Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “The Ninth Trial!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The five students complete the eighth trial with impressive scores: Tang Wulin reaches the passing mark with a perfect sixty, while Xie Xie, Xu Xiaoyan, Gu Yue, and Su Yu remain close behind.
• During the walk to the ninth trial, Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan attempt to make Su Yu recognize their romantic interest, jokingly trying to convince him that “men can’t like men.” Su Yu remains completely confused, while the others observe awkwardly.
• Shen Yi explains that the ninth trial is a survival assessment conducted in a virtual environment similar to the Spirit Ascension Platform. Anything obtained inside may be kept by the participants.
• Cai Lao and Zhuo Shi observe the trial. Cai Lao is determined to recruit Gu Yue as her disciple and orders the assessment to be set at its highest difficulty. Zhuo Shi warns her not to underestimate the mysterious Team Rocket, but Cai Lao remains dismissive.
• Once inside the virtual forest, the students discover that Su Yu’s Pokémon can accompany them, unlike in the Spirit Ascension Platform. They soon sense an enormous battle nearby involving two ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts.
• Rather than avoiding the danger, Su Yu leads the group toward the battlefield. They discover a Dark-Gold Dreadclaw Bear fighting the legendary Three-Eyed Golden Lion, also known as the Emperor Auspicious Beast.
• The injured Three-Eyed Golden Lion collapses near them, and the Dark-Gold Dreadclaw Bear notices the students. The group prepares for what appears to be an impossible battle.
• Su Yu summons Lucario and activates Mega Evolution. Mega Lucario’s strength and aura rise to a level comparable to the Dark-Gold Dreadclaw Bear.
• Following Su Yu’s commands, Mega Lucario uses Aura Sphere and then Close Combat, severely striking the bear and knocking it down. The chapter ends with Lucario completely overpowering the supposedly unbeatable Soul Beast.

Character Developments

• Su Yu: Demonstrates strong confidence, awareness, and tactical judgment. Although others criticize him for approaching the battlefield, he clearly intends to confront the danger because he trusts Lucario’s abilities. His calm use of Mega Evolution establishes him as a far more capable leader than the observers expect.
• Tang Wulin: Maintains vigilance and immediately prepares for battle when the bear appears. His alertness earns Zhuo Shi’s praise.
• Xie Xie: Remains curious and excited about witnessing a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast, but becomes terrified once he sees the creatures up close.
• Xu Xiaoyan and Gu Yue: Both openly try to draw Su Yu’s attention and awaken his romantic awareness, but his oblivious responses frustrate and embarrass them.
• Gu Yue: Continues to attract Cai Lao’s interest because of her unprecedented mastery of seven elements. Cai Lao becomes determined to claim her as a disciple.
• Cai Lao: Reveals her stubborn competitiveness and willingness to impose the harshest standards on potential disciples. Her dismissal of Team Rocket also shows her arrogance and underestimation of its true power.
• Lucario: Reveals the results of three years of growth by reaching Soul Emperor-level strength and successfully undergoing Mega Evolution. Its battle performance proves that it can contend with ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimated ability: The students and especially Su Yu are judged too quickly by outside observers, but Lucario’s transformation overturns their assumptions.
• Risk versus conventional strategy: The proper method is to hide and wait for the Soul Beasts to weaken each other, yet Su Yu chooses a dangerous direct approach based on confidence in his own strength.
• Leadership and trust: Su Yu’s teammates rely on him despite their fear, while he remains composed and gives precise orders during the battle.
• Ambition and rivalry: Cai Lao and Zhuo Shi argue over disciples, particularly Gu Yue, reflecting Shrek’s competitive struggle to secure exceptional talent.
• Romantic obliviousness and comedic tension: Xu Xiaoyan and Gu Yue’s attempts to attract Su Yu create humor and highlight his complete lack of awareness regarding their feelings.

Character Interactions

• Xu Xiaoyan and Gu Yue deliberately stay close to Su Yu and question his feelings toward them, but he misunderstands their intentions.
• Xie Xie and Tang Wulin depend on Su Yu’s experience, initially treating him as the group’s protector before becoming alarmed by the Soul Beasts’ overwhelming presence.
• Cai Lao and Zhuo Shi debate the trial’s difficulty and the danger of Su Yu’s decisions, with Cai Lao harshly blaming him for leading the group into danger.
• Su Yu communicates calmly with his teammates and gives Lucario precise combat instructions.
• The students’ fear contrasts with Su Yu and Lucario’s confidence, culminating in Mega Lucario’s decisive attack on the Dark-Gold Dreadclaw Bear.

Chapter Summary: “Su Yu’s Strength!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Yu’s Lucario undergoes Mega Evolution and overwhelms the severely wounded ten-thousand-year Dark-Gold Dreadclaw Bear with close-range attacks and Aura Spheres.
• Su Yu approaches the bear without fear and discovers that it possesses a ten-thousand-year Dark-Gold Dreadclaw Bear right palm Soul Bone.
• He offers the Soul Bone to Tang Wulin, then to Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, and Xie Xie. All of them refuse, unwilling to exploit the bear’s weakness or act greedily.
• The bear appears intelligent and submissive, prompting Xu Xiaoyan to ask Su Yu to spare it. Su Yu initially considers doing so.
• Outside the survival world, Zhuo Shi, Cai Lao, and Shen Yi realize that killing the bear could damage the virtual world. More importantly, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion’s Soul Bone—the foundation of the entire survival space—could also be endangered.
• As Mega Lucario’s transformation ends, the bear seizes the opportunity and attacks Su Yu.
• Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie attempt to protect him, but their attacks are ineffective against the bear’s defenses.
• Su Yu blocks the Dark Gold Terrorclaw with his own golden armor and sends the massive bear flying.
• He then activates his battle armor-like equipment, with Arceus’s phantom appearing behind him. His overwhelming aura frightens the bear.
• The bear tries to escape, but Su Yu instantly catches it, grabs it by the throat, and kills it with a single squeeze. Its body dissolves, leaving behind the ten-thousand-year Soul Bone.

Character Developments

• Su Yu: Revealed as the true strongest among the five young Soul Masters. He remains calm in the face of danger, possesses overwhelming physical power, and can combine Lucario’s strength, Xiao You’s amplification, Arceus’s power, and his armor to defeat a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast.
• Tang Wulin: Shows compassion and moral restraint by refusing the Soul Bone because he cannot bear to take advantage of the wounded bear. He also acknowledges that he may not be capable of absorbing such a powerful Soul Bone.
• Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, and Xie Xie: Demonstrate self-control and a lack of greed by refusing the Soul Bone. They also react instinctively to protect Su Yu when the bear attacks.
• Shen Yi: Already understands that Su Yu is the strongest but is still shocked by Lucario’s and Su Yu’s abilities.
• Zhuo Shi and Cai Lao: Initially believe Tang Wulin or Gu Yue is the strongest, but are stunned by Su Yu’s power. They also become anxious about the possible loss of the survival world’s precious Soul Bones.
• Dark-Gold Dreadclaw Bear: Displays intelligence and cunning. It pretends to be submissive, waits for Lucario’s transformation to end, and immediately attempts to kill Su Yu before ultimately being overpowered.

Significant Themes

• True strength versus assumed strength: The elders believe Tang Wulin or Gu Yue is the strongest, but Su Yu’s abilities surpass their expectations.
• Moral restraint and human nature: The students’ refusal to claim the Soul Bone appears to be part of the examination’s test of trust, compassion, and resistance to greed.
• Compassion versus survival: The group considers sparing the bear, but its deceptive counterattack demonstrates the danger of showing mercy to a powerful enemy.
• Hidden power and preparation: Su Yu’s strength comes from layered abilities—Lucario’s Mega Evolution, Xiao You’s amplification, Arceus’s power, and his armor—revealing that his capabilities are far greater than they initially appear.
• Predator and prey reversal: The bear initially views Su Yu as an insignificant human, but the situation reverses completely once Su Yu reveals his true strength.

Character Interactions

• Shen Yi explains Lucario’s identity and recognizes Su Yu’s superiority.
• Su Yu repeatedly offers the Soul Bone to Tang Wulin and the other students, while they all refuse it.
• Xu Xiaoyan appeals to Su Yu to spare the bear.
• The group attempts to defend Su Yu when the bear attacks, but their combined efforts cannot slow it.
• Su Yu confronts and kills the bear alone, shocking Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and the observing elders.

Chapter Summary: “I’m Demonstrating Fairness!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Yu defeats the Ten-Thousand-Year Dark-Gold Dreadclaw Bear and absorbs its right palm bone into his armor. The armor immediately duplicates the bone’s weapon on his left arm, demonstrating his overwhelming strength.
• He recalls the fleeing Three-Eyed Golden Lion and approaches her without hostility. By touching her third eye, Su Yu senses that she is the Emperor Auspicious Beast and understands that she returned because her “cub” was supposedly in her nest.
• Su Yu realizes the cub and the entire world are part of the assessment illusion. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion nevertheless treated the false cub as real, choosing to remain in the illusion because of her maternal attachment.
• Su Yu offers to take the Three-Eyed Golden Lion with him. She agrees, and he removes her from the assessment before the artificial world shatters.
• Upon returning to reality, Cai Lao and Zhuo Shi demand that Su Yu hand over the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, whose soul bone and auspicious nature make her extremely valuable. Su Yu pretends not to know what they are talking about, while Gu Yue openly claims that the beast is with her.
• The group receives ten points for the round. Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Xu Xiaoyan have already reached the passing requirement, but Su Yu and Gu Yue remain two points short.
• In the final “Three-Hall Trial,” three elders evaluate the students’ overall performances:
  • Tang Wulin is praised for his courage and willingness to protect his companions, though he is assigned an additional assessment.
  • Xie Xie receives six points, while Xu Xiaoyan receives seven.
  • Cai Lao deliberately gives Su Yu and Gu Yue only one point each, criticizing their personalities and teamwork despite their exceptional strength.
• Cai Lao labels Su Yu arrogant and Gu Yue proud, impulsive, and lacking a sense of the bigger picture. Gu Yue’s final total becomes fifty-nine, apparently preventing her admission.
• Tang Wulin protests the decision, asking whether Shrek Academy has fairness. Cai Lao replies that absolute fairness does not exist and that only sufficient personal strength can create fairness.
• Su Yu approves of Cai Lao’s statement but immediately challenges her hypocrisy. Declaring that he is “demonstrating fairness,” he summons five powerful figures as the chapter ends.

