Chapter Summaries

Fang Ling, a crippled beggar in Notting City, stole meat while hoping to become a Soul Master and learn what his mysterious Progress Bar would do. Two days later, the bar reached its final stage, but a mosquito bite interrupted his apparent awakening.

• Little Cripple stole meat from a butcher and told the shopkeeper he would repay him after becoming a Soul Master.
• Fang Ling recalled that he had crossed into the Douluo Continent from Blue Star, lived as a beggar for a year, and watched a mysterious Progress Bar slowly advance.
• Fang Ling explained that the bar would reach one hundred percent in two days, the same day as his Martial Soul awakening.
• Two days later, Fang Ling prepared for his fated moment and watched the Progress Bar reach its final stage.
• A flash of radiance washed over Fang Ling, but he slapped a mosquito on his face and snapped out of his reverie.

Fang Ling went to the Notting City Spirit Hall to awaken his Martial Soul and discovered that his cheat had become a stat-allocation panel. He left with a sickle Martial Soul and one Soul Power after spending his only point to raise it from zero.

• Fang Ling prayed for a good awakening, cleaned himself up, and headed to the Notting City Spirit Hall.
• At the Awakening Room, Fang Ling watched Su Yuntao identify other children's Martial Souls before his turn came.
• Su Yuntao awakened Fang Ling's Martial Soul as a sickle and sent him to test his Soul Power.
• Fang Ling saw that his Soul Power was zero, used his only point to raise it to one, and made the crystal ball glow faintly.
• Si Si recorded Fang Ling as having Level One Soul Power and told him the Spirit Hall could arrange an identity for him.
• Fang Ling waited in a side room and examined his panel, which listed his sickle's traits and showed that he had no points remaining.

Fang Ling studied his Stats Panel and realized he needed to find ways to gain points faster than its slow yearly progress. Su Yuntao gave him a certificate to enroll as a work-study student at Notting Academy, setting him on the path to becoming a Soul Master.

• Fang Ling reasoned that his Stats Panel granted one point after a year and guessed that talents would improve with his Martial Soul, Soul Rings, training, or Immortal Herbs.
• Fang Ling overheard Su Yuntao and Si Si discuss the day's awakenings and Yu Xiaogang's reputation.
• Su Yuntao questioned Fang Ling about his origins, and Fang Ling claimed to be from Barren Stone Village.
• Su Yuntao wrote Fang Ling a certificate identifying him as a six-year-old with a sickle Martial Soul and Level One Innate Soul Power, allowing him to enroll as a work-study student at Notting Academy.
• Fang Ling thanked Su Yuntao and left with the certificate, while Su Yuntao told Si Si he wanted to help the lively child escape beggary.

After awakening his Scythe Martial Soul with Level One Soul Power, Fang Ling celebrated and returned to his guarded courtyard, where he tried to learn how his newly revealed cheat worked. At midnight, a dark figure crept through the grass outside his home.

• Fang Ling showed his awakening certificate and Scythe Martial Soul to Fatty Han, who gave him meat on credit after learning he had Level One Soul Power.
• Fang Ling returned to his abandoned courtyard, checked his security marks, and set traps to defend his territory.
• Fang Ling cooked and ate the meat, then investigated how to gain points for his cheat without finding an answer.
• Fang Ling fell asleep, but a muffled cry of pain from outside woke him at midnight.
• Fang Ling cautiously looked out and spotted a dark figure moving through the tall grass.

Fang Ling killed the injured intruder with traps, quicklime, and his Agricultural Scythe, then discovered that killing advanced his Gray Progress Bar. He considered the Great Soul Arena and Slaughter City as alternatives to killing ordinary people, but concluded he would need to grow stronger and seek support, likely from Bibi Dong’s side.

• Fang Ling startled the injured intruder into stepping into another trap, which pierced his feet and shot a wooden arrow into his back.
• Fang Ling blinded the intruder with quicklime and cut his throat with his Agricultural Scythe, then retreated indoors as the man died.
• Fang Ling saw his Gray Progress Bar increase by one percent and realized killing could earn him points.
• Fang Ling calculated that killing ordinary people would provide progress too slowly and rejected indiscriminate slaughter.
• Fang Ling considered the Great Soul Arena and Slaughter City, then decided he would need to improve his combat strength and seek support, likely from Bibi Dong’s side.

