Chapter Summaries

Zhuo Shi welcomed Zhong Shenxiu as his great-granddisciple and offered the five Zero Class students admission to Shrek Academy as Work-Study Students. He served them strange black buns for breakfast, and Zhong Shenxiu discovered that they contained a gentle surge of energy.

• Zhuo Shi asked Zhong Shenxiu to call him Great-Grandmaster, and Zhong Shenxiu did so.
• Zhuo Shi told the five Zero Class students they could enter Shrek Academy only as Work-Study Students.
• Zhuo Shi made Tang Wulin call him Great-Grandmaster before Shen Yi offered to explain the Work-Study Student arrangement later.
• Zhuo Shi served the students black buns and told them to eat as much as they could without forcing themselves.
• Zhong Shenxiu ate a bun and felt its gentle energy spread through his meridians, muscles, and bones.

The five students ate Zhuo Shi's high-grade medicinal cuisine, which nourished their bodies, before Shen Yi explained the costs and duties of being Work-Study Students. Zhong Shenxiu asked whether he could pay the tuition directly and refuse the assigned tasks, leaving Shen Yi stunned.

• Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Xu Xiaoyan, Gu Yue, and Zhong Shenxiu ate the black buns and felt their energy nourish their bodies.
• Zhuo Shi told the five to prepare for formal classes and said Shen Yi would explain their Work-Study Student duties.
• Zhong Shenxiu thanked Zhuo Shi before leaving with the others and Shen Yi.
• Shen Yi explained that Work-Study Students had to cover their full tuition by completing tasks assigned by the Academic Affairs Office.
• Tang Wulin asked whether tuition was expensive, and Shen Yi said the academy's resources made the required tasks varied and valuable.
• Zhong Shenxiu asked whether he could pay the fees directly and refuse the tasks, leaving Shen Yi speechless.

Zhong Shenxiu, Xu Xiaoyan, and Gu Yue offered to help fund the project, leaving Xie Xie stunned by how wealthy his companions were. The chapter ended with Xie Xie relieved that Tang Wulin was still poor.

• Xu Xiaoyan and Gu Yue offered to contribute money, surprising Tang Wulin and Xie Xie.
• Xu Xiaoyan told Xie Xie that her family owned shares in Eastsea Bank after he questioned where her money came from.
• Gu Yue explained that her master was the vice tower master of the Spirit Pagoda, leaving Xie Xie overwhelmed by her status.
• Xie Xie tackled Tang Wulin and begged him to confirm that he was still poor.
• Tang Wulin said he was still very poor, and Xie Xie cried with relief.

Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Xu Xiaoyan, Gu Yue, and Zhong Shenxiu enrolled at Shrek Academy, but Teacher Shi insisted they fulfill Work-Study Student duties despite paying full tuition. After Zhong Shenxiu questioned the rules, Teacher Shi assigned them to clean Spirit Ice Plaza before nightfall, while Zhong Shenxiu sensed Teacher Shi’s unexplained disgust toward him.

• Shen Yi brought the five students to the Academic Affairs Office and asked Teacher Shi to exempt them from Work-Study Student assignments because they were paying their own tuition.
• Teacher Shi refused, stating that their Work-Study Student admission status required them to complete assignments regardless of tuition payment.
• Zhong Shenxiu sensed that Teacher Shi’s inexplicable disgust was directed at him and asked who had made the rules.
• Teacher Shi assigned the group to clear and scrub Spirit Ice Plaza before nightfall or risk losing credits.
• Shen Yi pulled Zhong Shenxiu away, and the five students left the office as Teacher Shi mocked their attempt to negotiate.

Darkness awakened within Zhong Shenxiu and overwhelmed the Dragon Fighting Plane’s defenses, while its influence reached Teacher Shi. After Gu Yue took Zhong Shenxiu’s hand and asked him to stay at the academy for two or three years, he agreed.

• Murmurs stirred the darkness inside Zhong Shenxiu, and the dark clouds spread across the Dragon Fighting Plane as its golden dome struggled to hold them back.
• Zhong Shenxiu fought the voice within him, but his dark eyes fixed on Teacher Shi through the Academic Affairs Office door and caused him to collapse in terror.
• Gu Yue asked Zhong Shenxiu what was wrong, and he dismissed her concern as the darkness receded from his eyes.
• Gu Yue took Zhong Shenxiu’s hand and suggested they stay at the academy for two or three years to repay Teacher Wu, and Zhong Shenxiu agreed.

