Chapter Summaries

The Shrek Academy group arrived in Ming Capital and went to the Mingyue Grand Hotel to register for the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament. They met Princess Xu Jiujiu of the Star Luo Empire, then Zhang Lexuan began completing the team’s registration forms.

• The Shrek Academy group traveled through Ming Capital’s busy streets toward the Mingyue Grand Hotel.
• Jing Ziyan led the group to the hotel, where Zhang Lexuan showed the hostess her Shrek Academy badge and received access to the fast registration lane.
• The group encountered Princess Xu Jiujiu and the Star Luo Royal Soul Master Academy team as they were leaving the registration room.
• Xu Jiujiu arranged to meet the Shrek group in the east rest area after registration.
• Zhang Lexuan sat with the registration official and began filling out the forms for the team.

Shrek Academy completed registration for the Elite Competition and encountered Scorpion Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng and his group of Evil Soul Masters. Qin Ze and his companions warned Xu Jiujiu, who knew of the Holy Spirit Cult, and the chapter ended as they began discussing the threat.

• Zhang Lexuan registered Shrek Academy's team, and everyone completed their image and bone-age tests without trouble.
• The team learned they would stay in a luxurious villa, while Zhang Lexuan went ahead to inspect it and the others headed to meet Xu Jiujiu.
• Huo Yu Hao spotted Zhang Peng and a group of black-clothed Evil Soul Masters, and Qin Ze confirmed their identity after they passed.
• Qin Ze and the others met Xu Jiujiu and told her they had something important to discuss, so she took them to a conference room.
• Qin Ze asked Xu Jiujiu whether she knew about the Holy Spirit Cult, and she said she had learned it was a force of Evil Soul Masters.

Qin Ze warned Xu Jiujiu that the Holy Spirit Cult had appeared and was cooperating with Xu Tianran, while the group prepared to investigate the Sun Moon Empire and alert their allies. At Fengguang Restaurant, twelve Titled Douluo gathered in secret, and Zhang Lexuan arrived at their door.

• Qin Ze told Xu Jiujiu that the Holy Spirit Cult was present in Ming Capital and had likely infiltrated the Sun Moon Empire, and she assigned Nebula Douluo Man Yi to investigate.
• Qin Ze left Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong'er to discuss Tang Sect business with Xu Jiujiu, then returned with Di Yue Li, Ning Tian, and the others to their villa.
• Qin Ze considered telling Huo Yuhao about an upcoming underground Soul Engineer competition that could help the Tang Sect and Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect obtain rare metals.
• At Fengguang Restaurant, twelve Titled Douluo from the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Shrek Academy, the Body Sect, and the Star Luo Empire gathered to discuss Ming Capital.
• Zhang Lexuan knocked on the room where the gathered elders were sitting and announced her arrival.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Lexuan informs the group about the Holy Spirit Cult's involvement in the Elite Competition, led by Scorpion Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng.
• Shattering Star Douluo shares his observations of Ming Capital, noting its unusual calm.
• Zhang Lexuan delivers a letter from Qin Ze to Xiao Kuangdao, revealing Xu Tianran's plans: blockading exits, preparing Fixed Soul Cannon Shells, and his status as a Titled Douluo.
• The group decides to assassinate Xu Tianran, seeing it as an opportunity to prevent war and secure Rare Metals and Soul Tools.

Character Developments

• Zhang Lexuan demonstrates her maturity and responsibility by promptly reporting the Holy Spirit Cult's involvement.
• Qin Ze, though not present, influences the group's decision through his letter, showing his strategic thinking and concern for the younger generation's safety.
• Xiao Kuangdao, Du Busi, and Xuan Zi are revealed to be planning to help Qin Ze establish a Douluo Federation, indicating their support for his vision.

Significant Themes

• Power Dynamics: The group's decision to assassinate Xu Tianran highlights the power struggle between the Sun Moon Empire and the other factions.
• Strategic Planning: The letter from Qin Ze showcases the importance of strategic planning and foresight in war and politics.
• Unity and Cooperation: The group's unanimous decision to assassinate Xu Tianran emphasizes their unity and shared goals.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Lexuan and the Group: Zhang Lexuan's report and actions earn her respect from the group, leading to open communication and collaboration.
• Qin Ze and the Group: Qin Ze's letter influences the group's decision, demonstrating his indirect impact on their actions and trust in his judgment.
• Xiao Kuangdao, Du Busi, and Xuan Zi: Their shared goal of supporting Qin Ze's vision for a Douluo Federation strengthens their bond and commitment to the cause.

In Ming Capital, Qin Ze told Zhang Lexuan and Bei Bei about a warning and invited Huo Yu Hao and He Caitou to join an underground Soul Engineer competition for rare metals. After discussing the competition and its risks, he spent the night with Di Yue Li, who came to his room because she missed sleeping beside him.

