Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Ye Lin reveals his new Dark Gold Claw External Soul Bone, gained from the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear. Its claws move naturally with his hand and look formidable.
• The group congratulates him, while Tang San inwardly fumes at Ye Lin’s extraordinary luck.
• Xiao Wu returns, and Ye Lin immediately embraces her. They admit they missed each other and hold on until the others tease them into separating.
• Their reunion highlights the contrast with Tang San’s earlier attempt to approach Xiao Wu, which she had dodged.
• Flender asks about Ye Lin’s third spirit skill. Ye Lin explains that Goliath Giant passively boosts his defense, attack, strength, and recovery by 40%, rising to 150% when activated.
• Tang San realizes Ye Lin’s three skills are all enhancements—especially powerful because Ye Lin has a Body Martial Soul—and silently erupts with envy. The others hear his curse and laugh.
• Tang Hao watches from the shadows, puzzled by events and judging that Tang San looks like a clown.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Lin gains both an External Soul Bone and a powerful third skill. He is modest about his strength and openly affectionate toward Xiao Wu.
• Xiao Wu returns safely, reciprocates Ye Lin’s embrace, and apologizes for worrying him.
• Tang San struggles to hide his jealousy and humiliation, particularly over Ye Lin’s good fortune and Xiao Wu’s closeness with him.
• Zhao Wuji envies Ye Lin’s new claws, while the others praise the gains he made on the trip.
• Tang Hao questions whether Tang San’s actions are part of a larger plan but cannot hear his thoughts.

Significant themes

• Luck and envy: Ye Lin’s remarkable gains deepen Tang San’s resentment.
• Affection and belonging: Ye Lin and Xiao Wu’s reunion feels natural and mutual, unlike Tang San’s awkward approach.
• Appearance versus reality: The group’s laughter seems directed at the reunited pair, but it is really prompted by Tang San’s frustration.
• Power through specialization: Ye Lin’s enhancement abilities become especially effective when paired with his Body Martial Soul.

Plot points and events

• After securing their Spirit Rings in the Star Dou Forest, Flender leads the group back toward the nearby town, reassuring Ye Lin that Yu Xiaogang will meet them there.
• The group reaches the town after several days of travel and finds Yu Xiaogang waiting outside the hotel.
• Ye Lin reports that he successfully absorbed a 6,300-year Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear Spirit Ring. Yu Xiaogang calls it “so-so,” though Flender teases him for hiding how pleased he is.
• Flender reveals that Ye Lin also obtained a Spirit Bone. Yu Xiaogang immediately takes Ye Lin inside to question him privately.
• Yu Xiaogang learns that Ye Lin has already absorbed the bone and scolds him for doing so without waiting for a potentially better one. His concern turns to delight when he discovers it is an External Soul Bone.
• Ye Lin manifests five dark-golden claws from his right hand, displaying the bone’s form.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Lin is eager and trusting, having absorbed the Spirit Bone as soon as he obtained it. He is cautious and quiet while Yu Xiaogang reprimands him.
• Yu Xiaogang initially presents himself as composed and unimpressed, but his excitement at Ye Lin’s achievement quickly breaks through. His scolding reflects both concern for his student’s choices and his plans for Ye Lin’s future.
• Flender teases Yu Xiaogang about his concealed pride and enjoys provoking his reaction. He agrees to leave town the next morning when Yu Xiaogang says it is safer to return.
• The other students share the relief of leaving the forest and prepare to rest at the hotel.

Significant themes

• Good fortune and ambition: Ye Lin’s remarkable Spirit Ring and especially rare External Soul Bone exceed ordinary expectations.
• Mentorship and protection: Yu Xiaogang’s criticism comes from wanting to guide Ye Lin toward better opportunities, while his urgency about returning reflects concern for safety.
• Humility versus excitement: Yu Xiaogang tries to downplay Ye Lin’s achievement, but his genuine pride and joy become impossible to conceal.

Key plot points and events

• Yu Xiaogang tests the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear External Soul Bone on a silver block. Its claw cuts through the metal cleanly, confirming its exceptional sharpness and usefulness against tough opponents.
• Ye Lin asks whether he should avoid absorbing another External Soul Bone. Yu Xiaogang reverses his earlier caution, saying such bones strengthen the body and are especially valuable to Ye Lin, whose Martial Soul is his body.
• Yu Xiaogang explains that Ye Lin can display the claw openly: others will assume it is his Martial Soul. He tells Ye Lin to present the Dark Gold Dreadclaw that way and says he will deal with any questions from Spirit Hall.
• The group shares dinner, then travels back to Shrek Academy the next morning. Flender grants them two days off before classes resume.
• Yu Xiaogang privately gives Ye Lin a promised gift: a purple, spider-shaped Spirit Bone. Ye Lin recognizes it as another bone that, in his view, was meant for Tang San.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Lin becomes more confident about using his claw publicly, trusting Yu Xiaogang’s explanation and protection. The spider-shaped gift surprises him and prompts his final realization.
• Yu Xiaogang shows pride in Ye Lin’s new weapon and offers strategic advice to conceal its true nature. He also provides another valuable Spirit Bone.
• Tang San remains quiet and withdrawn during dinner, keeping to himself.
• The others relax after the journey: Xiao Wu is attentive to Ye Lin, while Oscar complains about the lack of sleep and the group eagerly disperses to rest. Dai Mubai notices Zhu Zhuqing but she leaves without engaging him.

