Chapter Summaries

Key events

• At Shrek Academy, Chi Hong returns to his dormitory, where the Ice Empress’s invisible phantom confronts him about being a student.
• Chi Hong reminds her that they are bound as Soul Beast and master, and argues that cooperation benefits them both. She remains resentful and unwilling to accept her new situation.
• Chi Hong channels the Ice Pillar Plate’s power into her. The resulting boost to her Ultimate Ice amazes her, and she realizes he can wield the Plate’s power far better than she or the Snow Empress could.
• To receive more power, the Ice Empress reluctantly addresses Chi Hong by name and asks him to help her cultivate. Chi Hong continues rewarding her with energy until her affinity reaches a limit.
• He then summons her true body and says they must make physical contact to channel the power effectively. After suspecting his intentions, she agrees to sit facing him and press their palms together.
• The powerful transfer nearly overwhelms her, but she endures it and recognizes that Chi Hong’s promise was genuine. Her affinity reaches 20, and Chi Hong gains mastery of Ultimate Ice, Ice Empress’s Pincers, and Ice Empress Protection.

Character development and interactions

• The Ice Empress shifts from hostility and humiliation toward cautious cooperation. Her desire to grow stronger motivates her to compromise, and the warmth of Chi Hong’s touch and his genuine help soften her opinion of him.
• Chi Hong takes a teasing, controlling approach, using access to the Ice Pillar Plate’s power to persuade her to cooperate. He also insists that their linked lives make mutual support necessary.
• Their relationship is defined by conflict and reluctant trust: she bristles at his commands and boasts, while he needles her, but the cultivation sessions create a small step toward closeness.

Significant themes

• Power and dependence: The Ice Empress’s strength is tied to Chi Hong’s ability to channel the Ice Pillar Plate.
• Compromise and trust: She accepts help before fully trusting him, while his consistent delivery of power gradually earns her confidence.
• Intimacy through cooperation: Physical contact begins as a practical method of cultivation but also makes their relationship feel less distant.

Key plot points and events

• Chi Hong discovers that raising his closeness with the Ice Empress may let him use her Ultimate Ice and abilities like a Martial Soul. Their power-sharing session increases their closeness by five points.
• The Ice Empress agrees to repeat the sessions nightly, then returns to her Advanced Poké Ball.
• Chi Hong reports his discoveries to Professor Oak. Oak sends him a one-use Legendary Pokémon Ball containing Kyurem, usable only with control of the Ice Pillar Plate.
• At the start of the new semester, Chi Hong finds his classmates avoid him and challenges Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao instead.
• Huo Yuhao reveals that he has become a core disciple and awakened a second Martial Soul, Necromancer, which lets him summon undead companions.
• Wang Dong says they are now stronger—he is a Soul Elder, and Huo Yuhao has his new Martial Soul—and mentions their recent encounter with Ma Xiaotao, an inner-court prodigy whose Evil Fire Phoenix has injured others.
• The conversation reminds Chi Hong that he promised Mu En to address Ma Xiaotao’s evil fire.

Character developments and interactions

• Chi Hong becomes increasingly excited about treating powerful Pokémon and their abilities as additional Martial Souls. He also receives a major boost in confidence from acquiring Kyurem.
• The Ice Empress remains prickly, but her willingness to continue the nightly sessions—and the unexpected increase in closeness—suggests their bond is growing.
• Huo Yuhao is grateful to Chi Hong for supporting him during the Freshman Assessment. Though open about Necromancer, he accepts Chi Hong’s warning to be cautious.
• Wang Dong is boastful about their strength and dismissive of the risk surrounding Huo Yuhao’s unusual Martial Soul. Huo Yuhao reins him in.
• Chi Hong is surprised and curious about Huo Yuhao’s new power, since he expected Huo Yuhao’s second Martial Soul to be the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion.

Significant themes

• Power through bonds: Closeness with the Ice Empress appears to unlock new abilities, making trust and connection a source of strength.
• The risks of extraordinary powers: Huo Yuhao’s Necromancer Martial Soul may attract suspicion, while Ma Xiaotao’s dangerous fire is tolerated despite harming others.
• Ambition and confidence: Chi Hong’s expanding collection of powerful partners fuels his excitement and desire for more battles.

Key plot points and events

• Near Sea God Lake, Mu En introduces Chi Hong to Ma Xiaotao, who doubts that someone below Soul Elder rank can control her evil fire.
• Chi Hong summons Charizard. Its Ultimate Fire provokes Ma Xiaotao’s Evil Fire Phoenix rather than calming it, and she loses control.
• Ma Xiaotao attacks with her Phoenix Fire Line. Charizard meets it with Flamethrower, unexpectedly holding its own despite the enormous difference in their strength.
• When Ma Xiaotao follows with the much stronger Phoenix Cloud-Piercing Strike, Chi Hong shields Charizard with Ultimate Ice, drawing on the Ice Empress’s power. The clash suppresses Ma Xiaotao’s fire and restores her clarity.
• Chi Hong reveals that his Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Fire can address her condition. He tells Ma Xiaotao to follow his instructions, then abruptly asks her to take off her clothes.

Character developments

• Chi Hong demonstrates confidence and resourcefulness, using both Charizard’s fire and the Ice Empress’s borrowed power. He also hides his true motive for drawing on her strength and reassures her afterward.
• Ma Xiaotao shifts from skepticism and aggression to relief and trust once Chi Hong’s Ultimate Ice calms her evil fire.
• Charizard proves capable of resisting an attack far beyond its apparent level, but feels jealous and inadequate when it sees Chi Hong’s power. It regains confidence by remembering Greninja is still weaker.
• The Ice Empress objects to Chi Hong using her Soul Power without permission, warning that doing so costs her cultivation. She also cautions him about Mu En’s immense strength.

