Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Blackwater Captain humiliates Yang Ming by pinning him to the ground and piercing his hand with a strand of hair. He simultaneously holds Xiao Wu by the throat.
• Despite his injuries, Yang Ming refuses to surrender and asks Xiao Wu whether she believes in him. Xiao Wu tearfully affirms her faith, deepening their emotional bond.
• Yang Ming declares that he will protect what matters most to him, even if it costs his life. These words trigger his system, rewarding him with two lottery draws based on Might Guy’s famous speeches.
• The lottery grants Yang Ming Reverse Lotus and the Eight Gates Released Formation, adapted to the rules of the Douluo Continent. The technique boosts his Soul Power by consuming his lifespan and damaging his body.
• As the Blackwater Captain prepares to kill him, Yang Ming opens the first six gates. His exhausted Soul Power is restored to an overwhelming level, though several strands of his hair turn white as the cost.
• The Blackwater Captain is shocked when Yang Ming’s strength rises to the level of a Soul Elder. He attempts to kill him with thousands of hair strands, but Yang Ming activates Flame Demon Form and forces him back with the Green Lotus Core Flame.
• The Captain uses Xiao Wu as a hostage, threatening to strangle her if Yang Ming attacks.
• Yang Ming counters by using Reverse Lotus, allowing him to move at supersonic speed. He reaches the Captain, rescues Xiao Wu with one hand, and strikes the enemy with the other.

Character Developments

• Yang Ming demonstrates extraordinary determination, endurance, and willingness to sacrifice himself for Xiao Wu. His protective instincts become the catalyst for a major power breakthrough.
• His use of the Eight Gates visibly costs him vitality, symbolized by his prematurely whitening hair, emphasizing that his new strength comes at a serious personal price.
• Xiao Wu develops a stronger emotional attachment to Yang Ming. His refusal to abandon her convinces her that she can trust him completely.
• The Blackwater Captain shifts from arrogant confidence to surprise and alarm when Yang Ming’s strength suddenly exceeds all reasonable expectations. His attempt to exploit Xiao Wu’s importance reveals both his tactical cunning and growing desperation.

Significant Themes

• Protection and sacrifice: Yang Ming accepts the possibility of death to save someone precious to him.
• Trust and emotional bonds: Xiao Wu’s declaration of belief gives Yang Ming emotional strength, while their mutual trust becomes central to the confrontation.
• Power gained through determination: Yang Ming’s resolve unlocks extraordinary abilities, but the Eight Gates also highlights that overwhelming power carries physical and mortal consequences.
• Arrogance challenged: The Captain’s belief in absolute strength is undermined when Yang Ming, seemingly defeated, rises again through sheer will and sacrifice.

Character Interactions

• The Blackwater Captain taunts and physically dominates Yang Ming while holding Xiao Wu hostage.
• Yang Ming reassures Xiao Wu and asks for her trust, prompting her emotional confession of belief in him.
• The Captain tries to use Xiao Wu as leverage, assuming Yang Ming’s concern for her makes him controllable.
• Yang Ming overturns that assumption by combining his new techniques: he uses Flame Demon Form to repel the Captain and Reverse Lotus to rescue Xiao Wu while launching a counterattack.

Chapter Summary: “Burn, My Youth!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Ming, transformed into the Flame Demon King, protects Xiao Wu by letting her stand on his palm while carefully restraining the heat of his Green Lotus Core Flame.
• He defeats the previously arrogant Soul Elder with a single punch, strengthening Xiao Wu’s sense of safety and trust in him.
• The Blackwater Captain survives Yang Ming’s initial attack and activates his third soul skill, Bloodthirsty Evil Body, enhancing his Hair-Sword Hedgehog Martial Soul’s power and attack speed while making wounds caused by his hair extremely difficult to heal.
• The captain launches thousands of hardened hairs at Yang Ming. Although the hair cuts through Yang Ming’s flames and overwhelms his defenses, Yang Ming counters with Reverse Lotus, using his tremendous speed to close the distance instantly.
• Yang Ming attacks in revenge for Grandpa, but the Blackwater Captain unexpectedly uses the hair on his entire body to form a shield. The shield is mostly burned away, though it prevents the initial punch from killing him.
• Yang Ming then unleashes Ragnaros’s Wrath, the Flame Demon King’s ultimate area attack. The compressed flames explode outward, engulfing all the Black Knights within a five-hundred-meter range.
• The Black Knights are destroyed, while the Blackwater Captain attempts to survive inside a cocoon of Hair-Swords. The intense heat consumes the air and eventually causes him to collapse.
• Before losing consciousness, the captain accuses an unseen ally of betraying him and violating their agreement, revealing that someone else may have arranged or manipulated the attack.

Character Developments

• Yang Ming demonstrates increasing mastery of his Flame Demon Form. His greater Soul Power allows him to maintain the transformation longer and use its ultimate technique.
• He also shows intense determination and emotional motivation, dedicating one attack to Grandpa and another to Xiao Wu.
• Xiao Wu becomes visibly flustered and emotionally affected by Yang Ming’s protection. His overwhelming strength gives her a deep sense of security and makes her feel as though she has finally found emotional refuge.
• The Blackwater Captain proves resourceful and experienced, using his Martial Soul creatively to defend himself. However, his confidence collapses as Yang Ming’s power surpasses his expectations.
• The captain’s final accusation suggests that he may have been working under the direction of another character and has now realized that this supposed ally abandoned or betrayed him.

Significant Themes

• Protection and trust: Xiao Wu’s peaceful reaction to Yang Ming’s strength highlights her growing reliance on and trust in him.
• Revenge and loyalty: Yang Ming’s attacks are fueled not only by combat necessity but also by his desire to avenge Grandpa and defend Xiao Wu.
• The limits of strategy against overwhelming power: The Blackwater Captain repeatedly adapts his tactics, but Yang Ming’s combination of physical strength, speed, and immense flames ultimately overwhelms every defense.
• Betrayal and hidden conspiracies: The captain’s final words introduce a larger mystery involving an unseen participant who may have manipulated the conflict or deliberately sacrificed him.

Character Interactions

• Yang Ming gently instructs Xiao Wu to leave his hand, showing concern for her safety despite the intensity of the battle.
• Xiao Wu watches Yang Ming’s fight through his fingers and responds to his protection with embarrassment, admiration, and emotional comfort.
• Yang Ming and the Blackwater Captain engage in a battle of escalating techniques, with the captain relying on his Hair-Sword Hedgehog Martial Soul and Yang Ming answering with Reverse Lotus and Ragnaros’s Wrath.
• Yang Ming verbally dedicates his attacks to Grandpa and Xiao Wu, emphasizing that the battle is personal.
• The Blackwater Captain’s final confrontation is not with Yang Ming but with the unseen person he believes betrayed him, hinting at future conflict beyond this battle.

Chapter Summary: “Mysterious Figure from Spirit Hall”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Outside Holy Soul Village, a group of powerful Spirit Hall members observes the village being destroyed by fire and slaughtered by the Black Water Mercenary Group.
• Bishop Beska reveals that the massacre is the first stage of a plan to force Yang Ming into joining Spirit Hall. By destroying the home and community he wishes to protect, Beska hopes Yang Ming will become desperate for strength and grateful to Spirit Hall for offering him support.
• Beska explains that the Black Water Mercenary Group has been arranged as a scapegoat. If Yang Ming investigates, the blame should lead toward the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect rather than Spirit Hall.
• The second stage of the plan is to have major Soul Master academies reject Yang Ming, leaving Spirit Hall’s academies as his only educational option.
• Unexpectedly, Yang Ming uses the Flame Demon Form and the Eight Gates Released Formation to annihilate the entire two-hundred-man Black Water Mercenary Group, despite being only a level-fifteen Spirit Master.
• The mysterious young Spirit Hall figure is impressed but remains confident that Yang Ming can still be manipulated. He promises to pressure academies in other cities to reject Yang Ming as well.
• After the battle, Yang Ming suffers severe physical backlash from his secret technique. Tang San treats his exhausted and injured muscles, while Xiao Wu worries deeply about him.
• Yang Ming, Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Old Jack leave the burning ruins and return toward Notting City to recover and plan their next steps.

