Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan and Zhao Qiu battle their way through the Advanced Area, defeating mutant beasts. Zhou Fan handles most of the fighting, while Zhao Qiu—keeping all four of his locks open—takes down roughly a fifth before needing to rest.
• Zhou Fan checks the leaderboard: he leads with 6,400 points, but Lin Qianqian is close behind at 5,800. Zhao Qiu warns that her rapid progress could threaten Zhou’s position.
• Zhao Qiu reframes the rivalry as a matter of leadership: since Zhou leads [Dawn] and Lin is a member, Zhou should prove himself superior and earn her respect. Fired up, Zhou resumes fighting.
• They reach the Advanced Area’s central Beast King grounds, where defeating the Beast King is worth 5,000 bonus points. Lin Qianqian arrives as well, and the Beast King suddenly materializes from black mist.

Character developments

• Zhou Fan begins largely unconcerned about the rankings, but Zhao Qiu’s argument makes him take the competition—and his authority as [Dawn]’s leader—more seriously.
• Zhao Qiu shows loyalty and concern for Zhou, encouraging him to maintain his standing. He also privately hopes Zhou will defeat Lin so thoroughly that she falls for him.
• Lin Qianqian remains fiercely competitive and appears unwilling to accept Zhou’s authority; her rapid rise on the leaderboard reinforces her role as his chief rival.

Significant themes

• Competition and leadership: Zhou’s ranking becomes a test of whether he can command respect within his organization.
• Friendship and loyalty: Zhao Qiu supports Zhou both in battle and through unsolicited advice.
• Strength, respect, and romance: Zhao Qiu believes Lin will only respect—or fall for—a man who can decisively surpass her.

Character interactions

• Zhou and Zhao Qiu fight as a team, with Zhou’s endurance and strength allowing Zhao to push himself beyond his normal limits.
• Zhao teases Zhou about his stamina, then urges him not to let Lin overtake him.
• Zhou accepts Zhao’s leadership argument and charges back into battle.
• At the Beast King grounds, Zhao calls out to Lin; before the three can speak further, the Beast King appears.

Plot points and events

• A Fifth Tier, 3-Star Beast King—the Three-Headed Demon Wolf—appears. Zhao Qiu stays back, while Lin Qianqian insists on fighting for the assessment points.
• Lin Qianqian attacks with explosive paper techniques. Her improved skills initially keep the wolf at bay, impressing Zhou Fan.
• When the wolf breaks through her barrage, Zhou Fan restrains it with a Wood Dragon and energy-draining trees. Lin Qianqian tries to seize the chance to finish it, but the wolf splits into three bodies and escapes.
• The wolf then creates a black barrier that neutralizes Lin Qianqian’s paper explosives and appears to seal her powers. Its physical attack bypasses her Paper Transformation, badly injuring her.
• As the wolf prepares to strike again, Zhou Fan rescues Lin Qianqian with the Body Flicker Technique.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Qianqian shows substantial improvement after training with Xi Yan. Her confidence and competitiveness drive her to challenge the Beast King—and to try to claim the kill even while Zhou Fan has it restrained. Her powers’ failure leaves her vulnerable.
• Zhou Fan begins relaxed, but takes the fight seriously once Lin Qianqian competes for the points. He recognizes her growth, supports her attack by restraining the wolf, and ultimately prioritizes rescuing her.
• Zhao Qiu provides comic commentary and sensibly keeps out of a fight far beyond his strength.
• The battle is shaped by the group’s shifting teamwork and rivalry: Lin Qianqian and Zhou Fan cooperate against the wolf while also competing over who earns the points.

Significant themes

• Growth and ambition: Lin Qianqian’s new strength reflects her training, while her desire to catch up to Zhou Fan fuels her risk-taking.
• The limits of power: The Beast King’s barrier counters abilities Lin Qianqian relies on, turning apparent advantage into danger.
• Cooperation amid competition: The assessment pits Zhou Fan and Lin Qianqian against each other for points, but the threat forces them to work together—and Zhou Fan’s rescue underscores their bond.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Fan rescues the badly injured Lin Qianqian from the Three-Headed Demon Wolf, but enters its barrier and has his spiritual energy sealed.
• The wolf blocks their escape and attacks while Zhou carries Lin. He refuses to abandon her, both out of loyalty to a fellow Dawn member and anger that the Beast King hurt her.
• When the wolf divides into three weaker bodies, Zhou uses the unaffected Eight Gates Technique, Peerless, and Sage Mode to overpower them with taijutsu.
• The wolf reunites into its full-strength form, but Zhou gets Lin out of the barrier. His powers return, and he kills the Beast King with Complete Body Susanoo, splitting both the wolf and the mountain behind it.
• Outside the examination grounds, a scouting crow captures the aftermath. Zhou’s score rises by 5,000 points, confirming that he killed a Fifth-Tier Beast King.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan shows quick adaptation after being caught off guard by the barrier. He remains protective and determined under pressure, refusing Lin’s offer to be left behind.
• Lin Qianqian warns Zhou about the barrier despite her injuries and urges him to escape without her. His refusal surprises her and stirs unexpected warmth, complicating her usual mixed feelings toward him.
• The Three-Headed Demon Wolf initially relies on its sealing barrier and numerical advantage, but underestimates Zhou’s physical techniques and is ultimately destroyed.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and responsibility: Zhou’s commitment to a fellow Dawn member outweighs the tactical advantage of leaving her behind.
• Adaptability and hidden strength: Losing access to spiritual energy does not make Zhou helpless; he draws on other abilities and exploits the wolf’s divided form.
• Power and reputation: The spectacular destruction of the Beast King and the landscape leaves the observers stunned, reinforcing Zhou’s extraordinary strength.

