Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan’s group reaches the Secret Realm’s core, a silent lake dense with spiritual energy. A blue crystal pillar protrudes from the water, but water blasts erupt when Zhou Fan approaches, forcing him back.
• Mutant aquatic beasts swarm the shore. Zhou Fan leaves the fighting to Zhao Qiu, Duan Fei, and Jiaoxin, who defeat the creatures through teamwork: Zhao Qiu attacks with his unlocked strength, Duan Fei draws the beasts’ attention, and Jiaoxin combines fire and water attacks to scald them.
• Zhao Qiu’s taunts bring the Beast King out of the lake: Isobu, the Three-Tails, a gigantic, spiked turtle at Fourth Tier, Five Stars.
• Zhou Fan recognizes Isobu and orders the others to capture him alive. He refuses to fight for them, insisting the encounter is a chance for them to train against a large, powerful opponent.
• Jiaoxin takes the initiative and charges Isobu, releasing three masks to fight at full strength.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan remains confident and strategic, using danger as a training opportunity for his teammates. Though capable of subduing Isobu himself, he deliberately holds back and insists the Beast King be captured alive.
• Zhao Qiu complains about being made to fight, but still throws himself into battle. His excitement leads him to challenge the Beast King, only to become uneasy when he sees Isobu’s size and power.
• Duan Fei willingly serves as bait, enduring the beasts’ bites thanks to his Immortal Body. His rapport with Jiaoxin is shown through their coordinated attacks and his plea for help.
• Jiaoxin is quiet but dependable, acting decisively and putting the group’s mission first. He steps forward to engage Isobu despite the danger.
• The team’s banter—especially Zhao Qiu’s grumbling and Zhou Fan’s firm response—contrasts with the growing threat posed by the Beast King.

Significant themes

• Growth through hardship: Zhou Fan believes real combat is essential training, particularly for weaknesses such as fighting enormous beasts.
• Teamwork and complementary abilities: The group succeeds by combining distinct strengths rather than relying on one fighter alone.
• Discipline versus bravado: Zhao Qiu’s taunting invites a far more dangerous opponent than the group has yet faced, while the others must turn confidence into coordinated action.
• Restraint and responsibility: Zhou Fan’s command to capture Isobu alive signals that the objective is not simply to win, but to control the outcome.

Key plot points and events

• Jiaoxin, Zhao Qiu, and Duan Fei fight Three-Tails, a fourth-tier, five-star Beast King. Jiaoxin attacks with his three remaining masked entities; Zhao Qiu uses his internal-organ lock and powerful martial techniques; Duan Fei draws the beast’s attention with his scythe, though its shell blocks his strike.
• A coordinated assault knocks Three-Tails unconscious. The group finds the fight unexpectedly easy, attributing the beast’s weak aggression to its naturally defensive temperament.
• As they prepare to bring the Beast King ashore for Zhou Fan, Ruan Qingqing and her group arrive. Ruan traps the area around Three-Tails with Crystal Style and declares the Beast King hers, ordering the exhausted hunters to leave.
• The group objects to having their prize stolen. Ruan responds with another crystal attack and threatens them. Jiaoxin identifies her as an S-Rank crystal-type user and a celebrated Ruan-family prodigy.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiaoxin, Zhao Qiu, and Duan Fei show effective teamwork, combining elemental attacks, martial arts, and distraction to defeat Three-Tails.
• Duan Fei defends his contribution as a “tank” after Zhao Qiu teases him for doing little damage.
• Jiaoxin and Zhao Qiu both suspect Three-Tails held back, while recognizing that its cautious nature made it easier to beat.
• Ruan Qingqing is introduced as proud and domineering. Zhao Qiu and Duan Fei challenge her claim, while Jiaoxin supplies the group with context about her family and reputation.

Significant themes

• Teamwork and differing roles: The hunters succeed through complementary abilities, even when not every role deals direct damage.
• Strength and reputation: Ruan’s status as an elite prodigy gives weight to her threat, but her attempt to claim another group’s hard-won prize creates immediate conflict.
• A new confrontation: The Beast King battle gives way to a dispute over ownership, setting up a clash between the two groups.

Key plot points and events

• The Ruan family arrives at the Chaos Secret Realm, where Ruan Qingqing—the Central District’s leading young talent—claims the defeated Beast King as hers because she has already taken it.
• Duan Fei and Zhao Qiu challenge her. Zhao Qiu smashes her crystal pillars with his gauntlets, but her crystal dragons overwhelm him. Jiaoxin’s fireball and Duan Fei’s surprise follow-up briefly put her under pressure, yet she counters and knocks Duan away.
• Ruan Qingqing dismisses [Dawn] as no match for her or the powerful Ruan family. Zhao Qiu considers using the Five Locks, but Zhou Fan stops him.
• Zhou Fan decides to end the confrontation quickly, noting that more factions could arrive. Ruan Qingqing mocks his mask; before she can finish, Zhou Fan suddenly appears in front of her.

