Chapter Summaries

Key plot points

• Xie Yue arrives as the defensive formation is close to collapsing and criticizes the nearly two hundred cultivators for holding back rather than attacking with full force.
• Tang Long provokes him by bringing up Spirit Hall’s former Hall Master, whom Tang Hao killed. Xie Yue attacks, but Tang Long meets his strike with his lightning-charged Clear Sky Hammer and is forced back.
• Yu Tianxin, Dan Moxue, and Bald Man join Tang Long, deterring Xie Yue from continuing the fight. Xie Yue secretly crushes a crystal, apparently calling for help.
• Xie Yue proposes that the five prodigies combine their strength to break the formation. They agree, reasoning that they can settle the inheritance contest afterward.
• As their joint attack is about to shatter the barrier, Tang San realizes he must interrupt Oscar’s work to respond to the danger. A burst of white light then blocks the five attacks, and an unseen voice declares that the people inside are under its protection.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Yue is shown as arrogant, ruthless, and confident in his strength. Tang Long’s taunt about Spirit Hall’s disgrace provokes him into attacking, but he backs down when faced with a united group of rivals. He later takes the initiative to break the stalemate by proposing a joint assault.
• Tang Long is openly defiant and uses Spirit Hall’s past humiliation to needle Xie Yue. Though outmatched in their first clash, he gains support from the other prodigies.
• Yu Tianxin, Dan Moxue, and Bald Man close ranks with Tang Long, presenting a united front against Xie Yue. Their cooperation is practical rather than heartfelt: the narration emphasizes that alliances between powerful factions last only while interests align.
• Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Dai Mubai watch from inside the palace, focused on protecting Oscar. As the barrier fails, Tang San reluctantly decides they must interrupt Oscar.
• The crowd’s prolonged attack reflects widespread self-interest: most cultivators conserve their strength, hoping others will weaken the formation for them.

Significant themes

• Self-interest and opportunism: Nearly everyone holds back, while even cooperation is motivated by advantage.
• Power and backing: Xie Yue’s influence and strength intimidate many, but rivals with comparable status can challenge him collectively.
• Pride and historical grievance: Tang Long’s reference to Tang Hao’s defeat of Spirit Hall’s former Hall Master turns a personal confrontation into a defense of factional honor.
• The uncertainty of the inheritance struggle: Just as the barrier is about to fall, an unknown protector intervenes, sharply changing the balance of power.

Plot points and events

• As Xie Yue and the others threaten the people inside the inheritance Palace, a masked man in a black robe—Yang Que—appears just in time to block their attack.
• Yang Que refuses to identify himself or admit any connection to Shrek Academy. He says he is intervening because he dislikes seeing a small group ganged up on, and because helping could earn him a favor from the future array master receiving the inheritance.
• Dai Mubai confirms that the recipient is a Shrek student and promises Yang Que a favor from both the academy and the future array master. Yang Que still refuses an offer from Dan Moxue to join forces and pursue the inheritance for himself.
• Xie Yue warns that nearly two hundred opponents can overwhelm him. Yang Que secretly pays the system 1,000 Gold Coins to learn that the inheritance will take fifteen more minutes to complete.
• The crowd releases its Martial Souls and sends a combined wave of pressure at Yang Que. It has no effect: his body and cultivation make him strong enough to fight a Soul Emperor with physical power alone. He mocks the attackers as “clowns,” leaving them stunned and angry.

Character developments

• Yang Que shows confidence, strategic thinking, and a willingness to protect the group—though he frames his help as a chance to earn a useful favor. He hides his identity from Tang San and the others, apparently for a reason.
• Xie Yue grows increasingly frustrated. As a celebrated prodigy, he struggles to accept that a seemingly young stranger may surpass him.
• Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Xiao Wu recognize Yang Que, or suspect who he is, but remain inside the Palace to protect the wounded Oscar and cannot join the fight.

Interactions and themes

• Yang Que’s intervention shifts the confrontation from an attack on the Palace barrier to a standoff between one defender and a vast crowd.
• The scene contrasts numbers and reputation with individual strength: the assembled factions expect their combined force to prevail, but Yang Que’s composure and power overturn their assumptions.
• Loyalty, favors, and ambition drive the negotiation. Yang Que protects the Shrek group while refusing to pursue the inheritance himself, and the other factions reveal their willingness to seize the opportunity despite its connection to Shrek students.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Que remains outside the barrier after single-handedly stopping the prodigies’ combined attack. His display of strength makes the gathered soul masters hesitate to challenge him.
• Xie Yue tries to rally the group against Yang Que, arguing that nearly two hundred fighters could defeat even a Soul King. No one is eager to take the risk, however.
• Tang Long mocks Xie Yue for seeking help after insulting the others. He refuses to fight Yang Que and leaves, saying he cares only that the inheritance does not fall to Spirit Hall.
• Xie Yue announces that his sister and another Spirit Hall prodigy are on their way. Yu Tianxin urges Tang Long to stay, but Tang leaves anyway.
• Yang Que calmly waits while the others stall, knowing the inheritance will be complete in ten minutes. After several minutes, only seven remain.
• Hu Liena and Yan arrive, both identified as Spirit Hall prodigies and Soul Ancestors. Their arrival makes a confrontation seem imminent.
• Yang Que, rather than showing concern, openly admires Hu Liena’s appearance. Tang Long watches the standoff from a nearby boulder, curious about what Yang Que will do.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Que appears entirely confident in his strength and uses the delay to his advantage. His casual, flirtatious appraisal of Hu Liena contrasts sharply with the tension around him.
• Xie Yue is jealous of the respect Yang Que commands and frustrated that the others will not cooperate. He tries to retain their support by promising the arrival of stronger allies.
• Tang Long demonstrates caution and independence: he recognizes Yang Que’s danger, refuses to be drawn into a likely losing fight, and leaves despite others’ attempts to persuade him.
• Yu Tianxin is reluctant to abandon the chance at the inheritance and tries to convince Tang Long to stay.
• Hu Liena and Yan arrive as reinforcements, raising the stakes even though the battle has not yet begun.

