Chapter Summaries

Saber fought Shrek's Seven Devils without using her Soul Skills or Martial Soul, relying on her physical strength, swordsmanship, and self-created Soul Power armor. She defeated their coordinated assault and left the battle firmly in her control.

• Tang San used Blue Silver Grass to swing Dai Mubai at Saber, who blocked Dai Mubai's White Tiger Meteor Shower with her cross sword.
• Saber formed armor from her Soul Power and struck Dai Mubai away, then faced Tang San as Shrek's Seven Devils moved to attack from several directions.
• Tang San tried to pin Saber down with close-range attacks, but she read his movements, elbowed him, and threw him into Ma Hongjun.
• Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu launched a coordinated attack, but Saber anticipated their plan and broke their trap by moving toward Xiao Wu.

After Shrek's Seven Devils lost another battle, Tang San and Dai Mubai reviewed their weaknesses during their night watch. A King of the Earth attacked the camp, but Liu Erlong charged into it in a furious, unsettling state.

• Saber defeated Shrek's Seven Devils, and Master noted that she had overcome the usual reliance on Soul Rings for combat power.
• Tang San and Dai Mubai discussed the opponents' strengths and planned how to handle Xiao Tianyang's traps and Saber.
• A King of the Earth burst into the camp, and Tang San pulled Ma Hongjun away while Dai Mubai moved to hold it back.
• Liu Erlong suddenly rammed the King of the Earth with overwhelming force, disrupting the group's response.
• Xiao Wu noticed Liu Erlong's strange state and looked toward the tent where Master and the others had been.

Xiao Tianyang fought Liu Erlong after she charged at him, and the system offered a side quest whose reward depended on the outcome. The battle continued in the air, with Liu Erlong using her Martial Soul Avatar and Xiao Tianyang relying on ranged attacks to keep his distance.

• Saber urged Xiao Tianyang to fight for what he wanted, but Liu Erlong rushed toward them from the camp.
• Xiao Tianyang intercepted Liu Erlong with his Congyun Blade, triggering the system’s [Anger] side quest.
• Liu Erlong attacked Xiao Tianyang, and he countered with his Fourth Soul Skill, Demonic Fire Lava.
• Xiao Tianyang bound Liu Erlong with golden chains and attacked with magma spears, but she broke free with Furious Dragon Turnover and transformed into a fire dragon.
• Xiao Tianyang used his Mystic Crystal Phoenix Wings and ranged attacks to keep Liu Erlong at a distance as their destructive battle continued in the air.

Xiao Tianyang defeated Liu Erlong in a brief fight, and Saber helped calm her before they concealed what had happened from the others. Back at camp, Ma Hongjun and Oscar completed their soul-ring absorptions and gained new skills.

• Xiao Tianyang broke Liu Erlong's Martial Soul Avatar and defeated her, then warned that continued fighting could expose their identities and Master's plan.
• Saber whispered to Liu Erlong, calming her; she left without revealing her loss, and Xiao Tianyang departed with Saber.
• At camp, Tang San and the others defeated a Pink Lady while Ma Hongjun and Oscar absorbed their soul rings.
• Liu Erlong told Xiao Wu that she had dealt with an ugly Soul Beast, and Tang San guessed it had been a Swamp Poison Toad or Gray-haired Vulture.
• Ma Hongjun finished absorbing his soul ring and gained Phoenix Roaring Sky Strike, which could stun enemies but took time to charge.
• Oscar finished absorbing his soul ring and gained Excited Pink Sausage, which boosted all attributes by 10% for five minutes if eaten within a minute of being made.

Xiao Tianyang challenged the Shrek Seven Devils after they finished absorbing their Soul Rings, promising to defend without attacking while they prepared for three minutes. The team launched coordinated attacks against him, but he remained unmoved as Ma Hongjun unleashed his newly acquired Phoenix Roaring Sky Strike.

• Xiao Tianyang appeared at the camp and gave Tang San’s team three minutes to attack while he only defended.
• Zhu Zhuqing’s Nether Slash shattered against Xiao Tianyang’s Congyun Blade, and Dai Mubai’s enhanced attacks failed to move him.
• Xiao Wu tried to use her Waist Bow and Eight Section Fall, but she could not move Xiao Tianyang.
• Tang San restrained Xiao Tianyang with Blue Silver Grass and sent Ma Hongjun in with Phoenix Roaring Sky Strike.

Xiao Tianyang emerged from the flames and overwhelmed Tang San and the others in a fight, focusing his attacks on Tang San. Tang San revealed that Xiao Tianyang had been helping him, and the others were left confused by his thanks.