Significant themes

• Power and its limits: Charizard’s impressive defense cannot overcome the gap between its strength and Ma Xiaotao’s; Chi Hong’s intervention is necessary.
• Control versus frenzy: Ma Xiaotao’s evil fire threatens to overwhelm her, while the combination of Ultimate Fire and Ultimate Ice helps manage it.
• Trust and manipulation: Chi Hong presents himself as able to help Ma Xiaotao while concealing the cost of his power from the Ice Empress.

Character interactions

• Mu En calmly leaves Chi Hong to prove his claim to the doubtful Ma Xiaotao.
• Ma Xiaotao’s volatile fire clashes with Charizard’s challenge, prompting a fight that escalates until Chi Hong intervenes.
• Chi Hong and the Ice Empress argue over his unauthorized use of her power; she warns him about Mu En, while he brushes off her concern.
• Ma Xiaotao accepts Chi Hong’s offer of help, setting up the chapter’s suggestive closing exchange.

Key plot points

• Chi Hong uses Ultimate Ice from the Ice Pillar Plate to suppress and purify Ma Xiaotao’s evil fire. The treatment improves her condition, though fully curing her will take time; she passes out from the effort.
• Mu En approves of Chi Hong’s ability and urges him to take his second-year advancement exam, with the goal of becoming an Inner Court student. Chi Hong thinks ahead to the upcoming academy tournament and the experience points it could bring.
• At the Beast Arena, Huo Yuhao and Dai Huabin carry out their wager that the loser must kowtow. Dai earns a strong score by defeating a thousand-year soul beast.
• Huo Yuhao summons an army of skeletons through the “Gate of the Undead,” using his necromantic power against the Flame Lion King. The skeletons repeatedly reform and overwhelm the beast until Du Weilun intervenes.
• Zhou Yi condemns Huo Yuhao as cruel and accuses him of using Evil Soul Master methods. Huo Yuhao challenges the double standard, pointing out that Dai Huabin’s own treatment of his beast was also brutal.

Character developments and interactions

• Chi Hong demonstrates greater control and strength, revealing access to Ultimate Ice as well as Ultimate Fire. He appears comfortable letting Mu En infer something about his journey, and jokes with the Ice Empress when she questions how he transferred power without touching Ma Xiaotao.
• Ma Xiaotao accepts Chi Hong’s help and shows significant improvement, though her condition remains serious.
• Mu En expresses confidence in Chi Hong and encourages his advancement.
• Huo Yuhao displays a striking new necromantic ability and, more importantly, speaks up for himself against Zhou Yi’s accusation.
• Dai Huabin remains Huo Yuhao’s rival, with their wager and contrasting treatment of the beasts sharpening the conflict.
• Wang Dong defends Huo Yuhao’s skeletons, jokingly calling them cute, while Chi Hong observes the spectacle and teases his Pokémon: Greninja is curious, but Charizard is secretly frightened.

Significant themes

• Power and responsibility: Chi Hong’s ice can help contain Ma Xiaotao’s dangerous fire, while Huo Yuhao’s powerful new ability raises questions about how—and how cruelly—strength is used.
• Prejudice and double standards: Huo Yuhao is judged as evil for necromancy, while Dai Huabin’s brutality receives less criticism; Huo Yuhao directly challenges that unequal treatment.
• Ambition and advancement: Chi Hong’s plans for academy status and future competition show his drive to turn opportunities into greater power and rewards.

Plot points and events

• In the Beast Arena, Huo Yuhao is accused by Du Weilun and Zhou Yi of using an Evil Soul Master’s technique because his soul skill summons the dead. Huo Yuhao rejects the label, arguing that Martial Souls are not inherently evil; people’s actions determine whether they are.
• Zhou Yi strips him of his Soul Tool Department core-disciple status. Du Weilun warns that the Martial Soul Department may reject him too. Chi Hong intervenes, criticizing the teachers for being too timid and incompetent to guide a gifted but unconventional student.
• Despite the dispute, Huo Yuhao and Chi Hong both earn full marks in the assessment. Dai Huabin kneels and kowtows in apology, giving Huo Yuhao a satisfying moment of revenge.
• Outside the Treasure Pavilion, Chi Hong buys Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber, hoping it will strengthen Greninja. Huo Yuhao senses danger nearby: six assassins sent by Dai Huabin. Chi Hong and Huo Yuhao prepare to fight, and Charizard’s flames set the attackers’ hiding place ablaze.

Character developments and interactions

• Huo Yuhao remains composed under accusation and rejection. His difficult journey north has made him more resolute, and thoughts of his mother’s unconditional trust strengthen his determination to avenge her.
• Zhou Yi’s high expectations turn into anger and rejection, while Du Weilun takes a similarly judgmental stance. Chi Hong challenges both, arguing that a capable teacher should guide a student like Huo Yuhao rather than fear him.
• Huo Yuhao thanks Chi Hong, though Chi Hong downplays his intervention and admits his real interest is helping his Pokémon grow.
• The Ice Empress reveals she has studied Tian Meng’s laws and is cooperating with Chi Hong, partly because staying near Huo Yuhao helps Chi Hong’s Pokémon develop.
• Dai Huabin’s public apology does not end his hostility: he has secretly arranged Huo Yuhao’s assassination.

Significant themes

• Prejudice versus character: The chapter challenges the idea that a power is evil by nature, emphasizing that morality depends on how it is used.
• Teaching and responsibility: Chi Hong contrasts genuine mentorship with teachers who condemn students rather than help them manage dangerous abilities.
• Resilience and revenge: Huo Yuhao’s rejection strengthens his resolve, especially his determination to avenge his mother.
• Public reconciliation versus hidden conflict: Dai Huabin’s apology appears to settle matters, but the assassination plot reveals that the feud is far from over.