Character Developments

• Yang Ming: Demonstrates extraordinary combat power and endurance by defeating an entire mercenary group far beyond his apparent level. Although devastated by the destruction of his village, he remains determined and vows to uncover the true culprit and seek revenge. His priorities mature as he recognizes that he must first become stronger.
• Tang San: Shows his medical knowledge and concern for Yang Ming by treating the backlash from the secret technique. He also understands that immediate revenge would be reckless and supports Yang Ming’s decision to retreat and cultivate.
• Xiao Wu: Displays strong emotional attachment to Yang Ming, sharing his pain and urgently caring about his condition. She also helps Old Jack escape by carrying him.
• Bishop Beska: Reveals himself as a manipulative schemer who intends to exploit Yang Ming’s grief and isolate him from other opportunities. His confidence is shaken when Yang Ming destroys the Black Water Mercenary Group, but he quickly adjusts the plan.
• The mysterious Spirit Hall figure: Appears to possess enormous authority and influence within Spirit Hall. Calm and emotionally detached, he treats the village massacre as part of a larger strategy and responds to Yang Ming’s unexpected strength with quiet interest rather than alarm.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation through tragedy: Spirit Hall deliberately engineers suffering in order to control Yang Ming’s future choices.
• Strength and survival: The destruction of Holy Soul Village convinces Yang Ming that he must become stronger before pursuing justice.
• Revenge versus patience: Yang Ming’s desire for vengeance is balanced by the realization that he must first gain the power and knowledge needed to succeed.
• Hidden political conflict: The attack is part of a broader struggle involving Spirit Hall, the Black Water Mercenary Group, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
• Sacrifice and endurance: Yang Ming’s willingness to endure agonizing physical backlash highlights his resolve and the cost of protecting others.

Character Interactions

• Beska reports to the mysterious young figure, revealing Spirit Hall’s plans and seeking approval.
• Tang San treats Yang Ming after the battle, combining practical medical skill with friendly encouragement.
• Xiao Wu expresses intense concern for Yang Ming and helps care for the injured survivors.
• Yang Ming and Tang San implicitly agree that they must abandon immediate revenge, return to Notting City, and focus on cultivation.
• The group leaves the destroyed village together, united by grief, concern, and the determination to uncover the truth.

Chapter Summary

Plot points and events

• Yang Ming remains severely injured in Notting City Hospital after using the Eight Gates Released Formation, which left his body covered in bandages and in constant pain.
• Xiao Wu visits him and feeds him apple pieces despite his dislike of fruit. An accidental touch between her fingers and Yang Ming’s tongue embarrasses her, though Yang Ming innocently assumes she may have caught a cold.
• Xiao Wu becomes frustrated by Yang Ming’s emotional cluelessness and lack of conversation. She reflects on how he saved her and notices the silver strands in his hair, realizing that his powerful technique may have caused serious side effects.
• Xiao Wu shyly asks whether she can call Yang Ming “Big Brother.” Yang Ming agrees without recognizing the romantic or emotional significance the request holds for her, since he already regards her as a younger sister.
• Doctor Xiao and Ma Xiunuo from Spirit Hall arrive. Ma Xiunuo offers condolences for the destruction of Holy Soul Village and promises a thorough investigation.
• He then announces that Spirit Hall will provide Yang Ming and Old Jack with free medical care, housing, financial support for Yang Ming’s academy education, and a light cleaning job for Old Jack.
• Although Yang Ming remains suspicious of Spirit Hall’s motives, he accepts the assistance because his family has lost its livelihood and the support solves their immediate financial problems.

Character developments

• Yang Ming: Shows vulnerability and dependence while recovering, but remains blunt, socially inexperienced, and emotionally insensitive—especially toward Xiao Wu’s feelings. He is pragmatic enough to accept Spirit Hall’s aid despite distrusting the organization.
• Xiao Wu: Becomes more openly affectionate and protective toward Yang Ming. Her embarrassment and frustration reveal growing romantic feelings, while her concern over his silver hair shows genuine worry about the cost of his power.
• Ma Xiunuo and Spirit Hall: Present themselves as compassionate, fair, and supportive. Their generous offer suggests either sincere concern or a strategic attempt to win Yang Ming’s loyalty.

Significant themes

• The cost of power: Yang Ming’s injuries and prematurely silvering hair emphasize that extraordinary strength comes with severe physical consequences.
• Unspoken affection and emotional misunderstanding: Xiao Wu’s tenderness contrasts with Yang Ming’s inability to recognize her feelings.
• Support after tragedy: Following Holy Soul Village’s destruction, practical assistance becomes essential to survival and recovery.
• Trust and political motives: Spirit Hall’s aid creates tension between its public image of justice and Yang Ming’s lingering doubts about its true intentions.
• Family and chosen relationships: Xiao Wu’s request to call Yang Ming “Big Brother” reinforces their close bond, even as her feelings may be developing beyond simple sibling affection.

Character interactions

• Xiao Wu cares for Yang Ming in an intimate, almost childlike manner, feeding him and monitoring his recovery.
• Yang Ming responds with innocence and blunt practicality, unintentionally embarrassing and disappointing Xiao Wu.
• Their conversation about calling him “Big Brother” deepens their relationship but also highlights their differing emotional understandings.
• Ma Xiunuo interacts formally and sympathetically with Yang Ming, using Spirit Hall’s resources to offer tangible support while encouraging Yang Ming to show gratitude to the organization.

Chapter Summary: Preparations for a Spirit Master to Advance to Soul Grandmaster

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Another year passes, bringing Yang Ming’s total time at the Junior Soul Master Academy to two years. Despite needing roughly three times the Soul Power of ordinary cultivators to advance, he reaches the threshold between Spirit Master and Soul Grandmaster at age eight.
• Yang Ming enters the Soul Hunting Forest seeking a suitable Millennium Soul Beast whose Soul Ring might support his advancement. Since acquiring matching rewards through the system is too difficult, he decides to rely on his own luck.
• He refuses assistance from the academy’s teachers and even declines the principal’s offer to accompany him, borrowing only an entry token.
• Outside the forest, Yang Ming buys a map from a market vendor. The vendor notices the valuable Nethersea Ring on Yang Ming’s finger and secretly marks him with his Twin Sunflowers Martial Soul.
• The vendor sells information about Yang Ming to a hidden criminal group, which sends black-robed figures to track and potentially ambush him.
• Yang Ming enters the forest and spends most of the day searching the outer region. He encounters only a few hostile Soul Beasts and finds no suitable high-level target.
• Because Soul Beasts in the outer area have been heavily hunted, Yang Ming decides he will need to enter the middle region the following day.
• At night, he establishes camp, uses the Green Lotus Core Flame to start a fire, and cooks hotpot from supplies stored in his Nethersea Ring, ending the day in a relaxed, almost picnic-like mood.

2. Character Developments

• Yang Ming: Demonstrates significant growth in strength, confidence, independence, and survival ability. He now trusts his own capabilities enough to travel without protection and openly display his identity. His mastery of the Green Lotus Core Flame has also improved, allowing him to use it for practical tasks such as lighting fires.
• Yang Ming’s resourcefulness: He prepares carefully, carries extensive supplies in his Soul Tool, marks his route using Chinese writing, and avoids revealing his identity by writing Tang San’s name instead.
• The market vendor: Revealed to be greedy and opportunistic. His ability to recognize the value of the Nethersea Ring leads him to betray Yang Ming for profit and involve criminal forces.
• Old Jack: Though absent from the chapter’s main action, his circumstances are updated: after Holy Soul Village’s destruction, Spirit Hall takes him in as a cleaner, with Bishop Beska ensuring he receives support.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and ambition: Yang Ming’s difficult cultivation path highlights the sacrifices required to advance, while his search for a powerful Soul Ring reflects his determination to maximize his future strength.
• Greed and danger: The vendor’s betrayal shows how wealth attracts danger, particularly in the lawless environment surrounding the Soul Hunting Forest.
• Self-reliance: Yang Ming rejects outside protection and relies on his own preparation, abilities, and judgment.
• Scarcity caused by exploitation: Constant hunting has weakened the outer forest, making powerful Soul Beasts increasingly rare. This reflects the consequences of humans exploiting natural resources.
• Contrast between danger and ordinary comfort: Although Yang Ming is unknowingly being targeted, he remains calm enough to enjoy a hotpot meal, emphasizing both his confidence and the chapter’s shift between suspense and lighthearted domesticity.

