Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Yan Shaozhe suggests using the Adventurers’ Guild to post bounties on Evil Soul Masters. Xue Caikun agrees and promises rewards funded by the imperial family: 500 Gold Soul Coins for targets below Soul King, 1,000 for those above Soul King, and 10,000 for those above Soul Saint.
• Xue Caikun leaves to secure the money, privately realizing he can inflate the requested sums and use the surplus to finance his planned rebellion.
• Jiang Hao sets the Guild’s actual payouts below the promised amounts, keeping the difference as profit. He intends to spread the commissions across the three great nations before the Evil Soul Masters can flee.
• Meanwhile, Du Busi, disguised as Xuan Zi, follows the crown prince’s carriage. He expects to uncover a scandal involving a princess, but instead witnesses the prince and a man in heavy makeup behaving intimately. Shocked, he exclaims, “My eyes!”

Character developments and interactions

• Xue Caikun presents the bounty plan as a way to fight Evil Soul Masters, but privately treats it as an opportunity to obtain money for rebellion. Yan Shaozhe’s proposal gives him both a useful political measure and a financial opening.
• Yan Shaozhe helps direct the plan and calculates how Gold Soul Coins convert to Credit Points.
• Jiang Hao approaches the commissions as a business venture, calculating different payouts to maximize profit. He coordinates their rapid deployment through his Guild network.
• Du Busi is curious and opportunistic, following the carriage in hopes of exposing a royal scandal; the unexpected scene leaves him incredulous.
• The chapter also contrasts the officials’ discussions with the Adventurers’ Guild, an organization the nobility dismisses but now finds useful.

Significant themes

• Profit and corruption: A public campaign against Evil Soul Masters becomes a chance for Xue Caikun and Jiang Hao to secure money for their own purposes.
• Political hypocrisy: The crown prince exploits disaster-relief funds for personal pleasures, while Xue Caikun plans to divert bounty funds toward rebellion.
• Comedy and misdirection: Du Busi’s imagined royal scandal gives way to a surprising encounter, ending the chapter on a comic note.

Key plot points and events

• Du Busi catches the Dou Ling Empire’s First Prince in a compromising private encounter. He photographs the scene, knocks the prince unconscious, ties him and his companion together, and carries them to a public square.
• He fastens them to the empire’s flagpole with a powerful Soul Power seal. When the prince wakes, Du Busi—disguised as Xuan Zi—claims responsibility, threatens to publish the photos, and demands ten million Gold Soul Coins for Shrek Academy.
• Du Busi escapes as guards approach, leaving the prince exposed and furious. The guards do not free the pair before daybreak.
• Later, Ling Luochen and her companions pass the square on their way to the Adventurers’ Guild. They avoid the spectacle and continue to their task.
• The group has spent over two years searching for Ma Xiaotao and Yan Shaozhe, but political secrecy and their own limited information have kept them from finding either. Their guild membership was prompted by a valuable reward: an External Elemental Power Organ.
• At the Guild counter, Ling Luochen finally sees someone she has been longing to find; the chapter ends before revealing who.

Character developments and interactions

• Du Busi embraces a mischievous, blackmailing role, finding the humiliation and threat more entertaining than a direct fight. His disguise as Xuan Zi lets him shift the blame away from himself and the Body Sect.
• The First Prince goes from panic to helpless anger, while his companion is captured alongside him.
• Ling Luochen remains focused and cautious, dismissing the public scandal rather than getting involved. As team captain and their highest-level member, she leads the group’s search.
• Xixi reacts loudly to the sight in the square, while Ling Luochen tells her to keep her distance.
• Jiang Hao recognizes that the searchers have drifted from the expected course of events, underscoring how far the story’s plot has changed.

Significant themes

• Humiliation as leverage: Du Busi uses public exposure and blackmail rather than combat to punish and control the prince.
• Masks and reputations: Du Busi’s disguise lets him weaponize Xuan Zi’s identity, while the prince’s secret encounter threatens the empire’s public standing.
• Secrets and misinformation: Political developments and hidden affiliations prevent Ling Luochen’s group from finding their targets.
• Unpredictable destinies: Jiang Hao’s observation that events have gone “off the rails” highlights the growing divergence from the expected plot.

Key plot points and events

• Ma Xiaotao reunites with Xixi, Ling Luochen, Chen Zifeng, Gongyang Mo, and Yao Haoxuan at the Adventurers’ Guild after several years apart.
• The group explains that Xuan Zi and Mu En expelled them from Shrek after they repaired the damage a train had done to the city wall. Since then, they have travelled from place to place, run out of money, and survived by taking Guild commissions. They also tried to find Ma Xiaotao, but eventually lost track of her.
• Gongyang Mo’s family wants him to return and apologize to Xuan Zi; their patriarch threatened to break his legs if he refuses.
• The former students panic when they realize “Xuan Zi” is nearby. He is actually Du Busi in disguise, enjoying the chance to imitate the man and frighten them. Ma Xiaotao steps in, tells him to stop, and settles the group down.
• Ma Xiaotao briefly reflects on the hardships she has endured over the past three years and says she has learned that power’s morality depends on how its wielder chooses to use it.
• Xixi invites Ma Xiaotao to join the group on a new commission to hunt Evil Soul Masters, confident that her strength will help them defeat powerful targets.

Character developments

• Ma Xiaotao has endured abandonment, danger, and personal struggle, but has gained insight and a steadier moral perspective. She is warmly moved by the reunion and comfortably asserts herself around the disguised Du Busi.
• Xixi and the others have become resourceful survivors, relying on Guild work and training after being cast out of Shrek. Their affection for Ma Xiaotao is evident in how long they searched for her.
• Gongyang Mo remains proud but is anxious about both his family’s threat and Xuan Zi’s presence.
• Du Busi is in playful spirits and uses his disguise to unsettle the former students.

Significant themes

• Hardship and resilience: The group survives years of uncertainty by adapting and working together.
• Power and morality: Ma Xiaotao concludes that good and evil depend on the choices made by those who hold power.
• Loyalty and reunion: Despite separation, the group’s affection and concern for Ma Xiaotao endure.
• Fear and authority: The students’ terror of Xuan Zi contrasts with Ma Xiaotao’s willingness to confront the figure she believes is him.

