Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Senior blacksmith Cen Yue gives Tang Wulin a standard Soul Communicator and lends him a ten-cubic-meter Storage Ring on behalf of Association president Mu Chen. He explains that the ring is an early benefit and a sign of the association’s confidence in Tang Wulin’s future.
• Cen Yue reminds Tang Wulin not to neglect soul-power cultivation, regardless of whether he pursues forging, mechas, or the path of a soul master. Tang Wulin remains committed to his original dream of becoming a powerful soul master.
• Tang Wulin registers with the Soul Master Association and receives a monthly allowance of 1,000 Federation Credits. He is pleased by his gains, even though the registration itself attracts no attention.
• Back at the dormitory, he practices the new Meditation Technique and becomes so deeply absorbed that he wakes later than usual.
• The next morning, Mu Xi and several older students wait near the dormitory entrance. After she identifies Tang Wulin, they surround him and try to force him to go with them.
• Tang Wulin refuses, knocks the leader off balance, and summons his Star-Sinking Hammer. Using its oppressive presence to create an opening, he charges through the group. A student blinds him with a burst of hot light, however, and another kicks him back into the encirclement.

Character developments

• Tang Wulin becomes more confident and established: he earns his Level Two Blacksmith badge, receives professional equipment, and claims his first soul-master allowance. He is grateful but remains grounded and determined to keep cultivating.
• He shows resourcefulness under pressure, choosing to break through the crowd rather than attempt to fight several older students at once.
• Cen Yue’s mentorship is warm but practical; he encourages Tang Wulin while emphasizing that soul power must remain the foundation of his ambitions.
• Mu Xi’s impatience escalates into a confrontation: after Tang Wulin refused her challenge the previous day, she appears with a group of upperclassmen to confront him.

Significant themes

• Support and investment: The Blacksmith Association’s gifts reflect its belief in Tang Wulin’s potential, though the Storage Ring is a loan and an early benefit.
• Balance and perseverance: Tang Wulin’s success in forging does not replace his dream of becoming a strong soul master.
• Power and status: His unnoticed registration as a low-level soul master contrasts with the respect he receives as a promising blacksmith.
• Courage and tactical judgment: Tang Wulin acts decisively when surrounded, but the older students’ numbers and abilities leave him vulnerable.

Character interactions

• Cen Yue treats Tang Wulin with kindness, gives him the association’s equipment, and passes along Mu Chen’s confidence in him.
• Tang Wulin gratefully accepts the support and affirms that he will continue cultivating.
• At the academy entrance, Mu Xi signals the waiting students to seize Tang Wulin. He refuses their demand to come with them, and their confrontation turns physical, ending with him knocked back into the group.

Key events

• Mu Xi, a fifth-grade student and two-ring Soul Grandmaster, corners Tang Wulin outside the first-grade dormitory with several older students. She demands a forging competition and threatens to make life difficult at the academy if he refuses.
• Tang Wulin, weakened after Mu Xi breaks through his soul-pressure attack, is at a disadvantage. Xie Xie suddenly intervenes, holding daggers to Mu Xi’s vital points and forcing her group to leave.
• An academy official breaks up the confrontation and brings everyone to the Academic Affairs Office. Mu Xi says she only came to challenge Tang Wulin; Xie Xie argues that bringing a group to block a younger student’s dormitory was intimidation.
• Tang Wulin calmly explains that his father taught him to fight back when older students bully him. Wu Changkong arrives, backs his students, and takes Tang and Xie Xie away. He tells the director that he will behave only if the director can beat him. The older students receive official warnings.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Wulin remains composed despite being physically outmatched. He stands by his right to resist bullying, while showing sincere gratitude to Xie Xie afterward.
• Xie Xie reveals a protective, dangerous side when he risks confronting Mu Xi’s group for his roommate. His unusual display of enthusiasm toward Wu Changkong is immediately undercut when the teacher tells him to remember his promise not to complain about training.
• Mu Xi appears proud and forceful, using her superior strength and older-student status to pressure Tang Wulin. Once Xie Xie’s daggers are at her throat, fear replaces her defiance; she later accepts the warning without arguing.
• Wu Changkong is fiercely loyal to his students but expresses it in his blunt, intimidating manner. He supports them without offering conventional reassurance, claiming only that no one should delay his lessons.
• Long Hengxu tries to hold the students accountable, but Wu Changkong’s defiance prevents him from pressing the matter further.

Significant themes

• Standing up to bullying: Tang Wulin’s father’s advice and the students’ resistance frame self-defense as justified when older students abuse their power.
• Loyalty and protection: Xie Xie acts quickly to defend Tang, and Wu Changkong publicly takes responsibility for his students.
• Power and authority: The conflict contrasts Mu Xi’s superior rank and numbers with Xie Xie’s willingness to use force, while Wu Changkong challenges the school’s authority outright.
• Blunt forms of care: Wu Changkong protects his students while disguising concern as impatience about missed lessons.