Plot and key events

• A Soul Emperor and five Soul Kings pursue Huo Yuhao, burning from Charizard’s Ultimate Fire. Chi Hong’s Charizard and Greninja ambush the attackers: Greninja’s Night Slash and Charizard’s Air Cutter kill one Soul King before he can use a Soul Skill.
• The surviving assassins turn on Chi Hong, hoping to force Greninja into the open. Chi Hong summons the Ice Empress.
• Her overwhelming cold extinguishes the forest fire, grounds the Soul Emperor, and leaves the remaining Soul Kings unable to move. When the Soul Emperor begs for mercy and offers loyalty, the Ice Empress kills him and the four Soul Kings with a storm of ice needles.
• The battle’s experience boosts Charizard and Greninja to the equivalent of 8,000 and 6,000 years of cultivation. The Ice Empress also gains a small, unexpected increase in strength from killing her opponents.

Character developments and interactions

• Charizard and Greninja demonstrate the power of coordinated attacks and Soul Beast tactics: their stealth and speed deny an enemy the chance to use Soul Skills.
• Chi Hong stays calm and confident, summoning the Ice Empress when his Pokémon’s opponents threaten him. He insists he is their master, but argues that he grows stronger by taking Soul Beasts in rather than killing them.
• The Ice Empress is initially contemptuous of the humans and furious at Chi Hong’s claim of authority. His point about sparing Soul Beasts makes her reconsider her assumptions about him, though she still calls him hypocritical and accuses him of coercing Soul Beasts.
• Their hostile banter reveals a shift in their relationship: despite her insults and denials, the Ice Empress’s affection rises repeatedly. She returns to her Poké Ball only after warning Chi Hong to summon her sooner, ostensibly because he is too weak to face such enemies alone.

Significant themes

• Power and survival: A strong, decisive attack can be more effective than relying on conventional strength or defenses.
• Prejudice and moral complexity: The Ice Empress condemns humans for hunting Soul Beasts, then must reckon with evidence that Chi Hong treats them differently.
• Pride, authority, and concealed care: The Ice Empress asserts her superiority and rejects any suggestion that she worries about Chi Hong, while her actions and growing affection imply otherwise.

Key plot points and events

• After Chi Hong leaves the ambush site, Dean Yan Shaozhe tells Huo Yuhao that Dai Huabin was behind the attempted assassination.
• Huo Yuhao demands Dai be expelled, but Yan argues that the academy should reform him and says it will instead make the White Tiger Duke’s estate pay. Huo Yuhao suspects Dai will simply become more careful and hides his anger behind a polite response.
• The attack raises Chi Hong’s Soul Power to Level 31, unlocking his third Soul Ring and a new Pokémon: Riolu.
• Riolu is hostile from the start, rejects Chi Hong’s food, and shows no fear of Charizard or Greninja. Rather than challenge those stronger Pokémon, he eventually accepts Chi Hong’s offer to fight him directly.

Character developments and interactions

• Huo Yuhao keeps his composure outwardly but remains deeply resentful of Dai Huabin and distrustful of the academy’s lenient response.
• Yan Shaozhe presents the academy’s decision as principled guidance, but his refusal to expel Dai frustrates Huo Yuhao.
• Chi Hong is pleased that Riolu’s Fighting type fills a close-combat gap and explains Riolu’s Aura to the Ice Empress.
• Riolu is proud, combative, and distrustful, yet discerning enough to recognize that Charizard and Greninja are dangerous.
• The Ice Empress remains exasperated by Chi Hong’s arrogance and watches as he provokes another fight.

Significant themes

• Justice versus institutional self-interest: Huo Yuhao questions whether the academy’s response will truly protect him or hold Dai accountable.
• Pride and courage: Riolu’s warrior spirit drives him to seek a challenge, though he knows when an opponent is beyond him.
• Power and partnership: Chi Hong tries to win Riolu’s cooperation through a direct test of strength rather than force or food.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Riolu’s first battle with Chi Hong: Chi Hong tests Riolu in a sparring match, blocking his attacks with Ultimate Ice and defeating him with a light punch. Riolu accepts Chi Hong’s strength and agrees to become his partner, gaining affection.
• A competitive team takes shape: Riolu is thrilled by Chi Hong’s promise of frequent battles and rapid growth. Charizard bristles at the suggestion that Riolu might catch up, while Greninja quietly anticipates a future chance to defeat Charizard.
• The Battle Royale Selection Tournament begins: More than twenty core disciples compete, with only the last seven standing qualifying. Dai Huabin rallies allies against Chi Hong and Huo Yuhao, while Huo Yuhao’s group gathers together.
• Chi Hong unleashes his Pokémon: Charizard’s Heat Wave and Greninja’s Water Pulse scatter the opponents. Charizard attacks from the air, while Greninja uses Smokescreen and Water Shuriken to weaken and disorient them.
• Riolu levels up: Chi Hong sends Riolu to finish off Greninja’s weakened opponents. Riolu’s Aura helps him navigate the smoke, and defeating stronger enemies rapidly raises his power from one hundred to three thousand years. With fewer than ten competitors left, Chi Hong gives him permission to face the rest.

Character developments

• Riolu moves from reluctant respect to eager trust in Chi Hong, motivated by the prospect of battles and growth. Though frustrated at first by being told to wait, he follows orders and quickly becomes much stronger.
• Chi Hong demonstrates confidence as both a trainer and strategist, using his stronger Pokémon to create opportunities for Riolu to gain experience.
• Charizard remains proud and domineering, convinced that Riolu can never surpass him.
• Greninja stays composed and observant, still harboring ambitions to defeat Charizard.
• Dai Huabin responds to Chi Hong with hostility and organizes opponents against him.

