Chapter Summaries

Xiao Hongchen and the Shrek delegation fiercely outbid each other for the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife, which Huo Yuhao claimed he could cleanse of its curse. After Wang Yan invoked Shrek’s name, Xiao Hongchen refused to yield and challenged the academy to bid more than one million Gold Soul Coins.

• Xiao Hongchen repeatedly raised the price to stop the Shrek delegation from winning the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife, while Meng Hongchen urged him to continue.
• The auction house supervisor decided not to intervene because the bidders were Shrek and the grandchildren of Mingde Hall’s head.
• Wang Yan questioned whether Huo Yuhao could truly remove the knife’s curse, and Huo Yuhao remained determined to obtain it for Elder Yi’s sake.
• Wang Yan revealed that he represented Shrek Academy and asked the competing bidder to give them the item.
• Xiao Hongchen dismissed Shrek’s reputation and challenged them to prove they could not afford more than one million Gold Soul Coins.

At an auction, Wang Yan and Xiao Hongchen fought over a carving knife, with Xiao deliberately provoking Shrek and driving up the price. Xiao Hongchen’s sister Meng Hongchen joined the bidding, and Xiao’s slip confirmed the rival bidders were from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy.

• Wang Yan suspected the bidders were from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy and continued bidding to defend Shrek’s honor.
• Xiao Hongchen jumped the bid to two million, and Wang Yan countered with three million despite Huo Yuhao’s concern over the cost.
• Huo Yuhao considered using force after leaving the auction, but Wang Yan insisted the dispute was about Shrek’s honor.
• Meng Hongchen slapped Xiao Hongchen, took his number plate, and bid four million for the carving knife.
• Xiao Hongchen accidentally revealed Meng Hongchen’s name, prompting Wang Yan to realize that the rival bidders were from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy.

Wang Yan stopped bidding on the cursed carving knife after Huo Yuhao said he had another way to obtain it, and Meng Hongchen won it for four million. As Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and Ye Luochen hurried back to their hotel, they realized they had been walking for nearly two hours without finding it and suspected Shrek had made a move.

• Wang Yan worried that Shrek's elders would condemn him for spending four million on a Soul Tool carving knife and struggled to decide whether to keep bidding.
• Huo Yuhao told Wang Yan to stop bidding and said he had a way to get the knife without harming the academy's reputation.
• Wang Yan lowered his paddle, and the auctioneer sold the carving knife to Meng Hongchen for four million.
• Xiao Hongchen paid for the knife, stored it in his Soul Tool, and left the auction house with Meng Hongchen and Ye Luochen to return to the hotel.
• After nearly two hours without reaching the hotel, Xiao Hongchen stopped and suspected Shrek's people had interfered.

Huo Yuhao sent Ice Empress to seize the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife from the three Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy students after Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's illusion failed. Ice Empress's attack was stopped by the students' protective barriers, and she faced their weapons as the confrontation escalated.

• Xiao Hongchen noticed that the illusion around the three students repeated its pedestrians and surroundings, then mocked its creator's spiritual power.
• Sky Dream Ice Silkworm admitted that Huo Yuhao's body could not withstand stronger spiritual power, so Huo Yuhao agreed to let Ice Empress take control.
• Ice Empress emerged from the illusion in a secluded alley and attacked Xiao Hongchen, but his golden protective barrier blocked her icy strikes.
• Ice Empress turned toward the other two students, only to find them protected by matching barriers and aiming cannons at her.
• Worried that the cannons would draw Star Luo City's experts, Ice Empress called on Sky Dream Ice Silkworm to help.

Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and Ye Luochen fought off Huo Yuhao’s attack with their Soul Tools, forcing Huo Yuhao’s soul spirits to retreat before his body suffered irreversible damage. Back at the hotel, Elder Ma learned that Shrek had attacked them and flew into a rage.

• Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen charged their cannons while their Soul Tool barriers withstood repeated attacks from Huo Yuhao’s illusion and Ice Empress.
• Huo Yuhao urged Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and Ice Empress to unleash more power, but the strain left him unconscious and his body badly cracked and bleeding.
• Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and Ice Empress chose to retreat rather than risk Huo Yuhao’s life, and the darkness vanished.
• Xiao Hongchen and the others returned safely to the hotel and brought Elder Ma to examine Ye Luochen.
• After Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen explained the attack, Elder Ma became enraged at Shrek.

After returning safely from an attack, Ye Luochen’s companions learned that his martial soul could devour certain Soul Tools and that the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife had triggered it again. Despite Xiao Hongchen’s concerns, Ye Luochen decided to let his martial soul draw out what it craved, while Xiao agreed to guard him and contact Jing Hongchen if anything went wrong.