4. Character Interactions

• Yang Ming interacts briefly with the academy authorities, refusing both the teachers’ and principal’s offers of accompaniment.
• He conducts a simple purchase with the market vendor, unaware that the transaction exposes him to danger.
• The vendor secretly marks Yang Ming, then meets with a covert criminal organization and offers them information about his valuable Soul Tool.
• Yang Ming has no direct interaction with the pursuing black-robed figures yet, but their actions establish an impending threat.
• His earlier connection to Old Jack and Spirit Hall is referenced, showing that Yang Ming’s actions and support indirectly benefit the people connected to his past.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The map vendor secretly leads the Hyena Seven to Yang Ming’s tent, revealing that Yang Ming possesses a valuable high-grade Soul Tool and expecting twenty percent of the profits.
• The Hyena Seven, a group of seven Soul Grandmasters known for robbery and ambushes, surround the tent at night.
• A member with the Night Leopard Martial Soul tears open the tent, expecting to find Yang Ming asleep and defenseless.
• Instead, Yang Ming immediately counters with the Mysterious Sword, impaling and killing the attacker before he can react.
• The remaining six bandits demand that Yang Ming surrender the Nethersea Ring, but he realizes that displaying it earlier exposed him to danger.
• When Yang Ming mockingly refuses to cooperate, the bandits activate their Martial Souls and surround him.
• The Hyena Seven attempt a coordinated assault, led by their Thunder Boar-wielding leader.
• Yang Ming uses Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to evade their attacks effortlessly. He views the attackers not as a threat, but as potential sources of the Soul Rings he needs.
• The chapter ends with Yang Ming standing above them and declaring that killing them will be “like butchering dogs,” signaling the beginning of his counterattack.

Character Developments

• Yang Ming demonstrates a major increase in confidence and combat awareness. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan allows him to identify the ambush and track his enemies, while his swordsmanship kills the first attacker instantly.
• He recognizes his own inexperience after realizing that displaying the Nethersea Ring made him a target, showing a moment of self-reflection.
• Despite being outnumbered, Yang Ming remains calm, sarcastic, and eager for battle. He sees the Hyena Seven as an opportunity to acquire his second Soul Ring rather than as dangerous enemies.
• The Hyena Seven are revealed to be arrogant opportunists who prey on weaker targets. Their confidence collapses briefly after their companion is killed, but humiliation quickly drives them into an aggressive attack.
• The map vendor is exposed as a traitor who helped arrange the ambush for profit.

Significant Themes

• Predator and prey reversal: The Hyena Seven believe Yang Ming is helpless prey, but Yang Ming is actually the stronger hunter.
• Overconfidence and misjudgment: The first attacker underestimates Yang Ming because of his age and appearance, leading directly to his death.
• Power and intimidation: The bandits rely on numbers and threats, while Yang Ming’s composure and skill undermine their psychological advantage.
• The danger of displaying wealth: Yang Ming realizes that revealing the Nethersea Ring attracted unwanted attention, reinforcing the idea that strength and valuable possessions should be concealed.
• Growth through conflict: The ambush provides Yang Ming with a chance to test his abilities and potentially obtain the Soul Ring he needs.

Character Interactions

• The map vendor bargains with the Hyena Seven, betraying Yang Ming in exchange for a share of the profits.
• The Hyena Seven attempt to intimidate Yang Ming into surrendering his Soul Tool.
• Yang Ming responds with mockery, refusing to submit and provoking the group into attacking.
• The leader’s threat and the group’s encirclement contrast with Yang Ming’s calm confidence.
• The chapter concludes with Yang Ming verbally asserting dominance over the entire group before launching his retaliation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Ming activates the lottery wheel after reciting a famous line about Black Empress Clan, the loyal canine companion of Wushi the Great.
• The lottery wheel offers powerful techniques, treasures, formations, and Black Empress Clan itself. Yang Ming is stunned when the pointer lands on the living entity rather than an ordinary item.
• While the wheel spins, the Hyena Seven and their peddler guide attack Yang Ming. Their leader uses the Soul Skill Thunder Burial, while the others launch attacks with flaming blades, a binding ribbon, hooked claws, and webs.
• Black Empress Clan appears beside Yang Ming and effortlessly destroys the attackers. With a single command—“Scram!”—it nullifies their combined Soul Skills and then kills the entire group, including the peddler.
• Yang Ming initially intends to absorb Black Empress Clan as his second Soul Ring, as he did with previous lottery rewards. However, Black Empress Clan resists the system’s control, revealing that beings of overwhelming strength may retain their independence.
• Black Empress Clan recognizes the unusual nature of Yang Ming’s world and questions whether he wants it to become his Soul Ring.
• Yang Ming hesitates, fearing that the unruly and powerful dog might kill him if he responds carelessly.
• The phantom of Yang Ming’s first Soul Ring, Flame Demon King Ragnaros, appears and establishes a mysterious connection with Black Empress Clan.
• Rather than fully submit, Black Empress Clan agrees to lend Yang Ming part of its power temporarily. It will grant him its complete strength only after he earns its recognition.
• Black Empress Clan enters Yang Ming’s body, allowing his cultivation to break through to the Soul Grandmaster realm and forming his second Soul Ring.
• However, the new Soul Ring is merely white, equivalent to a Century Soul Ring, and gives Yang Ming no Soul Skill. Yang Ming realizes that the Ring’s quality and abilities depend on gaining Black Empress Clan’s approval.

Character Developments

• Yang Ming becomes aware of a major limitation in the lottery system: powerful entities cannot necessarily be controlled or absorbed. His confidence is tempered by caution and fear when facing Black Empress Clan.
• He also demonstrates quick reasoning, recognizing that the weak second Soul Ring is not a failure but a consequence of Black Empress Clan withholding its true power.
• Black Empress Clan is portrayed as overwhelmingly powerful, arrogant, unpredictable, and fiercely independent. Despite its unruly personality, it is not needlessly hostile toward Yang Ming and chooses to cooperate on its own terms.
• Flame Demon King Ragnaros remains a protective presence. Its appearance seems to influence Black Empress Clan, suggesting a future connection or mutual recognition between the two powerful beings.
• The Hyena Seven are established as dangerous attackers but are completely outmatched by Black Empress Clan, emphasizing the vast difference between ordinary Soul Masters and beings from higher realms.

Significant Themes

• Power versus control: Yang Ming cannot automatically dominate everything granted by the system; truly powerful beings retain their will.
• Recognition and cooperation: Strength must be earned through trust or acknowledgment rather than imposed through force.
• The danger of overwhelming power: Black Empress Clan’s arrival instantly changes the balance of the conflict and exposes how vulnerable Yang Ming is despite his abilities.
• Cross-world rules and limitations: Black Empress Clan’s existence interferes with Douluo Continent’s cultivation laws, showing that imported powers do not always conform to local systems.
• Loyalty and legacy: The background of Black Empress Clan’s devotion to Wushi the Great gives its character greater depth and explains its extraordinary status.

Character Interactions

• The Hyena Seven attack Yang Ming collectively, but their aggression is completely neutralized by Black Empress Clan.
• Yang Ming and Black Empress Clan have a tense initial exchange. Yang Ming is wary of offending it, while Black Empress Clan evaluates him and refuses to become his Soul Ring unconditionally.
• Flame Demon King Ragnaros’s silent appearance acts as a protective intervention and appears to create a bond or understanding with Black Empress Clan.
• Black Empress Clan ultimately forms a conditional partnership with Yang Ming, lending him power while making future cooperation dependent on his ability to earn its recognition.

Chapter Summary: “False Benevolence and Righteousness”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Four years have passed, and twelve-year-old Yang Ming has grown to 1.8 meters and reached level 25 as a Soul Grandmaster.
• He travels alone to Suotuo City in the Balak Kingdom to enroll in an Intermediate Soul Master Academy.
• Unlike Tang San and Xiao Wu, Yang Ming deliberately chooses not to attend Shrek Academy, hoping to experience a different school.
• At a prestigious academy, applicants must be at least level 21 and possess two Century Soul Rings. Yang Ming qualifies in cultivation but is rejected because he truthfully records that his first Soul Ring is Ten-Thousand-Year-level while his second is only Ten-Year-level.
• The admissions staff and bystanders assume Yang Ming is lying and mock him. Yang Ming calmly reveals his two Soul Rings—one black and one white—proving his claim.
• Despite this proof, the academy refuses to accept him, politely disguising its rejection as an assertion that he is “too great” for the school.
• Yang Ming visits nearly every other academy in Suotuo City, but they all reject him for the same reason: his unusual Soul Ring combination seems impossible and makes them uncomfortable.
• As he prepares to go to Shrek Academy after failing elsewhere, a luxurious carriage stops beside him. Bishop Beska invites him inside.
• Beska and Yang Ming exchange warm greetings. Their relationship has developed over the years from suspicion to familiarity, largely because Beska has repeatedly helped Yang Ming and Old Jack.
• The chapter ends when Beska subtly shifts the conversation toward Yang Ming’s need to attend an Intermediate Soul Master Academy, suggesting he may have an ulterior motive or proposal.

