Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Dark-Gold Dreadclaw Bear Cub

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Cheng and Jiede discover more than a hundred Azure Wind Wolves surrounding a cave. Suspecting that something valuable or powerful is inside, Lu Cheng approaches the cave while Jiede remains above for safety.
• Lu Cheng uses his Martial Soul and first Soul Skill, Scythe-Blade Cleave, to kill dozens of wolves. The alpha wolf escapes and orders the remaining pack to retreat.
• The two enter the cave and find a severely injured bear cub beside the corpse of a tiger and several tiger cubs. Lu Cheng deduces that the cub took over the tiger’s den after defeating or driving away the tiger.
• Jiede identifies the cub as a Dark-Gold Dreadclaw Bear, an exceptionally rare and powerful Soul Beast. Even a young specimen can rival much older Soul Beasts.
• Jiede theorizes that this particular cub is a weak, abandoned specimen that was driven out of the deeper Star Dou Forest and repeatedly attacked by stronger beasts.
• Although the cub is too young to produce a useful Soul Ring, Jiede considers using his Beast-Taming Orb and Mystic Pellet to strengthen and contract it instead.
• Jiede creates a healing pill with herbs and successfully feeds it to the dying cub. After half an hour, the cub recovers enough to lick its wounds and regard Jiede with cautious trust.

Character Developments

• Lu Cheng demonstrates his combat strength by decisively defeating much of the wolf pack and protecting Jiede. He remains cautious and pragmatic, warning Jiede that the bear cub may still be dangerous.
• Jiede reveals greater ambition and resourcefulness. Rather than simply hunting Soul Beasts for Soul Rings, he begins considering the long-term potential of nurturing and contracting a rare, powerful creature.
• Jiede’s skill with medicine and alchemy becomes more apparent. His Mystic Core Martial Soul allows him to refine an effective healing pill, impressing Lu Cheng.
• Lu Cheng’s admiration for Jiede deepens, especially because Jiede has advanced and expanded the medical legacy inherited from Lu Cheng’s father.
• The bear cub shifts from an apparently vicious threat to a vulnerable creature capable of caution and gratitude, though it remains distrustful of humans.

Significant Themes

• Potential versus present strength: The cub is weak and badly injured now, but its bloodline suggests extraordinary future power.
• Survival and abandonment: The bear cub’s condition reflects the brutal hierarchy of the Soul Beast world, where weak members may be driven away and left to die.
• Compassion versus danger: Jiede chooses to save a creature that could eventually become extremely dangerous, while Lu Cheng emphasizes the risks of trusting a Soul Beast.
• Healing and inheritance: Jiede’s medical abilities connect him to Lu Cheng’s father and suggest that he is carrying an older legacy forward in a new and more powerful form.
• Partnership and trust: Lu Cheng and Jiede balance one another—Lu Cheng provides protection and caution, while Jiede supplies compassion, ingenuity, and long-term vision.

Character Interactions

• Lu Cheng protects Jiede during the wolf encounter and instructs him to remain in the trees.
• Jiede challenges Lu Cheng’s assumption that a human is trapped in the cave, correctly suspecting a powerful Soul Beast.
• Lu Cheng warns Jiede against approaching the cub, but Jiede’s compassion and interest in its potential lead him to intervene.
• Lu Cheng praises Jiede’s pill-refining talent and encourages him to cultivate harder.
• After the cub recovers, Lu Cheng questions Jiede’s intentions, setting up the unresolved issue of whether Jiede will raise and contract the Dark-Gold Dreadclaw Bear.

Chapter Summary: “Second Soul Skill, Spirit-Feeding Pellet”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After two days of treatment, the bear cub recovers from its wounds. By feeding it roasted meat, Jiede gradually earns its trust, allowing him and Lu Cheng to touch and play with it.
• Once Jiede reaches level 20, he asks Lu Cheng to help him obtain his second Soul Ring. Rather than accepting a typical seven-hundred-year Soul Ring, Jiede insists on hunting a soul beast over two thousand years old.
• Jiede explains that his Mystic Core Martial Soul and first soul skill have greatly strengthened his body, allowing him to withstand a Soul Ring beyond normal limits. Lu Cheng tests him through arm wrestling and is shocked by Jiede’s strength.
• To reassure Lu Cheng that he has additional protection, Jiede demonstrates powerful explosives stored in his soul guide ring. Lu Cheng remains cautious but agrees to help after learning that Jiede intends to hunt a gentle plant-type soul beast.
• Jiede targets either a Nectar Flower or Earth Vein Vine, hoping to gain a soul skill capable of feeding soul beasts and accelerating their growth. This would allow the bear cub to become stronger and provide him with a means of self-defense.
• Jiede, Lu Cheng, and the bear cub travel deep into Azure Wood Ridge, near the Star Dou Forest. They pass numerous Nectar Flowers and encounter a three-hundred-year Demon Vine, which Lu Cheng quickly destroys.
• The bear cub repeatedly wanders off to feed on Nectar Flowers, eventually leading the group to a rare two-thousand-nine-hundred-year Nectar Flower—an ideal target for Jiede’s second Soul Ring.

Character Developments

• Jiede: Demonstrates growing confidence in his unusual martial soul, physical strength, and ability to absorb high-year Soul Rings. His goal is not simply offensive power; he wants a supportive skill to strengthen the bear cub and compensate for his own lack of direct combat abilities.
• Lu Cheng: Moves from disbelief and concern to cautious acceptance after witnessing Jiede’s strength and explosives. He acts as Jiede’s protector and guide while still warning him about the danger of hunting powerful soul beasts.
• Bear Cub: Develops strong attachment and trust toward Jiede. It willingly follows him despite sensing danger, showing both fearlessness and dependence. Its instinctive attraction to high-year Nectar Flowers becomes important to the expedition.

Significant Themes

• Trust earned through care: Jiede wins the bear cub’s loyalty through patience, healing, food, and affection rather than force.
• Breaking established limits: Jiede challenges conventional Soul Ring absorption rules through his exceptional body and unique Mystic Core Martial Soul.
• Support as strength: Instead of pursuing a purely destructive ability, Jiede seeks a skill that can nurture another creature, suggesting that growth and cooperation can be forms of power.
• Human–beast companionship: The bear cub’s bond with Jiede develops into a partnership, hinting that it may eventually become a valuable ally.
• Caution versus ambition: Lu Cheng represents practical concerns about danger, while Jiede’s determination pushes toward greater risks and rewards.

Character Interactions

• Jiede and Lu Cheng’s relationship becomes more cooperative and trusting as Lu Cheng learns about Jiede’s abilities.
• Jiede uses food and gentle physical contact to build intimacy with the bear cub, which eventually follows him voluntarily.
• Lu Cheng protects both Jiede and the cub during their journey, while Jiede reassures and guides the frightened animal.
• The bear cub’s behavior indirectly guides the group to the valuable 2,900-year Nectar Flower, setting up the next stage of Jiede’s Soul Ring hunt.