Character developments and interactions

• Ruan Qingqing is confident and dismissive, treating possession as proof of ownership. Her skill and quick reactions back up her arrogance: she defeats Zhao Qiu and Duan Fei despite their coordinated attacks.
• Zhao Qiu is eager to prove himself and briefly boasts after breaking her first attack, but is quickly humbled. He refuses to admit defeat and nearly escalates the fight by opening the Five Locks.
• Duan Fei and Jiaoxin coordinate an attack: Jiaoxin’s fireball conceals Duan’s approach. Ruan Qingqing adapts, however, and turns the exchange in her favor.
• Zhou Fan acts as [Dawn]’s measured leader. He prevents Zhao Qiu from overcommitting and takes control once the sparring has served its purpose. His sudden approach signals that the real confrontation is about to begin.

Significant themes

• Power and ownership: The characters dispute whether defeating the Beast King entitles [Dawn] to claim it; Ruan Qingqing argues that whoever can seize it owns it.
• Confidence versus capability: Ruan Qingqing’s pride is supported by her strength, while Zhao Qiu’s premature boasting quickly proves costly.
• Teamwork and limits: [Dawn] uses coordinated attacks, but the scene highlights the danger of facing a powerful opponent—and her entire family—without a broader plan.
• Escalation and urgency: Zhou Fan wants to conclude matters before other groups arrive, setting up the next stage of the conflict.

Summary

• Ruan Qingqing attacks Zhou Fan with a series of Crystal Release techniques, including a ground-level crystal path and a barrage of pillars. Zhou Fan appears to pass through the attacks unharmed, leaving her unsure whether he is a clone, an illusion, or something else.
• Zhou Fan reappears behind her, praises her rare S-Rank crystal abilities, then catches her wrist after her blade passes through him. He breaks her crystal shield with a kick and sends her crashing into the ground, badly injured and unable to move.
• The spectators are surprised but skeptical of [Dawn]’s chances against the Ruan family, which they regard as the strongest family in the Central District. Their confidence shifts once Zhou Fan defeats Ruan Qingqing.
• Ruan Hai, the Ruan family’s third elder, intervenes and orders dozens of guards to attack. Zhou Fan refuses to surrender the Three-Tails, claiming the Beast King for himself.
• Zhou Fan unleashes “Fire Release: Blast Wave Wild Dance!” Kamui’s spatial distortion amplifies and expands his flames into a huge, swirling attack. The guards try to stop it with water walls and other defenses, but the flames overwhelm them and tear through the crowd.

Character developments and interactions

Ruan Qingqing’s confidence as the Central District’s leading young prodigy is challenged when Zhou Fan outmaneuvers and decisively defeats her. Zhou Fan remains calm and dismissive throughout, first confronting Qingqing directly and then facing Ruan Hai without deference. Ruan Hai’s intervention turns the duel into a broader clash between Zhou Fan and the Ruan family; the outcome of that confrontation remains unresolved in this excerpt.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes the gap between reputation and actual strength, as the crowd’s assumptions about the Ruan family and [Dawn] are tested. It also highlights misdirection and uncertainty in combat through Zhou Fan’s seemingly intangible presence, as well as escalating force: a contest over the Three-Tails becomes a devastating fight against the Ruan family’s guards.

Key plot points and events

• Ruan Hai, the Ruan family’s third elder, intervenes to protect his subordinates from Zhou Fan’s Fire Release. He uses the family’s hereditary crystal powers and challenges Zhou Fan.
• Ruan Hai’s crystal dragon defeats Zhou Fan’s Water Dragon, but Zhou Fan reflects its force with his Gunbai, then combines Fire Release and a surprise attack with the Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan. Ruan Hai’s shields withstand the Rasengan.
• Zhou Fan switches to the Star Shatter Halberd. Ruan Hai counters Zhou Fan’s rapid strikes with an all-around crystal barrier, but Susanoo enlarges the halberd and cleaves through it, nearly killing him.
• Taking Zhou Fan seriously at last, Ruan Hai attacks with twin crystal dragons and more pillars. Susanoo’s Crow Tengu Armor shrugs off the assault, and Zhou Fan prepares to strike again.
• Suddenly, the supposedly dead Three-Tails attacks Susanoo with a dark energy sphere and a barrage of Miniature Tailed Beast Bombs, interrupting Zhou Fan’s assault.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan moves from testing Ruan Hai’s defenses to fighting with his full arsenal: the Gunbai, Rasengan, halberd, and Susanoo. His confidence remains high, but the Three-Tails’ surprise attack catches him off guard.
• Ruan Hai initially dismisses Zhou Fan as inexperienced, relying on his higher cultivation and defensive techniques. The near-fatal halberd strike forces him to recognize Zhou Fan as a serious threat and fight in earnest.
• Their duel is a contest between Ruan Hai’s versatile crystal defenses and Zhou Fan’s powerful, adaptable techniques. The Three-Tails’ intervention abruptly shifts the fight.