Character Developments

• Yang Ming: He has matured physically and spiritually. Despite being mocked and repeatedly rejected, he remains calm, confident, and unconcerned with public opinion. His decision to avoid Shrek Academy demonstrates independence and a desire to make his own choices.
• Bishop Beska: Beska appears affectionate and grandfatherly toward Yang Ming, but the sudden change in his expression and topic reveals that his kindness may conceal a political or personal agenda. His relationship with Yang Ming has become genuinely familiar, though not necessarily free of ulterior motives.
• Old Jack: Though absent from the main events, he benefits from Beska’s long-term support, including employment and financial security through Spirit Hall.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Yang Ming’s extraordinary Soul Rings are real, yet people reject the truth because it contradicts their assumptions.
• False benevolence and hypocrisy: The academy hides prejudice behind polite language, claiming Yang Ming is “too great” for it rather than admitting fear, disbelief, or unwillingness to accommodate him.
• Individuality and unconventional talent: Yang Ming’s unusual development makes him difficult to categorize within ordinary systems, showing how institutions often reject what they cannot understand.
• Calm confidence versus social judgment: Yang Ming refuses to be provoked by ridicule, allowing his abilities to speak for themselves.
• Hidden motives behind kindness: Beska’s apparent warmth may be sincere, but the chapter hints that his generosity could also serve larger interests.

Character Interactions

• Yang Ming and the admissions staff: The staff member initially treats him as a fraud, then remains outwardly polite even after Yang Ming proves himself, exposing the academy’s insincere rejection.
• Yang Ming and the crowd: Students and parents mock and stigmatize him before seeing his Soul Rings, then fall silent in embarrassment and disbelief once proven wrong.
• Yang Ming and Bishop Beska: Their conversation is warm and familiar, reflecting years of mutual trust and Spirit Hall’s support. However, Beska’s sudden question about Yang Ming’s schooling creates suspense and suggests that his invitation is not merely casual.

Chapter Summary: Dai Mubai: Don’t Stop Me, I Want to Show Off

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Ming reveals to Bishop Beska that he has been unable to find an academy willing to accept him.
• Beska offers him a letter of introduction to a Spirit Hall academy in Suotuo City, claiming it will provide Yang Ming with excellent treatment.
• After Yang Ming leaves, Black Empress warns him that Beska is manipulating him and that his sudden appearance was likely not a coincidence.
• Yang Ming reflects on the suspicious fact that nearly every academy rejected him in the same manner. He begins to suspect that Bishop Beska may have arranged the rejections, though he still struggles to believe that Spirit Hall could be responsible for the massacre of his village.
• Rather than investigate immediately, Yang Ming decides to find a place to rest and approaches the Rose Hotel, a location familiar from the original story.
• A battle is taking place inside between Tang San and Dai Mubai. Tang San initially gains the upper hand by using Blue Silver Grass and clever Tang Sect techniques.
• Dai Mubai, impressed but angered, stops holding back and activates his third Soul Ring ability, White Tiger Vajra Transformation.
• With his strength, defense, attack power, and resistance doubled, the level-thirty-seven Soul Elder overwhelms Tang San and Xiao Wu, making victory seem impossible for them.
• Yang Ming enters the hotel and confronts Dai Mubai with a cryptic remark about fate, kings, and bandits. When Dai Mubai asks who he is, Yang Ming introduces himself as “merely an unknown traveler.”

Character Developments

• Yang Ming: Becomes more cautious and observant after Black Empress’s warning. He begins questioning Spirit Hall’s motives and recognizes that he lacks worldly experience, though he still has difficulty suspecting people who have treated him kindly. His confident entrance at the hotel hints that he may be preparing to involve himself in Dai Mubai’s conflict.
• Black Empress: Acts as Yang Ming’s skeptical guide and tests his ability to draw conclusions independently. It immediately sees through Beska’s apparent kindness but deliberately refuses to explain everything.
• Bishop Beska: Presents himself as generous and concerned for Yang Ming, but his carefully timed offer and the suspicious academy rejections imply hidden manipulation.
• Dai Mubai: Demonstrates overwhelming confidence in his superior cultivation and martial soul. He begins by underestimating Tang San but ultimately acknowledges Tang San’s ability after being forced to use his full strength.
• Tang San: Shows tactical intelligence and technical skill, using Blue Silver Grass and Tang Sect methods to exploit Dai Mubai’s initial arrogance. However, the gap in cultivation prevents him from overcoming Dai Mubai’s full power.
• Xiao Wu: Reacts angrily to Dai Mubai’s dominance but is unable to change the situation through words or force.

Significant Themes

• Deception and hidden motives: Beska’s offer appears benevolent, but Black Empress suggests it may be part of a larger scheme. The chapter emphasizes that kindness can conceal manipulation.
• Trust versus suspicion: Yang Ming’s long history of receiving help from Spirit Hall makes it difficult for him to consider them enemies, illustrating how trust can blind someone to uncomfortable possibilities.
• Strength and cultivation gaps: Tang San’s intelligence and technique allow him to challenge a stronger opponent, but Dai Mubai’s higher level ultimately determines the battle’s outcome.
• Fate and personal choice: Yang Ming’s statement about kings, bandits, and the roads people choose introduces the idea that destiny may shape people, but their choices determine where they eventually end up.
• Confidence and arrogance: Dai Mubai’s initial contempt for Blue Silver Grass nearly costs him the battle, while Yang Ming’s calm entrance suggests a different, more controlled form of confidence.

Character Interactions

• Yang Ming and Beska: Beska offers Yang Ming a place at the Spirit Hall academy, appearing supportive while potentially influencing his future.
• Yang Ming and Black Empress: Their exchange reveals Black Empress’s sharp insight and Yang Ming’s growing willingness to question his surroundings, though Black Empress intentionally withholds information.
• Dai Mubai and Tang San: Their battle develops from Dai Mubai’s underestimation of Tang San into a serious confrontation. Tang San’s strategy forces Dai Mubai to reveal his true strength.
• Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu: Xiao Wu openly resents Dai Mubai’s superiority, but Dai Mubai’s power leaves her unable to challenge him.
• Yang Ming and Dai Mubai: The chapter ends with their first direct encounter. Yang Ming’s mysterious words and self-description as an “unknown traveler” create tension and foreshadow a new confrontation or alliance.

Chapter Summary: “Fierce Battle with Dai Mubai!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Ming receives a system notification granting him a lottery draw after speaking a classic line from Rakshasa Street, but postpones using it because the timing is inappropriate.
• Xiao Wu runs to Yang Ming and complains that Dai Mubai bullied her, asking Yang Ming to defend her.
• Yang Ming confronts Dai Mubai, who accepts the challenge rather than backing down. Dai introduces himself as a level 37 Soul Grandmaster, while Yang Ming reveals that he is level 25.
• Xiao Wu steps aside so the two can fight without interference.
• Yang Ming launches the first attack with his spear and the Ruthless Charge technique, attempting to strike Dai Mubai from above.
• Dai Mubai reacts quickly, using his second Soul Ring skill, White Tiger Fierce Light Wave, to fire a powerful sphere of energy at Yang Ming.
• Yang Ming cancels his attack in midair and uses a refined version of Flame Demon Form, transforming only his right arm into a massive flaming hand.
• The flaming hand blocks Dai Mubai’s attack, causing a huge explosion that shakes the hotel, breaks glass, and damages the surroundings.
• Dai Mubai realizes that Yang Ming’s defensive technique is far stronger than expected. He narrowly avoids the descending flaming hand, which leaves a large, heat-melted palm print in the floor.

Character Developments

• Yang Ming demonstrates his protective feelings toward Xiao Wu and his confidence as a fighter. Despite being several levels below Dai Mubai, he remains calm and eager to face a strong opponent.
• Yang Ming’s mastery of his soul skills has advanced considerably. He can now use Flame Demon Form selectively instead of transforming his entire body, showing creativity and technical growth.
• Xiao Wu is portrayed as affectionate and dependent on Yang Ming, openly treating him as her protective older brother. She is also mature enough to recognize when she should stay out of the battle.
• Dai Mubai is shown to possess great pride, discipline, and combat instincts. Although provocative, he does not underestimate Yang Ming and immediately fights seriously.

