Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Xu Yuan arrives at Dorm Seven as a new work-study student. Wang Sheng explains that newcomers are expected to fight for the right to be dorm leader, but Xu Yuan declines, saying his Wish-Granting Tree is suited to support rather than combat.
• When Wang Sheng jokes that the name sounds as if it grants wishes, Xu Yuan confirms it and manifests a towering, crystal-gold tree. He claims it can grant almost any wish—once a month, with a price or unintended side effects.
• Xu Yuan recounts three examples: a man who wished for more excitement saw his wife run off with another man and lose his money and land; a layabout who wished for a windfall broke his leg and received three Gold Soul Coins in compensation; and Uncle Buck, who wished to live without working, became grateful enough to give Xu Yuan new clothes, bedding, and spending money.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Wu wondering whether the tree could hide her Soul Beast aura.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan presents himself as cheerful and nonconfrontational, but his stories suggest he takes a mischievous, highly literal view of wish-granting. He defends the results by focusing on whether the wishes technically came true.
• Wang Sheng shifts from explaining dorm rules to incredulity, then grudgingly accepts Xu Yuan’s logic. He also recognizes that Xu Yuan’s fine belongings are unusual for a work-study student.
• Tang San is skeptical and probes the cost of the wishes. His patched clothes and thoughts about the academy gatekeeper reveal his family’s poverty and his resentment at being judged by appearance.
• Xiao Wu moves from excitement to curiosity. The possibility of using the tree to conceal her identity gives her interest a personal stake.
• The dorm students react with amazement, envy, and discomfort as the examples reveal how unpredictable the wishes can be.

Significant themes

• Wish versus outcome: A wish may be fulfilled literally while producing a result very different from what the wisher intended.
• Hidden costs: Apparent good fortune can come with painful consequences.
• Hope and self-interest: The characters are intrigued by the tree, but Xiao Wu’s question hints that its power could affect matters of survival and identity.

Plot points and events

• Xu Yuan explains that his Wish-Granting Tree brought Uncle Buck good fortune—but in an unexpected way: Buck became the kept partner of a wealthy, level-18 female Soul Master with a Black Bear Martial Soul. She also bought Xu Yuan’s clothes and bedding to thank him.
• Xiao Wu asks to use the Tree’s monthly wish. Xu Yuan warns her that wishes can come true at a cost or with unforeseen side effects. Tang San also urges caution, though his concern is mixed with discomfort at Xiao Wu’s closeness to Xu Yuan.
• Xiao Wu wishes that even a human Titled Douluo will be unable to detect the aura of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast on her.
• The Tree releases a brilliant flash. Xiao Wu initially celebrates when her Soul Beast aura seems to disappear.
• Xu Yuan realizes the wish has done something drastic: a red Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring has appeared inside him. He suspects Xiao Wu’s Soul Ring has been transferred to him. Xiao Wu then discovers that she can no longer sense her own Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Origin.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan remains cautious about the Tree’s unpredictable magic and recognizes the dangerous, unintended consequence of Xiao Wu’s wish, though he struggles to hide his amusement.
• Xiao Wu is eager to use the Tree and accepts the risk, but her excitement turns to alarm when she realizes her Soul Beast Origin is gone.
• Tang San is tempted to use the Tree to overcome a cultivation bottleneck, yet warns Xiao Wu against making a wish. He also shows jealousy or unease when she takes Xu Yuan’s hand.
• Wang Sheng and the other students are impressed by the Tree’s power and curious about what Xiao Wu wished for.
• Uncle Buck serves as an earlier comic example of the Tree granting a wish in an unexpected, life-changing fashion.

Significant themes

• Wishes carry unpredictable consequences: the Tree fulfills requests, but not necessarily in the way the wisher intends.
• Power and risk are intertwined: Xiao Wu’s attempt to protect her identity may have cost her the very origin that defines her.
• Comedy and danger coexist: the story’s humorous account of Buck’s new life contrasts with the potentially serious consequences of Xiao Wu’s wish.

Plot points and events

• Xiao Wu realizes that her wish’s price was the loss of her Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast essence. She fears this will make cultivation much harder and demands that Xu Yuan undo the wish.
• Xu Yuan says the wish is irreversible and that he only activated the Wish-Granting Tree’s power; he cannot control its consequences. He keeps the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring the wish produced.
• Tang San deduces that Xu Yuan’s Martial Soul can make wishes come true, though at a cost, and recognizes its extraordinary potential.
• Xiao Wu pins Xu Yuan down, but springs away when his warning about their awkward physical contact embarrasses her. Xu Yuan offers to buy her dinner as compensation; she accepts, vowing to make the meal expensive.
• Wang Sheng reminds Xiao Wu that she and Tang San still need to settle who will lead Dorm Seven. Xiao Wu defeats Tang San after the flash from the wish-granting ability temporarily blinds him when he tries to use his Purple Demon Eye.
• Xiao Wu claims the title of “Sister Xiao Wu” and makes clear that Xu Yuan must call her that. A teacher arrives with new bedding.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Wu shifts from excitement to anger and regret, but ultimately accepts that the wish cannot be reversed. She recognizes that losing her Soul Beast aura may protect her from being hunted by a Titled Douluo, and remains confident she can progress through hard work.
• Xu Yuan stands firm that he cannot reverse or control the wish, while trying to placate Xiao Wu with dinner. He cautiously accepts her new authority.
• Tang San becomes intrigued by Xu Yuan’s wish-granting power, but the lingering effect of its flash leaves him vulnerable during his fight with Xiao Wu.
• The confrontations among Xiao Wu, Xu Yuan, and Tang San mix anger, embarrassment, and humor; Xiao Wu turns her frustration into a decisive victory over Tang San.

