Chapter Summaries

Gu Ling argued with Yu Xiaogang that his Bone Dragon Martial Soul should pursue an extreme assault path rather than imitate Bone Douluo’s defensive cultivation. Yu Xiaogang was left speechless as Gu Ling reaffirmed his decision to use his bones as weapons and kill enemies before needing defense.

• Yu Xiaogang angrily rebuked Gu Ling for rejecting his plan to cultivate the Bone Dragon Martial Soul as a defense-type martial soul.
• Gu Ling challenged Yu Xiaogang’s assumption that Bone Douluo’s success proved the Bone Dragon could only follow a defensive path.
• Gu Ling explained that the Bone Dragon’s hard bones could become weapons and that its dragon traits also supported powerful attacks.
• Gu Ling pointed out that stacking defense could leave him unable to catch fast enemies, counter ranged attacks, or fight back against foes who pierced his defenses.
• Gu Ling said he did not want to become a second Bone Douluo and declared that he would pursue an extreme assault path.

Gu Ling challenged Yu Xiaogang’s claim that the Bone Dragon Martial Soul should focus on defense by demonstrating its innate offensive abilities. Yu Xiaogang was left shaken as Gu Ling argued that future Soul Rings could make those attacks even more versatile.

• Yu Xiaogang argued that the Bone Dragon Martial Soul lacked the strength and speed of true dragon-type Martial Souls and should specialize in defense.
• Gu Ling summoned his Bone Dragon Martial Soul, forming bone armor, claws, wings, and a mobile skeletal tail.
• Gu Ling shaped his armor into a serrated bone blade, pierced the desk with his tail, and hurled shoulder spikes into the wall.
• Gu Ling recalled the spikes with his soul power and explained how he could attack at close range, from a distance, or from unexpected angles.
• Tang San watched in shock, while Yu Xiaogang struggled to accept the Bone Dragon’s innate offensive power.

Gu Ling rejected Yu Xiaogang’s claim that his Bone Dragon Martial Soul belonged on a defensive cultivation path and left after their argument. Yu Xiaogang dismissed him as arrogant, while Tang San’s doubts about his teacher’s judgment gradually faded.

• Gu Ling demonstrated the Bone Dragon Martial Soul’s close-range, long-range, and multi-angle attacks, then challenged Yu Xiaogang’s assumptions about its abilities.
• Yu Xiaogang angrily ordered Gu Ling out, but Gu Ling said he had never intended to take him as a teacher and walked away.
• Yu Xiaogang complained to Tang San that Gu Ling was arrogant and ungrateful, while Tang San privately recalled that Gu Ling had not started the argument.
• Tang San considered the Bone Dragon’s offensive abilities but decided to trust Yu Xiaogang’s experience and stopped doubting his teacher’s theory.

After leaving Yu Xiaogang, Gu Ling sought help from Notting Academy to obtain his First Soul Ring and explained that he wanted an offensive skill for his Bone Dragon Martial Soul. Director Su agreed to take him to the Soul Hunting Forest the next morning, where they would search for a suitable soul beast.

• Tang San agreed with Yu Xiaogang that Gu Ling was conceited, and Yu Xiaogang decided Gu Ling's future choices were no longer his concern.
• Gu Ling left Yu Xiaogang's office more convinced that he should develop the Bone Dragon's offensive abilities rather than strengthen its defense.
• Gu Ling went to the Academic Affairs Office and asked Director Su to arrange a trip to obtain his First Soul Ring.
• Gu Ling told Director Su he wanted an offensive soul skill suited to a soul beast with hard bones, spikes or claws, and adaptability.
• Director Su approved Gu Ling's plan and arranged to take him to the Soul Hunting Forest the next morning.

Gu Ling and Director Su traveled with Yu Xiaogang and Tang San to Soul Hunting Forest to find their first Soul Rings. When Yu Xiaogang recommended a Rock Armor Turtle for Gu Ling’s Bone Dragon, Gu Ling rejected the defensive path and reaffirmed his desire for uncanny offense.

• Gu Ling and Director Su met Yu Xiaogang and Tang San at the academy gates, then agreed to travel together to Soul Hunting Forest.
• On the carriage, Yu Xiaogang explained that he planned to find a snake-type Soul Ring for Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass martial soul.
• The group entered Soul Hunting Forest, where Director Su halted them after spotting a soul beast ahead.
• Yu Xiaogang identified the beast as a roughly 130-to-150-year-old Rock Armor Turtle and recommended it as a defensive first Soul Ring for Gu Ling.
• Gu Ling rejected the Rock Armor Turtle, arguing that his Bone Dragon already had strong defenses and that he did not want to become a turtle that only endured attacks.

