Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Li Yuan argues that the Sea God’s humiliating treatment of Qian Renxue may have been more than an illusion or recording: it could point to the Angel God’s death. He notes that the Sea God possesses powers associated with her—light and purification—and that the Angel God never answered her followers.
• The group considers the possibility that the Sea God killed the Angel God and took her powers. Qian Renxue is shaken by the thought, while Bibi Dong welcomes it, imagining that Qian Daoliu’s influence would collapse and she could control Spirit Hall.
• Li Yuan questions why the Asura God chose Tang San instead of the seemingly more suitable Tang Chen or Bibi Dong. He rejects the idea that the choice was simply due to Tang San’s Twin Martial Souls, pointing out that Bibi Dong’s were more impressive.
• Li Yuan reveals that Xiao Wu may have been chosen as an “Asura Scabbard” to help Tang San bear Asura’s power. Xiao Wu is horrified to learn she may become a tool in Tang San’s future.
• Li Yuan proposes a motive for the Asura God’s hostility toward the Angel God: her campaign against Fallen Spirit Masters weakened the supply of slaughter and faith that sustained the Asura God’s City of Slaughter.
• He further suggests the Asura God may have used the Sea God to attack the Angel God—“killing with a borrowed knife”—despite being an enforcer of divine rules.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yuan drives the discussion, linking the Sea God’s conduct, the Angel God’s disappearance, and the Asura God’s interests into a disturbing theory.
• Qian Renxue moves from confusion to dread as she considers that her ancestor may be dead and that the Sea God may have stolen her powers.
• Bibi Dong responds with glee at the prospect of the Angel God’s death, seeing it as an opportunity to weaken Qian Daoliu and take control of Spirit Hall.
• Xiao Wu is blindsided by the revelation that she may become the Asura Scabbard, and fears being turned into a puppet.
• The group members react with disgust and alarm, revising their idealized view of the gods. Several regret learning the revelations at all.

Significant themes

• Corruption and hypocrisy among the gods: divine status does not guarantee moral conduct.
• Power, faith, and self-interest: the Asura God may have acted to preserve a system that depended on slaughter.
• Manipulation and collateral damage: gods may use others as tools, from the Sea God’s possible role in the Angel God’s fall to Xiao Wu’s possible role as a scabbard.
• The cost of truth: each revelation gives the characters a darker understanding of the divine world and leaves them more fearful than before.

Summary

Li Yuan’s revelations about the Divine Realm leave the chat group shaken. Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and others realize that the gods’ world is not the noble, orderly place they imagined, but a realm of conspiracy and betrayal. Li Yuan’s reassurance that foreknowledge is better than ignorance does little to calm them.
In the Heaven Dou Crown Prince’s Mansion, Qian Renxue is furious to learn that she, Bibi Dong, and Spirit Hall were manipulated by the Asura God and Sea God. Refusing to remain anyone’s pawn, she vows to make Spirit Hall powerful again and privately asks Li Yuan for guidance.
Instead of answering directly, Li Yuan describes the future after Spirit Hall’s destruction: the continent descends into disorder, and even a gifted young soul master cannot afford treatment for her mother and is driven to sell her body. He explains that Spirit Hall currently restrains the nobles and sects, but without that authority, powerful factions can abuse their influence.
To illustrate the future’s injustice, Li Yuan tells of a poor, talented spirit master who reaches Titled Douluo rank but is branded an “Evil Soul Master” and hunted because his martial soul requires him to drink soul beast blood—even though he does not harm people. The group is appalled, and Bibi Dong begins to wonder whether the future truly is as chaotic as Li Yuan claims.

Character developments and interactions

• Qian Renxue shifts from a confident political strategist to someone determined to defy the forces manipulating her. Her private appeal to Li Yuan shows that she sees the chat group as a possible way to change Spirit Hall’s fate.
• Bibi Dong is unsettled by the apparent collapse of justice in the future, especially since the described “Evil Soul Master” case contradicts her understanding of the label.
• Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Hu Liena, Liu Erlong, and the others respond with fear, disbelief, and anger. Hu Liena particularly struggles to understand how a full-power genius could be left without help.
• Li Yuan acts as the group’s guide, using future examples to argue that Spirit Hall’s fall would remove a restraint on the continent’s powerful factions.

Significant themes

• Power and manipulation: Qian Renxue recognizes that Spirit Hall itself has been used as a pawn by divine forces.
• Order versus abuse: Li Yuan presents Spirit Hall as a flawed but stabilizing force, while warning that unchecked powers in the future persecute those who are vulnerable or merely different.
• Foreknowledge and fear: Learning the future may offer a chance to resist it, but the revelations also leave the group more anxious.
• Hypocrisy and injustice: Those claiming authority to define “evil” may use that power arbitrarily, turning unusual behavior into a pretext for persecution.