Significant themes

• The cost of wishes: A wish can come true while exacting a painful, life-altering price.
• Power and uncertainty: Xu Yuan’s ability is potent but limited by consequences he cannot control, making it valuable yet dangerous.
• Adaptation after loss: Xiao Wu must adjust to losing an extraordinary advantage, but sees both new risks and unexpected protection in the change.

• The dorm and bedding: Teacher Mo Hen explains the work-study students’ duties and consequences for shirking them. Xiao Wu realizes she has no bedding and asks to share Xu Yuan’s unusually fine set. Xu Yuan agrees and pushes their beds together, hoping to keep the peace after taking Xiao Wu’s Hundred Thousand Year Origin.
• Xiao Wu asserts herself: Tang San watches, jealous and heartbroken, briefly imagining Xiao Wu might be calling him over for something affectionate. Instead, she scolds him for standing idle and orders him to help push Xu Yuan’s bed. When Tang San hesitates, Wang Sheng does it himself. Xiao Wu then promises to protect Xu Yuan until he has repaid what he owes her. Xu Yuan thanks her, though his private thoughts reveal he hopes to one day obtain a second Martial Soul—and may eventually absorb Xiao Wu’s Soul Ring.
• The group heads to dinner: Hungry Xiao Wu leads the others toward the dining hall, eager to eat carrots and spend Xu Yuan’s money. There they encounter Yu Xiaogang. Tang San greets him respectfully and reveals that Yu is his teacher.
• Wang Sheng criticizes Yu Xiaogang: Wang Sheng calls Yu an ineffective freeloader, citing his low Soul Power and lack of teaching. Tang San becomes angry and warns Wang Sheng not to speak that way again, then leaves without accepting help with his meal. Wang Sheng is left baffled by Tang San’s reaction.
  Character developments and relationships: Xiao Wu grows more commanding and openly treats the dorm as her domain, while also showing a protective side toward Xu Yuan. Xu Yuan remains grateful to her but keeps his self-serving ambitions hidden. Tang San’s jealousy of Xu Yuan is compounded by his fierce loyalty to Yu Xiaogang. Wang Sheng tries to help but misjudges how personally Tang San takes criticism of his teacher.
  Themes: The chapter contrasts outward loyalty and affection with private motives, especially Xu Yuan’s gratitude alongside his plans for Xiao Wu’s power. It also explores hierarchy and authority—Xiao Wu’s new leadership in the dorm, Tang San’s deference to his teacher, and Wang Sheng’s skepticism toward that teacher.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yuan treats Dorm Seven’s work-study students to a meal, earning their gratitude and respect.
• He announces that he has Innate Full Soul Power and plans to add a First Soul Ring to his Wish-Granting Tree Martial Soul. He intends to absorb the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring already inside him, but worries Tang Hao might witness it.
• Xu Yuan says Soul Master Sisi has offered to help him hunt for a ring. In reality, he hopes to find a private place and absorb his ring without anyone’s help.
• The dorm students volunteer to cover Xu Yuan and Xiao Wu’s work duties while he is away, expecting that his advancement will help protect Dorm Seven.
• Although Xiao Wu initially intends to cultivate, she is reminded that her hundred-thousand-year essence is gone and she can no longer progress by simply resting. She quickly gives up and goes back to bed.
• Xiao Wu crowds Xu Yuan out of his bedding, blaming his Martial Soul for taking something important from her. Xu Yuan turns to face her rather than yield his space.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan is generous and confident, but his plans are complicated by the need to keep his unusual Soul Ring secret. He postpones leaving until the next day, partly because he wants to enjoy the dorm’s comfortable bedding.
• Xiao Wu remains casual and bossy, while privately grieving the loss of her hundred-thousand-year essence and worrying about having to hunt for her Second Soul Ring. She also grows comfortable sharing Xu Yuan’s bed.
• Wang Sheng and the other students become more respectful toward Xu Yuan and Xiao Wu. They see the pair as potential defenders who could improve Dorm Seven’s standing.
• Xu Yuan and Xiao Wu tease and bicker over cultivation, rest, and bed space, with Xiao Wu asserting seniority and Xu Yuan quietly resisting her encroachment.

Significant themes

• Power and status: Innate Full Soul Power changes how others regard Xu Yuan and Xiao Wu, while the dorm students hope their strength will end the group’s mistreatment.
• Loss and adaptation: Xiao Wu must adjust to life without her extraordinary essence and face the ordinary demands of cultivation.
• Secrecy and trust: Xu Yuan’s hidden Soul Ring and concern about Tang Hao’s attention create an undercurrent of risk beneath the chapter’s light tone.
• Comfort and camaraderie: The shared meal, offers of help, and playful bedtime quarrel show the dorm growing closer.

Key plot points and events

• Tang San wakes to prepare for Soul Hunting Forest with Grandmaster, hoping to obtain his first Blue Silver Grass Soul Ring and advance his Mysterious Heaven Skill. His eyes are still recovering from the previous day’s incident, so he pauses his Purple Demon Eye training.
• Tang San discovers Xiao Wu asleep in Xu Yuan’s arms and feels jealous, though he sets his feelings aside to focus on his upcoming Soul Ring.
• Wang Sheng reveals that Xu Yuan and Xiao Wu both have Innate Full Soul Power. Tang San is surprised but remains confident that Grandmaster’s guidance will give him an advantage.
• Tang San leaves for the forest. Wang Sheng and another student worry that Grandmaster’s lack of combat experience could put them in danger; Wang Sheng defends him and insists Dorm Seven’s leaders are Xu Yuan and Xiao Wu.
• Xu Yuan and Xiao Wu wake. Xiao Wu is embarrassed by their closeness but feels an unexplained sense of safety and familiarity around him. Xu Yuan conceals his discomfort and avoids prolonging the awkward moment.
• Xu Yuan learns Tang San has left and wonders whether Tang San might encounter the four-hundred-year Mandala Snake. He leaves the academy himself, but only to rent a private courtyard in Nuoding City. There, he summons his Glazed Ancient Tree, whose light contains a red orb: the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Origin he obtained from Xiao Wu.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang San remains ambitious and certain that obtaining a Soul Ring will prove his worth, while his jealousy of Xu Yuan is exposed by Xiao Wu’s closeness to him.
• Xu Yuan keeps his own plans secret and shows concern about the danger Tang San may face. His closeness with Xiao Wu also hints at the mysterious influence of the Soul Beast Origin within him.
• Xiao Wu is bashful about waking in Xu Yuan’s arms, yet instinctively trusts him and feels familiar with him without understanding why.
• Wang Sheng admires Xu Yuan and Xiao Wu, worries about Tang San’s journey, and tries to defend Grandmaster from criticism.
• Tang San and Grandmaster are linked by Tang San’s confidence in his teacher’s theoretical expertise, even as others doubt Grandmaster’s practical ability.