Significant themes

• Concealment and identity: Ye Lin’s External Soul Bone can pass as part of his rare Body Martial Soul, shielding it from suspicion.
• Power and protection: The claw and the new Spirit Bone promise greater strength, while Yu Xiaogang’s guidance helps Ye Lin manage the risks of possessing rare abilities.
• Unequal or redirected rewards: Ye Lin’s new gift raises the possibility that Spirit Bones intended for Tang San are being diverted to him.

Chapter Summary

• Ye Lin receives and absorbs the Eight Spider Lances. Yu Xiaogang reveals that he obtained the External Soul Bone from a 2,200-year-old Man Faced Demon Spider and gives it to Ye Lin. Ye Lin recognizes it as a Spirit Bone that, in his former life, had belonged to Tang San’s story. Grateful for his teacher’s generosity, he absorbs it under Yu Xiaogang’s watch.
• The new bone’s powers are tested. After two hours, eight purple spider legs emerge from Ye Lin’s back. They can cut metal and carry corrosive venom, though they are initially difficult for him to control. Ye Lin discovers that they can absorb Soul Power and life force, consume toxins, and release potent poison; the bone also improves his physical abilities. Yu Xiaogang sees how these powers complement Ye Lin’s Soul-Transformed Strength and Dark Gold Dreadclaw, giving him a versatile close-combat arsenal.
• Ye Lin rests, then resumes training. Exhausted from his recent ordeal in the Star Dou Forest and the Spirit Bone absorption, he sleeps late. On waking, he reflects that he expected to depend on Tang San, yet now possesses Spirit Bones associated with Tang San’s path. He goes to the training ground and attempts to create a self-made Soul Skill, but the mist he gathers disperses before it can solidify.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Ye Lin gains a powerful new weapon and additional abilities, but recognizes that mastering the spider legs will take practice. His inner monologue shows growing confidence—and amusement at how his position has changed relative to Tang San. He remains determined to develop further through independent training.
• Yu Xiaogang acts as a protective, supportive mentor: he gives Ye Lin the rare Spirit Bone, stands guard during absorption, helps him assess its abilities, and encourages him to rest and train.
• Their relationship is marked by trust and gratitude: Ye Lin repeatedly thanks Yu Xiaogang, while Yu Xiaogang treats his generosity as a natural responsibility toward his disciple.

Significant Themes

• Mentorship and loyalty: Yu Xiaogang’s care helps Ye Lin grow stronger, while Ye Lin’s gratitude reinforces their bond.
• Power and changing expectations: Ye Lin’s acquisition of the Eight Spider Lances overturns his assumption that he would need to rely on Tang San.
• Growth through effort: The Spirit Bone brings immediate strength, but control and the creation of a new Soul Skill remain difficult and require practice.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Lin trains alone early in the morning, trying to develop a Self-Created Soul Skill. Zhu Zhuqing arrives after hearing movement and asks about the mist gathering around him.
• Ye Lin explains that such skills come from recognizing a Martial Soul’s strengths and building on them. He encourages Zhu Zhuqing to explore her Hell Spirit Cat’s stealth and explosive agility.
• Following his advice, Zhu Zhuqing channels Soul Power toward the shadows beneath the tree and senses a faint response—the first hint that she may be able to develop a skill of her own.
• Ye Lin admits he has studied the process for six years without reaching the same threshold. While talking, he openly admits he has been looking at Zhu Zhuqing’s figure.
• Zhu Zhuqing says he needn’t sneak glances if he wants to look. Ye Lin jokingly asks whether he can touch her; she blushes, punches him in the chest, and ends the conversation by returning to training.

Character developments

• Ye Lin is shown as diligent and knowledgeable, but also self-deprecating about his own progress. He is unusually candid—and tactless—when flirting.
• Zhu Zhuqing begins doubtful about her talent but becomes curious and hopeful after sensing a connection between her Soul Power and the shadows. She also shows greater ease around Ye Lin, though she firmly enforces her boundaries.

Significant themes

• Growth through self-knowledge: A Soul Master’s personal strengths can become the foundation for an original skill.
• Effort and talent: Ye Lin’s long struggle contrasts with Zhu Zhuqing’s immediate glimpse of progress, suggesting that persistence and natural aptitude work differently for each person.
• Attraction and boundaries: Their playful exchange reveals growing familiarity, but Zhu Zhuqing’s reaction makes clear that permission to look is not permission to touch.

Character interactions

• Ye Lin acts as Zhu Zhuqing’s informal mentor, offering encouragement and practical guidance.
• Their conversation shifts from serious training advice to mutual teasing and flirtation. Zhu Zhuqing welcomes his honesty about looking at her, but rejects his attempt to take the joke further.

Plot points and events

• Over two days, Zhu Zhuqing trains with Ye Lin before dawn and asks him about Soul Power control. His advice and demonstration help her find the foundation for creating a Self-Created Soul Skill: precise control over Soul Power. He tells her that Xiao Wu has created two such skills, prompting Zhu Zhuqing to plan to ask her for guidance.
• When classes begin, Yu Xiaogang announces individualized training rather than the long-distance running Tang San remembers from his past life. The teachers take Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, Xiao Wu, and Ye Lin for separate instruction.
• Yu Xiaogang keeps Tang San, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing with him. He assigns the two support-type Soul Masters an exercise in multitasking, then begins coaching Zhu Zhuqing on how to use her agility more effectively.