Plot points and events

• Li Yuan challenges the group’s belief that the world would be better without Spirit Hall. He argues that, in the future, the organization’s collapse could bring greater disorder and oppression, especially for ordinary people and Soul Masters without powerful connections.
• Ning Rongrong and Bai Chenxiang are shaken by his account, while other group members reconsider their views of Spirit Hall. Bibi Dong welcomes the temporary reprieve from criticism, but Li Yuan warns that Spirit Hall is still deeply flawed.
• Li Yuan alleges corruption among Spirit Hall’s mid-ranking officials. Bibi Dong dismisses the claim, but Qian Renxue says she will investigate rather than simply trust her mother’s assurances.
• In private, Li Yuan advises Qian Renxue that corruption undermines the hopes of lower-ranking Soul Masters and makes it harder to recruit talent. Taking his advice, she orders Snake Lance Douluo to investigate Heaven Dou City’s Red Cardinals and punish proven offenders—despite the political risks.
• Li Yuan ends the group conversation, offers a member a warm blessing, and turns to cultivation, pleased that the chat’s activity score has risen.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yuan presents himself as a blunt realist: he neither defends Spirit Hall outright nor accepts that its destruction would solve the continent’s problems. He also gives Qian Renxue practical, institution-focused advice.
• Qian Renxue shows independence and resolve, choosing an investigation based on evidence despite Bibi Dong’s confidence. She is willing to confront entrenched interests and invoke her grandfather’s authority if necessary.
• Bibi Dong is pleased that Spirit Hall briefly receives less criticism, but reacts angrily to Li Yuan’s accusation and feels stung when Qian Renxue doubts her. Hu Liena tries to comfort her, inadvertently reinforcing her confidence.
• Ning Rongrong and Bai Chenxiang confront the possibility that the world beyond their sheltered or vulnerable circumstances may be harsher than they assumed.
• She Long initially hesitates because corruption is widely tolerated, but Qian Renxue’s determination persuades him to obey.
• The group members’ discussion shifts from treating Spirit Hall as a simple villain to recognizing its role in maintaining balance, while still questioning its internal integrity.

Significant themes

• Power vacuums and unintended consequences: Removing a flawed institution may invite worse forces rather than produce freedom.
• Privilege and vulnerability: Talent alone may not protect people who lack status, money, or allies.
• Institutional reform and accountability: Corruption damages morale and opportunity, making it a threat to an organization’s long-term future.
• Uncertainty and change: Li Yuan stresses that the bleak future he describes is only a possibility, not an inevitable outcome.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Lingling is delighted when Li Yuan replies with a sincere blessing. Encouraged by his kindness, she looks forward to testing her new Soul Bone Skill the next day.
• Her mother, Ye Xinlan, hears her laughing and worries that her shy, isolated daughter may be unwell. Lingling hides her excitement, leaving her mother’s concern unresolved.
• At the Crown Prince’s Mansion, She Long reports that a Red Cardinal near Heaven Dou City embezzled two million Gold Soul Coins in just three years.
• Qian Renxue is furious and concludes that the scandal may point to widespread corruption within Spirit Hall. She posts the evidence in the group chat, challenging Bibi Dong’s earlier assurances that corruption was absent.
• Bibi Dong initially rejects the accusation, but Li Yuan argues that greed persists regardless of how generously officials are paid. Faced with the account statement, Bibi Dong orders Yue Guan to investigate Spirit Hall from top to bottom.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Lingling gains confidence and happiness from Li Yuan’s attention, though she remains bashful around her mother.
• Ye Xinlan shows loving but anxious concern, misreading Lingling’s private joy as a possible sign of serious distress.
• Qian Renxue shifts from anger at the discovered fraud to a determined demand for accountability, directly confronting Bibi Dong in the group chat.
• Bibi Dong moves from disbelief and defensiveness to rage and decisive action. The scandal particularly stings because it undermines her authority and embarrasses her before Qian Renxue, whose relationship with her had only recently begun to improve.
• Li Yuan bluntly explains that greed cannot be eliminated simply by raising officials’ salaries. Other group members tease Bibi Dong, while Hu Liena initially wonders whether Qian Renxue has misread the reports.

Significant themes

• Greed and corruption: The chapter’s central point is that greater pay does not necessarily curb greed, and one exposed case may reveal deeper institutional rot.
• Trust and accountability: Qian Renxue’s evidence forces Spirit Hall’s leadership to confront the gap between its public assurances and reality.
• Kindness and isolation: A small, sincere gesture from Li Yuan brings meaningful comfort to the socially anxious Lingling, even as her mother misunderstands her happiness.

Key plot points and events

• Bibi Dong orders a sweeping self-inspection of Spirit Hall, threatening to execute any elder who obstructs it. Yue Guan is alarmed by how far the investigation may reach, but quickly pledges obedience.
• Qian Renxue messages Li Yuan, convinced that removing corrupt lower- and mid-level officials will let Spirit Hall recruit more experts and regain its strength.
• Li Yuan challenges her assumption: lower-level corruption is only a symptom, while Spirit Hall’s leadership determines its policies and long-term direction. Real reform must address the upper ranks.
• When Qian Renxue objects that this could mean acting against her mother, Bibi Dong, Li Yuan tells her about Li Shimin’s rise to power: he killed his brothers and sidelined his father, yet his rule led to the prosperous Zhenguan era.
• Inspired by the story, Qian Renxue declares she will become “Qian Shimin.” Li Yuan jokes that this makes him happy because of the name’s accidental connection to the historical Li Yuan.

Character developments and interactions

• Bibi Dong shows fierce resolve to enforce her authority and root out resistance within Spirit Hall.
• Yue Guan shifts from cautiously warning about the investigation’s consequences to unquestioning compliance once he sees Bibi Dong’s anger.
• Qian Renxue begins confident but politically naïve, mistaking administrative cleanup for a solution to Spirit Hall’s decline. Li Yuan’s challenge makes her consider structural reform and confront her loyalty to her mother. She ends newly determined, though the chapter treats her resolve comically.
• Li Yuan acts as a blunt, irreverent mentor, using historical analogy and provocation to push Qian Renxue toward a more hard-headed view of leadership. Their exchange is marked by her enthusiastic misreadings and his exasperation.