Significant themes

• Ambition and rivalry: Tang San hopes success will silence those who doubt him, while his comparison with Xu Yuan reveals competitive tension.
• Trust versus doubt: Tang San trusts Grandmaster’s guidance, but the dormitory students question whether Grandmaster can protect him.
• Fate and hidden connections: Xiao Wu’s unexplained familiarity with Xu Yuan points to a deeper bond connected to his secret Soul Beast Origin.
• Appearance and concealed intentions: Xu Yuan’s ordinary departure masks his real purpose and the power developing within his Martial Soul.

Plot points and events

• Xu Yuan converts the essence of Xiao Wu’s hundred-thousand-year soul into his first Soul Ring. His body can initially support only an approximately three-hundred-year ring, so it appears yellow, but the Wish-Granting Tree seals the beast’s full power inside him for gradual release as he grows.
• The ring raises Xu Yuan to Level 12. He realizes its true potential is a hundred-thousand-year essence that will unlock over time, potentially boosting his future cultivation dramatically.
• Xu Yuan’s first Soul Skill is Invincible Wish-Granting Golden Body: it grants three seconds of near-total invulnerability, with its duration increasing as his Soul Power rises. Because his Martial Soul is support-type, he can share the effect with others. He wonders whether Xiao Wu’s Soul Bone is included in the sealed essence, but gets no answer.
• The next day, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang arrive at the Soul Hunting Forest to find Tang San a first Soul Ring. Yu Xiaogang seeks a suitable snake-type beast but struggles to find one he can handle.
• A hundred-year Mandala Snake suddenly attacks them. Yu Xiaogang orders his Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao, to distract it, but the snake poisons it and continues after them.
• Tang San reveals his hidden combat skills and fights the snake with his Sleeve Arrow, short sword, and Tang Sect techniques. When his Purple Demon Eye fails and the snake spits venom into his eyes, he is left crying out in pain.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan moves from disappointment at his Soul Ring’s low initial age to excitement at discovering its sealed potential. He is impressed by his powerful first skill and considers how it could protect a team.
• Yu Xiaogang is eager to prove his Martial Soul theories through Tang San’s Soul Ring choice, but his confidence gives way to panic when the Mandala Snake attacks. His limited ability to fight the beast leaves Tang San to take over.
• Tang San shifts from a hesitant student to an active combatant, exposing his concealed abilities to protect himself and Yu Xiaogang. Despite his skill and quick thinking, the snake exploits the failure of his vision and injures his eyes.
• Yu Xiaogang attempts to guide and protect Tang San, while Tang San ultimately becomes the one defending them both.

Significant themes

• Power that grows over time: Xu Yuan’s Soul Ring is limited by his current body but retains its full potential, linking strength to gradual development.
• Unexpected advantages and costs: Xu Yuan gains an extraordinary protective skill, while Tang San’s reliance on his eye technique becomes a vulnerability when it fails.
• Theory versus reality: Yu Xiaogang’s careful plans collapse in the face of a dangerous, unexpected encounter, forcing Tang San to act.

Chapter Summary: “Failed Soul Beast Hunt?”

Key plot points and events

• The Mandala Snake’s venom splashes into Tang San’s eyes, causing intense pain and blurred vision. He rinses them with water and uses the Mysterious Heaven Skill, but his Purple Demon Eye only provides a hazy view before the pain forces him to stop using it.
• Tang San fears the damage may be permanent and thinks Xu Yuan’s Wish-Granting Tree Martial Soul might be able to heal him.
• Blaming Yu Xiaogang for the disaster, Tang San briefly considers killing him with a concealed weapon. He hesitates because Yu correctly recognized his Twin Martial Souls and because killing his teacher would damage his reputation.
• Tang San pretends that the snake knocked him unconscious, concealing what really happened. Yu Xiaogang checks his eyes and panics over the possibility of blindness, then urges him to keep rinsing them.
• The Mandala Snake has left. Yu regrets losing the chance to obtain it as Tang San’s First Soul Ring, while Tang San is relieved they survived.
• Yu refuses to leave the forest or ask other Soul Masters for help, partly because he has publicly disparaged them and fears humiliation. He insists they continue searching.
• Yu becomes dizzy and suspects he has been poisoned through Luo Sanpao, his Martial Soul. As his strength falters, he considers settling for a Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo.
• A new snake appears: a roughly two-hundred-year-old Corrosive Swamp Venomfang Python. Yu recognizes it, and the chapter ends as he reacts with interest.

Character developments

• Tang San is shown as resourceful under pressure, using his prior experience with venomous snakes and quick first aid. However, his fear and anger reveal a ruthless streak: he nearly kills Yu, then decides to protect his own reputation by acting like an injured child.
• Yu Xiaogang remains confident in his knowledge but proves physically incapable of protecting Tang San. His concern for the boy is genuine, yet pride and fear of public disgrace keep him from seeking outside help. He continues to focus on finding a Soul Beast despite his worsening condition.