Character developments

• Zhu Zhuqing makes progress in controlling her Soul Power and gains a clearer direction for developing her own technique. She also resolves to seek Xiao Wu’s advice.
• Ye Lin acts as a helpful training partner, sharing what he learned from his teacher and explaining Xiao Wu’s abilities.
• Ning Rongrong is angered by Tang San’s dismissive private thoughts about her, but turns that anger into determination to practice and surpass the standard he mentions.
• Yu Xiaogang gives individualized instruction and appears aware of Tang San’s thoughts. He silently mocks Tang San’s belief that his past-life expertise makes the lesson pointless, especially given his current level.
• Tang San expects the training to repeat his past-life routine and assumes his superior past-life knowledge makes Yu Xiaogang’s lesson unnecessary. His thoughts also reveal a condescending view of Ning Rongrong.

Significant themes

• Skill comes from control and discipline: Zhu Zhuqing’s progress depends on precise Soul Power control, while Ning Rongrong is challenged to develop divided attention through practice.
• Attitude shapes growth: Tang San relies on past-life accomplishments, whereas Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong respond to instruction by learning or committing to improve.
• Precision over wasted effort: Yu Xiaogang stresses that focused, accurate attacks are more effective than a scattered flurry.
• Private thoughts have consequences: Tang San’s unspoken judgments provoke Ning Rongrong and expose the gap between his self-image and his present abilities.

Character interactions

• Ye Lin patiently teaches Zhu Zhuqing and points her toward Xiao Wu as another source of advice.
• Yu Xiaogang assigns the trainees to different teachers, then gives Ning Rongrong and Tang San the same basic multitasking exercise.
• Tang San’s thoughts insult Ning Rongrong; although he does not say them aloud, she hears them and resolves to prove him wrong.
• Yu Xiaogang advises Zhu Zhuqing to fight like an assassin: make speed serve a decisive, accurately placed attack rather than simply striking rapidly.

Plot and events

• Yu Xiaogang assigns Zhu Zhuqing to refine her Netherworld Hundred Claws until every strike lands within a fist-sized area.
• Flender takes Ye Lin to a secluded grove to train his Eight Spider Lances without drawing attention. He gives him the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart formula and teaches him to control the lances in coordinated pairs rather than spending excessive time mastering each one independently.
• Over three months, Ye Lin practices dividing his attention. He eventually uses his right hand and four pairs of spider legs to write five separate characters simultaneously. The training also improves his control of Soul Power, Spiritual Power, vitality, and coordination.
• Ning Rongrong makes similar progress, learning to divide her attention five ways after using her anger at Tang San’s insult to fuel her practice.
• Zhu Zhuqing trains consistently against an old wall, gradually concentrating her claw marks until they overlap within a fist-sized area.
• Tang San avoids Heart Separation Control practice and secretly focuses on cultivation. After three months, he reaches level twenty-eight.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Lin becomes more disciplined and coordinated, while Flender coaches him and keeps his unusual training private. Ye Lin questions whether he should pursue finer control, but accepts Flender’s advice to prioritize balanced development.
• Flender serves as both instructor and lookout, using practical examples to explain why paired control is sufficient.
• Ning Rongrong channels resentment into perseverance and steadily improves.
• Zhu Zhuqing shows patience and precision, methodically applying the lesson about Soul Power control.
• Tang San remains focused on catching up in strength, but his private plan involves taking an immortal herb and having Xiao Wu sacrifice herself for him.

Significant themes

• Disciplined, efficient training: mastering useful fundamentals can be wiser than pursuing perfection at the expense of other skills.
• Control through repetition: Ye Lin and Zhu Zhuqing improve through sustained practice and careful adjustment.
• Motivation and resentment: Ning Rongrong turns anger into determination, while Tang San’s ambition drives his secret cultivation and troubling plans.

Plot points and events

• After three months of separate training, Yu Xiaogang assigns the eight students a team exercise: carry stone-filled baskets along a difficult, abandoned 400-kilometer mountain road to Suotuo City before dark, without using Soul Power.
• The baskets are unevenly loaded. Ye Lin receives a huge, 50-kilogram load, far heavier than the others’ baskets, but silently sets off with it.
• Less than two kilometers into the journey, Ma Hongjun complains and suggests secretly using Soul Power. Tang San argues that the team should instead redistribute their burdens and help one another.
• Dai Mubai teases Tang San for offering to help Xiao Wu, framing it as an attempt to impress her. The group laughs, while Zhu Zhuqing privately grows irritated with Dai Mubai.
• Tang San outwardly keeps walking, but privately thinks of his companions as tools and resents Dai Mubai. Because others can hear his thoughts, the group discovers his attitude.
• Dai Mubai, Oscar, and the others privately decide Tang San is selfish. Oscar puts Tang San’s teamwork argument to the test by transferring his own stones into Tang San’s basket.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Lin accepts his unusually heavy load without complaint, highlighting his stoicism.
• Tang San presents himself as cooperative, but his private thoughts reveal that he sees the others as useful relationships rather than friends. His interest in helping Xiao Wu is also shown as romantic.
• Dai Mubai teases Tang San and claims he can teach him how to attract women; Zhu Zhuqing’s reaction suggests her patience with Dai Mubai is wearing thin.
• Oscar turns Tang San’s own words against him, beginning to make the group’s discovery of Tang San’s selfishness concrete.
• The students’ shared awareness of Tang San’s thoughts shifts the group from ordinary banter toward resentment and opposition.

