Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Nana explains that ancient martial arts are learnable techniques, unlike Soul Skills, which come from a Soul Master’s Martial Soul. Proper technique can let someone overcome an opponent with greater Soul Power.
• She demonstrates how a basic stance and a small movement can send force outward strongly enough to stir dust, then has the class practice stance, footwork, and force generation.
• During a break, Dong Qianqiu asks Ye Zhiqiu why he stepped between her and Nana. He says she looked frightened; she insists she merely dislikes being touched. She admits Nana’s touch felt strange but not unpleasant.
• Over the next two weeks, the students grow used to Nana and her demanding lessons. Ye learns quickly thanks to his prior experience but avoids standing out too much. Dong also makes strong progress, and Nana repeatedly gives her special attention.
• In the latest lesson, Nana tells the students to spar in pairs without using Martial Souls or Soul Skills. Dong turns toward Ye to choose him, but someone else calls out first: “Ye Zhiqiu, come spar with me.”

Character developments

• Ye Zhiqiu is confident, observant, and protective of Dong. His earlier training gives him an advantage, though he deliberately keeps his performance within reasonable bounds.
• Dong Qianqiu is becoming more skilled and comfortable around Ye, while remaining uneasy about physical contact and curious about Nana. She thanks Ye for stepping in and privately realizes she finds him attractive, then reminds herself that they are only seven.
• Nana is an exacting, composed instructor. Her repeated attention to Dong suggests she may have a particular interest in her, though the reason remains unclear.

Significant themes

• Technique and discipline: Effective martial arts depend on posture, movement, and force rather than supernatural abilities alone.
• Protection and friendship: Ye’s intervention reassures Dong, and their trust in each other deepens.
• Hidden identities and unanswered questions: Nana’s touch and special attention hint at knowledge or motives the children do not understand.
• Growing affection: Dong’s gratitude and private attraction introduce a childlike romantic undercurrent.

Character interactions

• Nana instructs the class and quietly scrutinizes Ye and Dong, especially Dong.
• Ye and Dong tease and confide in each other; he deflects her questions about Nana while reassuring her.
• Dong’s attempt to partner with Ye is interrupted by an unidentified student, setting up the next sparring match.

Key plot points and events

• During a physical-training class, Nana chooses Ye Zhiqiu as her sparring partner, interrupting Dong Qianqiu, who had intended to pair with him.
• They spar under strict rules: no martial souls or soul skills, only physical technique.
• Ye Zhiqiu attacks with moves based on the class’s lessons, adding his own variations. Nana calmly redirects his strikes, exposes openings, and occasionally counters, while deliberately giving him room to respond.
• After several minutes, Nana uses a more decisive sequence to push him back and ends the match. She tells him to review what he practiced, then sends the other students back to sparring.
• The class is impressed by how long Ye Zhiqiu lasted, though they recognize Nana was holding back.

Character developments

• Ye Zhiqiu shows quick thinking and adaptability: he changes tactics, studies Nana’s balance and timing, and recognizes that she is using the match to teach him. He remains confident and playful afterward.
• Nana demonstrates exceptional skill and restraint. Rather than simply overpowering Ye Zhiqiu, she gives him controlled opportunities to practice before ending the spar decisively.
• Dong Qianqiu is quietly frustrated by the widening gap between her abilities and Ye Zhiqiu’s, but she still checks on him afterward and banters with him.

Significant themes

• Learning through practice: Nana’s sparring turns a lesson into a practical demonstration of technique, timing, and balance.
• Skill over force: Nana neutralizes attacks through precise angles and efficient movements rather than brute strength.
• Ambition and comparison: Dong Qianqiu’s concern about falling behind reveals the pressure created by measuring oneself against a talented peer.

Character interactions

• Nana’s choice of partner briefly displaces Dong Qianqiu, who accepts the teacher’s decision despite her disappointment.
• Nana and Ye Zhiqiu develop a respectful teacher-student exchange through the spar: he tests his skills, while she coaches him through measured resistance.
• Afterward, Dong Qianqiu checks that Ye Zhiqiu is unhurt. Their teasing—especially his joking that “absurd” is a compliment—ends the scene on a light, familiar note.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Zhiqiu and Dong Qianqiu become increasingly invested in Nana’s ancient martial arts classes, which help them turn natural talent and scattered experience into disciplined technique.
• Nana invites them to train after school three times a week. Over four months, they progress from demanding stance and footwork drills to advanced body mechanics, sparring, and finally combining martial arts with soul power.
• Both improve markedly: Dong Qianqiu develops better balance, coordination, and use of her strength; Ye Zhiqiu learns techniques especially quickly. Their combat styles also evolve—her Ice Spear becomes more agile, while his Absolute Blade grows less predictable. Their soul power reaches levels 24 and 25, respectively.
• During a new sparring session, Nana has them fight her one at a time and tells Ye Zhiqiu to use his martial soul. He unexpectedly activates his first skill, Concept Severance, and briefly interrupts Nana’s movement.
• Nana confirms that the effect lasted about half a second. Ye Zhiqiu is stunned that his skill could affect someone apparently far more powerful than himself. When he asks how strong she is, Nana says she is unsure but can destroy a battleship.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Zhiqiu grows more skilled and confident, using quick analysis and a calculated surprise attack to overcome Nana’s defenses momentarily. He hides how much he suspects about her identity and power.
• Dong Qianqiu shows persistence, repeatedly getting back up after being thrown down. She is motivated in part by wanting to keep pace with Ye, and her physical instincts increasingly complement his quicker technical learning.
• Nana proves to be a rigorous, observant teacher who tailors training to their progress. Ye’s unusual learning speed surprises her, while her reaction to Concept Severance reveals that the unexpected interruption genuinely catches her off guard.
• Ye and Dong develop a closer, teasing rivalry: she complains about his rapid learning and throws her bottle at him, while he responds with smug jokes. Their shared training gradually makes them more intimate.