Significant themes

• Growth through challenge: Riolu’s progress comes from facing powerful opponents, not being protected from battle.
• Trust and teamwork: Chi Hong’s plan depends on his Pokémon following distinct roles—Charizard and Greninja weaken the field, and Riolu finishes opponents.
• Rivalry and ambition: The Pokémon compete for strength and status, while the tournament intensifies rivalries among the Soul Masters.
• Confidence and power imbalance: Chi Hong’s group dominates the arena, making the contest increasingly one-sided.

Character interactions

• Chi Hong defeats Riolu, then offers him partnership; Riolu accepts after hearing that he will have plenty of chances to battle.
• Charizard reacts indignantly to Chi Hong’s assessment of Riolu, and Greninja watches Charizard with quiet competitive intent.
• Dai Huabin recruits allies to target Chi Hong and Huo Yuhao; Huo Yuhao’s group forms its own alliance.
• Chi Hong directs Charizard and Greninja’s attacks, then instructs Riolu to finish off weakened opponents, guiding Riolu’s first major leap in strength.

Key plot points and events

• Chi Hong joins Riolu in battle, believing that fighting together will quickly strengthen their bond. Riolu’s affection rises, and he learns Work Up, Rock Smash, Screech, and Quick Guard.
• Riolu overwhelms Dai Huabin in close combat, using Quick Guard to block his claws and Metal Claw to wound him. When Dai unleashes a powerful wave, Chi Hong has Riolu use Work Up, boosting his fighting spirit and strength.
• Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu combine their powers into the Hell White Tiger. Riolu disrupts it with Screech, but Chi Hong doubts Riolu can withstand its charge.
• Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong complete their own Martial Soul Fusion Skill and strike the Hell White Tiger with a Golden Cannon, leaving it immobilized. Riolu finishes the attack with Rock Smash, knocking both Dai and Zhu unconscious. Riolu’s age increases to four thousand years, and he learns Force Palm.
• Elsewhere, Charizard faces He Caitou, while Greninja keeps Jiang Nannan and Xu Sanshi occupied. Greninja creates multiple copies, leaving the pair unsure which one to attack.

Character developments

• Riolu thrives in battle alongside Chi Hong. His affection, strength, and experience increase, and his confidence lets him face a much larger opponent without fear.
• Chi Hong actively supports Riolu in combat but recognizes when Riolu may need help. He ultimately lets Riolu claim the finishing blow after Huo Yuhao creates an opening.
• Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong cooperate to defeat the Hell White Tiger, and Huo Yuhao takes satisfaction in striking back at Dai Huabin.
• Xu Sanshi insists on protecting Jiang Nannan despite her irritation and repeated rejection.

Significant themes

• Trust and partnership: Chi Hong’s willingness to fight alongside Riolu strengthens their bond and helps Riolu grow.
• Growth through challenge: Riolu gains power and new abilities by facing increasingly formidable opponents.
• Teamwork and timing: Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong’s combined technique creates the opening Riolu needs to finish the fight.
• Revenge and resentment: Wang Dong’s anger over Dai Huabin’s past actions shapes the battle’s emotional stakes.

Character interactions

• Chi Hong gives Riolu tactical commands, encouraging his growth while keeping track of the danger.
• Riolu and Dai Huabin clash directly, with Riolu repeatedly gaining the upper hand.
• Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong coordinate their fusion attack, which enables Riolu’s victory.
• Jiang Nannan resents Xu Sanshi’s hovering, but he continues to declare that he will protect her.
• Greninja deliberately toys with Jiang Nannan and uses its copies to disorient both her and Xu Sanshi.

Plot points and events

• Xu Sanshi is paralyzed by Greninja’s Lick and cannot protect Jiang Nannan. Greninja captures her with its scarf, and Riolu knocks her unconscious with Force Palm.
• Xu Sanshi’s grief and rage awaken his Black Tortoise bloodline. His shield and appearance transform, and he becomes unusually calm and determined to avenge Jiang Nannan.
• Beibei joins him, apologizing for arriving too late. Together they face Chi Hong’s Pokémon, but Chi Hong orders Riolu to lead while Charizard and Greninja support him.
• Beibei unleashes his powerful Thunder Dragon Head. Riolu withstands the seemingly fatal attack with Endure, then uses Counter to turn its force into a devastating retaliation.
• Greninja adds Hydro Pump to Riolu’s counterattack, creating a storm of electrified water that overwhelms the arena. Xu Sanshi is thrown away, and the remaining fighters—including Beibei, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong—are incapacitated. Riolu survives but is left slumped beside Chi Hong, having gained significant experience.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Sanshi moves from fantasizing about rescuing Jiang Nannan to confronting his helplessness. Her injury triggers a dramatic transformation, though his attempt to withstand the combined attack fails.
• Jiang Nannan is captured and knocked unconscious, becoming the focus of Xu Sanshi’s despair and fury.
• Beibei expresses regret for failing to help in time, then stands with Xu Sanshi and unleashes his full power. His attack is ultimately turned against the group.
• Chi Hong remains strategic and composed, coordinating Riolu and Greninja to exploit the enemy’s attack.
• Riolu demonstrates endurance, confidence, and fighting spirit, surviving Beibei’s strike and converting it into the decisive counterattack. Greninja supports him with precise timing.

Significant themes

• Powerlessness and the desire to protect: Xu Sanshi’s transformation grows from his shame at failing Jiang Nannan.
• Teamwork and tactical reversal: Chi Hong’s Pokémon combine their abilities to redirect Beibei’s strength into an arena-wide attack.
• Resolve under overwhelming force: Riolu’s Endure and Counter turn apparent defeat into victory.
• The cost of overconfidence: Xu Sanshi’s faith in his newly awakened power—and Beibei’s confidence in his attack—cannot overcome the combined elemental assault.

