Recaps

Xu Jintang and her friends competed for the Soul-Seizing Bell in the black market’s pitch-pot game, where they clashed with Huai Yangxia and the Silver Light Military Academy students. Xu Jintang won with twelve successful throws and was led away to receive her prize from the black market owner.

• Xu Jintang and her friends joined the pitch-pot game after learning its prize was a valuable Soul-Seizing Bell, and they discovered the black market owner had bought it at auction.
• Huai Yangxia confronted Xu Jintang in line, but his teammates stopped him from starting a fight before the elimination rounds.
• During the game, Huai Yangxia and the Silver Light Military Academy students interfered with Yan Yuting and the others, while Xu Jintang defended her throws and landed six arrows.
• Huai Yangxia summoned his Five Poisons Golden Toad to attack Xu Jintang’s bamboo tube, but Xue Zhongqi stopped it and the game attendant warned him that destroying targets was forbidden.
• Xu Jintang finished with twelve successful throws and won the game; the attendant then invited her to meet the black market owner, who would present the prize personally.

Xu Jintang claimed the Soul-Seizing Bell and met the black market’s master, Gu Xiuwen, who revealed that fate had brought them together through his ability. She and the Mask Squad then bet on their own prospects in the Ability User Competition before leaving the black market for home.

• Xu Jintang met Gu Xiuwen in the black market and received the Soul-Seizing Bell, which attacked her until Gu Xiuwen used his power to protect her.
• Gu Xiuwen confirmed to his trench-coated subordinate that his ability had brought him into contact with Xu Jintang.
• Xu Jintang rejoined Yan Yuting and the others, and they noticed that the black market’s artificial day had made them lose track of time.
• Xu Jintang, Yan Yuting, Song Tianqi, Xue Zhongqi, and Jiang Shiyi placed bets on the Mask Squad reaching the top eight, reaching the top four, and winning the championship.
• Xu Jintang and her companions reviewed the teams’ championship odds, noted that the Purple Rosy Clouds Pond Flower Team was favored, and left the black market to return to the villa district.

Xu Jintang discovered that the Soul-Seizing Bell carried a fragment of mental consciousness belonging to a powerful ability user, then prepared with the Mask Squad for its next elimination match against the Spirit of Wood Squad. As the team began training for the tougher rounds, Wu Jinghong and Zhuang Silin showed them replays of other teams’ matches.

• Xu Jintang tested the Soul-Seizing Bell and learned from the Green-Membrane Archaeopteryx that he had destroyed a ninth-tier ability user’s tracking fragment attached to it.
• Wu Jinghong gathered the Mask Squad and briefed them on the remaining teams, including the powerful Soul Awakening Team.
• Li Xiang’s random draw matched the Mask Squad against the Spirit of Wood Squad, whose members were all above the third tier and whose captain, Wang Yuexin, had fourth-tier mental power.
• The Mask Squad returned to the villa, discussed the difficult matchup, and Song Tianqi said he felt close to reaching the third tier before they resumed cultivation.
• Wu Jinghong and Zhuang Silin arrived and showed the Mask Squad replays of the Silver Light Military Academy Squad and the Mechanical Technology Military Academy Team.

Zhuang Silin told Xu Jintang’s team that Leikedasi had authorized some members to use their abilities and set winning the championship as their goal. She analyzed the powerful Spirit of Wood Squad and led the team through intensive preparation, while Xu Jintang learned why Jiang Shiyi kept the crippled Fire Spirit Rabbit and ended the day tasting Ruan Tao’s restorative mushroom soup.

• Zhuang Silin explained that Xu Jintang, Jiang Shiyi, and Song Tianqi could use their abilities while keeping their identities secret, and announced that the Mask Squad would now aim to win the championship.
• Zhuang Silin analyzed the Spirit of Wood Squad, describing Wang Yuexin’s powerful Tree of Life support ability and the squad’s formidable strength.
• Zhuang Silin and Wu Jinghong planned tactics for different match formats, and Xu Jintang’s team practiced against Yu Wanyao’s squad.
• Jiang Shiyi told Xu Jintang that the Fire Spirit Rabbit’s inner core had been crippled, so releasing it would leave it unable to survive in the wild.
• After the exhausted teams finished training, Ruan Tao served them restorative mushroom soup, and Xu Jintang felt its energy spreading through her body.

