Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Catalyzing Immortal Herbs, Xiao Bai Faces the Tribulation

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yao Shi explains that Youyou’s discovery of him—and the mark left by another girl—made their meeting possible. Youyou insists that both Yao Shi and the girl deserve thanks.
• To repay Yao Shi, Youyou offers him several dozen Hundred-Thousand-Year Immortal Herbs. Instead of taking the mature herbs, Yao Shi requests seeds so he can give them to his teachers.
• Youyou provides seeds of four Immortal Herbs—Aromatic Silk Beauty, Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, and Autumn Dew—along with a book explaining their properties.
• Yao Shi demonstrates an extraordinary ability: he plants the seeds and rapidly accelerates their growth from seeds to nearly Hundred-Thousand-Year Immortal Herbs in moments. His catalyzed herbs are even more potent than those cultivated over ten thousand years at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
• He stops their growth before they develop independent intelligence, stunning Youyou, Infernal Delicate Apricot, and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.
• Yao Shi permits Youyou and the other plant Soul Beasts to remain in the Pure Land and establish a Medicine Garden there, offering them a permanent home after they are forced to abandon the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
• Youyou gives Yao Shi additional seed bags, and he creates another large batch of powerful Immortal Herbs.
• Yao Shi gives Xiao Bai a Hundred-Thousand-Year Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum. After eating it, Xiao Bai returns to her enormous original form and becomes noticeably stronger.
• To test Xiao Bai’s increased power, Yao Shi challenges her to withstand Han Xiao’s attack. Han Xiao gathers a massive lightning tribulation, far more powerful than expected, and prepares to strike Xiao Bai.

Character Developments

• Yao Shi reveals immense mastery over life energy and plant growth. His ability to instantly cultivate powerful Immortal Herbs establishes him as an extraordinary and mysterious figure.
• Youyou shifts from gratitude to deep trust and loyalty. Finding a safe home in the Pure Land gives her hope after escaping danger, and she becomes eager to serve Yao Shi.
• Infernal Delicate Apricot and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass are equally astonished by Yao Shi’s abilities and begin regarding him with admiration and apprehension.
• Xiao Bai gains renewed strength and confidence after consuming the Immortal Herb, though her confidence turns to fear when she realizes how powerful Han Xiao’s lightning attack will be.
• Han Xiao acts as both Xiao Bai’s challenger and Yao Shi’s subordinate, gathering a devastating tribulation attack to test Xiao Bai’s durability.

Significant Themes

• Power beyond conventional limits: Yao Shi’s ability to accelerate thousands of years of plant growth in moments demonstrates that ordinary cultivation rules no longer constrain him.
• Trust and sanctuary: The Pure Land becomes a refuge for the plant Soul Beasts, emphasizing the importance of safety, belonging, and mutual loyalty.
• Life and creation: Yao Shi does not merely acquire resources; he creates them, transforming seeds into treasures through controlled life energy.
• Testing strength through danger: Xiao Bai’s breakthrough is immediately followed by a life-threatening trial, suggesting that true growth requires endurance and confrontation with overwhelming forces.
• Changing laws and evolution: After Plane Evolution, lightning tribulations are no longer barriers preventing Soul Beasts from becoming gods, but tools for tempering and strengthening their bodies.

Character Interactions

• Youyou respectfully negotiates with Yao Shi and offers him Immortal Herbs, while Yao Shi responds by accepting seeds instead and later granting her group a home.
• Yao Shi’s generosity and power inspire immediate loyalty from Youyou, Infernal Delicate Apricot, and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.
• Yao Shi encourages Han Xiao to attack Xiao Bai seriously, treating the lightning strike as a controlled test rather than a genuine threat.
• Xiao Bai initially welcomes the challenge, but her bravado fades when she sees the enormous violet lightning sphere forming overhead.
• Youyou worries for Xiao Bai and questions whether the tribulation is safe, while Yao Shi calmly assures her that Xiao Bai’s durability and the Pure Land’s Regeneration Law will prevent her death.

Plot points and events

• Xiao Bai undergoes two more tribulation strikes to reach 300,000 years of cultivation. Han Xiao insists the pain will strengthen her, while Youyou and Infernal Delicate Apricot worry over her.
• Xiao Bai survives, sheds her charred outer fur, and discovers a thunder mark between her brows. She has gained lightning abilities in addition to her ice element.
• Yao Shi suspects the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, combined with Han Xiao’s lightning and the tribulation’s destructive and restorative forces, caused the change. He praises Xiao Bai’s exceptional potential.
• After leaving the Pure Land, Yao Shi brings several Immortal Herbs to Jing Hongchen’s office. He explains their extraordinary effects, including Martial Soul evolution, physical enhancement, and increased spiritual power.
• Jing Hongchen asks whether Ice Empress and Snow Empress expect anything in return. Yao Shi says the herbs were given freely, leaving his teacher astonished by their generosity.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Bai grows stronger and gains a new lightning attribute, though her new power is less forceful than Han Xiao’s and carries a frosty quality. Her bravado and grand ambitions remain intact.
• Han Xiao continues to tease and train Xiao Bai through punishing tribulation lightning, confident she will survive.
• Yao Shi shows care for Xiao Bai and generosity toward his teacher and fellow disciples, distributing the herbs according to their needs. He also keeps the Pure Land secret by crediting the herbs to Ice Empress and Snow Empress.
• Jing Hongchen shifts from curiosity to disbelief as he recognizes the herbs’ value. His concern about owing a debt reflects his caution, while his final reaction is amazement at the two Empresses’ apparent lack of strings attached.

