Chapter Summaries

Key plot points

• Chen Shu and Ning Qing prepare to share a room. He makes a floor bed and jokes about sleeping beside her; she refuses, though their teasing and easy domestic routine suggest closeness.
• As they get ready for bed, Chen Shu tells Qingqing she looks beautiful. She quietly shares her skincare serum with him, then jokes that she keeps up her appearance because the person she likes is shallow.
• Chen Shu checks for news of missing officer Meng Haoran, the group leader. Public discussion has revealed that Meng is heir to Great Yi’s royal line, prompting outrage at home and debate abroad about whether the declining Royal Family still has power.
• Qingqing says she has been cultivating “joy” and reflects that she was unhappy before meeting Chen Shu. She urges him to check on his roommate, Meng Chunqiu.
• Chen Shu messages Meng Chunqiu, who claims to be carefree despite family troubles. His father visits soon afterward and presses him to consider the Royal Family’s future.
• Meng Chunqiu’s father argues that modern society no longer needs a monarchy and that the family needs another Ninth-Tier Cultivator. Since Meng Chunqiu has the talent to reach that level, he must reconsider his formerly carefree life—especially if his elder brother, Meng Haoran, does not return.
• The chapter ends with Peach running around while her little sister lies awake, unable to sleep because Peach has not hit her all day.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu and Ning Qing’s playful banter, shared bedtime preparations, and casual physical affection show increasing domestic intimacy. Qingqing remains guarded about romance but lets her feelings slip through her remarks.
• Chen Shu’s concern for Meng Haoran resurfaces, and Qingqing gently reminds him to check on Meng Chunqiu as well.
• Meng Chunqiu’s polished, carefree persona contrasts with the pressure he faces from his father. He is forced to confront the possibility that his family and country may depend on him.
• Meng Chunqiu’s father is stern and pragmatic: he challenges his son’s pride in the royal line and frames cultivation as an obligation rather than a choice.

Significant themes

• Intimacy through everyday life: Teasing, skincare, and sharing a room reveal affection more subtly than direct declarations.
• Duty versus personal freedom: Meng Chunqiu’s carefree identity conflicts with the Royal Family’s need for a powerful successor.
• Monarchy and changing times: Public debate and the father-son conversation question whether an ancient royal house can survive in the modern age.
• Concern and distance: Chen Shu cares about the missing Meng Haoran, but his worry has dulled with time, reflecting the limits of his closeness and control.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu takes Chen Banxia, Ning Qing, the little girl, and Peach to a favorite lamb restaurant on their last evening in Spirit Prefecture. They enjoy lamb in sour broth and vegetables, and Chen Shu jokes about the restaurant’s generous free platter.
• Banxia asks Chen Shu why Qingqing has seemed unusually happy. He explains that Qingqing is practicing a technique that temporarily makes her feel twice as much joy as usual. Banxia and the little girl are relieved: both had spent the trip worrying that Qingqing’s change in mood meant something was wrong.
• The little girl tries to retaliate against Qingqing by drinking the sour broth, hoping to dilute it when the pot is refilled. The proprietress simply replenishes the sour broth, foiling the plan.
• On the morning of the twenty-second, Chen Shu says goodbye to the Vice Sect Master before returning to Jade Capital for university classes. The Vice Sect Master gives him permission to collect a larger storage artifact, standard equipment for core disciples, and advises him to enjoy university and practice his Spirit Form without rushing.
• Back at Ling’an Academy, Zhang Suannai is disappointed that she missed the Spirit Prefecture trip, where Qingqing seemed happier than usual. The little girl cheers her up by demonstrating how Qingqing’s smile can be teasing.
• At Yujing University, Chen Shu returns to his dorm and catches up with Jiang Lai. A message in the ancient cultivators’ group announces that the missing group leader has reportedly been found near the border between Yuanzhou and Puluo, though few details are known.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu is relaxed and playful with his companions, then shows eagerness to return to university. He accepts the sect’s storage artifact and its conditions without hesitation.
• Ning Qing remains calm and quietly amused while practicing her joy-enhancing technique. Her unusual happiness worries the others, but she seems to enjoy their confusion.
• The little girl is anxious that Qingqing may be preparing to punish her, then feels embarrassed when she learns the truth. She tries to get even by drinking the broth, but the plan fails.
• Chen Banxia directly asks about Qingqing’s behavior, revealing that she has been concerned for the past two days.
• Zhang Suannai feels left out of the trip but is easily distracted by the little girl’s antics.
• The Vice Sect Master offers Chen Shu practical support and measured guidance, combining the storage artifact’s temporary-use rules with encouragement to enjoy student life.

Significant themes

• Misunderstandings and reassurance: Qingqing’s changed mood causes needless worry until Chen Shu explains the technique.
• Playful family dynamics: Teasing, secret glances, and the failed broth prank shape the group’s affectionate interactions.
• Mentorship and responsibility: The Vice Sect Master supports Chen Shu’s development while reminding him that sect resources remain the sect’s property.
• Change and belonging: The friends return to their separate routines, while Zhang Suannai’s disappointment highlights her wish to share in their experiences.

Key plot points and events

• Meng Haoran remains unconscious after Cao Ci extracted the Origin Fragment. Doctors find no physical or Spirit Sea damage; the Dao Chief believes his soul was injured and estimates a fifty-percent chance of recovery. Haoran will be taken to Jade Peace Temple for care.
• The Yi Emperor and Royal Family are frustrated: Cao Ci remains hidden by the Celestial Mirror, leaving Great Yi unable to retaliate. Haoran’s condition also raises concerns about the succession and the family’s strength.
• Meng Chunqiu reflects on Prince Jin’s long, quiet service to the Royal Family and the loneliness of living in the shadow of an accomplished elder brother.
• Chen Shu hears the news through the cultivation group chat. He accepts that he cannot help Haoran directly and turns his attention to cultivation, noting how modern methods and the group’s advantages may produce powerful young cultivators far sooner than in past eras.
• Chen Shu sees Zhang Suannai trending online as a “beautiful sword immortal,” amused that the public’s idealized image of her differs sharply from her real temperament.
• At Ling’an Academy, Qingqing discovers that Ning Qing’s recent cultivation has intensified her happiness. Small gestures of affection—especially calling her “Sister”—make Ning Qing unusually easy to please. Zhang Suannai is skeptical until Ning Qing returns with the requested potato snacks.

