Chapter Summaries

Lu Ran awakened the Small World Martial Soul and Innate Full Soul Power, astonishing Zhang Lexuan, who brought him to Shrek Academy to meet the dean. The chapter ended as they entered the academy building on the lake island.

• Lu Ran entered the awakening formation and discovered that his Martial Soul was a Small World that could grow and gain elements through pacts with Soul Beasts.
• Lu Ran touched the Soul Power crystal ball, and its dazzling light revealed his Innate Full Soul Power.
• Zhang Lexuan arrived, learned of Lu Ran’s talent, and took him to Shrek Academy, leaving the old Soul Master a valuable pouch.
• Zhang Lexuan carried Lu Ran through the air to Shrek Academy, then led him toward the dean’s building on the lake island.

Lu Ran joined Shrek Academy after revealing his unusual Soul Beast-contracting Martial Soul and Innate Full Soul Power. When he explained that contracted Soul Beasts could keep cultivating without restriction, Yan Shaozhe rushed to tell Elder Mu.

• Yan Shaozhe welcomed Lu Ran and asked him to join Shrek Academy, and Lu Ran accepted.
• Lu Ran described his Martial Soul and revealed that he had Innate Full Soul Power, astonishing Yan Shaozhe.
• Lu Ran asked Shrek to find him a suitable earth-attributed Soul Beast for his first contract.
• Lu Ran explained that contracted Soul Beasts could keep increasing their cultivation without restriction, shocking Yan Shaozhe and Zhang Lexuan.
• Yan Shaozhe vanished from the office and announced that he was going to see Elder Mu.

Lu Ran settled into his new quarters while Shrek’s leaders debated his extraordinary Martial Soul and who should guide him. Mu En decided that Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, and Zhang Lexuan would lead Lu Ran on his First Soul Ring mission, leaving them to compete for his favor.

• Lu Ran bathed, changed into clean clothes, and ate medicinal porridge prepared for him.
• Yan Shaozhe explained Lu Ran’s contract-based Martial Soul to the Sea God Pavilion’s elders and department heads, shocking them with its potential.
• Xian Lin'er accused Yan Shaozhe of trying to keep Lu Ran’s abilities secret, and the two argued over which department should recruit him.
• Xuan Zi asked to take Lu Ran as his disciple so he could make amends for a past tragedy, but Yan Shaozhe objected.
• Mu En said Lu Ran could choose his academy affiliation and appointed Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, and Zhang Lexuan to lead his First Soul Ring mission.

Lu Ran met Mu En, learned that Shrek had found a suitable Soul Beast for his Soul Ring, and asked Zhang Lexuan to teach him how to cultivate Soul Power. After moving into Sea God Pavilion, he finally felt Soul Power flow through his meridians.

• Mu En visited Lu Ran with Zhang Lexuan, told him Shrek had found a suitable Soul Beast, and agreed that Zhang Lexuan could teach him to cultivate Soul Power.
• Xian Lin'er and Yan Shaozhe each tried to win Lu Ran's interest for their departments before Mu En stopped their argument and offered Lu Ran a room in Sea God Pavilion.
• Mu En brought Lu Ran to Sea God Island, where Lu Ran saw the Golden Ancient Tree and chose a room in Sea God Pavilion.
• Zhang Lexuan stayed to teach Lu Ran, and he felt Soul Power surging through his meridians for the first time.

Lu Ran traveled with Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er to the Star Dou Great Forest to find a Rock Crystal Dragon. After a fierce battle left the dragon and the Split-Horn Earth Rhino dying, Lu Ran approached the dragon and asked if it wanted to get back up.

• Lu Ran set out with Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er for the Star Dou Great Forest, where Yan Shaozhe explained the Rock Crystal Dragon’s qualities.
• The group reached the Mixed Zone and found a wounded Rock Crystal Dragon fighting a Split-Horn Earth Rhino near a cavern.
• The Rock Crystal Dragon escaped over a cliff, then ambushed the Split-Horn Earth Rhino and used Rock Spikes to help defeat it.
• The Split-Horn Earth Rhino collapsed from its wounds, and the Rock Crystal Dragon fell among the stones, close to death.
• Lu Ran asked the dragon whether it wanted to get back up, and it struggled to stand before collapsing as he reached toward its forehead with a glowing hand.

Lu Ran contracted the Rock Crystal Dragon, raising his Soul Power to level twelve and expanding his Small World into a desert. As the group returned from the Star Dou Great Forest, Lu Ran considered raising Soul Beasts and growing crops, then visited the awakened dragon in his Small World before bringing it back outside.

