Chapter Summaries

Shui Bing'er’s imposing procession approached, and Wang Sheng and Tang San stopped it to plead that they had suffered a grave injustice. After Wang Sheng refused to explain the matter to the vanguard commander, Shui Bing'er emerged from the carriage.

• Wang Sheng recognized the Ice Phoenix banner as Shui Bing’er’s and realized that the procession carried the Immortal Spirit Pavilion’s Goddess.
• Wang Sheng carried the unconscious Yu Xiaogang onto the road, and Tang San followed him as they knelt before the procession and cried that they had been wronged.
• Commander Guo Yue halted the procession and warned Wang Sheng and Tang San that obstructing it was a capital offense.
• Wang Sheng insisted that his grievance involved a wanted criminal and hidden details he could reveal only to the Imperial Envoy.
• Guo Yue prepared to have the three seized, but Shui Bing’er’s attendants opened a path, and Guo Yue dismounted to greet her.

Shui Bing'er heard Tang San and Wang Sheng’s account of Yu Xiaogang’s crimes, ordered Yu Xiaogang captured, and placed the two students under temporary custody for questioning. The procession entered Baishan City, where officials realized the scandal could implicate them in failing to detect Yu Xiaogang.

• Shui Bing'er reassured Wang Sheng and listened as Tang San, with Wang Sheng’s help, described Yu Xiaogang’s identity and the harm caused by his writings.
• Shui Bing'er ordered Yu Xiaogang detained and had Tang San and Wang Sheng bound for questioning by the authorities.
• Guo Yue led the procession toward Baishan City with Yu Xiaogang and the two students in custody.
• Officials gathered outside Baishan City to welcome Shui Bing'er, then recognized the prisoners and feared they would be blamed for allowing Yu Xiaogang to participate in the competition.
• The procession entered the city and continued toward the Ice Snow Goddess Hall branch as citizens watched and speculated.

Shui Bing'er punished the city lords for failing to discover Yu Xiaogang and sentenced him to execution, while stripping Tang San of his Ten Cities League title and rewards but clearing him of further responsibility. She then turned to Huang San, whose judgment remained to be given.

• Shui Bing'er demoted Xiao Qingfang and Cao Chuyue three ranks but allowed them to remain in their posts for their negligence.
• Shui Bing'er declared Yu Xiaogang guilty of spreading harmful doctrines and ordered him executed by a thousand cuts in three days.
• Yu Xiaogang fainted after hearing his sentence.
• Shui Bing'er stripped Tang San of his Ten Cities League championship and rewards but absolved him of responsibility because he had been deceived and helped expose Yu Xiaogang.
• Shui Bing'er shifted her attention to Huang San, who remained rigid and ashen-faced.

Shui Bing'er delayed Huang San's punishment after he revealed his Twin Martial Souls, ordering him detained while the pavilion reviewed his case. She awarded Wang Sheng the disqualified Tang San's championship and a place in Dao Seeking Academy's junior division.

• Shui Bing'er sentenced Huang San to have his Soul Power abolished and to lifelong labor at Black Mountain Mine for shielding Yu Xiaogang.
• Huang San revealed his Twin Martial Souls and pleaded that he knew little of Yu Xiaogang's crimes, declaring that Yu Xiaogang deserved to die.
• Shui Bing'er postponed Huang San's final punishment and ordered the guards to detain him under strict watch pending the pavilion's decision.
• Shui Bing'er praised Wang Sheng for helping Tang San expose Yu Xiaogang's crimes and awarded him the Baishan City competition championship and a place at Dao Seeking Academy.

Wang Sheng received an unexpected opportunity to enter Dao Seeking Academy after being awarded the championship, while Tang San met with his family to discuss completely severing ties with Yu Xiaogang. The chapter ended with Tang San recoiling at the demand that he personally execute his former Teacher.

• Shui Bing'er withdrew, and officials and Soul Masters congratulated Wang Sheng on earning admission to Dao Seeking Academy.
• Wang Sheng pushed through the crowd and hurried to find his master and tell his parents the news.
• Tang San received a secret signal from Tang Hao and followed him to an abandoned warehouse, where Tang Hao, Tang Lie, and Tang Xiao were waiting.
• Tang Hao told Tang San that Yu Xiaogang was as good as dead and insisted that Tang San sever all ties with him completely.
• Tang Lie urged Tang San to apply to personally execute Yu Xiaogang, leaving Tang San shocked and resisting the idea of killing his Teacher.

