Chapter Summaries

She Long explained Spirit Hall’s factional divisions to Zhou You and taught him to prioritize his own strength rather than devote himself to another faction’s cause. Before leaving on a secret mission to the Heaven Dou Empire, he told Zhou You to find a new backer.

• She Long dismissed his injury as minor and told Zhou You that he had been assigned a long journey.
• She Long explained that the Enshrined Lineage, led by the Qian Family, controlled Elder Hall, while the Spirit Hall Line, led by the Pope, controlled most Soul Masters and secular power.
• She Long revealed that he belonged to the Balance Faction and tried to keep ties with both the Worship Hall and Pope Hall.
• She Long advised Zhou You to grow stronger and avoid giving his full loyalty to someone else’s cause.
• She Long said he would leave for the Heaven Dou Empire in a few days, cut off contact with Spirit City, and urged Zhou You to find a new backer.

Zhou You agreed to Hu Liena’s invitation to visit the Pope Hall and begin preparing with her brother’s team for the upcoming competition. He arrived to find Hu Liena, Xie Yue, Yan, and the highest-ranked students from their class gathered there.

• Zhou You watched She Long leave Spirit City and wondered about the old man’s mission to protect Qian Renxue.
• Hu Liena asked Zhou You whether he still intended to join her brother’s team, as he had promised after their trip to the Soul Hunting Forest.
• Hu Liena persuaded Zhou You to come to the Pope Hall and start building teamwork during their break.
• Zhou You accompanied Hu Liena to the Pope Hall and noticed it had no statues of Six-Winged Angels.
• Hu Liena introduced Zhou You to Xie Yue, Yan, Sun Chuantao, Zhang Ping, and the other top-ranked students she had invited.

Zhou You brought Sun Chuantao’s group to breakfast at the Pope Hall, where Yan and Li Kai’s quarrel exposed tension between the two groups. When both Xie Yue and Sun Chuantao ordered them to quiet down, Zhou You realized the two leaders were competing for control of the team and settled in to watch.

• Zhou You asked Hu Liena to host everyone for breakfast, and the group ate a lavish meal made with Soul Beast ingredients at the Pope Hall.
• Yan and Li Kai fought over food, with Yan taunting Li Kai by calling him “Pork” and mocking his Black-Horned Mountain Pig Martial Soul.
• Xie Yue and Sun Chuantao both ordered Yan and Li Kai to quiet down, and the two stopped before resuming their argument over who had the authority to speak.
• Zhou You recognized that Sun Chuantao was challenging Xie Yue for team leadership and compared the groups’ abilities and ambitions as he watched the dispute unfold.

Sun Chuantao challenged Xie Yue and his teammates to a four-on-four battle, wagering leadership of the future tournament team. Zhou You refused to support Xie Yue, leaving the outcome to the two sides as the match was arranged.

• Sun Chuantao challenged Xie Yue to a team battle for the right to lead the tournament team.
• Xie Yue accepted and stressed that Sun Chuantao had challenged his whole team.
• Both sides watched Zhou You for his response, but he said he had never promised to support Hu Liena's brother as leader.
• Hu Liena grew angry, while Sun Chuantao's teammates gained confidence from Zhou You's decision.
• The two groups agreed to settle the leadership contest in a four-on-four wagered battle.

Xie Yue's team battled Sun Chuantao's team, whose coordinated attacks and Zhang Ping's supersonic Golden-Waisted Flying Swallow put Hu Liena in danger. Zhou You rescued Hu Liena and blocked the swallow's strike, recognizing that it lost speed when it changed direction.

• Yan charged Sun Chuantao's formation, but Xu Yu enhanced Li Kai, who intercepted Yan and held him in place as Sun Chuantao attacked.
• Xie Yue deflected Sun Chuantao's ring and struck back, but Zhang Ping's invisible attack knocked away his Moon Blade and forced him backward.
• Hu Liena tried to use Charm on Zhang Ping, but Xu Yu's enhancement gave Zhang Ping a mental shield that resisted it.
• Zhang Ping's Golden-Waisted Flying Swallow dived at Hu Liena, and Zhou You pulled her clear before shielding her from its next strike with his umbrella.
• Zhou You identified that the Golden-Waisted Flying Swallow reached the speed of sound in a straight line but slowed sharply when it changed direction.

Zhou You watched as Sun Chuantao and Zhang Ping coordinated their attacks against Xie Yue, while Xu Yu used Focus Light to strengthen Sun Chuantao’s Mental Power. After Xie Yue endured the pursuit, he struck down the Golden-Waisted Flying Swallow and charged at Sun Chuantao with Moon Blade Slash.

