Chapter Summaries

Chapter 58 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• In their third group-stage match, Eastsea Academy’s Class Zero faced Heaven Dou Affiliated Soul Master Academy, a team renowned for powerful frontal assaults and sustained combat.
• Following Wu Changkong’s instruction not to fight head-on, Class Zero used Gu Yue’s six Water Mirrors to divide the battlefield into visual blind zones.
• Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, and Wei Xiaofeng coordinated through the mirrors to isolate and defeat Heaven Dou’s fighters one by one. Their speed, positioning, and teamwork prevented Heaven Dou from concentrating its firepower.
• Eastsea won all three group-stage matches and advanced to the elimination rounds in first place.
• The elimination bracket revealed that their first opponent would be Canghui Academy, Zhang Yangzi’s former school. Its vice-captain was also Zhang’s former partner.
• Zhang analyzed Canghui’s team formation, martial souls, strengths, and weaknesses, then assured Tang Wulin that he was prepared to fight them. Tang accepted his decision.
• On the eve of the match, Lu Menge and Wu Changkong reflected on how Class Zero had matured independently through their shared experiences.
• The chapter ends with Zhang Yangzi and Canghui’s vice-captain shaking hands before the elimination match, suggesting mutual respect despite their history.

Character Developments

• Tang Wulin demonstrates growing leadership by trusting Zhang Yangzi’s judgment and responding decisively: if Zhang believes they can win, then they will fight.
• Gu Yue shows excellent strategic control through her Water-Mirror Matrix and quietly supports Zhang by reminding him not to treat his former teammates as a personal burden.
• Xie Xie continues to develop as a fast, precise attacker and shows emotional consideration by quietly offering Zhang a tissue.
• Zhang Yangzi confronts his past and reveals the emotional weight of facing his former school and partner. Despite his hesitation, he maintains composure, provides a detailed tactical analysis, and chooses to compete.
• Wang Jinxi offers silent but powerful support through the steady presence of his Bone Dragon Shield Armor.
• Wei Xiaofeng, though less prominent, is included as part of the team’s supportive dynamic.
• Wu Changkong and Lu Menge recognize that Class Zero’s bonds and maturity are no longer simply the result of direct instruction; the students have grown into a true team on their own.

Significant Themes

• Teamwork over brute force: Class Zero defeats a stronger frontal team through coordination, mobility, and tactical separation rather than direct confrontation.
• Growth and independence: Wu Changkong and Lu Menge acknowledge that their students have developed their own emotional bonds, judgment, and methods of supporting one another.
• Facing the past: Zhang Yangzi must confront former teammates and unresolved history, but he does so with professionalism and determination.
• Quiet forms of support: The team expresses solidarity through small gestures, such as Xie Xie’s tissue, Wang Jinxi’s grounding presence, and Gu Yue’s reminder that Zhang need not carry the emotional burden alone.
• Respect amid rivalry: Zhang and his former partner’s handshake shows that competition does not erase shared history or mutual respect.

Character Interactions

• Wu Changkong gives Class Zero its core tactical instruction, while the students execute and adapt it independently.
• Zhang Yangzi’s revelation about Canghui causes the entire team to pause, showing their concern for him.
• Tang Wulin and Zhang establish mutual trust when Tang asks whether he can win and accepts his answer without further hesitation.
• Gu Yue, Xie Xie, and Wang Jinxi each support Zhang in different ways—through reassurance, practical kindness, and silent solidarity.
• Lu Menge and Wu Changkong share a tender conversation about their students’ development, reinforcing their emotional partnership and pride in Class Zero.
• Zhang’s final handshake with his former partner frames the upcoming battle as both a tactical contest and an emotionally significant reunion.

Chapter 59 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Eastsea Academy’s Class Zero faces Canghui Academy in the first elimination round. Canghui is a strong defensive team led by an Ironwall Shield user and an airborne Azure Eagle captain.
• Before the match, Zhang Yangzi reunites with his former schoolmates, including the Ironwall Shield user who had once inspired his tactical studies. Zhang makes it clear that he is now fully committed to Class Zero.
• Class Zero exploits Canghui’s weaknesses rather than attacking directly:
  • Gu Yue’s Water Mirror blocks the enemy’s view and disrupts their defensive coordination.
  • Zhang Yangzi uses Dark Dive to seize control of the airspace and confront his former partner.
  • Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Wang Jinxi, and Wei Xiaofeng dismantle Canghui’s formation through coordinated attacks.
• Zhang defeats the Azure Eagle captain in midair, earning Canghui’s acknowledgment. Eastsea wins and advances to the quarterfinals.
• That evening, the team celebrates with snacks while immediately reviewing the match and preparing for the next opponent, Blazing Fire Academy.
• In the quarterfinal, Blazing Fire Academy attempts to overwhelm Class Zero with fire-based attacks and extreme heat.
• Gu Yue divides the battlefield into temperature zones with Water Mirror, allowing her teammates to maneuver safely. The team systematically breaks through Blazing Fire’s defenses.
• Tang Wulin delivers the decisive attack, using Golden Dragon Skybreak to shatter one wing of the enemy’s Phoenix True Form. Class Zero wins and advances again.

Character Developments

• Zhang Yangzi demonstrates major growth. He has transformed from an outsider who once admired Canghui’s Ironwall Shield user into a confident and indispensable member of Class Zero. His victory over the Azure Eagle captain confirms his improvement.
• Tang Wulin continues to serve as the team’s powerful offensive core and emotional leader. His brief praise—“Beautiful”—deeply encourages Zhang, while his final attack secures the quarterfinal victory.
• Gu Yue shows her increasing tactical sophistication. She uses Water Mirror for battlefield control rather than simple reflection, and she immediately identifies ways Zhang can improve his aerial attack.
• Xie Xie remains energetic and enthusiastic, celebrating Zhang’s performance and helping maintain the team’s lively atmosphere.
• Wang Jinxi and Wei Xiaofeng prove their reliability by holding the front line and disrupting the enemy from below despite intense pressure.
• Lu Menge and Wu Changkong are increasingly portrayed as parental figures. Lu recognizes that the team has become capable of standing independently, while still cherishing their childish side.

Significant Themes

• Teamwork and trust: Class Zero wins through seamless coordination and by adapting each member’s abilities to the battlefield.
• Growth and belonging: Zhang’s reunion with his former schoolmates emphasizes how far he has come and how firmly he now belongs to Class Zero.
• Tactical intelligence over brute force: Both victories depend on controlling sightlines, temperature, movement, and formation rather than simply overpowering opponents.
• Youth and camaraderie: The students celebrate with cheap snacks, argue over battle reviews, and joke about honey-covered barbecue, showing that their competitive discipline coexists with ordinary youthful affection.
• Mentorship and family: Lu Menge and Wu Changkong watch the students with pride, seeing both their independence and the children they still remain in their eyes.

Character Interactions

• Zhang and the Canghui vice-captain share a respectful reunion, culminating in mutual acknowledgment after Zhang’s victory.
• Zhang and Gu Yue review his aerial technique; her practical criticism contrasts with his self-deprecating humor.
• Tang encourages Zhang with concise praise, while Xie Xie enthusiastically celebrates him.
• The team’s post-match discussion turns into playful banter, especially when Lu Menge’s “water with honey” joke becomes a plan for celebrating their next victory.
• Lu Menge and Wu Changkong quietly observe the team’s bond, holding hands as they prepare to congratulate the students after the quarterfinal win.

Semifinals — Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• On the eve of the semifinals, Class Zero studies Skyblue Academy, an undefeated dark horse led by a captain with rare Twin Martial Souls: ice and fire.
• Tang Wulin and Gu Yue identify the likely weakness of the captain’s martial souls: the brief gap when switching between ice and fire.
• During the match, Gu Yue uses Water Mirrors to detect and expose the captain’s transition from ice to fire, allowing Tang Wulin and the others to launch coordinated attacks.
• Skyblue Academy surprises Class Zero by fusing ice and fire into a powerful Ice-Fire Domain, temporarily stopping Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon Spear and overwhelming Gu Yue’s Water Mirrors.
• Drawing on both the Golden Dragon King’s power and Blue Silver Grass’s resilience, Tang Wulin combines the two martial souls around his spear and pierces the center of the domain.
• Gu Yue amplifies the opening with her remaining Water Mirrors, while Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, and the rest of the team execute a coordinated assault that destroys the Ice-Fire Domain.
• Eastsea Academy defeats Skyblue Academy and advances to the finals. The entire team celebrates with a group embrace in the arena.