Significant Themes

• Protective family bonds: Yang Ming’s immediate defense of Xiao Wu highlights their close sibling-like relationship.
• Pride and challenge: Dai Mubai’s unwillingness to retreat creates the confrontation, while Yang Ming welcomes the opportunity to test himself against a worthy opponent.
• Skill over raw power: The battle emphasizes tactical awareness, instinct, and creative soul-skill application rather than relying solely on cultivation level.
• Growth through innovation: Yang Ming’s modified Flame Demon Form illustrates how mastery comes from understanding and adapting techniques creatively.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Wu playfully complains to Yang Ming and relies on him to punish Dai Mubai.
• Yang Ming responds affectionately by rubbing Xiao Wu’s hair, then becomes serious when confronting Dai Mubai.
• Dai Mubai and Yang Ming exchange formal introductions and challenge each other with mutual caution and competitive respect.
• Their opening clash establishes them as evenly matched in battle awareness despite Dai Mubai’s higher soul level.

Chapter Summary: “A Narrow Victory”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The battle between Yang Ming and Dai Mubai continues inside the damaged hotel, forcing Tang San and Xiao Wu to retreat outside for safety.
• Dai Mubai attempts to deceive Yang Ming by pretending to use the White Tiger Fierce Light Wave, then launches a surprise close-range attack with his tiger claws.
• Yang Ming anticipates the attack and counters with his Mysterious Sword, injuring Dai Mubai’s right arm despite the protection of the White Tiger Vajra Transformation.
• Dai Mubai is impressed rather than angered by Yang Ming’s speed and skill. Yang Ming keeps the source of his extraordinary sword speed secret: the Killing Blade’s accumulated attack-speed enhancement from his many kills.
• Acknowledging that his lower cultivation level places him at a disadvantage in a prolonged fight, Yang Ming relies on speed, movement, and precise sword techniques to avoid a battle of endurance.
• When Dai Mubai attempts to catch Yang Ming’s sword with his bare hands, Yang Ming uses Green Lotus Sword Song to split into five sword lights. The attack exploits Dai Mubai’s exposed defenses and breaks through both his White Tiger Barrier and White Tiger Vajra Transformation.
• Dai Mubai suffers a deep diagonal wound from his shoulder to his kidney. Though the injury is not life-threatening, he considers the exchange a defeat because he failed to harm the weaker Soul Grandmaster while being injured himself.
• Dai Mubai withdraws, promising to remember Yang Ming’s name and challenge him again. Yang Ming confidently replies that he will fight him anytime.

Character Developments

• Yang Ming: Demonstrates exceptional tactical awareness, swordsmanship, speed, and confidence. He recognizes the danger of relying solely on his offensive power and compensates through agility and deception. His victory establishes him as a serious combatant despite his lower cultivation.
• Dai Mubai: Shows his intelligence by using feints and close-range tactics, but he is ultimately outmaneuvered. Rather than reacting with resentment, he develops respect and excitement toward Yang Ming as a worthy rival. His pride is wounded, but his competitive spirit is strengthened.
• Tang San: Closely studies the battle with his Purple Demon Eye, treating the exchange as an important learning opportunity. His intense concentration shows his analytical nature.
• Xiao Wu: Displays concern for Yang Ming’s safety, emphasizing her emotional attachment and protective feelings toward him.

Significant Themes

• Speed versus strength: Yang Ming’s superior speed and precision allow him to overcome Dai Mubai’s advantages in strength, defense, and Soul Power.
• Tactical intelligence: Feints, positioning, and exploiting openings prove more decisive than raw cultivation.
• Pride and honorable rivalry: Dai Mubai accepts defeat because he recognizes Yang Ming’s genuine skill, turning their conflict into the beginning of a potential rivalry.
• The importance of cultivation gaps: Although Yang Ming wins, the chapter emphasizes that his victory is narrow and that a prolonged battle would favor Dai Mubai.
• Composure under pressure: Both fighters remain focused amid destruction, while Yang Ming’s calm confidence contrasts with Dai Mubai’s increasingly urgent attacks.

Character Interactions

• Yang Ming and Dai Mubai: Their battle evolves from a hostile confrontation into mutual respect and future rivalry. Dai Mubai asks about Yang Ming’s sword speed, but Yang Ming teasingly refuses to explain it.
• Tang San and Xiao Wu: Xiao Wu seeks reassurance from Tang San, but Tang San remains absorbed in analyzing the fight.
• Yang Ming and Dai Mubai at the conclusion: Dai Mubai acknowledges Yang Ming’s ability and promises a rematch; Yang Ming responds boldly, reinforcing his confidence and willingness to face Dai Mubai again.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Dai Mubai leaves the hotel, Xiao Wu proudly insists that Yang Ming would still defeat him in another fight.
• Yang Ming tells Xiao Wu that he has decided to enroll at Shrek Academy with her because he is worried she might be bullied. Xiao Wu is delighted by his decision.
• Hotel manager Wang gives Tang San the key to the luxurious top-floor “Red Ocean” suite, while surveying the extensive damage caused by the earlier battle and worrying about the repair costs.
• The suite is extravagantly decorated with roses, a heart-shaped centerpiece, and a romantic message. The bedroom contains only one enormous heart-shaped bed, making Yang Ming and Tang San uncomfortable. Both choose to sleep in the living room instead.
• Tang San meditates and reflects on his battle with Dai Mubai. Yang Ming uses his system to draw a reward connected to the Rakshasa Street world.
• Rather than receiving a powerful artifact or ability, Yang Ming summons Yu Jin, a famous Three Kingdoms general and Guardian Spirit from Rakshasa Street.
• Yu Jin immediately kneels and pledges loyalty to Yang Ming, addressing him as his lord.

Character Developments

• Yang Ming: Demonstrates his protective feelings toward Xiao Wu by changing his enrollment plans. He remains cautious about troubling her with the recent danger surrounding them. His system also expands his power base by granting him Yu Jin as a loyal subordinate.
• Xiao Wu: Shows confidence in Yang Ming’s strength and affection for him. She is especially happy that he will accompany her to Shrek Academy.
• Tang San: Acts thoughtfully and modestly in the awkward romantic-themed room. He spends the night cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Skill and analyzing his combat experience.
• Yu Jin: Is introduced as a disciplined, loyal, and formidable military commander. His immediate submission establishes him as a devoted Guardian Spirit under Yang Ming.
• Dai Mubai: Though absent for most of the chapter, his defeat and departure continue to influence the group’s thoughts and reactions.

Significant Themes

• Family-like loyalty and protection: Yang Ming’s decision to attend Shrek with Xiao Wu emphasizes his protective bond with her.
• Awkwardness and innocence: The romantic hotel suite contrasts with the characters’ discomfort, highlighting that their relationship is based more on companionship and familial affection than romance.
• Strength through alliances: Yang Ming’s system allows him to gather powerful allies from other worlds, broadening the scope of his abilities and future conflicts.
• Discipline and loyalty: Yu Jin’s background and introduction reinforce the importance of military order, integrity, and absolute service to one’s lord.
• Uncertainty and investigation: The author’s notes clarify that Yang Ming’s suspicions regarding the village massacre remain unproven theories, leaving the true culprit unresolved.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Wu praises Yang Ming after Dai Mubai’s defeat and warmly welcomes his decision to join her at Shrek Academy.
• Yang Ming affectionately pats Xiao Wu’s head and reassures her without revealing the full danger surrounding them.
• Tang San and Yang Ming share mutual embarrassment over the couple-themed suite and independently decide not to sleep in the heart-shaped bed.
• Tang San focuses on self-improvement through meditation, while Yang Ming turns to his system and receives Yu Jin.
• Yu Jin’s formal kneeling and declaration of loyalty immediately establish a master-servant relationship with Yang Ming.

Chapter Summary: “Soul Tool, the Girl”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Ming, Tang San, and Xiao Wu begin exploring Suotuo City the morning after arriving.
• Yang Ming buys the group a local meat-filled flatbread. Xiao Wu enjoys it so much that she begs him to buy another, but he refuses, teasing her about eating too much meat and getting fat.
• The trio explores the prosperous but expensive city. Yang Ming worries about his rapidly shrinking funds, especially after Xiao Wu spends heavily on new clothes.
• Xiao Wu notices a shop bearing symbols associated with Spirit Hall and points it out to the others. The symbols—a sword, hammer, and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon—suggest a connection to the three major Spirit Master clans and make Yang Ming suspect the shop belongs to Flender, Shrek’s headmaster.
• Inside, they find Flender resting and a young girl examining a Soul Tool. Yang Ming notices unusual tattoo-like markings carved into it, resembling the tattoos associated with the mysterious “Tattooed Duo” he encountered in the Soul Hunting Forest.
• Yang Ming asks to inspect the Soul Tool, but the girl assumes he wants to compete with her for it. She firmly refuses, purchases the overpriced item from Flender, and leaves.
• Yang Ming memorizes her appearance and senses that their paths will cross again.

