Recaps

Tang Shan won the army’s arena challenge, earning the soldiers’ respect while advancing his Soul Power and Martial Arts. Xue Qinghe settled the fallout with Hong Zhen, and Su Yuntao attracted the attention of a mysterious observer who wanted to teach him the Killing Dao.

• Xue Qinghe explained to Hong Zhen that Tang Shan had been justified in fighting back, and Hong Zhen realized the wager had been a test of the camp’s behavior.
• Tang Shan won fight after fight, opened the Hand Jueyin Pericardium Meridian, and sensed a possible path beyond Transformed Force toward Embracing the Elixir.
• Tang Shan completed the challenge, and Xue Qinghe helped him into a chair when exhaustion overcame him.
• Xue Qinghe promised to arrange treatment for Gang Lie and report the soldiers’ conduct while sparing the Rampart Army from harsher punishment.
• Su Yuntao defeated another opponent at the Great Soul Arena, and a scar-faced man watched him before disappearing, intending to make him his disciple.

Chen Zhan abducted Su Yuntao and sought to make him his disciple, but Xue Qinghe confronted him after Snake Lance Douluo detected a resemblance between Chen Zhan’s aura and Sword Douluo Chen Xin’s. Xue Qinghe rejected Chen Zhan’s request, leaving the scar-faced Soul Emperor under scrutiny.

• Chen Zhan used his blade to trap Su Yuntao in a blood-soaked battlefield illusion and carried him away unconscious.
• Tang Shan woke at Xue Qinghe’s lodging, shared breakfast with him, and discussed their plan and the path to imperial power.
• Snake Lance Douluo warned Xue Qinghe that Chen Zhan’s aura resembled Sword Douluo Chen Xin’s and that Su Yuntao was with him.
• Chen Zhan asked Xue Qinghe’s permission to take Su Yuntao as his disciple, then quickly withdrew his threat when Snake Lance Douluo’s lance intent restrained him.
• Xue Qinghe questioned Chen Zhan about his past in the Rampart Army and his connection to Chen Xin, then refused his request because Su Yuntao already had a master.

Chen Zhan explained his family’s connection to Chen Xin and revealed the Slaughter Sword Technique he hoped to teach Su Yuntao. After Xue Qinghe confirmed Chen Zhan held no grudge against Spirit Hall, Tang Shan agreed that Su Yuntao could consider the inheritance, and Chen Zhan recounted why the Rampart Army had expelled him.

• Chen Zhan admitted that Chen Xin was his martial uncle and began explaining their shared family history to Tang Shan and Xue Qinghe.
• Chen Zhan described how his great-grandfather developed the Slaughter Sword Technique and Seven Kill Sword Technique, which led their descendants down different paths.
• Chen Zhan explained that his father discovered the Slaughter Sword Technique depended on combat instincts and battlefield experience, making Su Yuntao an ideal successor.
• Xue Qinghe questioned whether Chen Zhan resented Spirit Hall, and Chen Zhan said his doubts had disappeared after Chen Xin’s father proved both techniques could reach level 98.
• Tang Shan agreed not to prevent Su Yuntao from accepting Chen Zhan’s legacy if he chose to do so.
• Chen Zhan revealed that the Rampart Army expelled him after he entered a state of enlightenment and slaughtered a Star Luo Empire unit of five hundred soldiers.

Chen Zhan pledged loyalty to Xue Qinghe and received an introduction to the nature of intent from Snake Lance Douluo. Tang Shan learned how will could shape attacks and experienced Spear Intent firsthand, then Xue Qinghe encouraged him to treat him as a friend.

• Chen Zhan asked Xue Qinghe for guidance on Blade Intent and pledged loyalty in exchange for Snake Lance Douluo's instruction.
• Snake Lance Douluo explained that intent came from a clear, unwavering purpose and drove technique rather than resulting from perfected technique.
• Tang Shan asked how intent awakened and learned that will differed from Mental Power and could be strengthened by acting on a firm goal.
• Snake Lance Douluo demonstrated his Spear Intent, pinning Tang Shan in place with its force before releasing him.
• Snake Lance Douluo offered to answer Tang Shan's future cultivation questions after praising his talent and contribution to Xue Qinghe.
• Xue Qinghe told Tang Shan to treat him as a friend, and Tang Shan agreed to focus on growing stronger.