• Zhang Lexuan confirmed that she had delivered Qin Ze's letter, and Qin Ze assured her that its information was accurate.
• Qin Ze studied a map of Ming Capital and decided to visit the Sun Moon Mountain Range to look for the Sun Moon Royal Family's Ancestral Land.
• Qin Ze told Huo Yu Hao and He Caitou about an underground Soul Engineer competition in five days and urged them to seek out Chen An and learn about the Underground Warehouse.
• Huo Yu Hao and He Caitou agreed to consider participating so they could obtain rare metals, though He Caitou worried about the danger.
• Di Yue Li visited Qin Ze's room and joined him in bed because she was used to sleeping beside him at the academy.

Zhang Lexuan explained the tournament’s revised rules, including unrestricted flight and a new point system, while Xu Jiujiu arrived to discuss soul tools with Huo Yu Hao. Qin Ze arranged to speak privately with Xu Jiujiu about Sun Moon Empire imperial family members, and the group settled into card games as Vena and Mu Xue arrived.

• Zhang Lexuan told the Shrek Academy group that the tournament would use preliminary, round-robin, and final stages, take place outside Ming Capital, allow unrestricted flight, and award points based on how many team members remained.
• The group noted that the flight rule favored teams with strong Flying Soul Tools, but Xuan Ziwen had prepared new equipment for them.
• Xu Jiujiu arrived to discuss soul tools with Huo Yu Hao, and Qin Ze asked her to speak with him privately afterward about the Sun Moon Empire imperial family.
• After the others left, the group played Staring Dryly while Xu San Shi and two others played Fight the Landlord for Gold Soul Coins.
• Vena and Mu Xue arrived, and Di Yue Li pointed them toward the sky garden while the group continued playing cards.

Qin Ze obtained a roster of the Sun Moon Empire’s princes from Xu Jiujiu and explained that he wanted to eliminate Xu Tianran and favor a ruler who would pursue stable development. Reviewing the roster, he became interested in the powerless prince Xu Fu.

• After negotiating with Xu Jiujiu, Vena, Tang Ya, and the others, Qin Ze privately asked Xu Jiujiu for a list of the Sun Moon royal family’s direct members.
• Qin Ze told Xu Jiujiu that he planned to remove Xu Tianran and hoped a prince who favored stability would take the throne; Xu Jiujiu gave him the roster.
• Xu Jiujiu joined Vena and Mu Xue in playing cards, while Huo Yu Hao and Cai Tou took Ji Juechen and Jing Ziyan out to ask around about the competition.
• At night, Qin Ze reviewed the roster with Di Yue Li beside him and learned that three princes had died, leaving Xu Tianran and four other princes.
• Qin Ze noticed that Xu Fu, whose mother was a low-ranking palace maid and who held no authority, stood apart from the other princes, and his eyes lit up.

Qin Ze considered how Xu Fu could succeed Xu Tianran and help remove the Holy Spirit Cult, while Shrek Academy prepared to compete in the tournament. The teams reached the crowded Ming Capital arena, where Shrek discovered the barriers would prevent Xu San Shi from using his usual escape tactic.

• Qin Ze judged Xu Fu a potential future emperor and planned to contact him, support his succession, and shift blame for Xu Tianran's death onto the Holy Spirit Cult.
• Qin Ze asked Di Yue Li when Di Tian and Bear Lord would arrive, then went to sleep beside her.
• At the drawing ceremony, Zhang Lexuan drew the Dragon Slaying Sect as Shrek's first opponent in the tournament's 166-team field.
• Zhang Lexuan led Shrek Academy from the Mingyue Grand Hotel toward the arena as crowds and soldiers lined the streets.
• Shrek reached the arena and saw that its tightly fitted Soul Power barrier made Xu San Shi's Mysterious Nether Swap escape trick useless.
• The teams saw the vast arena and its Light Guide Screens, which let spectators far from the stage follow the matches.

Shrek's team gathered at the competition venue, where Qin Ze spotted the Holy Spirit Cult and renewed his resolve to oppose them. Xu Tianran and Ju Zi arrived under heavy military guard to open the Continental Youth Advanced Soul Master Elite Competition, and Long Xiaoyao silenced the crowd with his Limit Douluo pressure.

• Qin Ze recognized Scorpion Tiger Douluo and the Holy Spirit Cult among the teams, and Di Yue Li promised to fight his enemies alongside him.
• Qin Ze identified the soldiers surrounding the Presidium as the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Corps, and He Caitou reacted to their display of force.
• Ju Zi brought the wheelchair-bound Xu Tianran to the competition in the emperor's Dragon Carriage, and officials greeted them as Regent and Regent Consort.
• Xu Tianran appeared before the crowd, whose cheers marked the competition's official beginning.
• Long Xiaoyao ordered the crowd to be silent, and his pressure revealed him as the Dark Holy Dragon, Dragon Emperor Douluo.

