Chapter Summaries

In Kela City, Zhongli lingered in a teahouse on Martial Soul Awakening Day, though his Martial Soul had already awakened and his Geo Archon power made him steadily stronger. Mo Yuqing paid his tea bill and hurried him toward the ceremony, leaving their friendship and Zhongli’s unusual abilities at the center of the story.

• Zhongli listened to a storyteller and drank tea while relying on his powerful talents and passive Geo Archon ability.
• Mo Yuqing found Zhongli at the teahouse, paid five Copper Soul Coins for his tea, and dragged him toward Martial Soul Awakening.
• Zhongli admitted he had gone out without money again, and Mo Yuqing said she now controlled his monthly living expenses.
• Mo Yuqing hurried toward the awakening ceremony, while Zhongli revealed in his thoughts that his Martial Soul had awakened on its own already.

Mo Yuqing and Zhongli arrived at the Spirit Hall for their Martial Soul awakenings, where Mo Yuqing revealed a powerful blade Martial Soul and Innate Full Soul Power. She considered joining the Spirit Hall Academy Branch for its benefits and asked whether Zhongli could attend too.

• Mo Yuqing rushed Zhongli into the Martial Soul Awakening hall, where the middle-aged man finished testing another child and said only they remained.
• Mo Yuqing awakened Mist Splitter Reforged, a luxurious purple single-handed Miaodao that the middle-aged man judged to be a promising Martial Soul.
• Mo Yuqing placed her hand on the Soul Power Testing Ball and demonstrated Innate Full Soul Power, impressing the middle-aged man.
• The middle-aged man offered Mo Yuqing a place at the Spirit Hall Elementary Academy Branch, describing its benefits and monthly allowance of one hundred Gold Soul Coins.
• Mo Yuqing agreed that Spirit Hall Academy sounded suitable but asked whether someone with average talent, such as Zhongli, could join.

Zhongli awakened Vortex Vanquisher and demonstrated overwhelming soul power, earning an Innate Full Soul Power assessment while keeping the Geo Archon outside the martial soul system. Mo Yuqing hurried him out of the Spirit Hall to avoid paying for the damaged floor, and Zhongli resolved to keep a lower profile.

• Mo Yuqing asked whether her friend could study at the academy despite not meeting its requirements, and Zhongli praised her sense of contract.
• Zhongli awakened Vortex Vanquisher, showed off his spear skills, and damaged the Spirit Hall floor.
• Zhongli's soul power made the testing crystal shine brightly and develop faint cracks, and the middle-aged man declared him Innate Full Soul Power.
• Zhongli refused the middle-aged man's recruitment offer and said he would attend the same academy as Mo Yuqing.
• Mo Yuqing dragged Zhongli out, explaining that his parents would have to pay for the damaged floor, while Zhongli decided to avoid drawing attention to his strength.

Zhongli and Mo Yuqing visited a Spirit Hall shop, where Zhongli gave her a Storage Soul Tool and tried to buy an old stone. Mo Yuqing stopped him from paying ten Gold Soul Coins and began haggling on his behalf.

• Mo Yuqing led Zhongli toward home, but he spotted a shop and persuaded her to go inside.
• Mo Yuqing asked about a Storage Soul Tool, and Zhongli gave her his necklace after insisting everyone should have one.
• Mo Yuqing accepted the necklace, saying she would use it to store Zhongli's Gold Soul Coins, then offered to haggle for him.
• Zhongli recognized the history and value of a brown stone and agreed to buy it for ten Gold Soul Coins.
• Mo Yuqing covered Zhongli's mouth and told the Landlady he had mistaken Gold Soul Coins for Copper Soul Coins as she tried to bargain down the price.

Mo Yuqing and Zhongli agreed to help the Landlady bring her best friend to the shop in exchange for a stone, while discussing Mo Yuqing’s finances and plans to obtain a Spirit Ring. Zhongli suggested that he and Mo Yuqing go together, and they spotted the Landlady’s friend sitting in a rocking chair across the street.

• The Landlady offered to give Mo Yuqing and Zhongli the stone for free if they brought her best friend from the clothing store, and Mo Yuqing chose to help rather than pay ten Gold Soul Coins.
• As Mo Yuqing led Zhongli across the street, he learned that her father was a poet, her mother was an appreciator, and her family earned less than one Gold Soul Coin a month.
• Mo Yuqing said she might try to obtain a Spirit Ring on her own, but Zhongli invited her to go with him and insisted he simply wanted to spend time with her.
• Mo Yuqing accepted that they would go together, then focused on finding the Landlady’s friend in the clothing store.
• Zhongli pointed out the person sitting in a rocking chair, and Mo Yuqing agreed that she appeared to be the Landlady’s best friend.

