Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Martial Soul and Poké Ball

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Shi, a transmigrated orphan from “Pallet Town,” enrolls at Notting City Junior Soul Master Academy after awakening a unique Martial Soul: a Poké Ball with Innate Full Soul Power.
• As a poor work-study student, he is assigned to the dilapidated Dorm Seven, where Xiao Wu has just defeated Wang Sheng and established herself as the dormitory’s leader.
• Xiao Wu challenges Lu Shi to a fight, but he refuses, recognizing her true identity as a hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit. He privately regrets that he is currently unable to capture soul beasts of her level.
• Lu Shi leaves the academy to pursue his first soul beast. Because his Poké Ball can capture weakened or suitable soul beasts without a conventional battle, he plans to capture a Mandala Snake and develop it over time.
• He believes his attribute-free Martial Soul has unlimited potential, allowing him to cultivate different abilities and eventually evolve captured soul beasts into far more powerful forms.
• After obtaining a soul-hunting permit and purchasing basic weapons, Lu Shi enters the Soul Hunting Forest.
• He discovers a group of Snake Vine Flowers disguising themselves as Mandala Snakes. By shooting the plants with arrows, he identifies the real Mandala Snake when one arrow rebounds from its scales.
• Lu Shi throws his Poké Ball and successfully captures the Mandala Snake.
• The capture immediately raises his soul power to level twelve, strengthens his senses and body, and creates a mental connection with the snake.
• He discovers that captured soul beasts live in a miniature cultivation environment within his spiritual world, effectively giving them a Mimicry Cultivation Field.
• Lu Shi summons the Mandala Snake for the first time, delighted by his new power and jokingly imitating a Pokémon trainer.

Character Developments

• Lu Shi: Demonstrates intelligence, caution, ambition, and unusual confidence in his Martial Soul. He develops a long-term plan based on capturing and evolving soul beasts rather than relying solely on traditional soul-ring hunting. His first successful capture significantly increases his power and confirms the extraordinary potential of his Poké Ball.
• Xiao Wu: Is established as lively, strong, assertive, and protective of weaker students. After defeating Wang Sheng, she becomes Dorm Seven’s leader and promises to defend the work-study students.
• Wang Sheng: Loses his position as dormitory leader after Xiao Wu defeats him, though he remains supportive of her authority.
• Mandala Snake: Becomes Lu Shi’s first captured soul beast and gains access to a safe cultivation environment. Its future evolution and development are implied to be important to Lu Shi’s growth.

Significant Themes

• Transmigration and adaptation: Lu Shi blends memories and concepts from his former life with the rules of Douluo Continent, creating an unconventional path to power.
• Unlimited potential versus conventional limitations: His attribute-free Martial Soul lacks obvious advantages but also avoids restrictions, allowing him to pursue broad and flexible development.
• Growth through cultivation and evolution: The chapter presents power as something that can be developed over time rather than gained only through immediate strength or bloodline.
• Resourcefulness and strategic thinking: Lu Shi relies on observation, preparation, and clever testing rather than brute force, especially when distinguishing the real Mandala Snake from the disguised plants.
• Power and moral pragmatism: Lu Shi views powerful beings such as Xiao Wu, Ah Yin, and other soul beasts partly as opportunities for future advancement, revealing his ambitious and utilitarian mindset.

Character Interactions

• Lu Shi and the academy official: The official verifies Lu Shi’s Spirit Hall certificate and assigns him to Dorm Seven as a work-study student.
• Xiao Wu and Wang Sheng: Xiao Wu defeats and lectures Wang Sheng, taking control of Dorm Seven while promising to protect its students.
• Xiao Wu and Lu Shi: Xiao Wu enthusiastically challenges Lu Shi and is favorably impressed by his appearance, but he declines to fight her. Their interaction establishes Xiao Wu’s energetic personality and Lu Shi’s awareness of her hidden strength.
• Lu Shi and the Mandala Snake: Their relationship begins through capture rather than combat. The resulting mental bond suggests the snake may become both a source of power and a cultivated companion.

Chapter Summary: “Yu Xiaogang Arrives”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Shi bonds with a Mandala Snake, commanding it to approach him. Despite its intimidating size, venom, and strength, the snake is affectionate and completely obedient to him.
• Lu Shi realizes that the Mandala Snake resembles a Pokémon-like creature and plans to nurture it into a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast and eventually evolve it into a King Snake.
• After examining the Soul Ring gained from the snake, Lu Shi discovers two Soul Skills:
  • A passive enhancement that increases his strength and speed by 50% and doubles his Soul Power recovery rate.
  • Intimidation Generation, a mental attack that makes enemies hallucinate being devoured by countless snakes while also exposing them to various toxins. Weak-minded opponents may faint, while stronger enemies suffer poisoning effects.
• Lu Shi praises the power of his Poké Ball-based system, recalls the Mandala Snake, and sells his old bow and sword before returning to the academy.
• He is summoned to the Academic Affairs Office, where he meets Yu Xiaogang, the famous theoretical Grandmaster of the Soul Master world.
• Yu Xiaogang attempts to persuade Lu Shi to become his disciple. He reasons that Lu Shi’s Waste Martial Soul and Innate Full Soul Power indicate either Twin Martial Souls or an unusual Martial Soul mutation.
• Lu Shi immediately refuses and challenges Yu Xiaogang’s qualifications by asking about his own cultivation level.
• Yu Xiaogang admits that his harmful Martial Soul mutation left him with only half a rank of Innate Soul Power and permanently stuck at rank twenty-nine.
• Lu Shi then questions how Yu Xiaogang could conduct comprehensive research without ever absorbing a third Soul Ring, and proposes testing Yu Xiaogang with questions from a Soul Beast manuscript he once discovered.

Character Developments

• Lu Shi: Demonstrates increasing confidence in his abilities and in the strength of his contracted Soul Beasts. He remains calm and skeptical when confronted by Yu Xiaogang, refusing to be impressed by reputation alone. He also begins actively considering Yu Xiaogang and Tang San as potential future threats.
• Mandala Snake: Develops from a dangerous Soul Beast into Lu Shi’s loyal companion. It displays affection and obedience toward him but retains its terrifying combat abilities and venomous powers.
• Yu Xiaogang: Is shown as ambitious, self-conscious, and eager to restore his reputation. He sees Lu Shi as another genius who could validate his theories and help establish his status. His confidence weakens when Lu Shi exposes his lack of practical cultivation experience.

Significant Themes

• Theory versus practical experience: Yu Xiaogang relies on research and reputation, but Lu Shi questions whether theoretical knowledge is reliable without personal experience.
• Power and loyalty: The Mandala Snake represents the contrast between a creature’s outward ferocity and its private devotion to its master.
• Reputation versus reality: Yu Xiaogang presents himself as an unmatched expert, yet his own cultivation limitations undermine his authority.
• Manipulation and skepticism: Yu Xiaogang uses mystery, expertise, and warnings about Martial Soul mutation to recruit Lu Shi, but Lu Shi remains analytical and refuses to accept his claims blindly.
• Hidden potential and evolution: Lu Shi’s plans for the Mandala Snake suggest that Soul Beasts and Martial Souls can grow beyond their original limits.

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Shi and the Mandala Snake establish a master-and-companion relationship built on absolute trust and obedience.
• Yu Xiaogang tries to impress Lu Shi with his knowledge of Waste Martial Souls, Innate Full Soul Power, and Martial Soul mutation.
• Lu Shi counters Yu Xiaogang’s persuasive speech with blunt questions about his cultivation rank and research experience.
• Their conversation shifts from Yu Xiaogang attempting to recruit Lu Shi to Lu Shi preparing to interrogate and challenge Yu Xiaogang’s theories.

Chapter Summary: “Misleading Yu Xiaogang”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Shi meets Yu Xiaogang and pretends to possess a lost tome containing advanced research on Soul Beasts and Martial Soul theory.
• He explains that Martial Soul enhancement depends on adding energy with compatible attributes, while conflicting attributes usually cause rejection.
• Lu Shi proposes that conflicting attributes can sometimes be absorbed if a Martial Soul has already accumulated enough “impurities” or secondary attributes to mediate the conflict.
• As evidence, he explains that Soul Rings gradually introduce various attributes into a Martial Soul. Over generations, these accumulated traits can cause Martial Soul mutations.
• Yu Xiaogang realizes that this theory could explain many known mutations, including his own Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon becoming Luo Sanpao.
• Lu Shi trades the supposed knowledge for Yu Xiaogang’s treasured book on Soul Beasts, which contains detailed information on numerous species.
• When Yu Xiaogang asks for the original tome, Lu Shi lies that it was destroyed when a flame-covered Soul Beast burned his home.
• Lu Shi then gives Yu Xiaogang three “remaining” theories:
  1. Martial Soul mutations can be deliberately guided through suitable Soul Rings.
  2. Weak or defective Martial Souls have greater potential for transformation because they lack fixed traits.
  3. Poison is a highly adaptable attribute that can make almost any Martial Soul dangerous.
• Yu Xiaogang becomes convinced that Blue Silver Grass could be improved by adding poison and eagerly begins imagining a breakthrough in his research.
• Lu Shi leaves him to his fantasies and returns to Dorm Seven, where he prepares new bedding. Xiao Wu is visibly pleased by the gesture.

