Chapter Summaries

Gu Ziyi awakened a mutated Paper Martial Soul called a Talisman and discovered he had Level 1 Innate Soul Power, giving him the potential to become a soul master. He received a Spirit Hall certificate to attend the town academy in three months and looked forward to beginning his training.

• Gu Ziyi sensed a blazing, lightning-filled Talisman during his awakening and summoned a plain yellow Talisman in his palm.
• The Spirit Hall Hall Master tested Gu Ziyi and found his Innate Soul Power was Level 1, then recorded his Talisman Martial Soul and gave him an academy certificate.
• Gu Ziyi gave the Hall Master his name and accepted the certificate, while deciding not to join Spirit Hall before learning more about the timeline.
• The village chief learned Gu Ziyi was the only child in Beautiful Jade Village with Soul Power and celebrated his potential.
• The Hall Master told the village chief to bring Gu Ziyi to the Junior Soul Master Academy when classes began in three months, and Gu Ziyi's playmates congratulated him.

Gu Ziyi spent five years at Quicksand Academy cultivating and studying, eventually reaching Soul Power Level 10 despite having only Innate Soul Power Level 1. Now eligible for a soul ring, he prepared to test his idea of condensing one himself rather than absorbing a soul beast’s ring.

• Gu Ziyi learned the Meditation Technique, cultivated to saturation, and added physical training to his daily routine.
• After three months, Gu Ziyi enrolled at Quicksand Academy as a Work-Study Student with Soul Power Level 1 and learned that Tang San had not yet arrived in the world.
• Gu Ziyi trained and studied diligently for five years, earning the nickname Bold Gu and becoming known as an exceptional student.
• Gu Ziyi finally broke through to Soul Power Level 10, a rare achievement at Quicksand Academy.
• Gu Ziyi decided to test whether he could create a soul ring himself, reasoning that soul rings did not always have to come from soul beasts.

Gu Ziyi investigated how soul rings formed and concluded that a martial soul might create one by absorbing energy. His first attempts to pour Soul Power into his Martial Soul Talisman failed, so he decided to cultivate more and try again before accepting a weak soul ring from the academy.

• Gu Ziyi questioned teachers and students about absorbing soul rings and learned that a soul beast's ring was absorbed and refined by the martial soul before becoming the soul master's ring.
• Gu Ziyi suspected that soul rings were re-condensed by martial souls from the soul beasts' characteristics rather than remaining the beasts' original rings.
• Gu Ziyi poured all his Soul Power into his Martial Soul Talisman, but it only glowed and produced no soul ring.
• Gu Ziyi tried several more times and failed, then wondered whether he lacked enough energy.
• Gu Ziyi decided to keep cultivating before trying again, willing to delay getting a soul ring rather than settle for a Ten-Year Quality White Soul Ring.

Gu Ziyi secretly succeeded in condensing his own First Soul Ring and discovered that it granted him a support-type Soul Skill, the Purifying Heart Mantra. The skill calmed the mind, easing his disappointment as he considered how to become strong despite relying on support abilities.

• Gu Ziyi kept his Level 10 breakthrough secret while privately attempting to condense a Soul Ring of his own.
• After enduring repeated failures, Gu Ziyi filled his body with overloaded Soul Power, triggering a resonance that formed a white Soul Ring around his Martial Soul Talisman.
• Gu Ziyi summoned his Martial Soul and activated his First Soul Skill, the Purifying Heart Mantra, which created a talisman that calmed and clarified the mind.
• Gu Ziyi realized his Martial Soul was support-type and felt disheartened, but reminded himself that Oscar had become a powerful fighter.
• Gu Ziyi used the talisman on himself and felt his agitation disappear, recognizing the skill's value in battle.

After weighing the benefits of joining a faction, Gu Ziyi decided to cultivate independently for now. He registered as a soul master, collected Spirit Hall’s monthly subsidy, and told his teacher he no longer needed work-study duties.

• Gu Ziyi considered joining the major factions but decided to rely on his own cultivation because he could condense his own soul rings.
• Gu Ziyi visited the Spirit Hall Sub-Hall in Quicksand City, proved he had reached level 11, and received his Soul Master Badge and monthly subsidy.
• Gu Ziyi returned to Quicksand Academy and told his teacher he had become a soul master and no longer needed work-study assignments.
• Gu Ziyi explained that his auxiliary martial soul summoned Purifying Heart Mantra talismans that dispelled abnormal mental states and resisted mental soul skills.
• Teacher praised Gu Ziyi’s achievement and encouraged him to become a powerful auxiliary soul master.

After graduating from Quicksand Academy, Gu Ziyi set out for the Heaven Dou Empire’s directly governed territories to pursue further study. On the journey, news about Bibi Dong led him to reconsider how much time he had before future opportunities arose, though he decided not to approach her yet.