Significant themes

• Structural reform versus surface-level cleanup: removing corrupt officials cannot fix an organization if its leaders and policies remain unchanged.
• Power, loyalty, and family: political responsibility may conflict with personal affection, especially when reform threatens a parent.
• Historical analogy and decisive leadership: Li Yuan presents Li Shimin’s violent accession as an example of prioritizing statecraft over family hierarchy.
• Comedy and misunderstanding: Qian Renxue’s overconfident interpretations and Li Yuan’s teasing lighten an otherwise serious discussion of political purges and succession.

Key plot points and events

• Li Yuan advises Qian Renxue to approach Gui Mei and Yue Guan, former loyal subordinates of her father, in hopes of securing support and gaining influence within the Pope Palace.
• Qian Renxue angrily scolds Li Yuan for his crude remarks about her mother, Bibi Dong, but decides the political opportunity is worth pursuing. She writes Gui Mei a recruitment letter and sends She Long to deliver it personally.
• At Notting Academy, Tang San wakes after a day unconscious from his humiliating defeat by Li Yuan. He questions whether his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul is truly as weak as people say.
• Yu Xiaogang tries to restore Tang San’s confidence by promising that a future Soul Ring will strengthen his abilities enough to defeat Li Yuan.
• Tang San discovers that his injury has left him unable to control his bowels. When a doctor sees the mess, Yu Xiaogang rushes in and comforts him.
• Yu Xiaogang embraces and cleans Tang San, enduring a further humiliating accident. Tang San is deeply moved and pledges to train hard and prove Yu Xiaogang’s theories correct.

Character developments and interactions

• Qian Renxue balances personal anger with political ambition: despite resenting Li Yuan’s comments and feeling conflicted about acting against her mother, she takes the first step toward building her own faction. Her exchange with She Long also shows her ability to reassure and direct her subordinates.
• Tang San is shaken by losing to Li Yuan and begins to doubt his martial-soul potential. Yu Xiaogang’s apparent acceptance at Tang San’s lowest moment restores his trust and strengthens his commitment to his teacher.
• Yu Xiaogang presents himself as a devoted father figure, but his private thoughts reveal that he is also protecting Tang San as proof of his theories and as a source of future security. Their relationship grows more emotionally intimate through this episode of care and humiliation.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and political maneuvering: Qian Renxue seeks to turn inherited ties into practical support while navigating her divided loyalties to family and the Spirit Hall.
• Mentorship and dependence: Yu Xiaogang’s care helps Tang San recover confidence, while the scene suggests that affection and self-interest can coexist.
• Humiliation and resilience: Tang San’s physical vulnerability deepens his despair, but it also becomes the occasion for renewed faith in his teacher.

Key plot points and events

• In the group chat, Bibi Dong teases Xiao Wu for supposedly liking the Group Leader. Xiao Wu denies it, though the teasing makes her wonder—briefly—whether she might have feelings for Li Yuan.
• Qian Renxue notices Xiao Wu’s reaction and considers watching her relationship with the Group Leader for a possible opportunity. Little One, watching from the Star Dou Forest, remains uninterested in the human romantic drama.
• Yu Xiaogang summons Xiao Wu and asks whether Li Yuan has recently encountered anyone unusual or obtained anything extraordinary. He hopes to discover the cause of Li Yuan’s sudden power and Martial Soul changes so he might improve his own Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao.
• Xiao Wu suspects his motives and begins recording the conversation. Yu Xiaogang claims he wants to protect his students, but proposes collecting their secrets into a book that would bring public praise to them—and recognition to Notting Academy.
• Xiao Wu sees through the excuse, mocks his plan, and reminds him that prying into a Soul Master’s secrets is taboo. Yu Xiaogang insists he is merely showing concern and repeats that he is acting “for their own good.”

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Wu is embarrassed by Bibi Dong’s teasing but quickly rejects the idea that she likes the Group Leader. With Yu Xiaogang, she proves alert and assertive, preparing evidence and challenging his hypocrisy.
• Bibi Dong enjoys provoking Xiao Wu, treating the exchange as playful revenge.
• Qian Renxue watches the argument with mild disapproval of her mother’s childishness, while taking interest in Xiao Wu’s possible feelings.
• Yu Xiaogang reveals that his supposed concern is driven by ambition: he wants to learn Li Yuan’s secret and potentially restore his own reputation.
• Little One provides a comic contrast, caring only about food, sleep, and play.

Significant themes

• Self-serving motives disguised as concern: Yu Xiaogang frames curiosity and ambition as protection.
• Privacy and trust: Xiao Wu recognizes that exposing someone’s Martial Soul secrets violates an important boundary.
• Romance and teasing: The group’s banter raises the possibility of Xiao Wu’s feelings, though she denies them.
• Reputation and insecurity: Yu Xiaogang’s desire to overcome humiliation drives his interest in Li Yuan’s transformation.