Character Developments

• Tang Wulin demonstrates increased confidence and tactical maturity. Rather than matching the opponent’s elemental fusion directly, he recognizes the complementary strength of his own two martial souls and uses them together.
• Gu Yue proves essential to the team’s victory through observation, precision, and adaptability. Even after her Water Mirrors begin breaking, she continues supporting Tang Wulin without hesitation.
• Xie Xie and Zhang Yangzi show strong battlefield coordination, exploiting the opening created by Tang Wulin and Gu Yue.
• Wang Jinxi and Wei Xiaofeng fulfill their supporting roles by defending the team and restricting the enemy captain’s movement.
• The Skyblue captain gains respect for Tang Wulin and Gu Yue, recognizing that although they do not possess dual-element fusion, they function like “two people” working as one.
• Lu Menge becomes deeply emotional watching Class Zero win, while Wu Changkong quietly comforts her. Her reaction reflects how personally invested she has become in the students’ growth.

Significant Themes

• Complementarity over imitation: Class Zero wins not by reproducing Skyblue Academy’s ice-fire fusion, but by combining different strengths that support one another.
• Unity and teamwork: The victory depends on every member contributing to a single coordinated strategy.
• Balance and coexistence: The imagery of gold and silver, fire and ice, and Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon Spear entwined with Blue Silver Grass suggests that seemingly opposing forces can coexist and become stronger together.
• Growth and emotional bonds: The team’s celebration and Lu Menge’s tears emphasize that Class Zero has developed from a group of students into a close-knit family.
• Victory beyond competition: Lu Menge realizes that regardless of the finals’ outcome, the students have already “won” through their growth, courage, and shared experiences.

Character Interactions

• Tang Wulin and Gu Yue share a quiet, increasingly intimate connection, communicating through brief glances and coordinated action. After the victory, Tang Wulin pulls her into an embrace, and she holds him in return.
• The entire Class Zero team celebrates by embracing in the arena, highlighting their camaraderie.
• Lu Menge watches proudly and emotionally from the stands. Wu Changkong holds her hand and gently wipes away her tears, revealing a subtle tenderness beneath his normally impassive demeanor.
• During the evening celebration, Tang Wulin and Gu Yue sit together by the window, with Gu Yue resting against his shoulder while Blue Silver Grass curls around her wrist.
• Lu Menge and Wu Changkong share a quiet moment as she wonders whether she will cry if the team wins the finals; instead of answering, he kisses her forehead.
• The chapter ends with Class Zero preparing for the finals, united and already transformed by their journey.

Chapter Summary: “Before the Semifinals”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• On the eve of the finals, Lu Menge reflects on Class Zero’s growth from their first days at Eastsea Academy to the present. She remembers each student’s struggles, habits, and determination, realizing how deeply attached she has become to them.
• The next morning, Class Zero faces Shrek Academy’s Outer Court team in the tournament’s opening exhibition match. Despite the prestige of Shrek, the students enter the arena with confidence and unity.
• Shrek attacks aggressively, using a Fire Phoenix martial soul and coordinated formations. Class Zero responds through precise teamwork:
  • Gu Yue repeatedly uses Water Mirror to contain the flames.
  • Tang Wulin counters the Fire Phoenix with his Golden Dragon Spear, Blue Silver Grass, and Golden Dragon Head.
  • Xie Xie and Zhang Yangzi exploit openings from opposite sides.
  • Wang Jinxi protects the team with his Bone Dragon Shield Armor.
  • Wei Xiaofeng blocks the opposing team’s retreat with Earth Spike.
• Class Zero defeats Shrek’s team, winning the exhibition final and earning overwhelming cheers from the audience.
• After the victory and awards ceremony, Lu Menge rejects the formal exchange banquet and takes Class Zero and Wu Changkong to a hillside picnic beneath golden ginkgo trees.
• The group eats grilled food, jokes, reviews the tournament, and celebrates not only their victory but also the bonds they have formed.
• Tang Wulin gives Gu Yue a handmade bamboo hairpin decorated with intertwined gold and silver lines. She accepts it and kisses him, marking a more openly intimate moment in their relationship.
• Lu Menge tells Wu Changkong that they have truly “won”: not merely the tournament, but the chance for every member of Class Zero to grow up safely together. She also recognizes that she herself has achieved the ordinary, peaceful life she longed for.

2. Character Development

• Lu Menge: Her sleeplessness reveals how emotionally invested she has become in her students. She moves from viewing herself as their teacher to seeing Class Zero as her family and “home.” Her reflections also show that she values their safety and happiness above grand achievements or legendary destinies.
• Wu Changkong: He remains quiet and reserved but supports Lu Menge with understated affection, including a kiss before the match and an embrace during the celebration. Their relationship has developed into a stable, loving partnership.
• Tang Wulin: He demonstrates leadership and combat maturity, coordinating effectively with Gu Yue and the rest of the team. His gift to Gu Yue shows growing confidence in expressing his feelings.
• Gu Yue: She displays resilience and trust, repeatedly protecting the team even when her Water Mirror is destroyed. Her closeness with Tang Wulin becomes more explicit through her affectionate gesture and acceptance of his hairpin.
• Xie Xie: His energetic personality remains intact, but his combat performance shows strong cooperation with the team. His joking declaration that joining Class Zero was the best decision of his life reflects his attachment to his teammates.
• Zhang Yangzi: His detailed tournament analysis demonstrates his tactical growth and dedication. His rare smile suggests that he has become genuinely comfortable and happy within the group.
• Wang Jinxi and Wei Xiaofeng: Both continue to embody quiet perseverance. Wang protects the team from the front, while Wei carefully supports its positioning and control. Their comfortable interactions at the picnic show their growing sense of belonging.

3. Significant Themes

• Teamwork over individual strength: Lu Menge emphasizes that the strongest force is not one student but Class Zero as a whole. Their victory results from coordination rather than any single fighter.
• Growth and shared history: Lu Menge’s memories emphasize how far the students have come through training, hardship, and mutual support.
• Found family and belonging: Class Zero is portrayed as more than a school team. The students, teachers, and their relationships create a warm substitute for home.
• Victory as emotional fulfillment: The chapter redefines winning. The true achievement is that the students remain together, safe, and happy—not simply that they defeat Shrek.
• Love and ordinary happiness: Tang Wulin and Gu Yue’s developing romance, along with Lu Menge and Wu Changkong’s relationship, contrasts grand martial-soul ambitions with intimate, everyday moments.
• Transition and celebration: The final match marks the culmination of one stage of Class Zero’s journey, while the ginkgo picnic creates a peaceful pause before future challenges.

4. Character Interactions

• Lu Menge and Wu Changkong stand together before the match, presenting a united front as teachers. Later, their affection is shown through a kiss and an embrace.
• Lu Menge gives the team a heartfelt speech, reframing their identity as a collective rather than a group centered on individual prodigies.
• Tang Wulin and Gu Yue fight in close coordination, protecting and compensating for each other. Afterward, they exchange the bamboo hairpin and a kiss, openly deepening their bond.
• Xie Xie and Zhang Yangzi continue their playful arguments, especially over tactics, while still functioning effectively as a coordinated attacking pair.
• Xie Xie celebrates by embracing Wang Jinxi and later pushes Tang Wulin and Gu Yue into the team’s group hug.
• The entire team shares food, jokes, tournament analysis, and physical closeness around the grill, reinforcing their unity.
• The chapter ends with everyone comfortably occupying the same space: Gu Yue beside Tang Wulin, the boys bickering and helping one another, and Lu Menge and Wu Changkong observing them as a family.