Xue Qinghe invited Tang Shan to explore Ironwall City, while Su Yuntao considered whether Chen Zhan’s cultivation method suited him. The chapter left Xue Qinghe and Tang Shan sharing a lively night out, with Snake Lance Douluo noticing that Tang Shan had brought warmth back into Xue Qinghe’s life.

• Tang Shan agreed to explore Ironwall City with Xue Qinghe after Su Yuntao woke and heard how Chen Zhan had tried to take him as a disciple.
• Su Yuntao decided to learn more about Chen Zhan before choosing whether to become his disciple, and Xue Qinghe asked Tang Shan about his body-training method.
• Su Haichao let Su Yuntao decide for himself and gave him a token to present at Spirit Hall in Heaven Dou City.
• Su Haichao declined to travel with Xue Qinghe’s convoy, explaining that he had personal business and old friends in Ironwall City.
• Xue Qinghe, Tang Shan, and Snake Lance Douluo rode through Ironwall City at night, and Tang Shan paid for meat patties when Xue Qinghe had no small coins.
• Snake Lance Douluo reflected that Tang Shan had made Xue Qinghe more lively and helped him show genuine warmth.

Tang Shan and Xue Qinghe left Ironwall City, while Tang Shan urged Xue Qinghe to cultivate during their journey. Meanwhile, Xue Shan departed Bafang City after angering local merchants, who began considering backing the First Prince, though Xue Shan believed his harsh approach would secure their loyalty.

• Tang Shan and Su Yuntao said goodbye to Su Haichao and left in Xue Qinghe’s carriage, where Tang Shan agreed to teach Xue Qinghe his physical cultivation method privately.
• Xue Qinghe met Hong Zhen and his officers, then returned to the carriage and told Tang Shan he had given up cultivating because his supposed innate soul power was only level two.
• Tang Shan encouraged Xue Qinghe to cultivate, unaware that Xue Qinghe had a Six-Winged Angel martial soul and level-twenty innate soul power.
• Xue Shan left Bafang City in a plain carriage, while the former city lord and merchants discussed supporting the First Prince because they distrusted the Second Prince.
• Xue Shan told his companion that he had deliberately treated the merchants harshly and planned to frighten them into submission before improving relations.

On the road to Heaven Dou City, Tang Shan persuaded Xue Qinghe not to undermine the Second and Third Princes and demonstrated his teacher’s body-cultivation method. The demonstration ended with Snake Lance Douluo discovering that Tang Shan’s skin could withstand a knife without injury.

• Tang Shan advised Xue Qinghe to wait for Xue Ye’s judgment rather than act against the Second and Third Princes, and Xue Qinghe agreed.
• Xue Qinghe offered to arrange Tang Shan’s studies and lodging in Heaven Dou City, and Tang Shan chose to stay at the Prince’s Residence to consult the two seniors.
• At a roadside camp, Tang Shan explained that Chen Zhan was training Su Yuntao and that he would arrange work for Chen Zhan after Tang Shan’s elder brother left.
• Tang Shan demonstrated the Bright Force stage of his physical cultivation method to Xue Qinghe, Snake Lance Douluo, and Porcupinefish Douluo, describing how it tempered the body’s potential.
• Tang Shan cut his arm with a sharp knife to demonstrate his toughened skin, leaving no wound, and Snake Lance Douluo inspected the blade in shock.

Tang Shan demonstrated Internal Martial Arts to Xue Qinghe and the two Titled Douluo, revealing how Qi and Blood could support a Body Martial Soul and perhaps activate its Soul Rings and Skills. After explaining the technique’s potential, he began teaching them Standing Stake methods and showed Xue Qinghe a sword-based stance.