• Elder Ma asked whether the group had evidence that their attacker came from Shrek, but Xiao Hongchen said they had no concrete proof.
• Elder Ma explained that Jing Hongchen had warned him Ye Luochen’s martial soul could devour certain Soul Tools and that this had happened twice before.
• Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen confirmed Ye Luochen had felt drawn to the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife at the auction.
• Ye Luochen said the Dark Iron Blade seemed to crave something inside the carving knife, then decided to let it devour whatever it wanted.
• Xiao Hongchen reminded Ye Luochen that he had spent four million on the knife and reproached him for hiding his martial soul’s ability, but agreed to stand guard.

Ye Luochen used the Dark Iron Blade to absorb the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife’s emerald life energy while Xiao Hongchen and Elder Ma discussed who had attacked them. The chapter ended as Ye Luochen opened his eyes after absorbing the energy, with the Dark Iron Blade glowing mysteriously.

• Ye Luochen touched the Dark Iron Blade to the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife, which released emerald life energy that enveloped him and his weapon.
• Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and Elder Ma tried unsuccessfully to draw on the life energy while watching Ye Luochen remain stable.
• Xiao Hongchen identified Huo Yuhao as a suspect because the attacker’s spiritual and ice abilities matched his Twin Martial Souls.
• Xiao Hongchen proposed judging Huo Yuhao’s condition at Shrek’s competition the next day, and Elder Ma agreed they would need to wait for evidence.
• The Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife’s energy was fully absorbed, the Dark Iron Blade began to glow, and Ye Luochen abruptly opened his eyes.

Ye Luochen emerged from the life-energy infusion with a cleansed, strengthened body and a new sensation of life within his Dark Iron Blade. He tested the pale green Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife by making a battle blade, and Xiao Hongchen discovered an inexplicable bond with it.

• Ye Luochen washed off the foul black sludge and told Xiao Hongchen that the life energy had purged impurities and injuries from his body while awakening a faint life force in his Dark Iron Blade.
• Xiao Hongchen questioned whether the improvements justified the cost, but Ye Luochen believed the lasting changes were worth it.
• Ye Luochen asked the others to inspect the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife, but Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and Elder Ma hesitated to touch it.
• Ye Luochen picked up the knife and used it to carve metal into a simple battle blade, then tossed the blade to Xiao Hongchen.
• Xiao Hongchen caught the blade and felt an unusual sense of unity with it, despite Ye Luochen's low Soul Engineer rank and perfunctory workmanship.

Ye Luochen cleansed the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife of its curse, and Xiao Hongchen confirmed it still had the quality of a Ranked Carving Knife. The group settled ownership by giving it to Xiao Hongchen, who had paid for it and wanted it for making gloves.

• Xiao Hongchen realized the carving knife had retained a Ranked Carving Knife’s special qualities after Ye Luochen absorbed its life energy and expelled its curse.
• Xiao Hongchen tested the knife by making a pair of gloves, then Meng Hongchen slapped him for obsessing over his hands.
• Elder Ma confirmed the knife was safe and still ranked-quality after carefully inspecting it.
• Ye Luochen said Xiao Hongchen should keep the knife because he and Meng Hongchen had paid for it, while Ye Luochen had already gained its greatest value.
• Xiao Hongchen admitted he wanted the knife, and the group agreed that he would own it.

Ye Luochen puzzled over his Dark Iron Blade’s latest change and vowed to make Shrek repay the attack against him. The next morning, the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy team waited to see whether Huo Yuhao would appear in Shrek’s match, which could affect the investigation.

• Ye Luochen could not explain why the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife had resonated with his Dark Iron Blade, but decided its three beneficial mutations were enough reason to wait and see.
• Ye Luochen blamed Shrek for the attack and vowed to make the academy repay both old and new grudges.
• The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy team arrived early to watch Shrek face Qianling Advanced Soul Master Academy in the new round-robin stage.
• Ye Luochen, the Hongchen siblings, and Elder Ma watched for Huo Yuhao, whose appearance and condition could help identify the attacker.

Shrek entered the arena with one unfamiliar, petite member in place of Huo Yuhao, prompting the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy to suspect that he was incapacitated. After the draw placed Shrek against Qianling Academy in a team battle, Ye Luochen identified the replacement as Ling Luochen and noticed signs that she was concealing serious weakness.