Key events

• Xie Xie resists calling Tang Wulin a friend, but Tang Wulin’s cheerful insistence leaves their relationship closer than before.
• Wu Changkong begins Class Five’s physical training with ten 800-meter laps. Tang Wulin and Xie Xie must run wearing 20-jin Iron Garments.
• Xie Xie’s early speed fades under the sustained effort. Tang Wulin maintains a steady pace and, when Xie Xie begins to falter, supports him and helps him keep running.
• Wu Changkong notices Tang Wulin’s spare energy and orders him to run ten additional laps, taking Xie Xie with him. When Xie Xie stops to recover, Tang Wulin puts on his Iron Garment too and continues with both weights.
• Gu Yue arrives seeking admission after enrollment has closed. Wu Changkong offers her a chance to prove herself by fighting Xie Xie.
• Xie Xie eagerly accepts, hoping victory will spare him the remaining laps, and begins meditating to recover before the match.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Wulin shows remarkable stamina, composure, and consideration. Rather than simply overtaking Xie Xie, he helps him endure the run; he also treats their friendship as settled despite Xie Xie’s protests.
• Xie Xie remains proud and competitive, but accepts Tang Wulin’s support when exhaustion overwhelms him. His confidence returns when Wu Changkong offers him a fight instead of more running.
• Wu Changkong remains stern and demanding, using difficult training to expose weaknesses. He also judges Gu Yue on her abilities rather than dismissing her because she arrived after enrollment.
• Gu Yue makes a calm, direct impression: she wants to attend the academy and readily agrees to prove herself.

Significant themes

• Endurance versus specialization: Xie Xie’s agility and bursts of speed cannot replace stamina, while Tang Wulin’s steady effort lets him keep going under heavy loads.
• Friendship through action: Tang Wulin’s support matters more than Xie Xie’s reluctance to name their relationship.
• Discipline and proving oneself: Wu Changkong’s training and Gu Yue’s proposed test emphasize effort and ability over excuses or formalities.

Plot points and events

• Gu Yue and Xie Xie face off under Wu Changkong’s supervision while Class Five runs laps nearby. Tang Wulin watches the match, and he and Gu Yue briefly meet eyes.
• After twenty minutes to recover, Xie Xie begins the duel with a rapid charge. Gu Yue waits until he is close, then uses a compact field of azure energy to deflect his dagger and abruptly changes the energy to fire, launching a Fireball.
• Xie Xie narrowly evades the blast, singeing his hair, and retreats. He realizes Gu Yue is far more dangerous than her stillness suggests.
• Xie Xie changes tactics, circling her before unleashing Light Dragon Blade, a curved, hundred-year Soul Skill. Gu Yue counters with a Wind Blade, which is destroyed but delays the attack long enough for her to step aside and avoid it.

Character developments

• Gu Yue remains composed and seemingly detached, but demonstrates precise control over different elemental powers—wind and fire—and the ability to switch between them instantly. Her confidence is challenged slightly when Xie Xie evades her opening attack.
• Xie Xie begins cautiously, applying lessons learned from earlier fights: he watches for danger rather than assuming an opponent is weak. After nearly being hit, he adapts by moving unpredictably and using his Soul Skill strategically.
• Wu Changkong recognizes the unusual connection between Gu Yue’s wind and fire powers, though he cannot identify the nature of her Martial Soul.
• Tang Wulin observes Gu Yue with curiosity, registering her bright eyes when their gazes meet.

Significant themes

• Never underestimate an opponent: Wu Changkong states this directly, and Xie Xie’s careful approach contrasts with Gu Yue’s apparent indifference.
• Adaptation and timing: Xie Xie conserves his Soul Skill and changes tactics after seeing Gu Yue’s abilities; Gu Yue relies on accurate, well-timed counters.
• Power and uncertainty: Gu Yue’s seamless use of multiple elements makes her abilities—and the source of them—mysterious, even to Wu Changkong.

Character interactions

• Wu Changkong warns Gu Yue against underestimating Xie Xie, then referees the duel and observes both fighters closely.
• Gu Yue and Xie Xie test each other through a series of attacks and counters: her elemental control disrupts his charge, while his speed lets him escape and forces her to respond to his Soul Skill.
• Tang Wulin watches from the running formation and briefly exchanges a glance with Gu Yue.

Key events

• Xie Xie presses his attack, using the speed and spacing he has developed through sparring with Tang Wulin. Wu Changkong recognizes that he is beginning to fight like a true Agility Attack System Soul Master.
• Gu Yue counters by softening the ground beneath Xie Xie’s foot, then freezing it to trap him. She follows with a relentless sequence of elemental attacks, forcing him to defend rather than use his speed.
• Xie Xie brings out both his Light and Shadow Dragon Daggers and holds off her attacks. Confident that the ice will loosen and his greater Soul Power will let him outlast her, he fails to anticipate her next move.
• Gu Yue blinds him with a burst of light. While he spins his daggers defensively, she moves behind him. Wu Changkong stops the match and declares Gu Yue the winner.
• Gu Yue presents her recommendation letter and explains that her Martial Soul, Elemental Envoy, lets her control six elements: wind, fire, earth, ice, light, and space. Her First Soul Skill, Elemental Tide, extends her control and stabilizes transitions between elements. Wu Changkong accepts her into First Grade, Class Five.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Xie displays real skill and composure under pressure, but his confidence in his endurance and ability to recover leaves him vulnerable to Gu Yue’s tactical creativity. He initially disputes the loss, then is stunned by her spatial movement.
• Gu Yue reveals the breadth and sophistication of her abilities. Rather than relying on raw power, she combines elements strategically, controls the pace of the fight, and finishes with an unexpected attack.
• Tang Wulin, running with extra weight, watches the match and recognizes the gap between his experience and Xie Xie’s. He also witnesses Gu Yue’s spatial displacement.
• Wu Changkong evaluates the duel closely, recognizes Gu Yue’s unusual potential, and makes the final decision to admit her.

Significant themes

• Strategy over raw strength: Gu Yue wins by manipulating the battlefield and exploiting Xie Xie’s expectations, not by overwhelming him with force.
• Adaptability and combination: Her elemental powers become most effective when linked together.
• Confidence and blind spots: Xie Xie’s skill is substantial, but his assumptions about the fight’s direction cost him the match.

