Chapter Summaries

Key events

• The postponed First Grade Class Advancement Tournament resumes with Class Five facing Class One in the final match.
• Ye Yingluo, Class One’s teacher, nurses resentment toward Wu Changkong, who once rejected her. She urges her student Zhang Yangzi to teach Class Five a lesson.
• Tang Wulin returns to the competition after being missing and unreachable. Exhausted and pale, he insists he can fight. Wu Changkong accepts him, fielding Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, and Xie Xie.
• Class One’s three competitors are Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, and the openly provocative Wei Xiaofeng. Long Hengxu warns both teams not to cause serious injury.
• The match begins with Xie Xie and Wei Xiaofeng charging at each other. Both reveal two yellow soul rings. Xie Xie attacks with his Light Dragon Dagger, while Wei Xiaofeng uses the agility and deceptive movements of his Azure Shadow Snake martial soul and soul spirit.
• As the exchange intensifies, Tang Wulin remains steady, watching Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi. The aura of the Star-Sinking Hammer begins to stir in his palm.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Yingluo turns her personal hurt into hostility toward Wu Changkong and his students. His indifferent glance deepens her resentment.
• Ye Yingrong recognizes her sister’s fixation and privately understands that Wu Changkong seems emotionally distant from everyone around him, but she dares not say so.
• Wu Changkong remains composed and notices something unusual about Tang Wulin, though he does not question him publicly.
• Tang Wulin returns changed in some unexplained way: despite his weakened appearance, his eyes burn with resolve, and his strength seems to have grown. He also calmly restrains Xie Xie when Wei Xiaofeng taunts him.
• Xie Xie is relieved by Tang Wulin’s return and gains confidence from his presence. His speed has improved, and he reveals that he, too, has reached two rings.
• Gu Yue notices Tang Wulin’s abnormal condition, checks on him, then commits to winning together.
• Wei Xiaofeng provokes Xie Xie and demonstrates why he is one of Class One’s strongest students; their rivalry immediately drives the opening clash.

Significant themes

• Resentment and emotional distance: Ye Yingluo’s lingering rejection contrasts with Wu Changkong’s complete detachment.
• Growth and hidden change: Tang Wulin returns exhausted but apparently stronger, while Xie Xie’s newly revealed second ring shifts expectations for Class Five.
• Trust and teamwork: Tang Wulin’s presence steadies Xie Xie, and Gu Yue emphasizes facing the match together.
• Competition and reputation: The bout tests whether Class Five’s unexpected rise can continue against the academy’s supposedly strongest incoming class.

Key plot points and events

• Xie Xie reveals that he has advanced to two soul rings. Class Five’s students cheer, while Long Hengxu is embarrassed that a supposedly weak class has produced another Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster.
• Xie Xie confronts Wei Xiaofeng, whose Azure Shadow Snake skill creates convincing afterimages. Unable to identify the real target, Xie counters by sweeping a powerful Light Dragon Slash through the field and using his dagger’s speed and sharpness to destroy the illusions. Wei is forced onto the defensive.
• Tang Wulin charges at Zhang Yangzi’s formation, with Gu Yue following close behind to support him. Wang Jinxi intercepts him, revealing a sinister, bone-based martial soul and a heavy aura of darkness.
• Gu Yue strengthens Tang Wulin with Earth Element, while her fireball fails to stop Wang. In a direct collision, Tang’s newly intensified physical strength knocks Wang backward—surprising both Wang and Zhang.
• Tang summons his Star-Sinking Hammer and uses his forging knowledge to read the structure and force of Wang’s bone arm. Rather than meeting each blow head-on, he strikes joints and redirects momentum, steadily disrupting Wang’s balance. Gu Yue’s timely wind support helps Tang land another blow.
• Though he is still in pain from his recent breakthrough, Tang remains composed and holds his position like a barrier between the opposing team and his allies. The match is still underway.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Xie demonstrates the benefits of his breakthrough: his power and control have grown, and he follows Wu Changkong’s advice by relying on his strengths rather than getting drawn into his opponent’s tricks.
• Tang Wulin shows a new depth of physical resilience and tactical skill. His experience as a blacksmith informs his combat, allowing him to analyze Wang’s bone structure and exploit its weak points.
• Gu Yue acts as a close, coordinated partner to Tang, reinforcing his body and positioning herself to provide elemental support at decisive moments. She also senses that something fundamental has changed in him.
• Wang Jinxi, initially confident in his close-combat strength, is startled by Tang’s power and becomes increasingly frustrated as Tang repeatedly disrupts his attacks.
• Zhang Yangzi, at first unmoved by Tang’s charge, grows concerned after seeing Tang overpower Wang. Wei Xiaofeng likewise loses control of the fight when Xie Xie breaks his signature illusion technique.