Character Developments

• Lu Shi demonstrates intelligence, manipulation, and strategic thinking. He uses technically plausible information mixed with deliberate misdirection to obtain Yu Xiaogang’s Soul Beast records.
• Yu Xiaogang becomes increasingly excited and credulous. His desire to complete and claim groundbreaking Martial Soul research makes him overlook inconsistencies and accept Lu Shi’s fabricated source.
• Yu Xiaogang’s confidence is restored when the theory appears to explain his own Martial Soul mutation. He becomes especially fixated on using poison to improve Blue Silver Grass.
• Xiao Wu is shown reacting warmly to Lu Shi’s care, particularly when he provides new bedding.

Significant Themes

• Deception and intellectual ambition: Lu Shi exploits Yu Xiaogang’s hunger for recognition and original discoveries.
• The danger of confirmation bias: Yu Xiaogang accepts Lu Shi’s claims because they support his existing theories and personal experiences.
• Martial Soul evolution and mutation: The chapter explores how Soul Rings, inherited traits, environmental influences, and conflicting attributes may shape Martial Souls.
• Potential versus weakness: A poor foundation is presented as both a disadvantage and an opportunity for flexible development.
• Knowledge as a bargaining tool: Lu Shi gains valuable resources not through force, but by exchanging carefully crafted information.

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Shi and Yu Xiaogang: Their conversation is a calculated negotiation. Lu Shi offers enough believable theory to earn Yu Xiaogang’s trust, then exchanges further “knowledge” for a valuable Soul Beast reference book.
• Yu Xiaogang and his own ambitions: His reaction to the theory reveals how deeply he wants to validate his research and explain his failed Martial Soul evolution.
• Lu Shi and Xiao Wu: Although they do not directly interact in the chapter’s main scene, Lu Shi’s preparation of bedding earns Xiao Wu’s visible approval, suggesting growing comfort and goodwill between them.

Chapter Summary: “Small World”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Wu arrives at Dorm Seven without bedding, prompting several students to offer their own quilts and mattresses in an attempt to curry favor with their new boss.
• Disliking the worn bedding offered by the students, Xiao Wu decides to share Lu Shi’s new bedding by pushing their beds together.
• Tang San offers Xiao Wu his clean bedding instead, but Xiao Wu initially chooses Lu Shi’s. A teacher named Mo Hen then arrives with a bedding set sent by Grandmaster for Tang San.
• Moved by Grandmaster’s thoughtfulness, Tang San gives the new bedding to Xiao Wu and decides to use his old one. However, Xiao Wu does not move her bed back, leaving her beside Tang San—and next to an unpleasant fourth-year student.
• Xiao Wu asks Lu Shi about the book he is reading. He explains that it is a book on Soul Beasts, obtained from Grandmaster in exchange for explaining knowledge about Martial Soul Mutation.
• Tang San angrily defends Grandmaster’s reputation, but Lu Shi calmly tells him to confirm the matter with Grandmaster himself. Tang San is left speechless and uncertain.
• During nighttime meditation, Lu Shi detects a faint stream of Soul Power entering his meridians. He traces it to the Mandala Snake within his Small World.
• Lu Shi unexpectedly discovers that he can physically enter the Small World. He meets the Mandala Snake, confirms that it had been cultivating, and realizes that the Soul Power it generates can be shared with him.
• When the Mandala Snake resumes cultivation at Lu Shi’s request, the Soul Power begins flowing to him again, confirming their connection.

Character Developments

• Xiao Wu demonstrates her bold, playful, and opportunistic personality. She confidently negotiates with Lu Shi, rejects Tang San’s initial offer, and deliberately keeps her bed beside his.
• Tang San shows strong loyalty and respect toward Grandmaster. He is emotionally touched by the bedding Grandmaster prepared and willingly gives it to Xiao Wu, but he also displays jealousy and discomfort over Xiao Wu’s closeness to Lu Shi.
• Lu Shi appears calm, practical, and self-assured. He does not argue with Tang San and instead lets the truth speak for itself. His discovery of the Small World’s connection to cultivation marks a major advancement in his abilities.
• The Mandala Snake is shown to be obedient and instinctively devoted to Lu Shi. Its independent cultivation suggests that it is becoming an active source of strength rather than merely a contracted creature.
• Grandmaster remains off-screen but is characterized as thoughtful, generous, and knowledgeable. His influence continues to shape Tang San and Lu Shi.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and gratitude: Tang San’s defense of Grandmaster and his decision to give away the bedding reflect his deep appreciation for those who care for him.
• Power and hierarchy: The students’ eagerness to please Xiao Wu reflects Dorm Seven’s brutal social structure, where the boss’s authority is maintained through intimidation and violence.
• Knowledge as exchange: Lu Shi’s trade with Grandmaster shows that information and theory can be as valuable as physical resources.
• Cultivation and discovery: Lu Shi’s meditation reveals that progress can come from unexpected sources, particularly through his connection with the Small World.
• Trust and relationships: The bedding incident highlights the shifting bonds and rivalry among Xiao Wu, Tang San, and Lu Shi.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Wu negotiates directly with Lu Shi over sharing his bedding, while Tang San attempts to offer her a better alternative.
• Tang San and Xiao Wu’s interaction reveals his concern for propriety and his growing emotional attachment to her.
• Lu Shi and Tang San clash over Grandmaster’s reputation, with Tang San reacting defensively and Lu Shi remaining composed.
• Lu Shi and the Mandala Snake share a master-servant bond based on obedience and cooperation; their cultivation link introduces a new, potentially powerful form of mutual dependence.

Chapter Summary: “Selling Venom”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Shi leaves the Small World and returns to Dorm Seven, where he goes to sleep.
• The academy’s opening ceremony takes place. The principal delivers a powerful, half-hour speech using Soul Power to project his voice.
• Work-study students are reminded of their demanding responsibilities. Tang San is assigned to clean the garden south of the training field, but Xiao Wu is absent, leaving him to do the work alone.
• Tang San works hard, using his special techniques to clean the garden quickly. He hopes Xiao Wu will be grateful and perhaps move back into his room.
• Afterward, Tang San visits Yu Xiaogang to ask about Lu Shi’s claims regarding his Martial Soul. He finds Yu Xiaogang asleep after researching through the night.
• Tang San notices that Yu Xiaogang has been studying Blue Silver Grass, plant-type Martial Souls, poison, and Martial Soul mutations. He assumes his teacher has been searching for the best Soul Beast for him.
• Yu Xiaogang reveals his conclusion: Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass should absorb poison-attribute Soul Rings, allowing him to develop a powerful compound toxin.
• Meanwhile, Lu Shi considers his financial situation. His monthly Soul Master subsidy is insufficient to pay for food, Soul Power Crystals, Whale Rubber, and other expenses.
• He evaluates possible ways for students to earn money but realizes that Soul Beast-related products would be the most profitable.
• Lu Shi experiments with his summoned Mandala Snake and discovers that its venom remains after the snake disappears, while producing it only consumes some of the snake’s Soul Power.
• He buys porcelain bottles, collects a large supply of venom, divides it into smaller containers, and takes it to the market to sell.

Character Developments

• Lu Shi becomes more practical and entrepreneurial. Rather than relying on ordinary student jobs or dangerous Soul Beast hunting, he identifies a safe way to profit from his Pokémon-like summons.
• Tang San remains hardworking, loyal, and eager for recognition from Xiao Wu and Yu Xiaogang. His desire to prove Lu Shi wrong motivates him to seek the truth.
• Yu Xiaogang demonstrates dedication to Tang San by researching throughout the night. His research leads him to recommend poison-based Soul Rings for Tang San’s future development.
• Xiao Wu is notably absent from her assigned work, creating a small emotional tension for Tang San, who continues to hope she will appreciate his efforts.

Significant Themes

• Resource inequality: Noble students have abundant support, while work-study students must balance cultivation, study, and exhausting labor.
• Hard work and ambition: Tang San’s dedication contrasts with the privileges of wealthy students, while Lu Shi seeks to improve his future through ingenuity.
• Knowledge and experimentation: Yu Xiaogang’s research and Lu Shi’s venom test show how careful investigation can reveal new paths to power.
• Economic survival: Lu Shi recognizes that cultivation requires substantial resources and begins building an independent source of income.
• Potential and specialization: Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass is reinterpreted not as weak, but as a Martial Soul capable of developing devastating compound poisons.

Character Interactions

• Tang San interacts indirectly with Xiao Wu through his thoughts, cleaning her assigned area in the hope of earning her gratitude.
• Tang San and Yu Xiaogang have a teacher-student exchange in which Yu Xiaogang explains his poison-based cultivation theory.
• Lu Shi commands the Mandala Snake and tests its venom, establishing that his summoned creatures can be used not only in combat but also as a source of valuable materials.
• Lu Shi’s plans remain separate from Tang San’s storyline, but both characters are shown pursuing ways to strengthen themselves and overcome their current limitations.