Plot points and events

• After defeating Xie Xie, Gu Yue is ordered by Wu Changkong to join Class Five’s conditioning run. Xie Xie protests, reminding him of an earlier promise, but Wu asks bluntly, “Did you win?” Unable to deny his loss, Xie Xie joins the run too.
• Gu Yue runs with a calm, steady rhythm and catches up to Tang Wulin, who is exercising in two layers of Iron Garment. She asks why he wears them; he explains that Wu’s training requirements for him are especially strict.
• Gu Yue reflects that her elemental abilities are versatile but not individually powerful. She says a fighter’s advantage comes not only from their Martial Soul, but from understanding and controlling it. Her point makes Tang Wulin reconsider his own strength, his forging practice, and how poorly he has sometimes applied his power in combat.
• Xie Xie challenges Gu Yue’s advice. She tells him that his defeat shows he has not fully understood his Martial Soul, leaving him with no answer.
• Meanwhile, Wu visits Academic Affairs Director Long Hengxu and apologizes for contradicting him publicly earlier that morning. Afterward, he asks Long to approve Gu Yue’s late enrollment into Class Five.
• Long reads Wu’s recommendation and notices Gu Yue’s impressive Soul Power Level of 15, but is puzzled by her listed Martial Soul, “Elemental Envoy.”

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Xie is forced to confront his defeat without excuses. His pride remains bruised, and Gu Yue’s calm criticism frustrates him further.
• Gu Yue demonstrates both combat skill and composure. She offers Tang Wulin insight into mastery and responds to Xie Xie’s provocation without losing her cool.
• Tang Wulin takes Gu Yue’s advice seriously, connecting her ideas about understanding and control to his experience with forging and fighting.
• Wu Changkong remains stern with his students, but shows an unexpected willingness to apologize to Long. His apology also serves as a prelude to securing Gu Yue’s enrollment.
• Long Hengxu, initially resentful toward Wu, is caught off guard by the apology and becomes less angry. Gu Yue’s recommendation then draws his attention to her unusual Martial Soul.

Significant themes

• Mastery over raw strength: Understanding and controlling one’s abilities matters as much as possessing a powerful Martial Soul.
• Defeat and accountability: Xie Xie must acknowledge that he lost fairly, while Tang Wulin begins examining how effectively he uses his own strength.
• Pride and humility: Wu’s apology contrasts with his usual cold, proud manner, while the students’ exchanges show how pride can be challenged by honest criticism.

Plot and key events

• Director Long Hengxu reviews a recommendation for Gu Yue. Wu Changkong calls her a genius with an unusual, powerful Martial Soul—the Elemental Envoy—and insists she remain in Class Five. He hints that her abilities will be evident at the upcoming Class Advancement Tournament.
• Wu returns from the morning’s running drills and officially welcomes Gu Yue to Class Five, giving her a dormitory key, uniform, and textbooks.
• Xie Xie worries that Gu Yue will take his place on the tournament team. Tang Wulin accepts that a stronger student should compete, while Zhou Changxi points out that Xie Xie’s spot is uncertain after his losses to both Tang Wulin and Gu Yue.
• Tang Wulin heads to the dining hall and breaks his own record by eating an enormous number of steamed buns. Gu Yue gives him one, prompting Zhou Changxi to tease that she may like him; Tang Wulin dismisses the idea.
• Wu Changkong replaces the class’s hoped-for theory lesson with more strenuous training: sprints, squat jumps, and frog jumps. Afterward, he summons Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue to see him after dinner.

Character developments and interactions

• Gu Yue joins the class quietly and formally. Her skill with the elements helps her conserve energy and recover during training, revealing how naturally she can draw on her powers.
• Tang Wulin remains steady through demanding exercise and generous toward stronger competitors, but his hunger is a constant preoccupation. He responds warmly when Gu Yue shares food.
• Xie Xie is anxious about losing his tournament place and struggles with the endurance-focused training. He is also amused by the teasing about Gu Yue and Tang Wulin.
• Zhou Changxi bluntly assesses Xie Xie’s chances and later jokes that Gu Yue may have a crush on Tang Wulin.
• Wu Changkong remains stern and demanding, pushing the class physically while making clear that he sees exceptional potential in Gu Yue.

Significant themes

• Competition and self-worth: The tournament creates pressure within the class, but Tang Wulin shows little resentment toward a stronger rival.
• Discipline and endurance: Wu’s rigorous training tests the students’ limits and highlights their differing strengths.
• Talent and potential: Gu Yue’s unusual Martial Soul and instinctive command of the elements mark her as a formidable newcomer.
• Youthful humor and camaraderie: Food, teasing, and complaints about training provide levity amid the class’s exhaustion.

Plot points and events

• After a grueling day of physical training, the students rest before evening practice. Tang Wulin meditates to ease his soreness and worries that classes and nightly training will leave him little time to complete a sky dragon iron forging commission.
• Tang Wulin brings the reluctant Xie Xie to meet Wu Changkong. Gu Yue has already recovered from the day’s training and is waiting with them.
• Wu Changkong leads the three students to a specialized indoor combat hall and announces that he will train them individually each evening for the Class Advancement Tournament in three months.
• He warns Tang Wulin that, despite his strength and endurance, his use of his martial soul is too crude. Since Gu Yue is more capable as a Soul Master, Tang’s tournament position is not guaranteed.
• Gu Yue says she will not take Tang’s place simply because she transferred into the class. Tang thanks her but insists that the strongest student should compete; he resolves to improve and earn his place.
• Wu Changkong explains that the evening sessions will focus on actual combat, using fights to expose and correct weaknesses. He identifies Xie Xie’s poor stamina and dependence on a successful opening, and warns him not to reveal his second martial soul unless it can decisively change the fight. He praises Gu Yue’s control and tactical sense but notes her limited power against stronger or sturdier opponents.
• Wu Changkong plans to measure all three students’ spiritual power the next day. He then tells Tang Wulin that he has the most problems and will be the most exhausted that night; the chapter ends before the combat begins.