Key plot points and events

• After defeating the fifth-tier Demon Wolf Beast King, Zhou Fan checks on Lin Qianqian, who treats her shoulder wound with Healing Talismans she made herself.
• The other examinees enter the Advanced Area and see the enormous damage from the battle, realizing Zhou Fan killed the Beast King.
• The first-round scores reveal Zhou Fan in a league of his own: he earns over 10,000 points, while Lin Qianqian places second with 5,000. Other celebrated freshmen fall far behind.
• Lin Ya announces that the first round is over and gives everyone two rest days before the more difficult second round.
• Recruiters and others crowd around Zhou Fan, hoping to hire him or connect with him. Principal Xi Yan intervenes and sends them away.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Qianqian shows both competence and vulnerability: she is injured in the fight, but her Healing Talismans let her treat herself. She sincerely thanks Zhou Fan, and his unusually gentle reassurance—promising not to let anything happen to her—moves her.
• Zhou Fan displays concern for Lin Qianqian and restraint, holding back a harsh remark he might normally have made.
• Zhao Qiu envies his companions’ varied abilities, but recognizes how dangerous the Beast King was and is relieved Zhou Fan could handle it.
• Nangong Chen, Pan Haining, Gu Ning, and Gu Yu are shaken and jealous when they see how far Zhou Fan has surpassed them.
• Xi Yan protects Zhou Fan from opportunistic recruiters, reinforcing his role as a supportive mentor.

Significant themes

• Overwhelming talent and rivalry: Zhou Fan’s performance dwarfs even the other prodigies, reshaping expectations for the competition.
• Preparation and usefulness: Lin Qianqian’s talismans show how training and planning can support combat beyond raw power.
• Care beneath bluntness: Zhou Fan’s considerate response marks a warmer moment in his relationship with Lin Qianqian.
• Recognition and pressure: Zhou Fan’s success brings admiration and recruitment offers, but also jealousy and unwanted attention.

Plot points and events

• Back at the hotel after three exhausting days of testing, Zhou Fan checks his accumulated emotion points and finds he has 79,320.
• He spends 50,000 to acquire the left-eye Kamui, complementing the right eye’s defensive intangibility. The new ability lets him distort space around a distant target, transporting or tearing it apart.
• A limited-time shop appears. Zhou Fan ignores several discounted techniques, including the costly Reaper Death Seal, and buys advanced Sage Mode for 30,000 points.
• Advanced Sage Mode can be activated instantly, strengthens his abilities more than the basic version, and lasts 30 minutes instead of five. Zhou Fan considers the Rinnegan his next major goal.
• In her room, Lin Qianqian reflects on Zhou Fan’s promise to protect her, but soon resolves to defeat him in their next comparison, less than two months away. She fears another punishment like losing her first kiss.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan becomes markedly more powerful, gaining both offensive and defensive applications of Kamui and a major upgrade to Sage Mode. He remains confident and eager to collect further abilities, though he still feels he has not reached his desired strength.
• Lin Qianqian’s view of Zhou Fan softens: remembering his reassurance makes her smile, and she admits he is not always annoying. Still, her competitive determination and fear of the system’s punishments outweigh that warmth.
• Zhou Fan and Lin Qianqian do not interact directly in the chapter; his promise to protect her shapes her private thoughts.