Summary: “Tang San’s First Soul Ring”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Shi sells six bottles of snake venom to a shopkeeper for three Gold Soul Coins.
• Before entering the Soul Hunting Forest, Yu Xiaogang has Tang San purchase white radishes to replenish Luo Sanpao’s energy.
• While traveling, Tang San asks Yu Xiaogang whether Lu Shi truly exchanged an ancient book of Martial Soul knowledge for Yu Xiaogang’s explanation. Yu Xiaogang confirms it but invents a story that Lu Shi found the knowledge in an ancient tome.
• Yu Xiaogang presents the exchange as proof of his own humility, willingness to learn, and honesty. Tang San is deeply moved and ashamed of doubting his teacher.
• Yu Xiaogang explains that Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass should absorb a venomous snake Soul Ring because of its flexibility and compatibility with different Soul Beast attributes.
• After searching for nearly two days, they find a roughly 150-year-old Bamboo Leaf Green, a highly venomous snake.
• Yu Xiaogang uses Luo Sanpao’s humorous but powerful fart-based attack to knock the snake unconscious. White radishes restore Luo Sanpao’s limited attack capacity.
• Tang San personally kills the Bamboo Leaf Green and successfully absorbs its yellow Soul Ring.
• He obtains the Soul Skill Entangling, which improves Blue Silver Grass’s growth and toughness and adds a trace of venom.
• Tang San tests the ability successfully, while Yu Xiaogang and the hidden Tang Hao both become confident in his future.

Character Developments

• Tang San becomes more trusting and admiring of Yu Xiaogang. He interprets Yu Xiaogang’s deception as admirable humility and resolves to become a better disciple.
• Yu Xiaogang continues presenting himself as a knowledgeable, selfless mentor, although he conceals the true source of some of his theories—Lu Shi’s knowledge. His confidence in Tang San’s potential grows after the successful Soul Ring absorption.
• Tang Hao silently observes and approves of Yu Xiaogang’s guidance, believing his son is in capable hands and imagining Spirit Hall’s eventual destruction.
• Lu Shi remains absent from the expedition but indirectly influences Tang San’s development through the knowledge Yu Xiaogang uses.
• Luo Sanpao demonstrates his unusual combat method and limitations, reinforcing both his comic nature and his usefulness.

Significant Themes

• Trust and mentorship: Tang San’s faith in Yu Xiaogang strengthens, while Yu Xiaogang assumes the role of an ideal teacher.
• Knowledge and deception: Yu Xiaogang’s teachings are effective, but his claim of possessing all the relevant insight is partly built on concealed information from Lu Shi.
• Adaptability: The Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul’s ability to accept a venomous Soul Ring reflects the value of flexibility over conventional assumptions.
• Ambition and legacy: Yu Xiaogang dreams of Tang San winning the National Soul Master Tournament, while Tang Hao connects Tang San’s growth to the larger goal of defeating Spirit Hall.
• Comedy amid seriousness: Luo Sanpao’s bizarre fart attack and dependence on white radishes add humor to an otherwise important milestone.

Character Interactions

• Lu Shi and the shopkeeper conduct a straightforward commercial exchange over the snake venom.
• Yu Xiaogang and Tang San have a sincere-seeming discussion about Lu Shi, which deepens Tang San’s respect for his teacher.
• Yu Xiaogang instructs Tang San in choosing and killing the correct Soul Beast, emphasizing practical training.
• Luo Sanpao supports Yu Xiaogang in battle, while Tang San observes both the attack and its limitations.
• Tang Hao watches the master-and-disciple pair from hiding and approves of their relationship and progress.

Flame Spirit Eagle — Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The following two years pass peacefully, with Lu Shi attending classes, cultivating, and sleeping. He spends his earnings from selling venom on cultivation resources, food, Whale Rubber, Soul Power Crystals, and nourishment for his Mandala Snake.
• Lu Shi and the Mandala Snake strengthen one another: increases in either of their levels benefit the other.
• Xiao Wu becomes close friends with Lu Shi rather than Tang San. After they work together to defeat a group of thugs who surround her, their bond grows stronger.
• Lu Shi remains wary of Xiao Wu because he knows Tang Hao is secretly watching them and may view Xiao Wu as a perfect match for Tang San. Fearing a Titled Douluo’s retaliation, Lu Shi deliberately keeps his distance.
• After reaching level 20, Lu Shi needs his second Soul Beast. He decides to seek an auxiliary damage dealer capable of flight, concluding that the Star Dou Forest is more suitable than the Soul Hunting Forest.
• The principal of Notting Academy personally accompanies Lu Shi into the Star Dou Forest. Lu Shi explains that his mutated Poké Ball Martial Soul cannot absorb ordinary Soul Rings and instead must capture living Soul Beasts.
• After three days of searching, they reach a volcanic region and find a Flame Leopard fighting a Flame Spirit Eagle.
• The Flame Spirit Eagle kills the Flame Leopard, after which the principal severely wounds—but does not kill—it. Lu Shi captures it with his Poké Ball.
• The capture creates a second Small World in Lu Shi’s spiritual realm: a barren volcanic world without lava. The injured Flame Spirit Eagle lies unconscious and near death.
• Lu Shi discovers that transferring his Soul Power into the Small World generates lava, which the Flame Spirit Eagle can absorb to heal itself. He uses half his Soul Power to stabilize its condition.
• As they leave the forest, the principal asks what Soul Skill Lu Shi obtained from the Flame Spirit Eagle.

Character Developments

• Lu Shi: Becomes more cautious and strategically minded. He carefully plans his team composition, recognizes the dangers of the Star Dou Forest, and demonstrates increasing knowledge of Soul Beasts. His ability to support and heal the Flame Spirit Eagle also reveals a growing understanding of his unusual Martial Soul.
• Xiao Wu: Develops a strong friendship with Lu Shi after fighting alongside him. Her relationship with Tang San remains unexpectedly distant.
• The Principal: Shows kindness and responsibility by personally escorting Lu Shi into the dangerous forest. He trusts Lu Shi’s judgment and respects the unusual nature of his Martial Soul, asking few intrusive questions.
• Flame Spirit Eagle: Is introduced as a powerful, fire-aligned Soul Beast with a trace of Phoenix bloodline. After capture, it becomes dependent on Lu Shi’s Soul Power and the lava produced within its Small World.
• Mandala Snake: Continues growing alongside Lu Shi, with their cultivation mutually reinforcing each other.
• Tang Hao: Remains an unseen threat, secretly observing Lu Shi and Xiao Wu.

Significant Themes

• Mutual growth and symbiosis: Lu Shi, the Mandala Snake, and the Flame Spirit Eagle all depend on interconnected exchanges of power.
• Caution and hidden danger: Lu Shi must consider not only Soul Beasts but also human enemies and Tang Hao’s surveillance.
• Trust and mentorship: The principal’s willingness to help Lu Shi despite not fully understanding his abilities highlights the value of practical trust.
• Adaptation and innovation: Lu Shi’s unconventional Martial Soul requires him to develop methods outside traditional Soul Master practices.
• Power and vulnerability: The Flame Spirit Eagle appears formidable but is nearly killed after battle, showing that strength does not eliminate the need for support.

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Shi and Xiao Wu grow closer after jointly defeating thugs, though Lu Shi later distances himself for safety.
• Lu Shi and the principal develop a respectful mentor-student relationship during the journey through the Star Dou Forest.
• The principal trusts Lu Shi’s assessment of the Flame Spirit Eagle and assists him in capturing it rather than questioning his unusual method.
• Lu Shi forms a spiritual connection with the Flame Spirit Eagle and saves it by supplying the Soul Power needed to produce healing lava.

Chapter Summary: “Four Years Later”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Shi demonstrates his second soul skill, Explosive Flame Slash, to the dean by cutting a large tree in half with a flame-infused shockwave. He conceals the existence of two additional abilities: Flamethrower and a skill that increases all attributes by 50%.
• After returning to the inn, Lu Shi rests and discovers that the Flame Spirit Eagle’s injuries have completely healed. He realizes the eagle can absorb external soul power and later convert stored energy into magma, effectively serving as a reserve source of power.
• Lu Shi also notices that his Small World has expanded as his strength increased, with more space and a greater variety of plants.
• Four years later, Lu Shi reaches rank 30 and graduates early from Notting City Junior Soul Master Academy. Because he has not found a suitable third soul beast, he travels alone to the Star Dou Forest.
• During these four years, both his Mandala Snake and Flame Spirit Eagle evolve into thousand-year soul beasts, upgrading their soul rings to purple. Lu Shi’s combat ability is strong enough for him to defeat ordinary three-ringed Soul Masters, making the forest’s outer region relatively safe for him.
• Lu Shi searches specifically for a white tiger, hoping to obtain a third soul ring connected to the terrifying Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, a beast possessing six powerful attributes: evil, wind, lightning, space, time, and strength.
• He considers settling for an ice- or healing-type soul beast if necessary, since he plans to obtain a white tiger later. He also intends to attend Shrek Academy primarily to acquire the Eight Spider Lances, whose ability to absorb soul power and life force could grant him nearly limitless endurance.
• Lu Shi encounters Zhu Zhuqing, who is fleeing a pack of Gale Wolves after escaping assassins sent by her sister. Exhausted and nearly out of soul power, she falls and is unable to defend herself.
• Lu Shi intervenes, killing the wolf leader with Explosive Flame Slash and eliminating the rest of the pack with the Mandala Snake. The chapter ends as he turns toward Zhu Zhuqing with a friendly expression.

Character Developments

• Lu Shi has become considerably stronger and more confident over the four-year gap. He is now a rank-30 Soul Master with powerful hidden abilities, evolved soul beasts, and several unusual advantages, including his Small World and the Flame Spirit Eagle’s energy-storage potential.
• His ambitions have also expanded. Rather than simply seeking immediate strength, he is planning around future opportunities, especially the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, Shrek Academy, and the Eight Spider Lances.
• Zhu Zhuqing is introduced as a young but determined survivor. She has escaped assassination attempts connected to her family and continues moving despite severe exhaustion, revealing her courage and desperation. However, the pursuit leaves her physically and emotionally vulnerable.