Tang San accepted Tang Xiao’s advice to report Yu Xiaogang so his past would not jeopardize his future, while news of Yu Xiaogang’s capture and coming execution spread across the region. Wang Sheng received a final secret task from Wang Defa and went to the prison, where the chapter ended as he reached Yu Xiaogang’s isolated cell.

• Tang Xiao persuaded Tang San that reporting Yu Xiaogang would protect his prospects, and Tang San agreed to submit the application.
• The Douluo Daily reported Yu Xiaogang’s crimes and announced that he would be executed by a thousand cuts in three days.
• Wang Sheng prepared to leave Baishan City after receiving his Dao Seeking Academy qualification.
• Wang Defa gave Wang Sheng a black token and secretly instructed him to complete one final task.
• Wang Sheng followed the head jailer through Baishan City Prison to the isolated cell where Yu Xiaogang was held.

Wang Sheng visited Huang San in prison and urged him to prove his loyalty by turning against his father, Yu Xiaogang, in exchange for a chance to avoid punishment. Two days later, a huge crowd gathered in Baishan City's marketplace for Yu Xiaogang's execution, but the chapter ended before the execution began.

• Wang Sheng found Huang San chained beside a filthy chamber pot in his cell and heard him plead for help.
• Wang Sheng told Huang San that his Twin Martial Souls might spare him from having his Soul Power crippled, but his parentage made his fate difficult to change.
• Wang Sheng proposed that Huang San apply to wield the execution blade or publicly reject Yu Xiaogang, and Huang San eagerly agreed to kill his father for the chance to save himself.
• Wang Sheng promised to try to arrange Huang San's request, then left the prison while Huang San called after him.
• Two days later, a vast crowd filled Baishan City's marketplace to watch Yu Xiaogang's public execution, gathering around the execution platform.

Tang San and Huang San began Yu Xiaogang’s public execution by cutting away his eyelids and then inflicting death by a thousand cuts. As the crowd celebrated and condemned Yu Xiaogang, the two disciples continued the torture under a healing Soul Master’s supervision.

• Guo Yue declared the execution had begun and ordered Yu Xiaogang put to death.
• Huang San cut away Yu Xiaogang’s left eyelid while pinning his head in place.
• Tang San overcame his hesitation and cut away Yu Xiaogang’s right eyelid.
• The crowd cheered Yu Xiaogang’s punishment and debated the young executioners’ actions.
• Tang San and Huang San began cutting Yu Xiaogang’s limbs and torso while the healing Soul Master kept him alive and conscious.

Yu Xiaogang was tortured and executed in public, dying with a final curse against Zhao Linchuan, whom he blamed for taking the glorious life he believed he deserved. Guo Yue announced the execution, and the crowd celebrated as the stray dogs fled with scraps from the platform.

• Tang San continued cutting Yu Xiaogang while a healing Soul Master kept him alive and conscious.
• Stray dogs climbed onto the platform and devoured scraps of Yu Xiaogang's flesh, deepening his humiliation.
• As he neared death, Yu Xiaogang imagined the life he believed he should have had and blamed Zhao Linchuan for ruining it.
• Yu Xiaogang forced out a broken curse against Zhao Linchuan before dying.
• The healing Soul Master confirmed Yu Xiaogang's death, and Guo Yue announced that the sentence had been carried out.
• The crowd cheered while officials drove the stray dogs from the platform.

Wang Sheng told Tang San and Huang San that the Empire had pardoned their past offenses but required them to earn admission to Dao Seeking Academy through the next tournament. Huang San accepted Tang San’s offer to train with his uncle, while Wang Sheng learned that he would also attend the academy after completing his mission.

• Wang Sheng gave Tang San and Huang San imperial edicts pardoning them, but said they had lost their championship honor and original academy admission; they could earn entry by placing in the top sixteen at the next tournament.
• Huang San found his system silent and, with nowhere else to go, accepted Tang San’s invitation to train with Tang Xiao and seek a third Soul Ring.
• Wang Sheng reported to Wang Defa, who praised his work and said the Empire would fund a major road connecting Wang Sheng’s hometown to a train station and nearby towns.
• Wang Defa told Wang Sheng to prepare for Dao Seeking Academy, assuring him that the Empire rewarded merit and explaining the significance of his mission.