Character interactions

• Xixi tearfully embraces Ma Xiaotao, while Ling Luochen and the others greet her with relief and excitement.
• Gongyang Mo and Yao Haoxuan complain about their expulsion, but their bravado collapses when they spot the disguised Du Busi.
• Ma Xiaotao defuses the encounter, gently rebukes Du Busi, and brings her friends inside to talk.
• The group shares their history and catches up; Xixi then invites Ma Xiaotao to join their next mission.

• The group forms around Jiang Hao: Ma Xiaotao invites Jiang Hao to join her and her former college friends, hoping they can also become reserves for Cassell College. He agrees. She introduces him as an eleven-year-old, level-40 Soul Ancestor with a Body Martial Soul, astonishing Xixi, who is a Soul King and much older. Xixi playfully tries to hug him; Jiang Hao dodges the attention and redirects the conversation toward their mission.
• Du Busi joins the hunt: When he learns the group plans to hunt Evil Soul Masters, Du Busi volunteers to accompany them and calls himself Jiang Hao’s “Path Protector,” hinting that he wants to recruit Jiang Hao as the next Sect Master of the Body Sect. His claim reveals that the apparent “Xuan Zi” among the group is actually someone else in disguise. Once outside Heaven Dou City, he resumes his true appearance, and Body Sect disciples greet him as their Sect Master.
• The target’s route raises suspicions: Lang Ya gives Du Busi intelligence from the Fatui: Evil Soul Masters involved in the previous day’s attack fled toward Red City, near the coast. Du Busi finds the route puzzling, but Jiang Hao suspects the attackers may belong to the Holy Spirit Cult and be trying to reach the Sun Moon Empire by sea. The group heads toward Red City aboard Soul Guidance Trains, accompanied by Fatui members equipped with advanced weapons.
• A village reveals a new threat: As dusk falls, the party reaches a silent mountain village. Jiang Hao smells blood and warns everyone to be alert. Du Busi quickly finds a bloodied, werewolf-like creature, and Jiang Hao recognizes the attackers as Wolf Bandits. The village appears to have been wiped out. With howls coming from the mountainside, the hunters prepare to fight; Gongyang Mo charges in, eager to claim ten kills, and Xixi, Chen Zifeng, and the others follow.
  Character developments and interactions: Jiang Hao is established as exceptionally powerful and strategically perceptive, while remaining focused on his larger plans. Du Busi openly positions himself as Jiang Hao’s protector and prospective mentor. Ma Xiaotao shows confidence in Jiang Hao and recruits him; Xixi responds with teasing affection and amazement at his strength. The group’s camaraderie gives way to shared urgency—and excitement—when they discover the massacre.
  Themes: The chapter contrasts youthful ambition and playful companionship with the brutality of organized violence. It also emphasizes loyalty and recruitment, the use of intelligence and technology in pursuit of enemies, and the moral urgency of confronting the Wolf Bandits after their slaughter of the village.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Hao’s group attacks a village overrun by Wolf Bandits. Ma Xiaotao eagerly joins the fighting, while Du Busi complains that a powerful Wolf Bandit yielded no Soul Bone.
• Jiang Hao reveals that the Fatui can manufacture ordinary-quality Soul Bones using a process developed from research into Soul Rings. Du Busi realizes his suspicion was correct and is stunned by the revelation.
• Jiang Hao and Ma Xiaotao push farther into the village, killing Wolf Bandits. Ma Xiaotao grumbles about the rough Soul Guidance Car ride and jokes with Jiang Hao about the inexperienced Body Sect drivers.
• A large, unusually aggressive pack pours down from the mountain. Since Wolf Bandits normally flee when outmatched, Jiang Hao suspects something is directing them.
• He summons Beans, whose scouting reveals a valley filled with nearly a hundred more Wolf Bandits—and a grotesque, flesh-covered tree that produces Wolf Bandit cubs. The creatures appear to be controlled by it and fight without fear or concern for pain.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Hao treats artificial Soul Bones as routine, underscoring the Fatui’s extraordinary technical capabilities. He also recognizes that the bandits’ behavior is abnormal and shifts from fighting to investigating the cause.
• Du Busi moves from fishing for information to openly marveling at the Fatui’s ability to create a resource he considers priceless. His disciples eagerly urge him to accept the offer.
• Ma Xiaotao relishes returning to monster-hunting and displays her confidence and strength in combat. Her teasing complaint about the car adds a light, familiar exchange with Jiang Hao.
• Beans responds to Jiang Hao’s summons and uncovers the source of the bandits’ strange behavior.

Significant themes

• The consequences of neglect: Powerful factions have stopped clearing dangerous Soul Beasts from the countryside, allowing threats to multiply and endanger villages.
• Power and technological change: The Fatui’s ability to manufacture Soul Bones challenges assumptions about scarcity and value.
• Something unnatural beneath the surface: The tree’s apparent control over the Wolf Bandits turns a routine extermination into a disturbing mystery, ending the chapter with the group facing a deeper threat.

Plot points and events

• Ma Xiaotao burns through a forest packed with Wolf Bandits, and the group advances into the valley, expecting to clear out the remaining attackers.
• They discover a grotesque, plantlike mass that appears to produce Wolf Bandit cubs. The bandits’ fearlessness and lack of pain suggest the creature is controlling them.
• When the group attacks, Jiang Hao’s killing blow reveals threadlike black larvae inside a bandit. Ma Xiaotao identifies the threat as a parasitic Soul Beast and warns everyone to use defensive Soul Tools.
• The parasitic creature raises itself on thick roots and howls, rallying the bandits while it tries to escape toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
• Jiang Hao and the others hold off the bandits so Ma Xiaotao can intercept the creature. Ling Luochen uses two potions to amplify her ice powers and helps contain the attackers.
• Ma Xiaotao’s flames burn the creature’s vines, but it counters her attacks with corrosive acid. When she tries to fight it at close range, it absorbs and extinguishes her flames, then attacks her with tentacles. The chapter ends with Ma Xiaotao realizing the creature’s apparent retreat was a trap.