Character interactions

• Tang San hides the truth about the encounter and his near-fatal anger from Yu, while Yu responds with sincere concern for Tang San’s injured eyes.
• Their teacher-student relationship is strained by Tang San’s private resentment and Yu’s inability to defend them, even as Yu believes Tang San’s injury was his own fault.
• Yu’s dismissive attitude toward other Soul Masters shapes their choices and leaves the pair isolated in the forest.

Significant themes

• Trust and deception: Tang San conceals both his actions and his motives from Yu.
• Pride and reputation: Yu’s refusal to seek help prioritizes his standing over safety.
• Knowledge versus ability: Yu understands Soul Beasts but cannot reliably protect himself or his student.
• Survival under pressure: Both men face the consequences of a dangerous hunt, while Tang San’s injury raises the stakes.

Key plot points and events

• Yu Xiaogang identifies a rare Corrosive Swamp Venomfang Python as the target for Tang San’s first Soul Ring. Though its venom is said to rival the Mandala Snake’s, Grandmaster claims the python is only about two hundred years old and can be restrained.
• Tang San questions whether a plant-type Martial Soul can absorb a Beast Soul Ring. Yu Xiaogang introduces his untested “Martial Soul Mimicry” theory: plant and Beast Martial Souls can absorb each other’s Soul Rings. Trusting his teacher, Tang San agrees to test it.
• Yu Xiaogang uses his remaining Soul Power to pin the python down. Tang San kills it and begins absorbing its Yellow Soul Ring, while Yu Xiaogang collapses as the poison overwhelms him.
• During absorption, Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass is corrupted by the python’s deathly poison. He gains toughness, but apparently not useful venom; instead, the grass becomes rotten-looking and reeks horribly. Its toughness also seems oddly brittle.
• Tang San awakens and tests his new skill, Blue Silver Entanglement, on a cat. He then realizes Yu Xiaogang’s poisoning has worsened and must try to save him.
• Elsewhere, Xu Yuan reaches Soul Power Level 13 after cultivating overnight. Assuming the others’ return is delayed by Yu Xiaogang’s injury, he decides to return to the academy after visiting Spirit Hall to register and collect his stipend.

Character developments and interactions

• Yu Xiaogang is energized by the chance to prove his lifelong theory, persuading Tang San to become its first test case. His confidence about the python’s age proves misplaced, and his worsening condition leaves Tang San responsible for him.
• Tang San demonstrates loyalty and trust in his teacher, accepting the experimental Soul Ring despite his reservations. He gains a compromised, visibly altered Martial Soul and faces the consequences of the decision.
• Xu Yuan continues progressing independently and plans his return, showing awareness of the group’s likely situation.

Significant themes

• Theory versus evidence: Yu Xiaogang’s idea is untested, and his incomplete knowledge leads to a dangerous experiment.
• Trust and responsibility: Tang San’s faith in his teacher helps him commit, but also leaves him dealing with the fallout.
• Life versus death: The python’s poison is fundamentally hostile to Blue Silver Grass’s life energy, corrupting rather than harmonizing with it.
• Unexpected costs of power: Tang San gains a Soul Skill, but its altered appearance, foul stench, and questionable toughness make the reward far from straightforward.

Plot points and events

• Xu Yuan returns to Nouding Academy after collecting a Gold Soul Coin from Spirit Hall and finds Xiao Wu training. She complains that his Martial Soul’s wish cost her Hundred Thousand Year Origin, leaving her Soul Power stagnant and forcing her to train.
• Xiao Wu asks about his first Soul Skill. Xu Yuan explains that Wish-Granting Golden Body makes him or another person invulnerable for three seconds against attacks below the divine level.
• Suspicious that the skill may have come from her lost Origin, Xiao Wu interrogates him under the quilt. Xu Yuan claims he gained it from a golden Mutant Hawksbill Turtle Soul Beast. Xiao Wu considers this plausible because that tribe has a similar defensive skill, and begins to believe his explanation.
• Xiao Wu apologizes for doubting him, but Xu Yuan accepts distractedly while pondering why his skill lacks the extra effects associated with the Soft Bone Rabbit’s Invincible Golden Body.
• Their playful argument turns into a scuffle, with Xiao Wu pinning Xu Yuan down. Wang Sheng and the other students notice their movements beneath the quilt and awkwardly speculate that the two geniuses are “exchanging ideas.”
• Xu Yuan activates his skill to escape, but its three seconds of invulnerability do not help him overcome Xiao Wu. When he uses it again, he discovers he can activate it repeatedly, limited only by Soul Power.

Character developments

• Xu Yuan is candid about his skill but improvises an explanation for its origin. His curiosity about its unusual properties leads him to a potentially major discovery: it may have no cooldown or use limit beyond Soul Power.
• Xiao Wu reveals her frustration at having lost her former power and resenting the training now required. Her suspicion of Xu Yuan gives way to guilt and a sincere apology, though she remains playful and domineering.
• Wang Sheng tries to preserve the others’ dignity by inventing a harmless explanation for what he sees.

Significant themes

• Power and its costs: Xiao Wu’s lost Origin forces her to rebuild her strength through effort.
• Trust and suspicion: Xiao Wu questions Xu Yuan’s skill but eventually accepts his account and apologizes.
• Unexpected potential: A defensive skill that seems limited proves far more versatile if it can be reused freely.
• Humor and rivalry: The chapter’s teasing scuffle contrasts with the serious implications of Xu Yuan’s discovery.