• Lu Ran healed and contracted the Rock Crystal Dragon, causing his Soul Power to rise to level twelve as the Small World formed a desert and expanded.
• Lu Ran demonstrated his Soul Ring's skills and explained that the Rock Crystal Dragon had given him three Soul Skills that could improve as the Soul Beast aged.
• Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, and their companion were stunned by Lu Ran's unprecedented contract and the possibility of improving Soul Skills.
• On the return journey, Lu Ran imagined turning the Small World into a farm, but realized he needed water and a water-element Soul Beast first.
• Lu Ran entered the Small World when the Rock Crystal Dragon awoke, walked around the desert with it, and brought it back outside.
• The Rock Crystal Dragon settled comfortably on the flying Soul Tool, while Lu Ran lay on its back and thought about what to plant.

Lu Ran accepted a Storage Soul Tool from Xian Lin'er, explored Sea God Island, and set out to learn more about the world in Shrek's library. After crossing to the Inner Academy the next morning, he encountered Sister Luochen.

• Xian Lin'er gave Lu Ran a Storage Soul Tool stocked with ore for the Rock Crystal Dragon, which eagerly ate a large piece of crystalline ore.
• After Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, and the others left, Lu Ran walked around Sea God Island and decided to visit the library to study the continent, plants, and Soul Beasts.
• The next morning, Lu Ran used a one-person skiff stored in his Storage Soul Tool to cross the lake to the Inner Academy.
• Lu Ran crossed the Inner Academy plaza as students whispered about his unusual age, then came face-to-face with Sister Luochen.

Ling Luochеn helped Lu Ran cross Sea God Lake to reach the Outer Academy library, where Yan Shaozhe gave him an identity badge. After a year of studying and cultivating in the Sea God Pavilion, Lu Ran reached level twenty and prepared to absorb his Second Soul Ring.

• Ling Luochеn escorted Lu Ran across Sea God Lake and learned that he lacked a student card for the library.
• Yan Shaozhe appeared, gave Lu Ran a badge, and suggested he use the Inner Academy library, but Lu Ran chose the Outer Academy library to learn about the continent.
• Yan Shaozhe asked Ling Luochеn to keep his appearance secret, leaving her puzzled about Lu Ran's connection to the dean.
• Lu Ran settled into a routine of reading and cultivating while eating nourishing spirit ingredients, and he grew rapidly over the following year.
• Lu Ran reached level twenty and became ready to absorb his Second Soul Ring.

Lu Ran and Yan Shaozhe searched the wetlands for a Golden Hawksbill, and Lu Ran found a newly hatched one hidden beneath the soil. The Golden Hawksbill merged into Lu Ran’s Small World, transforming it and granting him new Soul Skills, but a furious crowd of turtles confronted him and Yan Shaozhe as they left the cave.

• Lu Ran and Yan Shaozhe searched for a Golden Hawksbill for nine days before finding a hidden cave in the wetlands.
• Lu Ran used Earth Vein Rock Spike to uncover a newly hatched Golden Hawksbill hiding beneath the soil.
• Lu Ran absorbed the Golden Hawksbill into his Small World, breaking through to level twenty and transforming the world into wetlands, plains, and desert.
• Lu Ran gained four Soul Skills and sensed that he could also control earth and water energy.
• Lu Ran and Yan Shaozhe left the cave and found dozens of angry turtles gathered outside.

Lu Ran brought the Golden Hawksbill and a group of turtle Soul Beasts into his Small World, where they began exploring their new home. The next day, he discovered he could control earth and water attribute powers, but his experiments with enhancing Soul Skills produced only strange, unclear effects.

• The Golden Hawksbill asked Lu Ran to let the turtles move into the Small World, and Lu Ran transported them there with Yan Shaozhe.
• The turtles explored the Small World's meadow, stream, and desert, ending Lu Ran's relocation meeting before he could give his speech.
• Lu Ran sensed and controlled earth and water attribute powers, then compressed them until they burst into light without creating anything.
• Lu Ran sent the Rock Crystal Dragon to work at the Shrek Colosseum's Beast Fighting Zone for ten Gold Soul Coins a day.
• Lu Ran infused an Earth Vein Rock Spike and a Gentle Water Domain with attribute power, noticed unusual changes in their appearance and temperature, and ran out of Soul Power without understanding the effects.

After breaking through, Lu Ran cultivated in the Sea God Pavilion and met Ma Xiaotao, whom Yan Shaozhe had sent to ask for help suppressing her Evil Fire. Lu Ran agreed to help her, leaving Ma Xiaotao surprised and relieved.