Significant themes

• Teamwork versus selfishness: Yu Xiaogang’s exercise is meant to teach cooperation, but Tang San’s private motives undermine his public message.
• Actions and intentions: The chapter contrasts what Tang San says with what he actually thinks, while the group’s ability to hear those thoughts exposes the gap.
• Trust and belonging: The others begin to question whether Tang San truly considers them teammates.
• Endurance and fairness: The uneven burdens—especially Ye Lin’s—underscore the physical challenge and the instructor’s harsh approach.

Key plot points and events

• The group continues its 100-kilometer trek toward Suotuo City with stone-filled baskets as a test of endurance and teamwork.
• Oscar shifts ten pounds of stones into Tang San’s basket, pretending to offer him a choice. Tang San accepts aloud but privately curses Oscar; everyone hears the thought and laughs, easing the group’s tense mood.
• Ye Lin sets a steady pace and says he will take extra weight from anyone who needs help so nobody is left behind.
• As the journey wears on, Ye Lin temporarily takes stones from the struggling Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing. Dai Mubai likewise takes Ma Hongjun’s twenty pounds, while Xiao Wu says she can manage her own load.
• After roughly seventy kilometers, Ning Rongrong becomes faint and collapses forward; Ye Lin catches her before she falls.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang San endures the heavy load through physical strength and willpower, though his resentment toward Oscar contrasts with his outward claim of teamwork.
• Oscar exploits Tang San’s politeness by leaving the extra weight in his basket.
• Ye Lin consistently supports the others, balancing encouragement with practical help. His confidence in Ning Rongrong moves her deeply: she is unused to being told someone believes she can succeed.
• Ning Rongrong struggles but keeps going, affected by Ye Lin’s faith in her; her exhaustion eventually overcomes her.
• Dai Mubai quietly helps Ma Hongjun without making a show of it and appreciates Ye Lin’s kindness.
• Zhu Zhuqing insists she can manage alone but accepts Ye Lin’s temporary help after he stops her from taking the stones back.
• Xiao Wu remains comparatively energetic and declines assistance.

Significant themes

• Teamwork as shared responsibility: Ye Lin treats success as reaching the destination together, not competing over who can endure the most.
• Kindness and trust: His actions—and his encouragement of Ning Rongrong—offer support without belittling her.
• Appearance versus private feelings: Tang San’s polite words conceal anger, exposed through his unspoken thoughts.
• Endurance and vulnerability: Even determined characters face physical limits, and accepting help becomes part of persevering.

Plot and key events

• Ye Lin carries the exhausted Ning Rongrong in his basket, but Oscar, Zhu Zhuqing, and Xiao Wu each take some of his stones to lighten his load. Tang San, lagging behind, privately resents that no one helps him; the others distrust him and reject his claim that they are a team.
• After another stretch of the mountain march, Ning Rongrong wakes and resumes walking. Oscar soon collapses, Zhu Zhuqing falters, and Tang San falls face-first onto the path, too exhausted to rise.
• Ye Lin redistributes the fallen group members’ stones among Dai Mubai, Xiao Wu, Ma Hongjun, and Ning Rongrong. Though Dai Mubai urges him to leave Tang San behind, Ye Lin insists, “We’re a team.”
• Ye Lin carries Oscar on his back, supports Zhu Zhuqing in his arms, and ties Tang San to his waist to drag him along, while still bearing his own stones. Despite nearing collapse, he keeps moving toward the finish.
• With two kilometers remaining, Oscar and Zhu Zhuqing wake and get down, then rejoin the walk. Tang San also wakes, painfully: dragging on the gravel has badly scraped his exposed backside.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Lin demonstrates extraordinary endurance and compassion, taking responsibility for everyone—even Tang San, whom the others distrust. His actions embody his sincere commitment to the group.
• Oscar, Zhu Zhuqing, and Xiao Wu help reduce Ye Lin’s burden early on; Oscar and Zhu Zhuqing later recover enough to walk again.
• Dai Mubai voices the practical argument for abandoning Tang San, while Ye Lin rejects it.
• Tang San feels overlooked and appeals inwardly to team solidarity, but the group’s hostility reflects their suspicion of his schemes. His ordeal ends in humiliating physical injury.

Significant themes

• Teamwork and sacrifice: Ye Lin’s refusal to abandon anyone contrasts with the group’s strained trust.
• Endurance and compassion: The march tests physical limits, while Ye Lin’s willingness to carry others becomes the chapter’s clearest act of loyalty.
• Trust and hypocrisy: Tang San invokes the idea of a team, yet others see him as untrustworthy; the chapter leaves the tension between belonging and suspicion unresolved.

Key plot points and events

• Tang San wakes with his buttocks and inner thighs scraped raw after Ye Lin dragged him along the ground during the journey. His clothes are in tatters, and he limps after the others, furious and embarrassed.
• The group reaches the city gates and collapses from exhaustion. Ye Lin sees Yu Xiaogang reaching for him before he loses consciousness.
• Ye Lin later wakes in a powerful herbal bath with the others. The medicine has eased his bruising and is stimulating his Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone and the areas around his spider legs.
• Yu Xiaogang assures Ye Lin that the treatment is worth the expense. Outside, Flender reveals that the eight baths and other recent purchases have left Shrek Academy deeply in debt.
• Yu Xiaogang remains untroubled, believing the academy can earn money as it did in his memories of the previous life—through the Great Soul Arena and betting.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang San is shown as physically vulnerable and self-absorbed: rather than appreciating Ye Lin’s help, he curses him for dragging him and insults the others in his thoughts.
• Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Oscar resent Tang San’s thoughts. Xiao Wu defends Ye Lin’s effort, Zhu Zhuqing objects to Tang San’s crude remark about her, and Oscar takes offense at being called tough-skinned.
• Ye Lin has endured the burden of getting the group to safety, then receives treatment for his injuries. His concern about the cost highlights his modest circumstances.
• Yu Xiaogang acts as a caring teacher, spending heavily on Ye Lin’s recovery despite his own limited means. Flender, meanwhile, is furious that the spending has left the academy in debt, creating a comic contrast with Yu Xiaogang’s confidence.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and ingratitude: Ye Lin’s strenuous help contrasts with Tang San’s resentment and lack of gratitude.
• Care and financial strain: Yu Xiaogang prioritizes his students’ well-being, while Flender confronts the real cost of that generosity.
• Humor through humiliation and conflict: Tang San’s injuries, shabby cover-up, and the group’s silent frustration provide much of the chapter’s comedy.