• Dai Mubai warned that Xiao Tianyang might emerge from the flames ready to attack, and Xiao Tianyang burst out and charged Tang San and the others.
• Tang San tried to catch Xiao Tianyang's blade, but the strike shattered his Mysterious Jade Hand and hurt him badly.
• Xiao Tianyang dodged the others' attacks while repeatedly striking Tang San, who eventually spat black blood and fell to his knees.
• Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing prepared to use their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, but Tang San stopped them and admitted defeat.
• Tang San thanked Xiao Tianyang and told the others that Xiao Tianyang had been helping him.

Tang San and his companions recovered from Xiao Tianyang’s attack and resumed searching for Soul Beasts, but their search came up empty. Tang San proposed using a rare herb to lure Soul Beasts toward Poison Douluo’s poisonous mist, leaving the group to consider his risky plan.

• Flender, Liu Erlong, and Master noticed that Tang San seemed healthier after Xiao Tianyang struck him and discussed the differences in his and Tianyang’s cultivation.
• The next morning, Tang San and his companions set out in a cautious formation to find suitable Soul Beasts, but they found none after searching for more than half a day.
• Tang San told Master he had an idea to attract Soul Beasts, and Master warned him to consider the team’s safety before acting.
• Tang San revealed a plan to use an immortal herb called Fragrant Silk to lure Soul Beasts toward Poison Douluo’s poisonous mist.

Tang San used Fragrant Silk to lure a Ghost Tiger into the poison mist and began weakening it so Zhu Zhuqing could obtain its Soul Ring. While the group prepared for the next hunts, they wondered where Xiao Tianyang had gone and joked about his popularity, drawing angry looks from Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing.

• The group agreed to use Fragrant Silk and poisonous creatures to lure Soul Beasts, then identified a nearly six-thousand-year-old Ghost Tiger suited to Zhu Zhuqing.
• Tang San used the Flying Divine Claw to catch the Ghost Tiger and drag it into the poison mist, resisting its efforts to escape as its strength began to fade.
• Tang San explained that he and three others still lacked Soul Rings and that Dai Mubai would need to wrestle with at least two more powerful Soul Beasts.
• Ning Rongrong wondered where Xiao Tianyang had gone, and Ma Hongjun and Oscar joked that his looks would attract girls wherever he went.
• Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing glared at Ma Hongjun and Oscar, who hastily claimed Xiao Tianyang was probably returning to Shrek Academy.

The group selected a mutated Scale Beast as the target for Ning Rongrong’s fourth Soul Ring, but Dai Mubai repeatedly missed it with the Flying Divine Claw. Tang San finally caught and dragged it in, and Ning Rongrong attacked it with Xiao Tianyang’s dagger.

• Zhu Zhuqing killed the Ghost Tiger with a single claw strike, leaving the group stunned by her strength.
• Tang San recommended a mutated Scale Beast for Ning Rongrong’s fourth Soul Ring because its defensive qualities suited her needs.
• Dai Mubai repeatedly missed the Scale Beast with the Flying Divine Claw, striking other Soul Beasts instead.
• Ma Hongjun reminded the group that they could not waste time because Xiao Tianyang might appear and attack them.
• Tang San caught the Scale Beast at its weak point, and Dai Mubai dragged it into the poisonous mist.
• Ning Rongrong stabbed the Scale Beast in the eye with Xiao Tianyang’s dagger and twisted it inside.

Saber discussed her wish to change the relationship between humans and Soul Beasts with Xiao Tianyang, then revealed her newly acquired Fourth Soul Skill, Aura of Leadership. As Tang San’s group finished choosing Spirit Rings, Saber prepared to intervene when Xiao Wu’s repeated refusals risked drawing suspicion.

• Saber told Xiao Tianyang she wondered whether humans and Soul Beasts could coexist if the rules governing Spirit Rings changed, and he encouraged her to grow strong enough to reshape those rules.
• Xiao Tianyang explained that Saber had chosen destructive Soul Beasts before and urged her to keep moving forward, though he said they were still too weak to act on her ambitions.
• Saber said she had obtained her Fourth Spirit Ring from a forty-thousand-year Sacred Fire Lion King and gained Aura of Leadership, a low-cost skill that enhanced allies and boosted morale.
• Saber declined Xiao Tianyang’s offer to support her and watched with him as Tang San’s group completed their Spirit Ring choices.
• Xiao Wu repeatedly rejected the Soul Beasts Tang San selected, risking suspicion, and Saber became the one who would break the deadlock.

Tang San decided to absorb a Ten Thousand Year Cave Earth Demon Spider, trusting the soul-nourishing herbs Xiao Tianyang had given him to protect him from its spiritual shock. When the group realized they could not capture the spider themselves, Xiao Tianyang attacked the Soul Beasts and set out to weaken it for Tang San.

• Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun warned Tang San that absorbing a Ten Thousand Year Cave Earth Demon Spider was too dangerous, but Tang San insisted he could handle it and needed the breakthrough to compete for the championship.
• Xiao Wu explained that a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring could inflict devastating spiritual shock, but Tang San said the medicinal herbs Xiao Tianyang cultivated had strengthened his soul.
• The group realized that the herbs had gradually nourished their souls and understood why Tang San felt confident, but Oscar and Dai Mubai pointed out that they had no way to capture the Cave Earth Demon Spider.
• The group discovered that the Dean and the others were calmly drinking tea beside the Fragrant Silk Tang San had placed down, leaving them to find their own solution.
• The ground shook as Xiao Tianyang fought through the Soul Beasts, using the Congyun Blade to wound them and preparing to weaken the Cave Earth Demon Spider for Tang San.

Xiao Tianyang sent the weakened Cave Earth Demon Spider toward Tang San and the others, who defeated it with their combined attacks. A second Man Faced Demon Spider ambushed Xiao Wu, and Tang San’s fury sent him into a violent, abnormal state as Xiao Tianyang disappeared into the poisonous mist.

• Xiao Tianyang hurled the weakened Cave Earth Demon Spider at Tang San’s group, and Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong awakened with their new spirit rings.
• Ning Rongrong empowered the group, allowing Dai Mubai, Tang San, and Ma Hongjun to weaken the Cave Earth Demon Spider before Zhu Zhuqing killed it.
• A Man Faced Demon Spider emerged from underground and struck at Xiao Wu, but Xiao Tianyang stomped it into the ground as Xiao Wu was sent flying.
• Tang San attacked the Man Faced Demon Spider in a fury, while Xiao Tianyang said the moment was an opportunity and vanished into the poisonous mist.
• Liu Erlong held the unharmed Xiao Wu as Tang San trembled with red eyes and a brutal, murderous aura.

After Tang San absorbed the Man Faced Demon Spider, Liu Erlong asked Xiao Wu to become her daughter and disciple, and Xiao Wu accepted. Tang San and Xiao Wu embraced after recognizing their feelings, while Xiao Tianyang urged everyone to attend to the dying Cave Earth Demon Spider and Liu Erlong privately resolved to confront him later.

• Master explained that Tang San's Eight Spider Lances were evolving by absorbing energy from the Man Faced Demon Spider.
• Liu Erlong asked Xiao Wu to take her as her master, and Xiao Wu accepted, calling her Mom.
• Xiao Tianyang reminded everyone that the Cave Earth Demon Spider was near death, while Liu Erlong blamed him for Xiao Wu's danger and decided to settle the score later.
• Tang San returned to normal, called to Xiao Wu, and embraced her as they recognized their feelings for each other.
• Xiao Tianyang repeated his warning about the Cave Earth Demon Spider, and Master defended his actions as not being wrong.

Tang San absorbed the Cave Earth Demon Spider's soul ring and revealed his Fourth Soul Skill, Blue Silver Cage, as his companions prepared to face Saber. The group gained ground through teamwork while Liu Erlong confronted Xiao Tianyang over his dangerous actions.

• Tang San killed the Cave Earth Demon Spider, and the group reorganized their formation to guard against further danger.
• Tang San completed the difficult but safe absorption, and his companions asked about his new soul skill and the Man Faced Demon Spider.
• Saber arrived, and Xiao Tianyang declared that defeating her was the group's final test.
• Tang San explained Blue Silver Cage, and his companions coordinated their attacks against Saber after she shattered Dai Mubai's defenses.
• Liu Erlong confronted Xiao Tianyang, accusing him of putting Tang San and the others in danger.

Xiao Tianyang settled the misunderstanding with Liu Erlong and Master, then explained how he controlled Soul Power outside his body. As Saber disrupted Tang San’s formation, Zhu Zhuqing ambushed Xiao Tianyang for his token, but he dodged and launched a powerful attack that forced Liu Erlong and Master to flee.

• Xiao Tianyang denied using anyone or acting without confidence, and Master apologized on his behalf before Liu Erlong admitted she had been impulsive.
• Xiao Tianyang demonstrated his Soul Power control and explained that it required a special Cultivation Method and exceptional Spirit Power Quality.
• Master warned Xiao Tianyang that Spirit Hall might target him if his secret became known, and Xiao Tianyang said he understood.
• Saber broke into Tang San’s formation and severed the Blue Silver Grass connecting him to the others.
• Zhu Zhuqing used a clone to ambush Xiao Tianyang for his token, but he dodged and struck the air with enough force to make Liu Erlong and Master escape the attack’s range.

Zhu Zhuqing recognized Xiao Tianyang while fighting him in disguise, seized the token, and bit his neck before he left with Saber. After Master and Flender criticized the team for risking their lives, Zhu Zhuqing challenged Flender’s account of the test and Edward’s role.