Character developments and interactions

• Ma Xiaotao shows confidence and leadership, taking on the greatest threats and volunteering to stop the creature because her fire seems especially suited to fighting it. Her certainty is shaken when the creature repeatedly counters her abilities.
• Jiang Hao quickly recognizes the threat, strengthens the group with his Soul Skills, and persuades Ma Xiaotao to pursue the creature while the others hold off the bandits.
• Ling Luochen reveals a new level of preparation and power by using potions to intensify her ice abilities, helping protect the team.
• Gongyang Mo boasts about his kills, while Chen Zifeng teases him for relying on a powerful Soul Tool.
• The team coordinates effectively: Jiang Hao supports and directs the group, Ling Luochen controls enemies with ice, and Ma Xiaotao takes the lead against the creature.

Significant themes

• Teamwork and complementary abilities: The group survives by combining Soul Skills, Soul Tools, fire, and ice.
• Hidden danger and deception: The Wolf Bandits are being controlled by a parasite, and the creature’s apparent weakness conceals a deliberate counterattack.
• Limits of strength: Ma Xiaotao’s formidable flames do not guarantee victory against an enemy adapted to resist them.
• Corruption and unnatural reproduction: The creature’s production and control of the Wolf Bandits reveal a grotesque threat spreading through the valley.

Key events

• In the valley, the Tree-Shaped Soul Beast grabs Ma Xiaotao and swallows her. Xixi alerts the others, while Ling Luochen freezes nearby Wolf Bandits and traps them in ice.
• Ma Xiaotao emerges in crimson Battle Armor called Flame Nawa. Its fire-powered axe lets her strike the ground with a devastating slash, erupting magma and setting the valley ablaze. The Soul Beast and Wolf Bandits are consumed by the flames.
• The beast’s remains turn to ash without leaving a Soul Ring, puzzling the group. They find no sign of an Evil Soul Master and return to the village, though Ma Xiaotao senses the valley’s unnatural quiet.
• At camp, Du Busi shares roasted sheep he had stored in his Soul Tool. Gongyang Mo and the others ask Ma Xiaotao about her armor. She explains that the Fatui made it using refined Elemental Power, and that its usefulness depends on a compatible element and user. For now, matching armor exists for water, wind, rock, and fire.

Character developments and interactions

• Ma Xiaotao reveals that she had been holding back and demonstrates the armor’s immense power. Afterward, she explains its limitations and teases Ling Luochen by suggesting she ask Jiang Hao for custom armor.
• Jiang Hao remains calm during Ma Xiaotao’s capture, confident she can handle the danger. His confidence surprises Lin Luocheng, who is mildly resentful that he was not told sooner.
• Ling Luochen acts quickly to restrain the Wolf Bandits, then asks whether an ice-aligned armor might be made for her.
• Gongyang Mo admires Ma Xiaotao’s armor and hopes to obtain one, but is disappointed that his current abilities do not match its elements. He also jokes about expecting the beast to leave a Soul Bone, prompting Xixi to scold and smack him.
• Du Busi supports the group by providing stored food for their camp.

Significant themes

• Hidden strength and trust: Ma Xiaotao’s sudden transformation reveals the power she had kept in reserve, while Jiang Hao’s confidence shows his faith in her.
• Power and compatibility: The armor’s strength depends not just on the device but on the user’s elemental affinity.
• Unresolved mystery: The beast’s failure to leave a Soul Ring, together with the valley’s eerie stillness, leaves open questions about what it was and what may remain hidden.

Chapter Summary: “Little Friend, Run!”

Key plot points and events

• The group reaches Red City, where Ma Xiaotao’s powerful Evil Fire aura causes locals to mistake her for an Evil Soul Master. One man attacks her, but she kicks him away and proves her innocence by showing her purple Adventurers’ Guild badge.
• At the Guild, they find a busy campaign underway: adventurers are turning in the heads and belongings of Evil Soul Masters for rewards. The group finds no useful clues and prepares to leave.
• At the city gate, they encounter three fleeing Evil Soul Masters—Zhongli Tian, Zhongli Di, and Zhongli Ren, each an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo. Du Busi seals off the area, and Ma Xiaotao, Jiang Hao, Ling Luochen, Gongyang Mo, and Xixi join the fight.
• The trio use a Magic Array and their Blood Soul Demon Puppets to break through the group’s assault, then flee toward the forest. Du Busi pursues, but Banner Bro appears ahead of them with the Myriad Souls Banner.
• The three Evil Soul Masters unexpectedly grab Banner Bro and flee with him. They seem to believe they are rescuing him from danger, while Banner Bro privately tells Jiang Hao that the Holy Spirit Cult has abducted him.
• Jiang Hao stops Du Busi from continuing the chase, reasoning that Banner Bro can handle himself and may even be able to infiltrate the Holy Spirit Cult. He reassures Du Busi that Banner Bro’s Martial Soul is not truly evil.

Character developments

• Ma Xiaotao acts decisively both when confronted by the crowd and in battle. Her aura remains a liability, but her Guild badge establishes her legitimacy.
• Jiang Hao coordinates the battle by strengthening Ma Xiaotao and thinking strategically. Rather than panic over Banner Bro’s capture, he sees a possible opportunity and trusts Banner Bro’s ability to survive.
• Du Busi demonstrates his strength by sealing the area, but becomes anxious when Banner Bro is taken. His concern reveals a protective attachment to the young man.
• Banner Bro is swept into the enemy’s escape, yet his mental message shows he understands what is happening. His capture may give him a chance to infiltrate the Holy Spirit Cult.
• The Zhongli brothers are revealed as powerful, resourceful foes. Their unexpected concern for Banner Bro makes their motives—and their relationship to him—unclear.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Ma Xiaotao is mistaken for an Evil Soul Master because of her aura, while Banner Bro’s apparently evil powers may not make him truly evil.
• Trust and loyalty: Jiang Hao trusts Banner Bro to manage the danger, while Du Busi worries about his safety.
• Opportunity amid danger: Jiang Hao reframes Banner Bro’s abduction as a possible opening for infiltration.
• Uncertainty and mistaken assumptions: The characters repeatedly misread events, especially when the Zhongli brothers carry Banner Bro away.

