Chapter Summaries

While searching the Star Dou Great Forest for Huo Wu’s eighth Soul Ring, Zhang Bufan found an abandoned academy and proposed rebuilding it as their home and the foundation for their own power. Huo Wu agreed, and they left to find out who governed the land and whether they could acquire it.

• Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu walked deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest, where Huo Wu drove off low-level soul beasts without killing them.
• They discovered the ruins of a large academy near a stream, and Zhang Bufan inspected the site and found no remaining danger.
• Zhang Bufan proposed rebuilding the academy as their home and creating a place to teach their ideas and welcome overlooked students.
• Huo Wu agreed to build the academy with him, and Zhang Bufan named himself dean and her vice dean.
• Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu left the ruins to find a nearby town and learn who governed the land.

Zhang Bufan bought the abandoned Ancient Maple Academy site from the Maple Leaf City Lord by paying far more than its asking price. He left with Huo Wu and the deed, ready to begin building their new home.

• Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu entered the City Lord's Manor and asked the City Lord to name a price for the abandoned academy land.
• The City Lord demanded one million Gold Soul Coins, and Zhang Bufan produced roughly one and a half million coins to pay him.
• The City Lord agreed to transfer the land and handed Zhang Bufan the deed for the academy site and surrounding five hundred mu.
• Zhang Bufan gave the deed to Huo Wu and warned the City Lord to keep outsiders away from the land.
• Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu left the manor and headed back to begin their home-building plan.

Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu began turning the abandoned Ancient Maple Academy into their new home and foundation. After Zhang Bufan unveiled the Bufan Academy plaque, Long Aotian and Yue Ling'er started preparing a room for the night.

• Zhang Bufan proposed renovating the academy, and Huo Wu reminded him they first needed somewhere to sleep.
• Zhang Bufan carved a plaque reading “BUFAN ACADEMY” from a dead maple tree using his Soul Power.
• Long Aotian and Yue Ling'er arrived with dinner and admired the plaque as Zhang Bufan asked them to hang it above the gate.
• Long Aotian secured the plaque while Yue Ling'er directed him, and the academy ruins took on a new atmosphere.
• Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu asked Long Aotian and Yue Ling'er to clean and arrange a room, and they began the work.

Zhang Bufan appointed Huo Wu, Long Aotian, and Yue Ling'er to leadership and support roles at Bufan Academy. He issued the academy’s first order to prioritize building the Bufan Residence for himself and Huo Wu, and the group prepared to begin construction.

• Zhang Bufan appointed Huo Wu vice dean, putting her in charge of the academy’s daily affairs.
• Zhang Bufan appointed Long Aotian dean of instruction, responsible for discipline, training, and security.
• Zhang Bufan appointed Yue Ling'er logistics manager and chief physician, with the added task of keeping Long Aotian from damaging the academy.
• Zhang Bufan ordered the academy’s available resources to be used first to build the Bufan Residence for himself and Huo Wu.
• Zhang Bufan assigned Long Aotian to supervise heavy labor, Yue Ling'er to prepare plans and supplies, and Huo Wu to oversee quality and keep him on task.

Zhang Bufan unveiled an extravagant blueprint for Bufan Residence and used his Soul Power to level the site and form the building’s foundation and metal framework. He assigned Long Aotian and Yue Ling'er to procure materials while Huo Wu supervised, and construction began on their new home.

• Zhang Bufan showed Huo Wu, Long Aotian, and Yue Ling'er his detailed plans for Bufan Residence, including modern conveniences and luxurious amenities.
• Zhang Bufan reassured Long Aotian and Yue Ling'er about the unusual design and told Huo Wu the Soul-guided glazed windows would be safe and affordable.
• Zhang Bufan used Soul Power to flatten several thousand square meters of land and shape the building’s foundation and metal framework.
• Zhang Bufan assigned Long Aotian to buy stone and timber, asked Yue Ling'er to manage the list and budget, and tasked Huo Wu with supervising the work.
• Huo Wu happily agreed to oversee construction as the group began preparing to build their home.

Zhang Bufan wrote an outrageously arrogant recruitment decree for Bufan Academy, turning it into a sensation across Heaven Dou City and drawing the attention of major powers. He remained unconcerned by the backlash as the academy awaited the unusual applicants his notice might attract.