Significant themes

• Growth through hardship: The tribulation’s pain and destruction help Xiao Bai advance.
• Unexpected transformation and potential: Xiao Bai’s lightning-ice combination suggests that powerful forces and rare medicines can produce unforeseen abilities.
• Generosity and trust: The Empresses’ priceless gifts are offered without conditions, while Jing Hongchen’s suspicion highlights how unusual such generosity is.
• Humor and ambition: Xiao Bai’s dramatic declarations and Yao Shi’s dry reactions keep the chapter’s tone playful.

Plot points

• Yao Shi recommends how to distribute the immortal herbs among Jing Hongchen and his grandchildren, explaining how each selection fits their Martial Souls and weaknesses.
• For Meng Hongchen, he chooses four herbs: Aromatic Silk Beauty to suppress her Vermilion-Eyed Ice Toad’s dangerous toxin, paired with Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot to strengthen her ice-and-fire origin and body, plus Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew to improve her spiritual power.
• For Xiao Hongchen, he recommends Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Earth Dragon Golden Melon, and Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew. Together, they would strengthen his physique, defenses, metal control, and spiritual power, helping him fight at both range and close quarters.
• Jing Hongchen asks which of the remaining herbs suit him. Yao Shi says all of them, explaining that Aromatic Silk Beauty may suppress his toxins and possibly help his ordinary toad Martial Soul evolve. Dragonheart Grass could add a trace of dragon bloodline, potentially guiding it toward a dragon type.
• Jing Hongchen summons Meng and Xiao. When they arrive, he reveals that Yao Shi brought ten immortal herbs and says they may enable all three generations to become Limit Douluo.

Character developments and interactions

• Yao Shi demonstrates exceptional knowledge of Martial Souls and medicinal herbs, earning Jing Hongchen’s admiration. Jing privately compares him favorably to a legendary Martial Soul theorist.
• Jing Hongchen shifts from planning herb distribution to feeling renewed hope for his own Martial Soul’s potential evolution.
• Meng quickly changes from intending to act affectionate toward her grandfather to greeting Yao Shi when she notices him. Xiao jokes that Jing may be preparing to become a Tenth-Level Soul Engineer, prompting Jing to knock him on the head.
• Jing treats Yao Shi’s recommendations as authoritative, while Yao Shi speaks candidly—even calling Jing’s Martial Soul ordinary—without weakening Jing’s trust in him.

Significant themes

• Knowledge and mentorship: Yao Shi’s understanding gives the herbs purpose and inspires Jing’s confidence in him.
• Potential for transformation: Carefully matched herbs may overcome inherited weaknesses and even alter a Martial Soul’s nature.
• Family legacy and shared ambition: The opportunity is framed as a future for three generations, not just individual advancement.

Chapter Summary: “Foundation Establishment”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jing Hongchen reveals that the Immortal Herbs could allow the siblings and himself to reach at least the Limit Douluo realm, with God Level becoming a realistic possibility if they cultivated diligently.
• Xiao Hongchen eagerly volunteers to take an Immortal Herb first. Yao Shi explains that each person has been assigned herbs suited to their Martial Soul and cultivation needs.
• Yao Shi reveals that he possesses a second Martial Soul, shocking the Hongchen siblings and leading them to infer that he has twin Martial Souls. He postpones further explanation so they can begin absorbing the herbs.
• Xiao Hongchen consumes the dew from the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew. Its medicinal power transforms his mist-like spiritual origin into a liquid “Sea of Spirit,” greatly elevating his spiritual power and placing him in a state of enlightenment.
• Meng Hongchen consumes the same herb and enters a similar meditative state, preparing her spiritual foundation for the stronger medicines to come.
• Jing Hongchen consumes the floral essence of the Aromatic Silk Beauty. The herb purifies and reshapes his body, expelling toxins accumulated through years of cultivation, particularly those associated with his Martial Soul.
• After more than an hour, Jing Hongchen finishes refining his first herb, while the siblings continue absorbing the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew.
• Yao Shi warns Jing Hongchen that the next herb, Dragonheart Grass, is far more powerful and may cause the painful transformation—or apparent tearing apart—of his Martial Soul.

Character Developments

• Yao Shi is established as exceptionally knowledgeable and capable of guiding powerful cultivators through the absorption process. His hidden second Martial Soul further increases the mystery surrounding his abilities and background.
• Xiao Hongchen displays enthusiasm and ambition, eagerly seizing the chance to grow stronger. His spiritual power undergoes a major qualitative transformation as the herb creates his Sea of Spirit.
• Meng Hongchen follows Xiao’s example and begins her own spiritual enhancement, though her later cultivation will involve the difficult interaction between extreme heat and flame.
• Jing Hongchen shows complete trust in Yao Shi’s instructions. His first herb purifies his body and removes long-standing toxins, giving him an unprecedented sense of comfort and relief.
• The siblings’ admiration for Yao Shi grows as they recognize his extraordinary cultivation, soul-tool talent, resources, and apparent connections to powerful protectors.