Plot and events

• Riolu wins the selection match, learns five new moves, and gains enough battle experience to jump from a hundred years to 6,500. Chi Hong heals it with a Full Restore and stops it from attacking the defeated students again.
• Xuan Zi declares Chi Hong the match’s sole winner but excludes him from the Shrek Seven Monsters Reserve Team, arguing that his Martial Soul does not suit the group. Instead, he asks Chi Hong to represent Shrek in the upcoming All-Continent Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament.
• Chi Hong challenges the terms and negotiates compensation: the academy will reimburse up to 100 million Gold Soul Coins for three treasures he wants to buy at an auction in the Star Luo Empire. He agrees to compete.
• Xuan Zi selects Beibei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao for the Reserve Team. He also excludes Huo Yuhao, citing concern about his second Martial Soul, though he allows him to compete in the tournament.

Character developments and interactions

• Riolu’s dramatic growth excites it and boosts its confidence, while its bond with Chi Hong deepens. The Ice Empress is startled by how well Chi Hong can read her thoughts; despite scolding him for using her nickname, her friendship with him increases.
• Chi Hong is confident enough to bargain with Xuan Zi rather than accept the tournament assignment without benefits.
• Huo Yuhao takes his exclusion calmly, relying on the support of Sky Dream and Elder Yi and trusting that he can progress on his own. Wang Dong protests his exclusion and argues that the two of them are stronger together than Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu.
• Dai Huabin taunts Huo Yuhao, who answers without losing his composure. Dai then threatens Chi Hong, but Chi Hong mocks him so sharply that Dai spits blood in anger.

Significant themes

• Merit versus institutional judgment: Chi Hong wins decisively, yet the academy excludes him based on team suitability; Huo Yuhao is likewise overlooked because of prejudice and concerns about his Martial Soul.
• Independence and resilience: Huo Yuhao accepts that the academy may not value him and remains committed to advancing through his own efforts.
• Power, loyalty, and negotiation: Riolu’s sudden growth strengthens its partnership with Chi Hong, while Chi Hong insists that Shrek’s request for his service come with compensation.
• Rivalry and pride: The confrontations with Dai Huabin show how insults and humiliation intensify the students’ antagonism.

Plot points and events

• Chi Hong dives into Sea God Lake with Greninja to retrieve the Splash Plate, hoping to strengthen Greninja and improve his prospects for the Soul Master tournament.
• Taking the plate from the lakebed triggers violent currents and huge waves. Mu En shields the shore with a barrier, but Chi Hong realizes that he must use the plate’s power to calm the lake.
• Chi Hong channels the Splash Plate into Greninja. Greninja’s water power surges, and it gains the hidden ability Protean, which changes its type to match each move it uses.
• Back at the dormitory, Chi Hong asks the Ice Empress to teach Greninja ice techniques. Although she initially objects because ice is a weakness for Water-types, she agrees after seeing Protean in action. Greninja begins training with TMs for Icy Wind, Ice Beam, and Blizzard.
• Chi Hong also inspects a Legendary Pokémon Ball containing Kyogre, which can be summoned once he controls the Splash Plate. Kyogre’s powers include heavy rain and a primal form that suppresses fire and prevents others from changing the weather.

Character developments and interactions

• Chi Hong is ambitious and increasingly confident in his team’s potential, but Mu En’s warning reminds him that his Pokémon remain vulnerable against stronger tournament opponents. He also acts quickly, rushing home to test Greninja’s new ability.
• Greninja grows substantially stronger after absorbing the plate’s power, gains Protean, and begins adapting to ice techniques.
• Mu En cautions Chi Hong about the dangers of entering the tournament without Soul Beasts of ten thousand years, then helps contain the lake’s upheaval and is astonished by Chi Hong’s rare ultimate attributes.
• The Ice Empress initially doubts Chi Hong’s plan, but her direct observation of Protean convinces her to coach Greninja.
• Charizard and Greninja face off warily when summoned together, while Riolu wants to join but is too weak. The Ice Empress’s aura prevents the tension from turning into a fight.

Significant themes

• Power and its costs: The Splash Plate greatly enhances Greninja, but claiming it unleashes a dangerous disturbance that Chi Hong must help resolve.
• Ambition tempered by caution: Chi Hong wants tournament strength, while Mu En stresses the risks of facing opponents with far more powerful Soul Beasts.
• Adaptation and potential: Protean lets Greninja turn a weakness into an advantage, and its new ice training expands that theme of overcoming limits.
• Trust and mentorship: Chi Hong relies on Mu En and the Ice Empress, while their guidance helps him and his Pokémon manage new powers.

Plot points and events

• Near Sea God Lake, Greninja trains Icy Wind, freezing and shattering trees. Chi Hong asks the Ice Empress whether Greninja could wield the Ice Pillar Plate’s power and gain a second Ultimate attribute.
• The Ice Empress says it may be possible because Greninja can temporarily become an Ice type, but he must first learn to control ice. She explains that Ultimate Ice requires more than talent: water must be shaped by destructive “killing intent.”
• To demonstrate, she uses Icy Wind on trees. Unlike Greninja’s move, which freezes from the outside and leaves life in the roots, her ice penetrates and destroys them from within.
• Greninja grasps the difference and immediately learns Ice Beam after watching the Ice Empress demonstrate it, astonishing her.

Character developments

• Greninja shows exceptional aptitude, rapidly learning Ice moves and beginning to understand the distinction between protective water and destructive ice. His potential makes him a stronger rival within the team.
• The Ice Empress becomes Greninja’s teacher. Though confident in her mastery, she is stunned by how quickly he learns.
• Charizard and Riolu grow uneasy about Greninja’s progress and quietly agree to cooperate against his growing advantage.
• Chi Hong recognizes Greninja’s promise but laments that Shrek lacks teachers capable of guiding Soul Beasts.