After killing Old Beggar, Fang Ling discovered that killing any living creature increased his Progress Bar, though killing a rat yielded only a tiny gain. He decided to seek work at a Slaughterhouse to gain points by killing livestock and planned to ask the butcher-shop owner for help the next day.

• Fang Ling considered how to raise his rank and realized he needed to test whether killing creatures besides people could increase his Progress Bar.
• Fang Ling identified Old Beggar as the would-be assassin, buried his body, and kept his Dagger after spending the night disposing of the evidence.
• Fang Ling set rat traps, killed a rat with his Scythe Martial Soul, and saw his Progress Bar increase by one ten-thousandth.
• Fang Ling concluded that killing livestock would provide more points than killing rats and decided to ask the butcher-shop owner for a way into the Slaughterhouse.

Fang Ling asked Fatty to help him find work at the Slaughterhouse so he could earn money and gain experience handling blood. Old Liu agreed to take him on, and Fang Ling prepared to learn the slaughtering work.

• Fang Ling visited Fatty’s butcher shop and asked for help finding work at the Slaughterhouse.
• Fatty bought Fang Ling coarse linen clothes and led him outside the city to the Slaughterhouse.
• Fatty introduced Fang Ling to Uncle Liu, who agreed to take him in after hearing he could endure hardship.
• Fang Ling showed Old Liu his sickle Martial Soul and said he wanted to slaughter pigs himself.
• Old Liu began showing Fang Ling how to prepare for the work.

Fang Ling enrolled at Notting Academy after a month of slaughtering pigs to grow his Progress Bar. He entered Dormitory Seven and challenged its self-proclaimed boss, Wang Sheng, rather than agree to follow his orders.

• Fang Ling left the Dilapidated Courtyard and went to Notting Academy with his Soul Master certificate.
• The gatekeeper insulted Fang Ling and tried to bar his entry, but Fang Ling summoned his Scythe Martial Soul and frightened him into backing down.
• Fang Ling enrolled, received a Notting Academy uniform, and headed to Dormitory Seven.
• Fang Ling introduced himself to the dormitory students, and Wang Sheng declared himself the dormitory boss.
• Wang Sheng challenged Fang Ling to fight, and Fang Ling accepted rather than submit to his orders.

Fang Ling sparred with Wang Sheng to show the Work-Study Students he would not be easily bullied. He used his Scythe Martial Soul to catch Wang Sheng off guard, then held back after landing a blow, leaving Wang Sheng puzzled by his restraint.

• Wang Sheng offered Fang Ling his bed and agreed to spar with him.
• Fang Ling and Wang Sheng announced their Martial Souls and Soul Power Levels before the match.
• Wang Sheng activated his Battle Tiger Martial Soul and tried to knock Fang Ling's scythe aside.
• Fang Ling made his Scythe Martial Soul disappear, causing Wang Sheng to miss, then summoned it in his left hand.
• Fang Ling struck Wang Sheng's stomach with the back of the blade and chose not to pursue him.
• Wang Sheng asked why Fang Ling had held back, and Fang Ling said he could not beat him with Level One Soul Power.

Fang Ling settled in as a work-study student, met Yu Xiaogang in the cafeteria, and began balancing academy life with killing pigs and cultivating. He kept his contempt for Yu Xiaogang to himself because he hoped to rely on Bibi Dong and eventually use the City of Slaughter to advance.

• Fang Ling and Wang Sheng made peace, and Wang Sheng offered to show Fang Ling around and take him to eat.
• Teacher Mo Hen gave Fang Ling a rambling explanation of the work-study students’ rules before leaving Wang Sheng to guide him.
• At the cafeteria, Wang Sheng identified Yu Xiaogang as a level twenty-nine freeloader, while Fang Ling privately decided not to insult him because of Bibi Dong.
• After the opening ceremony, Fang Ling joined the work-study students and began attending classes, killing pigs at the slaughterhouse, sweeping floors, and cultivating at night.

After a year at the academy, Fang Ling reached Level Four Spirit Scholar and sought Teacher Song’s advice on choosing a future Soul Ring. Teacher Song warned him about the dangers of pursuing a Battle Spirit Master path and asked whether he would consider a weaker Hundred-Year Soul Beast instead.