Character interactions

Xu Yuan and Xiao Wu move between bickering, teasing, apology, and physical play, revealing their close and competitive relationship. Wang Sheng and the others observe from a distance, misunderstand the situation, and avoid intruding.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yuan discovers that his First Soul Skill, Wish-Granting Golden Body, grants repeated three-second periods of invulnerability with little Soul Power cost and no cooldown. He realizes its defensive power could even withstand attacks from the strongest Soul Masters.
• The skill’s activation produces an awkward dormitory scene: Xu Yuan and Xiao Wu are found beneath the covers, and their playful argument prompts teasing from the other Work-Study Students.
• When Wang Sheng mentions that Tang San and Yu Xiaogang have not returned from Soul Hunting, Xu Yuan claims they may simply be searching for a suitable Soul Beast. In reality, they had already found a Soul Beast, but Yu Xiaogang’s insistence on finding a better one kept them in the forest.
• Tang Hao learns that his son went Soul Hunting with Yu Xiaogang. He assumes they are safe and returns to the Waterfall Cave to heal, checking on the academy only occasionally.
• As weeks pass without their return, Tang Hao finally realizes something may be wrong and heads for the Soul Hunting Forest.
• The academy’s Dean also worries about Yu Xiaogang’s disappearance, fearing he will be held responsible. A letter from Yu Xiaogang claims he has found a special Soul Beast and expects to return next month, temporarily reassuring the Dean.
• The truth is that Yu Xiaogang is stranded in a wheelchair and cannot return.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan gains confidence after learning how extraordinary his Soul Skill is. He stays cautious about speaking negatively of Yu Xiaogang, mindful that Tang Hao might overhear.
• Xiao Wu shows growing, newly awakened romantic feelings for Xu Yuan. Their teasing, physical closeness, and embarrassment in front of their dormmates reveal a more intimate dynamic.
• Tang Hao is initially overconfident in Yu Xiaogang’s competence and repeatedly dismisses the possibility of danger. His confidence eventually gives way to alarm when the absence stretches into weeks.
• The Dean is more concerned about the consequences of Yu Xiaogang’s disappearance than about his well-being, since he had hoped Yu Xiaogang’s connections would benefit the academy.
• Yu Xiaogang and Tang San remain absent, while the chapter gradually reveals that their situation is worse than the adults suspect.

Significant themes

• Power and confidence: Xu Yuan’s near-limitless defensive skill dramatically changes how he sees his own strength.
• Romance and embarrassment: Xiao Wu’s affection emerges through flirtatious sparring and awkward public teasing.
• False confidence and misjudgment: Tang Hao and the Dean rely on assumptions about Yu Xiaogang and underestimate the risks of his prolonged absence.
• Dramatic irony: Readers know Yu Xiaogang is incapacitated, while Tang Hao and the Dean interpret his silence as deliberate Soul Beast research.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Nearly a month after the disastrous Soul Hunting expedition, Tang San’s eyesight remains damaged by the Mandala Snake’s venom. His Purple Demon Eye practice briefly improves his vision, but prolonged use brings back a gray haze.
• To pay for treatment for himself and Yu Xiaogang, Tang San had to sell his storage tool, Twenty-Four Bridges Bright Moonlit Night, and destroy some of his hidden weapons so others could not claim Tang Sect secrets.
• Yu Xiaogang identifies a powerful Ghost Vine in Soul Hunting Forest as a promising source for Tang San’s second Soul Ring. He believes it could give Blue Silver Grass a parasitic ability and potent neurotoxin, complementing its existing strength.
• Yu Xiaogang says their next hunt will be safer because he can enlist Nouding Academy’s headmaster, a level-forty-two Soul Ancestor. He boasts of his reputation as the Grandmaster and past associations with Soul Saints, renewing Tang San’s confidence in him.
• Yu Xiaogang claims his leg injury will heal with rest. Tang San suspects the snake venom has caused more serious, possibly permanent damage, but does not confront him.
• Tang San considers telling Yu Xiaogang about Xu Yuan’s Wish-Granting Tree, partly hoping it might help his teacher. He then privately reframes the idea of having Yu Xiaogang make a wish as an act of filial devotion.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang San remains determined to recover his sight and continue practicing the Purple Demon Eye. He is angry at having lost his storage tool, yet still hopeful about the Wish-Granting Tree. His thoughts also reveal a calculating, self-serving streak: he considers using Yu Xiaogang’s wish to learn more about the ability’s cost.
• Yu Xiaogang is enthusiastic about the Ghost Vine plan and confident in his connections and guidance, though his pride is tinged with loneliness when he recalls his past. He conceals or downplays the severity of his leg injury.
• Their teacher-student bond is reinforced by Yu Xiaogang’s promises of Tang San’s future greatness and Tang San’s renewed pledge not to disappoint him. Beneath the mutual encouragement, Tang San privately recognizes Yu Xiaogang’s vulnerability.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and survival: Tang San gives up valuable equipment and weapons to secure treatment after the expedition.
• Ambition and mentorship: Yu Xiaogang’s grand promises restore Tang San’s faith in their future despite their recent failure.
• Pride and self-deception: Yu Xiaogang presents himself as well-connected and minimizes his injuries; Tang San similarly disguises his self-interest as devotion.
• The cost of power: Tang San’s damaged eyes and his curiosity about the Wish-Granting Tree emphasize that pursuing ability may demand painful sacrifices.

