Chapter Summaries

After a peaceful stretch at the academy, Gu You tested how Soul Power affected his Martial Soul and Soul Skill. He discovered that his First Soul Skill became dangerous when released without a target and learned to use partial Martial Soul Possession.

• Gu You, Xiao Wu, and Wang Sheng played at being rival weapon users while cleaning the academy grounds.
• Gu You gathered Tang San and Xiao Wu and had them release their Soul Power into the ground, then hurried to Spirit Hall after studying the resulting pits.
• Gu You mapped connections between Soul Power, Martial Souls, Soul Rings, and Soul Skills on a blackboard.
• Gu You released his First Soul Skill without a target, briefly succumbing to its destructive urge before cutting off his Soul Power.
• Gu You failed to manifest his Soul Ring without full Martial Soul Possession but discovered he could partially manifest his Martial Soul.

Gu You explained his theories about the connection between Martial Souls, Soul Power, and Soul Skills, leading Xiao Wu to ask whether a Soul Skill could revive her mother. He told her that resurrection was impossible because too much time had passed, and Xiao Wu broke down sobbing.

• Tang San arrived at the Spirit Hall and found Xiao Wu scolding Gu You over the disorganized papers in his storage room.
• Gu You proposed that his next paper would examine Martial Souls and Soul Power, then outlined how Soul Power enhanced Martial Souls and how Soul Rings granted Soul Skills.
• Tang San told Xiao Wu that Gu You had predicted the effect of his first Soul Skill, prompting Xiao Wu to wonder whether a Soul Skill could bring her mother back to life.
• Xiao Wu revealed her wish to return to the Star Dou Great Forest with her mother, Da Ming, and Er Ming, rather than seek revenge on the woman who killed her mother.
• Gu You explained that resurrection might theoretically work only immediately after death, so Xiao Wu's mother could not be revived after her body decayed and her soul dissipated.
• Xiao Wu covered her face, crouched down, and began to sob.

Tang San asked whether his Blue Silver Grass could resurrect his mother, and Gu You explained the demanding conditions such a feat would require. The chapter ended with Tang San accepting the uncertainty, while Xiao Wu realized that her mother’s Soul Ring and Spirit Bone might make resurrection possible.

• Tang San quietly asked Gu You whether his Blue Silver Grass could resurrect someone, hoping to bring back his mother, Ah Yin.
• Gu You said resurrection might be possible if Tang San became a Title Douluo and focused his Soul Rings on life force, body repair, and a way to recall a soul.
• Gu You explained that a soul-preserving power would be exceptionally difficult to obtain, but suggested a powerful Soul Beast’s Soul Ring might retain its consciousness and soul.
• Tang San assumed Gu You was trying to comfort him and resolved to cherish his present life with his father and trusted friend.
• Xiao Wu realized that Ah Yin’s Soul Ring and Spirit Bone, along with Tang San’s future abilities, might allow her mother to be resurrected.

Gu You explained how Martial Souls and Soul Rings affect the flow and power of Soul Power, using the trio’s experiment to support his theory. Tang San realized that Soul Rings altered Martial Souls by transferring a Soul Beast’s traits through Soul Power, while Gu You’s Ultimate Conductor Tyranno gave his Soul Power greater strength.

• Gu You asked Tang San and Xiao Wu whether they had filled in the pits from their morning experiment, and Xiao Wu said they had left them untouched.
• Gu You compared the pits they had made and pointed out that his was largest despite his having reached Soul Power rank 12 after Tang San and Xiao Wu.
• Xiao Wu suggested their different Martial Souls explained the results, and Gu You presented his model of how Soul Power flowed through a Martial Soul and Soul Ring to release a Soul Skill.
• Gu You demonstrated Martial Soul Possession and a burst of force, then explained how Soul Power moved into a Soul Ring and returned through the Martial Soul.
• Tang San tested the process and sensed Soul Power flowing out of and back into his Martial Soul, while Xiao Wu questioned the significance of the discovery.
• Tang San inferred that Soul Power carried Soul Beast traits from a Soul Ring into a Martial Soul, and Gu You said those traits also explained why Soul Power differed in strength between Martial Souls.

Gu You explained how a Soul Master’s Martial Soul shaped their Soul Power and why Self-Created Soul Skills were difficult for others to learn. The trio discovered Tang San’s Soul Power had rapidly grown Blue Silver Grass, and Gu You warned him to protect the possibility of resurrection before promising to find a way.