Significant themes

• Hidden strength and underestimated talent: Class Five’s students challenge assumptions about their class and their abilities.
• Teamwork and complementary strengths: Gu Yue’s support enables Tang’s strength, while Xie Xie adapts independently to his opponent.
• Technique over brute force: Tang combines power with precise analysis, and Xie Xie counters deception with speed and overwhelming force.
• Growth through adversity: The characters’ recent breakthroughs and experiences are revealed through their improved abilities and steadier resolve.

Key plot points and events

• Wang Jinxi activates his second soul skill, Bone Soul Transformation, briefly making part of his body intangible. This lets him evade Tang Wulin’s hammer strikes and press the attack with his powerful, poison-infused Bone Dragon Claw.
• As Wang’s claw bears down, Tang Wulin draws on a hidden power sealed within him. Golden scales appear on his right hand, and an overwhelming aura frightens Wang’s martial soul—and even disrupts Xie Xie from a distance.
• Tang catches one of the Bone Dragon Claw’s fingers and throws Wang across the platform. The reversal shocks the spectators and teachers.
• Tang realizes he can now deliberately summon some of the sealed power, though only briefly and at the cost of pain.
• Tang and Gu Yue then try to attack Zhang Yangzi together. Gu Yue binds him with wind, but Zhang breaks free using his two soul rings and reveals a black, winged eagle martial soul.
• Zhang avoids Tang’s hammer and creates a ten-meter Darkness Zone, engulfing Xie Xie and Wei Xiaofeng. Wang rushes to join him. Tang charges into the darkness to help Xie Xie, with Gu Yue boosting his speed; a golden light appears above the zone as the excerpt ends.

Character developments

• Tang Wulin gains confidence after successfully drawing on his sealed, ancient power by choice rather than only losing control. Its brief duration and physical cost remain limitations.
• Wang Jinxi stops treating Tang as an ordinary opponent and uses his abilities seriously, but the golden aura exposes a vulnerability in his martial soul.
• Zhang Yangzi is revealed as Class One’s tactical core: his flight-capable martial soul also supports battlefield control, and he can quickly adapt when the team’s original plan fails.
• Gu Yue shows precise timing and strong coordination with Tang, first preparing to intercept Wang and later binding Zhang and accelerating Tang.
• Xie Xie is affected by Tang’s aura despite not being its target, while Wei Xiaofeng uses the moment to retreat and regroup with Zhang.

Significant themes and interactions

• The scene contrasts visible strength with hidden potential: Tang’s seemingly modest abilities conceal power capable of overwhelming Wang’s elite martial soul.
• Fear and instinct prove stronger than pride or reputation when Wang’s Bone Dragon King reflexively recoils from Tang’s aura.
• Teamwork and tactical flexibility shape the fight: Gu Yue supports Tang, while Zhang and Wang rely on practiced coordination and adapt their formation.
• Tang’s choice to restrain his strength in a school match shows his growing control and sense of responsibility.