Plot points and events

• Tang Hao secretly finds Tang San and Yu Xiaogang near the Soul Hunting Forest after searching for them for days.
• He is enraged to see six-year-old Tang San pulling Yu Xiaogang’s cart, but Tang San insists that a teacher is like a father and willingly cares for him.
• Tang Hao learns Yu Xiaogang was injured during the hunt and that Mandala Snake venom reached his eyes. Though Tang San appears unharmed, Tang Hao takes the incident personally and heads into the forest to confront the creatures responsible.
• On the journey back to Nouding Academy, Yu Xiaogang explains that Soul Beasts of the same species can have unusually powerful variations. He believes the Ghost Vine in the forest has an exceptionally strong Parasitic Soul Skill and is especially compatible with Blue Silver Grass.
• Tang San tells Yu Xiaogang about Xu Yuan’s Wish-Granting Tree Martial Soul, which can grant wishes but may exact a price. Intrigued, Yu Xiaogang decides he will persist in trying to make Xu Yuan his disciple.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Hao reveals his intense protectiveness of Tang San, responding to the cart, the injury, and the snake venom with escalating anger. He also resents Yu Xiaogang’s influence over his son.
• Tang San shows loyalty and self-sacrifice by pulling the cart and defending his teacher. He also tactfully steers the conversation toward Xu Yuan, apparently anticipating Yu Xiaogang’s interest.
• Yu Xiaogang feels embarrassed by relying on a child, but continues teaching and takes pride in his research. His disappointment over his own mutated Martial Soul resurfaces before curiosity about Xu Yuan renews his ambition.
• The contrast between Tang Hao’s angry, possessive concern and Tang San’s devoted acceptance of Yu Xiaogang highlights their differing relationships with the boy.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and obligation: Tang San treats the teacher-student bond as familial duty.
• Protection and resentment: Tang Hao’s love for his son is expressed through aggression toward anyone—or anything—he thinks has harmed him.
• Ambition and persistence: Yu Xiaogang’s renewed hope leads him to pursue Xu Yuan despite his past disappointments.
• Power’s risks: The Wish-Granting Tree’s ability is alluring, but its potential cost makes every wish dangerous.

Plot and events

• Tang San returns to Nuoding City after spending several exhausting days hauling Yu Xiaogang in a crude four-wheeled cart. Yu Xiaogang abruptly stands, claiming his legs have recovered, and orders Tang San to discard the cart.
• Yu Xiaogang insists they return to the academy while classes are still in session, hoping to avoid being seen. He also tells Tang San to bring Xu Yuan to him so Xu Yuan can offer his Martial Soul for research in exchange for Yu Xiaogang’s guidance.
• The academy gatekeeper mocks Yu Xiaogang as a useless freeloader. Yu Xiaogang hears the insult but counsels Tang San to stay calm, which Tang San takes as further proof of his teacher’s wisdom.
• The class bell rings unexpectedly, sending students into the courtyard. The crowd recognizes Tang San and Yu Xiaogang and openly ridicules them for their ragged appearance and disastrous Soul Hunting trip.
• Director Su and other teachers criticize Yu Xiaogang for endangering Tang San, while Wang Sheng reminds everyone that he had warned Tang San against choosing Yu Xiaogang as his teacher.
• Xiao Wu asks Xu Yuan why Tang San became Yu Xiaogang’s disciple; Xu Yuan has no explanation. He also notices that Tang San’s Twenty-Four Bridges Bright Moonlit Night is missing.
• Overwhelmed by the public humiliation, Yu Xiaogang tries to flee but collapses after only a couple of steps.

Character developments and interactions

• Yu Xiaogang tries to preserve his dignity by hiding his injury and discarding the cart, while continuing to present himself as an authoritative expert. His confidence and self-importance contrast sharply with the academy’s contempt.
• Tang San remains devoted and unquestioning, accepting Yu Xiaogang’s advice and boastful claims. Despite his own battered condition, he supports and defends his teacher.
• Xu Yuan stays detached from Tang San’s predicament and becomes curious about the missing treasure.
• Wang Sheng is vindicated: the events confirm his earlier warning about Yu Xiaogang.
• Tang Hao, watching from the shadows, is furious at how Yu Xiaogang has treated Tang San but restrains himself because the two have become inseparable.

Themes

• Public reputation versus reality: Yu Xiaogang’s grand claims are undercut by his visible weakness and the failed expedition.
• Blind loyalty and misplaced authority: Tang San trusts his teacher even as others see Yu Xiaogang as irresponsible.
• Humiliation and pride: Yu Xiaogang’s attempt to conceal his condition only makes his fall more conspicuous.
• Vindication and consequences: Wang Sheng’s warnings prove accurate, and Yu Xiaogang’s conduct has made him a target of ridicule.

Key plot points and events

• After Yu Xiaogang collapses during the public mockery of him, he pretends to be unconscious. Director Su disperses the crowd by reminding everyone about Xu Yuan’s upcoming wish auction.
• Xu Yuan explains that his Wish-Granting Tree can grant wishes only under limits: it cannot resurrect the dead, and wishes may bring costs or side effects that cannot be undone. He invites the academy to bid for the month’s Wish Slot.
• Once the crowd leaves, Yu Xiaogang drops the act. Hoping the Martial Soul might help him overcome his long-standing level-29 bottleneck, he asks Tang San to take him to the sports field.
• Tang San wonders whether they should bid. Yu Xiaogang considers having someone else make the wish on his behalf to avoid its cost, though Tang San doubts the Wish-Granting Tree’s apparent equivalent-exchange rules can be bypassed.
• At the auction, bids reach 100 Gold Soul Coins before Yu Xiaogang offers 200. He puts the sum on the Dean’s tab, and Director Su agrees to vouch for him.
• With no higher bid, Yu Xiaogang wins the Wish Slot. Xu Yuan summons his radiant Wish-Granting Ancient Tree, leaving Yu Xiaogang visibly excited.

Character developments and interactions

• Yu Xiaogang shifts from humiliated and evasive to intensely hopeful. His desire to become a level-30 Soul Elder outweighs his embarrassment and concern about the wish’s cost; he even tries to find a loophole.
• Tang San supports his teacher while remaining focused on the Wish-Granting Tree. He is skeptical of Yu Xiaogang’s workaround but considers that someone else might be persuaded to make the wish.
• Xu Yuan presents the wish-granting rules clearly and runs the auction. His teasing exchange with Xiao Wu shows their familiar, playful rapport.
• Xiao Wu is excited by the growing bids and jokes that Xu Yuan’s money is hers too.
• Director Su restores order and reluctantly backs Yu Xiaogang’s bid by putting it on the Dean’s tab.