Wang Sheng left Baishan City with Wang Defa for Dao Seeking Academy, while Shrek Academy continued to struggle with dwindling enrollment and money two years later. Flender heard Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun arguing over whether Dai Mubai had spied on Cuihua bathing.

• Wang Defa solemnly praised the person he served and urged Wang Sheng not to disappoint that person's expectations.
• Wang Sheng followed Wang Defa toward Dao Seeking Academy, resolving to pursue a broader future.
• Two years later, Flender reviewed Shrek Academy's two Rebirth registrations, for Tang San and Huang San, as the academy's poor reputation and finances continued to worsen.
• Flender heard Ma Hongjun accuse Dai Mubai of repeatedly spying on Cuihua bathing, while Dai Mubai denied it and Cuihua weakly defended him.

Cuihua broke up with Ma Hongjun, and Tang San and Huang San arrived at Shrek Academy, where Tang San questioned whether the struggling school could meet his goals. The chapter left them settling into their bare dormitory while Flender went to show them the academy and explain the courses.

• Cuihua told Ma Hongjun she could no longer endure the effects of his Evil Fire and left him, prompting him to chase after her.
• Ma Hongjun collided with Tang San and Huang San, then challenged Tang San to a fight after Tang San rebuked him.
• Flender stopped the confrontation, ordered Ma Hongjun back to training, and welcomed Tang San and Huang San to Shrek Academy.
• Flender showed Tang San and Huang San an empty dormitory room and left them to settle in.
• Tang San questioned Huang San's choice of Shrek Academy after seeing its poor facilities.

Huang San persuaded Tang San that Shrek Academy was their best route into the Soul Master Tournament, despite its poor facilities. After Huang San left, Tang San opened Wang Sheng’s letter and learned of Wang Sheng’s punishing training, rapid rise to level forty-two, ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring, and startling welcome home.

• Huang San argued that Shrek Academy needed competitors and would give them core team spots, making it a practical path to tournament eligibility and Dao Seeking Academy.
• Tang San accepted Huang San’s reasoning but lamented Shrek Academy’s shabby condition and how different it was from the academy he remembered.
• After Huang San left to explore, Tang San opened a letter Wang Sheng had sent through intermediaries seven days earlier.
• Wang Sheng wrote that Dao Seeking Academy’s demanding schedule left him exhausted, but he had reached level forty-two and absorbed a ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring under the academy’s supervision.
• Wang Sheng described returning home during a brief break and finding that villagers had built a shrine for him, frightening him and prompting elders to try to kneel.

Tang San read Wang Sheng’s letter and became bitterly jealous of his rapid progress at Dao Seeking Academy. At Shrek Academy, Huang San learned that its students and staff were trapped in a far more troubled situation than its respectable appearance suggested.

• Wang Sheng wrote that he had reached Rank Forty-Two Soul Ancestor, gained a ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring, and was about to enter a dangerous secret realm for training.
• Tang San read the letter, resented Wang Sheng’s success and opportunities, and abandoned his attempt to write a reply.
• Huang San questioned Teacher Shao and Oscar at Shrek Academy and learned that Zhao Wuji was hiding and could not teach openly.
• Huang San learned that Dai Mubai was isolated by his royal identity and had taken to peeping at village girls.
• Oscar told Huang San that Cuihua had finally decided to leave Ma Hongjun after enduring his Evil Fire and temper for years.

Oscar showed Huang San around Shrek Academy and took him and Tang San to a nearby village for dinner. On their way back, they found Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun fighting beside a creek, and Oscar ran to fetch the Dean.

• Oscar teased Huang San with a sausage and then offered to show him around Shrek Academy.
• Oscar led Huang San and Tang San out of the academy to eat at a nearby village restaurant because the academy's dinner was inadequate.
• On the way back, Oscar, Huang San, and Tang San heard fighting near a creek and went to investigate.
• The three found Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun brawling while a girl in a floral dress tried to stop them.
• Oscar sent Tang San and Huang San to separate the fighters and sprinted back to fetch the Dean.