Key plot points and events

• Xiao Wu confronts Yu Xiaogang after he tries to learn Li Yuan’s Martial Soul secrets. When he hides behind claims of propriety, she calls out his real motives.
• Yu Xiaogang loses his temper and insults Xiao Wu. She chokes him with her leg, then releases him and warns him to stay away from Li Yuan, whom she declares under her protection.
• Despite the humiliation, Yu Xiaogang becomes even more determined to uncover Li Yuan’s secret, imagining it could make him famous.
• Xiao Wu shares a video of the confrontation in the group chat. Members condemn Yu Xiaogang’s arrogance and greed, while Liu Erlong says she regrets ever loving him.
• The group jokes about why Bibi Dong once loved Yu Xiaogang. Bibi Dong angrily insists their relationship was genuine love, not what the others assume, and threatens the chat members.
• Qian Renxue questions her mother directly, unable to understand what Bibi Dong sees in Yu Xiaogang.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Wu is shown as fiercely protective of Li Yuan, physically formidable, and unwilling to defer to Yu Xiaogang’s authority.
• Yu Xiaogang is exposed as both thin-skinned and opportunistic: his wounded pride gives way to a fixation on exploiting Li Yuan’s abilities.
• Li Yuan appreciates Xiao Wu’s defense but jokes to himself about being treated like someone she supports.
• Liu Erlong expresses renewed disgust and regret over her former feelings for Yu Xiaogang.
• Bibi Dong reacts defensively to the group’s mockery, revealing that she still holds onto her view of her past love.
• Qian Renxue voices frustration with her mother’s attachment, highlighting the growing strain between them.

Significant themes

• Protectiveness and loyalty: Xiao Wu’s actions make Li Yuan’s affairs her own.
• Hypocrisy and ambition: Yu Xiaogang presents curiosity as concern for scholarship, but his true motive is personal advancement.
• Public judgment and private attachment: The group mocks Bibi Dong’s past relationship, while she insists that outsiders cannot understand it.
• Family tension: Qian Renxue’s challenge reflects her disappointment with her mother’s continued defense of Yu Xiaogang.

Plot points

• Liu Erlong reflects on her newfound freedom from Yu Xiaogang and pities Bibi Dong for remaining devoted to him.
• In the group chat, Li Yuan claims Yu Xiaogang plagiarized much of his famous research, including the “Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul,” from Spirit Hall’s library.
• Li Yuan says Yu Xiaogang copied only fragments, then added mistaken interpretations, making the original theories worse.
• Bibi Dong angrily rejects the accusation, but Qian Renxue and others press for evidence. Doubt finally overcomes her, and she orders Spirit Hall to investigate.
• A Red Cardinal returns with the original texts and Yu Xiaogang’s manuscript, confirming that the theories show signs of plagiarism and were distorted by his errors. He hesitates before delivering the full judgment.

Character developments and interactions

• Liu Erlong is content after moving on from Yu Xiaogang, but the revelations stir resentment over how his theories once fooled her.
• Bibi Dong shifts from fierce defense of Yu Xiaogang to reluctant doubt when challenged with verifiable evidence. Her anger at being mocked is mixed with guilt and attachment.
• Qian Renxue has given up on persuading Bibi Dong directly and looks to Li Yuan’s facts to change her mind.
• Li Yuan takes advantage of the group’s curiosity to expose Yu Xiaogang, presenting the plagiarism claims confidently.
• Hu Liena sympathizes with Qian Renxue and is uncomfortable watching Bibi Dong’s devotion.
• The group chat largely ridicules Yu Xiaogang, while Bibi Dong’s defenses isolate her from those around her.

Significant themes

• Devotion versus truth: Bibi Dong’s affection makes her resist evidence, while others insist that facts matter more than loyalty.
• Plagiarism and false expertise: Yu Xiaogang’s reputation as a scholar is challenged, especially because he allegedly copied work inaccurately.
• Disillusionment: Liu Erlong’s past faith and Bibi Dong’s present faith are both confronted with the possibility that Yu Xiaogang is not who they believed him to be.

Key plot points and events

• After comparing Yu Xiaogang’s theory books with other texts, a Red Cardinal confirms that they are heavily plagiarized. Bibi Dong’s trust in Yu collapses, and she erupts in grief and rage, vowing to destroy the world and Spirit Hall.
• Gui Mei receives a letter from Qian Renxue and eagerly pledges his loyalty. He persuades Yue Guan to join him, arguing that Spirit Hall has overlooked their service and that supporting Qian Renxue now could lead to future advancement.
• Qian Renxue asks Li Yuan how to secure the two elders’ loyalty. He advises her to reward them with Soul Bones; she accepts immediately, surprising Li Yuan, who expected to have to persuade her.
• The next day, Bibi Dong discovers that two valuable Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones are missing from Spirit Hall’s inner treasury. Hu Liena admits that Qian Renxue’s people took them after insisting.
• Bibi Dong, furious that Hu Liena handed them over without asking, turns her anger on her student and comically spanks her.

Character developments and interactions

• Bibi Dong loses the belief that sustained her devotion to Yu Xiaogang. Her heartbreak intensifies her hatred and instability, while her confrontation with Hu Liena shows how quickly she redirects her anger toward those around her.
• Gui Mei and Yue Guan move from private resentment to openly choosing Qian Renxue’s side. Their shared grievances and hopes of entering the Worship Hall bind them together.
• Qian Renxue takes a bold step toward building her own following, though she still wants loyalty based on more than her family name. She trusts Li Yuan’s advice readily.
• Li Yuan recommends using lavish rewards to attract allies, but is comically thrown when Qian Renxue agrees without the debate he expected.
• Hu Liena is caught between Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue. She gives up the Soul Bones under pressure, then faces Bibi Dong’s anger despite her limited authority.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and shattered trust: Bibi Dong’s faith in Yu Xiaogang collapses when she discovers his plagiarism.
• Power, loyalty, and reward: Gui Mei and Yue Guan’s allegiance is shaped by years of perceived neglect and the promise of future status.
• Family politics and divided loyalties: Qian Renxue’s rise challenges Bibi Dong’s control, leaving Hu Liena trapped between them.
• Comic contrast: The chapter’s dramatic breakdowns and political maneuvering are punctuated by absurd humor, especially Li Yuan’s advice and Bibi Dong’s exaggerated response to the stolen Soul Bones.