Significant themes

• Discipline turns talent into skill: steady, precise practice improves both students beyond their natural abilities.
• Different strengths can complement each other: Ye excels at learning and improvisation, while Dong’s coordination and physical instincts shine in combat.
• The limits of power are uncertain: Ye’s skill affects Nana despite an enormous apparent gap in strength, hinting that unusual abilities may bypass conventional measures of power.
• Hidden identity and mystery: Ye recognizes Nana’s likely true nature, but she herself seems unsure of her past and capabilities.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Zhiqiu reveals that his first soul skill, Concept Severance, can briefly cut a target off from something fundamental—such as their martial soul, soul power, or ability to exert force.
• The skill works even on Nana, though its effect lasts only about half a second on her; against Dong Qianqiu, it can last around four seconds. Nana confirms that it made her feel like an ordinary person, unable to access her usual power.
• Nana recognizes the skill’s enormous potential but warns Ye that every ability has limits and that he must understand its boundaries rather than rely on overpowering stronger opponents.
• Nana then turns to Dong Qianqiu for training. Qianqiu uses her Ice Spear and ice-based soul skill to attack, but Nana evades and redirects her strikes with precise movements.
• Ye notices that Qianqiu’s balance, speed, and recovery have improved substantially after weeks of intensive training. Nana praises her progress, prompting Qianqiu to ask for another round.

Character developments

• Ye Zhiqiu discovers just how broadly his soul skill can affect others and takes Nana’s advice seriously. His confidence is tempered by her reminder that the skill has limits.
• Dong Qianqiu is startled—and privately envious—of Concept Severance, while insisting she wants a fair fight. Her improved combat control becomes clear during her spar with Nana.
• Nana demonstrates exceptional control and skill even while acknowledging uncertainty about her own true level. Watching the children also reminds her of Lan Xuanyu, whom she misses.

Significant themes

• Power and its limits: A seemingly overwhelming ability still has boundaries, and understanding them matters more than relying on temporary advantages.
• Practice and growth: Qianqiu’s smoother, faster responses show the results of sustained training.
• Fairness and rivalry: Qianqiu’s protestations about a “fair fight” contrast humorously with her reluctance to face Ye’s strongest technique.
• Mentorship: Nana balances encouragement with caution, guiding both students as they develop.

Character interactions

• Ye and Qianqiu tease each other over his unfairly powerful soul skill, revealing their familiar, competitive rapport.
• Nana observes their banter with quiet amusement, then gives Ye thoughtful guidance about developing his ability.
• During Qianqiu’s spar, Nana tests her without overwhelming her, allowing her to recover and acknowledging her improvement.

Key plot points and events

• During sparring with Nana, Dong Qianqiu shows clear improvement after her special training. Her spearwork is faster and less predictable, with smoother changes in balance and attack rhythm. Nana ends the session and praises her progress.
• After training, Qianqiu wonders whether Nana will keep teaching them when they grow up and attend Shrek Academy. Ye Zhiqiu admits that nothing is certain.
• A few days later, Qianqiu is suddenly pulled into a silvery gateway while walking with Ye Zhiqiu. He recognizes the event as the summoning incident from the original story, caused by a spatial resonance.
• With the gateway closing and no apparent danger, Ye Zhiqiu jumps in after her. He travels through a distorted space and emerges in a beast-fighting arena, where dozens of Lava Hounds surround two boys and a girl.

Character developments

• Qianqiu’s combat skill is advancing: she can sustain the spar longer and now varies her timing and force, making her attacks harder to read.
• She is eager for Nana’s approval and more openly expressive with her teacher than with most people.
• Ye Zhiqiu remains attentive to Qianqiu and acts decisively when she is taken, choosing to follow her despite the unknown destination.

Character interactions

• Nana provides disciplined instruction, then offers specific praise that visibly delights Qianqiu.
• Qianqiu and Ye Zhiqiu exchange familiar, teasing remarks after he compliments her.
• Qianqiu asks Ye Zhiqiu whether their training with Nana can last; his uncertain answer leaves the future unresolved.
• When Qianqiu vanishes, Ye Zhiqiu calls out and reaches for her, then immediately follows through the gateway.

Significant themes

• Training and growth: Qianqiu’s improvement reflects the payoff of sustained practice and attentive coaching.
• Uncertainty and change: The conversation about their future with Nana foreshadows how quickly their lives can shift.
• Loyalty and courage: Ye Zhiqiu’s instinct to pursue Qianqiu shows his commitment to her, even in an unfamiliar situation.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• During a grueling examination in Douluo World, Lan Xuanyu, Qian Lei, and Liu Feng are nearly overwhelmed by a pack of Lava Hounds. Liu Feng is exhausted, Lan Xuanyu is badly strained, and Qian Lei is still trying to complete a summoning.
• As Lan Xuanyu falls backward, her silver-patterned Blue Silver Grass touches the fading Summoning Gate. Her aura unexpectedly links with it, and the gate opens to bring Dong Qianqiu into the examination.
• A second person, Ye Zhiqiu, also emerges, despite Qian Lei’s belief that the gate should summon only one person. Dong Qianqiu recognizes the setting as the simulation-pod version of Douluo World and says Lan Xuanyu’s aura—not Qian Lei—guided her there.
• With the Lava Hounds attacking, Dong Qianqiu and Ye Zhiqiu step in. Both reveal that they are Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters, each possessing one hundred-year and one thousand-year soul ring.
• Dong Qianqiu uses ice abilities to eliminate many of the weaker hounds. Ye Zhiqiu wounds a hundred-year hound rather than killing it, and Dong Qianqiu freezes several others without finishing them.
• Once they have left a small group alive, Ye Zhiqiu explains that killing every enemy would end the examination. He wants to keep some alive so he can ask questions.