Themes and interactions

• The chapter contrasts water’s nurturing, protective nature with ice’s hardness and destructive force, presenting mastery as a matter of will as well as skill.
• It highlights rapid learning, mentorship, and competitive anxiety: the Ice Empress teaches Greninja, while Charizard and Riolu react to his rising status by forming a temporary alliance.
• Greninja’s respectful attention to his mentor contrasts with the other Pokémon’s increasingly suspicious, competitive view of him.

Plot points and events

• Xuan Zi explains that Shrek’s Inner Court students are expected to protect the continent by fighting Evil Soul Masters. Chi Hong refuses to join the Inspection Team unless it pays; Huo Yuhao follows his lead. The other students agree to serve.
• Dai Yueheng brings his brother Dai Huabin to apologize to Chi Hong. Chi Hong accepts with a sardonic challenge: Dai Huabin must survive an encounter with two of his summoned Soul Beasts.
• On the journey to the military camp, Chi Hong flies ahead on Charizard, leaving the others far behind.
• Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen separately seek Chi Hong out—Ma for help with her evil fire, Ling to discuss ice abilities—and argue over who has the better reason to be there.
• Chi Hong warns the Official Team that Evil Soul Masters may use brutal tactics, but Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Dai Huabin, and Xuan Zi dismiss his concern. Ma Xiaotao then beats Dai Huabin for insulting Chi Hong.
• The next day, the Official Team is ambushed. Ma Xiaotao’s caution and Ling Luochen’s ice help prevent deaths, but all seven members are badly injured; Xuan Zi takes the worst wounded back to Shrek.
• With the Official Team out of action, Wang Yan must rely on the Reserve Team for the tournament. He asks Chi Hong to lead them. Chi Hong pretends the task is beyond him, then agrees in exchange for higher payment, framing it as the price of preserving Shrek’s glory.

Character developments and interactions

• Chi Hong remains self-interested and irreverent, but his warnings about the mission prove justified. He resists being pressured by appeals to duty and instead turns Shrek’s need into bargaining leverage.
• Huo Yuhao trusts Chi Hong’s judgment enough to imitate his refusal.
• Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen clash over Chi Hong’s attention, while their different abilities—fire and ice—prove valuable during the ambush.
• Dai Huabin continues to provoke Chi Hong and is shown to be arrogant; Dai Yueheng tries to manage him and make amends on his behalf.
• Wang Yan moves from confidence in the Official Team to anxiety over the Reserve Team’s sudden responsibility, then pins his hopes on Chi Hong.
• Xuan Zi’s dismissiveness contrasts with Chi Hong’s accurate assessment of the danger.

Significant themes

• Duty versus self-preservation: Students are urged to serve, but Chi Hong questions the cost of risking one’s life.
• The danger of underestimating evil: The ambush confirms that Evil Soul Masters’ dirty tactics make them dangerous even to powerful teams.
• Glory and its price: Shrek’s prestige becomes a bargaining chip when Chi Hong is asked to shoulder an unexpected leadership role.

Key events

• Team leader Wang Yan struggles between his loyalty to Shrek and his reluctance to rely on Chi Hong. Chi Hong argues that tournament results, not the process, determine how the world judges the academy. Fearing the damage a loss would do to Shrek’s reputation, Wang Yan agrees to buy Chi Hong three auction items at any price.
• At the team meeting in Star Luo City, Chi Hong says he will fight Shrek’s team battles alone, claiming his summoned soul beasts cannot coordinate well with others. He also wants to keep the experience for himself. The Reserve Team members resent being sidelined, but Wang Yan supports Chi Hong’s plan.
• The next day, Shrek’s fans fill the arena with cheers. The Reserve Team watches from the bench as Chi Hong takes the platform alone against Tianling Academy, setting up a one-versus-seven match.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Yan gives in to pressure over Shrek’s legacy, prioritizing the championship and the academy’s reputation over fairness to the Reserve Team.
• Chi Hong remains confident and self-interested, using his strength to secure both a solo role in battle and an unlimited auction budget.
• Dai Huabin and Xu Sanshi resent Chi Hong for defeating them and, in Xu Sanshi’s case, for hurting Jiang Nannan. Dai is especially bitter about losing the chance to perform before the crowd.
• Beibei tries to keep relations civil, while Jiang Nannan focuses pragmatically on how the team will be arranged later. Huo Yuhao notices that public acclaim matters deeply to Dai Huabin.
• Tianling’s captain takes Chi Hong’s solo appearance as an insult and vows that his seven-person team can defeat him.

Significant themes

• Reputation versus process: Wang Yan believes Shrek’s public standing depends on winning, regardless of how victory is achieved.
• Competition and personal ambition: Chi Hong’s desire for exclusive experience and Dai Huabin’s longing for the crowd’s approval expose competing motives within the team.
• Exclusion and resentment: The Reserve Team is denied the chance to compete, creating tension just as the tournament begins.

Plot points and events

• Chi Hong enters the tournament match alone, prompting doubts from the Tianling Academy team and Sun Moon Imperial Academy’s Ma Rulong.
• He summons Charizard, whose roar and Solar Fire overwhelm the crowd and frighten Tianling’s seven competitors. Charizard’s Scary Face leaves them too terrified to act.
• Chi Hong orders a single Fire Spin. The attack defeats all seven opponents, though the referee must break up the flames and rescue them. Shrek wins, and the crowd erupts.
• The referee warns Chi Hong not to injure future opponents so severely. Chi Hong explains that Fire Spin is Charizard’s weakest move, a claim that leaves the referee speechless.
• Ma Rulong sees Charizard as a threat, but Meng Hongchen dismisses him as a beast that can be countered with Soul Tools. Ma vows to defeat Shrek with Soul Cannons.
• Back at the hotel, Chi Hong discovers Charizard has reached 9,999 years of cultivation but cannot cross the ten-thousand-year threshold. The Ice Empress explains that the breakthrough may require an item to awaken Charizard’s potential and unusual bloodline. Chi Hong decides to contact Professor Oak.