Chapter Summary: “Treating Everyone”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The day after Class Zero wins the exchange tournament, Lu Menge gathers the students in the guesthouse lounge and rewards them with a shopping trip through Shrek City.
• She gives each member a shopping card, insisting that she will cover all expenses. The students enthusiastically split up to visit soul-tool shops, bookstores, forging-material stores, and other shops.
• Lu Menge gives Wu Changkong his own card and asks him to accompany her to a silver jewelry shop. He remembers the White Tiger-head earrings she bought previously and compliments them, prompting her to kiss him.
• At the jewelry shop, Wu Changkong selects a pair of simple silver rings. Lu Menge puts one on, and he pays for it with his own card. She leaves the shop wearing the ring openly, symbolizing their enduring relationship.
• Gu Yue and Tang Wulin also visit the jewelry shop, showing subtle romantic affection as they walk together. Meanwhile, the other students pursue their own interests, including soul-tool equipment, tactical books, and forging materials.
• At noon, everyone reunites at a teahouse restaurant for an elaborate dim sum meal. The students share food, discuss equipment and forging, and relax together before returning to Eastsea the next day.
• The chapter ends with Lu Menge reflecting on the value of the outing. The true purpose of the treat was preserving their sense of togetherness after the tournament, not simply spending money.

Character Developments

• Lu Menge shows herself as generous, affectionate, and deeply attached to Class Zero. Her joy comes less from rewarding the students than from seeing them remain united. Her relationship with Wu Changkong advances through the symbolic silver ring.
• Wu Changkong remains quiet and restrained but demonstrates increasing emotional openness. He remembers Lu Menge’s jewelry, chooses a ring for her, holds her hand, and accepts her closeness.
• The Class Zero students appear more relaxed and youthful after the pressure of competition. Their excitement over shopping reveals their personalities and strengthens their camaraderie.
• Gu Yue and Tang Wulin display growing mutual affection through quiet companionship and shared embarrassment. Gu Yue’s request to revisit the jewelry shop and her closeness to Tang Wulin suggest deepening feelings.
• Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, and Wei Xiaofeng pursue individual interests while remaining connected as a group. Xie Xie is excitable and humorous, Zhang Yangzi is studious and tactical, Wang Jinxi is focused on books, and Wei Xiaofeng is interested in soul-tool equipment.
• Tang Wulin continues to develop as a craftsman, purchasing rare metals and discussing the design of a lighter, better-balanced weapon with Xie Xie.

Significant Themes

• Togetherness and belonging: The outing emphasizes that shared time and continued unity matter more than material rewards.
• Affection expressed through actions: Wu Changkong’s remembered detail, chosen ring, and hand-holding communicate feelings more powerfully than words.
• Transition and continuity: The group is about to leave Shrek City, making the peaceful day together feel especially valuable.
• Reward after hardship: Following the intensity of the tournament, the characters are allowed to relax, enjoy ordinary pleasures, and reconnect.
• Enduring commitment: The silver ring recalls an earlier promise involving Wu Changkong’s “no expiration date” salary card, transforming a past symbol of devotion into a lasting commitment.

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Menge teases and treats the students while maintaining a warm, almost parental connection with them.
• Lu Menge and Wu Changkong share several intimate moments: her kiss, his selection of the ring, their hand-holding, and their quiet walk together.
• Gu Yue rests against Lu Menge, showing trust and closeness, while Lu Menge responds affectionately.
• Gu Yue and Tang Wulin walk together and visit the jewelry shop, with their restrained behavior revealing mutual romantic feelings.
• Tang Wulin and Xie Xie bond over forging and weapon design.
• The reunited group jokes, eats, and talks freely at the teahouse, reinforcing their identity as a close-knit team.

Chapter 62 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After returning from Shrek City, the exhausted Class Zero students sleep on the soul train, surrounded by their newly acquired equipment. Tang Wulin quietly supports Gu Yue when she falls asleep against him.
• Lu Menge and Wu Changkong share a tender moment on the train. Lu Menge expresses her longing for Eastsea Academy, its familiar meals, the ginkgo tree, and their home comforts; Wu Changkong reassures her that they are almost back.
• Upon their return, Lu Menge prepares an enormous feast beneath the ginkgo tree. The students eagerly eat and begin planning the next day’s menu, revealing both their appetites and their growing sense of family.
• During a later weekend barbecue on the back mountain, the students relax together while discussing past competitions, experimenting with equipment, and enjoying food beneath the stars.
• Tang Wulin carves Gu Yue another bamboo hairpin, this time decorated with golden and silver dragon patterns. Their quiet companionship reflects the deepening bond between them.
• Lu Menge imagines continuing to teach future generations of Class Zero students after the current group graduates. Wu Changkong agrees, symbolizing their shared future and commitment to the academy.
• The chapter closes with Class Zero arguing, joking, and sharing food around the fire while Lu Menge watches the warm scene contentedly.

Character Developments

• Tang Wulin and Gu Yue: Their relationship grows more intimate and comfortable. Tang Wulin cares for Gu Yue while she sleeps, and later makes her a new hairpin while she patiently stays beside him.
• Lu Menge and Wu Changkong: Their marital affection is shown through small gestures rather than dramatic declarations. They support each other physically and emotionally, and Lu Menge begins envisioning a long-term future together at the academy.
• Class Zero: The students have become a close-knit family. Their teasing, shared meals, and easy disagreements show increased trust and emotional security after their experiences in Shrek City.
• Individual traits: Xie Xie remains energetic and food-focused; Zhang Yangzi is practical and analytical; Wang Jinxi reveals a rare personal preference; Wei Xiaofeng applies his technical precision even to barbecue preparation.

Significant Themes

• Home and belonging: Eastsea Academy is presented as more than a school—it is a place of safety, friendship, routine, and emotional attachment.
• Found family: Shared meals, teasing, and informal traditions reinforce the bond among Class Zero and their teachers.
• Quiet affection: Love and care are expressed through small acts—supporting a sleeping companion, preparing someone’s favorite food, carving a hairpin, or holding hands.
• Continuity and legacy: Lu Menge’s wish to teach future students suggests that the warmth and traditions of Class Zero will continue beyond the current group’s graduation.
• Balance between struggle and comfort: After competition and training, the characters find restoration in food, nature, friendship, and ordinary domestic moments.

Character Interactions

• Tang Wulin gently catches Gu Yue as she slips from the train window and lets her sleep on his shoulder.
• Lu Menge rests against Wu Changkong, while he subtly adjusts his posture to support her.
• The students enthusiastically negotiate future meals, highlighting their contrasting personalities.
• Tang Wulin and Gu Yue share a quiet creative moment during the barbecue.
• Xie Xie and Zhang Yangzi argue over battle tactics, while Wang Jinxi and Wei Xiaofeng contribute in their own distinctive ways.
• Gu Yue leans against Lu Menge, who adjusts herself so Gu Yue can rest comfortably, further emphasizing the affectionate, family-like atmosphere.
• Wu Changkong takes Lu Menge’s hand and accepts her vision of continuing to teach together.

Chapter 63 Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Class Zero holds its graduation ceremony beneath Eastsea Academy’s largest ginkgo tree, without formal speeches or school officials. Wu Changkong and Lu Menge personally congratulate the six students.
• Wu Changkong tells them they are the best students he has ever taught, prompting an emotional farewell. Lu Menge gives each student a handmade graduation certificate: a pressed ginkgo leaf marked with their name and enrollment date.
• The students embrace as a group, symbolizing their unity and the bonds formed through their years of training.
• After graduation, the students pursue different paths:
  • Tang Wulin and Gu Yue remain at the academy as teaching assistants.
  • Xie Xie and Zhang Yangzi join the Federation Soul Master Corps.
  • Wang Jinxi becomes a defense instructor in his hometown.
  • Wei Xiaofeng’s later role is not specified, but he remains part of the group’s continuing story.
• Wu Changkong and Lu Menge continue teaching a new Class Zero, preserving their tradition of meals, training, and mentorship beneath the ginkgo tree.
• One year later, Xie Xie and Zhang Yangzi return on leave. The former classmates reunite, showing how much they have matured while retaining their old friendships and habits.
• The chapter ends with the recognition that Class Zero’s story continues through memories, letters, reunions, and the new students who now gather around the same charcoal fire.

