Chapter Summaries

Cheng Xiao used the Shadow Legion to evade the Titan Giant Ape and hide among the battlefield, while Yue Guan fought the beast. When the Titan Giant Ape found Cheng Xiao and trapped him with gravity, Cheng Xiao summoned every Shadow Soldier into his soul rings, unleashing a dangerous surge of power and attacking with Dark Demon Evil God Lightning.

• The Titan Giant Ape avoided Cheng Xiao’s beam with Gravity Mire, but Yue Guan wounded him as he charged through the battlefield toward Cheng Xiao.
• Cheng Xiao used Shadow Exchange to escape the Titan Giant Ape’s grasp with Hu Liena, then hid within the Shadow Legion to avoid being singled out.
• The Shadow Legion and Spirit Hall soul masters overwhelmed the soul beasts, while Yue Guan fought the Titan Giant Ape and the battle’s shockwaves tore through both sides.
• The Titan Giant Ape spotted Cheng Xiao retreating, used Gravity Mire to pin him down, and leaped toward him.
• Cheng Xiao commanded the Shadow Soldiers to merge into his soul rings, causing his aura to surge as his body cracked and bled.
• Cheng Xiao unleashed Dark Demon Evil God Lightning at the Titan Giant Ape, who exclaimed that Cheng Xiao had become like the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.

Cheng Xiao used the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's abilities and spatial power to clash with the Titan Giant Ape, leaving both of them badly injured. Yue Guan struck the Titan Giant Ape from behind, and it fled into the forest as Yue Guan pursued it.

• The Titan Giant Ape recognized the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's aura on Cheng Xiao and attacked him with Titan Sky Shatter.
• Cheng Xiao compressed and detonated Dark Demon Evil God Lightning against the Titan Giant Ape's beam, creating a huge explosion that wounded them both and exhausted Cheng Xiao's soul skills for a month.
• Cheng Xiao warned the Titan Giant Ape that Di Tian wanted him captured alive, making the beast hesitate to kill him.
• Yue Guan pierced the Titan Giant Ape's chest with Streamer Radiance, seriously wounding it.
• The Titan Giant Ape fled into the forest, and Yue Guan pursued it, hoping to claim the hundred-thousand-year soul beast.

After the Beast Tide retreated, Cheng Xiao raised the fallen Soul Beasts and Soul Masters as Shadow Soldiers, revealing their power to survive death and retain their abilities. The survivors began to see immortality as tempting, and Cheng Xiao anticipated gaining supporters within Spirit Hall for his plans.

• The surviving Soul Masters celebrated their victory and thanked Cheng Xiao for saving most of them.
• Cheng Xiao used his power to raise the battlefield’s fallen Soul Beasts as Shadow Soldiers, who bowed before him.
• Cheng Xiao raised the dead Soul Masters, including Zhang Yu, as Shadow Soldiers.
• Zhang Yu reunited with Li Yuan, demonstrated that he could revive after being cut in half, and showed that he could still cultivate and use his martial soul.
• The survivors considered the appeal of immortality, while Cheng Xiao hoped to build a faction loyal to the Shadow King within Spirit Hall.

Hu Liena, Yue Guan, and Cheng Xiao fled after Yue Guan discovered four powerful hundred-thousand-year soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest. The beasts learned that Cheng Xiao was the human they sought and ordered a hunt for everyone wearing Spirit Hall’s clothes to force them to surrender him.

• Hu Liena realized Cheng Xiao’s soul skill was winning the loyalty of the resurrected soul masters, while Cheng Xiao concealed that his Shadow Soldiers would be absolutely loyal to him.
• Yue Guan rushed back and fled with Hu Liena and Cheng Xiao after warning them about four hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, including the Three-Headed Crimson Demonic Mastiff and the Emerald Swan.
• Cheng Xiao identified the Three-Headed Crimson Demonic Mastiff and the Emerald Swan as beasts with at least two hundred thousand years of cultivation, but kept the source of his knowledge secret.
• The Titan Giant Ape told Scarlet King that he had found Cheng Xiao, and Scarlet King hurried away to inform Di Tian.
• The Titan Giant Ape showed Di Tian a dead soul master wearing clothes marked with the character “Soul,” and Di Tian ordered the beasts to kill everyone wearing those clothes and make them hand Cheng Xiao over.

On the journey back to Spirit City, Cheng Xiao planned to gather faith and become a god by spreading a doctrine of eternal life after death. Gu Yue warned him that the path was not as simple as he thought.