After advancing her mental power through cultivation, Xu Jintang disguised herself to enter the inscriptionist competition, where President Wang announced a practical challenge involving a cannon emplacement. She devised a solution despite suspecting the question had been designed to exploit her lack of formal training, and began inscribing as the two-hour round started.

• Xu Jintang’s mental power improved after she cultivated following Sister Taozi’s mushroom soup.
• Xu Jintang learned that Sister Taozi planned to watch the Mechanical Technology Military Academy Team, then prepared for the afternoon competition while Song Tianqi cultivated.
• Xu Jintang disguised herself and arrived at the contestants’ lounge, where Jiang Xiangyang questioned her about her weak result in the previous round.
• Xue Zhongqi warned Xu Jintang that Jiang Xiangyang’s teacher might target her with the round’s question because she had not attended the association’s classes.
• President Wang announced that contestants had two hours to create and test up to three inscriptions to improve a superpowered cannon emplacement’s flexibility.
• Xu Jintang chose to inscribe a Tracking Inscription and a Speed Inscription, while Xue Zhongqi began making the taught combination of a Speed Inscription and a Lock-On Inscription.

Xu Jintang completed a Tracking Inscription and a Speed Inscription, while Jiang Xiangyang tested his Lock-On and Speed Inscription combination on the turret. His two shots earned a final score of eighty-five, and the other contestants grew apprehensive as the turret tests began.

• Jiang Xiangyang completed a perfect-quality Lock-On Inscription and then made a Speed Inscription.
• Xu Jintang finished a Tracking Inscription and a Speed Inscription just before the elimination round ended.
• Xue Zhongqi recognized the array Xu Jintang had made as a Tracking Inscription.
• Jiang Xiangyang attached his inscriptions to the turret and scored sixty points on his first shot and eighty-five on his second.
• The other contestants watched Jiang Xiangyang's test and grew apprehensive about their own results.

Xu Jintang used a Tracking Inscription to earn a perfect score and first place in the Inscription Master Competition elimination round. Two days later, Song Tianqi reached third tier and challenged her to an arena match, which was about to begin.

• Several contestants' inscriptions failed during turret tests, while Xue Zhongqi scored 70 points and placed among the leaders.
• Xu Jintang's Tracking Inscription made the turret's shell pursue the evading target, earning her 100 points and a perfect evaluation.
• The rankings placed Qian Duoduo first, Jiang Xiangyang second, and Xue Zhongqi third, and President Wang announced that the top eight would advance.
• Jiang Xiangyang praised Xu Jintang's skill, while she and Xue Zhongqi suggested that the test had unfairly targeted her; Xu Jintang then left.
• Two days later, Song Tianqi announced that he had reached third tier and pulled Xu Jintang toward the arena for a match.
• Yan Yuting and Xue Zhongqi speculated that Song Tianqi would last only a few minutes against Xu Jintang as the protective barrier rose and Song invited her to make the first move.

Xu Jintang tested Song Tianqi’s new third-tier attack and revealed that she was close to the fourth tier. The Mask Squad arrived for the round of sixteen, faced media questions, and prepared to meet the Spirit of Wood Squad as the competition began.

• Song Tianqi used Withering Fire Feathers against Xu Jintang, who extinguished the burning rain with ice and said she was about to reach the fourth tier.
• Xu Jintang praised Song Tianqi’s progress and said his move could help against the Wood Spirit Team, while Yan Yuting and Xue Zhongqi resolved to train harder.
• Xu Jintang and the other four members of the Mask Squad traveled to the venue for the round of sixteen and gave interviews before their match.
• Xu Jintang told reporters that those expecting the Mask Squad to lose would likely be proven wrong, while the other squad members gave their own interviews.
• The Mask Squad returned to the lounge and encountered Wang Yuexin and the Spirit of Wood Squad, whom they were scheduled to face.