Character developments and interactions

• Chi Hong shows confidence and restraint only in the sense that he uses what he considers a weak attack; his casual explanation highlights how far his strength exceeds his opponents’.
• Charizard proves terrifyingly powerful, winning the match at once and nearing a major cultivation milestone.
• The Tianling team go from hopeful confidence to fear and defeat, with their captain unable to move after Charizard’s Scary Face.
• The referee is shocked by Charizard’s power and concerned for the defeated students’ safety.
• Ma Rulong and Meng Hongchen reveal contrasting reactions to Shrek’s new threat: Ma is wary, while Meng is confident that strategy and technology can overcome Charizard.
• The Ice Empress helps Chi Hong understand Charizard’s bottleneck, prompting him to seek outside expertise.

Significant themes

• Power and spectacle: Charizard’s overwhelming strength turns a tournament match into a dramatic display.
• Overconfidence and misjudgment: Tianling underestimates Chi Hong, while Meng may underestimate Charizard by treating him as merely a mindless beast.
• Growth and limits: Charizard’s rapid progress reaches a barrier that raw strength alone cannot overcome; further development requires awakening his potential.

Key plot points and events

• Professor Oak warns Chi Hong that Charizard’s rapid leveling has left its foundation unstable. It needs a powerful Source of Life to reach 10,000 years of cultivation; with friendship at 90, it can then qualify for Mega Evolution. Charizard and Greninja are both currently at 89 friendship.
• Chi Hong plans to obtain a Soul-Devouring Engraving Knife and have Professor Oak handle its curse. Since Charizard cannot level up yet, he chooses Riolu for the next match, hoping to raise its friendship and help it evolve into Lucario.
• Professor Oak sends Riolu TMs for Drain Punch, Aura Sphere, and Focus Punch. Chi Hong teaches Riolu Drain Punch and Aura Sphere; he sets Focus Punch aside because its long windup would be impractical.
• In Shrek’s round-robin match against Yun Luo Academy, Chi Hong sends Riolu against the opposing captain. Riolu silently stacks four boosts with Swords Dance while the captain waits, then withstands a barrage of Soul Cannons using Endure, surviving at just 1% health.
• Riolu finishes the captain with a Life Orb–boosted Drain Punch. The captain collapses, while the move’s healing effect rapidly restores Riolu’s injuries.

Character developments and interactions

• Chi Hong shows careful strategic planning: he shifts attention from Charizard to Riolu, chooses moves suited to Riolu’s weaknesses, and uses the captain’s hesitation to build power.
• Riolu is eager to prove himself and grow stronger. Though reluctant to touch Greninja’s grimy Life Orb, he accepts it after Greninja rinses it, then fights with determination despite severe injuries.
• Greninja supports Riolu without hesitation by lending him the Life Orb.
• The Yun Luo captain begins composed and cautious, but misreads Riolu’s spinning as harmless. He realizes the danger too late and is knocked unconscious.
• Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen react to the fight from the stands: Meng worries for Riolu, while Xiao trusts Chi Hong’s judgment.

Significant themes

• Preparation and timing: Riolu’s victory depends on patiently stacking Swords Dance before striking.
• Resilience and trust: Riolu endures a devastating barrage because Chi Hong has prepared him for it.
• Growth through cooperation: Chi Hong, Greninja, Riolu, and Professor Oak each contribute to Riolu’s development.
• Strength’s limits: Charizard’s unstable foundation shows that rapid advancement can create problems without proper support.

Key plot points and events

• Riolu defeats a Soul Ancestor from the Yun Luo Team with a single Drain Punch. Chi Hong has Riolu repeatedly use Swords Dance between bouts, boosting its strength as the team sends up one competitor after another.
• Riolu knocks out every Yun Luo fighter in one hit. The brutal streak delights both Chi Hong and Riolu and raises their friendship to 82.
• Riolu evolves into Lucario, awakening its Aura. The evolution releases powerful waves of energy, and Lucario gains a large set of new moves, including Aura Sphere, Extreme Speed, and Close Combat.
• Chi Hong imagines how Lucario can complement Charizard and Greninja in team battles, and considers using himself as the front line while Lucario boosts its power.
• Members of the Sun Moon Imperial Team discuss the danger Chi Hong might pose if he can evolve Soul Beasts without limit. Xiao Hongchen speculates that Chi Hong could eventually command multiple Ferocious Beasts; Ma Rulong decides to report him to their leaders.
• Chi Hong buys the Soul-Devouring Engraving Knife and sends it to Professor Oak to remove its curse. Oak rewards him with 100 Life Candies, which can help Pokémon reach ten thousand years of age, and a Key Stone and Charizardite X.
• Chi Hong wonders whether the candies could rapidly strengthen Charizard enough for Mega Evolution, ending on a jokingly ominous thought.

Character developments

• Riolu/Lucario: Riolu’s joy in battle and growing bond with Chi Hong trigger its evolution and Aura awakening. As Lucario, it becomes a much more capable and imposing partner.
• Chi Hong: He enjoys the overwhelming victories and immediately thinks strategically about how Lucario’s new strength can help his team. The gifts also prompt him to consider powering up Charizard.
• Xiao Hongchen: His initial confidence in Soul Tools gives way to serious concern about the potential scale of Chi Hong’s power.
• Ma Rulong: He shifts from dismissing the threat to deciding that their leaders must be warned.