Character development and interactions

• Tang Wulin remains disciplined and thoughtful despite exhaustion. He accepts Wu Changkong’s criticism without resentment, shows fairness toward Gu Yue, and responds to the threat of losing his tournament place with determination rather than bitterness.
• Gu Yue shows consideration and fairness by refusing to displace an existing classmate. Her calm, capable demeanor continues to impress Tang Wulin, while her measured response to criticism shows self-possession.
• Xie Xie is openly weary and apprehensive about more training, revealing his pampered side, but he listens seriously when Wu Changkong explains his weaknesses.
• Wu Changkong remains blunt and demanding, but his individualized assessments show that his strictness is aimed at helping each student improve. He treats tournament selection as something they must earn through progress.

Significant themes

• Merit and fairness: Gu Yue refuses special treatment, while Tang Wulin argues that tournament places should go to whoever proves strongest.
• Growth through criticism and effort: Wu Changkong makes clear that talent alone is insufficient; each student must confront specific weaknesses.
• Discipline and competing priorities: Tang Wulin’s forging work now conflicts with his demanding school schedule, underscoring the strain of balancing commitments.

Plot points and events

• Wu Changkong explains that Gu Yue’s strength as an Elemental Envoy comes from her exceptional command of many elements. To avoid spreading her abilities too thin, she must learn to combine elements into stable, more powerful techniques.
• He tells Tang Wulin that his raw strength and courage are not enough: his hammer, Soul Power, movement, and attacks need to work as one. He should use the hammer to control opponents’ movement and keep his attacks ahead of them.
• Wu begins the students’ special training by challenging Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue to attack him together. He uses only a wooden sword and no Martial Soul or Soul Skills.
• The students make several coordinated attacks. Gu Yue uses earth, ice, fire, and wind; Xie Xie evades and attacks with both daggers; Tang Wulin presses with his hammer. Wu counters each move with precise swordwork, turning their attacks against them and separating the group.
• Wu creates a one-on-one opening and targets Tang Wulin. Rather than retreat and lose his momentum, Tang Wulin stands his ground and enters the focused state he experienced against Xie Xie.
• In that heightened perception, he reads Wu’s thrust and positions his hammer to meet the sword tip precisely. However, Wu’s expertly placed force overwhelms his leverage, knocking the hammer into Tang Wulin’s chest and sending him staggering backward.

Character development

• Gu Yue accepts Wu’s advice and is encouraged to develop elemental fusion, building on her earlier combination of earth and ice.
• Tang Wulin begins to understand that strength alone is insufficient. Under pressure, he briefly applies precise observation and control instead of relying only on brute force, though he still cannot withstand Wu’s technique.
• Xie Xie shows quick reflexes and adaptability, dodging Wu’s thrust and cutting apart the fireballs redirected toward him.
• Wu Changkong demonstrates his role as a demanding but perceptive teacher: he identifies each student’s weaknesses and uses the sparring match to expose them.

Themes and interactions

• Control over raw power: Tang Wulin’s training centers on integrating his body, weapon, and Soul Power; his brief precision is promising, but his technique remains incomplete.
• Specialization and integration: Gu Yue must turn her broad elemental range into cohesive combinations rather than scattered variety.
• Pressure reveals foundations: Wu deliberately isolates Tang Wulin to test his composure and fundamentals.
• Teamwork against mastery: The three students begin coordinating effectively, but Wu’s superior precision and awareness dismantle their teamwork.

Key plot points and events

• During sparring, Tang Wulin withstands Wu Changkong’s attacks and enters an unusually focused state, allowing him to read the teacher’s movements and strike at the right moment. His hammer briefly disrupts Wu’s rhythm, giving Xie Xie and Gu Yue an opening to attack together.
• Wu Changkong praises Tang’s final defense, recognizing that he is beginning to study opponents rather than attack blindly. He then tests Tang’s raw strength and is impressed by its scale.
• Wu decides the three students will compete as a team in the Class Advancement Tournament: Gu Yue will control and vary the fight, Xie Xie will exploit openings and finish opponents, and Tang Wulin will suppress enemies from the front.
• Wu replaces Tang’s basic physical training with intensive Star-Sinking Hammer drills, focusing on technique, balance, timing, and recovery. The rest of Class Five continues grueling physical training until Wu reduces its pace.
• Spiritual Power tests reveal scores of 29 for Xie Xie, 44 for Tang Wulin, and 119 for Gu Yue. Gu Yue has entered the Spirit Connection Realm, prompting Wu to conclude that her power likely depends on exceptional Spiritual Power rather than an ordinary elemental Martial Soul.
• A demanding week of classes and training leaves Tang Wulin no time to return to Mang Tian’s workshop, delaying his Sky Dragon Iron assignment.