Key plot points and events

• After completing a medicinal bath, the Shrek students recover from their exhausting training. Tang San is still badly injured from the gravel road, especially around his backside, and must avoid sitting or lying on his back.
• Yu Xiaogang announces that the group will compete at the Suotuo Great Soul Arena to improve their combat skills, earn Silver Soul Badges, and help repay the academy’s debts.
• The team will fight under the name Shrek Seven Devils. Each student must enter an individual or pair battle, and the group will rotate its three support-type members in team battles. Yu Xiaogang assigns four two-person teams and leaves Tang San out of the first team battle so he can recover.
• At the arena, Tang San recalls the Mad Battle Team and privately thinks crude, predatory thoughts about Zhu Zhuqing and the team’s captain, Kuang Xi. These thoughts are heard by those nearby.
• Dai Mubai becomes furious at Tang San for coveting his fiancée, while Zhu Zhuqing is disgusted and enraged by Tang San’s comments.
• Yu Xiaogang warns that the opponents may try to gather information and tells the pair teams to limit their use of soul skills. Oscar notices that the warning closely matches Tang San’s thoughts and publicly questions how Yu Xiaogang knew what the opponents would do.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang San remains injured and sidelined, but his private thoughts reveal a vulgar and possessive side that undermines his standing with those around him.
• Dai Mubai reacts protectively and jealously toward Zhu Zhuqing, directing his anger both at the imagined opponent and at Tang San.
• Zhu Zhuqing shifts from calm composure to open hostility after hearing Tang San’s thoughts.
• Oscar is the first to connect Yu Xiaogang’s suspiciously timely warning with Tang San’s thoughts. He suspects the Grandmaster can hear them and raises the issue in front of the group.
• Yu Xiaogang appears outwardly composed, but his warning leads the others to suspect that he knows more than he should. The group’s attention turns toward him, demanding an explanation.

Significant themes

• Private thoughts versus public behavior: Tang San’s unspoken thoughts expose attitudes that change how others view him.
• Suspicion and hidden knowledge: Yu Xiaogang’s apparent foreknowledge raises the possibility that more than one person can hear Tang San’s thoughts.
• Trust within the group: The students begin questioning what the Grandmaster—and possibly one another—knows, hinting at new alliances and conflict.

Key plot points and events

• Yu Xiaogang explains that he used arena records, team registration details, and Soul Master statistics to predict that the Shrek Seven Devils’ next opponents will be the Mad Battle Team. His detailed analysis impresses everyone.
• Tang San finds the explanation convincing, but remains unsettled: Yu Xiaogang seems more knowledgeable in this life than he remembers from his previous one.
• At the arena, Mad Battle Team captain Kuang Xi and vice-captain Spider Woman bribe a clerk for information about Shrek. The information is sparse, but Spider Woman spots Shrek’s two-on-two match and suggests watching it to assess them directly.
• Ye Lin and Xiao Wu enter the arena as the Martial Forest Combination. Their opponents, the Cat-and-Mouse Duo, boast about extending their winning streak.
• Ye Lin and Xiao Wu both reveal optimal Spirit Ring configurations—two yellow rings and one purple—while their opponents each have a white, a yellow, and a purple ring. Kuang Xi and Spider Woman take note, and Spider Woman senses something intimidating about Ye Lin despite his low level.
• Xiao Wu keeps Fat Rat at bay with agility and precise attacks, though he is physically stronger. Skinny Cat joins the fight by rushing toward Xiao Wu, but Ye Lin intercepts her. He avoids her rapid claw attacks with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. The bout remains unresolved in the excerpt.

Character developments

• Yu Xiaogang demonstrates impressive analytical skill, earning the group’s astonishment.
• Tang San accepts the logic of Yu Xiaogang’s prediction but grows more suspicious of how much the Grandmaster’s abilities differ from his past-life memories.
• Spider Woman proves observant and pragmatic, choosing to study Shrek firsthand rather than rely on incomplete records.
• Xiao Wu shows that speed, timing, and precision can counter a stronger opponent.
• Ye Lin displays confidence and refined defensive footwork, stepping in to protect Xiao Wu and effortlessly evading Skinny Cat’s attacks.

Significant themes

• Knowledge and strategy: Yu Xiaogang’s data-driven prediction contrasts with the Mad Battle Team’s plan to gather information by observation.
• Appearance versus ability: Ye Lin’s ordinary appearance and low Soul Power level belie the pressure he exerts, while Xiao Wu’s agility offsets Fat Rat’s strength.
• Uneasy change and uncertainty: Tang San’s doubts suggest that the world—and familiar people—may not match his memories.
• Fairness and sportsmanship: Ye Lin challenges Skinny Cat for attacking Xiao Wu from behind, while she dismisses his appeal.