Character Developments

• Su Yu: Reveals greater control over his armor and immense combat ability. He also demonstrates compassion and curiosity by sparing the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, while cleverly concealing her existence from the academy elders. His calm response to Cai Lao’s unfair scoring shows confidence, but his final action suggests he is prepared to confront authority directly.
• Three-Eyed Golden Lion: Displays pride, intelligence, and strong maternal instincts. Although she knows the assessment world is false, she remains because she believes her cub is there. She ultimately trusts Su Yu enough to leave with him.
• Gu Yue: Shows loyalty by defending Su Yu against Cai Lao. She becomes angry when Su Yu and she are unfairly judged, but controls herself after Su Yu warns her not to act rashly.
• Tang Wulin: Demonstrates courage and a growing sense of justice. He is the first student to openly challenge the elders’ decision, even though he initially believes fairness should be guaranteed.
• Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan: Both support Su Yu and Gu Yue emotionally. Xie Xie remains focused on the scoring system, while Xu Xiaoyan reacts strongly to the apparent injustice.
• Cai Lao: Acts vindictively toward Su Yu and Gu Yue because of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, disguising personal anger as an evaluation of their character. Her speech about strength and fairness becomes the philosophical trigger for Su Yu’s confrontation.
• Shen Yi and Zhuo Shi: Recognize the value of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion and attempt to persuade Su Yu to surrender her, but neither can force him to comply.

Significant Themes

• Fairness versus power: The chapter argues that fairness is not always granted by institutions; individuals must possess enough strength to defend themselves against unfair treatment.
• Authority and abuse of judgment: Cai Lao uses her position as a judge to punish Su Yu and Gu Yue, revealing how supposedly objective evaluations can be distorted by personal motives.
• Reality, illusion, and attachment: The Three-Eyed Golden Lion understands that the world and cub are fake, yet her emotional attachment makes the illusion meaningful. The chapter emphasizes that emotional truth can matter even within an artificial reality.
• Strength and responsibility: Su Yu’s overwhelming power separates him from his classmates, but he uses it selectively—showing mercy to the Auspicious Beast while preparing to oppose those abusing their authority.
• Loyalty and solidarity: The students defend one another despite fear of the elders, with Gu Yue protecting Su Yu and Tang Wulin speaking up for Gu Yue and Su Yu.

Important Character Interactions

• Su Yu and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion develop a cautious relationship based on mutual recognition. He senses her thoughts and offers her protection, while she accepts his authority after witnessing his strength.
• Gu Yue confronts Cai Lao to defend Su Yu, but Su Yu restrains and calms her, reinforcing their close bond.
• Tang Wulin’s protest unites the group against Cai Lao’s judgment. Xie Xie, Xu Xiaoyan, and Tang Wulin all react angrily to the low scores.
• Cai Lao and Su Yu engage in an ideological clash: she claims strength is the only path to fairness, and he responds by using his own strength to challenge her decision.
• The chapter closes with Su Yu summoning five mysterious figures behind him, signaling an imminent confrontation with the three elders.

Chapter Summary: “A Contest of Fists?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cai Lao confronts Su Yu and the five powerful figures accompanying him, immediately recognizing Old Dou, whose strength has risen dramatically from Titled Douluo to Super Douluo.
• Su Yu challenges Shrek’s authority after Cai Lao insults Gu Yue for refusing to become her disciple. He argues that Shrek is hypocritical and unfair, insisting that strength—not submission—is the only way to obtain justice.
• Cai Lao refuses to apologize unless Su Yu’s side can defeat her, prompting Su Yu to order Team Rocket’s strongest members to attack.
• The five opponents reveal an overwhelming force: forty-five red Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings in total. They launch a coordinated assault using Aura Sphere, Iron Hoof Beam, Rock Cannon, Sand Abyss, and Dark Pulse.
• Cai Lao activates her Silvermoon Avatar, Silvermoon Domain, and Silvermoon Blade. Her domain alters the flow of time, while her spatial blade bypasses ordinary defenses.
• Old Steel unexpectedly blocks the Silvermoon Blade with its “King’s Shield,” shocking Cai Lao and Zhuo Shi. Before the battle can destroy Shrek’s building, Zhuo Shi orders everyone to take the fight outside.
• The Sea God Pavilion Master, Sky-Piercing Douluo Yun Ming, emerges from seclusion after sensing what appears to be an evil aura. He initially suspects an Evil Soul Master invasion, though Elder Evil indignantly denies being one.
• Zhuo Shi explains the conflict to Yun Ming. Yun Ming apologizes to Su Yu on Shrek’s behalf, acknowledging that Cai Lao was at fault.
• Yun Ming then declares that the matter now concerns both Shrek and Team Rocket. He proposes settling the dispute through strength: whoever has the “bigger fist” will be considered right.
• Yun Ming reveals his immense power as a Limit Douluo, while hinting at a developing Self-Created Godhood. Su Yu accepts the challenge, and Yun Ming agrees to compete.

Character Developments

• Su Yu becomes openly confrontational and protective. He is willing to challenge all of Shrek to defend Gu Yue’s dignity and exposes the academy’s double standards.
• Gu Yue is deeply moved by Su Yu’s defense of her, realizing that he may have acted primarily because of her. Her admiration and romantic feelings intensify.
• Cai Lao is forced to recognize that she has overstepped. Although initially arrogant and unwilling to apologize, she becomes visibly embarrassed when Yun Ming admits Shrek’s fault.
• Old Steel demonstrates an astonishing defensive ability by stopping Cai Lao’s spatial attack, suggesting that Team Rocket’s strength is even greater than expected.
• Yun Ming shows both restraint and pride. He first apologizes sincerely, but quickly returns to his formidable, competitive nature by demanding a direct contest of strength.
• Elder Evil provides comic relief when Yun Ming mistakes his evil aura for proof that he is an Evil Soul Master.
• Xu Xiaoyan, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie strongly support Su Yu and gain confidence from his calm assurance, even after learning that Yun Ming is a Limit Douluo.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus authority: The chapter questions whether institutions such as Shrek can claim fairness while punishing people who refuse to submit to its powerful figures.
• Strength as a source of legitimacy: Both sides accept the idea that, in their current conflict, superior power may determine who is considered right.
• Loyalty and protection: Su Yu’s defense of Gu Yue highlights the importance of standing up for companions against institutional pressure.
• Pride and accountability: Cai Lao’s reluctance to apologize contrasts with Yun Ming’s willingness to admit Shrek’s mistake.
• Hidden power and escalation: The appearance of numerous powerful figures—including multiple Limit Douluos—shows how a dispute between juniors can rapidly become a confrontation involving the continent’s strongest factions.

Character Interactions

• Su Yu directly insults and challenges Cai Lao, accusing her of abusing her position and treating obedience as a requirement.
• Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan step forward to defend Su Yu when Shen Yi blames him for the conflict.
• Zhuo Shi acts as a mediator, urging Cai Lao to apologize and later stopping the attacks from destroying Shrek’s building.
• Yun Ming questions Team Rocket, listens to Zhuo Shi’s explanation, apologizes to Su Yu, and then transforms the dispute into a formal contest.
• Qian Gu Dongfeng and the Tang Sect’s two Limit Douluos arrive as spectators, turning the incident into a gathering of major powers.
• The chapter ends with Su Yu and Yun Ming agreeing to determine the matter through a direct battle of strength.

Chapter Summary: “Dragon Plate!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Yu agrees to let Yun Ming witness Team Rocket’s true power, intending to summon Arceus rather than fight Yun Ming directly. Because Arceus is badly injured, Su Yu wants the confrontation to end quickly.
• In front of Shrek, the Spirit Pagoda, and Tang Sect powerhouses, Su Yu and Team Rocket’s five elders perform a reverent summoning ritual, invoking the “Creator God Arceus.”
• A massive spatial rift opens above Shrek Academy, and Arceus emerges. Its initial aura already creates immense pressure, forcing most of the gathered Super Douluos from the sky.
• Arceus senses a Slate on Sea God Island and summons it. The Slate transforms into a dragon-shaped energy form and reveals itself as the Dragon Plate, which had unknowingly been used as part of Zhuo Shi’s stone table.
• After absorbing the Dragon Plate, Arceus’s armor changes to violet-blue and its power rises dramatically. The five Team Rocket elders then transform into five additional Slates and fuse with Arceus.
• With six Slates integrated, Arceus’s aura reaches true godhood—or something beyond ordinary godhood. Yun Ming, Yali, Zang Xin, Cao Dezhi, and Qian Gu Dongfeng are all forced to the ground by its pressure.
• Su Yu declares that Yun Ming has lost. Yun Ming accepts the defeat and acknowledges the enormous gap between himself and the gods.
• Arceus attempts to heal its injuries using divine power, but a mysterious black energy inside its body becomes violent and causes it to cough up golden blood. The healing attempt worsens its condition, suggesting that its injuries are connected to a deeper mystery.
• Arceus senses the locations of the remaining twelve Slates, though four seem to exist in distant or possibly separate worlds. It leaves through another spatial rift to recover.
• Afterward, Yun Ming thanks Su Yu for showing him the true difference between Limit Douluos and gods. Cai Lao apologizes to Gu Yue for her earlier actions.
• Qian Gu Dongfeng leaves in shock, questioning whether even a Level-Twelve Fixed Soul-Conduit Shell could defeat a god.
• In the Abyssal Plane, the Abyssal Sage King detects Arceus’s divine presence in the Douluo Plane. He initially fears that the God Realm has returned and considers fleeing, then decides to send someone to investigate.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Su Yu demonstrates confidence and strategic restraint. Rather than relying on his own strength, he uses Arceus and the Slates to overwhelm Yun Ming instantly.
• Arceus gains access to divine power through the six Slates, but its injuries remain unresolved. The violent black energy reveals that its past—and the identity of the one who wounded it—has been deliberately erased or hidden.
• Yun Ming changes from a confident challenger into a humbled observer. Though initially eager to fight Arceus, he recognizes that Arceus has surpassed ordinary god-level standards and gratefully acknowledges Su Yu’s role in revealing this truth.
• Qian Gu Dongfeng becomes deeply fearful and uncertain. His assumptions about the power of soul-conduit weapons and the possibility of defeating gods are shaken.
• Cai Lao apologizes to Gu Yue, indicating regret over her earlier behavior and acknowledging that her apology belongs to Gu Yue rather than Su Yu.
• Zhuo Shi is stunned to discover that a Slate had been hidden unknowingly in the stone table he used.
• Bi Ji and Di Tian, along with other powerful beings across the continent, sense Arceus’s aura and realize that it exceeds the strength of the former master of the Star Dou Great Forest.
• Gu Yue recognizes the divine transformation from Sea God Island and appears especially affected by Arceus’s presence.
• The Abyssal Sage King reacts with panic, fearing the return of the God Realm, which would threaten his existence.