Character developments and interactions

• Meng Haoran is incapacitated, leaving his future cultivation uncertain.
• The Yi Emperor shows both political concern and personal restraint, telling the family to let Haoran rest.
• Meng Chunqiu becomes more contemplative, sympathizing with Prince Jin’s years of overlooked sacrifice.
• Chen Shu remains focused and practical, prioritizing his own training despite concern for the group leader.
• Qingqing playfully exploits Ning Qing’s heightened good mood to get treats; Zhang Suannai questions her method and becomes intrigued when it works.
• The Dao Chief informs the Yi Emperor about Haoran’s likely soul injury, while Prince Jin and Meng Chunqiu share a brief, silent exchange.

Significant themes

• Power, succession, and vulnerability: Even a formidable dynasty is unsettled when it cannot find its enemy and its heir is incapacitated.
• Loneliness and service: Meng Chunqiu recognizes the personal cost of Prince Jin’s lifelong role in his brother’s shadow.
• Changing cultivation eras: Modern methods, combined with talent and special advantages, appear to accelerate advancement dramatically.
• Affection and happiness: Small expressions of care can have outsized effects, especially when cultivation amplifies a person’s emotional state.

Key plot points and events

• Xiaoxiao exploits her sister Qingqing’s cultivation of an Esoteric Sect technique that amplifies joy. While Qingqing is feeling unusually happy, Xiaoxiao does favors for her and charges for them—taking money from her sister’s phone, then offering water and shoulder massages.
• Zhang Suannai watches, cautiously concludes that Xiaoxiao’s explanation is true, and decides this may be her chance to grow closer to Qingqing.
• The next morning, Qingqing experiences the opposite effect: with no joy, even pleasant sights, her beloved roses, and the prospect of tending them seem dull or irritating. She recognizes how dramatically happiness shapes her experience, compares the feeling to depression, and reminds herself it is temporary.
• Zhang Suannai tries to win Qingqing over with her favorite noodles and an attempted arm-link, but Qingqing rejects both. Zhang then recruits Xiaoxiao to bring Qingqing honey water, hoping to imitate the successful favors she witnessed. Qingqing refuses the drink, orders Xiaoxiao out, and eventually throws the white cat from her room; the two onlookers and the cat stare at one another in confusion.
• At Yujing University, Meng Chunqiu returns and announces that he has changed majors to Spell Principles Studies, joining Chen Shu’s college as a first-year student. He reveals that his real name is Meng Ziyang and that he is one of the last two descendants of Great Yi’s direct royal line. His missing, unconscious elder brother is the royal expedition member reported attacked by an unidentified Ninth Tier cultivator.
• Meng says he has decided to cultivate and prepare to support or succeed his brother if necessary, while insisting he will keep his literary ambitions. Chen Shu reveals he had already guessed Meng’s identity and lightly teases his grand, heroic self-image.

Character developments and interactions

• Ning Qing remains rational despite her bleak mood, observing how the loss of joy changes her perceptions and behavior. Her usual love of gardening offers no comfort.
• Xiaoxiao is shrewd and affectionate in her own way: she turns favors into a source of pocket money, but even limits the honey in Qingqing’s drink so her sister will not gain weight.
• Zhang Suannai is eager to befriend Qingqing but misunderstands the situation, copying Xiaoxiao’s tactics and then trying to imitate Chen Shu’s persistence. Her attempts only earn rejection, leaving her baffled.
• Meng Ziyang abandons his old pretense and accepts a sense of royal duty, yet remains theatrical and committed to poetry and fame.
• Chen Shu is unsurprised by Meng’s revelation and responds with familiarity and humor; Jiang Lai is caught off guard.

Significant themes

• Joy’s influence: The chapter shows happiness not merely as a pleasant feeling but as something that can reshape perception, motivation, and relationships.
• Empathy and mental distress: Qingqing’s joyless day gives her a rational glimpse of how bleak ordinary life might feel to someone with depression.
• Misread intentions and social imitation: Zhang’s attempts to reproduce Xiaoxiao’s success show how easily people copy gestures without understanding their context.
• Duty alongside personal identity: Meng accepts responsibility for his family and royal line while trying to preserve his love of poetry and his own ambitions.

Plot points and events

• While cultivating the Lost-Emotion Way, Ning Qing loses her ability to feel joy—and, with it, much of her usual emotional responsiveness. Worried her detached state will make Chen Shu unhappy, she explains what she is experiencing.
• Chen Shu compares her current state to how she was as a young child, before their friendship. The comparison helps Ning Qing recognize that, even without pleasure, she can still choose to act and remain close to him.
• As Chen Shu tends the roses and prepares her favorite food, Ning Qing realizes that she can recognize a moment as beautiful even when she cannot emotionally enjoy it. Her memories of their childhood together gradually return.
• Remembering Chen Shu’s long history of teasing, caring for, and encouraging her restores her ability to feel. She smiles, and the world regains its color. She interrupts her cultivation, explaining that she has achieved its purpose by another means, but keeps that means secret.
• In a later February scene, spring approaches and Ning Qing’s roses begin to bud. The group leader remains asleep, while Meng and Jiang devote themselves to cultivation and training. Their example pushes Chen Shu to practice his Spirit Form, and he eventually makes a breakthrough.

Character developments

• Ning Qing discovers that emotional understanding and connection can persist even when joy is absent. Rather than simply enduring the cultivation, she finds a way through it by recalling her bond with Chen Shu.
• Chen Shu remains attentive and supportive in his familiar, teasing way. His steady presence helps ground Ning Qing without demanding that she pretend to be happy.
• Ning Qing’s younger sister quietly observes the couple and reflects on Ning Qing’s Nightfolk heritage and the irritability it can bring—an irritability that is notably absent from Ning Qing that day.
• Chen Shu also advances in cultivation, achieving a breakthrough after being motivated by his peers’ relentless effort.

Significant themes

• Memory as medicine: Recalling shared experiences helps Ning Qing recover from emotional numbness.
• Love beyond happiness: Ning Qing knows Chen Shu matters to her even when she cannot feel pleasure; care and attachment can remain when an emotion is inaccessible.
• Emotion and connection: Feelings are interconnected, and another person’s calming presence can help restore balance.
• Everyday moments as beauty: A meal, gardening, and simply sitting together can be meaningful even when they are not immediately pleasurable.

Character interactions

• Chen Shu and Ning Qing speak frankly about her condition, balancing concern with teasing and familiar domestic conversation.
• Chen Shu tends the roses and cooks food Ning Qing loves, while she watches him and reflects on their shared past.
• Peach follows Chen Shu around the courtyard, adding lightness to the scene; Ning Qing also allows a white cat to join her on the swing.
• Ning Qing’s memories show how Chen Shu first welcomed her into his family’s routine as a child and continued to look after her through the years.