Zhongli brought Mo Yuqing to his new villa and told her he intended to become a Support System Soul Master by creating shields. When Mo Yuqing doubted that his shield could withstand an attack, Zhongli invited her to test it at the training ground.

• Zhongli warned the purple-haired older sister that the shopkeeper across the street had tried to lure her away, and she rewarded him and Mo Yuqing with the chance to choose three shop items the next day.
• After leaving the shop, Mo Yuqing asked Zhongli how he had known the other woman was lying, and he said it was intuition.
• Zhongli invited Mo Yuqing into his new villa and asked which Soul Master specialization she wanted to pursue; she hoped to become an Agility Attack System Soul Master.
• Zhongli declared that he would become the strongest Support System Soul Master, while Mo Yuqing argued that his spear suited the Power Attack System instead.
• Zhongli offered to demonstrate his shield's strength, and Mo Yuqing agreed to test it at his family's Training Ground.

Mo Yuqing tested her strength against Zhongli’s Jade Shield, but after attacking it for twenty minutes she learned it had not broken at all. Zhongli then placed a shield around her, leaving Mo Yuqing to reconsider how powerful it was.

• Mo Yuqing attacked Zhongli’s Jade Shield with Mist Splitter, increasing her strength when her strikes only made it dim.
• Mo Yuqing repeatedly struck the shield and kicked at Zhongli, but it blocked every attack.
• After twenty minutes, the shield vanished when its duration expired, and Zhongli immediately summoned another one.
• Zhongli showed that he could attack through his shield, and Mo Yuqing broke down in tears, calling it unfair.
• Zhongli cast a shield around Mo Yuqing, and she tested how it protected her hand.

Mo Yuqing joined Zhongli on a trip to Soul Beast Forest, where they encountered a Frost Ice Tiger that suited her. After the tiger attacked, Zhongli’s shield protected them, leaving Mo Yuqing terrified but unharmed.

• Mo Yuqing asked Zhongli to accompany her to Soul Beast Forest, and they ate fruit together before setting out.
• Zhongli and Mo Yuqing entered Soul Beast Forest, where Zhongli prepared to protect her as they walked through the grass.
• A Frost Ice Tiger circled through the Blue Silver Grass, and Zhongli identified it as a possible match for Mo Yuqing.
• The Frost Ice Tiger roared and lunged from behind Mo Yuqing, who froze in fear as she waited for the attack.
• Zhongli’s shield stopped the tiger, and he reassured the frightened Mo Yuqing while the beast battered the barrier.

Zhongli protected Mo Yuqing with his powerful shield as they searched the Soul Beast Forest for a suitable Spirit Ring. A Lightning Leopard attacked, and Mo Yuqing struck it with the Mistsplitter, leaving its fate unresolved.

• Mo Yuqing stabbed the Frost Ice Tiger through Zhongli’s shield, wounding it and driving it away.
• Zhongli explained that his shield let Mo Yuqing attack without worrying about incoming blows, then claimed his Innate Soul Power exceeded level ten and asked her to keep it secret.
• Zhongli and Mo Yuqing continued through the forest, ignoring Soul Beasts whose cultivation ages were unsuitable for her Spirit Ring.
• A Lightning Leopard attacked, but Zhongli’s shield stopped its lightning and Mo Yuqing thrust her Mistsplitter into its charge.

Mo Yuqing absorbed the Lightning Leopard’s Spirit Ring while Zhongli protected her and confronted an approaching Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape. Zhongli trapped the ape with Geo attacks, but it evaded them and launched its strongest punch at him.

• The Lightning Leopard died after crashing into Mistsplitter, and Zhongli helped the injured Mo Yuqing up.
• Zhongli reassured Mo Yuqing, who kissed his cheek before beginning to absorb the Lightning Leopard’s Spirit Ring.
• Zhongli sensed a roughly four-thousand-year-old Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape approaching and left to stop it before her shield expired.
• Zhongli faced the ape with Vortex Vanquisher and used Planet Befall to make rocks attack and surround it.
• The Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape dodged the rocks, leaped at Zhongli, and hurled its strongest punch at him.