Character Development

• Wu Changkong remains outwardly reserved but openly expresses pride and affection for the first Class Zero. His emotional response and gentle interaction with Lu Menge reveal his softer side.
• Lu Menge serves as the warm emotional center of the class. Her handmade bookmarks, meals, and continued care for both classes demonstrate her role as a nurturing mentor.
• Tang Wulin and Gu Yue remain closely connected, becoming teachers together and sharing a quiet embrace at graduation.
• Xie Xie, once impulsive and easily carried away by praise, becomes more mature and disciplined, though he remains emotionally expressive and attached to his friends.
• Zhang Yangzi grows from a student with a thin tactical manual into an experienced tactician with multiple worn manuals, while maintaining his dedication to strategy.
• Wang Jinxi develops into a dependable defender and instructor, retaining his practical and good-natured personality.
• Wei Xiaofeng, formerly timid and insecure in combat, becomes more confident and fully embraces the group during the farewell.
• The students’ equipment—Xie Xie’s dagger, Wang Jinxi’s armor, and Wei Xiaofeng’s calibrator—also reflects their growth and accumulated experience.

Significant Themes

• Graduation and the passage of time: The chapter marks the transition from student life to adulthood while emphasizing that meaningful relationships endure.
• Found family and belonging: Class Zero’s group embrace and continued reunions show that the students have become a family.
• Mentorship and legacy: Wu Changkong and Lu Menge pass their values and traditions to a new generation through New Class Zero.
• Growth through shared experience: The students’ changed careers, stronger equipment, and mature personalities demonstrate how far they have come.
• Continuity and memory: The recurring ginkgo tree, charcoal fire, meals, and training logs connect the original Class Zero with the next generation.
• Love and companionship: Wu Changkong and Lu Menge’s quiet domestic affection, culminating in her resting her head on his shoulder, contrasts with their earlier formality and suggests a deep, lasting relationship.

Character Interactions

• Wu Changkong praises the students, while Lu Menge comforts them with humor and handmade keepsakes.
• Tang Wulin and Gu Yue exchange a meaningful look before embracing, reinforcing their close bond.
• The entire class embraces; Xie Xie cries openly, Wang Jinxi responds patiently, Zhang Yangzi sets aside his manual, and Wei Xiaofeng returns the affection without hesitation.
• Wu Changkong places a hand on Lu Menge’s shoulder as they watch the students, and later works naturally beside her while preparing food.
• During the reunion, the former classmates reconnect through familiar jokes, equipment, letters, and shared meals.
• The closing image of Lu Menge and Wu Changkong grilling together mirrors their earlier relationship while showing how it has deepened over time.

Chapter Summary: Summer Vacation After the College Entrance Exams

Key Plot Points and Events

• On the first morning of summer vacation, Tang Wulin and Gu Yue wake Lu Menge and announce their goal of reaching Soul Emperor during the break.
• Lu Menge explains that both have enough accumulated power to approach the breakthrough:
  • Tang Wulin has broken eleven of the eighteen Golden Dragon King seals.
  • Gu Yue’s Silver Dragon King Origin has significantly recovered.
• She warns that Soul Power alone is insufficient; they need intense combat, danger, and pressure to overcome their physical and martial-soul bottlenecks.
• Lu Menge decides to take them to the Core Area of the Star Dou Great Forest, where Di Tian can arrange battles against ancient, extremely powerful soul beasts.
• She adds an important condition: their sixth Soul Rings cannot come from Tang Wulin’s seal or Gu Yue’s origin. Each must personally hunt a genuine soul beast and obtain the ring through their own efforts.
• Gu Yue hesitates because she is the ruler of the soul beasts, but ultimately accepts the necessity of the trial.
• The next day, the group reaches the Core Area, where Di Tian is waiting beside the Lake of Life.
• Gu Yue formally acknowledges Di Tian, who kneels before her as he did in the distant past. Di Tian assesses Tang Wulin’s growing Golden Dragon King aura and agrees that combat training may help him break through.
• Di Tian leads them into a previously unexplored region containing ancient trees, dense Soul Power, and soul beasts that have lived for tens or even hundreds of thousands of years. He tells them to fight, flee if necessary, and call for him only if they are truly unable to survive.

Character Developments

• Tang Wulin demonstrates confidence, determination, and a willingness to pursue dangerous training rather than rely solely on accumulated power. His Golden Dragon King abilities have advanced substantially.
• Gu Yue remains composed but reveals inner tension through small gestures. Her acceptance of hunting a soul beast shows her willingness to sacrifice personal principles for strength and for their shared objective.
• Lu Menge acts as a practical mentor. Though initially sleepy and casual, she gives a clear assessment of their abilities and imposes the crucial requirement of obtaining genuine sixth Soul Rings.
• Di Tian continues to show absolute respect toward Gu Yue while recognizing Tang Wulin’s growing strength. His faint smile suggests confidence that the two may now be capable of surviving the Core Area’s trials.

Significant Themes

• Growth through hardship: Advancement to Soul Emperor requires life-threatening combat and pressure, not merely greater Soul Power.
• Personal responsibility and sacrifice: Tang Wulin and Gu Yue must earn their sixth Soul Rings themselves, accepting the moral and emotional consequences of their choices.
• Trust in mentors and allies: Lu Menge and Di Tian provide guidance, but the actual breakthrough must come from Tang Wulin and Gu Yue’s own efforts.
• Conflict between identity and duty: Gu Yue’s role as ruler of the soul beasts clashes with the need to hunt one, creating an important moral tension.
• The return to ancient power: The Core Area and its ancient creatures connect the protagonists’ present training to the deep history and overwhelming forces of the soul-beast world.

Character Interactions

• Tang Wulin and Gu Yue approach Lu Menge together, presenting a united determination to advance.
• Lu Menge balances teasing familiarity with serious instruction, immediately recognizing their resolve and setting the terms of their training.
• Gu Yue and Di Tian share a formal, hierarchical interaction rooted in their ancient relationship; Di Tian kneels, and Gu Yue allows him to rise only after receiving his respect.
• Di Tian evaluates Tang Wulin directly and acknowledges the increasing influence of the Golden Dragon King within him.
• Lu Menge and Di Tian converse as experienced figures coordinating the dangerous trial, while Tang Wulin and Gu Yue prepare to face the consequences themselves.

Chapter 64 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Di Tian brings Tang Wulin and Gu Yue to Silent Valley, the most dangerous region of the Star Dou Great Forest’s Core Area, so they can hunt soul beasts and break through to the Soul Emperor rank.
• He warns them that the ancient soul beasts inhabiting the valley will not attack first, but will show no mercy once their territories are invaded. He also instructs them to retreat if necessary rather than risk their lives.
• Tang Wulin travels east, where he discovers a golden mineral vein containing the dragon soul of a primordial Golden Dragon descendant. After battling and proving himself, he inherits its remaining power and obtains his sixth soul ring.
• Gu Yue travels west and encounters a severely wounded Silver-Armored Dragon Beast with more than two hundred thousand years of cultivation. Rather than killing it, she honors its loyalty to the dragon clan and allows it to transform its remaining life force into her sixth soul ring.
• Both successfully break through from the peak of Soul King to Soul Emperor.
• Tang Wulin’s sixth soul skill is Dragon Soul Fusion, which combines the power of the Golden Dragon King with his Blue Silver Grass and Golden Dragon Spear, creating a weapon capable of piercing any defense.
• Gu Yue gains Silver Dragon Aegis, an area-wide defensive ability inherited from the Silver-Armored Dragon Beast that provides absolute defense against attacks of the same rank.
• Their skills form a clear offensive and defensive complement: Tang Wulin represents gold and attack, while Gu Yue represents silver and defense.
• Di Tian watches them emerge successfully, then quietly returns toward the Lake of Life, leaving them freshly brewed tea as an understated gesture of approval.

Character Developments

• Tang Wulin grows stronger physically and spiritually by inheriting the unfinished legacy of a primordial Golden Dragon descendant. The dragon soul’s memories also confirm that the legacy was meant for him, not the Golden Dragon King within him.
• He develops greater confidence and understanding of his unique abilities, recognizing that his sixth soul skill is based on fusion rather than simple attack or defense.
• Gu Yue demonstrates her compassion, responsibility, and deep connection to the soul-beast race. Although she needs a soul ring, she refuses to treat the Silver-Armored Dragon Beast as prey and instead grants it a dignified end.
• Her interaction with the beast also reawakens and strengthens the Silver Dragon King Origin within her.
• Tang Wulin’s concern for Gu Yue is briefly revealed when he watches her leave, while Gu Yue maintains her usual calm exterior despite recognizing the danger of the valley.
• Di Tian acts as a stern guardian and guide. His warnings show genuine concern, while his silent bow and prepared tea indicate pride and approval.