Character Developments

• Yang Ming: Shows practical financial concerns after spending money in the expensive city. His sharp observation and memory are emphasized when he recognizes the Soul Tool’s markings and connects them to a previous mystery. He remains direct and somewhat teasing in his interactions with Xiao Wu.
• Xiao Wu: Displays her playful, spoiled, and affectionate side by begging Yang Ming for more food. Her extravagant spending on clothes contributes to Yang Ming’s financial anxiety.
• Tang San: Acts as the calm mediator, quietly enjoying Yang Ming and Xiao Wu’s banter before suggesting they explore the city.
• Flender: Is revealed to operate or be present in the Soul Tool shop. His willingness to sell an item at an inflated price reflects his business-minded and opportunistic nature.
• The mysterious girl: Appears young, beautiful, confident, and somewhat spoiled. Though gentle in manner, she is stubborn once she makes a decision and refuses to let Yang Ming examine the Soul Tool.

Significant Themes

• Friendship and familiar teasing: The breakfast scene highlights the trio’s close, sibling-like relationship, especially Yang Ming and Xiao Wu’s constant playful conflicts.
• Urban prosperity and financial pressure: Suotuo City’s wealth contrasts with Notting City, while higher prices and Xiao Wu’s shopping emphasize the challenges of adapting to a major city.
• Mystery and foreshadowing: The Soul Tool’s markings connect the present events to the Tattooed Duo and hint at a larger unresolved plot.
• First impressions and perceived value: The girl becomes more determined to purchase the Soul Tool once she believes Yang Ming may want it, illustrating how competition can increase an object’s perceived worth.
• Fate and future encounters: Yang Ming’s conviction that he will meet the girl again foreshadows her likely importance to the story.

Character Interactions

• Yang Ming and Xiao Wu engage in their usual teasing exchange, with Xiao Wu using affectionate pleading and Yang Ming responding with blunt, mock-serious refusal.
• Tang San observes their banter and redirects the conversation toward exploring the city.
• Yang Ming attempts to establish a cooperative interaction with the girl by asking only to inspect the Soul Tool, but she misinterprets his intentions and rejects his request.
• Flender indirectly interacts with the group by selling the Soul Tool to the girl, apparently at an exceptionally high price.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang San tries to buy a dull crystal from a shopkeeper, who is revealed to be Flender, the headmaster of Shrek Academy. Flender repeatedly raises the price from 100 to 200, then 500 Gold Soul Coins, clearly exploiting Tang San.
• Xiao Wu angrily confronts Flender and attempts to pull Tang San away.
• Yang Ming identifies Flender as Shrek’s headmaster and criticizes his treatment of a future student. Impressed that Tang San is Yang Ming’s disciple, Flender allows Tang San to take the crystal for free.
• Flender notices Yang Ming’s Nethersea Ring and asks to inspect it. When he tries to activate it, the ring’s soul imprint releases a mental attack, leaving him dizzy.
• Flender realizes that the ring is an exceptionally advanced Soul Tool, capable of defending itself against anyone besides its owner.
• He offers Yang Ming 20,000 Gold Soul Coins for it, then raises the offer to 100,000 when Yang Ming refuses.
• Yang Ming rejects every offer, calmly stating that he has never touched money and is not interested in it. Flender is left stunned and deeply frustrated.

Character Development

• Yang Ming is shown to be confident, principled, and indifferent to wealth. His refusal to sell the ring emphasizes his unusual values and strong attachment to his possessions. He also demonstrates influence by openly challenging Flender.
• Tang San reveals his determination to improve, willingly enduring Flender’s outrageous price because he believes the crystal may help him narrow the gap with Yang Ming.
• Xiao Wu displays her loyalty and protective nature by defending Tang San against Flender’s profiteering.
• Flender is characterized as shrewd, greedy, and opportunistic, but also highly knowledgeable about Soul Tools. His professional curiosity overwhelms his usual composure when he discovers the ring’s hidden technology.

Significant Themes

• Money versus personal values: Flender assumes that any person can be persuaded by enough money, while Yang Ming completely rejects that worldview.
• The value of knowledge and technology: The Nethersea Ring’s importance lies not only in its storage ability but also in its sophisticated soul-imprint defense, suggesting the potential for major advances in Soul Tool development.
• Power and status: Yang Ming’s confidence allows him to confront a powerful academy headmaster without hesitation, while Flender quickly changes his attitude after recognizing Yang Ming’s connection to Tang San and the ring’s value.
• Growth through rivalry: Tang San’s willingness to buy the crystal reflects his determination to close the widening gap between himself and Yang Ming.

Character Interactions

• Tang San and Flender clash over the crystal’s price, with Xiao Wu defending Tang San.
• Yang Ming intervenes, causing Flender to reconsider his treatment of Tang San.
• Flender and Yang Ming engage in a tense negotiation over the Nethersea Ring, but Yang Ming remains unmoved by increasingly extravagant offers.
• Tang San and Xiao Wu share Flender’s shock at Yang Ming’s rejection of 100,000 Gold Soul Coins, reinforcing how extraordinary his attitude toward money is.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The next morning, Yang Ming, Xiao Wu, and Tang San leave Suotuo City and travel south toward Shrek Academy.
• Along the road, they pass extensive farmland, prompting reflections on the difficult lives and low social status of farmers.
• Xiao Wu jokingly asks Yang Ming to carry her because she is tired. Yang Ming teases her about losing weight, then makes an embarrassing remark about her poor physical development. Xiao Wu becomes furious and storms ahead with Tang San.
• The group arrives at a small village where Shrek Academy is located. The academy appears extremely poor and unimpressive, lacking a proper gate or any grand decorations.
• The prospective students and their parents become suspicious and angry about the academy’s reputation and high registration fee.
• The elderly registrar silences the crowd by releasing his Martial Soul and six Soul Rings, revealing himself to be a powerful level-sixty-plus Spirit Emperor. He declares that anyone entering Shrek must obey its rules.
• Many applicants leave after learning that Shrek requires students to be under thirteen years old, possess at least level twenty-one Soul Power, and pay ten Gold Soul Coins for the examination.
• Yang Ming’s turn arrives. Dai Mubai recognizes him as the talented Soul Grandmaster who previously broke through his defenses and expresses interest in seeing him enter the academy.
• Yang Ming demonstrates his unusual weapon Martial Soul, followed by his Green Lotus Core Flame. The registrar is initially unimpressed by the weapon but becomes shocked when Yang Ming reveals his first black, ten-thousand-year Soul Ring.

2. Character Developments

• Yang Ming: Continues to display confidence, humor, and a teasing personality, especially around Xiao Wu. He also reveals more of his extraordinary power and unique abilities by demonstrating both his weapon Martial Soul and Green Lotus Core Flame. His ten-thousand-year first Soul Ring confirms that he is an exceptional genius.
• Xiao Wu: Shows her playful, childish side with Yang Ming and Tang San, becoming embarrassed and angry when Yang Ming teases her. Her behavior contrasts with her more formidable “Sister Xiao Wu” reputation at the junior academy.
• Tang San: Acts as a calm observer of Yang Ming and Xiao Wu’s quarrel, finding Xiao Wu’s childish reactions amusing.
• Dai Mubai: His hostility toward Yang Ming has diminished. He now acknowledges Yang Ming’s strength and views him with anticipation and competitive interest.
• The elderly registrar: Establishes himself as a stern, powerful authority figure who values discipline and genuine talent over family background or social status.

3. Significant Themes

• The hardship and inequality of ordinary people: The journey through the farmlands highlights the labor, exploitation, and low social standing of farmers.
• Appearance versus reality: Shrek Academy looks like a shabby village institution, yet it possesses strict standards and powerful personnel. Its unimpressive exterior conceals its true nature.
• Strength as authority: The registrar ends the crowd’s complaints instantly by revealing his Spirit Emperor-level power, demonstrating how strength commands respect in the world of soul masters.
• Merit over status: The registrar insists that identity and reputation do not matter at Shrek; applicants must meet its requirements and follow its rules.
• Exceptional talent and expectations: Yang Ming’s ten-thousand-year first Soul Ring establishes him as far beyond ordinary candidates and suggests that Shrek may be the rare academy capable of recognizing his potential.

