Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Xinghai University Enforcement Department director Luo Luodong arrives and engages Four-Tails. His lightning techniques overpower the Beast King’s lava attacks and drive back its tails.
• Four-Tails erupts the ground with lava to cover his escape, then reverts to human form and flees. Luo cannot pursue him before the lava settles.
• Luo confirms that the other Fourth-Tier Mutant Beasts have been dealt with. Zhou Fan explains that the fleeing man likely carries a sealed Mutant Beast, letting him transform and wield its power.
• Zhou reveals that he tamed the other Beast King, Two-Tails, as a summoned beast. Luo is impressed by the feat.
• The group concludes that Four-Tails had come to capture Two-Tails, rather than being its ally. Their mission complete, they leave the remaining investigation to the Esper Bureau.
• Four-Tails, identified as Number Four, returns to a hidden laboratory and reports to Lord She Wan. The lab contains human–Mutant Beast hybrid experiments. She Wan orders him to capture primate Mutant Beasts for further experiments.

Character developments

• Luo Luodong demonstrates formidable strength and concern for Zhou Fan and Xia Qingran, but is unsettled by Four-Tails’ human transformation.
• Zhou Fan shows tactical insight by reconstructing why Number Four targeted Two-Tails, and earns Luo’s respect by revealing he has tamed a Beast King.
• Number Four retreats when outmatched but remains loyal to She Wan and accepts a new mission.
• She Wan is revealed as a researcher pursuing human–Mutant Beast hybrids, with primate specimens needed to improve his experiments.

Character interactions

• Luo fights Four-Tails while Zhou Fan and Xia Qingran stand by; afterward, he checks that they are safe.
• Zhou explains the likely nature of Four-Tails’ transformation and the circumstances behind the attempted capture of Two-Tails.
• Number Four reports his failure to She Wan, who dismisses the losses and immediately assigns him another task.

Significant themes

• Human and beast boundaries: Four-Tails’ ability to shift forms—and She Wan’s hybrid experiments—complicate the distinction between humans and Mutant Beasts.
• Power and control: Zhou’s successful taming of a Beast King contrasts with Number Four’s attempt to seize one, while the hybrids suggest increasingly dangerous efforts to command beast power.
• Mission and responsibility: The heroes complete their assignment and leave the broader investigation to the Esper Bureau, while the hidden laboratory reveals a deeper threat.

Key plot points and events

• On the flight back to Xinghai University, the group reflects on how quickly their mission ended. Xia Qingran suddenly coughs up blood, but says the injury is a minor cost of fighting above her level and that she’ll recover.
• Zhou Fan awkwardly compares his own success fighting above his level, irritating Xia. Their teasing turns into an argument about his lack of tact, while Luo Luodong watches them with amusement.
• Back on campus, Xia and Zhou find Lin Qianqian still training in the Nightmare Illusion Realm after two days. Zhou’s casual remark about her not clearing it enrages her, so she ignores him.
• Xia invites Lin and Zhou to dinner. She orders an elaborate takeout feast from an expensive hotel, revealing the meal cost 16,888 yuan. The three toast to the full membership of their group, Evening Bell.
• Over dinner, Xia praises Zhou for defeating a Fourth Tier, Five Stars Beast King. Lin is stunned by the revelation.

Character developments and interactions

• Xia Qingran reveals that her fight had a physical cost, though she downplays it. She shows concern and generosity by inviting her teammates to dinner, but also playfully scolds Zhou.
• Zhou Fan remains blunt and oblivious to how his comments sound. He is proud of his own performance, mocks the high price of dinner, and is later praised for an impressive victory.
• Lin Qianqian is working hard to overcome the Nightmare Illusion Realm. Zhou’s remark hits a nerve, and she avoids engaging with him; the news of his achievement catches her completely off guard.
• Xia and Zhou’s banter suggests a familiar, teasing closeness, while Luo Luodong silently observes their dynamic.

Significant themes

• The cost of strength: Xia’s blood indicates that fighting beyond one’s level can carry consequences, even after a successful mission.
• Effort and achievement: Lin’s prolonged training contrasts with Zhou’s newly revealed victory, highlighting different struggles and accomplishments.
• Friendship and group identity: The shared meal marks a small celebration of Evening Bell’s three members, bringing them together after their mission.
• Humor and social cluelessness: Zhou’s literal, poorly timed remarks repeatedly frustrate Xia and Lin, providing much of the chapter’s comedy.

Key plot points and events

• Lin Qianqian hears that Zhou Fan can defeat a Fourth Tier, Five Stars Beast King. Frustrated by the widening gap between them, she vows to surpass him before their comparison in a week.
• At home, she considers her remaining ways to improve. Besides continuing the Nightmare Illusion Realm, she has three awkward, intimacy-based tasks left in her system’s Great Courage Challenge, which she postpones.
• She finds the Sexy Jutsu Superpower Book Xia Qingran gave her and studies it late into the night, despite thinking its subject matter is improper.
• The next morning, tired from reading until 2 a.m., Qianqian snaps when Zhou Fan asks whether she will make breakfast, still annoyed by his earlier reaction to her cooking.
• At the Training Ground, Qianqian returns to the Nightmare Illusion Realm, determined to defeat the inner demon. Zhou Fan tells Xia Qingran he wants to train with the Star Shatter Halberd and learn to enter its powerful combat state without losing control.
• Xia Qingran agrees to his plan but advises that he will need close-quarters battles against mutant beasts to trigger the state. Zhou Fan asks to enter the Forbidden Zone, and she agrees to take him to its beginner area.