• Shrek's team entered the arena with seven members, and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy noticed that one petite figure was missing from its expected lineup.
• Elder Ma ordered teachers to investigate Huo Yuhao's whereabouts and condition, while Ye Luochen and the Hongchen siblings suspected his absence confirmed their theory.
• The draw paired Shrek Academy with Qianling Academy in a team battle, ensuring that Shrek's full team had to compete.
• Shrek's members appeared on the giant screen, but Huo Yuhao was absent, leading Xiao Hongchen to conclude that he was suffering from backlash.
• Ye Luochen identified the unfamiliar competitor as Ling Luochen and pointed out her sickly complexion and makeup, which suggested she was hiding her weakness.

Shrek faced Qianling Academy without Huo Yuhao, whose absence removed the psychological pressure and support that had helped Shrek conceal its true strength. As Qianling Academy’s coordinated defense and spear assault clashed with Xu Sanshi’s shield, Ye Luochen predicted Shrek would lose the battle of attrition.

• Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen discussed how Huo Yuhao’s absence could expose Shrek’s earlier displays as a bluff.
• Qianling Academy formed a shield wall while its Ice Bear user controlled the field and its Fire Tiger user enhanced the captain’s Thousand-Strike Spear.
• Xu Sanshi tried to use Black Tortoise Displacement to pull the captain into an encirclement, but the expanding shield wall broke his lock.
• The captain launched his spear, and Xu Sanshi raised his Black Tortoise Shield to block the attack.
• Ye Luochen judged that Qianling Academy had stronger overall offense and defense, leaving Shrek with no clear way to break through.

Shrek Academy lost to Qianling Academy after the Thousand-Strike Spears broke through its defense and disabled all seven fighters. As spectators questioned Shrek’s true strength, Ye Luochen reasoned that its injured main roster could still return for the decisive rounds, and Xiao Hongchen vowed to defeat them.

• Qianling Academy’s coordinated shield wall held off Shrek’s attacks, and its Thousand-Strike Spears gradually disabled Xiao Xiao, Wang Dong, Jiang Nannan, and the rest of Shrek’s team.
• Xu Sanshi finally collapsed, leaving all seven Shrek members unable to fight and handing Qianling Academy a historic victory.
• Spectators argued over whether Shrek had fielded its true lineup, while Shrek’s team left the plaza with help from its teacher.
• Elder Ma and Xiao Hongchen called Shrek a paper tiger and worried that Qianling Academy had taken the chance to defeat it first.
• Ye Luochen concluded that Ling Luochen’s recovery suggested Shrek’s stronger main-roster members could still compete in later rounds, and Xiao Hongchen said he would defeat Shrek head-on.
• Elder Ma ended the discussion and told the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy team to prepare for its upcoming match and draw lots.

Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy overwhelmed its opponents with a single barrage of Soul Tools, winning the match and thrilling the spectators. Elder Ma expected the display to promote Soul Tools and draw talent toward the Sun Moon Empire, while believing the other nations could not close the technological gap.

• Elder Ma sent all seven members of Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy’s main team into the match and ordered them to use their full firepower without revealing their trump cards.
• Xiao Hongchen questioned the decision, but Elder Ma explained that Shrek’s current team was its strongest and that a decisive victory would benefit the academy and empire.
• As the opposing team prepared to attack, Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy’s seven members deployed Soul Guidance Cannon emplacements and unleashed a massive barrage.
• The referee shielded the opposing team from the explosions, and the referee later announced Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy’s victory.
• The spectators erupted in cheers for the academy’s overwhelming display of firepower.
• Elder Ma concluded that the match would publicize Soul Tools and attract talent to the Sun Moon Empire, whose technological lead he believed the other nations could not overcome.

After Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy's dominant victory and Shrek's defeat, the empires worried about Sun Moon's growing strength. At Shrek's hotel, Wang Yan confronted the team for ignoring his order to forfeit, fearing he would be blamed for the academy's disastrous tournament performance.

• The Star Luo, Heaven Dou, and Dou Ling empires' leaders left the matches troubled by Sun Moon's overwhelming display of Soul Tool power.
• Wang Yan told the injured Shrek team that he had ordered them to forfeit after Huo Yuhao returned from his failed attempt to retrieve the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife with serious injuries.
• Wang Yan explained that the remaining six reserve members and Ling Luochen had ignored his plan and suffered a crushing defeat, leaving all ten Shrek participants injured.
• Bei Bei defended the decision as necessary to protect Shrek's ten-thousand-year honor, and Xu Sanshi backed him up.
• Wang Yan recognized that the reserve members felt secure in their status while he feared the academy would blame him, rather than Xuan Zi, for Shrek's poor results.