4. Character Interactions

• Yang Ming and Xiao Wu exchange playful insults, with Yang Ming’s teasing embarrassing her and causing her to temporarily turn to Tang San for support.
• Tang San quietly observes their familiar relationship, recognizing that Xiao Wu only behaves so childishly around close companions.
• The parents and applicants clash with the academy over its appearance and registration fee until the registrar intimidates them into silence.
• Dai Mubai and Yang Ming share a brief but significant interaction: instead of hostility, Dai Mubai shows respect and competitive anticipation.
• The registrar evaluates Yang Ming’s abilities and reacts with growing surprise, culminating in shock at the appearance of Yang Ming’s black ten-thousand-year Soul Ring.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yusong recognizes Yang Ming’s newly revealed black Soul Ring as evidence of extraordinary talent and enthusiastically labels him a “monster,” overlooking his unusual white Soul Ring.
• Dai Mubai is instructed to escort Yang Ming into Shrek Academy. He challenges Yang Ming to another fight after the entrance examination, but Yang Ming is more interested in Dai Mubai’s royal connections than in battling him.
• Yang Ming considers exploiting Dai Mubai’s status as a Star Luo Empire prince to investigate his father’s disappearance and the destruction of Holy Soul Village. He even contemplates using a Gender-Change Potion to force Dai Mubai to cooperate, though he has no immediate plans to do so.
• Dai Mubai senses that Yang Ming is plotting something dangerous and quickly distances himself from him.
• Tang San and Xiao Wu also pass Zhao Wuji’s examination, and the group enters Shrek Academy together to begin the next test.
• While waiting in line, they encounter Oscar selling his sausages. Xiao Wu is tempted by the food and asks Yang Ming to buy one, but Yang Ming warns her that she would lose her appetite if she knew how the sausages were produced.
• Oscar becomes alarmed when Yang Ming appears to know the secret behind his sausage ability. Yang Ming mocks Oscar’s attempt at boasting with the chapter’s title line, asserting that Oscar is inexperienced compared with him.

Character Developments

• Yang Ming: His overwhelming strength and unusual Soul Rings reinforce his status as a prodigy. He remains clever, cautious, and willing to manipulate others if necessary, particularly in his pursuit of information about his father and the Star Luo Empire. His confidence and sharp tongue are also emphasized.
• Dai Mubai: Although impressed by Yang Ming and eager for a rematch, he becomes instinctively wary of him and retreats to avoid possible trouble.
• Xiao Wu: She displays a playful, dependent side when she asks Yang Ming to buy her food, but she quickly becomes suspicious when Yang Ming exposes Oscar’s suspicious sales pitch. She also reflects on whether she has become too spoiled.
• Oscar: His talent for salesmanship and flamboyant self-promotion are highlighted, along with his anxiety about others discovering the unpleasant nature of his sausage-producing martial soul.
• Li Yusong: He is extremely enthusiastic about recruiting Yang Ming after recognizing his rare talent.
• Tang San: He successfully passes Zhao Wuji’s test and continues alongside Yang Ming and Xiao Wu, though he receives little individual focus in this chapter.

Significant Themes

• Genius beyond conventional rules: Yang Ming’s strange combination of Soul Rings demonstrates how exceptional talents can defy established expectations.
• Manipulation and hidden motives: Yang Ming appears cooperative on the surface while privately considering how to use Dai Mubai’s identity and resources for his own investigation.
• Instinct and suspicion: Dai Mubai’s intuition warns him that Yang Ming is dangerous, while Oscar immediately becomes nervous when Yang Ming hints at knowing his secret.
• Comedy through contrast: Xiao Wu’s innocent appetite, Oscar’s ridiculous sales pitch, and Yang Ming’s sarcastic confidence create much of the chapter’s humor.
• Appearance versus reality: Oscar presents his sausages as delicious and famous, but their true nature is apparently far less appealing; similarly, Yang Ming’s odd Soul Ring is dismissed because his strength makes him an exception.

Character Interactions

• Yang Ming and Li Yusong: Li Yusong praises Yang Ming as a monster after seeing his black Soul Ring.
• Yang Ming and Dai Mubai: Dai Mubai proposes a rematch, while Yang Ming considers using Dai Mubai’s royal background for his investigation. Dai Mubai’s instincts eventually drive him away.
• Yang Ming and Xiao Wu: Xiao Wu affectionately asks Yang Ming to buy her food, while Yang Ming responds protectively and prevents her from eating Oscar’s suspicious sausage.
• Yang Ming and Oscar: Their exchange becomes a battle of confidence and deception. Oscar tries to advertise his product, but Yang Ming exposes his unease and ends by ridiculing his boastfulness.
• Yang Ming, Tang San, and Xiao Wu: The three proceed together into Shrek Academy after passing the first examination, preparing for the next stage of admission.

Summary of “A Note on Going Premium”

Key events

• The author announces that the book will become a paid/premium work the following day at noon.
• They thank editor Ziyue for recommending the book and helping it gain exposure.
• The author explains that they donated over 1,000 yuan during the pandemic, later regretted it after scandals involving the charity emerged, but could not recover the money.
• The pandemic also caused the author to lose their job, contributing to the darker, more depressing tone of the story’s early plot.
• The author promises that the story will become lighter and include more humor from this point onward.
• Ten chapters will be released on the first day of the premium period, with at least five updates guaranteed daily afterward.

Character developments

• There are no fictional character developments in this note.
• The author presents themself as financially strained but determined to continue writing and improve the reader experience.

Significant themes

• Perseverance during hardship: The author continues writing despite unemployment and the pandemic.
• Changing tone: The story is expected to shift from depression toward lighter, more humorous content.
• Reader support and community: The author encourages readers to continue supporting the book after it becomes premium.
• Work ethic and reciprocity: The author promises frequent updates in exchange for subscriptions and tips.

Character interactions

• The main interaction is between the author and editor Ziyue, whose recommendation helped promote the book.
• The author also directly addresses readers, reassuring them that they will not be abandoned and inviting their support.
• A bonus-update system is established: every 10 additional average subscriptions or 1,000 book coins in tips earns an extra chapter.

Chapter Summary: Zhao Wuji — First Update

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Ming receives a system notification after quoting a famous line from Xu Que, granting him one lottery opportunity. However, he postpones using it.
• Dai Mubai returns with Ning Rongrong and takes Yang Ming, Tang San, and Xiao Wu directly to Shrek Academy’s fourth entrance test because their Soul Power exceeds level twenty-five.
• Other candidates protest the special treatment, but Dai Mubai explains that only applicants above level twenty-five may skip the earlier tests.
• To silence the doubters, Dai Mubai gives Yang Ming a Soul Power testing crystal. Although Yang Ming is only level twenty-five, his unusually vast Soul Power reserves—roughly three times those of ordinary Spirit Masters at the same level—make the crystal shine brilliantly.
• The other candidates are left speechless, forced to acknowledge Yang Ming’s overwhelming talent.
• Ning Rongrong also claims she should be allowed to skip the second and third tests. Yang Ming recognizes her as the girl who previously purchased the Soul Tool with the mysterious tattoo pattern, though he does not approach her.
• Dai Mubai explains Shrek’s four admission stages:
  1. Basic age and Soul Power requirements
  2. Soul Power and Martial Soul evaluation
  3. Control and practical use of the Martial Soul
  4. Combat experience
• He further reveals Shrek’s extremely demanding graduation standard: students must reach level forty before age twenty. Of sixty-two admitted students, only fourteen have graduated.
• The group arrives at the fourth-test area, where they meet Zhao Wuji, an imposing teacher who offers to personally test the young applicants.

Character Developments

• Yang Ming: Demonstrates his immense Soul Power reserves and establishes himself as far stronger than other candidates of the same age. His calm reaction to Shrek’s harsh standards suggests strong confidence in his ability to succeed.
• Dai Mubai: Shows responsibility toward Yang Ming and the other special candidates, following Zhao Wuji’s instructions to treat them well. He also defends them against the resentment of the other applicants.
• Ning Rongrong: Reveals that she possesses enough Soul Power to bypass the intermediate tests. Her appearance and refined temperament are emphasized, while her connection to Yang Ming remains distant.
• Tang San and Xiao Wu: React with surprise to Shrek’s low graduation rate, reinforcing how demanding the academy is.
• Zhao Wuji: Is introduced as a powerful and intimidating instructor who enjoys personally challenging new students.