• Zhang Bufan ignored Huo Wu's advice to write a formal recruitment notice and painted a provocative decree demanding obedient teachers while claiming strength was unimportant and promising generous compensation.
• Long Aotian praised the decree, while Yue Ling'er worried no one would apply and Huo Wu scolded Zhang Bufan for provoking Soul Masters.
• Long Aotian posted the decree at Heaven Dou City's busiest gate, where crowds argued over it and some unconventional Soul Masters showed interest.
• Ning Fengzhi, Yu Yuanzhen, and Bibi Dong received reports about the decree, with Bibi Dong judging Zhang Bufan a fool while becoming more wary of him.
• Long Aotian told Zhang Bufan that people were cursing the academy, but Zhang dismissed the backlash as successful marketing and continued working on a massage bathtub.

Zhang Bufan conducted bizarre interviews for Bufan Academy, rejecting applicants with hidden motives and retaining a few unusual candidates. A level seventy-one Soul Sage named Li Qingfeng arrived and challenged the continent’s Martial Soul theories, including Yu Xiaogang’s work, capturing Zhang Bufan’s interest.

• Zhang Bufan interviewed Old Man Wang, a level thirty-eight Hoe Soul Master, and sent him to wait for further consideration after learning he could cook and respected his wife.
• Zhang Bufan exposed Zhao Gan’s ulterior motives and had Long Aotian drive the level fifty-three Wind Wolf Soul King away with Soul Douluo pressure.
• Zhang Bufan rejected a stream of eccentric applicants, while Huo Wu, Long Aotian, and Yue Ling'er reacted to his strange questions in different ways.
• Huo Wu worried that Zhang Bufan’s unusual standards would prevent the academy from finding suitable teachers, but he insisted that shared ideals mattered more than Soul Power Level.
• Li Qingfeng introduced himself as a level seventy-one Green Jade Scroll Artifact Soul Sage and criticized the prevailing Martial Soul theories, prompting Zhang Bufan’s keen interest.

Li Qingfeng presented his theory that Martial Souls could let soul masters use elemental and rule energy to create skills without relying on Soul Rings, and Zhang Bufan recognized his ideas as promising. Zhang Bufan appointed him Dean of Academic Affairs at Bufan Academy, where Li Qingfeng began reviewing the remaining applicants.

• Li Qingfeng argued that Martial Souls were interfaces for channeling the world's energy and that soul masters could learn to create skills without Soul Rings.
• Zhang Bufan expanded on Li Qingfeng's theory with an analogy involving atomic structures, which convinced Li Qingfeng that they shared a path of research.
• Zhang Bufan appointed Li Qingfeng Dean of Academic Affairs and promised to support his teaching and research.
• Li Qingfeng accepted the position, while Huo Wu, Long Aotian, and Yue Ling'er welcomed him to the academy.
• Zhang Bufan asked Li Qingfeng to review the remaining applicants, and Li Qingfeng began evaluating them for his teaching team.

Zhang Bufan and Li Qingfeng selected five specialists to form Bufan Academy’s founding teaching staff. Zhang set an unconventional curriculum and promised to protect the teachers as they put their ideas into practice.

• Li Qingfeng interviewed Lei Meng and, with Zhang Bufan’s approval, hired him as the practical combat instructor.
• Su Wan impressed the interviewers with her gentle treatment plan and joined as the academy physician and herbology teacher.
• Lin Feng was retained to teach Soul Power control, while Wen Yuan was hired as a professor of literature and history.
• Zhang Bufan introduced the new teachers to the academy’s existing staff and assigned everyone their roles.
• Zhang Bufan told the teachers to use their unconventional approaches and promised to take responsibility if anything went wrong.

Zhang Bufan and Li Qingfeng organized the staff as Bufan Academy prepared its grounds, classrooms, supplies, and library for the start of term. With the academy nearly ready and everyone eager for students to arrive, Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu shared a playful moment amid the construction work.

• Li Qingfeng assigned Lei Meng, Long Aotian, and the Iron-eating Beast to renovate the training grounds, while Su Wan and Yue Ling'er handled procurement and other staff prepared classrooms and the library.
• The staff spent the following days building facilities, purchasing supplies, arranging books, and improving the academy’s cultivation environment as Zhang Bufan cultivated rare herbs on the back mountain.
• Huo Wu praised the staff’s dedication, and Zhang Bufan kissed her cheek while teasing her about his role supervising and cheering her on.
• The academy’s preparations proceeded smoothly, and the staff looked forward to the students who would soon arrive.

With Bufan Academy's opening preparations nearly complete, Huo Wu struggled to review the mountain of paperwork while Dean Zhang Bufan relaxed and shifted decisions onto her. Zhang eventually left her to finish the work, and Huo Wu began signing the enrollment handbook as the academy's story neared its official start.

