Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Seeing Guo Rui Again”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Sheng arrives at Bay City Martial Arts High School and unexpectedly reunites with Guo Rui, whom he met a few days earlier.
• Guo Rui has transferred to the school with her best friend, Li Jing, but is struggling to complete her registration paperwork.
• Guo Rui asks whether Yang Sheng will take the upcoming test for Lower Registry students. She worries that Lower-Registry students—including wealthy households like hers—may eventually be expelled.
• Guo Rui receives an urgent message from Li Jing, who has located the archives teacher before closing time. She pulls Yang Sheng along to help force the school to process their transfer documents.
• At the archives office, Li Jing argues with the administrative teacher, who refuses to stamp their paperwork because of supposed errors, missing copies, and incomplete information.
• The teacher directs them to make ten color copies at a specific printing shop, which Li Jing suspects is part of a corrupt arrangement. The teacher then dismisses their accusations and deliberately delays the process.
• The delay is especially serious because the school reviews documents weekly. If the paperwork is not stamped that day, Guo Rui and Li Jing may miss the college entrance examination registration deadline and have to wait another year.
• Guo Rui becomes overwhelmed and nearly cries, while Li Jing angrily confronts the teacher.
• Although Yang Sheng dislikes Guo Rui’s attitude and does not want to become closely involved with her, he decides to help because she is Aunt Chen’s daughter and her mother once assisted his family.
• Yang Sheng finally steps forward and addresses the administrative teacher, asking whether she remembers him.

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng: Remains reserved and observant, but shows loyalty and gratitude by choosing to intervene on Guo Rui’s behalf. His willingness to help despite personal reservations reveals a sense of responsibility.
• Guo Rui: Appears more approachable and pleased to see Yang Sheng, as she feels isolated at her new school. Her anxiety about registration and her helplessness before the administrator expose her vulnerable side.
• Li Jing: Is outspoken, determined, and increasingly frustrated by the school’s bureaucratic obstruction. Her normally confident background is challenged by an unfamiliar and corrupt administrative system.
• Administrative teacher: Uses procedural rules and technicalities to delay the students, suggesting abuse of authority and possible collusion with the recommended printing shop.

Significant Themes

• Bureaucratic corruption and abuse of power: The teacher hides behind regulations while imposing unreasonable demands and possibly directing students toward an overpriced printing service.
• Class and privilege: Guo Rui and Li Jing come from wealthy backgrounds and are accustomed to receiving preferential treatment, but their money and connections have limited value within the school’s local system.
• Friendship, obligation, and reciprocity: Yang Sheng’s decision to help is motivated less by affection than by gratitude toward Guo Rui’s mother and a sense of moral duty.
• Educational pressure: The approaching college entrance examination makes administrative delays potentially life-changing, emphasizing how institutional obstacles can determine students’ futures.
• Isolation and adaptation: Guo Rui’s transfer leaves her dependent on familiar connections, while both girls struggle to adjust to a new school environment.

Character Interactions

• Yang Sheng and Guo Rui reconnect politely, with Guo Rui seeking conversation and practical support.
• Guo Rui and Li Jing work together to complete their transfer, with Li Jing taking the lead in confronting the school.
• Li Jing and the administrative teacher engage in an escalating dispute over missing paperwork, work hours, and suspected corruption.
• Guo Rui attempts to negotiate with the teacher but becomes emotionally overwhelmed when her efforts fail.
• Yang Sheng remains silent until the situation becomes critical, then steps in to confront the teacher, ending the chapter on a moment of suspense.

Chapter Summary: School Test: Showdown with Li Ya

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Sheng returns to the administrative office with Guo Rui and Li Jing to help them submit their Martial Arts Entrance Exam applications.
• The administrative teacher, previously arrogant and dismissive, becomes noticeably nervous and deferential upon seeing Yang Sheng, revealing that his status and influence have changed dramatically.
• Although the teacher initially claims that Guo Rui and Li Jing’s documents contain unacceptable alterations, Yang Sheng calmly cites the school regulations, explaining that altered documents can still be approved through fingerprint verification.
• When the teacher continues trying to delay the process, Yang Sheng prepares to call Senior Sister Liu. Fearing his influence, the teacher immediately agrees to process the applications.
• Guo Rui and Li Jing successfully complete the fingerprinting, stamping, and expedited review procedures, ensuring that they can still participate in the June Martial Arts Entrance Exam.
• Afterward, Yang Sheng reveals that he has transferred into the High-Aspiration Class, shocking Guo Rui and Li Jing. They struggle to reconcile his sudden rise with the fact that he had recently been ordered to withdraw from school.
• Back in class, Liu Chang teases Yang Sheng for using her name and influence to pressure the administrative teacher. She then informs him that the participants for the upcoming school test have been selected by lottery.
• Yang Sheng learns that his opponent will be Li Ya, Li Yan’s cousin and the class monitor of the first-year Rocket Class. Li Ya possesses Half-Step Great Completion of Bright Force and is already extremely close to reaching Great Completion.
• Despite the unfavorable matchup, Yang Sheng accepts the situation and is told to prepare for the coming battle.

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng: Demonstrates growing confidence, authority, and strategic intelligence. He uses regulations, social connections, and psychological pressure rather than force to solve the application problem. His admission to the High-Aspiration Class confirms his rapid advancement and changing position within the school.
• Guo Rui: Becomes increasingly confused and impressed by Yang Sheng’s transformation. Her gratitude toward him is mixed with curiosity and a desire to understand his new status.
• Li Jing: Shows strong situational awareness and social intelligence. She quickly recognizes Yang Sheng’s unusual presence and adapts diplomatically to the administrative teacher.
• Administrative Teacher: Her arrogant attitude collapses when confronted with Yang Sheng’s influence. Although she initially pretends to cooperate, she ultimately gives in completely.
• Liu Chang: Acts as Yang Sheng’s supporter and mentor. She is amused by his ability to “borrow influence” but remains willing to assist him.
• Li Ya: Though he does not appear directly, he is established as Yang Sheng’s next major rival and a formidable fighter with near-Great Completion cultivation.

Significant Themes

• Changing status and reputation: Yang Sheng’s transformation from an overlooked Lower-Registry Commoner into a student of the High-Aspiration Class causes others to reassess him.
• Influence versus formal authority: The administrative teacher technically holds power over the paperwork, but Yang Sheng’s knowledge, connections, and reputation prove more decisive.
• Hidden strength and rapid advancement: Yang Sheng’s recent growth remains mysterious to those around him, emphasizing the gap between appearances and reality.
• Friendship and assistance: Yang Sheng uses his newfound influence to help Guo Rui and Li Jing, showing that he has not forgotten his former acquaintances.
• Preparation for conflict: The chapter shifts from bureaucratic confrontation to a more serious physical challenge, setting up Yang Sheng’s showdown with Li Ya.

Character Interactions

• Yang Sheng and the administrative teacher engage in a polite but tense power struggle, with Yang Sheng exposing her attempt to delay the applications.
• Li Jing and Guo Rui discuss Yang Sheng’s mysterious aura, background, and relationship with the teacher.
• Guo Rui attempts to question Yang Sheng about his sudden rise but loses her nerve and says nothing.
• Liu Chang teases Yang Sheng for using her name while also warning him about the upcoming school test.
• Yang Sheng’s connection to Li Yan is indirectly emphasized through Li Ya, linking the upcoming fight to his previous experience as Li Yan’s sparring partner.

Chapter Summary: Facing Adversity Even When Hope Was Slim

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Sheng visits Teacher Jiang Tian after learning that he has been matched against Li Ya, a powerful fighter who is nearly at the Great Completion of Bright Force.
• Jiang Tian angrily reveals that Li Ya should never have been placed on the candidate list and believes the school deliberately manipulated the test to eliminate certain students.
• Despite the unfair matchup, Yang Sheng declares that he will fight Li Ya and is confident he can win.
• Jiang Tian tests Yang Sheng’s Whirling Wind Hand by launching a sudden attack. Yang Sheng successfully defends against several powerful strikes, captures Jiang Tian’s wrists, and counters with a Heart-Piercing Elbow.
• Jiang Tian is impressed to discover that Yang Sheng’s Whirling Wind Hand has already reached the “hall” stage, far beyond what Yang Sheng’s modest description suggested.
• With only four days remaining before the test, Jiang Tian decides to teach Yang Sheng the remaining techniques of the Six Openings of Eight Extremes Fist: Sideways Body Grind, Cloud-Crushing Strike, and Knee-Lift Collision.
• During more than two hours of private instruction, Yang Sheng rapidly absorbs Jiang Tian’s explanations and demonstrations. His Martial God Soul converts his insights into genuine cultivation experience, raising his Bright Force level from 264 to 267.
• Jiang Tian advises Yang Sheng to reflect on and practice what he has learned, consult senior sister Liu Chang if necessary, and study a detailed analysis of Li Ya’s abilities the following day.
• After Yang Sheng leaves, Jiang Tian privately worries that four days cannot realistically overcome the vast gap between Yang Sheng and Li Ya.

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng: Demonstrates confidence, courage, and determination in the face of an apparently rigged test. His rapid comprehension and instinctive application of Whirling Wind Hand reveal extraordinary talent and growth. He also shows deep respect and gratitude toward Jiang Tian by addressing him as “Master.”
• Jiang Tian: Shifts from anger and helplessness to admiration and focused mentorship. Although he recognizes that Yang Sheng’s chances are extremely low, he commits himself to teaching everything he can in the limited time available.
• Liu Chang: Though she does not appear extensively, she is established as a reliable senior student with a strong foundation in Eight Extremes Fist who can assist Yang Sheng.
• Li Ya: He remains offstage but is presented as the overwhelming obstacle, possessing strength close to Great Completion of Bright Force and benefiting from the school’s apparent manipulation.

