Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan and Zhao Qiu wait for their debut matches and learn about arena rewards, including prizes for victory streaks.
• Zhao Qiu fights fellow second-tier rookie Eighth-Level Little Gale. Using giantification, he smashes through his opponent’s wind attacks and knocks him out of the arena, winning decisively.
• Zhou Fan later enters a third-tier match against Brother Tiger, a fellow third-tier, 1-star fighter with five straight wins and a reputation as the “rookie king.”
• The crowd overwhelmingly favors Brother Tiger, assuming Zhou Fan’s fire-type persona, Wang Wenwang, is outmatched.
• Brother Tiger charges with a Tiger Fist. Zhou Fan meets him punch for punch—and sends him flying out of the arena with one blow.

Character developments

• Zhao Qiu shows confidence and enthusiasm in his first match, proving his giantification can overpower wind-based attacks. Afterward, he boasts about his performance and jokes with Zhou Fan.
• Zhou Fan is calm despite being paired against the arena’s most celebrated newcomer. He uses the match to test the martial-arts skill he has developed through gravity training, revealing far greater power than spectators expect.
• Brother Tiger enters as an intimidating, confident favorite, but his undefeated streak ends abruptly.

Significant themes

• Reputation versus reality: The crowd trusts Brother Tiger’s record and dismisses Zhou Fan, but the result overturns their assumptions.
• Unexpected strength and competition: Matching fighters by rank does not mean their abilities are equal; newcomers can conceal exceptional power.
• Showmanship and entertainment: The referee’s playful commentary and the audience’s betting and support figures make the arena both a contest and a spectacle.

Character interactions

• Zhao Qiu and Zhou Fan encourage one another and trade teasing remarks after Zhao Qiu’s win.
• The referee introduces and narrates both fights, helping build suspense and energize the crowd.
• Brother Tiger tries to intimidate Zhou Fan into surrendering; Zhou responds dryly, then answers the challenge with a single decisive punch.

Key plot points

• Zhou Fan, competing under the name Wang Wenwang, defeats the famed Rookie King, Brother Tiger, with a single punch. The stunned crowd and referee celebrate the upset.
• Rather than rest, Zhou Fan uses his winner’s privilege to request another match. The organizers agree, though they initially lack a suitable opponent.
• Zhou Fan faces Happy Is Superman, a fellow newcomer who attacks with powerful Water Style techniques. Zhou Fan counters with Fire Release, destroying the water attacks, then uses the Body Flicker Technique to land a punch that knocks his opponent out of the arena.
• After winning two matches in a row, Zhou Fan immediately asks to fight a third.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan reveals overwhelming strength, impressive Fire Release abilities, and a desire to keep fighting because his first victory barely tired him. He remains calm even as the crowd grows excited.
• Brother Tiger is shocked when his usual strength fails to protect him from Zhou Fan’s one-punch knockout.
• Happy Is Superman comes prepared and puts up more resistance than Brother Tiger, but is ultimately outmatched.
• The referee and audience move from disbelief to enthusiastic excitement, narrating Zhou Fan’s victories and placing bets on his next match. The organizers welcome his continued fights because they energize the crowd.

Significant themes

• Unexpected talent and upsets: Zhou Fan overturns the crowd’s expectations by defeating the established Rookie King.
• Confidence and momentum: He chooses to continue fighting rather than rest, eager to build on his victories.
• Showmanship and spectacle: The audience’s shock, commentary, voting, and betting turn the matches into entertainment as well as competition.
• Preparation versus power: Happy Is Superman plans for Zhou Fan’s strength and lasts longer than Brother Tiger, but Zhou Fan’s abilities still prove decisive.

Key plot points

• After winning two consecutive arena matches, Zhou Fan surprises the crowd by requesting a third. He defeats a Third Tier, 1 Star wind Esper, then insists on continuing.
• With no opponents immediately available, he invites the crowd to challenge him. He wins two more fights, bringing his streak to five and silencing most doubters.
• Zhou Fan then opens the challenge to any Third Tier Esper, regardless of star rating, and tells challengers to line up one at a time. His provocative confidence draws both admiration and anger, and dozens volunteer.
• The referee worries the escalating event could become dangerous, but Zhou Fan demands that the matches continue. The referee registers challengers and alerts the arena owner.
• The owner, She Wan, becomes intrigued and heads to the arena. Meanwhile, Zhou Fan defeats a Third Tier, 2 Star lightning Esper with a powerful water technique, despite the opponent assuming Zhou Fan was a fire Esper.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan grows bolder with each victory, remaining calm while taunting the crowd and treating the fights as a warm-up. His unexpected use of both fire and water abilities further unsettles his opponents.
• The audience shifts from skepticism to respect and excitement, though Zhou Fan’s boasts also provoke many spectators into challenging him.
• The referee moves from surprise to concern as Zhou Fan’s challenge threatens to become difficult to control.
• She Wan, the arena’s pale, snake-eyed owner, is curious about the unusual rookie and goes to see him in person.
• Zhou Fan’s exchanges with challengers are brief and dominant: he invites them forward, defeats them, and calls for the next opponent.