Plot points

• In the Ancient Cultivation Building, Chen Shu successfully summons his Spirit Form: a towering, radiant apparition modeled on his own appearance. It can mirror his movements and channel spells, but has no physical body and cannot attack on its own.
• The technique remains unreliable: Chen Shu struggles to summon it, cannot keep it stable for long, and loses Spirit Power rapidly. Still, he is thrilled by his progress and the confidence the Spirit Form gives him.
• Chen Shu joins Ning Qing, Zhang Suannai, the younger sister, and Peach for the annual Jacaranda Festival. On the way, he teases Ning Qing about her cultivation.
• The group reaches Chang’an Gate, where Chen Banxia joins them. They buy candied strawberries and watch the Royal Family’s procession.
• The festival brings back memories of two years earlier, when the previous emperor was still in power. Chen Shu speculates that the former emperor may have died after abdicating.
• Zhang Suannai anticipates an awkward comment from Chen Shu about the past and tries to stop him, but he only wants her to take a photo.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu has made meaningful but preliminary progress with the Spirit Form. He remains boastful and playful, especially around Ning Qing, and persists in putting his arm around her despite her repeatedly pushing it away.
• Ning Qing has begun cultivating the stages of “No Anger” and “Heavy Anger.” She explains that No Anger suppresses anger, not reason, and warns that rational judgment could still lead her to break Chen Shu’s arm. She enjoys his affection for now but hints she may be less indulgent later.
• Zhang Suannai watches the couple’s flirtation with jealousy and carries Peach, her roommate’s cat. Memories of the previous festival unsettle her, and she briefly considers confronting Chen Shu before being distracted by his request to take a photo.
• Chen Banxia joins the group at Chang’an Gate, giving Zhang Suannai a welcome companion.

Significant themes

• Progress and limitation: Chen Shu’s impressive-looking Spirit Form signals growth, but its instability and high cost show how far he remains from practical mastery.
• Affection and teasing: Chen Shu and Ning Qing’s repeated banter and physical closeness reveal their growing intimacy, tempered by Ning Qing’s clear boundaries.
• Time and change: The recurring festival links the present to memories from two years before, highlighting changes in relationships and political leadership.
• Jealousy and embarrassment: Zhang Suannai’s reactions add comic tension to the group’s affectionate dynamics.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu spends the day admiring the jacarandas with Ning Qing, her younger sister Xiaoxiao, and their friends. He and Xiaoxiao tease Qingqing about her inability to get angry, a result of her recent cultivation of No Anger.
• Xiaoxiao joins Chen Shu in joking about catgirls and sharing Qingqing’s candied hawthorns. Qingqing is exasperated but increasingly amused, showing that she has been smiling more since cultivating Joy. Chen Shu kisses her cheek; she gives him a light, token punch.
• Back at the dorm, Chen Shu finds Jiang Lai and Meng Chunqiu studying. Jiang asks for help finding a strong sparring partner: he wants to reach Sixth-Segment Martial Artist before graduation, but ordinary arena fights no longer challenge him.
• Chen Shu contacts Yan Keling, a fellow Ancient Cultivator who also wants to improve her combat skills. She agrees to spar with Jiang, and Chen arranges for them to train as mutual partners without charging each other.
• Chen Shu reflects on how exceptionally difficult Jiang’s goal is, then helps Meng with spell-structure problems.

Character developments

• Ning Qing is gentler and more cheerful after cultivating Joy and No Anger. Though she claims she ought to hit Chen Shu, she cannot sustain anger and responds to his affection with amused resignation.
• Chen Shu remains playful and affectionate, but also acts as a helpful connector by arranging a mutually beneficial training partnership for Jiang and Yan.
• Xiaoxiao is comfortable teasing her sister and conspires enthusiastically with Chen Shu, though she ultimately respects Qingqing’s limits.
• Jiang Lai reveals strong ambition and discipline. His goal of reaching Sixth Segment before graduation reflects his determination to push beyond the usual limits for martial artists.
• Yan Keling shows that she, too, is actively seeking practical combat experience.
• Meng Chunqiu appears tired but continues studying, underscoring the group’s heavy workload.

Significant themes

• Emotional cultivation and change: Qingqing’s cultivation alters how she experiences and expresses emotion, particularly anger and joy.
• Affection and playful intimacy: Teasing, shared food, and a cheek kiss show the closeness between Chen Shu, Qingqing, and Xiaoxiao.
• Ambition and perseverance: Jiang’s demanding goal highlights the difficulty of advancement and the pressure to prepare for life after university.
• Cooperation and mutual benefit: Chen Shu’s arrangement lets Jiang and Yan help one another grow rather than treating training as a paid service.

Character interactions

• Chen Shu and Qingqing exchange teasing flirtation; Xiaoxiao joins in, encouraging Chen Shu while joking about helping him kiss her sister.
• Chen Shu and Xiaoxiao share Qingqing’s candied hawthorns and joke about taking advantage of Qingqing’s inability to get angry.
• Chen Shu listens to Jiang’s training problem and connects him with Yan Keling, while explaining that both must actively spar to improve.
• Chen Shu offers Meng study help, ending the chapter on a contrast between his playful day and the roommates’ persistent academic grind.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu agrees to enter the Martial Body Meet’s external Arena Match, but skips the university division. The university hopes he will help restore its standing, and the Spirit Sect may also want him to represent it well.
• Chen Shu finds his roommate, Jiang Lai, badly bruised after his first spar with Yan Keling. Yan won despite not using her Secret Pact Object, but both fighters benefited: Jiang gained confidence, while Yan learned from his experience. Chen Shu encourages them to keep sparring.
• Seeing news of the growing Sword Pig problem near Green Mountain Ridge, Chen Shu proposes that he and Jiang hunt together during the upcoming Hunting Festival. They agree to split the profits evenly, with Jiang doing the hauling.
• Zhang Suannai signs up for both divisions of the Meet, convinced her recent training has made her unbeatable. She expects an easy path to the title, believing her roommate will not compete and that Esoteric Sect cultivators are weak in direct combat.
• Zhang witnesses Ning Qing’s younger sister teasing and obstructing her, then calmly backing down when Ning Qing tells her to move. The girl says she enjoys bullying her sister; Zhang refuses to imitate her, wary of repeating a past mistake.