• Cheng Xiao rode alone in a carriage and considered faith as an alternative route to godhood because the known divine inheritances were unavailable or too risky.
• Cheng Xiao decided to infiltrate the Spirit Hall quietly, spread promises of eternal life, and use a continent-wide war to build a following for his Shadow Legion.
• Cheng Xiao considered calling himself the Undead God, then planned to present the Shadow King as an envoy of the Angel God to avoid angering Qian Daoliu and the Worship Hall.
• Cheng Xiao drafted a doctrine that would eventually recast the Angel God as subordinate to the Shadow King and use miracles to attract worshippers.
• Gu Yue interrupted Cheng Xiao's excitement and warned him that gathering faith to become a god was not as simple as he thought.

Cheng Xiao asked Gu Yue about becoming a god through faith and learned that the Dragon God's laws made the path exceptionally difficult for humans who hunted soul beasts. Gu Yue explained that faith itself could overwhelm a candidate’s will, leaving Cheng Xiao with a new obstacle to confront.

• Cheng Xiao asked Gu Yue why she believed becoming a god through faith was difficult, and she explained the Dragon God's rules and the rarity of humans with the lifespan and potential to ascend.
• Gu Yue told Cheng Xiao that killing too many soul beasts hindered the gathering of faith, and that the Angel God had bypassed this restriction by purifying resentment with a special meteorite fused into her Martial Soul.
• Gu Yue speculated that the Sea God had used the blue crystal Di Tian destroyed, and Cheng Xiao lamented losing the chance to obtain it.
• Cheng Xiao argued that finding another item capable of bypassing the Dragon God's laws would be extremely difficult, while Gu Yue said such items might exist.
• Gu Yue revealed that bearing faith was the hardest obstacle because the thoughts and wishes of believers could interfere with a candidate’s will.

Gu Yue explained why faith-based godhood was dangerous for Cheng Xiao and offered to help him overcome its obstacles in exchange for killing the Asura God. Half a month later, the Saint Son and Saintess arrived outside Spirit City, where Spirit Hall members welcomed them.

• Gu Yue explained that weapon Martial Souls could bear faith, while Cheng Xiao's beast Martial Souls would expose him to overwhelming prayers and risk driving him insane.
• Gu Yue said Cheng Xiao might still pursue faith-based godhood if he could cleanse soul-beast resentment and isolate faith, but demanded that he help her kill the Asura God.
• Cheng Xiao refused to commit and resumed writing doctrines while keeping the possibility in mind.
• Half a month later, Spirit Hall members gathered outside Spirit City to welcome the returning Saint Son and Saintess.
• Yue Guan prompted the assembled soul masters to kneel and greet Cheng Xiao and the Saintess as they arrived in two carriages.

Cheng Xiao returned to Spirit City with Hu Liena and met Bibi Dong, who tried to persuade him to contribute more to Spirit Hall by dangling the possibility of becoming Pope. After Hu Liena reported the Shadow Legion’s fanaticism, Bibi Dong reconsidered Cheng Xiao’s ability, and Yue Guan offered a different view.

• Cheng Xiao and Hu Liena entered Spirit City and were summoned to meet Bibi Dong in Pope's Palace.
• Bibi Dong told Cheng Xiao that he could compete with Hu Liena for the Pope's position if he contributed more to Spirit Hall, but Cheng Xiao refused to take the bait.
• Bibi Dong dismissed Cheng Xiao and asked Hu Liena whether she had won him over, and Hu Liena said he had ignored her and revealed nothing about soul-ring absorption methods.
• Hu Liena asked Bibi Dong to transfer the group that had escorted them because their fanaticism could spread through Spirit Hall, then described their encounter with danger and the Shadow Legion.
• Bibi Dong began to take Cheng Xiao's shadow-awakening ability seriously, and Yue Guan stepped forward to disagree with her apparent judgment.

Bibi Dong weighed the danger of Cheng Xiao’s influence against the value of his potential Soul Master Legion, then summoned him the next morning. Cheng Xiao arrived to find Spirit Hall leaders demanding his punishment for the Beast Tide, and they confronted him with a crushing display of Soul Power.

• Yue Guan warned Bibi Dong that suppressing Cheng Xiao could make him harder to recruit, and she dismissed Hu Liena and Yue Guan to consider her options.
• Cheng Xiao woke from an embarrassing dream, discovered he had soiled his underwear and bedding, and sent his maidservants away so he could change them himself.
• The maidservants told Cheng Xiao that the Pope had summoned him, and he hurried to the Pope’s Palace.
• Cheng Xiao entered amid accusations that he had caused the Beast Tide and Spirit Hall’s heavy casualties, with officials demanding that he lose his Saint Son position or be executed.
• Spirit Hall leaders focused their Soul Power on Cheng Xiao, and an angry voice demanded that he answer for his crime.