Significant Themes

• Growth and preparation: The four-year time skip emphasizes Lu Shi’s steady development and careful preparation for future dangers.
• Hidden strength and strategic concealment: Lu Shi deliberately withholds information about his full abilities, showing that secrecy remains essential in the Soul Master world.
• Resourcefulness and innovation: His idea of using the Flame Spirit Eagle as a soul-power reservoir demonstrates his tendency to find unconventional uses for his abilities.
• Danger and survival: The Star Dou Forest represents both opportunity and constant threat, while Zhu Zhuqing’s escape highlights the deadly pressures within her family and the broader royal struggle.
• Fate and intervention: Zhu Zhuqing expects death before Lu Shi appears, suggesting that their meeting may significantly alter both of their futures.

Character Interactions

• Lu Shi demonstrates his abilities to the dean, who approves of his strength without learning the full extent of his powers.
• Lu Shi maintains a close functional bond with the Flame Spirit Eagle and Mandala Snake, treating them as both companions and strategic extensions of his own power.
• His first direct interaction with Zhu Zhuqing occurs when he rescues her from the Gale Wolves. Although she is too exhausted to respond, Lu Shi’s intervention establishes a potentially important relationship between them.

Chapter Summary: Zhu Zhuqing

Key plot points and events

Lu Shi finds Zhu Zhuqing exhausted and dehydrated in the Star Dou Forest after she has apparently escaped assassins. He gives her water and helps support her when she struggles to stand. Zhu Zhuqing explains that killers sent by her older sister, Zhu Zhuyun, are pursuing her because of the succession struggle between their families. Through her cat ears, tail, family background, and the strength of her pursuers, Lu Shi deduces that she belongs to the Zhu Family, which is connected to the Star Luo Imperial Family.
Lu Shi then questions how a level-twenty Soul Grandmaster could have escaped two Five-Ring Soul Masters, traveled such a great distance, and suffered only minor injuries. His reasoning leads Zhu Zhuqing to realize that her sister likely never intended to kill her. Instead, Zhu Zhuyun deliberately created the appearance of an assassination attempt so Zhu Zhuqing could escape the brutal family succession system.

Character developments

Zhu Zhuqing begins the chapter frightened, exhausted, and emotionally repressed. Although she is initially determined to flee and avoid endangering Lu Shi, she quickly trusts him because he rescued her and treats her with genuine kindness. His permission to cry breaks through the emotional restraint imposed on her since childhood. As Lu Shi points out the inconsistencies in her escape, Zhu Zhuqing shifts from anger and betrayal toward understanding: she recognizes that her sister may have been protecting her in the only way available within their family’s cruel traditions.
Lu Shi is presented as observant, compassionate, and psychologically perceptive. Rather than merely comforting Zhu Zhuqing physically, he guides her toward understanding the truth behind her persecution and encourages her to survive and become strong.

Significant themes

• Oppressive family traditions: Both the Zhu and Dai families force siblings into deadly competition for imperial succession.
• Love expressed through sacrifice: Zhu Zhuyun’s apparent attempt to kill Zhu Zhuqing is revealed as a covert effort to save her from the succession struggle.
• Emotional repression and healing: Zhu Zhuqing has been taught that crying is weakness, but Lu Shi shows her that expressing grief can be part of recovery.
• Agency and resistance: Lu Shi urges her to live, grow stronger, and eventually challenge the centuries-old system that caused her suffering.
• Trust and compassion: Zhu Zhuqing’s immediate emotional reliance on Lu Shi contrasts with the cold, survival-focused environment in which she was raised.

Character interactions

Lu Shi gently cares for Zhu Zhuqing by offering water, supporting her, removing debris from her clothes, and encouraging her to cry. He questions her calmly rather than accusing her, helping her piece together the truth about her sister’s actions. Zhu Zhuqing responds with vulnerability, revealing her fear, resentment, and confusion before finally accepting Lu Shi’s interpretation. Their interaction establishes a strong emotional bond based on rescue, trust, and understanding.

Chapter Summary: “Early Morning”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After escaping her past trauma, Zhu Zhuqing finally releases her hatred and emotional torment. Lu Shi invites her to accompany him to Tiandou and begin a new life, which she accepts.
• While traveling through the Star Dou Forest, Zhu Zhuqing learns that Lu Shi is searching for a White Tiger Soul Beast to obtain his third soul ring.
• She is initially alarmed because of her complicated relationship with the White Tiger lineage, but Lu Shi explains that his Martial Soul is not a White Tiger—it is a ball that requires a White Tiger soul ring.
• Lu Shi reveals that his soul rings possess the extraordinary ability to grow and increase in age as his cultivation improves. Zhu Zhuqing is shocked by the revelation and realizes that this ability could allow him to reach the level of a Titled Douluo or even a god.
• Lu Shi asks her to keep this secret, warning that powerful factions might attempt to recruit or eliminate someone capable of changing the balance of the continent. Zhu Zhuqing agrees, understanding that his disclosure demonstrates trust in her.
• As evening arrives, Lu Shi prepares food beside a campfire. Zhu Zhuqing, exhausted from months of fleeing, falls asleep before eating. Lu Shi quietly lets her rest and eats the roasted meat himself.
• The next morning, Zhu Zhuqing wakes in a tree and briefly assumes she is in danger before remembering Lu Shi saved her. He explains that he carried her into the tree to protect her from the damp forest floor.
• Lu Shi has prepared wild boar soup with medicinal herbs to restore her strength. Zhu Zhuqing is deeply touched by his thoughtfulness and insists that she has recovered enough to continue traveling.
• Lu Shi advises her to leave the forest and rest more, while Zhu Zhuqing firmly refuses to become a burden.

Character Development

• Zhu Zhuqing: Experiences a major emotional breakthrough, beginning to let go of hatred and the burden of her family’s conflicts. She becomes more open and trusting toward Lu Shi, while still maintaining her strong, independent nature. Her shy reactions and concern about burdening him reveal a gentler side beneath her usual cold exterior.
• Lu Shi: Shows himself to be both powerful and cautious. He trusts Zhu Zhuqing enough to reveal the secret of his evolving soul rings, but he also understands the political danger of that ability. He demonstrates care through practical actions, such as cooking for her, collecting medicinal herbs, and carrying her to safety.
• Their relationship begins shifting from a chance alliance toward genuine companionship and mutual trust.

Significant Themes

• Freedom from the past: Zhu Zhuqing’s acceptance of Lu Shi’s offer symbolizes her decision to leave behind hatred, family pressure, and her former life.
• Trust and secrecy: Lu Shi’s revelation creates a bond between them, while Zhu Zhuqing’s promise to protect his secret confirms her loyalty.
• Care expressed through action: Lu Shi rarely makes grand emotional declarations, but his cooking, protection, and concern for Zhu Zhuqing communicate his feelings clearly.
• Hidden potential and danger: Lu Shi’s unique soul-ring ability marks him as a future world-shaking figure, but it also makes him vulnerable to manipulation or assassination.
• Strength versus vulnerability: Zhu Zhuqing remains determined and proud, yet her exhaustion and emotional sensitivity show that even strong characters need support.

Character Interactions

• Lu Shi gently invites Zhu Zhuqing to join him, offering companionship without pressuring her.
• Zhu Zhuqing admires Lu Shi after learning about his cultivation and asks to help him find a suitable soul beast.
• His revelation about his soul rings shocks her and deepens her respect and trust.
• Their shared meal beside the campfire creates an intimate, peaceful contrast to Zhu Zhuqing’s months of hardship.
• The next morning, Lu Shi’s preparation of nourishing soup reinforces his protective attitude, while Zhu Zhuqing’s insistence that she can continue reflects her pride and determination.

Chapter Summary: “Unexpected Encounter”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Shi reluctantly agrees to Zhu Zhuqing’s wishes but insists she follow his instructions.
• For over ten days, they search the Star Dou Forest for a White Tiger Soul Beast with attributes compatible with the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger—ideally wind or lightning, since darkness, evil, and space are extremely rare.
• On the fifteenth day, while resting together in a tree, Lu Shi and Zhu Zhuqing hear a disturbance and investigate.
• They discover a hunting party led by Li An, who has betrayed Zhao Jingxing and his companions. Li An drugged them and intends to torture them to death as sacrifices.
• Li An reveals that, after awakening a Bat Martial Soul and developing an uncontrollable thirst for blood, he discovered a ritual that increases his Soul Power by sacrificing tortured victims. He believes this is a gift from the gods and plans to sacrifice the Zhao siblings and their companion.
• Before the sacrifice can begin, one of Li An’s allies collapses in apparent terror and poisoning. A mysterious scarlet Soul Beast then attacks the group from the forest.
• The creature moves too quickly to identify, kills one Soul Master with its fangs, and then uses powerful flames to burn or pierce through several others.
• Li An and the remaining turtle-type defense Soul Master are left alive. The defense Soul Master suddenly panics over invisible or imagined snakes and flees, while Li An sees a mass of venomous snakes emerging from the woods, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Lu Shi and Zhu Zhuqing: Their extended journey deepens their companionship. Although they are simply resting and eating fruit, the atmosphere between them is described as quietly intimate. Lu Shi remains alert and protective when he notices the human conflict.
• Li An: He is revealed as a resentful and morally corrupted Soul Master. His bitterness over his low innate talent and impoverished upbringing has turned into hatred toward the wealthy and a willingness to murder for power. He views sacrifice as divine approval rather than evil.
• Zhao Jingxing: Once trusting of Li An, he is devastated by the betrayal and rendered helpless by the drug. His despair reflects the hopelessness of the situation.
• Zhao Qinghe and Shen Qingqing: Both are inexperienced one-ring Soul Masters who are unable to resist Li An’s stronger group. Their fear emphasizes their vulnerability.
• Li An’s companions: Though eager to share in the Zhao family’s wealth, they become frightened and ineffective once a stronger, unknown enemy appears. Their selfishness and cowardice are exposed.
• The mysterious scarlet Soul Beast: It is established as extremely fast, capable of devastating flame attacks, and possibly able to induce hallucinations or manipulate its prey’s senses.

