Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• After Li Yuan and the three girls refuse to accept Shrek’s treatment, Flender and Zhao Wuji secretly agree to keep them at the academy by force, convinced they can make the talented newcomers submit.
• Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong condemn the plan as unlawful and dishonorable. Zhao Wuji answers by unleashing his Soul Saint pressure and declaring that they will stay whether they want to or not.
• He orders Dai Mubai to prepare rooms and dismisses the newcomers’ grievances, though Dai Mubai still harbors a grudge against Li Yuan.
• Ning Rongrong reveals that her father is Ning Fengzhi, leader of the powerful Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Flender recognizes the danger, but Zhao Wuji refuses to back down, doubting her claim and insisting Shrek will keep them.
• Ning Rongrong fires a special signal reserved for highly ranked members of her sect. A giant image of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda appears in the sky, and she calls for sect members. Flender realizes the situation has become serious.

Character developments

• Zhao Wuji reveals himself as authoritarian and reckless: he is willing to use force and intimidation to recruit students, and pride keeps him from retreating even after learning of Ning Rongrong’s connections.
• Flender is tempted by the newcomers’ talent and agrees to Zhao Wuji’s coercive plan, despite recognizing its risks.
• Ning Rongrong shifts from angry protest to decisive action, using her identity and the sect’s emergency signal to defend herself and her companions.
• Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing stand firmly with the group and openly challenge Shrek’s conduct.
• Dai Mubai takes satisfaction in the prospect of Li Yuan being trapped at Shrek, while his resentment remains unresolved.

Significant themes

• Power versus justice: Shrek’s leaders use strength to impose their will, exposing a gap between the academy’s ideals and its behavior.
• Pride and consequences: Zhao Wuji’s refusal to yield risks turning a local dispute into a confrontation with a major sect.
• Privilege and protection: Ning Rongrong’s family standing—and the signal that summons her sect—dramatically changes the balance of power.
• Solidarity and resistance: The girls support one another and refuse to submit quietly to coercion.

Character interactions

• Zhao Wuji and Flender conspire privately, then confront the group with threats and pressure.
• Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing openly denounce the two men; Ning Rongrong also challenges them and reveals her identity.
• Zhao Wuji asserts authority over Dai Mubai, ordering him to prepare rooms and dismissing his complaint about Li Yuan.
• Flender explains Ning Fengzhi’s importance to Zhao Wuji, but Zhao’s pride overrides his caution.
• Ning Rongrong’s signal transforms the confrontation: what began as an attempt to detain four students now threatens to draw in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Plot points and events

• Wang Dong draws a disappointing score of 19 in the Chat Group’s card game and accuses the system of rigging the results.
• Other members celebrate their scores. Ye Lingling is delighted that group leader Li Yuan has replied to her and daydreams that he may like her; her mother, Ye Xinlan, worries that she is behaving strangely.
• Wang Dong insults Ah Yin’s group name, then clashes with Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu. She feels an unexplained, blood-deep hostility toward Soul Tools and the Chat Group.
• Bibi Dong and Hu Liena threaten Wang Dong after she gives her real name. Unimpressed, Wang Dong dismisses them as members of an obscure faction, believing Spirit Hall was destroyed long ago.
• The system announces rewards: the top five receive growable God-Given Soul Rings, while lower-ranked members receive other pills. Wang Dong wins nothing and angrily throws down her Brick, blaming Huo Yuhao and the supposed Soul Tool prank.
• When Zhou Yi calls the students to assemble, Wang Dong returns to the ranks holding the Brick. No one notices it, making her suspect the device is more than an ordinary Soul Tool.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Dong grows increasingly frustrated and combative. Her confidence in her status and luck gives way to suspicion, while her involuntary aversion to Soul Tools hints at an external influence or deeper secret.
• Ye Lingling reveals a romantic, idealistic side through her crush-like excitement over Li Yuan’s attention. Ye Xinlan reacts with maternal concern.
• Ah Yin is caught off guard by Wang Dong’s abuse, while Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu tease Wang Dong for her arrogance.
• Bibi Dong and Hu Liena respond to Wang Dong’s challenge with threats, setting up potential conflict.

Significant themes

• The chapter contrasts Wang Dong’s pride and entitlement with the group’s teasing and competitive banter.
• The rewards deepen the mystery of the Chat Group: it can distribute powerful items and apparently make its device invisible or unnoticed by others.
• Wang Dong’s instinctive hostility toward Soul Tools suggests that the group may be affecting her—or that her reaction is tied to a hidden truth about her identity.