Significant Themes

• The gap between mortals and gods: The defeat of multiple Limit Douluos through aura alone establishes that godhood exists on an entirely different level of power.
• Hidden power and preparation: Team Rocket’s apparent arrogance is justified by secret resources, including the Slates and their connection to Arceus.
• Mystery of the past: Arceus’s erased memories, unexplained wounds, and the black energy inside its body create a major mystery about its former enemies and history.
• Power and uncertainty: Even the strongest figures, including Yun Ming and Qian Gu Dongfeng, must reassess their understanding of strength, weapons, and the possibility of challenging gods.
• Interconnected worlds and planes: The remaining Slates may be scattered across different worlds, while Arceus’s appearance is detected by the Abyssal Plane, suggesting broader consequences beyond the Douluo Plane.
• Humility and recognition: Yun Ming’s acceptance of defeat and Cai Lao’s apology reflect the chapter’s emphasis on acknowledging superiority, mistakes, and the limits of one’s perspective.

Chapter Summary: “Enrollment!”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After Arceus’s appearance and breakthrough to the Divine Level, the powerful figures of Shrek and the Tang Sect leave to seek their own insights. Yun Ming, Passionate Sword, and Ruthless Sword are especially affected, as Arceus’s existence accelerates their understanding of the Divine Level.
• Cai Lao leaves in embarrassment after realizing that her pressure on Su Yu caused the entrance examination to escalate so dramatically.
• Shen Yi informs Su Yu and Gu Yue that Cai Lao has revised their final-exam results to full marks, raising both of their scores to sixty-nine and allowing them to enroll at Shrek.
• Su Yu confirms that he and Gu Yue still want to attend Shrek. Xu Xiaoyan’s playful closeness toward Su Yu causes Gu Yue to react jealously, leading to a brief tug-of-war between the two girls over Su Yu’s hands.
• Su Yu, Gu Yue, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Xu Xiaoyan officially become first-year work-study students and receive their uniforms and dormitory keys.
• Upon reaching the shabby work-study dormitory, Su Yu begins an important breakthrough. His Soul Power rises from level thirty-nine to level forty-three.
• A black Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring condenses during the breakthrough. Although Su Yu’s actual Soul Power is only at level forty-three, his unusual Soul Ring configuration makes him appear to possess the strength of a level-sixty Soul Emperor. With Xiao You’s assistance, he can even fight at the level of a Titled Douluo.
• In Arceus Space, Arceus discovers that only the Dragon Plate remains with Him, causing His strength to fall below the Divine Level. He struggles with missing memories concerning His arrival, the person who injured Him, and the violent energy inside Him.
• Using the Dragon Plate and the Power of Creation, Arceus creates a powerful Dragon Type humanoid clone at the Super Douluo level.
• Arceus then creates hundreds of Dragon Type Pokémon Eggs, including Gible, Axew, Garchomp, Haxorus, Druddigon, Hydreigon, Goodra, and Kommo-o. He sends them to the Pokémon World, where Happiny, Chansey, and Blissey will hatch and care for them.
• Arceus encounters the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, who asks for a physical body so she can gather and spread fortune. Arceus grants her request, though he warns that her new body will be weak. He transforms her into a small child-like version of herself.

2. Character Developments

• Su Yu successfully enrolls at Shrek and demonstrates that his true strength is far greater than his official Soul Power level suggests. His restriction is lifted after the Dragon Plate returns to its rightful owner, enabling his breakthrough.
• Gu Yue remains determined to study at Shrek and takes pride in qualifying through her own ability. Her reactions toward Xu Xiaoyan reveal growing possessiveness and jealousy regarding Su Yu.
• Xu Xiaoyan becomes increasingly bold and affectionate toward Su Yu, deliberately seeking his attention and provoking Gu Yue.
• Shen Yi shifts from examiner to mentor, helping the group complete enrollment and preparing them for classes.
• Cai Lao recognizes her responsibility for the crisis and quietly withdraws, showing embarrassment and regret.
• Arceus begins investigating His mysterious past but abandons the effort when the missing memories cause severe pain. He instead focuses on using the Dragon Plate to expand his influence and create Dragon Type life.
• Three-Eyed Golden Lion gains a physical form but is reduced to a child-like state, creating the possibility of future growth and development.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and enlightenment: Arceus’s Divine Level breakthrough inspires other powerful figures to pursue their own advancement, showing how witnessing extraordinary power can accelerate personal enlightenment.
• Hidden potential versus official status: Su Yu is officially only a Soul Ancestor, yet his unusual abilities and Soul Rings give him combat power far beyond his rank.
• Consequences and responsibility: A simple entrance examination becomes a major event because of Cai Lao’s pressure and Arceus’s presence, emphasizing that actions can have consequences far beyond their original intention.
• Creation and expansion: Arceus uses the Dragon Plate to create new beings and populate the Pokémon World, establishing himself as a creator and shaping the development of an entire ecosystem.
• Memory and identity: Arceus’s inability to remember his origins, injury, and internal energy introduces a mystery surrounding his true past.
• Companionship and rivalry: The interactions among Su Yu, Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, and the others combine friendship, humor, and romantic competition.

4. Character Interactions

• Su Yu and Shen Yi: Shen Yi confirms Su Yu’s admission and later gives him and the others their uniforms and dormitory keys.
• Su Yu and Gu Yue: Su Yu checks on Gu Yue after the overwhelming events and asks whether she still wants to attend Shrek. Gu Yue affirms her determination.
• Su Yu, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan: Xu Xiaoyan playfully asks Su Yu to check her forehead, prompting Gu Yue to seize one of his hands while Xu Xiaoyan grabs the other. Their struggle highlights their rivalry over his attention.
• The new students: Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, and Su Yu prepare to share the work-study dormitory, though Su Yu’s breakthrough temporarily changes their plans.
• Arceus and the Dragon Plate: Arceus uses the Slate to create a Super Douluo-level clone and numerous Dragon Type Pokémon.
• Arceus and Three-Eyed Golden Lion: She respectfully addresses him as “Lord” and asks for a body. Arceus agrees, recognizing that her fortune-related abilities may benefit the Pokémon World.

Chapter Summary: “A Plan?”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Yu wakes after cultivating through the night and successfully breaks through to Soul Power Level 43. His breakthrough also grants him a black Soul Ring.
• Xie Xie is shocked by Su Yu’s rapid advancement, noting that he is only at Level 34.
• Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, and Tang Wulin return with breakfast. Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan mistakenly interpret Xie Xie’s arm around Su Yu as suspicious and force him away.
• The group cleans their filthy dormitory and divides it into separate male and female sections before leaving for class.
• On the way, Su Yu senses his newly acquired dragon attribute and begins plotting how to obtain a small amount of Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon King Essence.
• The five former Eastsea Academy students arrive at Shrek’s first-year Class One, where they reunite with Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi. The two apologize for abandoning their former group to take the Shrek entrance examination, but Tang Wulin forgives them.
• They meet Yang Nianxia, another new student, who is impressed that all seven members of their special class were admitted to Shrek.
• Elder Lin introduces the homeroom teachers, Wu Zhangkong and Shen Yi, and explains Shrek’s rules. Shen Yi announces that students face a last-place elimination system and may be expelled if their final results are poor.
• Su Yu becomes preoccupied with creating a divine Pokémon based on Zygarde. He plans to use Golden Dragon King Essence to form a Zygarde Core and eventually create a powerful “Golden Dragon King Zygarde.”
• Su Yu also considers using Gu Yue’s Silver Dragon King essence to create a second core, potentially leading to a “Dragon God Zygarde.”
• The class learns that a class committee competition will be held the following day. The winner will become class president, while the next two students will become vice presidents and receive credit-point rewards.
• Several powerful students are identified as potential contenders, including Wu Siduo, Luo Guixing, Xu Yucheng, and Zheng Yiran.
• The chapter ends as Wu Zhangkong begins the first official lesson.

2. Character Developments

• Su Yu: Advances to Soul Power Level 43 and gains greater confidence in his dragon-related abilities. His ambition expands from ordinary Pokémon creation to the creation of divine beasts, particularly Zygarde. He also begins viewing Tang Wulin and Gu Yue as potential sources of Golden and Silver Dragon King essence.
• Tang Wulin: Demonstrates his usual forgiving and sincere nature by accepting Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi’s apologies despite understanding that they would not have made the same choice themselves.
• Gu Yue: Acts unusually attentive toward Su Yu, buying him breakfast and reacting strongly to his interaction with Xie Xie. Her possessiveness and concern become more obvious.
• Xu Xiaoyan: Joins Gu Yue in teasing and restraining Su Yu, showing a similarly close and playful relationship with him.
• Xie Xie: Remains competitive and somewhat resentful toward Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi for leaving their former team, though he is still loyal to Tang Wulin and the others.
• Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi: Feel guilty about taking the Shrek examination without the rest of their former group, but their admission allows them to reunite with their friends. They appear to have little confidence in defeating Su Yu or competing for class leadership.
• Wu Zhangkong: Officially becomes a Shrek teacher, marking a new stage in his relationship with the group.

3. Significant Themes

• Rapid growth and exceptional talent: Su Yu’s breakthrough and the admission of the entire special class emphasize the extraordinary potential of the young characters.
• Competition and survival: Shrek’s elimination system and class committee contest establish an environment where strength and performance determine status and continued enrollment.
• Friendship, loyalty, and forgiveness: Tang Wulin’s willingness to forgive Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi contrasts with Xie Xie’s lingering resentment.
• Ambition and experimentation: Su Yu’s plans for creating Zygarde show his increasingly grand ambitions and his willingness to exploit rare divine power for scientific or supernatural creation.
• Jealousy and romantic tension: Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan’s reactions to Su Yu’s closeness with Xie Xie, as well as their irritation when he stares at Tang Wulin, suggest growing emotional attachment and possessiveness.
• The contrast between ordinary school life and immense power: Dormitory cleaning, breakfast, and classroom arrangements coexist with plans involving dragon-god essence and divine beasts.

4. Character Interactions

• Xie Xie excitedly questions Su Yu about his breakthrough, strengthening their friendly rivalry.
• Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan react jealously to Xie Xie’s physical closeness with Su Yu, creating a humorous misunderstanding.
• Gu Yue gives Su Yu breakfast and later punishes him for staring at Tang Wulin, while Xu Xiaoyan joins in.
• Tang Wulin guides the group to class and helps ease the tension between Xie Xie and the apologetic Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi.
• Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi reconnect with Tang Wulin and the others, while Yang Nianxia learns about their shared background and evaluates the strongest students in the class.
• Su Yu’s intense gaze at Tang Wulin causes Tang Wulin to fear that Su Yu intends to “eat” him, though Su Yu is actually contemplating how to extract his dragon essence.
• The class collectively reacts to Shrek’s harsh rules and the announcement of the class committee competition.