Character developments

• Tang Wulin shows improved combat perception, discipline, and formidable physical strength. He begins to understand how to read an opponent and accepts specialized training without complaint.
• Xie Xie learns more directly just how extraordinary Tang’s strength is and demonstrates better timing by attacking only after Tang creates an opening.
• Gu Yue is revealed to possess exceptional Spiritual Power and a likely rare spiritual foundation. Wu’s interest in her—and the pressure of his expectations—intensifies.
• Wu Changkong adjusts his teaching to the students’ individual abilities and begins treating the three as a coordinated tournament team.

Significant themes

• Perception and technique matter as much as force: Tang’s breakthrough comes from reading Wu’s attack, not simply swinging harder.
• Individual strengths become teamwork: The trio’s complementary roles give them a stronger combined strategy.
• Growth requires tailored discipline: Wu replaces routine exercise with training suited to Tang’s advanced physical abilities, while his high expectations make increased attention more demanding.
• Potential can be hidden: Gu Yue’s Spiritual Power test reveals that her elemental abilities may rest on an unusual, highly valuable spiritual talent.

Character interactions

• Tang, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue coordinate their attacks, with Tang’s hammer creating the opening that lets the others press Wu.
• Wu offers Tang rare praise, tests his strength personally, and then assigns each student a distinct role in the upcoming tournament.
• Xie Xie and Gu Yue react with surprise to Wu’s team decision, while Tang responds eagerly.
• Wu’s assessment of Gu Yue’s test result deepens his respect for her, though it also signals that she will face more demanding training.

Key plot points and events

• After a week of academy classes and intense training, Tang Wulin receives a call from his forging teacher, Mang Tian, who asks why he has made no progress on a Level Two assignment.
• Tang Wulin explains his packed schedule and promises to visit Mang Tian’s workshop on the next day off. Mang Tian tells him to come, then ends the call.
• His dormmates learn that Tang Wulin belongs to the Blacksmith Association and has been forging for years. He reveals that he is a Level Two Blacksmith and can just barely perform Thousand Refinement.
• Xie Xie, impressed by Tang Wulin’s ability, asks him to forge components for his future mecha. Tang Wulin agrees to help the others too once his skills improve.
• The roommates joke and laugh together. Remembering the workshop, Tang Wulin regains some energy and begins meditating so he will be ready to forge the next day.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Wulin is shown balancing demanding academy training with his longstanding passion for forging. Though initially reluctant to discuss his ability, he opens up to his roommates and warmly accepts the idea of helping them in the future.
• Mang Tian remains stern and exacting, insisting that Tang Wulin return to forging despite his busy schedule.
• Xie Xie shifts from surprise to eager friendliness, recognizing Tang Wulin’s value as a potential Blacksmith for his mecha. His offer to protect Tang Wulin reflects their growing friendship, though the others tease him about it.
• Zhou Changxi and Yun Xiao show genuine curiosity and admiration. Their banter with Xie Xie and Tang Wulin highlights how the roommates have become a more supportive, close-knit group.

Significant themes

• Balancing responsibilities and passions: Tang Wulin struggles to make time for forging amid his rigorous studies and training.
• Friendship and mutual support: His skill becomes a shared opportunity, and the roommates’ joking promises signal growing trust and solidarity.
• Dedication and craft: Tang Wulin’s anticipation of the forge emphasizes how deeply forging centers and comforts him.

Key plot points

• Tang Wulin heads to Mang Tian’s workshop on his day off to complete his overdue Sky Dragon Iron assignment.
• Mang Tian says that, now Tang Wulin can perform Thousand Refinement, physical and soul-power development matter more than simply forging more pieces. He nevertheless establishes weekly hammer training and assigns him to complete one Thousand Refinement piece each month.
• Tang Wulin practices with the Heavy Silver Hammers he forged through Blood Sacrifice. Their layered force initially disrupts his rhythm, but he gradually adapts and achieves precise, controlled strikes.
• By evening, he uses the hammers to purify the Sky Dragon Iron successfully. Mang Tian accompanies him to the Blacksmith Association, where the work passes inspection and earns him 20,000 Federation Credits. Tang Wulin accepts a second assignment.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Wulin shows discipline, focus, and growing confidence as a blacksmith. He is delighted by the payment because he earned it through his own labor, and instinctively offers the money to Mang Tian before accepting it as his own.
• Mang Tian is proud of Tang Wulin’s unusual strength, insight, and potential—especially his early sense that metal has life. He wants to continue guiding him himself, keep his abilities from attracting too much attention, and pace his progress carefully. He refuses Tang Wulin’s payment, instead asking for one Thousand Refinement piece monthly as workshop rent.
• The two share a warm but understated teacher–disciple bond: Tang Wulin readily follows Mang Tian’s instruction, while Mang Tian’s rare smile and quiet planning reveal his affection and protectiveness.
• Mang Tian briefly tells Tang Wulin that his parents are busy away from home and there is no need to keep calling them; Tang Wulin accepts this without pressing further.

Significant themes

• Mastery through practice: Tang Wulin’s progress comes from patient repetition and learning to control the hammers’ layered force.
• Mentorship and ambition: Mang Tian wants to nurture Tang Wulin’s talent while shielding him from premature attention and outside claims on his future.
• Work and earned independence: Tang Wulin’s pride in his payment reflects the satisfaction of creating value through his own effort.
• Restraint and potential: Mang Tian believes Tang Wulin’s abilities should be developed gradually rather than displayed too soon.