Cheng Xiao faced accusations in the Pope’s Palace over the soul-beast attacks, but Bibi Dong rejected calls to punish him and ordered Spirit Hall to retaliate. As she quelled the assembled Soul Power, an angry voice interrupted the meeting, demanding a turn to settle matters.

• Salas accused Cheng Xiao of causing the soul-beast attacks and urged the assembly to execute him, while Cheng Xiao rejected the blame and resisted their pressure.
• Bibi Dong rebuked the assembly for infighting and ordered Spirit Hall to strike back against the soul beasts.
• Bibi Dong destroyed the gathered Soul Power with a single burst, silencing the assembly.
• An unidentified speaker interrupted, saying it was their turn to confront those who had come looking for trouble.

Cheng Xiao clashed with Spirit Hall’s elders over his Saint Son position and exposed what he knew about the powerful soul beasts leading the Beast Tide. He revealed his four soul rings, including an extraordinarily powerful red ring, leaving Bibi Dong and the others stunned.

• Cheng Xiao rejected the elders’ treatment of him and declared that he had never wanted to be Spirit Hall’s Saint Son.
• Salas challenged Cheng Xiao’s claims about his value to Spirit Hall, and Cheng Xiao confronted him over his contempt.
• Cheng Xiao named Di Tian, Bear Lord, Bi Ji, Myriad Demon King, Scarlet King, and Zi Ji as the fierce beasts behind the Beast Tide.
• Cheng Xiao revealed his four soul rings—black, black, red, and black—and stunned the assembled Spirit Hall leaders with the red ring’s immense power.
• Bibi Dong realized why Qian Renxue valued Cheng Xiao, while Cheng Xiao told the elders that the times had changed.

Cheng Xiao revealed his extraordinary soul rings in the Pope’s Palace, exposing the value of his methods and provoking Spirit Hall’s factions to reconsider their plans for him. As Salas faced pressure from both Cheng Xiao’s potential supporters and his own allies, he demanded that Cheng Xiao surrender his theories.

• Cheng Xiao displayed his soul rings, including a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring, shocking Hu Liena and the people gathered in the Pope’s Palace.
• Bibi Dong resolved to keep Cheng Xiao under her control, while Cheng Xiao accused Spirit Hall of withholding support and rejected its elders’ attempts to placate him.
• Spirit Hall’s leaders concluded that Cheng Xiao could enhance soul rings and exceed normal absorption limits, then split into factions that wanted to recruit, exploit, or eliminate him.
• Several elders turned their attention to Salas, pressuring him to honor his promises to punish Cheng Xiao.
• Salas overcame his hesitation and demanded that Cheng Xiao hand over his theories to redeem his alleged crimes.

Salas tried to force Cheng Xiao to surrender his theories, but Cheng Xiao rejected the demand and insulted him. When Salas attacked, Cheng Xiao summoned Yegrit and ordered him to kill Salas, leaving the hall in uproar.

• Salas demanded Cheng Xiao hand over his theories, while Bibi Dong and the elders recognized his attempt to provoke Cheng Xiao.
• Salas accused Cheng Xiao of failing his duties as Saint Son and threatened to strip him of the position and imprison him.
• Cheng Xiao cursed Salas and denied ever agreeing to become the Saint Son.
• Salas released his martial soul and attacked Cheng Xiao with a massive Soul Power palm.
• Bibi Dong shouted as two figures rushed to intervene, but Cheng Xiao summoned Yegrit and ordered him to kill Salas.

Cheng Xiao’s Yegrit and Gui Mei cornered Salas in the Pope’s Palace as he prepared to unleash his devastating eighth soul skill. Cheng Xiao disrupted Salas for an instant, allowing Yegrit to decapitate him.

• Yegrit blocked Salas’s Soul Power attack, revealing strength comparable to a Soul Douluo and shocking the gathered crowd.
• Gui Mei pursued Salas while Yegrit attacked from behind, trapping him between them.
• Cornered, Salas began unleashing his destructive eighth soul skill, threatening everyone in the Pope’s Palace.
• Cheng Xiao used Soul Stripping to briefly confuse Salas, interrupting his attack.
• Yegrit seized the opening and killed Salas with a sword strike that severed his head.

Yegrit killed Salas in the Pope's Palace, prompting Spirit Hall officials to demand Cheng Xiao be stripped of his Saint Son position. Cheng Xiao summoned his shadow soldiers to confront them, leaving the palace overwhelmed by his forces.

• Yegrit killed Salas with a sword strike, shocking everyone in the Pope's Palace.
• Spirit Hall officials invoked the rules and demanded that Bibi Dong strip Cheng Xiao of his Saint Son position and send him before the Judgment Hall.
• Cheng Xiao rejected the Saint Son title and challenged those who sought to judge him.
• Cheng Xiao ordered Gui Mei to stand up, causing him to fall to his knees before fleeing as black smoke.
• Cheng Xiao summoned countless armored shadow soldiers, who filled the Pope's Palace and knelt before him as their Monarch.