Chapter Summary: “Tracking?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Morning class ends, and Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Su Yu, Xu Xiaoyan, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi prepare to eat. Zhang Yangzi leaves with Yang Nianxia instead of joining Tang Wulin’s group.
• The group lacks cafeteria credit points. Tang Wulin considers making money by displaying a handwritten sign, but Su Yu offers a better solution: selling a piece of first-grade Spirit-Refined Sinking Silver.
• They visit the Shrek Blacksmith Association, where they meet the intimidating but lazy blacksmith Feng Wuyu. Su Yu sells the ten-and-a-half-jin metal for 10,000 credit points.
• Feng Wuyu becomes interested in discovering who forged the metal, but Su Yu refuses to reveal the information. Feng remembers Su Yu’s name and student number, implying he may investigate him later.
• After lunch, Su Yu unexpectedly decides to accompany Tang Wulin to practice forging. This provokes jealousy and suspicion from Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan, who interpret the two boys’ private conversation and closeness as romantic flirting.
• Su Yu eventually reveals the real reason for taking Tang Wulin aside: he knows that Tang Wulin possesses the Golden Dragon King Seal. Shocked that Su Yu knows about his greatest secret, Tang Wulin agrees to speak privately.
• Su Yu creates a powerful soundproof barrier around them in a secluded grove, and Tang Wulin demands to know how Su Yu discovered the Golden Dragon King Seal.
• Elsewhere, Team Rocket’s six strongest elders—Old Dou, Old Steel, Old Rock, Earth Elder, Elder Evil, and Old Dragon—mobilize in Black-Class Mechas after confirming the location of the seventh Slate. Clara and Rimuru remain stationed in Heaven Dou City.

Character Developments

• Su Yu: Demonstrates resourcefulness by selling Spirit-Refined Sinking Silver rather than allowing the group to embarrass themselves begging or setting up a stall. He remains confident and teasing, but also shows that he possesses sensitive knowledge about Tang Wulin’s bloodline and is taking precautions to discuss it privately.
• Tang Wulin: Continues to be comically obsessed with food and is extremely hungry after class and cleaning duties. He is grateful for Su Yu’s financial help but becomes nervous when Su Yu takes him aside. His playful misunderstanding eventually gives way to genuine alarm when Su Yu mentions the Golden Dragon King Seal.
• Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan: Both become openly jealous and suspicious of Su Yu’s closeness with Tang Wulin. They temporarily form an alliance and secretly follow the two boys to discover what they are discussing.
• Xie Xie: Provides sarcastic commentary on the group’s behavior, especially Tang Wulin’s awkward situation, and recognizes that he is likely to suffer from Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan’s jealousy.
• Feng Wuyu: Shifts instantly from laziness to intense interest when he sees the high-quality Spirit-Refined Heavy Silver. His curiosity about its mysterious creator marks him as a potential future investigator or connection for Su Yu.
• Team Rocket: Their growing wealth and relationship with the Blacksmith Association give them access to Black-Class Mechas, reflecting their increased power and resources.

Significant Themes

• Secrets and trust: The chapter centers on hidden identities and abilities, especially Tang Wulin’s fear that knowledge of the Golden Dragon King Seal could endanger him. Su Yu’s promise that he does not intend to harm Tang Wulin tests the trust between them.
• Jealousy and misunderstanding: Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan misinterpret Su Yu and Tang Wulin’s private behavior, creating comic tension and revealing their emotional attachment to Su Yu.
• Connections and influence: Team Rocket’s access to powerful mechas through its partnership with the Blacksmith Association shows how alliances and resources can dramatically increase an organization’s capabilities.
• Resourcefulness and talent: Su Yu’s Spirit-Refined Sinking Silver earns a large number of credit points, highlighting the value of craftsmanship and the group’s unusual abilities.
• Comedic relief amid serious revelations: Tang Wulin’s hunger, the awkward rumors about his relationship with Su Yu, and the girls’ pursuit contrast with the serious discovery that Su Yu knows about his most dangerous secret.

Important Character Interactions

• Su Yu and Tang Wulin: Their friendship is central. Su Yu helps Tang Wulin financially, drags him away for a private discussion, and reveals that he knows about the Golden Dragon King Seal. Tang Wulin initially suspects an absurd romantic motive before realizing the conversation is serious.
• Su Yu, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan: Su Yu’s decision to spend time alone with Tang Wulin causes both girls to become jealous. Their united suspicion leads them to follow the pair.
• Su Yu and Feng Wuyu: Su Yu remains calm and provocative despite Feng Wuyu’s intimidating aura, while Feng becomes fascinated by the metal and its unknown forger.
• Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan: Tang Wulin’s innocent behavior unintentionally fuels their jealousy, leaving him terrified by their hostile stares.
• Team Rocket’s elders: The six elders cooperate to pursue the seventh Slate, marking the beginning of an important mission beyond the academy.

Chapter Summary: “Shadow?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Yu reveals that he learned about the Golden Dragon King Seal within Tang Wulin from the powerful being they encountered previously. He asks to borrow some of Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon King Essence for research.
• Tang Wulin agrees to let Su Yu study a portion of the Essence but refuses to remove the Golden Dragon King Seal entirely. He believes the seal, while dangerous, motivates his cultivation and has made him stronger.
• Su Yu assures Tang Wulin that the extraction will not happen immediately. They must first gather all six Slates—and ideally a seventh—so Arceus can use divine power to separate the Essence safely.
• Su Yu tells Tang Wulin that his missing younger sister, Na’er, is likely on Sea God Island. He deduced this after seeing a silver-haired, purple-eyed Inner Court student matching Tang Wulin’s description.
• Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan misunderstand Su Yu and Tang Wulin’s private conversation in the grove. When Tang Wulin emerges, they restrain and interrogate him.
• To conceal the truth about the Golden Dragon King, Tang Wulin falsely claims that Su Yu confessed he liked him. This intensifies the girls’ confusion and jealousy.
• Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan discuss their feelings for Su Yu. Gu Yue realizes she may still have a chance with him, while Xu Xiaoyan admits that Su Yu treats her only like a younger sister and vows not to give up.
• The scene shifts to Hanlin City, where six powerful members of Team Rocket arrive at their local branch. They learn that the seventh Slate is nearby and that its guardian may be Shadow Douluo.

Character Developments

• Tang Wulin: Shows maturity and determination regarding the Golden Dragon King Seal. He accepts its risks rather than seeking an easy solution, linking his strength to his goals of finding his family and becoming a powerful Soul Master. He also demonstrates secrecy and quick thinking by misleading Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan.
• Su Yu: Presents himself as knowledgeable and protective toward Tang Wulin. He seeks to study the Golden Dragon King Essence but promises not to harm Tang Wulin. His knowledge of Tang Wulin’s sister and the larger situation continues to make him mysterious.
• Gu Yue: Becomes increasingly aware of her feelings for Su Yu. Though she previously believed a relationship was impossible, she now sees a potential opportunity and becomes determined to pursue it.
• Xu Xiaoyan: Displays strong concern and jealousy over Su Yu’s relationship with Tang Wulin. She recognizes that Su Yu treats her as a little sister but remains determined to win his affection.
• Shadow Douluo: Is identified as the likely enemy connected to the seventh Slate. His sudden rise from Soul Douluo to Titled Douluo suggests either the use of a powerful treasure or corruption by the Holy Spirit Cult.

Significant Themes

• Strength through hardship: Tang Wulin views the dangerous Golden Dragon King Seal not only as a threat but also as a source of motivation and power.
• Secrets and trust: Tang Wulin hides the truth about the dragon within him, while Su Yu continues to possess knowledge he cannot openly explain.
• Jealousy and romantic misunderstanding: The comedic interrogation highlights Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan’s growing feelings for Su Yu and their uncertainty about his relationships.
• Power and corruption: Shadow Douluo’s unexplained advancement suggests the dangers of forbidden power and the influence of the Holy Spirit Cult.
• Family and personal goals: Tang Wulin’s determination to find his parents and sister remains central to his choices.

Character Interactions

• Su Yu and Tang Wulin have a serious conversation about the Golden Dragon King Seal, with Su Yu offering help and Tang Wulin explaining his philosophy toward danger and power.
• Su Yu gives Tang Wulin hope by revealing Na’er’s possible location.
• Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan confront Tang Wulin after suspecting he and Su Yu were secretly involved romantically. Their interrogation turns humorous when Tang Wulin claims Su Yu confessed his feelings.
• Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan then openly discuss their competing hopes regarding Su Yu, revealing both jealousy and mutual understanding.
• Team Rocket members consult the Hanlin City branch representative, who warns them not to attack Shadow prematurely despite confirming his connection to the Holy Spirit Cult.

Chapter Summary: “Hanlin City!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mu Chunxue, the ordinary human leader of Team Rocket’s Hanlin City branch, asks Old Dou and five others to rescue more than ten thousand townspeople held hostage by an enemy known as Shadow.
• Shadow forces the city to surrender one hundred randomly selected residents every day. The victims must wear mysterious devices, while a Soul Douluo supervises the process. The city’s guards have already been killed, leaving only a Soul Douluo as its strongest defender.
• Old Dou initially suspects that Team Rocket’s generous funding has been embezzled because the branch operates from a dilapidated building. Mu Chunxue explains that Hanlin City lies near the Extreme North, where severe weather, high transportation costs, and scarce resources make construction and supplies extremely expensive.
• Mu Chunxue reveals that Hanlin City lacks both a Spirit Pagoda and Tang Sect branch, and its Soul Masters must travel hundreds of kilometers to obtain Spirit Souls. She used the available funds to purchase and maintain an old building rather than construct a new one.
• The group devises a rescue plan: instead of sending all six people disguised among the hundred sacrifices, only one will infiltrate the hostage group, identify Shadow’s true location, and allow the others to surround and attack him.
• Before the operation, Old Dou and the others explore Hanlin City. They encounter a crying child whose body emits strange black mist. After the boy recognizes them as people who once saved him, the black mist transforms into golden light, which Old Dou identifies as Faith Power.
• The child and his grandmother reveal that they survived the train hostage incident three years earlier, when Old Dou’s group rescued the passengers from Evil Soul Masters. The event suggests that the black mist may be connected to fear, despair, or negative emotions, while the golden light represents faith and gratitude.

Character Developments

• Mu Chunxue is established as a sincere, capable, and self-sacrificing leader. Despite lacking Soul Power, she has worked to preserve Hanlin City under extremely difficult conditions and deeply cares about its residents.
• Old Dou initially mistrusts Mu Chunxue, suspecting corruption, but changes his opinion after seeing her genuine dedication and learning about Hanlin City’s harsh circumstances. He takes charge of refining the rescue strategy.
• Old Dragon contributes practical observations and helps comfort the frightened child, showing a gentler side.
• Old Dou and his companions are reminded that their past actions have had lasting effects: people they saved years ago still remember and revere them.
• The child and grandmother move from fear and grief to hope and recognition after realizing that their rescuers have returned.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility toward ordinary people: The powerful Soul Masters choose to rescue civilians despite the danger and the possibility that Shadow may be stronger than them.
• Neglected regions and unequal development: Hanlin City’s poverty is not caused by corruption but by its isolated location, harsh climate, and lack of institutions and resources.
• Faith and memory: The gratitude of people saved years earlier manifests as Faith Power, suggesting that heroic deeds create enduring bonds and strength.
• Hope overcoming despair: The child’s black mist appears to symbolize sorrow or fear, while the golden light produced by recognition and faith represents emotional recovery and hope.
• The limits of strength: Even overwhelming combat power is insufficient without information, planning, and an understanding of the enemy’s methods.