Character interactions

• Ma Xiaotao answers the crowd’s accusations with her badge, while Du Busi jokes about how convincingly her aura makes her seem evil.
• Jiang Hao and Ma Xiaotao work in sync during combat, anticipating each other’s tactics; Ling Luochen and Gongyang Mo support the attack.
• The Zhongli brothers unexpectedly treat Banner Bro as someone worth saving, even as they flee from the pursuing group.
• Jiang Hao calms Du Busi by defending Banner Bro’s abilities, then physically stops him from rushing after the captors.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Hao invents an increasingly implausible story to reassure Du Busi: Banner Bro is supposedly descended from royalty, and his purple aura is the righteous energy of the Ziwei Star. When Du Busi challenges the claim, Jiang Hao says there are other continents and that he found Banner Bro on a beach, then flies off.
• Du Busi follows, peppering Jiang Hao with questions about Banner Bro’s powers and habits. His final question is when they will attack Shrek Academy. Jiang Hao says their current business is settled and they will return to confront Xuan Zi.
• In Shrek City, the Dou Ling Empire sends ten million Gold Soul Coins and a public apology to Shrek Academy. The city learns that Xuan Zi abducted a prince and his companion, then demanded compensation. The empire obscures the real circumstances to protect the prince’s reputation.
• Residents and merchants condemn Xuan Zi, whose past violence and scandals have already damaged the city’s economy and reputation.
• Mu En blocks the payment at the academy gates and orders Xuan Zi brought back. He realizes that many of the people he once relied on—including Yan Shaozhe, Xian Ling’er, and Qian Duoduo—are gone, so he sends Elder Shi instead.
• Red Moon Bro and Blind Bro discuss the money, Shrek’s decline, and the expected arrival of Main Body Old Rogue and their companions. Cook Bro has arrived ahead of them.
• Cook Bro enters the city and encounters Xu Sanshi. Xu feels an intense sense of familiarity, while Cook Bro recalls Xu’s old vow to recognize him even if he turned to ashes.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Hao reveals himself as quick-thinking but increasingly exasperated by Du Busi’s relentless curiosity; Du Busi, despite his rough manner, is perceptive and inquisitive.
• Mu En’s anger at Xuan Zi is heightened by his growing isolation and the academy’s diminished circle of trusted allies.
• Red Moon Bro and Blind Bro show familiarity and camaraderie, sharing food and speculating about their friends’ arrival.
• Xu Sanshi’s emotional reaction hints at a lingering bond with Cook Bro, though Cook Bro’s changed appearance makes recognition uncertain.

Significant themes

• Deception and image-making: Jiang Hao improvises a fantasy to explain Banner Bro, while the Dou Ling Empire reshapes events to protect its prince.
• Institutional decline and accountability: Xuan Zi’s repeated misconduct undermines Shrek City, and Mu En’s response highlights the academy’s weakening authority.
• Recognition and memory: Xu Sanshi feels connected to Cook Bro despite his altered face, recalling their unresolved history.

Key plot points and events

• Guo Zi’ang, now disguised and unrecognizable, reunites with Red Moon Bro and joins his group. Xu Sanshi senses something familiar about him, though he cannot identify him.
• Ma Xiaotao returns to Shrek City with Cassell College’s party, announcing her arrival with a dramatic Soul Guidance Bomb. Yan Shaozhe appears alongside her, now a Level 98 Soul Master and the Fatui’s First Seat Executive.
• Mu En welcomes Yan Shaozhe back, but Yan refuses to return as a former Shrek dean or apologize for leaving. He says he has come as Cassell College’s dean and a Fatui executive.
• Ma Xiaotao kicks down Shrek’s signboard and challenges the academy. Du Busi prevents Xuan Zi from attacking her, insisting that the younger generation settle the dispute.
• Yan proposes a wager over which side wins the most matches and who remains standing in the Arena. He stakes a valuable, high-quality water-attribute torso Soul Bone.
• Cai Mei’er rushes to embrace Yan Shaozhe, and he promises that he has returned openly and will not be driven away again.
• Yan’s demands are that Shrek publicly apologize, clear Ma Xiaotao’s name as no Evil Soul Master, and have Xuan Zi publicly bow and apologize to her. He warns that Xiaotao may eventually return to exact revenge herself.

Character developments

• Yan Shaozhe has grown markedly in strength and conviction. Though Mu En’s affection moves him, he refuses reconciliation on Shrek’s terms and stands firmly with Cassell College, the Fatui, and Ma Xiaotao.
• Ma Xiaotao acts boldly to challenge Shrek and defend her reputation, rather than waiting for others to resolve the accusation against her.
• Mu En shows deep affection for his former student, but Yan’s refusal forces him to step back and confront the distance between them.
• Cai Mei’er reveals that she has missed Yan deeply; their reunion restores a personal bond amid the public confrontation.
• Xuan Zi is furious at Yan’s defiance and tries to intervene, but Du Busi restrains him.
• Guo Zi’ang remains cautious about his identity and relies on Red Moon Bro’s protection.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and belonging: Yan’s return does not mean returning to Shrek; he has chosen new loyalties while still carrying his history with Mu En.
• Justice and reputation: Yan demands that Shrek publicly correct the false label attached to Ma Xiaotao and acknowledge the harm done to her.
• Generational conflict: The dispute is framed as a contest between the young people of Cassell and Shrek, while the older powers are urged not to interfere.
• Reconciliation versus accountability: Mu En offers welcome and forgiveness, but Yan insists that genuine resolution requires public responsibility and an apology.

Character interactions

• Xu Sanshi questions Guo Zi’ang, while Red Moon Bro’s group welcomes him.
• Mu En reaches out affectionately to Yan, but Yan gently declines his gesture and states his position.
• Du Busi blocks Xuan Zi and redirects him into a confrontation of his own.
• Cai Mei’er embraces Yan, and he responds with remorse and a promise of renewed openness.
• Yan challenges Mu En to accept a wager—and, ultimately, to decide whether he will continue protecting Xuan Zi.

