Chapter Summaries

Xu Yuan decided to apply to Shrek, and Xu Shengqun secured him Inner Courtyard admission qualifications. Before the examination, Xu Yuan entered the Spirit Ascension Platform to train and discovered that his Spiritual Power growth had reached a bottleneck.

• Xu Shengqun reconsidered his concerns and agreed to help Xu Yuan apply to Shrek.
• Xu Shengqun obtained Inner Courtyard admission qualifications for Xu Yuan and advised him to visit the Spirit Ascension Platform before the examination.
• Xu Shengqun brought Xu Yuan to the Skysea City Spirit Pagoda and arranged access to an internal Spirit Ascension Platform facility.
• Xu Yuan entered the Spirit Ascension Platform, adapted to his consciousness-based body, and sought out hundred-year Soul Beasts to ascend his spirit.
• Xu Yuan reflected that his Spiritual Power had risen to two hundred and ten points but had reached the limit his developing body could bear.

Xu Yuan entered the Spirit Ascension Platform to raise his Five Elements Spear Spirit and discovered that freedom from his body's limits might help him develop a Spiritual Power cultivation method. When Three-Headed Flame Lions ambushed him, he used the Heaven Origin Brush to control water and block their paths.

• Xu Yuan concluded that his body limited his Spiritual Power growth and resolved to surpass Gu Yue's Spiritual Power at the same age before turning thirteen.
• He entered the Spirit Ascension Platform intending to raise his Five Elements Spear Spirit to the Thousand Year level, while considering whether his body could withstand two Thousand Year Soul Rings.
• Xu Yuan found that his Spiritual Power could spread without his body's restraints and thought the experience might inspire a way to cultivate Spiritual Power.
• Three-Headed Flame Lions ambushed Xu Yuan with fireballs, but he detected them with his Spiritual Power and reacted calmly.
• Xu Yuan swung the Heaven Origin Brush and gathered Water Element power to seal the Three-Headed Flame Lions' paths.

Xu Yuan defeated and killed three Flame Lions in his first true battle, increasing his First Soul Ring’s cultivation by more than 130 years. After retreating to recover, he did something that made Xu Shengqun’s smile freeze.

• Xu Yuan used his Heaven Origin Brush to wear down the Three-Headed Flame Lion with water and vines, then wounded the smallest lion by combining Gold and Fire Element Power.
• Xu Yuan transformed the brush into the Heaven Origin Spear and pierced the strongest Flame Lion with a Five Elements attack, then fought the remaining lion until all three were dead.
• The three Flame Lions’ cultivation energy flowed into Xu Yuan’s sole Soul Ring, raising its cultivation by more than 130 years.
• Xu Yuan left the battlefield and found a safe place to recover after his first true battle.
• Xu Shengqun praised Xu Yuan’s fighting talent, but his smile froze at Xu Yuan’s next action.

Xu Yuan hunted Soul Beasts in the Spirit Ascension Platform, raising his Five Elements Spear Spirit's age to about eleven hundred years before exiting. As the accumulated spiritual power triggered the Spear Spirit's evolution into a Thousand Year Soul Ring, Xu Shengqun watched to see what changes would follow.

• Xu Yuan charged into a pack of seventeen Wind Wolves, killed them in ten minutes, and healed his three wounds with the Water and Wood Elements.
• Xu Yuan reviewed his tactics between battles and hunted Soul Beasts for ten hours, gaining about six hundred years of spiritual power and raising his Five Elements Spear Spirit to nine hundred years.
• Xu Yuan considered challenging a Thousand Year Soul Beast but decided against it, then hunted ordinary Soul Beasts for two more hours and brought his Soul Ring's age to about eleven hundred years.
• Xu Yuan exited the Spirit Ascension Platform after half a day, and Xu Shengqun praised him for completing the mission in one day.
• Xu Yuan's Five Elements Spear Spirit began transforming as his spiritual power was absorbed, and his yellow Soul Ring turned purple to become a Thousand Year Soul Ring.