Significant Themes

• Facing adversity: Yang Sheng refuses to surrender despite an unfair and potentially fatal matchup.
• Teacher-student dedication: Jiang Tian provides his knowledge sincerely, showing that a good teacher offers practical experience and personal insight rather than merely repeating theory.
• Talent versus accumulated advantage: Yang Sheng’s exceptional learning speed is contrasted with Li Ya’s years of accumulated training, resources, and experience.
• Hope despite overwhelming odds: The chapter emphasizes determination even when success seems nearly impossible.
• The limits of preparation: Jiang Tian can accelerate Yang Sheng’s growth, but he recognizes that extraordinary talent may still not erase years of disparity in only four days.

Character Interactions

• Yang Sheng confronts Jiang Tian directly about the matchup, while Jiang Tian vents his anger over the school’s underhanded decision.
• Jiang Tian tests Yang Sheng through combat, allowing their teacher-student relationship to be expressed through martial exchange rather than conversation alone.
• Jiang Tian then gives Yang Sheng intensive personal instruction, while Yang Sheng responds with concentration, humility, and gratitude.
• Their final exchange is largely unspoken: Jiang Tian watches Yang Sheng leave with pride and regret, knowing he has done everything possible but fearing it will not be enough.

Chapter Summary: “A Big Slap”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Sheng learns that his upcoming test opponent is Li Ya, who is close to the Great Completion of Bright Force, while Yang Sheng is only at the Lesser Completion stage. With only four days remaining, most people believe he has little chance of winning.
• Determined to close the gap, Yang Sheng returns to Skysea Boxing Gym and asks to train throughout the night. Boss Tianhai supports him by preparing extra medicinal cuisine and paying him 1,800 yuan for his work.
• Thanks to the Martial God Soul, Yang Sheng’s cultivation, physical abilities, and mental strength have improved rapidly. He now needs only two or three hours of sleep and can train for nearly twenty hours a day.
• Yang Sheng checks his status: he has reached Black Iron Sixth Stage with 80% progress and is ranked 104th in Bay City among practitioners at the Lesser Completion of Bright Force.
• Having learned the remaining techniques of Six Openings from Jiang Tian, Yang Sheng decides to spend the next four days using the Stellar Martial Arts Match System to gain practical combat experience, master Eight Extremes Fist techniques, and increase his cultivation.
• His first opponent of the night is North Sea Divine Fist, a fighter he faced earlier that day. North Sea Divine Fist had previously defeated Yang Sheng only after a difficult battle and an attack he considered somewhat dishonorable: a whipping kick.
• North Sea Divine Fist is shocked that Yang Sheng has advanced to Black Iron Sixth Stage in only one afternoon. Though Yang Sheng is still weaker, his fundamentals and ability to read attacks make him a highly troublesome opponent.
• Both fighters enter the rematch with contrasting attitudes: North Sea Divine Fist wants to vent his frustration and defeat Yang Sheng decisively, while Yang Sheng is delighted to have a powerful but manageable opponent to use as a training partner.
• At the start of the battle, North Sea Divine Fist attacks aggressively. This time, Yang Sheng chooses to advance rather than defend passively.
• Using the Martial God Soul, Yang Sheng recognizes North Sea Divine Fist’s attack patterns and identifies the opening in his offense. He employs the Cloud-Crushing Strike, redirecting an incoming punch with his forearm and creating a brief gap.
• Yang Sheng immediately follows with a powerful slap, ending the chapter on the sharp sound of the blow.

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng becomes increasingly disciplined, ambitious, and confident. Rather than being discouraged by the enormous gap between himself and Li Ya, he believes four days are enough to improve.
• His rapid progress demonstrates the growing power of the Martial God Soul, particularly its effects on his learning speed, combat analysis, recovery, and cultivation.
• Yang Sheng also shows improved tactical awareness. He is no longer relying solely on endurance or defense; he studies opponents, predicts their movements, and exploits openings with precision.
• Boss Tianhai continues to act as a supportive employer and benefactor, encouraging Yang Sheng’s efforts by providing food, money, and access to the gym.
• North Sea Divine Fist is revealed to be proud and frustrated. Although stronger than Yang Sheng, he dislikes how difficult their previous encounter was and is unsettled by Yang Sheng’s astonishing rate of advancement.

Significant Themes

• Determination against overwhelming odds: Yang Sheng refuses to accept that his match with Li Ya is already decided.
• The value of practical experience: The Stellar Martial Arts Match System allows him to turn repeated battles into rapid growth, compensating for his lack of real-world combat experience.
• Rapid self-improvement: Yang Sheng’s progress reflects the importance of efficient training, perseverance, and using every available advantage.
• Technique over brute force: The Cloud-Crushing Strike demonstrates how precision, timing, and control can counter a stronger opponent’s raw power.
• Different perspectives on defeat: North Sea Divine Fist sees their fight as an embarrassing struggle, while Yang Sheng views it as an invaluable opportunity to improve.

Character Interactions

• Yang Sheng and Boss Tianhai: Boss Tianhai encourages Yang Sheng’s overnight training, prepares medicinal cuisine, and pays him generously.
• Yang Sheng and Jiang Tian: Though Jiang Tian teaches him the remaining Six Openings techniques, Yang Sheng senses that Jiang Tian doubts his chances against Li Ya. This motivates Yang Sheng to prove that his growth cannot be judged by ordinary standards.
• Yang Sheng and North Sea Divine Fist: Their rematch begins with mutual recognition of the previous fight. North Sea Divine Fist threatens to use his full strength, while Yang Sheng eagerly welcomes the challenge. Their battle highlights Yang Sheng’s developing ability to analyze and counter stronger opponents.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Sheng accidentally slaps North Sea Divine Fist while attempting to use Cloud-Crushing Strike, shocking and enraging his opponent.
• North Sea Divine Fist unleashes his full power, but Yang Sheng deflects his attacks with an increasingly polished Whirling Wind Hand.
• Yang Sheng’s techniques have improved dramatically since their daytime fight, allowing him to anticipate and neutralize North Sea Divine Fist’s punches.
• North Sea Divine Fist attacks repeatedly, refusing to believe Yang Sheng could have grown so much in a single afternoon.
• Yang Sheng counters with increasingly effective combinations, including:

Whirling Wind Hand

Cloud-Crushing Strike

Sideways Body Grind

Heart-Piercing Elbow

Iron Mountain Lean

Knee-Lift Collision

• Yang Sheng ultimately overwhelms North Sea Divine Fist, repeatedly striking and throwing him until the thirty-minute match ends.
• North Sea Divine Fist admits defeat and is forcibly logged out. Yang Sheng advances to Black Iron Fifth Stage, while his Bright Force cultivation rises to 300/500.
• Respecting his opponent’s persistence, Yang Sheng messages him to spar again. North Sea Divine Fist responds with an angry, censored message.

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng demonstrates extraordinary learning ability. His techniques become far smoother and more natural after only a few hours of study and practice.
• He grows more confident and composed, calmly exploiting openings rather than relying on raw power.
• Yang Sheng also develops respect for a worthy opponent, recognizing that North Sea Divine Fist’s relentless resistance helped accelerate his own cultivation.
• North Sea Divine Fist is shown to be proud, aggressive, and highly dedicated to martial arts. His humiliation drives him to fight repeatedly despite overwhelming injuries.
• His confidence collapses as he realizes Yang Sheng has surpassed him overnight, yet his refusal to surrender highlights his perseverance and warrior spirit.

Significant Themes

• Rapid growth through learning and practice: Yang Sheng’s astonishing improvement illustrates the value of observation, adaptation, and diligent training.
• Pride and humiliation: North Sea Divine Fist’s anger is intensified because he is defeated and slapped by someone he considers inexperienced.
• Persistence versus overwhelming talent: North Sea Divine Fist continues fighting despite repeated losses, contrasting with Yang Sheng’s exceptional ability to master techniques quickly.
• Respect between rivals: Although the battle begins with mockery and outrage, Yang Sheng eventually views his opponent as someone worthy of respect.
• Combat as a path to cultivation: Every exchange provides Yang Sheng with new insights, showing how real battles accelerate his martial development.

Character Interactions

• The confrontation begins with North Sea Divine Fist reacting furiously to Yang Sheng’s accidental slap and accusing him of using an improper trick.
• Yang Sheng remains calm and answers that he simply “studied diligently and trained hard,” which only deepens his opponent’s frustration.
• Their fight becomes a demonstration of Yang Sheng’s technical adaptability against North Sea Divine Fist’s powerful but straightforward offense.
• Even after being repeatedly defeated, North Sea Divine Fist keeps attacking and demands an explanation for Yang Sheng’s sudden improvement.
• After the match, Yang Sheng sends a friendly invitation to spar again, while North Sea Divine Fist replies angrily, preserving their rivalry.