Significant themes

• The price of wishing: The chapter stresses that wishes carry irreversible costs and cannot simply be obtained for free.
• Ambition and desperation: Yu Xiaogang’s fixation on breaking through reveals how deeply his stalled cultivation shapes his hopes.
• Public ridicule and status: The crowd’s mockery contrasts with Yu Xiaogang’s sudden authority as a bidder, while his reliance on the Dean’s credit hints at his precarious standing.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yuan invites Yu Xiaogang to make a wish through his Wish-Granting Tree Martial Soul, warning that the wisher must bear any consequences.
• Yu Xiaogang looks for a way to have someone else make the wish, hoping to avoid its cost. Director Su volunteers, but the Tree does not respond when he asks for Yu Xiaogang to reach level thirty.
• Yu Xiaogang then makes the wish himself: he wants to break through his level-twenty-nine limit and reach level thirty.
• Xu Yuan allows the Martial Soul to activate. Its light passes through Yu Xiaogang, and the medicinal energy long stored in his body is consumed to push his Soul Power beyond level thirty.
• Yu Xiaogang collapses in tears, celebrating that he has become a Soul Elder and insisting he has not disgraced his clan.

Character developments and interactions

• Yu Xiaogang shifts from calculating and self-important to overwhelmed with joy. He presents his history as a triumph of effort and theory, while omitting the resources and medicinal ingredients his powerful family provided.
• Xu Yuan remains cautious and in control: although he cannot direct the Tree’s magic, he decides whether to let it activate. He confirms that another person cannot successfully make Yu Xiaogang’s wish.
• Director Su offers to make the wish mainly to move events along, not believing the Tree is truly powerful. His attempt fails, forcing Yu Xiaogang to act himself.
• Tang San admires his teacher’s determination and is moved by Yu Xiaogang’s speech, though he is disappointed when the proxy wish fails.
• The teachers and students grow impatient as Yu Xiaogang delays, and their murmurs highlight how little they respect his grandstanding.

Significant themes

• Pride and self-image: Yu Xiaogang interprets reaching level thirty as proof that he has redeemed his family’s honor.
• Hidden privilege and selective truth: His account emphasizes hardship while concealing the substantial resources that supported his cultivation.
• The cost of wishes: The breakthrough consumes nearly all the medicinal energy stored in his body, though neither Yu Xiaogang nor the onlookers recognize what he has lost.
• Control and accountability: Xu Yuan cannot shape the wish’s outcome, but he controls whether the Tree grants it—and warns that its consequences belong to the wisher.

Key plot points and events

• Yu Xiaogang’s wish comes true: his Soul Power rises from Level 29 to Level 30, making him a Soul Elder. Director Su confirms the breakthrough, and the academy erupts in excitement.
• The demonstration convinces the crowd that Xu Yuan’s Wish-Granting Tree Martial Soul can truly grant wishes. Noble students regret passing up the bidding, while Xu Yuan’s dormmates beg him to reserve them future chances.
• Wang Sheng pleads for a wish that might help him break through one day. Xu Yuan agrees, then promises to pay for meals to conceal his excitement over the valuable reward he expects to receive.
• The crowd questions whether Yu Xiaogang paid the “small price” Xu Yuan had warned about. Yu Xiaogang claims he feels completely refreshed and notices no cost.
• Tang Hao, watching from the shadows, concludes Xu Yuan’s ability may not consume Soul Power. He imagines using it to heal his severe injuries and grow strong enough to challenge the Spirit Hall, then leaves to celebrate by attacking one of its branches.
• Tang San asks Yu Xiaogang why the wish seemed to have no cost. Yu Xiaogang explains that his long-standing bottleneck made the breakthrough easy and credits his own foundation and research—an explanation that irritates Xu Yuan and the others.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan becomes the focus of the academy’s attention and is treated as a source of hope. He agrees to help Wang Sheng, though he also tries to hide his anticipation of the wish’s reward.
• Wang Sheng shifts from accepting his limits to believing a wish might let him surpass them.
• Xiao Wu remains suspicious: based on her own costly experience with Xu Yuan’s power, she believes Yu Xiaogang has overlooked a hidden consequence.
• Yu Xiaogang celebrates his breakthrough but dismisses the possibility of a price. He takes credit for the result, revealing his characteristic self-importance.
• Tang San is puzzled by the apparent lack of cost and turns to Yu Xiaogang for an explanation.
• Tang Hao sees the wish as a possible solution to his injuries and renews his hopes of opposing the Spirit Hall.

Significant themes

• Power and hidden costs: The wish’s benefit is undeniable, but Xiao Wu’s warning leaves the true price unresolved.
• Hope and ambition: The demonstration inspires Wang Sheng and gives Tang Hao a new plan.
• Misinterpretation and hubris: Yu Xiaogang assumes the breakthrough was nearly free and credits himself, while others remain wary.
• Rumor and opportunity: Xu Yuan’s demonstrated ability transforms him from an obscure student into someone nobles and classmates may compete to approach.