Significant themes

• Power gained through the system: Zhou Fan’s growth is rapid and transactional, contrasting with the effortful cultivation others expect.
• Escalation and ambition: New strength does not satisfy Zhou Fan; he is already focused on obtaining the Rinnegan.
• Rivalry mixed with affection: Lin Qianqian’s concern and growing fondness coexist with her determination to beat Zhou Fan—and avoid another humiliating punishment.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan’s overwhelming first-round victory dominates public discussion. He scores over 12,000 points—far ahead of second place with just over 5,000—prompting widespread speculation about whether the remaining contestants can catch up.
• While others debate the competition, Zhou Fan sleeps until noon. Xia Qingran calls to congratulate him and teases him for missing her many calls.
• Qingran admits she did not attend the first round because it took place inside the Forbidden Zone, where she could not watch. To make up for it, she invites Zhou Fan to lunch and dinner at a luxurious restaurant.
• At the Imperial Capital Restaurant, Zhou Fan unexpectedly encounters Dongfang Yue and Dongfang Xuan, the Eastern Family brothers. Yue confronts him, insisting that his fully awakened pure yang flame will let him avenge his previous defeat.
• Zhou Fan casually accepts the challenge, but before Yue can attack, Xia Qingran arrives and warns him against starting a fight in the restaurant.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan remains confident and carefree: he brushes off the competition’s attention, jokes with Qingran, and treats his past victory over Yue as largely forgettable.
• Xia Qingran shows warmth and concern by congratulating Zhou Fan and arranging a meal, while also taking charge when Yue threatens a confrontation.
• Dongfang Yue is still driven by humiliation from his earlier loss and is determined to defeat Zhou Fan now that his power has awakened fully. Dongfang Xuan is present alongside him, though he has little dialogue.
• Zhou Fan and the brothers meet with hostility; Yue seeks revenge, while Zhou Fan responds with teasing confidence.

Significant themes

• Talent and achievement: Zhou Fan’s huge lead suggests that even among elite competitors, abilities can differ dramatically.
• Reputation and rivalry: Yue’s fixation on reclaiming his pride contrasts with Zhou Fan’s indifference to their past match.
• Confidence and restraint: Zhou Fan is willing to fight, but Qingran’s intervention leaves the confrontation unresolved.

Key plot points and events

• Xia Qingran steps between Zhou Fan and Dongfang Yue, ready to fight to protect him. Dongfang Yue warns that fighting could worsen her unstable Ice Spirit Body and offers to use his Pure Yang Flame to help. Xia rejects the offer and leaves with Zhou Fan.
• Over lunch at an upscale restaurant, Zhou and Xia catch up. Zhou praises her new dress, and she admits she wore it especially for their outing.
• Zhou asks about her health and family. Xia says both are fine, though she keeps some personal matters to herself.
• They discuss the National Competition and its purpose: selecting people to enter the Void Rift. Xia reveals she has a guaranteed entry through her family’s privilege as one of the Imperial Capital’s Four Great Families. Zhou hopes to qualify so they can go together; Xia agrees, despite seeming hesitant.
• After lunch, Xia takes Zhou sightseeing around the Imperial Capital, and they spend the afternoon together.

Character developments and interactions

• Xia Qingran shows strong affection and protectiveness toward Zhou, openly choosing his side over Dongfang Yue’s offer. Her warmth is clear during their meal, though her hesitation about the Void Rift and the personal matters she conceals suggest she is withholding concerns.
• Zhou Fan remains confident that Dongfang Yue is no threat, but is thoughtful about Xia’s wellbeing and eager to spend time with her. His awkward compliment delights her.
• Dongfang Yue is jealous and resentful of Zhou’s closeness with Xia, and ends the encounter vowing revenge.
• Xia and Zhou share an easy, affectionate reunion: she treats him to lunch, responds happily to his praise, and becomes his guide around the city.

Significant themes

• Protectiveness and jealousy: Xia’s defense of Zhou intensifies Dongfang Yue’s hostility.
• Affection and growing closeness: Their playful conversation and shared outing underline their bond.
• Hidden worries and unequal burdens: Xia reassures Zhou while keeping some matters private; her hesitation about entering the Void Rift together hints at complications ahead.
• Privilege and opportunity: Xia’s guaranteed access contrasts with Zhou’s need to earn a place through the competition.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan and Xia Qingran spend an afternoon shopping and sightseeing in the Imperial Capital, then share dinner and a movie. Xia Qingran enjoys the outing because of Zhou Fan’s company.
• As they walk home, their playful teasing turns serious when a young man confronts them: Ye Chen, the Ye Family’s strongest young fighter.
• Xia Qingran explains that Ye Chen is a renowned, exceptionally powerful prodigy—and an unpredictable “lunatic.” Zhou Fan has never met him and cannot understand why he has been targeted.
• Ye Chen reveals that he has followed Zhou Fan since watching him clear a Forbidden Zone alone. Eager to face someone he considers a worthy rival, he insists on a battle.
• Zhou Fan declines, preferring to go home and sleep. Ye Chen attacks anyway, forcing Zhou Fan to dodge. Impressed by Ye Chen’s speed and strength, Zhou Fan agrees they should move somewhere with more room to fight.

Character developments

• Zhou Fan shows growing confidence and playfulness, but remains practical: he would rather rest than fight without a reason. Ye Chen’s skill eventually awakens his own fighting spirit.
• Xia Qingran is relaxed and affectionate during the outing, then becomes protective and wary when Ye Chen appears. She is ready to fight him herself, though she recognizes his strength.
• Ye Chen is introduced as a powerful, eccentric fighter whose overwhelming desire for a worthy battle makes him reckless. His admiration for Zhou Fan drives his confrontation.