• Gu You explained that Soul Power carried different properties depending on the Martial Soul, which made most Self-Created Soul Skills impossible for outsiders to learn.
• Tang San considered sharing the Tang Sect Secret Arts, but Gu You refused to accept them without a fair trade; Gu You also warned Xiao Wu not to reveal Tang San’s Self-Created Soul Skill.
• Xiao Wu demanded her share of the article royalties, and Tang San explained that publication in the Martial Soul Daily could take several months.
• The trio found Tang San’s test hole covered in flourishing Blue Silver Grass, and Gu You concluded that the grass had absorbed the vitality in Tang San’s Soul Power.
• Gu You told Tang San to avoid offensive Soul Rings and to avoid using or strengthening his left-hand power, since either might affect the Soul Power needed for resurrection.

An article by Gu You proposing a new classification of Soul Masters reached Bibi Dong through Martial Soul Daily. Bibi Dong ordered confidential experiments based on it and arranged for a child to observe the Spirit Hall Team’s training.

• Lao Zhang dismissed Gu You’s unusual submissions until he read the article on Soul Master classification and team tactics, then urged the editor-in-chief to make it a front-page feature.
• The editor-in-chief recognized Gu You’s name and the article’s importance, kept it from publication, and carried it to Bibi Dong.
• Bibi Dong read the article and ordered Ghost Douluo to have the Spirit Hall Team’s leader test its ideas and report the results confidentially.
• Bibi Dong told the editor-in-chief to publish the article after next year’s Martial Soul Tournament without revealing Gu You’s address, and rewarded him with a thousand Gold Soul Coins.
• Bibi Dong asked Yue Guan about the child’s progress and ordered him to take her to observe the team’s training camp and read the article.

Hu Liena joined the Martial Soul Hall Team’s training under Yang Shan to study Gu You’s new soul master classification and tactical ideas. She recognized the article’s value and began learning the tactics Spirit Hall hoped to use in the upcoming tournament.

• Chrysanthemum Douluo told Hu Liena that Bibi Dong had arranged for her to train with the tournament team, and Xie Yue brought her steamed buns before leaving for class.
• Chrysanthemum Douluo brought Hu Liena to the training grounds and assigned her to study under team leader Yang Shan.
• Yang Shan asked Hu Liena how her Demon Fox Martial Soul controlled the battlefield, then gave her Gu You’s article to read.
• Hu Liena praised the article’s Six-Dimensional Chart and revised classifications, especially its tactical combinations.
• Yang Shan explained that Hu Liena was expected to become the team’s future strategist and urged her to master the tactics before the tournament.

Gu You and Tang San finished their training and prepared to return to Holy Soul Village for the holiday, with Xiao Wu joining them. Old Jack arrived to pick them up and learned that Xiao Wu planned to visit the village too.

• Tang San defeated Gu You with a combination of Grass Field and Grass Knot, then restored his strength with Blue Silver Grass.
• Their teacher announced the holiday, and Gu You and Tang San planned to return to Holy Soul Village.
• Xiao Wu said she had nowhere to go and asked to travel with them, so she packed her belongings.
• Gu You packed food for Old Jack, who arrived at the academy with a horse-drawn carriage.
• Tang San introduced Xiao Wu to Old Jack as their classmate who wanted to visit Holy Soul Village.

Gu You, Tang San, and Xiao Wu returned to Holy Soul Village with Old Jack, sharing jokes and memories along the way. Tang San arrived home eager to see Tang Hao, but found a letter saying his father had left and would not be found, so he began cleaning the house with Gu You and Xiao Wu.

• Old Jack agreed to bring Xiao Wu to Holy Soul Village, and Xiao Wu coaxed stories about Gu You's childhood from him during the trip.
• Gu You and Tang San teased each other as the group approached the village, and Gu You excitedly announced his return.
• Tang San hurried home and called for Tang Hao, but found the blacksmith shop empty and disordered.
• Tang San discovered Tang Hao's letter saying he had left, telling Tang San not to look for him, and urging him to choose his own path.
• Tang San folded the letter and began cleaning, while Gu You fetched water and Xiao Wu helped clear the room.

Tang Hao confronted Yu Xiaogang at Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy and ordered him to stop pursuing Tang San as a student. He left Yu Xiaogang shaken and humiliated, convinced that Gu You was better suited to guide Tang San.

• Yu Xiaogang welcomed a gray-robed visitor, who revealed himself as Tang Hao.
• Tang Hao identified Tang San as his son and warned Yu Xiaogang not to pester him.
• Tang Hao unleashed his murderous aura, knocking Yu Xiaogang to the floor and frightening him.
• Yu Xiaogang insisted he was the best teacher for Tang San, but Tang Hao said Gu You was more suitable.
• Tang Hao withheld Gu You's name to protect him and left after repeating his warning.