Shen Yi brought Tang Wulin, Zhong Shenxiu, Gu Yue, Xie Xie, and Xu Xiaoyan to their shabby work-study dormitory, where the group argued over whether to accept the conditions. Tang Wulin revealed how desperately he wanted to enter Shrek Academy, and Xie Xie punched him.

• Shen Yi led the five students to the dilapidated work-study dormitories and left them there.
• The group found that their assigned room was bare, dusty, and fitted with rusted bunk frames but no beds.
• Tang Wulin urged everyone to clean up and wait until tomorrow before judging the arrangement, while Xie Xie accused Teacher Shi of deliberately mistreating them.
• Zhong Shenxiu questioned Tang Wulin's submissive attitude, and Tang Wulin burst out that his missing parents and lack of support made Shrek Academy his only chance.
• Xie Xie rushed at Tang Wulin and punched him in the face, splitting the corner of his mouth.

After Tang Wulin lashed out at Zhong Shenxiu, Zhong Shenxiu suspected an unseen force was manipulating events at Shrek Academy and influencing Tang Wulin. He concluded that the force wanted to separate him from Tang Wulin so Tang Wulin could return to a planned path, and identified the Black Hand as someone close to Tang Wulin who did not dare acknowledge him.

• Xie Xie angrily confronted Tang Wulin and tried to punch him, but Zhong Shenxiu caught his wrist.
• Zhong Shenxiu reasoned that Cai Yue'er, Shi, and Tang Wulin's sudden change suggested an unseen force was manipulating events to target him.
• Tang Wulin admitted that he had felt a sudden urge to blame Zhong Shenxiu when Zhong confronted Cai Yue'er, though he had mistaken it for his bloodline affecting him.
• Zhong Shenxiu concluded that the Black Hand was influencing Tang Wulin and Shrek Academy members to isolate him and restore Tang Wulin to a planned course.
• Zhong Shenxiu declared that the Black Hand was someone close to Tang Wulin who did not dare acknowledge him.

Zhong Shenxiu suspected that someone had been manipulating Tang Wulin’s growth and set out to draw the hidden figure into the open. Instead of pursuing academy missions, he planned to expand the group’s dormitory and promised to obtain credits himself.

• Zhong Shenxiu told Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, and Xie Xie that someone had arranged events around Tang Wulin, including Cai Yue'er’s targeting and Teacher Shi’s deliberate difficulties.
• Tang Wulin’s trust in Zhong Shenxiu frustrated Tang San’s soul fragment, who secretly listened for Zhong Shenxiu’s plan to expose him.
• Zhong Shenxiu asked Gu Yue to use her earth-element control to expand and renovate their dormitory into separate rooms.
• Zhong Shenxiu explained that Shrek Academy used credits instead of Federal Coins and that academy missions were only one way to earn credits.
• Zhong Shenxiu told the others not to worry about earning credits because he would obtain them himself.

Gu Yue used her elemental control to rebuild the dormitory, and Zhong Shenxiu and Gu Yue went to buy furniture while the others cleaned. Xie Xie questioned Tang Wulin about his resentment toward Shenxiu, while Zhong Shenxiu reassured Gu Yue that he had a way to earn credits in Shrek City.

• Gu Yue expanded and rebuilt the dormitory with earth element, creating separate rooms and sturdy stone walls.
• Zhong Shenxiu assigned Xie Xie, Tang Wulin, and Xu Xiaoyan to clean while he and Gu Yue went into the city to buy furniture.
• Xie Xie asked Tang Wulin how much of his resentment toward Shenxiu had been real, then urged him to decide whether Shenxiu was his partner or opponent.
• Tang Wulin remained beneath a tree, shaken by Xie Xie's question, and took a deep breath as he watched the clouds.
• Gu Yue asked Zhong Shenxiu whether he was confident in his guess and offered to transfer resources from the Spirit Pagoda.
• Zhong Shenxiu held Gu Yue's hand and assured her that he had a way to earn credits.

Zhong Shenxiu brought Gu Yue to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Chamber of Commerce in Shrek City to consign treasures. He revealed fist-sized crimson crystals filled with flowing lava to appraiser Ning Yihuai.