Significant themes

• Underestimating an opponent: Ruan Hai’s confidence gives way when Zhou Fan breaks through his defenses.
• Adaptability and escalation: Both fighters repeatedly change tactics as earlier attacks prove insufficient.
• Concealed danger: The Three-Tails’ apparent death was a ruse, turning the battle unexpectedly.
• Inherited power and family advantage: The chapter explains that powerful abilities such as the Ruan family’s crystal type—and the Eastern family’s Pure Yang Flame—can be passed down, though their inheritance works differently.

Plot

• Three-Tails reveals it had only been pretending to be unconscious, waiting for Zhou Fan and the Ruan family to weaken each other. When Zhou Fan gains the advantage, it attacks him with powerful Water Release.
• Three-Tails pins Susanoo in place, allowing Ruan Hai and Ruan Qingqing to join forces against Zhou Fan. Ruan Hai strengthens Ruan Qingqing’s crystal dragon, while Three-Tails fires a Tailed Beast Bomb.
• Zhou Fan’s Susanoo suddenly becomes far stronger. He catches the bomb, throws it through the crystal dragon, and blasts the Ruan family aside.
• Zhou Fan then uses Sharingan Genjutsu to subdue Three-Tails and bind it as his Summoning Beast. He also takes the giant Crystal Pillar from the lake using Kamui.
• Despite her injuries, Ruan Qingqing insists on continuing the fight. Zhou Fan dismisses her with, “You’re too weak.”

Character developments and interactions

• Three-Tails shows patience and strategic intelligence, but its attempt to exploit the two sides’ conflict fails. Zhou Fan overwhelms it and makes it his summon.
• Zhou Fan reveals that his earlier struggle was largely deliberate: he had far more power in reserve than he let on. His confidence and lack of concern unsettle both his opponents and the spectators.
• Ruan Qingqing cannot accept her defeat and returns to challenge Zhou Fan even after being badly hurt.
• Ruan Hai protects Qingqing, taking the brunt of the Tailed Beast Bomb’s explosion and trying to prevent her from provoking an opponent they cannot beat.
• The spectators are shocked by Zhou Fan’s display, while his companions remain confident that he has more tricks available.

Themes

• Underestimation and hidden strength: Zhou Fan’s apparent difficulty conceals overwhelming power.
• Strategy and opportunism: Three-Tails waits for a chance to turn the conflict to its advantage, while the Ruan family tries to capitalize on Zhou Fan being pinned down.
• Pride versus reality: Qingqing’s pride pushes her to continue, even when the gap in strength is unmistakable.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan dismisses Ruan Qingqing as “too weak.” Enraged, she attacks him with a Crystal Blade, but her strikes pass through him.
• Zhou Fan grabs her, tells her that her desire for power is insufficient, and urges her to grow stronger if she hopes to defeat him. He then traps her in Tsukuyomi, leaving her unconscious and psychologically traumatized.
• The Ruan family members are too intimidated by Zhou Fan’s Sharingan to intervene. Zhou Fan leaves with Zhao Qiu and the others.
• News of the Chaos Secret Realm battle spreads widely. Reports and eyewitness accounts portray Dawn’s leader, known as Madara Uchiha, as overwhelmingly powerful, mysterious, and untouchable. His masked appearance fuels public fascination.
• Zhou Fan gains more than twenty thousand emotion points from the public reaction. He reflects that displaying his strength is rewarding, even if it was not his original intention.
• He has collected the One-, Two-, and Three-Tails and considers capturing the Four-Tails, whose jinchūriki is Number Four, an associate of She Wan. Rather than search for them, Zhou Fan expects She Wan to approach him eventually.

Character developments

• Ruan Qingqing is forced to confront the limits of her strength and the collapse of the superiority she has relied on. Her humiliation and Tsukuyomi experience may become a lasting source of fear—and potentially motivation to grow.
• Zhou Fan remains detached and supremely confident. He presents himself as a challenge Ruan Qingqing can pursue, while treating the fight as another step toward his larger goal of collecting tailed beasts.
• Zhao Qiu and Duan Fei react differently to the defeat: Zhao Qiu finds Zhou Fan’s treatment of Ruan Qingqing excessive, while Duan Fei recognizes the particular pain of discovering that an opponent never took one seriously.

Significant themes

• Power and pride: Ruan Qingqing’s reputation cannot protect her from a vast gap in ability.
• Growth through defeat: Zhou Fan frames strength as something that must be pursued relentlessly, though his harsh lesson leaves Ruan Qingqing traumatized.
• Reputation and spectacle: A decisive battle rapidly becomes public legend, turning Zhou Fan into an object of fear, admiration, and fascination.
• Power as reward: Zhou Fan’s strength brings not only victory but also the emotion points he can harvest from others.