Key events

• Mu En accepts Yan Shaozhe’s wager: if Ma Xiaotao wins, Shrek will publicly declare her innocent, and Xuan Zi will apologize to her. If Yan loses, Mu En may do as he wishes with him.
• Yan stakes his life on the outcome. Mu En recalls Xuan Zi from his fight with Du Busi, and the confrontation shifts to a contest between younger fighters.
• Ma Xiaotao volunteers to fight first, displaying her confidence and challenging Shrek’s students and staff.
• Xuan Zi chooses Dai Yueheng, a leading member of Shrek’s future tournament team. Dai urges Ma to return to Shrek, but she refuses his advice and offers to fight without using her Martial Soul.
• Dai attacks with his White Tiger abilities. Ma counters with a precise burst of flame, then defeats him in a single move, leaving him unable to control his Soul Power. She kicks him back toward Shrek’s group and challenges them: “Who else?”

Character developments and interactions

• Yan Shaozhe shows unwavering loyalty to Ma Xiaotao, risking his life to defend her.
• Mu En accepts the wager despite the stakes, while insisting that young fighters settle the matter.
• Ma Xiaotao demonstrates formidable strength, discipline, and defiance. Her calm, economical fighting contrasts with her taunting confidence.
• Dai Yueheng begins as a confident defender of Shrek’s honor, but Ma’s overwhelming power quickly exposes the gap between them.
• Xuan Zi is angry and hostile toward Ma, yet must follow Mu En’s decision and choose a student to fight.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and sacrifice: Yan is willing to stake his life for Ma and Shrek.
• Honor and reputation: The wager makes Shrek’s public acknowledgment—and Dai’s defense of its standing—central to the conflict.
• Power and arrogance: Ma’s challenge is deliberately provocative, and her effortless victory establishes her superiority.
• Justice and accountability: The duel is meant to determine whether Ma will be publicly vindicated and Xuan Zi made to apologize.

Plot points and events

• After Ma Xiaotao defeats Dai Yueheng in one move, Shrek’s leaders summon Zhang Lexuan to face her.
• Zhang recognizes Ma Xiaotao and the others from the Fatui and tries to approach them, but Xuan Zi reminds her of her obligations to Shrek.
• Encouraged by the Clones, Zhang finally rejects Shrek’s hold over her. She reveals her powerful eight-ring configuration, declares that she has chosen where she belongs, and embraces Ma Xiaotao. Du Busi prevents Xuan Zi from intervening.
• Mu En ends the confrontation for the day, announcing that Shrek will send a defender the next day and that fighters must be of the same rank. A Soul Guidance Train blocks the route into Shrek.
• At an emergency Sea God Pavilion meeting, the Elders review reports about the Fatui and its organization. Lin Huiqun admits that Shrek has been unable to infiltrate it.
• The Elders consider whom to field next, settling on the Outer Court’s strongest students. Mu En mentions Bei Bei and hints that a freshman may be his equal.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Lexuan breaks with the loyalty Shrek demanded of her and acts on feelings she has suppressed for years. Her tearful reunion with Ma Xiaotao and Jiang Hao gives emotional weight to her choice.
• Ma Xiaotao and the Fatui Clones welcome Zhang as a friend, offering her a sense of belonging beyond Shrek.
• Xuan Zi tries to control Zhang and enforce her allegiance to Shrek, while Du Busi blocks him from using force.
• Mu En manages the public confrontation and then leads the Elders’ strategic response. Lin Huiqun supplies intelligence, while the other Elders debate Shrek’s next fighter.
• Xu Sanshi loudly mocks Dai Yueheng but admits he would not dare challenge Ma Xiaotao.

Significant themes

• Belonging and self-determination: Zhang chooses her own community after years of pressure and obligation.
• Loyalty versus coercion: Shrek’s claim on Zhang is challenged by the Fatui’s acceptance of her.
• Power and institutional uncertainty: Ma Xiaotao’s victory exposes Shrek’s vulnerability, while the academy struggles to understand and counter the Fatui’s reach.

Plot points and events

• Xuan Zi brings Red Moon Bro, Blind Bro, and Bro Xingchen to meet Shrek’s Elders. Mu En proposes a three-on-three match against the visiting colleges, with contestants under thirteen and capped at Soul Power Level 40.
• The Elders add a second match: under-eighteen Soul Kings, with Bei Bei and his teammates as a backup. They expect Shrek to dominate both contests.
• Jiang Hao and his Clones secretly observe the Elders’ plans and laugh at their confidence. Ma Xiaotao remains puzzled by the group’s habit of laughing together.
• Yan Shaozhe shows Cai Mei’er the ash-like remains of a golden feather. He believes it once gave him power and courage in a crisis, possibly through an inheritance from the God of Light, but it is now inert.
• The next morning, Shrek’s guards arrest spectators supporting the Adventurers’ Guild and Cassell College, creating a commotion outside the city. Red Moon Bro, Blind Bro, and Bro Xingchen emerge to compete.
• After Mu En gives the three an all-night cultivation session—and they secure a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone and several million Gold Soul Coins from him—Blind Bro and Red Moon Bro privately worry that they are being sent to lose against Jiang Hao’s stronger side.
• Jiang Hao chooses Baidou, a level-thirty-eight Soul Elder, to fight alone against the three. His opponents realize he may be setting them up to lose to a lower-ranked fighter, risking their reputations.

Character developments and interactions

• Mu En regards Blind Bro as a useful short-term trump card, despite doubting his long-term prospects because he is blind. His confidence in Shrek leads him to expand the competition to two matches.
• Blind Bro and Red Moon Bro show awareness of the mismatch and agree to fight convincingly rather than expose Shrek’s scheme—or their own concerns.
• Bro Xingchen downplays his value as a Support System Soul Master, but is still included in the team.
• Jiang Hao uses the match to create an unexpected challenge, while Baidou is selected as the surprise contender.
• Yan Shaozhe and Cai Mei’er share a tender, teasing moment. Shaozhe reveals his lingering attachment to the mysterious feather and its role in helping him break through his limitations.
• Elder Zhuang advocates for a second match, partly to give Bei Bei and his partner a chance to compete.