Key plot points and events

• After Yu Xiaogang breaks through to Soul Elder, he credits Xu Yuan’s Wish-Granting Tree Martial Soul alongside his own theories and Soul Power. He offers Xu Yuan a place as his second disciple, claiming he can help uncover the Martial Soul’s secrets.
• Xu Yuan refuses, then asks when he will receive the promised 200 Gold Soul Coins. Yu Xiaogang and Tang San try to persuade him, but Director Su interrupts; the onlookers mock Yu Xiaogang for taking credit after relying on Xu Yuan.
• A teacher asks whether Xu Yuan’s power also reversed the harmful mutation that had left Yu Xiaogang stuck at level twenty-nine. Yu Xiaogang senses that he can no longer feel Luo Sanpao and concludes his Martial Soul has mutated again.
• Excitedly imagining that he has become a dragon, Yu Xiaogang announces his Martial Soul Possession. Instead, his body transforms into a pig-like form, with purple skin, pig ears, and a tail.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan remains firm and pragmatic: he rejects Yu Xiaogang’s offer and focuses on collecting the promised reward.
• Yu Xiaogang shifts from self-congratulation and opportunistic recruiting to ecstatic anticipation of his supposed transformation—only to be humiliated by the result.
• Tang San defends his teacher and believes the crowd will eventually recognize Yu Xiaogang’s greatness. Director Su challenges the pair’s pressure tactics, while other academy members openly ridicule them.
• Xiao Wu complains that Yu Xiaogang seems to gain benefits from a wish without paying the steep cost she associates with making one, and lightly confronts Xu Yuan about it.

Significant themes

• The chapter pokes fun at arrogance and self-delusion: Yu Xiaogang claims credit and assumes his mutation must be an improvement.
• It contrasts genuine agency with manipulation: Xu Yuan refuses to be won over by flattery or appeals to status.
• The ending relies on comic reversal, turning Yu Xiaogang’s grand expectation of becoming a dragon into an embarrassing pig-like transformation.

Plot and key events

• Yu Xiaogang uses Xu Yuan’s Wish-Granting Tree Martial Soul to wish that he could break through to level thirty. The wish succeeds—but his Martial Soul changes from the external beast Luo Sanpao into a pale-purple, pig-like form that possesses his body.
• The students and teachers laugh at Yu Xiaogang’s new appearance. Xu Yuan insists the wish was fulfilled and reminds him that he warned there could be a “tiny price.”
• Yu Xiaogang, horrified by his reflection, hopes his Soul Skills have changed for the better. Instead, activating his first skill, “Fart like thunder—Heaven-Shattering, Earth-Rending Sanpao,” releases a devastating blast.
• Tang San, caught behind Yu Xiaogang, is struck and hurled away. Xu Yuan protects himself with his Golden Body technique, while Xiao Wu carries him off to safety. The chapter ends as the blast threatens everyone else on the field.

Character developments and interactions

• Yu Xiaogang goes from triumphant hope to humiliation, rage, and panic. He blames Xu Yuan, but Xu Yuan argues that the level-thirty breakthrough proves the wish worked.
• Xu Yuan remains unapologetic and matter-of-fact, hiding behind Director Su when Yu Xiaogang confronts him and treating the transformation as an acceptable cost.
• Tang San is initially wary of the wish’s consequences, then gets caught in the fallout while trying to evade it.
• Director Su first tries to calm Yu Xiaogang, then bluntly suggests he simply avoid using his Martial Soul—before the Soul Skill’s disastrous effect sends everyone into danger.
• Xiao Wu acts quickly to protect Xu Yuan, carrying him away as the chaos begins.
• The teachers and students shift from admiring the Wish-Granting Tree to fearing what its wishes might cost.

Significant themes

• The price of wishes: Yu Xiaogang gets exactly the breakthrough he requested, but the unintended cost overwhelms the benefit.
• Literal wish fulfillment and irony: Xu Yuan’s power fulfills the request narrowly, exposing the gap between what a person asks for and what they actually want.
• Humiliation and unintended consequences: Yu Xiaogang’s attempt to reclaim dignity by using his Soul Skill only makes the situation catastrophically worse.

Key plot points

• After Yu Xiaogang’s disastrous wish, he goes into indefinite seclusion. Nouding Academy soon returns to normal, and its dean repays the two hundred Gold Soul Coins Yu Xiaogang owed.
• Xu Yuan has a spear forged and begins training with it. His Soul Power rises to level fourteen.
• The chapter reveals what happened when Xu Yuan refined the Golden Sacred Dragon’s essence: rather than gaining a dragon Beast Martial Soul, he awakened a second Martial Soul, the Light Sacred Dragon Spear. A Radiant Sacred Dragon’s soul inhabits the spear and can appear outside Xu Yuan, shift between solid and spectral forms, or merge with him—allowing him to wield the spear while benefiting from both forms’ enhancements.
• Tang San approaches Xu Yuan to use the Wish-Granting Tree. Despite warnings from Xiao Wu and Wang Sheng, he insists he is prepared to pay the cost. He brings about fifty Gold Soul Coins, which Xu Yuan accepts.
• Tang San wishes for his vision to return to how it was before the Mandala Snake’s venom damaged his eyes. The outcome of the wish is not yet revealed.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yuan continues developing as a fighter despite being a support-type Soul Master. He keeps the true reason for his spear practice—and the nature of his new Martial Soul—private.
• Tang San remains confident in Yu Xiaogang’s theory that the previous wish’s cost was exaggerated. He believes the price came mainly from Yu Xiaogang’s mutated Martial Soul and is willing to risk another wish. His deteriorating eyesight, caused by repeated Purple Demon Eye practice, motivates his request.
• Xiao Wu questions Xu Yuan’s spear training and warns Tang San against using the Wish-Granting Tree, while also teasing him for hesitating.
• Wang Sheng likewise cautions Tang San, concerned for him as a fellow Work-Study Student.
• The exchange highlights the contrast between Tang San’s confidence and the others’ fear after Yu Xiaogang’s apparent misfortune.

Significant themes

• Power and sacrifice: The Wish-Granting Tree’s gifts may carry costs, and Tang San’s wish tests whether Yu Xiaogang correctly understood those costs.
• Appearances and assumptions: Others see Xu Yuan as a support Soul Master and assume Tang San’s wish is reckless; Tang San, meanwhile, dismisses Yu Xiaogang’s setback as a special case.
• Hidden potential and adaptation: Xu Yuan’s unexpected second Martial Soul broadens his abilities, while his spear training reflects the need to prepare for his vulnerabilities.