Key plot points and events

• Wang Dong realizes that Li Yuan’s Chat Group can alter what people perceive, something beyond even the most advanced Soul Tools. She begins to fear that the group—and its rewards—are real, and that she has provoked powerful people.
• Li Yuan reveals that Wang Dong is the daughter of a God King and suggests that the two group members called “Loves Eating Carrots” and “Mother’s Entanglement” leave before hearing more, because the truth may shock them. They turn out to be Xiao Wu, Wang Dong’s mother, and Ah Yin, her grandmother.
• Xiao Wu is stunned by the implication that she and Li Yuan will someday have a daughter. Flustered by the revelation and by teasing from Ning Rongrong, she visits Li Yuan, asks him to promise they will not have children if they marry, then impulsively kisses him.
• Ah Yin is equally shocked that Wang Dong is her granddaughter, since the girl’s rude, hot-tempered behavior contradicts the sweet child she had imagined.
• Wang Dong refuses to believe the revelation, reasoning that she was raised by two fathers and believes her biological father is dead.
• Ning Rongrong jokingly declares that she wants to have ten children with Li Yuan, prompting playful jealousy from Dai Mubai and comments from others.
• Bibi Dong encourages Hu Liena to compete with the other women for Li Yuan, even advising her to have more children than her rivals. Hu Liena is embarrassed and privately questions Bibi Dong’s judgment, recalling her past love for Yu Xiaogang. Bibi Dong catches her expression and playfully scolds her.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Dong: Moves from arrogant confidence to fear, then to stubborn denial when told of her family connections.
• Xiao Wu: Becomes overwhelmed by the possibility of a future with Li Yuan, revealing romantic feelings through her impulsive kiss, despite trying to avoid the idea of having children.
• Ah Yin: Struggles to reconcile her ideal image of a granddaughter with Wang Dong’s abrasive personality.
• Ning Rongrong and Bibi Dong: Treat the future-family revelations as a playful contest for Li Yuan’s attention; Bibi Dong pressures Hu Liena to join in, while Hu Liena responds with embarrassment and skepticism.
• Li Yuan: Remains the center of the group’s romantic speculation, while his revelations unsettle Wang Dong and shock Xiao Wu and Ah Yin.

Significant themes

• Destiny and family: The revelation that Wang Dong is connected to Xiao Wu and Ah Yin reframes her identity and raises questions about her future.
• Belief versus disbelief: Wang Dong’s experience makes the Chat Group seem real, but she clings to her assumptions about her parentage.
• Romance and jealousy: The group’s teasing turns possible future relationships and children into a comic rivalry.
• Expectation versus reality: Ah Yin’s imagined ideal granddaughter contrasts sharply with Wang Dong’s actual behavior.

Key plot points

• The group’s joking discussion about Li Yuan’s abs and romance stirs Dugu Yan’s suppressed attraction and snake-martial-soul mating instincts, leaving her flustered and unable to sleep.
• Li Yuan tries to explain parallel worlds, but Ning Rongrong admits she cannot follow; he teases her for being unintelligent, and she angrily threatens him.
• Li Yuan explains that Wang Dong is actually Tang Wutong from another world. He says her father split her soul in two, leaving her memories incomplete, and arranged her life and romance to manipulate a “Child of Destiny” and seize the continent’s fortune.
• Xiao Wu and Ah Yin are relieved that Wang Dong is not their daughter or granddaughter. Wang Dong, reading along, is hurt and confused by their rejection.
• The revelations shock the group, especially Qian Renxue, who compares Tang Wutong’s suffering with her own.
• Qian Renxue starts to curse Bibi Dong for saying her father was no good, then realizes who sent the message and abruptly switches to a respectful blessing.

Character developments and interactions

• Dugu Yan reveals a more vulnerable, instinct-driven side beneath her confident, sharp-tongued demeanor; Li Yuan’s photo and the group’s teasing trigger feelings she tries to deny.
• Li Yuan acts as the group’s expositor, bluntly explaining Tang Wutong’s tragic history while continuing his irreverent banter with Ning Rongrong.
• Ning Rongrong is frustrated by the parallel-world explanation and Li Yuan’s insult, reinforcing their combative, teasing dynamic.
• Xiao Wu and Ah Yin respond with relief at first, inadvertently making Wang Dong feel unwanted.
• Qian Renxue empathizes with Tang Wutong’s painful family history, though her own resentment toward her father remains. Her exchange with Bibi Dong ends in comic self-censorship.
• The Three-Eyed Golden Lion briefly reacts to Li Yuan’s description of a “dumb golden-furred creature,” but cheerfully dismisses the possibility and returns to eating honey.

Significant themes

• Fate, agency, and manipulation: Tang Wutong’s life is described as a predetermined script designed to control destiny rather than a life she chose.
• Family betrayal and neglect: Several characters carry wounds caused by parents, with Tang Wutong’s father’s actions portrayed as especially cruel.
• Belonging and rejection: Wang Dong’s hurt at being disowned by Xiao Wu and Ah Yin contrasts with Li Yuan’s insistence that her tragic circumstances deserve understanding.
• Comedy alongside tragedy: Flirtation, insults, and Qian Renxue’s sudden change of tone offset the grim revelations.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• The group chat reveals that, in a parallel world, Wang Dong is Tang San’s daughter, Tang Wutong—and that Tang San forcibly altered her soul and identity. Wang Dong and Ah Yin initially reject the claim.
• Troubled by the revelation, Wang Dong asks Huo Yuhao to use his mental-type abilities to examine her soul. With the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm’s help, he detects that its core has been expertly repaired but remains incomplete.
• Wang Dong takes this as confirmation that the group chat was telling the truth. Overwhelmed by the possibility that her life and family relationships were staged, she rushes off to confront her “Big Daddy” and “Second Daddy” at the Clear Sky Sect.
• Li Yuan leaves the group chat to examine his rewards, planning to raise his Soul Power to level thirty with a pill and then absorb a God-Given Soul Ring.
• Ning Rongrong sneaks into Li Yuan’s room and guesses that he is the Li Yuan from the group chat. She tries to use her knowledge of his identity to make him obey her.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Dong shifts from disbelief to devastating certainty after Huo Yuhao’s examination. Her trust in her identity and family collapses, and she becomes desperate to learn the truth.
• Huo Yuhao tries to help Wang Dong, though his findings unintentionally intensify her distress. The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm guides his examination.
• Ah Yin is shaken by the accusation against Tang San, her son, and refuses to believe he could have done such a thing.
• Liu Erlong sympathizes with Wang Dong, recalling her own shock upon learning the truth about Yu Xiaogang.
• Ning Rongrong is playful and overconfident, pretending to be a villain as she attempts to blackmail Li Yuan. Li Yuan is caught off guard but ultimately stops denying his identity.
• Qian Renxue is left frustrated when Li Yuan abruptly disappears from the chat just as she intends to consult him about the Xuanwu Gate Plan.