Cheng Xiao summoned a portion of his Shadow Legion in the Pope's Palace and defied those seeking to punish him. Bibi Dong stopped the gathering from escalating and ordered three years of confinement, but Cheng Xiao openly refused.

• Cheng Xiao summoned Shadow Soldiers, including Soul Emperors and Soul Saints, shocking the people in the Pope's Palace.
• Cheng Xiao challenged those who had demanded judgment and declared that he had nothing to do with Spirit Hall.
• Neutral factions tried to calm Cheng Xiao, while his opponents provoked him and accused him of defying the Pope.
• Bibi Dong suppressed the crowd, defended her authority over Cheng Xiao's position as Saint Son, and ordered him confined for three years.
• Cheng Xiao stepped forward under Bibi Dong's pressure and asked what would happen if he refused.

Cheng Xiao rejected Bibi Dong’s order to confine him, but Qian Daoliu intervened and imposed an even harsher punishment. The chapter ended with Cheng Xiao sent to the Worship Hall until he became a Titled Douluo, unable to protest.

• Cheng Xiao refused to accept the Saint Son title or Bibi Dong’s confinement order and declared that he would leave Spirit Hall.
• Bibi Dong used her Soul Power to restrain Cheng Xiao, while Gu Yue remained silent and the Shadow Soldiers moved to protect him.
• Qian Daoliu appeared, dispelled Bibi Dong’s restraint, and used golden flames to destroy Cheng Xiao’s Shadow Soldiers, including Yegrit.
• Qian Daoliu kept Cheng Xiao’s Saint Son title but ordered him to stay in the Worship Hall until he became a Titled Douluo.
• Qian Daoliu stopped Cheng Xiao from objecting and told him that Xue’er’s letter had prompted him to intervene.

Qian Daoliu imposed a dangerous punishment on Cheng Xiao and took him to Worship Hall despite Bibi Dong's objections. After failing to stop him, Bibi Dong decided Hu Liena would be crucial to keeping Cheng Xiao out of the Qian Clan's hands.

• Qian Daoliu said Cheng Xiao would be confined and ordered him to bring back a thousand heads from the City of Slaughter once he reached Soul King or lose his position as Saint Son.
• The crowd accepted Qian Daoliu's punishment after learning Cheng Xiao would be sent to the City of Slaughter.
• Bibi Dong challenged Qian Daoliu's decision to confine Cheng Xiao in Worship Hall and argued that he should remain in the Pope's Palace.
• Qian Daoliu overpowered Bibi Dong's Soul Power and took Cheng Xiao away to Worship Hall.
• Bibi Dong acknowledged she could not defeat Qian Daoliu, then resolved to keep Cheng Xiao from falling into the Qian Clan's hands and ordered everyone except Hu Liena to leave.

Cheng Xiao was brought to Worship Hall, where Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile examined his Shadow King Martial Soul and confirmed it could fuse with the Six-Winged Angel. Qian Daoliu then learned Cheng Xiao had another Martial Soul and asked to see it.

• Qian Daoliu brought Cheng Xiao to Worship Hall, where Golden Crocodile scolded him for his insolence.
• Cheng Xiao revealed the Shadow King, whose deathly aura affected the hall and impressed Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile.
• Qian Daoliu released his Six-Winged Angel, and its power briefly clashed and then fused with the Shadow King's, confirming their compatibility for a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
• Qian Daoliu praised Cheng Xiao and asked him to show his other Martial Soul, startling Golden Crocodile with the revelation that Cheng Xiao had Twin Martial Souls.

Cheng Xiao revealed his Destruction King martial soul to Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile, shocking them with its ability to suppress other beast martial souls. After learning about Cheng Xiao’s unusual awakening and concealed Radiant Angel martial soul, Golden Crocodile asked him to become his disciple.

• Cheng Xiao released the Destruction King, whose Dragon's Might suppressed Golden Crocodile's Golden Crocodile King and began aging the hall.
• Cheng Xiao explained that he called the martial soul the Dragon Emperor and that it could suppress Dragon Clan members and beast martial souls.
• Qian Daoliu asked about Cheng Xiao's shadow humanoid martial soul, and Cheng Xiao explained that his Radiant Angel had mutated after he awakened it at age three and nearly died.
• Golden Crocodile excitedly asked Cheng Xiao to become his disciple, and Qian Daoliu left the choice to Cheng Xiao.
• Golden Crocodile introduced himself and Qian Daoliu, then urged Cheng Xiao to accept him as his teacher.