Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Xiaogang recognizes Su Chen as the genius sent by Bibi Dong six years ago to target him.
• Yu Xiaogang initially considers fleeing but decides against it, choosing to stay and prove his worth through teaching Tang San.
• Xiao Wu's soul fight against Xie Baolu begins at the Suotuo City Great Soul Arena.

Character Developments

• Yu Xiaogang: Experiences a mix of emotions (grief, fear, self-admiration) upon recognizing Su Chen. Decides to stay at Shrek Academy to prove his theories and teach Tang San.
• Xiao Wu: Confident and playful, she's eager to showcase her skills in her soul fight against Xie Baolu.

Significant Themes

• The struggle between pride and fear in the face of adversity (Yu Xiaogang).
• The importance of standing one's ground and proving oneself (Yu Xiaogang's decision to stay at Shrek Academy).
• The power of confidence and self-belief (Xiao Wu's attitude before her soul fight).

Character Interactions

• Yu Xiaogang's internal struggle and eventual decision to stay at Shrek Academy.
• Xiao Wu's playful banter with Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong before her soul fight.
• The spectators' reactions to Xiao Wu's appearance and her confident demeanor before her fight.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Wu's first match in the Soul Fighting Arena against Xie Baolu.
• Xie Baolu underestimates Xiao Wu due to her age and appearance.
• Xiao Wu provokes Xie Baolu, leading to a quick and decisive victory using her space-type skills and agility.
• The audience is shocked by Xiao Wu's strength and spirit ring configuration (two purple rings).

Character Developments

• Xiao Wu demonstrates her confidence, provocation skills, and formidable combat abilities.
• Xie Baolu shows arrogance and underestimation of his opponent, leading to his defeat.

Significant Themes

• The theme of appearances being deceiving, as Xiao Wu's youthful appearance belies her strength.
• The importance of provocation and psychological warfare in combat.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Wu and Xie Baolu's interaction is characterized by provocation and one-sided dominance.
• Su Chen, Ning Rongrong, and the audience watch Xiao Wu's match, reacting with surprise, admiration, and excitement.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen enters the First Sub-Arena with Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing.
• He faces Ghost Leopard, a level thirty-six agility-attack-type Soul Elder.
• Ghost Leopard underestimates Su Chen and attacks first with his second and third Soul Skills.
• Su Chen reveals his Soul Rings: one yellow, one purple, and one black (ten-thousand-year).
• Ghost Leopard attempts to attack but is instantly forced to kneel and surrender.
• Su Chen wins the Spirit Fight, causing a sensation in the arena.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Shows off his powerful Soul Rings and easily defeats Ghost Leopard, demonstrating his strength and confidence.
• Ghost Leopard: Underestimates Su Chen, leading to a humiliating defeat. His pride and confidence are shattered.
• Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing: Cheer for Su Chen, showing their support and admiration for him.

Significant Themes

• Power and Strength: Su Chen's ten-thousand-year Soul Ring showcases his immense power, which is further demonstrated by his effortless victory.
• Pride and Hubris: Ghost Leopard's underestimation of Su Chen leads to his downfall, highlighting the dangers of overconfidence.
• Showmanship: Su Chen's performance in the Spirit Fight is more about showing off his abilities than genuine competition.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Ghost Leopard: Their interaction is brief but intense, with Ghost Leopard underestimating Su Chen and paying the price.
• Su Chen and the girls: Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing cheer for Su Chen, showing their support and admiration for him. Their interactions are lighthearted and friendly.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Rongrong, with the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Martial Soul, registers for a one-on-one soul fight, causing a stir in the Great Soul Arena.
• She faces Wang Dachui, codename "Iron-Boned," with the Black Iron Hammer Martial Soul.
• Ning Rongrong attempts to bribe Wang Dachui to concede, initially refusing but eventually accepting the money and surrendering.

Character Developments

• Ning Rongrong: Shows cunning and resourcefulness, using her wealth to manipulate Wang Dachui into conceding.
• Wang Dachui: Initially proud and unwilling to be bribed, but ultimately succumbs to the temptation of money.
• Su Chen: Demonstrates his understanding of the power of capital, using it to influence the outcome of the match.

Significant Themes

• The influence of wealth and power.
• The corruption of ideals in the face of temptation.
• The manipulation of systems for personal gain.

Character Interactions

• Ning Rongrong and Wang Dachui: Their interaction highlights the clash between wealth and pride, with Ning Rongrong using her wealth to undermine Wang Dachui's resolve.
• Su Chen and Ning Rongrong: Su Chen's calm demeanor and understanding of capitalism influence Ning Rongrong's actions in the match.
• The audience and the gamblers: Their reactions to the match underscore the impact of Ning Rongrong's unconventional tactics on the audience and the betting system.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen and Zhu Zhuqing participate in a two-versus-two spirit fight against the "Sword Art Online" combination.
• Su Chen uses a soul tool to make Zhu Zhuqing temporarily invincible, allowing her to experience the thrill of being a main tank and dishing out damage.
• They win the match, with Zhu Zhuqing expressing her enjoyment in the new playstyle.

Character Developments

• Zhu Zhuqing discovers the joy of being a main tank and expresses a desire to continue this playstyle.
• Su Chen demonstrates his ability to create unique strategies and support his teammates.