• Lu Ran returned from his failed attempts and cultivated after reaching a new level.
• Lu Ran opened his door and found Ma Xiaotao hesitantly waiting outside.
• Lu Ran realized Yan Shaozhe had sent Ma Xiaotao and pressed her until she admitted it.
• Ma Xiaotao explained that her Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul caused dangerous outbursts and that the usual ways of suppressing her Evil Fire had become less effective.
• Lu Ran agreed to help suppress Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire, surprising her.

Lu Ran cleared Ma Xiaotao’s Evil Fire and accepted her hand-carved Phoenix as a gift. As his cultivation and Small World grew, he began gathering valuable crops and transplanted an Explosive Pomegranate Soul Beast and a Brown-Striped Bee Swarm into his Small World.

• Lu Ran used his water-attributed Soul Power and Gentle Water Domain to clear Ma Xiaotao’s Evil Fire, while she carefully controlled its release.
• Ma Xiaotao gave Lu Ran a hand-carved wooden Phoenix, and he accepted it.
• Lu Ran’s Soul Power reached level twenty-five, and his Small World doubled in size from its area at level twenty.
• Lu Ran visited the outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest and found that Soul Beast Affinity let him pick fruit from an Explosive Pomegranate without provoking it.
• Lu Ran transplanted the Explosive Pomegranate Soul Beast and a Brown-Striped Bee Swarm into his Small World.

Lu Ran and Zhang Lexuan entered the Star Dou Great Forest to search for fruit-tree Soul Beasts, but they encountered Jiang Nannan fleeing a pack of Nether Wolves. The Nether Wolf King lunged at the exhausted girl, who closed her eyes believing she was about to die.

• Lu Ran apologized for arriving late to meet Zhang Lexuan, then showed her a map and led her toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
• Lu Ran and Zhang Lexuan traveled through the forest and changed course after hearing a wolf howl.
• They found Jiang Nannan, an injured girl with rabbit ears, being chased by Nether Wolves.
• Jiang Nannan recalled searching for medicinal herbs to treat her sick mother and explained how the wolf pack had repeatedly driven her toward exhaustion.
• The Nether Wolf King pounced at Jiang Nannan, and she closed her eyes in despair.

Lu Ran and Zhang Lexuan rescued Jiang Nannan from the Nether Wolf King and its pack, then escorted her out of the Star Dou Great Forest. After learning that Jiang Nannan had risked gathering herbs to pay for her seriously ill mother's care, Zhang Lexuan took out a white flower.

• Lu Ran's Gilded Barrier blocked the Nether Wolf King's attack, and Rock Spikes wounded it before sword beams drove the wolf pack away.
• Lu Ran helped Jiang Nannan recover with his Gentle Water Domain, while Zhang Lexuan gave her a healing pill.
• Lu Ran offered Jiang Nannan water, and she thanked him and Zhang Lexuan for saving her life.
• Zhang Lexuan and Lu Ran decided to escort Jiang Nannan out of the forest, and Zhang Lexuan learned that she had been gathering herbs to pay for her mother's care.
• Jiang Nannan explained that her mother had a congenital heart condition, and Zhang Lexuan took out a closed white flower.

Lu Ran and Zhang Lexuan gave Jiang Nannan rare medicinal herbs to help her mother, then left her safely near the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest. They continued into the forest and transplanted fruit-bearing Soul Beast trees into Lu Ran’s Small World, leaving its plains nearly covered with orchards.

• Lu Ran gave Jiang Nannan Red Spirit Ginseng to complement Zhang Lexuan’s Frost-Condensing Flower, and Jiang Nannan tearfully accepted the herbs for her mother.
• Lu Ran and Zhang Lexuan left Jiang Nannan in a safe clearing, and she watched them disappear before continuing out of the forest.
• Zhang Lexuan explained that she recognized Jiang Nannan as a talented Shrek student, while Lu Ran said he had helped her because the Academy valued commoner students like her.
• A day later, Lu Ran and Zhang Lexuan reached a mango grove, where Lu Ran transported nearly half its Golden Brilliance Mango Tree Soul Beasts into his Small World.
• Lu Ran and Zhang Lexuan sampled the mangoes, then Lu Ran transplanted nearly twenty kinds of fruit and flowering Soul Beast plants and caught small Soul Beasts to enrich the Small World.