Character developments

• Lin Qianqian is competitive and discouraged by Zhou Fan’s rapid progress, but remains determined to win. She also begins seriously studying the Sexy Jutsu, though she has not yet decided whether she will use it.
• Zhou Fan has identified a specific goal: mastering the Star Shatter Halberd’s enhanced state while keeping his self-control. His confidence leads him to seek dangerous opponents.
• Xia Qingran continues to guide both trainees, accepting Zhou Fan’s independent training direction while warning him about the risks.

Significant themes

• Rivalry and perseverance: Qianqian’s envy and pressure are balanced by her refusal to give up.
• Growth through challenge and risk: Both trainees pursue difficult training—Qianqian confronts her inner demon, while Zhou Fan seeks harsher combat.
• Control and power: Zhou Fan wants to retain the strength of his berserk state without being ruled by it.
• Awkwardness and humor: The system’s intimate tasks, Qianqian’s late-night reading, and the breakfast misunderstanding provide comic tension.

Character interactions

• Qianqian compares herself with Zhou Fan and quietly resents how easily he seems to advance.
• Zhou Fan notices her tiredness and offers practical concern, but his question about breakfast irritates her.
• Qianqian and Xia Qingran discuss her continued Nightmare Illusion Realm training.
• Zhou Fan explains his plan to Xia Qingran; she supports it, offers guidance, and agrees to escort him to the Forbidden Zone.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Fan returns to Beginner Forbidden Zone No. 33, the Ruined Forest, alone. At the Superpower General Bureau, Captain Sand Scorpion recognizes him as one of the students who cleared the Illusory Forest and orders staff to monitor his visit.
• The Ruined Forest’s mutant beasts camouflage themselves as dead wood and attack in swarms. Zhou Fan uses his Sharingan to detect their spiritual energy and see through their disguises.
• Rather than relying on ninjutsu or Susanoo, he fights with the Star Shatter Halberd and Taijutsu, hoping to recreate and master the weapon’s dangerous battle frenzy.
• As prolonged combat intensifies the halberd’s berserk fire energy, Zhou Fan’s attacks grow faster and more powerful, while his mind struggles between clarity and loss of control.
• At the frenzy’s peak, he plants the halberd in the ground and asserts that he—not the weapon’s violent urge—controls his body.

Character development

• Zhou Fan deliberately seeks a dangerous test of self-mastery, showing confidence and a willingness to confront the halberd’s influence rather than avoid it. His immediate success in retaining some clarity suggests he may be learning to control the frenzy, though the outcome remains unresolved.
• Sand Scorpion’s respect for Zhou Fan is reinforced by his previous achievement. Although disappointed that Zhou Fan is alone and likely not attempting another clearance, he remains attentive to his progress.

Character interactions

• A surveillance staff member alerts Sand Scorpion to Zhou Fan’s return; the captain orders continued monitoring.
• Zhou Fan’s main “interaction” is with the halberd’s growing influence: he pushes against its attempt to overwhelm him and declares himself master of his body. He also faces the Ruined Forest’s swarming beasts.

Significant themes

• Self-control versus power: The halberd amplifies Zhou Fan’s strength but risks taking control of him.
• Strength through deliberate risk: Zhou Fan enters a dangerous environment specifically to test and develop his abilities.
• Perception and preparedness: The beasts’ camouflage makes them lethal to the unwary, while Zhou Fan’s Sharingan turns their advantage into a manageable threat.

Chapter summary

Plot and events

Zhou Fan trains in the Ruined Forest to master the frenzy that boosts his combat ability. At first, entering the state makes him lose control; he repeatedly fights, regains his senses, and tries again. Rather than leave the Forbidden Zone, he stays overnight and continues training.
By the next day, he can recover his composure instantly, but still struggles to control the frenzy itself. After killing more than a hundred Mutant Beasts, he reaches the forest’s final gathering place and fights the remaining horde. At the height of the frenzy, he finally stays clearheaded and directs every attack himself.
Zhou Fan names this mastered technique the Peerless State. It enhances his Taijutsu and can temporarily raise his strength from Third Tier, 1 Star to Third Tier, 2 Stars. As he prepares to leave, the Ruined Forest’s Beast King, a Third Tier, 5 Star Furious Black Bear, appears. Zhou Fan quickly defeats it with his Mangekyō Sharingan and Crow Tengu Susanoo. The Superpower General Bureau then confirms that he has cleared Forbidden Zone 33 alone, astonishing Captain Sand Scorpion.

Character development

• Zhou Fan turns a dangerous, uncontrolled power into a technique he can activate at will. His persistence and willingness to keep training drive the chapter, and his newfound control gives him a major boost in strength.
• Sand Scorpion shifts from wondering why Zhou Fan is lingering in the Forbidden Zone to being stunned by the scale of his achievement.

