Chapter Summaries

Gu You explained Douluo Continent’s empires, sects, and Soul Beast regions to Tang San. He finished describing the major gathering places, including the Endless Ocean.

• Gu You told Tang San about the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires, their royal clans, and Spirit Hall’s subsidies for Soul Masters.
• Gu You explained the Upper Three Sects and Lower Four Sects, including their strengths and political ties, while Tang San asked about Martial Soul Fusion Skills.
• Gu You described the Star Dou Great Forest, Extreme North, Death Desert, Storm Rift, Misty Wetland, and Blazing Archipelago as major Soul Beast regions.
• Gu You concluded his account by warning that the Endless Ocean surrounded the continent and held unknown dangers for humans.

Gu You completed tests of his and Tang San’s Martial Souls and selected Wild Hunt Wolves and Lightning-Struck Wood as promising Soul Ring sources. He explained the beasts’ traits and the possible Soul Skills they could provide, leaving their hunt ahead.

• Gu You explained how Spirit Hall’s guarded Spirit Beast Forests worked and how Soul Masters could obtain tokens and assistance there.
• Gu You tested the Martial Souls’ strength, speed, range, and other qualities over two days, then sent Tang San to request leave and return later.
• During Tang San’s three days away, he and Xiao Wu spoke more often, and Tang San stopped calling her Sister Xiao Wu.
• Tang San returned to find Gu You presenting a detailed Blackboard chart of their Martial Soul tests and recommended Soul Beasts.
• Gu You described Wild Hunt Wolves’ tracking and hunting traits and explained that Lightning-Struck Wood Soul Rings could strengthen vitality or defense.

Tang San gave Gu You a handwritten copy of the Mysterious Heaven Skill to repay his friendship, and Gu You found that it helped his Soul Power flow more smoothly. Gu You and Tang San prepared to hunt Soul Beasts for their first Soul Rings the next day, while Xiao Wu quietly withdrew from the excited students.

• Gu You told Tang San that he had found suitable Soul Beasts in the Spirit Beast Forest and arranged for Grandpa Ma Xiunuo and Brother Tao to take them there.
• Tang San gave Gu You a copy of the Mysterious Heaven Skill and explained that his teacher had taught it to him.
• Gu You read the manual and tested the technique, sensing that his Soul Power flowed more smoothly than with the standard method.
• Gu You and Tang San packed their things and returned to the dormitory after dinner at Spirit Hall.
• Gu You told Xiao Wu and the other Work-Study Students that he and Tang San would hunt Soul Rings the next day, and Xiao Wu withdrew from the group looking sorrowful.

Gu You and Tang San traveled with Ma Xiunuo to the Spirit Beast Forest, where they prepared for a Soul Beast hunt and learned about Soul Tools. In Spirit City, Bibi Dong learned that the three children with Innate Full Soul Power from Nuoding had refused Spirit Hall and ordered that Gu You’s future articles be brought to her.

• Gu You and Tang San packed weapons, traps, and medicines before Ma Xiunuo drove them toward the Spirit Beast Forest and taught them survival precautions along the way.
• The group reached Hunting Soul Town, where Ma Xiunuo explained its supplies and Soul Master teams before showing them his Storage Soul Tool.
• Ma Xiunuo described different Soul Tools and hinted that joining Spirit Hall could offer Gu You and Tang San a better future, but Gu You declined.
• A report told Bibi Dong that Nuoding Spirit Hall had awakened three children with Innate Full Soul Power: one with Ultimate Conductor Tyranno, one with Soft Bone Rabbit, and one with Blue Silver Grass.
• After learning that all three had refused Spirit Hall’s invitation, Bibi Dong read Ma Xiunuo’s confidential letter and ordered Gui Mei to send her any future articles by Gu You for review.

Gu You and Tang San entered the Spirit Beast Forest with Ma Xiunuo and Su Yuntao to hunt for Soul Rings, and Gu You warned that Soul Beasts would eventually become extinct as Soul Masters multiplied. Gu You resolved to find a way to cultivate Soul Power without Soul Rings, and Tang San offered to help, unaware that a creature was watching them from the bushes.

• Ma Xiunuo led Gu You, Tang San, and Su Yuntao through the fortified wall and open grassland to the edge of the Spirit Beast Forest.
• Gu You and Tang San checked their weapons before Su Yuntao led them into the forest, where Gu You directed the group southeast toward the East District to find Tang San a Soul Ring.
• Gu You, Su Yuntao, and Ma Xiunuo explained Soul Beasts and their habitats to Tang San as they traveled through the forest.
• Gu You argued that Soul Masters' growing numbers and rapid reproduction would eventually exhaust the slowly growing Soul Beast population.
• Gu You vowed to find a way to advance Soul Power without Soul Rings, and Tang San quietly promised to help him.
• A pair of green eyes watched the group from behind a bush.