Significant Themes

• Inheritance and legacy: Both protagonists receive power from ancient dragon descendants and continue the unfinished will of the primordial Dragon God’s era.
• Respect for life and sacrifice: Gu Yue’s soul ring comes through a voluntary transfer rather than a violent hunt, emphasizing dignity, loyalty, and mutual recognition.
• Balance and complementarity: Their new abilities embody the balance between offense and defense, gold and silver, and the Golden Dragon King and Silver Dragon King.
• Connection between humans and soul beasts: The chapter presents soul beasts not merely as enemies or sources of power, but as beings with history, loyalty, memory, and the capacity to choose their successors.
• Growth through pressure: Both characters must face extreme environments and spiritual trials to overcome their bottlenecks, though neither is required to abandon caution or compassion.

Character Interactions

• Di Tian gives Tang Wulin and Gu Yue separate warnings and guidance before they enter the valley, particularly cautioning Gu Yue because the ancient soul beasts may not recognize her Silver Dragon King aura.
• Tang Wulin silently worries about Gu Yue but proceeds toward the Golden Dragon legacy suited to him.
• Gu Yue communicates with the Silver-Armored Dragon Beast through the soul-beast language and grants it peace through the Silver Dragon King’s power.
• After their breakthroughs, Tang Wulin and Gu Yue reunite on the forest path and exchange details about their sixth soul skills, recognizing that their powers naturally complement one another.
• Di Tian observes their return without interrupting, then leaves them tea, expressing his approval through action rather than words.

Chapter Summary: Wife Assignment Guaranteed

Key Plot Points and Events

• News spreads that Tang Wulin and Gu Yue have both advanced to the Soul Emperor rank. Eastsea Academy celebrates their achievement, with Director Long praising their generation, Wu Changkong upgrading Class Zero’s graduation evaluation to “extremely excellent,” and the cafeteria offering free braised pork to the class.
• Lu Menge unexpectedly takes Tang Wulin home, suggesting that she has an important matter to discuss with his parents.
• At the Tang family home, Lu Menge reminds Tang Ziran and Lang Yue that she once promised Wulin a “guaranteed wife.”
• She formally announces that Gu Yue—one of Class Zero’s most talented members and Wulin’s closest companion—is to become Tang Wulin’s wife. She claims that the Class Zero instructors, including Wu Changkong, tacitly support the match.
• Tang Wulin openly confirms that Gu Yue is the person he loves and the only person he wishes to bring home.
• His parents accept the relationship warmly. Lang Yue recalls how Wulin had gradually revealed his feelings through years of stories about Gu Yue.
• Tang Ziran presents a pair of ordinary silver bracelets left by Wulin’s grandmother for his future daughter-in-law. Lu Menge insists that the bracelets should be given to Gu Yue as a family heirloom, not credited to her.
• Returning to the academy, Tang Wulin thanks Lu Menge. She reflects that she merely brought together two people who had already chosen one another.

Character Developments

• Tang Wulin openly acknowledges his love for Gu Yue, moving from implicit affection and shared experiences to a clear declaration of commitment.
• Gu Yue remains mostly offstage, but her importance is emphasized through her years of cooperation with Wulin, her sacrifices for him, and her quiet acceptance of their bond.
• Lu Menge acts as both mentor and matchmaker. Her playful, forceful personality masks genuine affection and pride in Wulin, while her final reflection shows that she understands their relationship was formed by mutual choice rather than assignment.
• Tang Ziran and Lang Yue shift from amused uncertainty to wholehearted acceptance. They recognize that Gu Yue has long been central to their son’s life.
• Wu Changkong and the Class Zero instructors are indirectly shown to support the relationship, reinforcing Gu Yue and Wulin’s compatibility as partners in both battle and life.

Significant Themes

• Love as mutual choice: Although Lu Menge jokingly claims responsibility for “assigning” Wulin a wife, she admits that Gu Yue and Wulin chose each other.
• Family and belonging: The silver bracelets symbolize Gu Yue’s acceptance into the Tang family and connect the couple’s future to Wulin’s ancestry.
• Growth and fulfillment: The pair’s advancement to Soul Emperor reflects not only their growing power but also the maturation of their emotional relationship.
• Mentorship and legacy: Lu Menge’s years of guidance have shaped Wulin’s abilities, confidence, and future. Her matchmaking is another expression of her long-term care.
• The reunion of the Dragon God’s halves: The closing image symbolically connects Tang Wulin and Gu Yue as the separated halves of the Dragon God, now brought together through their bond.

Character Interactions

• Lu Menge teases and pressures Tang Wulin throughout the journey, while he remains anxious about her announcement.
• At the Tang home, Lu Menge formally addresses Wulin’s parents, presenting Gu Yue as a suitable partner and citing their shared history.
• Tang Wulin’s declaration removes any uncertainty, and his parents respond with warmth rather than resistance.
• Lang Yue thanks Lu Menge for everything she has done for Wulin, creating a sincere emotional moment between mentor and mother.
• Tang Ziran offers the family bracelets, making the relationship an official and intimate family matter.
• Lu Menge ends the chapter by teasing Wulin while privately feeling satisfied that she has helped reunite Gu Yue and Tang Wulin.

Chapter Summary: “Advancement”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Class Zero’s graduation, Eastsea Academy continues normally, but Lu Menge worries that Tang Wulin and Gu Yue have reached the academy’s developmental limit.
• During the summer, both Tang Wulin and Gu Yue break through to the six-ring Soul Emperor level at age fifteen, making them exceptionally talented.
• Lu Menge discusses their future with Wu Changkong. She argues that Eastsea can no longer provide the resources, advanced theory, powerful opponents, and Soul Beast Hunting Grounds they need.
• They identify Shrek Academy as the only institution capable of supporting their continued growth. Shrek would also allow them to face equally gifted students, unlike Eastsea, where they have few opponents their age.
• Lu Menge brings Gu Yue and Tang Wulin together beneath the ginkgo tree to discuss the possibility of attending Shrek.
• Tang Wulin reveals that he has already been considering Shrek, and that Xie Xie and Zhang Yangzi have also inquired about its admission requirements.
• Gu Yue hesitates, showing subtle reluctance to leave Eastsea and the people who have supported her. Lu Menge reassures her that going to Shrek is not a rejection of her past or an abandonment by her teachers.
• Gu Yue asks Tang Wulin whether they should go. He takes her hand and confirms that they will go together.

Character Developments

• Lu Menge demonstrates foresight and responsibility as a mentor. Rather than allowing sentiment to keep Tang Wulin and Gu Yue at Eastsea, she prioritizes their long-term advancement and recognizes the need for a larger stage.
• Wu Changkong supports Lu Menge’s judgment and helps formalize the plan, showing his continued commitment to his students’ futures.
• Tang Wulin displays maturity and ambition. He understands that Eastsea is no longer enough and is prepared to pursue greater challenges. His immediate commitment to accompany Gu Yue also highlights his loyalty and emotional dependence on her.
• Gu Yue reveals a rare moment of vulnerability. Although she understands the advantages of Shrek, she is reluctant to leave the familiar world she has built at Eastsea. Her eventual agreement shows trust in Lu Menge and Tang Wulin.
• Xie Xie and Zhang Yangzi are shown to be planning ahead as well, suggesting that the entire former Class Zero cohort is progressing toward more advanced paths.

Significant Themes

• Growth requires leaving one’s comfort zone: Eastsea Academy provided the foundation for their success, but further advancement demands new resources and challenges.
• The importance of worthy opponents: True limits can only be tested against people of comparable talent and strength.
• Mentorship and selfless guidance: Lu Menge places her students’ future above her own desire to keep them nearby.
• Friendship and loyalty: Tang Wulin and Gu Yue’s decision to move forward together emphasizes their close bond.
• Transition and advancement: The chapter marks the group’s movement from adolescence and foundational training toward a broader, more competitive stage of life.

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Menge and Wu Changkong: They have a thoughtful discussion about the students’ future, combining practical concerns with an understanding of their exceptional potential.
• Lu Menge, Gu Yue, and Tang Wulin: Lu Menge presents Shrek as an opportunity rather than an obligation and reassures Gu Yue that she is not being abandoned.
• Gu Yue and Tang Wulin: Gu Yue seeks Tang Wulin’s decision directly, and his hand-holding and concise answer—“We’re going”—confirm their shared path and mutual support.