• Li Qingfeng oversaw the academy's final preparations as its staff organized classrooms, books, training equipment, and supplies.
• Huo Wu complained that Zhang Bufan had left her to review and approve piles of academy documents while he lounged and ate grapes.
• Zhang Bufan approved costly equipment and training requests, declaring that the academy should choose expensive options rather than the right ones.
• Yue Ling'er brought Huo Wu and Zhang Bufan tea and pastries, then expressed concern that Huo Wu was overworking herself.
• Huo Wu challenged Zhang Bufan over rules concerning his Iron-eating Beast and the clause placing her in command if he was absent, then ordered him out of the office.
• After Zhang Bufan left, Huo Wu resumed reviewing the paperwork and signed the enrollment handbook.

Zhang Bufan toured Bufan Academy before persuading Huo Wu to approve Li Qingfeng’s expensive request for Blazing Flame Lion pelts. Li Qingfeng collected the authorization and headed to the warehouse, setting the academy on an even more costly course.

• Zhang Bufan toured the academy and praised its teaching, training, and logistics work.
• Zhang Bufan returned to the vice dean’s office and found Huo Wu reviewing Li Qingfeng’s request for one hundred Blazing Flame Lion pelts.
• Huo Wu tried to reject the costly purchase, but Zhang Bufan argued that the best teaching materials justified the expense and promised the Bufan Chamber of Commerce would fund it.
• Huo Wu reluctantly signed the report, and Zhang Bufan took it to Li Qingfeng.
• Li Qingfeng welcomed the approval and headed to the warehouse to withdraw the funds and begin his research.

Huo Wu fell asleep at her desk after reviewing academy funding applications, and Zhang Bufan carried her to bed before taking over her paperwork. He approved the remaining proposals extravagantly, leaving the academy to discover his unusual decisions the next morning.

• Huo Wu struggled with applications for a Soul Tool preservation cabinet and other expenses before exhaustion overtook her and she fell asleep at her desk.
• Zhang Bufan found Huo Wu asleep, gently tucked her hair behind her ear, and carried her to the office lounge bed.
• Zhang Bufan returned to the office and approved the preservation cabinet with double funding, while demanding changes to uniforms, defenses, teaching materials, and teacher benefits.
• Zhang Bufan rapidly cleared the remaining documents with generous, unconventional approvals and left the office after checking that Huo Wu was still asleep.
• The academy faced an unusual morning ahead as Zhang Bufan's distinctive approval notes filled the processed paperwork.

Huo Wu woke to find that Zhang Bufan had carried her to bed, stayed up approving her paperwork, and prepared her a heart-shaped breakfast. Though she worried about his extravagant spending, she was touched by his care and set aside her concerns as they ate together.

• Huo Wu woke in the lounge and discovered Zhang Bufan had cleared her desk by processing the academy's documents overnight.
• Huo Wu found Zhang Bufan's lavish approvals, including doubled budgets and salaries, an active Soul Tool city wall, and redesigned uniforms.
• Huo Wu discovered a breakfast and milk tea Zhang Bufan had prepared, including a heart-shaped fried egg.
• Zhang Bufan returned with sliced fruit and proudly asked Huo Wu to praise his breakfast, prompting her to laugh and enjoy it.
• Huo Wu questioned Zhang Bufan about the spending, and he assured her that his Bufan Chamber of Commerce ideas would bring in money.
• Huo Wu ate with Zhang Bufan and temporarily put aside her worries, knowing she would later have to handle the department heads and implement his plans.

Zhang Bufan pushed costly academy projects and promoted Bufan Academy with a provocative enrollment brochure, while Huo Wu tried to rein in his excesses. The brochure drew crowds of hopeful families and curious onlookers to the academy, where Zhang Bufan prepared to select students.

• Finance and logistics elders warned Huo Wu that Zhang Bufan's approved projects could exhaust the academy's budget, and Li Qingfeng reported that his materials list demanded rare, expensive supplies.
• Zhang Bufan told the elders to fund the preservation cabinet through the Bufan Chamber of Commerce and offered to find the rare materials himself.
• Zhang Bufan showed Huo Wu his enrollment brochure, which promised admission without restrictions on background or talent and claimed the Dean would choose students he liked the look of.
• Huo Wu objected to the brochure's boastful claims, but agreed to distribute a revised version after Zhang Bufan removed some insults and self-praise while keeping its provocative style.
• Long Aotian and several students handed out the brochure, drawing crowds of commoner families and curious visitors to Bufan Academy.
• Zhang Bufan watched the crowd gather from the clock tower and prepared to sift through the applicants for students he liked.