Xu Yuan’s Five Elements Spear Spirit evolved into a thousand-year Soul Spirit, strengthening his Soul Skill and helping him develop Spear Will. After resting, he traveled with Xu Shengqun to Shrek City for the entrance examination.

• Xu Yuan explained that his evolved Spear Spirit greatly improved his Five Elements control and made the Five Elements Spear Tactic more complete.
• Xu Shengqun watched Xu Yuan demonstrate the spear technique and realized it had evolved by incorporating techniques Xu Yuan had mastered.
• Xu Yuan showed that the Soul Skill also granted him a rudimentary Spear Will, and Xu Shengqun told him to stop when he noticed his exhaustion.
• Xu Shengqun said they would leave for Shrek City after Xu Yuan rested for a day, since only five days remained before the entrance examination.
• Xu Yuan traveled from Skysea City to Shrek City in Xu Shengqun’s black Mecha and expressed interest in owning one himself.

Xu Yuan arrived in Shrek City to take Shrek Academy’s Inner Courtyard special recruitment exam and faced the first test, a mural that projected Dragon Might. He steadied himself under its pressure as the assessment began.

• After Xu Yuan told Mu Ye he planned to apply to Shrek, Mu Ye accepted his decision and left to visit his eldest disciple.
• Xu Shengqun brought Xu Yuan to Shrek City and advised him to rest and adjust to his evolved Soul Spirit before the entrance examination.
• On recruitment day, Xu Yuan went alone to Spirit Ice Plaza and entered the Ring Building for the Special Recruitment Exam.
• A guide explained that Xu Yuan’s young age could earn him extra points, but he still had to meet the ordinary assessment standard to pass the harder Inner Courtyard exam.
• Xu Yuan faced a mural of a black dragon whose Dragon Might oppressed the examinees, and he barely steadied himself under its pressure.

Xu Yuan impressed Wang Hao by enduring Di Tian’s Dragon Might and earned full marks on the first admission test. Wang Hao led him into a second examination, where Xu Yuan faced a three-thousand-year Earth Demon Rhino in an illusion and dispersed its earth-element pressure with the Heaven Origin Brush.

• Xu Yuan resisted Di Tian’s Dragon Might longer than the other examinees, and Wang Hao awarded him full marks.
• Wang Hao learned that Xu Yuan was seven years old, with about 260 points of Spiritual Power and a Soul Power rank of 19.
• Wang Hao led Xu Yuan to another hall, where an illusion transported Xu Yuan to a space resembling the Spirit Ascension Platform.
• Xu Yuan identified the approaching Soul Beast as a three-thousand-year Earth Demon Rhino and judged that he could not defeat it directly.
• Xu Yuan dispersed the Earth Demon Rhino’s earth-element pressure with the Heaven Origin Brush as it charged at him.

Xu Yuan defeated the Earth Demon Rhino in the Beast Arena and earned full marks, then swiftly passed the Guillotine Gates. Cai Yue'er watched his performance and joined the teachers for his specialty assessment, where Xu Yuan began demonstrating his Five Elements techniques.

• Cai Yue'er recognized Xu Yuan as a student Zhuo Shi had asked her to look after, and Wang Hao told her Xu Yuan had earned full marks in the first round.
• Xu Yuan endured the Earth Demon Rhino's attacks for half an hour, then pierced its eye with his Heaven Origin Spear and killed it, though the rhino struck him in return.
• Cai Yue'er awarded Xu Yuan full marks for the Beast Arena round, and Xu Yuan meditated to ease the lingering pain before Wang Hao led him onward.
• Xu Yuan used his Spiritual Power to read the Guillotine Gates and passed through them in twelve seconds, earning another perfect score.
• Cai Yue'er asked Xu Yuan to demonstrate his specialties, and he drew the Five Elements in the air with his Heaven Origin Brush, surprising the two assessment teachers with his purple Soul Ring.