Zhongli used his Geo powers and Vortex Vanquisher to trap and overpower the Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape. He ended the fight with Planet Befall, leaving the ape petrified in a crater.

• Zhongli traded punches with the Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape and used Planet Befall to alter the terrain around it.
• Zhongli charged the trapped ape while rock spikes blocked its escape and hindered its footing.
• The Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape broke free of the spikes, but Zhongli wounded it with Vortex Vanquisher and pressed his attack.
• The Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape ignited its body and charged Zhongli in a desperate attempt to take him down.
• Zhongli summoned a huge boulder with Planet Befall, crushing the ape into a stone statue.

Zhongli obtained a head Soul Bone from the Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape and guarded Mo Yuqing while she absorbed a Lightning Leopard Spirit Ring. After Mo Yuqing reached level thirteen and demonstrated her new skill, she led Zhongli deeper into the forest to find his Spirit Ring, but asked him for a shield when they encountered a Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon.

• Zhongli extracted a scarlet Head Soul Bone from the Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape and named it the Advancing Scarlet Ape Head Soul Bone.
• Zhongli killed a Black Iron Bear that had attacked Mo Yuqing, then shielded her while she continued absorbing her Spirit Ring.
• Mo Yuqing completed the absorption, reached level thirteen, and told Zhongli that her First Soul Skill was Flying Thunder Mark.
• Mo Yuqing demonstrated her skill and offered to help Zhongli hunt for a Spirit Ring, then led him into the forest.
• Mo Yuqing and Zhongli encountered a roughly six-hundred-year-old Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon, and Mo Yuqing asked Zhongli to put up a shield.

Mo Yuqing tested Flying Thunder Mark Second Stage against a mutated Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon while Zhongli protected her with an unbreakable shield. After she revealed that she could place several marks at once, she used them to dodge the dragon’s attacks and prepared another full-power strike.

• Zhongli shielded Mo Yuqing as she approached the sleeping Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon and planted a Flying Thunder Mark on its scales.
• Mo Yuqing triggered Flying Thunder Mark Second Stage and dented the dragon’s tough scales, but it counterattacked and knocked her back against Zhongli’s shield.
• Mo Yuqing dodged the dragon’s pounce with another mark and attacked while it was briefly stuck in the ground, though its armor blocked much of her damage.
• Zhongli reinforced his shield as the dragon battered it, and Mo Yuqing revealed she could place several Flying Thunder Marks at once.
• Mo Yuqing used the marks to evade the dragon’s claws and headbutt, then triggered a mark on the dragon and swept her blade at full speed with Flying Thunder Mark Second Stage.

Mo Yuqing exhausted the Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon with repeated attacks while Zhongli watched, then Zhongli killed it to claim its Spirit Ring. A burly Soul Master and a child confronted them, revealed themselves as predators, and left Mo Yuqing fearing for her life until Zhongli handed her a mysterious family heirloom.

• Mo Yuqing pursued the fleeing Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon and wore it down while Zhongli followed and maintained her Jade Shield.
• After the dragon collapsed, Mo Yuqing invited Zhongli to finish it so he could absorb its Spirit Ring.
• A burly man and a child emerged and demanded that Zhongli stop, but Zhongli killed the dragon and its deep-yellow Spirit Ring appeared.
• The child admitted they had no intention of letting Zhongli and Mo Yuqing leave, and the burly man revealed his Blood Demon Blade and declared himself an Evil Soul Master.
• Mo Yuqing became afraid as the burly man displayed four Spirit Rings, so Zhongli gave her a mysterious family heirloom and said they would have to rely on her.

During a fight with two Evil Soul Masters, Mo Yuqing awakened Geo Elemental Power through her jade pendant and began countering their attacks. Zhongli secretly amplified and replenished her power as she gained confidence in controlling the earth.

• The burly Evil Soul Master dismissed Mo Yuqing and Zhongli, while the young man warned him not to let anything unexpected happen.
• Mo Yuqing sensed her wish through the jade pendant, which began to glow as she discovered a new power distinct from Soul Power.
• The burly Evil Soul Master charged at Mo Yuqing, but her Rock Pillar met his attack, with Zhongli secretly amplifying its strength.
• The young man fired a concealed Soul-Stealing Dart at Mo Yuqing, but it struck the Jade Shield and was deflected.
• Mo Yuqing pushed back the burly Evil Soul Master and blocked his next attack with a stone wall, while Zhongli secretly replenished and enhanced her power.