Significant themes

• The search for worthy rivals: Ye Chen believes exceptional strength brings loneliness and seeks someone who can match him.
• Different attitudes toward strength: Ye Chen treats combat as an urgent purpose, while Zhou Fan values comfort and personal choice.
• Companionship and protection: The relaxed outing establishes the closeness between Zhou Fan and Xia Qingran, which becomes clear when she steps between him and Ye Chen.

Character interactions

• Zhou Fan and Xia Qingran share easy, teasing conversation, with Xia Qingran gently praising his thoughtfulness.
• Xia Qingran shields Zhou Fan and challenges Ye Chen, but Ye Chen dismisses her as his intended opponent.
• Ye Chen’s forceful challenge clashes with Zhou Fan’s refusal; once Ye Chen attacks, their encounter shifts from conversation to an impending battle.

Plot points and events

• In the Imperial Capital’s designated Training Arena, Zhou Fan agrees to fight Ye Chen rather than keep avoiding him. Xia Qingran urges him to leave, but Zhou Fan believes a fight is inevitable—and welcomes the chance to face a genuinely strong opponent.
• Before they begin, Ye Chen openly explains his Metal Control and inherited Mind Reading abilities. Zhou Fan gives a broad outline of his own Spirit Eye talents and combat skills.
• Their opening sword exchange is evenly matched despite Ye Chen’s superior swordsmanship: Zhou Fan uses the Sharingan and Uchiha-style techniques to counter his attacks.
• As the fight intensifies, Ye Chen uses Metal Control to disarm Zhou Fan and send his sword back at him. Zhou Fan escapes with the Substitution Technique and counters with fire techniques.
• Ye Chen cuts through Zhou Fan’s fire attacks and launches a powerful thrust through the flames. Zhou Fan blocks it with the Star Shatter Halberd, activates Sage Mode, and invokes “Unrivaled Under Heaven.” The chapter ends as the battle escalates.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan shifts from avoiding conflict to embracing the duel, excited to test himself against someone whose fighting spirit and skill can challenge him. He reveals only a general account of his abilities, keeping his full capabilities private.
• Ye Chen is confident and direct, disclosing his powers because he believes his strength makes secrecy unnecessary. He is delighted to find Zhou Fan can survive his attacks and prove a worthy rival.
• Xia Qingran worries for Zhou Fan and tries to dissuade him, but he chooses to fight.

Significant themes

• Strength and fair challenge: Both fighters value facing a capable opponent, and the duel serves as a test of skill rather than a one-sided confrontation.
• Confidence versus caution: Ye Chen’s openness reflects absolute confidence; Zhou Fan counters that confidence with adaptability and concealed resources.
• Controlled conflict: The arena provides a sanctioned place to settle disputes, reflecting the capital’s effort to maintain order without suppressing all confrontation.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan and Ye Chen resume their duel at full strength. Zhou activates Sage Mode and Peerless State, while both fighters trade powerful weapon attacks without gaining the advantage.
• Ye Chen tries to seize Zhou’s Star Shatter Halberd with Metal Manipulation, then attacks with controlled metal shards. Zhou tracks and deflects them with his Sharingan.
• Zhou uses fireballs as a distraction to attack from behind, but Ye Chen blocks the halberd with a specially reinforced Alchemy Shield and counters with an iron wire. Zhou evades it using Kamui.
• Zhou follows with a Water Dragon Bullet, which Ye Chen cuts apart. Zhou then uses Flying Thunder God to appear close, but Ye Chen anticipates the attack through Mind Reading and blocks it.
• Zhou attempts Sharingan Genjutsu. Ye Chen shuts his eyes and attacks defensively, forcing Zhou back.
• Ye Chen unleashes his ultimate technique, Sword Heart: Traceless. Its five successive strikes progressively destroy Zhou’s Susanoo, ultimately crushing its skeletal form and splitting the ground.
• Believing Zhou may still be standing, Ye Chen remains alert. Zhou appears behind him with Chidori, then channels his ocular power into it as Ye Chen launches a storm of metal arrows. The chapter ends as Zhou names his attack Kamui Chidori.

Character developments

• Zhou Fan demonstrates versatility and composure, combining weapons, ninjutsu, teleportation, Kamui, genjutsu, and Susanoo. Even after his defense is destroyed, he quickly launches a surprise counterattack.
• Ye Chen proves to be an exceptionally capable and adaptable opponent. His metal control, refined defenses, speed, and Mind Reading let him counter Zhou’s tricks, while his combat instincts allow him to fight even with his eyes closed.

Significant themes

• The duel emphasizes adaptation and tactical intelligence: each fighter reads and counters the other’s techniques rather than relying on strength alone.
• It also highlights escalation and resilience. Both fighters survive increasingly devastating attacks and keep finding new ways to press the fight.