Significant themes

• Strength versus reputation: Yang Que earns fear through demonstrated ability, while Xie Yue’s standing depends partly on his faction and status.
• Self-interest and risk: The fighters hesitate to act because no one wants to pay the cost of defeating Yang Que only for another person to claim the inheritance.
• Confidence and restraint: Yang Que stays composed, while Tang Long chooses to withdraw rather than fight without a reasonable chance of success.
• Rivalry and jealousy: Xie Yue’s envy of Yang Que shapes his reactions and contributes to the group’s strained alliances.

Summary

The author explains that they have returned to school and now have a very busy schedule, leaving little time to write. Updates may therefore be irregular, and a chapter could take two or three days to complete. Since Xiaohan also can’t update regularly, the author feels uncomfortable asking readers to vote and asks instead for their patience.

• Character development: The author shows concern about disappointing readers and modestly withdraws the request for votes.
• Themes: Balancing school and creative work; patience and understanding between the author and readers.
• Interactions: The author directly addresses readers, explains the delay, and asks them to bear with the irregular updates.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points

• Hu Liena and Yan arrive after Xie Yue summons them, learning that a Formation Master inheritance is inside the barrier and Yang Que is blocking access.
• Yang Que warns the assembled prodigies that the inheritance will be completed in about five minutes, provoking Xie Yue into ordering an attack.
• Xie Yue and the other fighters unleash a combined assault. Yang Que deflects it with a sword technique, then shatters its remaining force with his bare fist, leaving a huge crater and shocking the crowd.
• Hu Liena tries to subdue Yang Que with her Charm skill. He resists and counters with a mental shock, causing her to bleed.
• Xie Yue and Hu Liena prepare to use a powerful Martial Soul Fusion Skill against him.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Que remains relaxed and taunting throughout the confrontation. His swordsmanship, physical toughness, and mental strength prove far beyond what the others expected.
• Xie Yue’s anger at Yang Que’s arrogance drives him to attack, but Yang Que’s effortless defense makes him increasingly wary.
• Hu Liena is curious about Yang Que at first, then alarmed when her Charm fails and rebounds against her.
• Yan is surprised by the challenge, while Lin Chong attempts to impress Hu Liena and is pointedly ignored. Yu Tianxin redirects the group’s attention to the immediate fight.
• The watching Soul Masters hope the combatants will weaken each other so they can seize an advantage, but they hold back from intervening.

Significant themes

• Arrogance and confidence: Yang Que’s provocations reflect his certainty in his own abilities.
• Power and expectation: His performance overturns assumptions about the limits of body tempering and mental strength.
• Self-interest: The spectators prioritize the chance to profit from others’ losses over helping either side.
• Escalation: Each failed attack raises the stakes, ending with the siblings preparing their fusion technique.

Key plot points and events

• Xie Yue and Hu Liena combine their Soul Power and reveal their secret Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Demon Charm. It takes the unusual form of a masked, silver-armored human wielding two curved blades, and its immense pressure overwhelms many of the spectators.
• The onlookers recognize Demon Charm’s red-mist Pseudo-Domain: it disrupts the senses and mental focus but is weaker than a true domain. The display makes the Golden Generation seem even more formidable, while Yang Que realizes he cannot defeat it without revealing his own Martial Soul.
• Demon Charm traps Yang Que in the mist and attacks from shifting angles. Unable to see or reliably strike his opponent, he takes repeated blows while trying to endure until Oscar finishes his inheritance.
• Yang Que notices that the mist briefly destabilizes whenever Demon Charm attacks. He decides to use that momentary weakness to escape, and waits for the next assault.
• Outside the mist, Tang San uses his Purple Demon Eye to watch Yang Que’s increasingly difficult fight. He reassures the worried Xiao Wu, who blames Oscar’s inheritance for the crisis and vows to beat him up when he emerges.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Que remains composed under pressure and shifts from simply enduring attacks to studying the Pseudo-Domain and planning a counter.
• Tang San hides his fear to comfort Xiao Wu, expressing confidence in Yang Que despite what he sees.
• Xiao Wu’s affection for Yang Que as an older-brother figure is evident in her distress; her anger at Oscar provides a lighter note.
• Yan becomes jealous when Lin Chong boasts that Hu Liena is the woman he wants. Their argument nearly turns into a fight before the larger battle draws Yan’s attention away.
• Yu Tianxin and Dan Moxue recognize the danger Demon Charm poses and question how their own teams could stand against it. Lin Chong, by contrast, boasts about Hu Liena’s potential and the Body Sect’s resources.