Chapter Summary: “Huo Wu”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Cheng and Jiede target a nearly 2,900-year-old Nectar Flower guarded by a ferocious bear cub.
• Jiede uses explosives to uproot and kill the Soul Beast, impressing Lu Cheng with how easily they defeat such a powerful creature.
• Jiede refines the Nectar Flower into a pellet and consumes it before absorbing its purple Soul Ring. The flower’s energy helps him fuse with the ring safely and enhances its age.
• During absorption, the Soul Ring’s age rises from roughly 2,900 years to exactly 3,000 years, giving Jiede an extraordinarily powerful thousand-year second Soul Ring.
• Jiede’s soul power stabilizes at approximately Rank 22½, demonstrating his unusual strength and cultivation potential.
• Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, and Feng Xiaotian arrive after hearing the explosion. They witness Jiede’s unusual Soul Ring and become intensely curious about his secret.
• Lu Cheng warns them not to interfere while Jiede is stabilizing his power, revealing his protectiveness and awareness of the dangers of the Soul Master world.
• After Jiede finishes, Huo Wu directly questions him about his thousand-year second Soul Ring. Jiede refuses to explain, calling the method his “secret.”
• Two hidden protectors, Huo Yan and Feng Wuhen, secretly observe the encounter and discuss whether Jiede may be persuaded—or pressured—into revealing his method.

Character Developments

• Jiede: Shows confidence, ingenuity, and remarkable cultivation ability. His use of explosives and the Mystic Pellet allows him to obtain and enhance an exceptionally powerful Soul Ring. His calm refusal to reveal his secret also demonstrates emotional control and strategic thinking.
• Lu Cheng: Becomes increasingly impressed and astonished by Jiede’s abilities. He acts as Jiede’s guard and immediately adopts a defensive stance when outsiders approach, showing loyalty and practical caution.
• Huo Wu: Reveals herself as impulsive, outspoken, and intensely curious. Jiede’s unusual Soul Ring captures her attention, and she refuses to leave until she can question him.
• Huo Wushuang: Acts as the more polite and responsible member of the group, repeatedly apologizing for Huo Wu’s behavior and trying to prevent conflict.
• Feng Xiaotian: Displays confidence and a somewhat aloof personality, though he is also fascinated by Jiede’s strength. His admiration for Huo Wu is implied by his eagerness to follow her.
• Huo Yan and Feng Wuhen: Their hidden presence reveals that the children are being protected and monitored. They are interested in exploiting Jiede’s secret for their clans’ benefit, though they disagree over whether to intervene directly.

Significant Themes

• Power and cultivation potential: Jiede’s three-thousand-year second Soul Ring challenges conventional limits and establishes him as an extraordinary talent.
• Ingenuity overcoming danger: Strategy, explosives, and alchemy allow Jiede and Lu Cheng to defeat a powerful Soul Beast far more efficiently than through direct combat.
• Secrets and self-protection: Jiede understands that revealing his method could make him a target, so he carefully withholds information despite intense questioning.
• The dangerous politics of the Soul Master world: Lu Cheng recognizes that the children’s protectors may pose a greater threat than the children themselves, emphasizing the importance of hidden influence and clan interests.
• Curiosity and rivalry: Huo Wu’s fascination with Jiede’s abilities creates an immediate connection, while the others react with varying degrees of admiration, suspicion, and envy.

Character Interactions

• Lu Cheng supports Jiede during the Soul Beast hunt and guards him during absorption.
• Huo Wu aggressively questions Jiede, while Huo Wushuang attempts to maintain courtesy and Feng Xiaotian urges restraint.
• Lu Cheng confronts the newcomers to protect Jiede, creating a brief moment of tension before Huo Wushuang apologizes and withdraws.
• Jiede deliberately frustrates Huo Wu by giving only the evasive answer that his ability is a “secret.”
• The hidden protectors debate whether Jiede should be pressured or enticed into sharing his method, suggesting that the encounter may develop into a larger conflict.

Chapter Summary: The Secret to Increasing Soul Ring Absorption Limits

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiede initially refuses to explain how he obtained a second Millennium Soul Ring, prompting Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, and Feng Xiaotian to offer increasingly large sums of money.
• After they pay him 10,000 Gold Soul Coins—and then an additional coin—Jiede continues teasing them before finally revealing the truth.
• He explains that his first soul skill, the Foundation-Building Pill, strengthens the body, consolidates the foundation, and nourishes one’s origin. In theory, improving one’s physical condition allows a soul master to absorb Soul Rings of a higher age limit.
• Huo Wu asks to purchase and test one of Jiede’s pills. Jiede creates a foul-smelling Stinky Mystic Pellet, which Feng Xiaotian bravely swallows after bargaining for a favor from Huo Wu.
• Feng Xiaotian experiences only a weak effect, comparable to drinking diluted wild ginseng water. The group concludes that the pill is largely ineffective for anyone except Jiede.
• Jiede explains that medicinal herbs might theoretically provide similar benefits, but their toxins and impurities can accumulate, damage the body, and prevent long-term use.
• Huo Wu becomes discouraged upon realizing that, despite reaching level twenty, she may only be able to absorb a Century Soul Ring. However, she begins to suspect that Jiede’s “Mystic Pellet Martial Soul” may involve a more powerful type of pill and questions him about it.

Character Developments

• Jiede reveals himself as a shamelessly calculating merchant who enjoys exploiting others’ curiosity, though he eventually shares the information once pressured. He remains cautious about revealing the full extent of his abilities, especially because powerful families might attempt to control or capture him.
• Huo Wu shifts from anger and impatience to serious curiosity. Her disappointment over her Soul Ring limit makes her more determined to uncover whether Jiede possesses a genuine solution.
• Feng Xiaotian abandons his usual aloofness when Huo Wu is involved. He contributes money, defends her interests, eats the disgusting pellet for her sake, and uses the opportunity to ask her for a favor, highlighting his obvious admiration for her.
• Huo Wushuang remains more level-headed but becomes increasingly irritated by Jiede’s manipulation. He also recognizes the significance of Jiede’s secret.
• Lu Cheng acts as a cautious protector and mediator, prepared to restrain the others if violence breaks out. Even he eventually criticizes Jiede’s behavior.
• Huo Yan is the least patient, openly suggesting that the group should seize Jiede and hand him over to their family.

Significant Themes

• Physical preparation and cultivation limits: The chapter introduces the idea that Soul Ring absorption depends not only on soul power but also on the strength and purity of a soul master’s body.
• The danger of shortcuts: Medicinal herbs may strengthen the body, but accumulated toxins and impurities can ultimately cause harm.
• Secrets as power: Jiede’s soul skill is valuable because its widespread use could alter how soul masters cultivate, making him a target for powerful factions.
• Greed and exploitation: The group’s willingness to pay heavily for the secret contrasts with Jiede’s willingness to exploit their desperation.
• Trust and hidden motives: Jiede does not fully trust the major families, even though the three young soul masters promise not to reveal his secret.
• Humor and interpersonal tension: The bargaining, Jiede’s repeated teasing, and Feng Xiaotian’s willingness to swallow the foul pellet create comic conflict while revealing the characters’ personalities.

