Chapter Summaries

Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy sent Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and Ye Luochen to face Vero Academy, whose Soul Ancestors expected an easy match against three young-looking opponents. The Sun Moon trio revealed their formidable Soul Rings and swiftly defeated their opponents, leaving the crowd astonished by their strength.

• Elder Ma allowed the three competitors to enter after Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy had secured its qualification spot and Shrek no longer seemed a threat.
• The crowd speculated about Sun Moon's lineup and doubted the young competitors after learning that Shrek's earlier displays of power had been false.
• Vero Academy's three Soul Ancestors revealed their Martial Souls and Soul Rings, believing their lineup was well suited to the three-on-three match.
• Xiao Hongchen revealed his five Soul Rings and urged Meng Hongchen and Ye Luochen to join him, while they teased him before showing their own Soul Rings.
• Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and Ye Luochen launched a coordinated attack, forcing Vero Academy's three competitors to concede and leave the arena.
• The referee intervened to stop the fight, and the crowd marveled at the trio's apparent two Soul Kings and Ye Luochen's ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring.

Ye Luochen, Xiao Hongchen, and Meng Hongchen crushed Vero Academy, then watched the tournament and recognized a team of unusual contestants as members of the Body Sect. The chapter left Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy studying the mysterious newcomers as they began their match.

• Ye Luochen, Xiao Hongchen, and Meng Hongchen defeated Vero Academy's three strongest competitors, prompting the team to forfeit the remaining matches.
• Meng Hongchen slapped Xiao Hongchen for showing off, and Ye Luochen urged the siblings to stop arguing while the crowd watched.
• The three returned to the rest area, where their team applauded them for proving their strength as Soul Masters.
• Ye Luochen and the others stayed to watch the following matches, despite considering most teams unremarkable.
• A strange-looking team entered a seven-versus-seven match, and Ye Luochen identified them as members of the Body Sect.
• Meng Hongchen questioned why the secretive Body Sect had entered the tournament without their knowledge, while Xiao Hongchen dismissed them as a threat.

The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy team watched the Body Sect reveal seven Soul Kings with identical, extraordinary soul ring configurations and crush their opponents. Elder Ma and Ma Rulong discussed how to counter them, and Elder Ma credited Ye Luochen’s information about Shrek for helping prepare the team.

• The Body Sect’s seven members revealed themselves as Soul Kings, each with four purple rings and one black ring, shocking the spectators and the Sun Moon team.
• Elder Ma warned that the Body Sect could become a serious opponent, while Meng Hongchen explained to Xiao Hongchen why their teams were likely to meet in the bracket.
• The Body Sect team defeated all seven opponents without visibly using soul skills, sending them off the arena with their physical strength.
• Elder Ma noted that the Body Sect’s powerful bodies could withstand soul skills and Soul Tools, making them a difficult matchup for Soul Engineers.
• Ma Rulong said the equipment prepared to face Shrek should also work against the Body Sect, and Elder Ma thanked Ye Luochen for providing the information that prompted their preparations.

Ye Luochen discovered that cultivating caused life energy within his body to cycle out as green liquid and mist, expelling impurities and greatly increasing his physical strength. After realizing the energy came from what the Dark Iron Blade had absorbed from the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife, he began considering why people might not always choose the most potent heavenly treasures.

• Ye Luochen cultivated at the hotel after weeks of neglecting his training, entering a deep state as green liquid seeped from his body and became mist.
• Ye Luochen absorbed the mist repeatedly until pale green crusts formed on his skin, forcing him to awaken from cultivation.
• Ye Luochen broke off the foul-smelling scabs and discovered that his strength had increased enough for him to punch a bowl-sized dent into the hotel wall without using Soul Power.
• Ye Luochen recognized the vapor forming from the scabs as life energy and recalled that the Dark Iron Blade had absorbed life energy from the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife.
• Ye Luochen drew the faint vapor back into his body and began thinking about why people might avoid choosing heavenly treasures solely for their strength.

Ye Luochen discovered that stored life energy had triggered another round of absorption, strengthening his body and restoring his vitality. After Xiao Hongchen burst into his room and found him naked, the other residents misread the scene and hurried away with teasing remarks.

• Ye Luochen tested his newly strengthened body and realized the surge of life energy had begun to fade after another round of absorption.
• Ye Luochen prepared to shower, but Xiao Hongchen broke down his door after hearing what he thought were sounds of a fight.
• Xiao Hongchen saw that Ye Luochen was naked and shouted, so Ye Luochen covered his mouth to stop him from waking everyone.
• The other residents arrived after hearing the door crash, saw Ye Luochen holding Xiao Hongchen, and left while joking about them.