Significant Themes

• Foundation before advancement: The Immortal Herbs do not simply provide immediate power; they first strengthen the body, spiritual power, and Martial Soul so the characters can safely pursue higher realms.
• Transformation through cultivation: Xiao Hongchen’s Sea of Spirit and Jing Hongchen’s bodily purification demonstrate that true advancement requires fundamental changes rather than merely accumulating Soul Power.
• Trust and mentorship: The Hongchens willingly follow Yao Shi’s detailed instructions, showing the authority he has earned despite being younger and technically their junior.
• Hidden potential and mystery: Yao Shi’s second Martial Soul and unexplained fortuitous opportunities suggest that his abilities and origins are far beyond what the others understand.
• Power accompanied by risk: The herbs promise enormous gains, potentially reaching God Level, but their effects can involve intense pain, danger, and drastic Martial Soul transformation.

Character Interactions

• Jing Hongchen encourages Xiao’s eagerness and instructs all three to follow Yao Shi’s guidance.
• Xiao and Meng question Yao Shi about his “first Martial Soul,” reacting with surprise when he confirms that he has a second one.
• Yao Shi patiently explains Xiao’s spiritual transformation and reassures him while guiding him through the herb’s effects.
• Jing Hongchen asks about Xiao’s condition, and Yao Shi explains that Xiao has entered enlightenment.
• Yao Shi then directs Meng to consume the dew before assisting Jing Hongchen, maintaining control over the entire cultivation process.
• The chapter ends with Yao Shi warning Jing Hongchen about the severe pain and Martial Soul transformation awaiting him from the Dragonheart Grass.

Summary: “Rebuilding After Destruction”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yao Shi guides Jing Hongchen through consuming two Immortal Herbs: Aromatic Silk Beauty and Dragonheart Grass.
• The Aromatic Silk Beauty purifies Jing Hongchen’s body and Martial Soul, while Dragonheart Grass violently attempts to enhance his bloodline and transform his Toad Martial Soul into a dragon-related form.
• Dragonheart Grass causes Jing’s body and Martial Soul to burst apart, leaving him gravely injured. Yao Shi uses his Abundance Power to heal him repeatedly, preventing death.
• Jing begins refining the herbs while his Martial Soul constantly shatters and reforms under the opposing forces of Dragonheart Grass and Abundance.
• Meanwhile, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen finish refining the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, greatly improving their mental power.
• Yao Shi explains his six-stage system for mental power: Spirit Origin, Spirit Communion, Spirit Sea, Spirit Abyss, Spirit Domain, and Divine Origin. The siblings discover that they have reached the Spirit Sea Realm.
• Following Yao Shi’s instructions, Xiao and Meng begin consuming additional Immortal Herbs suited to their abilities.
• After four hours, Jing’s impurities have been removed, but his Martial Soul shows no visible evolution. Yao Shi realizes that his healing power may be preventing the necessary destructive transformation.
• Yao Shi withdraws Abundance Power. Dragonheart Grass immediately erupts, completely shattering Jing’s Toad Martial Soul.
• The fragments then begin gathering into a mysterious, scale-covered egg, suggesting that Jing’s Martial Soul may be undergoing a profound rebirth or evolution.

Character Developments

• Jing Hongchen displays courage and determination, willingly enduring extreme pain and the risk of death to transform his Martial Soul. His normally dignified personality breaks down temporarily as he curses through the ordeal.
• Yao Shi demonstrates exceptional healing ability, medical knowledge, and understanding of cultivation. He also shows humility when the Hongchen siblings praise him, but he is capable of recognizing and correcting his own mistake when his healing power interferes with Jing’s evolution.
• Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen successfully advance their mental power to the Spirit Sea Realm. Their trust in Yao Shi deepens, and they begin viewing him as an authority comparable to a master.
• Jing’s Martial Soul begins moving beyond ordinary transformation, appearing to enter a destructive-rebirth process.

Significant Themes

• Destruction as a path to rebirth: Jing’s Martial Soul must be completely broken before it can potentially evolve into something stronger.
• The balance between healing and growth: Yao Shi’s Abundance Power saves Jing’s life, but excessive protection prevents the transformation from completing.
• Knowledge and innovation: Yao Shi introduces a more advanced framework for understanding mental power, showing the importance of knowledge from later generations.
• Trust and cooperation: Jing relies on Yao Shi’s protection, while Xiao and Meng follow his instructions without hesitation.
• The dangers of power advancement: Immortal Herbs can produce enormous benefits but may also destroy the body or Martial Soul if used incorrectly.

Character Interactions

• Yao Shi gives Jing precise instructions and reassures him throughout the dangerous refinement process.
• The Hongchen siblings eagerly question Yao Shi about mental power and praise his expertise, while he responds modestly.
• Xiao and Meng worry when they see Jing’s body and Martial Soul repeatedly cracking, but Yao Shi’s healing calms them.
• Yao Shi personally directs each sibling’s herb consumption, emphasizing the correct combinations and which parts of the herbs are safe to eat.
• At the chapter’s end, Yao Shi watches anxiously as Jing’s shattered Martial Soul forms a mysterious scaled egg, uncertain whether the transformation has succeeded.