Key plot points and events

• Hu Liena returns home upset after an unseen incident, wakes her brother Xie Yue, then retreats to her room and posts a melancholy moonlit selfie in the group chat, hinting that she has lost the will to live.
• Li Yuan responds with a grotesque joke about arriving at the scene while she is “still warm.” The other members condemn him, and Hu Liena is so repulsed that her despair immediately gives way to anger—and she says she is fine.
• Li Yuan argues that his crude remark stopped her from considering suicide. Ning Rongrong and Dugu Yan reconsider their judgment, and the others apologize.
• Li Yuan plays up his supposed self-sacrifice until the group feels guilty. When the girls offer compensation, he asks for “beautiful scenery”—meaning selfies.
• Hu Liena sends a suggestive photo in a silk nightdress. The other girls follow with selfies, and Li Yuan rates them, while quietly saving at least one image.

Character developments and interactions

• Hu Liena moves quickly from melancholy to disgust, then turns the group’s apology into a playful exchange by sending the first photo.
• Li Yuan is presented as outrageous and manipulative, but his provocative response does interrupt Hu Liena’s despair. He then exploits the group’s guilt to solicit pictures.
• Ning Rongrong and Dugu Yan shift from condemning Li Yuan to recognizing that his remark had an unexpected effect. The others also apologize, with Zhu Zhuqing feeling especially guilty.
• Qian Renxue is irritated by Hu Liena’s confidence and by Li Yuan’s attention to her, but joins the selfie competition. Dugu Yan sends a qipao photo with her face blurred because she fears Bibi Dong’s retaliation.

Significant themes

• Intent versus impact: Li Yuan’s appalling wording has a helpful immediate effect, complicating the group’s judgment of him.
• Guilt and persuasion: He turns the girls’ remorse into an opportunity, using exaggerated humility to get what he wants.
• Competition and vanity: The selfies and ratings spark a playful contest in which no one wants to seem less attractive than the others.
• Comedy through misunderstanding: The group alternates between condemning Li Yuan and accepting his bizarre compliments, while his “beautiful scenery” request becomes increasingly clear.

Plot and events

• In the group chat, Li Yuan rates the women’s selfies. He praises Dugu Yan and Zhu Zhuqing, whose photo prompts disbelief and envy from Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong.
• Ning Rongrong, upset by comparing herself with the others, vows to eliminate big-breasted women. The scene ends with her fuming alone.
• The next morning, Li Yuan and Xiao Wu leave Notting Academy after receiving proof of graduation. Li Yuan secretly intends to travel toward the Star Luo–Heaven Dou route and protect Zhu Zhuqing, anticipating that she may flee her family and Dai Mubai.
• Tang San catches up and asks to travel with them, hoping to spend time with Xiao Wu. Xiao Wu asks Li Yuan what to do; he agrees, then privately suggests they make Tang San pay for their expenses. She eagerly accepts.
• Li Yuan says they are heading to Suotuo City. Tang San, assuming they are also bound for Shrek Academy, happily takes the lead and imagines gaining advantages there through Yu Xiaogang’s connection to its dean.
• Li Yuan and Xiao Wu pretend to tire soon after setting out. Tang San hires a carriage at an outrageously high price, paying six Gold Soul Coins rather than risk looking stingy in front of Xiao Wu. Li Yuan boards first, irritating Tang San.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yuan remains calculating and teasing: he plans to safeguard Zhu Zhuqing for practical as well as personal reasons, and cleverly shifts travel costs onto Tang San.
• Xiao Wu trusts Li Yuan’s judgment and joins in his scheme, while Tang San’s attention to her makes him an easy target.
• Tang San is devoted to Xiao Wu but also proud and status-conscious. His eagerness to impress her leads him to overpay, and he resents Li Yuan taking the first seat.
• Ning Rongrong responds to insecurity with exaggerated comic hostility; Zhu Zhuqing is newly self-conscious after the chat’s comments.

Significant themes

• The chapter uses humor and rivalry around appearance, jealousy, and body image.
• Tang San’s romantic devotion is contrasted with his pride and fear of seeming ungenerous.
• Li Yuan’s foresight and manipulation shape the journey, while the group chat connects characters across locations and foreshadows Zhu Zhuqing’s escape.

