Chapter Summaries

Zhou Rui won the individual championship after defeating Wei He, and Suhang University celebrated its first individual title in four years. Jiang Churan invited Zhou Rui to dinner and privately resolved to make her feelings known.

• Zhou Rui defeated Wei He and claimed first place in the individual competition, earning a custom weapon from Qi Jun.
• Jiang Churan, Liu Yang, Wu Mang, and Shuri congratulated Zhou Rui as Suhang University celebrated its individual championship.
• Xia Lan urged Jiang Churan to make her relationship with Zhou Rui official before another admirer approached him.
• Zhou Rui reflected that Suhang University needed two more team victories to secure the championship, with its match against Modu University posing the main challenge.
• Jiang Churan invited Zhou Rui to dinner in the eastern district at six, and he agreed.
• Jiang Churan returned to her room excitedly and began preparing for the dinner, determined to make her invitation count.

Zhou Rui and Jiang Churan escaped the crowds at Qingjing University to explore Gourmet Paradise, sampling food for hours. They ended the evening at a stall selling fifty-year-old greenfruit wine, where Jiang Churan eagerly pulled Zhou Rui over and nearby customers debated buying it.

• Zhou Rui and Jiang Churan entered Gourmet Paradise, where several young men admired Jiang Churan but backed off after recognizing Zhou Rui's overwhelming strength.
• Zhou Rui and Jiang Churan spent four hours wandering the food street and tasting its many dishes.
• Zhou Rui and Jiang Churan rested in an open-air plaza and remarked that they had not yet covered half of Gourmet Paradise.
• Jiang Churan heard a vendor promoting fifty-year-old greenfruit wine and hurried with Zhou Rui to the stall.
• Several customers discussed the wine's two-hundred-thousand-dollar price and its agility benefit for class holders with less than two hundred agility.

After Jiang Churan got drunk on greenfruit wine, she confessed her feelings to Zhou Rui, and he accepted her as his girlfriend. They returned to Qingjing University as a couple, where Jiang Churan kissed him before retreating to her room.

• Jiang Churan drank too much greenfruit wine, and Zhou Rui carried her out of Gourmet Paradise.
• Jiang Churan confessed that she liked Zhou Rui and asked to be his girlfriend, and he agreed and embraced her.
• Jiang Churan and Zhou Rui walked together, linked arms, and returned to the university villa compound by taxi.
• Liu Yang practiced controlling fireballs in the living room as Zhou Rui and Jiang Churan headed upstairs.
• Jiang Churan kissed Zhou Rui outside her room, and he pulled her into his arms before she ran inside.

Zhou Rui learned more about the powerful Jiang Family and decided to focus on growing stronger rather than worry about winning its approval. He and Jiang Churan openly appeared as a couple before their teammates, then prepared to face Modu University in the decisive team match.

• Zhou Rui read about the Jiang Family's century-long history and immense influence, then resolved to improve his strength before worrying about its approval.
• Zhou Rui completed his morning training, claimed ten free attribute points, and distributed them evenly among his four attributes.
• Jiang Churan met Zhou Rui after showering, and the two went downstairs together with her arm linked through his.
• Their teammates congratulated Zhou Rui and Jiang Churan on making their relationship public, and Zhou Rui invited everyone to dinner after the match.
• Dean Wu Mang told Suhang University's team that defeating Modu University in the seventh round would secure the team championship and urged them to give it everything.

Suhang University prepared to face Modu University in the first team match after the individual competition, while Modu accepted that Zhou Rui’s team was favored and set its sights on securing second place. The teams entered the arena after the tournament host announced generous equipment prizes, and the match was about to begin.

• Shuri told Modu University’s team that beating Suhang University would be difficult without the injured Wei He, but ordered them to defeat Qingjing University after he recovered.
• Spectators filled the stadium and discussed whether Modu University could repeat its comeback victory over Suhang University from seven years earlier.
• The host announced custom gold-tier equipment for the second- and third-place teams and two-star epic-tier equipment for every member of the champion team.
• Zhou Rui welcomed the chance to win the epic-tier equipment and led Jiang Churan, Song Xialan, and the rest of Suhang University onto the arena.
• Suhang University and Modu University formed up three hundred meters apart as the opening team match was set to begin.

During the exchange tournament, Modu University substitute summoner Sun Jiao unexpectedly summoned a level-twenty-four legendary Crimson Flame Ape, putting Suhang University in grave danger. As the ape’s firestorms threatened to break Liu Yang’s shield, Zhou Rui told his teammates to leave the arena and said he would subdue it alone.