Character developments

• Chen Shu is confident but practical: he takes on the event he feels obligated to enter, while declining another commitment. Though financially comfortable, he still values hunting Sword Pigs for the fun and earnings—and generously shares the proceeds with Jiang.
• Jiang Lai remains modest and hardworking. Yan’s praise reassures him that he was a worthwhile opponent, and he eagerly agrees to train with her again and join Chen on the hunt.
• Yan Keling is competitive and eager to improve. She recognizes Jiang’s skill and wants more sparring before the Meet.
• Zhang Suannai is exuberantly overconfident, interpreting her progress as proof that the championship is hers.
• Ning Qing’s younger sister reveals a mischievous streak, enjoying the temporary chance to provoke her usually formidable older sister.

Significant themes

• Different measures of strength: Martial rank alone does not determine ability; talent, experience, and sect training create major differences.
• Mutual benefit through competition: Sparring can help both fighters, even when one loses.
• Confidence versus overconfidence: Jiang gains confidence through honest feedback, while Zhang’s certainty may leave her unprepared.
• Practicality, friendship, and generosity: Chen Shu combines business sense with loyalty, making room for shared work and shared rewards.
• Playful power reversals: The sisterly teasing turns temporary advantage into a source of comedy—and a reminder that power can be enjoyed without anger.

Character interactions

Chen Shu mediates between Jiang and Yan, making sure each understands the other’s appreciation and willingness to continue sparring. He also treats Jiang as a trusted partner, proposing another hunt and an equal split. Meanwhile, Zhang’s encounter with Ning Qing’s younger sister contrasts her own cautious response with the girl’s delight in teasing someone normally more powerful.

Plot points and events

• Zhang Suannai watches Xiaoxiao use Qingqing’s unusual, anger-free state to make demands and intrude on her personal space. Though Suannai initially resents Xiaoxiao’s special treatment, she notices the sisters growing closer.
• Inspired by them, Suannai decides that accepted boundary-crossing might help her become closer to Qingqing. She approaches the bathroom as Xiaoxiao drops her laundry into Qingqing’s washbasin, but Qingqing remains unmoved.
• Xiaoxiao then encourages Suannai to squeeze Qingqing’s beloved squeaky pig. Suannai gives it a cautious squeeze, but the toy falls. She catches it before it hits the floor, yet senses Qingqing’s suppressed anger rising.
• Qingqing advances on Suannai and Xiaoxiao. Suannai’s confidence that an Esoteric Sect cultivator who is poor at fighting cannot threaten her proves misplaced: she is sent flying from the balcony and crashes into a hill.
• Below, two first-year students discuss modern cultivation methods and admire Suannai’s reputation. After hearing their whispered remarks, Suannai flies past them—backward—and accuses them of talking behind her back.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiaoxiao deliberately acts bossy with Qingqing, using the pretense of “bullying” her to overcome her own history of being pushed around. Her daily demands and teasing seem to bring the sisters closer.
• Qingqing remains outwardly calm and accommodating through much of Xiaoxiao’s behavior, but her composure conceals a frightening temper—especially when her favorite squeaky pig is involved.
• Zhang Suannai shifts from jealous observer to hopeful imitator, trying to use Xiaoxiao’s approach to bond with Qingqing. Her pride in her toughness and fighting prowess makes her underestimate Qingqing.
• Peach quietly observes the tension and prudently moves away when danger becomes apparent.
• The first-years’ admiration of Suannai contrasts comically with her humiliating flight through the air.

Significant themes

• Closeness and boundaries: The chapter suggests that everyday intimacy can involve crossing personal boundaries—but only where affection and trust make it acceptable.
• Family bonds: Xiaoxiao’s demanding behavior becomes a way to reconnect with Qingqing.
• Appearances versus reality: Qingqing’s calm demeanor masks formidable power, while the celebrated “best fighter” Suannai is helpless against her.
• Comic reversal: Suannai’s assumption that Qingqing cannot fight is overturned spectacularly.

Plot points and events

• Chen Shu receives a generous box of wild mushrooms from Lawyer Wei and invites the group to lunch at Chen Banxia’s apartment.
• In the group chat, Chen Shu and Banxia trade teasing insults about who is—or isn’t—Lawyer Wei’s biological child. Chen Shu also jokes about Banxia’s long laundry delay and refuses her offer to help cook.
• Chen Shu drives to pick up Qingqing, Xiaoxiao, Zhang Suannai, and Peach. He notices Xiaoxiao limping. She admits she fell, then reveals that Qingqing hit her before Xiaoxiao washed Qingqing’s clothes.
• Chen Shu takes Xiaoxiao’s side and jokingly promises to lock Qingqing and Zhang Suannai outside. Qingqing overhears and playfully threatens him, prompting Chen Shu to race ahead in the car.
• At the apartment complex, Chen Shu cannot get the car to stay locked. Xiaoxiao reveals that Banxia is secretly triggering the car’s remote from upstairs to delay him.
• Qingqing catches up. Chen Shu tries to explain that his threat was a joke, and she asks who won their childish race. They agree to call it a tie and head inside together.
• The group expects a furious confrontation, but instead Chen Shu and Qingqing calmly prepare the mushrooms side by side while the others watch in disbelief.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu is playful and teasing, but also protective of Xiaoxiao. He quickly reads between the lines when she hesitates to explain her injury, then joins her in joking against Qingqing.
• Xiaoxiao is unusually cautious around her sister’s “fierce fury,” but still complains to Chen Shu once she feels safe. Her brief alliance with him is undermined by Banxia’s prank.
• Qingqing appears stern and intimidating, yet responds to Chen Shu’s provocation with affectionate teasing rather than genuine anger. Their easy reconciliation suggests a familiar, comfortable bond.
• Chen Banxia contributes to the chaos by remotely unlocking Chen Shu’s car from upstairs, turning his attempt to escape Qingqing into a practical joke.
• Zhang Suannai and Xiaoxiao eagerly anticipate a dramatic clash, only to be disappointed when the adults behave harmoniously.
• Chen Shu and Banxia’s sibling-style banter, and Chen Shu’s joking exchanges with Qingqing, create a light, intimate group dynamic.

Significant themes

• Playful conflict and reconciliation: Threats, scolding, and mock rivalry are treated as affectionate games rather than serious disputes.
• Family-like closeness: The group’s teasing, protectiveness, and shared meal preparations show the warmth of their everyday relationships.
• Expectation versus reality: The onlookers anticipate a fierce confrontation, but the peaceful kitchen scene overturns their expectations.
• Care expressed through ordinary acts: Chen Shu’s concern for Xiaoxiao and the shared work of preparing food reveal affection through small gestures.