Chapter Summary: “Finding a Job”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Sheng spends the night fighting in Bay City’s Lesser Completion of Bright Force rankings. From ninety-seventh place, he rapidly climbs to twelfth after fighting fifty-four matches between 9:30 p.m. and 2 a.m.
• His mastery of Eight Extremes Fist steadily improves, allowing him to defeat opponents faster and perform better against higher-ranked fighters. His cultivation rises to Bright Force (342/500), along with major gains in strength, agility, and reaction speed.
• Unable to find another opponent at 2:30 a.m., Yang Sheng returns home and discovers his father still awake, searching through job advertisements.
• Yang Sheng gives his father 1,800 yuan, explaining that he earned it working at a martial arts gym. His father is initially suspicious but becomes proud and relieved, though he worries that the work is too dangerous.
• After Yang Sheng goes to bed, Father Yang investigates martial arts-gym jobs and realizes the money likely came from physically demanding sparring work. Feeling guilty about his own financial struggles, he arranges a kindergarten teaching position through an acquaintance, agreeing to pay referral fees and shares.
• Father Yang plans to recover money from Li Yan, who appears to have wronged or financially harmed the family. To enter Bay City Martial Arts High School, he obtains a low-paying vegetable-delivery job and sneaks into the school through the back gate.
• He waits outside Yang Sheng’s former classroom until Li Yan arrives. Li Yan avoids confronting him directly and orders Wang Meng, a student in the Lesser Completion of Bright Force realm and one of his followers, to deal with him.
• Wang Meng aggressively approaches and shoves Father Yang, ending the chapter on a confrontation.

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng: Demonstrates rapid martial progress, endurance, confidence, and growing independence. His success with Eight Extremes Fist gives him increased physical ability and a stronger belief in his future. He also shows filial concern by giving his earnings to his father and promising to improve the family’s living conditions.
• Father Yang: Revealed as hardworking, self-sacrificing, and deeply protective of his son. He worries that Yang Sheng is risking his health for money and takes desperate but practical measures to secure stable employment for him. His decision to enter the school despite the obstacles shows his willingness to confront Li Yan.
• Li Yan: Portrayed as evasive and manipulative. Rather than face Father Yang himself, he uses Wang Meng to intimidate him.
• Wang Meng: Introduced as a physically capable student loyal to Li Yan, willing to bully and obey him without question.

Significant Themes

• Family responsibility and sacrifice: Both Yang Sheng and Father Yang work to improve the family’s difficult circumstances, each trying to protect the other.
• Poverty and dignity: Financial hardship forces Father Yang to accept humiliating, exhausting work and pay questionable referral fees, while Yang Sheng turns martial ability into income.
• Growth through effort: Yang Sheng’s rapid advancement reflects disciplined training, persistence, and the advantages provided by the Martial God Soul.
• Parental love and concern: Father Yang’s suspicion, pride, and fear all stem from his desire to keep Yang Sheng safe and secure.
• Power and exploitation: The chapter contrasts Yang Sheng’s honest labor with the potentially exploitative job system and Li Yan’s abuse of authority over weaker people.

Character Interactions

• Yang Sheng and Father Yang share a tender but worried exchange over the money Yang Sheng earned. Yang Sheng reassures him while Father Yang silently recognizes the physical cost behind the payment.
• Father Yang contacts Brother Wang to secure a stable teaching job for Yang Sheng, agreeing to provide referral payments.
• Father Yang and Li Yan finally come face-to-face at the school, but Li Yan avoids direct interaction and instead employs Wang Meng.
• Wang Meng’s aggressive shove establishes the immediate conflict that will likely drive the next chapter.

Chapter Summary: “Debt Repayment”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Sheng’s father confronts Li Yan at the martial arts school, demanding the return of money he paid Li Yan to secure Yang Sheng’s place or prevent his expulsion.
• Li Yan denies owing him anything and demands proof, while Yang Sheng’s father accuses him of taking the money and then avoiding him after Yang Sheng was expelled.
• The public confrontation attracts students and teachers, many of whom begin criticizing Li Yan for allegedly cheating Yang Sheng’s family.
• To silence the accusation, Li Yan orders Wang Meng to remove Yang Sheng’s father from the building.
• Wang Meng forcibly drags him outside. When Yang Sheng’s father resists and continues shouting, Wang Meng prepares to strike him.
• Yang Sheng arrives and catches Wang Meng’s wrist before the blow lands. He discovers that his father has already been injured, including a shoeprint on his chest.
• After helping his father sit down, Yang Sheng confronts Wang Meng, who mocks him for being an expelled and formerly weak student.
• The chapter ends when Yang Sheng suddenly slaps Wang Meng across the face, marking the beginning of his retaliation.

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng: Demonstrates a major change from his former submissive and powerless self. Though he remains calm and controlled, he decisively protects his father and refuses to tolerate Wang Meng’s abuse.
• Yang Sheng’s father: Revealed as an ordinary man willing to publicly challenge Li Yan for justice. Despite being physically overpowered, he continues demanding repayment and worries about Yang Sheng’s safety.
• Li Yan: Shows arrogance and cowardice by denying the debt and using his influence at school to suppress the accusation rather than address it.
• Wang Meng: Acts as Li Yan’s enforcer, relying on his Bright Force martial strength to intimidate and physically remove Yang Sheng’s father. His contempt for Yang Sheng blinds him to Yang Sheng’s growth.
• Yang Sheng’s transformation: His arrival reveals that he has progressed significantly since Wang Meng once bullied and ordered him around.

Significant Themes

• Justice and repayment: The title refers both to the financial debt Li Yan allegedly owes Yang Sheng’s family and to Yang Sheng’s impending repayment of the humiliation and violence inflicted on him and his father.
• Abuse of power: Li Yan and Wang Meng exploit their status and martial strength to silence weaker people and avoid accountability.
• Transformation and dignity: Yang Sheng’s calm intervention contrasts with his former helplessness, showing his growing strength and self-respect.
• Family loyalty: Yang Sheng immediately abandons his own plans to defend his injured father, demonstrating filial devotion.
• Public reputation and truth: The students’ changing opinions show how quickly public perception shifts when wrongdoing is exposed.

Character Interactions

• Yang Sheng’s father and Li Yan: A tense confrontation over the unpaid money and Li Yan’s broken promise.
• Li Yan and Wang Meng: Li Yan commands Wang Meng to remove the older man, while Wang Meng acts as his intimidating representative.
• Wang Meng and Yang Sheng’s father: Wang Meng uses physical force and threats against him, escalating the conflict.
• Yang Sheng and his father: His father tries to restrain him out of concern, but Yang Sheng calmly assures him that he will handle the situation.
• Yang Sheng and Wang Meng: Their relationship shifts from former bully and victim to direct opponents, ending with Yang Sheng striking Wang Meng and reclaiming control of the encounter.

Chapter Summary: “Yang Sheng Takes Action”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Sheng slaps Wang Meng after Wang Meng attacks him while bullying Yang Sheng’s injured father. The blow shocks the watching students because Yang Sheng was previously considered a weak, underperforming student who had not even reached Lesser Completion of Bright Force.
• Yang Sheng’s proficient Cloud-Crushing Strike allows him to catch Wang Meng’s attack and inflict Force Penetration, earning him the students’ admiration.
• Encouraged by Li Yan, Wang Meng attacks again with full force and secretly draws a dagger.
• Thanks to his extensive combat experience in the Stellar Martial Arts Match System and the Martial God Soul’s enhancement, Yang Sheng notices the dagger and counters immediately. He strikes Wang Meng’s wrist, wrenches his arm, and drives his knee into Wang Meng’s abdomen.
• Wang Meng collapses, and the dagger ends up embedded in his own abdomen. Yang Sheng is wrongly accused of stabbing him.
• Teacher Zhao Huan arrives and condemns Yang Sheng for using a weapon, demanding that he be expelled and reported to the authorities.
• Jiang Tian and Liu Chang arrive. Liu Chang examines Yang Sheng’s father and confirms that his injuries are serious but not life-threatening.
• Jiang Tian deliberately agrees with Zhao Huan that weapon use must be punished, confusing Zhao Huan and setting up the truth to be revealed.
• Principal Tang arrives after reviewing the surveillance footage and confirms that Wang Meng—not Yang Sheng—was the person holding the dagger.

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng: Demonstrates a dramatic transformation from an overlooked, supposedly weak student into a highly capable combatant. His real-world fighting instincts, technical mastery, and composure allow him to defeat Wang Meng despite the apparent difference in cultivation. His willingness to defend his father also reveals strong loyalty and courage.
• Wang Meng: His confidence and aggression collapse when Yang Sheng outmaneuvers him. His use of a concealed dagger exposes his willingness to violate martial ethics and school rules when ordinary strength is insufficient.
• Li Yan: Continues to exert influence over Wang Meng and encourages him to fight without restraint. His presence contributes to the conflict, though he does not directly intervene.
• Zhao Huan: Revealed as a biased teacher who values students only for their usefulness to Li Yan. His hostility toward Yang Sheng stems from both his previous dismissal of him and his rivalry with Jiang Tian.
• Jiang Tian: Shows confidence and strategic cleverness. Rather than immediately arguing with Zhao Huan, he appears to support strict punishment, allowing the evidence to expose Zhao Huan’s false accusation.
• Principal Tang and Liu Chang: Act as impartial authorities. Liu Chang verifies the father’s condition, while Principal Tang relies on surveillance evidence to establish the truth.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus false accusation: Yang Sheng is nearly punished for an attack he did not commit, but objective evidence ultimately reveals the truth.
• Hidden strength and personal growth: A student once judged worthless proves that his abilities cannot be measured solely by cultivation level or previous reputation.
• Combat experience versus raw power: Yang Sheng’s vast practical experience enables him to recognize openings and counter Wang Meng’s superior cultivation.
• Parental loyalty and courage: Yang Sheng risks confronting a stronger opponent to protect his father from humiliation and violence.
• Corruption and favoritism in education: Zhao Huan treats ordinary students as expendable resources for Li Yan’s advancement, exposing the school’s unequal and exploitative dynamics.
• Martial ethics and hypocrisy: Zhao Huan denounces weapon use while failing to know that Wang Meng was the one who secretly brought and used the dagger.

