Chapter Summaries

Su Mu entered the normal Goblin Camp trial nest and watched Little Drill Wind slaughter ten level-one goblins in seconds. The victory raised Su Mu to level 2 and gave him 10 Soul Power.

• Su Mu selected normal difficulty and entered the Goblin Camp trial nest.
• Ten level-one goblins spawned in the clearing at the foot of Lion Camel Ridge.
• Little Drill Wind's Lion Camel Ridge Glory increased his attributes by 50 percent.
• Little Drill Wind killed all ten goblins in less than ten seconds.
• Su Mu reached level 2 and gained 10 Soul Power.

Su Mu watched Little Drill Wind clear successive goblin waves and discovered that the A-rank creature had growth comparable to an SS-rank card. After four waves, Su Mu reached level 4 with 30 Soul Power, while Little Drill Wind also advanced to level 4.

• Su Mu saw Little Drill Wind gain 250 total attribute points from leveling up, far beyond the usual growth of an A-rank card.
• Little Drill Wind killed all ten level 2 goblins, raising Su Mu to level 3 and gaining another level himself.
• Little Drill Wind defeated the level 3 shield and thrower goblins, and Su Mu reached level 3.
• Twenty level 4 goblins attacked in a coordinated melee and ranged formation, but Little Drill Wind tore through them and wiped out the wave.
• Su Mu reached level 4 and 30 Soul Power, while Little Drill Wind also reached level 4 and grew stronger.

Su Mu and Little Drill Wind cleared the Normal Goblin Camp by defeating its level-five elite and its underlings, then returned to the trial grounds. There, Su Mu saw Ye Qingxue enter the dungeon again and select Nightmare difficulty.

• Su Mu faced the fifth wave, where Little Drill Wind fought and killed the elite goblin despite its high defense and Berserk skill.
• Little Drill Wind chased down the eight fleeing goblins, clearing the Normal Goblin Camp in only a few minutes.
• Su Mu exited the dungeon at level four, nearly level five, and found only a handful of students had finished their trials.
• Su Mu spotted Ye Qingxue emerging from the trial grounds, but she ignored him and returned to the selection interface.
• Nearby students said Ye Qingxue had already cleared Normal and Hard, then watched her choose Nightmare as the entrance turned dark red.

Su Mu waited for Li Ming, then the two entered the hard dungeon as a team while school leaders wondered how quickly Su Mu had cleared normal. Wang Hao emerged after soloing hard, noticed them, and held back from mocking them because the principal and teachers were watching.

• Su Mu waited near the trial grounds as Ye Qingxue's rapid normal and hard dungeon clears impressed Principal Zhao Jianguo and the other school leaders.
• Li Ming emerged from the normal dungeon, told Su Mu he had cleared it at Level 4, and learned that Su Mu had also cleared it.
• Su Mu and Li Ming entered the hard dungeon together, prompting the teachers to wonder how Su Mu had completed normal so quickly.
• Wang Hao emerged after clearing hard solo and enjoyed the students' praise.
• Wang Hao spotted Su Mu and Li Ming entering as a team, but stopped himself from mocking them when he saw Zhao Jianguo and the teachers watching.

Li Ming and Su Mu entered the hard dungeon together, with Li Ming taking the lead in their relay-style defense. Li Ming held off four waves, but the fifth wave brought an elite goblin and eight level-four goblins as his forces dwindled.

• Wang Hao entered the nightmare dungeon despite the teachers' concern that the hard dungeon had exhausted him.
• Su Mu and Li Ming entered the hard dungeon and agreed that Li Ming would defend the opening waves while Su Mu observed and stood ready to take over.
• Li Ming deployed his biochemical barracks and mothership, and his unarmed soldiers easily defeated the first two waves of goblins.
• Li Ming's soldiers suffered casualties against the third wave, but two elite soldiers broke through the shield-bearing goblins and helped clear the wave.
• Li Ming held off the fourth wave at the cost of half his soldiers and much of the mothership's energy.
• An elite goblin and eight level-four goblins emerged for the fifth wave, and Li Ming's expression changed.