Gu Ling challenged Yu Xiaogang’s plans for both his Bone Dragon and Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass, arguing that Yu forced Martial Souls to fit his theories instead of building on their natural strengths. Yu could not refute him, and the group continued deeper into the forest to search for a Soul Ring Gu Ling would accept.

• Gu Ling rejected Yu Xiaogang’s suggestion that he build his Bone Dragon around defense, pointing out its offensive abilities and accusing Yu of forcing it into a predetermined path.
• Gu Ling asked Yu what path he planned for Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass, and Yu explained that he intended to develop it as a control-type Martial Soul with a snake-type First Soul Ring.
• Gu Ling argued that Blue Silver Grass could already entangle naturally and that its strongest trait was its vitality, so its Soul Rings should develop other qualities rather than duplicate its basic ability.
• Tang San examined the Blue Silver Grass winding around his fingers and began to question whether Entangling should be his First Soul Skill, while Yu struggled to answer Gu Ling.
• Director Su ended the argument and led the group deeper into the forest to search for another soul beast, as Gu Ling dismissed the Rock Armor Turtle.

Gu Ling and Director Su continued searching for a suitable first soul beast after Yu Xiaogang and Tang San left. When a space-attribute beast attacked, Gu Ling discovered that his Bone Dragon Martial Soul could sense its spatial movements, and he decided he wanted the beast.

• Yu Xiaogang ended the argument with Gu Ling and left the forest with Tang San, who still wondered about Gu Ling's claims about Blue Silver Grass.
• Gu Ling rejected a nearly three-hundred-year-old Ironbone Wolf because he wanted a soul beast with a more unusual offensive ability.
• A strange soul beast appeared behind Gu Ling and attacked, then vanished by distorting space; Director Su identified it as a rare space-attribute beast.
• The beast reappeared to attack Director Su, who blasted it into a tree, but it teleported away again.
• Gu Ling activated Bone Dragon Martial Soul Possession and sensed the spatial fluctuations, allowing him to predict where the beast would appear.
• Gu Ling told Director Su that he wanted the space-attribute soul beast.

Gu Ling and Director Su defeated a rare Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard, and Gu Ling chose to risk absorbing its nearly six-hundred-year-old Soul Ring as his first. The ring flooded his body with violent energy, leaving him in agony as his bones began to crack.

• Gu Ling sensed the Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard’s spatial movements and warned Director Su where it would appear.
• Director Su repeatedly struck the leopard until its Bone Armor shattered and it could no longer fight.
• Director Su identified the beast as a rare Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard but warned that its nearly six-hundred-year age made it too dangerous for Gu Ling’s first Soul Ring.
• Gu Ling argued that his Bone Dragon Martial Soul could strengthen his body enough to withstand the ring, and Director Su reluctantly allowed him to try.
• Gu Ling killed the leopard and began absorbing its deep-yellow Soul Ring, but its energy surged through his body and his bones began cracking.

Gu Ling endured the nearly six-hundred-year Soul Ring’s violent power and successfully gained his first Soul Skill, Spatial Rift Bone Spikes. He demonstrated that the skill could send bone spikes through space to strike from unexpected angles and recall them afterward.

• Gu Ling withstood the Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard Soul Ring as his Bone Dragon Martial Soul absorbed its power and spatial attribute.
• After an hour, Gu Ling completed the absorption and became a Soul Master with a stabilized dark yellow Soul Ring.
• Gu Ling revealed his first Soul Skill, Spatial Rift Bone Spikes, and grew bone armor, claws, and shoulder spikes.
• Gu Ling sent a bone spike through a spatial rift to pierce a tree from another angle, astonishing Director Su.
• Gu Ling recalled the distant spike, which flew back and merged with the bones on his arm.

Gu Ling tested the spatial attack ability and physical enhancements he gained from absorbing the Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard’s Soul Ring, then left the Soul Hunting Forest with Director Su and Tang San. On the carriage back to Notting City, Yu Xiaogang recovered and told Tang San that Spirit Hall’s soul master subsidies were a scheme to expand its influence.

• Gu Ling explained to Director Su how he could make bone spikes vanish and reappear behind an opponent, and described the improvements to his bones, Bone Armor, and bone weapons.
• Director Su praised Gu Ling’s unusually strong start, and the two prepared to leave the Soul Hunting Forest for Notting City.
• Gu Ling and Director Su encountered Tang San supporting an unconscious Yu Xiaogang; Tang San explained that Yu Xiaogang had been poisoned after Tang San absorbed a Mandala Snake Soul Ring.
• Director Su treated Yu Xiaogang with an antidote, and the group left the forest together.
• Yu Xiaogang woke in the carriage, confirmed Tang San had absorbed the Mandala Snake Soul Ring, and told him to register at Spirit Hall to receive a soul master subsidy.
• When Tang San praised the subsidy, Yu Xiaogang claimed Spirit Hall used money provided by the two empires to win over commoner soul masters and expand its influence.