Character developments

• Lan Xuanyu shows resilience by continuing to protect her friends, and her silver Blue Silver Grass appears to have an unusual connection to the Summoning Gate.
• Qian Lei is thrilled by the successful summoning, but his confidence is undercut when Dong Qianqiu says Lan Xuanyu’s aura brought her there. He also objects to leaving enemies alive because defeating them would earn examination progress.
• Liu Feng is physically depleted after using his strength to fight, and remains wary as the summoned pair take control of the battle.
• Dong Qianqiu arrives confused but quickly proves capable and decisive in combat. Her trust in Ye Zhiqiu is evident: she follows his instruction to spare enemies, intending to ask him why later.
• Ye Zhiqiu is calm and perceptive. He assesses the fight quickly, restrains his power, and prioritizes gathering information over simply ending the battle.

Significant themes

• Unexpected connections and hidden abilities: Lan Xuanyu’s aura seems to have influenced the summoning, suggesting her powers may be more significant than she knows.
• Cooperation and trust: Dong Qianqiu acts in concert with Ye Zhiqiu, while the three exam candidates must adapt to allies they did not expect.
• Power with restraint: Ye Zhiqiu and Dong Qianqiu deliberately avoid killing every enemy, showing that victory is not their only concern.
• Knowledge versus immediate success: Ye Zhiqiu chooses to prolong the encounter to gain answers, even as Qian Lei wants to finish the fight for the examination.

Character interactions

• Qian Lei claims authority over Dong Qianqiu as her summoner, but she rejects his claim and identifies Lan Xuanyu as the one whose aura guided her.
• Ye Zhiqiu quickly protects Dong Qianqiu from Qian Lei’s remarks with a casual warning, making Qian Lei uneasy.
• Dong Qianqiu and Ye Zhiqiu coordinate smoothly in battle, reflecting their established familiarity and trust.
• The original trio watch the newcomers’ strength and tactics with surprise, while Qian Lei’s impatience clashes with Ye Zhiqiu’s decision to keep the remaining Lava Hounds alive.

Plot points and events

• Qian Lei explains that his Summoning Gate accidentally brought Dong Qianqiu and Ye Zhiqiu to Tianluo Star from Heaven Dou Star, creating an unexpected interplanetary summoning.
• Lan Xuanyu introduces himself and his classmates, Qian Lei and Liu Feng. Ye Zhiqiu and Dong Qianqiu identify themselves as second-year students from the Heaven Dou Branch Affiliated Junior Academy.
• The group clarifies that the encounter is part of Lan Xuanyu’s beginner assessment: they must defeat the remaining Lava Hounds.
• Ye Zhiqiu uses his second Soul Skill, Absolute Slash, to kill all three remaining beasts in three quick strikes. The assessment ends, awarding one Douluo Coin, and the summoned visitors return to their original location as the others disappear.

Character developments

• Lan Xuanyu stays composed and takes the lead in explaining the situation. Ye Zhiqiu’s surprise at Lan being a girl reveals that this version of the character differs from the story Ye knows.
• Qian Lei proudly claims credit for an unprecedented interplanetary summoning, despite admitting he does not fully understand how it works.
• Liu Feng punctures Qian Lei’s overconfidence with a quick remark, but lets him continue afterward.
• Ye Zhiqiu shows confidence and formidable skill, while privately comparing events with his knowledge of the original story.
• Dong Qianqiu is wary of the newcomers and reacts jealously when Ye pays extra attention to Lan.

Significant themes

• Unexpected changes to familiar stories: Ye recognizes the characters but discovers that this timeline differs from what he expected.
• Power and competence: Ye’s effortless defeat of the remaining beasts highlights the gap between him and the assessment group.
• Chance and connection: Qian Lei’s accidental summoning brings together people from different planets who may have a meaningful bond.

Character interactions

• Dong questions Qian Lei about the summoning and challenges his explanation; Lan helps establish who everyone is and what is happening.
• Ye and Dong coordinate with the others to finish the assessment.
• Dong subtly blocks Ye’s view of Lan after noticing his attention, while Lan and Dong exchange observations about each other’s unusual names.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Zhiqiu and Dong Qianqiu return to Heaven Dou Star after being unexpectedly summoned into the Douluo World training grounds on Tianluo Star. They recount the incident to Nana.
• Nana explains that the summons was likely caused by rare spatial Isotopic Resonance, not by the children’s power. Learning the silver-patterned grass user was Lan Xuanyu, she realizes the child she once tutored—and feels deeply connected to—is present.
• Nana asks Dong Qianqiu to confirm Lan Xuanyu’s identity if summoned again, and keeps Qianqiu nearby so she can observe the phenomenon.
• Lan Xuanyu, Qian Lei, and Liu Feng re-enter the assessment. Lan Xuanyu’s contact with the Summoning Gate again brings Dong Qianqiu and Ye Zhiqiu across.
• Lan Xuanyu hears Nana’s voice through the unstable gate. Overcome with emotion, she tells Nana she misses her and asks whether Nana can come through. Nana says crossing would risk disrupting space.
• While Qianqiu, Ye Zhiqiu, and Liu Feng fight the Lava Hounds, Nana explains how spatial resonance can connect distant places. She advises Lan Xuanyu to repeat the summoning under controlled intervals.
• The children try more than a dozen times. Qianqiu appears repeatedly, while some attempts summon Soul Beasts. Nana and Lan Xuanyu agree to try communicating again another time.
• After the gate closes, Nana asks Qianqiu to stay overnight in case further summons occur. Ye Zhiqiu heads home.

Character developments

• Lan Xuanyu shows how strongly she longs for Nana, revealing a bond that goes beyond ordinary teacher and student.
• Nana is visibly moved by reconnecting with Lan Xuanyu and becomes gentler, though she remains cautious about the danger of crossing the unstable gate.
• Dong Qianqiu shifts from confusion about the summons to actively helping Nana investigate it.
• Ye Zhiqiu understands Nana’s feelings and quietly recognizes that the connection between her and Lan Xuanyu is unusually profound.
• Qian Lei and Liu Feng continue supporting the experiments, balancing Qian Lei’s eagerness with Liu Feng’s more practical caution.