Significant Themes

• Resentment and moral corruption: Li An’s suffering and social inequality explain his anger but do not excuse the cruelty he embraces.
• The abuse of power and twisted belief: Li An reinterprets a violent sacrificial technique as a blessing from the gods, showing how ambition can transform evil into self-justification.
• Trust and betrayal: Zhao Jingxing’s faith in a longtime friend makes Li An’s betrayal especially devastating.
• Predator versus predator: The hunting party intends to exploit Soul Beasts and human victims, only to become prey themselves.
• Hidden danger: The forest appears calm and safe, but the sudden attack reveals that powerful and unusual threats may be concealed nearby.

Character Interactions

• Lu Shi and Zhu Zhuqing cooperate closely during their search, with Lu Shi setting conditions and Zhu Zhuqing agreeing to follow him.
• Li An confronts Zhao Jingxing and explains his hatred, contrasting their different social backgrounds and innate talents.
• Zhao Jingxing pleads about their decade-long friendship, but Li An dismisses their bond in favor of his sacrificial ritual.
• Zhao Qinghe and Shen Qingqing attempt to protect Zhao Jingxing but are powerless against Li An’s group.
• Li An orders and insults his companions, revealing that he sees them as disposable tools.
• The mysterious Soul Beast disrupts the confrontation entirely, turning Li An’s hunting party into the hunted and leaving both the villains and their intended victims at its mercy.

Chapter Summary: “Thunder-Patterned Sacred Tiger”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li An believes the Mandala Snake’s apparent attack is an illusion and decides to exploit the vulnerable group by using his blood-enhancing ability.
• He activates his third soul skill, Bat Transformation, and attempts to attack Zhao Qinghe, Shen Qingqing, and Zhao Jingxing.
• Lu Shi ambushes him from above with Explosive Flame Slash, killing Li An instantly. The three victims remain unharmed.
• Zhu Zhuqing and the Mandala Snake finish off the fleeing defense-type Soul Master.
• Lu Shi’s two Soul Beasts, the Mandala Snake and Flame Spirit Eagle, affectionately seek his praise before he returns them to his Small World.
• Zhu Zhuqing becomes jealous after noticing the admiration in Zhao Qinghe and Shen Qingqing’s eyes. Lu Shi reassures her that she is the only one he cares about, and the two share an intimate, playful exchange.
• Their moment is interrupted by a powerful tiger’s roar. Realizing that the bloodshed has attracted a dangerous Soul Beast, Lu Shi and Zhu Zhuqing hurry back toward the others.
• They discover a rare Thunder-Patterned Sacred Tiger, a powerful lightning-attributed Soul Beast estimated to be nearly two thousand years old.
• The tiger attacks Zhao Qinghe. Lu Shi intervenes, shielding her and fighting the beast directly with his two Purple Soul Rings and flame abilities.
• Lu Shi defeats the tiger, though the lightning leaves his arm partially burned and his sleeve destroyed. He checks Zhao Qinghe, then leaves before she can properly thank him.
• Zhao Qinghe is deeply affected by his rescue, while Zhao Jingxing is left puzzled by Lu Shi’s strength, unusual soul rings, and ability to command Soul Beasts.

Character Developments

• Lu Shi is shown to be decisive, overwhelmingly powerful, and protective. He kills Li An without hesitation, rescues the endangered group, and defeats the Thunder-Patterned Sacred Tiger despite suffering injury.
• Zhu Zhuqing reveals a softer, more affectionate and jealous side around Lu Shi. Though aloof toward outsiders, she is emotionally dependent and playful with him.
• Zhao Qinghe develops strong admiration and gratitude toward Lu Shi after he saves her from certain death. She begins viewing him almost like a heroic, dreamlike prince.
• Zhao Jingxing becomes increasingly suspicious and curious about Lu Shi’s abilities, especially his rare soul rings and apparent control over Soul Beasts.
• Li An is exposed as overconfident and fatally miscalculates Lu Shi’s presence and strength.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and misjudgment: Li An assumes the situation is controlled by an illusion and underestimates Lu Shi, leading to his death. Zhao Jingxing likewise struggles to comprehend Lu Shi’s true abilities.
• Heroism and rescue: Lu Shi repeatedly appears at critical moments to protect others, especially Zhao Qinghe, reinforcing his image as a mysterious savior.
• Power and dominance: The chapter emphasizes Lu Shi’s unusual authority over Soul Beasts, as well as the overwhelming force of rare abilities and high-level soul skills.
• Affection and jealousy: Zhu Zhuqing’s jealousy highlights her deep attachment to Lu Shi, while Lu Shi’s reassurance strengthens their intimate relationship.
• The limits of conventional understanding: Zhao Jingxing cannot imagine that a Soul Master could tame Soul Beasts, demonstrating how Lu Shi’s abilities defy accepted knowledge.

Character Interactions

• Lu Shi and Li An: Their brief confrontation ends with Lu Shi killing Li An instantly, establishing the vast difference in their strength.
• Lu Shi and Zhu Zhuqing: They exchange teasing, affectionate dialogue, and physical intimacy. Zhu Zhuqing’s jealousy prompts Lu Shi to reassure her of his loyalty.
• Lu Shi and Zhao Qinghe: Lu Shi saves her from the Thunder-Patterned Sacred Tiger and silently checks her safety. His departure leaves a powerful emotional impression on her.
• Lu Shi and the Soul Beasts: The Mandala Snake and Flame Spirit Eagle behave submissively and affectionately toward him, emphasizing their trust and unusual bond.
• Zhao Qinghe, Shen Qingqing, and Zhao Jingxing: All three witness Lu Shi’s interventions, but they react differently—Qinghe with admiration, Shen Qingqing with stunned awe, and Jingxing with analytical confusion.

Chapter Summary: Suotuo City

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Shi escapes after using Explosive Flame Slash against the Thunder-Patterned Sacred Tiger. The attack consumes over half his Soul Power and leaves his left arm numb and charred.
• At the crucial moment, Lu Shi uses a Poké Ball-like Soul Tool to capture the Thunder-Patterned Sacred Tiger rather than kill it or absorb its Soul Ring, leaving Zhu Zhuqing bewildered.
• Zhu Zhuqing worries over Lu Shi’s injuries and tries to support and comfort him. Lu Shi reassures her that he will recover by drawing on the Flame Spirit Eagle and the lava stored in his Lava Small World.
• The pair rest before traveling to Suotuo City, where Lu Shi intends to continue preparations for obtaining the Eight Spider Lances, likely by finding a Man-Faced Demon Spider.
• In Suotuo City, Lu Shi and Zhu Zhuqing enjoy the prosperous city streets, snacks, shops, and relaxed time together.
• Lu Shi secretly enters a pharmacy specializing in aphrodisiacs and purchases all available Ten-Year and Hundred-Year Whale Rubber, while placing a deposit for Thousand-Year Whale Rubber to be delivered within three days.

Character Developments

• Lu Shi demonstrates both desperation and resourcefulness during the battle. His desire to prove himself causes him to overextend his Soul Power, but his quick thinking allows him to capture the Thunder-Patterned Sacred Tiger and avoid failure.
• His recovery abilities and the Flame Spirit Eagle’s connection to his Lava Small World reveal the extent of his unusual resources and preparation.
• Lu Shi becomes increasingly aware of his emotional bond with Zhu Zhuqing. He notices that capturing the Sacred Tiger may have created a mysterious connection between them, possibly related to his absorption of the White Tiger.
• Zhu Zhuqing becomes openly affectionate and protective toward Lu Shi. She comforts him, tends to his injury, holds his arm while walking, and displays childlike excitement while exploring Suotuo City with him.
• Her attachment to Lu Shi is clear: ordinary sights become enjoyable simply because she experiences them at his side.
• Lu Shi is pleased by Zhu Zhuqing’s concern and affection, showing that he values emotional companionship as much as his cultivation and plans.

Significant Themes

• Resourcefulness and unconventional power: Lu Shi’s ability to capture Soul Beasts instead of following the traditional process of killing them and absorbing their Soul Rings challenges the established rules of the world.
• Preparation and strategic planning: His purchase and stockpiling of Whale Rubber reflects his long-term plans and willingness to invest heavily in future strength.
• Romance and intimacy: The couple’s affectionate behavior contrasts with the danger and violence of the Star Dou Forest, emphasizing their growing emotional closeness.
• Power and excess: Lu Shi repeatedly relies on overwhelming resources—extra Soul Power, stored lava, rare materials, and large sums of money—to compensate for danger and accelerate his goals.
• Breaking conventional expectations: Both Lu Shi’s Soul Beast-capturing method and Zhu Zhuqing’s changing worldview show how their experiences challenge traditional Soul Master knowledge.