Character Interactions

• Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, and Feng Xiaotian jointly negotiate with Jiede, gradually pooling their money to purchase his secret.
• Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu’s interactions display his infatuation and her exasperation; she repeatedly rejects his overly eager behavior, yet eventually accepts his help.
• Jiede and Feng Xiaotian clash physically when Feng loses his temper, but Lu Cheng intervenes before the situation escalates.
• Huo Wu questions Jiede’s claims and tests the limits of his honesty, while Jiede carefully avoids confirming whether his pills can benefit others.
• The chapter ends with Huo Wu connecting Jiede’s Martial Soul to the possibility of a truly effective pill, setting up the next revelation.

Chapter Summary: “Conflict”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Huo Wu presses Jiede to reveal how her second Soul Ring might absorb a thousand-year Soul Beast Ring. Jiede hesitates, revealing that he may possess the knowledge or ability to help.
• Fearing that Jiede could be exploited by the Huo or Feng Clans, Lu Cheng positions himself protectively beside the group and demands that everyone swear to keep the secret.
• Huo Wu summons the adults accompanying them: Huo Yan and Feng Wuhen. Huo Yan refuses to swear an oath and instead intimidates Jiede with the pressure of his six Soul Rings.
• Jiede reacts angrily to Huo Yan’s threats, accusing him of coercion. When Huo Yan attempts to seize him, Jiede lights a bundle of explosives and threatens to kill everyone.
• Lu Cheng takes Huo Wu hostage with his mantis blades, creating a tense standoff. Jiede extinguishes the fuse once Lu Cheng gains control of the situation.
• The conflict escalates when Huo Yan nearly attacks Jiede’s bear cub. Jiede again threatens to detonate the explosives, forcing Huo Yan to back down.
• Huo Wushuang mediates, apologizing for Huo Yan’s behavior and asking Jiede to release Huo Wu. However, Huo Wu stubbornly continues demanding access to a thousand-year second Soul Ring.
• Jiede challenges Huo Yan directly, questioning whether the Huo Clan intends to abduct and exploit him. Huo Yan denies wanting to recruit him, but his hostility confirms the underlying conflict.

Character Developments

• Jiede becomes increasingly assertive and confrontational. Rather than submit to threats, he uses his explosives and quick thinking to protect himself and establish leverage.
• Lu Cheng demonstrates strong loyalty toward Jiede, immediately suspecting that the Huo and Feng Clans may exploit him. He is willing to take Huo Wu hostage to defend his junior brother.
• Huo Wu remains bold, stubborn, and obsessed with obtaining a powerful second Soul Ring. Despite being held hostage, she continues to pursue her goal and even defends Jiede against her uncle.
• Huo Yan is revealed as aggressive, domineering, and unwilling to negotiate fairly. His intimidation tactics fail because Jiede is willing to respond with extreme measures.
• Huo Wushuang acts as the reasonable mediator, recognizing that his uncle’s actions caused the crisis and attempting to de-escalate it.
• Feng Xiaotian openly sides with Huo Wu and reacts emotionally when she is threatened, while Feng Wuhen remains more cautious and frustrated by Xiaotian’s impulsiveness.

Significant Themes

• Coercion versus trust: The chapter centers on whether Jiede’s secret will be obtained through cooperation or force. His insistence on oaths reflects his distrust of powerful clans.
• Power and exploitation: Jiede fears being turned into a resource or tool by the Huo or Feng Clans, highlighting the danger of possessing rare knowledge.
• Loyalty and protection: Lu Cheng’s willingness to risk a confrontation for Jiede contrasts with the adults’ attempts to control the situation.
• Defiance against authority: Jiede refuses to be intimidated by Huo Yan’s superior cultivation and uses unconventional weapons to equalize the power imbalance.
• Stubborn ambition: Huo Wu’s determination to obtain a thousand-year second Soul Ring drives the conflict even when negotiation has nearly collapsed.

Character Interactions

• Jiede and Huo Wu clash over her demand for his secret, though she still treats him as someone capable of helping her.
• Jiede and Huo Yan engage in a direct confrontation, with Jiede accusing him of bullying and Huo Yan responding with threats.
• Lu Cheng and Jiede work together tactically: Lu Cheng restrains Huo Wu while Jiede uses the explosives to control the adults.
• Feng Xiaotian shows his attachment to Huo Wu by confronting his own uncle when she is taken hostage.
• Huo Wushuang attempts to bridge the opposing sides by apologizing and negotiating with Jiede.
• Feng Wuhen views the entire situation pragmatically, criticizing the others for allowing emotions and impulsiveness to worsen the standoff.

Chapter Summary: “Return to the City”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiede explains to Huo Yan and the others that his pill-refining research requires his Mystic Pellet as a foundation, as well as increasingly valuable medicinal herbs. Low-aged herbs are sufficient only for low-ranked Soul Masters; six-ring Soul Emperors require herbs aged eight or nine hundred years or more.
• To protect his secrets, Jiede makes everyone swear upon their martial souls not to reveal what happened. In exchange for his cooperation, Huo Wu is released.
• Huo Wushuang returns to the clan to gather money and medicinal herbs for Jiede, while Huo Yan stays behind to supervise him. Huo Wu chooses to accompany Jiede, and Feng Xiaotian follows her.
• On the journey back to Azure Wood Ridge, mercenaries attempt to rob the group. Huo Yan instantly kills all seven attackers, discouraging the other mercenary groups from interfering. Jiede jokingly treats Huo Yan as his personal bodyguard, irritating him.
• The group reaches Lu Cheng Clinic. Jiede confirms that his second soul skill is exactly what he wanted and apologizes to Lu Cheng for the danger caused by the recent journey. Lu Cheng reassures him and reports that Millennium Whale Glue will arrive soon.
• Elsewhere, Yu Xiaogang and Tang San are attacked by a nine-hundred-year Mandrake Snake. Yu Xiaogang is severely poisoned. Tang San absorbs the snake’s soul ring despite it exceeding the normal limit for a second ring, gaining the ability to release and absorb snake venom through his Blue Silver Grass. He then uses this ability to cure Yu Xiaogang.
• At home, Jiede introduces his family to the black bear cub he brought back. The bear immediately steals Jie Yuan’s expensive white sugar, creating a humorous struggle before Jiede carries it away.

Character Developments

• Jiede demonstrates increasing confidence and control. He secures resources for his pill research, protects his secrets, and uses his dealings with the Fire Clan to advance his own cultivation and medical ambitions.
• Huo Yan acknowledges the limits of his clan’s finances but remains suspicious and protective. His overwhelming strength is shown when he effortlessly destroys the mercenary group, though he becomes frustrated at being treated like a bodyguard.
• Huo Wu continues to display her blunt, combative personality, insulting Feng Xiaotian even while choosing to travel with Jiede.
• Feng Xiaotian is revealed as an extreme childhood admirer of Huo Wu, shamelessly following her and eagerly serving her despite her hostility.
• Lu Cheng remains loyal and supportive of Jiede, accepting responsibility for the clinic’s limited medicinal resources and helping obtain Millennium Whale Glue.
• Tang San displays exceptional decisiveness and courage by absorbing a soul ring beyond the accepted limit. His success strengthens his abilities and confirms his unusual potential.
• Yu Xiaogang survives the poisoning and proudly interprets Tang San’s achievement as proof of his own exceptional teaching.
• Jie Yuan provides comic relief through his failed attempt to control the bear cub.