Significant themes

• Connection across distance: The rare spatial resonance physically links separated worlds and echoes the emotional bond between Nana and Lan Xuanyu.
• Longing and reunion: Their brief conversation brings joy and relief, but the unstable gate prevents a full reunion.
• Fate and intuition: Nana senses that the connection is meaningful, even though she cannot fully explain why it occurs.
• Careful responsibility: Nana prioritizes safety, refusing to cross and directing controlled experiments instead.

Character interactions

• Dong Qianqiu reports the first summons to Nana, prompting Nana to identify Lan Xuanyu.
• Nana and Lan Xuanyu speak through the gate with obvious affection; Lan Xuanyu addresses her as “Teacher Nana” and says she misses her.
• Ye Zhiqiu and Dong Qianqiu protect Lan Xuanyu’s group from the Lava Hounds so she can talk.
• Nana and Dong Qianqiu agree to remain together and monitor future summons, while Ye Zhiqiu takes his leave.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Zhiqiu and Dong Qianqiu graduate at the top of Heaven Dou City’s junior academies and enter Heaven Dou Academy’s intermediate division.
• Nana transfers to teach there, partly to continue her work and partly so the research institute can observe her in a more ordinary setting. Her growing closeness with the children is viewed as a positive sign.
• Lan Mengqin, a white-haired, ice-eyed girl with an initially reserved manner, joins Ye and Dong’s class. Dong quickly befriends her, and they become roommates and regular companions.
• When the class begins group training, Dong proposes that she, Lan, and Ye form a team. They agree. Over the following year, their roles in simulated battles become well coordinated: Ye leads and controls the fight, Dong attacks at close range, and Lan provides ranged support.
• The trio become the strongest second-year team and earn a reputation. Dong and Lan are dubbed the “Ice and Snow Goddesses,” while Ye gains the nickname “Moonshadow” for his swift, precise blade work.
• Three older students confront Ye over his closeness to the girls. He takes them somewhere out of camera range, then calmly outmaneuvers them, criticizing their poor technique and teamwork as he fights. He uses his Absolute Blade to stop their leader’s punch and finally slices the buttons from the boy’s collar without injuring him. The three retreat. Dong and Lan rush over at the chapter’s end.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Zhiqiu grows more confident and skilled, becoming the trio’s leader. His relaxed humor contrasts with his sharp judgment and controlled fighting style; he also teases Dong about her nickname and jokes about wanting a grander one for himself.
• Dong Qianqiu becomes close to Lan and takes the initiative in forming the team. She remains cool and reserved around others but is more talkative with friends, and reacts physically when Ye teases her.
• Lan Mengqin gradually sheds her aloofness through Dong’s friendship. She becomes an integral teammate, supporting the group from a distance with her Jade Phoenix Zither.
• Nana’s transfer reflects both her wish to keep teaching and the institute’s effort to help her maintain social ties. The children’s attachment to her is treated as encouraging.
• The trio’s friendship is expressed through daily routines, team training, and shared Douluo World battles. Their closeness also attracts jealousy from older students, whom Ye handles without losing his composure.

Significant themes

• Friendship and belonging: Shared classes, a room, and training turn former classmates into a close, effective team.
• Cooperation and complementary strengths: The team succeeds by combining Ye’s leadership, Dong’s close combat, and Lan’s ranged support.
• Skill over intimidation: Ye defeats the older students through precision, composure, and awareness rather than brute force.
• Reputation and growing up: As the children mature, nicknames and public attention reflect their developing identities and status.

Plot points and events

• Three upperclassmen confront Ye Zhiqiu and tell him to stay away from Dong Qianqiu and Lan Mengqin. He defeats them, and the school later gives all three public reprimands, lost conduct points, and major demerits.
• At the training grounds, the girls ask how the team will fare against stronger students at Shrek Academy. Ye reveals he has a second martial soul, Gravity, which he awakened alongside Absolute Blade but kept secret for years. It can alter gravity and, eventually, warp space.
• Dong and Lan test his new power together. Ye combines Gravity with Absolute Blade to redirect their attacks and weigh Dong down, decisively overpowering them. He admits he had not been using his full strength in earlier fights.
• The trio continue training, adapting to his changing gravity and improving their resistance and speed. Their simulated battles also become more coordinated.
• Their strength grows: Ye reaches soul-power rank 45 at age eleven, Lan reaches rank 46, and Dong reaches rank 39, nearing Soul Ancestor. Ye advances to forging rank four and makes progress toward double armor.
• Nana interrupts their training to tell Ye and Dong that Xuan Yu has arrived at the airport and asks them to come with her.

Character developments and interactions

• Dong Qianqiu reacts with alarm when she hears Ye was attacked, then anger and hurt when she learns he hid Gravity from her. She quickly shifts to curiosity and competitive spirit, proposing a spar to see its full power. Afterward, she jokingly assigns Ye the role of “shield,” with herself as the attacker.
• Lan Mengqin is relieved Ye is unharmed and astonished by his secret ability. She helps test Gravity, adapts her sound-based attacks, and acknowledges how completely it changes their fights.
• Ye Zhiqiu shows confidence in handling the upperclassmen but also guilt about concealing his second martial soul. Revealing it marks a step toward greater openness with his teammates, while his mastery and power continue to develop.
• The three’s friendship and teamwork deepen through teasing, sparring, and shared training. Dong and Lan increasingly act in sync, while their combat coordination improves.

Significant themes

• Trust and disclosure: Ye’s long-kept secret strains the moment but becomes an opportunity to be more open with his companions.
• Growth through challenge: Facing Ye’s Gravity helps Dong and Lan build resilience, while the trio’s training steadily strengthens both individuals and teamwork.
• Strength and responsibility: Ye’s overwhelming power contrasts with his teammates’ determination to keep improving, and the school’s punishment underscores consequences for using intimidation against others.