Character interactions

Zhou Fan’s main interactions are with the Mutant Beasts, which serve as opponents—and, in effect, training partners—during his repeated attempts to master the frenzy. He later dismisses the Furious Black Bear’s challenge and defeats it swiftly. At the Bureau, staff report Zhou Fan’s movements to Sand Scorpion, who reacts with disbelief when he learns the forest has been cleared.

Significant themes

• Mastery through persistence: Zhou Fan improves through repeated failure and practice.
• Control over power: The chapter’s key breakthrough is not simply becoming more ferocious, but remaining lucid while using that ferocity.
• Escalation and spectacle: Zhou Fan’s achievement grows from surviving the horde to clearing the entire Forbidden Zone alone, ending with a comic contrast between the supposedly fearsome Beast King and Zhou Fan’s overwhelming Susanoo.

Key plot points and events

• After two days of killing mutant beasts in the Forbidden Zone, Zhou Fan returns to the exit and receives several large Emotion Point notifications from people reacting to his fame.
• Xia Qingran greets him, notices he has advanced to Third Tier 2-Star, and learns he has fully mastered the Star Shatter Halberd’s wild power. She’s pleased with his progress but tells him he reeks and should shower.
• At home, Zhou Fan finds Lin Qianqian relaxing in pajamas. She asks about his training and proudly reveals she cleared the Nightmare Illusion Realm the previous day.
• Zhou Fan checks his balance: 85,000 Emotion Points. He needs 100,000 to redeem the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, so he considers ways to earn more.
• After jokingly asking the system for a loan—and being refused—he decides to visit the underground arena the next day to farm Emotion Points.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan grows stronger through his Forbidden Zone training and becomes more eager to reach his next major reward. His humor and confidence show in his banter with both Xia Qingran and the system.
• Xia Qingran acts as a supportive leader, taking pride in Zhou Fan’s improvement while also treating him familiarly.
• Lin Qianqian has made significant progress resisting Genjutsu: after completing the Nightmare Illusion Realm’s inner-demon training, she believes she can withstand about 90% of Genjutsu. Her pride is mixed with lingering competitiveness toward Zhou Fan, whose easy success in the realm makes his congratulations feel like a subtle jab.
• The exchange between Zhou Fan and the system is playful and comic; the system refuses to lend him points despite his attempts to bargain.

Significant themes

• Training and advancement: Zhou Fan’s combat practice leads directly to a cultivation breakthrough and mastery of a technique.
• Competition and personal growth: Lin Qianqian’s determination to clear the illusion realm is partly fueled by Zhou Fan’s earlier teasing.
• Fame and rewards: Zhou Fan’s reputation brings him Emotion Points even when he is not actively doing anything.
• Ambition and impatience: His goal of obtaining the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan drives him to seek new ways to accumulate points.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Fan returns to the arena alone, since his friend Zhao Qiu has classes and training.
• His masked identity, Wang Wenwang, is recognized backstage. After winning ten matches in a row on his previous visit, he has become legendary—and feared—among third-tier contestants.
• No one is willing to face him one-on-one, so the arena manager proposes group challenges instead.
• The manager publicizes Zhou Fan’s return with a dramatic introduction. Zhou challenges any third-tier Esper, even inviting groups of up to five to fight him.
• To attract challengers, the arena offers contestants 1,000 yuan for participating and 500,000 yuan for winning. Zhou accepts, pleased that the spectacle will generate emotion points.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan is confident and deliberately provocative, using his fearsome reputation to draw a crowd and earn emotion points. He wants a real challenge but also sees the event as a way to reach his emotion-point goal.
• The arena manager adapts to the contestants’ fear by allowing group fights, turning Zhou’s return into a major attraction.
• The contestants are intimidated by Zhou’s past dominance; their unanimous refusal to fight him alone underscores how thoroughly his reputation has taken hold.
• The crowd and commentator amplify the event, treating Zhou as both an intimidating champion and a thrilling spectacle.

Significant themes

• Reputation as power: Zhou’s past victories discourage opponents before he even enters the ring.
• Confidence backed by strength: His arrogance earns admiration rather than ridicule because he has proven himself.
• Spectacle and incentives: The arena reshapes its rules to entertain spectators and coax challengers into action.
• Emotion as a resource: Zhou turns public excitement and admiration into points, making performance itself part of his strategy.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan enters a five-on-one match against a hastily assembled team of five third-tier Espers, each using a different element.
• The team coordinates a series of well-timed attacks, but Zhou Fan evades every one with his Body Flicker Technique, showing superior movement and combat awareness.
• He ends the match by activating Peerless Under Heaven and attacking with the Star Shatter Halberd and Fire Release: Ghost Lantern. He defeats all five challengers, winning a flawless victory.
• The cheering crowd’s excitement and admiration earn Zhou Fan a large influx of emotion points—10,000 from this match.
• Watching from his arena owner’s room, She Wan reveals that the arena is a base for experiments and identifies Zhou Fan as a potential vessel for his power.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan remains confident and playful at first, praising the team’s coordination before ending the fight decisively. His victory strengthens his public reputation and advances his pursuit of emotion points.
• The five challengers work together effectively, using coordinated elemental attacks, but their teamwork cannot overcome Zhou Fan’s experience and skill.
• The commentator heightens the crowd’s excitement with dramatic, enthusiastic coverage, celebrating Zhou Fan’s victory.
• She Wan shifts from observing Zhou Fan with interest to coveting his body as a possible vessel, setting up a threat to Zhou Fan.