• Gu Ziyi used his Purifying Heart Mantra to clear his mind and found that it improved his cultivation, though it also made him reach saturation sooner.
• Two months later, Gu Ziyi graduated from Quicksand Academy and chose to travel to the Heaven Dou Empire’s directly governed territories instead of attending a recommended academy in the duchy.
• During the journey, Gu Ziyi heard that Pope Qian Xunji had taken a girl with Twin Martial Souls as his disciple two years earlier.
• Gu Ziyi identified the girl as eight-year-old Bibi Dong and used her age to estimate how many years remained before Tang San’s birth and his chance to seek the Immortal Herbs.
• Gu Ziyi considered pursuing Bibi Dong or Ah Yin, but decided not to approach either of them for now because of the risks surrounding Bibi Dong and Qian Xunji.

Gu Ziyi began selling Purifying Heart Mantra talismans at the entrance to a Soul Beast Forest to earn the fee for Heaven Treasure Academy. Meanwhile, Tang Yuehua left Clear Sky Sect with Bai Lu to seek a life beyond the sect.

• Gu Ziyi gained approval to enroll at Heaven Treasure Academy but postponed registration because he lacked the ten Gold Soul Coins fee.
• Gu Ziyi traveled to a Spirit Hall-raised Soul Beast Forest and set up a stall selling Purifying Heart Mantra talismans for one Silver Soul Coin each.
• A burly man tested a talisman, felt its calming effect, and bought more from Gu Ziyi.
• Other customers began buying talismans after seeing the burly man's reaction.
• Tang Yuehua left Clear Sky Sect with her cousin Bai Lu, determined to find an academy and experience life outside the sect.

Gu Ziyi earned enough from selling talismans to pay his academy registration fee, then encountered Tang Yuehua and Bai Lu at Heaven Treasure Academy. He confirmed Tang Yuehua’s identity when she registered with a Level 9 Soul Power, while Bai Lu had already reported reaching Level 22.

• Gu Ziyi sold Purifying Heart Mantra talismans at the Soul Beast Forest entrance for half a month and saved enough to enroll.
• Gu Ziyi arrived at Heaven Treasure Academy on registration day and recognized Tang Yuehua and Bai Lu, who looked familiar to him.
• Bai Lu introduced herself as a twelve-year-old Level 22 Battle Soul Master with a Needletail Swift martial soul and insisted Tang Yuehua enroll with her.
• Tang Yuehua registered as a Level 9 Soul Scholar with a Ruyi Ring martial soul, and Gu Ziyi confirmed she was Tang Yuehua.

Gu Ziyi registered at Heaven Treasure Academy, settled into his dormitory, and joined the first-year class alongside Tang Yuehua and Bai Lu. The students began introducing themselves, and Bai Lu stunned the class by revealing that she was a level 22 Soul Grandmaster.

• Gu Ziyi paid his registration fee and learned that Heaven Treasure Academy had too few first-years to divide them into classes.
• Gu Ziyi moved into a four-person dormitory and met his three roommates.
• Headmaster Li Xing welcomed the thirty-eight freshmen, and Form Teacher Yang Hui led them to their classroom.
• Gu Ziyi sat near Tang Yuehua and Bai Lu, introduced himself to Tang Yuehua, and joined the class introductions.
• Gu Ziyi said he was a level 12 Auxiliary Soul Master, and Tang Yuehua revealed that her Soul Power Level was 9.
• Bai Lu stood up after Tang Yuehua's introduction and announced that she was a level 22 Soul Grandmaster.

Bai Lu became the class monitor, and Form Teacher Yang Hui taught the class about Martial Soul and Soul Beast classifications and soul ring compatibility. Gu Ziyi proposed that certain Plant Soul Spirits and animal Soul Beasts might be compatible when their Soul Skills shared similar functions, leaving Yang Hui intrigued by his unconventional idea.

• Bai Lu introduced herself as a level 22 Soul Grandmaster and agreed to become the class monitor so she could look after her cousin.
• Form Teacher Yang Hui reviewed the categories of Martial Souls and Soul Beasts and explained which types could absorb each other's soul rings.
• Gu Ziyi asked why incompatible soul rings produced useless Soul Skills, and Yang Hui explained that mismatched rings could prevent a martial soul from evolving.
• Gu Ziyi suggested that vine-type Plant Soul Spirits and snake- or spider-type Soul Beasts might be compatible because they shared binding-type control Soul Skills.
• Form Teacher Yang Hui showed interest in Gu Ziyi's conjecture as the class and Tang Yuehua looked on in surprise.