Significant Themes

• Resource limitations and ambition: Jiede’s advancement depends on rare medicinal herbs, forcing him to negotiate with powerful clans and seek better sources of support.
• Secrecy and trust: Jiede’s oath emphasizes the danger of revealing his pill-refining abilities and the importance of controlling information.
• Power and intimidation: Huo Yan’s effortless destruction of the mercenaries demonstrates the harsh hierarchy of the Soul Master world.
• Exceptional talent and risk: Tang San’s dangerous soul-ring absorption mirrors the novel’s emphasis on surpassing conventional limits through courage and unusual abilities.
• Comic contrast: Serious conflicts involving poison, cultivation, and clan negotiations are balanced by humorous interactions, especially Feng Xiaotian’s devotion to Huo Wu and the bear’s obsession with sugar.

Character Interactions

• Jiede and Huo Yan negotiate as wary partners, with Jiede demanding resources and Huo Yan threatening consequences if he is deceived.
• Huo Wu openly rejects Feng Xiaotian’s affection, while Feng Xiaotian remains devoted and eager to please her.
• Lu Cheng and Jiede share a close senior-junior relationship built on mutual respect and concern for Jiede’s medical inheritance.
• Tang San acts decisively to save Yu Xiaogang, while Yu Xiaogang responds with pride rather than criticism of the dangerous method.
• Jie Yuan’s comedic conflict with the bear cub highlights the creature’s intelligence and stubborn personality, while Jiede acts as the one able to control it.

Chapter Summary: “Contracting a Bear Cub”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiede uses his second Soul Skill, Spirit-Feeding Pellet, to lure a small golden bear cub.
• He tricks the cub into accepting a Beast-Taming Orb contract, promising it unlimited pellets. The cub agrees, only to realize afterward that it has become permanently bound to Jiede.
• The contract grants Jiede a new Soul Ring and the ability to summon the bear into battle. The contracted beast cannot betray him, and if it dies, it can eventually be revived through Jiede’s Soul Power.
• Jiede feeds the bear several Spirit-Feeding Pellets. The cub grows larger and stronger, while Jiede’s initially transparent Soul Ring solidifies into a Ten-Year Soul Ring.
• Jiede realizes that Spirit-Feeding Pellets have extraordinary effects on Beast Martial Soul Masters, increasing their compatibility, physical abilities, attributes, and Soul Power by ten percent. He begins considering future targets for additional beast contracts, including powerful Soul Beasts.
• The following day, Jiede takes leave from the academy. He learns that Yu Xiaogang and Tang San have returned from hunting Tang San’s second Soul Ring, with Yu Xiaogang reportedly poisoned and recovering in the infirmary.
• Jiede suspects Tang San may have again followed the original course of events by absorbing a poisonous Mandrake Snake Soul Ring. He believes this may have contaminated Tang San’s Blue Silver Emperor bloodline and slowed his development.
• Jiede continues studying at the academy and spends his afternoons practicing medicine and refining pills at Lu Cheng Clinic.
• Three days later, three men cause trouble outside the clinic because Lu Cheng cannot cure the severely poisoned leader. The required treatment needs a rare three-hundred-year-old Snow Ginseng.
• One of the men challenges Jiede after displaying his two Soul Rings. Jiede remains calm and recognizes that the incident may have been deliberately provoked.
• Jiede notices Yu He, the owner of the clinic across the street, watching the disturbance with amusement, suggesting that Yu He may be involved.

Character Developments

• Jiede successfully contracts his first Soul Beast, expanding his abilities beyond ordinary combat techniques. He gains confidence in the potential of his Beast-Taming Orb and begins planning how to obtain stronger contracted beasts.
• He demonstrates strategic thinking by using the Spirit-Feeding Pellet as bait and by carefully analyzing the long-term advantages and limitations of his new Soul Skill.
• Jiede’s rivalry with Tang San becomes increasingly serious. He has overtaken Tang San in cultivation and is pleased that Tang San’s possible reliance on a poisonous Soul Ring may hinder his future growth.
• The bear cub is portrayed as ambitious but gullible. It accepts the contract because of its desire for power and revenge against those who bullied it, then reacts with indignation when it realizes it has been deceived.
• Lu Cheng is shown as a capable but troubled healer who dislikes confrontations and lacks the rare medicine needed to save the poisoned man.
• Huo Wu wants to intervene on Jiede’s behalf, while Huo Yan restrains her to avoid drawing attention or being mistaken for Jiede’s allies.

Significant Themes

• Power through strategy rather than force: Jiede defeats the bear cub psychologically, using food and promises instead of combat.
• Ambition and revenge: The bear cub’s decision is driven by its desire to grow stronger and repay those who mistreated it.
• The consequences of cultivation choices: Jiede believes Tang San’s use of a poisonous animal Soul Ring may damage the purity of his plant-based Martial Soul, emphasizing the risks of pursuing short-term strength.
• Competition and divergence from destiny: Jiede’s growing strength alters the expected course of events and allows him to surpass Tang San.
• Medicine, resources, and influence: The clinic conflict shows that healing depends not only on skill but also on access to rare materials, while rival clinics may manipulate crises for advantage.
• Control versus partnership: Although the bear cub is technically an ally, its permanent contract reveals the unequal and coercive nature of Jiede’s relationship with his summoned beasts.

Character Interactions

• Jiede manipulates the bear cub into accepting the Beast-Taming Orb, then appeases it with Spirit-Feeding Pellets after it protests.
• Jiede reflects on Tang San and Yu Xiaogang’s actions, judging their cultivation decisions and comparing his progress with Tang San’s.
• At Lu Cheng Clinic, Jiede confronts Yellow Hair and Red Hair after they threaten the clinic. Their attempt to intimidate him with their Soul Rings does not frighten him.
• Lu Cheng explains the poisoned man’s condition and the need for Snow Ginseng, prompting Jiede to suspect that Yu He’s clinic may be connected to the trouble.
• Huo Yan and Huo Wu observe the confrontation, with Huo Wu prepared to help but Huo Yan warning her to remain uninvolved.
• The chapter ends with Jiede recognizing Yu He’s suspicious amusement, setting up a likely confrontation or investigation involving the rival clinic.

Chapter Summary: “Solving the Trouble”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A bear cub confronts Yellow Hair and Red Hair, who have caused trouble at the clinic while trying to obtain treatment for their severely ill leader, the scar-faced man.
• Jiede examines the man and discovers that his Brand Poison has been deliberately triggered by a newly added toxin, causing the previously accumulated poison to erupt.
• Jiede agrees to treat him for tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins. Since Yellow Hair and Red Hair cannot afford the cost, he offers a deal: he will cure their leader if all three men work for him for five years, with wages. They accept immediately.
• Using the clinic’s supply of Snow Ginseng, Jiede refines a concentrated pill from lower-quality ingredients, effectively creating the medicinal power of three-hundred-year Snow Ginseng.
• Lu Cheng uses the pill in a decoction, successfully treating the scar-faced man. The man’s symptoms fade, and Jiede says two more days of the antidote will completely remove the Brand Poison.
• The healed man, revealed to be Liu Luo, explains that he had recently been treated by Yu He Clinic. Jiede realizes Yu He deliberately aggravated the poison to harm Liu Luo and damage Jiede’s reputation.
• Although Yellow Hair and Red Hair want revenge, Jiede and Liu Luo insist on acting cautiously because they lack proof and could face punishment from the city lord.
• Jiede decides to handle the conflict himself. The chapter ends ominously with the bear cub walking through the city at night carrying a backpack full of dynamite, suggesting a dangerous retaliation against Yu He.