Summary of Metamorphosis (Part One)

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jing Hongchen’s shattered Toad Martial Soul condenses into an egg after being overwhelmed by the Dragonheart Grass’s medicinal energy. Although the process leaves him extremely weak, Yao Shi stabilizes him with healing and Abundance Power.
• Xiao Hongchen refines the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum and Earth Dragon Golden Melon. His body undergoes intense strengthening as his bones, muscles, tendons, and meridians are tempered and impurities are expelled.
• Meng Hongchen suffers severe pain while refining the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, Aromatic Silk Beauty, Infernal Delicate Apricot, and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass. The opposing ice and fire energies repeatedly freeze and burn her body, but Yao Shi’s Abundance Power helps balance and ease the process.
• The three Hongchen family members remain unconscious for four days while the Immortal Herbs take effect.
• Jing Hongchen’s Martial Soul egg finally cracks. His awakening produces a powerful dragon’s roar, proving that his Martial Soul has successfully evolved.
• A scaled toad emerges from the shell, initially appearing almost unchanged. However, Jing Hongchen reveals that it can transform into two dragon forms: a red dragon associated with fire and a blue dragon associated with ice.
• Jing Hongchen confirms that his original toad form has retained its poison ability and gained Xiao Hongchen’s metal-manipulation ability. His evolution effectively gives him multiple combat forms and greatly increases his overall strength.

Character Developments

• Jing Hongchen: His Martial Soul evolves from an ordinary poison-based Toad Martial Soul into a Scale-Clad Toad with expanded abilities. Through the influence of the Dragonheart Grass and Aromatic Silk Beauty, he gains:
  • The original poison attribute
  • Metal manipulation inherited through the Three-Legged Golden Toad
  • A red dragon form controlling fire
  • A blue dragon form controlling ice
    His strength and versatility increase dramatically, potentially giving him the equivalent of an additional Martial Soul.
• Yao Shi: He acts as caretaker, healer, and observer throughout the cultivation process. His skillful use of Abundance Power prevents Meng Hongchen’s condition from becoming critical. He also accurately deduces the relationship between the Immortal Herbs, hidden bloodlines, and Jing Hongchen’s evolved abilities, demonstrating his intelligence and insight.
• Meng Hongchen: She endures the most visibly painful refinement process because of the conflict between the ice and fire Immortal Herbs. Though she remains unconscious, her existing ice-fire potential is shown to be closely connected to Jing Hongchen’s newly awakened elemental abilities.
• Xiao Hongchen: His body is significantly strengthened by the Immortal Herbs, with his physical constitution and meridians undergoing powerful refinement. His metal-manipulation ability is also incorporated into Jing Hongchen’s evolved Martial Soul.

Significant Themes

• Transformation and evolution: The chapter centers on Martial Soul metamorphosis, showing that profound change may initially appear subtle or disappointing before its true abilities are revealed.
• Hidden potential: Jing Hongchen’s Toad Martial Soul contains dormant ice, fire, and other bloodline traits that only become accessible through the Immortal Herbs.
• Balance of opposing forces: Meng Hongchen’s suffering illustrates the danger of ice and fire energies colliding, while their mutual restraint ultimately prevents complete destruction.
• Sacrifice and endurance: The characters endure immense physical pain and danger in pursuit of greater strength.
• Mentorship and trust: Yao Shi protects his teacher and fellow disciples, while Jing Hongchen openly shares his newfound abilities with him.

Important Character Interactions

• Yao Shi and Jing Hongchen: Yao Shi heals and monitors Jing Hongchen, then questions him about his transformed Martial Soul. Jing Hongchen proudly demonstrates its powers and confirms Yao Shi’s deductions.
• Yao Shi and Meng Hongchen: Yao Shi supports Meng Hongchen during her painful refinement, using Abundance Power to stabilize the opposing ice and fire energies.
• Jing Hongchen and the Hongchen siblings: Jing’s evolved Martial Soul incorporates traits connected to both siblings—Meng’s ice-fire abilities and Xiao’s metal manipulation—making his transformation a synthesis of their family’s bloodline potential.