Significant Themes

• The theme of trying new things and experiencing different roles in battle is explored through Zhu Zhuqing's enjoyment of being a main tank.
• The importance of teamwork and strategy is highlighted as Su Chen supports Zhu Zhuqing's new playstyle.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Zhu Zhuqing work well together, with Su Chen supporting Zhu Zhuqing's new role and Zhu Zhuqing enjoying the change in playstyle.
• Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong cheer for Su Chen and Zhu Zhuqing, showing their support for the team.

Key Plot Points and Events

• After their soul fights, Su Chen and his group search for Flender.
• They find Flender in the betting area, ecstatic over his winnings.
• Flender, despite his greed, maintains his dignity as Dean when approached by Su Chen.
• Su Chen's group returns to the academy, and they have a lavish dinner at Suotuo Grand Hotel.
• Su Chen flies Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong back to the academy, balancing their weight and closeness.
• Back at the academy, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing retire to their rooms, while Ning Rongrong sulks downstairs.

Character Developments

• Flender: Reveals his greed but maintains his composure as Dean. He's willing to let Su Chen's group return early despite their incomplete training.
• Su Chen: Shows maturity and responsibility by flying Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong back to the academy, balancing their affections.
• Xiao Wu: Displayed her might in the soul fights and is now more open about her feelings for Su Chen.
• Ning Rongrong: Proves her worth by treating the group to a luxurious dinner and shows jealousy towards Xiao Wu's closeness with Su Chen.

Significant Themes

• Greed vs. Dignity: Flender's struggle between his greed and his role as Dean.
• Responsibility: Su Chen's responsibility towards his friends and the balance between them.
• Jealousy and Competition: Ning Rongrong's jealousy of Xiao Wu's closeness with Su Chen.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Flender: Su Chen witnesses Flender's greed but respects his role as Dean.
• Su Chen, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong: The three fly back to the academy, with Su Chen balancing Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong's affections.
• Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing: They watch Su Chen and Xiao Wu leave together, with Ning Rongrong sulking and Zhu Zhuqing meditating.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The morning after the previous day’s events, Su Chen and Xiao Wu are awakened by Flender, who says Yu Xiaogang is waiting at the village entrance to begin training.
• Yu Xiaogang has dramatically “figured out” a new training plan and interprets Su Chen’s luxurious mansion as another attempt by Bibi Dong to flaunt Spirit Hall’s wealth and provoke him. He vows to remain proud and independent, insisting he would rather starve than accept her help.
• Su Chen wakes Xiao Wu specifically because Yu Xiaogang is involved; she eagerly gets up once she realizes there may be entertainment in watching him embarrass himself. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing also join them.
• At the village entrance, Yu Xiaogang has prepared bamboo baskets filled with heavy stones. The students are ordered to run from the village to Suotuo City and back while carrying equal weights, with no food if they fail to finish.
• Tang San accepts the task with complete faith in Yu Xiaogang’s teachings. Ma Hongjun struggles immediately, Dai Mubai silently endures, and Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing are visibly resistant.
• Yu Xiaogang explains that weighted running will improve physical strength, endurance, willpower, and the ability to push past personal limits.
• Su Chen challenges the method, arguing that it ignores the different roles and needs of power-attack, agility-attack, support, and food-type Soul Masters.
• He points out that specialized training should focus on explosive strength, speed and reflexes, survival and positioning, or Soul Power endurance and teamwork rather than forcing everyone to perform the same crude exercise.
• Yu Xiaogang becomes furious, but Flender privately recognizes that Su Chen’s criticism is reasonable and begins doubting the sophistication of Yu Xiaogang’s training plan.

2. Character Developments

• Su Chen remains confident, irreverent, and willing to openly challenge authority. He quickly identifies weaknesses in Yu Xiaogang’s supposedly profound training theory.
• Xiao Wu shows her strong dislike of Yu Xiaogang but is also amused by the chance to watch him be humiliated. Her relationship with Su Chen remains playful and close.
• Yu Xiaogang becomes more determined to prove himself after interpreting Su Chen’s mansion as Bibi Dong’s deliberate provocation. However, his confidence and pride are undermined when Su Chen exposes the lack of specialization in his training.
• Flender is portrayed as exhausted and caught between supporting Yu Xiaogang and recognizing Su Chen’s superior reasoning. His fear of offending Su Chen also highlights Su Chen’s influence within the academy.
• Tang San continues to demonstrate absolute trust in Yu Xiaogang, viewing even simplistic or painful exercises as meaningful lessons.
• Ning Rongrong, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, Dai Mubai, and Zhu Zhuqing reveal differing reactions to hardship: resistance, discomfort, obedience, or practical concern about whether the exercise benefits their particular abilities.

3. Significant Themes

• Theory versus practical effectiveness: Yu Xiaogang presents his method as the product of deep research, but Su Chen questions whether theoretical claims matter without appropriate application.
• Individualized training: The chapter emphasizes that different Martial Souls and combat roles require different forms of development.
• Pride and insecurity: Yu Xiaogang’s imagined conflict with Bibi Dong reveals his wounded pride and tendency to interpret events as personal challenges.
• Blind loyalty versus critical thinking: Tang San accepts Yu Xiaogang’s instructions without question, while Su Chen evaluates them independently and demands logical justification.
• Mockery of empty authority: Yu Xiaogang’s grand speeches and “profound” demeanor contrast with the simplicity of his actual method, creating much of the chapter’s humor.
• Class and privilege: Ning Rongrong’s reluctance to perform manual labor highlights her aristocratic background, while the others’ reactions show how unfamiliar or unreasonable the training seems.

4. Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Flender: Their exchange establishes a humorous power imbalance: Flender is annoyed by Su Chen’s lateness but is too cautious to reprimand him harshly.
• Su Chen and Xiao Wu: Su Chen wakes Xiao Wu by mentioning Yu Xiaogang, knowing her dislike of him will overcome her sleepiness. Their shared amusement strengthens their bond.
• Su Chen and Yu Xiaogang: Their confrontation drives the chapter. Yu Xiaogang asserts his authority, while Su Chen dismantles his training philosophy through role-specific analysis.
• Yu Xiaogang and Tang San: Yu Xiaogang praises Tang San’s obedience, using him as a comparison to Su Chen. Tang San’s unwavering faith reinforces their teacher-disciple relationship.
• Su Chen and the other students: His criticism gives voice to the group’s doubts, especially Oscar’s concern that weighted running does little for a food-type Soul Master.
• Flender and Yu Xiaogang: Flender initially assists Yu Xiaogang but gradually realizes that Su Chen’s objections expose genuine flaws in the training plan.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen challenges Yu Xiaogang's training method of carrying rocks while running, arguing it's inefficient and beneath Soul Masters.
• Yu Xiaogang fails to respond to Su Chen's challenge to prove his theory's success with other students.
• Tang San defends his teacher but is mocked by Su Chen for using a poor excuse.
• Su Chen ridicules Yu Xiaogang's life stages as a poor scholar, ending with "the deceased are to be respected."

Character Developments

• Su Chen demonstrates his sharp wit and lack of respect for authority, targeting Yu Xiaogang's weaknesses.
• Yu Xiaogang struggles to maintain his composure and authority in the face of Su Chen's attacks.
• Tang San shows loyalty to his teacher but is unable to defend him effectively against Su Chen's verbal onslaught.

Significant Themes

• The clash between tradition and innovation, represented by the conflict between Su Chen and Yu Xiaogang's training methods.
• The struggle for authority and respect within the Shrek Seven Devils and their teacher.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Yu Xiaogang: Su Chen openly mocks and challenges Yu Xiaogang, exposing his weaknesses and humiliating him in front of the students.
• Tang San and Su Chen: Tang San defends his teacher but is ridiculed by Su Chen, highlighting the power dynamic between them.
• The Shrek Seven Devils: The group shows varying levels of amusement and support during the exchange, with some laughing and others trying to maintain composure.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Xiaogang, Tang San's teacher, insists on implementing his "limit training" method, which involves running with heavy stones on one's back.
• Su Chen, a powerful and mysterious figure, arrives with three girls and mocks Yu Xiaogang's training method.
• Tang San attempts to run but slips and is injured by the stones, triggering his bad luck.
• Tang San's friends, Ma Hongjun, Dai Mubai, and Oscar, flee the scene due to his bad luck.
• Tang San's bad luck causes him to injure himself further, and he finally passes out from the pain.

Character Developments

• Tang San: Despite his bad luck, Tang San remains determined to prove the effectiveness of his teacher's training method.
• Yu Xiaogang: Yu Xiaogang's "Grandmaster" persona is further exposed as he avoids helping Tang San due to his own fear of bad luck.
• Su Chen: Su Chen is revealed to be the one renewing Tang San's bad luck talisman, showing his malicious intent towards Tang San.

Significant Themes

• Bad Luck: Tang San's bad luck is a recurring theme that affects his life and those around him.
• Teacher-Student Relationship: The relationship between Tang San and Yu Xiaogang is explored, highlighting Yu Xiaogang's flawed character and his lack of genuine concern for Tang San's well-being.
• Mockery and Respect: Su Chen's arrival and mocking of Yu Xiaogang's training method contrast with the respect and concern shown by Tang San's friends.

Character Interactions

• Tang San and Yu Xiaogang: Tang San's determination to prove his teacher's training method contrasts with Yu Xiaogang's cowardice and lack of genuine concern.
• Tang San and Su Chen: Su Chen's malicious intent towards Tang San is revealed through his renewal of Tang San's bad luck talisman.
• Tang San and his friends: Tang San's friends, Ma Hongjun, Dai Mubai, and Oscar, show concern for Tang San's well-being but are also afraid of his bad luck, leading them to flee the scene.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang San dreams of revenge against those who caused him humiliation.
• Tang Hao, Tang San's father, arrives at Shrek Academy and senses a hundred-thousand-year transformed Soul Beast in Tang San's room.
• Tang Hao abducts Tang San, believing him to be an imposter, and takes him to a nearby grove.
• Tang Hao, a Title Douluo, attacks Tang San, believing him to be a transformed Soul Beast.

Character Developments

• Tang San remains determined to seek revenge despite his injuries.
• Tang Hao, driven by grief and anger, misjudges Tang San's identity and resorts to violence.

Significant Themes

• Misunderstanding and miscommunication leading to conflict.
• The consequences of impulsive actions driven by emotion.
• The power dynamics between Soul Masters and Title Douluos.

Character Interactions

• Tang San and Tang Hao's interaction is marked by misunderstanding, anger, and violence, as Tang Hao refuses to believe Tang San's claims of being human.
• Tang San's determination to seek revenge is further fueled by Tang Hao's actions.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Hao, believing Tang San to be an imposter, interrogates and attacks him.
• Tang San, desperate to survive, reveals his true identity and possesses Twin Martial Souls.
• Tang Hao realizes his mistake and falls silent.

Character Developments

• Tang San: Stands up for himself despite the danger, ultimately revealing his true identity and Martial Souls.
• Tang Hao: Initially aggressive and suspicious, later realizes his error and becomes silent.

