers another embarrassing collision, deepening his resentment toward Su Chen.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen asks Bai Fengxi to lend him money so he can purchase a Blood-Activating Potion. After negotiating with Wei Zhigao, he obtains one in exchange for forfeiting his nutrient solutions for two weeks.
• He consumes the potion and trains intensively in the Molten Stone Training Method. With the aid of his Scholar ability, his progress accelerates until he reaches the “Proficient” stage.
• Meeting the advancement requirements causes his Sky-Rending Warrior profession to reach 28% and unlocks its second ability, Windstride, which increases his movement speed in proportion to the wind.
• Su Chen receives threatening notes claiming that Bai Fengxi has a secret and urging him to meet behind Brightlight Building. He ignores the messages, correctly suspecting that the sender is desperate and likely connected to Zhou Zong.
• Zhou Zong waits behind Brightlight Building with several accomplices, intending to use Bai Fengxi’s connection to Su Chen and her hidden background against her. His plan is interrupted when he is suddenly knocked unconscious by an unknown person.
• Su Chen arrives afterward, using his enhanced speed and the Shadow-Hiding Garment to approach unseen. He loots Zhou Zong, obtaining Blood-Activating Potions and expensive Revitalizing Potions.
• While removing Zhou Zong’s clothing, Su Chen discovers a concealed, symbol-covered metal sheet. The system identifies it as related to a special profession: Space Storage User.
• The profession’s requirements are revealed: obtain a spatially precipitated crystal, pass through a spatial rift, and become at least a top-tier second-rank mental-type profession user.

Character Development

• Su Chen: Becomes increasingly pragmatic, opportunistic, and confident. He refuses to be manipulated by the anonymous threats and prioritizes training over investigating them. His improved Windstride ability greatly expands his mobility and makes him more effective at stealth and looting.
• Bai Fengxi: Shows growing trust in Su Chen by giving him all the money she has, despite being surprised by his shameless request. Her mysterious background remains a source of danger.
• Wei Zhigao: Demonstrates a begrudging willingness to help Su Chen, offering a special discount on the Blood-Activating Potion.
• Zhou Zong: Is revealed to be jealous and calculating. He wants to exploit Bai Fengxi’s possible refugee status or hidden identity, both to gain leverage over her and to resent Su Chen for becoming close to her. His schemes fail, and he becomes Su Chen’s unwilling source of valuable items.
• The unknown attacker: Appears to be pursuing Zhou Zong for reasons of their own and is alarmed when Su Chen intervenes, suggesting a larger conflict surrounding the concealed metal sheet.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism and opportunism: Su Chen refuses to respond emotionally to the threats and instead waits until he can benefit from the situation.
• Power through self-improvement: Training, external resources, and profession advancement continue to be Su Chen’s main route to survival and independence.
• Secrets and leverage: Bai Fengxi’s hidden identity, Zhou Zong’s knowledge of it, and the mysterious metal sheet establish secrecy as a major source of conflict.
• Unintended opportunities: Su Chen’s decision to investigate only because “it did not hurt to take a swing” leads to the discovery of a potentially powerful new profession.
• Hidden factions and escalating danger: The unknown attacker and Zhou Zong’s concealed artifact imply that events at the academy are connected to broader forces beyond the immediate rivalry.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Bai Fengxi interact casually but reveal a developing level of trust, with Bai lending him money despite questioning his motives.
• Su Chen and Wei Zhigao negotiate over the potion, showing Su Chen’s resourcefulness and Wei’s reluctant cooperation.
• Zhou Zong’s associates flatter Su Chen’s success with Jiang He and Bai Fengxi, provoking Zhou’s jealousy.
• Zhou Zong attempts to lure Su Chen with threats involving Bai Fengxi, but Su Chen refuses to engage.
• Su Chen ultimately interacts with Zhou only after he has been incapacitated, turning their conflict into an opportunity to loot him and uncover the Space Storage User profession.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• While looting Zhou Zong, Su Chen discovers a hidden record describing the Space Storage User, a rare special profession involving spatial abilities. Realizing the item is too valuable and dangerous to steal, he returns it to Zhou Zong’s clothes.
• Su Chen senses an observer nearby and confronts the hidden attacker. He exchanges a single blow with the mysterious man, using [Wind Erosion], but quickly realizes the attacker is far stronger and possesses extraordinary speed and elemental power.
• The attacker abandons the pursuit when other people approach and instead retrieves the hidden item from Zhou Zong. Zhou later wakes and discovers that Su Chen took his potions, loudly blaming Zhang Hengyu.
• Back at the dormitory, Su Chen studies the requirements for the Space Storage User profession. Advancement requires a Spatial Crystal, passage through a spatial rift, and a peak Tier 2 mental profession. He also reflects on the overwhelming combat strength of the Sky-Rending Warrior profession.
• Su Chen consumes a Revitalizing Potion and uses it to accelerate his Candlefire Mental Training Method, bringing its proficiency to 95% and moving closer to becoming a Mystic Artificer.
• Elsewhere, Qi Chuan reports to a director about a planned attack on Su Chen during the upcoming city patrol. They have bribed Hu Xiang, a Tier 2 Patrol Captain, to ignore certain actions and plan to hire two Tier 1 Professionals as backup.
• The director emphasizes that Su Chen is only a minor target and that Yuan Chenyang is the real objective. Zhou Zong’s unexpected involvement worries them, especially because he joined the patrol specifically because Bai Fengxi was included.
• Su Chen receives official orders to join a fifteen-day patrol outside Southwind City. The patrol will leave through the south gate and end at the east gate, offering students experience with the dangerous world beyond the city.
• Unable to find Jiang He or reach Bai Fengxi, Su Chen goes to the meditation building but is denied entry to the mental training class. While waiting outside, he sees a massive shadow pass over the artificial sky and recognizes the crushing pressure as the presence of a powerful Professional passing overhead.