Significant themes

• Identity and manipulation: Wang Dong fears that even her name, memories, and relationships may have been engineered.
• Betrayal and trust: The possibility that a parent altered her soul makes Wang Dong question everyone who raised or cared for her.
• Truth’s emotional cost: Confirmation does not bring relief; it turns suspicion into a personal crisis.
• Comic contrast: Wang Dong’s anguish is juxtaposed with the group’s casual banter and Ning Rongrong’s mischievous attempt to control Li Yuan.

Key plot points and events

• Ning Rongrong tries to intimidate Li Yuan into keeping a secret and obeying her, but her fierce act makes him laugh.
• Embarrassed and angry, she attacks him playfully. Their scuffle ends when Li Yuan catches her hands and gets her to surrender.
• They settle down, share an awkwardly tender pause, and laugh together. Ning Rongrong then makes Li Yuan confirm that he will keep her secret and honor his promise, within reasonable limits.
• Outside the courtyard, two guards overhear the commotion. One decides not to report it to the sect master, judging their roughhousing harmless and not wanting to jeopardize Li Yuan’s prospects.
• Ning Rongrong returns with hot water and orders Li Yuan to wash her feet. He sits down to do so, surprising her.

Character developments

• Ning Rongrong shifts from mock-authoritarian bravado to embarrassment and shyness when she realizes how close she and Li Yuan are. She remains mischievous and enjoys teasing him.
• Li Yuan responds to her threats with humor, then plays along with her demands while setting boundaries. He is comfortable teasing her, but ultimately agrees to help.

Significant themes

• Playful intimacy: Their mock fight and teasing gradually give way to mutual ease and a delicate romantic tension.
• Power and boundaries: Ning Rongrong tries to assert authority, while Li Yuan agrees to help only so long as her requests are not outrageous.
• Discretion and loyalty: The guards choose to keep what they witnessed to themselves.

Character interactions

• Ning Rongrong and Li Yuan trade jokes, tussle, and make peace, revealing affection beneath their bickering.
• Their synchronized attempts to speak—and shared laughter—ease the awkwardness between them.
• The guards privately discuss whether to report the pair, with the senior guard persuading the other to stay quiet.

Key plot points

• Ning Rongrong jokingly asks Li Yuan to wash her feet, expecting him to refuse. He takes her request seriously, surprising and embarrassing her.
• Li Yuan gently removes her shoes and socks, then washes and dries her feet with care. His teasing makes her laugh and eases her initial nervousness.
• Ning Rongrong asks whether he has done this for another girl. Li Yuan says she is the first, which visibly delights her.
• Afterward, she puts on rabbit-eared slippers and rewards him with a kiss on the cheek before hurrying away.
• Li Yuan briefly reflects on the unexpected kiss, then sets aside romantic thoughts and prepares to absorb the God-Given Soul Ring.

Character development and interactions

• Ning Rongrong shifts from playful embarrassment to comfort and genuine affection. She is especially pleased by Li Yuan’s attentiveness and by learning that she is the first girl he has washed for.
• Li Yuan responds calmly and tenderly, teasing Ning Rongrong without pushing too far. He is amused by her reactions but remains focused on his duties afterward.
• Their interaction grows more intimate through playful banter, attentive care, and Ning Rongrong’s spontaneous kiss.

Significant themes

• Affection expressed through small acts of service: Li Yuan’s thoughtful care means more to Ning Rongrong than gifts or compliments.
• Playfulness and growing intimacy: Teasing gives way to trust, comfort, and an affectionate gesture.
• Balancing romance and responsibility: Li Yuan acknowledges the romantic moment but returns to the important task of absorbing the Soul Ring.

Key plot points and events

• Li Yuan absorbs a growable God-Given Soul Ring as his third ring with little difficulty. It becomes a 3,700-year purple ring, far stronger than a typical third Soul Ring.
• He tests its skill, Devouring Destruction Kill: Ah Bai fires a corrosive beam that melts a heavy iron ingot. The skill can also drain an injured enemy’s Soul Power and return it to Li Yuan.
• Li Yuan’s God-Given Soul Bone has advanced to roughly the thousand-year tier, transforming White Snake Origin from a 5% boost to all attributes into a 35% boost.
• After taking a Soul Power Boosting Pill, Li Yuan replaces his original first Soul Ring with another growable God-Given Soul Ring. The new ring reaches 4,100 years.
• By the end of the night, Li Yuan has risen from level 28 to level 34½, and all three of his Soul Rings are purple.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yuan’s already exceptional strength grows dramatically, bringing him close to level 35 and, by his estimate, the strength of an ordinary Soul King.
• He tests Devouring Destruction Kill on an iron ingot and praises Ah Bai. Ah Bai responds affectionately before merging back into him.
• Li Yuan reflects on how sharply Soul Bone abilities improve with age, and jokes that his extraordinary gains come from “cheating.”