Character Developments

• Jiede demonstrates his medical expertise, ingenuity, and strategic thinking. He not only saves Liu Luo but also recruits Liu Luo and his followers as future bodyguards for his growing business.
• Liu Luo shifts from a desperate, dying patient to a loyal subordinate. He shows gratitude and restraint by stopping Yellow Hair and Red Hair from acting recklessly.
• Yellow Hair and Red Hair reveal their strong loyalty to Liu Luo. They are willing to sacrifice all their savings and accept years of service to save him, though their impulsiveness remains evident.
• The bear cub appears to have grown stronger, reaching the ten-year level. Its cheerful behavior contrasts sharply with its apparent role in Jiede’s dangerous plan.
• Huo Yan, Huo Wu, Lu Cheng, and Feng Xiaotian react to Jiede’s unusual pill-refining methods. Huo Yan remains skeptical and combative, Huo Wu is fascinated, Lu Cheng thoughtfully studies the technique, and Feng Xiaotian provides comic relief.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and brotherhood: Yellow Hair and Red Hair’s willingness to serve for years emphasizes their devotion to Liu Luo.
• Ingenuity overcoming limitations: Jiede uses his unique refining ability to transform ordinary Snow Ginseng into an effective substitute for rare, high-grade medicine.
• Justice versus revenge: While Liu Luo’s followers want immediate retaliation, Jiede stresses evidence, patience, and strategic action.
• Trust and recruitment: Jiede turns a conflict into an opportunity by saving Liu Luo and gaining three capable allies for his expanding enterprise.
• Hidden rivalry and sabotage: Yu He’s actions reveal that competition between clinics has escalated into deliberate poisoning and manipulation.
• Humor amid danger: The banter among Jiede, Huo Yan, Huo Wu, and Feng Xiaotian lightens the otherwise serious medical and political conflict.

Important Character Interactions

• Jiede negotiates directly with Liu Luo and his followers, converting their inability to pay into a five-year employment agreement.
• Jiede and Huo Yan exchange insults over medicine, violence, and Jiede’s claims of expertise.
• Huo Wu and Lu Cheng study Jiede’s unconventional pill-refining process with amazement.
• Liu Luo restrains Yellow Hair and Red Hair, preventing them from attacking Yu He Clinic impulsively.
• Jiede quietly takes responsibility for resolving the conflict, while the final image of the bear cub carrying dynamite hints that his solution may be far more explosive than his cautious words suggest.

Chapter Summary: “The Death of Yu He”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At Yu He Clinic, Yu He confidently explains his scheme to exploit Scarface’s Brand Poison. He believes Scarface will die that night and plans to blame the death on Lu Cheng Clinic, using public opinion to destroy his rivals.
• Yu He’s plan is interrupted when Lu Cheng Clinic suddenly explodes. The building collapses and catches fire, destroying Yu He’s herbs and livelihood. Yu He is thrown down, suffers a severe internal injury, and loses consciousness.
• Yellow Hair and Red Hair laugh over the success of the attack, while Liu Luo pretends that he and his men had nothing to do with it. The destruction was actually caused by the little bear cub and a bundle of explosives.
• The city lord’s guards investigate the incident but find no evidence. They conclude that an evil soul master was responsible, despite the fact that no one was killed or injured.
• Yu He is shocked to learn that Scarface is still alive and appears healthy. Realizing that his original scheme has failed and suspecting that Lu Cheng Clinic was involved, Yu He eventually dies from his injuries.
• Later, Jiede takes the bear cub to a candy shop. Huo Wu and Feng Xiaotian are also there, and Jiede offers to “treat” them to candy.
• Jiede gives the largest lollipop to the bear cub but tricks Huo Wu into paying for her own candy. Feng Xiaotian, eager to impress Huo Wu, buys her a large amount of candy instead.
• The group later discovers that the candy shop belongs to Jiede’s family, making Huo Wu and Feng Xiaotian realize that they unknowingly spent money buying goods from Jiede’s own store.
• Huo Wu becomes furious and considers confronting Jiede, but restrains herself because she still needs him to refine pills for her.

Character Developments

• Yu He: His arrogance and confidence collapse as his carefully prepared scheme fails. He is physically injured, financially ruined, exposed as morally corrupt through his intentions, and ultimately dies.
• Jiede: He demonstrates intelligence, ruthlessness, and a playful, underhanded sense of humor. He manipulates events from the shadows and later enjoys teasing Huo Wu and Feng Xiaotian.
• Liu Luo: He approves of Jiede’s ruthless methods, recognizing that Jiede is not weak or softhearted. This strengthens Liu Luo’s willingness to serve him.
• The little bear cub: It is revealed to be more dangerous and capable than its cute appearance suggests, helping destroy Yu He’s clinic. Its innocent enthusiasm for candy provides comic relief afterward.
• Huo Wu: Her fiery temper is tested by Jiede’s teasing. Although she becomes enraged, she suppresses her anger for practical reasons, showing some self-control.
• Feng Xiaotian: He continues trying to please Huo Wu, eagerly paying for her candy. His generosity and embarrassment make him appear sincere but somewhat gullible.
• Wang Bubai: He quietly supports Jiede and exposes the connection between Jiede and the candy shop by casually calling him “young master.”

Significant Themes

• Justice and retribution: Yu He’s attempt to manipulate Scarface and destroy his rivals ultimately rebounds on him, leading to the destruction of his clinic and his death.
• Appearance versus reality: The seemingly harmless bear cub is responsible for a devastating attack, while Jiede’s innocent manner conceals his cleverness and ruthlessness.
• Arrogance and downfall: Yu He’s overconfidence prevents him from recognizing the danger around him, causing his plans to fail completely.
• Manipulation and power: Jiede defeats Yu He through indirect methods, while also playfully manipulating Huo Wu and Feng Xiaotian for his own amusement.
• Comedy amid danger: The deadly conflict with Yu He is contrasted with the lighthearted candy-shop scene, creating a shift from revenge and suspense to teasing and romantic comedy.

Character Interactions

• Yu He and the waiter: Yu He boasts about his plan while the waiter nervously raises doubts. Their conversation reveals Yu He’s confidence and cruelty.
• Jiede and Liu Luo’s men: Yellow Hair and Red Hair praise the successful attack, while Liu Luo insists they had no involvement. This interaction highlights their shared understanding of Jiede’s methods.
• Jiede, Huo Wu, and Feng Xiaotian: Jiede tricks them with his fake generosity. Feng Xiaotian pays for Huo Wu’s candy, while Huo Wu becomes increasingly irritated by Jiede’s behavior.
• Huo Wu and the bear cub: Huo Wu’s anger disappears when she sees the adorable cub, and she willingly gives it candy.
• Wang Bubai and Jiede: Wang Bubai’s casual “Young master” reveals Jiede’s ownership of the candy shop, humiliating Huo Wu and Feng Xiaotian.
• Huo Wu and Feng Xiaotian: Feng Xiaotian tries to impress Huo Wu, while she remains exasperated by both his eagerness and Jiede’s tricks.