Gu You and the others encountered a Hunting Wolf while searching for the Lightning-Struck Wood, and the wolf attacked after they prepared for battle. Gu You lost control to the fury of his Martial Soul, killed the wolf, and left a yellow Soul Ring behind.

• Ma Xiunuo called for a rest after the group had traveled for two hours, and a noise from the forest alerted them to danger.
• Su Yuntao and Ma Xiunuo activated their Martial Souls as a Hunting Wolf emerged, and Gu You identified it as the Soul Beast he needed.
• Su Yuntao struck the Hunting Wolf with his Steel Claw and Lone Wolf Assault, but the wolf counterattacked and sent him crashing into the river.
• Ma Xiunuo urged Gu You to activate his Martial Soul, and Gu You transformed into the Ultimate Conductor Tyranno before charging the wolf in a fury.
• Gu You dodged the wolf's movement, struck its waist with his tail, and killed it by tearing open its abdomen and crushing its heart.
• A yellow Soul Ring emerged from the dead Hunting Wolf as Gu You roared.

Gu You killed the Hundred-Year Soul Beast Hunting Wolf and absorbed its Soul Ring, becoming a Soul Master. He emerged with control over his strange golden eyes and a Soul Skill he believed suited him best.

• Gu You killed Hunting Wolf in a few breaths, astonishing Tang San, Su Yuntao, and Ma Xiunuo.
• Gu You washed off the blood and began absorbing Hunting Wolf's Soul Ring while Ma Xiunuo and Su Yuntao protected him.
• Ma Xiunuo explained to Tang San how Soul Master Teams and protective measures helped keep Soul Ring absorption safe.
• Gu You saw the Ultimate Conductor Tyranno and a world of dinosaurs in a vision as he absorbed the Soul Ring.
• Gu You emerged from the tent, revealed that he had become a Soul Master, and said he had obtained a fitting Soul Skill.

Gu You explained that his First Soul Skill, Survival Instinct, was shaped by his will and the battle that preceded it. He left the group considering how a Soul Master’s will could influence Soul Skill formation, beyond the traits of a Soul Beast and the nature of a Martial Soul.

• Ma Xiunuo criticized Gu You for drawing his short sword instead of using Martial Soul Possession, fighting alone, and neglecting teamwork.
• Gu You reflected on how Ultimate Conductor Tyranno’s combat instincts had made him feel like a puppet, then slapped himself and resolved not to become enslaved to power.
• Tang San asked Gu You about his First Soul Skill, and Gu You described Survival Instinct as enhancing combat instincts, basic attributes, and self-healing.
• Ma Xiunuo shared the effects and Soul Beast origins of his Heavy Strike and Sweep skills, which Gu You used as examples of Soul Beast traits adapted to a Martial Soul.
• Gu You argued that a Soul Master’s will could also shape Soul Skills, citing his own skill and the White Tiger Martial Soul’s consistent first three skills in the Dai Clan.

Gu You explained his theory that a Soul Master's expectations and development direction could influence the Soul Skills they obtained, and described the fear and determination behind his own Survival Instinct. At camp, Tang San asked Gu You to predict his Blue Silver Grass Soul Skill from the Lightning-Struck Wood, and Gu You predicted an ability tied to vitality and absorbing nutrients from the ground.

• Gu You proposed that the Dai Clan's expectations helped shape their White Tiger Soul Skills, while Ma Xiunuo agreed that Soul Skills generally matched a Soul Master's development direction.
• Gu You said his Survival Instinct reflected his desperate desire to survive and win, leaving Su Yuntao and the others silent as they continued their journey.
• Tang San wondered whether Gu You's theory meant his own Soul Skill could be influenced by what he expected from the Lightning-Struck Wood.
• After the group made camp, Tang San asked Gu You to predict his Soul Skill and volunteered to test the theory.
• Gu You predicted that Tang San's Blue Silver Grass would gain a Soul Skill that absorbed nutrients from the ground to enhance vitality and strengthen the Martial Soul, with possible Lightning Attribute resistance.

Tang San obtained his second soul ring by sawing through a lightning-struck wood, while Gu You discovered a rare spirit bone in the fallen tree. Ma Xiunuo and Su Yuntao kept the spirit bone safe for Tang San, and the group prepared to return to Nuoding City.

• The group found the lightning-struck wood, and Tang San sawed through it until it died and released a yellow soul ring.
• While Tang San adjusted his state to absorb the soul ring, Gu You found an emerald-green right leg spirit bone inside the fallen tree.
• Gu You offered the spirit bone to Ma Xiunuo as thanks, and Ma Xiunuo and Su Yuntao resisted the temptation to keep it for themselves.
• Ma Xiunuo wrapped and stored the spirit bone, then told Gu You to keep quiet about it and wait with Tang San in the basement after they returned to Nuoding City.
• Tang San finished absorbing the soul ring and emerged from the tent, saying that he had succeeded too.