Character Interactions

• Mu Chunxue repeatedly explains the hostage situation and seeks Old Dou’s help, while Old Dou questions her motives, resources, and strategy.
• Old Dou and Old Dragon debate whether Shadow’s location is truly revealed by the hostage “Slate,” eventually agreeing that the enemy’s actual position must be confirmed.
• Old Dou recognizes the danger posed by the mysterious devices and argues that they may suppress the victims’ strength.
• Old Dragon comforts the crying boy, while Old Dou investigates the supernatural black mist and golden Faith Power.
• The chapter closes by connecting the present crisis to the group’s earlier rescue of a train full of hostages, reinforcing the continuing impact of their relationships with ordinary people.

Chapter Summary: When Misfortune Strikes the Unlucky

Key Plot Points and Events

• Old Dou and the other Team Rocket members enter Hanlin City and discover that Shadow has kidnapped or endangered the residents’ families. Old Dou falsely identifies the group as messengers of Arceus to give the frightened civilians hope.
• The team learns that Shadow randomly selects one hundred people each day at seven o’clock by placing black marks on their bodies. The mark can be willingly transferred to another person, but those chosen are eventually killed regardless of whether they face Shadow or hide.
• Old Dragon investigates black mist drifting through the snowfall and traces it to a nearby town covered by a strange black barrier. He realizes that Shadow is collecting Fear Power, using the terror of the selected victims and their families to strengthen himself.
• Old Dragon confirms that the seventh Slate is located in the town, though he cannot determine whether Shadow possesses it directly. He also estimates that Shadow is at least a Super Douluo and may approach Limit Douluo strength when empowered by Fear Power.
• Inside the town, Shadow confidently dismisses the threat of Team Rocket, claiming that even Super Douluo opponents would be unable to defeat him. He absorbs Fear Power through a Soul Tool containing a black crystal and the seventh Slate, increasing his strength and bringing him closer to becoming a Limit Douluo.
• Shadow’s hatred for Shrek is revealed, suggesting that his cultivation and actions are partly motivated by revenge.
• Back in Hanlin City, Team Rocket gathers with Mu Chunxue and prepares to escort the one hundred marked people to Shadow’s town. Their plan is for all six powerful members to fight Shadow together, using their Martial Soul Fusion Skill if necessary.
• At seven o’clock, all one hundred selected people arrive at the city gate, despite knowing that death may await them. Their courage surprises Old Dou and Mu Chunxue.
• Elder Evil publicly reveals his immense strength through nine red, hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings and announces that Team Rocket has come under Arceus’s orders to rescue them. The crowd begins to believe they may have a chance of survival.
• The chapter ends with the excited little boy from earlier proclaiming his faith in Arceus, even though he bears a highly visible black mark. Old Dou reflects bitterly on how misfortune repeatedly targets those who have already suffered.

Character Developments

• Old Dou becomes more compassionate toward the civilians, especially after learning about the deaths of Team Rocket’s former Soul Sages and seeing the despair of the chosen people. He uses the image of Arceus to inspire hope.
• Old Dragon/Elder Evil demonstrates caution and strategic intelligence by investigating the black mist without entering Shadow’s barrier. He successfully deduces Shadow’s method of cultivation and recognizes the danger posed by Fear Power.
• Shadow is shown to be arrogant, cruel, and ambitious. He believes himself capable of defeating nearly any opponent and is determined to reach Limit Douluo level while taking revenge on Shrek.
• Mu Chunxue continues acting as the group’s guide and source of information. Her surprise at all one hundred victims arriving highlights how unusual their collective courage is.
• The young marked man displays defiance and bravery by arriving early, determined to confront Shadow even if he cannot win.
• The little boy remains innocent and hopeful, placing absolute faith in Arceus despite being one of the victims targeted by Shadow.

Significant Themes

• Faith versus fear: Arceus gathers strength through sincere worship, while Shadow exploits terror to generate Fear Power. The chapter contrasts hope-based belief with fear-based control.
• Courage in the face of death: Although the chosen people understand that they may die, all one hundred arrive rather than hide, showing collective bravery and resistance.
• Exploitation of the vulnerable: Shadow deliberately targets ordinary civilians, families, children, and people already suffering, turning their fear into a source of power.
• Hope as a form of protection: Old Dou and Elder Evil use Arceus’s name and visible strength to restore the victims’ morale, suggesting that hope can counteract Shadow’s psychological domination.
• Misfortune and injustice: The closing remark emphasizes the tragedy of innocent people repeatedly suffering through circumstances beyond their control.

Character Interactions

• Old Dou reassures the little boy and his grandmother that Team Rocket will rescue them, establishing a bond of trust.
• Old Dragon reports his discoveries to the others, allowing the team to understand Shadow’s plan and prepare collectively.
• Shadow and the Soul Douluo discuss the threat from Team Rocket, revealing Shadow’s overconfidence and the importance of the divinity-containing artifact.
• Mu Chunxue explains the selection process and the fate of previous victims to Old Dou and the team.
• Elder Evil addresses the gathered civilians, using his overwhelming power to earn their trust. The little boy responds enthusiastically, while his grandmother tries to calm him, creating a brief contrast between innocent faith and the adults’ fear.

Chapter Summary: “Fear Had Decreased!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• An old woman gives her grandson a candy that immediately puts him to sleep. She transfers the dangerous black mark from his arm onto herself, choosing to sacrifice herself to protect him.
• Elder Evil reassures the gathered captives through the intimidating yet comforting presence of Arceus’s phantom. He announces a plan to infiltrate the Evil Soul Masters’ stronghold and eliminate them.
• Old Dou recognizes the old woman as someone he previously helped. He removes her black mark and takes it onto himself, allowing her to return home and care for her grandson.
• Old Dragon and the other disguised Super Douluo similarly transfer black marks from vulnerable captives onto themselves. They suppress their Soul Power so the marks will not identify them as powerful infiltrators.
• Shadow learns that a supposed Team Rocket member with nine hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings has appeared in Hanlin City. He suspects the visitor may be concealing greater strength and decides to seize his Soul Rings if he interferes.
• Outside Hanlin City, Old Dou identifies the purple-black figures accompanying the Evil Soul Masters as beings made from Ghost Type Energy. He realizes the black marks are connected to the Ghost Type and discovers, through Foresight, that he can remove his mark whenever necessary.
• The captives are forced to wear black bracelets that weaken their Soul Power and prevent weaker Soul Masters from summoning their Martial Souls. The disguised infiltrators allow themselves to be taken into the city.
• After the group departs, Mu Chunxue activates Team Rocket’s next phase. Screens throughout Hanlin City broadcast footage of Elder Evil demonstrating his power and promising salvation.
• The broadcast restores hope among the city’s residents. Their fear—and the black mist feeding on it—begins to decrease, while golden light associated with faith in Arceus gathers.
• Shadow senses the sudden reduction in fear through his crystal ball. Alarmed and enraged, he realizes that Team Rocket has given the people hope and decides to intensify their fear again.

Character Developments

• The old woman is established as self-sacrificing and fiercely protective of her grandson, willingly accepting the mark and possible death in his place.
• Old Dou demonstrates compassion and responsibility by taking the mark from the old woman. He also uses his intelligence to investigate its nature and uncover its Ghost Type properties.
• Elder Evil/Old Dragon and the other Super Douluo show strategic discipline, disguising themselves and suppressing their strength to infiltrate the enemy without exposing their true identities.
• Mu Chunxue acts as a capable organizer, coordinating the evacuation, recording Elder Evil’s speech, and using propaganda to revive the city’s hope.
• Shadow shifts from confidence to unease. He initially views the apparent newcomer as a potential source of Soul Rings, but becomes visibly shaken when he realizes his control over the city’s fear is weakening.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and protection: The old woman’s willingness to die for her grandson is mirrored by Old Dou’s decision to bear the mark in her place.
• Hope versus fear: The Evil Soul Masters maintain control by cultivating terror, while Team Rocket counters them by giving the people evidence that help has arrived.
• Faith and collective belief: The residents’ growing belief in Arceus produces golden light and directly weakens the black mist, showing that emotion and faith have tangible power.
• Deception and strategy: Team Rocket relies on disguises, suppressed abilities, staged appearances, and public broadcasts to mislead the enemy and destabilize Shadow’s plans.
• Understanding the enemy’s power: Old Dou’s discovery that the mark is Ghost Type—and vulnerable to most other attributes—provides the infiltrators with an important advantage.

Character Interactions

• The old woman comforts her sleeping grandson while transferring the mark, emphasizing her devotion and willingness to endure danger for him.
• Elder Evil addresses the captives collectively, using Arceus’s presence to calm them and persuade them to trust the rescue plan.
• Old Dou and the old woman reunite; she recognizes him as her benefactor, but he insists on taking her mark so she can return home.
• Old Dou and the other Super Douluo coordinate their infiltration by accepting the marks and disguising their true strength.
• Shadow questions the information brought by the black-robed subordinate, then privately assesses the threat posed by the mysterious Titled Douluo.
• Mu Chunxue gives orders to Team Rocket members, who execute the broadcast that changes the emotional atmosphere of Hanlin City.
• The citizens respond to the broadcast with renewed hope, praising either the Federation or Team Rocket and invoking Arceus, while Shadow reacts with growing panic and anger.

Chapter Summary: “Acting?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Elder Evil leads Hanlin City’s residents through the snow while the black-robed man cautiously guides them, prepared to flee if attacked.
• Old Dragon reveals that the plan is working: because Shadow feeds on fear, Elder Evil is deliberately acting as a protector while reducing the crowd’s panic.
• Shadow suddenly appears within a massive black barrier, confirming that he possesses the Slate and has reached the strength of a high-level Super Douluo.
• Shadow recognizes Elder Evil’s mask and connects him to the figure who once stopped his attack on Shrek. Elder Evil refuses to show fear and insults Shadow, provoking him.
• Shadow uses Night Shadow, a terrifying illusion that generates fear and extracts Fear Power from the crowd. Elder Evil counters with Dark Pulse, freeing the civilians and reinforcing their faith in him.
• While the two leaders confront one another, Old Dou secretly escapes through the barrier and heads toward a nearby town to rescue the people Shadow has imprisoned. Another pursuer notices and follows him.
• Shadow and Elder Evil exchange attacks. Shadow intentionally limits his strength, allowing Elder Evil to appear dominant so the crowd will gain hope before experiencing a greater shock.
• As Elder Evil repeatedly defeats Shadow’s attacks, the crowd begins believing victory is possible. Some even become followers of Arceus, producing mysterious golden faith energy.
• Shadow then reveals a stronger form, unleashing Shadow True Form and Night Shadow against the crowd rather than Elder Evil. Their confidence collapses as fear returns.
• Elder Evil continues acting as their shield. He destroys Shadow’s demonic attack with Dark Pulse and finally uses Dark Void, trapping Shadow in a dazzling world of darkness and apparently forcing him into sleep.