• Suhang University charged Modu University while Sun Jiao summoned a legion of creatures to defend her team.
• Sun Jiao cast Random: Nature Summoning, which drained her mana and opened a huge gate in the sky.
• A level-twenty-four legendary Crimson Flame Ape emerged, and its flames shook the arena and threatened the protective barrier.
• Suhang University identified the ape as a legendary creature, while its fire whirlwind battered Liu Yang’s Heavy Water Shield.
• Zhou Rui told his teammates to leave the arena, saying he could subdue the Crimson Flame Ape but would not be able to protect them during the fight.

Kurd pushed his second awakening to its limit and briefly forced Chen Xiao back before burning through his life and disintegrating. Chen Xiao then pursued the fleeing Ahmet and trapped Nicole inside her time-freezing zone beneath a crushing attack.

• Kurd's strength surged past two hundredfold as he attacked Chen Xiao, who blocked his blows without being shaken.
• Kurd unleashed a deep-blue strike that pierced Chen Xiao's Bio-Force Field and forced him half a step back.
• Chen Xiao revealed that he had let Kurd continue so he could witness the second awakening's ultimate fission, and Kurd's life burned away until he scattered into motes of light.
• Chen Xiao detected someone escaping and launched a powerful punch into Nicole's frozen zone before speeding across the city to intercept Ahmet.
• Nicole emerged inside her frozen zone and realized that the suspended force of Chen Xiao's punch threatened to overwhelm her already exhausted ability.

Chen Xiao and Yidileisi survived a Hellfire Club ambush, killing Nicole and Ahmet while Chen Xiao learned the attackers belonged to the organization. He demanded that Hellfire explain itself within three days and prepared to retaliate if it did not.

• Yidileisi escaped the exploding blast zone and killed Nicole as Chen Xiao had instructed her to leave the corpse intact.
• Ahmet absorbed Superman's Heat Vision until his body overloaded and exploded, creating a vast crater and devastating the surrounding area.
• Chen Xiao called Professor X, identified the attackers as Hellfire Club members, and demanded an explanation within three days or he would destroy the organization.
• Chen Xiao reassured Yidileisi that the ambush was not her fault and urged her to strengthen and master her steel-hardening ability.
• Yidileisi asked what they would do next, and Chen Xiao implied that he would retaliate against those who had mistaken him for an easy target.

After the Arela Group’s mutant ambush, Chen Xiao ordered the Bloody Hand Society to seize its southern territory and collected genetic samples from Nicole and Ahmet. The destruction in Qigela City alarmed the world, and the Hellfire Club chose peace talks after learning how powerful Vitas had become.

• Chen Xiao ordered Yidileisi to contact George and mobilize the Blood Wolf Group to take the Arela Group’s territory, while directing the Bloody Hand Society to eliminate anyone who resisted.
• Chen Xiao collected a bone marrow sample from Nicole and recalled that he had secretly preserved genetic tissue from Ahmet to study his cosmic energy absorption ability.
• Footage of the battle spread worldwide, bringing reports of more than a hundred thousand dead or missing and a surge of anti-mutant sentiment.
• The White Queen told the Hellfire Club that Vitas had demanded an answer within three days, then presented an assessment showing his nuclear-scale strength, speed, and defense.
• The Hellfire Club rejected a fight and agreed to appease Vitas by liquidating Ahmet’s assets and killing the buyer who had funded the operation.

Chen Xiao focused on developing the Time X-Factor and other projects after accepting the Hellfire Club’s compensation and learning that Britain’s Lupton Laboratory had targeted his genes. In the research institute, Clarice’s new energy-absorbing X-Gene began steadily strengthening her body.

• Nick Fury and other observers feared Chen Xiao’s immense power, while Chen Xiao returned to his manor and concentrated on research into the Time X-Factor.
• Chen Xiao dismissed the Sentry Serum as an unreliable path to power and chose instead to strengthen himself and prepare for the Infinity Stones.
• The White Queen gave Chen Xiao 2.3 billion dollars in assets and information about the assassination plot, identifying Lupton Laboratory as the likely force behind it.
• Chen Xiao accepted the Hellfire Club’s compensation, planned to verify the British connection later, and used the funds to accelerate his research.
• Chen Xiao observed Clarice absorbing thermal rays through her newly implanted X-Gene and noted that her body was growing stronger and more mature.

Chen Xiao spent time with Clarice and Yidileisi, strengthening their abilities and growing closer to Yidileisi as she reported the Blood Hand Council’s victories over the Arela Group. At Xavier’s School, Scott asked Professor X to use Cerebro to find his missing younger brother Alexander, and Professor X began scanning the Earth.