• Tang Shan demonstrated Bright Force, Hidden Force, and Transformed Force, while Xue Qinghe and the two Douluo examined their effects.
• Snake Lance Douluo speculated that Tang Shan’s powerful Qi and Blood might eventually activate a Martial Soul, and Xue Qinghe asked whether it could replace Soul Power.
• Tang Shan confirmed that Qi and Blood could substitute for Soul Power to some extent in Body Martial Souls and might eventually activate their Soul Rings and Skills.
• Tang Shan taught Snake Lance Douluo the Three-Body Stance and Porcupinefish Douluo the Two-Polarity Stake, and both quickly began to grasp the method.
• Tang Shan asked Xue Qinghe what he wanted to learn, then taught him the sword-centered Sword-Drawing Stance after Xue Qinghe said he preferred swords.

Tang Shan trained Xue Qinghe and two Spirit Hall Douluos in Standing Stake while Golden Crocodile Douluo fought a powerful soul beast in Death Canyon. After Golden Crocodile Douluo headed for Heaven Dou City, Xue Qinghe returned there, prompting Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi to prepare to see him.

• Tang Shan explained why Standing Stake exhausted Xue Qinghe, who hurried back toward the Imperial Guard camp after his stomach growled.
• Qian Jun Douluo and Demon Subduing Douluo used their Coiling Dragon Staffs to block fleeing soul beasts from escaping Death Canyon.
• Golden Crocodile Douluo emerged after wounding the ancient soul beast and ordered the two Worshippers to keep watch over it.
• Golden Crocodile Douluo set out for Heaven Dou City to check on Xue Qinghe and Tang Shan.
• Xue Qinghe's Imperial Guard escort entered Heaven Dou City, and Xue Ye welcomed news of his return.
• Ning Fengzhi told his pregnant wife he had freed the Fox Woman he bought, then learned that Xue Qinghe had returned and prepared to visit the palace.

Xue Qinghe brought Tang Shan to his residence and promised to secure cultivation resources for him, while Tang Shan settled into a courtyard in Heaven Dou City. The chapter ended with Tang Shan reflecting peacefully on his recent cultivation and setting goals for the next stage.

• Xue Qinghe explained that Tang Shan would stay at his residence and promised to obtain mental-strengthening treasures, physical-training resources, medicinal herbs, and soul bones for him.
• Tang Shan prioritized cultivation resources over soul bones but mentioned he would trade two Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones for an external soul bone; Xue Qinghe agreed to search for one.
• Tang Shan asked about the search for soul beasts, and Xue Qinghe promised to review the reports after reporting to his imperial father at the palace.
• Porcupinefish Douluo speculated that Xue Qinghe had fallen for Tang Shan, but Snake Lance Douluo argued that Xue Qinghe was investing in a talented ally instead.
• Xue Qinghe showed Tang Shan a courtyard near his own quarters, dismissed the maids, and left to report to the emperor.
• Tang Shan spent the afternoon in quiet reflection, then reviewed his cultivation progress and set goals for his next stage.

Tang Shan reviewed his cultivation plans while Xue Qinghe submitted a report to Xue Ye that could undermine Xue Shan’s chances of becoming Crown Prince. Xue Qinghe then visited Tang Shan to discuss Internal Martial Arts and possible Soul Beasts for Tang Shan’s second ring.

• Tang Shan set aside his Self-Created Soul Skill research and planned to develop his will, strengthen his body, and continue studying how will could affect Soul Skills.
• Ning Fengzhi told Xue Ye he favored Xue Qinghe as heir, warning that Xue Shan’s ambition and desire for control could threaten the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
• Xue Qinghe submitted his report on Ironwall City to Xue Ye, who had already begun to discount Xue Shan as a future Crown Prince.
• Xue Qinghe left the palace determined to claim the throne one day.
• Tang Shan practiced Internal Martial Arts, then welcomed Xue Qinghe, who brought breakfast and proposed training with him in the mornings.
• Xue Qinghe told Tang Shan he would discuss Soul Beasts suited to Tang Shan’s second ring after they ate.

Tang Shan learned about possible strength-type Soul Beasts and ultimate attributes while Xue Qinghe arranged a hunt and pursued an External Soul Bone for him. Meanwhile, Xue Ye discovered that Ironwall City had openly favored the Second Prince and demanded a full account of what happened there.