Xu Yuan demonstrated his mastery of the Five Elements and Spear Will, then insisted on pursuing several Sub-Professions despite Cai Yue'er’s warning. He began the assessments by earning full marks in level-two Mecha Design.

• Xu Yuan displayed his control of each element and combined them in Mutual Generation of the Five Elements, earning Cai Yue'er's praise.
• Xu Yuan transformed his Martial Soul into a spear and unleashed Five Elements Unity with Spear Will, receiving full marks from all three judges.
• Cai Yue'er advised Xu Yuan to focus on one path, but he declined to abandon either his Martial Soul's two forms or his chosen Sub-Professions.
• Xu Yuan told Cai Yue'er he had studied Mecha Design, Mecha Manufacturing, Mecha Maintenance, forging, and the Auxiliary Forging Method, and that he was level two in the three mecha Sub-Professions.
• Xu Yuan completed the level-two Mecha Design assessment with full marks and proceeded to the Mecha Manufacturing station.

Xu Yuan demonstrated his Mecha manufacturing skills by inscribing a Yellow-Rank Mecha Hand Armor component in ten minutes, impressing Cai Yue'er. His progress in two Sub-Professions was attributed to his Brain Martial Soul's exceptional learning and thinking ability.

• Xu Yuan received a blueprint and a piece of Hundred Refined Metal and was told to make a Mecha Hand Armor component within half an hour.
• Xu Yuan used the Heaven Origin Spear to inscribe the component's array patterns into the metal.
• Xu Yuan completed the part in ten minutes, and its linked arrays glowed faintly azure.
• Cai Yue'er was surprised by Xu Yuan's rapid progress in two Sub-Professions, which Xu Shengqun and Mu Ye had connected to his Brain Martial Soul's learning ability.

Xu Yuan completed the Mecha Maintenance and forging assessments, proving he had reached Second Grade in all four auxiliary occupations. He then passed the eating assessment with Xu Lizhi’s help and prepared to demonstrate his digestion technique.

• Xu Yuan repaired a damaged Core Array during the Mecha Maintenance assessment and finished forging Sinking Silver into Hundred Refined metal, earning full marks from Cai Yue'er.
• Wang Hao led Xu Yuan to the sixth assessment and explained that he had to eat at least fifteen steamed buns without using Soul Power.
• Xu Yuan recognized Xu Lizhi and Ye Xinglan, then asked Xu Lizhi to help him eat in exchange for teaching him a technique to digest food faster.
• Xu Lizhi helped Xu Yuan eat seven buns, and Xu Yuan finished twenty-eight buns within the time limit and earned full marks.
• After the assessment ended, Xu Yuan began circulating Soul Power and invited Xu Lizhi to watch his technique.

Xu Yuan demonstrated his unfinished Heaven Devouring Earth Eating Great Art, using Five Elements circulation to digest steamed buns and restore his strength. He and Xu Lizhi continued with Ye Xinglan to the Inner Courtyard assessment’s combat stage, where ten opponents awaited them.

• Xu Yuan used his Heaven Devouring Earth Eating Great Art to digest the steamed buns, impressing Xu Lizhi and surprising Cai Yue'er, who watched through surveillance.
• Xu Yuan told Xu Lizhi that the technique worked best with Five Elements mastery and offered to teach it to him if he entered the Inner Courtyard.
• Xu Yuan explained that he still needed to refine the art and wanted to study Xu Lizhi’s unusual digestive abilities, along with Shrek’s records.
• Wang Hao and another teacher led Xu Yuan, Xu Lizhi, and Ye Xinglan to the next assessment stage, where ten opponents were lined up for combat.

Xu Yuan fought a second-year Shrek student with a space-based Martial Soul, using his spear techniques and Five Elements abilities to break through the opponent’s attacks. The tall, thin man activated his Third Soul Skill, Intangibility, as Xu Yuan’s decisive thrust approached.