Significant themes

• Bond and growth: Riolu’s friendship with Chi Hong reaches the threshold for evolution, linking emotional closeness to increased power.
• Power and escalation: The battle shows how stacked boosts can turn competition into a rout, while Lucario’s evolution and the Life Candies suggest Chi Hong’s strength may keep growing.
• Fear of unchecked potential: The opposing team’s concern centers less on Chi Hong’s current abilities than on what he might eventually be able to do.

Character interactions

• Chi Hong encourages Riolu through the successive bouts, and Riolu’s success strengthens their bond.
• The Yun Luo Team’s members enter under pressure, but each is quickly defeated.
• Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and Ma Rulong debate Chi Hong’s potential threat, with Ma Rulong ultimately choosing to alert their leadership.
• Professor Oak responds to Chi Hong’s request about the cursed knife by sending valuable gifts.

Plot points and events

• Charizard remains asleep after consuming a rare item, which it must digest before it can withstand Mega Evolution. Chi Hong stores its Mega Evolution items and returns it to its Poké Ball.
• With Charizard unavailable, Chi Hong expects Greninja and Lucario to handle upcoming battles. He is confident in them and plans to rely on Swords Dance rather than complicated tactics.
• The Ice Empress proposes a way to help Greninja master Ultimate Ice: Chi Hong must first experience the power himself, then fight alongside Greninja so their battle resonance can help it understand the technique.
• She transfers Ultimate Ice to Chi Hong through close physical contact. Their Soul Beast contract allows their minds to connect, enabling her to guide him precisely.
• The cultivation begins after an awkward, affectionate embrace—briefly interrupted when the Ice Empress squeezes Chi Hong hard enough to injure his back.

Character developments and interactions

• Chi Hong shows trust in Greninja and Lucario, eagerness to fight alongside Greninja, and openness to learning from the Ice Empress.
• Greninja remains composed, while Lucario responds confidently to the prospect of taking on the next battles.
• The Ice Empress reveals a more bashful, affectionate side beneath her usual pride and aloofness. She is also a capable, patient teacher, carefully controlling Ultimate Ice as she guides Chi Hong.
• Chi Hong and the Ice Empress share a close, teasing relationship: she complains about him, but willingly embraces him and helps him cultivate. Their physical closeness highlights both their growing intimacy and her formidable strength.

Significant themes

• Partnership and trust: Chi Hong relies on his Pokémon and seeks to deepen his bond with Greninja through shared combat.
• Learning through experience: Greninja may grasp Ultimate Ice not through direct instruction, but by sensing it through Chi Hong and responding to their resonance in battle.
• Power and vulnerability: The Ice Empress is both a powerful ancient beast and someone who can become flustered and affectionate around Chi Hong.

Concise Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• In the hotel conference room, Chi Hong insists on facing Zhengtian Academy’s seven-person team alone, arguing that his teammates would only get in his way. Wang Yan warns him that the opposing team has three Soul Kings and four Soul Ancestors, while Dai Huabin accuses him of selfishness and Beibei urges him to trust his teammates.
• Chi Hong leaves without answering. As he walks out, an overwhelming cold spreads through the room, freezing the walls and immobilizing the Reserve Team. The cold reveals that Chi Hong possesses a second Martial Soul: the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, a 400,000-year-old Ferocious Beast ranked eighth.
• The Reserve Team is devastated by the display. They had hoped to support Chi Hong, but cannot even withstand his aura. Dai Huabin’s humiliation and anger are especially intense; the others are shaken as well.
• At the Soul Arena, Chi Hong faces Zhengtian Academy alone, with Greninja and Lucario beside him. Zhengtian’s captain, Ye Wuqing, denounces his confidence, then orders his team to release their Martial Souls.
• Chi Hong directs Lucario to build power with Swords Dance and Greninja to use Double Team. Greninja’s copies confuse the opposing team, while Shangguan Can’s spiritual detection fails to identify the real Greninja. Greninja surrounds the team and prepares to use Smokescreen.

Character developments

• Chi Hong remains composed and self-assured, but his display of the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion reveals just how far beyond the Reserve Team’s expectations his strength reaches. He shows little concern for their feelings or cooperation.
• Wang Yan is torn between pride in Chi Hong’s hidden power and concern that his actions will damage the Reserve Team’s confidence.
• Dai Huabin reacts with anger and humiliation, especially after falling to his knees and lashing out at Zhu Lu, who tries to support him.
• The Reserve Team moves from confidence that it can help Chi Hong to shock and helplessness.
• Ye Wuqing sees Chi Hong’s solo challenge as arrogance and prepares to defeat him, while Shangguan Can is unsettled when his detection ability cannot expose Greninja.

Significant themes

• Power and isolation: Chi Hong’s immense strength makes him formidable but separates him from teammates who want to fight alongside him.
• Pride and humiliation: The Reserve Team’s inability to endure Chi Hong’s aura compounds its members’ earlier setbacks, particularly Dai Huabin’s.
• Teamwork versus individual glory: The chapter contrasts Chi Hong’s refusal to rely on others with the team’s appeals for unity.
• The gap between appearance and reality: Chi Hong’s previously known abilities conceal the terrifying scale of his second Martial Soul.

Character interactions

• Wang Yan, Beibei, and Dai Huabin each challenge Chi Hong’s decision in different ways: caution, appeals to trust, and accusation. Chi Hong responds not with debate but with a chilling demonstration of power.
• Zhu Lu attempts to steady Dai Huabin, but he rejects her help in a burst of shame-fueled anger.
• In the arena, Chi Hong treats Greninja and Lucario as coordinated partners, while Zhengtian’s team struggles to counter Greninja’s illusions and evade detection.