Significant themes

• Individual skill versus teamwork: The challengers’ coordination is impressive, but Zhou Fan’s experience and ability let him anticipate and overcome their attacks.
• Reputation and spectacle: Zhou Fan’s victories make him a celebrated figure, and the crowd’s reactions directly benefit him through emotion points.
• Power and exploitation: She Wan’s interest reveals the sinister purpose behind the arena and foreshadows his attempt to use Zhou Fan for his experiments.

Plot points and events

• After defeating a five-person team, Zhou Fan finds that no one else is willing to challenge him. To provoke the arena’s third-tier contestants, he offers to fight them all at once.
• More than a dozen contestants attack together, but Zhou Fan reveals his azure Susanoo. Its second form withstands their strongest attacks and knocks them all out of the ring in a single sweep.
• The crowd celebrates Zhou Fan as the mightiest fighter in the third-tier arena. His emotion-point total rises to 98,724—just over a thousand short of his 100,000-point goal—so he expects news of the fight to bring in the remainder.
• In the lounge, arena owner She Wan personally delivers Zhou Fan’s reward. Then he suddenly attacks, using a giant snake to restrain Zhou Fan and declaring that he intends to take Zhou Fan’s body as a new vessel.
• Zhou Fan reveals that he anticipated She Wan’s intentions and has already trapped him in a Sharingan genjutsu. She Wan is immobilized by the illusion as Zhou Fan confronts him.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan grows more openly confident, deliberately provoking increasingly large groups of challengers. Despite his apparent bravado, he is also focused on accumulating emotion points and recognizes that the system limits deliberate farming.
• She Wan shifts from a courteous arena owner to a predator intent on claiming Zhou Fan’s body. His plan fails because Zhou Fan had read his ambitions and prepared a counter.
• The contestants’ collective confidence turns to shock and awe: they attack together, then watch helplessly as Zhou Fan’s power overwhelms them.
• Zhou Fan and She Wan’s polite reward exchange becomes a direct confrontation, ending with Zhou Fan in control.

Significant themes

• Overwhelming power and spectacle: Zhou Fan’s victory transforms his reputation into a near-mythic legend.
• Appearance versus reality: She Wan’s courteous demeanor hides his predatory aim, while Zhou Fan’s calmness masks that he has already anticipated the attack.
• Ambition and its limits: Zhou Fan seeks points and recognition, but the system restricts easy exploitation; She Wan’s attempt to obtain a perfect vessel is likewise thwarted.
• Control and perception: The final clash is decided not by physical strength but by Zhou Fan’s ability to see through She Wan’s intentions and trap him in an illusion.

Plot points

• She Wan attacks Zhou Fan, hoping to take his powerful body as a vessel. Zhou Fan traps him in Genjutsu, but She Wan cuts off his own hand to break free.
• She Wan summons a swarm of venomous snakes. Zhou Fan burns them—and an apparent version of She Wan—with Amaterasu, but She Wan reveals it was a substitute and tries to swallow Zhou Fan with a giant snake.
• Zhou Fan escapes from inside the snake using Susanoo. He then traps She Wan in Tsukuyomi, subjecting him to seventy-two hours of mental torture in an instant of real time.
• As Zhou Fan prepares to finish She Wan, Number Four, the Four-Tails’ Jinchūriki, intervenes. Luo Luodong arrives with Xinghai University’s Execution Department to arrest She Wan over suspected human experiments.
• She Wan detonates explosives beneath the arena and escapes with Number Four. Luo and his team pursue them, while Zhou Fan warns the director that another dangerous figure is also present. Zhou leaves as the damaged arena is evacuated.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan shows confidence in his Sharingan abilities and repeatedly counters She Wan’s attacks, but remains cautious about assuming his opponent is defeated. He is willing to help the authorities, though Luo tells him the pursuit is the Execution Department’s responsibility.
• She Wan is fascinated by Zhou Fan’s power and covets his body, but his confidence gives way to frustration as Zhou’s abilities repeatedly thwart him. He escapes through a destructive contingency rather than risk capture.
• Number Four is fiercely loyal to She Wan and attacks Zhou Fan to protect him.
• Luo Luodong reveals that the Execution Department has been investigating She Wan’s human experiments. He takes charge of the pursuit and keeps Zhou out of the operation.

Significant themes

• Power and overconfidence: She Wan’s ambition makes him underestimate Zhou, while Zhou’s strength is tempered by caution.
• Mental power and suffering: Tsukuyomi demonstrates that psychological pain can be as devastating as physical injury.
• Consequences of hidden wrongdoing: She Wan’s experiments have drawn the authorities’ attention, even as he manages to evade justice.
• Duty and responsibility: Zhou can aid the fight, but the Execution Department insists that handling the arrest is its role.