Li Ming exhausted his biochemical soldiers to clear the fifth wave before switching control to Su Mu. Su Mu’s A-rank Little Drill Wind defeated the sixth wave and the final boss, clearing hard mode.

• Li Ming cleared the fifth wave at the cost of all twelve biochemical soldiers, and both he and Su Mu reached level five.
• Li Ming switched to Su Mu as twenty level-five goblins arrived, and Little Drill Wind killed them in under twenty seconds.
• Su Mu told Li Ming that he had raised an E-rank card to A-rank by giving it a name that matched its high compatibility.
• Little Drill Wind killed the six elite goblins accompanying the level-eight goblin lord, then defeated the lord and cleared hard mode.

Su Mu and Li Ming cleared the hard dungeon, and Su Mu prepared to enter nightmare alone after Li Ming refused to hold him back. Wang Hao mocked Su Mu outside the entrance, prompting Su Mu to recognize an opportunity to gain resources from the challenge Wang Hao had previously issued.

• Teachers and students saw that Su Mu and Li Ming had both reached level 5 after clearing the hard dungeon, while students debated how Su Mu had gained so much combat power.
• Su Mu urged Li Ming to join him in the nightmare dungeon, but Li Ming refused because he believed he would only slow Su Mu down.
• Su Mu accepted Li Ming's decision and headed for the nightmare dungeon entrance.
• Wang Hao emerged from the nightmare dungeon injured and mocked Su Mu for entering without Li Ming to carry him.
• Su Mu remembered Wang Hao's earlier formal dungeon challenge and saw Wang Hao's provocation as a chance to gain resources.

Su Mu provoked Wang Hao into raising their bet to a nightmare instance’s fifth wave, confident that Little Drill Wind could meet the challenge. Wang Hao accepted the wager, and Su Mu prepared to enter despite Li Ming’s concern.

• Wang Hao bragged that he had reached the fifth wave of the nightmare instance, hiding how badly the elite monster had beaten him.
• Su Mu called Wang Hao trash and challenged him to bet on surviving the first wave.
• Wang Hao refused the smaller bet and proposed that Su Mu had to reach the fifth wave to win.
• Su Mu assessed Little Drill Wind’s level-five stats and combat ability, while Li Ming warned him not to take the risk.
• Su Mu told Wang Hao he was on.

Su Mu accepted Wang Hao’s challenge to beat his nightmare dungeon result, wagering a random-quality soul skill book against Wang Hao’s book and using Li Ming’s A-rank cards as collateral. After setting the victory threshold at level 6 with over 50% experience, Su Mu entered the nightmare dungeon while students and school administrators watched.

• Su Mu proposed an E-rank soul skill book as the wager, and Li Ming offered an A-rank theme and core card as collateral for him.
• Wang Hao raised the stakes to a random-quality soul skill book, and Su Mu agreed.
• Su Mu specified that he had to reach level 6 with over 50% experience in the nightmare dungeon to win, and Wang Hao accepted the standard.
• Su Mu entered the nightmare dungeon as students predicted how far he would get.
• The director of instruction criticized Su Mu for recklessly accepting the bet, while a female teacher lamented that Wang Hao had pressured a fellow student.

Su Mu entered the nightmare dungeon despite the crowd’s doubts, while Zhao Jianguo chose not to intervene and Li Ming worried about him. Inside, Su Mu faced the dungeon’s first wave of ten heavily armed nightmare goblins at Lion Camel Ridge.

• Zhao Jianguo refused to interfere in Su Mu’s wager, saying Su Mu was not acting recklessly.
• Li Ming and Su Mu’s homeroom teacher watched the entrance anxiously as the battle inside made the curtain ripple.
• Wang Hao concluded that Su Mu must be stalling with terrain and predicted his defenses would eventually fail.
• Su Mu surveyed Lion Camel Ridge and learned that the nightmare dungeon had fifteen waves and a dangerous, mist-shrouded rift.
• Ten powerful, armored goblins emerged from the rift as the first wave.