Chapter Summary: “Transformation (Part 2)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jing Hongchen reveals the results of his transformation. The dragon form of his Toad Martial Soul has greatly enhanced his physical strength, giving him abilities comparable to a power-attack Soul Master. With Soul Tools, he now feels capable of challenging even a Limit Douluo.
• Thanks to Yao Shi’s Immortal Herbs, Jing Hongchen breaks through from Rank 94 to Rank 95, officially becoming a Super Douluo. The herbs also remove the damage caused by his earlier reliance on medicinal cultivation, giving him renewed hope of reaching Rank 96, Limit Douluo, and the Tenth-Level Soul Engineer realm.
• Jing Hongchen deeply thanks Yao Shi and promises that Mingde Hall and the Hongchen Family will protect him throughout the Sun Moon Empire.
• While Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen continue absorbing their Immortal Herbs, Jing Hongchen uses the time to train Yao Shi in Soul Tool theory, practice, and crafting.
• Yao Shi rapidly advances to become a Fourth-Level Soul Engineer after memorizing the necessary knowledge, completing practical training, and successfully crafting Soul Tools within nine days.
• After fifteen days, Xiao Hongchen finishes absorbing his herbs. His body becomes much stronger and sturdier, but he accidentally dents the steel wall of Jing Hongchen’s office while testing his new strength.
• Meng Hongchen also completes her absorption and undergoes an even more dramatic transformation. Her Soul Power rises to Rank 60, making her a fourteen-year-old Soul Emperor.
• The Ice-Fire Origin within Meng Hongchen’s body reaches an ultimate level, allowing her to temporarily wield ultimate ice, ultimate fire, and even ultimate poison.
• Meng openly credits Yao Shi for her improvement and kisses him on the cheek, surprising both Yao Shi and the Hongchen family.
• Xiao Hongchen reaches Rank 59. Although he feels frustrated that Meng has surpassed him, Jing Hongchen explains that Xiao’s remaining medicinal power will likely allow him to reach Rank 60 soon.

Character Developments

• Yao Shi: Gains greater influence and confidence as the benefactor of the Hongchen Family. His mastery of Soul Tools develops at an astonishing pace, allowing him to become a Fourth-Level Soul Engineer in only nine days.
• Jing Hongchen: Advances to Rank 95 and regains the possibility of reaching the highest levels of cultivation and Soul Tool mastery. His gratitude toward Yao Shi deepens into a powerful sense of responsibility and protectiveness.
• Xiao Hongchen: Experiences a major physical enhancement and reaches Rank 59. His pride is shaken when Meng Hongchen surpasses him, revealing his competitive and somewhat arrogant personality.
• Meng Hongchen: Achieves the greatest breakthrough, becoming a Rank 60 Soul Emperor at only fourteen. Her ice and fire abilities evolve into ultimate attributes, and her playful affection toward Yao Shi becomes more apparent.

Significant Themes

• Transformation through opportunity: The Immortal Herbs completely reshape the characters’ bodies, cultivation, and potential.
• Mentorship and gratitude: Jing Hongchen views Yao Shi as the savior of the Hongchen Family, while Yao Shi emphasizes mutual support rather than personal credit.
• The value of strength and protection: Yao Shi recognizes that Jing Hongchen’s increased power will allow him to protect him and the other younger members.
• Talent and rapid growth: Yao Shi’s Soul Tool progress and Meng Hongchen’s extraordinary cultivation breakthrough highlight the effects of rare resources combined with natural ability.
• Family ambition and responsibility: Jing Hongchen becomes determined to live up to the sacrifice represented by the priceless Hundred-Thousand-Year Immortal Herbs.

Important Character Interactions

• Jing Hongchen bows to Yao Shi in sincere gratitude, but Yao Shi quickly helps him up and downplays his contribution.
• Jing Hongchen promises to support Yao Shi through Mingde Hall, establishing a stronger mentor-disciple bond.
• Jing Hongchen teaches Yao Shi Soul Tool techniques during the siblings’ recovery period.
• Xiao Hongchen’s accidental damage to Jing Hongchen’s office leads to a humorous exchange in which his grandfather angrily scolds him.
• Meng Hongchen teases her brother for becoming carried away by his improvement, then surprises everyone by announcing her breakthrough to Rank 60.
• Meng kisses Yao Shi to thank him, introducing a playful and possibly romantic tension between them.

Chapter Summary: “Xuanzi: It Felt Like I Hadn't Devoured Anything”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Meng Hongchen has advanced to Soul Emperor. Jing Hongchen tells her to rest before selecting and hunting a suitable sixth Soul Ring.
• Yao Shi, now a Fourth-Level Soul Engineer, is granted a short vacation and reminded to continue cultivating his Soul Power.
• After consuming Immortal Herbs, Meng Hongchen, Yao Shi, and the others experience major improvements, allowing them to combine their Martial Souls and Soul Tools for exceptional combat strength.
• Yao Shi leaves Mingde Hall but experiences a strange sense of déjà vu, briefly wondering whether he has lived through the moment before.
• At the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Tang San’s three possessed bodies—Xuanzi, Zhuang Yusen, and Yan Shaozhe—complete the cultivation of their Ice Fire Golden Bodies.
• The Immortal Herbs strengthen their bodies, though their advanced ages limit the herbs’ effects. Xuanzi’s Godly Taotie Bull bloodline is purified, granting him a new ability to devour life and convert it into power.
• Tang San resents Youyou and the “Calamity Star” for interfering with the Immortal Herbs and considers destroying possessed bodies if necessary to eliminate the latter.
• The three gather several dozen Immortal Herbs under fifty thousand years old for future use and plan to return once the stronger herbs mature further.
• While leaving, they encounter three twenty-thousand-year Thousand Jun Ants attacking and preying on another Soul Beast. Xuanzi kills all three.
• Xuanzi then uses his new devouring ability to absorb their corpses and Soul Rings, receiving a significant boost that causes his rank-ninety-eight cultivation to loosen.
• He concludes that devouring several hundred more ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts might allow him to reach the Limit Douluo realm.