Character Interactions

• Zhu Zhuqing supports Lu Shi physically and emotionally after the battle, even offering to carry him to a healing Soul Master.
• Lu Shi comforts her, praises her indirectly through affectionate gestures, and rubs her hair while they rest.
• In Suotuo City, they behave like a close couple, sharing candied hawthorns and enjoying the city together.
• Lu Shi teasingly flicks Zhu Zhuqing’s forehead and sends her to browse while he handles a private purchase, promising her a surprise later.
• His interaction with the pharmacy owner highlights Lu Shi’s calm decisiveness and wealth; he overwhelms the hesitant shopkeeper by buying the available Whale Rubber outright and placing a generous deposit for more.

Chapter Summary: “Black Bear Demon Tang San”

Plot Points and Events

• After leaving the previous shop, Lu Shi visits a mysterious, abandoned-looking store marked with the symbols of a sword, hammer, and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon—emblems associated with Spirit Hall.
• The shop belongs to Flender, headmaster of Shrek Academy, and is filled with seemingly worthless objects that are actually Soul Tools.
• Lu Shi searches the shop for a crystal containing Dragon Beard Needles, a powerful hidden weapon capable of combining physical, magical, and poison damage.
• He identifies a large yellow crystal containing more than twenty thousand Dragon Beard Needles and buys it from Flender for one hundred Gold Soul Coins.
• As Lu Shi prepares to leave, Xiao Wu and Tang San enter the shop. Xiao Wu immediately recognizes Lu Shi and happily approaches him.

Character Development

• Lu Shi demonstrates caution and resourcefulness by entering the shop alone, pretending to browse so that his purchase will not attract suspicion. His acquisition of the Dragon Beard Needle crystal strengthens his future combat options, especially when combined with Mandala Snake venom.
• Flender is introduced as the shopkeeper and owner of the strange store. His lazy, crafty demeanor contrasts with the value of the Soul Tools he possesses.
• Tang San has changed drastically after following Yu Xiaogang’s advice. He absorbed a five-hundred-year Bone-Eroding Poison Snake as his second Soul Ring, giving his Blue Silver Grass corrosive poison abilities.
• Although the Soul Ring did not damage his Martial Soul, the forced compatibility with poison-based Soul Rings permanently altered Tang San’s body. He is now short, dark, swollen-faced, and physically unattractive, resembling a “black bear demon.”
• Tang San accepts these changes because he prioritizes strength and believes Yu Xiaogang’s theories will eventually prove correct. He remains determined to vindicate his teacher at the Continental Soul Master Tournament.
• Xiao Wu now views Tang San only as a brother. His protective behavior and gift-giving no longer create romantic feelings in her because his appearance and relationship with her have become entirely familial.

Significant Themes

• The cost of pursuing power: Tang San gains a poison ability but suffers permanent physical consequences because he forces a mismatched Soul Ring onto his Martial Soul.
• Blind faith in authority: Tang San and Yu Xiaogang remain convinced that their theories are correct despite the harmful results, emphasizing the dangers of unquestioning loyalty.
• Appearance versus ability: Tang San’s unattractive transformation contrasts with his growing strength, while Lu Shi focuses on practical combat value rather than appearances.
• Irony and foreshadowing: Tang San believes his strength will make everyone admire him, but Lu Shi views his transformation with amusement. Xiao Wu’s loss of romantic interest also undermines Tang San’s hopes.
• Hidden power in ordinary objects: The neglected shop and its clutter symbolize how valuable things may be concealed beneath an unremarkable exterior.

Character Interactions

• Lu Shi interacts briefly with Flender, concealing his true purpose while purchasing the Dragon Beard Needle crystal.
• Lu Shi encounters Xiao Wu and Tang San as they enter the shop.
• Xiao Wu warmly greets Lu Shi because he once rescued and treated her after she was attacked by hooligans three years earlier.
• Tang San dislikes Lu Shi because Xiao Wu is close to him and ignores Tang San’s warnings to stay away from him.
• Xiao Wu trusts Lu Shi’s kindness and rejects Tang San’s negative judgment of him, reinforcing the rivalry and emotional imbalance between Lu Shi, Tang San, and Xiao Wu.

Chapter Summary: “Come Eat Some Big Whale Rubber”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Wu reunites with Lu Shi in Suotuo City after struggling to find him. She becomes noticeably more talkative and affectionate around him.
• Lu Shi brings Xiao Wu and Tang San into a shop selling Soul Tools. Before Lu Shi can explain, Tang San proudly identifies the goods and credits Yu Xiaogang for teaching him about them.
• Lu Shi deliberately leaves the pair behind and tells them they will meet again at Shrek Academy. Xiao Wu eagerly chases after him, while Tang San follows her, revealing his jealousy and frustration toward Lu Shi.
• Flender watches the interaction and reflects humorously on Tang San’s odd appearance and the lively group that will soon gather at the academy.
• Lu Shi avoids Xiao Wu and Tang San, then returns to Zhu Zhuqing, who has been waiting for him in an alley. Her beauty attracts a crowd of onlookers, but her expression softens immediately when Lu Shi appears.
• Jealous of the attention Zhu Zhuqing receives, Lu Shi lifts her onto a rooftop and carries her away, making his possessiveness clear to the onlookers.
• Zhu Zhuqing playfully reassures him and explains that she waited because she did not know where he had gone. The two flirt openly and travel to a luxurious hotel.
• In their room, Lu Shi teases Zhu Zhuqing by presenting her with a fist-sized piece of Ten-Year Whale Rubber, apparently the “surprise” he promised her. The chapter ends before revealing her reaction or how the item will be used.

Character Developments

• Lu Shi: Displays confidence, playfulness, romantic affection, and possessiveness. He intentionally provokes Tang San, but also remains cautious about Xiao Wu because of Tang Hao’s knowledge of her true identity as a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
• Xiao Wu: Shows strong affection for Lu Shi and becomes unusually talkative around him. Her eagerness to follow him emphasizes her attachment and possible romantic feelings.
• Tang San: Becomes increasingly jealous and insecure because Lu Shi is more talented, physically impressive, and difficult to defeat. He tries to regain Xiao Wu’s attention by showing off his knowledge of Soul Tools.
• Zhu Zhuqing: Reveals a softer, more affectionate side with Lu Shi. Despite her normally cold demeanor, she behaves playfully and dependently around him, resembling a spoiled kitten.
• Flender: Acts as an amused observer, recognizing the tension and anticipating that Shrek Academy will become much more exciting once the characters arrive.

Significant Themes

• Jealousy and romantic competition: Tang San resents Lu Shi’s superiority and closeness with Xiao Wu, while Lu Shi becomes jealous of the attention directed toward Zhu Zhuqing.
• Possessive affection: Lu Shi publicly signals that Zhu Zhuqing is with him, while Zhu Zhuqing responds warmly to his jealousy.
• Hidden identities and danger: Lu Shi’s attraction to Xiao Wu is complicated by the fact that Tang Hao knows her true nature and would retaliate if Lu Shi threatened Tang San’s interests.
• Strength and status: The chapter contrasts Tang San’s theoretical confidence with Lu Shi’s apparent natural superiority, suggesting that practical power and charisma matter more than teaching or predictions.
• Playfulness and intimacy: Much of the chapter focuses on teasing, flirtation, and the contrast between public composure and private affection.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Wu enthusiastically reconnects with Lu Shi, while Tang San tries to impress her by identifying the shop’s Soul Tools.
• Lu Shi deliberately dismisses both of them, intensifying Xiao Wu’s eagerness and Tang San’s jealousy.
• Lu Shi and Zhu Zhuqing share a playful romantic reunion, including teasing, physical affection, and joking jealousy.
• Flender observes the younger characters’ relationships and rivalry with amused anticipation.
• The chapter closes on Lu Shi teasing Zhu Zhuqing with the unusual Ten-Year Whale Rubber, creating a suggestive cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary: “Shock”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Shi initially teases Zhu Zhuqing by demanding she identify Whale Rubber before continuing their intimate interaction. She reluctantly names it and becomes embarrassed when he reveals that it is an aphrodisiac.
• Lu Shi then explains that Whale Rubber has a more important function: after being processed, it can strengthen the body and increase a Soul Master’s tolerance for older Soul Rings.
• He melts the Whale Rubber, removes its impurities, and gives it to Zhu Zhuqing. Despite its foul smell and taste, she drinks it under his direction.
• The substance causes intense heat and discomfort, but Lu Shi instructs her to meditate and guide the medicinal energy through her meridians.
• While Zhu Zhuqing cultivates, Lu Shi explains that Soul Ring absorption limits are not absolute. They depend on physique, Martial Soul quality, and spiritual power, although most Soul Masters accept conventional limits because the risks of attempting older rings outweigh the benefits.
• After roughly half an hour, Zhu Zhuqing successfully absorbs the effects. She discovers that her blood, qi, bones, and meridians have all become stronger, with impurities expelled through her sweat.
• She washes and returns to Lu Shi, questioning how he knows about Whale Rubber’s hidden use. He claims to have learned it from obscure ancient books and says he improved the failed method by melting the substance first.
• Lu Shi warns her to keep the discovery secret, recognizing that revealing it could have a major impact on the Soul Master world.
• The chapter ends with Lu Shi planning to have Zhu Zhuqing consume more Whale Rubber, obtain Immortal Herbs later, and accelerate the growth of his Soul Beasts. They are also preparing to enroll at Shrek Academy the following day.