Significant Themes

• Talent and superiority: The chapter emphasizes that apparent geniuses can still encounter people far more gifted than themselves. Yang Ming’s performance illustrates the idea that there is always someone stronger.
• Merit and harsh standards: Shrek Academy values quality over quantity and subjects its students to rigorous selection and graduation requirements.
• Confidence versus arrogance: The rejected candidates resent Yang Ming’s special treatment, but his measured demonstration proves that his privilege is earned.
• Hidden potential: Yang Ming’s Soul Power reserves and Ning Rongrong’s abilities suggest that appearances and ordinary level measurements do not reveal a Spirit Master’s full strength.
• Competition and recognition: The candidates’ reactions establish the competitive atmosphere surrounding Shrek Academy and Yang Ming’s emerging reputation.

Character Interactions

• Yang Ming and Dai Mubai: Dai Mubai guides Yang Ming through the academy and discreetly checks whether he ate Oscar’s sausage, showing concern over Yang Ming’s impression of Shrek.
• Yang Ming and the other candidates: Their resentment turns into stunned silence after Yang Ming demonstrates his exceptional Soul Power.
• Yang Ming and Ning Rongrong: Yang Ming recognizes Ning Rongrong from their earlier encounter but chooses not to speak with her because of her previous unwillingness to reveal the Soul Tool’s tattoo pattern.
• Dai Mubai and the candidates: Dai Mubai explains the academy’s examination system and reprimands those who question why Yang Ming and the others can skip ahead.
• The group and Zhao Wuji: Their arrival culminates in Zhao Wuji announcing that he will personally conduct the fourth-stage combat assessment.

Chapter Summary: “You Have Half My Former Bearing”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhao Wuji appears before Yang Ming and the other candidates, immediately intimidating them with his immense physical presence and powerful aura.
• He announces the final entrance test: the candidates must cooperate and survive his attacks for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. If even one person remains standing, they pass.
• Dai Mubai warns the group that Zhao Wuji is a Level 76 Soul Saint known as the “Unmoving Bright King.” His Mighty Vajra Bear Martial Soul gives him extraordinarily powerful defense.
• Ning Rongrong recognizes Zhao Wuji as a legendary expert who disappeared from the continent years earlier.
• The Black Empress Clan suddenly gives Yang Ming his first trial after ignoring him for four years: he must endure Zhao Wuji’s attack alone, relying only on his own strength. If he succeeds, his second Soul Ring will be upgraded to the thousand-year level.
• Yang Ming accepts the challenge and steps forward, declaring that he will face Zhao Wuji alone.
• The other candidates react with shock and concern. Zhao Wuji is initially amused but becomes impressed by Yang Ming’s determination, telling him that he possesses “half my former bearing.”

Character Developments

• Yang Ming: Demonstrates extraordinary confidence, discipline, and courage by choosing to confront a Soul Saint alone. His decision reflects both his intense desire for greater strength and his awareness that he remains vulnerable after the village massacre. His years of relentless training have built a strong physical and spiritual foundation.
• Zhao Wuji: Is established as a terrifying but not needlessly cruel instructor. Although he intends to test the candidates seriously, he assures Dai Mubai that he will not permanently cripple them. He quickly develops respect for Yang Ming’s boldness.
• Dai Mubai: Acts as the experienced guide, explaining Zhao Wuji’s level, reputation, and abilities while warning the others about the danger of the test.
• Tang San: Shows concern for Yang Ming and prepares to intervene if necessary, revealing his loyalty and protective instincts.
• Xiao Wu: Reacts with open anxiety, silently praying that Yang Ming will remain safe.
• Ning Rongrong: Is shocked by both Zhao Wuji’s identity and Yang Ming’s reckless-looking challenge, while also becoming curious about Yang Ming.
• Zhu Zhuqing: Maintains her usual composure but pays unusual attention to Yang Ming, suggesting growing interest in his character and abilities.
• Black Empress Clan: Finally provides Yang Ming with a meaningful trial after years of inactivity, though its unpredictable and uncooperative nature remains evident.

Significant Themes

• Courage versus recklessness: Yang Ming’s challenge may appear foolish, but it is driven by determination and a calculated desire to obtain greater power.
• The pursuit of strength: Yang Ming’s severe training and willingness to face a Soul Saint reflect his belief that insufficient strength leaves him unable to protect himself or others.
• Reputation and power: Zhao Wuji’s legendary title creates fear before he even attacks, emphasizing how reputation can shape people’s perceptions.
• Hidden limits of power: Yang Ming recognizes that the system and its rewards may carry dangers, and that power gained beyond one’s ability to control it can cause backlash.
• Respect earned through resolve: Zhao Wuji’s attitude shifts from amusement to approval when Yang Ming proves that he is willing to stand alone.

Character Interactions

• Zhao Wuji explains the test to the candidates, while Dai Mubai attempts—unsuccessfully—to moderate its severity.
• Dai Mubai warns the group about Zhao Wuji’s strength and reputation.
• Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Tang San discuss Zhao Wuji among themselves.
• Yang Ming separates himself from the group and formally challenges Zhao Wuji.
• Tang San and Xiao Wu react protectively, while Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing observe Yang Ming with surprise and increasing curiosity.
• Zhao Wuji acknowledges Yang Ming’s courage and compares him to his younger self, setting up the impending one-on-one confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Challenge Zhao Wuji”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dai Mubai warns Yang Ming not to challenge Zhao Wuji, insisting that surviving for the duration of one incense stick would be nearly impossible for a level-25 Soul Grandmaster.
• Ning Rongrong shares Dai Mubai’s doubts but remains quietly curious about the outcome.
• Yang Ming refuses to back down. He summons his unusual sword-like weapon and reveals his confidence, supported unconditionally by Xiao Wu.
• Zhao Wuji accepts the challenge, lights an incense stick, and prepares to test Yang Ming’s strength.
• Yang Ming unleashes his refined sword technique, Sword Qi Like Lotus, forming nine layers of sword qi into a lotus-shaped attack.
• The technique impresses Zhao Wuji, who recognizes its exceptional precision and the immense effort required to master it.
• Zhao Wuji activates his martial soul, the Mighty Vajra Bear, transforming into a massive, heavily muscled figure surrounded by seven Soul Rings.
• Using his first Soul Ring skill, Immovable King Body, Zhao Wuji becomes enveloped in golden light and completely neutralizes Yang Ming’s sword qi before it can approach him.
• The spectators are stunned. Dai Mubai concludes that Yang Ming has no chance of surviving Zhao Wuji’s assault, especially if Zhao Wuji stops suppressing his power.

Character Developments

• Yang Ming demonstrates unwavering confidence and determination. His mastery of Sword Qi Like Lotus reflects six months of intense, dangerous training and highlights his exceptional talent and perseverance.
• Zhao Wuji shifts from casual amusement to serious interest after witnessing Yang Ming’s sword technique. His overwhelming defensive power establishes the vast gap between a Soul Grandmaster and a powerful Soul Saint.
• Dai Mubai acts as a concerned senior, attempting to protect Yang Ming from an overly dangerous challenge. His confidence in Zhao Wuji’s superiority is absolute.
• Xiao Wu reveals her deep loyalty and emotional support for Yang Ming, declaring that she will stand by whatever decision he makes.
• Ning Rongrong remains observant and intrigued, recognizing Zhao Wuji’s fearsome reputation.
• Tang San does not directly intervene, but his lack of visible panic suggests confidence in Yang Ming or awareness that Yang Ming may possess hidden abilities.

Significant Themes

• Confidence versus overwhelming power: Yang Ming’s self-belief is immediately tested against Zhao Wuji’s overwhelming strength and defense.
• The value of perseverance: Yang Ming’s sword technique is the result of six months of repeated failure, danger, and disciplined practice.
• Loyalty and support: Xiao Wu’s unconditional faith in Yang Ming contrasts with the others’ practical doubts.
• Experience and mastery: Zhao Wuji’s strength comes not only from his rank but also from his battle experience and ability to maximize even a seemingly ordinary Soul Ring skill.
• Hidden potential: Although Yang Ming appears hopelessly outmatched, the calm reactions of Tang San and Xiao Wu hint that the challenge may not be as one-sided as it seems.

Character Interactions

• Dai Mubai tries to dissuade Yang Ming, while Yang Ming firmly rejects the warning.
• Xiao Wu openly supports Yang Ming, which causes Dai Mubai to feel jealous and dejected.
• Zhao Wuji overhears the exchange and challenges Yang Ming to prove his strength.
• Yang Ming’s refined technique earns Zhao Wuji’s genuine acknowledgment before being effortlessly defeated by the Immovable King Body.
• After witnessing Zhao Wuji’s defense, Dai Mubai and the others express serious doubt that Yang Ming can last even a short time, let alone one incense stick.