After Ye Luochen accidentally caused a scandal by bursting into Xiao Hongchen’s room while he was naked, the two argued over the incident and Ye Luochen’s latest gain. The next morning, Xiao Hongchen stayed shut in his room, while Ye Luochen’s team arrived at the arena for Shrek Academy’s third match, with Elder Ma wondering whether Shrek would compete.

• Ye Luochen and Xiao Hongchen blamed each other for the crowd witnessing Xiao Hongchen naked after Ye Luochen blasted apart his door.
• Xiao Hongchen learned that Ye Luochen had received life energy feedback and declared them irreconcilable enemies because Ye Luochen had gained another benefit.
• Meng Hongchen arrived, ignored Xiao Hongchen’s order to leave, and later teased Ye Luochen about her brother shutting himself away.
• Ye Luochen went back to sleep, then joined the team the next morning while Xiao Hongchen remained absent from the meeting room.
• Meng Hongchen told Ye Luochen that Xiao Hongchen was upset about Ye Luochen gaining another advantage after the Body Sect team had shaken his confidence.
• The team reached the crowded Star Luo Plaza, where Elder Ma wondered whether Wang Yan would withdraw Shrek Academy from its third match.

Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yaoheng arrived just before Shrek was declared defeated and entered the opening match as a two-person team. Their unusually vigorous auras made Ye Luochen suspect they were suppressing their injuries, but he believed they were confident they could win.

• The referee prepared to declare Shrek defeated after no competitors appeared, but Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yaoheng entered the arena before he announced the result.
• Ma Xiaotao told the referee to begin the draw, which selected a team battle.
• Ma Xiaotao said the other Shrek members should be treated as eliminated and declared that she and Dai Yaoheng were enough to fight seven opponents.
• The spectators cheered Shrek's confidence, while Elder Ma and Ye Luochen recognized the pair and wondered how they had recovered so quickly.
• Ye Luochen suspected Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yaoheng were suppressing their injuries and concluded that their confidence made them unlikely to lose.

Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yaoheng faced seven opponents in the arena, and Ma Xiaotao overwhelmed them with her flames. The referee stopped the fight too late to save the five remaining opponents, leaving Shrek’s brutal victory to shock the crowd.

• The referee started the match, and the opposing team arranged its formation with two defense-type Soul Kings at the front.
• Ye Luochen told Meng Hongchen that Ma Xiaotao could win the match alone and that Dai Yaoheng might not need to act.
• Ma Xiaotao charged the opposing team and burned its two defense-type Soul Kings black in a single exchange.
• The stunned five remaining opponents surrendered, but Ma Xiaotao’s flames engulfed them before the referee could intervene.
• The referee dispersed the flames and found that all five remaining opponents had been burned beyond recognition and were dead.

Ma Xiaotao killed all five opponents after they called forfeit, sparking public outrage and throwing Star Luo Plaza into chaos. As the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy prepared to face Shrek, Ma Rulong remained confident in his team’s defenses while Meng Hongchen questioned Ma Xiaotao’s violent nature and its resemblance to an evil soul master.

• After the referee confirmed the five opponents had died, Ma Xiaotao argued that they should have surrendered rather than forfeited after the match began, then left the arena.
• Spectators argued over Ma Xiaotao’s actions, clashes broke out in Star Luo Plaza, and the emperor worried that Shrek’s involvement left him unable to respond decisively.
• The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy team feared facing Ma Xiaotao after seeing her flames destroy the opponents’ high-grade soul tool shields.
• Ma Rulong reassured the team that their Mingde Hall Soul Tools and his special treasure could counter Ma Xiaotao.
• Meng Hongchen asked Ye Luochen about Ma Xiaotao’s behavior and wondered why Shrek’s evil soul master inspection corps had not hunted her down.

After Ma Xiaotao killed five opponents in the tournament, Shrek’s prestige shielded her from punishment and the crowd celebrated her declaration of Shrek’s dominance. At the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, Elder Ma and Ma Rulong prepared to confront Shrek, while Ye Luochen wondered what gave them such confidence.

• Meng Hongchen accused Shrek of hypocrisy for allowing Ma Xiaotao to hunt evil soul masters, and Ye Luochen reflected on Shrek’s authority to define who counted as one.
• Ma Xiaotao raised her Shrek badge and declared that Shrek would win the championship, prompting the crowd to cheer as she left with Dai Yaoheng.
• The opposing team leader grieved the five dead competitors and feared he could do nothing against Shrek’s influence.
• Elder Ma told Ma Rulong to use everything against Shrek and said he would bear the consequences.
• Ma Rulong vowed to settle the score for the attack on Xiao Hongchen and said defeating Shrek would make history.
• Ye Luochen noticed that Elder Ma, Ma Rulong, and the others seemed certain they could defeat Shrek, and wondered what equipment or preparation had given them that confidence.