• Fang Ling spent a year studying and slaughtering pigs, reaching Level Four Soul Power and improving his scythe skills.
• Fang Ling tried practicing a self-created Scythe Technique, but his specialization showed no change.
• Fang Ling approached Teacher Song and asked what Soul Ring he should prepare to obtain in the future.
• Fang Ling explained that he wanted a Battle Spirit Master path, with skills that improved his scythe’s Sharpness or Endurance.
• Teacher Song warned Fang Ling that the academy would not help him obtain dangerous Hundred-Year Spirit Rings and asked whether he would choose a relatively weak Hundred-Year Soul Beast instead.

Teacher Song advised Fang Ling to seek a Hundred Year Star-nosed Mole Spirit Ring to improve his nerve reflexes, and Fang Ling later met Tang San after Tang San defeated Wang Sheng. Fang Ling praised Tang San and hoped to maintain a friendly relationship with him and Xiao Wu.

• Teacher Song explained that Fang Ling's sickle was already sharp and recommended a Hundred Year Star-nosed Mole Spirit Ring to strengthen his nerve reflexes.
• Fang Ling thanked Teacher Song and left with the book's guidance in mind.
• Four days later, Fang Ling returned to the dormitory and saw Tang San defeat Wang Sheng with precise techniques.
• Fang Ling introduced himself to Tang San, praised his fighting, and decided to stay on good terms with him and Xiao Wu.

Fang Ling shared braised meat with the work-study students and watched Tang San and Xiao Wu fight over the dormitory leadership. He offered to bring Xiao Wu free meat from the slaughterhouse, while keeping his distance from her and Tang San.

• Fang Ling gave the work-study students braised meat and persuaded Tang San to accept a bowl in exchange for protecting them.
• Xiao Wu arrived at Dormitory Seven, introduced herself, and challenged Tang San to a fight.
• Xiao Wu defeated Tang San with her Soft Skill, becoming the dormitory boss as Fang Ling closely studied their moves.
• Fang Ling served Xiao Wu braised meat, and she asked him about the blood smell from his slaughterhouse work.
• Fang Ling offered to bring Xiao Wu free meat, and she accepted on the condition that he wash off the smell afterward.

Fang Ling fed the Work-Study Students, then continued practicing his scythe and movement techniques while Tang San and Xiao Wu advanced at the academy. A month later, while Fang Ling was visiting the slaughterhouse, a pig broke free and charged into the workers’ attempts to restrain it.

• Fang Ling washed the bowls after sharing braised meat with Tang San, Xiao Wu, and the other Work-Study Students.
• Fang Ling trained alone in the muddy grove, improving his scythe handling and movement technique despite injuring himself.
• Tang San obtained his Soul Ring, Xiao Wu became a Soul Master, and the Work-Study Students gained relief after their battle with the upperclassmen.
• Fang Ling continued developing his techniques and arrived at the slaughterhouse, where Grandpa Liu and the other workers welcomed him.
• A rope snapped while one worker was restraining a pig, and the animal broke free as the workers struggled to stop it.

Fang Ling killed a charging pig and unlocked Scythe Technique and Battle Maniac specializations, deciding to pursue close-combat mastery. After returning to the Academy with pork, he served Xiao Wu and Tang San his new dish, stir-fried pork intestines.

• A rope snapped and a pig charged Fang Ling, who summoned his Scythe Martial Soul, wounded it, and brought it down.
• Fang Ling's Stats Panel revealed Scythe Technique Lv1 and Battle Maniac Lvmax, inspiring him to train for close-combat supremacy and develop a Body Technique.
• Old Liu checked that Fang Ling was unharmed, and Fang Ling continued helping with the pigs before returning early to the Academy with meat and offal.
• Fang Ling brought stir-fried pork intestines to the dormitory and woke Xiao Wu, who hesitated to try the dish.
• Xiao Wu urged the returning Tang San to taste Fang Ling's cooking, and Tang San reluctantly agreed.

After reaching Level 5, Fang Ling devoted more time to training his Scythe Technique and began developing a Movement Technique. Watching Tang San move inspired Fang Ling to imitate him, and Fang Ling gained Movement Technique Lv1.