Significant themes

• Confidence versus arrogance: Zhou Fan’s swagger divides the crowd, but his string of victories gives it credibility.
• Spectacle and public reaction: The arena’s excitement—and Zhou Fan’s growing Emotion Points—are fueled by the crowd’s mockery, shock, anger, hostility, and admiration.
• Hidden ability and mistaken assumptions: Zhou Fan’s water technique contradicts the expectation that he is a fire Esper, suggesting his abilities are broader than opponents realize.

Key plot points and events

• Under the name Wang Wenwang, Zhou Fan wins ten consecutive Third Tier arena matches in one uninterrupted run. He defeats each opponent within three exchanges, including increasingly ranked challengers, and sets a new arena record.
• The crowd’s repeated shock stops producing Emotion Points, as the system decides the same people are reacting to the same event. Zhou Fan grumbles at the system but continues until no one dares challenge him.
• He taunts the audience for fearing him, and their awe and admiration generate new Emotion Points. The referee announces that Zhou Fan’s record will be entered on the arena’s Heaven Ranking.
• Zhao Qiu celebrates Zhou Fan’s performance. Zhou Fan explains that he initially meant to fight only a few bouts, but kept going as the rewards accumulated. He now has about 70,000 Emotion Points.
• The arena’s owner, She Wan, approaches and presents Zhou Fan with the reward for ten wins: a High-Grade Spirit Stone and an A-Rank Superpower book.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan grows more openly boastful as his dominance becomes undeniable. His confidence is backed by his performance, and he remains unafraid when facing the intimidating She Wan.
• Zhao Qiu is thrilled by Zhou Fan’s record, though he jokes that such conspicuous showing off could invite retaliation. He is visibly unnerved by She Wan.
• She Wan appears courteous and complimentary, but his snake-like gaze and formidable presence make him seem dangerous. He recognizes Zhou Fan’s achievement and rewards him.
• The crowd and challengers shift from watching in amazement to avoiding the arena, while their awe and adoration reinforce Zhou Fan’s reputation.

Significant themes

• Power earns respect: Zhou Fan’s arrogance is accepted because his strength is proven.
• Reputation and intimidation: His record discourages further challengers and turns him into a figure of fear and admiration.
• Reward and exploitation: Zhou Fan treats the arena as an opportunity to gain Emotion Points, while the system’s limits constrain his strategy.
• Hidden danger beneath appearances: She Wan’s polite manner contrasts with the menace Zhou Fan senses in him.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Fan completes a ten-match winning streak at She Wan’s underground arena and claims the promised A-Rank Superpower book.
• She Wan watches Zhou Fan leave and privately considers him as a possible new vessel, alarming his subordinates.
• Outside, Zhao Qiu says She Wan seems dangerous. Zhou Fan agrees that the arena boss is no ordinary person, but is unsure whether he will return: without more Emotion Points, the fights are not worth much to him.
• Arena spectators complain about losing money betting against Zhou Fan, who competed under a mask and avoids being recognized.
• After spending the day out with Zhao Qiu, Zhou Fan returns to school and finds Lin Qianqian eating alone. He goes upstairs without realizing she is secretly pleased that she trained while he was away.
• Zhou Fan examines his reward: the A-Rank Truth-Telling Technique, which forces people to tell the truth. He learns it almost instantly with his Sharingan and plans to test it later.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan remains focused on practical rewards and Emotion Points. He recognizes She Wan as threatening but keeps his suspicions to himself, and quickly adds a useful noncombat ability to his arsenal.
• She Wan reveals a predatory interest in Zhou Fan’s unusually vigorous body, suggesting a hidden agenda behind his genial public manner.
• Zhao Qiu feels intimidated by She Wan and jokes about how unpleasant Zhou Fan’s upcoming training will be.
• Lin Qianqian is quietly competing with Zhou Fan. She sees his day away as an opportunity to gain training time and dreams of defeating him for her system’s rewards.
• Their conversations highlight the contrast between Zhou Fan’s casual, reward-driven outlook and Lin Qianqian’s secret determination to catch up.