• Zhong Shenxiu and Gu Yue entered the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Chamber of Commerce and told the receptionist they wanted to sell treasures.
• The receptionist escorted Zhong Shenxiu and Gu Yue to a room on the third floor to wait for an appraiser.
• Ning Yihuai arrived, introduced himself as a four-star appraiser, and asked what they wished to consign.
• Zhong Shenxiu conjured a circle of light on the table and revealed crimson crystals containing flowing lava.

Zhong Shenxiu offered six Lava Crystal Cores to Ning Yihuai in exchange for Shrek Academy credits, and Ning took them away for further assessment. While they waited, Gu Yue teased Zhong Shenxiu about the secrets he was hiding.

• Zhong Shenxiu showed Ning Yihuai six Lava Crystal Cores and explained their properties and uses.
• Ning Yihuai examined a core and asked how Zhong Shenxiu wanted to sell them.
• Zhong Shenxiu said he wanted Shrek Academy credits and explained that he was a new student who needed them.
• Ning Yihuai took the six cores to conduct a further assessment, leaving Zhong Shenxiu and Gu Yue alone.
• Gu Yue asked Zhong Shenxiu what other secrets he had been hiding, and he reflected on how his emotions had grown more abundant.

Zhong Shenxiu pressed Gu Yue for what she was hiding, leaving them both flustered before they settled back into a teasing calm. Ning Yihuai arrived delighted, noticed them sitting hand in hand, and prepared to speak with Zhong Shenxiu.

• Zhong Shenxiu leaned over Gu Yue and softly asked what she was hiding from him.
• Gu Yue blushed and looked away, while Zhong Shenxiu became captivated by her and then withdrew to his chair.
• Gu Yue asked Zhong Shenxiu how he was so skilled, and he said he did not know.
• Gu Yue said she did not believe him and lightly kicked him beneath the table; Zhong Shenxiu did not retaliate.
• Ning Yihuai arrived with delight, noticed Zhong Shenxiu and Gu Yue sitting shoulder to shoulder and holding hands, then sat down and looked eagerly at Zhong Shenxiu.

Zhong Shenxiu negotiated with Ning Yihuai to sell Lava Crystal Cores to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Chamber of Commerce for one thousand credits each. Ning accepted after learning Zhong would provide a long-term supply and make the Chamber of Commerce his sole agent.

• Ning Yihuai offered Zhong Shenxiu three hundred credits per Lava Crystal Core, but Zhong rejected the offer.
• Ning recalled that the Chamber of Commerce’s tests confirmed the cores had exceptional effects and no impurities or side effects.
• Zhong demanded one thousand credits per core and explained that the cores were a unique, monopolistic resource with major commercial potential.
• Zhong offered a long-term supply and exclusive agency to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Chamber of Commerce.
• Ning agreed to pay one thousand credits per core and welcomed Zhong as an honored guest.

Zhong Shenxiu signed a monthly Lava Crystal Core supply contract with Ning Yihuai, then bought furnishings and appliances for the work-study student dormitory with Gu Yue. On their way back, Gu Yue said she wanted to use crystal cores for cultivation, and Zhong Shenxiu showed her six cores of different elements.

• Ning Yihuai gave Zhong Shenxiu a contract requiring at least five Lava Crystal Cores each month, and Zhong Shenxiu signed it.
• Ning Yihuai presented Zhong Shenxiu with a Supreme VIP Card and arranged for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to deliver payment to his dormitory.
• Zhong Shenxiu and Gu Yue bought beds, furniture, bedding, and appliances before taking a bus back to Shrek Academy.
• Gu Yue asked Zhong Shenxiu whether he had Lava Crystal Cores she could use for cultivation.
• Zhong Shenxiu opened his hand to reveal six crystal cores: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, and light.

Gu Yue accepted Zhong Shenxiu’s six elemental crystal cores, and the Zero Class students renovated their work-study dormitory into a modern home. Xie Xie offered to pay for a celebratory outing, and the group headed to the cafeteria for their free first-day meal.

• Gu Yue recognized the purity of Zhong Shenxiu’s six crystal cores and eagerly asked him to give them to her; he kissed her cheek and handed them over.
• Zhong Shenxiu and Gu Yue returned to the dormitory, where the Zero Class students repaired the walls and floors, decorated the rooms, and installed furniture and appliances.
• The students admired their renovated dormitory, and Xie Xie invited everyone to celebrate by eating and shopping at his expense.
• Tang Wulin teased Xie Xie about recently claiming he was poor, and Xie Xie insisted tuition and living expenses were different.
• Gu Yue, Zhong Shenxiu, Xie Xie, Xu Xiaoyan, and Tang Wulin went to the cafeteria and collected their free first-day meal.