Significant Themes

• Identity: Tang San's struggle to prove his true identity.
• Misunderstanding: The conflict arises from Tang Hao's misunderstanding of Tang San's identity.
• Power Imbalance: The vast difference in power between Tang San and Tang Hao affects their interaction.

Character Interactions

• Tang San and Tang Hao: Initially hostile due to Tang Hao's suspicion, their interaction ends with Tang Hao's realization of his mistake.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Hao, the Clear Sky Douluo, discovers Tang San's second Martial Soul and realizes he's his son.
• Tang Hao tests Tang San's limits, severely injuring him in the process.
• Tang Hao heals Tang San's injuries and decides to protect him secretly.

Character Developments

• Tang Hao: Realizes Tang San is his son and decides to protect him, showing a hint of fatherly affection.
• Tang San: Endures severe injuries from Tang Hao's test and remains silent about his secret, displaying resilience and patience.

Significant Themes

• The revelation of Tang San's true identity and his father's discovery.
• The theme of resilience and endurance in the face of adversity.
• The hidden power dynamics between father and son.

Character Interactions

• Tang Hao and Tang San: Tang Hao tests Tang San's limits, injuring him severely, but later heals him and decides to protect him secretly. Tang San endures the pain and remains silent about his secret.
• Flender and Tang Hao: Flender is shocked by Tang Hao's sudden appearance and departure, and later treats Tang San's injuries.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen and his group decide not to attend Yu Xiaogang's lecture.
• Su Chen visits Dean Flender to request a teaching position to avoid Yu's interference.
• Flender initially refuses due to Su Chen's young age and lack of teaching experience.
• Su Chen threatens to leave for Heaven Dou Royal Academy, causing Flender to reconsider.
• Flender agrees to give Su Chen an honorary teaching position, with conditions.

Character Developments

• Su Chen demonstrates his strategic thinking and determination to protect his group's freedom.
• Xiao Wu shows her loyalty and excitement for Su Chen's new position.
• Ning Rongrong displays her connections and knowledge of other academies.
• Zhu Zhuqing remains quiet but shows interest in Su Chen's potential training plans.

Significant Themes

• Freedom and individuality vs. authority and conformity.
• The importance of respect and understanding in relationships.
• The value of personal connections and networks.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen's group shows unity and support for each other.
• Su Chen and Flender engage in a tense negotiation, with Su Chen ultimately gaining the upper hand.
• Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing show friendly competition for being Su Chen's first student.

Chapter Summary: “Reason, How Am I Supposed to Stay Reasonable?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Flender brings Su Chen and the others to Shrek Academy’s training ground, where Yu Xiaogang is lecturing Tang San and the students.
• Flender announces that Su Chen has been appointed an honorary teacher because of his talent, strength, and knowledge of soul-master cultivation.
• Dai Mubai and Tang San are horrified by the appointment, since both resent Su Chen and cannot bear the thought of addressing him as “Teacher Su.”
• Yu Xiaogang openly objects, arguing that Su Chen is too young and inexperienced to be considered a teacher.
• Su Chen challenges Yu Xiaogang to a theoretical discussion and proceeds to expose weaknesses in his famous theories:
  • His Beast Martial Soul/Tool Martial Soul classification cannot clearly account for body-part Martial Souls.
  • His Martial Soul Mimicry Theory appears impractical and needlessly dangerous in certain cases.
  • His claim that “there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless soul masters” is undermined by his failure to cultivate any genuinely weak or low-potential disciple.
• Su Chen points out that Yu Xiaogang chose Tang San, who possessed Innate Full Soul Power, rather than proving his theories by nurturing someone with a weak Martial Soul and minimal talent.
• Yu Xiaogang becomes increasingly enraged and physically distressed. Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong join Su Chen in mocking the Grandmaster’s inability to tolerate criticism.
• After Su Chen sarcastically questions whether Yu Xiaogang’s tolerance is “narrower than the eye of a needle,” Yu Xiaogang vomits blood and nearly collapses.
• Flender rushes to support him, while Tang San’s hatred and killing intent toward Su Chen intensify.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Establishes himself as intellectually confident, sharp-tongued, and unwilling to submit to Yu Xiaogang’s authority. He uses logic and sarcasm to dismantle Yu Xiaogang’s reputation as the “Master of Theory.”
• Yu Xiaogang: His pride and insecurity become increasingly obvious. Unable to answer Su Chen’s questions, he loses control emotionally and suffers a physical collapse.
• Tang San: Remains fiercely loyal to Yu Xiaogang and becomes even more hostile toward Su Chen after witnessing his teacher’s humiliation. His murderous resentment deepens.
• Dai Mubai: Feels humiliated by the prospect of having to call Su Chen his teacher, especially because Su Chen has taken Zhu Zhuqing from him.
• Flender: Is placed in an awkward position between his friendship with Yu Xiaogang and his decision to appoint Su Chen. He tries to prevent the argument from becoming medically serious.
• Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong: Show growing willingness to support and tease Su Chen, openly joining the verbal attack against Yu Xiaogang.