Key plot points and events

• Nana tells Ye Zhiqiu that Lan Xuanyu has arrived at the spaceport and is coming to stay with her. She plans to help Xuanyu break through her long-standing rank-nineteen bottleneck and reach rank twenty.
• Ye Zhiqiu, Dong Qianqiu, and Lan Mengqin accompany Nana to meet Xuanyu and her parents, Lan Xiao and Nan Cheng. Their spacecraft was delayed after an encounter with Interstellar Pirates.
• At Nana’s apartment, Xuanyu explains that she piloted a fighter to defend the civilian spacecraft when five pirate scout ships attacked. After she was trapped by a capture net, an unknown force abruptly destroyed the pirates’ ships and mechas. Ye Zhiqiu suspects the celebrity Tang Le, whom he noticed at the spaceport, intervened.
• Xuanyu confirms that her visit is mainly for Nana to supervise her breakthrough. The group offers to help her prepare and spar.

Character developments

• Lan Xuanyu is shown as brave and resourceful: despite being only rank nineteen, she volunteered to pilot a fighter in a crisis. She is also warmly affectionate with Nana and comfortable with her old teammates.
• Nana reveals quiet concern while waiting for Xuanyu, then greets her with clear maternal warmth. Their reunion emphasizes how close they have become.
• Ye Zhiqiu remains observant, practical, and teasing; he deduces that Tang Le likely rescued Xuanyu but does not press her for details.
• Dong Qianqiu is eager to see Xuanyu and worries about her safety. Lan Mengqin, initially reserved, becomes curious about Xuanyu’s daring actions and offers to help.

Character interactions

• Xuanyu’s reunion with Nana is affectionate and intimate, with playful remarks about how much Xuanyu has grown.
• Xuanyu exchanges familiar teasing with Ye Zhiqiu and warmly greets Dong Qianqiu, while Lan Mengqin is introduced as a friend and teammate.
• Lan Xiao and Nan Cheng greet Nana, and their easy warmth with Xuanyu underscores the family’s closeness.
• The friends support Xuanyu’s upcoming breakthrough, ending on light banter as Ye Zhiqiu boasts about their group.

Significant themes

• Courage and initiative: Xuanyu acts despite her inexperience when others are in danger.
• Found and family bonds: Nana’s motherly affection and Xuanyu’s loving family create a strong sense of belonging.
• Hidden power and mystery: The unexplained destruction of the pirate forces hints at a powerful protector whose identity remains unknown.
• Friendship and mutual support: Xuanyu’s friends welcome her and offer practical help with her cultivation.

Plot and key events

• During a simulation-pod training session, Ye Zhiqiu, Dong Qianqiu, and Lan Mengqin enter a version of the Star Dou Great Forest from twenty thousand years ago, where soul beasts can reach fifty thousand years of age.
• They agree on roles: Ye controls the battlefield, Qianqiu fights at close range, and Mengqin supports from the rear. Working smoothly together, they defeat several weaker beasts, including a group of jade-horned apes and a three-thousand-year jungle python.
• As the forest grows unnaturally quiet, Ye uses Gravity Wave to sense a huge dormant creature nearby. The group finds a titan ironclad dragon, likely at least thirty thousand years old.
• Ye approaches alone to test its defenses, reassuring Qianqiu that he is confident. The dragon wakes and charges, but Ye dodges and cuts through its armor with Absolute Blade.
• When the dragon counterattacks, Ye pins it with Absolute Gravity. He then uses Concept Severance to cut off its connection to its soul power, leaving it vulnerable, and kills it with a final slash to the throat.
• Qianqiu and Mengqin watch in stunned disbelief. Ye explains that the first strike tested the dragon’s defenses and the second finished it.

Character development and interactions

• Ye Zhiqiu displays calm confidence and tactical judgment. He studies the dragon before committing, tests its armor, and combines his abilities strategically rather than relying on brute force. His easy victory, however, borders on reckless bravado.
• Dong Qianqiu is alert and protective, questioning whether the group should engage and trying to stop Ye from approaching alone. She ultimately trusts his judgment, then bluntly calls him a “freak” after seeing how quickly he wins.
• Lan Mengqin contributes knowledge about the dragon and supports the team in earlier fights. She is as astonished as Qianqiu by Ye’s ability to kill such a formidable beast in two strikes.
• The trio’s teamwork is effective against ordinary enemies, but the dragon encounter shifts the focus to Ye’s exceptional individual power. Qianqiu’s concern and Ye’s reassuring response also show their familiarity and trust.

Significant themes

• Confidence, risk, and trust: Ye takes a calculated but dangerous risk, while Qianqiu must decide whether to trust his assurance.
• Power through strategy: Ye wins not merely through strength, but by assessing the enemy and disabling its soul-power protection before striking decisively.
• Teamwork versus exceptional ability: The group works well together, yet Ye’s overwhelming power sets him apart and leaves his companions in awe.
• Composure under pressure: Ye remains unshaken by the dragon’s imposing aura, highlighting his self-possession and confidence.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Zhiqiu, Dong Qianqiu, and Lan Mengqin finish a simulated battle against a powerful Titan Ironclad Dragon. They continue through the forest, defeating several more soul beasts before ending their session.
• Over the next few days, the trio keeps up its routine of classes, simulation-pod fights, and cultivation. Lan Xuanyu occasionally joins them.
• Lan Xuanyu breaks through to level twenty and becomes a Soul Grandmaster. Her friends visit to celebrate, and she credits Nana’s help in stabilizing her soul power. She plans to rest briefly before returning to Tianluo Star and school.
• After the vacation and two more weeks of classes, Class One gathers for a preliminary test connected to Shrek’s selection. Lu Shiyan, an inner court disciple, explains that students must be under twelve and above level twenty, with an age allowance for Soul Elders above level thirty.
• The simple scan tests bone age, soul power, and spiritual power. Dong Qianqiu passes with age eleven, level thirty-nine soul power, and 721 spiritual power. Lan Mengqin follows with age twelve, level forty-six soul power, and 989 spiritual power—astonishing results that silence the class.
• The chapter ends as Lu Shiyan calls Ye Zhiqiu forward for testing.