Plot points and events

• Tang San insists on being courteous to Xiao Wu, but the carriage is too crowded for him to sit inside. Li Yuan suggests he ride beside the coachman; Xiao Wu pretends to be hurt and calls herself ugly, persuading Tang San to give up his place without complaint.
• In the group chat, Ning Rongrong announces she is running away from home to attend Shrek Academy. She dismisses Heaven Dou Royal Academy as dull and says she wants somewhere more fun.
• Bibi Dong enthusiastically supports Rongrong, secretly hoping her departure will let Spirit Hall draw the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect closer and force Ning Fengzhi to negotiate.
• Qian Renxue recognizes her mother’s scheme but chooses not to interfere, viewing Rongrong’s departure as potentially useful to Spirit Hall.
• Zhu Zhuqing also says she is going to Shrek. The previous night, she survived an assassination attempt and concluded that her sister, Zhu Zhuyun, was behind it. Fearing another attack, she knows she must flee the Star Luo Empire.
• The group jokes crudely about Zhu Zhuqing’s appearance. She is uncomfortable and considers messaging Li Yuan for help, but ultimately decides not to trouble anyone.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Wu shows a playful, manipulative side, using exaggerated sadness to get Tang San to take the uncomfortable seat. Li Yuan recognizes her act and admires her performance.
• Tang San is eager to impress Xiao Wu and is easily persuaded by her praise and feigned distress, though he later suspects something is wrong.
• Ning Rongrong’s decision reflects her impulsive, pleasure-seeking personality; she rejects excellent opportunities simply because they seem boring.
• Bibi Dong’s apparent kindness masks political calculation, while Qian Renxue quietly understands and accepts the strategy.
• Zhu Zhuqing appears determined but isolated: despite facing a life-threatening family conflict, she hesitates to seek support.

Significant themes

• Freedom versus security: Rongrong seeks independence and excitement, while Zhu Zhuqing must flee for survival.
• Manipulation and hidden motives: Xiao Wu’s teasing and Bibi Dong’s support both conceal self-serving intentions.
• Family rivalry and political power: Zhu Zhuqing’s danger comes from her own family, while Rongrong’s choices have consequences for relations between major factions.
• Loneliness and trust: Zhu Zhuqing’s reluctance to ask for help contrasts with the group’s casual banter.

Summary

Li Yuan warns the group that Shrek Academy is a scam, prompting members to ask for details. He describes it as a dilapidated village school with few adequate teachers, no proper training facilities or library, unsafe dormitories, and a cafeteria that serves only steamed buns and pickled vegetables. He also claims it charges a nonrefundable ten-Gold-Soul-Coin application fee despite admitting only one or two students a year, framing the school as a business built on applicants’ losses.

Character developments and interactions

• Ning Rongrong is angered to learn she may have been misled, but still plans to visit Shrek because she has already left home and doesn’t want to return to the restrictive Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. She remains trusting and impressionable.
• Zhu Zhuqing grows uneasy about her choice to flee toward Shrek, yet has no clear alternative or safe place to go.
• Liu Erlong initially defends Shrek, then admits awkwardly that Li Yuan’s accusations sound plausible given Flender’s character.
• Bibi Dong sees Shrek’s poor conditions as an opportunity to lure Ning Rongrong closer. She encourages the girl to visit, disguising her motives as friendly advice. Li Yuan recognizes the manipulation, while Ning Rongrong takes Bibi Dong at her word.
• The group members react with shock, jokes, and eager curiosity, turning Li Yuan’s exposé into a lively discussion.

Significant themes

The chapter contrasts an academy’s reputation with its actual conditions, highlighting exploitation and the gap between prestige and student welfare. It also emphasizes vulnerability: Ning Rongrong’s innocence and Zhu Zhuqing’s isolation make them susceptible to danger, while Bibi Dong’s manipulation shows how apparent kindness can conceal ulterior motives.

Plot points

• Tang San finds Dai Mubai outside Xiao Wu’s room and attacks him, convinced Dai has insulted Xiao Wu and demanding to know where Li Yuan is.
• Dai Mubai breaks free and explains that he paid for the woman inside. Tang San assumes Li Yuan must have forced Xiao Wu and escalates the fight, using Blue Silver Grass and Hidden Weapons.
• Dai Mubai activates his White Tiger Vajra Transformation. As Li Yuan and Xiao Wu emerge from their rooms, Dai Mubai accidentally kicks Tang San in the groin, leaving him in severe pain.
• Worried about attracting attention that could expose his presence, Dai Mubai gives Tang San ten Gold Soul Coins and flees.
• Tang San tries to act tough in front of Xiao Wu, but she shows no concern and returns to her room. Li Yuan also refuses to help, leaving Tang San alone in the corridor.
• With hotels full, Tang San spends the night under a bridge. His injury worsens, and he is soaked and left shivering in a downpour.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang San is possessive and quick to invent a story about Xiao Wu being coerced. His concern is mixed with jealousy and self-importance; he misreads Xiao Wu’s feelings and expects sympathy from her and Li Yuan.
• Dai Mubai shifts from anger to caution after realizing Tang San is formidable. He tries to settle the matter with money and leaves before his identity attracts trouble.
• Xiao Wu remains dismissive of Tang San, viewing him as a stalker who deserves his misfortune. She is warm and playful with Li Yuan.
• Li Yuan stays detached, shares an amused reaction with Xiao Wu, and declines Tang San’s request for help.
• The encounter highlights the contrast between Tang San’s assumptions about Xiao Wu and her actual indifference toward him.

Significant themes

• Jealousy and misplaced assumptions: Tang San interprets events through possessiveness rather than listening or seeking the truth.
• Consequences and humiliation: His aggression and confidence are undercut by the accidental injury and his miserable night alone.
• Loyalty versus entitlement: Tang San expects others to aid him, despite having disregarded their boundaries.
• Comic misfortune: The chapter uses exaggerated injury, sarcasm, and slapstick to turn Tang San’s dramatic behavior into ridicule.