Chapter Summary: “Picking Up Girls”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiede advises Feng Xiaotian on how to pursue Huo Wu, arguing that he should not agree with everything she says. Instead, he should maintain some distance, occasionally oppose her, and create a sense of emotional tension.
• Jiede mocks Feng Xiaotian’s martial soul, the Gale Twin-Headed Wolf, with a crude joke about a “Gale Twin-Headed Cage.” Feng Xiaotian and the secretly eavesdropping Huo Yan fail to understand the reference, though Huo Yan is shocked by Jiede’s shamelessness.
• Feng Xiaotian boasts about his self-created soul skill, Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Strikes, which gradually stacks attack power through thirty-six successive strikes.
• Jiede challenges him to a fight without martial souls, claiming that he also possesses a self-created soul skill despite being a food-type auxiliary soul master.
• Feng Xiaotian attacks from the air, but Jiede effortlessly dodges and defeats him with a single punch, sending him crashing into a wall. Jiede humorously names the technique “Ordinary Punch.”
• Jiede identifies the weakness in Feng Xiaotian’s technique: it requires too much time to build momentum, and interrupting the initial attacks prevents the later strikes from reaching full power.
• Rather than continuing the fight, Jiede gives Feng Xiaotian instructions for approaching Huo Wu. He tells him to portray himself as her ally against a common enemy, while avoiding excessive flattery or obvious infatuation.
• Feng Xiaotian visits Huo Wu and complains that Jiede ambushed him and exploited the weakness in his technique. Huo Wu sympathizes and suggests taking revenge by putting a sack over Jiede’s head.
• Following Jiede’s advice, Feng Xiaotian refuses to participate in the underhanded plan, claiming that he will seek revenge openly and honorably. He also drops his usual respectful “Sister Huo Wu” address, startling and confusing her.
• The chapter ends with Feng Xiaotian asking Huo Wu whether she knows what “Gale Twin-Headed Cage” means, setting up another embarrassing misunderstanding.

Character Developments

• Jiede: Demonstrates overwhelming physical strength despite being an auxiliary-type soul master. He acts as a manipulative but effective relationship adviser, battlefield analyst, and prankster. His calm confidence and ability to control situations leave both Feng Xiaotian and Huo Yan bewildered.
• Feng Xiaotian: Begins the chapter insecure and inexperienced in romance, but eagerly follows Jiede’s advice. He is humbled by Jiede’s effortless defeat, learns that his signature technique has a major flaw, and attempts to change his behavior toward Huo Wu by acting more restrained and principled.
• Huo Wu: Shows concern for Feng Xiaotian after seeing his injuries and immediately becomes willing to unite with him against Jiede. However, Feng Xiaotian’s sudden change in attitude leaves her confused and emotionally unsettled.
• Huo Yan: Continues observing events from the sidelines. He initially hopes Feng Xiaotian will punish Jiede, but becomes frustrated when Jiede defeats Feng Xiaotian and then manipulates the situation to his own advantage.

Significant Themes

• Romantic strategy and emotional distance: Jiede argues that relationships require balance rather than constant agreement or submission. Mild conflict and restraint can create stronger emotional interest.
• Appearances versus reality: Jiede appears to be an ordinary auxiliary soul master, yet possesses extraordinary strength. Feng Xiaotian’s supposed confidence is also undermined when his technique is exposed as impractical.
• Manipulation and social influence: Jiede repeatedly directs the behavior of those around him, turning potential conflict into situations that benefit him.
• Strength and technique: Raw power is important, but understanding an opponent’s weaknesses and the limitations of one’s own abilities is equally significant.
• Comedy through misunderstanding: The chapter relies heavily on crude jokes, awkward romantic behavior, and the contrast between what Jiede intends and what Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu understand.

Important Character Interactions

• Jiede and Feng Xiaotian: Jiede acts as both mentor and tormentor, teaching Feng Xiaotian about romance while humiliating him in combat and critiquing his soul skill.
• Jiede and Huo Yan: Huo Yan secretly witnesses the events and becomes increasingly exasperated as Jiede outmaneuvers everyone.
• Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu: Feng Xiaotian attempts to follow Jiede’s romantic advice by acting distant and principled. Huo Wu responds with concern, sympathy, and confusion.
• Huo Wu and Jiede: Though Jiede is not present during their conversation, he remains the focus of their interaction because of his repeated schemes and Feng Xiaotian’s injuries.

Chapter Summary: Greater Origin-Nourishing Pill

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Xiaotian awkwardly repeats a suggestive phrase to Huo Wu, causing her to punch him and storm away. Jiede criticizes him for failing to follow the planned script, while Huo Yan privately explains the phrase’s meaning, leaving Feng Xiaotian horrified and embarrassed.
• Huo Wushuang returns to the Huo Clan and requests one million Gold Soul Coins and many medicinal herbs. He explains that an unnamed expert has provided a method for increasing the age limit of the Soul Rings they can absorb.
• Because of a Martial Soul Poison Oath, Huo Wushuang refuses to reveal the expert’s identity or location. Huo Zhentian suspects deception or kidnapping and verifies the story with the Feng Clan, whose account matches Huo Wushuang’s.
• The two clans reluctantly provide the money and herbs, believing the boys may have been deceived but deciding the potential benefits are worth the risk.
• Half a month later, Huo Wushuang and Feng Wuhen deliver the resources to Lu Cheng Clinic. Jiede begins refining the requested pill.
• His first attempt fails because the combined medicinal properties of Fire Monkey Flower, Scarlet Sun Grass, and Amethyst Leaf produce toxins. Jiede gives the failed pill to a bear cub for testing, explaining that the toxin is harmless to soul beasts but dangerous to humans.
• After identifying the problem, Jiede adds a Foundation-Building Pill to harmonize the conflicting energies and prevent the formation of toxins. He then adds ingredients for Root Consolidation and Origin Nourishment, using Millennium Whale Glue as a catalyst.
• The resulting pill, named the Greater Origin-Nourishing Pill, is given to Huo Wu. After taking it, she feels a major increase in strength and successfully proves that she can now rival her brother Huo Wushuang, whose soul power is level 26.

Character Developments

• Feng Xiaotian: Remains socially inept and easily misled, but becomes closer to Jiede and continues pursuing Huo Wu despite her temporary anger toward him.
• Huo Wu: Initially embarrassed and irritated by Feng Xiaotian, she later becomes the first human test subject for the new pill. The pill significantly strengthens her, increasing her confidence and excitement.
• Jiede: Demonstrates both comedic manipulation and exceptional alchemical ability. He learns from his initial failure, identifies the cause of the toxin, and successfully invents the Greater Origin-Nourishing Pill.
• Huo Wushuang: Shows loyalty and responsibility by securing the resources needed for the transaction. He also supports his sister and acknowledges her newly enhanced strength.
• Huo Yan: Acts protectively toward Huo Wu and remains suspicious of Jiede’s methods. His concern over the wasted herbs and money highlights his practical, clan-minded personality.
• Huo Zhentian and the Feng Clan head: Shift from suspicion to cautious acceptance, choosing not to interfere because the potential advancement of their clans is too valuable.