Character developments

• Ye Zhiqiu remains confident and teasing, while his effective combat abilities—and his contribution to his friends’ development through Origin Spring—are evident.
• Dong Qianqiu continues to spar verbally with Ye Zhiqiu, but also shows warmth and support, celebrating Lan Mengqin’s exceptional result.
• Lan Mengqin demonstrates extraordinary cultivation and spiritual power, accepting the attention with characteristic composure.
• Lan Xuanyu overcomes a difficult breakthrough and becomes a Soul Grandmaster, appearing more relaxed and confident afterward.
• Nana supports Lan Xuanyu through her breakthrough and quietly watches her departure with affection.
• Lu Shiyan is introduced as the courteous, formal examiner; even he is impressed by the girls’ results.

Significant themes

• Training and perseverance: Regular combat practice, cultivation, and study underpin the characters’ progress.
• Friendship and encouragement: The group celebrates breakthroughs and supports one another through both training and testing.
• Talent and opportunity: The Shrek preliminary test turns extraordinary ability into a source of hope—and pressure—as students face a competitive selection process.
• Hidden support: Ye Zhiqiu’s generous sharing of Origin Spring has helped strengthen his friends, illustrating how quiet acts of support can shape others’ success.

Character interactions

• Ye Zhiqiu and Dong Qianqiu trade playful insults throughout their training, with Lan Mengqin amusedly trying to keep them on task.
• The trio celebrates Lan Xuanyu’s breakthrough at Nana’s apartment, where friendly teasing mixes with practical advice about her next steps.
• Dong Qianqiu and Lan Mengqin encourage each other during the preliminary test, especially after their remarkable scores.
• Lu Shiyan’s respectful manner toward the teachers contrasts with the class’s tense silence as the testing begins.

Plot points and events

• Ye Zhiqiu’s preliminary test produces extraordinary results: at age eleven, he has soul power level 46 and spiritual power of 1,561.
• He releases his Martial Soul, a sharp, translucent white blade, accompanied by three purple Soul Rings and one black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring. The Shrek representative, Lu Shiyan, is so impressed that he calls Ye Zhiqiu “junior” and offers him direct admission to Shrek’s Outer Court, bypassing the assessments.
• Ye Zhiqiu declines because he wants to enter alongside his partners, Dong Qianqiu and Lan Mengqin. Lu Shiyan accepts his decision and says the offer can still be discussed later.
• After the rest of the class completes testing, Ye Zhiqiu jokes that qualifying should take him only a little time, drawing exasperated reactions from Dong, Lan, and the other students.
• Three days later, all thirty students who passed the preliminary test gather for the open qualifiers. Their guide, Xu Musheng, transports them into a simulation: a barren, rocky mountain platform overlooking a rugged valley.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Zhiqiu remains composed despite his astonishing stats and the attention they attract. His refusal of guaranteed admission shows loyalty to his partners, though his casual confidence afterward comes across as a boast.
• Dong Qianqiu is quietly moved by Ye’s choice to wait for her and Lan; she asks whether he made the decision for them, then later challenges his refusal of such a valuable offer.
• Lan Mengqin is impressed but irritated by Ye’s matter-of-fact claims that Shrek’s assessments will be easy for him.
• Lu Shiyan shifts from surprise to respect, recognizing Ye’s exceptional talent while honoring his decision.
• Ye Wenduo is proud and unsurprised by Ye’s performance, seeing him as a potential path back to the academy. The classmates, meanwhile, react with awe and envy at the gap between Ye’s ability and their own.

Significant themes

• Exceptional talent and ambition: Ye’s abilities place him far beyond ordinary admission standards.
• Loyalty and partnership: He values entering Shrek with his friends over securing an individual advantage.
• Confidence and humility: Ye’s loyalty is sincere, but his effortless certainty about passing the assessments frustrates those around him.
• Competition and anticipation: The chapter shifts from testing and assessment to the beginning of the open qualifiers, setting up the students’ next challenge.

Plot points and events

• Xu Musheng explains that the preliminary selection is a survival test: students compete in teams of three, earning points for staying alive and bonus points for killing soul beasts.
• Ye Zhiqiu, Dong Qianqiu, and Lan Mengqin initially hold back to survey the valley. Using his Gravity Wave ability, Ye senses creatures moving underground before vast numbers of Earthfire Lizards erupt from the ground.
• The class heads for higher ground, but an enormous, over-ten-thousand-year Earthfire Red Dragon appears and attacks with a massive fireball. Ye uses Absolute Gravity to divert it, allowing the students to escape to a summit.
• The summit proves dangerous too: a nearly identical valley lies on the other side, with a second Earthfire Red Dragon. Ye redirects both dragons’ fireballs away from the group.
• Recognizing that the dragons are preparing a wider attack, Ye tells everyone to separate by team and stay off the summit and out of the air, reasoning that the selection system will target clustered groups. The class follows his instructions.
• Both dragons launch fiery projectiles into the sky, creating a deadly meteor shower across the valley. Two teams—six students—are eliminated almost immediately.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Zhiqiu shows sharp perception, composure, and tactical judgment. He protects his classmates by redirecting attacks and giving clear instructions, but deliberately avoids killing the dragon because survival time—not a quick victory—is the test.
• Dong Qianqiu and Lan Mengqin trust Ye’s decisions, staying with him throughout the crisis and preparing to fight alongside him.
• Class One demonstrates discipline under pressure. The students heed Ye without hesitation, reflecting the authority and trust he has built among them.
• Xu Musheng’s brief, curious glance at Ye suggests interest in the unusual student who refused guaranteed admission.