Key plot points and events

• She Wan and Number Four escape the Execution Department and return to a secret laboratory. She Wan restores his severed hand in a tank of green liquid, demonstrating the regenerative power developed through his human experiments.
• She Wan believes Zhou Fan is the ideal vessel for his experiments. Zhou Fan’s Sharingan frightens him, but that fear only intensifies his desire to possess both Zhou Fan’s body and eyes.
• Number Four reveals that Zhou Fan previously thwarted his attempt to capture the Two-Tails Beast King and appears to possess both the Two-Tails and a similar One-Tail. She Wan becomes even more determined to capture him.
• Back at school, Zhou Fan finds his Emotion Points just short of 100,000 and waits until the total reaches the exact amount.
• He resists tempting system offers for discounted shop items and prize-wheel spins, then spends all 100,000 points to redeem the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
• The new eyes awaken, evolving through the three-tomoe and Mangekyō stages into their eternal form. Zhou Fan feels their power and becomes certain that nothing can oppose him.

Character developments

• She Wan is shown as a ruthless experimenter seeking a stronger body. His defeat by Zhou Fan has not discouraged him; it has turned into an obsessive determination to claim Zhou Fan’s body and Sharingan.
• Zhou Fan displays unusual patience and self-control by saving his points and ignoring limited-time bargains. After gaining the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he experiences a surge of confidence bordering on invincibility.
• Number Four supports She Wan and supplies crucial information about Zhou Fan’s Tailed Beasts.

Significant themes

• Power and ambition: She Wan’s experiments and Zhou Fan’s new eyes both represent the pursuit of extraordinary strength, though She Wan’s is driven by obsession and exploitation.
• Obsession and fear: She Wan’s fear of Zhou Fan’s eyes fuels rather than restrains his desire to possess them.
• Patience and temptation: Zhou Fan’s long wait and refusal to divert his points highlight his focus on a single goal.
• The danger of power: Zhou Fan’s newfound certainty suggests that immense strength may foster overconfidence.

Character interactions

• Number Four checks on She Wan after their escape, then reports Zhou Fan’s earlier interference and apparent possession of multiple Tailed Beasts.
• She Wan reacts to the information by intensifying his resolve to capture Zhou Fan.
• Zhou Fan has no direct interactions with She Wan in this chapter, but the threat between them grows as She Wan targets him and Zhou Fan acquires a major new power.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Fan obtains the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and receives a Lightning Release bundle as a reward for spending over 200,000 Emotion Points. He now knows techniques from all five basic elements.
• Discovering the Sharingan was discounted only after buying it, Zhou Fan argues with his system for a refund. The system compensates him with Kagutsuchi, allowing him to shape Amaterasu flames.
• In high spirits, Zhou Fan orders a lavish meal and invites Lin Qianqian to join him, but she has already eaten.
• Lin’s system reminds her that her “Courage Challenge” expires in seven days. Three tasks remain: Zhou Fan must put stockings on her, they must bathe together for at least ten minutes, and she must give him a direct-contact massage for at least five minutes.
• Worried that Zhou Fan has outpaced her—especially after his recent victory over a powerful Beast King—Lin resolves to complete the tasks and claim their rewards so she can catch up.
• The next day, Zhou returns to the Training Ground. Xia Qingran persuades him and Lin to take a break and play a group game. Lin initially resists because she wants to train, but eventually joins. Xia announces they will play Truth or Dare.

Character development and interactions

• Zhou Fan celebrates his new abilities, bargains shamelessly with his system, and remains playful and sociable. He warmly invites Lin to dinner, then agrees enthusiastically to Xia’s game.
• Lin Qianqian feels uneasy at Zhou’s unexplained happiness and increasingly anxious about the gap between their strength. Despite her embarrassment over the challenge tasks, she becomes determined to complete them for the rewards.
• Xia Qingran is delighted to see Zhou again and takes the lead in bringing the group together, encouraging Lin to rest and strengthening their camaraderie through a game.

Significant themes

• Power and competition: Zhou’s growing strength intensifies Lin’s determination to improve.
• Systems, rewards, and negotiation: Both characters’ progress is shaped by quests and prizes, while Zhou’s success at extracting compensation highlights his cheeky, opportunistic nature.
• Training versus connection: Lin prioritizes advancement, while Xia argues that rest and group bonding also matter.

Key events

Xia Qingran invites Zhou Fan and Lin Qianqian to play a three-person game of truth or dare at Zhou Fan’s villa. She offers pieces of skyblue stone—which temporarily double cultivation speed—as rewards for completing a punishment. Players draw cards each round: the highest card is king, and the lowest must answer the king’s question or do a dare.
In the first round, Lin Qianqian draws the lowest card. Xia Qingran uses an AI-generated question, and Zhou Fan applies his Truth-Telling Technique to ask whom Lin would want to confess to. Lin truthfully says “no one,” explaining that she cannot name someone she barely knows. Xia Qingran reluctantly accepts the answer and gives her a stone.
Lin loses again in the second round. Asked what kind of man she likes, she replies that she likes men stronger than herself. Xia Qingran recognizes the implication, while Zhou Fan realizes Lin has already collected two rewards and may claim them all.