Character interactions

• The Shrek group reacts with surprise and admiration to Yu Xiaogang’s analysis; Tang San privately questions its implications.
• Kuang Xi and Spider Woman coordinate their investigation, though Spider Woman takes the lead in noticing the useful match schedule and assessing Ye Lin.
• Xiao Wu and Fat Rat trade attacks in a contest of strength against agility.
• Ye Lin intervenes when Skinny Cat targets Xiao Wu, then faces her direct assault using evasive footwork.

Plot points and events

• Ye Lin defeats Skinny Cat in their two-on-two match without summoning his Martial Soul or using soul skills. After she finally lands a claw attack, she discovers his skin is nearly impenetrable; Ye Lin counters with a single punch that knocks her off the platform.
• Xiao Wu defeats Fat Rat by tiring him out, then using her first soul skill, Waist Bow, to throw him from the arena. The Martial Forest Combination wins.
• Watching from the stands, Kuang Xi and Spider Woman recognize that Ye Lin and Xiao Wu are formidable despite their lower ranks, and worry that the upcoming team battle will be difficult.
• The group’s other three two-on-two teams also win. In the waiting room, Flender questions why Yu Xiaogang is still hiding the students’ strength. Yu reveals that he borrowed money from Spirit Hall and bet heavily on the newcomers, so winning is essential.
• Tang San is astonished by Yu’s dealings with Spirit Hall, which contradict his memories and expectations. He wonders whether Yu has become more sensible in this life.
• Dai Mubai leaves the waiting room, finds Kuang Xi outside the Mad Battle Team room, and punches him, accusing him of groping his fiancée. Kuang Xi, who does not recognize Dai Mubai, angrily demands to know who he is.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Lin displays effortless control, patience, and exceptional physical toughness; he defeats Skinny Cat while concealing his abilities.
• Xiao Wu wins through agility and stamina, using her skill only when Fat Rat’s movement leaves him vulnerable.
• Kuang Xi and Spider Woman shift from confidence to concern after seeing the pair’s strength.
• Yu Xiaogang reveals a practical, financially motivated reason for keeping the students’ abilities hidden, surprising Flender and especially Tang San.
• Tang San privately questions how much Yu Xiaogang has changed from the man he remembers.
• Dai Mubai abruptly confronts Kuang Xi over an alleged offense against his fiancée, ending the chapter in a tense misunderstanding.

Significant themes

• Hidden strength and misjudgment: Ye Lin and Xiao Wu win decisively while appearing to hold back, unsettling their opponents.
• Strategy and timing: Both victories depend on waiting for openings rather than relying on brute force.
• Changed expectations: Yu Xiaogang’s unexpected choices unsettle Tang San, suggesting that this life may not follow the past he remembers.
• Conflict and misunderstanding: Dai Mubai’s accusation triggers a confrontation before Kuang Xi even understands who he is.

Plot points and events

• Kuang Xi confronts Dai Mubai in the corridor, but Dai Mubai punches him before the fight can escalate. Manager Ao intervenes and warns both men they will be disqualified if they cause trouble again.
• Kuang Xi returns to the Mad Battle Team’s lounge injured and reports that Dai Mubai attacked him under the excuse of a mistaken identity.
• Spider Woman suspects the Shrek team used the confrontation to test Kuang Xi. She realizes Dai Mubai learned something about his Soul Power, while Kuang Xi learned nothing in return.
• Dai Mubai returns to Shrek’s lounge without explaining what happened. Zhu Zhuqing, who had been watching the door, recalls that Kuang Xi was meant to threaten her in her former life, but he never approached her.
• The teams prepare for their match. Yu Xiaogang emphasizes coordination, and both groups enter the arena.
• During introductions and Soul-Warrior displays, the Mad Battle Team reveals a mixed-quality lineup, while Shrek’s stronger Spirit Ring configurations make an imposing impression. Spider Woman recognizes Ning Rongrong’s Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and understands its significance.

Character developments and interactions

• Dai Mubai acts aggressively but strategically: he provokes Kuang Xi, then returns to the team without disclosing his purpose.
• Kuang Xi is angered and embarrassed by being attacked, and admits he failed to assess Dai Mubai’s strength.
• Spider Woman proves observant, interpreting the corridor incident as reconnaissance and quickly identifying Shrek’s valuable support-type Martial Soul.
• Zhu Zhuqing remains watchful and guarded, influenced by knowledge of events from her previous life.
• Manager Ao acts as a neutral authority, stopping the fight and enforcing the Soul Arena’s rules.

Significant themes

• Strategy and deception: Both teams seek information, but Shrek’s tactics catch the Mad Battle Team off guard.
• Reputation versus capability: The teams’ Spirit Ring displays reveal a clear difference in their apparent strength.
• Foreknowledge and fate: Zhu Zhuqing’s memories of her previous life shape what she expects—and watches for—in the present.
• Teamwork: Yu Xiaogang stresses that coordination, not just individual power, will decide a team match.