After Shrek’s injured team members returned to the tournament, Wang Yan feared the academy would blame him for Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yaoheng’s choices. He asked Ye Luochen to help him seek refuge at Sun Moon, and Ye Luochen agreed to introduce him to the academy without promising acceptance.

• Ye Luochen abandoned plans to cultivate because his room was still being repaired and went outside for air.
• Wang Yan took Ye Luochen to a secluded teahouse and explained that Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yaoheng had used secret techniques to fight despite severe injuries, risking lasting damage to their cultivation.
• Wang Yan said all seven reserve members were injured, the official team members faced serious consequences, and Ma Xiaotao had killed five more people, leaving him certain Shrek would hold him responsible.
• Wang Yan asked Ye Luochen to help him join Sun Moon because he could no longer return to Shrek.
• Ye Luochen agreed to introduce Wang Yan to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy but warned that he could not guarantee its decision.

Wang Yan sought Ye Luochen’s help to join the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, but worried that leaving Shrek during the tournament would bring severe consequences. Ye Luochen revealed that Shrek’s intelligence had already been reported and reassured Wang Yan that his own influence at Sun Moon was enough to secure the introduction.

• Ye Luochen agreed to introduce Wang Yan to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, while warning him about the risks of leaving Shrek mid-tournament.
• Wang Yan said he would wait until Shrek reached the finals and offered to provide intelligence from within to help Sun Moon defeat them.
• Ye Luochen told Wang Yan that he had already reported Shrek’s intelligence to the academy before the tournament began.
• Wang Yan worried that he had lost his strongest proof of allegiance and had little time to demonstrate his value.
• Ye Luochen assured Wang Yan that his knowledge of martial souls was enough and said his influence at Sun Moon was far greater than Wang Yan assumed.
• Wang Yan entrusted his fate to Ye Luochen, who agreed to help him join Sun Moon.

Ye Luochen persuaded Elder Ma to accept Wang Yan’s plan to defect and shared Shrek’s latest intelligence with the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy. After spending the next day cultivating, Ye Luochen received a troubling message from Wang Yan.

• Ye Luochen and Wang Yan agreed that Wang Yan would keep acting as Shrek’s team leader while Ye Luochen reported their plan to Elder Ma.
• Elder Ma approved the proposal and praised Ye Luochen for bringing him a chance to recruit a Shrek teacher.
• Ye Luochen gave Elder Ma detailed intelligence about Shrek’s injured reserve members, Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yaoheng’s condition, and the team’s equipment.
• Elder Ma contacted the academy, which approved the plan with little resistance.
• Ye Luochen skipped the Sun Moon team’s next match and cultivated until Wang Yan’s message on his instant messaging Soul Tool interrupted him.
• Ye Luochen read Wang Yan’s message and furrowed his brows at its troubling contents.

After Ye Luochen learned that Xuanzi had arrived in the Star Luo Empire, he warned Elder Ma, who reassured him that Sun Moon’s Class 8 Soul Tools gave its team a decisive advantage. Elder Ma could not risk confronting Xuanzi to recruit Wang Yan, so Wang Yan’s chance to join Sun Moon depended on surviving until the tournament ended.

• Ye Luochen received Wang Yan’s brief message that Xuanzi had arrived and hurried to inform Elder Ma.
• Elder Ma recognized the danger posed by Taotie Douluo Xuanzi but said Shrek’s powerful elder could not compete in the tournament.
• Elder Ma revealed that Sun Moon had equipped its main team members with Class 8 Soul Tools, strengthening his confidence in their victory.
• Ye Luochen worried that Xuanzi’s presence would prevent Wang Yan from defecting and might expose the condition of Shrek’s injured team.
• Elder Ma said the academy would not openly oppose Xuanzi and would try to recruit Wang Yan after the tournament if he could hold out until then.

Xuanzi confronted Wang Yan over Shrek’s disastrous tournament performance and the severe injuries suffered by the team. He then revealed that the academy would send no reinforcements, leaving Ma Xiaotao and the others questioning the sacrifices they had made.

• Xuanzi examined the injured Shrek team and demanded that Wang Yan explain their poor performance.
• Xuanzi recognized the severe damage to Huo Yuhao, Dai Yaoheng, and Ma Xiaotao, whose evil fire threatened to consume her.
• Wang Yan silently accepted Xuanzi’s accusations while privately blaming Xuanzi for abandoning the team.
• Ma Xiaotao asked whether Xuanzi had brought replacements, but he said the academy would send no more team members.
• Xuanzi said the students’ growth mattered more than Shrek’s honor, leaving Ma Xiaotao and the others dismayed by their sacrifices.