Character interactions

• Zhou and Ye Chen treat the battle as a test of skill, responding to one another with excitement and respect rather than hesitation.
• Their exchanges become a contest of feints and counters: Zhou uses distractions and sudden movement, while Ye Chen answers with anticipation, defensive ingenuity, and aggressive follow-ups.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Fan uses Kamui-infused Chidori to pierce Ye Chen’s strongest metal shield, then deliberately limits the strike to a glancing wound.
• The duel escalates into a prolonged contest: Ye Chen fires waves of refined-metal arrows while Zhou Fan counters with Susanoo’s Yasaka Magatama. Ye Chen initially has the advantage, but Kamui-enhanced Magatama overwhelm his attacks.
• After five minutes of explosions, both fighters are injured and exhausted. Ye Chen’s metal is scattered and unusable, while Zhou Fan’s Susanoo has been destroyed. Ye Chen acknowledges defeat and says they will meet again in the Void Rift.
• Zhou Fan’s injuries heal quickly. Xia Qingran checks on him, praises his growth, and warns that Ye Chen will seek a rematch. Zhou Fan welcomes the prospect.

Character development

• Zhou Fan reveals that he enjoys a direct, demanding fight as much as Ye Chen does. He could have used Kamui’s intangibility to avoid many injuries, but chose not to because it would have diminished the contest.
• Ye Chen takes his first major loss with enthusiasm rather than resentment. The defeat fuels his resolve to grow stronger and challenge Zhou Fan again.
• Xia Qingran is proud of Zhou Fan but recognizes that his eagerness to fight makes him more like Ye Chen than she had realized.

Significant themes

• Respect through combat: The duel builds mutual admiration, and Ye Chen treats defeat as an exciting challenge rather than humiliation.
• Growth and rivalry: Loss inspires Ye Chen to improve, setting up a future rematch in the Void Rift.
• Enjoyment of struggle: Both fighters value the intensity of a fair contest, even when it leaves them wounded.

Character interactions

• Zhou Fan and Ye Chen exchange attacks, then openly praise the fight and agree to meet again.
• Xia Qingran tends to Zhou Fan and warns him about Ye Chen’s relentless pursuit of a rematch.
• Zhou Fan jokes that he could now beat Xia Qingran, prompting her to realize that he, too, is a battle maniac.

Plot points and events

• After defeating Ye Chen, Zhou Fan escorts Xia Qingran home. Her mother, Qin Lin, notices their closeness and teases Xia Qingran about spending the day with him.
• Qin Lin warns that the Void Rift is about to open and may contain Xiaoyang Fruit—the only known way to suppress Xia Qingran’s worsening Ice Spirit Body. Xia Qingran vows to obtain it for both herself and her mother.
• The next morning, the National Competition’s second round begins. Head referee Lin Ya announces a three-day team challenge: contestants are randomly placed in groups of three, each team starts with either a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll, and must obtain both kinds and reach an extraction point together. If any teammate is eliminated, the whole team fails.
• Additional scrolls are hidden throughout the Secret Realm, including on mutant beasts, so teams can seek them out rather than relying only on theft.
• Zhou Fan is assigned to a team with Mo Li of Changhai University and Zhao Hao of Fengyang University. After reassuring the nervous Mo Li that they will work together, the team enters the Secret Realm.

Character developments and interactions

• Xia Qingran shows determination to confront the danger posed by her Ice Spirit Body and secure the Xiaoyang Fruit.
• Qin Lin expresses both concern for her daughter’s health and curiosity about her relationship with Zhou Fan.
• Zhou Fan remains confident and welcoming, taking the initiative to introduce himself and encouraging Mo Li rather than treating her as a liability.
• Mo Li is anxious about being the weakest member of the team, while Zhao Hao introduces himself as their other teammate.

Significant themes

• Teamwork and shared responsibility: The round requires every teammate to survive and reach the extraction point, discouraging selfish play.
• Competition and strategy: Teams must balance cooperation with competing for scrolls and searching the dangerous Secret Realm.
• Family care and personal resolve: Xia Qingran’s struggle is closely tied to her mother’s concern, while her vow signals her commitment to overcoming it.

Plot points and events

• The second assessment begins in an ordinary Secret Realm, deliberately chosen to minimize environmental interference and focus on teamwork.
• Zhou Fan, Mo Li, and Zhao Hao are transported together and receive a Heaven Scroll. They must obtain an Earth Scroll while protecting their own, making the round both an offensive and defensive contest.
• The team entrusts the scroll to Zhou Fan, whom they consider their strongest member. With it secured, they plan to find another team to target.
• Zhou Fan asks about his teammates’ abilities: Mo Li uses water powers and specializes in ranged damage; Zhao Hao uses earth powers and focuses on defense. Zhou Fan sees their roles as complementary and leads them out to hunt for a scroll.
• At the judges’ platform and in the stands, observers debate whether Zhou Fan will excel again. While some expect him to finish first, others note that his teammates’ performance and the team-based rules could be decisive.
• The assessment is revealed as preparation for an upcoming Void Rift, where cooperation will be essential.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan takes charge, secures the team’s scroll, and begins organizing the group around its members’ strengths.
• Mo Li and Zhao Hao recognize their own limitations and trust Zhou Fan to carry the team’s most important responsibility. Zhao Hao explicitly accepts Zhou Fan as captain, promising to follow his direction.
• The observers acknowledge Zhou Fan’s exceptional individual ability but question whether it will translate into success when teamwork is required. Jiang Lei praises Zhou Fan to Xi Yan, who is pleased to hear his student commended.