Significant themes

• Hidden strength and escalating stakes: Demon Charm’s surprise reveal changes the balance of the confrontation and raises doubts about who can prevail.
• Adaptation under pressure: Yang Que’s survival depends not on overpowering his opponent, but on observing the skill and exploiting its brief instability.
• Loyalty and reassurance: Tang San and Xiao Wu’s concern highlights their close bonds with Yang Que.
• Pride and jealousy: Lin Chong’s boasts and Yan’s temper expose the rivalry surrounding Hu Liena.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Que realizes that his strength can disturb Demon Charm’s domain. Though his first forceful punch only ripples the space, it confirms that enough power could break the domain. He prepares to unleash everything on his next opening, knowing Tang San and the others are in danger.
• Within Demon Charm, Hu Liena senses the domain falter. Xie Yue doubts it can be shaken, but agrees they should be cautious if it happens again.
• Outside, Yu Tianxin urges the gathered Soul Masters to attack the barrier while the black-robed fighter is trapped. Hoping to claim the inheritance, the crowd launches a coordinated assault, and the already weakened barrier begins to buckle.
• Tang San and Dai Mubai leave the barrier to hold the attackers back. Tang San tells Xiao Wu to protect Oscar, whose inheritance is nearly complete, and to use the teleportation array if the group is overwhelmed. Xiao Wu wants to fight beside Tang San but reluctantly stays.
• Tang San surrounds the barrier with Blue Silver Grass, trying to shield it while the attackers tear through the vines. Dai Mubai uses his White Tiger Fierce Light Wave to disrupt the crowd’s assault.
• Dai Mubai’s White Tiger Martial Soul reveals his connection to the Star Luo Empire’s imperial family. Yu Tianxin recognizes him, but sends Lin Chong to fight him while the others continue targeting Tang San and the barrier.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Que shows tactical insight and confidence in his immense strength, while feeling the pressure of having to rescue his allies quickly.
• Hu Liena is alert to danger, though her own uncertainty and Xie Yue’s disbelief briefly make her question her instincts.
• Tang San takes command under pressure, choosing the roles he believes will best delay the attackers. His concern for Xiao Wu is evident, but he insists she stay behind.
• Xiao Wu is anxious for Tang San and wants to protect him directly; she finally accepts his plan and hopes Yang Que will break free in time.
• Dai Mubai supports Tang San without hesitation and uses his power to interrupt the enemy. Once identified, he responds defiantly to Yu Tianxin.
• Yu Tianxin is focused on securing the inheritance and directs the attackers strategically. Lin Chong rejects his authority but readily takes up the fight against Dai Mubai.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and teamwork: The Shrek group divides responsibilities to protect Oscar and buy time.
• Trust under pressure: Xiao Wu must trust Tang San’s judgment, while Tang San relies on Yang Que’s ability to escape.
• Ambition and opportunism: The attackers exploit the group’s weakened defenses to pursue the inheritance.
• Power and hidden identity: Dai Mubai’s Martial Soul exposes his royal background, changing how the crowd sees him.

Key plot points and events

• Dai Mubai attacks Lin Chong with his Third Soul Skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation, catching him off guard and sending him crashing into the crowd. The impact injures several Soul Masters who were trying to break through the barrier.
• Dai follows up with another Soul Skill, but Lin Chong summons his Explosive Armor Black Rhino Martial Soul and blocks most of the damage. Lin Chong then charges through Dai’s defenses, leaving him badly injured.
• Yan breaks Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass, exhausting the protection holding back the crowd. Tang San is already near the limit of his Soul Power and suffers severe internal injuries.
• The barrier gives way, revealing the Palace and Oscar’s inheritance. Yan urges the crowd to kill Tang San and Dai Mubai and seize it.
• Tang San uses Hidden Weapons to bring down several attackers, but the effort worsens his condition. Xiao Wu rushes out of the Palace and deflects Yan’s next attack.
• The crowd races toward the Palace, hoping to reach the inheritance first. Yu Tianxin’s group hangs back and lets them test the way.
• Lin Chong prepares to kill Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Xiao Wu with his Third Soul Skill. The chapter ends with both the trio and the Soul Masters entering the Palace facing deadly danger.

Character developments and interactions

• Dai Mubai shows urgency and aggression, opening with his strongest enhancement to end the fight quickly. His confidence falters when Lin Chong withstands his attacks and badly injures him.
• Tang San keeps protecting the barrier despite running out of strength, then uses his Hidden Weapons to save himself and Dai Mubai. His condition deteriorates further, but he and Dai understand that Xiao Wu will not abandon them.
• Xiao Wu acts decisively, leaving the Palace to protect Tang San and Dai Mubai despite the danger.
• Lin Chong is initially humiliated by Dai’s surprise attack, then proves difficult to injure thanks to his body-tempering and defensive skills. He turns his anger toward the group and threatens Xiao Wu.
• Yan mocks the independent Soul Masters and treats the wounded Shrek members with contempt. His frustration grows when Xiao Wu blocks his attack.
• Yu Tianxin focuses on securing the inheritance and lets the advancing crowd take the first risks.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and loyalty: Tang San and Xiao Wu refuse to abandon one another, while Dai Mubai fights to protect their position.
• Exhaustion and escalating danger: The group spends its strength to hold the barrier and repel attackers, only to face an even greater threat.
• Power, pride, and humiliation: Yan and Lin Chong react angrily when challenged, while Dai’s initial advantage gives way to Lin Chong’s superior durability.
• Competition for inheritance: The Palace transforms the conflict into a desperate race, as Soul Masters weigh ambition against the dangers ahead.