Zhang Bufan put applicants through illusion-based trials that tested their character, judgment, and courage, rejecting children with poor conduct regardless of talent. The first round ended with only a small fraction passing, and Zhang Bufan prepared to interview them personally.

• Long Aotian ordered the applicants into Bufan Academy's main hall while their parents waited outside.
• Zhang Bufan used the Soul Cauldron and illusion techniques to test applicants through scenarios involving compassion, greed, and fear.
• Shi Tie showed kindness and restraint, while Leng Ning remained cautious and persistent; a selfish noble boy failed several trials.
• Zhang Bufan judged the applicants' conduct and declared that talent could not make up for a crooked heart or a desire for shortcuts.
• Only one or two applicants in every ten passed the first round, and Zhang Bufan announced that personal interviews would follow.

Zhang Bufan interviewed the children who passed Bufan Academy’s first trial and selected thirty students based on their character, potential, and unusual qualities. He welcomed them as the academy’s first batch and ordered them to gather for his first lesson.

• Zhang Bufan announced a personal interview as the second and final round of admissions, and Long Aotian arranged the candidates in order.
• Zhang Bufan accepted Shi Tie, whose Shadow Leopard Martial Soul had low Innate Soul Power but whose will and determination impressed him.
• Zhang Bufan accepted Xinghui after assessing the Star Pattern Brush’s ability to enhance Soul Skills with temporary star patterns.
• Zhang Bufan continued selecting candidates according to their character and potential, then accepted Leng Ning for her Extreme Ice Martial Soul and desire to explore new possibilities of ice.
• Zhang Bufan announced that the thirty selected children were Bufan Academy’s first batch of students and summoned them to Theory Classroom One for his first lesson.

Zhang Bufan began the school year by challenging his students’ assumptions about Martial Souls, Soul Skills, and Soul Rings, explaining them as applications of energy and rules. He left the class with the first principle of his new lessons: conservation of energy.

• Zhang Bufan drew a circle and told the class it represented the world and everything in it, including their bodies, souls, and Martial Souls.
• When Li Qingfeng questioned how a circle could encompass different Martial Souls, Zhang Bufan dismissed the usual classifications as superficial appearances and shackles.
• Zhang Bufan explained that Soul Masters used Soul Power as energy, their Martial Souls as methods, Soul Skills as established routines, and Soul Rings as amplifiers and keys.
• Zhang Bufan said understanding energy and rules could eventually make seemingly impossible transformations possible, such as making water burn or freezing flame.
• Zhang Bufan wrote “Conservation of Energy” on the blackboard to begin the class’s first basic lesson.

Zhang Bufan taught the students that Soul Power obeyed the conservation of energy, explaining how it changed forms rather than appearing or vanishing. The class left stunned and newly curious about their Martial Souls, while Zhang Bufan planned to guide each student according to their aptitude.

• Zhang Bufan wrote “Conservation of Energy” on the board and explained that energy could neither be created nor destroyed, only transformed or transferred.
• Long Aotian questioned how eating and meditation could increase strength and Soul Power, and Zhang Bufan explained that they converted energy already present in food and the environment.
• Zhang Bufan demonstrated energy conversion by using Soul Power to ignite a sheet of paper, which became flame, heat, and ash.
• Huo Wu and Yue Ling'er reconsidered cultivation and healing through the idea of energy conversion, while Xinghui recognized that Zhang Bufan explained why things happened rather than merely how to use them.
• Zhang Bufan assigned the students a reflection on their Martial Souls, dismissed class, and resolved to teach them according to their aptitudes.

Zhang Bufan and the academy staff assigned the trainees to four classes based on their Martial Souls and interests, officially launching Bufan Academy’s teaching system. As the mentors led their new students to begin training, Zhang Bufan started imagining a distinctive academy emblem.

• Huo Wu announced the Theory Practice Class, led by Li Qingfeng, and Xinghui and Leng Ning joined it.
• Huo Wu assigned Shi Tie and other combat-oriented trainees to Long Aotian’s Assault Tactics Class.
• Huo Wu formed the Element Control Class, while Yue Ling'er took charge of the Support Logistics Class.
• Zhang Bufan explained how the four classes would work together and declared the academy’s teaching operations officially underway.
• Li Qingfeng, Long Aotian, Huo Wu, and Yue Ling'er led their students to the library and laboratory, training ground, elemental cultivation rooms, and supply facilities, respectively.
• Zhang Bufan decided that Bufan Academy needed a recognizable emblem and began thinking of a design.