Character Developments

• Elder Evil: Demonstrates confidence, tactical intelligence, and exceptional control over Dark-type abilities. He intentionally plays the role of an invincible protector, maintaining the civilians’ hope while countering Shadow’s fear-based strategy.
• Shadow: Reveals himself as a powerful Super Douluo who manipulates fear psychologically as well as physically. He deliberately stages the first round of combat to create false hope, intending to harvest stronger fear later. His surprise at Elder Evil’s counters shows that he underestimated him.
• Old Dou/Old Dragon: Old Dou acts independently and covertly, escaping the barrier to rescue the imprisoned residents. He deduces that Ghost Shadows and their black marks may be connected to Shadow’s control over the victims.
• The civilians: Shift from terror to hope, then back toward fear. Their growing belief in Elder Evil and Arceus turns them into potential sources of faith power.

Significant Themes

• Hope and fear as weapons: Shadow manipulates emotional extremes, first encouraging hope and then intending to shatter it for greater fear. Elder Evil uses the same emotional dynamics against him.
• Acting and deception: Both sides conceal their true strength. Shadow pretends to struggle, while Elder Evil recognizes the performance and “acts” along with him.
• Faith and belief: The civilians’ trust in Elder Evil develops into worship of Arceus, producing a supernatural golden energy that may become important later.
• Protection versus exploitation: Elder Evil fights to preserve the crowd’s lives and morale, while Shadow views them as tools for accumulating power.
• Countering darkness: Although Shadow’s Ghost-type abilities appear overwhelming, Elder Evil’s Dark-type powers provide a direct counter, shifting the balance of the confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Shadow questions Elder Evil about his mask and past connection to Shrek, but Elder Evil remains evasive and contemptuous.
• Elder Evil reassures the civilians after each frightening attack, strengthening their confidence in him.
• Shadow taunts Elder Evil and urges him to become an Evil Soul Master, while Elder Evil condemns Shadow’s disregard for human life.
• The crowd initially cheers Elder Evil’s apparent victory, then falls silent when Shadow unveils his true power.
• Elder Evil blocks Shadow’s attack on the civilians and defeats it with Dark Pulse before trapping Shadow with Dark Void, ending the chapter with Shadow shocked and incapacitated.

Chapter Summary: “Hope Has Arrived!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shadow undergoes a terrifying transformation, becoming enveloped in an intensely pure black energy cocoon. However, before he can act, Elder Evil attacks him with Hyperspace Fury, a barrage of black arms that bypass defensive techniques and repeatedly hurls Shadow through the air.
• Elder Evil’s followers regain confidence after seeing Shadow overwhelmed. Some newly convert to Arceus, though their faith is unstable and likely temporary.
• Meanwhile, Old Dou enters the town to rescue civilians tormented by Ghost Shadows and black marks. Using Foresight and Aura Sphere, he destroys the entities attached to several victims, freeing them from their fear and supernatural restraints.
• Old Dou encounters a cloaked Soul Douluo connected to the Evil Soul Masters and possibly Blood Demon. The cloaked man attempts to suppress Old Dou’s power with a purple-black fragment, but Old Dou’s strength is far beyond what he expects.
• Old Dou reveals himself to be a Super Douluo with nine red, hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings. He effortlessly purges the Ghost-type energy, then pursues the fleeing cloaked man with homing Aura Spheres. The man sacrifices his Two-Word Battle Armor to escape the first attack, but another Aura Sphere continues chasing him.
• Realizing that searching house by house is too slow, Old Dou decides to use Lock-On across the entire town, drawing on the main body’s power to expand his Inner Focus enough to locate every Ghost Shadow.
• Old Dou discovers the horrifying extent of Shadow’s cruelty: corpses, mutilated victims, and blood-covered areas designed to spread terror.
• He locks onto the Ghost Shadows throughout the town and begins destroying them remotely.
• Two sisters, Lin Yu and Lin Xi, hear a reassuring message in their minds from an envoy of Team Rocket acting under Arceus’s orders. As sunlight breaks through their ruined ceiling, Aura Spheres destroy the Ghost Shadows and remove their black marks. The sisters realize that help has truly arrived and embrace in tearful relief.

Character Developments

• Shadow remains terrifyingly powerful despite his transformation, but his apparent dominance is challenged by Elder Evil, who gains the upper hand.
• Elder Evil displays overwhelming combat ability and confidence, using Hyperspace Fury to completely suppress Shadow and strengthen the loyalty of his followers.
• Old Dou is revealed to be far stronger than the cloaked Evil Soul Master anticipated. His calmness, immense power, and willingness to rescue civilians establish him as a decisive protector rather than merely a combatant.
• The cloaked man shifts from arrogance to panic after learning that Old Dou is a Super Douluo. His confidence collapses, and he resorts to fleeing and sacrificing his Battle Armor.
• Lin Yu and Lin Xi move from hopelessness and emotional numbness to renewed faith and joy when they witness the destruction of the Ghost Shadows.

Significant Themes

• Hope versus despair: The chapter contrasts Shadow’s terror and the victims’ hopelessness with Old Dou’s arrival and the promise that rescue is possible.
• The power of protection: Old Dou uses his strength not only to fight enemies but to save ordinary people, emphasizing heroism through action.
• Fear as a weapon: Shadow’s corpses, mutilations, and Ghost Shadows are deliberately used to psychologically break the town’s residents.
• Unexpected strength and deception: The cloaked man assumes Old Dou has been weakened, only to discover that appearances are misleading.
• Faith and its instability: Some followers turn toward Arceus when Elder Evil appears dominant, but their faith is unreliable. By contrast, the sisters’ hope develops through direct evidence of salvation.
• Light as a symbol of rescue: The sunlight entering the sisters’ dark room represents the literal and emotional return of hope.

Character Interactions

• Elder Evil attacks Shadow while his followers cheer and reaffirm their allegiance.
• Old Dou speaks gently to terrified victims, though their prolonged trauma prevents them from immediately trusting him.
• Old Dou and the cloaked Soul Douluo exchange threats and discuss Blood Demon, revealing a possible connection between their enemies.
• The cloaked man attempts to intimidate and suppress Old Dou, but Old Dou’s composure unnerves him before the power difference becomes undeniable.
• Lin Yu and Lin Xi encourage one another despite their despair. Their shared vision of the rescue message and the destruction of the Ghost Shadows allows them to recover hope together.

Chapter Summary: I Want to Run, and the Road Is Right Beneath My Feet!

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Old Dou uses the power of Arceus’s true body to create a miraculous light that spreads throughout the town, freeing people from Ghost Shadow’s influence and inspiring them with hope. Many survivors begin believing in Arceus, generating new Faith Power.
• With the townspeople protected, Old Dou signals the start of the encirclement operation.
• Elder Evil continues fighting Shadow while Shadow is unconscious. Shadow’s spatial soul tool repeatedly produces purple-black shields made from stored Fear Power, blocking Elder Evil’s Dark Pulse attacks.
• Shadow awakens, discovers that much of his fear energy has been depleted, and becomes enraged. He activates his Three-Word Battle Armor and Martial Soul True Form, raising his strength to the level of a Limit Douluo.
• Shadow and Elder Evil engage in a fierce battle involving Dark Void, Nether Thorn, Night Slash, Revenge, and Shadow Punch. Shadow’s ability to teleport through shadows gives him a major advantage, especially because it is nighttime.
• Elder Evil manages to injure Shadow, but the difference in strength becomes overwhelming. Shadow begins taunting both Elder Evil and the watching crowd.
• Elder Evil reveals that reinforcements are present. Old Dragon and three other powerful fighters arrive, bringing the number of opponents to four Super Douluos.
• Shadow attempts to escape by using his spatial soul tool to restore his injuries and Soul Power, while also using shields and attacks to slow the pursuers.
• Old Dou appears behind Shadow and attacks him with a series of powerful Close Combat strikes, knocking him toward Old Dragon.
• Shadow threatens to destroy a purple-black fragment, claiming that doing so will kill the townspeople and others previously affected by Ghost Shadow. However, the threat fails because the Ghost Shadows have already disappeared, rendering the fragment useless.
• The six allied fighters—Old Dou, Old Steel, Old Rock, Earth Elder, Elder Evil, and Old Dragon—combine their attacks and severely blast Shadow away.
• Shadow uses Shadow Teleportation to flee several miles into the distance. Old Dou orders the others to pursue him, while the rescued townspeople celebrate their survival.

2. Character Developments

• Old Dou demonstrates the cost and scale of his connection to Arceus. He exhausts more than half of his Soul Power but successfully brings hope to the town and leads the counterattack against Shadow.
• Shadow shifts from confident predator to desperate fugitive. Although his Battle Armor and teleportation make him extremely dangerous, the loss of his stored Fear Power and the arrival of multiple powerful opponents leave him unable to win.
• Elder Evil proves resilient and resourceful despite being outmatched. He survives Shadow’s attacks, discovers the limitations of Dark Void, and deliberately calls for his allies rather than continuing a losing battle alone.
• The allied elders function as a coordinated force. Their combined abilities and varied attributes allow them to overpower Shadow and prevent him from using his hostages as leverage.
• The townspeople, especially Lin Yu, change from frightened and imprisoned victims into hopeful survivors. Their newfound belief in Arceus strengthens the heroes through Faith Power.

3. Significant Themes

• Hope overcoming fear: Arceus’s light gives the people hope, directly countering the terror and despair created by Ghost Shadow.
• Faith as power: The townspeople’s belief is not merely emotional; it generates Faith Power and strengthens the forces opposing Shadow.
• Teamwork versus individual strength: Shadow reaches a level comparable to a Limit Douluo, but he cannot overcome a coordinated group of six powerful fighters.
• The collapse of false control: Shadow believes he controls the Ghost Shadows and can threaten the town, but the heroes have already neutralized that advantage.
• Adaptability and strategy: Elder Evil recognizes his limitations, while Shadow relies on the nighttime shadows and teleportation to survive. The battle is decided as much by tactics and timing as by raw strength.
• Desperation and survival: Once his advantage disappears, Shadow abandons his arrogance and focuses entirely on escape, turning the chapter’s central image into his literal retreat along the road beneath his feet.