Gu Ziyi discussed his unconventional ideas about soul rings with Tang Yuehua and Bai Lu, then gradually became friends with them at Heaven Treasure Academy. The chapter ended with Tang Yuehua privately wondering whether Gu Ziyi could help her overcome her inability to cultivate.

• Gu Ziyi proposed that soul masters could choose soul rings from different types of beasts, and Teacher Yang Hui praised the idea but warned him not to encourage reckless choices.
• Gu Ziyi explained that matching soul rings to a martial soul helped it evolve, while varied soul rings could offer more diverse skills, and he kept his own talisman martial soul's abilities secret.
• After training revealed Gu Ziyi's unusual support soul skill, Bai Lu criticized his Ten-Year Quality White Soul Ring, and Gu Ziyi disclosed that his Innate Soul Power was only level 1.
• Tang Yuehua and Bai Lu reflected on Gu Ziyi's intelligence and unusual composure, while Gu Ziyi felt their first interaction had gone well.
• Gu Ziyi gradually became friends with Tang Yuehua and Bai Lu, and Tang Yuehua privately asked Bai Lu whether he might help her overcome her inability to cultivate.

Tang Yuehua lamented that she could not cultivate, while Bai Lu doubted Gu Ziyi could solve her problem. At the Haotian Sect, the Sect Master agreed to let Yuehua stay away for a while, and Tang Hao declared he would skip the upcoming Soul Master Competition and compete seven years later.

• Tang Yuehua recalled awakening with Level 9 Innate Soul Power and an Innate Domain but being unable to cultivate, which led her to leave the sect.
• Bai Lu rejected the idea that Level 12 Gu Ziyi could solve Tang Yuehua's problem and comforted her by taking her out to eat.
• Bai He told the Haotian Sect Master that Bai Lu and Tang Yuehua were safe and advised allowing Yuehua to stay away while guards protected them secretly.
• The Haotian Sect Master agreed that Tang Yuehua could remain outside the sect, and Tang Xiao persuaded Tang Hao not to bring her back.
• Tang Hao refused to enter the Soul Master Competition in two years and vowed to lead the Haotian Academy Team to victory seven years later.

Gu Ziyi protected Tang Yuehua from a flying Wooden Sword, deepening her feelings for him, then began developing an Advanced Meditation Technique after studying cultivation methods at Heaven Treasure Academy. Tang Yuehua and Bai Lu watched his experiments with growing concern and curiosity.

• Gu Ziyi defeated a level 15 student in a training match, and Tang Yuehua urged him not to train so hard as an auxiliary-type soul master.
• When a Wooden Sword flew toward Tang Yuehua, Gu Ziyi shielded her while Bai Lu appeared and caught it; Tang Yuehua left flustered, and Gu Ziyi decided he would pursue her.
• Gu Ziyi studied meditation techniques in the academy library and began experimenting with a faster method of circulating Soul Power.
• Tang Yuehua worried that Gu Ziyi was being reckless, but Bai Lu let him try as long as he stopped if he felt anything wrong.
• Tang Yuehua gradually offered Gu Ziyi suggestions while they studied a diagram in the library, and she and Bai Lu grew hopeful that he might develop an Advanced Meditation Technique.

Gu Ziyi created an Advanced Meditation Technique and discovered that soul power circulating through his self-condensed Soul Ring gradually improved it. After revealing his success to Tang Yuehua and Bai Lu, he heard Tang Yuehua ask him for help with her inability to cultivate.

• Gu Ziyi successfully created an Advanced Meditation Technique and found that it cultivated soul power more smoothly, though the Purifying Heart Mantra remained faster.
• Gu Ziyi discovered that each Heavenly Cycle sent a small amount of soul power into his Soul Ring and gradually improved its quality.
• Gu Ziyi concluded that his self-condensed Soul Rings could evolve and decided not to share the complete Advanced Meditation Technique.
• Gu Ziyi demonstrated his technique to Tang Yuehua and Bai Lu, who were impressed by his success.
• Tang Yuehua asked Gu Ziyi to help her solve her inability to cultivate.

Tang Yuehua asked Gu Ziyi to investigate why her level 9 Innate Soul Power could not be cultivated, and explained that she could not achieve Human-Soul Fusion with her Ruyi Ring. After considering what might cause the problem, Gu Ziyi focused on her unusual Innate Domain.

• Bai Lu revealed that she and Tang Yuehua came from the Clear Sky Sect and asked Gu Ziyi to help her cousin.
• Tang Yuehua told Gu Ziyi that her Innate Soul Power had been level 9 despite her inability to cultivate.
• Gu Ziyi agreed to analyze Tang Yuehua’s problem, and she explained that she could not unite her consciousness with her martial soul through Human-Soul Fusion.
• Gu Ziyi considered the Mysterious Heaven Skill but realized he did not know an internal cultivation method that could help Tang Yuehua.
• Gu Ziyi searched for an explanation in Tang Yuehua’s unusual traits and thought of her Noble Ring and Innate Domain.