Character interactions

• Zhou Fan’s cold dismissal and effortless countering deepen Ruan Qingqing’s humiliation; his use of Tsukuyomi ends her challenge and prevents her family from intervening.
• Zhao Qiu questions Zhou Fan’s lack of mercy, while Duan Fei comments on the emotional sting of being outclassed.
• The crowd and online commenters transform the battle into a public spectacle, reinforcing Zhou Fan’s growing mystique.

Key plot points and events

• After the Ruan family’s defeat by Madara Uchiha and [Dawn], Ruan Hai reports that none of their people could match Madara’s unusual power.
• Ruan Qingfeng is furious but orders a thorough investigation of [Dawn], especially Madara.
• Ruan Qingqing, usually proud and self-assured, is emotionally devastated by the encounter and withdraws to her room.
• At Xinghai University, Zhou Fan and Zhao Qiu discuss the public reaction to their recent success in the Chaos Secret Realm. Zhao enjoys the attention and defends their online critics; Zhou advises him not to take comments too seriously.
• The Principal summons Zhou and Zhao, along with Lin Qianqian. Zhou notices that Lin seems more composed and powerful, suggesting she has been training.
• Principal Xi Yan introduces the subject of “Void Rifts”: temporary spatial passages formed by cosmic storms that connect different planets or spaces. Zhou recalls hearing the term from the Nightmare Lord, but knows little about it.

Character developments and interactions

• Ruan Qingfeng shifts from shock and anger to a calculated response, directing his family to investigate Madara and [Dawn].
• Ruan Qingqing appears profoundly shaken, a sharp contrast to her usual arrogance and confidence.
• Zhou Fan remains unbothered by fame and online criticism, while recognizing Lin Qianqian’s recent growth.
• Zhao Qiu thrives on their shared notoriety, treats Zhou’s success as his own, and is eager for another mission.
• Lin Qianqian is quiet but appears steadier and stronger than before.
• The contrast between the Ruan family’s alarm and Zhou and Zhao’s casual banter highlights how differently people respond to [Dawn]’s rise.

Significant themes

• Power and its consequences: Madara’s strength has shaken even the dominant Ruan family.
• Humility versus pride: Ruan Qingqing’s confidence collapses, while Zhou stays grounded despite public attention.
• Fame and perception: The characters react differently to praise and criticism online.
• A widening universe: The explanation of Void Rifts introduces the possibility of contact between worlds and sets up a larger cosmic mystery.

Plot and events

• Principal Xi Yan explains that Void Rifts are temporary, unusual spaces containing resources such as spirit plants and crystal deposits, along with mutant beasts from other planets. They do not provide a route for those beasts—or other humans—to invade Blue Star.
• A newly appeared Void Rift in Xia Country has the strongest energy readings yet recorded, suggesting both greater danger and better opportunities for training. It will take a month to stabilize before anyone can enter.
• The Superpower General Bureau will hold a National Competition with esper universities to decide who qualifies to enter the Rift.
• Xi Yan offers Zhou Fan and Lin Qianqian guaranteed entry, but both refuse and choose to compete for their places. Zhao Qiu is told he is too weak for a direct qualification.

Character development and interactions

• Zhao Qiu dramatically assumes the Rift means an imminent invasion and urges everyone to stock up on supplies. Xi Yan corrects his misunderstanding, and Zhao is relieved once he learns the Rift is effectively a one-way-accessible secret realm.
• Zhou Fan wants to earn entry through competition rather than connections. He is eager to face talented opponents—and privately sees the event as a chance to gain Emotion Points.
• Lin Qianqian also declines a guaranteed place. She wants to prove her recent training and compete against Zhou Fan again to see who is stronger.
• Xi Yan respects their choices and looks forward to their performances. Zhao’s blunt assessment of his weaker strength embarrasses him.

Significant themes

• Opportunity and danger are linked: The Rift’s powerful energy promises valuable growth but also stronger beasts.
• Merit and fair competition: Zhou Fan and Lin Qianqian prefer to qualify on their own ability rather than accept special treatment.
• Ambition and rivalry: The National Competition offers a public stage for the students to test themselves and compare their strength.

Key plot points and events

• Principal Xi Yan confirms that the National Competition will be held in the Imperial Capital in half a month. Zhou Fan and Zhao Qiu are excited about the trip.
• Zhao Qiu wonders whether they will see Xia Qingran there. Zhou Fan hopes so and messages her.
• Xia Qingran replies, saying she will meet Zhou Fan and show him around. She says she probably will not compete, since she is no longer a Xinghai University student, but promises to watch and cheer for him.
• Several powerful young fighters prepare for the competition—or for Zhou Fan:
  • Dongfang Yue vows to defeat Zhou Fan and erase the humiliation of their earlier draw.
  • Bai Yu, who has been training intensely since Zhou Fan defeated her in the Illusory Forest, also swears to surpass him.
  • Ye Chen looks forward to fighting Zhou Fan, whom he considers a worthy opponent.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan is eager to travel to the Imperial Capital, both for the competition and to reunite with Xia Qingran. Though surprised by her reply, he respects her privacy rather than pressing her about her earlier silence.
• Zhao Qiu brings comic enthusiasm, boasting less about strength than about being able to endure a beating.
• Xia Qingran is delighted by Zhou Fan’s upcoming visit. Their playful exchange reveals their warmth and closeness; she ends their long conversation looking forward to seeing him.
• Dongfang Yue remains consumed by pride and resentment after his draw with Zhou Fan, which he regards as a disgrace.
• Bai Yu has turned her defeat into motivation, focusing relentlessly on improving her genjutsu.
• Ye Chen is driven by the prospect of a challenging fight and singles Zhou Fan out as the opponent he most wants to face.