Key plot points and events

• At the brink of disaster, Yang Que breaks through Demon Charm’s domain and reveals his second martial soul: the Darkness Demon Dragon, whose innate domain shatters Demon Charm’s.
• Its terrifying pressure pins down most of the battlefield and cancels an attack aimed at Tang San and his companions. A blood-red Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring appears above the dragon. Yang Que explains internally that it came with the martial soul after he survived a lightning tribulation, rather than being absorbed from a beast.
• Yang Que approaches carrying Demon Charm, then throws it down. The martial soul fusion skill separates, revealing the badly injured Hu Liena and Xie Yue.
• He threatens to silence everyone and offers the crowd a grim choice: kill one of the prodigies to earn a chance to live, or die themselves. The crowd turns against its former allies.
• Lin Chong urges everyone to attack Yang Que, but Yang Que strikes him away with one blow. Lin Chong escapes using a treasure, as do Yu Tianxin and several others.
• Yang Que realizes the escapees used sect-issued treasures. He turns to those left behind and asks whether they are ready to face his wrath.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Que shifts from appearing trapped and physically limited to revealing overwhelming power. Though he acts like a merciless demon, his private relief shows he mainly acted to save Tang San, whom he believes is essential to his own continued existence.
• Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Dai Mubai are shaken by the revelation. Xiao Wu wonders if the man is Yang Que, but Tang San and Dai Mubai cannot identify the unfamiliar martial soul.
• Hu Liena and Xie Yue, previously confident in their fusion skill, are brutally defeated and left terrified and badly injured. Yan is stunned by their collapse.
• Yu Tianxin and other survivors abandon the battlefield using escape treasures, while the crowd’s earlier loyalty gives way to panic and self-preservation.

Significant themes

• Hidden power and dramatic reversal: Yang Que’s sudden transformation overturns what seemed like a hopeless situation.
• Fear and coercion: His aura and threats control the battlefield more effectively than ordinary combat.
• Self-preservation and betrayal: Former allies quickly blame one another and consider attacking the prodigies to save themselves.
• Power’s moral ambiguity: Yang Que protects Tang San but uses ruthless intimidation and forces others into a deadly choice.

Plot points and events

• After most powerful competitors flee, Yang Que tells the remaining crowd that only fifty can become his followers. He intends to use his Martial Soul’s ability to enslave people, but hundreds remain.
• He lets the Rogue Cultivators understand that they must prove themselves by fighting one another. A hidden attacker, Chen Ling, strikes first with his concealment-and-assassination Martial Soul, Evil Charm.
• Yang Que rescues Chen Ling and three other early attackers, claiming they are the first he will choose. This prompts the rest to fight more fiercely.
• The battle ends with nineteen wounded Rogue Cultivators still standing. Yang Que declares them worthy, then unleashes Demon Dragon Domain. Forty-five tiny blood-red insects hidden in its demonic energy enter the survivors and others in the crowd, causing their eyes to glow red—apparently beginning the enslavement.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Que demonstrates ruthless pragmatism and strategic manipulation. He uses fear, competition, and selective rescue to control the crowd and identify useful followers.
• Chen Ling reveals himself as both capable and calculating. He explains Evil Charm’s concealment abilities and offers his assassination services; Yang Que values his potential but warns that it is not enough.
• The Rogue Cultivators quickly abandon loyalty to one another when survival and advancement are at stake. Their mutual distrust turns a standoff into a massacre.

Significant themes

• Survival over solidarity: fear and self-interest dissolve even close bonds.
• Power and coercion: Yang Que’s immense strength makes obedience seem like the only route to survival.
• Merit through violence: followers are selected by their willingness and ability to kill, while Yang Que treats people as tools.
• Manipulation: Yang Que engineers the battle, presenting it as a fair test while steering events toward his own aims.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Que reveals the Demon Dragon Martial Soul’s ability to make forty-five people devoted followers. Their Demon Seeds and Demon Bugs also increase their potential.
• He sends twenty-two sect members back to their sects to gather information and gain support, while ordering twenty-three independent cultivators to search the Ruins, grow stronger, and survive long enough to carry out his plans.
• Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Dai Mubai fear Yang Que’s unfamiliar, overwhelming demonic presence. Tang San suspects the Demon Dragon may be Yang Que’s second Martial Soul.
• Yang Que removes his mask and robe, confirming his identity. The friends reunite warmly, and Xiao Wu’s teasing exchange with Yang Que hints at her feelings for Tang San.
• Oscar completes his inheritance, rising into the air amid a pillar of light. Yang Que then leaves, warning Tang San and the others not to reveal their connection to him and explaining that traveling together would endanger them and undermine their training.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Que displays both immense power and strategic ambition, using his followers as agents while remaining protective of his friends. He encourages them to grow rather than rely on him.
• Tang San initially recoils from Yang Que’s demonic aura but quickly embraces him once he recognizes him. He promises that the group will become strong enough to protect Yang Que in the future.
• Xiao Wu is frightened by Yang Que’s transformation, then returns to playful familiarity; her embarrassment when he teases her about Tang San suggests romantic affection.
• Dai Mubai admires Yang Que’s strength but feels inadequate by comparison.
• Oscar’s successful inheritance provides a moment of relief for the group before their paths separate.