Key plot points and events

• The match begins with Kuang Xi of the Mad Battle Team charging Dai Mubai. Though Kuang Xi initially overpowers him, Ning Rongrong’s Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda boosts Dai Mubai’s strength and speed, allowing him to hold his ground.
• Xiao Wu helps Dai Mubai by striking Kuang Xi’s knee, then uses her self-created Rice Rabbit Shockwave to target the opposing team’s Ruyi Plate support Soul Master. Kuang Xi intercepts the blast, narrowly protecting his teammate.
• Xiao Wu threatens a second shockwave, baiting Kuang Xi into charging her. She evades with Instant Teleportation, leaving him exposed.
• Dai Mubai and Ye Lin attack Kuang Xi from opposite sides, while Ma Hongjun’s flames drive him backward. The Mad Battle Team rushes to defend their leader.
• As the fire obscures the battlefield, Zhu Zhuqing—who has been concealed at the rear—slips through the confusion toward the enemy support Soul Master.

Character developments

• Xiao Wu shows tactical creativity, using her self-created skill both as a genuine threat and as a feint to draw Kuang Xi out of position.
• Dai Mubai holds firm against a stronger opponent, especially once Ning Rongrong’s boosts support him.
• Ning Rongrong demonstrates the precision and value of her support, strengthening teammates at crucial moments.
• Kuang Xi is fiercely protective of his team, repeatedly intercepting attacks, but his focus on Xiao Wu makes him vulnerable to the Shrek team’s coordinated assault.
• Zhu Zhuqing reveals her patience and stealth by hiding in plain sight at the back before making her move.

Significant themes

• Teamwork and coordination: Shrek combines support boosts, feints, close-range attacks, and fire to exploit openings.
• Deception and misdirection: Xiao Wu tricks Kuang Xi, while Zhu Zhuqing’s unexpected position subverts the assumption that an assassin belongs on the front line.
• Protecting key teammates: Both sides recognize the importance of their support Soul Masters, making them prime targets.

Character interactions

• Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu work together to contain Kuang Xi, while Ning Rongrong strengthens Dai Mubai and later Ye Lin.
• Kuang Xi repeatedly shields his teammates, particularly the vulnerable support Soul Master.
• Spider Woman recognizes the danger of Xiao Wu’s self-created skill and orders reinforcements once Shrek’s trap becomes clear.
• Flender and Yu Xiaogang assess the fight from the sidelines: Flender regrets the missed chance to eliminate the support, while Yu Xiaogang explains that the opening attack was only the first part of a larger plan.

Key plot points

• Zhu Zhuqing emerges from the flames and strikes Spider Woman with a precisely concentrated Netherworld Hundred Claws, badly injuring her.
• Spider Woman traps Zhuqing in a web and throws her off the arena. While falling, Zhuqing uses a newly created ranged attack: a Shadow Moon Blade curves around the platform and knocks out the Ruyi Plate Soul Master.
• Zhuqing appears to be eliminated too, but Oscar’s Wishful Mushroom Sausage gives her temporary flight, leaving her suspended just above the platform.
• Elsewhere, Ye Lin’s Dark Gold Dreadclaw tears through Kuang Xi’s armor and incapacitates him. The referee eliminates him.
• With both Kuang Xi and the Ruyi Plate Soul Master out, the Mad Battle Team has lost most of its strength. Spider Woman orders her team to gang up on Xiao Wu.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhu Zhuqing demonstrates growing independence and ingenuity. Inspired by Ye Lin’s advice about controlling Soul Power, she applies her strengths in stealth and unexpected angles to create a self-directed attack skill.
• Ye Lin proves decisive in the attack on Kuang Xi, while his earlier guidance also shapes Zhuqing’s breakthrough.
• Oscar quietly helps Zhuqing by giving her the sausage before the flames obscure the battlefield; she times its use to avoid elimination.
• Spider Woman shifts from confidence to fury and desperation after Zhuqing wounds her and her team’s two key members fall.
• Flender praises the team’s strategy, initially assumes Zhuqing has traded herself for the Ruyi Plate Soul Master, then celebrates when she remains in the match. Yu Xiaogang recognizes that the exchange is not one-for-one.

Significant themes

• Creativity and self-reliance: Zhuqing turns her personal strengths into a new technique rather than relying only on established skills.
• Teamwork and timing: Oscar’s small, carefully timed contribution enables Zhuqing’s risky maneuver.
• Tactical reversals: Apparent defeat becomes an advantage through planning, precision, and hidden resources.
• Desperation in defeat: Spider Woman’s order to target Xiao Wu shows the Mad Battle Team abandoning hopes of victory in favor of retaliation.

Key plot points and events

• On Spider Woman’s orders, the Mad Battle Team abandons its attack on Xiao Wu—whose Instant Teleportation keeps foiling them—and surrounds Ye Lin instead.
• Ye Lin meets all four attackers head-on. Combining Soul-Transformed Strength, Goliath Giant, and his Dark Gold Dreadclaw, he withstands their combined assault and drives them back.
• Ye Lin taunts the opposing team, declaring, “The four of you are surrounded by me.” Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuqing quietly takes position behind Spider Woman, and Ma Hongjun recovers enough soul power to attack again.
• Realizing her team is outmatched and trapped, Spider Woman surrenders. The Shrek Seven Devils win, ending the Mad Battle Team’s seven-match winning streak. The crowd celebrates.
• After the victory, Flender and Yu Xiaogang discuss the betting winnings: they will clear the academy’s debts, but Yu insists the surplus be spent on the students.
• At a celebratory feast, Yu Xiaogang identifies the team’s weakness: it lacks a control-type Soul Master. He and Flender explain that the fight’s tactics were designed around neutralizing the opposing support Soul Master and his Frenzy Skill, which could boost the team’s attributes and make them immune to pain.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Lin demonstrates formidable strength and composure, turning a four-on-one attack into a show of confidence.
• Xiao Wu frustrates the enemy with repeated teleportation, drawing their attention before they shift to Ye Lin.
• Zhu Zhuqing shows patience and stealth, positioning herself behind Spider Woman without revealing her presence.
• Spider Woman goes from issuing tactical orders to recognizing defeat and surrendering.
• Yu Xiaogang emerges as the strategist behind the victory and keeps the team focused on its shortcomings. Flender is delighted by the win and the profits, but grumbles when Yu reserves the money for the students.
• The team’s feast highlights their camaraderie: they joke, share food, and celebrate together.