Character Developments

• Zhu Zhuqing: Initially embarrassed and resistant, she ultimately trusts Lu Shi completely and follows his instructions. Her successful transformation strengthens both her body and her confidence in Lu Shi’s knowledge. Her admiration for him deepens, and she accepts his explanation without suspicion.
• Lu Shi: Demonstrates extensive knowledge of cultivation, medicinal substances, and Soul Ring theory. He shows restraint by stopping their intimate encounter to prioritize Zhu Zhuqing’s cultivation and their upcoming plans, while also displaying a secretive and calculating side by deciding to conceal the discovery.
• Their relationship: Their bond becomes more intimate and trusting. Zhu Zhuqing is emotionally and physically comfortable with Lu Shi, while he takes on the role of protector, teacher, and guide.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge and hidden discoveries: Ancient knowledge can overturn widely accepted beliefs, as shown by Whale Rubber’s newly revealed cultivation use.
• Limits versus conventions: The accepted Soul Ring age limits are presented as cautious standards rather than absolute laws.
• Risk and reward: Soul Masters avoid testing the limits because failure can be fatal, even when success might offer an advantage.
• Trust and secrecy: Zhu Zhuqing’s unquestioning faith in Lu Shi contrasts with the potentially enormous consequences of the secret he has uncovered.
• Physical transformation and cultivation: Strengthening the body is portrayed as essential to absorbing more powerful Soul Rings and achieving greater future potential.

Character Interactions

• Lu Shi playfully pressures and teases Zhu Zhuqing before shifting into a serious instructional role.
• Zhu Zhuqing relies on Lu Shi’s guidance while enduring the unpleasant effects of the Whale Rubber.
• Lu Shi watches over her cultivation, prepares hot water for her afterward, and explains the substance’s effects and the theory behind Soul Ring limits.
• After bathing, Zhu Zhuqing seeks reassurance and an explanation from Lu Shi, while he offers a fabricated account involving ancient texts.
• Their affectionate physical interaction reinforces both their romantic closeness and the unequal dynamic in which Lu Shi possesses knowledge and directs Zhu Zhuqing’s actions.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Shi leaves Suotuo City early with Zhu Zhuqing to avoid an awkward encounter with Tang San and Xiao Wu.
• They arrive at the impoverished-looking village of Shrek Academy, whose shabby fence and worn sign cause prospective students and their parents to doubt the academy’s legitimacy.
• The admission requirement is revealed to be exceptionally high: applicants must be at least twelve years old and possess level-twenty Soul Power.
• Li Yusong, an elderly examiner, demonstrates Shrek’s strength by releasing his Martial Soul and six Soul Rings, revealing himself to be a powerful Soul Emperor. His display frightens many applicants and causes most families to leave.
• Xiao Wu arrives and is upset that Lu Shi left without waiting for her. Her mood collapses when she sees him holding hands with Zhu Zhuqing.
• Tang San realizes Xiao Wu’s feelings for Lu Shi and secretly celebrates, believing he will no longer have romantic competition.
• Zhu Zhuqing recognizes Xiao Wu’s pain and releases Lu Shi’s hand out of sympathy and guilt. The remaining group waits at the back of the drastically shortened admission line.

Character Developments

• Lu Shi: Continues trying to avoid awkwardness with Xiao Wu, but his relationship with Zhu Zhuqing becomes publicly apparent through their hand-holding. He is visibly uncomfortable when forced to introduce the two girls.
• Zhu Zhuqing: Shows a softer, more compassionate side. Although she understands that Xiao Wu likes Lu Shi, she sympathizes with Xiao Wu’s rejection and emotional pain because it resembles her own experiences with her sister.
• Xiao Wu: Her affection for Lu Shi becomes unmistakable. She approaches him hopefully, but seeing him with Zhu Zhuqing leaves her shocked, hurt, and nearly in tears. She feels displaced despite believing she was close to Lu Shi first.
• Tang San: Correctly interprets Xiao Wu’s heartbreak and feels delighted because he assumes Lu Shi no longer stands between him and Xiao Wu.
• Li Yusong: Establishes Shrek’s intimidating standards and strength by revealing his Soul Emperor cultivation.
• Prospective students and parents: Their initial confidence turns into disappointment and fear once they learn of Shrek’s demanding requirements.

Significant Themes

• Unrequited affection and jealousy: Xiao Wu’s feelings for Lu Shi clash with his closeness to Zhu Zhuqing, creating emotional tension.
• The pain of feeling replaced: Xiao Wu believes she was the one who came first, but discovers that Zhu Zhuqing occupies the place beside Lu Shi.
• Compassion born from shared trauma: Zhu Zhuqing’s own history allows her to understand Xiao Wu’s helplessness and respond with empathy rather than hostility.
• Appearances versus reality: Shrek’s dilapidated exterior makes it seem worthless, but Li Yusong’s strength reveals that the academy’s true quality lies beneath its shabby appearance.
• Excellence and exclusivity: Shrek’s unusually high admission standard establishes it as an academy for exceptionally gifted “monsters.”

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Shi and Zhu Zhuqing: They travel together and arrive holding hands, signaling their closeness and unintentionally hurting Xiao Wu.
• Xiao Wu and Lu Shi: Xiao Wu seeks his attention and tries to reconnect, but becomes devastated when she sees him with Zhu Zhuqing.
• Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing: Their silent confrontation is emotionally central. Zhu Zhuqing recognizes Xiao Wu’s grief and withdraws her hand from Lu Shi.
• Tang San and Xiao Wu: Tang San notices Xiao Wu’s distress but privately interprets it as an opportunity to pursue her without competition.
• Applicants and Li Yusong: His sudden display of power transforms the crowd’s attitude toward Shrek and eliminates most candidates from consideration.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Rongrong, a pink-haired girl from a wealthy and powerful family, takes the entrance test alone. Although Li Yusong worries about her coming without her family’s knowledge, she confidently argues that she should be admitted if she meets the requirements. Dai Mubai escorts her inside.
• Lu Shi’s group—Tang San, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Lu Shi—begins testing.
• Tang San pays the registration fee for both himself and Xiao Wu, continuing his long-standing habit of taking care of her. However, Li Yusong initially mistakes him for an adult because of his unusually rugged appearance and refuses to test him.
• Tang San angrily insists that he is only twelve. After revealing his two yellow Soul Rings, he proves that he meets the requirements and is admitted.
• Xiao Wu passes as well, though she is visibly depressed and emotionally withdrawn, deliberately keeping her distance from Lu Shi and Zhu Zhuqing.
• Zhu Zhuqing completes the test, followed by Lu Shi. Lu Shi manifests his unusual mutated Martial Soul but refuses to reveal his Soul Rings, concerned that displaying his three purple rings would attract unwanted attention.
• Li Yusong recognizes that Lu Shi possesses extraordinary power for his age—likely already above level 30—and allows him to proceed without exposing his abilities.
• Dai Mubai leads the group to Shrek Academy’s central training ground, where the second-round candidates are gathered. He explains the academy’s strict three-stage admission system:
  1. Basic age and Soul Power requirements
  2. Soul Power and Martial Soul potential assessment
  3. Further evaluation of aptitude and development
• After speaking privately with teacher Lu Qibin, Dai Mubai arranges for Lu Shi’s group to skip directly to the fourth round. They only need to pass that final assessment to gain admission.

Character Developments

• Ning Rongrong displays confidence, intelligence, and independence by challenging Li Yusong’s concern about her family and asserting her right to participate.
• Tang San continues to care deeply for Xiao Wu, paying her expenses and trying to reassure himself that he is the person who treats her best. His insecurity regarding Lu Shi becomes evident.
• Xiao Wu is emotionally wounded and tries not to cry, withdrawing from the others after feeling rejected or heartbroken. Her subdued behavior contrasts sharply with her usual liveliness.
• Lu Shi remains cautious and secretive about his true strength. His refusal to reveal his Soul Rings shows his strategic awareness and desire to avoid drawing attention.
• Dai Mubai maintains a cold exterior while attempting to impress or dominate the girls around him. He also feels an instinctive competitive reaction toward Lu Shi, sensing something strangely familiar in him.
• Li Yusong initially appears irritable and judgmental, but his attitude softens after realizing Tang San is genuinely a child. He is especially impressed by Lu Shi’s exceptional talent.
• Dai Mubai’s pride in Shrek’s demanding standards is reinforced when he helps the group advance directly to the fourth round.

Significant Themes

• Talent and exceptional ability: The entrance process emphasizes that raw Soul Power is not enough; a candidate’s Martial Soul, cultivation path, and future potential are equally important.
• Appearances versus reality: Tang San’s mature, intimidating appearance causes Li Yusong to misjudge his age, while Lu Shi conceals his overwhelming strength behind a seemingly ordinary test.
• Romantic rivalry and insecurity: Tang San’s thoughts reveal his jealousy of Lu Shi and his desire to prove himself as Xiao Wu’s closest companion.
• Emotional restraint: Xiao Wu hides her pain, while Lu Shi suppresses his abilities and Tang San suppresses his anger, showing several characters masking their true feelings.
• Exclusivity and merit: Shrek’s shabby facilities contrast with its extremely strict admissions standards, reinforcing the academy’s identity as a place for only the most gifted Soul Masters.