Su Mu watched Little Drill Wind effortlessly defeat the first three waves of the nightmare dungeon, adapting his attacks to increasingly powerful goblins without being injured. As the fourth wave arrived, Su Mu wondered whether a more complete Journey to the West concept anchoring could give Little Drill Wind the memories and consciousness of a living being.

• Little Drill Wind killed ten level 8 goblin elites in the first wave by striking their weak points and avoiding their attacks.
• Ten stronger level 9 goblin elites emerged, and Little Drill Wind adjusted his blade work to disable them before finishing the fight even faster.
• The third wave paired ten melee goblins with five ranged throwers, but Little Drill Wind dodged their coordinated attacks and defeated them without a scratch.
• Su Mu reflected that Little Drill Wind's battle instincts seemed to come from the centuries of experience associated with his Journey to the West identity.
• The fourth wave arrived as Su Mu considered whether deeper concept anchoring could give Little Drill Wind a living being's consciousness and memories.

The fifth wave sent Little Drill Wind against a Goblin Warlord and nineteen level 10 elite goblins, whose strength and coordination overwhelmed him in a direct fight. After Little Drill Wind was wounded, he fled into Lion Camel Ridge to draw the horde apart and fight them one by one.

• The fifth wave emerged with nineteen level 10 elite goblins and a level 10 Goblin Warlord, whose stats surpassed the hard dungeon's final boss.
• The Goblin Warlord coordinated the goblins as they surrounded Little Drill Wind and cut off his escape routes.
• Little Drill Wind fought back but could not kill the tougher goblins in one strike, and an elite goblin slashed his back.
• Little Drill Wind ran into Lion Camel Ridge, drawing the goblins into a long line so he could separate them.

Su Mu and Little Drill Wind defeated the fifth wave of the Nightmare trial, raising both their levels to six, and Little Drill Wind turned toward the sixth wave. Outside the trial grounds, the crowd assumed Su Mu was stalling until the light screen rippled.

• Little Drill Wind killed the goblins one by one and then defeated the warlord, clearing the fifth wave despite his severe injuries.
• Su Mu leveled up from level 5 to level 6 and gained 10 Soul Power, while Little Drill Wind also reached level 6 and recovered his health and injuries.
• Little Drill Wind looked toward the mountain-pass rift as the sixth wave arrived.
• Outside the trial grounds, students speculated that Su Mu was hiding and stalling, while Wang Hao mocked him and Li Ming worried.
• The dark red light screen rippled, and someone shouted that Su Mu was coming out.

Ye Qingxue returned from the nightmare dungeon after reaching its fifteenth wave, then stayed to watch Su Mu’s bet against Wang Hao. The school administrators realized she had withdrawn voluntarily and believed she could clear the dungeon with more preparation.

• Ye Qingxue emerged from the dungeon at level seven, stunning the students who speculated that she had nearly cleared it.
• Ye Qingxue recalled retreating from the fifteenth-wave goblin because it outmatched her, though she believed she could defeat it after gaining strength and better cards.
• After hearing students mock Su Mu’s chances against Wang Hao, Ye Qingxue trusted Su Mu’s past record and stayed to see how far he would go.
• Wang Hao noticed Ye Qingxue waiting and hoped that beating Su Mu would prove himself worthy of her attention.
• The school administrators confirmed that Ye Qingxue reached wave fifteen and voluntarily withdrew rather than being forced out.

Su Mu cleared the sixth through ninth waves with Little Drill Wind, adapting his tactics to each group of goblins. The tenth wave began with fifteen level-eleven elites and a fast Goblin Assassin boss emerging from the rift.

• The teachers discussed Ye Qingxue’s fifteenth-wave performance and waited to see how long Su Mu would last.
• Teacher Zhou said Su Mu was unlikely to clear the first wave based on his cards, but trusted his judgment and urged the others to wait.
• Su Mu and Little Drill Wind cleared the sixth and seventh waves, defeating the goblins with direct attacks and fast strikes.
• Little Drill Wind used the mountain path to split the eighth wave, then maneuvered through the ninth wave to defeat its larger elite monsters.
• The tenth wave brought fifteen level-eleven goblin elites and a level-eleven Goblin Assassin whose speed and skills made it more dangerous than the earlier warlord.