Significant themes

• Overconfidence and miscalculation: Shrek’s Elders expect victory, but Jiang Hao’s unexpected lineup threatens to turn their assumptions against them.
• Reputation and deception: Red Moon Bro and Blind Bro must make the fight look genuine while fearing the humiliation of losing to one weaker opponent.
• Talent and prejudice: Mu En’s doubts about Blind Bro’s future reflect how disability shapes others’ judgments, even as Blind Bro becomes valuable to Shrek.
• Power and opportunity: Shaozhe’s treasured feather represents a mysterious, possibly divine source of strength that helped him break free of his limits, though its power has vanished.

Key plot points and events

• Baidou, disguised as an Electro Cicin Mage and armed with an Electro Soul Tool, faces three Shrek fighters alone. Shrek students initially mock her, though He Caitou admits that the Adventurers’ Guild’s Soul Tool technology surpasses Shrek’s.
• Red Moon Bro traps Baidou in his Red Moon Rises technique, but she recognizes the space as an illusion and escapes.
• Blind Bro’s attacks seem to threaten Shrek’s spectators, prompting teachers to protect the crowd. The apparent near-miss against Dai Huabin leaves him terrified.
• Shrek’s elders, Xuan Zi and Mu En, order Xingchen to seize Baidou so Blind Bro can attack her. The three Shrek fighters, however, are secretly cooperating with Baidou and intend to lose.
• Baidou kicks Xingchen off the platform, then uses Blind Bro’s attack to knock Red Moon Bro out. Blind Bro exhausts himself with a final barrage, completing the staged defeat.
• Mu En concedes the match and says the contest will continue as a best-of-three. Cai Mei’er challenges the elders for secretly changing the rules; Xuan Zi strips her of her Shrek Elder status. She accepts and declares she would rather stay with Yan Shaozhe.

Character developments and interactions

• Baidou demonstrates composure and tactical skill, using her knowledge of Red Moon Bro’s ability and the opening created by the others’ cooperation.
• Xingchen, Blind Bro, and Red Moon Bro help Baidou win while maintaining the appearance of a genuine fight. Their coordinated performance contrasts with the Shrek elders’ instructions.
• Xuan Zi and Mu En reveal their willingness to use underhanded tactics to secure victory, then react angrily when their own fighters are eliminated.
• Cai Mei’er openly opposes the elders’ conduct and accepts losing her title rather than backing down. Her affectionate declaration toward Yan Shaozhe adds a comic, personal note.
• He Caitou and Huo Yuhao briefly spar over Shrek’s Soul Tool reputation: Huo Yuhao reminds him of the Adventurers’ Guild’s superiority.

Significant themes

• Fairness versus institutional pride: Shrek’s elders prioritize winning over fair play, while Cai Mei’er calls out their lack of integrity.
• Appearances and deception: The match is presented as a real contest, but the fighters are secretly staging Baidou’s victory.
• Skill over numbers and rank: Baidou’s awareness and strategy let her defeat three opponents despite being a lower-ranked, outnumbered fighter.
• Loyalty and personal choice: The three fighters’ quiet cooperation—and Cai Mei’er’s willingness to leave her title behind—shows allegiance can matter more than official status.

Key plot points and events

• After Xuan Zi insults Cai Mei’er, Du Busi and Yan Shaozhe intervene. Yan snaps Xuan Zi’s finger and taunts him, revealing that divine trials have strengthened him.
• Mu En sets the second match as a two-on-two endurance contest, giving Shrek the advantage of choosing the rules. Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi face Blue Silver Bro and Coffee Bro.
• Xu Sanshi tries to use his displacement skill to pull Blue Silver Bro off the platform, but Coffee Bro’s ability counters the forced teleportation. The backlash knocks Xu Sanshi unconscious, and Coffee Bro leaves the arena, removing himself from the contest.
• Bei Bei struggles against Blue Silver Bro’s unusually tough Blue Silver Grass. Motivated by Tang Ya’s plight and the possibility of learning how to improve her Martial Soul, he presses on.
• Blue Silver Grass traps Bei Bei, but the crisis awakens the power of his Radiant Sacred Dragon bloodline. His Dragon Emperor Evil-Breaking Rend breaks him free, and he eagerly asks Blue Silver Bro about his cultivation.

Character developments

• Yan Shaozhe shows newfound confidence and strength, attributing his growth to divine trials and his ultimate light attribute.
• Bei Bei displays devotion to Tang Ya and determination to help her. His desperation also triggers a major breakthrough in his dragon bloodline.
• Xu Sanshi relies on a clever tactic, but it fails against Coffee Bro’s counter; he is knocked unconscious.
• Tang Ya is deeply moved by Bei Bei’s efforts, though the aura from Blue Silver Bro also exerts a strange, familiar pull on her.
• Blue Silver Bro and Coffee Bro demonstrate effective teamwork: Coffee Bro counters Xu Sanshi, while Blue Silver Bro overwhelms Bei Bei through superior cultivation and powerful vines.

Significant themes

• Growth and changing power: Yan’s new strength and Bei Bei’s awakening show how cultivation can overturn old hierarchies.
• Devotion and sacrifice: Bei Bei risks himself in hopes of helping Tang Ya.
• Strategy and counterplay: Xu Sanshi’s signature technique is defeated by a well-matched counter.
• Unsettling transformation: Tang Ya’s reaction to Blue Silver Bro hints at a mysterious connection or influence.

Character interactions

• Yan and Du Busi confront Xuan Zi over his insult to Cai Mei’er; Cai Mei’er responds by teasing Xuan Zi.
• Mu En’s rules favor Shrek, while Jiang Hao selects a seemingly modest but capable pair for the opposing team.
• Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei coordinate before the fight, then face very different obstacles: Xu Sanshi’s tactic is countered, while Bei Bei is physically overwhelmed.
• Tang Ya watches Bei Bei fight on her behalf, and Blue Silver Bro taunts Bei Bei by offering his cultivation secrets only if Bei Bei can defeat him.