Mo Yuqing used the jade pendant’s power to kill two Evil Soul Masters with Zhongli’s Planet Befall, then learned that Zhongli was giving her the pendant, which he named the God’s Eye. Zhongli began absorbing the Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon’s Spirit Ring, leaving Mo Yuqing baffled when it quickly turned purple.

• The burly Evil Soul Master broke Mo Yuqing’s stone wall, but Zhongli summoned Planet Befall and turned both fleeing men into stone statues.
• Mo Yuqing discovered the jade pendant’s glow and power had faded, and Zhongli explained that his Planet Befall had consumed its energy.
• Zhongli gave Mo Yuqing the jade pendant and named it the God’s Eye; she told him she only needed him to keep watching over her.
• Zhongli began absorbing the Scarlet Armor Earth Dragon’s Spirit Ring while Mo Yuqing guarded him behind their shields.
• The yellow Spirit Ring quickly became a purple ring, leaving Mo Yuqing bewildered.

Zhongli explained his ability to disguise his Spirit Rings and persuaded Mo Yuqing to keep his level-twenty Soul Power a secret while he delayed obtaining another ring. As Mo Yuqing rested against him in the Soul Beast Forest, Zhongli kept watch and struck down an approaching Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent.

• Zhongli changed the colors of his Spirit Rings and convinced Mo Yuqing that they were disguises.
• Zhongli told Mo Yuqing about his level-twenty Soul Power and asked her to keep his unusual talent secret while he waited for her to need a second Spirit Ring.
• Zhongli explained that Soul Power cultivated before obtaining a Spirit Ring could be stored, and Mo Yuqing accepted his explanation.
• Mo Yuqing asked to rest against Zhongli, and he sat with her beneath a tree as she fell asleep.
• Zhongli sensed an approaching Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent and used a rock shaped like Vortex Vanquisher to pin it to the ground.

Mo Yuqing and Zhongli returned to Kela City after discussing Zhongli’s powerful shield, and Mo Yuqing ran home after he invited her to keep him company. Alone in his empty house, Zhongli went to answer a knock at the door, thinking the maid had arrived.

• Mo Yuqing woke after sleeping on Zhongli and walked home with him at dusk.
• Zhongli explained that his First Soul Skill doubled his shield’s duration and let it replenish itself from the earth.
• Mo Yuqing realized Zhongli’s shield had never been broken and resolved to test it again.
• Zhongli told Mo Yuqing he lived alone and invited her to keep him company, but she blushed and hurried home.
• Zhongli returned to his empty house, felt lonely, and went to answer a trained knock at the door.

Zhongli met Aserine, the highly trained maid his father had purchased for him, and discovered she was a talented Soul Master with no apparent soul. He gave her a special God's Eye necklace, explained his plans for keeping his strength hidden, and asked her to enroll him in Spirit Hall Academy.

• Aserine introduced herself as Zhongli's loyal maid and prepared dinner while explaining her training and abilities.
• Zhongli learned that Aserine had rank-eight Innate Soul Power and was currently rank twenty-one, while his parents were away dealing with special circumstances.
• Aserine said she had been taught about sexual education, but advised Zhongli to focus on basic subjects until he was older.
• Zhongli gave Aserine a special God's Eye necklace and told her that his Vortex Vanquisher Martial Soul was Rock-type, with rank-twenty Innate Soul Power and one Spirit Ring.
• Zhongli instructed Aserine to enroll him at Spirit Hall Academy while reporting his Soul Power as rank thirteen and his first Spirit Ring as three hundred years old.
• Aserine offered to buy rocks for a suitable cultivation environment, then realized she could not determine their age or value.

Zhongli sent Aserine to register him at Spirit Hall, then visited the shop and chose three items, including a message directing him to Moon Pavilion. That night, he stood outside the exclusive establishment, confident he could get inside despite the fox’s likely plan to watch him struggle.

• Zhongli told Aserine to register him at Spirit Hall and return home afterward, and she obeyed without question.
• Zhongli went to the shop, where the purple-haired young lady let him choose three items.
• Zhongli found a hidden message inside pink gauze inviting him to the first-floor hall of Moon Pavilion that night.
• Zhongli chose the gauze and two ancient stones, then left the shop with them.
• Zhongli arrived outside Moon Pavilion and prepared to enter, suspecting the fox expected him to be turned away.