Tang San tested his new Soul Skill, which restored physical strength and Soul Power through Blue Silver Grass, while Gu You’s group left the Spirit Beast Forest and returned to Nuoding City. Ma Xiunuo told Gu You and Tang San to meet him in the basement the next afternoon, and Gu You hinted that something important had happened.

• Tang San confirmed that his Soul Skill had worked as Gu You expected, and a black-robed man watched the group leave before destroying the fallen Lightning-Struck Wood.
• Tang San demonstrated that his First Soul Skill could draw energy from the earth and transfer restored life force, physical strength, and Soul Power to others.
• Gu You asked Tang San to support all three men as they hurried through the forest, and Tang San nearly exhausted his Soul Power before recovering when he touched the ground.
• Spirit Hall guards escorted the group out of the forest, and Ma Xiunuo arranged for them to rest before they returned to Nuoding City.
• Ma Xiunuo told Gu You and Tang San to meet him in the basement the next afternoon, and Gu You refused to tell Tang San what had happened until then.

Gu You and Tang San returned to the academy as newly titled Soul Masters, where Xiao Wu revealed her Waist Bow Soul Skill and insisted she was a Power Attack System Soul Master. After Gu You criticized her development path, Xiao Wu agreed to hear his analysis at Spirit Hall the day after tomorrow.

• Gu You and Tang San reported to Teacher Mo Hen that they had obtained Hundred-Year Soul Rings and become Soul Masters.
• The Work-Study Students welcomed them back, and Wang Sheng explained that Xiao Chenyu had been pestering Xiao Wu.
• Xiao Wu said she was already a One-Ring Soul Master and described her Waist Bow Soul Skill.
• Gu You mocked Xiao Wu for choosing the Power Attack System, while Tang San defended her and asked Gu You to analyze her Martial Soul.
• Xiao Wu agreed to hear Gu You's Martial Soul analysis at Spirit Hall the day after tomorrow.

Gu You and Tang San encountered Yu Xiaogang, whose criticism of Tang San’s first Soul Ring confirmed their distrust of him. At Spirit Hall, Ma Xiunuo gave Tang San the Lightning-Struck Wood Left Leg Bone that Gu You had found, leaving the boys to decide how to use it.

• Tang San told Yu Xiaogang that he and Gu You had obtained Soul Rings from Lightning-Struck Wood and a Hunting Wolf, and Yu Xiaogang scorned Tang San’s choice.
• Gu You stopped Tang San from revealing their discoveries to Yu Xiaogang, warning that Yu Xiaogang might take credit for Gu You’s theories.
• Tang San reconsidered Yu Xiaogang’s changing attitude and thanked Gu You for preventing him from making a serious mistake.
• Ma Xiunuo brought Gu You and Tang San into the basement, where Gu You showed him his Martial Soul analysis boards and research notes.
• Ma Xiunuo gave Tang San the Lightning-Struck Wood Left Leg Bone that Gu You had found, explaining that Tang San and Gu You should decide how to use it.

Gu You explained his theories about Spirit Bone abilities and returned the Lightning-Struck Wood Left Leg Bone to Tang San, who hesitated to absorb the century-old treasure. Tang San agreed to lend it to Gu You for study until he decided what to do with it.

• Gu You and Tang San discussed Ma Xiunuo and Su Yuntao giving them the Spirit Bone, and Tang San complained that Gu You had hidden the matter from him.
• Gu You presented records about Spirit Bones and explained his deductions about how their abilities differed from Soul Skills and reflected a Soul Beast’s traits.
• Gu You predicted that the Lightning-Struck Wood Left Leg Bone would most likely grant a defensive ability, with lightning resistance or vitality enhancement as less likely possibilities.
• Tang San weighed the potential benefits of absorbing the century-old Spirit Bone against waiting for a better one, and Gu You offered to study it instead.
• Tang San lent the Spirit Bone to Gu You, who proposed hiding it in a broken chest beneath discarded Soul Tools.

Gu You completed tests of Tang San and Xiao Wu’s Martial Souls and Soul Skills, then concluded that Xiao Wu should shift from a Power Attack System to an Agility Attack System. He left the story poised to explain how the Soft Bone Rabbit’s development should change.

• Gu You planned another round of tests and settled on Rooting as the name of Tang San’s First Soul Skill.
• Tang San agreed to look for work at a blacksmith shop, while Gu You considered his research, a Spirit Hall article, and the dangers posed by Tang Hao.
• Gu You tested Tang San and Xiao Wu over several days, and the Work-Study Students’ fight with the nobles unfolded as it had in the original story.
• Gu You invited Tang San and Xiao Wu to the Spirit Hall, where Xiao Wu registered as a Soul Master and collected her subsidy.
• Gu You showed the updated Martial Soul charts and advised Xiao Wu to develop as an Agility Attack System Soul Master rather than a Power Attack System Soul Master.