Key plot points and events

• Blue Silver Bro explains that Blue Silver Grass’s true strength comes from its exceptional life force and capacity to recover—not from absorbing Soul Rings of any attribute. Tang Ya rejects his explanation, citing the Tang Sect’s tradition and ancestor Tang San’s poison-based Soul Rings, then collapses in despair.
• Bei Bei attacks Blue Silver Bro, but Blue Silver Grass reshapes into a spear and binds him. Bei Bei’s rage triggers a corrupted, sinister surge in his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon power. He breaks free and briefly reaches Soul Power level forty, but Blue Silver Bro throws him from the arena; Bei Bei is knocked unconscious.
• Mu En attacks Blue Silver Bro, blaming him for Bei Bei’s condition. Du Busi intervenes and argues that Bei Bei chose to awaken his unstable bloodline and that a dangerous match carries risks.
• Xuan Zi turns on Yan Shaozhe, but Yan reveals an Ultimate Light attribute and declares he will protect the Fatui. Their clash begins, with Yan stopping Xuan Zi’s opening punch.
• Zhou Yi finds herself surrounded by Fatui members while nearby Shrek teachers protect students but refuse to help her. She grows resentful toward Fan Yu and Mu Jin, and the Fatui prepare to torment her.

Character developments

• Bei Bei is driven by disbelief and resentment into a berserk state. His power rises sharply, but the Radiant Sacred Dragon bloodline is corrupted by hatred rather than awakened cleanly.
• Tang Ya suffers a collapse of faith in the Tang Sect’s inherited teachings.
• Blue Silver Bro stays composed under attack and demonstrates the adaptability of his Martial Soul, though Mu En’s assault leaves him badly shaken.
• Yan Shaozhe reveals he has achieved a genuine Ultimate attribute and openly commits himself to defending the Fatui.
• Mu En shifts from pride in Bei Bei’s awakening to grief and fury at its corruption.
• Zhou Yi reveals deep jealousy and bitterness toward Fan Yu and Mu Jin as she faces danger without support.

Significant themes

• Inherited doctrine versus new understanding: Tang Ya’s certainty in Tang Sect tradition clashes with Blue Silver Bro’s claim about Blue Silver Grass.
• Emotion’s effect on power: Bei Bei’s hatred twists his bloodline’s awakening into an evil force.
• Responsibility and risk: Du Busi argues that Bei Bei’s choices, not Blue Silver Bro’s actions, caused the outcome.
• Loyalty and shifting allegiances: Yan Shaozhe’s defense of the Fatui and Shrek’s teachers’ reluctance to intervene expose competing loyalties.
• Conflict escalating beyond the arena: A student match rapidly becomes a confrontation among powerful elders and factions.

Character interactions

• Blue Silver Bro’s explanation provokes Tang Ya’s disbelief and Bei Bei’s furious attack.
• Mu En confronts Blue Silver Bro, while Du Busi shields him and challenges Mu En’s accusation.
• Xuan Zi attacks Yan Shaozhe; Yan resists and declares that anyone targeting the Fatui will be his enemy. Cai Mei’er supports Yan, though he initially holds her back.
• Zhou Yi watches Fan Yu protect other students without coming to her aid, intensifying her resentment as Fatui members close in.

Key plot points

• The Fatui overpower Zhou Yi in the arena. Elder Gong Changlong orders them to stop, but says Zhou Yi will be expelled from Shrek and left to face whatever consequences follow.
• Realizing that expulsion would strip away Shrek’s protection, Zhou Yi panics and begs to stay, boasting about her teaching record and appealing to Fan Yu.
• Mu Jin reminds Fan Yu that Zhou Yi rejected him and warns him not to intervene. He stays by Mu Jin.
• In the sky, Du Busi uses a Geo Vision to strengthen his defense and briefly turns the fight against Mu En, taunting him over Mu En’s past injury to his brother.
• Mu En reveals that he expected this moment. He merges with the Golden Ancient Tree and unleashes its accumulated power through a gigantic golden dragon, gravely injuring Du Busi.
• As Mu En’s remaining soul fades, Xuan Zi vows that Shrek will wage war on the Fatui and the three empires. A lightning strike knocks him down, and Mu En’s final words warn that his declaration could doom Shrek.
• Seeing Shrek’s poor position, Xuan Zi concedes defeat and vows that Shrek will someday repay the humiliation before disappearing.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Yi loses her confidence and composure when she faces the prospect of losing Shrek’s protection. Her pleas show that her fear of retaliation outweighs her pride.
• Fan Yu feels a lingering sympathy for his former partner but ultimately listens to Mu Jin, whose care and possessiveness shape his decision.
• Mu En accepts his sacrifice, joining with the Golden Ancient Tree to unleash its power. His calm resolve contrasts with Du Busi’s anger and desire for revenge.
• Du Busi uses the Geo Vision with new respect for its power, but Mu En’s final strike leaves him gravely wounded.
• Xuan Zi reacts to Mu En’s sacrifice with grief and fury, then has to swallow his pride and concede when his rash declaration is checked.

Significant themes

• Power and sacrifice: Mu En’s attack draws on the accumulated sacrifices of Shrek’s past leaders.
• Consequences and protection: Zhou Yi’s fear highlights how much she depends on Shrek’s status to shield her from enemies.
• Pride versus judgment: Xuan Zi’s emotional declaration threatens Shrek, while Mu En’s warning and the battlefield’s reality force him to retreat.
• Hidden schemes: Jiang Hao recognizes that Mu En’s sacrifice serves God King Tang’s larger plan involving the Golden Ancient Tree and Douluo Star’s origin.