• Chen Xiao invited Clarice into town, then spent the following days paying more attention to her.
• Yidileisi returned after leading the Blood Hand Council in conquering half the Arela Group’s territory and eliminating its core leadership.
• Chen Xiao helped Yidileisi absorb energy factors, adding energy ray absorption to her abilities.
• Chen Xiao and Yidileisi spent the day together, while Yidileisi reported that the Arela Group had lost the will to resist.
• Scott told Professor X that his younger brother Alexander had been missing for over a week and explained that Alexander could absorb energy and fire high-energy shock waves.
• Professor X used Cerebro to search for Alexander, extending his psychic perception across the Earth.

Professor X discovered Larry Trask's hidden Sentinel laboratory in southern Africa, and the X-Men and Magneto's mutants destroyed it and rescued its prisoners. As Colossus touched a strange piece of wood, it carried a message from Illyana in Limbo; meanwhile, Chen Xiao continued absorbing sunlight above Qigela City as his power grew.

• Professor X traced Alexander's mind-signature to Larry Trask's secret laboratory and ordered the X-Men to destroy it.
• Cyclops, Storm, Quicksilver, and Magneto's mutant force joined together to assault Trask Military Industries in southern Africa.
• Storm and Cyclops demolished the town's outer defenses, and the combined mutant teams overran the facility and destroyed its Sentinel prototypes.
• The mutants rescued Havok, Alexander, and other prisoners, while Colossus found a strange wooden object that delivered a message from Illyana in Limbo.
• Chen Xiao continued absorbing sunlight above Qigela City, where his strength and gravitational field had grown dramatically.

Chen Xiao combined his X-Gene with his Kryptonian cells to unleash a devastating punch, then hurried to the school after Professor X said Peter needed help. There, he learned about Colossus’s trouble and examined a magical talisman while the three clone sisters recognized him as Superman.

• Chen Xiao used his X-Gene to awaken the super energy in his Kryptonian cells and tore a long rift through the clouds with a punch.
• Professor X called Chen Xiao to the school because Peter had run into trouble, and Chen Xiao flew there at supersonic speed.
• Chen Xiao met Shadowcat, who said Peter had been acting strangely and accompanied him to see Professor X.
• Esme, Sophie, and Phoebe sensed something familiar in Chen Xiao, then used Telepathy to learn about his past and identify him as Superman.
• Professor X showed Chen Xiao, Shadowcat, Colossus, Cyclops, and Storm a magically enchanted talisman and explained that ancient magicians still existed.

Chen Xiao and Colossus traveled to Limbo to find Peter’s sister Illyana, fighting through its monsters and smashing the magical barrier around Belasco’s castle. Belasco confronted them and summoned an army of demons, leaving the battle about to begin.

• Professor X explained that the talisman could take Chen Xiao and Colossus to Hell’s Boundary, and Colossus insisted on searching for Illyana.
• Chen Xiao agreed to accompany Colossus, and they used the talisman to arrive in Limbo.
• Chen Xiao surveyed the realm, spotted Belasco’s castle, and carried Colossus toward it, destroying several waves of flying monsters along the way.
• Chen Xiao punched through the barrier surrounding the castle and destroyed the eight towers powering its magical formation.
• Belasco appeared, accused Chen Xiao and Colossus of trespassing, and summoned swarms of monsters from dimensional rifts.

Belasco sent his demon legion and several magical attacks against Chen Xiao and Colossus, but Chen Xiao countered with overwhelming force. After Belasco’s curse weakened Colossus, Chen Xiao unleashed amplified golden energy that destroyed it and turned his attention to Belasco’s army.

• Belasco ordered his demon legion to attack, and Chen Xiao cut down thousands with his Heat Rays while Colossus smashed an incoming lava fireball.
• Belasco summoned giant tentacles through spatial rifts, but Chen Xiao burned them away as one struck Colossus into a trench.
• Belasco sent emerald energy spheres and an Evil God's Whisper curse; Chen Xiao blocked the spheres, while the curse weakened Colossus but could not penetrate Chen Xiao’s Bio-Force Field.
• Chen Xiao released eightfold-amplified power and hurled a golden orb through the curse skull, vaporizing it with a blast of destructive energy.
• Chen Xiao looked toward Belasco and the approaching demon legion and declared that he could use energy attacks too.

Chen Xiao devastated Belasco’s realm and overwhelmed Belasco, preparing to destroy the entire dimension until Colossus and a girl on the castle wall stopped him. The girl held a rune matching Colossus’s, and Chen Xiao asked whether she was Illyana, Piotr Rasputin’s sister.