The Mask Squad faced the Spirit of Wood Squad in a full-team elimination match for a place in the top sixteen, with Wang Yuexin’s Tree of Life buffs making him their first target. The Mask Squad revealed their abilities and attacked, and Xu Jintang used the Soul-Seizing Bell to disable one opponent and pin him to the arena floor.

• Li Xiang announced that the Mask Squad and the Spirit of Wood Squad would compete in the first elimination match, and the teams drew a full-team battle.
• Wang Yuexin introduced himself as a Fourth Tier mental power ability user, while Xu Jintang introduced herself as Foodie and Song Tianqi revealed he had reached the third tier.
• Wang Yuexin summoned the Tree of Life to buff his teammates, prompting Xu Jintang, Song Tianqi, and Jiang Shiyi to attack him.
• Song Tianqi unleashed Crimson Flames of the Nine Heavens, while Jiang Shiyi fired explosive shells from her Superpower Rocket Launcher.
• Wang Yuexin used the Tree of Life to block Xu Jintang’s punch, then withdrew it as Song Tianqi’s flames set its leaves alight.
• Xu Jintang shook the Soul-Seizing Bell to stun a Spirit of Wood Squad member, then flipped him down and pinned him to the arena floor.

The Mask Squad defeated the Spirit of Wood Squad after gaining permission to use their abilities, and advanced to the next round. Afterward, they accepted an invitation to the official ball at Mirage, the underground black market, and their victory became a trending topic.

• Xu Jintang eliminated a Wood Spirit Team member with ice and her sleeve crossbow while Xue Zhongqi and Yan Yuting kept the other opponents occupied.
• Jiang Shiyi and Xu Jintang overwhelmed Wang Yuexin, whose Tree of Life cage Xu Jintang froze and shattered, and Li Xiang intervened to eliminate him.
• With only two members left, the Spirit of Wood Squad surrendered, and Li Xiang declared the Mask Squad the winner.
• A staff member gave Xu Jintang an invitation to the official ball at Mirage, and the five Mask Squad members agreed to attend together on Saturday.
• The Mask Squad's advance to the top sixteen trended online, and a clip of Xu Jintang breaking Wang Yuexin's cage quickly surpassed a million views.

After the Mask Squad advanced, Xu Jintang watched the formidable Soul Awakening Team and later returned to the villa for a celebratory meal. She then met with Wen Ruide, who studied her evolved ice ability and explained his ambition to make ability evolution possible through artificial intervention.

• The Mask Squad watched the Soul Awakening Team defeat its opponent, and Xiao Linghe introduced himself to Xu Jintang and said he hoped to spar with her.
• Ruan Tao celebrated the Mechanical Technology Military Academy team's victory and served the returning Mask Squad a lavish meal.
• After the round-of-sixteen matches ended, the Mask Squad's popularity grew, with fans across military academies buying their masks.
• Xu Jintang met with Zhuang Silin and Wen Ruide, who questioned her about her ability's evolution and its effects on her body and sea of consciousness.
• Wen Ruide told Xu Jintang and Zhuang Silin that he hoped to develop a way to artificially induce ability evolution, including in users with support abilities.

Xu Jintang and the Mask Squad attended a ball at the black market’s Mirage, where she grew suspicious that the black market boss might be connected to the Ability User Competition. After clashing with Huai Yangxia, Xu Jintang was invited to join an undercover-killer game.

• Zhuang Silin and Wen Ruide debated the risks and benefits of artificially intervening in evolution while Xu Jintang remained silent.
• Xu Jintang and the Mask Squad reached the Mirage for the ball, and she learned that the black market boss would attend.
• Xu Jintang wondered whether the black market boss was involved in organizing the Ability User Competition.
• Xu Jintang exchanged wine and blunt remarks with Xiao Linghe, who admitted he had hoped to learn her identity.
• Huai Yangxia approached Xu Jintang, and she rebuffed him before Xiao Linghe invited them to play Undercover Killer and explained its rules.

Xu Jintang and Xue Zhongqi joined an undercover killer game at the ball, where they secretly became the killers and began misleading the other players. As they continued the round, Gu Xiuwen arrived at the table, and the lively gathering fell silent.