Plot points and events

• Chen Shu prepares an elaborate lunch of wild-mushroom stir-fries and a chicken-and-mushroom hotpot, with help from Ning Qing. He carefully cooks the potentially toxic blue-staining boletes, emphasizing that they must be cooked thoroughly.
• At lunch, Ning Qing warns Xiaoxiao and Peach to wait before eating the hotpot. Xiaoxiao briefly challenges her, then immediately apologizes when she sees Ning Qing’s icy stare. Everyone enjoys the meal.
• After lunch, Chen Shu watches videos on his phone. Ning Qing questions his interest in female influencers, takes his phone, and removes such videos from his recommendations. Chen Shu resists at first but ultimately hands it over.
• Xiaoxiao and Zhang Suannai suspect Ning Qing rarely gets genuinely angry with Chen Shu. Their doubts deepen as Ning Qing remains calm and indulgent with him.
• Chen Shu mentions his twenty-third birthday is ten days away and exchanges a knowing look with Ning Qing. Her expression shifts, and she suddenly attacks him on the sofa. Though he protests that she broke her promise, he eventually says he gives up—then continues arguing, prompting more blows.

Character developments

• Chen Shu is affectionate, playful, and confident around Ning Qing, but also enjoys provoking her. His birthday remark appears to trigger a private understanding between them.
• Ning Qing is attentive and protective, managing both the meal’s safety and Chen Shu’s phone habits. Though she seems unusually tolerant of him, she can turn fierce when she chooses.
• Xiaoxiao grows suspicious that her sister’s anger is often a performance. She is wary of Ning Qing but also amused by the couple’s dynamic.
• Zhang Suannai shares Xiaoxiao’s observations, while Peach participates quietly in the family meal.

Significant themes

• Domestic intimacy: Cooking, sharing food, and casual teasing show the couple’s closeness.
• Playful power and affection: Ning Qing’s sternness and Chen Shu’s teasing create a comic pattern of mock resistance and punishment.
• Trust and safety: Chen Shu takes care with dangerous mushrooms, while Ning Qing looks after the group.
• Appearance versus reality: Xiaoxiao and Zhang Suannai question whether Ning Qing’s anger is genuine, since her icy exterior often hides amusement or affection.

Character interactions

• Chen Shu and Ning Qing cook together, with Chen Shu offering her food and the two working in easy companionship.
• Xiaoxiao tests Ning Qing’s authority at lunch, then backs down at once under her stare.
• Ning Qing scrutinizes Chen Shu’s viewing habits and edits his recommendations; he protests but lets her take control.
• Xiaoxiao and Zhang Suannai silently observe the couple, trading looks as their suspicions grow.
• The chapter ends with Ning Qing pinning Chen Shu down while he protests, jokes, and repeatedly claims to surrender.

Key plot points and events

• While Chen Shu is playfully “beaten” by Ning Qing, Chen Banxia sleeps and Peach plays with its tail. Zhang Suannai and the little girl watch until they realize Ning Qing is treating Chen far more gently than she treated them.
• Ning Qing is upset that Chen Shu is rushing their relationship despite his earlier warning that young couples are more likely to break up. Chen Shu, however, soon becomes absorbed in his phone again.
• Chen Shu buys Senior Brother Ji Guanhe’s seawater-purification spell and suggests a practical kitchen spell for chopping vegetables. Ji is enthusiastic and offers Chen Shu a share of the profits if he develops it.
• Chen Shu studies Ji’s spell, appreciating its clever design despite its limited market appeal. His focus on spells irritates Ning Qing, whose anger becomes a recurring source of amusement for him.
• Chen Shu continues refining his Spirit Form. By the fifth day of the third month, he can summon it in about two seconds, though he has not yet tested its combat strength.
• Ning Qing sends him a question mark followed by regularly spaced bloody-knife emojis while he is training. Chen Shu explains he was practicing his Spirit Form and sends affectionate emojis; she replies with another knife.

Character developments

• Chen Shu is inventive and commercially minded, spotting a market for a low-powered vegetable-cutting spell. He is also increasingly skilled in Spirit Form techniques, but his absorption in his interests makes him inattentive to Ning Qing.
• Ning Qing is unusually sulky and angry, revealing how much Chen Shu’s impatience and delayed replies bother her. Even when displeased, she expresses herself in a restrained, indirect way.
• Ji Guanhe is discouraged that his seawater-purification spell has sold poorly, but Chen Shu’s idea gives him renewed enthusiasm.
• Zhang Suannai and the little girl realize that Chen Shu receives much gentler treatment than they do.

Significant themes

• Love, restraint, and commitment: Ning Qing worries that rushing into a relationship could undermine its chances of lasting, while Chen Shu seems more driven by impulse.
• Emotion and personality: The chapter explores how temporary emotional states alter a person’s behavior, especially through Ning Qing’s shifting moods.
• Creativity and practical value: A technically impressive invention may be commercially unpopular, while a simple, useful idea could find a ready market.
• Attention and communication: Chen Shu’s distraction contrasts with Ning Qing’s desire for acknowledgment, turning delayed replies into a quiet but pointed conflict.

Character interactions

• Ning Qing’s playful punishment of Chen Shu contrasts with her harsher treatment of Zhang Suannai and the little girl.
• Chen Shu and Ji Guanhe collaborate at a distance: Chen provides the kitchen-spell concept, while Ji takes on its development.
• Chen Shu repeatedly tries to coax Ning Qing out of her anger, but his distraction—including leaving her waiting while he trains—keeps provoking her.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu playfully teases Ning Qing over her temporary practice of “intense anger,” asking her to repeat her cute, annoyed “hmph.” He returns to an otherwise empty dorm, reflecting that his roommate Meng’s self-improvement has left him feeling like an empty nester.
• In the Ancient Cultivator Group chat, Chen Shu and Zhang Suannai discuss the upcoming Hunting Festival and Martial Body Meet. Chen Shu claims he has barely prepared and spends his days relaxing; Zhang insists she is not nervous or training hard, despite having become much more diligent. She secretly interprets his apparent lack of concern as proof that she can widen the gap between them.
• In Puluo, a masked female royal guard surveys the aftermath of a bloody battle. The imperial grandson remains unconscious, and she regrets being unable to protect him. After months of combat, she has found a possible path from the peak of Fifth Tier to Sixth Tier, but believes only further life-and-death battles will help her advance. Her master orders her to leave when the operation ends next month.
• On Chen Shu’s twenty-third birthday, he hosts a lamb feast at Qingqing’s courtyard. Zhang Suannai watches him, trying to determine whether he truly wastes his time, but mostly sees him devoted to cooking and playing an odd song on repeat. The food is excellent, and the group eats and drinks together.
• Later, Chen Shu and Ning Qing sit alone on the swing. Qingqing reveals she is practicing “intense worry,” prompted by anxiety about their relationship. She wants to be with him forever but fears both moving too quickly and waiting too long.
• Qingqing admits she lacks confidence and is afraid of losing Chen Shu. He reassures her that they can shape their future together rather than relying on predictions, and notes that even the World Will’s forecasts can change.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu remains playful and apparently carefree, but his teasing hides patience and emotional maturity. He understands why Qingqing hesitates to formalize their relationship and reassures her without pressuring her.
• Ning Qing shows unusual vulnerability. Though ordinarily composed, she worries that her appearance is not enough to keep Chen Shu and confesses her fear of losing him. Their hand-holding and candid conversation deepen their intimacy.
• Zhang Suannai is secretly training hard for the Martial Body Meet while pretending she is relaxed. Her confidence in her prospects is mixed with concern that Chen Shu may be more of a rival than he lets on.
• The masked guard is humbled by her inability to protect the imperial grandson, but the fighting in Puluo has clarified her cultivation path and strengthened her resolve.
• Chen Shu and Qingqing balance affectionate teasing with sincere discussion; he turns her fear into a shared commitment to build their future.