Significant themes

• Power and its cost: Yang Que’s growing strength enables him to command followers, but it also makes him seem frightening and alien to those closest to him.
• Loyalty and control: The followers’ devotion is supernatural, raising questions about the difference between allegiance and coercion.
• Independence and growth: Yang Que leaves his friends so they can train and become stronger on their own.
• Secrecy and protection: He keeps his identity hidden to shield his companions and their academy from possible repercussions.

Plot points

• Yang Que leaves the group after rescuing them. Xiao Wu regrets not getting to speak with him and mention that Zhu Zhuqing misses him.
• Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Dai Mubai reflect on Yang Que’s frightening new power. They resolve to train harder so they can eventually keep up with him and help shoulder his burdens.
• Oscar emerges from the palace, thrilled with his inheritance, but is stunned by the battlefield around it. He learns the others were badly hurt defending him while he completed it, and gives them Recovery Sausages.
• Tang San explains that Yang Que arrived in time to save them all, then left. Oscar wishes Yang Que had stayed to protect the group; Dai Mubai and Tang San argue that relying on him would undermine their growth.
• Oscar reveals he inherited formation knowledge: techniques for cultivation and trapping formations, up to the third level. He cannot yet make even a first-level formation, but expects to learn with time.
• After healing, the group plans to find Zhu Zhuqing and the others and continue pursuing treasures and strength. The chapter ends with Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Dan Moyou being chased through a rocky forest by dozens of Soul Masters.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Dai Mubai are shaken by Yang Que’s strength but turn that fear into resolve to become stronger.
• Oscar moves from exhilaration to horror and guilt when he sees the aftermath of the battle. His friends reassure him that they protected him because they are a team, though they tease and scold him for wanting Yang Que to serve as their bodyguard.
• Dai Mubai’s blunt, protective manner clashes humorously with Oscar’s naïve suggestions; Tang San backs Dai Mubai’s point that the group must learn to stand on its own.
• Oscar’s inheritance is potentially valuable but requires study and practice before it can help the team.

Significant themes

• Independence and growth: Yang Que’s protection cannot replace the group’s own training and resilience.
• Team loyalty: The others risked their lives so Oscar could complete his inheritance, and Oscar responds by healing them.
• Power and responsibility: Yang Que’s strength is awe-inspiring, but Tang San notes that he carries a heavy burden.
• Potential versus mastery: Oscar has gained extensive knowledge, but turning it into useful skill will take effort and time.

Plot points and events

• Zhu Zhuqing, Dan Moyou, and Ning Rongrong flee a dozen young Soul Masters who want a mysterious marked disc Zhu Zhuqing found alongside three valuable herbs. The pursuers’ leader orders his men to capture them alive.
• Believing the disc could help someone important to her, Zhu Zhuqing refuses to surrender it. She splits from her teammates to draw the pursuit away. Dan Moyou and Ning Rongrong head in the opposite direction, while four pursuers are sent after them to use them as bait.
• Yang Que reaches a gigantic fissure in the earth, whose smooth sides resemble the cut of an enormous sword. The sight triggers a vision of a vast blade and a crushing pressure that forces him to his knees. He suspects he has glimpsed Sword Heart, the third realm of swordsmanship, beyond Sword Qi and Sword Intent. Eager to learn more, he descends into the fissure.
• Tang San, Dai Mubai, Xiao Wu, and Oscar recover from their injuries outside the Palace, then head deeper into the Ruins. When they sense a nearby battle, Tang San and Dai Mubai charge toward it; Xiao Wu follows, leaving Oscar scrambling after them.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhu Zhuqing shows resolve and self-sacrifice, risking capture rather than giving up the disc and splitting from her friends to protect them.
• Dan Moyou and Ning Rongrong insist that they are a team and do not want to abandon Zhu Zhuqing, though they ultimately follow her plan.
• The pursuers’ leader is calculating: he recognizes Zhu Zhuqing as the hardest target to catch and plans to use her friends to draw her back. He also warns his men not to harm the women, fearing consequences from their powerful backers.
• Yang Que’s encounter with the fissure intensifies his ambition to advance beyond Sword Intent.
• Tang San and Dai Mubai act decisively when they sense trouble, while Oscar prefers to avoid unnecessary fights. Their contrasting instincts briefly separate the group.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and sacrifice: Zhu Zhuqing’s attempt to protect her companions is met by their refusal to abandon her.
• Power and ambition: Yang Que is drawn toward the mysterious highest realm of swordsmanship.
• Strategy and danger: The pursuers use the women’s friendship as leverage, while the Shrek group must decide when to avoid conflict and when to intervene.