Significant themes

• Teamwork and strategy: The victory depends not just on individual power but on coordinated positioning and targeting the enemy’s key support.
• Confidence backed by ability: Ye Lin’s boast follows a feat that proves his strength.
• Growth through recognizing weaknesses: The team’s success does not erase its need for a control-type Soul Master.
• Responsibility and loyalty: Yu Xiaogang prioritizes the academy and its students over personal spending.

Key plot points and events

• After the team’s latest battle, Flender and Dai Mubai discuss how a control-type Soul Master could have changed the outcome. Flender warns that the team might fall apart if no one is directing them.
• Tang San volunteers to take on the control role, boasting inwardly about his supposed past-life achievements. His thoughts reveal that he blames Zhu Zhuqing for a past failure and sees himself as indispensable.
• The others reject his offer. Dai Mubai and Oscar tell him to focus on his support role and recognize his limits. Zhu Zhuqing resents his criticism, while Ma Hongjun mocks his belief that anyone will ever need him.
• Grandmaster appoints Ye Lin as the team’s commander, citing his training in Mind Split into Five Uses. Tang San objects, but the rest of the team supports Ye Lin, and Grandmaster confirms the decision.
• Over the next month, the Shrek Seven Devils win 27 consecutive matches, earn Silver Soul Badges, and help clear the academy’s debts. Grandmaster announces one final team battle before their next training stage.
• Tang San realizes their opponents will be the Imperial Fighting Team. He privately expects Shrek to lose without his poison countermeasures and combat abilities. Grandmaster hears his thoughts and treats the match as a chance to test the team—and Ye Lin—without Tang San.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang San becomes more isolated and resentful as his teammates dismiss his self-importance. He continues to believe his past-life power makes him essential, despite being excluded from command.
• Ye Lin is formally recognized as the team’s control specialist and leader, with Grandmaster’s confidence and the team’s unanimous support.
• Zhu Zhuqing pushes back internally against Tang San’s blame, especially after her successful performance in the current battle.
• Grandmaster asserts his authority, selecting Ye Lin and planning to test the team against a formidable opponent.
• The team grows in confidence and unity, backing Ye Lin rather than Tang San.

Significant themes

• Leadership is earned through ability and trust, not claimed through boasting.
• Overconfidence and self-delusion isolate Tang San from his teammates.
• Teamwork and adaptation are presented as strengths that can outlast dependence on one supposedly indispensable member.
• The chapter uses dramatic irony: Tang San assumes the team cannot succeed without him, while Grandmaster and the others are ready to prove otherwise.

Key plot points and events

• Manager Ao asks Shrek Academy to face a powerful team of Silver Soul Fighters in a team match, since the arena has suffered repeated losses. Flender initially refuses to be used for the arena’s benefit.
• The opposing team’s leader asks to meet Shrek’s faculty. He turns out to be Qin Ming, Flender’s former student, now a teacher leading Heaven Dou Royal Academy’s Imperial Fighting Team on a practical-training trip.
• Flender and Yu Xiaogang agree to the match. Though the Imperial Fighting Team is much stronger on paper, Yu Xiaogang sees the challenge as valuable training—and says he does not intend to let Shrek lose.
• Yu Xiaogang privately tells Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing that their team’s chances in a direct fight are nearly nonexistent. He gives them two matching jade pieces, shaped like a Tai Chi symbol, hinting that their connection is relevant to his confidence.
• Back with the group, Yu Xiaogang briefs them on their opponents. The Imperial Fighting Team members are all above level 35 and have strong Spirit Ring configurations. Its captain, Yu Tianheng, is a level-39 Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon wielder; its vice-captain, Dugu Yan, is a level-38 Jade Phosphorous Serpent wielder whose poison can be lethal.

Character developments and interactions

• Flender shifts from rejecting the match to trusting Yu Xiaogang’s judgment. He is also visibly moved by the unexpected reunion with Qin Ming.
• Qin Ming is revealed as Flender’s former student. He greets his old dean respectfully and has brought his team partly to meet his teachers.
• Yu Xiaogang accepts the challenge despite the danger, believing that facing superior opponents can teach the students and that his strategy can still secure victory.
• Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing are singled out and receive matching jade pieces. Their puzzled reactions give way to understanding, suggesting their relationship or shared past will matter to the coming match.
• Manager Ao approaches Shrek tactfully, while the meeting with Qin Ming turns the proposed match into a personal reunion as well as a professional contest.

Significant themes

• Growth through adversity: A likely defeat can still be worthwhile if it reveals the students’ weaknesses and pushes them to improve.
• Trust and mentorship: Flender defers to Yu Xiaogang, while Qin Ming’s return underscores the lasting bond between teacher and student.
• Strategy over brute force: Yu Xiaogang warns that Shrek cannot win by confronting the stronger team head-on.
• Hidden connections and potential: The jade pieces and Yu Xiaogang’s confidence hint that the Shrek students may have strengths beyond their visible power.