Significant Themes

• Theory versus practical proof: Su Chen argues that theories must withstand questioning and practical examination rather than being accepted solely because of reputation.
• Hypocrisy and elitism: Yu Xiaogang claims that no Martial Soul is useless, yet has only accepted a naturally gifted disciple instead of testing his ideas on someone genuinely disadvantaged.
• Authority and respect: The chapter challenges the idea that age, titles, or reputation automatically grant intellectual authority.
• Humiliation and wounded pride: Yu Xiaogang’s collapse demonstrates how fragile his confidence is when his theories are publicly questioned.
• Reason versus emotion: Su Chen frames the confrontation as a calm academic debate, while Yu Xiaogang reacts emotionally and violently, ironically proving Su Chen’s criticism about his intolerance.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Yu Xiaogang: Engage in a public ideological confrontation. Su Chen asks increasingly damaging questions, while Yu Xiaogang struggles to defend his theories and eventually breaks down.
• Su Chen and Tang San: Their antagonism intensifies. Su Chen attacks the foundations of Tang San’s admiration for Yu Xiaogang, while Tang San responds with fury and heightened killing intent.
• Su Chen and Dai Mubai: Su Chen’s new teacher status worsens Dai Mubai’s jealousy and humiliation, particularly regarding Zhu Zhuqing.
• Su Chen, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong: Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong support Su Chen’s mockery, reinforcing their alignment with him.
• Flender and Yu Xiaogang: Flender attempts to protect and restrain his old friend, though he is frustrated that Yu Xiaogang continues provoking conflict.

Chapter Summary: Teacher, How Could I Live Without You?

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong mock Yu Xiaogang’s fragile pride and narrow tolerance after Su Chen exposes the weakness of his theories. Their remarks anger him so severely that he faints.
• Flender carries Yu Xiaogang away for treatment, while Tang San follows in panic, dramatically declaring that he cannot live without his teacher. Su Chen ridicules Tang San’s exaggerated devotion.
• Su Chen, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing visit the Soto Great Soul Arena and later return to the villa.
• Flender announces that Oscar has reached Rank 30, meaning the group must travel to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain his third Soul Ring.
• Xiao Wu is excited because the forest is her former home and offers a chance to see Da Ming and Er Ming again.
• Yu Xiaogang insists on joining the expedition despite his poor health, claiming he wants to guide Oscar and prove his theoretical expertise.
• The group travels toward the forest. Su Chen and the three girls fly using Flying Soul Guidance Devices, while the others run on the ground. Yu Xiaogang struggles badly and must eventually be carried by Flender.
• Tang Hao secretly follows the group, furious at Su Chen for previously ruining his abilities and humiliating him. However, he is too uncertain about Su Chen’s powers to attack.
• At a hotel near the Star Dou Great Forest, the Shrek group separates according to Flender’s rule that teachers and students must not eat or stay together.
• Su Chen dines with Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing, while Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar eat separately.
• A new group arrives at the hotel. Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai make crude comments about one of the girls, disgusting both the girl and Su Chen’s group.

Character Developments

• Yu Xiaogang: His pride and emotional fragility are emphasized. He is humiliated by Su Chen’s criticism, collapses from anger, and nevertheless forces himself to join the journey to preserve his authority and prove his theories.
• Su Chen: Remains confident, mocking, and dominant. He enjoys provoking Yu Xiaogang and recognizes the upcoming trip as an opportunity to acquire valuable resources, particularly the spider’s External Soul Bone.
• Xiao Wu: Shows renewed excitement and affection toward her companions, especially at the prospect of returning to the Star Dou Great Forest. She openly condemns Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai’s vulgar behavior.
• Ning Rongrong: Becomes more outspoken and playful, easily joining Su Chen in teasing Yu Xiaogang and volunteering to pay for their meal.
• Zhu Zhuqing: Continues to be quiet and composed, staying close to Su Chen without drawing attention to herself.
• Tang San: Displays intense loyalty toward Yu Xiaogang, interpreting even his stubbornness and weakness as proof of selfless teacherly devotion.
• Tang Hao: His hatred of Su Chen deepens, but fear and uncertainty about Su Chen’s abilities prevent him from taking revenge immediately.
• Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai: Their crude, objectifying attitudes are exposed, making them appear vulgar and immature compared with Su Chen’s group.
• Flender: Acts as both Yu Xiaogang’s protector and the practical leader of the expedition, carrying or assisting Yu Xiaogang when necessary.

Significant Themes

• Mockery of false authority: Yu Xiaogang’s reputation as a “Grandmaster” is undermined by his inability to tolerate criticism and by the weakness of his theories.
• Blind loyalty versus critical judgment: Tang San reveres Yu Xiaogang unquestioningly, while Su Chen and the others recognize his flaws.
• Power and humiliation: Su Chen’s superior abilities and equipment repeatedly embarrass Yu Xiaogang, Tang Hao, and the Shrek students.
• Privilege and unequal treatment: Su Chen’s group travels comfortably through the air and enjoys expensive food, while the other students struggle on foot and eat more modestly.
• Crude desire versus respect: Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai’s objectification of the visiting girl contrasts with the disgust shown by Su Chen, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong.
• Hidden danger and future conflict: Tang Hao’s secret pursuit foreshadows another confrontation with Su Chen, while the trip to the Star Dou Great Forest sets up Oscar’s Soul Ring acquisition and the possible discovery of an External Soul Bone.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong jointly ridicule Yu Xiaogang, causing his collapse.
• Flender protects Yu Xiaogang and tries to prevent further provocation.
• Tang San defends Yu Xiaogang emotionally, treating his suffering as evidence of noble devotion.
• Su Chen mocks both Yu Xiaogang’s breakdown and Tang San’s melodramatic reaction.
• Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing form a relaxed, privileged traveling group with Su Chen.
• Tang Hao observes Su Chen from hiding, silently nursing his grudge.
• Ma Hongjun seeks Dai Mubai’s approval while making vulgar remarks about the newly arrived girl, prompting disgust from Su Chen’s group.