Significant themes

• Hidden danger beneath appearances: She Wan seems friendly but may view Zhou Fan as a vessel.
• Competition and ambition: Lin Qianqian turns private training into a race against Zhou Fan.
• Power and utility: Zhou Fan’s new Truth-Telling Technique shows that practical abilities can be as valuable as offensive ones.
• Risk and reward: The arena attracts both fighters seeking gains and spectators gambling—and losing—on the outcome.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Fan absorbs a High-Grade Spirit Stone. His cultivation improves, but not enough to advance from third tier, 1 star to 2 stars; he suspects a Supreme-Grade stone might have done it.
• Next door, Xia Qingran loses a game and vents her frustration at her teammates. When her mother, Qin Lin, calls, she quickly shifts to a sweet, respectful tone.
• Qin Lin asks about Zhou Fan, whose recent victories over members of the Eastern and Bai families have raised suspicions about his background. Xia insists he is ordinary and says she trusts her judgment, though Qin Lin urges caution.
• Qin Lin tells Xia that Ye Chen, a famously driven cultivator whose talent surpasses hers, may represent the Ye Family in the Void Rift three months from now. Xia may represent her own family.
• At training the next morning, Xia announces that Forbidden Zone clearing will happen at most once a week. The group will now train psychic power, which affects spiritual-energy quality and strength and helps resist genjutsu.
• Xia introduces a Nightmare Illusion Realm created by a sixth-tier genjutsu expert. It exposes each trainee’s weaknesses and fears, forcing them to confront and defeat their inner demons.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan is ambitious but dissatisfied with the modest gain from his Spirit Stone. He recognizes the value of psychic training, even though he believes he personally does not need it to resist genjutsu.
• Xia Qingran is competitive and outspoken while gaming, but affectionate with her mother. She proudly backs Zhou Fan and firmly trusts her own judgment about him. Her cultivation has reached fourth tier, 3 stars.
• Qin Lin is protective and skeptical of Zhou Fan’s unexplained strength, cautioning her daughter without accusing him outright.
• Ye Chen is introduced as an exceptional cultivation fanatic and a likely future rival in the Void Rift.
• Lin Qianqian becomes notably attentive when genjutsu is discussed, reflecting her concern or interest in that subject.

Significant themes

• Growth through limits and challenge: Zhou Fan’s slow progress shows that advancement depends on the quality and quantity of resources.
• Trust versus suspicion: Xia trusts Zhou Fan, while her mother questions whether his strength hints at a hidden background.
• Mental strength and self-confrontation: Psychic power is presented as vital both for stronger spiritual energy and for resisting illusions; the coming training will force the characters to face their inner fears.

Key events

• Lin Qianqian and Zhou Fan enter the Nightmare Illusion Realm, a Genjutsu that reveals each person’s inner demon.
• Qianqian’s inner demon takes Zhou Fan’s form. He taunts her for being weak and challenges her to catch up to him. Furious, she immediately attacks with her Mutually Multiplying Paper Bomb Technique.
• Zhou Fan’s surroundings become bright and peaceful, but no inner demon appears. A voice identifies itself as Hei Meng, the Nightmare Lord, and says Zhou has no inner demon.
• Zhou Fan doubts Hei Meng’s identity and asks to fight, but Hei Meng instead hints that they may meet again in the Void Rift. Zhou is then released from the realm.
• Xia Qingran explains that Hei Meng was once one of the world’s strongest experts and an exceptional Genjutsu master. He eventually became trapped in his own inner demons while pursuing a plan to create a painless world, then vanished. She dismisses his mention of the Void Rift as likely the words of a madman.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Qianqian reveals how strongly Zhou Fan affects her: she resents his confidence and insists she can catch up, but the illusion exposes him as the person she must overcome. Her anger quickly turns into an attack.
• Zhou Fan shows confidence and curiosity, entering without using his Sharingan to test the illusion. He remains skeptical of Hei Meng and seems more interested in fighting than receiving guidance.
• Xia Qingran is surprised that Zhou Fan encountered the Nightmare Lord and becomes noticeably tense when he mentions the Void Rift, though she claims not to know what it is.

Significant themes

• Hidden emotional attachments: Qianqian’s stubborn rivalry with Zhou Fan masks how deeply she measures herself against him.
• Confidence versus inner demons: Zhou’s apparent lack of fear or guilt sets him apart, while Hei Meng’s history suggests that even powerful people can be overwhelmed by their inner struggles.
• Unresolved mystery: The Void Rift and Hei Meng’s possible return introduce an unexplained thread for the story.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Fan emerges from the Nightmare Illusion after only five minutes, saying he faced no inner demons—only the Lord of Nightmares. Xia Qingran is surprised, since she struggled much longer when she took the trial.
• Lin Qianqian is still inside, working through her own inner demons.
• Because the illusion proved useless for Zhou Fan, Xia Qingran postpones planning his next training activity and tells him to train on his own for the day.
• Zhou Fan asks about recruiting members for their organization, Evening Bell. He becomes its deputy leader and takes responsibility for finding recruits, though Xia Qingran insists she must approve anyone he brings in.
• The conversation turns to gaming: Zhou Fan knows Xia Qingran lost ten matches in a row, and they decide to play together. Xia Qingran claims the jungle role and orders Zhou Fan to support her, promising to “carry” him. They start playing, forgetting Lin Qianqian is still in the illusion.