Summary

Key plot points and events

• After more than two months of intense training, Wu Changkong tells Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue that the Class Advancement Tournament is about to begin.
• Their teamwork has improved through repeated battles and forced regrouping. Xie Xie’s soul power has reached rank nineteen, Gu Yue’s rank seventeen, and Tang Wulin’s rank twelve.
• Wu sets an ambitious target: they must advance all the way to Grade Four Class One. If they fail, their tournament rewards will be confiscated for class funds.
• The trio resumes training, with Tang Wulin and Xie Xie assigned to fight Gu Yue. Xie Xie’s teasing provokes her, while Tang Wulin prudently keeps his distance.
• The tournament begins after school. Class Five arrives in disciplined formation, in sharp contrast to Class Four’s casual, disorganized entrance. Class Four’s teacher tries to flatter Wu Changkong and ask for leniency, but Wu ignores him.

Character developments

• Tang Wulin has improved steadily and is increasingly confident in following his own path rather than comparing his progress with others. Wu values his persistence and work ethic despite his more modest innate advantages.
• Xie Xie has made striking gains in speed, power, rhythm, and soul power. He remains competitive and quick to boast, especially around Gu Yue.
• Gu Yue has become more precise and formidable with her Six-Element Control. She stays cool and self-assured, and continues to trade sharp remarks with Xie Xie.
• Wu Changkong remains stern and demanding, but his satisfaction with the trio shows through a rare hint of amusement.

Significant themes

• Persistence and individual growth: Tang Wulin accepts that his progress differs from his teammates’ and focuses on developing his own strengths.
• Discipline and teamwork: Repeated training has turned three mismatched fighters into a coordinated unit.
• Ambition and pressure: Wu’s goal is deliberately difficult, tying achievement to both rewards and consequences.
• Honor and reputation: The tournament matters beyond winning; class rankings affect students’ records and future opportunities, as well as teachers’ rewards.

Character interactions

• Xie Xie asks for information about Class Four, but Wu rebukes him and insists they should be strong enough to win without advance intelligence.
• Gu Yue calls Xie Xie a “deadweight”; he protests, while Tang Wulin humorously encourages him to accept the challenge.
• Wu pairs Tang Wulin and Xie Xie against Gu Yue, prompting Xie Xie to boast and Gu Yue to threaten payback.
• Before the opening match, Class Four’s teacher tries to charm Wu Changkong into going easy on his class. Wu’s complete silence leaves the teacher’s smile stiffened.

Key events

• The Class Advancement Tournament opens with First Grade Class Five challenging Class One, Grade Four. Teacher Kong Hanwen mocks Wu Changkong’s confidence and selects three students, assuming the weakest class poses little threat.
• Wu Changkong fields Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue. Class Four uses a conventional formation: Jialong as the power attacker, Moss as the agile attacker, and Lin Zunyuan as support.
• Class Five attacks immediately. Xie Xie races around the frontline to target Lin Zunyuan, while Tang Wulin and Gu Yue confront Jialong.
• Gu Yue subtly uses wind and earth abilities to throw Jialong off balance, allowing Tang Wulin to knock him flying with a single punch.
• Xie Xie outmaneuvers Moss, eliminates Lin Zunyuan with a light tap, then disarms Moss and holds a dagger to his neck. Class Five wins in under ten seconds.
• Long Hengxu announces that Class Five will next challenge First Grade Class Three. Their classmates erupt in celebration.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Changkong remains composed despite Kong Hanwen’s taunts, demonstrating confidence in his students through his choice to field three fighters.
• Tang Wulin takes the frontline role and shows calm, efficient strength. The victory matters to him because it fulfills Wu Changkong’s expectation of “domination.”
• Gu Yue supports Tang Wulin with precise, nearly imperceptible assistance, shifting Jialong’s balance without drawing attention to herself.
• Xie Xie displays speed, control, and confidence, defeating both opponents without unnecessary force. He returns to Tang Wulin and shares a high five.
• Kong Hanwen moves from dismissive certainty to stunned disbelief, while the Class Five students’ cheers reflect their shared pride after months of preparation.

Significant themes

• Preparation overturns expectations: The supposedly weakest class defeats an older, higher-ranked team through training and coordination.
• Teamwork and complementary strengths: Gu Yue’s subtle support enables Tang Wulin’s attack, while Xie Xie exploits the opposing formation.
• Confidence proven through action: Wu Changkong’s quiet assurance is vindicated by the decisive victory.
• “Domination” as a goal: For Tang Wulin, the win is meaningful not merely as a result, but as evidence that the team has achieved the standard their teacher set.

Plot points and events

• Tang Wulin and Gu Yue defeat their opponents quickly in the Class Advancement Tournament, largely through Tang’s overwhelming strength.
• Wu Changkong dismisses the class without comment. Long Hengxu watches the trio and worries that Class Five may advance farther than expected, potentially embarrassing him as the administrator who assigned them.
• Xie Xie suggests going out to relax. Tang Wulin agrees after learning Xie will pay, and Gu Yue insists on joining.
• Gu Yue and Xie Xie exchange their usual barbed remarks, with Tang Wulin caught between them. They leave the academy together for a snack street, where Xie starts choosing food.

Character developments

• Tang Wulin remains practical and focused on food and saving money, but his role as captain reflects his importance to the team: he brings Gu Yue and Xie Xie’s differing styles together.
• Gu Yue is confident and assertive, using her abilities and quick wit to control exchanges with Xie Xie. She is comfortable with Tang Wulin and expects him to treat her.
• Xie Xie is eager to escape academy life and enjoys treating his friends, but he repeatedly loses his verbal contests with Gu Yue.
• Long Hengxu begins to doubt his decision to place these talented students in Class Five, recognizing the team’s potential.