Key plot points and events

• Mo You and Ning Rongrong are cornered by four men. Rongrong is unconscious, and Mo You’s Fireheart Cauldron is shattered while she tries to protect them. Just before the attackers’ final blows land, Tang San and Dai Mubai arrive and block the assault.
• Three days later, Mo You wakes beside Rongrong at the group’s camp. Tang San’s party captured the four attackers, who are bound nearby.
• Mo You explains that Zhu Zhuqing drew away eight pursuers after the women found three treasures in the Ruins. The group realizes Zhu’s life may be in danger and immediately sets off to find her.
• At Tang San’s order, Dai Mubai kills the four captured men. The group then races toward the place where the women separated.
• Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuqing’s pursuers search the forest. She has evaded them through speed and knowledge of the terrain, and killed one of them. Their leader orders the remaining men to set the forest on fire and capture her dead or alive.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo You shows fierce resolve, choosing resistance over capture even as her strength fails. On waking, she is disoriented and quickly shifts her concern to Zhu Zhuqing.
• Ning Rongrong is relieved when Mo You awakens and helps explain the situation, but becomes alarmed when Zhu’s peril is recalled.
• Tang San takes charge, stays focused under pressure, and organizes the rescue. His decision to kill the captives shows the group’s increasingly ruthless response to the threat.
• Dai Mubai helps save Mo You, then carries her as the team rushes onward. His playful bravado briefly lightens the reunion.
• Zhu Zhuqing is shown as resourceful and formidable, using the forest to outmaneuver a larger group and striking back when one pursuer becomes careless.
• The pursuers’ leader is volatile and cruel, berating his followers and escalating the danger by ordering them to burn the forest.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and mutual protection: The group risks everything to rescue Zhu Zhuqing, while Mo You and Rongrong initially fight to protect each other.
• Courage and survival: Mo You’s refusal to surrender and Zhu’s ingenuity demonstrate resilience under overwhelming odds.
• Escalating violence: The captors’ pursuit, the execution of the captured men, and the threat of a forest fire show how quickly conflict intensifies.
• Urgency and uncertainty: The rescue party races against time, while the pursuers’ new plan puts Zhu and the forest in immediate danger.

Key plot points and events

• After killing a Soul Elder, Zhu Zhuqing hides in a tree and treats her injuries. She worries about Mo You, Rongrong, and the others, and blames herself for the trouble caused by the treasure she kept.
• Her pursuers set the forest ablaze to force her out, threatening its many plants and Soul Beasts as well as Zhu Zhuqing herself.
• Zhu Zhuqing remembers that Mo You’s Gravity Suit is fireproof. She tests it in the flames, confirms it protects her, and waits while her enemies exhaust their Soul Power burning the forest.
• Once the forest is reduced to a charred wasteland, the attackers search the ruins, believing Zhu Zhuqing may have died or jumped from the cliff. She emerges protected by the suit and kills the young leader’s followers.
• The leader assumes he can still defeat her and take the treasure, but Zhu Zhuqing kills him instantly. She has reached level thirty-nine, while he was only level thirty-six.
• Two more young men appear. Their Soul Power is at least as strong as hers, leaving Zhu Zhuqing facing a new threat.

Character developments

• Zhu Zhuqing turns her pursuers’ destructive plan to her advantage. She remains patient, thinks tactically, and emerges more confident in her strength. Her anger at the attackers’ cruelty fuels her resolve.
• The young leader remains arrogant despite losing most of his followers. His confidence blinds him to Zhu Zhuqing’s strength and costs him his life.
• Mo You does not appear, but the suit he gave Zhu Zhuqing proves crucial and reinforces her emotional attachment to him.

Significant themes

• Resourcefulness and patience: Zhu Zhuqing survives by identifying the suit’s protection and waiting for her enemies to weaken.
• Arrogance and miscalculation: The leader underestimates Zhu Zhuqing, even when isolated and outmatched.
• Destruction and its cost: The attackers sacrifice the forest and its inhabitants in pursuit of the treasure, revealing their greed and disregard for life.
• Attachment and loyalty: Zhu Zhuqing’s concern for her companions and tenderness toward Mo You’s gift show that her struggle is personal as well as practical.

Character interactions

• Zhu Zhuqing reflects on her absent companions and Mo You, then relies on his gift to survive.
• The young leader taunts her, threatens her, and offers to spare her only if she gives up the treasure and becomes his concubine.
• Zhu Zhuqing answers his threats with a calculated ambush, kills his followers, and then dispatches him when he lets his guard down.
• The chapter ends with Zhu Zhuqing confronting two powerful strangers whose arrival interrupts her escape.

Plot points and events

• Yu Tianxin of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Lin Chong of the Body Sect confront Zhu Zhuqing, demanding the mysterious wheel she carries. Both admit they intend to kill her and dismiss the consequences for their families and Shrek Academy.
• Zhu suspects their grudge stems from a previous clash with her Shrek companions, but refuses to surrender the treasure and prepares to fight.
• She attacks Yu Tianxin with her first soul skill, forcing him back with her Light Blades. Lin Chong then reveals his Explosive Armor Black Rhino martial soul and joins Yu, leaving Zhu badly outnumbered.
• Facing both men, Zhu uses her third soul skill, Netherworld Slash, to weaken their combined attacks. She is exhausted, however, and the remaining force sends her over the edge of the Abyssal Valley.
• Tang San and Dai Mubai arrive too late to save her. Tang’s vine reaches toward Zhu but breaks just short of her, and she disappears into the abyss.
• Xiao Wu and the other Shrek students arrive. The group surrounds Yu and Lin Chong, consumed by grief and anger.