After Tang Hao left, Yu Xiaogang vowed revenge and departed Nuoding City to join Flender at Shrek Academy. In Holy Soul Village, Gu You and Xiao Wu found Tang San devastated by his father’s departure, and Gu You reassured him that they were brothers and he would not abandon him.

• After Tang Hao left, Yu Xiaogang smashed his belongings and vowed to cripple Tang San and Gu You in the future.
• Yu Xiaogang decided to seek out Flender at Shrek Academy and left Nuoding City that night.
• Tang San sat outside the blacksmith shop, wondering whether Tang Hao had abandoned him and whether he should give up becoming a Soul Master.
• Gu You and Xiao Wu sat beside Tang San, and Gu You slapped him to bring him out of his daze.
• Gu You told Tang San that Tang Hao might return someday and promised that he would always stand by him as his brother.

Tang San asked Gu You and Xiao Wu to become his family, driven by his loneliness and longing after his father left. Gu You agreed to remain Tang San’s brother, and Xiao Wu accepted the role of his younger sister, while Gu You made clear that he would not call Tang San Big Brother.

• Gu You and Xiao Wu encouraged Tang San to keep going and reminded him that he had friends beside him.
• Xiao Wu offered to become Tang San’s elder sister, but Tang San said he would rather have her as his younger sister.
• Tang San led Gu You and Xiao Wu up the mountain and asked Gu You to become his brother and Xiao Wu to become his younger sister.
• Gu You agreed to be Tang San’s brother, reasoning that refusing could ruin their bond and endanger the people around them.
• Xiao Wu asked what Tang San would do if powerful enemies came after her, and Tang San vowed they would have to kill him first.
• Xiao Wu called Tang San Big Brother, and Tang San promised to protect her; Gu You clarified that he would keep their usual forms of address.

Gu You brought Tang San and Xiao Wu home after they became family, and Old Jack welcomed them warmly. As Tang San found comfort in his new family, he vowed to protect their home at any cost.

• Xiao Wu asked not to call Tang San Brother, and Tang San agreed that she and Gu You could keep using their usual names for him.
• Gu You remembered Old Jack was waiting for him, so he led Tang San and Xiao Wu down the mountain to his home.
• Old Jack welcomed the three inside, and Tang San explained that although Tang Hao had left, he now had Gu You and Xiao Wu as family.
• Gu You teased Xiao Wu about being his younger sister, and Old Jack made him apologize after Xiao Wu complained.
• Tang San felt accepted as part of the family and vowed to protect their home, even if it cost him everything.

During winter break, Gu You taught Tang San and Xiao Wu how Soul Power could adhere objects to the body and proposed using it to climb any surface. After training together through the New Year, the three left for Nuoding City when the academy was set to reopen.

• Gu You demonstrated that Soul Power could make a stone stick to his palm and explained its adhesive property to Tang San and Xiao Wu.
• Gu You proposed developing a universal Self-Created Soul Skill that would let Soul Masters climb trees, cliffs, and other surfaces by coating their feet with Soul Power.
• Gu You led Tang San and Xiao Wu in training to reach a treetop using only their feet.
• Tang San repaired the village's damaged farming tools after Tang Hao left, finishing the work in two days.
• Gu You, Tang San, and Xiao Wu said goodbye to Old Jack and set off for Nuoding City.

Hu Liena explained to Bibi Dong how Gu You’s article had reshaped the Martial Soul Hall Team’s tactics and team selection. The team defeated Elephant Armor Academy with a poison-focused strategy, and Bibi Dong saw Huyan Zhen leave in anger.

• Hu Liena told Bibi Dong that Gu You’s article divided Agility Attack System Soul Masters into Output and Reconnaissance types and argued that teams should tailor their lineups to each opponent.
• Hu Liena explained that Team Leader Yang had selected Jingmi, whose Poison Body Martial Soul could poison enemies on contact, instead of the more powerful Control System Soul Master Jier for the match against Elephant Armor Academy.
• Hu Liena said the Martial Soul Hall Team had prepared targeted lineups and countermeasures for each finalist by gathering information about Martial Souls and Soul Skills.
• Jingmi and the Martial Soul Hall Team poisoned Elephant Armor Academy’s fighters until the last one fell, securing the victory.
• Huyan Zhen left the VIP section in anger, while Bibi Dong watched him depart without reacting.

Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo Gu Rong discussed Spirit Hall’s advanced team tactics and tried to identify the researcher behind them. Convinced Spirit Hall had already secured the tournament championship, they left to continue gathering intelligence and return to the sect.

• Ning Fengzhi told Gu Rong that Spirit Hall’s tactics formed a mature system and that intelligence suggested it might have originated in a little-known article.
• Ning Fengzhi explained that the article’s author and the replaced Martial Soul Daily editor-in-chief could not be identified.
• Gu Rong suggested Yu Xiaogang as the researcher, but Ning Fengzhi argued that Yu Xiaogang’s Martial Soul and research record made him an unlikely creator of the team system.
• Ning Fengzhi concluded that Spirit Hall was far ahead of the other academies and that its championship was already assured, then left with Gu Rong.
• Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong agreed to keep seeking intelligence about Spirit Hall while discussing their concerns about Ning Rongrong.

Gu You explained his more detailed Soul Master classifications and his goal of combining Generalist and Specialist development, using Tang San and Xiao Wu’s abilities as examples. He showed that Xiao Wu could develop into a Single-Target Debuff Control Soul Master, then left Tang San to explain the two approaches to her.

• Tang San defeated Xiao Wu in a spar by binding her with Blue Silver Grass, demonstrating a system he and Gu You had developed.
• Gu You introduced his expanded Soul Master classifications and showed Xiao Wu game pieces labeled with their current and potential roles.
• Gu You described his own melee and ranged attack capabilities and explained how suitable Soul Rings could strengthen his energy-based attack.
• Tang San explained Gu You’s Generalist and Specialist approaches to Soul Master development and said Gu You hoped to unite them through his Soul Power research.

Gu You explained how Self-Created Soul Skills could broaden a Soul Master’s role and help a team cover its weaknesses, then revealed that he and Tang San had built Tang San a Personal Combat System. The discussion ended with Xiao Wu leaving, while Gu You worried about protecting her identity and future as a Soul Beast.

• Tang San described how combining strengths could create a Soul Master who approached his limits, and Gu You explained the tradeoffs between all-around and specialist development.
• Gu You argued that Self-Created Soul Skills could cover a Soul Master’s weaknesses, and demonstrated his unfinished attempt to form a Soul Power sphere.
• Gu You explained how Tang San’s Self-Created Soul Skills let him act as a battlefield-command Control System Soul Master, and said he and Tang San had built him a Personal Combat System.
• Xiao Wu, overwhelmed by the explanation, left after Gu You ended the discussion and gave her Copper Soul Coins for a candied hawthorn skewer.
• Gu You reflected on his plan to help Xiao Wu protect herself and conceal her Soul Beast identity, then heard someone announce that his newspaper had arrived.

Gu You received a newspaper reporting that the Spirit Hall Team had adopted tactics from his article, and he went to share the news with Ma Xiunuo. Ma Xiunuo asked Gu You for a favor, leaving him poised to hear what was needed.

• Li Gang brought Gu You the latest issue of Martial Soul Daily and treated him warmly, reflecting how Gu You had improved relations between Work-Study Students and ordinary academy staff.
• Gu You saw a headline about the Spirit Hall Team's new tactics and realized his article would likely be published after the Soul Master Tournament.
• Tang San congratulated Gu You but privately worried that his own dreams of reviving his mother and mastering the Clear Sky Hammer remained distant.
• Gu You and Tang San met Xiao Wu outside the academy, then brought the newspaper to Ma Xiunuo at Spirit Hall, where they also found Su Yuntao and Si Si.
• Gu You told Ma Xiunuo that his theories had influenced the Spirit Hall Team, and Ma Xiunuo asked him for a favor.

Gu You agreed to help Si Si choose her second Soul Ring, explaining that his advice was still experimental and required her consent. As he left to prepare tests, Xiao Wu questioned whether Tang San's Blue Silver Grass would receive poison Attribute Soul Rings.

• Ma Xiunuo asked Gu You to help Si Si choose a Soul Ring after she reached Level 20 Soul Power.
• Gu You told Si Si that his method required testing her Martial Soul and that his theories had limited testing, and Si Si agreed to take part.
• Gu You arranged to test Si Si that afternoon and promised to offer suitable Soul Beast options two days later.
• On the way out of Spirit Hall, Gu You explained that Si Si's Yarn Ball was a Control System Martial Soul and that Tang San's Blue Silver Grass had initially inspired a Control System development path.
• Xiao Wu asked whether Tang San planned to give Blue Silver Grass poison Attribute Soul Rings.