• Xu Jintang recruited Xue Zhongqi to join a game with competitors from several teams, and the players put up potions and inscriptions as prizes.
• Xu Jintang and Xue Zhongqi drew the undercover killer roles and chose Huai Yangxia as their first target, but the healer declined to save him.
• Xu Jintang persuaded the players to abstain from voting, then blamed Huai Yangxia’s teammate and accused him of being a killer.
• Xue Zhongqi joined the accusations against Xu Jintang before she turned the blame back on him, leaving the discussion chaotic.
• Gu Xiuwen entered the banquet hall and approached the table, causing the players to grow reserved.

Xu Jintang found a Reform Society badge at the ball and warned her companions that members of the faction were present. When the attendant tried to prevent their group from leaving, Xiao Linghe recognized something was wrong and prepared to fight.

• Xu Jintang and Xue Zhongqi won the undercover game, then Xu Jintang bumped into Gu Xiuwen and remained wary of him.
• A waiter knocked over a champagne stand and dropped a badge that Xu Jintang identified as belonging to the Reform Society.
• Xu Jintang told Yan Yuting, Song Tianqi, Jiang Shiyi, and Xue Zhongqi they needed to leave, but Xiao Linghe and Huai Yangxia tried to stop them from departing.
• The attendant refused to let the group leave during the ball, and Xu Jintang and her companions took combat stances.
• Xiao Linghe realized the restriction was suspicious, unleashed his mental power, and his Soul Awakening Team gathered ready to fight.

Xu Jintang led her teammates out of the Mirage after discovering a Reform Society badge, and the building exploded shortly afterward. Although a Ninth Tier ability user prevented casualties, the Federation Administration Bureau questioned the attendees before Xu Jintang and her team returned to the dormitory, where Zhuang Silin warned them to stay out of the investigation.

• Xu Jintang left the ball with her teammates after finding a Reform Society badge, then discarded it on the way out of the black market.
• The Mirage exploded after Xu Jintang and the others had left, but the black market's owner, a Ninth Tier ability user, protected everyone inside and there were no casualties.
• Song Yuanlang questioned Xu Jintang and the other contestants before the Federation Administration Bureau escorted them in for individual screening.
• Xu Jintang answered questions about the badge and her early departure, and bureau staff questioned attendees for three hours before clearing them.
• Zhuang Silin reprimanded Xu Jintang and her teammates for going out without telling her and warned them not to get involved further.

After the black market explosion, Xu Jintang questioned whether the Reform Society incident had been staged, but the Federation Administration Bureau blamed the faction and closed its investigation. At the competition, the Mask Squad drew the bye and advanced directly to the top eight.

• Xu Jintang and her teammates split up their prizes after Zhuang Silin left, then Xu struggled to sleep as she puzzled over the black market explosion.
• The Federation Administration Bureau identified Reform Society members as the perpetrators, and the competition disqualified an upper-bracket team, creating a bye for the next round.
• Xu Jintang told Jiang Shiyi she suspected a staff member had dropped his badge on purpose, but Jiang noted the authorities had already closed the case.
• At the competition venue, Xu Jintang avoided discussing the incident with Xiao Linghe and volunteered to draw for the Mask Squad.
• Xu Jintang drew the bye, sending the Mask Squad straight to the top eight and delighting her teammates and bettors.

With finals approaching, Xu Jintang and her teammates planned how to challenge their seniors, then learned that the Dark Horse Team had eliminated the Mechanical Technology Military Academy Team. Xu Jintang watched the newcomers’ match and agreed to attend the Soul Awakening Team’s match.

• Xu Jintang and her teammates remembered Teacher Zhuang’s assignment to defeat Senior Yan Yuhang and his team before semester’s end, and agreed to plan a challenge.
• During finals week, Xu Jintang discussed the seniors’ combat videos with her teammates, and they decided Xue Zhongqi should use Soul Sharing on Senior Gu Nianwei while Xu Jintang occupied Senior Yan Yuhang.
• Ruan Tao told Xu Jintang that the Dark Horse Team had eliminated the Mechanical Technology Military Academy Team in the Ability User Competition.
• Xu Jintang watched the match replay with Yan Yuting and noted the ferocity of the Dark Horse Team’s blond captain.
• Song Tianqi invited Xu Jintang to watch the Soul Awakening Team’s match, and she agreed.