Significant themes

• Teamwork versus individual strength: The round tests whether candidates can coordinate, not merely overpower opponents.
• Trust and role specialization: The team assigns responsibility according to ability and relies on each member’s distinct contribution.
• Preparation through assessment: The scroll contest is designed to teach skills needed for the dangerous, cooperative mission ahead.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Fan and his teammates, Mo Li and Zhao Hao, search the Secret Realm for a squad carrying the Earth Scroll they need.
• They find a group finishing off a Mutant Beast. Zhou traps the three with vines and uses Sharingan genjutsu to learn that they have a Heaven Scroll. Since it is not the one he wants, he leaves without taking it.
• Elsewhere, squads begin encountering one another. Teams with matching scrolls usually part peacefully; teams with different scrolls fight. Ambushes and counter-ambushes turn the competition into a chaotic chain of thefts.
• In the realm’s depths, three unidentified figures with snake-like eyes secretly enter. Acting on a mysterious lord’s instructions, they begin searching for a target without revealing themselves.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan shows confidence and a strong preference for acting alone. He tells Mo Li and Zhao Hao to stay safe while he handles the opposing squad, treating them more as support than partners.
• Mo Li and Zhao Hao are surprised by Zhou Fan’s approach but follow his lead. Their lack of involvement highlights how little teamwork Zhou Fan intends to rely on.
• The opposing squad’s captain resents Zhou’s ambush, but genjutsu forces him to reveal the squad’s scroll. The group is relieved when Zhou leaves, since both teams had Heaven Scrolls.
• The three newcomers are cautious and coordinated, keeping their identities and purpose concealed.

Significant themes

• Competition and uncertainty: Squads cannot know whether opponents are useful allies or rivals until they learn what scrolls they carry.
• Teamwork versus individualism: The assessment requires cooperation, yet mismatched personalities and Zhou’s solitary tactics undermine it.
• Escalating opportunism: Victories invite further attacks, creating layers of ambushes in which every hunter may become prey.
• Hidden agendas: The mysterious intruders suggest that a larger threat is unfolding beyond the scroll competition.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Fan’s team searches the forest but finds only teams carrying Heaven Scrolls, not the Earth Scroll they need.
• They come upon a team fighting a five-star black eagle with an Earth Scroll tied to it. Mo Li suggests waiting until both sides are weakened, but Zhou Fan walks in openly.
• Zhou Fan immobilizes the fighters with his Sharingan genjutsu, then kills the eagle with Amaterasu and takes the Earth Scroll. The other team accepts the loss, recognizing his reputation.
• With both scrolls secured, the team heads toward the extraction point. Since night is falling and it is ten kilometers away, Zhou Fan decides they should stop and travel later.
• He uses Wood Release to create a house. While the team rests and cooks by a campfire, another group tries to ambush them, but flees as soon as they recognize Zhou Fan’s Sharingan.

Character development and interactions

• Zhou Fan remains calm and decisive, relying on overwhelming power rather than cautious tactics. He takes charge of the team’s route and prioritizes safety after dark.
• Mo Li and Zhao Hao trust Zhou Fan and follow his lead, even when his direct approach differs from Mo Li’s plan. They are impressed by how quickly he wins the Earth Scroll.
• The defeated team is bewildered but pragmatic: knowing they cannot challenge Zhou Fan, they let him keep the scroll.
• The would-be ambushers retreat immediately upon recognizing Zhou Fan, showing how widely feared he is.

Significant themes

• Power and reputation: Zhou Fan’s abilities settle conflicts quickly, and his name alone deters challengers.
• Trust and leadership: His companions defer to his judgment, while he makes practical decisions for the group.
• Survival and strategy: The assessment rewards resourcefulness, but Zhou Fan’s strength lets him bypass prolonged fights and secure what his team needs.