Character Interactions

• Yang Sheng and Wang Meng clash physically, with Yang Sheng first humiliating him with a slap and then decisively defeating him.
• Li Yan instructs Wang Meng to stop holding back, intensifying the confrontation.
• Zhao Huan attempts to use Wang Meng’s injury to accuse Yang Sheng and attack Jiang Tian’s teaching.
• Jiang Tian responds with apparent agreement, subtly turning Zhao Huan’s accusation against him.
• Liu Chang supports Jiang Tian by treating Yang Sheng’s father and providing information to Principal Tang.
• Principal Tang resolves the dispute by revealing the surveillance footage and correcting Zhao Huan’s accusation.

Chapter Summary: “Yang Father’s Shock”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wang Meng is revealed to have carried a dagger during the confrontation with Yang Sheng. He is severely injured when Yang Sheng’s defensive technique knocks the weapon back into him and is sent to the infirmary.
• A school meeting is held with Principal Tang, Jiang Tian, Zhao Huan, Li Yan, Yang Sheng, and Yang Sheng’s father. Surveillance footage confirms that Wang Meng initiated the fight and that Yang Sheng acted defensively.
• Jiang Tian proudly explains that Yang Sheng’s counterattack was a technique from Eight Extremes Fist, which he had taught Yang Sheng only the previous day.
• The meeting shifts to the accusation that Li Yan accepted ten thousand yuan from Yang Sheng’s father in exchange for helping Yang Sheng remain in school.
• Li Yan initially attempts to dismiss the accusation, but Yang Sheng’s father produces a voice recording in which Li Yan asks for the money under the pretense of funding school events and helping with Yang Sheng’s situation.
• Once exposed, Li Yan agrees to return the money and abruptly leaves the meeting.
• Principal Tang announces that Wang Meng will be expelled for his actions. Zhao Huan accepts the decision but warns Jiang Tian that the upcoming school assessment in three days will determine who has the advantage.
• The school agrees to cover Yang Sheng’s father’s medical treatment, though it temporarily bans him from entering the school because of the negative publicity he caused.
• Li Yan’s money is returned, and Yang Sheng’s father receives treatment at the school’s advanced infirmary.
• Liu Chang and a nurse explain that Yang Sheng has been transferred into Jiang Tian’s High-Aspiration Class and is receiving personal Eight Extremes Fist training from Jiang Tian. His father is stunned by how dramatically Yang Sheng’s circumstances have changed.

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng demonstrates rapid growth in combat ability, successfully defending himself against Wang Meng despite the latter using a weapon. He also shows emotional restraint by suppressing his anger toward Li Yan and recognizing that he is not yet strong enough to confront him directly.
• Yang Sheng’s father changes from a desperate, injured parent trying to preserve his son’s schooling into an amazed observer of Yang Sheng’s sudden rise. He courageously produces evidence against Li Yan despite the risks.
• Li Yan loses his composure when the recording is revealed. His attempt to exploit Yang Sheng’s family is exposed, damaging his reputation and forcing him to return the money.
• Jiang Tian gains further authority and satisfaction from Yang Sheng’s progress. He openly mocks Zhao Huan and remains confident before the upcoming assessment.
• Zhao Huan suffers repeated humiliation: Wang Meng’s injury results partly from his own failure to intervene, his defense of Li Yan collapses after the recording is played, and Wang Meng is expelled. Nevertheless, he remains determined to challenge Jiang Tian in the school assessment.
• Wang Meng is punished for escalating the conflict and using a dagger, receiving immediate expulsion.
• Liu Chang continues supporting Yang Sheng and helps clarify the extent of Jiang Tian’s investment in his development.

Significant Themes

• Justice and accountability: The surveillance footage and voice recording reveal the truth, leading to consequences for both Wang Meng and Li Yan.
• Rapid transformation through opportunity: Yang Sheng’s position changes dramatically once Jiang Tian recognizes his potential and gives him specialized training.
• Power and reputation: Li Yan’s scheme threatens not only his personal standing but also the reputation of the school and the Liu Group.
• Restraint and long-term ambition: Yang Sheng controls his anger after hearing Li Yan’s betrayal, choosing to grow stronger before seeking confrontation.
• Mentorship and recognition: Jiang Tian’s guidance provides Yang Sheng with opportunities and confidence that he had previously been denied.
• Humiliation and rivalry: Zhao Huan and Jiang Tian’s antagonism intensifies, setting up the school assessment as their next major confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Zhao Huan and Wang Meng: Zhao Huan angrily blames Wang Meng for not revealing the dagger sooner, but Wang Meng is too injured to respond.
• Jiang Tian and Zhao Huan: Jiang Tian taunts Zhao Huan by emphasizing that he taught Yang Sheng the decisive technique, while Zhao Huan later warns him about the upcoming assessment.
• Li Yan and Yang Sheng’s father: The father accuses Li Yan of taking money, and the recording confirms the accusation. Li Yan is forced to return the funds.
• Yang Sheng and his father: Yang Sheng remains quiet and controlled during the hearing, while his father gradually realizes that his son has entered an elite class and gained exceptional attention from Jiang Tian.
• Liu Chang and Yang Sheng’s father: Liu Chang explains her role in helping Yang Sheng and introduces him to the significance of Jiang Tian’s mentorship.
• Principal Tang and the others: Principal Tang presides over the investigation, confirms the evidence, rules on Li Yan’s misconduct, and announces Wang Meng’s expulsion.

Chapter Summary: “Let Him Die, Never Let Him Live”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Tian’s intervention allows the school to resolve Yang Sheng’s father’s assault quickly. The infirmary treats his injuries, and Liu Chang provides an expensive bone-healing pill that greatly accelerates his recovery.
• Yang Sheng’s father is discharged within half a day and is able to walk, though he cannot drive because of his injured arm. Yang Sheng drives him home.
• Instead of going directly home, Yang Sheng takes his father to a modest restaurant for a celebratory meal. They eat, drink baijiu, and reminisce about Yang Sheng’s grandfather and the past.
• Yang Sheng’s father reveals how much Yang Sheng’s transfer into the High-Aspiration Class means to him. He believes Yang Sheng has finally fulfilled the hopes his grandfather once held for the family.
• After becoming drunk, Yang Sheng’s father mournfully speaks to his absent father, asking him to return and see what Yang Sheng has achieved.
• Meanwhile, rumors spread throughout Bay City Martial Arts High School that Yang Sheng defeated Wang Meng so severely that Wang was hospitalized and expelled. The school has already processed Wang’s withdrawal.
• Li Yan, furious and humiliated by Yang Sheng’s rise, vents his anger by brutally training and injuring his sparring partners.
• Li Yan discusses Yang Sheng with his younger brother, Li Ya. Although Li Yan acknowledges Yang Sheng’s astonishing progress in mastering Eight Extremes Fist, Li Ya remains confident that he can easily defeat him.
• Li Ya destroys a training dummy and declares that he intends to kill Yang Sheng rather than merely defeat him, establishing a serious future conflict.

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng: Demonstrates filial devotion and growing confidence by treating his father to a meal. His achievements at school have begun to transform his family’s fortunes and fulfill his grandfather’s expectations.
• Yang Sheng’s father: Recovers rapidly but remains humble and financially cautious. His pride in Yang Sheng becomes clear as he reflects on their family history and the sacrifices he made to give his son better opportunities.
• Liu Chang: Although she does not appear directly, her generosity is emphasized through the costly healing pill she provides for Yang Sheng’s father. Her kindness creates a debt Yang Sheng is determined to repay.
• Li Yan: Becomes increasingly resentful and aggressive after Yang Sheng’s victory over Wang Meng. His damaged confidence leads him to take out his anger on his sparring partners.
• Li Ya: Is introduced as a powerful martial artist near Great Completion of Bright Force. He is arrogant, dismissive of Yang Sheng, and openly murderous in his determination to eliminate him.
• Jiang Tian: His influence is reinforced through others’ comments, as Yang Sheng’s rapid mastery of Eight Extremes Fist is attributed to his instruction.

Significant Themes

• Family sacrifice and redemption: Yang Sheng’s father devoted himself to raising his son after failing to meet his own father’s expectations. Yang Sheng’s success offers emotional redemption for the family.
• Filial love and remembrance: The meal and the father’s drunken reflections show the emotional bond between generations, especially the enduring absence of Yang Sheng’s grandfather.
• Social advancement: Yang Sheng’s transfer into the High-Aspiration Class represents a major breakthrough for a family classified as Lower-Registry Commoners.
• Kindness and indebtedness: Liu Chang’s assistance highlights the importance of repaying genuine support and maintaining personal loyalty.
• Jealousy and escalating violence: Yang Sheng’s victory inspires admiration among students but provokes Li Yan and Li Ya, whose resentment threatens to turn school rivalry into lethal confrontation.
• Past versus future: The father’s memories of the Human Golden Age contrast with Yang Sheng’s emerging future in a society shaped by martial arts, advanced technology, and rigid social classifications.