Xu Jintang’s team watched the Soul Awakening Team defeat the Aisilier Team, then secured extra academy funding to prepare for the next rounds. They challenged Yan Yuhang’s team at the training grounds, where Xu Jintang’s group opened with a formation and linked Xue Zhongqi’s Soul Sharing to Gu Nianwei.

• Xu Jintang and her teammates watched the Soul Awakening Team defeat the Aisilier Team, and Jiang Shiyi estimated Xiao Linghe’s strength could reach the peak fifth tier.
• After the Silver Light Military Academy Squad was eliminated, Zhuang Silin discussed the team’s upcoming challenge and finals preparations, then agreed to request funding for Xu Jintang and Xue Zhongqi.
• Zhuang Silin delivered the approved funds, which Xu Jintang and Xue Zhongqi used to buy supplies and prepare their abilities and formation patterns.
• Xu Jintang’s team went to the military academy training grounds to challenge Yan Yuhang’s team and learned that the seniors had been promised a reward for making them fail.
• At the start of the match, Xu Jintang activated Domain Detection and used Chains of Ice to restrain Gu Nianwei, while Xue Zhongqi linked Soul Sharing to her instead of Yan Yuhang.

Xu Jintang’s group initially gained the upper hand against the seniors, but Gu Nianwei’s firepower turned the fight against them. As Xue Zhongqi began assembling a powerful new formation and Xu Jintang blocked Lan Beijia, Gu Nianwei moved to stop him.

• Xu Jintang defeated Yan Yuhang by freezing his feet, punching him, and kicking him out of the arena.
• Gu Nianwei broke free of Soul Sharing and used her fire abilities to pressure Xu Jintang while Lan Beijia attacked from the side.
• Xu Jintang’s group began to falter as Gu Nianwei and the other seniors pressed their advantage.
• Xue Zhongqi stayed at the back and began arranging more than a hundred Inscription Talismans into a new formation.
• Xu Jintang intercepted Lan Beijia, while Gu Nianwei skirted the fighting and charged toward Xue Zhongqi.

Xu Jintang and her teammates defeated Gu Nianwei’s team after Xue Zhongqi completed a level-two formation pattern, then celebrated their assessment victory and collected their casino winnings. As the Ability User Competition’s quarterfinals approached, rumors claimed the Mask Squad’s bye was rigged, prompting the organizers to deny the allegations.

• Jiang Shiyi interrupted Gu Nianwei’s attack while Xue Zhongqi completed and activated a level-two formation pattern, but Zhuang Silin stopped its strike and declared Xu Jintang’s team the winners.
• Xu Jintang admitted the team had prepared multiple tactics, and Gu Nianwei accepted the loss.
• The Mask Squad collected their betting winnings at the underground casino and returned to the villa for their two-day break.
• Yan Yuting, Song Tianqi, and the others reacted to online rumors that the Mask Squad’s bye had been rigged, and the team resolved to answer them with their performance.
• The competition organizers issued an announcement denying that the Mask Squad’s advancement had been rigged.

With the Mask Squad facing a wave of online abuse, Xu Jintang’s team learned they would meet the powerful Soul Awakening Team in the next knockout round. After revealing their hidden trump cards, Xu Jintang urged the others to turn their anger over the insults into motivation for the match.

• Xu Jintang and her teammates arrived at the venue and endured insults from spectators, while Xue Zhongqi, Jiang Shiyi, and the others stopped Song Tianqi and Yan Yuting from confronting them.
• Xu Jintang greeted Ji Nanqing and Xiao Linghe before Li Xiang announced that the Mask Squad had been matched against the Soul Awakening Team.
• Online commenters predicted the Mask Squad would be eliminated, and Zhuang Silin asked the team to disclose their hidden abilities before facing their strongest opponent yet.
• Xue Zhongqi revealed his level-two formation patterns, Song Tianqi said he had mastered awakening his Vermilion Bird Bloodline, and Jiang Shiyi described a three-skill combination burst; Xu Jintang kept the details of her risky trump cards vague.
• Xu Jintang displayed the harshest online comments and told her teammates to remember their anger and carry it into the knockout round.