Character developments

• Zhu Zhuqing remains defiant under pressure. Though afraid and aware of the odds, she commits everything to fighting and chooses resistance over surrender.
• Yu Tianxin shifts from smug confidence to anger and concern when Zhu proves powerful; he urges Lin Chong to help eliminate her before she can reunite with Shrek.
• Lin Chong reveals resentment toward Lin Song, whom he sees as an undeserving heir, and joins the attack despite initially watching from the sidelines.
• Tang San and Dai Mubai are devastated by Zhu’s fall, and their grief turns immediately toward the two attackers.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and resolve: Zhu fights on despite near-certain defeat rather than give up the treasure or submit.
• Revenge and misplaced blame: Yu and Lin target Zhu partly because of conflicts with her companions, transferring their anger to someone who did not cause their defeat.
• Ambition and resentment: Lin Chong’s grievance over succession fuels his hostility toward his own sect’s hierarchy.
• The cost of loyalty: Zhu’s commitment to her friends and academy—and the others’ attachment to her—culminates in a tragic, apparently fatal loss.

Character interactions

• Zhu challenges Yu and Lin’s motives, while they threaten her and dismiss Shrek’s ability to retaliate.
• Yu and Lin cooperate out of shared interest, though Yu suspects Lin would have preferred to let the two opponents weaken each other.
• Tang San and Dai Mubai’s failed rescue is followed by the arrival of the rest of the group, who confront the attackers as a united party.

Key plot points and events

• Trapped by Tang San and five other Shrek students, Yu Tianxin and Lin Chong use teleportation stones to escape rather than fight. Both have now spent two of their three stones and vow revenge on Shrek.
• The group turns to rescuing Zhu Zhuqing, who fell into the abyss. They try lowering ropes made from vines and extending them with Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass, but the abyss is too deep, and violent winds from below make the descent dangerous.
• Believing Zhu Zhuqing may be dead, the students are overwhelmed by grief. Tang San blames himself for failing to protect her, especially because Yang Que had asked him to keep her safe.
• Dan Moyou urges the group to stop mourning and seek vengeance. The students rally around Tang San, declare “blood for blood,” and head deeper into the Ruins, hoping to confront Yu Tianxin and Lin Chong.
• At the bottom of the abyss, Yang Que sits beside the unconscious, badly injured Zhu Zhuqing. His killing intent surges as he vows to punish whoever caused her fall.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang San shifts from despair and self-blame to resolve, accepting his friends’ support and joining their vow of revenge.
• Xiao Wu comforts Tang San and shares his grief, recalling how Yang Que protected them both.
• Dai Mubai and the others share Tang San’s sorrow and affirm that Zhu Zhuqing is their sister too; they unite behind him.
• Dan Moyou takes the lead in redirecting the group’s grief into action.
• Yu Tianxin and Lin Chong escape, but their threats of revenge suggest their conflict with Shrek is far from over.
• Yang Que’s fury reveals how deeply he cares for Zhu Zhuqing and intensifies the danger facing whoever harmed her.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and found family: The Shrek students treat Zhu Zhuqing as family and stand together in grief and danger.
• Guilt and responsibility: Tang San holds himself responsible for failing to protect her, despite the circumstances.
• Grief transformed into vengeance: The group moves from helpless mourning toward a shared mission.
• Consequences of violence: Yu Tianxin and Lin Chong’s aggression leads to retaliation, while Zhu Zhuqing’s injuries provoke Yang Que’s wrath.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Que descends into the abyss after sensing a third-realm Sword Dao aura and catches Zhu Zhuqing as she falls. He breaks her fall, then discovers she is gravely injured.
• He uses their shared affinity from the Twin Life Flower to heal her, but learns from the system that the abyss’s Sword Qi has also shocked her soul. A Heaven Soul Pill could restore her immediately, but he cannot afford its 600,000-Gold-Coin price; instead, he must nourish her with Soul Power each day.
• Yang Que cares for Zhuqing for four days. His anger at whoever hurt her resonates with the Sword Qi in the abyss, while a faint red light begins to stir in its depths.
• Zhuqing finally wakes. The two reunite emotionally, embrace, kiss, and share stories of their time apart.
• Zhuqing reports that she has reached level 39 and is the strongest student at Shrek Academy. Yang Que recounts his dangerous adventures, including his mercenary work, battles, and recruitment of powerful allies.
• Their reunion is interrupted when the abyss shakes and a blood-red light erupts from below, accompanied by overwhelming killing intent.

Character developments

• Yang Que is shown as deeply devoted and protective, putting Zhuqing’s safety above everything. His helplessness over her injuries fuels intense anger, and his dangerous experiences reveal how much his strength and responsibilities have grown.
• Zhu Zhuqing wakes still weak but relieved to be reunited with Yang Que. She is affectionate and openly jealous, yet privately struggles with feeling too weak to support him. Her ambition is to become his equal partner rather than merely depend on him.

Character interactions

• Yang Que gently heals and comforts Zhuqing, while she responds with tears, affectionate reproaches, and a passionate reunion.
• As they catch up, Zhuqing reacts to Yang Que’s exploits with amusement, pride, and fear for his safety. She questions him about other women, and he reassures her—though his suggestion that she stay home and have children clashes with her desire to fight beside him.

Significant themes

• Love and devotion: Yang Que’s care and Zhuqing’s longing anchor their reunion.
• Vulnerability and strength: Zhuqing’s injuries expose her dependence on Yang Que, while her resolve to grow stronger challenges that role.
• Protection versus partnership: Yang Que sees keeping Zhuqing safe as her greatest support; she wants to contribute actively.
• Power and consequences: The unexplained Sword Qi, Yang Que’s rage, and the red light suggest that the abyss’s power may be awakening—and may pose a new threat.