Important Character Interactions

• Yang Sheng and his father share a rare, heartfelt meal, allowing the father to express pride and discuss the family’s past.
• Yang Sheng’s father urges him to remember Liu Chang’s kindness and repay her in the future.
• Li Yan and Li Ya compare their abilities with Yang Sheng’s, with Li Yan warning against underestimating him and Li Ya confidently promising to kill him.
• The broader student body spreads news of Yang Sheng’s victory, increasing his reputation while intensifying the hostility of his rivals.

Chapter Summary: “Reactions from All Sides”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Jing rushes into the specialized regular class and tells Guo Rui that Yang Sheng defeated Wang Meng, a student who had practiced at Lesser Completion of Bright Force for over a year, in a single move.
• The victory suggests Yang Sheng has advanced rapidly from being below Lesser Completion to potentially surpassing the realm’s basic level. It also throws his upcoming test match against Li Ya into uncertainty.
• Li Ya is rumored to be close to, or possibly already at, Great Completion of Bright Force, making him considerably stronger than Yang Sheng by conventional standards.
• Guo Rui remains pessimistic about Yang Sheng’s chances and urges Li Jing to focus on the Martial Arts Entrance Exam instead.
• Guo Rui informs her mother, Aunt Chen, about Yang Sheng’s progress. Aunt Chen reveals that the upcoming Bay City Martial Arts High School test may be extremely dangerous, with survival not guaranteed and few believing a Lower Registry student can pass.
• Aunt Chen and Guo Rui begin considering whether Yang Sheng may be worth approaching or supporting if he survives the test.
• At the Liu Group headquarters, Liu Jianming and Old Huang examine Yang Sheng’s background and potential. Liu Jianming considers investing in him as a possible future ally, especially because other powerful candidates already have backing.
• At Skysea Boxing Gym, customers passionately argue over whether Yang Sheng can defeat Li Ya. The gym owner exploits the excitement by setting up a “Win or Lose” betting table.
• Yang Sheng’s reputation continues to grow because of his steady improvement, his mastery of Iron Mountain Lean, his performances in the Stellar Martial Arts Match System, and the Skysea owner’s aggressive publicity.

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng: Though absent from the chapter, his reputation expands dramatically. His victory over Wang Meng establishes him as a rapidly improving and unpredictable fighter whose actual strength may exceed public estimates.
• Guo Rui: She reacts with immediate concern for Yang Sheng’s safety and future, but ultimately judges that the realm gap between him and Li Ya is too great. Her conversation with her mother shows that she remains attentive to his development.
• Li Jing: She becomes an enthusiastic messenger and supporter of Yang Sheng, believing that the outcome against Li Ya is not certain despite the apparent difference in strength.
• Aunt Chen: She takes Yang Sheng more seriously after hearing of his breakthrough and begins considering him a potentially valuable person to contact after the test.
• Liu Jianming: He moves from curiosity to serious strategic consideration, wondering whether Yang Sheng could become someone worth supporting in Bay City’s power struggles.
• Old Huang: He strongly endorses Yang Sheng, identifying not only exceptional talent but also a rare resolve that exceeds his current strength.
• Skysea’s owner: He continues turning Yang Sheng’s rise into a commercial success, using his popularity to attract members, viewers, and now bettors.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus established strength: Yang Sheng’s rapid progress challenges conventional assumptions about cultivation realms and fixed power rankings.
• Uncertainty and potential: Different groups interpret Yang Sheng’s victory differently—some see it as proof he can defeat Li Ya, while others believe the realm gap remains insurmountable.
• Reputation and public perception: Yang Sheng’s image as a hardworking Lower Registry student inspires fans and creates widespread interest, even though he is unaware of his growing popularity.
• Political and economic exploitation: Powerful families and businesses immediately assess Yang Sheng as a potential investment, while the boxing gym owner profits from public enthusiasm.
• Danger behind apparent fairness: The upcoming test is presented as a competition but may be deadly and heavily skewed by large differences in participant strength.

Character Interactions

• Li Jing and Guo Rui: Li Jing excitedly shares Yang Sheng’s achievement, while Guo Rui responds with worry and skepticism.
• Guo Rui and Aunt Chen: They discuss the test’s hidden dangers and Yang Sheng’s potential value if he survives.
• Liu Jianming and Old Huang: They analyze Yang Sheng’s talent, character, and usefulness in the broader competition for powerful allies.
• Supporters and doubters at Skysea Boxing Gym: Their heated debate reflects the divided public opinion surrounding Yang Sheng’s chances.
• The Skysea owner and the crowd: He capitalizes on the argument by organizing bets, further transforming Yang Sheng’s reputation into entertainment and profit.

Chapter Summary: “Guo Rui’s Misunderstanding”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A crowd gathers at Skysea Boxing Gym to bet on the upcoming match between Yang Sheng and Li Ya. Most people believe Yang Sheng will lose because Li Ya has superior cultivation, family support, and social status.
• The Tianhai boss unexpectedly wagers 24,000 yuan on Yang Sheng’s victory, inspiring several hesitant supporters to bet alongside him.
• Li Jing arrives with Guo Rui and boldly places 1,000 yuan on Yang Sheng. She believes his rapid progress—from not having entered Bright Force to reaching Lesser Completion in only a few days—means he may still have a chance.
• Guo Rui argues that Yang Sheng cannot possibly advance from Lesser Completion to Great Completion in three days. She believes he is destined to lose, be expelled from school, and remain unable to enter university.
• Yang Sheng arrives at the gym and is questioned by the crowd. When someone says he is participating despite being certain to lose, he firmly declares that the school test is his only hope and that he must fight regardless of the outcome.
• Yang Sheng chooses to remain at the boxing gym rather than return to school, allowing him to train privately and avoid distractions.
• He enters the Stellar Martial Arts Match System to improve his Eight Extremes Fist, refine the Six Openings, and gain practical combat experience. Despite facing increasingly powerful opponents, he is eager to fight and improve.

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng: Demonstrates determination, courage, and unwavering faith in his own path. His refusal to surrender or seek favor from the Li Family highlights his independence. He becomes increasingly focused on combat training and personal improvement.
• Li Jing: Shows loyalty and growing confidence in Yang Sheng. She is willing to support him publicly and financially despite the overwhelming odds.
• Guo Rui: Reveals her practical but cautious worldview. She prioritizes social connections and self-preservation, believing Yang Sheng should submit to the powerful Li Family. However, Yang Sheng’s words cause her to question her assumptions and feel an unexpected emotional reaction.
• Tianhai boss: Publicly demonstrates strong trust in Yang Sheng by placing a large bet, strengthening Yang Sheng’s support within the gym.

Significant Themes

• Hope versus social pressure: Yang Sheng insists that even a slim chance is worth pursuing, contrasting with the crowd’s certainty that status and power determine the result.
• Perseverance and self-belief: Yang Sheng refuses to give up despite overwhelming disadvantages.
• Class and social hierarchy: Guo Rui’s belief that Yang Sheng should appease the Li Family reflects the influence of Upper- and Lower-Registry divisions.
• Loyalty and moral courage: Li Jing supports Yang Sheng because he helped her before, while Guo Rui prioritizes avoiding trouble and maintaining connections.
• Growth through adversity: Yang Sheng sees strong opponents as opportunities to sharpen his skills and accelerate his development.

Character Interactions

• Li Jing and Guo Rui argue over whether Yang Sheng deserves support. Li Jing emphasizes gratitude and solidarity among Lower-Registry people, while Guo Rui warns that association with Yang Sheng could anger the Li Family.
• Yang Sheng’s declaration that he “must” take the test deeply affects Guo Rui, challenging her belief that he should simply compromise.
• The Tianhai boss’s public bet influences the crowd and encourages others to support Yang Sheng.
• Yang Sheng ends the chapter by entering the virtual combat system with a single-minded determination to fight and grow stronger.

Chapter Summary: “Accumulating Strength”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Sheng enters another Stellar Martial Arts Match System duel and is matched against Yunzhong Nana, a skilled spear fighter who recognizes him as the increasingly famous “Elbow Bro.”
• Yunzhong Nana has studied recordings of Yang Sheng’s previous matches, particularly those promoted by North Sea Divine Fist, and attempts to exploit his known fighting habits.
• She uses her spear’s superior range to keep Yang Sheng at a distance, combining direct thrusts with feints and sweeping attacks.
• Yang Sheng avoids her attacks through precise footwork and remarkable core strength. He repeatedly grabs her spear, forcing her to use bursts of internal force to break free and retreat.
• By refusing to attack prematurely, Yang Sheng preserves his stamina while Yunzhong Nana steadily exhausts herself.
• When Yunzhong Nana’s movements become anxious and slightly distorted, Yang Sheng seizes the opening. He launches his first offensive attack, overwhelms her with his aura, and destroys her virtual figure with a single punch.
• After the victory, Yang Sheng’s cultivation reaches Bright Force (353/500). His victory points rise to roughly ninety percent of the way toward Black Iron First Stage, and his ranking improves to tenth among Bay City’s Lesser Completion of Bright Force fighters.
• Confident that two more victories will allow him to advance, Yang Sheng immediately enters another match, intending to become the system’s number one fighter in Bay City.