Plot points and events

• After a quiet night in the Wooden House, Zhou Fan, Mo Li, and Zhao Hao set off toward the Evacuation Point with their Heaven and Earth Scrolls already collected.
• Other teams face ambushes on the way, but anyone who recognizes Zhou Fan avoids confronting him.
• In a mist-filled forest, the trio is suddenly attacked by sonic waves. Zhao Hao blocks the first strike with an Earth Wall, while Mo Li counters with a barrage of Water Arrows.
• The fog thickens, concealing the attackers. Zhou Fan’s Wind Release briefly clears some of it, but the mist quickly returns.
• The sonic attacker repeatedly targets Zhou Fan from different directions. Zhou Fan dodges by sensing the spiritual-energy fluctuations in the attacks.
• Using the Body Flicker Technique, Zhou Fan vanishes from the attacker’s ultrasound-based detection. He then appears behind the hidden young man and confronts him.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan remains composed under pressure, protects Mo Li and Zhao Hao, and quickly figures out how to evade the sonic attacks. His disappearance from the attacker’s detection demonstrates his tactical skill.
• Mo Li and Zhao Hao are confident in Zhou Fan and initially feel that the assessment has been effortless. When attacked, however, both act promptly: Zhao Hao defends while Mo Li launches a counterattack.
• The young attacker appears skilled and well-prepared, using mist for concealment and sound-based abilities to locate and strike opponents. Zhou Fan’s evasion unsettles him.

Significant themes

• Strength and deterrence: Zhou Fan’s reputation alone discourages other teams from attacking.
• Teamwork and growing competence: Mo Li and Zhao Hao contribute defensive and offensive support rather than relying solely on Zhou Fan.
• Adaptability under pressure: Zhou Fan studies the enemy’s technique and turns its limitations into an advantage.
• The assessment’s real danger: Collecting the scrolls is only part of the challenge; reaching the Evacuation Point safely is another test.

Character interactions

• Mo Li openly expresses how safe she feels with Zhou Fan, while she and Zhao Hao follow his lead on the journey.
• During the ambush, Zhou Fan pulls both companions out of the path of a sonic attack and tells them to protect themselves.
• The chapter ends with Zhou Fan finding the attacker and speaking from behind him, setting up their confrontation.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan finds a blind young man using arm-mounted devices to attack with powerful sound waves. He avoids the attacks, destroys one device, and subdues him.
• The attacker’s blindness prevents Zhou Fan from using Sharingan Genjutsu to question him, so Zhou Fan shocks him until he agrees to talk.
• A white-haired fighter who fires bone spikes arrives and frees the sonic attacker. A third man, a large fighter who uses Earth Style, joins them. Together, they trap Zhou Fan in an earthen enclosure and bombard him.
• Zhou Fan emerges unharmed and binds all three with Wood Release vines, realizing their mission was to capture him rather than steal scrolls.
• Before he can interrogate the captives, a giant python attacks. Zhou Fan dodges, and She Wan emerges from the snake, revealing himself as the force behind the ambush.

Character developments

• Zhou Fan remains confident and resourceful, countering several coordinated attacks with anticipation, speed, and overwhelming strength. He shifts from trying Genjutsu to using pain when the sonic attacker proves blind.
• The sonic attacker is initially defiant but gives in under Zhou Fan’s electric torture.
• The white-haired fighter is cautious and disciplined, warning his teammates not to underestimate Zhou Fan.
• The large fighter is overconfident, assuming the group has defeated Zhou Fan after their combined attack.
• She Wan is revealed to be bold and predatory, having infiltrated the examination grounds despite being a wanted criminal.

Significant themes

• Strength and adaptability: Zhou Fan repeatedly turns unfamiliar abilities and coordinated attacks to his advantage.
• Confidence versus overconfidence: The attackers mistake a temporary apparent victory for a real one, while Zhou Fan stays alert.
• Power and coercion: Zhou Fan uses electrocution to force the captive to cooperate.
• Hidden threats: The apparent attackers are part of a larger plan, and She Wan’s sudden arrival escalates the danger.

Character interactions

• Zhou Fan taunts the sonic attacker’s reliance on his devices, then interrogates him through force.
• The three attackers coordinate their abilities against Zhou Fan, though their confidence clashes with the white-haired man’s caution.
• Zhou Fan identifies the group’s true target and prepares to question them.
• She Wan addresses Zhou Fan as an old acquaintance and declares his intention to capture him.

Plot points and events

• She Wan confronts Zhou Fan, intent on capturing him and taking his body. Zhou Fan mocks his fixation and challenges him to prove he can overcome their previous battle.
• She Wan orders his three accomplices to withdraw, then uses the Hidden Mist Technique to obscure Zhou Fan’s vision and limit his Sharingan.
• He attacks with venomous snakes, but Zhou Fan burns them away with Fire Release. The two trade attacks, including She Wan’s Ten Thousand Snakes Formation and Zhou Fan’s powerful fire techniques, without gaining a clear advantage.
• She Wan has reached Fifth Tier, two stars, yet Zhou Fan holds his own despite the mist restricting his Sharingan. Just as Zhou Fan taunts him for making little progress, She Wan reveals that Zhou Fan is dizzy and unable to summon his strength—suggesting he has been poisoned.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan remains confident and provocative, but demonstrates that he can fight effectively with ordinary Ninjutsu even when his Sharingan is hampered.
• She Wan has prepared specifically to counter Zhou Fan’s Genjutsu, using the mist and a hidden tactic rather than relying solely on a direct contest of strength. His obsession with capturing Zhou Fan remains unchanged.
• Their exchange is both hostile and taunting: Zhou Fan ridicules She Wan’s pursuit and challenges him, while She Wan stays composed and waits for his plan to take effect.