Character developments

• Zhou Fan remains unusually unaffected by the Nightmare Illusion and jokes about his supposed lack of setbacks, citing the missing seasoning packet in his instant noodles. He also seeks more responsibility and social variety, wanting to recruit “bros” for the organization.
• Xia Qingran shows pride in Zhou Fan’s exceptional nature and is happy to delegate recruiting, but keeps control over who joins. Her competitive, playful side comes out when gaming.
• Lin Qianqian remains absent from the scene, still undergoing the illusion’s trial.

Character interactions and themes

• Zhou Fan and Xia Qingran trade teasing remarks, with her admiring him and him finding her attention unsettling. Their exchange also highlights their informal, peer-like dynamic rather than a teacher-and-student relationship.
• The chapter contrasts Zhou Fan’s apparent immunity to inner turmoil with the ordinary struggle Lin Qianqian faces.
• Recurring themes include the value of confronting inner demons, the mismatch between Zhou Fan’s unusual abilities and standard training, and friendship and belonging: Zhou Fan wants male companions as well as time with his beautiful associates.

Key plot points and events

• Lin Qianqian spends over an hour in the Nightmare Illusion Realm fighting an inner-demon version of Zhou Fan. He defeats her ten times, leaving her mentally drained.
• She emerges and discovers Zhou Fan has already completed the exercise. Xia Qingran explains that he can skip this stage and begin the next one, while Lin Qianqian will have the realm to herself for the next few days.
• Stung by the comparison, Lin Qianqian immediately returns to training and spends the day facing her inner demon, refusing to give up.
• Meanwhile, Zhou Fan and Xia Qingran spend the day playing a game. That evening, Zhou Fan reminds Lin Qianqian that it is her turn to use the Azure Bathtub, which replenishes her through its spiritual energy.
• While bathing, Lin Qianqian keeps thinking about Zhou Fan and worries that the gap between them is widening. Her system triggers a new side quest, “the courage challenge.” Its first task is for Zhou Fan to personally put white or black stockings on her.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Qianqian feels increasingly frustrated and envious of Zhou Fan’s progress, but her determination remains firm: she resolves to catch up and someday surpass him. Her anger and feelings of inferiority set up the system’s challenge.
• Zhou Fan is relaxed after gaming with Xia Qingran and appears unaware of the effect his progress has on Lin Qianqian. He politely reminds her to use the Azure Bathtub.
• Xia Qingran celebrates the game and credits herself with enabling Zhou Fan’s penta kill. She encourages Lin Qianqian, mistakenly assuming she has made similarly quick progress.

Significant themes

• Perseverance and rivalry: Lin Qianqian’s repeated defeats deepen her resolve rather than make her quit.
• Comparison and self-doubt: Zhou Fan’s rapid progress forces Lin Qianqian to confront the distance between them.
• Comic contrast: Lin Qianqian endures grueling training while Zhou Fan and Xia Qingran casually play games.
• Unexpected challenge: The system turns Lin Qianqian’s insecurity into a highly personal, awkward-sounding quest.

Key plot points and events

• Lin Qianqian receives a side quest titled “The Great Courage Challenge,” with four awkward tasks involving Zhou Fan: having him put on her stockings, making and feeding him breakfast, bathing together face-to-face for ten minutes, and giving him a five-minute massage while he is unclothed.
• Appalled, she questions the system about the tasks, especially the meaning of “direct contact.” The system clarifies that Zhou Fan—not Lin Qianqian—must be naked for the massage.
• The system explains that side quests are optional but recommended because Lin Qianqian is significantly weaker than Zhou Fan. Rewards improve with the number of completed tasks, ranging from bronze to diamond chests, each containing three items.
• Tempted by the valuable rewards and the chance to narrow the power gap, Lin Qianqian decides to attempt the breakfast and massage tasks first. She considers the other two too embarrassing for now.

Character developments

• Lin Qianqian’s outrage and pride initially make her reject the challenge, but her ambition and anxiety about falling behind Zhou Fan lead her to reconsider.
• She insists she is merely in a “strategic setback” while privately recognizing that Zhou Fan’s advantage is growing.
• Her determination to surpass and humiliate him remains strong, even as the system teases her about changing her mind.

Significant themes

• Ambition versus embarrassment: Lin Qianqian must weigh uncomfortable tasks against the power they could help her gain.
• Competitive pride and insecurity: She masks her fear of losing ground to Zhou Fan with bravado and revenge fantasies.
• System-driven comedy: The system’s provocative tasks and blunt reminders repeatedly frustrate Lin Qianqian.