• Xu Yuan chose to challenge the tall, thin student, whom Wang Hao identified as the strongest of the ten opponents.
• The tall, thin man used his Space Tentacles to attack, and Xu Yuan blocked them with earthen walls before countering a surprise transfer with the Five Elements Spear Spirit.
• The tall, thin man combined his tentacle thrusts and Space Transfer to surround Xu Yuan, who transformed the Heaven Origin Brush into the Heaven Origin Spear and broke through the attacks.
• Xu Yuan advanced while dodging and sweeping aside tentacles, then unleashed Five Elements Unity with concentrated Spear Will.
• The tall, thin man activated his Third Soul Skill, Intangibility, and became an insubstantial phantom.

Xu Yuan defeated an upperclassman by using his Space-Piercing Spear Intent to counter Intangibility, earning a perfect score in the round. Cai Yue'er then explained the remaining exam scores and introduced the endurance test, which left Xu Yuan needing eighty-five points to qualify for an Inner Courtyard assessment spot.

• The tall, thin man tried to use Intangibility to ambush Xu Yuan, but Xu Yuan's Five Elements Spear Spirit transformed his Spear Intent and let him strike through space to hit him.
• The tall, thin man conceded defeat, and Cai Yue'er awarded Xu Yuan a perfect score for the round.
• Cai Yue'er questioned Xu Yuan about his Spear Will, and Xu Yuan explained that the Five Elements Spear Spirit had inherited his uncle's Spear Will.
• Cai Yue'er told Xu Lizhi to surrender because he was a Food-Type Soul Master, while Xu Lizhi noted that he only needed sixty points to enter the Inner Courtyard through special recruitment.
• Ye Xinglan earned four points for driving back her opponent with her Sword Intent, and Cai Yue'er announced that the eighth round would be an endurance test.

Xu Yuan, Ye Xinglan, and Xu Lizhi fought consecutive 3v3 matches in the eighth trial’s Soul Arena, relying on Xu Lizhi’s restorative buns to endure. After winning ten matches and passing, Xu Yuan continued into an eleventh match, but Xu Lizhi warned that he could make only five more buns.

• Xu Yuan chose to enter the Soul Arena with Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi for 3v3 matches against projected Soul Grand Masters.
• Xu Yuan controlled their first opponents with the Heaven Origin Brush while Ye Xinglan attacked, and Xu Lizhi prepared restorative buns.
• The trio won ten consecutive matches, switching roles and using Xu Lizhi’s buns to manage their stamina and Soul Power.
• Xu Yuan continued alone against three opponents in the eleventh match while using the Heaven Devouring Earth Eating Great Art to consume buns and recover.
• Xu Lizhi told Xu Yuan that his Soul Power was nearly exhausted and he could make only five more buns.

Xu Yuan, Ye Xinglan, and Xu Lizhi completed fourteen Soul Arena matches before entering the ninth assessment, where they discovered two powerful Soul Beasts that had killed each other. They found Soul Bones on both corpses and agreed that Xu Yuan would take the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's skull bone while the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's claw went to the others.

• Xu Yuan's team won their eleventh through fourteenth matches, earning full marks after fourteen consecutive victories.
• After resting, Xu Yuan, Ye Xinglan, and Xu Lizhi entered the ninth assessment, a virtual Star Dou Great Forest, and recovered before exploring.
• The three found a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear and a Three-Eyed Golden Lion fighting, watched them die together, and approached their corpses.
• Xu Yuan found an External Soul Bone on the bear's right claw and a skull bone on the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
• Xu Yuan agreed to take the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's skull bone and leave the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's claw to Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi.

Xu Yuan reflected on Shrek’s coming destruction and considered how its rebuilding might serve his ambitions, then completed the entrance examinations with Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi. All three entered Shrek’s Inner Courtyard, and Xu Yuan was left to decide what reward to request from the Sea God Pavilion.