Significant themes

• Rivalry and ambition: Zhou Fan’s upcoming competition draws the attention of several formidable opponents.
• Defeat as motivation: Dongfang Yue and Bai Yu respond to past losses with determination to improve and seek revenge.
• Connection amid competition: Zhou Fan’s anticipation of seeing Xia Qingran adds a personal, affectionate dimension to the journey.
• Respect and restraint: Zhou Fan trusts Xia Qingran to share what she chooses, rather than demanding explanations.

Key plot points and events

• Xinghai University announces its National Competition delegation. As one of the country’s four leading esper universities, it receives 100 places; the other leading universities get the same, while other schools get 50.
• The university reserves 25 places for each year. Zhou Fan, Lin Qianqian, and Zhao Qiu qualify automatically; the remaining students must compete for selection. Contestants from all years will face one another, despite the disadvantage this creates for younger students.
• After two weeks of preparation, director Luo Luodong leads Xinghai’s 100 contestants to the Imperial Capital. A week earlier, Xi Yan had gone ahead to help coordinate arrangements.
• At the university plaza, the delegation prepares to depart amid a grand display of Seven-Colored Divine Sparrows. Students recognize Yuan An, Xinghai’s celebrated strongest student, and compare him with first-year standout Zhou Fan.
• Yuan An approaches Zhou Fan, introduces himself warmly, and proposes that they bring honor to their university together.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan is established as a promising freshman already drawing attention and comparisons with the university’s top student. He responds to Yuan An respectfully and without hostility.
• Yuan An appears not as a jealous rival, but as a confident, friendly senior. Though he has held the university’s strongest-student title since his first year, he welcomes Zhou Fan as a teammate.
• Zhao Qiu jokes that Yuan An may be coming to challenge Zhou Fan, reflecting the students’ expectation of rivalry.
• Other students admire both competitors, generally assuming Yuan An is stronger now because he is a senior, while predicting Zhou Fan may surpass him in time.

Significant themes

• Strength and opportunity: The competition is meant to identify people capable of surviving the dangerous Void Rift, so places are limited and allocated according to universities’ relative strength.
• Fairness versus merit: Equal places for each year give younger students a chance, even though they must compete against more experienced seniors.
• Potential and healthy competition: Zhou Fan’s promise invites comparison with Yuan An, but their cordial meeting frames that competition as shared ambition rather than animosity.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan and Zhao Qiu expect senior student Yuan An to cause trouble, but Yuan An greets Zhou Fan politely and leaves. Zhou Fan remarks that the university’s upperclassmen have generally been friendly.
• The Xinghai University delegation—competitors, teachers, and Execution Department escorts—sets out for the Imperial Capital on Seven-Colored Divine Sparrows. The escorts are there to protect the university’s most promising students during the long journey.
• During the ten-hour flight, the students admire the scenery, then rest as the excitement fades. Zhao Qiu sleeps, Lin Qianqian rests, and Zhou Fan stays awake to watch the landscape.
• Near the Imperial Capital, the group sees the massive Guardian Great Wall, built of special ore and scarred by past mutant-beast attacks. Luo Luodong explains its strength and importance.
• Guard Corps officers verify the delegation’s credentials and inspect the birds before allowing them through the capital’s protected airspace.
• Inside the city, the students glimpse the towering Heavenly Pivot Tower, headquarters of the Superpower General Bureau. Guided staff lead them toward the National Competition venue.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan remains calm and observant, gently correcting Zhao Qiu’s suspicion of Yuan An and taking in the journey’s scenery.
• Zhao Qiu is openly excitable, repeatedly marveling at the views and the capital’s defenses; he later dozes during the flight.
• Luo Luodong leads the delegation, explains key landmarks, and exchanges a friendly greeting with General Shen.
• Lin Qianqian joins the other students in resting during the journey.
• Yuan An’s polite behavior overturns the group’s expectation that he might be confrontational.

Significant themes

• Trust and first impressions: Yuan An’s courteous greeting challenges Zhou Fan and Zhao Qiu’s assumptions.
• Protection and responsibility: The university’s escorts and the capital’s defenses underscore the dangers posed by mutant beasts and the need to safeguard promising students.
• Wonder at a changed world: The flight and the capital’s immense structures inspire awe, revealing the scale and power of the world beyond Xinghai.