Character Developments

• Su Chen becomes more cautious and perceptive. His mental training allows him to detect the hidden attacker and recognize the danger of stealing the Space Storage User record. Although he cannot match the attacker physically, his quick reactions and [Windstride] allow him to escape.
• He gains a clearer understanding of the differences between professions, realizing that the Sky-Rending Warrior greatly surpasses the Strongman under equal conditions. This strengthens his desire to become a Mystic Artificer and improve his mental abilities.
• The hidden attacker is revealed to be an exceptionally powerful, likely peak Tier 1 Professional with elemental abilities, unusual movement, and terrifying strength. He is also surprised by Su Chen’s awareness and combat response.
• Qi Chuan is shown to be cautious and methodical, arranging multiple professionals to eliminate Su Chen safely rather than underestimating him.
• The unnamed director is primarily concerned with protecting the larger plan involving Yuan Chenyang. He is angered by Zhou Zong’s interference but orders that Zhou not be harmed.
• Zhou Zong appears to be pursuing his own agenda involving Bai Fengxi and Su Chen, creating complications for the planned attack.

Significant Themes

• Danger of knowledge: The Space Storage User record is valuable not merely because of the profession itself, but because it contains secrets the academy wants to protect. Possessing forbidden knowledge immediately places Su Chen in danger.
• Power and hierarchy: The chapter contrasts Su Chen’s growing abilities with professionals far above his level, emphasizing the vast gap between tiers and the importance of advancement.
• Caution versus ambition: Su Chen resists taking the spatial record despite its value, choosing survival over greed. At the same time, he continues aggressively pursuing stronger professions and mental training.
• Hidden conspiracies: Multiple factions are maneuvering behind the scenes, with Su Chen caught in plans involving Yuan Chenyang, Bai Fengxi, Zhou Zong, and the city patrol.
• The unknown world beyond the city: The upcoming patrol represents Su Chen’s first major opportunity to encounter the dangers and secrets of the outside world, including powerful beings whose presence alone can incapacitate ordinary people.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen briefly clashes with the hidden attacker, whose single punch demonstrates overwhelming strength but also reveals that Su Chen is unusually alert and capable.
• Zhou Zong becomes the subject of discussion among the conspirators because of his connection to Bai Fengxi and his decision to join the patrol.
• Qi Chuan and the director coordinate the assassination plan, disagreeing over how much force is necessary against Su Chen.
• Su Chen tries to contact Jiang He for a better mental training method and considers asking Bai Fengxi about the academy attack, but neither is available.
• The chapter ends with Su Chen and the surrounding students reacting to the oppressive arrival of an unknown, immensely powerful Professional overhead.