4. Character Interactions

• Old Dou communicates with the fighters below and coordinates the encirclement, while his earlier intervention inspires the townspeople to believe in Arceus.
• Elder Evil and Shadow exchange taunts throughout their duel. Shadow mocks Elder Evil’s attacks, while Elder Evil uses misdirection with Dark Void to unsettle him.
• Elder Evil admits to his allies that he cannot defeat Shadow alone, prompting the arrival of Old Dragon and the other Super Douluos.
• Shadow recognizes Old Dou as the masked figure who previously opposed him, making Old Dou’s surprise attack especially significant.
• Shadow attempts to intimidate Old Dou and the others by threatening the lives of the townspeople, but they refuse to yield because the threat has already been neutralized.
• The six fighters combine their attacks in a unified assault, forcing Shadow to flee.
• The townspeople respond to the heroes’ victory with relief and celebration, confirming that Shadow’s hold over them has been broken.

Chapter Summary

• Shadow escapes the battlefield: After the purple-black barrier disappears, Shadow uses his shadow-travel ability to flee. Old Dou and five others do not immediately pursue him, but they track him through the Monster Tablet and split into two groups.
• Hanlin City learns it has been saved: The barrier’s disappearance initially makes the citizens fear that Arceus’s envoys have lost. When the rescuers return and confirm victory, the people praise Arceus. Many immediately rush toward the nearby town to search for their families, learning that Shadow’s retreat means the town is no longer under threat.
• Shadow’s weakening condition: Shadow repeatedly travels through the Shadow World, exhausting his Soul Power. He discovers that the Fear Power stored in his crystal ball has been completely depleted after Old Dragon destroyed its final reserve. Without it, Shadow can only recover slowly through his own strength and becomes increasingly desperate.
• The pursuers repeatedly corner him: Shadow encounters Old Dou and later Old Dragon, both of whom somehow keep finding him despite his speed and attempts to shake them off. They deliberately refrain from killing him, confusing Shadow and leading him to believe they may want him to join them.
• Shadow attempts to manipulate the situation: When Old Dou and the others finally surround him, Shadow assumes they want to recruit him and agrees to join, secretly planning to betray them from within. The group remains silent, however, merely smiling, which frustrates and unsettles him.
• Arceus’s Judgment is unleashed: Old Dou and the five others transform into six Slates and invoke “Judgment! Shards!” A majestic phantom of Arceus appears. The spatial Soul Tool on Shadow’s finger is destroyed, and the Slate he prized as his chance to advance beyond level ninety-eight is taken into Arceus’s formation.
• Shadow retreats into the Shadow World: Believing the Slate had allowed the group to track him, Shadow abandons it and escapes into the Shadow World. He assumes he is untouchable there and boasts that Team Rocket will never find him again.
• The Shadow World is penetrated: Arceus’s phantom locks onto Shadow’s soul and sends countless seven-colored Judgment Shards into the Shadow World. Shadow realizes in horror that the attack is not physical but law-based, allowing it to ignore the protection of his supposedly invulnerable refuge.
• Shadow is destroyed: Shadow burns his remaining Soul Power and essential blood to flee, but the Judgment Shards move too quickly. The attack repeatedly strikes him, overwhelms him, and finally consumes him as he screams that he does not want to die.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Shadow shifts from confident escape and vengeful threats to panic, confusion, and complete despair. His arrogance and belief in the Shadow World’s invulnerability collapse when faced with Arceus’s power.
• Old Dou and Old Dragon demonstrate overwhelming control and composure. Rather than immediately killing Shadow, they manipulate his expectations and patiently guide him into the range of Arceus’s final judgment.
• The people of Hanlin City move from learned pessimism and fear to renewed hope and gratitude. Their praise of Arceus reflects their growing faith in their rescuers.
• Team Rocket, Arceus, and Shadow remain locked in an antagonistic conflict, with Shadow’s hatred and desire for revenge ultimately replaced by terror before Arceus’s divine attack.

Significant Themes

• Hope versus despair: The citizens repeatedly shift between believing they have lost and celebrating their salvation, while Shadow undergoes the opposite transformation—from confidence to hopelessness.
• The limits of escape and false security: Shadow’s speed and Shadow World protect him from ordinary enemies but fail against tracking and attacks operating on a higher, law-based level.
• Divine authority and overwhelming power: Arceus’s phantom represents power beyond even the Super Douluo and Limit Douluo levels, making resistance futile.
• Arrogance and miscalculation: Shadow repeatedly misreads the motives of his enemies, believing they fear killing him or wish to recruit him. His mistaken assumptions prevent him from recognizing that he is being deliberately controlled and marked for execution.

Key plot points and events

• At night in the Shrek student dormitory, Xu Xiaoyan invites Su Yu to explore a nearby snack street. Tang Wulin quietly prevents Xie Xie from joining, warning that Xiaoyan and Gu Yue seem unusually tense and that he might get caught in the middle.
• Xiaoyan and Gu Yue meet Su Yu dressed up. Xiaoyan asks him to choose which of them looks better, but he diplomatically says they both do. Su Yu admits he does not actually know the café he suggested; they nevertheless find one and go inside.
• Their waitress is Yuanen Yehui, whom Su Yu fails to recognize because he has only seen her in her male disguise. Gu Yue notices that Yuanen seems surprised to see Su Yu and suspects they know each other; Su Yu denies it.
• At a neighboring table, the arrogant blond Yue Zhengyu demands Yuanen’s communicator number. When she refuses, he calls for the manager. Su Yu recognizes both of them and anticipates the confrontation.
• Events unfold as Su Yu remembers: Yuanen quits and tries to leave, but Yue Zhengyu pursues her, declares he wants her as his girlfriend, and transforms with golden wings and three purple Soul Rings. Yuanen reveals black wings and two purple rings. Yue mistakes her for an Evil Soul Master and attacks.
• Yuanen dodges Yue’s golden blast, which heads toward Su Yu’s table. Su Yu activates his Martial Soul and uses King’s Shield to protect himself, Xiaoyan, Gu Yue, and their table. The blast has no effect on the shield.

Character developments

• Su Yu remains relaxed and observant, recalling the likely sequence of events at the café. When the fight endangers his companions, he responds quickly and effectively.
• Xu Xiaoyan seeks Su Yu’s attention and appears jealous or emotionally unsettled. She playfully presses him to compare her looks with Gu Yue’s.
• Gu Yue is reserved but watchful, noticing Yuanen’s reaction to Su Yu and probing him about it.
• Tang Wulin shows awareness of Xiaoyan and Gu Yue’s moods and tries to keep Xie Xie away from a potentially awkward situation.
• Xie Xie is oblivious to the girls’ expressions and is briefly restrained by Tang Wulin.
• Yuanen Yehui is firm in rejecting Yue Zhengyu’s advances, then reveals her powerful, contrasting dark-winged Martial Soul.
• Yue Zhengyu is confident and persistent, but his impulsive attack puts bystanders at risk.

Significant themes

• Jealousy and misunderstanding: Xiaoyan and Gu Yue’s feelings about Su Yu surface indirectly, while they misread his attention to Yue Zhengyu as attraction.
• Hidden identities and mistaken assumptions: Su Yu does not recognize Yuanen in her female appearance, and Yue assumes her dark power makes her an Evil Soul Master.
• Confidence versus recklessness: Yue’s boldness turns dangerous when he attacks without considering the crowded café.
• Protective action: Su Yu’s shield demonstrates his readiness to defend his companions.

Character interactions

• Tang Wulin blocks Xie Xie from joining Su Yu, Xiaoyan, and Gu Yue, then explains his concern about the girls’ moods.
• Xiaoyan and Gu Yue tease Su Yu about who looks better, and later quietly discuss Yuanen’s apparent familiarity with him.
• Yuanen rejects Yue’s request for her contact information and later his proposal; he responds by pursuing and challenging her.
• Su Yu watches the confrontation until Yue’s attack threatens his table, then shields the group. The chapter ends with his defense holding firm.

Chapter Summary: “Black Qi?”

Plot Points and Events

• Yuanen Yehui recognizes Su Yu’s Arceus Martial Soul as resembling the Martial Soul of the mysterious person who saved her three years earlier. However, after comparing their appearance, aura, build, and Soul Power, she concludes that Su Yu is definitely not that person, though she suspects he may be related to him.
• A Shrek City enforcer arrives after Yue Zhengyu accuses Yuanen Yehui of being an Evil Soul Master because of her Fallen Angel Martial Soul. Yuanen calmly presents her valid work-study identification, proving she is an academy-approved student and not an Evil Soul Master.
• Yue Zhengyu admits that his soul skill accidentally attacked Yuanen. Since the incident was his mistake and Yuanen’s identity is legitimate, the enforcer lets everyone go without punishment. Su Yu, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan leave, frustrated that they were nearly implicated merely by watching.
• Back in the dormitory, the group discusses the upcoming election for class monitor. Su Yu declines interest in the position because he considers it too burdensome. He suggests Tang Wulin may be suitable, dismisses Xu Xiaoyan as better suited to being a class representative, and jokingly teases Gu Yue before advising everyone to consider whether they truly want the responsibility.
• During cultivation, Su Yu’s consciousness enters Arceus Space. Arceus absorbs the accumulating Faith Power through a newly created autonomous organ, but realizes that the amount gathered is far too small to heal his injuries and that full recovery may require centuries.
• Arceus tests Faith Power against the mysterious black qi hidden in his wounds. The black qi emerges whenever Faith Power approaches an injury and rapidly neutralizes it. Arceus determines that the qi is not devouring the Faith Power but canceling it out. The black qi appears to weaken slightly, suggesting that Faith Power may eventually have an effect, though the process will be extremely slow.
• Arceus also tests his Power of Creation, but it cannot yet counteract the black qi. He concludes that the black qi likely belongs to whoever injured him and may originate from another world. He recognizes that relying on faith to recover will be difficult.
• The next morning, Shen Yi announces the election of seven class officers: one class monitor, two vice class monitors, and four committee members for forging, design, manufacturing, and repair. The class monitor will be selected through a shrinking-area free-for-all battle, while the other positions will be awarded according to professional strength.
• The positions provide substantial contribution points and improve students’ chances of entering Shrek’s Inner Court. Shen Yi’s reminder that former Sea God Pavilion elders were once class monitors greatly increases the students’ enthusiasm.
• Su Yu’s group decides to divide their efforts. Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan remain with Su Yu, while Xie Xie and Tang Wulin gather intelligence about the other teams and their strategies.

Character Development

• Su Yu: Demonstrates calmness, responsibility, and growing leadership influence. Although he is widely trusted to win the class monitor election, he refuses the role because he dislikes its workload. He continues guiding his friends while retaining a playful side, particularly when teasing Xu Xiaoyan and Gu Yue.
• Yuanen Yehui: Shows composure under suspicion and confidently defends her identity. Her curiosity about Su Yu grows because of his resemblance to the Martial Soul of her former savior, despite her certainty that he is not the same person.
• Arceus: Becomes more proactive and analytical in dealing with his injuries. He creates an autonomous system to gather Faith Power and carefully investigates the black qi, learning that it is a persistent, possibly otherworldly force connected to his past injury.
• Yue Zhengyu: His suspicion of Yuanen leads to an accidental confrontation, but he acknowledges his mistake rather than continuing the accusation.
• Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan: Both openly support Su Yu during the class officer preparations, reflecting their trust in his strength and leadership.
• Tang Wulin and Xie Xie: Take on a practical support role by gathering information about the competition instead of relying entirely on Su Yu.