Significant themes

• Rapid growth and transformation: God-Given Soul Rings and Soul Bones become far more powerful as Li Yuan’s strength and potential increase.
• Power and advantage: Li Yuan’s unusual resources and “cheats” let him surpass normal limits in Soul Ring age, combat ability, and growth.
• Escalating potential: The chapter emphasizes that each higher Soul Bone tier may bring an even greater leap in power.

Plot points and events

• After a long night, Zhu Zhuqing visits Li Yuan near dawn to have ointment applied to her lower-back injury. The scene implies growing intimacy, though the narration repeatedly insists that nothing improper happens.
• At the Crown Prince’s Mansion, Xue Qinghe receives an investigation report: six years earlier, Li Yuan awakened a Little White Snake martial soul with Innate Soul Power level seven, and there was no obvious explanation for his extraordinary feats. She decides to keep watching him and hopes he might join her side.
• In private, Xue Qinghe removes his disguise and reveals himself as Qian Renxue. On a rare day off, she eagerly tries to video-call Li Yuan, curious about what he looks like.
• Li Yuan, asleep with Zhu Zhuqing in his arms, declines the call to avoid revealing himself. He invents a fantastical story about battling the Three Ghosts of the Huang Family amid cosmic destruction, claiming to be too injured to appear on video.
• Qian Renxue believes his dramatic account and worries about his injuries. When she asks for a voice call instead, Li Yuan agrees, relieved he can hide his face.

Character developments

• Li Yuan remains secretive and quick-witted, using an absurd excuse to protect his identity while accepting a voice call to avoid raising suspicion. His closeness with Zhu Zhuqing also becomes more apparent.
• Zhu Zhuqing shows a shy, vulnerable side unlike her usual cool demeanor. She seeks Li Yuan’s help and leaves embarrassed when she realizes she has been sleeping in his arms.
• Qian Renxue is intrigued by Li Yuan’s unexplained power and increasingly curious about him personally. Her concern for his supposed injuries shows growing emotional investment.

Character interactions

• Li Yuan and Zhu Zhuqing share a private, intimate encounter centered on treating her injury; their teasing, embarrassment, and physical closeness suggest a developing bond.
• Qian Renxue approaches Li Yuan through their group chat, first seeking a video call and then settling for voice when he refuses.
• Li Yuan’s elaborate tale leads Qian Renxue to imagine him as a heroic, battle-scarred figure, while he privately treats the story as a convenient invention.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and deception: Li Yuan hides both his identity and the truth about his exploits, while Qian Renxue maintains a disguise as Xue Qinghe.
• Growing intimacy and trust: Zhu Zhuqing’s visit and Qian Renxue’s concern indicate deepening personal connections.
• Contrast between fantasy and reality: Qian Renxue romanticizes Li Yuan’s fabricated battle story, while the reader knows the truth.

Plot points

• Li Yuan speaks with Qian Renxue by voice call, pretending to be more injured than he is. She fusses over him, then shares personal stories, opinions about Spirit Hall, and worries about the Xuanwu Gate Plan.
• Their conversation lasts nearly an hour. Afterward, Qian Renxue sends Li Yuan a photo of herself without her Crown Prince disguise and shyly hopes they will meet someday. Li Yuan suspects she may be treating him like an online boyfriend.
• The next morning, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing discuss where to study. Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong propose Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and Li Yuan is willing to go with them.
• Zhu Zhuqing instead asks Li Yuan to accompany her to Shrek Academy. She reveals her betrothal contract with Dai Mubai and declares that she will return it publicly, severing her ties to him and the Star Luo Imperial Family.
• Li Yuan asks if she is certain. After she affirms her decision, he promises to support her.

Character developments and interactions

• Qian Renxue drops her guarded public persona and treats Li Yuan as a trusted confidant. Her affectionate photo and shy message suggest growing romantic feelings; Li Yuan is unsettled by the possibility.
• Li Yuan responds warmly to Qian Renxue and offers her safety advice. He also shows unwavering support for Zhu Zhuqing, agreeing to accompany her without pressing her to explain.
• Zhu Zhuqing moves from quiet uncertainty to firm independence, choosing to reject the political marriage rather than remain bound to Dai Mubai or her family’s arrangement.
• Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong favor Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Xiao Wu is reassured that she can conceal her identity, while Ning Rongrong objects strongly to Zhu Zhuqing’s choice of Shrek, citing the group’s warning about the academy.
• Zhu Zhuqing’s resolve and Li Yuan’s support contrast with Ning Rongrong’s concern, while the group’s plans shift from a shared school choice to accommodating Zhu Zhuqing’s personal mission.

Significant themes

• Trust and intimacy: Qian Renxue confides in Li Yuan, while Zhu Zhuqing relies on his support.
• Self-determination: Zhu Zhuqing rejects being treated as a political bargaining chip and claims the right to shape her own future.
• Breaking with the past: Returning the betrothal contract will make her separation from Dai Mubai and the Star Luo Imperial Family explicit and irreversible.