Plot points and events

• Xinghai University arrives at the Imperial Capital’s plaza aboard its costly, prestigious Seven-Colored Divine Sparrows. Principal Xi Yan welcomes the group.
• Students and staff from other schools admire Xinghai University and discuss its freshman star, Zhou Fan, including his reported victory over a member of the Eastern Family.
• The other three elite universities arrive:
  • Xuan Kun University, from the West District, on Azure-Winged Rocs.
  • Hailan University, from the East Sea region, on flying Blue Sea Demon Whales.
  • Heavenfire University, on Crimson Sky Tigers.
• Their principals—Xi Yan, Jiang Lei, Hai Wencang, and Yan Feng—greet and tease one another as old acquaintances. Each is a sixth-tier powerhouse and among Xia Country’s ten strongest.
• Lin Ya, deputy director of the Superpower General Bureau, arrives and leads all participating schools to their arranged hotels. The National Competition has not yet begun.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan does not appear directly, but his reputation precedes him; other students regard him as a major contender.
• Nangong Chen, Xuan Kun University’s top freshman, is introduced as an S-Rank Taijutsu ability user and a possible rival to Zhou Fan. Their relative strength remains unknown.
• Xi Yan, Jiang Lei, Hai Wencang, and Yan Feng display familiarity and playful camaraderie, contrasting with the deference ordinary-school principals show toward them.
• Lin Ya acts as the organizer, coordinating the competitors’ accommodation.

Significant themes

• Hierarchy and prestige: The elite universities’ resources, reputation, and powerful leaders set them apart from ordinary schools.
• Competition and anticipation: Talk of Zhou Fan and Nangong Chen builds interest in potential matchups at the upcoming event.
• Regional identity and experience: Each elite university’s transport and background reflect its region; Xuan Kun’s students, for example, are associated with frequent combat missions and border patrols.

Plot and events

• The night before the National Competition, Zhou Fan and Zhao Qiu share a hotel room. Zhao Qiu discusses the other universities’ standout freshmen and worries about facing upperclassmen, while Zhou Fan is distracted messaging Xia Qingran.
• Zhou Fan hopes to visit Xia Qingran in the Imperial Capital, but she refuses because it is late. He and Zhao Qiu decide to wait until after the competition.
• The next morning, the competition opens at the Trial Grounds. Twenty-four universities have sent 1,400 students: 400 from the Four Academies and 1,000 from twenty other universities.
• Lin Ya, deputy director of the Superpower General Bureau, announces that the competition will select just 100 students to enter a particularly powerful and dangerous Void Rift. The top 200 will receive rewards.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Qiu is eager to fight the country’s top young Espers, though he is nervous about being matched with an upperclassman. His excitement and talkative nature contrast with Zhou Fan’s distraction.
• Zhou Fan remains focused on Xia Qingran, showing that he misses her, but accepts that they will meet after the competition. He also takes the danger of the Void Rift seriously and supports selecting only the strongest.
• Xia Qingran is absent from the opening despite having said she would attend, leaving Zhou Fan disappointed.
• Lin Ya’s announcement makes the stakes clear to the gathered competitors, shifting the mood from anticipation to tense competition.

Significant themes

• Danger and opportunity: The Void Rift offers exceptional prospects but poses serious risks, making strength and survival central concerns.
• Ambition and competition: The gathering gives young Espers a chance to prove themselves nationally, while the limited qualifying places raise the pressure.
• Personal ties amid public trials: Zhou Fan’s longing to see Xia Qingran provides a quieter personal thread alongside the high-stakes event.

Plot points and events

• The National Competition’s first of three rounds is announced: a three-day survival and hunting assessment in Forbidden Zones. Candidates earn points for killing Mutant Beasts, with higher-level beasts worth more.
• The assessment combines fifty Beginner, ten Intermediate, and five Advanced Forbidden Zones. Candidates must choose hunting grounds suited to their abilities.
• A special rule adds risk: each kill grants a Beast Soul Mark, and accumulating more marks attracts more Mutant Beasts. Anyone eliminated has their score reset to zero.
• The 1,400 candidates are randomly teleported into the specially assembled Myriad Phenomena Forbidden Zone, separating them for an individual competition.
• Zhou Fan arrives alone in a forest. He quickly kills an ambush of Mutant Beasts with his fire technique, earns points, and receives ten Beast Soul Marks. Curious about the danger they bring, he decides to test how much attention they attract.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Qiu is eager to prove himself in the Forbidden Zones and complains that the mark mechanic seems to target powerful candidates.
• Zhou Fan is experienced and unfazed by the assessment; he lets Zhao Qiu take the spotlight, then welcomes the added challenge of the new mechanic.
• The less experienced candidates are alarmed by the danger, while elite candidates initially seem confident—until they realize that their strength and likely high kill counts could make them targets.
• Lin Ya presents the rules and frames the assessment as both a competition and training for the country’s future generation.