Su Mu and Little Drill Wind cleared the tenth wave of the nightmare dungeon after Little Drill Wind killed the assassin boss at the cost of a severe shoulder wound. Su Mu withdrew rather than risk the next wave, then emerged before the waiting students, who stared at his calm appearance.

• Little Drill Wind charged into the elite goblins to draw their attention and repeatedly dodged the assassin’s attacks, but his health fell below half.
• Little Drill Wind let the assassin stab his shoulder, trapped its blade, and killed it with repeated strikes to its weak point.
• Little Drill Wind defeated the remaining goblins, and Su Mu received the notice that wave ten was complete.
• Su Mu decided Little Drill Wind was too injured to continue and exited the trial dungeon.
• Su Mu emerged from the nightmare dungeon, drawing the attention of the students gathered outside.

Su Mu proved that he had reached level six with 83% experience in the nightmare dungeon, winning his wager against Wang Hao. He claimed the random-quality soul skill book and left Wang Hao humiliated and resentful, while Ye Qingxue departed without speaking to him.

• The crowd saw Su Mu's level-six marker and wondered whether he had beaten Wang Hao in the nightmare dungeon.
• Su Mu revealed his experience panel, showing level six at 83%, and confirmed that he had met the wager's winning threshold.
• Wang Hao swallowed his objections in front of the watching crowd and handed Su Mu the random-quality soul skill book.
• Wang Hao left after silently threatening Su Mu, while Li Ming warned Su Mu that Wang Hao and his family might retaliate.
• Su Mu noticed Ye Qingxue passing along the edge of the crowd, but she did not look back.

Ye Qingxue recognized Su Mu’s strength after he cleared the tenth wave of the nightmare dungeon, while the school staff raised their assessment of him and decided to give him more attention. Su Mu left the trial grounds with Li Ming, who asked him about the skill book he had won.

• Ye Qingxue concluded that Su Mu had reached at least the tenth wave and left determined to defeat someone worthy.
• The teachers and administrators learned that Su Mu had cleared wave ten and voluntarily exited at wave eleven.
• Principal Zhao Jianguo ordered the school to prioritize Su Mu below Ye Qingxue but above the other students.
• Su Mu told Li Ming that luck had carried him through the dungeon, and Li Ming accepted his offer to join a future hard dungeon run.
• Li Ming asked whether Su Mu would roll the quality of his random-quality soul skill book.

Su Mu opened the random-quality soul skill book and obtained the S-grade time skill Years Like a Blade. While Li Ming and the onlookers dismissed it as nearly useless, Su Mu recognized that its drawbacks did not apply to him and that its time catalysis was exactly what he wanted.

• Li Ming urged Su Mu to open the soul skill book, and Su Mu infused it with mental power.
• The book produced a brilliant golden light, and Su Mu received an S-grade soul skill.
• Su Mu identified the skill as Years Like a Blade, prompting Li Ming and nearby students to call it impractical despite its rare time-type classification.
• Su Mu examined the skill's ability to accelerate living units by ten days and nonliving units by one year, at the cost of 1,000 momentum points.
• Su Mu considered the skill's usual drawbacks and realized they did not apply to him, leaving him eager to use its time catalysis.

After awakening an F-rank Journey to the West stone card, Su Mu realized that his Years Like a Blade skill could accelerate his spirit stone’s cultivation. At home, his aunt comforted him about the low rank and gave him a hundred thousand yuan to help build his dungeons.

• Li Ming tried to comfort Su Mu about his S-rank skill, while Su Mu realized Years Like a Blade could nourish his spirit stone and other young monsters.
• Su Mu and Li Ming parted ways, and Li Ming reminded Su Mu to meet him at the trial grounds the next morning.
• Su Mu climbed the stairs to his home in Peaceful Residence Garden and found his aunt preparing dinner.
• Su Mu told his aunt that his core card was an F-rank stone card with the special Journey to the West theme.
• Su Mu’s aunt reassured him and gave him a card containing a hundred thousand yuan for dungeon-building supplies.