Gu Ziyi suspected Tang Yuehua’s inability to cultivate was connected to her Innate Domain, which she had awakened alongside her Martial Soul. After experiencing its power, he theorized that it might be preventing her from achieving Human-Soul Fusion during Meditation Technique practice.

• Tang Yuehua revealed that she had awakened an Innate Domain along with her Martial Soul, astonishing Gu Ziyi and Bai Lu.
• Gu Ziyi suggested that Tang Yuehua’s Innate Domain might be the reason she could not cultivate, and Bai Lu was unable to rule out the possibility.
• Tang Yuehua summoned her Ruyi Ring and demonstrated her Innate Domain, Noble Ring, which calmed Gu Ziyi’s mind.
• Gu Ziyi theorized that Noble Ring was stronger than Tang Yuehua’s spiritual power and hindered her from immersing her consciousness in her Martial Soul.

Gu Ziyi proposed that Tang Yuehua’s Innate Domain might be preventing her from cultivating and suggested exhausting her Soul Power to suppress it. After Tang Yuehua’s domain faded, she insisted on trying to cultivate immediately.

• Gu Ziyi explained that Tang Yuehua’s Innate Domain might interfere with Human-Soul Fusion, and Tang Yuehua recognized that his explanation matched her experience.
• Tang Yuehua failed to transfer her domain, so Gu Ziyi proposed keeping it active until her Soul Power ran out.
• Tang Yuehua activated her Innate Domain and maintained it despite growing weak, while Gu Ziyi stopped Bai Lu from interrupting her.
• Tang Yuehua’s domain dissipated, and Bai Lu caught her as she fell; Tang Yuehua confirmed that her Soul Power was exhausted.
• Gu Ziyi asked Tang Yuehua to rest before trying to cultivate, but she refused and said she wanted to try immediately.

Tang Yuehua successfully cultivated for the first time, but her Innate Domain prevented her from cultivating again afterward. Gu Ziyi explained a way for her to keep progressing, and Tang Yuehua thanked him with her first kiss.

• Tang Yuehua succeeded in cultivating while Gu Ziyi and Bai Lu watched anxiously.
• Overjoyed, Tang Yuehua hugged Gu Ziyi and kissed his cheek to thank him, prompting Bai Lu to pull her away and warn Gu Ziyi not to get ideas.
• Tang Yuehua tried to cultivate again but found she could not, and she and Bai Lu asked Gu Ziyi for help.
• Gu Ziyi explained that Tang Yuehua could exhaust her Soul Power before cultivating to gradually increase it, though the process would be tiring.
• Tang Yuehua thanked Gu Ziyi again, and he teased her by reminding her that she had already thanked him with a kiss.

Tang Yuehua grew closer to Gu Ziyi after he helped her begin cultivating, while Bai Lu warned her that the Clear Sky Sect would not approve of him. After four months, Tang Yuehua reached Level 10 and celebrated with Gu Ziyi, ending the chapter in his arms as they kissed.

• Bai Lu realized Tang Yuehua had fallen for Gu Ziyi and reminded her that the Clear Sky Sect would never approve of him.
• Tang Yuehua refused to return to the sect until she reached Level 10, and Bai Lu agreed to wait.
• Gu Ziyi tried to get time alone with Tang Yuehua, but Bai Lu kept watch as he continued cultivating and studying his Advanced Meditation Technique.
• Tang Yuehua steadily cultivated using Gu Ziyi's method, while Gu Ziyi reached Soul Power Level 14 four months later.
• The day after Gu Ziyi's breakthrough, Tang Yuehua reached Level 10, found him in the library, and kissed him.

Bai Lu told the elders that Tang Yuehua had reached Level 10, and White Tiger Elder hurried back to inform the sect. After Tang Yuehua and Gu Ziyi became closer, she offered to bring him into the Haotian Sect and revealed that she was the Sect Master's daughter, though they agreed to keep their relationship secret.

• Bai Lu gave White Tiger Elder a letter reporting Tang Yuehua's breakthrough to Level 10.
• White Tiger Elder left at once to carry the news back to the sect while Elder Tang Ming questioned Bai Lu about what had happened.
• Gu Ziyi considered how his connection to Tang Yuehua could help him enter the Haotian Sect and gain access to its resources.
• Tang Yuehua asked Gu Ziyi if he wanted to join the Haotian Sect and revealed that she was the Sect Master's daughter.
• Tang Yuehua and Gu Ziyi agreed to keep their relationship secret for the time being.