Chapter Summary: The Resounding Big Slap

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai openly insult a young woman from Canghui Academy, drawing the attention of nearby diners.
• A Canghui student deliberately causes a waiter to spill food on Ma Hongjun. Tang San tries to intervene theatrically, but Su Chen secretly flicks a peanut at his wrist, causing him to fail and leaving Ma Hongjun covered in food.
• Dai Mubai retaliates by punching the Canghui student, while Ma Hongjun escalates the situation by demanding that the young woman accompany him for the night.
• Ye Zhiqiu, a level-50 Soul King and Canghui Academy official, reveals his strength. Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun immediately lose confidence.
• Su Chen stops Zhao Wuji from intervening and criticizes Shrek’s motto—“those who dare not cause trouble are mediocrities”—as an excuse for bullying the weak and relying on teachers when things go wrong.
• Flender agrees that the students should face the consequences of their actions rather than being rescued.
• Ye Zhiqiu activates his Black Tortoise Martial Soul and easily defeats Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Tang San. Their attacks are ineffective against his defense.
• Yu Xiaogang intervenes to protect Tang San. Instead of defusing the conflict, he arrogantly lectures Ye Zhiqiu about his Martial Soul, Soul Rings, and supposed combat weaknesses.
• Frustrated by Yu Xiaogang’s condescending theories, Ye Zhiqiu slaps him across the face, sending him spinning to the ground.

Character Developments

• Su Chen continues to oppose Tang San and the Shrek students, deliberately undermining Tang San’s attempts to show off and exposing the hypocrisy behind Shrek’s values. He presents himself as a strict but rational teacher concerned with accountability.
• Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun are shown to be arrogant bullies who are confident only when they have stronger teachers backing them. Once confronted by a Soul King, their bravado quickly disappears.
• Tang San becomes increasingly hostile toward Su Chen, especially after Su Chen interferes with his attempt to display his skills. He also suffers another injury while fighting Ye Zhiqiu, aggravating wounds that had not yet healed.
• Flender and Zhao Wuji reluctantly accept Su Chen’s reasoning and refuse to rescue their students, allowing them to learn from their mistake.
• Yu Xiaogang demonstrates extreme arrogance and poor judgment. His desire to assert his reputation as the “Grandmaster” causes him to provoke Ye Zhiqiu rather than protect Tang San sensibly.
• Ye Zhiqiu initially acts as a disciplinarian defending his students, but his patience is exhausted by the Shrek group’s provocations and Yu Xiaogang’s unsolicited criticism.

Significant Themes

• Consequences and accountability: The chapter argues that people who deliberately provoke others must accept the consequences instead of relying on authority figures to solve their problems.
• Bullying the weak and fearing the strong: Su Chen exposes the gap between Shrek’s aggressive rhetoric and the students’ behavior when facing a superior opponent.
• Arrogance versus actual ability: Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Yu Xiaogang all speak confidently, but their lack of strength or practical judgment is quickly revealed.
• Hypocrisy in education and leadership: Shrek’s motto encourages reckless behavior, while its teachers are forced to deal with the resulting conflicts. Su Chen challenges this flawed teaching philosophy.
• The limits of theory: Yu Xiaogang’s theories are presented as impractical and egotistical when compared with Ye Zhiqiu’s actual combat experience.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Tang San: Su Chen repeatedly frustrates Tang San and openly criticizes him, intensifying their antagonism.
• Su Chen and Flender/Zhao Wuji: Su Chen persuades them not to intervene, positioning himself as a corrective influence within Shrek Academy.
• Ye Zhiqiu and the Shrek students: Ye Zhiqiu decisively defeats Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Tang San, teaching them the danger of provoking stronger opponents.
• Yu Xiaogang and Tang San: Yu Xiaogang protects Tang San, reinforcing their teacher-student bond, but his intervention quickly becomes another source of conflict.
• Ye Zhiqiu and Yu Xiaogang: Their confrontation ends with Ye Zhiqiu slapping Yu Xiaogang, symbolically humiliating the self-proclaimed Grandmaster and puncturing his confidence.

Chapter Summary: “The Whole Group Had a Death Wish”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ye Zhiqiu defeats and slaps Yu Xiaogang during the confrontation at the hotel.
• Tang San becomes furious, blaming Su Chen, Ye Zhiqiu, Flender, and Zhao Wuji for humiliating his teacher.
• Instead of helping, Su Chen, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong mock the situation and praise Ye Zhiqiu’s “Big Slap Technique,” further enraging Tang San.
• Flender finally intervenes. Revealing his overwhelming strength as a Soul Saint, he frightens Ye Zhiqiu, who immediately tries to apologize and claim the incident was a misunderstanding.
• Flender ignores the explanation and brutally slaps Ye Zhiqiu dozens of times, swelling his face and reducing him to a helpless state. Ye Zhiqiu and the Canghui Academy students then flee.
• Flender gives Oscar sausages to heal Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, who were also beaten during the conflict.
• Yu Xiaogang complains that Flender did not punish Ye Zhiqiu harshly enough. Flender reminds him that he has already avenged him and that the group must prepare to enter the Star Dou Great Forest.
• Tang San comforts Yu Xiaogang and vows to remember the humiliation, reinforcing their master-disciple bond and shared resentment.
• Su Chen pays the hotel owner generously for the damage, earning the owner’s gratitude.
• The next morning, the group sets out for the Star Dou Great Forest to help Oscar obtain his third Soul Ring.