Zhong Shenxiu and his companions relaxed at a beverage bar in Shrek Inner City, where they witnessed a wealthy blond youth harass a waitress. Tang Wulin and Xie Xie began wrestling after Tang Wulin teased Xie Xie about his past behavior.

• The five friends entered a crowded beverage bar, ordered drinks and ice cream, and talked about the credits Zhong Shenxiu said would arrive that night.
• Xu Xiaoyan praised Zhong Shenxiu, and he patted her head as the group chatted together.
• A blond youth in a white suit demanded the waitress’s contact number and called for the manager when she refused.
• Zhong Shenxiu watched as the blond youth had his butler negotiate to buy the entire shop.
• Tang Wulin teased Xie Xie about his earlier conduct, and Xie Xie grabbed him as they wrestled in their chairs.

Tang Wulin and his friends went outside to watch a confrontation between a blond youth and a dark-red-haired girl, but Shrek Academy's enforcers stopped the incident. That night, Ning Jin visited Zhong Shenxiu to arrange monthly contribution-point transactions and found the renovated Work-Study Student dormitory transformed.

• After the blond youth pursued the girl who had quit, Tang Wulin and his friends followed them outside to see what would happen.
• The blond youth revealed three purple soul rings and white wings, while the girl revealed black wings and darkened the space around her.
• Shrek Academy's enforcers arrived and ended the confrontation before it could escalate.
• Ning Jin visited Zhong Shenxiu at the renovated Work-Study Student dormitory and was surprised by its transformation.
• Ning Jin gave Zhong Shenxiu a card holding six thousand contribution points and her business card, saying she would handle the transactions each month.

After Ning Jin left, Zhong Shenxiu’s friends teased and bickered before he reflected on how their bonds might change at Shrek Academy. Gu Yue proposed they transfer to Spirit Pagoda Academy, but Zhong Shenxiu said he would first take revenge on an old enemy.

• Ning Jin bid Zhong Shenxiu farewell and left, prompting Xie Xie to tease him about meeting a beauty.
• Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan beat Xie Xie for teasing Zhong Shenxiu, and Zhong Shenxiu stopped them before everyone went to bed.
• Zhong Shenxiu watched the moon and worried that Tang Wulin and Xie Xie’s friendship with him would weaken as their lives changed.
• Gu Yue joined Zhong Shenxiu and admitted that her mission involving Tang Wulin and Na'er could eventually make them enemies.
• Gu Yue suggested that she and Zhong Shenxiu go to Spirit Pagoda Academy, but Zhong Shenxiu said he wanted revenge on an old hag first.

Gu Yue teased Zhong Shenxiu before the two shared a tender kiss. At Shrek Academy’s opening ceremony, Tang Wulin and the other members of Zero Class saw Elder Cai and the academy’s instructors descend before the assembled students.

• Gu Yue tried to leave, but Zhong Shenxiu pulled her into his arms and carried her to the bed.
• Gu Yue touched Zhong Shenxiu’s face, and the two kissed beneath the moonlight.
• Tang Wulin and the other Zero Class students observed the Outer Court’s grades and wondered about the Inner Court.
• More than twenty figures descended into Spirit Ice Plaza for the opening ceremony.
• Tang Wulin recognized Elder Cai, Wu Zhangkong, and Shen Yi among the arrivals.

At Shrek Academy’s opening ceremony, Cai Yue’er warned students about the academy’s unforgiving exams and singled out Zhong Shenxiu with a veiled threat. She then appointed herself Zero Class’s homeroom teacher, intending to punish Zhong Shenxiu and the other students.

• Cai Yue’er explained Shrek Academy’s yearly and three-year exams, warning that students who failed would be expelled and that staying required hard work.
• Cai Yue’er glared at Zhong Shenxiu and declared that even gifted students had to behave themselves at Shrek Academy; Tang Wulin and the others recognized that she meant Zhong Shenxiu.
• Shen Yi and Wu Zhangkong arrived to lead Zero Class, but Cai Yue’er announced that she would be their homeroom teacher, with Shen Yi and Wu Zhangkong assisting.
• Shen Yi and Wu Zhangkong led the freshmen toward the school building while Cai Yue’er privately planned a series of punishments for Zhong Shenxiu and the others.