Character interactions

• Lin Qianqian argues with the system, challenging the tasks, asking about the rewards, and accusing it of being Zhou Fan’s spy.
• The system counters with explanations and playful reminders, exposing the gap between Lin Qianqian’s declarations and her willingness to pursue the rewards.
• Zhou Fan does not appear directly, but every task—and Lin Qianqian’s plans and resentment—centers on him.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Fan comes downstairs expecting to go out for breakfast and is stunned to find Lin Qianqian cooking.
• Lin follows an online recipe to make noodles and a heart-shaped fried egg. She overcooks the noodles into a sticky clump and burns the egg, leaving eggshell in it.
• Zhou Fan tries to avoid eating, but Lin insists. She claims she needs his feedback for an assignment from an online cooking course—a cover story for a system mission to make him a “breakfast made with love.”
• He tastes both dishes and tactfully says they need improvement, then quickly escapes.
• Lin completes the breakfast mission, though she still has three more system tasks: massage Zhou Fan, bathe with him, and have him put on her stockings.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Qianqian shows unusual determination and vulnerability by attempting an unfamiliar domestic task. She hides the real reason behind a flimsy excuse and eagerly seeks Zhou Fan’s approval.
• Zhou Fan is wary of her cooking and suspects something is wrong, but ultimately cooperates. He uses humor and diplomacy to criticize the food without being openly cruel, then flees before she can make him eat more.
• Their exchange is playful and awkward: Lin insists on feeding him, while Zhou alternates between dodging, joking, and trying to spare her feelings.

Significant themes

• Care and affection expressed through effort: Lin’s breakfast is a disaster, but her effort—and the mission behind it—makes the gesture meaningful.
• Deception and hidden motives: Lin disguises the system’s demands as a cooking assignment, while Zhou senses something is off but cannot identify why.
• Comedy through contrast: Lin’s strength as an Esper contrasts with her fear of splattering oil and her disastrous cooking, while Zhou’s polite praise contrasts with his clear desire to escape.

Key plot points and events

• Lin Qianqian receives rewards for completing a system mission: a high-grade spirit stone, the A-rank power Thousand-Paper Transformation, and a single-use Spirit Spring Gem that removes spiritual-energy costs for ten seconds.
• She tests Thousand-Paper Transformation, discovering she can turn paper into functional objects and weapons. She realizes the gem could let her rapidly create hundreds of Explosive Tags, then multiply them with another technique—potentially producing over a thousand bombs in seconds.
• Qianqian views the rewards as a way to improve her chances of defeating Zhou Fan and resolves to grow stronger.
• At the Training Ground, Enforcement Division director Luo Luodong recruits two people for a dangerous mission. Zhou Fan volunteers, reasoning that he is stronger than Qianqian; Luo confirms he had intended to choose Zhou Fan.
• Xia Qingran accompanies Zhou Fan and Luo. Qianqian stays behind to train, determined to use the remaining week before their next comparison to catch up.
• The group travels with three masked Enforcement Division members to the Withered Bone Mountains, where mutant beasts are threatening nearby cities. Several fourth-tier beasts—including a four-starred? fourth-tier, five-star Beast King—have been reported, and the team’s task is to eliminate the threat.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Qianqian gains powerful new tactical options and becomes more focused on preparing to defeat Zhou Fan. Though overlooked for the mission, she turns her frustration into resolve to train harder.
• Zhou Fan volunteers for the dangerous assignment out of concern that Qianqian might otherwise be sent, showing confidence in his strength and consideration for her.
• Luo Luodong takes charge of the mission and explains its risks and objectives. Zhou Fan remembers him from an earlier confrontation in which Luo drove off Dongfang Xuan’s group.
• Xia Qingran helps settle who will accompany Luo and travels with Zhou Fan.

Significant themes

• Rivalry and self-improvement: Qianqian treats Zhou Fan as the benchmark she must surpass, while the upcoming comparison drives her training.
• Power used strategically: Qianqian considers how to combine her new abilities and items for maximum impact rather than relying on raw strength.
• Duty and danger: Xinghai University’s Enforcement Division supports the Esper Bureau and protects the region, sending its strongest people into serious threats.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan joins five elite members of Xinghai University’s Operations Department on a dangerous support mission. Their team includes Director Luo Luodong, a Fifth-Tier Esper; Xia Qingran and three masked Fourth-Tier operatives; and Zhou Fan, a Third-Tier Esper.
• Luo explains that the masks protect operatives’ families from retaliation by enemies. He does not wear one because his family died when he was young, prompting Zhou to apologize.
• The team reaches an Esper Bureau camp near a mountain range, where Captain Chen Xing reports that a Chaos Secret Realm has produced a Fourth-Tier, Five-Star Beast King, along with several other Fourth-Tier Mutant Beasts. The Bureau’s mostly Third-Tier personnel cannot defeat them.
• Luo takes command and divides the threats among five teams: he will fight the Beast King; three operatives will each handle one beast; and Xia and Zhou will face the fourth. Chen’s personnel guide them to their targets.
• Zhou and Xia reach a forest where their assigned beast is nowhere to be seen. Zhou senses danger, and more than a dozen fireballs suddenly shoot at them.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou questions why the team is so small, revealing his concern about the mission’s danger; Luo explains that the department relies on a small, highly capable force.
• Zhou’s innocent question about Luo’s mask exposes Luo’s tragic past. Luo answers matter-of-factly, while Zhou responds with regret.
• Luo demonstrates confident, efficient leadership by quickly assessing the threat and assigning teams.
• Xia remains remarkably relaxed during the mission, casually watching videos on her phone and joking about its reception.
• The Bureau guides doubt that the young-looking Zhou and Xia can handle a Fourth-Tier beast, but defer to their captain’s trust in the Operations Department.