Key plot points and events

• Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong support Zhu Zhuqing’s decision to end her engagement to Dai Mubai. Ning offers to call her powerful relatives if he retaliates.
• At Shrek Academy, a poor father and daughter demand back the ten Gold Soul Coins they paid to register after the girl fails the entrance assessment. Li Yusong refuses, insisting the academy’s rules are final and that Shrek is “not a charity.”
• Dai Mubai intimidates the pair with his Soul Rings and threatens to use force when the girl hesitates to leave.
• Li Yuan stops Dai Mubai from shoving the girl, checks that she is unharmed, and confronts Shrek’s abusive admissions practices.
• Xiao Wu condemns Dai Mubai’s behavior, while Zhu Zhuqing denounces him personally. Ning Rongrong posts photos and a scathing account of the incident to the group chat, publicly mocking the academy.

Character developments

• Zhu Zhuqing takes a decisive step toward freeing herself from her forced engagement and is visibly moved by her friends’ support.
• Li Yuan demonstrates compassion and assertiveness by protecting the girl and challenging Dai Mubai.
• Xiao Wu shows her strong sense of justice, defending ordinary people from bullying.
• Ning Rongrong combines loyalty to her friends with resourcefulness, using the group chat to expose Shrek’s conduct.
• Dai Mubai is portrayed as arrogant and volatile, using his strength to intimidate vulnerable people.

Significant themes

• Solidarity and autonomy: Zhu Zhuqing’s friends affirm her right to choose her own future.
• Abuse of power: Shrek’s nonrefundable fee and Dai Mubai’s threats exploit the poor and powerless.
• Justice and compassion: Li Yuan and Xiao Wu intervene where the academy’s staff and rules fail to protect people.
• Public accountability: Ning Rongrong uses social communication to shame the academy for its conduct.

Character interactions

• Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong emotionally reassure Zhu Zhuqing and offer practical support if Dai Mubai opposes her.
• Li Yusong dismisses the father and daughter’s hardship; Dai Mubai escalates the situation by threatening them.
• Li Yuan intervenes physically, then treats the frightened girl gently.
• Xiao Wu challenges Dai Mubai’s conduct, Zhu Zhuqing condemns his character, and Ning Rongrong amplifies the criticism online.

Key plot points and events

• At Blue Tyrant Academy, Liu Erlong reflects on her former associates Flender and Yu Xiaogang with growing disappointment, judging their conduct and the students they raised harshly.
• Dai Mubai recognizes Li Yuan and is shocked by how much stronger he seems after only two days. He threatens Li Yuan with Shrek’s authority and tries to break free.
• Li Yuan ignores the threats, crushes Dai Mubai’s shoulder with a tightening grip, then releases him. Dai Mubai is left in pain and shaken, though still hostile.
• Li Yusong confronts Li Yuan and activates his six soul rings, demanding an explanation and threatening him.
• Rather than answer, Li Yuan asks Ning Rongrong to handle the dispute. She invokes her status as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect’s young lady and demands that the ten Gold Soul Coins be returned to a short-haired girl. She warns that Shrek will face consequences if it refuses.
• Li Yusong, enraged by their defiance and threats, unleashes his Soul Emperor pressure. The frightened onlookers flee to a safe distance as the confrontation escalates.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yuan is calm and confident, using force against Dai Mubai and then choosing to rely on Ning Rongrong’s influence rather than fight Li Yusong himself.
• Dai Mubai shifts from anger and arrogance to pain and concealed fear after Li Yuan easily overpowers him.
• Ning Rongrong is pleased to be trusted by her friends and confidently uses her status to stand up for the girl who was charged ten Gold Soul Coins.
• Li Yusong grows furious when the newcomers disregard his authority, responding with intimidation.
• Liu Erlong increasingly questions her past loyalty to Flender and Yu Xiaogang.
• The onlookers are intimidated by Li Yusong’s power and scatter, while the short-haired girl regains hope that she may get her money back.

Significant themes

• Double standards and institutional hypocrisy: The narration criticizes Shrek’s self-righteousness and its tendency to protect its own regardless of right or wrong.
• Power and social status: Li Yuan’s strength and Ning Rongrong’s family connections are presented as different ways to challenge Shrek’s authority.
• Friendship and mutual support: Li Yuan gives Ning Rongrong the chance to act, and she sees this as genuine trust rather than being used as a prop.
• Standing up for the vulnerable: The dispute centers on recovering money from a student, and Ning Rongrong’s intervention gives the girl hope.

Key plot points and events

• Li Yusong becomes enraged when Ning Rongrong accuses Shrek’s staff and students of hypocrisy and mistreating ordinary people. He activates his Martial Soul and launches his Third Soul Skill, Staff Momentum, at Li Yuan and Rongrong.
• Li Yuan steps in front of Rongrong rather than retreating. Revealing a startling Soul Ring configuration—purple, yellow, purple—he uses his third Soul Skill, Devouring Destruction Kill, through his python Martial Soul, Ah Bai.
• The clash fills the arena with smoke. When it clears, Li Yuan is still standing and Rongrong is safe, while Li Yusong is battered and coughing. Li Yuan’s defense has cost him considerable energy, but he has withstood a Soul Emperor’s attack.
• Li Yusong, impressed by Li Yuan’s power, asks what his Soul Skill does and immediately tries to recruit him to Shrek, offering the prospect of personal training from the Dean. Li Yuan refuses and says he will never join.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yuan demonstrates both his protectiveness toward Rongrong and the extraordinary strength of his abilities. His refusal to join Shrek makes clear that Li Yusong’s sudden praise cannot erase the attack or the academy’s conduct.
• Ning Rongrong openly challenges Shrek’s moral authority, condemning its hypocrisy and unfairness. She is stunned by Li Yuan’s defense but emerges unharmed.
• Li Yusong shifts abruptly from self-righteous aggressor to admiring recruiter once he sees Li Yuan’s talent. His behavior reinforces Rongrong’s accusation that Shrek’s appeals to respect and rules are hollow.
• Dai Mubai celebrates Li Yusong’s attack, expecting Li Yuan to be defeated, but his confidence collapses when Li Yuan emerges unharmed.
• Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing fear for Li Yuan and Rongrong. Xiao Wu rushes toward the smoke, while Zhu Zhuqing restrains her and uses the still-lit profile pictures as reassurance.
• Two hidden observers are impressed by Li Yuan and jokingly call him Rongrong’s “Son-in-Law,” suggesting they intend to report what they have witnessed.