Wang Yan struggled with the burden of leading a badly depleted Shrek team while Ye Luochen wandered the tournament city and unexpectedly met him. Ye Luochen revealed that he had joined the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy and was competing in the tournament with them.

• Wang Yan worried that Shrek's losses and the reserve team's refusal to follow orders left him with no clear way to lead the team.
• Ye Luochen left the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy's celebrations and wandered through the busy city because he could not settle down to cultivate.
• Ye Luochen ran into Wang Yan, who asked whether he had found a new academy after leaving Shrek.
• Wang Yan considered persuading Ye Luochen to return to Shrek but hesitated because of the team's dire situation.
• Ye Luochen told Wang Yan that he had joined the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy and was taking part in the tournament with them.

Ye Luochen told Wang Yan why he had joined Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, then learned that Huo Yuhao and the rest of Shrek’s team were injured. Wang Yan began confiding in his former student about the team’s troubles, leaving Ye Luochen aware that every Shrek competitor was hurt.

• Wang Yan was surprised that Ye Luochen had chosen Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, and Ye Luochen explained that no other academy could offer what he wanted after Shrek.
• Wang Yan asked whether Ye Luochen had adapted to studying Soul Tools, but Ye Luochen gave a brief answer and kept details about himself from his rival.
• Wang Yan let slip that Huo Yuhao and the others were injured, prompting Ye Luochen to ask what had happened to Huo Yuhao.
• Wang Yan said Huo Yuhao had suffered severe injuries after a conflict the previous night, and Ye Luochen’s hostility made Wang Yan suspect he had been involved.
• Wang Yan revealed that every member of the Shrek team was injured and began pouring out his troubles to Ye Luochen.

Wang Yan told Ye Luochen that Shrek’s teams were badly weakened after an evil-soul-master mission led by Xuanzi ended in deadly injuries. Ye Luochen recognized Xuanzi’s pattern of leading missions that ended in disaster, while Wang Yan asked him to keep the story secret from Sun Moon.

• Wang Yan explained that Huo Yuhao and the reserve members were injured and that the three available Seven Monsters were also unable to compete.
• Wang Yan revealed that Yao Haoxuan had died and that Chen Zifeng, Gongyang Mo, and Xixi were gravely wounded by exploding poisoned corpses during a monitoring mission.
• Ye Luochen asked why no powerful expert had intervened, and Wang Yan said Rank 98 Super Douluo Xuanzi had led the mission.
• Ye Luochen recalled that Xuanzi had previously led gifted Shrek disciples into danger and felt relieved he had not been selected for the reserve team.
• Wang Yan realized he had disclosed Shrek’s secrets to a Sun Moon team member and asked Ye Luochen to keep their conversation private.

Ye Luochen comforted Wang Yan and saw that Shrek’s failures could leave his former teacher with nowhere to turn. He proposed that Wang Yan come to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, and Wang Yan hesitated to refuse.

• Ye Luochen promised Wang Yan he would keep the team’s secrets, while Wang Yan mistook his sincerity for consideration.
• Wang Yan vented about struggling to control Shrek’s teams and offered to help Ye Luochen if he ever needed it.
• Ye Luochen realized Shrek might blame Wang Yan if the team failed and that Wang Yan would have little chance of finding work elsewhere in the Original Three Countries.
• Ye Luochen considered Wang Yan’s martial-soul knowledge valuable to the Sun Moon Empire and invited him to join the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy.
• Wang Yan initially wanted to refuse but could not voice his answer as he considered his lack of options.

Ye Luochen and Wang Yan parted after discussing the danger facing Wang Yan, and Ye Luochen returned to the hotel. The next day, the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy drew a three-versus-three match, and Ye Luochen joined Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen as the reserve team members chosen to compete.

• Wang Yan thanked Ye Luochen for his advice but chose to remain with the foundation he had built, then returned to the injured students at the hotel.
• Ye Luochen went back to the hotel, ate, and slept before the tournament's next day.
• Ye Luochen and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy team arrived at a sparsely attended Star Luo Plaza, where many spectators had stayed away after Shrek's defeat and the resulting gambling losses.
• Elder Ma announced the three-versus-three draw against Vero Advanced Soul Master Academy and invited reserve team members to compete.
• The four Level 5 Soul Engineers declined, citing their teamwork and age, and Xiao Hongchen accepted the opportunity for himself, Meng Hongchen, and Ye Luochen.
• Ye Luochen agreed to compete with them, eager to make a name for himself before the tournament crowd.