Chapter Summary: “The Past”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wu Changkong reflects on his largely unspoken past at Shrek Academy, where he trained under the elderly “Old Long,” who taught him that the Heavenfrost Sword was meant to protect rather than kill.
• At Shrek, Wu rose from the outer court to the Inner Court, becoming known as the “Ice Man” because of his skill, emotional distance, and unmelting sword aura.
• He practiced beside a lake where a quiet girl often read. Though they barely interacted, she later gave him his first sword tassel and eventually died during a mission, becoming one of the deepest sources of his grief.
• When Wu left Shrek, he froze the entire lake for three days, abandoned his graduation certificate, and departed without saying goodbye to Old Long. He eventually settled at Eastsea Academy, claiming he wanted only “peace and quiet.”
• At Eastsea, Wu advanced from teacher and Soul Saint to Titled Douluo and became the mentor of Class Zero. Despite his growing strength, his emotional wounds remained frozen.
• Lu Menge gradually enters his life, bringing warmth, humor, medicinal tea, food, and quiet companionship. Her persistence helps him recognize that he does not have to endure everything alone.
• After years of her patience, Wu accepts his feelings and initiates a kiss. Their relationship develops into a lasting partnership.
• In the present, Wu continues teaching a new Class Zero alongside Lu Menge. His former students have graduated or moved into new careers, and he can finally remember Shrek without being overwhelmed by pain.
• The chapter ends with Wu considering a return to Shrek to revisit its ginkgo trees, showing that he is ready to face rather than flee from his past.

Character Developments

• Wu Changkong: He changes from an isolated, grief-stricken man defined by strength and emotional repression into someone capable of accepting love, companionship, and healing. His memories of Shrek become peaceful rather than suffocating.
• Lu Menge: She is energetic, playful, compassionate, and remarkably patient. Beneath her teasing personality, she offers steady emotional support without demanding explanations or forcing Wu to open up before he is ready.
• Old Long: Though present only in memory, he shaped Wu’s moral foundation by teaching him that power exists to protect others.
• The unnamed girl at Shrek: Her quiet presence and death represent Wu’s earliest experience of attachment and irreversible loss.
• Class Zero students: Their graduation and new paths emphasize the passage of time and Wu’s continuing role as a teacher and mentor.

Significant Themes

• Healing from grief: Wu cannot undo the losses of his past, but he learns to live with them without being consumed by them.
• Strength versus helplessness: Wu once believed becoming stronger could change everything, but his experiences teach him that power cannot prevent every tragedy.
• Protection and responsibility: Old Long’s lesson about the Heavenfrost Sword guides Wu’s identity as both warrior and teacher.
• Love through patience and ordinary kindness: Lu Menge heals Wu not through dramatic intervention, but through years of small, consistent acts of care.
• Moving forward without forgetting: The past remains part of Wu’s identity, but it no longer controls him. Returning to Shrek becomes possible because he has made peace with his memories.
• The symbolism of ice and spring: Wu’s frozen heart gradually begins to thaw through Lu Menge’s companionship, echoing her promise that spring and flowers will eventually return.

Important Character Interactions

• Wu and Old Long: Their teacher-student relationship establishes Wu’s ideals and his view of the Heavenfrost Sword.
• Wu and the girl by the lake: Their silent coexistence develops into a subtle but meaningful bond, made tragic by her death.
• Wu and Lu Menge: Their relationship moves from playful provocation and emotional distance to trust, romance, and mutual companionship. Her statement that she could wait for his “spring” captures her patient devotion.
• Wu and his students: As a strict but committed teacher, Wu continues guiding new generations even as former students leave for different futures.
• Wu and his own past: The final conversation with Lu Menge shows that he is no longer running from Shrek, his losses, or the person he once was.

Chapter Summary: “Vacation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During Monday’s practical combat class, Class Zero notices that Teacher Lu Menge is absent. Wu Changkong takes over the lesson, though his concern is evident because Lu has never missed class without explanation.
• By the second day, Lu’s continued absence begins to worry everyone. Her empty place at lunch, missing bowl and chopsticks, and absent thermos and Little White Tiger make the students fear that she may have left without saying goodbye.
• The students speculate about her whereabouts, while Wu Changkong searches her dormitory. He finds a note explaining that Lu has taken a personal vacation with Little White Tiger to soak in hot springs. She also reminds him to cook the marinated ribs and add more vinegar to the cucumber salad.
• Gu Yue identifies the destination as a natural hot spring in the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest, likely one known to Di Tian.
• Life at the academy continues, with Wu teaching alone, but everyone repeatedly notices the absence of Lu’s usual presence and food.
• The chapter ends by revealing Lu Menge relaxing in the hot spring with Di Tian and Little White Tiger. Although she enjoys her rare break, she already misses Class Zero and Wu Changkong. She decides to stay one more day rather than return immediately.

Character Developments

• Wu Changkong: His normally controlled demeanor is affected by Lu’s disappearance. He repeatedly looks toward her empty chair and carefully preserves her place at lunch, revealing his attachment and concern despite saying little.
• Lu Menge: Her spontaneous decision to take a vacation shows her playful, independent side. Even while relaxing, she remains emotionally connected to the students and Wu, thinking about them and worrying about the food she left behind.
• Class Zero: The students demonstrate how deeply they depend on and care for Lu. They miss her cooking, worry that she may have abandoned them, and remember promises she made, such as taking them for grilled skewers.
• Gu Yue and Tang Wulin: Their quiet closeness is emphasized as they share the note and imagine Lu’s vacation together. Gu Yue leans against Tang Wulin, showing their growing comfort and intimacy.
• Di Tian: He acts as Lu’s companion and attendant during her vacation, offering to open a spatial passage if she wants to return, suggesting familiarity and affection between them.

Significant Themes

• Affection expressed through routine: Lu’s absence is felt through ordinary details—her chair, thermos, meals, and place at the table—showing how important she has become to the group.
• Family and belonging: Class Zero functions as a close-knit family, with Lu’s cooking and promises forming part of their shared daily life.
• Emotional restraint: Wu Changkong does not openly express worry, but his actions—preserving Lu’s place and repeatedly looking toward the sidelines—reveal his feelings.
• The importance of rest: Lu’s vacation highlights the need to step away from responsibilities, even for someone deeply involved in caring for others.
• Separation and longing: Both Lu and Class Zero miss one another after only two days apart, emphasizing their strong emotional bonds.

Character Interactions

• Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, and Wei Xiaofeng discuss Lu’s disappearance, each revealing concern in his own way.
• Wu Changkong interacts with the students through his substitute teaching and quietly maintains Lu’s usual place at lunch.
• Gu Yue questions Wu about whether Lu left a note, then helps identify her destination.
• Tang Wulin and Gu Yue share a gentle, humorous conversation imagining Lu soaking in the hot spring with Di Tian.
• Lu Menge and Di Tian interact casually at the hot spring, with Di Tian offering to help her return while Lu chooses to extend her vacation.

Chapter Summary: “Whose Past”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the exchange tournament, Wu Changkong remains in Shrek City for an extra day to visit his former teacher, Old Long, at Shrek Academy.
• Before he leaves, Lu Menge gives him a thermos and tells him to return early. Their affectionate embrace shows how deeply their relationship has developed.
• Wu Changkong visits Old Long’s secluded residence in the Inner Court. He has avoided returning for years because he believed he had disappointed his teacher when he left Shrek without saying goodbye or collecting his graduation certificate.
• Old Long welcomes him simply, asks to see the Heavenfrost Sword, and recognizes that Wu Changkong’s sword intent has changed. The weapon remains powerful, but its former ruthlessness and emotional isolation have lessened.
• Wu Changkong explains that Lu Menge has been the person beside him during those years. He describes her companionship, care, food, training support, and role in helping him reconnect with others and confront his past.
• Old Long accepts that Lu Menge has softened and steadied Wu Changkong. He tells Wu Changkong to bring her next time so he can make her tea.
• Wu Changkong leaves the old sword tassel—connected to a painful part of his past—with Old Long and decides to replace it on the Heavenfrost Sword with the silver chain Lu Menge gave him.
• Outside, Wu Changkong reflects on how much he has changed. The emotional “ice” he once carried has melted into ordinary memories involving Lu Menge, Class Zero, and his life at Eastsea Academy.
• He reunites with Lu Menge, tells her that Old Long wants to meet her, and shares tea from the thermos she prepared. The chapter ends with Wu Changkong realizing that he had not truly been unwilling to return to Shrek; he had been waiting for someone to return with him.