Significant themes

• Love and vulnerability: Even a close, affectionate relationship can contain insecurity, and honest confession brings the couple closer.
• Patience versus anxiety: Chen Shu values savoring the relationship’s gradual development, while Qingqing worries about its uncertain timing.
• Self-determination and uncertainty: Predictions and probabilities cannot guarantee the future; people must act together to shape it.
• Cultivation through experience: The guard’s advancement depends on confronting danger, while Qingqing connects emotional states and cultivation.
• Appearance versus reality: Chen Shu’s apparent laziness and Zhang’s apparent confidence both conceal more complicated truths.

Plot points and events

• During a quiet late-spring night, Chen Shu and Ning Qing discuss why they love each other. Chen Shu struggles to explain, eventually describing their bond as a natural fit shaped by years of growing up together.
• Ning Qing explains that she loved Chen Shu from childhood, while his feelings developed more gradually. Because she received so much of her early affection from him, she feared her love might influence his choices or that his feelings would change as he grew older.
• Chen Shu recognizes her insecurity but offers no grand reassurance, trusting their future together to prove his commitment. He teases her, then kisses her for the first time. Qingqing allows it, but gently ends the kiss after about half a minute.
• On the thirteenth day of the third month, the Hunting Festival begins. Chen Shu, Jiang Lai, and Meng Chunqiu head to Green Mountain Ridge. Meng joins to experience the hunt and help guard their catches, bringing a spirit-power cannon despite his limited cultivation.
• The forest is crowded with festivalgoers, but the trio travels deep into the woods, where the crowds and noise fade. Chen Shu launches above the treetops and uses his Spirit Eye to survey the forest, spotting the varied concentrations of spirit power and the distant, ominous Forbidden Land.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu realizes that Qingqing’s love has carried more uncertainty and vulnerability than his own. His easy teasing and first kiss show growing intimacy, while his actions are left to demonstrate his lasting commitment.
• Ning Qing openly reveals the depth and early start of her feelings, along with her fear of constraining Chen Shu’s freedom. Though emotionally vulnerable, she remains measured and sets the pace of their physical intimacy.
• Meng Chunqiu shows consideration and initiative by offering to guard the group’s catch. His oversized weapon reflects both his caution and his eagerness to participate.
• Jiang Lai supports the group’s hunt and helps bring Meng along; Chen Shu takes the lead once they reach the forest.

Significant themes

• Love built through companionship: Their relationship grows through ordinary years together rather than a dramatic moment of love at first sight.
• Unequal vulnerability in love: Qingqing’s feelings began earlier, leaving her more fearful of losing Chen Shu or influencing his choices.
• Trust shown over time: Chen Shu’s future behavior, rather than a perfect verbal answer, is meant to reassure her.
• Intimacy and boundaries: The kiss marks a step forward, but Qingqing’s gentle decision to stop it preserves her control over the pace.

Key events

• Chen Shu spots a group of eight Sword Pigs and swiftly incapacitates them with precisely controlled lightning. His companions, Jiang Lai and Meng Chunqiu, arrive to find the pigs unharmed and several piglets nearby.
• Chen leaves the hauling to Jiang Lai and asks Meng to guard the catch. He then flies off to hunt more, using his flight and efficient spells to collect 47 Sword Pigs in a day—far more than the group managed on a week-long trip two years earlier.
• While Chen rests and restores his Spirit Power, he suggests exploring near the Forbidden Land for valuable Spirit Plants. Jiang Lai says he plans to visit that area too, hoping to spar with Otherworldly Beasts and perhaps obtain some of their blood to strengthen his martial path.
• Jiang Lai spends the night carrying the heavy pigs out of the mountains. His unusually high delivery rate, and the fact that the pigs are merely unconscious, spark rumors that he belongs to a highly professional hunting team. Buyers offer to make collection easier, but Jiang Lai returns exhausted and resumes hauling the next morning.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu displays how much he has grown since his earlier hunts: at Sixth Tier, he can fly, locate prey, and take it down with remarkable speed. He is confident and good-humored, but also practical, keeping Spirit Power in reserve as the team approaches the more dangerous Forbidden Land.
• Jiang Lai reveals exceptional strength, endurance, and determination. Though he cannot open a Spirit Sea, he has developed his body to rival Martial Artists enhanced by Otherworldly Beast bloodlines. Chen admires his potential and treats the hauling as useful training; Jiang Lai accepts the grueling work without complaint.
• Meng Chunqiu pushes himself physically as part of a personal effort to leave behind his old, bookish self and become more like his ancestor Meng Yi. Seeing Chen’s lightning attack and Jiang Lai’s strength leaves him awed—and newly aware of how formidable his roommates are.
• The trio support one another: Chen handles the hunting, Jiang Lai transports the catch, and Meng guards it. Chen’s teasing instructions and his confidence in both companions reinforce their growing teamwork.

Significant themes

• Growth through effort: Meng’s resolve to change and Jiang Lai’s self-directed training show that progress requires commitment, not just talent.
• Different forms of strength: Chen’s spiritual abilities, Jiang Lai’s physical endurance, and Meng’s willingness to challenge himself each contribute to the team.
• Teamwork and complementary roles: Their hunt succeeds because each person takes on work suited to his abilities.
• Ambition and limits: Jiang Lai’s hope of obtaining Otherworldly Beast blood points toward his larger aspiration, while the approaching Forbidden Land signals greater risks ahead.