Character developments and interactions

• Xia Qingran organizes the game and controls the rewards, turning casual play into a way to make the others answer personal questions. She is eager for gossip but must concede that Lin’s first answer counts.
• Lin Qianqian is initially wary of being questioned, but becomes enthusiastic once she understands that losing earns cultivation stones. Her goal is to grow stronger and eventually surpass Zhou Fan. Her preference for a stronger partner hints that Zhou may meet her standard.
• Zhou Fan initially sees the punishments as a disadvantage, then realizes the loser is actually rewarded. He uses his truth-telling ability to ask the questions, but becomes concerned when Lin keeps winning stones.
• The three trade playful challenges: Xia Qingran probes for gossip, Zhou asks the questions, and Lin calmly insists on receiving rewards when she has answered honestly.

Significant themes

The chapter blends playful competition with cultivation incentives: apparent losses become opportunities to grow stronger. It also explores ambition and romantic standards, as Lin’s desire to surpass Zhou shapes both her interest in the rewards and her preference for a stronger partner.

Key plot points and events

• During a truth-game, Zhou Fan asks Xia Qingran what kind of girl he likes. He says looks aren’t very important, but his partner must be strong enough to fight alongside him.
• Lin Qianqian wins most of the following rounds, collecting nearly all of Xia Qingran’s skyblue stones. She answers that she dislikes guys stronger than her, despite having just said she wants a partner stronger than herself.
• Zhou Fan and Xia Qingran are confused, but Lin insists both answers are truthful. Her real irritation is directed at Zhou Fan, whose strength and constant boasting frustrate her.
• By round eleven, Zhou Fan is angry at his losing streak. He and Lin roll the same number, so Xia Qingran imposes a dare instead of asking truth questions. The prize is the six remaining stones.
• The dare: Zhou Fan must help Lin put on stockings.

Character developments

• Zhou Fan reveals that he values a capable, combative partner over conventional beauty, but remains chiefly focused on winning the game and its rewards. Lin’s success visibly rattles him.
• Lin Qianqian becomes increasingly confident and delighted by beating Zhou Fan. Her answers expose her personal resentment toward him, even as she maintains she is playing honestly.
• Xia Qingran shifts from facilitating the game to changing its rules, using her control of the rewards to introduce a dare when the truth questions stop being challenging.

Significant themes

• Strength and partnership: Zhou Fan sees romance as a partnership between fighters, not a protector and someone helpless.
• Competition and pride: Lin’s winning streak turns a casual game into a personal contest, especially for Zhou Fan.
• Contradictory feelings: Lin’s apparent contradiction reflects the difference between abstract preferences and her specific dislike of Zhou Fan.

Character interactions

• Xia Qingran probes Zhou Fan’s romantic preferences, while Lin listens with curiosity.
• Lin and Zhou trade teasing insults and competitive boasts; her victories make their rivalry more pointed.
• Xia Qingran mediates their game, then forces them into an awkward, intimate dare that places Zhou and Lin together.

Key plot points and events

• Xia Qingran offers Zhou Fan and Lin Qianqian a dare: Zhou Fan must help Lin Qianqian put on stockings, or they can reveal private chat and browser histories.
• Both choose the stocking dare. Lin agrees because it will complete a side quest from her system; Zhou prefers it to exposing his browsing history.
• Zhou carefully puts a new pair of white, over-the-knee stockings on Lin. She trembles at his touch but holds still, while warning him not to get carried away.
• Afterward, Xia distributes the remaining skyblue stones as rewards. Zhou and Lin refuse to continue playing without prizes, frustrating Xia.
• Alone in her room, Lin recalls Zhou’s touch and wonders why she keeps thinking about him. Her system confirms that she has completed the quest and grants a second-tier reward.

Character developments

• Lin Qianqian follows through on an awkward task for her quest. Though initially wary, she discovers she is less uncomfortable with Zhou’s help than expected, and afterward finds herself preoccupied with him.
• Zhou Fan acts with exaggerated reluctance and insists he is enduring the dare only for its reward. Still, Lin’s closeness affects him: he notices his heart racing and tries to explain it away.
• Xia Qingran enjoys watching the pair and tries to keep the game going, but relents when they lose interest without rewards.

Character interactions

• Lin and Zhou exchange wary, teasing remarks as he helps her with the stockings; both conceal their growing awareness of the moment behind excuses about quests or rewards.
• Xia observes them with amusement, then playfully scolds them as opportunists when they quit.
• Lin’s later recollection of Zhou’s touch gives the encounter emotional weight beyond the dare itself.

Significant themes

• Awkwardness and attraction: A silly challenge creates unexpected intimacy and hints of mutual interest.
• Motivation and pretext: Both characters participate for practical rewards, while their reactions suggest deeper feelings.
• Private thoughts versus public image: The alternate dare and Zhou’s assumptions about Lin’s private chats play on the gap between outward reserve and inner life.