Significant Themes

• Identity and hidden connections: Yuanen’s recognition of Arceus’s Martial Soul raises questions about Su Yu’s origins and his possible connection to the mysterious person who saved her.
• Prejudice and judgment: Yuanen is nearly labeled an Evil Soul Master solely because of her Fallen Angel Martial Soul, emphasizing the danger of judging people by appearances or associations.
• Leadership and responsibility: The class monitor election highlights the difference between possessing the strength to lead and being willing to accept the burdens of leadership.
• Persistence against overwhelming obstacles: Arceus’s struggle with the black qi demonstrates the limits of his current power and the need for patience, experimentation, and long-term planning.
• Teamwork and trust: Su Yu’s friends trust his abilities, while Tang Wulin and Xie Xie contribute through reconnaissance and strategy, showing that success depends on more than individual strength.

Important Character Interactions

• Yuanen observes Su Yu’s Arceus phantom and privately compares him with her former savior.
• Yue Zhengyu accuses Yuanen, while Yuanen calmly refutes the accusation with official proof; the enforcer ultimately confirms her innocence.
• Su Yu jokes with Xu Xiaoyan and Gu Yue about their suitability for class leadership but also gives them sincere advice.
• The dormitory group debates whether Su Yu, Tang Wulin, Xu Xiaoyan, or Gu Yue should pursue the class monitor role.
• Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan choose to remain with Su Yu, while Xie Xie and Tang Wulin split off to investigate rival teams and prepare for the upcoming free-for-all.

Chapter Summary: “Youth Prodigy Rankings?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Team formation ends under Wu Zhangkong’s supervision. Tang Wulin’s group includes Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi, and Yang Nianxia, while Xie Xie forms an Agility Attack-Type team. Some students choose to fight alone.
• Wu Siduo approaches Su Yu, whom she previously encountered in Team Rocket’s Ranked Arena, and asks to join his team. Su Yu accepts, though Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan react jealously by pinching his waist.
• The students enter Shrek Academy’s advanced sleep pods and are transported into an illusory battlefield resembling the Spirit Ascension Platform.
• Su Yu summons Pupitar and searches for Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan. He encounters Wu Siduo, and the two investigate sounds of battle nearby.
• They watch Yang Nianxia, using his Golden Bear Martial Soul and three purple Soul Rings, fight an Earth Spirit Pangolin King Soul Master. Yang’s overwhelming strength is countered by the opponent’s defensive and terrain-based abilities, but Yang ultimately defeats him when he attempts to escape.
• Yang calls for Tang Wulin, Wang Jinxi, and Zhang Yangzi. Their arrival attracts a powerful seven-person group led by Luo Guixing, including Zheng Yiran and Xu Yucheng.
• The thirteen students form a temporary alliance. Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan then emerge, making them immediate targets.
• Gu Yue uses wind to help herself and Xu Xiaoyan escape while creating a dust screen. Su Yu decides to intervene, despite Wu Siduo warning him that several opponents are ranked among the academy’s top youth prodigies.

Character Developments

• Su Yu remains confident and composed. He remembers Wu Siduo from their previous battle and readily accepts her into his group. His dismissive attitude toward the ranked prodigies demonstrates his immense self-assurance and willingness to confront overwhelming odds.
• Wu Siduo reveals both her admiration for Su Yu’s strength and her desire to cooperate with him. She acts cautiously in battle, watching their rear and later warning Su Yu about their opponents.
• Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan display clear possessiveness toward Su Yu when Wu Siduo joins the team. Gu Yue also proves herself tactically capable by using wind and dust to create an escape opportunity.
• Yang Nianxia demonstrates the destructive power and resilience of his Golden Bear Martial Soul. Though initially pressured by the Pangolin King’s defense and earth attacks, he adapts quickly and defeats his opponent.
• Luo Guixing, Zheng Yiran, and Xu Yucheng are established as elite students whose reputations and abilities make them serious threats.
• Pupitar is introduced as Su Yu’s current combat companion, obediently following his commands and remaining alert in the unfamiliar battlefield.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus reputation: The chapter emphasizes the prestige of the Youth Prodigy Rankings, but Su Yu refuses to be intimidated by titles or fame.
• Teamwork and temporary alliances: Students form teams and even unite with rivals when facing larger threats, though such cooperation is based on convenience rather than trust.
• Tactical combat: Battles depend not only on raw power but also on defense, terrain, positioning, concealment, and exploiting an opponent’s weaknesses.
• Competition and survival: The illusory battlefield turns classmates into temporary enemies, forcing them to make quick decisions about cooperation, escape, and confrontation.
• Jealousy and interpersonal tension: Wu Siduo’s arrival creates humorous tension between her and Su Yu’s existing companions, particularly Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan.

Character Interactions

• Wu Siduo reconnects with Su Yu and requests to join his group, prompting Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan’s jealous reaction.
• Su Yu and Wu Siduo cooperate while investigating Yang Nianxia’s battle.
• Yang Nianxia defeats the Earth Spirit Pangolin King Soul Master, then reunites with Tang Wulin and the others.
• Yang attempts to negotiate an alliance with Luo Guixing’s group, eventually persuading Zheng Yiran and Xu Yucheng to participate.
• Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan accidentally enter the assembled group’s midst and become targets. Gu Yue immediately leads their escape.
• Wu Siduo warns Su Yu about the ranked prodigies, but Su Yu ignores the danger and steps forward to rescue Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan, setting up the chapter’s impending confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Escape?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan flee from thirteen pursuing Soul Masters, led by Xu Yucheng, a four-ring Soul Elder wielding the Dark Demon Scythe.
• Xu Yucheng attacks from behind, but Gu Yue uses explosive Three-Colored Flowers to block and repel him. Xu Xiaoyan supports her with precise control abilities.
• Luo Guixing attempts to trap the two girls with Spatial Imprisonment, but Xu Xiaoyan uses Starry Brilliance to bind and temporarily disable him. This allows Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan to escape farther.
• Luo Guixing recognizes their strength and orders the pursuit to continue. He reveals that his third Soul Skill can create a long-distance teleportation formation, though it requires extensive preparation, enormous Soul Power, and can only be used under strict limitations.
• Luo Guixing teleports himself and Yang Nianxia ahead of the fleeing girls, using his earlier Lock-On to Xu Yucheng to determine their approximate location.
• Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan prepare a coordinated attack against Xu Yucheng. Xu Xiaoyan immobilizes him with Starry Brilliance, while Gu Yue teleports a fully formed Six-Colored Flower beside him. The resulting explosion eliminates Xu Yucheng.
• Immediately afterward, Luo Guixing and Yang Nianxia intercept the two girls, with Zheng Yiran and other members of their group closing in from behind. Gu Yue realizes they may have no choice but to fight.
• Zheng Yiran releases poison toward Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan while Yang Nianxia transforms into his bear form and advances.
• Tang Wulin unexpectedly attacks Zheng Yiran from behind, revealing that he had remained with the pursuing group but has now chosen to assist Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan.
• Zheng Yiran engages Tang Wulin directly, using poison arrows, poisonous mist, and a grappling technique to attempt to inject venom into his bloodstream.
• Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon Claw and powerful bloodline resist her poison. His Outrage ability releases overwhelming Dragon Aura, suppressing Zheng Yiran’s Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul and allowing him to tear apart her venomous bindings.
• Luo Guixing and Yang Nianxia are shocked by Tang Wulin’s bloodline power. The chapter ends as another powerful attack, Rock Tomb, is suddenly unleashed.

Character Developments

• Gu Yue demonstrates increasing mastery of elemental and spatial abilities. She remains calm under pressure, uses her flowers tactically, and coordinates effectively with Xu Xiaoyan.
• Xu Xiaoyan shows major progress with her Astral Wheel Chains and can now use them during the day. Her control skill successfully disables both Luo Guixing and Xu Yucheng at crucial moments.
• Luo Guixing is established as a highly intelligent strategist. He recognizes the girls’ abilities, stays behind to assess the battlefield, and uses his complicated teleportation formation to cut them off.
• Yang Nianxia appears less aggressive and more cunning than expected, deliberately remaining at the rear because of his low speed. Despite this, he still feels the pressure of Tang Wulin’s bloodline and is forced to confront its superiority.
• Tang Wulin reveals his willingness to turn against his temporary allies to protect Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan. His Golden Dragon Claw, resilience, and Dragon Aura prove extremely effective against Zheng Yiran’s poison-based attacks.
• Zheng Yiran displays considerable combat skill and ingenuity, combining poison projectiles, mist, physical grappling, and venom injection. However, her Martial Soul is completely suppressed by Tang Wulin’s draconic aura.
• Xu Yucheng is eliminated after persistently pursuing the girls, demonstrating his strength and tenacity but ultimately falling to their coordinated strategy.

Significant Themes

• Teamwork and coordination: Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan combine their abilities precisely, using control and explosive attacks to overcome a stronger pursuer.
• Strategy versus raw power: Luo Guixing relies on planning and spatial tactics, while Tang Wulin overwhelms opponents through physical strength and bloodline dominance.
• Growth and adaptation: Xu Xiaoyan’s expanding control over her mutated Martial Soul and Gu Yue’s increasingly sophisticated flower techniques show their rapid development.
• Hidden strength: Several characters conceal important abilities or intentions, particularly Tang Wulin, Yang Nianxia, and Luo Guixing.
• Bloodline hierarchy and suppression: Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon bloodline exerts instinctive dominance over Zheng Yiran’s serpent Martial Soul and even causes Yang Nianxia’s Darkgolden Bear bloodline to tremble.
• Rivalry turning into cooperation: Though the groups initially pursue one another, Tang Wulin’s intervention suggests that personal bonds and shared danger may override the battlefield’s opposing sides.

Important Character Interactions

• Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan communicate quietly and coordinate their escape and counterattack.
• Xu Xiaoyan disables Luo Guixing, directly disrupting his attempt to imprison them.
• Luo Guixing questions Yang Nianxia’s suspiciously slow pursuit, then uses him as a partner for teleportation.
• Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan work together to eliminate Xu Yucheng through a timed combination of starlight restraint and a Six-Colored Flower explosion.
• Luo Guixing and Yang Nianxia confront the girls, while Zheng Yiran attempts to trap them with poison.
• Tang Wulin intervenes against Zheng Yiran, leading to a fierce close-range battle in which his Dragon Aura overpowers her serpent Martial Soul.
• The chapter concludes with a new attack, Rock Tomb, interrupting the confrontation and setting up the next clash.