Key plot points and events

• On March 15, Chen Shu returns to camp after a call and finds Jiang Lai exhausted and Meng Chunqiu dispirited from spending three days watching stunned Sword Pigs.
• Yan Keling arrives with a giant beast that has learned Silent Concealment. She tells Jiang Lai that a video of him carrying pigs has gone viral, earning him the nickname “Pig-Carrying Kid.”
• Yan is searching for Spirit Jade Incense, a rare, valuable plant that blooms only periodically and can aid cultivation and prolong life. Chen Shu recalls a patch near the Forbidden Land and agrees to help her gather it.
• The group reaches the patch as it blooms. Its enormous harvest attracts two Sixth Tier beasts and many Fifth Tier beasts, which display their strength and appear ready to share the plants.
• Chen Shu, Jiang Lai, and Yan step forward to join the gathering. Chen then recognizes the Otherworldly Tiger among the beasts as one they encountered before. The chapter ends as Yan recalls Chen’s old promise concerning the Forbidden Land and wonders what to do.

Character developments

• Chen Shu remains relaxed and practical, treating exploration as recreation, but recognizes the value of the Spirit Jade Incense and takes the lead in approaching the beasts.
• Jiang Lai begins exhausted, then perks up at the prospect of action. He is also bewildered to learn that his pig-carrying has made him famous online.
• Meng Chunqiu feels frustrated that he has not experienced the adventure he wanted. Learning that he is the group leader’s brother briefly restores his royal pride; he later agrees to stay back and observe safely.
• Yan Keling is courteous and enthusiastic, but cautious about taking plants from beasts without a fair claim. She has become more guarded around the Forbidden Land because of Chen’s earlier promise.

Character interactions

• Chen teases Meng about his boredom and encourages him to watch the action from a safe distance.
• Yan jokes with Jiang Lai about his unexpected online fame, then exchanges exaggerated compliments with Meng after learning his royal status.
• Yan offers to share the Spirit Jade Incense with Chen, proposing that they cooperate against the guarding beasts.
• Chen warns Meng to keep away from the beasts and not point his weapon at them.
• Chen and Yan recognize that the Otherworldly Tiger may be the same one they met before, raising tension as the group approaches the patch.

Significant themes

• Adventure versus duty: Meng’s disappointment reflects the gap between his heroic ambitions and his mundane role as pig watcher.
• Cooperation and fair shares: The humans and beasts approach the rare harvest as something to be divided by strength rather than simply seized.
• Reputation and unexpected fame: Jiang Lai becomes an online celebrity for an ordinary, practical task.
• Respect for nature and restraint: Chen’s willingness to leave claimed plants alone contrasts with the more dangerous prospect of competing for this unusually rich patch.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu proposes that Yan Keling ask the Otherworldly Tiger to help them secure Spirit Jade Incense. In return, they will let it take the first share and accept whatever it chooses to give them.
• Yan Keling negotiates successfully. The Tiger begins collecting the incense, but two Sixth Tier beasts—a giant ape and a huge bird of prey—challenge its right to go first.
• Chen Shu reveals a formidable Divine Statue technique: a miniature Blazing Sun floods the forest with light and unbearable heat. The display halts the beasts’ confrontation without a fight.
• With the others intimidated, the Tiger gathers plenty of incense and shares some with Yan Keling, Chen Shu, and Jiang Lai. It thanks them and tells Yan Keling that an “incredible treasure” will appear near the Forbidden Land in two months. It invites them to head toward the setting sun, but warns them not to tell anyone.
• The Tiger leaves to digest the incense. Chen Shu and Jiang Lai give their shares to Yan Keling, who accepts after Chen explains it is a favor among friends.
• By March 16, Yan Keling is still traveling with the group. She is impressed by Chen Shu’s efficiency hunting Sword Pigs and Jiang Lai’s remarkable endurance; Meng Chunqiu spends the morning absorbed in thought.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu is generous and composed. He uses his strength to protect the Tiger’s claim, then gives away his incense and treats the gesture as friendship rather than a debt.
• Yan Keling shows growing confidence and knowledge of Otherworldly Beasts. She negotiates with the Tiger, stands by it during the challenge, and clearly hopes to join Chen Shu and Jiang Lai in investigating the promised treasure.
• Jiang Lai is considerate, offering Yan Keling his share and crediting her help as his sparring partner.
• The Otherworldly Tiger proves intelligent and diplomatic: it shares the incense, expresses gratitude, and offers the group a chance to pursue the coming treasure.
• Meng Chunqiu is visibly stunned by Chen Shu’s power but tries to conceal his reaction with bravado.

Significant themes

• Power and restraint: Chen Shu’s overwhelming display ends a dangerous conflict without violence.
• Trust and cooperation: Yan Keling’s negotiations and the group’s support of the Tiger turn a contest into a mutually beneficial arrangement.
• Generosity and friendship: Chen Shu and Jiang Lai share valuable resources without expecting repayment.
• A larger mystery: The Tiger’s vague warning of a major treasure sets up a future expedition.

Key plot points and events

• A television report identifies the “Pig-Carrying Youth” as Jiang Lai, a Yujing University student earning living expenses with his roommates. Their team of three divides the work: one hunts, one keeps watch, and Jiang Lai carries the pigs out to sell.
• Ning Qing watches the report and messages Chen Shu, teasing him for being exposed by his roommate. She worries about Chen’s safety, but he reassures her and says he will return the next day.
• On the final night of the Hunting Festival, fewer Sword Pigs remain near the outskirts, making the deeper forest more dangerous. Chen Shu returns to camp and cultivates while Meng Chunqiu keeps watch beside his cannon.
• A wandering young woman passes through camp, singing “New Mandarin Duck and Butterfly Dream.” She asks about Chen Shu and Jiang Lai, then continues searching for Spirit Plants.
• Jiang Lai sells the group’s final catch and escapes a crowd of online influencers. On the drive back, he calculates their week’s earnings: 317 pigs and nearly 9.6 million in revenue. Chen says the money will still be split fifty-fifty, while Meng’s reward is a soda.
• As they approach the city, Chen asks Meng to stop at Ling’an Academy. He invites his roommates to stick their hands out of the car windows and feel the wind, though they do not understand his meaning.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu is playful and reassuring with Ning Qing, and practical and generous with his roommates. His insistence that they share the wind suggests he wants them to experience and appreciate the return to ordinary life.
• Ning Qing shows affectionate concern for Chen, following his activities through the news and checking when he will come home. Their teasing messages reveal comfortable intimacy.
• Jiang Lai is exhausted but conscientious, carefully tracking the earnings and even worrying about the others’ reactions to his condition. He realizes that Chen and Meng are broad-minded and that he need not be so self-conscious around them.
• Meng Chunqiu remains deadpan and eccentric, keeping his cannon ready for possible forest threats and jokingly demanding lemon soda as payment. His quiet presence contrasts with Chen’s liveliness.
• The roommates’ banter—especially over Meng’s reward and Jiang Lai’s discomfort—shows their growing ease and camaraderie.