Chapter summary

• Lin Qianqian claims her reward: Completing Courage Challenge task 1 earns her a Silver Chest. It contains a high-grade Spirit Stone, the A-rank defensive ability Paper-Style Substitute, and a single-use Origin Gem that boosts cultivation by 30% for ten minutes. At her current level, the gem would raise her from Third Tier 2-Star to Third Tier 4-Star.
• She plans to challenge Zhou Fan again: Though disappointed that the new ability is defensive, Lin sees the gem as a valuable trump card. With their next matchup only two days away—and determined not to lose again—she considers the remaining Courage Challenge tasks: bathing with Zhou Fan and giving him a massage. Completing another task would earn her a Gold Chest, so she decides she will do whatever it takes to win and erase her humiliation.
• Zhou Fan improves his cultivation: He spends four hours cultivating with Skyblue Stones and absorbs his accumulated Mutant Beast Crystal Cores, advancing from Third Tier 2-Star to Third Tier 3-Star. He is pleased by how quickly and easily he is progressing.
• Xia Qingran summons Zhou Fan: After dinner, Xia Qingran messages him to come to her room urgently. He arrives to find her in pajamas, playing a game. Her real reason for calling is that she has lost ten games in a row and wants him to join her and help win.

Character developments and interactions

Lin Qianqian becomes more strategic and cautious after her previous defeats, relying on rewards and last-minute preparation rather than assuming she can beat Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan remains confident and relaxed about his rapid growth. Xia Qingran’s gaming frustration turns what Zhou Fan thought might be a serious late-night request into a casual appeal for help. Their interaction highlights their easy familiarity.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes power gained through system rewards and rapid cultivation, as well as determination driven by rivalry and humiliation. Lin’s willingness to complete increasingly intimate challenges for a chance to win contrasts with Zhou Fan’s carefree attitude toward both his growth and the unexpected visit.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Fan visits Xia Qingran late at night, expecting a serious request, but discovers she just wants him to help her win a game.
• After three losses with Xia Qingran playing jungle, they switch roles. Zhou Fan’s improved reflexes let him dominate, and he carries her through fifteen straight wins.
• Xia Qingran rewards him with her favorite strawberry lollipop. Zhou Fan accepts it, appreciating the sentiment while privately thinking she is stingy.
• After Zhou Fan leaves, Xia Qingran receives a call from her father, Xia Chuan. He criticizes her organization at Xinghai University, brings up her conflict with the Eastern Family, and insists she return home before the Void Rift opens in three months. She refuses and hangs up.
• In private, Xia Qingran coughs up blood that freezes on the mirror. She realizes the Ice Spirit Body’s corrosive backlash is worsening and worries she may not survive until Evening Bell’s goal is achieved. She takes comfort in Zhou Fan and Xixi’s growing strength, then resolves to return to the Imperial Capital and confront its elders before the condition consumes her.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan shows confidence and skill, using his enhanced abilities to carry Xia Qingran’s team. Their teasing, competitive rapport is affectionate, though he jokes internally about her cheap reward.
• Xia Qingran is playful and stubborn during their gaming session, but her conversation with her father reveals her independence and defiance. Her illness also exposes fear and concern beneath her confident manner.
• Xia Chuan is controlling and dismissive, demanding that Xia Qingran abandon her plans and return home. Their strained exchange underscores their poor relationship.

Significant themes

• Affection expressed through small gestures: The lollipop matters because Xia Qingran considers it personal and special.
• Independence versus family authority: Xia Qingran resists her father’s attempts to direct her life.
• Hidden vulnerability and self-sacrifice: Her cheerful time with Zhou Fan contrasts with the worsening condition she keeps private.
• Facing an uncertain future: Xia Qingran doubts how long she can endure, yet remains determined to act before her illness overtakes her.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Fan meets Lin Qianqian at the Training Ground. Xia Qingran says she’ll be unavailable for a few days because of a supposed period, but after they leave, she reveals the real problem: the erosion from her ice spirit body is worsening, forcing her into seclusion to suppress her injuries.
• Zhao Qiu asks Zhou Fan to accompany him outside the city for a school assignment: hunting five Second Tier, 5 Stars mutant beasts. Zhou Fan agrees after Zhao Qiu offers to buy him a meal.
• As Zhou Fan leaves, Lin Qianqian asks whether he’ll return that night. He gives an uncertain answer, while Zhao Qiu promises to bring him back on time.
• On the way to the Mutant Beast Forest, Zhao Qiu teases Zhou Fan about his relationship with Lin Qianqian. Zhou Fan denies that anything is going on, and Zhao Qiu drops the subject to focus on the assignment.
• They encounter a Second Tier, 5 Stars Demon Wolf. Zhou Fan stays back as agreed while Zhao Qiu prepares to fight using his Gigantification ability.

Character developments

• Xia Qingran conceals the severity of her condition from Zhou Fan and Lin Qianqian, choosing to handle it alone in seclusion.
• Lin Qianqian appears unusually concerned about Zhou Fan’s return, but her question is driven by her system’s courage challenge: she needs him back that night to complete its final tasks.
• Zhou Fan remains casual and oblivious to the deeper reasons behind both women’s behavior. He readily helps Zhao Qiu, especially once a meal is promised.
• Zhao Qiu is nervous about hunting alone but eager to prove himself; he intends to fight the Demon Wolf while Zhou Fan provides backup.