• Fang Ling and Xiao Wu enjoyed his cooking, and three months passed as Fang Ling reached Level 5.
• With Xiao Wu's help, Fang Ling stopped sweeping and spent more time practicing, improving his Scythe Technique and training his Movement Technique among padded trees.
• Tang San found Fang Ling training and, despite privately dismissing his awkward movements, told him they looked pretty good and reminded him that Teacher would inspect them that night.
• After Tang San left, Fang Ling tried to imitate his graceful movement, found the knack after several falls, and gained Movement Technique Lv1 on his Stats Panel.

Fang Ling was ambushed by a pale young man with a Bat Spirit while heading to the slaughterhouse, but lured him into the forest and turned to counterattack. He recognized his attacker as a rookie Soul Master, though the chapter ended before he identified him by name.

• Fang Ling spent a month coordinating the Scythe Technique with his body technique and gained confidence in his ability to fight Wang Sheng.
• On the way to the slaughterhouse, Fang Ling found a pale young man lying by the roadside and became suspicious when the man offered him a Gold Soul Coin for help.
• The young man revealed his hostility and chased Fang Ling, who guessed that his pursuer was a Soul Master and fled into the dense woods.
• The young man used Martial Soul Possession and Ultrasonic Wave to track Fang Ling, but the forest slowed his pursuit.
• Fang Ling abruptly turned and attacked with his sickle; the young man blocked with a Steel Claw after activating his Yellow Spirit Ring.
• Fang Ling recognized the young man's Bat Spirit and familiar appearance, and realized he had seen him before.

Fang Ling killed a Fallen Spirit Master and gained a point that raised his Soul Power to level six. Three members of Spirit Hall’s Angel Legion Demon Hunt Camp arrived, and their captain introduced himself as Qian Yao.

• Fang Ling recognized the sickly young man as a Fallen Spirit Master and fought him in the woods.
• Fang Ling struck the man between the legs, trapped his arm against the branches, and killed him with a slash to the neck.
• Fang Ling gained one point for killing a Soul Master and spent it to raise his Soul Power from level five to level six.
• Qian Yao, Qian Chaolong, and Qian Feiguang arrived and found Fang Ling beside the corpse.
• Qian Yao introduced the group as members of Spirit Hall’s Angel Legion Demon Hunt Camp, and Fang Ling said he studied at Notting Academy.

After killing a Fallen Spirit Master, Fang Ling received a reward and an official certificate, but Spirit Hall Academy rejected him because his Innate Soul Power was only level one. He returned to the slaughterhouse in high spirits, still wondering how many points he would need to advance.

• Qian Yao examined Fang Ling, confirmed he was not tainted by evil Soul Power, and refused to recommend him to Spirit Hall Academy because of his low Innate Soul Power.
• Qian Yao gave Fang Ling twenty Gold Soul Coins and a certified record of his victory over a one-ring Fallen Spirit Master.
• Qian Yao revealed that the dead bat Spirit Master's teacher, a Fallen Soul Ancestor, had already been killed by the Demon Hunt Squad, reassuring Fang Ling that no avenger would come after him.
• Fang Ling left with his reward and certificate, celebrated the points he had earned, and wondered whether becoming a Soul Master would require many more points.
• Fang Ling returned late to the slaughterhouse and told Old Liu that he had fallen, reassuring him that he was fine.

Fang Ling reached Soul Power level ten, applied for early graduation, and joined Notting Academy’s Spirit Ring Acquisition Conference before setting his sights on an Intermediate Spirit Master Academy. As Tang San dismissed Fang Ling’s potential to Xiao Wu, the graduating students prepared to enter a wider world.

• Fang Ling’s Soul Power reached level ten, and he saved two Points while choosing not to upgrade his Martial Soul or risk an unusually powerful Soul Ring.
• Fang Ling applied for early graduation so he could continue to an Intermediate Spirit Master Academy and eventually reach Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
• At the annual Spirit Ring Acquisition Conference, Fang Ling stood among fourteen students eligible to obtain spirit rings, though he was the only third-year and work-study student.
• Xiao Wu asked Tang San when they could graduate, and Tang San reassured her that they could wait because their cultivation was not limited by the academy.
• Tang San told Xiao Wu that Fang Ling’s ordinary Scythe Martial Soul and Innate Level One Soul Power would restrict his future, prompting Xiao Wu to feel the world’s cruelty and lean against Tang San.