Significant themes

• Hypocrisy and abuse of authority: Li Yusong invokes respect and discipline while launching a disproportionate attack after being criticized.
• Loyalty and protection: Li Yuan takes the blow meant for Rongrong, putting himself between her and danger.
• Power and opportunism: Li Yusong’s attitude changes as soon as Li Yuan’s exceptional talent becomes apparent, revealing how quickly admiration can replace hostility when someone is useful.
• Rejecting corrupt institutions: Li Yuan’s firm refusal to join Shrek signals that extraordinary talent does not require accepting an academy whose conduct he distrusts.

Key plot points and events

• After Li Yuan withstands Li Yusong’s attack, Ning Rongrong—who had feared he might be badly hurt—scolds him for taking such a risk. Li Yuan reassures her that he was confident he could handle it and wanted her family to see his strength.
• Their teasing turns the tense scene playful. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing exchange a joking remark about their weight.
• Flender, Shrek Academy’s dean, arrives, apologizes for his staff’s behavior, and tries to recruit Li Yuan and the three girls, praising their abilities and promising to devote the academy’s resources to them.
• All four refuse immediately. Flender’s friendly manner gives way to resentment; he accuses them of disrespect and demands an explanation for Li Yuan injuring one of his students, apparently seeking compensation.
• Zhao Wuji, Shrek’s vice dean, arrives and backs Flender with a menacing declaration that the academy is not a place people can simply enter and leave at will.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yuan remains composed and self-assured, explaining that he took the risk because he knew he could withstand the attack. He also uses humor to ease Ning Rongrong’s fear.
• Ning Rongrong reveals how deeply she cares for Li Yuan: her relief quickly turns to anger, then alarm when she mistakes his cough for an injury. Their playful exchange restores her good humor.
• Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing join in the banter, showing that the group’s tension has begun to fade.
• Flender shifts from apologetic recruiter to hostile authority figure when the group declines his offer.
• Zhao Wuji’s arrival raises the threat of another confrontation.

Significant themes

• Strength through hardship: Li Yuan argues that genuine power comes from facing danger, not remaining comfortable.
• Care and vulnerability: Ning Rongrong’s fear and scolding reveal the affection beneath her teasing.
• Pride and coercion: Flender treats recruitment as an honor the youths should accept, then tries to pressure them when they refuse.
• Found family and solidarity: The four reject the offer together and face Shrek’s authority as a united group.

Plot points and events

• Flender and Zhao Wuji decide to keep Li Yuan, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing at Shrek by force, believing the four are too talented to let go. They plan to break their resistance and then persuade them to stay.
• Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing condemn the plan as coercive and shameful. Zhao Wuji answers by unleashing his Soul Saint pressure and declaring that the group will become Shrek students whether they agree or not.
• Zhao orders Dai Mubai to prepare rooms for them, dismissing Dai’s complaint that Li Yuan injured him. Dai obeys but continues to resent Li Yuan.
• Ning Rongrong reveals that her father is Ning Fengzhi, leader of the powerful Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Flender recognizes the danger, but Zhao—unfamiliar with the name and unwilling to lose face—doubts her claim and maintains his order.
• Rongrong fires a special signal that projects the sect’s Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda into the sky, then calls for members of the sect. Flender realizes the situation has become serious.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Wuji shows himself as domineering and reckless, prioritizing authority and pride over the students’ consent. Even after learning of Rongrong’s prestigious family, he refuses to back down.
• Flender is tempted by Zhao’s coercive plan, but understands the political consequences once Rongrong identifies herself.
• Ning Rongrong moves from anger to decisive action, using her identity and the sect’s emergency signal to resist being detained.
• Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing openly support the group and challenge the teachers’ abuse of power.
• Dai Mubai eagerly follows Zhao’s orders, encouraged by the prospect of Li Yuan being trapped at Shrek, though Zhao silences his attempt to complain.

Significant themes

• Power versus consent: Shrek’s leaders try to impose enrollment through force, exposing a sharp conflict between authority and personal choice.
• Pride and consequences: Zhao’s concern for his reputation makes him disregard a serious warning, escalating the confrontation.
• Status and influence: Rongrong’s lineage—and the signal proving it—reveals how political connections can alter the balance of power.