Significant themes

• Danger and uncertainty: Even a straightforward “go fight” mission can change suddenly, and the hidden attacker confirms the risks.
• Different forms of strength: The Esper Bureau depends on numbers and broad coverage, while the Operations Department is a small unit of elite fighters.
• Leadership and trust: Luo’s decisive command organizes a difficult response, while the Bureau follows his judgment despite doubts about the younger operatives.
• Loss and protection: The masks reflect the personal risks of the work, and Luo’s lack of family underscores the cost of his past.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Fan and Xia Qingran’s party discover that the supposedly lone Mutant Beast is accompanied by more than a dozen others, mostly third-tier creatures.
• Xia Qingran refuses to join the fight, reminding Zhou Fan that he is her subordinate. She teasingly encourages him, and he charges the beasts alone.
• Though only third tier, 1 star, Zhou Fan’s brutal training and skill with the Star Shatter Halberd let him overpower stronger enemies. He kills the beasts in a sustained, increasingly frenzied battle.
• The halberd’s side effect takes hold, pushing him to keep fighting. Zhou Fan activates his Sharingan and enters a battle trance, wiping out every Mutant Beast.
• After the fight, his frenzy persists. He turns on the Esper Bureau agents, but stops himself before attacking. Just as he says he is fine, Xia Qingran freezes most of his body.

Character developments

• Zhou Fan demonstrates that his actual combat ability far exceeds what his tier suggests. His willpower lets him endure the halberd’s frenzy, but the episode reveals how dangerous its influence can become.
• Xia Qingran remains playful and commanding, confident in Zhou Fan’s strength. She also responds quickly when he appears to lose control, taking action to contain him.
• The Esper Bureau agents shift from doubting Zhou Fan to being impressed—and wary—after witnessing his power.

Significant themes

• Strength beyond rank: Zhou Fan’s training and resolve matter more than his formal tier.
• Power and its costs: The halberd amplifies his fighting ability but risks stripping away his self-control.
• Trust and responsibility: Xia Qingran’s teasing confidence gives Zhou Fan room to prove himself, while she remains ready to intervene when danger turns inward.

Character interactions

• Xia Qingran orders Zhou Fan to handle the beasts alone and playfully goads him into action; he resents being treated as a subordinate but accepts the challenge.
• The agents watch Zhou Fan’s solo assault with disbelief, then revise their judgment of him.
• When Zhou Fan turns toward the group after the battle, Xia Qingran prepares to restrain him; he briefly regains control, but she freezes him anyway.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan’s use of the Star Shatter Halberd triggers a powerful frenzy during a real battle, leaving him temporarily out of control. Xia Qingran freezes him to calm the weapon’s side effects.
• Zhou realizes the state might increase his combat power if he could retain control, but Xia warns that doing so would require training. Until then, he must limit how long he uses the halberd.
• The group discovers that the expected fourth-tier Mutant Beasts have vanished. Xia senses a fire-attribute creature and leads the team toward it; the Esper Bureau’s captain confirms that a fourth-tier Beast King is nearby.
• Meanwhile, Luo Luodong investigates a scorched area marked by enormous claw tracks and signs of a recent fight between two powerful fire-attribute Mutant Beasts. Suspecting there may be more than one Beast King, he orders his team to keep searching.
• Zhou Fan’s group reaches a huge Cat Demon perched on a boulder. It is covered in blue flames and black runes and has two enormous tails. The chapter ends as they recognize it may be a Beast King.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan learns that the Star Shatter Halberd’s frenzy is intensified by real combat and blood, unlike training. He is intrigued by its power but accepts that he needs to keep it under control.
• Xia Qingran acts as Zhou Fan’s caretaker and guide, explaining the weapon’s risks and taking charge of the search. Her confidence in her sensing ability is evident.
• Luo Luodong shows caution and investigative skill: the traces lead him to suspect a second Beast King, though his subordinates report having seen only one.
• Xia Qingran’s authority earns the Esper Bureau squad’s cooperation, while Zhou Fan remains curious about her abilities.