Significant themes

• Friendship and trust: The trio shares danger, work, and earnings, while Jiang Lai learns he can trust his roommates without feeling judged.
• Care beneath humor: Chen and Ning express affection through teasing; the roommates likewise show consideration through practical gestures and jokes.
• Labor and return to normal life: The exhausting hunt contrasts with the comfort of coming back to the city, whose lights and familiar routines feel meaningful after a week in the mountains.
• A mysterious threat: The Forbidden Land’s awakening will and the increasing danger deeper in the forest foreshadow developments beyond the group’s immediate adventure.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu meets Ning Qing on campus after the Hunting Festival. They tease each other over a lollipop, and he takes her to dinner.
• Over dinner, Chen Shu asks about Ning Qing’s cultivation of Deep Worry. She says it is slow because she has few worries, but she has made progress by worrying about their future and about whether cultivating Worry-Free will make her unable to resist getting close to him. Chen Shu jokes that he will remain virtuous; she ignores his bravado and makes him pay for dinner after he tempts her with the promise of wild strawberries.
• Back at the dorm, Zhang Suannai tries to persuade Xiaoxiao to spy on Ning Qing and Chen Shu, but Xiaoxiao refuses, repeatedly claiming she is “still little.” At Suannai’s urging, Xiaoxiao secretly asks Chen Shu about his cultivation and reports that he has reached Mid-Sixth Tier. Suannai, who reached the same level over winter break, is relieved. She also asks Xiaoxiao to learn about Chen Shu’s progress with a powerful Spirit Sect technique, but Xiaoxiao refuses.
• In a later scene, Chen Shu shows Jiang Lai an online video praising Jiang’s exceptional background, hard work, and fighting achievements. Embarrassed, Jiang listens as Chen Shu teases him.
• The class chat shares the schedule for the upcoming Martial Body Meet. Chen Shu’s classmates praise him as a “big shot,” and the attention leaves him delighted.

Character development and interactions

• Chen Shu and Ning Qing continue their playful, intimate push-and-pull. His teasing contrasts with her calm, understated affection; her concern about wanting to get close to him hints at deeper feelings and the risks of her cultivation.
• Xiaoxiao uses clever evasions to protect her privacy and avoid helping Suannai investigate Chen Shu further, though she does pass along his cultivation level.
• Zhang Suannai is competitive but increasingly reassured by her own progress and Chen Shu’s reported level. Her curiosity about his abilities drives her to enlist Xiaoxiao.
• Jiang Lai is uncomfortable with public attention and praise, while Chen Shu enjoys teasing him by relaying online comments.
• Chen Shu’s classmates show strong camaraderie, cheering one another on for the Martial Body Meet and treating Chen as an admired senior.

Significant themes

• Affection expressed through teasing: Chen Shu and Ning Qing communicate closeness through mock arguments, practical favors, and jokes.
• Cultivation shaped by emotion: Ning Qing’s progress depends on rare worries, linking spiritual development to her feelings about Chen Shu.
• Privacy and playful deception: Xiaoxiao’s evasions show her independence and comic ability to maneuver around others’ requests.
• Recognition and humility: Jiang Lai’s embarrassment at being praised contrasts with Chen Shu’s delight in being celebrated.
• Competition and community: The upcoming Martial Body Meet gives the students a shared focus and highlights both ambition and mutual support.

Chapter Summary: “The Competition Drew Near”

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu advises Spirit Sect disciples Song Rentou and Guan Bingxiang about the upcoming Martial Body Meet. He jokes that Song should use his True Fire Technique to strip a Martial Artist’s clothes, then gives more practical advice: keep fighting after Spirit Power runs out, and take the organizers’ longsword in case it comes in handy.
• Chen Shu cooks an elaborate tofu lunch for Jiang Lai and Meng Chunqiu. Meng, a Royal Family descendant unused to spicy food, is tricked into trying Chen’s intensely hot Xishi tofu. Though he initially struggles, he gradually becomes accustomed to it and enjoys the flavor.
• The Martial Body Meet begins with intramural events and then the Arena Matches. Meng Chunqiu loses badly to a senior, while Jiang Lai defeats that same opponent decisively.
• Song Rentou wins two matches against older students before losing to a Fifth Year Martial Cultivation student. Guan Bingxiang also fights tenaciously, continuing with her fists after her Spirit Power runs out.
• The Arena Match final is between Jiang Lai and Yan Keling. Yan summons a strange, two-headed flying beast through her Divine Contract Secret Art and defeats Jiang, who nevertheless earns second place.
• The Inter-School Tournament is approaching. Chen Shu, Jiang Lai, Yan Keling, Song Rentou, and Guan Bingxiang are among the ten students who qualify and begin training.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu acts as mentor and comic instigator: he gives Song and Guan advice, cooks for his friends, and playfully pushes Meng to try unfamiliar food.
• Song Rentou shows confidence against older students but fears the two strongest students in his year. His wins demonstrate the strength of his Spirit Sect techniques.
• Guan Bingxiang proves exceptionally determined, fighting on even when outmatched and exhausted—a quality associated with her military-family upbringing.
• Meng Chunqiu remains polite and unpretentious despite his royal background. He trusts Chen’s cooking and accepts his challenge, gradually overcoming his discomfort with spicy food.
• Jiang Lai helps Chen in the kitchen and later demonstrates his formidable martial ability. He fights with everything he has against Yan and finishes as runner-up.
• Yan Keling reveals a powerful summon through her Divine Contract Secret Art, securing the championship.

Significant themes

• Perseverance and practical resourcefulness: Guan keeps fighting without Spirit Power, while Chen urges students to use whatever tools remain available.
• Respect across disciplines: The matches test assumptions about the relative strength of cultivators and Martial Artists, with Jiang’s performance showing the danger a skilled Martial Artist can pose.
• Mentorship and camaraderie: Chen’s teasing advice and cooking bring the students together as they prepare for competition.
• Growth through discomfort: Meng’s experience with the spicy tofu echoes the chapter’s broader emphasis on trying unfamiliar challenges.