Elder Xuan told the Shrek team that the academy would not send reinforcements and that Yan Shaozhe supported Elder Mu’s decision to use the tournament as training. His speeches and Soul Tool demonstrations failed to restore the team’s confidence, while Wang Yan understood that they believed they had no chance against their powerful opponents.

• Ma Xiaotao asked Elder Xuan whether Yan Shaozhe had agreed to leave the injured team without help, and Elder Xuan said Yan had supported Elder Mu’s training plan.
• Elder Xuan urged the students to fight for the academy, but most remained disappointed despite his impassioned speech.
• Elder Xuan displayed Class 5 Soul Tools the academy had sent, but the team showed little interest and remained discouraged.
• Wang Yan recognized that the students had watched the tournament and believed they could not defeat the Body Sect or the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy.
• Wang Yan privately welcomed the team’s dispirited attitude because it could make him less accountable for leading them poorly.

Wang Yan rejected the idea of taking sole responsibility for Shrek’s failure and looked forward to fleeing to Sun Moon with Ye Luochen. At the auction, Elder Ma and Ye Luochen recognized that Shrek had brought no reinforcements and began considering how to exploit its students’ vulnerabilities.

• Wang Yan decided he would not sacrifice himself to take the blame and hoped to defect to Sun Moon with Ye Luochen.
• Elder Xuan invited Shrek’s team to a high-caliber auction to help them relax after their poor performance.
• Elder Ma organized the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy team to attend the auction, though Xiao Hongchen remained shut away.
• Shrek’s team and Sun Moon’s team recognized each other outside their private rooms, but neither side started a fight.
• Elder Ma sensed that Shrek’s members were in poor condition and had brought no reinforcements, and Ye Luochen recognized the team as well.
• Elder Ma told Ye Luochen to look for wishes, traumas, or regrets among Shrek’s students that they could exploit.

Ye Luochen considered how Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy could exploit Shrek team members’ disappointment and assessed which students might be vulnerable to recruitment. He identified possible leverage involving Jiang Nannan and He Caitou before turning his attention to Huo Yuhao.

• Ye Luochen agreed with Elder Ma that Shrek's failure to send support could create an opening to drive a wedge between its team members and the academy.
• Ye Luochen ruled out Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yaoheng, Ling Luochen, Bei Bei, and Xu Sanshi as recruitment prospects because of their status, connections, or unknown backgrounds.
• Ye Luochen recognized Jiang Nannan's apparent poverty as a possible vulnerability and recorded it in his Soul Tool.
• Ye Luochen noted He Caitou's dark skin and Soul Tool specialization as clues that might connect him to descendants of the former Sun Moon emperor, but recorded only the observable details.
• Ye Luochen dismissed Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong as prospects because he knew little about Xiao Xiao and believed Wang Dong had a powerful background.
• Ye Luochen turned to Huo Yuhao and reflected that he knew the junior almost inside and out.

Ye Luochen analyzed the Shrek team’s grievances and recognized an ice-attribute soul bone as a chance to weaken Shrek and draw in Huo Yuhao. Elder Ma won the soul bone, but the auction’s final item—the Sun Moon Empire’s God-Sealing Altar—left him furious and resolved to expose those responsible for its sale.

• Ye Luochen recorded Huo Yuhao’s impoverished background and past unfair treatment by Shrek as a possible source of resentment.
• Elder Ma bought the auction’s valuable Soul Tools and other items for Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy.
• Ye Luochen identified the powerful ice-attribute soul bone as useful for recruiting Huo Yuhao and weakening Shrek.
• Elder Ma outbid Shrek and secured the soul bone at a record price.
• The auction revealed a class-nine God-Sealing Altar, and Elder Ma cursed upon recognizing the Sun Moon Empire’s lost Soul Tool.
• Elder Ma said he would urge the Hall Master and His Majesty to investigate and purge the empire’s parasites.

Ye Luochen and Elder Ma watched as the Starlight Auction House revealed a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast transformation embryo sealed inside a ninth-grade God-Sealing Altar. The bidding began and rapidly climbed toward one hundred million Gold Soul Coins, with the embryo offering either a guaranteed soul ring and soul bone or a chance to gain a new martial soul.

• Elder Ma reacted angrily to the God-Sealing Altar, and Ye Luochen reasoned that its contents were the auction’s true prize.
• The auctioneer revealed a cluster of airflow inside the altar and identified it as a captured Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast transformation embryo.
• Powerful experts erupted with auras, but the auction house’s hidden Soul Douluo guards suppressed them and protected the stage.
• Elder Ma held off on bidding while the auctioneer explained that the embryo could be killed for its soul ring and soul bone or absorbed for a chance at a new martial soul.
• The auction began, and bidders drove the price toward one hundred million Gold Soul Coins as Ye Luochen watched in astonishment.