Key plot points and events

• Enraged by Dai Mubai’s insult about the woman in Li Yuan’s room, Tang San attacks him and demands to know where Li Yuan is. Dai Mubai explains that he paid for the woman inside, leading Tang San to assume Li Yuan forced Xiao Wu.
• The two fight. Tang San uses Blue Silver Grass and hidden weapons, injuring Dai Mubai, who counters with his third Soul Skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation.
• Xiao Wu and Li Yuan emerge from separate rooms. Distracted by seeing Xiao Wu unharmed, Tang San fails to dodge Dai Mubai’s kick, which hits him in the groin and leaves him incapacitated.
• Worried his fight might draw attention to his hidden identity, Dai Mubai apologizes and gives Tang San ten Gold Soul Coins before fleeing.
• Xiao Wu shows no real concern for Tang San and returns to her room. Li Yuan likewise refuses to help him, leaving Tang San alone in the corridor.
• With nearby hotels full, Tang San spends a cold, rainy night under a bridge, injured and miserable.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang San is driven by possessive jealousy and a mistaken belief that Xiao Wu needs rescuing. His confidence and aggression collapse into helplessness after the kick, though he still tries to impress Xiao Wu.
• Dai Mubai moves from offended anger to caution once he recognizes Tang San as a dangerous fighter. His concern about exposing his identity prompts him to pay Tang San off and escape.
• Xiao Wu makes clear through her dismissive reactions that she dislikes Tang San’s stalking and self-importance. She shares a playful, affectionate exchange with Li Yuan.
• Li Yuan stays detached, sharing Xiao Wu’s amusement and declining to assist Tang San.

Significant themes

• The chapter uses crude slapstick and irony to puncture Tang San’s self-image: his attempt to defend Xiao Wu ends with him badly hurt and abandoned.
• Jealousy and possessiveness distort Tang San’s judgment, while Xiao Wu’s perspective exposes the gap between his imagined heroism and her actual feelings.
• The fight also establishes Dai Mubai as powerful but wary, particularly when his personal and political circumstances are at risk.

Key plot points and events

• Determined to escape her life in the Zhu family estate, Zhu Zhuqing sends a private message saying she is leaving and asking that no one tell the group if she dies. She then slips away at night.
• Li Yuan realizes she is already fleeing. Using the group chat’s location feature, he tracks her and sets out after her, leaving Xiao Wu a note that he is going soul hunting.
• By dawn, Zhu Zhuqing has reached Fengling Ferry near the border. Her horses have collapsed, and her pursuers—sent by her elder sister, Zhu Zhuyun—catch up with her.
• Wounded by an arrow and cornered at a thousand-meter cliff, Zhu Zhuqing refuses to surrender, believing she would be killed if forced back. She jumps rather than return.
• Zhu Zhuyun orders her people to search below, but once they leave, she privately mourns her sister and recalls their happier childhood, revealing conflict beneath her hard exterior.
• As Zhu Zhuqing falls, Li Yuan arrives in time. His white, seven-colored snake catches her and lowers her safely to the ground.
• Zhu Zhuqing sees Li Yuan in the dawn light and is overwhelmed by his appearance and kindness, experiencing an immediate, transformative attraction.

Character developments

• Zhu Zhuqing moves from quiet determination to despair at the cliff, then from fear of death to stunned relief. Her escape shows her resolve to claim her own life; her reaction to Li Yuan suggests she has found a new source of hope.
• Li Yuan acts decisively on his concern for Zhu Zhuqing, tracking her and risking the journey to rescue her. His casual reassurance contrasts with the gravity of her ordeal.
• Zhu Zhuyun appears ruthless while pursuing her sister, yet her tearful memories and subdued departure reveal lingering affection and guilt.

Significant themes

• Freedom versus control: Zhu Zhuqing would rather risk death than return to a life where others dictate her fate.
• Isolation and the need to be remembered: Her fear that she will leave no trace of herself underscores her loneliness.
• Hope and rescue: Li Yuan’s arrival at dawn turns a near-fatal fall into the beginning of a possible new life.
• Family bonds under pressure: Zhu Zhuyun’s private grief complicates the apparent hostility between the sisters.

Character interactions

• Zhu Zhuqing’s private messages to the group—and Li Yuan’s reply—establish that she is reluctant to burden others but that he is watching out for her.
• Zhu Zhuyun urges her to surrender; Zhu Zhuqing rejects the offer as a false promise of safety.
• After the rescue, Li Yuan gently calls her “Big Cat” and offers his hand. Zhu Zhuqing, exhausted and captivated, can only stare at him.

Plot points and events

• Li Yuan rescues Zhu Zhuqing from a fatal fall and shields her as Zhu Zhuyun’s pursuit closes in. Zhu Zhuqing recognizes something familiar in Li Yuan but, shaken and confused, cannot identify him.
• The pursuers approach, led by a black-clad Soul Ancestor. Li Yuan calls on Ah Bai, who transforms from a small snake into a huge, radiant Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python.
• Ah Bai’s powerful wind Soul Skill sweeps the attackers off their feet and badly injures several. The Soul Ancestor is astonished that such force could come from someone with only two Soul Rings.
• Zhu Zhuyun decides to withdraw rather than continue the fight. Li Yuan lets the group go once Zhu Zhuqing is safe.
• Before leaving, Zhu Zhuyun tells Zhu Zhuqing to keep living and escape. Privately, she hopes her sister will avoid the family’s suffocating succession struggle and never return.

