Recaps

After a child’s cry revealed the villagers’ hiding place, Yue Ling struggled to defend them while fighting the Evil Soul Masters. One enemy reached the cave entrance and discovered the frightened villagers, leaving them exposed as the battle continued.

• Yue Ling realized the villagers’ cries had exposed their location and worried that the Evil Soul Masters would use them as hostages.
• The Evil Soul Master leader ordered Old Five to drag the villagers out while he and Old Six kept Yue Ling occupied.
• The leader used his fifth soul skill, Blood Qi Expansion, to grow stronger and attack Yue Ling alongside another Evil Soul Master.
• Yue Ling blocked their coordinated attacks but could not break through the leader’s assault or reach the villagers.
• Old Five reached the cave entrance, pulled away its covering, and found a crowd of villagers, who screamed in terror.

Yue Ling used Earth Shatter to pin down two Evil Soul Masters, then dropped the gravity field to launch a rapid attack while the enemies recovered. His shot struck the Evil Soul Master holding the villagers, though its effect was not yet apparent, as Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe watched his performance.

• Yue Ling used Earth Shatter to crush the two Evil Soul Masters against the ground, then abandoned the skill when he could not maintain gravity and attack at the same time.
• Yue Ling enhanced himself with Lone Sunset Reflecting Moon and sent Golden Stamen Piercing Ray Strike toward the Evil Soul Master guarding the villagers.
• The Evil Soul Master guarding the villagers was struck in his right arm, but, finding no visible injury or unusual sensation, he dismissed the attack.
• The villagers remained silent and watched Yue Ling with hope as he fought the other enemies.
• Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe observed Yue Ling's actions and judged that his performance had effectively secured his admission to the Shrek Inner Court.

Yue Ling fought to turn the battle around despite his dwindling strength and the villagers of Windbell Village being held hostage. When the Evil Soul Master leader’s soul skill wore off and left him momentarily dazed, Yue Ling seized the opening and launched another attack.

• Xuan Zi listened to the battle and judged Yue Ling’s performance on his first mission to be exceptional.
• Yue Ling assessed his exhaustion, the captured villagers, and his chance to detonate the crystal from his third soul skill.
• The Evil Soul Master leader’s fifth soul skill weakened, and he briefly lost his senses as the giant rat’s soul skill wore off.
• Yue Ling struck the dazed leader, breaking both his arms when he tried to block.
• Yue Ling chased the retreating leader and drove a golden-lit fist toward his chest.

Yue Ling negotiated with the Evil Soul Masters over the villagers, offering to let them escape in exchange for eight captives. The villains accepted, unaware that Yue Ling was exhausted and that his oath had left him room to act.

• Yue Ling stopped pursuing the wounded Evil Soul Master and waited while Old Six recovered by drinking blood from a corpse.
• Oldest proposed keeping half the villagers as hostages, and Yue Ling countered by offering eight people, including the child who had revealed their location.
• The Evil Soul Masters demanded an oath against a sneak attack, and Yue Ling swore he would leave the Shrek Inspection Team if he ambushed them.
• Oldest chose the child and taunted him with the promise of going home, while secretly viewing him as prey.
• The villagers watched in despair, blaming the child and Yue Ling as they feared being among the eight chosen to die.

Yue Ling used the crystals from his third Soul Skill to ambush the Evil Soul Masters while they argued over which villagers to take. After killing Old Five and Old Six, he faced the surviving leader, who seized a child as a hostage.

• Yue Ling waited for the Evil Soul Masters to gather while conserving his strength and maintaining control of his crystals.
• The Evil Soul Masters argued over whether to choose children or older villagers, then agreed to select eight people and leave quickly.
• The crystals inside Old Five exploded, killing him and sending blades that struck down Old Six.
• The Evil Soul Master leader realized Yue Ling had launched the attack and accused him of breaking his oath.
• The surviving leader seized a child and pinned them to the ground as a hostage.

While Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe left to confront approaching powerful auras, Yue Ling struggled to stay conscious as the last Evil Soul Master began draining a child’s blood. Yue Ling forced himself to stand, and his helplessness turned into a fury that drove him to face the Evil Soul Master.

• Xuan Zi detected powerful auras approaching and left with Yan Shaozhe, entrusting the villagers to Yue Ling.
• The last Evil Soul Master recovered by sucking blood while the villagers watched and hoped Yue Ling would protect them.
• Exhausted and near collapse, Yue Ling realized the Evil Soul Master was draining the blood of the child who had begged to go home.
• Yue Ling tried to rise but fell, then forced himself to his feet as the child neared death.
• Yue Ling saw the Evil Soul Master’s mocking reaction and felt anger surge as he prepared to confront him.

Yue Ling’s Spirit Sea and the crown above his head changed as golden energy awakened, leaving him unconscious but lucid and unable to act. An Evil Soul Master, unsettled by the strange power, decided to approach and kill Yue Ling before he could respond.

• Yue Ling’s Spirit Sea surged as the crown transformed its energy into gold, strengthening his aura and agitating the Remnant Soul.
• The crown sent golden ripples through the Spirit Sea, where Silvermoon Roland and Moon Parasol Tree danced as its power spread.
• A golden crown appeared above Yue Ling’s head and marked the space between his brows, while he sank into an aware but powerless state.
• The Evil Soul Master noticed the crown and wondered what its power was, then decided Yue Ling was too dangerous to leave alive.
• The Evil Soul Master approached Yue Ling, gathering blood-red Soul Power in his hand and planning to tear out his heart.

Yue Ling entered a strange domain inside the crown above his Spirit Sea and encountered an identical figure who told him to earn plants’ heartfelt recognition to restore its energy. Back in the battle, his Lovesick Heartbreak Red absorbed power from the dead Evil Soul Masters and formed a black second Spirit Ring that seemed capable of growing stronger.

• Yue Ling found himself in a vast pink domain, where an identical figure dismissed him and said it had answered his plea.
• The figure told Yue Ling to gain plants’ heartfelt recognition so that more of its energy could recover, then sent him back.
• Yue Ling awoke to see the dead Evil Soul Masters’ Spirit Rings sending their Soul Power into his uncontrolled Lovesick Heartbreak Red.
• The Lovesick Heartbreak Red consumed the energy and condensed a pitch-black Spirit Ring in its second Spirit Ring position.
• Yue Ling accepted the strange change for now and sensed that the black Spirit Ring’s age might still increase.