Themes and interactions

• Teamwork through contrasting strengths: Xie Xie handles attacks, Gu Yue provides adaptability and control, and Tang Wulin coordinates their rhythms.
• Friendship and rivalry: Tang gets along with both companions, while Gu Yue and Xie Xie trade constant insults without undermining their effectiveness as teammates.
• Expectations and consequences: Long Hengxu’s attempt to stimulate competition by placing Xie Xie in Class Five may have created a far stronger team than he anticipated.

Key events

• Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, and Xie Xie stop at a clay-pot beef shop after training. Xie Xie reveals he comes there because it was a favorite place of his late mother.
• The meal helps ease the tension between the three. When Xie Xie orders extra servings for Tang Wulin, Tang thanks him, prompting Xie Xie to explain that his mother chose his name in gratitude for meeting his father.
• Xie Xie confesses that he resents his name because his father was often absent, even when his mother was gravely ill. She died before her husband returned, and Xie Xie remembers her waiting with regret.
• Uncle Li explains that Xie Xie used to visit the shop with his mother and has come alone since her death. He asks Tang Wulin and Gu Yue to be patient with him.
• Tang comforts Xie Xie, while Gu Yue awkwardly apologizes for earlier teasing. Xie Xie’s usual bickering with her resumes, and the shared meal breaks the tension.
• The trio continue eating their way along the food street. Tang Wulin eats far more than the others, who eventually concede defeat. As they leave, Gu Yue notices a commotion near the clay-pot beef shop.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Xie briefly drops his proud, combative manner and shares his grief and resentment. His easy familiarity with Uncle Li also reveals a warmer, more vulnerable side.
• Tang Wulin recognizes Xie Xie’s distress, offers quiet comfort, and helps keep the group together.
• Gu Yue softens toward Xie Xie, offers an awkward apology, and uses teasing to help restore their familiar rapport.
• Uncle Li acts as a caring, parental presence for Xie Xie and encourages his friends to support him.

Significant themes

• Grief and regret: Xie Xie’s anger at his name is tied to his mother’s final days and his father’s absence.
• Food and belonging: The meal provides warmth and comfort, helping the friends feel closer.
• Friendship through vulnerability: Xie Xie’s disclosure allows Tang Wulin and Gu Yue to understand him better and brings the trio closer.
• Humor as reconnection: Their renewed teasing eases the heaviness without erasing Xie Xie’s pain.
  The chapter ends on a suspenseful note: a crowd and commotion have formed near the shop they just left.

Plot points and events

• Xie Xie, Tang Wulin, and Gu Yue discover that Light Dragon, a local thug and Soul Master, is destroying Uncle Li’s stewed-beef stall because Li cannot pay protection money.
• Light Dragon dismisses Li’s wife’s serious illness and knocks Li down when he tries to fight back.
• Tang Wulin intervenes, condemning Light Dragon’s abuse of power. He blocks the man’s first shove with a punch, surprising both of them, but a second clash shows that Light Dragon is considerably stronger.
• Gu Yue subtly disrupts Light Dragon’s balance while Xie Xie attacks from above and pins a dagger to his throat. Tang Wulin uses his Star-Sinking Hammer to further restrict the man’s footing.
• Xie Xie demands an apology, compensation for the wrecked stall, and money for Li’s wife’s medical expenses. Light Dragon remains defiant: his hardened neck prevents the dagger from cutting him.
• As Tang Wulin warns the others and Gu Yue launches a fireball, Light Dragon counterattacks. Two Soul Rings—one white and one yellow—appear, and his skin turns iron-gray as scales emerge. The confrontation is unresolved at the chapter’s end.

Character developments

• Tang Wulin acts decisively against injustice and shows unusual strength for his age, though he recognizes that Light Dragon has the advantage in a direct contest.
• Xie Xie is quick to protect Uncle Li and takes the lead in threatening Light Dragon once the group gains control.
• Gu Yue demonstrates sharp timing and precise control, helping unbalance Light Dragon and then attacking with fire.
• Uncle Li is shown as desperate but willing to risk himself to protect his livelihood and support his sick wife.
• Light Dragon is cruel, arrogant, and confident in his Soul Master status; his two rings and armored transformation reveal that he is a more dangerous opponent than he first seemed.

Significant themes

• Power and responsibility: Light Dragon uses his strength to exploit vulnerable people, while the children use theirs to defend them.
• Solidarity and teamwork: The three friends’ coordinated actions briefly overcome their opponent’s greater strength.
• Compassion versus selfishness: Tang Wulin and his friends respond to Li’s hardship with concern, in contrast to Light Dragon’s callousness.

Character interactions

• Tang Wulin confronts Light Dragon directly, while Xie Xie helps Uncle Li and later restrains the thug.
• Gu Yue supports the others with carefully timed interference and a fire attack.
• The children insist that Light Dragon make amends for the harm done to Uncle Li, but he rejects their demands and turns the encounter into a fight.

Key plot points and events

• Xie Xie dodges Guang Long’s attack, but Guang Long reveals himself as a Soul Grandmaster, summoning his Ironclad Dragon Martial Soul and two Soul Skills. His armor-like body makes him extremely difficult to injure.
• Gu Yue uses wind, earth, fire, and ice to slow him, while Xie Xie attacks from behind. Neither can penetrate his defenses, and Guang Long’s power proves far greater than the trio expected—he is level 27.
• Tang Wulin refuses to retreat, recognizing that protecting the front of their formation is his responsibility. He confronts Guang Long with the Star-Sinking Hammer, but is struck hard and thrown into a wall.
• When Guang Long charges Gu Yue, she holds her ground rather than dodge, knowing Tang Wulin is behind her. Tang Wulin pulls her out of danger and takes the front again, declaring, “Leave the front to me.”