Lu Ran researched Blue Silver Grass, comparing its growth in Sea God Pavilion and his Small World while planning to use it to cultivate Green Wood Vine. After reaching level thirty, he studied the Tang Sect’s Blue Silver Grass records and agreed to join Dean Yan’s group to obtain his third Soul Ring, while Yan Shaozhe worried that Lu Ran might be drawn into the Tang Sect’s misguided beliefs.

• Lu Ran planted Blue Silver Grass in two environments and recorded how their differing Soul Power concentrations affected its growth.
• Over the following year, Lu Ran expanded and organized his Small World, cultivated, and rose from level twenty-five to level thirty.
• Lu Ran studied Tang Sect books about Blue Silver Grass and recognized that the sect had wrongly attributed Tang San’s achievements to ordinary Blue Silver Grass rather than his Blue Silver Emperor bloodline and Mysterious Heaven Skill.
• Yan Shaozhe visited Lu Ran, worried that his Blue Silver Grass research meant he might make a contract with Blue Silver Grass.
• Yan Shaozhe offered to lead Lu Ran and other newly advanced students in obtaining Soul Rings, and Lu Ran agreed.

Lu Ran joined Yan Shaozhe’s group of Shrek students heading to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain Soul Rings, where Jiang Nannan unexpectedly embraced him in front of everyone. The group reached the forest, and Lu Ran continued walking beside a flustered Jiang Nannan.

• Lu Ran arrived at the Outer Academy assembly point and saw Jiang Nannan among the students.
• Jiang Nannan rushed to Lu Ran and hugged him, stunning the gathered students.
• Lu Ran told Jiang Nannan that everyone was watching, while Yan Shaozhe pretended not to notice.
• Yan Shaozhe led the students toward the Star Dou Great Forest, with Lu Ran and Jiang Nannan at the back.
• Lu Ran observed the differences between commoner students and wealthier students as the group reached the forest outskirts.
• Jiang Nannan kept her distance from Lu Ran and blushed again when she noticed him looking at her.

As the group traveled through the forest, Jiang Nannan thanked Lu Ran for helping her mother recover and asked about his connection to Shrek. She learned that he planned to enroll in a few years, and she happily discovered his name was Lu Ran.

• Jiang Nannan told Lu Ran that her mother was much healthier and sincerely thanked him for helping her.
• Lu Ran told Jiang Nannan she no longer needed to risk returning to the Star Dou Great Forest and making her mother worry.
• Jiang Nannan asked whether Lu Ran and Zhang Lexuan were from Shrek, and Lu Ran explained that he was with Shrek but would enroll in a few years.
• Lu Ran said Zhang Lexuan was an Inner Academy senior sister, then teased Jiang Nannan by refusing to tell her which Soul Ring he was absorbing.
• Jiang Nannan shyly introduced herself by name, and Lu Ran told her his name was Lu Ran, which she repeated with delight.

Yan Shaozhe led the students through the Star Dou Great Forest and set up a cautious lakeside camp for the night. Lu Ran spent the evening by the lake, where Jiang Nannan joined him, and Yan Shaozhe watched them from a distance.

• Yan Shaozhe kept the students alert as he guided them through the forest outskirts until dusk.
• Yan Shaozhe checked a lakeside clearing for signs of Soul Beasts and ordered the group to camp without lighting a fire.
• The students pitched tents and used a plant-type Soul Master's willow branches to conceal their campsite.
• Lu Ran asked Jiang Nannan about her flatbread, and she offered to make him some when they returned.
• Jiang Nannan sat beside Lu Ran by the lake, and he noticed Yan Shaozhe watching them.
• Lu Ran wondered why he had thought of Yan Shaozhe as a ladies' man, then frowned in confusion.

After the students obtained their Soul Rings, Lu Ran absorbed a two-thousand-year-old Jade Azure Bird and reached level thirty-three, gaining wind-attribute power. The group prepared to leave the Star Dou Great Forest and return to Shrek Academy.

• After seven days in the forest, all the students, including Jiang Nannan, obtained suitable Soul Rings, and Jiang Nannan gained the Teleport Soul Skill from a 1,900-year-old Lightning Rabbit.
• Yan Shaozhe captured a two-thousand-year-old Jade Azure Bird for Lu Ran at a cliffside habitat.
• Lu Ran absorbed the Jade Azure Bird into his Small World, reached level thirty-three, and gained a source of wind-attribute energy.
• Jiang Nannan worriedly asked where Lu Ran had gone, and he claimed he had climbed a tree to enjoy the view.
• Yan Shaozhe told the students to recover their Soul Power before departing for the academy in fifteen minutes, and they cheered at the prospect of leaving the forest.