• Chen Xiao’s golden attack obliterated the demons and transformed the surrounding landscape, while Colossus emerged from the rubble alive.
• Belasco returned and attacked Chen Xiao, but Chen Xiao shattered his defensive barriers and punched him into a crater.
• Belasco claimed he could not die while his realm remained intact, so Chen Xiao awakened Energy Fission and prepared to destroy the world.
• Chen Xiao immobilized Belasco and demanded to see his strongest magic, threatening to erase him and the realm.
• A blonde girl appeared on the castle wall holding a rune that matched Colossus’s, and Colossus warned Chen Xiao that his sister was there.
• Chen Xiao stopped his attack and asked the girl whether she was Illyana, Piotr Rasputin’s sister.

Chen Xiao brought Illyana back from Hell's Boundary after Belasco agreed to let her leave, and she reunited with Colossus and the X-Men. At the school, Chen Xiao revealed that he had successfully integrated telekinesis into himself and agreed that Professor X could try the procedure.

• Chen Xiao learned that Illyana considered Belasco her teacher, and Belasco agreed to let her return to Earth after she said she wanted to go home.
• Chen Xiao, Colossus, and Illyana returned to the Xavier Institute, where Illyana met Professor X and Storm and was recognized as a mutant.
• Chen Xiao declined Shadowcat's invitation to stay because he needed to oversee experiments at his research institute.
• Chen Xiao told the gathered X-Men that he had isolated and integrated telekinesis-related X-Gene fragments, though the ability used only about five percent of his mental power.
• Professor X asked whether he could undergo the procedure, and Chen Xiao agreed while explaining that telekinesis was the only ability his technology could currently integrate.

Chen Xiao completed a telekinesis factor tailored for Professor X as global tensions escalated after Jean Grey destroyed an Australian fleet. Cyclops, Colossus, and Storm brought the factor to Xavier's School, where the X-Men gathered to witness the breakthrough.

• Chen Xiao explained the limits of ability fusion to Professor X and decided to keep the X-Factor technology restricted to people he personally approved.
• News reports showed Jean Grey destroying thirteen Australian warships, prompting global protests and condemnation of the Mutants Republic.
• Chen Xiao suspected that someone had provoked the clash to turn the world against mutants and warned that a human-mutant war was nearing.
• A report showed an attacker using replicated Iron Man-style armor to attack Tony Stark at a racetrack, and Chen Xiao remarked that the world had become chaotic.
• More than half a month later, Chen Xiao finished purifying a telekinesis factor for Professor X.
• Cyclops, Colossus, and Storm delivered the factor to Xavier's School, where the X-Men, including Havok and Magik, gathered in Professor X's office.

Professor X used the X-Factor to awaken vastly greater telekinetic power, while Chen Xiao completed a spatial X-Factor and gained a deeper understanding of space. He left the chapter with new spatial abilities, plans to improve the Stellar Suit, and the belief that Mutants could overcome limits imposed on their powers.

• Cyclops delivered Vitas's X-Factor, and Professor X absorbed it, triggering a massive surge in his telekinetic power across the school.
• A month later, Chen Xiao finished cultivating a spatial X-Factor and absorbed it, gaining a microscopic perception of space and the ability to cut and distort it.
• Chen Xiao demonstrated spatial cutting and crushing to Clarice, then teleported with her from the laboratory to the mansion's garden.
• Chen Xiao concluded that Mutant abilities had underlying limits planted by the Celestials and that breaking those shackles could lead to Omega-level power.
• Chen Xiao planned to use spatial compression and multiple fusion cores to strengthen the Stellar Suit and ensure a reliable energy supply for future battles.

After reaching the Bronze Peak, Chen Xiao decided to travel to Britain and investigate the Knights of Divine Punishment amid growing tensions between humans and mutants. Clarice provided the Knights’ classified records, and Chen Xiao prepared to act with his strength now vastly greater than before.

• Chen Xiao continued researching his suit while superpowered crimes and clashes between mutants and ordinary people drove superheroes into the public spotlight.
• During a meeting with Professor X and Magneto, Chen Xiao agreed that powerful interests were manufacturing fear of mutants and announced he would go to London to settle old scores.
• Magneto asked Jean, Quicksilver, and Polaris to assess Chen Xiao, and Jean described him as a gifted strategist whose strength had likely grown enormously.
• Clarice told Chen Xiao that Britain’s Knights of Divine Punishment had twelve members led by Captain Britain, Brian Braddock, and outlined their powers and government ties.
• Clarice explained that she had hacked Britain’s highest-level firewall to obtain the Knights’ files, while Chen Xiao had reached the Bronze Peak, with strength and speed far beyond his previous limits.