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng demonstrates increasingly refined combat judgment. Rather than relying immediately on his signature elbow attacks, he controls the pace, conserves energy, studies his opponent’s stamina, and counters at the decisive moment.
• His exceptional stability, grip strength, core power, and ability to withstand pressure become clear. He shows that his actual combat skill surpasses what is normally expected from someone at Lesser Completion of Bright Force.
• Yunzhong Nana begins the match confident in her tactical preparation and weapon advantage, but gradually realizes that Yang Sheng has been controlling the battle from the start. Her defeat leads her to reassess his strength and her own tendency to focus too heavily on attacking.
• Guo Rui gains a new respect for Yang Sheng after witnessing the match. She briefly considers whether he might defeat Li Ya, though she ultimately rejects the idea because Li Ya has secretly reached Great Completion of Bright Force.
• Li Jing becomes openly excited and proud of Yang Sheng’s victory, while Guo Rui remains more cautious and realistic.

Significant Themes

• Patience and timing: Yang Sheng wins by waiting rather than rushing, allowing his opponent to exhaust herself before striking.
• Control of battle rhythm: The match emphasizes that appearing passive can be a deliberate strategy. Yang Sheng’s defensive stance hides his ability to dictate the fight.
• Exploiting strengths and weaknesses: Yunzhong Nana’s spear gives her an advantage at range, but becomes a liability once Yang Sheng closes in and seizes it.
• Growth through combat: Each match contributes directly to Yang Sheng’s cultivation, rank, and practical experience.
• Reputation versus true ability: Yang Sheng’s growing fame and nickname attract attention, but his real strength goes beyond what others understand from watching recordings.
• The gap between system rankings and reality: Yang Sheng recognizes that reaching tenth place in the system does not necessarily make him the tenth-strongest fighter in the real world.

Character Interactions

• Yunzhong Nana greets Yang Sheng respectfully but challenges his reputation, creating a competitive and analytical dynamic.
• During the fight, Yang Sheng repeatedly provokes her by remaining still and beckoning her forward, increasing her frustration and encouraging her to overextend.
• After losing, Yunzhong Nana honestly acknowledges that Yang Sheng’s victory was fair and that his combat understanding is unusually advanced.
• At the boxing gym, Li Jing celebrates Yang Sheng’s success, while Guo Rui’s more cautious assessment introduces the looming comparison with Li Ya.
• The chapter ends with Yang Sheng’s determination driving him toward another match and a higher ranking.

Chapter Summary: China Martial Arts University and Kyoto Martial Arts University

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Sheng spends twelve hours fighting in the Stellar Martial Arts Match System, completing 42 matches and winning 26. Although he loses many bouts, especially against technically skilled opponents, the intense battles greatly improve his combat ability and refine his Eight Extremes Fist.
• His Bright Force cultivation rises to 411/500, placing him near the peak of Lesser Completion of Bright Force and second in Bay City’s ranking.
• Exhausted and extremely hungry because of the Martial God Soul’s accelerated metabolism, Yang Sheng consumes a large amount of medicinal diet. He realizes he will soon need stronger medicinal supplements as his cultivation advances.
• The Skysea boss pays Yang Sheng 3,000 yuan, partly funded by increased gym membership and a betting pool on Yang Sheng’s coming fight with Li Ya. He explains that the Stellar Martial Arts Match System was developed by the Starship Federation with assistance from China Martial Arts University and Kyoto Martial Arts University, the country’s two most prestigious martial arts schools.
• The boss encourages Yang Sheng to aim higher, suggesting that success in the system could attract special-admission offers from those universities. Yang Sheng remains doubtful because admission generally requires reaching the Dark Force tier.
• Yang Sheng trains secretly for two more days, with the Skysea boss disabling the livestream so the Li family cannot assess his condition. During this period, he fights 36 more matches, winning 14, and eventually advances to Silver Ninth Stage.
• His Bright Force rises to 490/500, making him the top Lesser Completion of Bright Force martial artist in Bay City. He is only one step away from Great Completion and prepares for the decisive test against Li Ya.
• Meanwhile, multiple factions investigate Yang Sheng’s sudden transformation after his expulsion from school. The Liu Group discovers that he advanced from below Bright Force to his current level within days.
• Liu Jianming orders Old Huang to approach Yang Sheng and offer him a gift, believing Yang Sheng is certain to win against Li Ya and wanting to secure their relationship before others act.
• Principal Tang and Jiang Tian discuss protecting Yang Sheng through a Special Merit Scholarship and an unprecedented emergency medical channel. Jiang Tian is willing to risk his reputation because he believes Yang Sheng could eventually rival the legendary Lian Zhantian.
• Li Yan and Li Ya prepare for the upcoming battle. Li Yan wants Yang Sheng defeated quickly, preferably crippled even if he survives. Li Ya goes further, intending to break Yang Sheng’s spine, hands, and feet to permanently destroy his future and humiliate him as a Lower-Registry commoner.

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng: Develops rapidly through repeated combat rather than merely winning. He becomes more comfortable under pressure, perfects his Eight Extremes Fist, reaches the top of Bay City’s Lesser Completion ranking, and gains confidence in his ability to challenge stronger opponents. His hunger and need for better resources reveal the physical cost of his accelerated cultivation.
• Skysea boss: Becomes an increasingly important supporter and business partner. Though motivated by profit, he genuinely provides Yang Sheng with a safe, private training environment and recognizes his extraordinary potential.
• Liu Jianming: Shifts from skepticism to urgent interest after learning how dramatically Yang Sheng has improved. He now seeks to recruit or secure Yang Sheng before rival factions do.
• Jiang Tian: Shows strong faith in Yang Sheng, valuing the protection and preservation of a talented student above his own status or career. His comparison of Yang Sheng to Lian Zhantian underscores the scale of his belief.
• Principal Tang: Initially reluctant, but Jiang Tian’s conviction persuades him to authorize extraordinary measures to protect Yang Sheng.
• Li Yan and Li Ya: Their concern over Yang Sheng turns into ruthless hostility. They no longer aim merely to win; they want to cripple him and reinforce the social hierarchy between upper- and Lower-Registry people.

Significant Themes

• Growth through failure: Yang Sheng’s defeats provide some of his greatest improvements, emphasizing that hardship and loss are essential to mastery.
• Talent versus social status: Yang Sheng’s rapid rise challenges the assumption that a Lower-Registry commoner cannot compete with elite students or enter prestigious institutions.
• Recognition of potential: Universities, teachers, businesses, and rival families all begin competing to identify and secure exceptional talent.
• Risk and protection: Jiang Tian’s willingness to stake his reputation and invoke emergency protections shows the responsibility teachers bear toward gifted students.
• Class prejudice and revenge: Li Ya’s desire to cripple Yang Sheng is driven not only by rivalry but by contempt for his lower social status.
• Hard work and opportunity: The Martial God Soul’s maxim—“As long as you work hard, there will surely be rewards”—is reflected in Yang Sheng’s relentless training and rapid transformation.

Character Interactions

• Yang Sheng and the Skysea boss discuss his victories, salary, the martial arts match system, and the possibility of admission to China Martial Arts University or Kyoto Martial Arts University.
• Liu Jianming commands Old Huang to contact Yang Sheng, signaling the Liu Group’s intention to recruit him.
• Jiang Tian argues with Principal Tang for Yang Sheng’s protection, ultimately persuading Tang to support the plan.
• Li Yan urges Li Ya to eliminate Yang Sheng’s future through crippling injuries, while Li Ya responds with even greater cruelty and confidence.
• The chapter ends with the opposing sides fully prepared for the imminent confrontation between Yang Sheng and Li Ya.

Chapter Summary: “Bright Force! Great Completion!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After spending the day mentally processing his recent martial insights, Yang Sheng returns home to prepare for the next day’s test.
• He finds his father talking with Old Huang, a martial expert from the Liu Family. Old Huang recounts the aftermath of Yang Sheng’s earlier confrontation involving Liu Chang.
• Old Huang presents Yang Sheng with a rare Heavenly Origin Pill, a secret medicine created by the renowned medicine master Sun Siji. The pill is exceptionally difficult to produce and contains the refined essence of numerous Great Medicines.
• Old Huang explains that secret medicines differ from ordinary Great Medicines because they transform and purify conflicting medicinal energies, often assisting martial artists during dangerous breakthroughs.
• He reveals that the Liu Group intends to support Yang Sheng after the test, helping him achieve first place in the Martial Arts Entrance Exam and enter a superior Martial Arts University.
• Yang Sheng initially hesitates, worried that accepting the Liu Family’s backing might compromise his freedom. However, Old Huang clarifies that the pill is a gift from Liu Chang and has already been charged to her account, allowing Yang Sheng to accept it without formally committing himself.
• Back in his room, Yang Sheng consumes the Heavenly Origin Pill. Its intense medicinal power rapidly strengthens and refines his body.
• He tests the effect by practicing in the nearby grove. His Bright Force cultivation advances rapidly from 491/500.
• As he continues punching, Yang Sheng reaches a sudden breakthrough. His power flows smoothly through his entire body, allowing him to unleash a devastating strike that destroys a steel sign.
• Yang Sheng achieves Great Completion of Bright Force.

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng demonstrates growing caution and independence. He recognizes the value of the Liu Group’s support but refuses to blindly accept an arrangement that could restrict his future.
• His confidence in the Martial God Soul increases. Because his cultivation cannot regress and his progress is automatically corrected, he is willing to consume the powerful secret medicine despite possible risks.
• Yang Sheng’s martial ability advances dramatically, moving from the final stage of Bright Force to its complete mastery.
• Old Huang develops greater respect for Yang Sheng, recognizing his unusual talent and future potential. He also serves as a representative of the Liu Family’s serious interest in cultivating him.
• Liu Chang is shown to value Yang Sheng as a junior brother and quietly invests in his development through the gift of the Heavenly Origin Pill.