• Zhang Ping redirected the Golden-Waisted Flying Swallow toward Xie Yue, who dodged its straight-line attacks while Sun Chuantao controlled his circular blade from a distance.
• Xu Yu used Focus Light to transfer his teammates’ Mental Power to Sun Chuantao, improving his remote control of the circular blade.
• Zhou You deduced how Xu Yu’s support skill worked while Hu Liena anxiously asked whether he would keep watching.
• Li Kai endured Yan’s beating as his Second Soul Skill grew stronger with each wound.
• Xie Yue anticipated the Golden-Waisted Flying Swallow’s path, slashed it away, then leaped through the circular blade and charged Sun Chuantao with Moon Blade Slash.

Xie Yue’s group defeated Sun Chuantao’s team after Zhou You intervened, and Li Kai was badly injured in the fight. Afterward, Zhou You and Xie Yue discussed Sun Chuantao’s prospects on a tournament team, where his overlapping role left him at risk of being excluded.

• Xu Yu changed Sun Chuantao’s enhancement to speed, but Xie Yue rushed past him toward Xu Yu while Zhou You immobilized Sun Chuantao with his Heaven- and Earth-Harmonizing Umbrella.
• Xie Yue defeated Xu Yu, Zhang Ping conceded, and Sun Chuantao surrendered after his team was broken apart.
• Zhou You pulled Yan away from Li Kai, who was badly injured after enduring Yan’s attacks for about ten minutes.
• Hu Liena went to fetch a physician, and Xie Yue checked on Li Kai while Sun Chuantao attended to his teammates.
• Zhou You told Xie Yue that Sun Chuantao’s role overlapped with his own, making Sun Chuantao likely to be excluded from a seven-member team.

After Spirit Hall’s team defeated Sun Chuantao’s group, Zhou You warned Xie Yue against sidelining Sun Chuantao and argued that the team’s lack of cooperation would cost them against the Shrek Seven Devils. Xie Yue refused to accept the criticism, so Zhou You challenged the entire team to fight him alone.

• Xie Yue agreed with Zhou You’s assessment of Sun Chuantao, but Zhou You mocked his claims about being a leader.
• Xie Yue admitted he wanted to sideline Sun Chuantao and keep authority within the team, while Zhou You warned that this would weaken their unity.
• Zhou You pointed out that Sun Chuantao’s four teammates had cooperated better than Xie Yue, Hu Liena, Yan, and Zhou You had during the battle.
• Zhou You argued that he could carry Xie Yue to victory and explained why he believed the Shrek Seven Devils could be beaten.
• Xie Yue rejected Zhou You’s boast, and Zhou You challenged the whole team to test whether he could defeat them alone.

Xie Yue challenged Zhou You to a match, hoping to defeat him with the team’s support, while Zhou You accepted despite Hu Liena’s doubts. Xie Yue planned to use Xu Yu’s ability to boost his own speed and fight Zhou You alone.

• Xie Yue rejected Zhou You’s claim that he could fight a team alone and proposed a match, which Zhou You accepted.
• Zhou You told Yan to follow Xie Yue’s orders during the fight, and Yan showed he was eager to take part.
• Hu Liena questioned Zhou You’s decision, called him arrogant, and urged Xie Yue to give him a sound beating.
• Xie Yue told Xu Yu to support him at the start of the fight, planning to gather the team’s strength and challenge Zhou You alone.
• Xu Yu reluctantly agreed after Sun Chuantao elbowed him, and Xie Yue chose to strengthen his speed.

Zhou You faced Xie Yue's boosted squad and used the Heaven- and Earth-Harmonizing Umbrella to fend off Xie Yue's fast attacks. He revealed the speed of his Hard Sword by cutting Xie Yue's ear before he could react, leaving the spar still underway.

• Zhou You faced Xie Yue and the other members of the squad as the battle resumed, while Xu Yu boosted Xie Yue's speed with a Soul Skill.
• Xie Yue charged at Zhou You with his Moon Blades, but Zhou You dodged the first strike and used the umbrella to disrupt Xie Yue's follow-up.
• Xie Yue circled behind Zhou You and launched Blade Qi, but Zhou You extended the Umbrella Sword and tore through the attack.
• Zhou You warned Xie Yue that his next strike would be fast, then used Hard Sword to cut Xie Yue's earlobe before he could react.