• Xue Qinghe gave Tang Shan reports on several Soul Beasts, and Tang Shan rejected those with multiple attributes while explaining his goal of developing ultimate strength.
• Tang Shan agreed to wait for more search reports before choosing a Soul Beast, and Xue Qinghe said he had found a lead on an External Soul Bone.
• Xue Qinghe privately believed his support had won Tang Shan over and planned to seek the External Soul Bone from his grandfather.
• Xue Ye summoned Zhu Zhong after reading Xue Qinghe's memorial about Ironwall City.
• Zhu Zhong revealed that the townspeople supported the Second Prince as the rightful heir, prompting Xue Ye to smash a teacup and order him to recount everything under threat of execution.

Tang Shan continued cultivating at the Prince's Residence while Xue Qinghe gained favor with Xue Ye after Xue Shan's disastrous report from Bafang City. A month later, Tang Shan broke through to Level 20, and Xue Qinghe arranged for him to hunt a Diamond Mammoth for his second Soul Ring.

• Tang Shan explained that coughing up black blood was part of strengthening his organs, prompting Xue Qinghe to take Internal Martial Arts training seriously.
• Xue Shan returned from Bafang City and submitted a boastful memorial that angered Xue Ye and impressed on him the contrast with Xue Qinghe's performance in Ironwall City.
• Ning Fengzhi reassured Xue Ye that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect remained an ally, while privately deciding that Xue Qinghe was the better choice to inherit the throne.
• Xue Ye offered Ning Fengzhi a catwoman from the Netherworld Zhu Family, and Ning Fengzhi agreed to secure her freedom; they also discussed obtaining Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue.
• After a month of cultivation, Tang Shan reached Level 20 and perfected his Hidden Force, and Xue Qinghe ordered Snake Lance Douluo to take him to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt a Diamond Mammoth.

Su Yuntao thanked Xue Qinghe for helping him obtain a Travel Pass, then left Heaven Dou City to travel the continent and grow through experience. After stabilizing his Soul Power, Tang Shan prepared to seek his Second Soul Ring and helped Xue Qinghe refine his Sword-Drawing Stance.

• Su Yuntao thanked Xue Qinghe for securing his Travel Pass and told him and Tang Shan that he planned to travel the continent.
• Su Yuntao said he wanted to meet different Soul Masters and gain experience through travel and Soul Fighting, then promised Tang Shan he would send a letter every month.
• Xue Qinghe, Tang Shan, and Chen Zhan saw Su Yuntao off at the city gate as he set out without looking back.
• Tang Shan stabilized his Soul Power, reached the Transformed Force stage, and planned to hunt a Soul Beast for his Second Soul Ring and study tiger- and bear-type beasts for his Marrow-Washing Secret Method.
• Tang Shan corrected Xue Qinghe's Sword-Drawing Stance and told him that proper practice could help him reach Bright Force within six months.

Tang Shan traveled with Snake Lance Douluo to the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, where he learned about the dangers and costs of Soul Beast hunting. As they entered the forest, Tang Shan killed a black snake that attacked him, and its white Soul Ring appeared.

• Xue Qinghe confirmed that Tang Shan's Soul Power had stabilized, and Snake Lance Douluo took him toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
• Snake Lance Douluo rested near a town while Tang Shan reflected on will and wondered how Titled Douluo cultivated their Soul Power.
• Snake Lance Douluo warned Tang Shan that Soul Hunting teams could be dangerous, explaining the costs and risks of hiring them.
• Tang Shan and Snake Lance Douluo entered the forest and felt the rich Heaven and Earth Essence.
• A black snake attacked Tang Shan from the branches, and he caught and killed it with his bare hand, causing a white Soul Ring to rise from its body.

Xiao Wu decided to take human form in several years to avenge her mother, while Da Ming and Er Ming tried to dissuade her. A silver-haired Sovereign revealed she had awakened to investigate divine power within Xiao Wu and had altered the beasts’ minds, then took the Emperor Auspicious Beast out to explore.