Character Developments

• Meng Hongchen reaches Soul Emperor and begins preparing for her sixth Soul Ring.
• Yao Shi advances to Fourth-Level Soul Engineer and becomes much stronger after consuming an Immortal Herb. His unexplained déjà vu hints at possible memories or events connected to previous experiences.
• Xuanzi gains a devouring talent through the purification of his Taotie bloodline. His strength increases rapidly, but the ability also awakens an unsettling appetite and increasingly ruthless mindset.
• Tang San remains dissatisfied with the condition of his possessed bodies and becomes more hostile toward those who deprived him of stronger Immortal Herbs.
• Yan Shaozhe recognizes that Xuanzi’s behavior resembles that of an Evil Soul Master and voices concern.
• Zhuang Yusen gains only a modest improvement, mainly to his healing abilities.

Significant Themes

• Power and transformation: Immortal Herbs dramatically enhance the characters, but their effects depend on the user’s physical condition and age.
• Moral ambiguity: Xuanzi justifies killing and devouring the Thousand Jun Ants as “upholding justice,” but his absorption of their life force makes him resemble the Evil Soul Masters he condemns.
• Corruption through power: The devouring ability strengthens Xuanzi while also encouraging greed, violence, and obsession with further consumption.
• Possession and identity: Tang San controls three bodies through divided Divine Sense, raising questions about individuality and the limits of his influence over them.
• Foreshadowing and déjà vu: Yao Shi’s unfamiliar familiarity with events suggests hidden memories, repeated experiences, or manipulation of fate.

Character Interactions

• Jing Hongchen advises Meng Hongchen and Yao Shi, acting as both mentor and guardian.
• Tang San evaluates the results of the Immortal Herbs and internally blames Youyou and the Calamity Star for limiting his gains.
• Xuanzi, Yan Shaozhe, and Zhuang Yusen cooperate in collecting herbs and returning from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
• Yan Shaozhe challenges Xuanzi’s morality by comparing his devouring to Evil Soul Master practices.
• Xuanzi dismisses the criticism, insisting that the Thousand Jun Ants deserved death because they oppressed another Soul Beast.
• The three Thousand Jun Ants briefly display familial loyalty by attempting to avenge their slain eldest brother, but Xuanzi kills and devours all of them.

Chapter Summary: Gu Yuena: Guys, I’m Really Running Away

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xuanzi, Elder Shaozhe, and Elder Zhuang return to Shrek Academy after obtaining an Immortal Herb. Along the way, Xuanzi kills and consumes an injured ten-thousand-year-old wolf Soul Beast, justifying it by labeling the creature “evil” after it tries to defend itself.
• Gu Yuena senses powerful divine auras from the three returning elders. Although they are only Super Douluos, she realizes they may be divine inheritors or otherwise connected to the God Realm.
• Fearing that future God-Level investigators will expose her true identity as the Silver Dragon King, Gu Yuena pretends to feel ill and leaves Zhang Lexuan’s class.
• She reconsiders the balance between humans and Soul Beasts. Previously, she believed humans dominated because of their rapid cultivation and possibly some unique advantage. She now understands that Soul Beasts were mainly held back by the old plane’s restrictions, which prevented them from becoming gods.
• Since the Douluo Plane has evolved, both humans and Soul Beasts now possess the potential to reach God Level. Gu Yuena realizes that the God Realm will inevitably investigate this major change, even if she remains inactive.
• She bitterly regrets transforming and cultivating anew. Her original body had power close to the God King level, but her current weakened form could only defeat ordinary gods through a costly self-destruction of her Silver Dragon King source.
• Gu Yuena also investigates Soul Tools and witnesses how they can greatly increase the combat power of ordinary Soul Masters. She becomes alarmed that future Soul Tools could allow humanity to annihilate the Soul Beast Clan before the gods even intervene.
• She decides to flee Shrek Academy and travel to the Sun Moon Empire, whose academy is renowned for Soul Tool research. After packing and checking that no one is watching, she leaves without informing Di Tian or the other Soul Beasts, fearing the embarrassment of admitting she was driven away by a few humans’ divine auras.

Character Developments

• Gu Yuena: Becomes increasingly anxious and self-critical. Her confidence in her strategic brilliance collapses as she recognizes that she overlooked the consequences of Plane Evolution. She shifts from secretly infiltrating and dismantling humanity to urgently gathering information and seeking a safer place to develop her strength.
• Xuanzi: Is shown as ruthless and hypocritical. He kills the injured wolf Soul Beast simply because it reacts defensively, then consumes it while condemning Soul Beasts as evil.
• Zhang Lexuan: Demonstrates concern for Gu Yuena’s apparent illness and permits her to leave class.
• Di Tian and the Soul Beasts: They remain unaware of Gu Yuena’s decision to flee, since she chooses not to tell them.