Significant Themes

• Trust and secrecy: The Martial Soul Poison Oath forces the characters to protect Jiede’s identity, creating tension between family authority and the need to honor their promise.
• Risk versus reward: The clans invest a huge amount of wealth in an uncertain transaction, while Jiede risks valuable materials during experimentation.
• Scientific experimentation and persistence: Jiede’s failed attempt becomes an opportunity to analyze the ingredients’ interactions and refine the process rather than abandon it.
• Power and advancement: The pill represents a shortcut to greater cultivation potential and shows how rare knowledge can transform a clan’s strength.
• Comedy and embarrassment: Feng Xiaotian’s misunderstanding and Huo Yan’s teasing provide comic relief amid the more serious negotiations and alchemical experimentation.

Character Interactions

• Jiede chastises Feng Xiaotian after Huo Wu punches him, while Huo Yan further embarrasses Feng Xiaotian by explaining the misunderstood phrase.
• Huo Wushuang negotiates with his father and later confirms the truth of the transaction through Feng Wuhen.
• Huo Yan confronts Jiede over the failed pill and the cost of the ingredients, while Jiede calmly defends the necessity of experimentation.
• Jiede subtly encourages Feng Xiaotian to draw Huo Wu away from the refining room.
• After taking the pill, Huo Wu challenges Huo Wushuang to test her strength. Their brief exchange proves that the Greater Origin-Nourishing Pill has dramatically improved her physical power.

Chapter Summary: “Seeing Off Huo Wu and the Others”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiede explains that Huo Wu’s Greater Origin-Nourishing Pill can only be taken once in her lifetime because of the large amount of medicinal herbs required to make it.
• He plans to refine Lesser Origin-Nourishing Pills for Huo Wu and the others to use regularly.
• Huo Wu successfully absorbs a 1,190-year second Soul Ring, just below the 1,200-year limit Jiede recommended.
• She asks whether the pills might allow her—or her companions—to obtain a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring as their third or fourth ring.
• Jiede explains that physical strength alone is insufficient. Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts leave behind powerful spiritual remnants, and a Soul Master needs enough spiritual strength to resist their attacks. Spiritual-strengthening herbs could potentially make a fourth-ring Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring possible, but such herbs are extraordinarily rare.
• Jiede distributes customized pills to Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, and Feng Xiaotian. The pills must be taken in a specific color order and cannot be mixed or given to others because each batch is tailored to the recipient’s attributes and gender.
• After several days, Huo Wu and the others prepare to leave. They invite Jiede to transfer to a larger Soul Master academy, but he refuses because he still has personal matters to handle.
• Once they depart, Jiede secretly gives Lu Cheng Foundation-Building Pills, claiming they are his first soul skill rather than the Origin-Nourishing Pills he sold to the others.
• Jiede promises to provide Lu Cheng with pills that may eventually help him absorb a Ten-Thousand-Year fourth Soul Ring.
• Lu Cheng agrees to accompany Jiede to the future Soul Master Tournament, despite needing to put aside his clinic responsibilities. However, he questions how Jiede can compete since his Mystic Core Martial Soul does not suit arena combat.
• Jiede cryptically reveals that he may possess more than one Martial Soul, leaving Lu Cheng shocked.

Character Developments

• Jiede displays growing confidence as a healer, alchemist, and strategist. He carefully customizes his pills, protects their secrets, and manipulates the situation humorously while maintaining a professional image.
• He also shows genuine emotional attachment to Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, and Feng Xiaotian, though Lu Cheng teases him for supposedly caring more about their Gold Soul Coins.
• Jiede’s promise to support Lu Cheng reveals his ambition to raise the strength of those close to him and prepare for the Soul Master Tournament.
• Huo Wu remains ambitious and persistent. Even after learning how dangerous Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings are, she continues searching for a way to obtain one earlier than normal.
• Lu Cheng moves from skepticism to firm support. He accepts that Jiede’s talents are extraordinary and agrees to accompany him, even at personal and professional cost.
• Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wushuang become beneficiaries of Jiede’s customized cultivation resources, potentially giving them advantages over ordinary Soul Masters.
• Huo Yan and Feng Wuhen act as experienced elders, explaining the dangers of spiritual assaults and recognizing Jiede’s attempts to keep the pill formula secret.

Significant Themes

• The risks of surpassing conventional limits: The pursuit of early Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings promises immense power but carries severe physical and spiritual dangers.
• Knowledge and resource inequality: Rare herbs, advanced medical knowledge, and personal experience give Jiede’s group opportunities unavailable to ordinary academies and Soul Masters.
• Trust and secrecy: Jiede’s pills are powerful enough to change the group’s future, so he insists they not be shared or discussed openly.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Lu Cheng agrees to leave his clinic temporarily and support Jiede’s ambitions, demonstrating trust and friendship.
• Hidden potential: The chapter ends by suggesting that Jiede has concealed a second Martial Soul, hinting at a major revelation and future transformation in his path.

Character Interactions

• Huo Wu repeatedly questions Jiede about improving her future Soul Rings, showing her confidence in and reliance on him.
• Jiede keeps a cautious physical distance from Huo Wu despite her enthusiastic behavior, adding humor to their interactions.
• Huo Yan and Feng Wuhen provide practical explanations about Soul Ring absorption and spiritual remnants, grounding Jiede’s ambitious ideas in established Soul Master knowledge.
• Feng Wuhen recognizes that Jiede is deliberately preventing the pills from being distributed beyond their intended recipients.
• Lu Cheng teases Jiede about his apparent attachment to the departing group, but ultimately accepts Jiede’s request for help.
• Their final exchange establishes a major mystery: Jiede’s apparent ability to possess a second Martial Soul, which may allow him to participate in the tournament despite the limitations of his Mystic Core Martial Soul.

Chapter Summary: “Five Years Later”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Cheng reflects on Jiede’s extraordinary potential after discovering that Jiede possesses Twin Martial Souls. Impressed—and threatened by the possibility of being surpassed—Lu Cheng becomes more determined to improve himself. He reopens his clinic with a clearer business schedule.
• Jiede visits the family’s Sugar Workshop rather than returning directly home. He checks on Red Hair and Yellow Hair, who have been given proper haircuts and are now working for him.
• Jiede’s previous conflict with Red Hair and Yellow Hair has been resolved. Although they once caused trouble, Jiede values their loyalty, courage, and brotherhood, especially because they defended Liu Luo. He intends to discipline and guide them rather than discard them.
• Liu Luo’s presence, as a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, has protected the workshop from spies and greatly strengthened the business. Jiede announces that merchants from other cities want to purchase their sugar and proposes expanding their product line.
• The family’s white sugar business officially expands beyond Notting City to markets across the continent, with Liu Luo leading the escort of shipments.
• Five years later, Jiede graduates from Notting Academy at age twelve. He is now physically mature, highly knowledgeable about Soul Beasts and Soul Rings, and preparing to leave home to continue his development.
• Jiede plans to travel to Heaven Dou City, where the family has a major sugar branch. He may attend Heaven Dou Royal Academy, but he intends to decide after arriving, since he believes his own knowledge and cultivation make the choice of academy less important.
• Jiede encourages his parents to reduce their workload and focus more on cultivation. They explain that they are satisfied with becoming One-Ring Soul Masters and primarily want to support him and see him remain safe.
• Before leaving, Jiede returns to Holy Soul Village to visit his grandfather, Old Jack. Their affectionate reunion shows that Jiede still remembers and cares for his roots. The villagers praise his success, unaware that Old Jack’s improved health is largely due to the Foundation-Building Pills Jiede has provided.