Significant themes

• Power versus control: The halberd’s frenzy offers greater strength but threatens Zhou Fan’s judgment.
• Experience and preparation: Real combat exposes dangers that training does not, and mastery requires disciplined practice.
• Uncertainty and hidden threats: The unexplained battle traces and possible second Beast King suggest the situation is more complex than the team’s initial intelligence indicated.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan’s squad discovers Two-Tails, a young but already powerful Beast King, contradicting the Bureau’s intelligence. The squad leader calls for backup, while Xia Qingran sends Zhou Fan to keep her occupied.
• Two-Tails attacks with fireballs and a claw strike. Zhou Fan’s Water Release slows her flames, but her strength easily breaks through his skeletal Susanoo and sends him flying.
• Zhou Fan escalates to his third-stage Susanoo, matching Two-Tails in size and resisting her attacks. He initially appears able to hold his own, though Xia Qingran senses an unexplained danger.
• Two-Tails’ immense fireballs begin melting the Susanoo’s armor. Zhou counters with Amaterasu, then uses a Wood Dragon to restrain her and drain her power.
• After repairing the Susanoo, Zhou knocks Two-Tails back and traps her with Sharingan genjutsu, ending the fight.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan demonstrates the range and adaptability of his abilities, moving from Water Release and Susanoo to Amaterasu, Wood Release, and genjutsu. Despite fighting above his tier, he recognizes the danger of Two-Tails’ raw power and adjusts his tactics.
• Xia Qingran remains playful and confident, jokingly ordering Zhou into the fight, but also notices that something feels wrong.
• Two-Tails is ferocious and relentlessly aggressive, yet becomes cautious when faced with Zhou’s Susanoo and ultimately falls to his layered countermeasures.
• The squad leader and Bureau personnel recognize the threat and Zhou’s exceptional strength; the onlookers are stunned as he confronts a Beast King alone.

Significant themes

• Power and resourcefulness: Zhou compensates for being weaker in raw strength by combining different techniques strategically.
• Preparation and adaptation: Each escalation in Two-Tails’ attacks forces Zhou to change his approach.
• Uncertainty and looming danger: Two-Tails’ unexpected presence and Xia’s unease suggest that the situation may involve more than the apparent battle.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan defeats and restrains Two-Tails, a fourth-tier, five-star Beast King, using his Wood Release and genjutsu. He hopes to tame her as a summoning beast, like Shukaku.
• Before he can act, a group of powerful Espers ambushes Zhou Fan, Xia Qingran, and the Esper Bureau team. Their leader, code-named Four, claims Two-Tails as his group’s target.
• Four threatens Zhou Fan and moves to take Two-Tails. Xia Qingran retaliates, freezing his feet and then kicking him in the face.
• Four orders his companions to attack. Xia Qingran freezes the fourth-tier, one-star Espers with her Absolute Zero technique, while she and Four battle—ice against magma.
• With his spiritual energy depleted from earlier fights, Zhou Fan activates Sage Mode to restore his strength and face the attackers surrounding him.
• Xia Qingran traps Four in ice, but he melts free by transforming his skin into magma and activates Lava Mode. The confrontation is still unresolved.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan shows confidence in his abilities but recognizes that his success against Two-Tails depended on favorable matchups. His desire to tame her reveals his ambition and resourcefulness. Despite exhaustion, he draws on Sage Mode when threatened.
• Xia Qingran demonstrates overwhelming power and quick reflexes. Her anger at the ambush is sharpened by concern for Zhou Fan; she openly protects him and insists that the attackers cannot take the Beast King he wants.
• Four is composed, ruthless, and dismissive of the group he ambushes. His magma powers and Lava Mode make him a dangerous match for Xia Qingran.
• The chapter contrasts Zhou Fan’s and Xia Qingran’s cooperative bond with the attackers’ coercive, hostile approach.

Significant themes

• Honor versus treachery: Zhou Fan condemns the attackers for ambushing them, while Four treats survival as the only “thanks” they deserve.
• Loyalty and protection: Xia Qingran risks herself to defend Zhou Fan, reflecting their close, older-sister/younger-brother dynamic.
• Power, strategy, and endurance: Victories depend not only on strength but also on favorable abilities, tactical counters, and reserves of energy.

Plot points and events

• Xia Qingran faces Number Four after he activates Lava Mode. Despite his increased power, she freezes him solid with Absolute Zero.
• Elsewhere, Zhou Fan battles several Fourth Tier, One Star Espers alone. He uses Tsukuyomi to trap one opponent in genjutsu and Amaterasu to burn a fire-wielding Esper.
• Zhou combines Amaterasu with Wood Release, creating a burning forest that traps the remaining Espers. Their attacks cannot stop the trees from regrowing, and all of them are consumed by the black flames.
• The fight leaves Zhou exhausted: Sage Mode ends, his spiritual energy is depleted, and his Mangekyō Sharingan temporarily strains his eyes.
• Xia Qingran attempts to finish the frozen Number Four, but he breaks free, radiating crimson energy and sprouting four tails. Zhou recognizes the transformed enemy as the Four-Tails.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan demonstrates the power and tactical potential of combining his abilities, but the battle reveals the physical cost of prolonged Sage Mode and Mangekyō use. He jokes that Xia Qingran left him to fight alone.
• Xia Qingran shows formidable control over ice by overpowering Number Four’s Lava Mode. She is impressed by Zhou’s victory and supports him when his eyes begin to hurt.
• Number Four proves far tougher than expected: even after being frozen, he undergoes a dramatic, monster-like transformation.