Character Interactions

• Ning Rongrong and Li Yusong: She confidently challenges his concern about her family, while he reluctantly respects her determination.
• Ning Rongrong and Dai Mubai: Dai Mubai escorts her while deliberately maintaining a cold demeanor, intending to create a position of superiority and win her interest.
• Tang San and Li Yusong: Their misunderstanding over Tang San’s age creates comic tension before Tang San proves his qualifications.
• Tang San and Xiao Wu: Tang San pays for her test and attempts to comfort himself with the belief that he is her best protector, while Xiao Wu remains distant and heartbroken.
• Lu Shi and Li Yusong: Lu Shi avoids revealing his Soul Rings, and Li Yusong accommodates him after recognizing his extraordinary potential.
• Lu Shi and Dai Mubai: Dai Mubai senses a mysterious, almost instinctive connection or rivalry with Lu Shi, though he misinterprets it as jealousy over the girls accompanying him.
• Dai Mubai and the group: He explains Shrek’s testing system and then uses his influence to secure their advancement directly to the fourth round.

Chapter Summary: “Why Are You Calling Me Uncle?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dai Mubai attempts to impress the newcomers—especially the female students—by boasting about Shrek Academy’s harsh admission standards and using his status to let Lu Shi, Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, Tang San, and the others skip directly to the fourth test.
• The other applicants protest the apparent favoritism. Teacher Lu Qibin explains that anyone with Soul Power above level twenty-five may advance directly, but none of the students in line qualify.
• Lu Shi suggests that the group complete the tests normally, but Dai Mubai angrily defends them and challenges the skeptical applicants to witness their strength.
• Tang San demonstrates nearly level-thirty Soul Power, followed by Xiao Wu at level twenty-nine and Zhu Zhuqing at level twenty-seven. Lu Shi then shatters the testing crystal, revealing that he has already reached the Soul Elder realm.
• Ning Rongrong reveals that she also exceeds level twenty-five, testing at approximately level twenty-six. Lu Qibin is thrilled by the gathering of so many exceptionally talented students and orders Dai Mubai to escort all six to the fourth test.
• On the way, they encounter Oscar, a fourteen-year-old Shrek student selling sausages from a cart while disguised by his scruffy appearance and beard.
• Tang San notices that Xiao Wu has not eaten all day and buys two sausages for her, hoping his concern will strengthen her feelings for him. However, Oscar is shocked when Tang San calls him “uncle,” insisting that he is only fourteen and that Tang San looks like a middle-aged man.

Character Developments

• Dai Mubai: His attempt to show off his connections and attract the girls fails, particularly because Zhu Zhuqing recognizes him and feels only disappointment. His pride is further damaged when others challenge the preferential treatment he arranged.
• Tang San: He takes satisfaction in proving his strength and silently flaunts his near-level-thirty Soul Power. He also tries to appear especially considerate toward Xiao Wu by buying her food, revealing his desire to gain her affection.
• Xiao Wu: She remains emotionally devastated and largely unresponsive to everything around her, except for her lingering focus on Bibi Dong. Despite this, she demonstrates extraordinary talent by reaching level twenty-nine.
• Zhu Zhuqing: She remains cool and indifferent toward Dai Mubai, privately judging the decline of the Star Luo prince. Her pride in Lu Shi’s achievement becomes evident when he shatters the testing crystal.
• Lu Shi: He displays overwhelming talent, already possessing the strength of a Soul Elder. His performance shocks the applicants, the teachers, and even Ning Rongrong.
• Ning Rongrong: Initially stunned by the group’s abilities, she proves that she belongs among them by revealing level-twenty-six Soul Power.
• Lu Qibin: He changes from a strict examiner into an openly delighted teacher, recognizing that Shrek has gained an unprecedented group of “little monsters.”
• Oscar: His unexpected youth and playful reaction to being called “uncle” provide the chapter’s comic ending.

Significant Themes

• Talent and superiority: The chapter contrasts ordinary gifted applicants with the extraordinary strength of the newcomers, emphasizing how rare their abilities are.
• Pride and showing off: Dai Mubai’s boastful behavior mirrors Tang San’s silent desire to impress others, especially Xiao Wu.
• Appearance versus reality: Oscar looks like a middle-aged peddler but is actually a fourteen-year-old student, while the seemingly young applicants possess astonishingly advanced cultivation.
• Emotional distraction: Xiao Wu’s grief shapes her behavior, while Tang San tries to exploit her vulnerability through acts of care.
• Recognition of true strength: Rather than status or connections, actual Soul Power ultimately determines who deserves special treatment.

Character Interactions

• Dai Mubai attempts to impress the newcomers, but Zhu Zhuqing remains cold and unimpressed.
• The waiting applicants challenge Lu Qibin over the group’s preferential treatment, prompting Dai Mubai to defend the newcomers.
• Tang San, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Lu Shi successively demonstrate their strength, silencing the crowd.
• Ning Rongrong steps forward to prove that she too qualifies for special advancement.
• Tang San notices Xiao Wu’s hunger and buys food for her, but his attempt at concern ends in a humorous exchange with Oscar, who objects to being addressed as “uncle.”

Chapter Summary: “Oscar: How Do You Look Older Than Me?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang San becomes enraged when Oscar mistakes him for someone much younger and calls him an “uncle.” Feeling publicly humiliated, Tang San draws a poisoned silver needle and prepares to kill Oscar.
• Lu Shi intervenes just in time, restraining Tang San by the wrist and preventing the attack. He explains that Oscar is actually a young student, despite his heavy stubble and older appearance.
• Oscar panics when he sees the hidden weapon and immediately apologizes, offering Tang San as many sausages as he wants. Dai Mubai arrives and helps calm the situation.
• Dai Mubai reveals that Oscar is a Shrek student and a food-type Soul Master whose Martial Soul produces highly effective sausages. Oscar has no offensive abilities, but his support skills are valuable. His excessive body hair causes everyone at the academy to nickname him “Sausage Uncle.”
• Tang San, embarrassed and angry, leaves without accepting Oscar’s apology. Dai Mubai follows, relieved that the confrontation did not result in another death.
• Lu Shi comforts Oscar, causing Oscar to develop a strong favorable impression of him.
• Ning Rongrong and the others question how Lu Shi immediately realized that Oscar was a student and a food-type Soul Master. Lu Shi explains that Oscar’s identical sausages, youthful voice, healthy skin, and the academy’s rules allowed him to deduce Oscar’s identity.
• The group reaches the fourth test. Dai Mubai explains that this stage is a practical combat assessment designed to reject applicants who may be talented but spoiled or inexperienced in hardship.
• The chapter ends with the group meeting Zhao Wuji, the examiner for the fourth test. He is surprised that five applicants have passed and notes that all of them possess Soul Power above level twenty-five.

Character Developments

• Tang San: His pride and temper are exposed. Although normally controlled, he reacts violently to humiliation and reveals how quickly he can resort to lethal force. He is also shocked by Lu Shi’s superior strength when he cannot break free from Lu Shi’s grip.
• Lu Shi: Demonstrates exceptional strength, quick judgment, observation, and emotional awareness. He prevents a deadly conflict and later comforts Oscar, earning Oscar’s trust and admiration.
• Oscar: His comic appearance hides his vulnerability. As a noncombatant Soul Master, he is accustomed to being looked down upon and must suppress his resentment. Lu Shi’s kindness deeply affects him.
• Dai Mubai: Shows guilt over mishandling the situation and recognizes that his intended prank could have caused serious consequences. He also provides important information about Oscar and the fourth test.
• Ning Rongrong: Becomes increasingly impressed and curious about Lu Shi’s intelligence and analytical abilities.
• Zhao Wuji: Is introduced as the powerful instructor responsible for the final assessment.

Significant Themes

• Strength and social status: The academy’s culture values combat ability above all else, leaving support-type Soul Masters such as Oscar vulnerable to ridicule and mistreatment.
• Appearance versus reality: Oscar looks like an older street vendor but is actually a young student, while his apparently unimpressive food-based ability possesses considerable practical value.
• The danger of pride and humiliation: Tang San’s wounded pride nearly leads to murder, showing how personal insults can become deadly in a world governed by strength.
• Talent versus effort: The testing system emphasizes not only Soul Power and Martial Soul potential, but also control, discipline, resilience, and practical combat ability.
• The irony of “no useless Martial Souls”: Although Yu Xiaogang’s philosophy claims that no Martial Soul is inherently useless, the academy and its students still judge people according to power and combat effectiveness.

Important Character Interactions

• Tang San and Oscar: Their exchange begins as a joke about age but escalates into a near-fatal confrontation.
• Lu Shi and Tang San: Lu Shi physically restrains Tang San, demonstrating a substantial difference in strength and forcing Tang San to recognize it.
• Lu Shi and Oscar: Lu Shi protects and comforts Oscar, creating a bond of gratitude and trust.
• Dai Mubai and the group: Dai Mubai explains Oscar’s abilities and the purpose of the fourth test while attempting to manage the aftermath of the conflict.
• Lu Shi and Ning Rongrong: Ning Rongrong questions Lu Shi’s remarkable deductions, increasing her interest in his abilities.
• The applicants and Zhao Wuji: The group arrives at the practical combat test, where Zhao Wuji acknowledges their unusually high level of Soul Power.