Significant themes

• Adaptation and preparation: She Wan changes tactics after his previous defeat, while Zhou Fan adjusts by relying on abilities beyond the Sharingan.
• Hidden danger beneath apparent balance: Although the battle seems evenly matched, She Wan’s possible poisoning shifts the advantage at the chapter’s end.
• Obsession and power: She Wan’s fixation drives the confrontation, while Zhou Fan’s confidence fuels his defiance.

Plot points

• She Wan reveals he poisoned the fog around Zhou Fan with a toxin designed to overcome his healing. He also uses blinding light to disable Zhou Fan’s Sharingan.
• Despite being poisoned and unable to see, Zhou Fan fights using Sage Mode’s sensory abilities. His Wood Release injures She Wan, but She Wan escapes by splitting into small snakes and attacks in a swarm.
• Zhou Fan protects himself with the Uchiha Flame Formation. She Wan then summons a giant snake that bypasses the barrier and swallows him.
• Zhou Fan cuts his way out with Susanoo, restores his Sharingan, and declares the fight is over.
• She Wan summons his ultimate weapon, the Eight-Headed Serpent. It battles Zhou Fan’s armored Susanoo, but its heads are repeatedly severed and regenerate.
• Zhou Fan sets the serpent ablaze with Amaterasu. She Wan sheds his skin to escape the flames, but Zhou Fan disappears and reappears behind him, beginning a Mangekyō illusion attack. The chapter ends on a cliffhanger.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan demonstrates that poison, blindness, and surprise attacks cannot easily overwhelm him. He adapts with Sage Mode, Wood Release, Susanoo, and his Sharingan’s powers, steadily taking control of the battle.
• She Wan is revealed as an obsessive, calculating opponent who has prepared specifically to capture Zhou Fan’s body. His confidence rises whenever Zhou Fan displays strength, but his persistence is tested as Zhou Fan counters each plan.
• Their confrontation escalates from She Wan’s attempts to disable and capture Zhou Fan to a direct clash between their largest weapons. She Wan’s repeated insistence that the fight is not over contrasts with Zhou Fan’s growing confidence.

Significant themes

• Adaptability under pressure: Zhou Fan finds ways to fight despite severe disadvantages.
• Obsession and power: She Wan’s desire for Zhou Fan’s body fuels his increasingly extreme tactics.
• Endurance versus finality: She Wan relies on regeneration and escape, while Zhou Fan uses overwhelming force and techniques that seem impossible to evade.

• Zhou Fan confronts She Wan: Zhou Fan traps She Wan in a Sharingan genjutsu and demands that he either submit or die. She Wan refuses and detonates himself, destroying the forest. Zhou Fan escapes with Kamui and realizes the explosion was a diversion: She Wan’s spiritual energy is still being controlled, suggesting he survived and fled. Zhou Fan gives up the chase but vows to recruit him next time.
• She Wan seeks another body: Having escaped, She Wan admits he underestimated Zhou Fan and decides he needs a stronger body before trying to claim Zhou Fan’s. He spots Lin Qianqian leading two teammates against a fourth-tier mutant beast and targets her as a temporary vessel.
• Lin Qianqian is ambushed: After her team defeats the beast and retrieves its Earth Scroll, She Wan attacks in the form of a White Phosphorus Snake. Lin’s paper wall blocks his surprise lunge. She assumes he is trying to steal the team’s scroll, but he bluntly says he wants her body.
• The fight escalates: She Wan summons venomous snakes and poisonous gas. Lin uses explosive tags and paper techniques to destroy the snakes, but retreats from the poison. She Wan then circles behind her, identifies a gap in her defenses, and mocks her as weaker than Zhou Fan. Angered by the comparison, Lin unleashes her Mutually Multiplying Paper Bomb Technique, deploying ten thousand sheets.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan shows both admiration for She Wan’s talent and caution about the danger of leaving him uncontrolled. He is determined to make him submit, but She Wan’s escape exposes how difficult that will be.
• She Wan shifts from fixating exclusively on Zhou Fan’s body to seeking an interim host. His failed attack on Zhou leaves him more wary, but he remains predatory and overconfident when confronting Lin.
• Lin Qianqian is capable and composed under pressure, having defeated a powerful beast, but her progress toward the exam’s evacuation point is behind schedule. She Wan’s comparison with Zhou touches a personal sore spot and provokes a more forceful response.
• Lin’s teammates admire her strength, while She Wan treats her as a target rather than a person; Lin initially misreads his attack as an attempt to steal the scrolls.
  Themes: The chapter explores ambition and the cost of overconfidence, the struggle for control over one’s body and power, and rivalry as a source of motivation. It also contrasts She Wan’s calculating survival strategies with Lin’s disciplined combat—and hints that her wounded pride may become either fuel or a vulnerability.