• Xiao Wu rejected Da Ming and Er Ming’s offer to take revenge for her and planned to enter the human world after taking human form in four or five years.
• Xiao Wu left the Lake of Life to find a handsome Lightning Rabbit, leaving Er Ming upset and Da Ming to console him.
• The silver-haired Sovereign and Di Tian watched from the branches as Da Ming sensed a threat but found nothing.
• The Sovereign explained that divine power had awakened her and that she had changed the beasts’ memories so they believed they were the strongest in the Star Dou Great Forest.
• The Emperor Auspicious Beast asked to explore the outskirts, and the Sovereign agreed to take her out after telling Di Tian to return to the core region.

Tang Shan and Snake Lance Douluo searched the Star Dou Great Forest for the Diamond Mammoth herd, only to find it had migrated, and decided to follow its tracks the next day. After Tang Shan revealed his Transformed Force instincts, Snake Lance Douluo challenged him to test his new strength, and the chapter ended as Snake Lance Douluo launched a dangerous attack.

• Tang Shan demonstrated his Transformed Force by sensing and killing two snakes before they could attack him.
• Tang Shan and Snake Lance Douluo crossed the forest to a lake, where Snake Lance Douluo discovered the Diamond Mammoth herd had moved on.
• Tang Shan found the herd's tracks leading deeper into the forest, and he and Snake Lance Douluo decided to camp and follow them the next day.
• Snake Lance Douluo invited Tang Shan to test his strength, and Tang Shan agreed to spar with him.
• Snake Lance Douluo summoned his Snake Lance and attacked Tang Shan's vital points as Tang Shan sensed the danger.

Tang Shan fought Snake Lance Douluo and pushed his spirit, energy, and vitality to the brink of transformation. As Tang Shan began to form a powerful will, Snake Lance Douluo infused his punches with his own will to help him advance.

• Tang Shan struggled to defend himself against Snake Lance Douluo’s shifting lance attacks and released his Martial Soul when his defenses neared collapse.
• Tang Shan sensed a flaw in Snake Lance Douluo’s power flow, redirected the lance, and rushed in to attack at close range.
• Tang Shan’s fists carried distinct physical forces through Snake Lance Douluo’s Soul Power defenses, shocking him.
• As they exchanged increasingly powerful blows, Tang Shan’s Qi and Blood, Soul Power, and Mental Power reached their peaks and a nascent will gathered around him.
• Snake Lance Douluo sensed Tang Shan’s emerging will and drove his own indomitable, venomous will through his fists against Tang Shan’s punches.

Tang Shan neared a breakthrough in Spear Intent while sparring with Snake Lance Douluo, but lacked the desperate pressure to complete it. Snake Lance Douluo sent him into the forest, where a wounded pack of aggressive Muscle Apes gave Tang Shan the challenge he needed.

• Snake Lance Douluo recognized that Tang Shan was close to understanding will but lacked the resolve of a life-or-death fight.
• Snake Lance Douluo kept attacking Tang Shan to sustain his heightened state, then sensed an approaching opportunity in the forest.
• Snake Lance Douluo hurled Tang Shan into the forest and told him to seize his chance.
• Tang Shan landed on a thin branch and found himself surrounded by a pack of Muscle Apes.
• Tang Shan noticed that many of the apes were wounded and prepared to fight them, starting with the weakest.

Tang Shan faced a troop of ape-type Soul Beasts led by a Multi-Brained Monkey, while Yu Long watched from the treetops and prepared to protect him. Tang Shan killed three attacking apes, but the rest surrounded him as the Multi-Brained Monkey gloated.

• Yu Long monitored the battlefield with his Mental Power and resolved to intervene if Tang Shan was in danger.
• Tang Shan identified the Multi-Brained Monkey leading the apes and prepared to fight its troop.
• The Multi-Brained Monkey stunned Tang Shan with a screech and sent the apes charging at him.
• Tang Shan seized an attacking Frenzied Baboon's club and used it to kill the ape, then struck down two more attackers.
• The surviving apes surrounded Tang Shan, and he mockingly turned his thumb downward as the Multi-Brained Monkey cackled.

Tang Shan battled the Multi-Brained Monkey’s troop, surviving attacks from powerful Soul Beasts as he fought his way toward their leader. In midair, his accumulated experience and resolve coalesced into a breakthrough as he grasped willpower.