On the carriage back from the Soul Hunting Forest, Gu Ling challenged Yu Xiaogang’s criticism of Spirit Hall’s subsidies and free Martial Soul awakenings, leaving Tang San conflicted and Yu Xiaogang furious. After reaching Notting Academy, Gu Ling went to the Seventh Dormitory to practice his new soul skill, but someone suddenly kicked at him as he opened the door.

• Gu Ling argued that Spirit Hall’s services benefited commoners even if the organization also sought influence, and accused Yu Xiaogang of hypocrisy for condemning Spirit Hall while accepting its subsidy.
• Yu Xiaogang angrily denied Gu Ling’s accusations, and Director Su stopped their argument before the carriage returned to Notting Academy.
• Tang San supported the still-weak Yu Xiaogang on the way to the office, while Gu Ling headed alone to the Seventh Dormitory to familiarize himself with his first soul skill.
• Gu Ling recalled refusing Su Yuntao’s offer to join Spirit Hall because he did not want to bind his future to a faction.
• As Gu Ling opened the Seventh Dormitory door, a slender leg suddenly swept toward his chest.

Gu Ling returned to Dorm Seven after absorbing a Hundred-Year Soul Ring, where Xiao Wu mistook him for Tang San and attacked him. When Tang San returned with a Hundred-Year Soul Ring of his own, the students urged the two new Soul Masters to spar, and they prepared to face off at the training field.

• Xiao Wu kicked at Gu Ling, thinking he was Tang San, but Gu Ling blocked her and knocked her back.
• Gu Ling told the Dorm Seven students that he had absorbed a Hundred-Year Soul Ring and become a Soul Master.
• Tang San returned and revealed his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul and his own Hundred-Year Soul Ring.
• Xiao Wu and the other students urged Tang San and Gu Ling to test their Soul Skills in a spar.
• Gu Ling agreed to fight, Tang San accepted on the condition that they stop at the right point, and they took their places on the training field.

Gu Ling and Tang San began a spar while Yu Xiaogang confidently predicted Tang San would win. Gu Ling’s Bone Dragon claws tore through Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass, leaving Tang San shocked and Yu Xiaogang stunned.

• Students gathered to watch Gu Ling and Tang San prepare to spar, and Yu Xiaogang and Director Su arrived.
• Yu Xiaogang praised Tang San’s Mandala Snake Soul Ring and dismissed Gu Ling’s chances, while Director Su silently remained confident in Gu Ling.
• Tang San summoned his Blue Silver Grass and used his First Soul Skill, Entangling, to attack Gu Ling.
• Gu Ling activated Bone Dragon Possession and shredded the incoming Blue Silver Grass with his bone claws.
• Tang San was shocked by how easily Gu Ling broke his grass, and Yu Xiaogang was left stunned.

Gu Ling defeated Tang San in their arena match by using his spatial bone-spike Soul Skill to attack from unpredictable directions. Tang San then asked why the Mandala Snake venom on his Blue Silver Grass had no effect on Gu Ling.

• Yu Xiaogang explained that Gu Ling’s strength against Blue Silver Grass came from his assault-type Bone Dragon Martial Soul and urged Tang San to exploit his control and poison.
• Tang San surrounded Gu Ling with Blue Silver Grass from multiple directions and activated its Mandala Snake venom, but Gu Ling broke free with Spatial Rift Bone Spikes.
• Gu Ling sent bone spikes through space to attack Tang San from unexpected angles, and Tang San surrendered after nearly being struck in the chest.
• Tang San asked why the venom had not affected Gu Ling, prompting Yu Xiaogang to realize the same mystery.

Gu Ling defeated Tang San by exploiting the Bone Armor’s defense against his poisoned Blue Silver Grass, while Yu Xiaogang comforted Tang San and explained the loss away. Gu Ling recognized that his own mobility remained a weakness, and the two boys grew distant over the following years as Yu Xiaogang avoided confronting Gu Ling directly but continued to disparage him to Tang San.

• Gu Ling explained that Tang San’s poisoned spikes could not pierce his Bone Armor, and Tang San accepted why his venom had failed.
• Tang San apologized to Yu Xiaogang for losing, and Yu Xiaogang blamed the matchup and encouraged him to trust his future potential.
• Tang San remembered that he had hidden his second Martial Soul and considered how his hidden weapons and movement skills could change a real fight.
• Gu Ling assessed how Tang San’s wide-range control had restrained him and concluded that he needed a Soul Skill that improved his mobility.
• Gu Ling and Tang San gradually grew distant, while Yu Xiaogang stopped openly provoking Gu Ling but continued refusing to acknowledge him to Tang San.