Significant themes

• Survival through observation and adaptability: Recognizing threats early and adjusting strategy matters more than brute force.
• Leadership and trust: Ye’s calm decisions help the class respond collectively, even when the danger overwhelms them.
• Restraint and responsibility: Ye chooses not to pursue personal points if doing so could disadvantage his classmates.
• The selection’s hidden rules and severity: The trial is more complex and lethal than it first appears; even experienced students can be eliminated in seconds.

Key plot points and events

• As fiery meteors devastate the valley, Ye Zhiqiu senses that only five teams remain. He, Dong Qianqiu, and Lan Mengqin stay hidden rather than risk rescuing other students.
• A second Earthfire Red Dragon breaks into the valley. A golden signal marks the qualifiers’ second phase: both dragons begin hunting the remaining human teams.
• The other students are eliminated by the dragons’ attacks, leaving Ye Zhiqiu’s trio as the only Class One survivors.
• The trio fights back. Ye draws one dragon away and kills it by combining gravity control, spatial disruption, and precise blade attacks.
• Dong and Lan work together against the other dragon: Dong’s Ice Spear slows and wounds it, while Lan’s Heavenly Snow Woman freezes the terrain and attacks from range. Ye joins them and finishes the weakened beast with his fourth soul skill, Realm Descent, which removes a section of space and everything within it.

Character developments

• Ye Zhiqiu shows his practical judgment: he helps when necessary but does not assume responsibility for everyone. In battle, he proves both resourceful and powerful, using carefully timed skills rather than relying on brute force.
• Dong Qianqiu remains composed and trusts Ye’s decisions. Her close-range control and attacks are crucial to weakening the second dragon; afterward, she awkwardly admits that Ye’s final move looked cool.
• Lan Mengqin reveals her true combat form, the Heavenly Snow Woman, and demonstrates strong battlefield control and teamwork. She is astonished by Ye’s unusual abilities.

Significant themes

• Survival and responsibility: The qualifiers reward endurance and combat results, while the characters must decide how far their obligations to others extend.
• Teamwork and complementary strengths: Dong’s freezing strikes, Lan’s ranged control, and Ye’s gravity and spatial abilities combine to defeat threats none could manage as effectively alone.
• Power and ingenuity: Victory depends not only on strength but also on timing, coordination, and exploiting an opponent’s weaknesses.

Character interactions

• Dong understands and accepts Ye’s decision not to rescue the other teams.
• The trio agrees quickly on their roles when forced into combat, showing trust and familiarity.
• After the battle, Lan questions Ye about Realm Descent and jokes that few of his skills seem ordinary.
• Dong’s understated remark about Ye’s move turns into playful banter, with Ye teasing her about giving compliments.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Zhiqiu, Dong Qianqiu, and Lan Mengqin hide while flaming meteors from an Earthfire Red Dragon devastate the valley. Ye senses that only five teams remain and chooses not to risk rescuing the others, reasoning that surviving teams must rely on their own abilities.
• A second Earthfire Red Dragon breaks through a ridge. A golden light sweeps the valley, signaling the assessment’s second stage; afterward, both dragons turn their attention toward the students.
• The dragons’ combined attack wipes out the remaining teams, leaving only Ye, Dong, and Lan. With nowhere left to hide, they prepare to fight.
• Ye takes on one dragon while Dong and Lan work together against the other. He uses gravity to disrupt his opponent, then combines Boundary Severance, Concept Severance, and his Absolute Blade to disable its defenses and kill it.
• Dong’s ice spear and Lan’s Heavenly Snow Woman slow and wound the second dragon. Ye joins them, anchors its position with gravity, and uses Realm Descent—a spatial attack that removes a section of space—to finish it.
• Afterward, Lan asks about Ye’s strange Soul Skills. When she jokes that none of them seem normal, he agrees. Dong calls one of his moves “pretty cool,” then denies that she meant it as a compliment; Ye playfully accepts it anyway.

Character development and interactions

• Ye Zhiqiu remains pragmatic and self-reliant, refusing to take responsibility for every student but stepping forward decisively when his companions are in danger. He also reveals the increasingly extreme range and power of his abilities.
• Dong Qianqiu demonstrates strong combat skill and trusts Ye’s judgment. Her rare, indirect praise shows a warmer, teasing side.
• Lan Mengqin reveals her true combat form, the Heavenly Snow Woman, and proves effective at ranged support and battlefield control. Her bemusement at Ye’s abilities leads to playful banter.
• The three cooperate smoothly: Ye handles one dragon alone before supporting the others, while Dong restrains and injures their target at close range and Lan controls the battlefield with ice.

Significant themes

• Self-reliance and responsibility: Ye helps when necessary but believes each team must face the assessment through its own ability.
• Cooperation and complementary strengths: The final victory depends on combining gravity, spatial attacks, close-range restraint, and ice-based control.
• Power and the extraordinary: Ye’s unusual Soul Skills—and the others’ distinctive abilities—emphasize how far beyond ordinary combat their techniques are.
• Trust expressed through banter: The trio’s teasing exchanges reveal familiarity and affection beneath the danger.

Key plot points and events

• As the lava rises and Earthfire Lizards pour from the pool, Ye Zhiqiu, Dong Qianqiu, and Lan Mengqin enter a red portal to escape the collapsing examination area.
• In a lush valley, examiner Xu Musheng offers them guaranteed admission to the Second Round in exchange for giving up any Lucky Wheel reward from the Preliminary Selection. The three accept.
• Back at the academy, Ye Zhiqiu reports that he killed one of the two Earthfire Red Dragons while Dong Qianqiu and Lan Mengqin held the other off, allowing him to defeat it too. The instructors keep the feat secret until the official results.
• At the results announcement, Heaven Dou Academy teams appear at several ranks, including Zhou Ze’s at 83rd and Li Meng’s at 6th.
• Ye Zhiqiu, Dong Qianqiu, and Lan Mengqin take first place with 25,341 points—more than six times the second-place team’s score.