Significant themes

• Strength comes with risk: The strongest candidates can earn the most points, but their kills also draw greater danger.
• Survival over simple scoring: Candidates must balance hunting against the threat of being overwhelmed; accumulated points mean nothing if they are eliminated.
• Challenge and growth: The assessment is designed to test judgment and endurance, not merely combat power.

Key plot points and events

• The National Competition assessment begins in the Myriad Phenomena Forbidden Zone, with Bright Crows broadcasting much of the contestants’ progress to spectators.
• Fourteen hundred elite students adapt to the dangerous environment during the first half-hour.
• Several standout freshmen quickly establish their strength in the beginner area:
  • Nangong Chen slaughters a pack of Demon-Scale Wolves with a black blade and heads deeper into the forest.
  • Gu Ning and Gu Yu, Heavenfire University’s S-Rank fire-wielding twins, unleash a fire dragon and phoenix that devastate a large area.
  • Pan Haining, Hailan University’s S-Rank water user, turns a lake into a weapon and destroys its mutant beasts.
  • Lin Qianqian walks through the forest while her Explosive Tags automatically fend off every attacking beast.
• The university principals discuss their promising freshmen and quietly size up one another’s potential contenders.

Character developments

• Nangong Chen is confident and eager to move beyond the warm-up, presenting himself as a formidable competitor.
• Gu Ning and Gu Yu are ambitious and united in their goal of winning first place.
• Pan Haining is eager to test himself against the other top freshmen and believes water gives him an overwhelming advantage.
• Lin Qianqian reveals a personal goal: she wants to win the competition to prove she has surpassed Zhou Fan.
• Xi Yan keeps his confidence in Zhou Fan discreet, believing the freshman is stronger than he lets on.

Character interactions

• The principals—Jiang Lei, Hai Wencang, Yan Feng, and Xi Yan—tease and probe one another about their standout students. Hai tries to deflect attention from Pan Haining, while Yan openly praises the twins and draws attention to Xinghai’s freshmen.
• Gu Yu voices the twins’ shared ambition to Gu Ning, who reassures her.
• Pan Haining mentally lists his rivals and looks forward to facing them.
• Lin Qianqian frames her competition with Zhou Fan as a test of whether she has overtaken him.

Significant themes

• Competition and ambition: The freshmen are already focused on claiming first place and measuring themselves against their peers.
• Hidden strength and reputation: The principals conceal or downplay their students’ abilities, while the audience sees the contestants’ power firsthand.
• Confidence under pressure: Though the forbidden zone is dangerous and unfamiliar to many, the elite students rapidly adapt and demonstrate formidable abilities.

Plot and events

• Five hours into the assessment, the leaderboard shows most leading contestants pacing themselves. The Beast Soul Mark mechanic makes hunters increasingly likely to attract mutant beasts, so accumulating marks too quickly can make it difficult to survive the full three days.
• Zhou Fan is the glaring exception: he leads with 1,090 points and 110 marks, far ahead of the other contestants.
• Spectators and assessment officials question his strategy, assuming he has misunderstood the mechanic or is recklessly sacrificing his chances for an early lead.
• In the forbidden zone, Zhou Fan effortlessly kills the low-tier beasts that come after him. When dozens attack together under a Beast King, he wipes them out at once with Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence.
• Afterward, he wonders why having so many marks has not made the attacks feel any more dangerous.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan appears unconcerned by the risk and demonstrates overwhelming strength, treating even a coordinated swarm as an easy fight. His calm disregard for conventional strategy puzzles everyone watching.
• Xi Yan, Zhou Fan’s principal, does not know his student’s reasoning but trusts that he has one.
• Hai Wencang and Jiang Lei, along with other officials, doubt Zhou Fan’s approach and worry he may not last.
• Spectators debate whether Zhou Fan is ignorant, arrogant, or simply powerful enough to ignore the danger; most expect him to be eliminated eventually.

Significant themes

• Strategy versus strength: The assessment is designed to reward restraint, but Zhou Fan’s raw power seems to let him defy its intended balance.
• Appearance versus reality: His huge early lead looks reckless to others, while his ease in defeating swarms suggests their assumptions may be wrong.
• Trust and uncertainty: Xi Yan’s confidence contrasts with the crowd’s skepticism, while Zhou Fan’s unexplained success leaves his true plan unclear.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Fan grows bored fighting the beginner area’s mutant beasts and heads toward the intermediate area, where stronger opponents might challenge him.
• At the end of the first day, he leads the rankings by a huge margin: 3,500 points and 350 marks, more than three times the next competitor’s score. Observers question whether he is taking too many risks and predict that his large number of marks may eventually get him eliminated.
• After resting overnight, Zhou reaches the intermediate area around noon on the second day.
• A fourth-tier demon wolf attacks him as soon as he crosses the boundary. Zhou blocks it directly, taking wounds that heal quickly, then faces a pack of demon wolves.
• He kills ten fourth-tier wolves after several exchanges and continues farther into the intermediate area.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan remains confident and thrill-seeking. Rather than avoid danger with his Kamui ability, he chooses close-quarters combat because he enjoys the physical challenge. His performance shows that he can handle the stronger beasts.
• Other examinees and spectators are impressed by his score but mostly skeptical, viewing his pace and entry into the intermediate area as reckless.
• Deputy Director Lin Ya trusts Zhou’s ability and watches with interest to see how far he can go.
• Jiang Lei admires Zhou’s boldness and personality, calling him a future powerhouse, while noting that he wishes Zhou were a student at Xuan Kun University.