Six years after awakening his Bone Dragon Martial Soul, Gu Ling graduated from Notting Junior Soul Master Academy with his soul power already beyond level thirty and a new spatial attack skill. He left alone for the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain his third Soul Ring, planning to choose an advanced academy afterward.

• Over six years, Tang San reached level twenty-nine while Gu Ling cultivated to level thirty and developed his Bone Dragon Martial Soul, keeping his distance from Tang San.
• Gu Ling absorbed a thousand-year Void Bone Wolf Soul Ring and gained the second soul skill Void Dragon Assault, which let him travel through space while attacking or evading.
• After graduation, Gu Ling said goodbye to his Seventh Dormitory classmates and left Notting Academy to seek his third Soul Ring.
• Gu Ling ruled out Shrek Academy and set out alone for the Star Dou Great Forest with a map and supplies.

Gu Ling encountered Zhu Zhuqing being hunted by five masked soul masters while traveling toward the Star Dou Great Forest. He stepped in to save her and revealed his Bone Dragon possession and thousand-year second Soul Ring, then vanished with Void Dragon Assault to attack the pursuers.

• Gu Ling heard a fight in the forest and stealthily approached the fleeing girl and her five pursuers.
• Gu Ling recognized the injured girl as Zhu Zhuqing when she revealed her Netherworld Spirit Cat martial soul.
• The black-clad soul masters surrounded Zhu Zhuqing, whose strength was weakened by her injuries and escape.
• Gu Ling emerged and challenged the pursuers, then revealed his Bone Dragon possession and thousand-year second Soul Ring.
• Gu Ling used Void Dragon Assault and appeared beside a black-clad Great Soul Master.

Gu Ling rescued Zhu Zhuqing from a group of black-clad attackers and treated her wounds after she fainted. Zhu Zhuqing woke beside his campfire, where Gu Ling was roasting a rabbit.

• Gu Ling used his Void Dragon Assault to kill the Great Soul Masters attacking Zhu Zhuqing and drove off their Soul Elder leader by claiming to be Tang San of Shrek Academy.
• Gu Ling introduced himself to Zhu Zhuqing and dismissed her thanks, but she fainted from exhaustion and blood loss.
• Gu Ling carried Zhu Zhuqing to a sheltered spot, treated her shoulder wound, and made camp to roast a rabbit.
• Zhu Zhuqing woke beneath a tree, noticed her bandaged shoulder, and saw Gu Ling by the campfire.
• Gu Ling noticed Zhu Zhuqing had awakened and asked if she was awake.

Gu Ling saved Zhu Zhuqing, shared food with her, and explained that he had used Tang San’s name as a fake identity. Zhu Zhuqing revealed that she was headed to Shrek Academy in Soto City, leaving Gu Ling to pretend he did not know she was seeking Dai Mubai.

• Zhu Zhuqing accepted Gu Ling’s roasted rabbit after he reassured her that he meant her no harm.
• Zhu Zhuqing thanked Gu Ling as Tang San and asked whether Dai Mubai had sent him to meet her.
• Gu Ling clarified that his name was Gu Ling, that he was not from Shrek Academy, and that he had borrowed Tang San’s name to mislead his pursuers.
• Zhu Zhuqing introduced herself, and Gu Ling asked where she was going.
• Zhu Zhuqing said she was headed to Shrek Academy in Soto City, and Gu Ling acted as if he did not know she was looking for Dai Mubai.

Gu Ling told Zhu Zhuqing why he had ruled out Shrek Academy, accusing it of taking fees from applicants without clear admissions requirements and offering poor resources despite its high standards. Zhu Zhuqing began to doubt the academy as Gu Ling questioned its claim that a former student had become Spirit Hall’s youngest elder.

• Gu Ling told Zhu Zhuqing that he had reached level thirty and planned to hunt for his Third Soul Ring in the Star Dou Great Forest.
• Zhu Zhuqing invited Gu Ling to attend Shrek Academy with her, but he refused and called it a scam academy.
• Gu Ling criticized Shrek Academy for charging nonrefundable registration fees before testing applicants against its strict requirements.
• Gu Ling argued that Shrek Academy offered poor living conditions and educational resources despite seeking exceptionally gifted students.
• Gu Ling questioned the academy’s claim that a graduate had become Spirit Hall’s youngest elder, since the supposed Titled Douluo would have been much younger than the known record holder, Tang Hao.
• Zhu Zhuqing recalled that her family would have heard about a Titled Douluo in his thirties and began to doubt Shrek Academy.