Tang San and Huang San stopped Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun from fighting, and Flender punished them after learning they had fought over Cuihua. After Cuihua left and the others departed, Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun traded one last bitter insult beside the stream.

• Tang San and Huang San forcibly separated Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun as they fought and hurled insults at each other.
• Flender arrived with Oscar and Shao Xin, silenced the brawl, and scolded Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun for disgracing themselves and Shrek Academy.
• Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun's account revealed that Dai Mubai had started a relationship with Cuihua after her breakup with Ma Hongjun, who discovered them together and challenged him.
• Flender sent Cuihua home and ordered Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun to remain by the stream until dawn or lose their next semester's allowances.
• After Flender, Oscar, Tang San, and Huang San left, Dai Mubai provoked Ma Hongjun, who insulted him in return before they fell silent under the moon.

Flender led the Shrek Academy group into Heaven Dou City and warned the students to behave in the Immortal Spirit Pavilion’s powerful capital. Ma Hongjun fixated on a red-haired woman who rejected him, then argued with Dai Mubai before the group found a courtyard to rent.

• Flender admired Heaven Dou City's grandeur while Dai Mubai claimed Star Luo City was superior, and Flender warned the students to avoid trouble inside the city.
• Ma Hongjun ogled a passing red-haired woman, who silently called him disgusting before vanishing into the crowd.
• Ma Hongjun claimed the woman liked him, and Dai Mubai mocked him until the two began to argue.
• Flender stopped their quarrel and led the group into Heaven Dou City.
• Flender's group searched the city and found a short-term rental courtyard near the inner city.

Flender arranged lodging for the Shrek students in Heaven Dou City and collected money from them while trying to find enough people for the competition’s Team Competition. Ma Hongjun’s Evil Fire was close to flaring up again, and Flender returned with a goat that was not the female sheep Ma Hongjun had requested.

• Flender rented a courtyard and demanded two hundred Gold Soul Coins from each student, claiming the money would cover their expenses and his arrangements.
• Flender explained that the team had only five people and needed seven for the Team Competition, then left to register them and look for temporary teammates.
• Ma Hongjun told Flender his Evil Fire was nearly uncontrollable and asked him to buy a female sheep; Huang San worried that without the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, Ma Hongjun’s condition would worsen.
• Flender returned with food and a male goat, and Ma Hongjun protested that he had asked for a female sheep.

Huo Wu returned to Blazing Fire Academy with the greatsword Sinking Flame, which the Pavilion Master had commissioned to temper her fiery nature. She planned to compete individually and secretly drew a portrait of Zhao Linchuan, while Huo Wushuang invited her to the academy’s welcome banquet.

• Ma Hongjun dragged a protesting ram into the west wing, where he and the animal cried out in pain as Flender told him to endure it.
• Huo Wushuang found Huo Wu calmly sketching in the meditation room beside her greatsword, Sinking Flame.
• Huo Wu explained that the Pavilion Master had given her Sinking Flame to suppress her restless inner fire and temper her competitive nature.
• Huo Wu said she would enter the Individual Competition because she had little faith in Blazing Fire Academy’s Team Competition results.
• Huo Wushuang recognized that Huo Wu was drawing Zhao Linchuan, and she defended the portrait as a student’s expression of admiration for her teacher.
• Huo Wushuang invited Huo Wu to the academy’s welcome banquet, then left her to continue drawing.

Feng Xiaotian returned to Godwind Academy and promised to do his utmost in the tournament, while Shrek Academy completed its roster for the Heaven Dou Competition Zone Preliminary Round. At the opening ceremony, Ling Qingyue made a spectacular entrance, leaving the crowd in awe as the tournament began.

• Feng Xiaotian returned from Dao Seeking Academy, and the Godwind Academy Dean said the academy's tournament hopes depended on him.
• Flender gathered Zhang Sang and Zhang Miao, allowing Shrek Academy to register a complete team.
• The Heaven Dou Competition Zone Preliminary Round began under revised rules that held team points matches before individual elimination matches.
• Tang San watched the packed opening ceremony and imagined winning the tournament and receiving recognition from Great Emperor Shenwu.
• Ling Qingyue's arrival quieted the crowd as snowflakes blossomed into miniature Snow Lotuses that gathered into a huge lotus above the central podium.