Character Developments

• Su Chen remains calm, confident, and deliberately provocative. He treats the conflict as entertainment and mocks both Yu Xiaogang and Ye Zhiqiu without showing fear.
• Tang San displays intense loyalty toward Yu Xiaogang, but also becomes increasingly hot-tempered and vengeful after witnessing his teacher’s humiliation.
• Yu Xiaogang is shown to be proud and highly sensitive about his dignity. Though timid in front of Ye Zhiqiu, he becomes aggressive and demanding once Flender has driven Ye Zhiqiu away.
• Flender acts decisively as the group’s protector. His overwhelming strength allows him to avenge Yu Xiaogang immediately, though he remains frustrated by Yu Xiaogang’s complaints.
• Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong openly enjoy mocking Yu Xiaogang and the defeated Canghui group, showing their alignment with Su Chen.
• Zhu Zhuqing silently observes the conflict and concludes that Shrek’s reputation comes less from extraordinary talent than from the group’s poor judgment and strange behavior.
• Ye Zhiqiu shifts from arrogance to fear once he realizes Flender is a Soul Saint far beyond his own level.

Significant Themes

• Strength determines authority: The chapter repeatedly emphasizes that, in the world of soul masters, the strongest fighter controls the situation.
• Humiliation and revenge: Slaps become a symbol of status and retaliation, with Flender’s beating of Ye Zhiqiu serving as revenge for Yu Xiaogang’s humiliation.
• Loyalty and resentment: Tang San’s devotion to Yu Xiaogang deepens, while both teacher and student vow to remember the insult.
• Mockery and absurdity: Su Chen’s group responds to violence with jokes and applause, creating a contrast between the serious reactions of Tang San and Yu Xiaogang and the group’s irreverent attitude.
• Pride versus actual ability: Yu Xiaogang’s behavior highlights the danger of acting superior without possessing the strength to support it.
• Responsibility amid chaos: Su Chen’s decision to compensate the hotel owner contrasts with the destructive behavior of the fighters and demonstrates practical consideration despite his provocative personality.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong ridicule Yu Xiaogang and praise Ye Zhiqiu’s slap, provoking Tang San.
• Flender protects Yu Xiaogang by overpowering and humiliating Ye Zhiqiu.
• Yu Xiaogang criticizes Flender for not demanding a formal apology, while Flender tries to calm him and redirect attention toward Oscar’s upcoming Soul Ring hunt.
• Tang San comforts Yu Xiaogang, and the two reinforce their emotional bond through promises of revenge and remembrance.
• Su Chen and Xiao Wu compensate the hotel owner for the damage before joining Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing to prepare for the journey.
• The chapter ends with the entire Shrek group entering the Star Dou Great Forest.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Wu returns to the Star Dou Great Forest and behaves as though she is returning home, showing nostalgia and a lack of fear because of her familiarity with the area.
• Flender announces that the journey is both to obtain Oscar’s third Soul Ring and to serve as a trial for the students. The teachers will not intervene unless the students face a genuine life-or-death crisis.
• Yu Xiaogang proposes Tang San as the team’s commander, praising his control abilities and claiming he has inherited Yu Xiaogang’s teachings.
• Xiao Wu immediately rejects Tang San’s authority, declaring that she will only listen to Su Chen. Ning Rongrong supports her, while Zhu Zhuqing silently sides with Su Chen. As a result, no formal commander is chosen.
• Yu Xiaogang attempts to restore his authority by identifying and lecturing the group about every soul beast they encounter. Tang San and Ma Hongjun flatter him, while Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong mock his constant demonstrations of knowledge.
• Upon entering the Mixed Zone, where thousand-year soul beasts appear, Dai Mubai detects danger. The group encounters a thirteen- to sixteen-hundred-year-old Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, an ideal Soul Ring target for Oscar.
• Tang San restrains the serpent with Blue Silver Grass, while Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun help pin it down. Oscar prepares to kill it and absorb its Soul Ring.
• Xiao Wu becomes distressed by the serpent’s helpless condition, and Su Chen comforts her.
• Just as Oscar is about to strike, an unknown person shouts for him to stop. Flender and Zhao Wuji immediately move to protect the students, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Xiao Wu: Her deep connection to the forest is emphasized, reinforcing that she is not an ordinary human Soul Master. She openly rejects Tang San’s leadership and remains emotionally conflicted about hunting soul beasts.
• Su Chen: He continues to function as Xiao Wu’s trusted protector and emotional support, quietly calming her when she is upset.
• Tang San: He is eager to prove himself as a capable team leader and displays confidence in his tactical knowledge. His resentment grows when Xiao Wu and the others refuse to recognize his authority.
• Yu Xiaogang: He tries to assert influence by appointing Tang San commander and showcasing his theoretical knowledge. His cowardly reaction to danger contrasts humorously with his later return to a confident “Grandmaster” persona.
• Ning Rongrong: She becomes more openly critical of Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, joining Xiao Wu in challenging their authority.
• Zhu Zhuqing: She quietly but clearly aligns herself with Su Chen rather than Tang San.
• Oscar: He is thrilled at the prospect of obtaining his third Soul Ring and becoming a Three-Ring Soul Elder, though his nervous excitement nearly causes him to injure Dai Mubai.
• Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun: Both contribute directly to subduing the serpent, showing practical teamwork despite the group’s internal divisions.
• Flender and Zhao Wuji: They adopt a hands-off teaching role but remain ready to intervene when a serious threat appears.