• Xiao Tianyang’s shockwave exposed Zhu Zhuqing’s decoy, but she appeared behind him, recognized him by his scent, and took the token while biting his neck.
• Saber defeated Tang San and the others after Zhu Zhuqing left the fight, and Xiao Tianyang declared the team unqualified despite their victory before departing with Saber.
• Master and Flender warned the team that they had focused on taking the token without regard for their safety, and Flender said Edward’s presence had kept Zhu Zhuqing from being killed.
• Tang San accepted responsibility for agreeing to Zhu Zhuqing’s plan, while Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun insisted the team should share any punishment.
• Zhu Zhuqing reminded Flender that he had said any method of obtaining the token would count as a victory, then asked whether he had also called Edward a friend he invited.

Zhu Zhuqing challenged Flender and Master’s attempt to punish the group, and Liu Erlong ended the dispute. Back at the academy, Tang San and the others hurried to cultivate after feeling the pressure of Edward, while Xiao Tianyang’s return and cooking drew them to the back mountain, where Saber warned Ning Rongrong about the brutal conditions of their training ground.

• Zhu Zhuqing argued that the students had done nothing wrong, and Liu Erlong called off the dispute and told everyone to move on.
• Liu Erlong confronted Flender and Master as the group returned to Heaven Dou Imperial City, while Tang San and the others headed for the back mountain to cultivate.
• The aroma of Xiao Tianyang’s cooking calmed the group, and Ning Rongrong hurried to meet him when she realized he had returned.
• Ning Rongrong complained that Xiao Tianyang and Saber had underestimated her, so Xiao Tianyang invited her to join their next trip and revealed that the training ground was near the Extreme North.
• Saber described the freezing temperatures, fierce winds, and powerful Soul Beasts at the training ground, then reassured Ning Rongrong that she was already a genius.

Xiao Tianyang explained Xiao Wu’s disappearance and Soul Beast encounter while hiding that he had arranged both to protect her identity. Later, Zhu Zhuqing visited him at night to confirm he was Edward, and an accidental touch left them both embarrassed.

• Xiao Tianyang outdrank Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar, then asked Tang San to look after the three sleeping men.
• Xiao Tianyang questioned Xiao Wu about getting separated during a Soul Beast riot, and Tang San said she had found a dying Soul Beast and gained a Soul Ring.
• Xiao Tianyang privately revealed that he had caused the riot and Xiao Wu’s disappearance to keep her identity from drawing suspicion.
• After the others went to sleep, Xiao Tianyang heard someone enter his room and struck out when the intruder approached, only to discover it was Zhu Zhuqing.
• Zhu Zhuqing asked whether Xiao Tianyang was Edward from Sunset Forest, and he showed her the bite marks on his neck as proof.

Zhu Zhuqing told Xiao Tianyang about her Star Luo Empire background and rejected the marriage arranged for her, while Xiao Tianyang teased her about sneaking through his window. The next morning, Master explained that Xiao Tianyang would sit out the All-Continent Elite Soul Master Competition unless something unusual happened, and Xiao Tianyang gave his own reasons for staying off the team.

• Zhu Zhuqing told Xiao Tianyang that her family expected her to marry into the Star Luo imperial family, but she had already chosen not to let them control her life.
• Xiao Tianyang pointed out that Dai Mubai was her fiancé, and Zhu Zhuqing said that they had taken different paths and that a marriage contract could not force feelings.
• Xiao Tianyang told Zhu Zhuqing to use the door instead of climbing through the window, and she left through it after glaring at him.
• The next morning, Master posted a notice announcing a day off and an explanation of the All-Continent Elite Soul Master Competition, then Tang San introduced Huang Yuan, Tailong, Jing Ling, and Jiang Zhu.
• Master said Xiao Tianyang would not compete unless something unusual happened because his participation would let him crush the opponents and deprive the others of the experience.
• Xiao Tianyang said he was willing to stay off the team because he did not care about fame or rewards, then joked that his looks might distract the other champions.

Master explained the tournament rules to Xiao Tianyang and the Shrek students, then accepted Xiao Tianyang’s proposal that the team field only five people per preliminary match. The students agreed to prove their strength, and Master gave them one final day off before training resumed.

• Master outlined the tournament’s entry slots, qualifying rounds, finals format, and restrictions on abilities and killing.
• Xiao Tianyang proposed that Shrek field only five competitors in each preliminary match, including two substitutes.
• Xiao Wu and Ma Hongjun objected, but Dai Mubai and Tang San supported Xiao Tianyang’s challenge.
• Master accepted the plan, while considering how the lineup could protect the team’s hidden strengths and avoid Spirit Hall’s attention.
• Master gave the students the day off, and Ma Hongjun sensed that it would be their last holiday for a while.