Character developments

• Ye Zhiqiu’s standing as an exceptional fighter is reinforced: he defeats both dragons and leads the top-scoring team.
• Dong Qianqiu and Lan Mengqin are shown as capable partners, able to hold off a powerful dragon while Ye Zhiqiu handles the other.
• Xu Musheng recognizes the trio’s strength and grants them a path directly to the Second Round.
• Ye Wenduo and the academy instructors move from relief and uncertainty to astonishment and pride as the rankings unfold.

Significant themes

• Teamwork and complementary strengths: the trio’s victory depends on both Ye Zhiqiu’s power and his teammates’ ability to support him.
• Merit and recognition: their guaranteed advancement and overwhelming first-place result formally acknowledge their ability.
• Competition and uncertainty: the academy waits anxiously as each ranking is revealed, with early results building suspense before the surprise at the top.

Character interactions

• Ye Zhiqiu takes the initiative during the escape, guiding Dong Qianqiu and Lan Mengqin into the portal.
• The trio respond together to Xu Musheng’s offer, accepting the opportunity after a brief exchange of glances.
• Classmates crowd around them after the examination, while Ye Wenduo and the instructors question Ye Zhiqiu about the battle.
• During the rankings, the instructors share reactions and encouragement; the final announcement leaves them stunned by the trio’s extraordinary score.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Zhiqiu, Dong Qianqiu, and Lan Mengqin learn that their team’s preliminary-selection score—25,341—is the highest in the entire Federation, beating Tianluo Academy’s second-place 20,341.
• As first-place finishers, they enter the Lucky Wheel to claim rewards. Ye Zhiqiu uses his spiritual perception to seek out the strongest aura, while the girls choose according to instinct.
• Dong Qianqiu wins a five-thousand-year ice-attribute spirit fruit; Lan Mengqin receives an enhancement that adds a thousand years to each of her Soul Rings.
• Ye Zhiqiu wins the top prize: a five-thousand-year external Soul Bone. Later, the academy identifies it as a rare mental-type bone from an Illusory-Eyed Spirit Fox, formed from its frontal bone and carrying a mental Soul Skill.
• The rewards arrive at the academy, where Ye Wenduo and the vice dean examine them. Lan Mengqin is directed to claim her enhancement through the Spirit Pagoda.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Zhiqiu’s composure and spiritual ability guide his choice of prize. His astonishing win prompts him to boast mildly about his “decent” luck, while Dong Qianqiu points out just how exceptional it is.
• Dong Qianqiu is pleased with her ice-aligned reward and plans to absorb it carefully. She and Lan Mengqin tease each other over Lan’s attempt to hide her excitement.
• Lan Mengqin’s Soul Rings will become significantly stronger, and she openly enjoys the prospect despite insisting she is not excited.
• Ye Wenduo and the vice dean recognize the extraordinary value of the team’s rewards, especially Ye Zhiqiu’s genuine Soul Beast–produced external Soul Bone. Xu Musheng is also surprised, having never seen such a prize awarded before.

Significant themes

• Merit and achievement: The team’s record score is presented as the result of genuine combat skill and effort.
• Luck alongside discernment: The Lucky Wheel offers random prizes, but Ye Zhiqiu’s spiritual perception helps him choose a promising spot.
• The rarity and power of Soul Bones: The chapter explains why Soul Bones—especially external ones—are prized: they strengthen the Soul Master and grant an additional skill, and can be passed down.
• Team success and individual rewards: Each member gains a prize suited to their abilities, while Ye Zhiqiu’s exceptional win shifts attention to the value of his mental-type Soul Bone.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Zhiqiu receives a five-thousand-year Illusory-Eyed Spirit Fox external soul bone, a rare spiritual frontal bone with the soul skill Phantom Eye. The school believes the prize reflects his potential.
• He visits Nana to ask her to guard him while he fuses with it. By matching the soul bone’s pulsing spiritual frequency, he safely integrates it and raises his spiritual power from 1,561 to 2,014.
• The bone manifests as a vertical eye in his forehead, which he can open and close at will. It greatly extends his spiritual perception, letting him sense fine details beyond ordinary sight.
• Ye Zhiqiu and Nana test his improved abilities. His soul skills are stronger, and Absolute Slash can leave a mark even on Nana. Combining Concept Severance, Gravity Anchor, and his blade lets him briefly cut off her access to soul power and spiritual abilities, pin her movement, and bring his blade to her neck.
• Nana acknowledges the result: “Looks like I lost.”

Character developments

• Ye Zhiqiu shows patience and control during the risky fusion, carefully adapting to the soul bone instead of overpowering it. His increased spiritual power and new perception further enhance his already formidable combat abilities.
• Nana acts as a trusted, protective mentor, keeping watch during the fusion. In the spar, she remains composed and analytical, but recognizes the threat posed by Ye Zhiqiu’s unconventional techniques and accepts his victory.

Character interactions

• Ye Wenduo explains the soul bone’s rarity and significance, while Ye Zhiqiu quickly grasps its value.
• Nana offers practical reassurance and supervision, then helps Ye Zhiqiu test the bone’s effects through sparring.
• Their friendly teacher-student rapport persists even in combat: Nana encourages him to demonstrate his strength, and Ye Zhiqiu treats the match as an opportunity to show what his new abilities can do.

Significant themes

• Careful preparation and risk management: Ye Zhiqiu’s cautious approach makes a potentially dangerous fusion safe.
• Growth through adaptation: He succeeds by synchronizing with the soul bone’s unfamiliar power.
• Power that defies convention: His abilities target concepts and connections rather than relying only on ordinary force, making them difficult to counter.
• Trust and mutual respect: Nana protects Ye Zhiqiu, tests him honestly, and recognizes his achievement.