Character development and interactions

• Zhu Zhuqing is vulnerable after narrowly surviving, and Li Yuan’s protection recalls the support she once wished Dai Mubai would give her. She remains wary of Zhu Zhuyun, despite being spared.
• Li Yuan stays calm and focused on his priority—saving Zhu Zhuqing—rather than escalating the conflict. His power surprises both Zhu Zhuqing and the pursuers.
• Zhu Zhuyun reveals a conflicted, compassionate side beneath her cold words and behavior. She hides her concern behind insults, then leaves without turning back.
• Ah Bai demonstrates extraordinary power and affection toward Li Yuan, returning to its small form and nuzzling his neck after the battle.
• Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun’s final exchange captures their strained bond: Zhu Zhuyun’s harsh farewell conceals a wish for her sister’s freedom.

Significant themes

• Freedom versus duty: The family’s succession rules are portrayed as a gilded prison that destroys those bound to them.
• Betrayal and unexpected protection: Zhu Zhuqing was abandoned by Dai Mubai, while a stranger steps forward to defend her.
• Love hidden beneath cruelty: Zhu Zhuyun’s parting words sound contemptuous, but her private thoughts show that she is choosing Zhu Zhuqing’s escape over further pursuit.
• Survival and choice: Zhu Zhuqing is urged to live and claim a future beyond her family’s control.

Key plot points and events

• Li Yuan saves Zhu Zhuqing, who is so struck by his appearance that she secretly photographs him and posts the picture to the group chat, announcing that she may have fallen in love at first sight.
• The photo sets off a playful rivalry: Ning Rongrong also declares interest in Li Yuan, while Xiao Wu objects because she already likes him. Bibi Dong enjoys watching the dispute unfold.
• Zhu Zhuqing introduces herself to Li Yuan and awkwardly adds that she is single. When a sudden storm breaks, he takes her by the hand to a sheltered recess in the mountains.
• Though Zhu Zhuqing has become wary of men after Dai Mubai abandoned her, she is surprised that Li Yuan’s touch does not bother her.
• Li Yuan removes his soaked shirt, gathers wood, and starts a fire by friction. Zhu Zhuqing is fascinated by his practical skill and unfamiliar explanation of how it works.

Character developments

• Zhu Zhuqing moves from guarded isolation toward tentative attraction and trust. Her shy, clumsy attempts to explain herself reveal how little experience she has with social intimacy.
• Li Yuan comes across as calm, capable, and considerate, helping Zhu Zhuqing find shelter and warmth.
• Ning Rongrong eagerly pursues the idea of Li Yuan as a handsome, strong partner, while Xiao Wu asserts her prior claim.
• Bibi Dong takes gleeful pleasure in watching others experience the romantic drama she has previously endured.

Significant themes

• Love at first sight and rivalry: The chapter treats sudden attraction humorously, turning Li Yuan’s photo into a contest among several women.
• Trust after hurt: Zhu Zhuqing’s ease around Li Yuan contrasts with her aversion to men after Dai Mubai’s abandonment.
• Competence and admiration: Li Yuan’s simple fire-making skill impresses Zhu Zhuqing, showing how practical knowledge can seem remarkable in her world.
• Comedy and embarrassment: Zhu Zhuqing’s awkward flirting, the chat’s teasing, and Bibi Dong’s gleeful commentary keep the romantic tension lighthearted.

Character interactions

• Zhu Zhuqing’s admiration clashes with her shyness as she speaks to Li Yuan; he responds with gentle teasing and practical help.
• Li Yuan’s taking her hand during the storm becomes an important moment of unexpected comfort for Zhu Zhuqing.
• In the group chat, Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu openly compete over Li Yuan, while other members comment on the developing “catfight.”

Plot points and events

• After Zhu Zhuqing accuses Li Yuan of staring at her, he explains that he was worried she would catch a chill, gives her his coat, and turns away so she can change in private.
• Zhu Zhuqing realizes she misjudged him and apologizes. Li Yuan helps dry her boots by the fire and suggests she remove her wet stockings.
• When Zhu Zhuqing sneezes, Li Yuan offers to massage her cold feet—but pauses to ask whether she truly agrees. Reassured that she can refuse, Zhu Zhuqing consents. He massages her feet until they are warm.
• Li Yuan teases her by pretending her feet smell. Zhu Zhuqing kicks at him, accidentally putting her foot in his mouth; he jokes that it tastes “sweet and sour,” then admits he was kidding.
• Zhu Zhuqing cannot find her stockings. Li Yuan claims the wind blew them away, though he has secretly pocketed one. She puts on a fresh pair while he whistles innocently.

Character development

• Zhu Zhuqing shifts from suspicion and embarrassment to gratitude and growing trust. Li Yuan’s respect for her choices affects her deeply, especially because she has long felt constrained by family expectations and abandoned by Dai Mubai.
• Li Yuan presents himself as considerate and attentive, carefully seeking Zhu Zhuqing’s consent before touching her. His later teasing—and secret theft of a stocking—undercuts that trustworthy image.

Character interactions

Their exchange moves between awkwardness, tenderness, and playful banter. Li Yuan’s practical care eases Zhu Zhuqing’s embarrassment, while her teasing kick turns into a comic mishap. Their growing familiarity is paired with a boundary-crossing joke: Li Yuan hides the missing stocking rather than telling her the truth.

Significant themes

• Consent and autonomy: Li Yuan explicitly affirms Zhu Zhuqing’s right to choose, a rare experience for her.
• Trust and vulnerability: His care helps her feel safe enough to accept help and show her softer side.
• Contradiction between words and actions: The stolen stocking complicates Li Yuan’s respectful behavior, raising a tension between his stated regard for Zhu Zhuqing’s freedom and his covert prank.