Key plot points and events

• Ning Rongrong’s signal summons two black-clad Soul Saints from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, who kneel and greet her as their young miss.
• Flender and Zhao Wuji realize they have badly misjudged the situation: their attempt to detain Ning Rongrong and Li Yuan could be seen as kidnapping the daughter of a powerful sect leader.
• Rongrong accuses Flender and Zhao Wuji of bullying her and asks her guardians to punish them. Li Yuan backs her up, dismissing Flender’s defense as an excuse.
• Rongrong also reports Li Yusong for keeping registration fees, allowing Dai Mubai to bully others, and nearly striking her. As Li Yusong tries to slip away, one Soul Saint catches and lifts him effortlessly.
• Zhao Wuji begs the Soul Saint to spare the elderly Li Yusong, offering to take the punishment himself. The Soul Saint mocks Zhao for his earlier boasts and arrogance.

Character developments and interactions

• Ning Rongrong shifts from being confronted by Shrek’s staff to confidently asserting her status and directing her guardians. She also turns the confrontation into a broader complaint about the academy’s conduct.
• Flender and Zhao Wuji go from domineering authority figures to frightened, apologetic men. Flender recognizes the reputational and political consequences; Zhao tries to protect Li Yusong by accepting blame.
• Li Yuan remains calm and blunt, openly challenging Flender’s attempt to reframe events.
• Dai Mubai is overwhelmed by fear and regrets his earlier actions, seeing the powerful sect guardians as another threat on top of Dai Weisi.
• Li Yusong, hoping to escape notice, is singled out and seized; Zhao Wuji’s plea reveals concern for his colleague.
• The two Soul Saints act as Rongrong’s protectors, using their overwhelming strength to intimidate Shrek’s staff while presenting themselves as enforcers of justice.

Significant themes

• Power and accountability: Shrek’s staff act with confidence until a stronger authority arrives, exposing how easily their control can be overturned.
• Reputation and consequences: Flender recognizes that mistreating Rongrong could damage the already fragile standing of Shrek Academy.
• Justice versus favoritism: Rongrong accuses the academy of treating people differently depending on who they are, while the guardians threaten sweeping punishment.
• Arrogance and reversal: Zhao Wuji’s earlier boasts are thrown back at him as he begs for mercy.

Key plot points and events

• After being caught abusing his authority, Zhao Wuji grovels before Ning Rongrong and her two black-clad Soul Saint guards. Rongrong orders them to punish him and Li Yusong.
• One guard beats Li Yusong with an iron rod, while the other sends Zhao Wuji flying with a single slap, terrifying the onlookers and exposing the gap between the guards’ power and Shrek’s.
• Flender apologizes on Shrek’s behalf and offers compensation. Rongrong demands Li Yusong refund a girl’s registration fee, pay ten times that amount, and apologize; he complies, and the girl and her father leave.
• When Rongrong confronts Dai Mubai for bullying ordinary people and threatening her friend, Flender beats him himself. Li Yuan warns Rongrong that Flender may be staging the punishment to gain sympathy, so she refuses to be fooled.
• Rongrong orders the guards to tear down Shrek Academy. Before leaving, Zhu Zhuqing steps forward and publicly ends her engagement to Dai Mubai, tearing up their marriage contract.

Character developments and interactions

• Ning Rongrong asserts her authority and protects the mistreated applicants and her friends, directing the punishment and refusing to accept Shrek’s attempts to manipulate her.
• Zhao Wuji and Li Yusong are reduced from arrogant aggressors to frightened, compliant men. Flender tries to protect Shrek by apologizing, offering compensation, and beating Dai Mubai himself.
• Dai Mubai, already humiliated and injured, faces Zhu Zhuqing’s final rejection. Zhu shifts from silent observer to decisive actor, publicly reclaiming control over her future.
• Li Yuan quietly guides Rongrong’s judgment, while the two Soul Saints enforce her orders with overwhelming force.

Significant themes

• Power and accountability: Shrek’s staff and students can no longer bully the weak without consequences.
• Agency and liberation: Zhu Zhuqing rejects a binding political engagement on her own terms.
• Manipulation versus sincerity: Flender’s apparent punishment of Dai Mubai is presented as a possible ploy, which Li Yuan helps Rongrong recognize.
• Public humiliation and reversal: Those who acted arrogantly are made to apologize and suffer before the same witnesses they once intimidated.

Key plot points and events

• Zhu Zhuqing tears up her marriage contract with Dai Mubai, ending their relationship. Relieved, she leaves with Li Yuan, Ning Rongrong, and Xiao Wu.
• Rongrong’s attendants, the “Seven Treasure Demolition Squad,” demolish Shrek Academy. Flender, Zhao Wuji, and the others are left facing the academy’s destruction; Dai Mubai is devastated, while Flender decides to take the group to Heaven Dou City to seek help.
• The four travelers discuss their next academy in their group chat. Liu Erlong recommends Blue Tyrant Academy, praising its facilities, teachers, and support for students.
• Bibi Dong counters by inviting them to Martial Soul Academy and offering students their choice of Soul Bones, stunning everyone with the extravagance of her offer.
• Li Yuan encourages Rongrong to test that promise by asking for a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone. Rongrong does so, then teasingly points out that Bibi Dong may not be able to provide it.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhu Zhuqing gains a sense of freedom after severing her tie to Dai Mubai. Her warm exchange with Li Yuan shows her growing closeness to him.
• Dai Mubai is left hopeless, believing he has lost both Zhu Zhuqing’s support and his chance to compete.
• Flender remains responsible for Shrek’s survivors, though his plans are uncertain; Zhao Wuji turns to him for direction.
• Rongrong relishes the power of her family’s support and shows a mischievous, sharp-tongued side when she challenges Bibi Dong’s offer. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing are surprised by her performance.
• Liu Erlong’s enthusiasm about recruiting the group turns to furious frustration when Bibi Dong outbids her. Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong trade hostile messages, while Rongrong’s request puts Bibi Dong in an awkward position.