Significant Themes

• Fear of discovery and vulnerability: Gu Yuena’s greatest concern is that divine beings will see through her human disguise before she regains her former strength.
• The consequences of mistaken judgment: Her decision to cultivate anew was based on avoiding divine attention, but Plane Evolution ensures that the God Realm will investigate anyway, making her sacrifice seem pointless.
• Changing power structures: The old human-Soul Beast hierarchy depended on Soul Beasts being unable to become gods. With the plane’s evolution, that advantage has disappeared.
• Technology versus natural power: Soul Tools challenge Gu Yuena’s belief that innate Martial Souls and cultivation are the decisive sources of strength. She recognizes that technology may allow even ordinary Soul Masters to rival elite combatants.
• Pride and embarrassment: Gu Yuena hides her flight from her allies because she is ashamed to admit that she is retreating from Shrek rather than acting according to a grand strategy.
• Human and Soul Beast prejudice: Xuanzi’s treatment of the wolf Soul Beast highlights the hostility and moral double standards between humans and Soul Beasts.

Important Character Interactions

• Xuanzi kills the injured wolf Soul Beast despite its attempt to frighten him away, revealing the cruelty underlying human attitudes toward Soul Beasts.
• Zhang Lexuan kindly questions Gu Yuena about her health and grants permission for her to leave class.
• Gu Yuena internally contrasts her former plans with the new reality, particularly the danger posed by divine investigators and Soul Tools.
• Gu Yuena decides to act independently, concealing her departure from Di Tian and the other Soul Beasts while rushing toward the Sun Moon Empire.

Chapter Summary: Mu En’s Tribulation (Part 1)

Key Plot Points and Events

• At Shrek Academy’s Academic Affairs Office, Du Weilun prepares to report Gu Yuena’s enrollment and Four-Ring cultivation to the academy’s higher authorities. He expects the discovery of such a gifted student to earn him a promotion, unaware that Gu Yuena has already fled.
• Xuanzi, Yan Shaozhe, and Zhuang Yusen return to Sea God Pavilion after visiting the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. They report that the location contains numerous Immortal Herbs, including herbs capable of treating Ma Xiaotao and potentially helping Mu En.
• Mu En explains that his injuries were caused by the Dragon Pill’s baleful aura, which damaged his soul origin and bloodline foundation. Although he has survived by relying on his Limit Douluo cultivation and the Golden Ancient Tree, ordinary treasures have failed to heal him.
• Xuanzi presents Mu En with two powerful Immortal Herbs: the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, which can repair meridians and suppress the Dragon Pill’s baleful aura, and the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng, which can strengthen his dragon bloodline and repair his damaged foundation.
• Mu En initially hesitates, believing the herbs should be reserved for younger academy members. However, Xuanzi, Yan Shaozhe, and Zhuang Yusen persuade him that Shrek needs his strength to survive the coming upheavals.
• Mu En finally consumes both herbs beside the Golden Ancient Tree. The tree’s life energy assists the refining process, and golden light surrounds him for thirteen hours.
• A gigantic Holy Light Dragon phantom emerges from Mu En’s body, accompanied by a powerful roar and a phenomenon that illuminates Shrek City. Dark clouds gather overhead, revealing that Mu En has triggered Tribulation Lightning.

Character Developments

• Mu En is shown as self-sacrificing, cautious, and deeply devoted to Shrek Academy. His reluctance to use the Immortal Herbs reflects his willingness to prioritize the younger generation, but he ultimately accepts them because the academy needs a powerful protector.
• Xuanzi acts decisively in securing Mu En’s treatment and recognizes that his recovery could be crucial to Shrek’s survival. Although he appears hesitant in the past, Tang San views this hesitation with contempt.
• Tang San, controlling Xuanzi’s body, remains focused on increasing his own forces and manipulating events for his larger plan. He privately considers killing and devouring Mu En if the herbs fail to work or if Mu En refuses them.
• Yan Shaozhe and Zhuang Yusen demonstrate loyalty and concern for their teacher by helping convince him to undergo treatment.
• Du Weilun is characterized as ambitious and eager for advancement, believing Gu Yuena’s enrollment could secure his promotion. His opportunity disappears when she runs away.
• Gu Yuena does not appear directly, but her extraordinary talent and disappearance continue to affect the academy’s affairs.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice for the greater good: Mu En is willing to deny himself treatment so that younger students can benefit, but the others argue that preserving his strength is itself a sacrifice for the academy.
• The burden of leadership: Mu En feels responsible for Shrek’s future and fears that his death could leave the academy vulnerable to rival factions and emerging God-Level powerhouses.
• Hope amid decline: The Immortal Herbs represent a rare chance to reverse injuries that Mu En has endured for centuries, suggesting that even seemingly incurable damage may not be beyond recovery.
• Manipulation and hidden motives: While Mu En and the others act out of loyalty to Shrek, Tang San supports the treatment primarily because he needs Mu En’s power for his own plans and is prepared to kill him if necessary.
• The limits of destiny and cultivation: The sudden appearance of Tribulation Lightning suggests that Mu En’s recovery may lead to a breakthrough or a dangerous transformation beyond what anyone expected.

Character Interactions

• Du Weilun’s administrative ambitions contrast with the larger struggles threatening Shrek Academy.
• Xuanzi urges Mu En to accept the Immortal Herbs, emphasizing that his survival would provide the academy with greater security.
• Yan Shaozhe and Zhuang Yusen reinforce Xuanzi’s appeal, warning that Shrek could face disaster if Mu En dies before new top-level powerhouses emerge.
• Mu En’s hesitation reveals both his humility and his sense of duty, while the others’ insistence shows their dependence on him.
• Tang San’s internal commentary sharply contrasts with the sincere concern expressed by the others, exposing his contempt for Mu En and his willingness to exploit or eliminate him.
• The chapter ends with all three observers stunned as Mu En’s treatment triggers a spectacular Holy Light Dragon phenomenon and the onset of heavenly tribulation.