Significant Themes

• Talent and potential: Old Huang contrasts his own limited future with Yang Sheng’s vast room for growth, emphasizing Yang Sheng’s extraordinary promise.
• Support versus freedom: The Liu Group’s offer introduces the tension between accepting powerful external resources and maintaining personal independence.
• Strategic alliances: In a society where companies rely on martial artists for protection, cultivating talented young fighters is both a business necessity and a political investment.
• Risk and advancement: Yang Sheng’s willingness to take the pill reflects his confidence in his unique fate and his readiness to embrace dangerous opportunities for rapid growth.
• Progress through perseverance: The pill accelerates Yang Sheng’s advancement, but his breakthrough also depends on his accumulated training and insights.

Character Interactions

• Yang Sheng’s father and Old Huang share a relaxed conversation about the earlier incident involving Liu Chang and the three defeated men.
• Old Huang treats Yang Sheng with respect and explains the value of secret medicines, helping him understand the significance of the gift.
• The discussion between Old Huang and Yang Sheng establishes the Liu Group’s offer while also highlighting Yang Sheng’s reluctance to become dependent on them.
• Old Huang reassures Yang Sheng that the Heavenly Origin Pill is Liu Chang’s personal gesture, allowing their relationship to remain one of senior and junior martial siblings rather than a binding business contract.

Chapter Summary: “Yang Sheng of Rumor”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bay City Martial Arts High School holds a major combat test in which Lower Registry students risk being forced to leave school—and possibly suffering severe injury or death—if they lose.
• Yang Sheng arrives early and eats medicinal cuisine in the school cafeteria, where he overhears students spreading rumors about him. They claim his family paid Teacher Jiang Tian to place him in the High-Aspiration Class and criticize Jiang for supporting a Lower Registry student.
• A junior student openly voices prejudice against Lower Registry people and supports the school’s new Class-Divided Cultivation policy, which favors Upper Registry descendants.
• Liu Chang arrives and sits with Yang Sheng, showing clear familiarity and concern. She tells him that even Jiang Tian is nervous about his upcoming match against Li Ya, while Yang Sheng remains calm and focused on eating properly before fighting.
• Liu Chang reveals that her father arranged for Yang Sheng to receive a secret medicinal pill, charged to her account. She encourages him to give his best in the test.
• Yang Sheng and Liu Chang head to the martial arts arena to learn the match order. The junior finally realizes that the seemingly ordinary student he insulted is actually Yang Sheng.
• At the arena, numerous important figures gather to watch the matches. Principal Tang welcomes them, while Chairman Xu arrives specifically to evaluate Li Ya and Liu Jianming comes to observe Yang Sheng.
• Chairman Xu learns that Yang Sheng is a Lower Registry student trained by Jiang Tian and dismisses Jiang’s decision as outdated opposition to the growing Class-Divided Cultivation system.

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng: Demonstrates composure, confidence, and practical discipline before his dangerous match. He does not react angrily to the rumors or prejudice surrounding him, suggesting growing maturity and self-control. His reputation is already attracting the attention of powerful observers.
• Liu Chang: Acts as Yang Sheng’s supportive senior and ally. She is comfortable speaking frankly with him, helps secure medicine for him, and shows genuine concern for his preparation. Her actions indicate that their relationship has become close and trusting.
• The junior student: Represents the widespread Upper Registry prejudice against Lower Registry students. He confidently repeats rumors about Yang Sheng but becomes stunned and embarrassed when he discovers Yang Sheng’s identity.
• Jiang Tian: Though absent from most of the chapter, he is portrayed as anxious about Yang Sheng’s match and willing to risk his reputation by supporting an unconventional Lower Registry talent.
• Liu Jianming and Chairman Xu: Both recognize the importance of the test, though they are focused on different competitors. Their interest confirms that Yang Sheng and Li Ya are viewed as significant emerging talents.

Significant Themes

• Class discrimination: Upper Registry students regard Lower Registry people as inferior and believe they should be excluded from elite cultivation opportunities.
• Reputation versus talent: Yang Sheng’s status causes others to dismiss him, but his actual ability has earned Jiang Tian’s support and attracted influential observers.
• The conflict between tradition and change: Jiang Tian’s decision to cultivate Yang Sheng challenges the school’s increasingly rigid Class-Divided Cultivation policy.
• Rumor and social prejudice: False stories about Yang Sheng’s family bribing Jiang Tian reveal how easily people use gossip to explain success achieved by someone from a lower social class.
• Support and loyalty: Liu Chang’s assistance contrasts sharply with the hostility of the other students, emphasizing the importance of personal bonds amid institutional discrimination.

Character Interactions

• Yang Sheng’s cafeteria conversation with the junior exposes the latter’s prejudice and allows the chapter to contrast rumor with reality.
• Liu Chang interrupts the conversation and immediately prioritizes Yang Sheng, ignoring the junior’s attempt to gain her attention.
• Liu Chang and Yang Sheng discuss his preparation, medicine, and the upcoming match, displaying mutual trust and an almost familial senior-junior relationship.
• Principal Tang’s exchanges with the visiting dignitaries establish the test’s importance and reveal that powerful figures are closely watching both Yang Sheng and Li Ya.

Chapter Summary: “Testing Begins”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Lower Registry students gather nervously for the life-or-death assessment, knowing the results will determine their futures.
• Contestants draw numbers to determine the order of their matches. Yang Sheng draws Number Ten, meaning he will be the final contestant and will fight Li Ya, a powerful Upper Registry student.
• At eight o’clock, the test begins before a large audience of school officials, influential guests, and city residents.
• The first match pits a timid Lower Registry student against a confident Upper Registry student. Despite the Lower Registry student’s efforts, his opponent deliberately exposes an opening, counters brutally, and kills him with a devastating elbow strike.
• The Upper Registry crowd celebrates the death, while Lower Registry students and residents react with grief, anger, and helplessness.
• Wealthy spectators, including Chairman Xu and Boss Wang, treat the event as entertainment and bet on the Upper Registry winning every match.
• The first death terrifies the remaining Lower Registry contestants. Number Two is called to fight next and reluctantly enters the arena.
• Yang Sheng remains calm in the waiting room, using the time to assimilate martial insights gained from training and the Stellar Martial Arts Match System.

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng displays remarkable composure compared with the other Lower Registry students. Rather than panicking, he continues refining his martial understanding and preparing mentally for his match with Li Ya.
• The first Lower Registry contestant is established as diligent and capable, having reached Lesser Completion of Bright Force, but he is overwhelmed by the experience and strength gap between the two registries.
• The victorious Upper Registry student is shown to be experienced, ruthless, and confident. He uses psychological provocation and a deliberate feint before killing his opponent.
• Number Two, another hardworking Lower Registry student near Yang Sheng’s level, becomes visibly fearful after witnessing the first contestant’s death.
• Jiang Tian appears outwardly calm while secretly crushing a pebble in his hand, revealing his underlying tension and concern.
• Liu Chang notices Jiang Tian’s anxiety and correctly identifies the lethal technique used in the opening match.
• Chairman Xu and Boss Wang reveal their contempt for the Lower Registry by treating the deadly test as predictable entertainment and assuming a perfect Upper Registry victory.

Significant Themes

• Institutional inequality and oppression: The test exposes the enormous social and martial hierarchy separating the Upper and Lower Registries.
• Cruelty disguised as fairness: Although contestants have signed life-and-death agreements and rules are announced, the event remains an unequal and brutal spectacle.
• Class prejudice: Upper Registry spectators openly call for the deaths of Lower Registry students, demonstrating normalized discrimination.
• Despair versus determination: Most Lower Registry students are paralyzed by fear, while Yang Sheng responds by calmly strengthening himself.
• Entertainment and exploitation: Wealthy observers and members of the Upper Registry view the contestants’ deaths as sport and gambling material.
• Hidden preparation: Yang Sheng’s continued absorption of martial insights suggests that his apparent calm is part of a larger strategy and may allow him to challenge expectations.

Character Interactions

• Liu Jianming and Liu Chang discuss Jiang Tian’s composure, with Liu Chang humorously exposing the tension behind his calm appearance.
• Jiang Tian analyzes the first match and recognizes that the Upper Registry fighter’s apparent opening is a trap.
• Chairman Xu and Boss Wang discuss their wagers and mock Liu Jianming and Jiang Tian for placing hope in Yang Sheng.
• The Lower Registry students exchange fearful comments after the first contestant’s death, reinforcing their shared sense of helplessness.
• The Upper Registry fighter receives enthusiastic approval from his peers after the killing, highlighting the hostility between the two groups.

Chapter Summary: “Death or Surrender”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Contestant Two is killed brutally in the arena, causing Contestant Three to panic and publicly forfeit. His surrender is approved, making him the only Lower Registry contestant so far to leave alive.
• Contestants Four through Seven also surrender without fighting, leading the audience to lose interest and begin leaving.
• Contestant Eight refuses to submit. He argues that Lower Registry students must preserve their dignity and prove they are human, even if resistance cannot guarantee victory.
• Against the Upper Registry opponent—a powerful Peak Lesser Completion of Bright Force martial artist—Number Eight attacks first. Although his technique is disciplined, he cannot penetrate his opponent’s superior defense and training.
• The opponent overwhelms and brutally mutilates him, repeatedly demanding that he surrender. Number Eight refuses every time, ultimately dying without yielding.
• In the stands, Li Jing is moved to tears by Number Eight’s defiance, while Guo Rui warns her not to criticize the Upper Registry openly. Both become worried about Yang Sheng’s impending match.
• After hearing of Number Eight’s death, Number Nine asks Yang Sheng whether he will surrender. Yang Sheng firmly refuses.
• Number Nine initially fears the same fate, but Yang Sheng’s resolve inspires him. Refusing to let the Lower Registry’s surrender become even more humiliating, Number Nine chooses to fight as well—and is announced dead shortly afterward.