Character Developments

• Wu Changkong: He confronts the shame and regret associated with leaving Shrek and Old Long. His return demonstrates that he has accepted his past rather than continuing to run from it. His sword’s reduced ruthlessness symbolizes his emotional healing and growing ability to rely on others.
• Old Long: Though outwardly stern and restrained, he reveals deep affection and concern for Wu Changkong. His acceptance of the disciple’s return shows that he was never truly condemning him.
• Lu Menge: She is established as Wu Changkong’s emotional anchor and partner. Her practical acts of care—thermoses, meals, training support, and companionship—have helped him become less isolated. She is also willing to enter and share in his past by meeting Old Long.
• Their relationship: Wu Changkong’s embrace, the matching rings, shared accessories, and Old Long’s invitation all suggest that their bond has become intimate, stable, and central to Wu Changkong’s life.

Significant Themes

• Healing through companionship: Wu Changkong’s emotional recovery comes not from forgetting his past but from facing it with Lu Menge beside him.
• Returning home: The visit to Shrek represents reconciliation with both Old Long and Wu Changkong’s former self.
• Warmth overcoming isolation: The contrast between the cold Heavenfrost Sword and the warm thermos symbolizes the movement from emotional self-punishment toward connection and comfort.
• The meaning of objects: The sword, tassel, silver chain, rings, cufflinks, training logs, and thermos embody different parts of Wu Changkong’s life—his past, his students, and his present with Lu Menge.
• Acceptance and forgiveness: Old Long’s understated welcome confirms that Wu Changkong’s guilt was largely self-imposed; returning is enough to restore their bond.

Important Character Interactions

• Wu Changkong and Lu Menge: Their embrace before his departure and their quiet exchange afterward demonstrate mutual affection, trust, and domestic intimacy.
• Wu Changkong and Old Long: Their formal reunion begins with disciple rites and respectful silence, then deepens through Old Long’s examination of the Heavenfrost Sword and recognition of Wu Changkong’s transformation.
• Old Long and Lu Menge, indirectly: Old Long’s request to meet her marks his acceptance of the person who changed Wu Changkong’s life.
• Wu Changkong and his past: By leaving the old tassel behind and adopting Lu Menge’s silver chain, he symbolically acknowledges his history while choosing to carry his present forward.

Chapter 69 Summary

Key plot points and events

After lunch beneath the ginkgo tree, Wu Changkong quietly sends the other students away so he can speak privately with Tang Wulin and Gu Yue. He tells them that, having graduated and mastered what Eastsea Academy can offer, they have reached the academy’s limits. He recommends that they apply to Shrek Academy, the continent’s strongest institution, where Soul Emperor-level students, Titled Douluo instructors, superior facilities, and intense competition will challenge them. Xu Xiaoyan, Xie Xie, and Zhang Yangzi also plan to apply. Tang Wulin immediately accepts the idea and asks about the entrance requirements. Wu Changkong explains Shrek’s motto—“Only monsters are accepted; ordinary people need not apply”—and assures them that they qualify.

Character developments

Tang Wulin has matured from the mocked Blue Silver Grass user he once was into a composed and powerful Soul Emperor. Though he reflects on the people and experiences that shaped him, he feels no hesitation about pursuing a greater challenge. Gu Yue remains outwardly indifferent but reveals subtle nervousness through her habitual finger-tapping, showing the importance of the conversation to her. Wu Changkong demonstrates both his clear understanding of their potential and his willingness to push them beyond familiar surroundings. His normally restrained manner briefly softens with pride. Lu Menge also treats Tang Wulin and Gu Yue affectionately as “our two little monsters.”

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes growth through leaving one’s comfort zone, the limits of familiar institutions, and the pursuit of excellence through stronger opposition. It also highlights mentorship, ambition, and the transition from adolescence and graduation toward a more demanding stage of life. Shrek represents both opportunity and hardship: its resources can lead students to the pinnacle of the Soul Master world, but only those who endure its brutal competition can succeed.

Character interactions

Wu Changkong delivers the central advice in his direct, understated style, while Tang Wulin responds with determination rather than doubt. Gu Yue quietly supports him, and their shared status as unusually powerful young Soul Masters is reaffirmed. Before leaving, Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, and Wei Xiaofeng recognize that a serious conversation is taking place and tactfully withdraw. Lu Menge lightens the solemn moment by teasingly calling Tang Wulin and Gu Yue “our little monsters”; Wu Changkong’s acceptance of her thermos and his lack of objection to the phrase reveal their close relationship and shared pride in the students.

Chapter Summary

Plot and events

While Wu Changkong explains Shrek Outer Court’s assessment process to Tang Wulin, Gu Yue briefly discusses Inner Court resource allocation. Lu Menge listens silently, but her thoughts spiral into an elaborate vision of the future: Tang Wulin and Gu Yue becoming powerful Titled Douluo, marrying, producing a “Little Dragon God” through the union of the Golden and Silver Dragon King bloodlines, and restoring the soul beast lineage. She imagines herself as the mastermind and future guardian of the Dragon God, having brought the pair together and shaped their path.
Her increasingly absurd fantasies—especially one about a baby with blond hair, silver eyes, a dragon tail, and her thermos—make her burst into uncontrollable laughter. Everyone notices, and after Gu Yue accurately guesses what she is imagining, Lu Menge eventually regains her composure and redirects the group toward the cafeteria before the ribs grow cold.

Character developments

• Lu Menge is portrayed as playful, scheming, and deeply invested in Tang Wulin and Gu Yue’s future. Beneath her jokes, she takes pride in having influenced their meeting, training, relationship, and destiny.
• Tang Wulin remains innocent and confused by Lu Menge’s laughter, showing that he does not understand the romantic and prophetic implications behind her thoughts.
• Gu Yue demonstrates sharp insight into Lu Menge’s imagination and reacts with reserved wariness, clearly familiar with her eccentric plans. Her quiet actions—giving Tang Wulin her soy milk and removing a leaf from his shoulder—suggest understated care and intimacy.
• Wu Changkong shows a gentler side by supporting Lu Menge physically rather than reprimanding her, indicating familiarity and affection between them.

Character interactions

Lu Menge’s amusement becomes a shared source of embarrassment and humor. Gu Yue knowingly interprets her thoughts, while Tang Wulin seeks clarification and remains bewildered. Wu Changkong silently understands the situation and steadies Lu Menge when she nearly loses her balance. The closing interaction between Gu Yue and Tang Wulin emphasizes their comfortable closeness despite Tang Wulin’s continued lack of understanding.

Significant themes

The chapter focuses on hopeful visions of the future, destiny, legacy, and the revival of the soul beast race, but presents them through comedy and domestic warmth. It also highlights Lu Menge’s role as a matchmaker and mentor, the growing bond between Tang Wulin and Gu Yue, and the contrast between grand cosmic ambitions—such as the return of the Dragon God—and ordinary affectionate moments like sharing food and brushing away a fallen leaf.

Chapter 71 Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Lu Menge decides to take one completely work-free day away from Class Zero. Unlike her usual leisure activities—which still involve supervising students, preparing food, or watching their matches—she wants to spend the day doing absolutely nothing.
• She organizes Class Zero’s weekend responsibilities:
  • Wu Changkong receives the training plan.
  • Tang Wulin and Gu Yue leave for the hot spring town.
  • Xie Xie and Zhang Yangzi stay in Shrek for exams.
  • Wang Jinxi and Wei Xiaofeng return home.
  • New Class Zero receives the weekend off.
• She stocks the cafeteria with prepared food and asks Wu Changkong to look after Little White Tiger.
• Lu Menge orders Wu Changkong not to wake her unless there is an emergency. He quietly takes her spare key so he can check on her if necessary.
• Despite waking several times due to her habitual schedule, Lu Menge repeatedly returns to sleep. Wu Changkong brings her lunch and later replaces her cold tea with warm honey water without disturbing her.
• She finally wakes in the evening, realizes she has spent the entire day resting, and decides to remain in bed rather than grill skewers for New Class Zero. She plans to resume her responsibilities the next day.