Plot and events

• Shrek Academy’s defeat triggers a continent-wide upheaval. Under pressure from its many enemies, Dean and Sea God Pavilion Master Xuan Zi publicly apologizes. Student departures reach a historic high, exposing the damage caused by poor leadership and the academy’s failure to recognize talent.
• Xu Jiujiu discusses Shrek’s collapse with Owl Bro, a Fatui representative from the Far North. They note that the Star Luo Empire can now expand its influence and promote Cassell College, since Shrek no longer stands as a neutral power over the three nations.
• Xu probes the Fatui’s success in nurturing gifted children through its Houses of the Hearth. Owl Bro confirms that the Fatui has an unstable technique that can help awaken exceptional Martial Souls and innate Soul Power, but says it has only been used experimentally to save a few children.
• Xu offers support and funding, framing the research as beneficial to both the empire and ordinary people. Owl Bro refuses to share it: he fears that widespread use would be controlled by nobles and turned into a tool for ruling commoners. He stresses that the Fatui will keep the technique to itself.
• As Xu prepares to leave, an armored general arrives with urgent news: the Sun Moon Empire has launched a surprise border attack using submersible warships. The Star Luo defenses are scattered, and Xu is summoned back to the palace.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Jiujiu is politically perceptive and composed. She recognizes the opportunity Shrek’s fall creates for Star Luo, and tries to secure Fatui knowledge while presenting her offer as altruistic. She accepts Owl Bro’s refusal without showing anger.
• Owl Bro is guarded and principled, defending the Fatui’s independence and its commitment to protecting disadvantaged children. He sharply rejects Xu’s attempt to obtain the awakening technique.
• Their exchange reveals mutual awareness and tension: Xu uses gentle teasing and strategic persuasion, while Owl Bro sees through her motives and draws a firm boundary.

Significant themes

• Institutional decline and accountability: Shrek’s collapse stems from mismanagement, misplaced trust, and failure to nurture talent.
• Power and opportunity: Shrek’s loss reshapes the balance among nations and opens space for Star Luo and Cassell College.
• Care versus exploitation: The Fatui’s work may give poor children a future, but its spread could let elites monopolize that power.
• Political ideals under pressure: Owl Bro rejects imperial control even when cooperation is offered in the name of public benefit.
• Escalating conflict: The Sun Moon Empire’s attack abruptly shifts the chapter from political maneuvering to an immediate military crisis.

Key plot points and events

• The Sun Moon Empire launches a surprise attack on the Star Luo Empire’s coast near the Mingdou Mountain Range. The coastline falls, and the defenders retreat to three cities.
• Xu Jiujiu is summoned to the Imperial Palace for a war council. Owl Bro deliberately overhears the news, recognizing the Star Luo Empire’s attempt to signal that it needs the Fatui’s support.
• Jiang Hao, traveling by Train, understands why the Sun Moon Empire attacked: it wants to halt the Star Luo Empire’s rapid military and Soul Tool development, potentially seize its research, and open a route into the Three Original Continents.
• At the front, Mad Bull Douluo and Fire Phoenix Douluo lead the assault. Their goal is to seize and hold the last city near the plains.
• Dai Hao, commander of the White Tiger Army, is brought to Xianglong City critically injured by a seventh-level Soul Tool shell. Medicine Bro uses the technique “Mercy of the Medicine King” to stabilize him, though he warns that recovery will take time.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Jiujiu shifts from relaxed to urgent and rides to the palace to respond to the invasion.
• Owl Bro sees through the staged circumstances around the messenger’s arrival and recognizes the Empire’s appeal for Fatui assistance.
• Jiang Hao shows strategic insight, viewing the attack as a calculated effort to stop the Star Luo Empire’s rise.
• Mad Bull Douluo and Fire Phoenix Douluo act decisively, pressing toward their strategic objective.
• Katheryne and the military doctors organize care for Dai Hao. Medicine Bro abruptly takes over, displaying extraordinary healing power and stabilizing the gravely wounded marshal.

Significant themes

• War and strategic calculation: The invasion is driven not only by territory, but by fear of the Star Luo Empire’s growing technological and military strength.
• Alliance and obligation: The Star Luo Empire’s dependence on the Fatui creates pressure for the Fatui to prove its usefulness.
• The value of leadership: Dai Hao’s condition threatens the effectiveness of the Empire’s largest army, underscoring how much its forces rely on him.
• Powerful healing amid devastation: Medicine Bro’s intervention offers hope, but only temporary stabilization; the damage of war cannot be undone instantly.

Plot points and events

• Star Luo’s border commander is critically wounded by a Soul Tool explosion, leaving the defense without a clear leader as the Sun Moon Empire threatens a major assault.
• Xu Jiujiu proposes reinforcing the front with Fatui support, troops transported by Train, and a unit from the capital garrison. Ministers object, citing the capital’s security and the empire’s finances; one urges peace negotiations.
• Xu Jiujiu suspects the treasury official advocating peace has mismanaged or stolen funds, since the treasury recently received increased revenue and grain.
• She argues that the Sun Moon Empire intends to seize Xianglong City, the crucial pass into the plains, and angrily challenges the court’s ministers to negotiate in person.
• Frustrated by the court’s lack of competence and courage, Xu Jiujiu volunteers to lead the army herself. Xu Jiawei approves and assigns Guardian Douluo Chen Gang to accompany her. Chen Gang orders the military officials to prove themselves on the battlefield.
• Xu Jiujiu seeks Fatui assistance. Owl Bro agrees to provide weapons, ammunition, and fire support, but not Fatui troops, and suggests she seek help from Yan Shaozhe of Cassell College.
• Trains carrying personnel race toward Xianglong City. Owl Bro watches their arrival and confirms an Airship is ready to depart.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Jiujiu emerges as a decisive, patriotic leader, willing to risk herself when the court fails to act. She confronts the ministers directly and takes responsibility for the defense.
• Xu Jiawei is anxious over the wounded commander and the shortage of suitable leadership, but ultimately supports his sister and entrusts her with the campaign.
• Owl Bro offers measured, practical support while keeping Fatui forces out of direct combat.
• Chen Gang backs Xu Jiujiu and condemns military officials who rely on inherited status while avoiding battle.
• The ministers reveal fear, self-interest, and incompetence; the treasury official’s sudden call for peace raises Xu Jiujiu’s suspicions.

Significant themes

• Duty and sacrifice: Xu Jiujiu accepts personal danger to defend her country.
• Courage versus cowardice: The chapter contrasts her resolve and Chen Gang’s martial standards with the officials’ reluctance to act.
• Political corruption and accountability: Xu Jiujiu questions the treasury official’s claims and challenges the court’s fitness to govern.
• Strategic cooperation: The Train, Fatui supplies, and possible outside allies show the importance of logistics and partnerships in defending the border.