Significant themes

• Hidden struggles and misunderstandings: Xia Qingran masks a serious illness, while Zhou Fan misreads Lin Qianqian’s question because he knows nothing about her mission.
• Friendship and practical motivation: Zhou Fan’s loyalty to Zhao Qiu is genuine, though food helps seal the deal.
• Training and independence: Zhao Qiu takes on a dangerous assignment himself, with Zhou Fan present only as a safety net.

Character interactions

• Zhou Fan offers to help Xia Qingran, but she brushes him off; he accepts her explanation without realizing she is seriously unwell.
• Lin Qianqian asks Zhou Fan to come back that night, and Zhao Qiu jokingly assures her he will.
• Zhao Qiu probes Zhou Fan about Lin Qianqian, while Zhou Fan deflects and teases him in return.
• At the forest, Zhou Fan lets Zhao Qiu take the lead against the Demon Wolf.

Plot points

• Zhao Qiu uses his Gigantification power to kill a Demon Wolf, then completes his assignment by hunting five Second Tier, Five-Star Mutant Beasts. Zhou Fan accompanies him but doesn’t need to intervene.
• On their way back, they encounter unnatural, stitched-together beasts. The first knocks Zhao Qiu aside, revealing that the creatures are Third Tier, Five-Star opponents. More emerge and attack.
• Zhou Fan equips Zhao Qiu with Susanoo armor, greatly boosting his strength and defense. Zhao Qiu uses it to defeat the monsters, even receiving Susanoo swords for the fight.
• Afterward, Zhou Fan notices a white snake watching them and strikes it with a throwing knife. She Wan appears, claims to be experimenting on the beasts, and says he intends to take Zhou Fan’s body someday before disappearing.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Qiu is boastful and eager to prove himself, but also readily throws himself into danger to protect Zhou Fan. Though initially outmatched, he delights in the power Susanoo grants him and asks to use it again.
• Zhou Fan supports Zhao Qiu without taking over the assignment. He remembers that Zhao Qiu believed in him when others mocked his C-rank power, showing lasting gratitude and loyalty. He also remains alert to the mystery behind the monsters.
• Their friendship is warm and teasing: Zhao Qiu jokes about impressing a girl, while Zhou Fan needles him about his crude fighting style. Zhou Fan’s Susanoo display is also a way to show off for his friend.
• She Wan remains a menacing, calculating presence. He reveals that the stitched beasts are part of his experiments and openly declares his interest in Zhou Fan.

Significant themes

• Friendship and loyalty: Zhao Qiu’s past support still matters to Zhou Fan, and the two trust and enjoy each other’s company.
• Strength through cooperation: Zhou Fan’s power transforms Zhao Qiu’s abilities, letting them overcome enemies neither could handle as easily alone.
• Threat of experimentation: The unnatural beasts suggest a hidden, deliberate danger, which She Wan’s appearance confirms.

Key events

• Zhou Fan and Zhao Qiu identify She Wan, owner of the underground arena, as the man behind experiments on humans and mutant beasts. She Wan had said he wanted Zhou Fan’s body; Zhao Qiu jokingly suggests this means She Wan is attracted to men, alarming Zhou Fan more than the prospect of being an experiment subject.
• Back at school, Zhao Qiu treats Zhou Fan to chicken-leg rice as promised. Zhou Fan invites him to join the Evening Bell, an organization founded by Xia Qingran, and says he can recruit members as deputy leader. Zhao Qiu eagerly agrees, hoping they can work together—and even pledging to help Zhou Fan become leader.
• With Zhao Qiu busy handing in his assignment, Zhou Fan heads alone to the Beginner Forbidden Zone to fight mutant beasts and earn emotion points. He arrives in the Crimson Forest and starts a livestream, attracting viewers quickly. He greets his returning fans, jokes about his looks, and reveals that he is broadcasting from the human forbidden zone.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Fan shows initiative in recruiting for the Evening Bell, using his authority to bring in a trusted, capable friend. He also turns his free time in the forbidden zone into a chance to build his livestream audience.
• Zhao Qiu proves both a reliable friend and a strong fighter, with an A-rank power and impressive performance against mutant beasts. He enthusiastically accepts Zhou Fan’s invitation.
• Their friendship is warm and teasing: Zhao Qiu jokes about She Wan’s intentions, while Zhou Fan takes the possibility of unwanted romantic attention seriously.
• Zhou Fan also engages playfully with his viewers, responding to their teasing and acknowledging his female fans.

Significant themes

• Friendship and recruitment: Zhou Fan favors a trusted ally over an idealized, hard-to-find recruit.
• Power and physical cost: Zhao Qiu’s Gigantification boosts his strength but consumes more energy, explaining his enormous appetite.
• Public image and entertainment: Zhou Fan turns dangerous forbidden-zone exploration into livestream content, blending adventure with audience-building.