As the semifinal elimination round approached, Xu Jintang and the Mask Squad trained intensely, and she discovered that Jin Xiaobao could activate the Tilting Scales’ powerful buffs and debuffs. The chapter ended with Xu Jintang reading an online argument over whether the Mask Squad or the Soul Awakening Team would win.

• Ruan Tao brought the Mask Squad nutritional meals, and Xu Jintang ate hers before rushing back to cultivate.
• After Xu Jintang finished cultivating, Jin Xiaobao appeared and explained that he had recovered enough strength to leave the Tilting Scales’ seal.
• Jin Xiaobao demonstrated that the Tilting Scales could either raise the mental power of up to three allies or lower enemies’ mental power within a Silence Domain for twenty minutes.
• Jin Xiaobao told Xu Jintang he would only help her use the abilities when her life was in danger, then vanished after she dismissed him.
• Xu Jintang browsed the Star Network and read a heated debate between Mask Squad fans and Soul Awakening Team fans about which team would win.

The Mask Squad faced the Soul Awakening Team in the first elimination match to advance to the final four, with the draw setting a mixed 2v2 and 3v3 format. Jiang Shiyi and Song Tianqi began the battle against Chu Xiao and He Meiyu, and as Song Tianqi neared the edge of the arena, his Vermilion Bird Token lit up.

• Xu Jintang and the Mask Squad entered the arena to face Xiao Linghe and the Soul Awakening Team.
• The random draw selected a 2v2 and 3v3 mixed team battle, and Xu Jintang sent Jiang Shiyi and Song Tianqi to fight first.
• Jiang Shiyi attacked He Meiyu with her Superpower Rocket Launcher while Song Tianqi used Scarlet Flame attacks against Chu Xiao.
• Jiang Shiyi fired charged shells that created craters in the arena, while Chu Xiao pressured Song Tianqi back toward the edge.
• As Chu Xiao moved to knock Song Tianqi out of the arena, the Vermilion Bird Token lit up in front of him.

The Mask Squad defeated the Soul Awakening Team in the 2v2 battle after Song Tianqi awakened his Vermilion Bird Bloodline, then began the decisive 3v3 match. Xu Jintang was caught inside the opposing team’s newly revealed domain as Xiao Linghe and his teammates closed in around her.

• Song Tianqi awakened his Vermilion Bird Bloodline and eliminated Chu Xiao with a vastly strengthened Scarlet Flame attack.
• Song Tianqi overwhelmed He Meiyu’s Wind Blade Vortex, and she surrendered, giving the Mask Squad the 2v2 victory.
• During the intermission, Xu Lili performed three songs for the audience.
• Xu Jintang, Yan Yuting, and Xue Zhongqi began the 3v3 match by attacking Xiao Linghe and his teammates.
• Xiao Linghe’s teammate raised a domain dome over half the arena, trapping Xu Jintang inside as the three opponents surrounded her.

Xu Jintang broke Xiao Linghe’s team’s coordinated assault with her dragon-blood power, then regrouped with Xue Zhongqi and Yan Yuting to target Xiao Linghe. As the fight continued, Xiao Linghe’s beast possession drove Xu Jintang back, but she escaped his pursuit with ice chains and returned to the arena’s center.

• Xiao Linghe and his teammates trapped Xu Jintang inside a barrier and attacked her together, but she destroyed their attacks with dragon-blood energy and shattered the barrier.
• Xue Zhongqi and Yan Yuting joined Xu Jintang, while Xiao Linghe fused with his Flying-Winged Tiger through Demonic Beast Possession and repelled Xue Zhongqi’s attacks.
• Xu Jintang told Xue Zhongqi and Yan Yuting to use a level-two formation inscription to take out Xiao Linghe first.
• Xiao Linghe’s enhanced strength forced Xu Jintang toward the arena’s edge, but she trapped his arms with ice chains and circled back to the center.