Significant Themes

• Authority and leadership: The dispute over Tang San’s command reveals divisions within the group and questions whether theoretical knowledge or practical experience should determine leadership.
• Insider versus outsider: Xiao Wu sees herself as a native of the Star Dou Great Forest and considers Tang San an outsider unqualified to command her.
• Theory versus reality: Yu Xiaogang and Tang San emphasize book knowledge, while the events in the forest test whether such knowledge is enough to handle real danger.
• Humanity toward nature: Xiao Wu’s discomfort with killing the serpent reflects her hidden identity and her sympathy for soul beasts.
• Teamwork amid conflict: Although the group disagrees over leadership, Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun cooperate effectively to capture the serpent.
• Comedic contrast: Yu Xiaogang’s cowardice, exaggerated self-importance, and constant lectures provide humor while exposing the gap between his reputation and his behavior.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Wu directly challenges Yu Xiaogang and Tang San, while Ning Rongrong backs her up.
• Zhu Zhuqing physically positions herself near Su Chen, signaling her allegiance without confrontation.
• Yu Xiaogang and Tang San reinforce each other through mutual praise, presenting themselves as the team’s intellectual core.
• Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong privately ridicule Yu Xiaogang’s excessive lectures.
• Su Chen comforts Xiao Wu when the serpent is restrained.
• Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun work together to prevent the serpent from escaping.
• Oscar’s careless strike nearly injures Dai Mubai, adding comic tension before the arrival of the unknown interrupter.

Key plot points and events

• Shrek’s group catches a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, which Oscar hopes to use for his third Soul Ring. Before he can claim it, Chao Tianxiang—“Snake Granny”—arrives with her granddaughter Meng Yiran and says she injured and pursued the serpent first.
• Flender recognizes Chao Tianxiang as one half of the famed Dragon-and-Snake pair. Though she is only a Soul Emperor, her husband Meng Shu is a Soul Douluo and the pair possess a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, making a confrontation risky.
• Both sides argue that the serpent belongs to them. Flender counters that Shrek has now captured it and has a student equally suited to it: Oscar, who has just reached Rank Thirty.
• To settle the dispute, Chao Tianxiang proposes a contest between the students. Since Oscar is a food-system soul master, she lets Meng Yiran choose any Shrek junior to fight.
• Meng Yiran dismisses the obvious candidates and chooses Su Chen, whom she mistakes for a pampered, ineffective “pretty boy.” Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong object, but Meng Yiran challenges him: “If you’re a man, step out and fight me.”
• Flender and Zhao Wuji recognize that Meng Yiran has unknowingly chosen a formidable opponent and react with restrained amusement and sympathy for her.

Character developments and interactions

• Oscar is eager but nervous about losing the serpent he needs for his Soul Ring; he backs Flender’s argument and jokingly claims a special bond with it.
• Flender uses diplomacy and clever wordplay to defend Shrek’s claim while avoiding a potentially dangerous fight with the Dragon-and-Snake pair.
• Chao Tianxiang is determined to secure the serpent for her granddaughter, but negotiates rather than immediately resorting to force.
• Meng Yiran is confident and judgmental, choosing Su Chen based on his looks and the girls’ protectiveness, which she misreads as proof of weakness.
• Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong openly defend Su Chen, while Ma Hongjun’s leering at Meng Yiran draws their scorn.
• Flender and Zhao Wuji understand Su Chen’s true ability, creating dramatic irony as Meng Yiran provokes him.

Significant themes

• Competition and fairness: The dispute is resolved through a contest rather than violence, though both sides claim the serpent is rightfully theirs.
• Appearance versus reality: Meng Yiran assumes Su Chen is weak because he is handsome and protected; the senior Shrek members know she has badly underestimated him.
• Loyalty and protection: Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong stand up for Su Chen, while the group supports Oscar’s claim to the Soul Ring.
• Humor and dramatic irony: The chapter’s comedy comes from swaggering assumptions, Ma Hongjun’s behavior, and the elders’ knowledge that Meng Yiran has chosen the wrong opponent.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen reveals his true strength, possessing a ten-thousand-year third spirit ring at level 38, shocking everyone present.
• Meng Yiran challenges Su Chen to a duel, but after seeing his spirit rings, she loses her confidence and concedes the match.
• Chao Tianxiang tries to befriend Su Chen, hinting at a potential marriage with her granddaughter Meng Yiran, but is rebuffed by Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Proves his immense power and talent, leaving others in awe and causing them to underestimate him no longer.
• Meng Yiran: Realizes the vast difference in strength between her and Su Chen, leading to a loss of confidence and shame.
• Chao Tianxiang: Attempts to curry favor with Su Chen for her granddaughter's sake but fails due to the intervention of Xiao Wu and the others.

Significant Themes

• The power of appearance and deception: Su Chen's youthful appearance leads others to underestimate him, allowing him to catch them off guard with his true strength.
• The consequences of arrogance and underestimation: Meng Yiran's arrogance leads her to challenge Su Chen, only to be humiliated by the vast difference in their strengths.
• The importance of family and connections: Chao Tianxiang's primary concern is her granddaughter's future, leading her to attempt to form an alliance with Su Chen.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Meng Yiran: Their duel highlights the vast difference in their strengths, leading to Meng Yiran's loss of confidence and Su Chen's reaffirmed status.
• Su Chen and Chao Tianxiang: Their interaction reveals Chao Tianxiang's ambition and Su Chen's disinterest in her schemes, as well as the protective stance of Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing toward Su Chen.