After Zhou You defeated Xie Yue with ease, Xie Yue set aside his pride and organized the team to attack together. Their assault began with Xu Yu boosting Hu Liena, who activated Charm, leaving Zhou You facing the team’s opening move.

• Zhou You told Xie Yue that the blow could have killed him and urged him to rely on his teammates.
• Xie Yue regrouped with Hu Liena and the others, and Xu Yu argued that his speed boost had not caused Xie Yue’s defeat.
• Xie Yue asked Sun Chuantao to follow his orders, and Sun Chuantao agreed to remain on the team.
• Xie Yue arranged the six fighters into a formation and led them into a coordinated attack on Zhou You.
• Xie Yue and Sun Chuantao charged from opposite sides as Xu Yu cast his Soul Skill on Hu Liena, who activated Charm.

Zhou You broke through Hu Liena’s Charm and dismantled Xie Yue’s team with precise attacks and quick improvisation. The battle ended with Sun Chuantao, Zhang Ping, and Xu Yu incapacitated or out of position, leaving Xie Yue and Hu Liena’s hastily assembled formation in disarray.

• Hu Liena used the combined Mental Power of six people to restrain Zhou You, but Xie Yue and Sun Chuantao’s attacks came as Zhou You began to recover.
• Zhou You broke free, launched himself skyward with the Heaven- and Earth-Harmonizing Umbrella, and knocked Zhang Ping’s Golden-Waisted Flying Swallow into the ground.
• Xu Yu’s failure to return Zhang Ping’s Mental Power caused a backlash that ended her ability to fight, while Zhou You used his flexible sword to disarm Sun Chuantao and send the Circular Ring Great Blade flying toward Xu Yu.
• Zhou You struck Sun Chuantao with the Ghost Gate Needle, defended against Xie Yue’s Blade Qi, and kicked Sun Chuantao into the ground before narrowly avoiding Xie Yue’s blades with the Tail-Behind Needle.
• The Circular Ring Great Blade knocked Xu Yu flying, and Hu Liena pulled Zhang Ping out of its path, leaving Xie Yue’s team’s formation in disarray.

Zhou You criticized the team's defeat and identified Xie Yue's difficulty leading while Zhou You remained its strongest member. After the review, Yue Guan summoned Zhou You and questioned his connection to the transformed Soft Bone Rabbit, and Zhou You began to explain.

• Zhou You reprimanded Sun Chuantao, Yan, Hu Liena, and the others for their poor teamwork and criticized Xie Yue's leadership after defeating them.
• Zhou You considered why he could not simply leave the team, given Spirit Hall's plans and the possible threat of Tang San.
• Zhou You left the others to review the defeat and followed Yue Guan's presence to a hidden platform overlooking the training ground.
• Yue Guan asked Zhou You what relationship he had with the Soft Bone Rabbit in the Star Dou Forest.
• Zhou You concealed his reaction, asked what had prompted the question, and began explaining after Yue Guan revealed that the rabbit had known his name.

Zhou You convinced Yue Guan that his account of surviving the Soft Bone Rabbit was true, and Yue Guan recognized his unusual abilities. Yue Guan took Zhou You on as his student and gave him a Wishful Treasure Bag, leaving Zhou You both impressed by its value and reluctant to part with it.

• Zhou You maintained his story about the Soft Bone Rabbit, and Yue Guan accepted his explanation.
• Yue Guan questioned Zhou You about hiding his Soul Rings and realized that Zhou You lacked common knowledge about Soul Masters.
• Yue Guan told Zhou You that She Long had entrusted him to teach Zhou You, and Zhou You accepted Yue Guan as his teacher.
• Yue Guan gave Zhou You a Wishful Treasure Bag that could store living things and preserve them, then recognized Zhou You's interest in medicinal herbs.
• Zhou You discovered that the bag contained valuable medicinal ingredients and offered to return it while clutching it tightly.

Zhou You used Yue Guan’s generosity and the prestige of his teachers to help the Zhou Family’s business prosper, then worked with Yue Guan to develop medicinal formulas using rare pharmaceutical equipment. He prepared three experimental solutions to strengthen the body and invited Yue Guan to try them, leaving the test about to begin.

• Yue Guan gave Zhou You the Wishful Treasure Bag, and Zhou You considered how Titled Douluo supported powerful interest groups through their businesses.
• Zhou You wrote to Yang Tianxiong, and the Zhou Family gained a foothold in Spirit City under the prestige of Snake Lance Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo.
• Zhou You consulted Yue Guan about medicinal plants and formulated more than ten preparations for internal and external use.
• Zhou You coveted Yue Guan’s unique Soul Tool pharmaceutical equipment, but Yue Guan warned him that he would not give it away.
• Zhou You showed Yue Guan three experimental solutions made from herbs, animal tissue, and minerals to strengthen muscles, bones, and physique.
• Yue Guan challenged Zhou You to drink the solution himself so they could see how effective it was.