Character Development

• Lu Menge: Her exhaustion and deep attachment to her routine become clear. Although she initially wants to experience being “useless,” her body automatically wakes at training and meal times, showing how completely Class Zero has shaped her life. By the end, she accepts that rest is necessary and allows herself to enjoy an entire day without guilt.
• Wu Changkong: He demonstrates quiet attentiveness rather than openly expressing concern. He takes her spare key, checks on her indirectly, delivers lunch, and replaces her tea with honey water. His restrained care reveals a growing familiarity and concern for Lu Menge.
• Little White Tiger: Its absence makes Lu Menge realize how accustomed she has become to caring for it, even while resting.

Significant Themes

• The difficulty of taking a break: Lu Menge discovers that abandoning responsibility is harder than expected because her habits and sense of duty are deeply ingrained.
• Care expressed through actions: Wu Changkong’s concern appears through small, practical gestures rather than words.
• Emotional and physical exhaustion: The chapter emphasizes that even a highly dependable caretaker needs time to recover.
• Routine and attachment: Lu Menge’s repeated waking reflects how closely her identity has become tied to Class Zero’s daily life.

Character Interactions

• Lu Menge and Wu Changkong share a quiet, domestic exchange over her planned day off. She gives him instructions while he silently prepares to look after her.
• Wu Changkong’s caretaking contrasts with Lu Menge’s usual role as the one who feeds, organizes, and supervises everyone else.
• Lu Menge remains emotionally connected to Class Zero even while isolated, thinking about their training and the younger students waiting for her at the grill.

Chapter 72 Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Lu Menge wakes after sleeping nearly an entire day, extremely hungry but refreshed for the first time in her thirty-thousand-year life.
• Wu Changkong has left breakfast outside her door: congee, a fully cooked fried egg, cucumber salad with extra vinegar, soy milk, and a note reminding her to eat and rest. The meal reflects her personal preferences and shows his attentiveness.
• After eating, Lu Menge reads the Class Zero group chat. The students had been worried about her absence and filled the chat with jokes, arguments, and references to her recipes.
• She briefly replies “Classified” when asked about her braised-pork recipe, prompting delighted reactions that confirm she is well.
• Lu Menge spends the day resting again, reflecting on her past, her students, and her relationship with Wu Changkong.
• She decides to continue her vacation and later enjoy the evening beneath the ginkgo trees with Wu Changkong—not as a teacher, but simply as herself.

Character Developments

• Lu Menge: Begins to accept that she is allowed to rest rather than constantly protect and care for others. She recognizes that her students and loved ones have grown strong enough to support her, marking an important emotional shift from perpetual responsibility toward trust and self-care.
• Wu Changkong: Demonstrates quiet affection and understanding through the carefully prepared breakfast, attention to Lu Menge’s preferences, and encouraging her to sleep and recover.
• Class Zero: Their concern, teasing, and lively group-chat interactions reveal how emotionally attached they are to Lu Menge. They now care for her as much as she has cared for them.
• The students collectively: Their growth is emphasized: they are no longer helpless children but people capable of protecting and supporting their former instructor.

Character Interactions

• Wu Changkong communicates affection indirectly through food and a concise note.
• Lu Menge interacts playfully with the students by replying “Classified.”
• Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi joke about recipes and tactical manuals, while Xu Xiaoyan offers a respectful, affectionate greeting.
• Lu Menge nostalgically recalls the students’ past relationships and habits, including Tang Wulin’s hairpin for Gu Yue, the boys’ tactical arguments, and Wang Jinxi copying her recipes.

Significant Themes

• Rest and self-care: Lu Menge learns that ceasing her duties does not make her useless; she deserves time to recover.
• Reciprocity and trust: Those she once protected can now protect and care for her, creating a mutual bond rather than a one-sided responsibility.
• Found family: The students’ teasing and concern show that Class Zero has become Lu Menge’s emotional home.
• Aging and growth: Memories of the students’ childhoods contrast with their present maturity and independence.
• Identity beyond duty: Lu Menge looks forward to being with Wu Changkong simply as herself, not as an instructor or guardian.

Chapter 73 Summary

Plot points and events

• On the third day of vacation, Lu Menge finally leaves her dormitory after spending the first two days sleeping.
• She encounters New Class Zero during their morning run and cheerfully greets them, disrupting their formation as the students turn to wave back.
• Wu Changkong joins her, returns the thermos he had taken from her, and reminds her to eat before drinking tea. They walk together to the cafeteria, where he brings her breakfast.
• Xu Xiaoyan tells Lu Menge that Wu Changkong has been unusually strict and cold while teaching the class alone. Lu jokes that she spent her vacation “conquering” her bed and sleeping for three days.
• That evening, Lu resumes grilling in the back mountain. New Class Zero gathers around her again, while Wu Changkong quietly helps by preparing and seasoning the skewers.
• Lu teases Wu about sending pictures of the barbecue to her friends, prompting him to point out that she already sent one the previous night.
• After the students leave, Lu and Wu remain beneath the ginkgo tree. She invites him to go to the beach with her the next day, just the two of them, and he agrees.

Character developments

• Lu Menge emerges from her exhaustion and returns to her lively, affectionate interactions with the students. Her restful vacation appears to have restored her energy and mood.
• She continues to show a playful, teasing personality, especially around Wu Changkong, while also displaying a growing desire to spend private time with him.
• Wu Changkong remains outwardly reserved and disciplined, but his actions reveal steady care: he takes back her thermos, prepares tea and breakfast, fixes her collar, shares food, and assists with the barbecue.
• The students clearly feel attached to Lu and notice the difference in Wu’s demeanor when she is absent.

Themes

• Comfort and recovery: Lu’s prolonged sleep represents recovery from stress and exhaustion.
• Found family and belonging: The students’ enthusiasm, greetings, and gathering around the grill show the warm community Lu has built at Shrek.
• Quiet affection: Wu and Lu express closeness through practical gestures, shared routines, teasing, and comfortable silence rather than direct declarations.
• Home and continuity: The unchanged ginkgo tree and familiar barbecue setting connect the present to older memories and emphasize enduring relationships.

Character interactions

• Lu’s playful greeting throws the students’ disciplined morning run into disarray, highlighting their affection for her.
• Wu’s caretaking contrasts with his cold reputation among the students.
• Xu Xiaoyan’s gossip gives Lu a chance to joke about both Wu’s strictness and her own laziness.
• During the barbecue, Wu and Lu work naturally as a pair, while the students enjoy the communal atmosphere.
• The chapter ends with Lu taking the initiative to invite Wu on a private beach outing, and his immediate agreement signals mutual intimacy and trust.

Chapter Summary

• Key events: On the final day of vacation, Lu Menge carefully dresses up for a date with Wu Changkong, wearing a blue dress, silver accessories, light makeup, and jasmine balm. Wu arrives with a picnic basket filled with coconut buns and a cloth. They walk to Eastsea’s shore, where Lu Menge plays in the surf and they share breakfast beside the reefs. They spend the entire day by the sea, collecting shells, watching the sunset, and walking back together. Before leaving, Lu Menge says goodbye to the sea and jokes about returning to teach New Class Zero the next day.
• Character development: Lu Menge displays unusual care in her appearance, revealing her happiness and growing romantic confidence. She initiates affection by kissing Wu and later touching his hair and resting on his shoulder. Wu remains reserved but shows tenderness through his lingering gaze, gentle kiss, attentiveness, and willingness to accept her dream of living by the sea. Their relationship has clearly become comfortable, affectionate, and mutually intimate.
• Character interactions: Their quiet physical gestures—Wu touching Lu Menge’s hair and earring, Lu kissing him and fixing his hair, and the two holding hands—communicate more than their sparse dialogue. They share food, tease one another, and imagine a future together. Wu’s dry response that he fears she will oversleep contrasts humorously with Lu Menge’s concern about returning to work.
• Significant themes: The chapter emphasizes romantic intimacy, domestic companionship, and the preciousness of peaceful moments. The sea symbolizes freedom, continuity, and an imagined future beyond their current responsibilities. Lu Menge’s wish to preserve the day “in a thermos” reflects her awareness that the vacation is ending and her desire to hold on to happiness. The final exchange balances farewell and anticipation as the couple returns to ordinary life together.