Shrek Academy sent seven female students to face Dragon Slaying Sect in the tournament’s opening match, surprising the teams and spectators. Tang Ya entered the stage as Shrek’s first contestant, and her duel with Man Niu was about to begin.

• Ju Zi announced the start of the Continental Youth Advanced Soul Master Elite Competition, and Zhong Liwu appeared beside Xu Tianran.
• The referee announced Shrek Academy’s first match against Dragon Slaying Sect, and Zhang Lexuan sent Xiao Xiao, Xiao Ya, Nannan, Dong'er, Yue Li, Xiao Tian, and Xiao Feng to the waiting area.
• Jiang Nannan explained that Dragon Slaying Sect opposed Soul Tools, and the girls chose Tang Ya to fight first.
• Tang Ya faced Man Niu on the competition stage, where he flirted with her before becoming serious as the referee explained the rules.

Tang Ya used her Blue Silver King abilities, Purple Demon Eyes, and unusual footwork to evade Bull’s charges and exhaust him during their Soul King match. She put away the red carpet and prepared to finish the fight, leaving Bull tense as he watched for her next move.

• Tang Ya and Bull began their match, each revealing five soul rings as Bull charged with his Bronze Bull Martial Soul.
• Tang Ya waved a red carpet to distract Bull, dodging his charges while using her skills to disrupt his Bull Gaze and leave vines beneath his feet.
• Tang Ya repeatedly teased and evaded Bull until he had charged more than a dozen times and grown exhausted.
• Bull stopped chasing Tang Ya and refused to take the initiative, while Tang Ya put away the carpet and said she would end the match.
• Tang Ya clenched her right fist as faint blue light flickered inside it, and Bull searched nervously for what she was about to do.

Tang Ya defeated Man Niu by poisoning and binding him, then forfeited her next match so Xiao Xiao could face Feng Shen. Feng Shen took to the air and circled Xiao Xiao, assessing her as their match began.

• Tang Ya trapped Man Niu with her vines and poisoned net, then won after he fell unconscious.
• Tang Ya agreed to detoxify Man Niu only after Dragon Slaying Sect promised he would not compete in the team battle.
• Tang Ya forfeited her next match, and Xiao Xiao volunteered to take her place.
• Xiao Xiao and Feng Shen introduced themselves and began their match as Soul Kings.
• Feng Shen revealed his Lightning Falcon martial soul, flew above Xiao Xiao, and circled her while searching for a weakness.

Xiao Xiao defeated Feng Shen by luring him into a trap with her Twin Martial Souls, leaving Shrek Academy ahead in the individual matches. Ning Tian entered next as Shrek prepared to send each member out before relying on the team battle.

• Feng Shen tried to break through Xiao Xiao’s Three Lives Soul Suppressing Cauldron, but she blocked his routes and anticipated his movements.
• Feng Shen circled behind Xiao Xiao, where she revealed her Nine Phoenix Coming to the Phoenix Flute and slowed and restrained him with her Soul Skills.
• Xiao Xiao trapped Feng Shen between three cauldrons and struck him unconscious with Cauldron’s Swing.
• The referee declared Xiao Xiao the winner, giving Shrek Academy six remaining members against Dragon Slaying Sect’s five.
• Xiao Xiao returned to the waiting area, and Ning Tian entered as Shrek Academy’s third competitor.

Ning Tian faced Mai Xingming in the tournament and used Soul Tools alongside her Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda to defeat him. After Mai Xingming was knocked unconscious, he asked whether she feared her martial soul would shatter, and Ning Tian replied that it was not made of clay.

• Ning Tian stepped onto the stage to face Mai Xingming of Dragon Slaying Sect, who possessed a four-ring Jungle Grey Wolf martial soul.
• Ning Tian revealed her six-ring Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda and used its boosts to strengthen herself.
• Ning Tian fired a cannon at Mai Xingming, piercing his Wolf Shield and injuring his right shoulder.
• Mai Xingming charged with Wolf Shadow, but Ning Tian blocked his slash with a Light Shield and blinded him with a flashbang.
• Ning Tian used a Leg Soul Tool Accelerator to reach Mai Xingming and smash him unconscious with the base of her pagoda.
• Mai Xingming asked if Ning Tian feared her martial soul would shatter, and she replied that her Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda was not made of clay.

Ning Tian won her match by using her Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda to crush her opponent, drawing the attention of Xu Tianran. Meanwhile, Xu Tianran discussed his brothers and the neglected prince Xu Fu, whose dying mother had just been brought to him.