Significant themes

• Power and cost: Zhou’s overwhelming techniques win the battle but drain his energy and strain his eyes.
• Strategic combination: Amaterasu’s difficult-to-evade flames become far more dangerous when Wood Release confines opponents.
• Escalating danger: The apparent victory over Number Four gives way to a more frightening threat as he transforms into the Four-Tails.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan identifies Number Four as a Jinchūriki undergoing Tailed Beast Transformation. Given his lava abilities and four tails, the Beast King inside him is Four-Tails, Son Goku.
• Xia Qingran fights Number Four using Ice Mirror Domain to evade his attacks and Three Thousand Frosts to freeze him. Number Four quickly works out how her mirror technique functions, destroys the mirrors, and breaks free of the ice.
• Number Four completes his transformation into a crimson, thirty-meter-tall Four-Tails. Xia Qingran activates her Ice Spirit Body and freezes most of the giant Beast King with Absolute Zero.
• Meanwhile, Two-Tails breaks free of Zhou Fan’s Wood Dragon and flees, revealing it had been waiting for the right moment. Zhou Fan pursues despite Xia Qingran’s warning.
• Zhou Fan summons Shukaku, his One-Tail. Shukaku has grown to roughly Two-Tails’ size and reached fourth tier, four stars. He shares his energy with Zhou Fan, restoring Zhou Fan’s spiritual energy.
• Zhou Fan and Shukaku attack Two-Tails together, beginning another battle.

Character developments and interactions

• Xia Qingran demonstrates formidable power and tactical skill. She adapts to Number Four’s strength and ultimately freezes most of his full transformation, impressing Zhou Fan.
• Zhou Fan remains confident despite being nearly out of energy. He reveals that he has a powerful summoned Beast King and uses Shukaku’s energy to recharge.
• Shukaku is eager to fight and complains about Zhou Fan’s commands, but cooperates and lends him energy.
• Number Four proves quick-thinking as well as powerful: he recognizes the weakness in Xia Qingran’s mirror technique, then reveals that he can fully transform.
• Two-Tails is patient and opportunistic, escaping only when Xia Qingran has Number Four contained.

Significant themes

• Power and partnership: Tailed Beasts can be both combatants and allies, supplying Jinchūriki with immense strength—or, in Shukaku’s case, energy.
• Tactical adaptation: Both Number Four and Xia Qingran respond rapidly to each other’s techniques.
• Escalating danger: The fight grows from a contest of techniques into clashes involving enormous Beast Kings, with Two-Tails’ escape opening a new threat.

Chapter Summary: “Subduing the Second Tailed Beast!”

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan and Shukaku fight Two-Tails, Matatabi. Shukaku’s attacks keep her occupied while Zhou Fan strikes with Susanoo and Yasaka Magatama.
• The two Tailed Beasts’ Tailed Beast Bombs cancel each other out, but Zhou Fan follows up with a Wood Dragon, Deep Forest Emergence, and Tsukuyomi, finally immobilizing Matatabi.
• Zhou Fan pays 15,000 Emotion Points to establish a summoning contract with Matatabi, securing his second summoning beast. Matatabi is a Fourth Tier, Five-Star beast with Fire Release and Tailed Beast Bomb abilities, and can grow alongside Zhou Fan or through battle.
• Meanwhile, Xia Qingran battles Four-Tails. Though its Lava Release is a natural counter to her ice abilities, she repeatedly freezes it and gains an advantage.
• Four-Tails launches a Tailed Beast Bomb. Shukaku’s weakened counterattack fails, so Zhou Fan protects Xia Qingran with Susanoo. She adds ice armor to it, helping it endure the blast until its force is spent.
• Four-Tails prepares to attack again, but Luo Luodong and several others arrive. Luo Luodong strikes Four-Tails with a Thunder Blade, driving it back.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan demonstrates effective teamwork with Shukaku, combining the beast’s strength with his own Wood Release, Susanoo, and genjutsu to subdue Matatabi. He is willing to spend heavily to add a powerful beast to his roster.
• Shukaku remains boastful and eager to help, but his energy is depleted after fighting Matatabi and countering Four-Tails.
• Xia Qingran shows skill and persistence, using her ice techniques creatively despite the elemental disadvantage. She also trusts Zhou Fan and combines her energy with his Susanoo to shield them both.
• Zhou Fan steps in to protect Xia Qingran from Four-Tails’ attack, while she supports him in return. Their teamwork helps them survive the blast.
• Luo Luodong’s arrival provides timely reinforcements just as the group faces another Tailed Beast Bomb.

Significant themes

• Teamwork: Zhou Fan, Shukaku, and Xia Qingran combine different abilities to overcome threats no one could handle as effectively alone.
• Growth and investment: Zhou Fan’s new contract strengthens his options, while the chapter emphasizes that both he and his summons can improve through leveling and combat.
• Persistence under disadvantage: Xia Qingran’s performance shows how ingenuity and determination can offset a poor elemental matchup or a stronger opponent.