Significant themes

• Freedom and moving on: Zhu Zhuqing’s destroyed contract marks a clean break from her past.
• Power and consequences: The demolition makes the cost of Shrek’s conflict unmistakable.
• Competition and influence: The academies vie for promising students, using resources and prestige as leverage.
• Humor and camaraderie: The group’s teasing chat lightens the aftermath and reveals their playful bonds.

Plot points and events

• Bibi Dong struggles with the contrast between Hu Liena, who tries to stop her giving away a Soul Bone, and Ning Rongrong, who shows concern for her. She summons Hu Liena, who suspects she may be called in for another beating; Bibi Dong insists otherwise, and Hu Liena eventually agrees to come.
• Three days later, Li Yuan, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing arrive in Heaven Dou City and head to Heaven Dou Royal Academy to enroll.
• Near the academy gate, the panicked Xue Beng hides behind Li Yuan while fleeing Dugu Yan and her companions. Dugu Yan is angry because Xue Beng made Ye Lingling cry.
• Li Yuan pulls Xue Beng out and hands him over. As the others prepare to continue inside, Dugu Yan abruptly leaves Xue Beng’s fate to Osler and follows Li Yuan’s group.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Wu is delighted and awestruck by the scale and bustle of Heaven Dou City and the grandeur of the academy. Zhu Zhuqing stays composed, though she recognizes the value of studying there.
• Li Yuan is amused by Xue Beng’s attempt to use him as cover. He helps Dugu Yan’s group catch him but avoids becoming involved in their dispute.
• Dugu Yan is immediately captivated by Li Yuan, whom she recognizes, and abandons the confrontation to pursue him—fulfilling a wish she had apparently held.
• Ning Rongrong notices Dugu Yan’s attention toward Li Yuan and reacts jealously, quietly calling her a “bad woman.”
• Xue Beng’s fear of being sent to his elder brother, Xue Qinghe, becomes clear; he begs Dugu Yan and Osler to punish him themselves instead.

Significant themes

• Jealousy and attraction: Dugu Yan’s interest in Li Yuan and Ning Rongrong’s jealous reaction hint at romantic rivalry.
• Humor and role reversal: Hu Liena doubts her teacher’s promise not to hit her, while Bibi Dong wonders why an outsider seems more considerate than her own disciple.
• Status and setting: Heaven Dou Royal Academy’s prestige contrasts sharply with the humble academies Li Yuan has seen before.

Key plot points and events

• After Li Yuan helps stop Xue Beng, Dugu Yan catches up with him, thanks him, and offers to guide him to registration. Ning Rongrong intervenes and refuses on the group’s behalf.
• Dugu Yan leaves after teasing Ning Rongrong with a provocative display. Ning Rongrong calls her shameless, and the others quietly point out that Ning can be just as flirtatious herself.
• The girls banter over who has the strongest claim to Li Yuan. He remains distracted, thinking about using Dugu Yan to meet her grandfather, Dugu Bo, and gain access to his herb garden and its immortal herbs.
• Li Yuan accidentally calls Zhu Zhuqing “my Zhuqing” while complimenting her. Zhu Zhuqing is embarrassed, and Xiao Wu pinches him in anger. Li Yuan escapes under the pretense of being misunderstood.
• Ning Rongrong takes a photo of herself, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing, then shares it in their group chat. Dugu Yan mocks them for censoring their faces; the girls fire back, and Dugu Yan cannot post her own picture because Bibi Dong is monitoring the group.
• Stung by the exchange, Dugu Yan decides to pursue Li Yuan in earnest and vows to win him over.

Character developments and interactions

• Ning Rongrong is openly possessive and competitive, though she insists she has every right to pursue Li Yuan because they are not officially together. Her jealousy sparks a playful rivalry with Dugu Yan.
• Dugu Yan shifts from cautious interest to determined pursuit after Ning and the others tease her. Her exchanges with Ning reveal a combative, competitive dynamic.
• Li Yuan acts oblivious to the girls’ romantic tensions and focuses instead on his plan to reach Dugu Bo. His careless compliment to Zhu Zhuqing exposes a hint of affection and earns him teasing and pinches.
• Zhu Zhuqing is quietly embarrassed by Li Yuan’s possessive-sounding remark, while Xiao Wu responds with mock anger. The three girls share an affectionate, amused bond, sealed by their group photo.

Significant themes

• Romantic rivalry and jealousy: The women compete for Li Yuan’s attention, often through teasing and one-upmanship.
• Affection expressed through banter: Pinches, mock scolding, and jokes reveal closeness beneath the rivalry.
• Appearance, privacy, and surveillance: The censored group photo becomes a source of taunting, while Bibi Dong’s presence constrains what Dugu Yan dares to share.
• Self-interest beneath romance: Li Yuan’s apparent introduction to Dugu Yan is, for now, mainly a means of pursuing access to Dugu Bo’s herbs.