• The Multi-Brained Monkey ordered the apes and monkeys to charge Tang Shan, who fought back and broke through their first wave.
• Tang Shan used his strength and fighting skills to kill or injure numerous Soul Beasts, forcing the Multi-Brained Monkey to send stronger guards against him.
• Several hundred-year-old Soul Beasts attacked Tang Shan from all sides with fire, ice, claws, and venom, but he used a giant ape as cover and countered their assault.
• Tang Shan killed the giant ape with Hidden Force, then hurled two attackers into the Iron-Armed Monkey behind him.
• Tang Shan launched himself toward the Multi-Brained Monkey and, as he flew, gathered his scattered strength and grasped willpower.

Tang Shan discovered that his will was simply the desire to grow stronger and unleash his strength, allowing him to use his power more efficiently. He fought through the Ape Soul Beasts to pursue the fleeing Multi-Brained Monkey, but two powerful gorillas blocked his way.

• Tang Shan realized that he wanted above all to grow stronger and release his full power.
• His will unified his Qi and Blood and Soul Power, improving his control and strengthening his attacks.
• Tang Shan resisted the Multi-Brained Monkey's mental attack and smashed through the Ape Soul Beasts guarding its escape.
• Tang Shan confronted a Golden-Fur Gorilla and a Silver-Fur Gorilla, meeting their strength head-on.
• To keep the Multi-Brained Monkey from escaping, Tang Shan grabbed the Golden-Fur Gorilla and hurled it into the Silver-Fur Gorilla.

Tang Shan killed the Multi-Brained Monkey after awakening his own will and drove the remaining Soul Beasts away. Snake Lance Douluo praised his breakthrough and explained that will could eventually help a Titled Douluo refine and improve their Martial Soul.

• Tang Shan overcame the Multi-Brained Monkey's Mental Power attack and killed it, though he regretted that its Soul Ring was unsuitable for him.
• The remaining ape-type Soul Beasts fled after seeing Tang Shan kill their leader.
• Snake Lance Douluo appeared and praised Tang Shan for condensing his own will with only one Soul Ring.
• Tang Shan thanked Snake Lance Douluo for bringing him into the battle, and Snake Lance Douluo explained that will was a specialized enhancement rather than a priority for most Soul Masters.
• Snake Lance Douluo reflected that infusing his will into his Martial Soul had raised its potential and helped him break through cultivation bottlenecks.

Tang Shan entered Deep Meditation after awakening his will, strengthening his body and refining his Soul Power as Snake Lance Douluo guarded him. Nearby, the Silver Dragon King and the Three-Eyed Golden Beast watched Snake Lance Douluo roast a rabbit, and the Silver Dragon King devised a plan to get some.

• Tang Shan dismissed his glimpse of a black-haired girl as an illusion and returned to his tent to cultivate.
• Tang Shan's newly formed will merged with his Soul Power, strengthening his meridians and body as he entered Deep Meditation.
• Snake Lance Douluo roasted a Soft Bone Rabbit and used his Mental Power to protect Tang Shan while he cultivated.
• The Silver Dragon King and the Three-Eyed Golden Beast secretly watched Snake Lance Douluo eat the rabbit and longed for some.
• The Silver Dragon King refused to steal the food, then told the Three-Eyed Golden Beast a plan to obtain some.

After emerging from three days of Deep Meditation, Tang Shan recovered and continued searching with Snake Lance Douluo for a Diamond Mammoth to provide his Second Soul Ring. They found the herd and planned to capture its injured leader, while Tang Shan realized his Body Martial Soul cultivation was nearly complete.

• Tang Shan emerged from Deep Meditation with denser Soul Power, improved physical strength, and cultivation that had brought his Body Martial Soul fusion to 99%.
• Snake Lance Douluo mastered Bright Force, and Tang Shan congratulated him before recovering with food and water.
• After Tang Shan recovered, Snake Lance Douluo carried him through the Star Dou Great Forest as they searched for Diamond Mammoth.
• Snake Lance Douluo found the herd and learned that the Multi-Brained Monkey had defeated its leader, leaving the Diamond Mammoth mentally injured.
• Snake Lance Douluo planned to seize the Diamond Mammoth while Tang Shan hid in a tree, so Tang Shan could kill it and absorb its Soul Ring.