• Xu Yuan decided Shrek’s destruction could not be prevented and considered making the rebuilt Shrek serve his plans, though he still lacked a way to investigate the Plane Master.
• After the illusion ended, Xu Yuan explained that he had shared the Dark Gold Terror Claw with Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi because he wanted to invest in possible future teammates.
• Cai Yue'er praised the three children’s conduct and brought them to the final examination room for their scores.
• Cai Yue'er awarded Xu Yuan full marks in the final trial, while Ye Xinglan received nine points and Xu Lizhi received full marks.
• Xu Yuan, Ye Xinglan, and Xu Lizhi all entered Shrek’s Inner Courtyard, and Cai Yue'er asked Xu Yuan what reward he wanted from the Sea God Pavilion.

Xu Yuan chose permanent access to Shrek's archives as his perfect-score reward and entered the Inner Courtyard with Xu Lizhi and Ye Xinglan. After settling in, he discussed earning Contribution Points, taught Xu Lizhi a cultivation technique, and revealed that he had learned four Sub-Professions.

• Xu Yuan asked for access to Shrek's archives and its recorded Meditation Methods, and Zhuo Shi approved his request.
• Xu Yuan, Xu Lizhi, and Ye Xinglan entered the Inner Courtyard, where Wang Hao explained its duties and showed them the Sea God Pavilion.
• The three students chose individual dormitories and compared their Contribution Point balances and Sub-Professions.
• Xu Yuan led Xu Lizhi and Ye Xinglan to the cafeteria and taught Xu Lizhi the Heaven Devouring Earth Eating Great Art.
• Xu Yuan proposed that the three join their Sub-Profession associations and revealed that he studied three Mecha fields and was a level-two Forging Master.

Xu Yuan joined Shrek’s four Sub-Profession associations and the Mech Master Association to gain work and Contribution Points, then searched the Archive Room for devouring-type Meditation Methods to help perfect his Heaven Devouring Earth Eating Great Art. After comparing their Soul Power routes and meditating, he reflected on the need to focus on developing his Heaven Origin Brush Martial Soul.

• Xu Yuan, Ye Xinglan, and Xu Lizhi passed assessments and joined the Mecha Manufacturing Master, Mecha Repair, Mecha Design, and Forging Master associations as Level Two professionals.
• Xu Yuan led Xu Lizhi and Ye Xinglan to join the Mech Master Association, explaining that its systematic tasks could help them learn how their crafted parts were used.
• Xu Yuan went to the Archive Room to study devouring-type Meditation Methods instead of requesting a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone from Sea God Pavilion.
• Xu Yuan memorized Xuan Zi’s Meditation Method and the methods of other powerful Soul Masters with devouring-type Martial Souls, while Yun Ming and the Sea God Pavilion Elders watched and discussed his research.
• Xu Yuan compared the circulation routes to identify overlapping sections, then meditated and considered that developing his Heaven Origin Brush Martial Soul required undivided focus.

Xu Yuan decided to split his two-form Martial Soul so he could develop the Heaven Origin Spear and Heaven Origin Brush independently. After studying Ji Juechen’s cultivation method, he found that its need for a physical vessel posed a problem, and he began searching for another way to contain the Five Elements Spear Spirit and the Heaven Origin Spear’s origin.

• Xu Yuan concluded that developing both Martial Soul forms together would weaken their growth, so he resolved to split them before reaching Level 20.
• Xu Yuan studied Ji Juechen’s records and considered merging the Heaven Origin Spear into the Five Elements Spear Spirit, but worried that doing so would weaken the Heaven Origin Brush’s First Soul Skill.
• Xu Yuan completed a task for the Mecha Design Association, then went to the Archive Room to investigate Ji Juechen’s cultivation method and the Contract Array for Soul Spirits.
• Xu Yuan learned that Ji Juechen had merged his Martial Soul into a physical sword, but the Five Elements Spear Spirit had no physical body to serve as a vessel.
• Xu Yuan considered forging a real spear to contain the Five Elements Spear Spirit and the Heaven Origin Spear’s origin, then wondered what other objects might serve that purpose.