Significant themes

• Risk versus caution: Zhou rejects the careful pace followed by most competitors, gambling that his strength can carry him through greater danger.
• Power and spectacle: His extraordinary lead attracts attention, but outsiders debate whether it signals real dominance or impending failure.
• The pursuit of challenge: Zhou values exciting, demanding fights over easy victories and steadily seeks stronger opponents.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan enters the Intermediate Forbidden Zone and is attacked by groups of powerful Red-Scaled Giant Lizards. He kills them all easily with his Star Shatter Halberd and combat techniques.
• His score continues to climb, reaching 5,500 points and 540 Beast Soul Marks. Despite the marks drawing mutant beasts to him, he handles every encounter without difficulty.
• Zhou Fan discovers that Lin Qianqian has risen to second place with 4,700 points, far ahead of the other competitors. He notes her improvement but keeps moving.
• Bored by the Intermediate Zone’s lack of challenge, Zhou Fan heads toward the Advanced Area.
• His enormous lead pushes other top examinees—including Nangong Chen, Pan Haining, Gu Ning, and Gu Yu—to abandon their cautious pacing and pursue points aggressively. Their change of strategy leads to more than 200 eliminations by the end of the second day.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan remains confident and eager for stronger opponents. He treats the Intermediate Zone as easy and seeks a greater challenge rather than focusing on his ranking.
• Lin Qianqian emerges as a major contender, rapidly closing in on Zhou Fan’s score.
• The other elite examinees are driven by pride and fear of falling too far behind; they decide that risking elimination is better than surrendering the chance to place first.
• The principals debate why the students have sped up. Yan Feng attributes it to Zhou Fan’s lead, while Jiang Lei blames Xi Yan, Zhou Fan’s teacher. Xi Yan rejects the blame, and Lin Ya welcomes the disruption as a test of the students’ adaptability.

Significant themes

• Competition and pride: The elite students cannot accept being left far behind and change their plans to challenge Zhou Fan.
• Risk versus caution: Pursuing points faster improves their chances of winning but increases the danger of attracting too many beasts and being eliminated.
• Adaptability: Zhou Fan’s unexpected pace overturns the exam’s planned rhythm, forcing both examinees and organizers to respond.
• Uneven strength: Zhou Fan’s ease in the Intermediate Zone contrasts sharply with the risks faced by the other competitors.

Plot points and events

• Zhao Qiu is chased through the Intermediate Area by a growing pack of Fourth Tier Mutant Beasts. He can’t understand why more keep joining, and his attempts to fight and flee only worsen the situation.
• He runs into Zhou Fan and begs for help. Zhou Fan jokingly demands to be called “godfather,” then wipes out most of the pack with his Star Shatter Halberd and Wood Release technique. The surviving beasts flee.
• Zhao Qiu joins Zhou Fan, who is heading into the Advanced Area. Though the area contains potentially overwhelming Fifth Tier beasts, Zhou Fan and Zhao Qiu enter anyway.
• Their decision shocks the observers outside, who can no longer watch them once they pass beyond the Bright Crows’ range.
• Inside, they initially encounter Fourth Tier, Four-Star beasts rather than the Fifth Tier enemies they expected. Zhou Fan and Zhao Qiu set out to fight their way deeper and find the area’s Beast King.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Qiu is frightened and overwhelmed by the pursuit, but relieved when Zhou Fan saves him. He accepts Zhou Fan’s teasing demand and follows him into greater danger, relying on him while also agreeing to fight.
• Zhou Fan remains confident, amused, and eager for a challenge. He shows his strength by quickly defeating most of the pursuing beasts, then willingly enters the Advanced Area despite its dangers.
• Their friendship is marked by teasing and trust: Zhao Qiu calls for help, Zhou Fan makes him bargain for it, and Zhao Qiu chooses to accompany him afterward.

Significant themes

• Courage and risk-taking: Zhou Fan deliberately enters a zone meant to be avoided, while Zhao Qiu follows despite his fear.
• Trust and camaraderie: Zhao Qiu depends on Zhou Fan, and their informal partnership lets them face threats together.
• Power and spectacle: Zhou Fan’s decisive victory astonishes both Zhao Qiu and the outside observers, while the spectators’ reactions continue generating Emotion Points.