Character Developments

• Jiede: Grows from a talented child into a tall, capable twelve-year-old with considerable knowledge, business sense, and confidence. He is practical and ambitious but remains loyal to his family and village. He also shows a willingness to manage and reform the people working under him.
• Lu Cheng: Becomes motivated by Jiede’s talent and feels pressure to continue improving so that he will not be left behind.
• Red Hair and Yellow Hair: Mature somewhat after joining Jiede’s business. Their flamboyant appearances remain, but their loyalty and sense of brotherhood are recognized as genuine strengths. They are also beginning to accept discipline and responsibility.
• Liu Luo: Establishes herself as a powerful and reliable protector of the Sugar Workshop. Her arrival significantly reduces outside interference and allows the business to expand safely.
• Jie Yuan and Liu Yun: Achieve their modest cultivation goal of becoming One-Ring Soul Masters. They remain devoted parents and continue working to preserve the family business, even as Jiede prepares to leave.
• Old Jack: Remains emotionally close to Jiede and is now noticeably healthier, thanks to the Foundation-Building Pills.

Significant Themes

• Ambition and self-improvement: Jiede’s talent inspires both admiration and anxiety in others, particularly Lu Cheng, who refuses to become complacent.
• Expansion and enterprise: The sugar business evolves from a local family operation into a continent-wide enterprise, highlighting Jiede’s commercial intelligence and long-term planning.
• Loyalty and trust: Jiede rewards Red Hair and Yellow Hair not for perfection but for their loyalty and willingness to defend their companions.
• Family and responsibility: Despite his extraordinary abilities and growing independence, Jiede remains concerned about his parents, grandfather, employees, and the future of the family business.
• Leaving home and entering adulthood: Graduation marks Jiede’s transition into a larger world, where he must balance cultivation, business, and personal independence.
• Power and security: Liu Luo’s strength demonstrates how cultivation ability protects both people and commercial interests.

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Cheng privately evaluates Jiede’s talents and resolves to work harder.
• Jiede teases and evaluates Red Hair and Yellow Hair, while Jie Yuan defends their basic character and Liu Luo’s presence is acknowledged as the workshop’s protection.
• Jiede discusses business expansion and new products with the workshop leadership, leading to the decision to distribute sugar across the continent.
• Jiede and his parents discuss his future education, their cultivation, and the emotional difficulty of his departure.
• Jiede reunites warmly with Old Jack, while the villagers discuss Jiede’s success and the positive changes in his grandfather’s health.

Chapter Summary: “Taking Ah Yin”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Old Jack and Jiede return home after their earlier encounter, passing Tang San and Xiao Wu. Xiao Wu ignores them and goes directly home, upsetting Old Jack and reinforcing Jiede’s belief that helping others is pointless unless they ask for it.
• Tang San does not visit Old Jack in the following days. Instead, he spends time with Xiao Wu, and the two eventually leave Holy Soul Village together.
• Jiede later leaves the village and tracks down the waterfall concealing Ah Yin’s hiding place.
• He summons Big Bear, now a powerful ten-thousand-year soul beast after years of consuming Spirit-Feeding Pellets. Big Bear confirms that a cave lies behind the waterfall.
• Inside the cavern, Jiede finds Ah Yin in her weakened Blue Silver Emperor form and discovers the Blue Silver Emperor’s Right Leg Bone stored in a lead box. He claims the bone and gives it to Big Bear for safekeeping.
• Jiede confronts Ah Yin and offers her two choices: voluntarily become his contracted beast or be killed and forced into servitude afterward.
• To persuade her, he demonstrates Big Bear’s rapid growth under his care and gives Ah Yin a Spirit-Feeding Pellet, allowing her to experience its powerful life energy.
• When Ah Yin hesitates, Jiede pressures her by invoking her son, Tang San, and arguing that Tang Hao has abandoned any intention of bringing him to see her.
• After Jiede removes his oppressive Soul Power, Ah Yin absorbs the pellet, grows stronger, and finally chooses to enter the Beast-Taming Orb, accepting Jiede’s contract.

Character Developments

• Jiede: Becomes increasingly calculating and coercive. He views Ah Yin’s vulnerability as an opportunity, using both material benefits and emotional manipulation to secure her allegiance. He also continues collecting powerful resources, including Ah Yin’s soul bone.
• Ah Yin: Initially fearful and distrustful, she gradually recognizes the value of Jiede’s Spirit-Feeding Pellets. Her desire to see Tang San ultimately outweighs her concern about surrendering her freedom, leading her to accept the Beast-Taming contract.
• Big Bear: Has developed from a small cub into a formidable ten-thousand-year soul beast, demonstrating the effectiveness of Jiede’s cultivation methods. Its humorous disdain for Jiede’s obsession with the soul bone adds levity.
• Old Jack: Feels hurt by Tang San and Xiao Wu’s apparent indifference, while Jiede’s remarks deepen his doubts about whether kindness is appreciated.
• Tang San and Xiao Wu: Their close relationship is emphasized as they leave the village together, while their failure to acknowledge Old Jack creates emotional distance between them and him.
• Tang Hao: Though absent, he is portrayed critically through Jiede’s perspective as someone who has isolated Ah Yin and failed to reunite her with Tang San.

Significant Themes

• Freedom versus survival: Ah Yin must choose between preserving her independence and accepting servitude in exchange for power, protection, and the possibility of seeing her son.
• Manipulation and coercion: Jiede frames Ah Yin’s decision as voluntary, but his threats, Soul Power suppression, and emotional appeals make the choice highly coercive.
• Parental bonds and abandonment: Ah Yin’s longing for Tang San is the central factor in her decision, while Tang Hao’s failure to bring Tang San to her is presented as a betrayal.
• Power and dependency: Big Bear’s transformation and Ah Yin’s immediate growth show how resources can create dependence on a powerful master.
• The limits of kindness: The opening conversation questions whether assistance has meaning when it is not requested or appreciated.

Important Character Interactions

• Old Jack and Jiede: Jiede criticizes Tang San’s apparent ingratitude, while Old Jack rebukes him for lecturing his grandfather despite being newly returned.
• Jiede and Big Bear: Their master-servant bond is demonstrated through their mental link and coordinated exploration of the cave. Big Bear’s silent reactions also reveal familiarity with Jiede’s greed and personality.
• Jiede and Ah Yin: Their encounter is the chapter’s central interaction. Jiede alternates between threats, promises, demonstrations of power, and appeals to Ah Yin’s maternal feelings until she submits.
• Ah Yin and Tang San: Though they do not meet, Tang San’s existence and Ah Yin’s desire to see him determine her final choice.