Plot points and events

• A terrifying red pillar erupts from the Abyssal Land, flooding the Ruins with murderous intent. Its appearance draws Soul Masters from across the region, all hoping to claim a powerful inheritance.
• Spirit Hall’s Golden Generation—Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan—head toward the pillar. Xie Yue believes their recent gains will let him defeat the black-robed Yang Que and erase the shame of his earlier loss. Hu Liena privately doubts their improvement is enough.
• Shrek’s group, now joined by Ma Hongjun and Lin Song, continues searching for Yu Tianxin and Lin Chong while gathering Spirit Medicine. They suspect the pillar may be connected to Zhu Zhuqing and rush toward the Abyssal Land.
• Yu Tianxin and Lin Chong also decide to go, despite expecting to encounter their pursuers. They hope the inheritance could give them enough power to turn their fortunes around.
• Numerous other prodigies converge on the Abyssal Land, setting the stage for a major confrontation.
• At the abyss’s bottom, the murderous force strikes Yang Que and Zhu Zhuqing. Yang Que’s defenses fail, so he shields Zhu with his body and is badly injured. He hides the extent of his wounds from her.
• Yang Que learns from the system that his own Slaughter Sword Intent resonated with the inheritance and caused it to emerge. The inheritance is linked to the Third Step of Sword Dao, and he may have an advantage in claiming it. The system demands an exorbitant fee for instructions.
• The ground begins to rise, signaling that the inheritance has fully emerged.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Que demonstrates his protectiveness by taking the full impact of the murderous intent to spare Zhu Zhuqing. Though seriously injured, he reassures her and conceals his pain. His discovery that his power triggered the inheritance raises his hopes—and his determination to claim it without paying the system.
• Zhu Zhuqing remains weak but is unharmed. She shows concern for Yang Que, while he responds gently and keeps her from realizing how badly he is hurt.
• Hu Liena remains cautious and perceptive, recognizing that the black-robed Yang Que may have grown stronger too. She suppresses her concerns rather than discourage her brother.
• Xie Yue is driven by pride and his desire to overcome his previous defeat; his confidence contrasts with Hu Liena’s doubts.
• Lin Song joins Shrek’s pursuit of Lin Chong, motivated by their long-standing rivalry as well as outrage over what happened to Zhu Zhuqing.
• Yu Tianxin and Lin Chong are increasingly desperate, caught between avoiding their pursuers and risking a dangerous journey for the inheritance.

Significant themes

• Ambition and competition: The inheritance draws rivals and factions toward a likely large-scale clash.
• Protection and sacrifice: Yang Que puts Zhu Zhuqing’s safety above his own.
• Pride, doubt, and growth: Xie Yue’s need to repair his confidence clashes with Hu Liena’s realistic caution.
• Fortune and consequences: Yang Que’s power unintentionally awakens the inheritance, making him central to the conflict that follows.

Key plot points and events

• The abyss beneath the Ruins rises amid powerful tremors, while its red pillar of light shrinks. The crowd assumes a major inheritance is about to appear and begins fighting for position.
• Rogue Cultivators stop fighting each other and draw together after Yan dismisses them as no threat. Hu Liena suggests they may still be useful.
• Tang San and the Shrek students arrive. Their reputation for surviving a mass attack and relentlessly pursuing two sect heirs makes the crowd wary of provoking them.
• Shrek spots Xie Yue and his companions, who had helped lead the earlier siege, but Tang San restrains his anger.
• Yu Tianxin and Lin Chong then arrive—the pair Shrek has been hunting since Zhu Zhuqing was pushed into the abyss. The Shrek students immediately attack.
• Yu Tianxin appeals for help. Dan Moyou and Tang Long initially hang back, but Dan asks Tang Long to intervene. Tang Long agrees and tries to persuade Shrek to spare the pair. Tang San refuses, declaring that nothing will stop them from taking revenge.
• Tang Long reveals a Clear Sky Hammer, startling Tang San, who recognizes it as the same Martial Soul as his own. Both sides summon their Martial Souls and prepare to fight.
• Before battle begins, the abyss transforms: a stretch of land appears, bearing a magnificent Blood Palace. Two figures stand outside it. Shrek reacts with delight, while some in the crowd look dismayed.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang San struggles to contain his anger toward Xie Yue’s group, then abandons restraint when he sees Yu Tianxin and Lin Chong. His desire for justice and grief over Zhu Zhuqing outweighs the approaching inheritance.
• The Shrek students act as a united force, driven by shared outrage and loyalty to their fallen comrade.
• Tang Long steps in to protect Yu Tianxin and Lin Chong, relying on his status and strength; Shrek’s refusal angers him and leads him to prepare for combat.
• Dan Moyou hesitates but ultimately asks Tang Long for help.
• Yu Tianxin and Lin Chong are reduced to pleading for allies, while Xie Yue remains confident that his own group can handle itself.
• The Rogue Cultivators show their pragmatism by turning from rivalry to cooperation when they realize they cannot challenge the strongest teams alone.

Significant themes

• Revenge and loyalty: Shrek’s attack is fueled by grief for Zhu Zhuqing and solidarity with their fallen companion.
• Power and survival: The crowd’s alliances and rivalries shift according to strength and the chance of securing an inheritance.
• Reputation and intimidation: Shrek’s past actions make others fear them, even before they fight.
• A looming interruption: The Blood Palace’s sudden appearance halts a confrontation and hints that the inheritance—and its true stakes—are about to be revealed.