• Ning Tian defeated Mai Xingming by smashing him with her pagoda, and the referee declared her the winner.
• Zhong Liwu revealed that Ning Tian's Martial Soul had evolved into the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, while Xu Tianran considered targeting the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect after the tournament.
• Xu Tianran learned that three princes had returned to the palace and asked Jing Hong Chen about Xu Fu, whose mother was dying.
• Xu Fu knelt beside his dying mother Cui'er, reflecting on his humble upbringing and the life he had built without royal support.
• A palace servant brought Cui'er, near death, to Xu Fu's home instead of delivering the usual letter.

Xu Fu rushed to find help for his dying mother, but a mysterious Elder revealed that Evil Soul Master Soul Power—not an illness—had been draining her vitality. After cleansing her with Light Element, the Elder left her safe and recovering.

• Xu Fu tried to spend his savings on a physician, but his mother begged him not to waste the money and said she could not be saved.
• Xu Fu left to seek help anyway and encountered an Elder in the courtyard who offered to examine his mother.
• The Elder revealed nine soul rings, including a red one, and Xu Fu realized he was a Titled Douluo.
• The Elder identified an icy trace of Evil Soul Master Soul Power as the cause of Xu Fu's mother's exhaustion and used Light Element to remove it.
• Xu Fu's mother regained her strength and fell asleep as the Elder assured Xu Fu that the lingering Light Element would protect her.

Xu Fu received a Crimson Spirit Warm Jade badge from the Elder after pledging to repay him, while Shrek Academy won its elimination match and the competition continued through a bloody first day. At Ming Yue Hotel, Qin Ze revealed a secret backup plan to Xiao Kuangdao for killing Xu Tianran, and they discussed rescuing eliminated teams after the Crown Prince was dealt with.

• Xu Fu thanked the Elder for saving his mother, received a badge, and watched the Elder disappear.
• Shrek Academy's seven female students defeated Dragon Slaying Sect, whose team leader surrendered before the team battle.
• Meng Hong Chen defeated all seven members of Crimson Wolf Sect, and the elimination matches continued into the evening with teams suffering severe injuries and deaths.
• Qin Ze told Xiao Kuangdao he was certain Xu Tianran would die and revealed his additional backup plan.
• Qin Ze and Xiao Kuangdao discussed how Old Poison was handling the capture of eliminated teams from the original Three Great Empires and planned to rescue them after Xu Tianran was eliminated.

After Shrek’s girls celebrated their victory, Meng Hong Chen came looking for Wang Dong, unaware that Wang Dong’er had claimed to be his sibling. Wang Dong’er told her that Wang Dong was still at the academy, then accidentally revealed her own name.

• Qin Ze and Di Yue Li joined the others for dinner, where Ning Tian described the soul tools she had used in battle.
• Zhang Lexuan told the girls their team was being called the Shrek Maiden Army and discussed choosing the lineup for the next match.
• Zhang Lexuan told everyone to avoid going out during the remaining first-round matches unless they reported to her first.
• Meng Hong Chen arrived and asked whether Wang Dong had come to compete.
• Wang Dong’er said Wang Dong was her younger brother and was still cultivating at the academy, then gave Meng Hong Chen her name.

Qin Ze searched the Sun Moon Mountain Range for the Sun Moon Royal Family's Ancestral Land, hoping to find the Inheritance Temple. After discovering a squad of Evil Soul Masters led by a former Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy student, he decided to follow them deeper into the mountains.

• Qin Ze told Zhang Lexuan he planned to explore the Sun Moon Mountain Range, and she agreed while warning him to be careful.
• Qin Ze traveled alone to the mountain range and studied a map, but he could not determine the location of the Sun Moon Royal Family's Ancestral Land.
• Qin Ze hid when eight masked Evil Soul Masters arrived at a stream and discussed their mission and their destination.
• The squad's leader revealed that he had once attended Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and said someone would meet them at their destination.
• Qin Ze recognized the squad as likely members of Gui Wujing's Holy Spirit Cult faction and followed them into the mountain range.

Qin Ze followed an Evil Soul Master squad through the Sun Moon Mountain Range to a hidden green wall, which the squad opened with a purple ritual. As a destructive hurricane and thunder poured from the opening, Qin Ze began absorbing the wind while the Evil Soul Masters braced themselves.

• Qin Ze secretly followed a squad led by one Soul Saint and seven Soul Emperors through the dense forest toward the mountain foot.
• The Snow Empress sensed a powerful fluctuation ahead, and Qin Ze saw the squad stop before a huge, plant-covered wall.
• The Evil Soul Master boss gave the squad protective mirrors, chanted in an obscure language, and used purple light to open the wall.
• A violent hurricane and intense purple light surged through the widening opening, uprooting plants and clearing the mist.
• Qin Ze recognized that the hurricane contained the Source of Destruction and secretly absorbed some of it after the Snow Empress urged him to.
• The Evil Soul Master boss warned the squad to be careful as the purple light flashed like thunder, which Evil Soul Masters feared most.