Zhou You and Yue Guan tested Zhou You’s staged Whale Rubber enhancement potions on a primate Soul Beast, observing improvements in digestion and strength before the subject died after the final dose. Zhou You began dissecting the corpse to investigate the cause.

• Zhou You asked Yue Guan to provide a primate Soul Beast for testing and explained his three-stage enhancement process.
• After the first potion, the monkey absorbed nutrients more efficiently and showed improved bodily functions and intelligence.
• The second potion increased the monkey’s appetite, height, and strength, with its strength rising by about fifteen percent.
• The third potion greatly increased the monkey’s physique but left it listless; on the fifteenth day, it fell asleep and died of brain death.
• Zhou You examined the corpse and prepared to dissect it while Yue Guan watched uneasily.

Zhou You determined that a Corpse Demon had killed the experimental monkey by taking control of its body, then explained his theory of the human body’s five structural layers to Yue Guan. He left Yue Guan fascinated and wondered whether he had revealed too much.

• Zhou You finished dissecting the monkey and found that its tissues had remained active despite its brain being dead.
• Zhou You concluded that the monkey’s Corpse Demon had killed its innate true spirit and taken over the body’s life functions.
• Yue Guan failed to understand Zhou You’s explanation of the Three Corpses and Corpse Demons, so Zhou You tried a different approach.
• Zhou You described the physical, Etheric, Mind, Mental, and Spirit Bodies as five interdependent layers of the human body.
• Yue Guan stared at Zhou You with burning interest, and Zhou You worried that his theory was too advanced for the era.

Yue Guan realized Zhou You’s Five-Layer Structure theory might explain Soul Power and Mental Power and transform Soul Master cultivation. Convinced it could help him overcome his bottleneck, Yue Guan demanded Zhou You write the theories out in detail, threatening to kowtow if he could not expand on them.

• Yue Guan questioned whether Zhou You had devised the theory himself, and Zhou You claimed it came from his reading and casual thoughts.
• Yue Guan considered how the Five-Layer Structure could explain the circulation of Soul Power through the Etheric Body and the role of the Mental Body in circulating Mental Power.
• Yue Guan recognized that proving Zhou You’s theory could revolutionize Soul Master cultivation and give him hope of breaking through his bottleneck.
• Yue Guan grabbed Zhou You’s arm, startling him, then ordered him to write a thorough account of the theories.
• Zhou You protested that he might not be able to think of more, and Yue Guan threatened to kowtow if he could not.

Zhou You agreed to write up his theory for Yue Guan, who supplied him with a recently executed Evil Soul Master for a secret dissection. The chapter ended as Zhou You began recording the first experiment to study Soul Masters’ anatomy.

• Yue Guan kept Zhou You in Spirit Hall and supplied whatever resources he requested while insisting that he write up his theory.
• Zhou You warned Yue Guan not to kill anyone for research, and Yue Guan claimed he would use only the bodies of criminals who deserved death.
• Yue Guan brought Zhou You the body of an Evil Soul Master whose execution he had moved forward, and Zhou You agreed that the man could contribute to academic research.
• Zhou You prepared a private chamber for the dissection and recruited Yue Guan to assist by passing tools and recording observations.
• Zhou You dictated the experiment details, while Yue Guan recorded the Evil Soul Master's cause of death as drowning.

A paper on the five-layer structure of the human body and the nature of Mental Power appeared in the Spirit Hall Bulletin and caused a sensation among Soul Masters. In a library in Suotuo City, Yu Xiaogang was stunned by its contents and fiercely guarded the publication when Liu Erlong reached for it.

• Zhou You published his groundbreaking paper under a pen name with Yue Guan's help concealing his identity.
• Soul Masters across the continent read the paper, and high-ranking members of the Upper Three Sects began verifying its claims.
• The paper's explanation of Mental Power gave Soul Masters new insight into controlling their Martial Souls and Soul Power.
• Yu Xiaogang read the paper in the Suotuo City Spirit Hall library and muttered in amazement as its ideas clarified the five layers of the human body and the movement of Soul Power.
• Liu Erlong reached for the publication, but Yu Xiaogang clutched it and shouted for her not to touch it, drawing the library's attention.