Character Developments

• Number Eight emerges as a symbol of Lower Registry pride. His quiet diligence and disciplined training are revealed to be expressions of resistance, not merely attempts at academic or social advancement. His refusal to surrender demonstrates extraordinary courage and conviction.
• Yang Sheng remains silent but resolute. Witnessing Number Eight’s sacrifice strengthens his determination not to submit.
• Number Nine changes from fearful and uncertain to defiant. Yang Sheng’s stance and Number Eight’s example push him to reject surrender despite knowing he will likely die.
• Li Jing becomes emotionally affected by Number Eight’s courage and begins worrying deeply about Yang Sheng.
• Guo Rui is more pragmatic and cautious. He sympathizes with the situation but believes surrender would have been the sensible choice and fears the consequences of openly condemning the Upper Registry.
• The Upper Registry fighters and spectators display arrogance and contempt toward the Lower Registry, treating their surrender and deaths as entertainment.

Significant Themes

• Pride versus survival: The chapter contrasts the instinct to live with the desire to preserve dignity. Most contestants choose survival, while Numbers Eight and Nine value refusal and self-respect even at the cost of death.
• Oppression and social inequality: The Lower and Upper Registries represent a rigid hierarchy in which the powerful control the powerless and expect unquestioning submission.
• Resistance without hope of victory: Number Eight argues that resistance matters even when defeat is nearly certain. His defiance challenges the belief that power alone determines human worth.
• The cost of courage: The chapter presents bravery as inspiring but devastating, showing that standing against oppression may demand the ultimate sacrifice.
• Dehumanization: The Upper Registry’s laughter and casual brutality reveal how the ruling group has reduced Lower Registry students to objects of amusement rather than treating them as equals.

Character Interactions

• Number Eight’s speech to Number Nine and Yang Sheng articulates the chapter’s central philosophy: Lower Registry students must retain pride rather than accept permanent submission.
• Number Eight’s opponent repeatedly offers him the chance to surrender, but each demand only strengthens his resistance, turning their exchange into a direct confrontation between domination and defiance.
• Li Jing and Guo Rui react differently to Number Eight’s death—Li Jing emotionally condemns the Upper Registry, while Guo Rui urges caution.
• Number Nine’s conversation with Yang Sheng reveals their shared resolve. Yang Sheng’s simple refusal inspires Number Nine to abandon his earlier hesitation and enter the arena.

Chapter Summary

Plot points and events

Following Number Nine’s death, the Upper Registry celebrates its apparent ten-to-zero victory. Chairman Xu remains cautious, noting that Yang Sheng—Number Ten—is supported by Liu Jianming and Jiang Tian. Li Ya is ordered by Li Yan to kill Yang Sheng within ten breaths and prevent any outside rescue. Li Ya immediately launches his famed opening punch, but Yang Sheng calmly evades it by tilting his head. He repeats this feat against a second punch, revealing that his abilities have dramatically improved. When Li Ya attacks with a kick, Yang Sheng uses the perfected Whirling Wind Hand to redirect it, unbalance Li Ya, and pull him into a knee strike. Yang Sheng then catches Li Ya again and delivers a powerful backhand across his face. The arena falls completely silent, ending the chapter on a dramatic cliffhanger.

Character developments

• Yang Sheng demonstrates a major breakthrough in skill and composure. Rather than meeting Li Ya’s strength directly, he uses timing, precision, and the principles of redirection to neutralize every attack. His mastery of the Whirling Wind Hand and confidence under pressure contrast sharply with his earlier vulnerability to Li Ya and Li Yan.
• Li Ya begins the fight arrogant and certain of an effortless victory, intending to kill Yang Sheng immediately. His confidence turns to shock and panic as he realizes Yang Sheng’s evasions are deliberate and that his attacks are being completely controlled.
• Li Yan is shown taking the confrontation seriously by ordering Li Ya to finish the fight quickly, indicating concern about possible interference from Jiang Tian.
• Jiang Tian, Liu Jianming, Liu Chang, and Li Jing all display intense concern for Yang Sheng, while Li Jing is especially terrified that he will be killed.
• Chairman Xu remains observant and cautious despite the crowd’s certainty, suggesting he recognizes that the result is not yet decided.

Significant themes

• Overconfidence versus preparation: Li Ya assumes Yang Sheng is still weak, while Yang Sheng’s quiet preparation allows him to overturn the expected outcome.
• Technique overcoming brute force: Yang Sheng defeats Li Ya’s overwhelming power through evasion, redirection, balance disruption, and precise counterattacks.
• Reversal of expectations: The crowd expects another quick victory for the Upper Registry, but Yang Sheng’s performance abruptly changes the atmosphere and revives hope for the Lower Registry.
• Revenge and resilience: Yang Sheng remembers the injuries inflicted by Li Ya and Li Yan, transforming past humiliation into focused determination.

Character interactions

Yang Sheng and Li Ya exchange threats and references to their past sparring and Yang Sheng’s broken ribs. Li Ya mocks Yang Sheng before attacking, while Yang Sheng responds with calm confidence. Around the arena, Li Jing anxiously prays for Yang Sheng’s safety, Guo Rui tries to reassure her, and Jiang Tian and Liu Jianming prepare themselves for the possibility that intervention may be necessary. In the final exchange, Yang Sheng’s controlled movements completely frustrate Li Ya, culminating in a humiliating slap before the stunned audience.

Chapter Summary: Great Completion of Bright Force? What a Coincidence, Me Too

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Sheng gains the upper hand against Li Ya, surprising both the audience and the school officials. Although Li Ya attacks aggressively, Yang Sheng effortlessly dodges and controls the pace of the fight, eventually slapping him across the face.
• Li Ya reveals that he had secretly reached Lesser Completion of Bright Force earlier but deliberately suppressed his cultivation. He then breaks through to Great Completion of Bright Force in the arena, believing this guarantees Yang Sheng’s defeat.
• School leaders and spectators assume Yang Sheng cannot win against Li Ya’s newly revealed strength. Principal Zhou even prepares to have Yang Sheng removed from the arena before Li Ya can kill him.
• Li Ya launches a powerful killing blow, but Yang Sheng once again avoids it with minimal movement. Using Whirling Wind Hand and Cloud-Crushing Strike, Yang Sheng redirects Li Ya’s attack and sends him flying with another slap.
• The audience and officials are stunned. Yang Sheng’s aura begins to rise, revealing that he too has reached Great Completion of Bright Force—or possibly an even higher level.
• The chapter ends with Yang Sheng calmly telling the defeated Li Ya: “Great Completion of Bright Force? What a coincidence. Me too.”

Character Developments

• Yang Sheng: Demonstrates extraordinary combat awareness, technical skill, composure, and hidden cultivation. His ability to defeat Li Ya without appearing to exert himself establishes him as far more powerful than expected.
• Li Ya: His arrogance and confidence collapse as Yang Sheng repeatedly neutralizes his attacks. Though he reveals his concealed breakthrough and unleashes his full strength, he remains completely outmatched.
• Guo Rui: Correctly recognizes Li Ya’s strength and initially predicts that Yang Sheng will lose, reflecting the common belief that cultivation level determines the outcome.
• Li Jing: Enthusiastically supports Yang Sheng and celebrates his early advantage, representing the excitement of the Lower Registry students.
• Principal Zhou Mohai and the other officials: Initially regard Yang Sheng’s defeat as inevitable, but their assumptions are shattered when Yang Sheng withstands Li Ya’s breakthrough.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deception: Both fighters conceal their true cultivation, but Yang Sheng’s abilities are revealed to be even more surprising than Li Ya’s.
• Overcoming social hierarchy: Yang Sheng, a Lower Registry student, challenges the dominance of the Upper Registry and becomes a source of hope and pride for its students.
• Technical mastery versus brute force: Li Ya relies on overwhelming power, while Yang Sheng wins through timing, redirection, precision, and superior combat understanding.
• Arrogance and humiliation: Li Ya’s boastful declaration that Yang Sheng will die after his breakthrough is immediately overturned, intensifying his humiliation.
• Unexpected reversal: The chapter repeatedly builds toward Yang Sheng’s defeat before revealing that he possesses an equal or superior level of strength.

Character Interactions

• Chairman Xu and Boss Wang react with alarm as Li Ya is repeatedly beaten.
• Principal Tang confirms Yang Sheng is the student recommended by Jiang Tian for the Special Merit Scholarship.
• Li Jing cheers for Yang Sheng, while Guo Rui urges caution about alienating Upper Registry students.
• Li Ya demands to know how Yang Sheng became so skilled, but Yang Sheng responds with a cryptic remark about having changed after time apart.
• Principal Zhou initially plans to rescue Yang Sheng, believing Li Ya’s Great Completion cultivation makes victory impossible, but he turns back after witnessing Yang Sheng’s counterattack.
• Jiang Tian silently realizes that Yang Sheng must possess Great Completion of Bright Force or something beyond it.