Summary: “Mu En Faces the Tribulation (Part 2)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mu En’s recovery using two Immortal Herbs unexpectedly triggers a godhood tribulation, signaling that he has reached the threshold of level one hundred through his own cultivation.
• A massive pillar of light and a Holy Light Dragon appear above Shrek Academy, drawing spiritual energy from across the region and alerting Soul Masters throughout the four nations.
• Most outsiders assume the person undergoing tribulation is Taotie Douluo Xuanzi, since Mu En’s strength is not publicly known. However, Evil Soul Masters recognize that the overwhelming Ultimate Light attribute cannot come from Xuanzi’s martial soul.
• Long Xiaoyao, Mu En’s old acquaintance, reacts emotionally to Mu En’s advancement, while the Holy Spirit Cult leader threatens Mu En and claims she is also nearing godhood.
• In the Star Dou Great Forest, the Ferocious Beasts are alarmed that a human has become the first post-evolution God Level expert. Di Tian urges them to remain hidden, assuring them that Gu Yuena and the Soul Beast Clan will eventually rise.
• Di Tian reveals that his own godhood tribulation is approaching and that, because of his extremely long cultivation, he may become stronger than Mu En after ascending.
• The Three-Eyed Golden Lion secretly overhears that Gu Yuena has gone into the human world. Feeling left behind and frustrated by Di Tian’s former restrictions, she decides to leave the forest and investigate the human world herself.
• At Shrek Academy, Xuanzi and the other God Level experts are pleased by Mu En’s breakthrough because his power may allow them to confront the mysterious deer and reshape the Douluo Plane.
• Mu En rises into the sky and prepares for the tribulation. He realizes there are no reliable records explaining how to survive it, since previous figures became gods through divine trials rather than natural cultivation.
• The first bolt of Three-Colored Tribulation Lightning—white, crimson, and purple—strikes Mu En directly, beginning his transformation into a divine being.

Character Developments

• Mu En is confirmed as the first native Soul Master to cultivate independently to the God Level. His breakthrough establishes him as a pioneering figure whose path differs from both Soul Beasts and God Realm-selected candidates.
• Tang San recognizes Mu En’s achievement as extraordinary and mentally praises him as a genius.
• Gu Yuena remains confident and unconcerned, believing that a level-one-hundred human god cannot threaten her once she returns to her peak.
• Long Xiaoyao shows lingering admiration and emotional attachment toward Mu En, contrasting with the Holy Spirit Cult leader’s hostility.
• Di Tian demonstrates foresight and leadership by calming the Ferocious Beasts and emphasizing patience. He also reveals his own impending advancement.
• Xiong Jun reacts angrily to the apparent unfairness of a human becoming a god first, highlighting the Soul Beasts’ resentment toward the world’s laws.
• The Three-Eyed Golden Lion becomes increasingly independent and rebellious. Her curiosity about the human world leads her to abandon the Star Dou Great Forest.
• Xuanzi and the other God Level combatants see Mu En’s breakthrough strategically, viewing him as a potential ally in defeating the mysterious deer and elevating the Douluo Plane.

Significant Themes

• Natural cultivation versus divine selection: Mu En reaches godhood through personal cultivation and tribulation, unlike figures who relied on trials granted by existing gods.
• Human–Soul Beast rivalry: The reactions of the Ferocious Beasts show the continuing tension between humans and Soul Beasts, though Di Tian promotes cooperation and patience rather than immediate conflict.
• The transformation of mortality: Tribulation lightning is portrayed not merely as punishment but as a cleansing force that can purify the body, transform the bloodline, and create a Divine Body.
• Hidden power and misunderstanding: Because Mu En’s identity is unknown to the wider world, other factions misidentify him as Xuanzi, emphasizing how much of the continent’s true power remains concealed.
• Political and cosmic succession: Mu En’s breakthrough could alter the balance between Shrek Academy, the Holy Spirit Cult, the Soul Beasts, and the God Realm, while also contributing to plans to reshape the Douluo Plane.
• Freedom and curiosity: The Three-Eyed Golden Lion’s decision to leave the forest reflects her desire to escape restrictions and discover the world beyond the protection of the Soul Beast leaders.

Character Interactions

• Tang San observes and praises Mu En’s breakthrough.
• Gu Yuena notices the phenomenon but dismisses it as a minor threat before continuing toward the Sun Moon Empire.
• Long Xiaoyao reacts wistfully to Mu En’s success, while the Holy Spirit Cult leader openly threatens him.
• Xiong Jun complains about humanity’s advantage, and Di Tian counters by urging the Ferocious Beasts to stay hidden and trust Gu Yuena’s plan.
• The Three-Eyed Golden Lion secretly listens to Di Tian, interprets his words as unfair treatment, and decides to venture into the human world.
• Xuanzi and the other Shrek God Level figures welcome Mu En’s advancement because it may strengthen their plan to destroy the mysterious deer and promote their own control over the Douluo Plane.