Gu You explained why Xiao Wu’s Soft Bone Rabbit was poorly suited to the Power Attack System and proposed a combat style centered on speed, perception, and leg attacks. Xiao Wu accepted his advice and asked about her later development, but Gu You said she could decide for herself after graduation.

• Xiao Wu objected to becoming an Agility Attack System Soul Master, so Gu You showed the class a Soft Bone Rabbit and explained its abilities using his Six-Dimensional Chart.
• Gu You warned Xiao Wu that developing as a Power Attack System Soul Master would leave her unable to fulfill the role’s duties or protect herself at higher levels, and Tang San comforted her when she became upset.
• Xiao Wu asked Gu You what she should do, and he advised her to make kicking her main form of attack while using Waist Bow to generate force.
• Gu You recommended a Six-Eared Rabbit for Xiao Wu’s second Soul Ring to improve her perception, followed by a Sonic Boom Rabbit to strengthen and protect her legs and increase her speed and explosive power.
• When Xiao Wu asked what she should do after that, Gu You said she could do whatever she wanted after graduation.

Xiao Wu agreed to help Gu You with Martial Soul research in exchange for his guidance, provided he used only rabbit Soul Beasts for her Soul Rings, protected her, and did not harm Soul Beasts carelessly. After Tang San and Xiao Wu left, Gu You began considering a research topic and wondered whether criticizing the Grandmaster would put him in danger.

• Gu You asked Xiao Wu to join his Martial Soul research project, and Tang San vouched for Gu You's expertise by describing his advice on Martial Souls and Soul Skills.
• Xiao Wu agreed to become Gu You's research assistant, but required rabbit Soul Beasts for her Soul Rings, a guarantee of her safety, and care toward Soul Beasts.
• Gu You told Xiao Wu to visit him each afternoon for lessons, then dismissed her and Tang San when she objected to his implication that she needed to learn the basics.
• Tang San told Gu You he had found a blacksmith's shop and agreed to test which metals conducted Soul Power best.
• Gu You gave Tang San a Gold Soul Coin to deliver to Niu Dazhuang for his grandfather and asked him to explain that he could now support himself through the Soul Master subsidy.
• After Tang San and Xiao Wu departed, Gu You considered a topic for his research submission and worried that attacking the Grandmaster's work could get him killed.

In the basement, Gu You explained why he considered Soul Masters weapons and proposed a more detailed classification of their combat roles. He left Xiao Wu with his revised system, including a breakdown of Power Attack System Soul Masters.

• Gu You startled Xiao Wu by posing and laughing in candlelight before beginning a lesson on Soul Master types.
• Gu You argued that Soul Masters gained status and wealth through their power to take lives, and Xiao Wu listened in astonishment.
• Gu You criticized the existing classifications and grouped Food System and Healing System under Support System, and Defense System under Power Attack System.
• Gu You divided Power Attack System Soul Masters into Stall-Type and Armor-Piercing types, with further distinctions for ranged and close-combat fighters.
• Gu You classified himself as a close-combat Stall-Type Power Attack System Soul Master.

Gu You explained his revised Soul Master classifications and how they shaped team tactics, then described the history and rules of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament. He declared his goal of redefining Soul Master types and revolutionizing team tactics.

• Gu You classified Xiao Wu as a Melee DPS Agility Attack Soul Master and outlined specialized roles within the Control and Support systems.
• Gu You explained that Soul Master Teams combined different types to cover one another’s weaknesses, and Xiao Wu identified the roles missing from their group.
• Gu You showed Xiao Wu old tournament newspapers and explained how the competition developed and influenced team formations.
• Gu You said his first goal was to redefine Soul Master types and bring new possibilities to the profession.

Gu You completed an article proposing new Soul Master classifications, six-dimensional assessments, and team tactics, then asked Ma Xiunuo to submit it to Martial Soul Daily. The chapter ended with Gu You confident that his research would change the Soul Master world.

• Gu You recruited Level 9 students through Xiao Wu to gather data for his research, paying them with money borrowed from Brother Tao.
• After a month and a half of work, Gu You finished his article and called Tang San to read it.
• Tang San praised the article’s potential to guide Soul Master development and team tactics, and he and Gu You celebrated their progress.
• Gu You, Tang San, and Xiao Wu asked Ma Xiunuo to help submit the article to Martial Soul Daily.
• Gu You placed the finished article on Ma Xiunuo’s desk and declared that it would change the Soul Master world.