Character developments

• Tang Wulin shows discipline and resolve, applying the formation lessons Wu Changkong taught him. Despite his injuries and the gap in strength, he embraces his role as the team’s defender.
• Gu Yue demonstrates tactical skill and courage, combining elements effectively and refusing to abandon Tang Wulin by retreating.
• Xie Xie remains quick and resourceful, adapting his attacks toward vulnerable points when his daggers fail to pierce Guang Long’s armor.
• Guang Long is revealed as a powerful, aggressive opponent who relies on overwhelming strength and defense, and grows increasingly enraged when the trio interferes.

Significant themes

• Protecting one another: Each member’s choices are shaped by concern for the others’ safety.
• Courage against superior strength: The trio keep fighting despite being badly outmatched.
• Team roles and trust: Tang Wulin’s commitment to hold the front lets Gu Yue and Xie Xie support him from other positions.

Character interactions

• Gu Yue and Xie Xie coordinate their attacks to disrupt Guang Long, while Tang Wulin engages him directly.
• Gu Yue warns Tang Wulin and later calls out when he is hurt; Tang Wulin responds by protecting her from Guang Long’s charge.
• Their mutual refusal to leave one another exposed culminates in Tang Wulin taking the front so Gu Yue can escape danger.

Key plot points

• Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue confront Guang Long after he bullies Uncle Li and extorts money from the street vendors.
• Tang Wulin and Xie Xie are overpowered in a clash with Guang Long, whose defensive soul skills make him nearly impervious. During their fall, Xie Xie accidentally cuts Tang Wulin’s back with his Light Dragon Dagger.
• The wound triggers the return of the mysterious Golden Scales. Tang Wulin’s power surges, and he charges Guang Long again.
• His golden scales and slit-pupil gaze frighten Guang Long, briefly slowing him. Tang Wulin strikes him with one hammer blow, breaking a bone and sending him flying.
• Tang Wulin quickly suppresses the transformation when he realizes it is consuming his soul power. The scales vanish, leaving his arm aching and his power greatly depleted.
• While the crowd is stunned, Guang Long and his lackeys escape. Xie Xie gives Uncle Li money to cover the damage, and promises to arrange protection for the vendors.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Wulin discovers that the Golden Scales are real and can give him immense strength, but only briefly and at a severe cost. He can now consciously make them recede, though the power remains mysterious.
• Gu Yue notices the scales spreading to Tang Wulin’s neck and is visibly shocked. She watches him closely but does not press him for an explanation.
• Xie Xie tries to catch Tang Wulin after Guang Long’s attack, accidentally injures him during their tumble, and is shaken by the frightening presence of the transformed Tang Wulin. He also takes responsibility for helping Uncle Li.
• Guang Long, initially boastful and dominant, is overwhelmed by Tang Wulin’s sudden counterattack and flees with his companions.
• The trio act together to protect Uncle Li: they intervene against the extortion, help him recover from the damage, and plan to prevent further harassment.

Significant themes

• Power and its cost: Tang Wulin’s mysterious strength can overcome a much stronger opponent, but rapidly drains his reserves and may endanger him.
• Courage against abuse: The students risk injury to oppose Guang Long’s intimidation and defend a vulnerable vendor.
• Loyalty and responsibility: Xie Xie supports Tang Wulin in battle and helps Uncle Li afterward, while the group considers how to keep him safe.
• Unanswered mystery: The Golden Scales and the primal, intimidating force behind them remain unexplained, leaving Tang Wulin and Gu Yue unsettled.

Chapter summary

On their quiet walk back to the Academy, Tang Wulin realizes that both times his Golden Scales appeared, Xie Xie’s Light Dragon Dagger had first cut him. He and Xie Xie consider two explanations: the scales may be a dormant second martial soul, or the boys’ martial souls may have an unusual compatibility that could produce a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Excited by the possibility, Xie Xie persuades Tang Wulin to ask their teacher, Wu Changkong, that night.
Tang Wulin explains both incidents to Wu. Wu is intrigued but cautious, and orders Xie Xie to test the theory. Xie Xie lightly cuts Tang Wulin’s arm with the Light Dragon Dagger. Tang Wulin again feels heat surge from his tailbone, and golden scales rapidly cover his right arm as golden claws form at his fingertips. Wu confirms that the transformation is genuine and tells Tang Wulin to exert his strength. The chapter ends as Wu takes hold of his transformed hand to examine it.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Wulin moves from puzzlement toward hope that the scales might reveal a second martial soul or a rare power. He remains cautious, but willingly cooperates with the test.
• Xie Xie is excited by the possibilities and drives the investigation forward. His teasing manner briefly surfaces during the test, but he quickly follows Wu’s instructions.
• Wu Changkong shifts from listening to active investigation. Though he has no ready explanation, he responds seriously and tests the phenomenon directly.
• Gu Yue, subdued and thoughtful after the earlier events, parts from the boys with a warning to Tang Wulin not to act recklessly.

Significant themes

• Discovery and uncertainty: The Golden Scales may signal a major new ability, but their nature is still unknown.
• Partnership and compatibility: The repeated connection between Xie Xie’s dagger and Tang Wulin’s transformation raises the possibility that their powers may interact unusually.
• Testing knowledge through evidence: Rather than rely only on speculation, Wu arranges a controlled demonstration.