Plot points and events

• Class Five’s trio—Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue—push back Class One’s initial assault. Xie Xie uses his newly acquired second soul skill, Light Dragon Storm, to withstand the combined attack of Wang Jinxi, Wei Xiaofeng, and Zhang Yangzi.
• Tang Wulin’s golden aura briefly suppresses Xie Xie’s Light Dragon Dagger and, more strongly, Wang Jinxi’s Bone Dragon King Martial Soul. Tang nearly strikes Wang Jinxi with his hammer, but Wei Xiaofeng pulls him clear, and Class One retreats under Zhang Yangzi’s Darkness Sky Curtain.
• Gu Yue counters the darkness with her light element, then combines light and fire into purifying golden-red flames. Her power weakens the curtain and protects her teammates, while also helping restore Xie Xie’s strength.
• Class One launches a coordinated attack: Wang Jinxi’s Bone Dragon Claw from the front, Wei Xiaofeng’s Azure Shadow Devour from the flanks, and Zhang Yangzi’s darkness to obscure and constrain the battlefield. Xie Xie holds off the serpent phantoms while Tang moves to defend Gu Yue.
• Zhang Yangzi’s Shadow Clone lands a deceptive, light punch on Tang. Though the clone is destroyed, its dark erosion begins to weaken and slow him. Tang withstands the effect thanks to the harsh physical tempering he has endured.
• Tang summons his tiny ant soul spirit, whose power makes his Star-Sinking Hammer feel vastly heavier. He slams the hammer into the platform, sending a tremor through the battlefield that disrupts Class One’s coordination and opens a fissure in the darkness.
• Gu Yue sends light through the opening, exposing Class One’s trio. Tang presses Wang Jinxi, striking his Bone Dragon Claw and disrupting the opposing team’s formation. The chapter ends with Class Five reunited in formation and Tang challenging their opponents to continue.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Wulin shows resilience under Zhang Yangzi’s dark erosion and tactical awareness by targeting Wang Jinxi, the anchor of Class One’s teamwork. His hammer and ant soul spirit reveal a power based on crushing weight and suppression.
• Gu Yue demonstrates unusual versatility, wielding light, fire, and wind despite having only one soul ring. Her ability to combine light and fire marks a major escalation, and she acts as both battlefield controller and support.
• Xie Xie proves he can defend against several opponents with Light Dragon Storm and hold off Wei Xiaofeng’s serpent phantoms. He senses Tang’s intimidating aura but benefits from Gu Yue’s restorative light.
• Wang Jinxi becomes unsettled by Tang’s ability to suppress his martial soul, while Zhang Yangzi remains confident in Class One’s practiced teamwork. Wei Xiaofeng’s timely rescue of Wang and coordinated flank attacks show the trio’s close cooperation.

Significant themes

• Teamwork versus individual power: Class One relies on long-practiced coordination, while Class Five counters through complementary abilities and quick adaptation.
• Resilience and growth: Tang endures a debilitating attack, and Xie Xie uses a newly acquired skill under pressure.
• Elemental opposition and synergy: Gu Yue’s light and fire counter darkness, while her power supports her teammates.
• Hidden potential: Tang’s soul spirit and Gu Yue’s multi-element abilities hint at greater strength than their opponents—and even their allies—initially understand.

Plot points and events

• After Tang Wulin withstands Zhang Yangzi’s Shadow Clone attack, Gu Yue becomes enraged and unleashes Ice and Snow Storm, a powerful combination of ice and wind that traps and badly injures all three members of First Grade Class One.
• Though the opposing team is weakened, Zhang Yangzi refuses to surrender. He and Wang Jinxi combine their compatible Martial Souls, with Zhang Yangzi merging into Wang Jinxi and granting him enormous dark wings and increased power.
• Xie Xie attacks Zhang Yangzi but is caught by Wang Jinxi’s dark field and struck by a Bone Dragon Claw. He is badly injured and loses consciousness.
• Furious that the match has turned dangerously violent, Tang Wulin confronts Wang Jinxi. His right arm transforms into a golden dragon claw, and he uses his Star-Sinking Hammer to counterattack.
• As Wang Jinxi closes in with both Bone Dragon Claws, Tang Wulin releases a majestic dragon’s roar. Wang Jinxi freezes, and his attack slows—leaving the outcome unresolved.

Character developments

• Gu Yue reveals the scale of her power and her fierce protectiveness of her teammates, but the Ice and Snow Storm leaves her visibly exhausted.
• Tang Wulin demonstrates extraordinary durability and begins drawing on the Golden Dragon King’s power, expelling the Shadow Clone’s lingering dark energy and transforming his arm.
• Xie Xie shows tactical awareness of Gu Yue’s strength and tries to target Zhang Yangzi, but is seriously injured.
• Zhang Yangzi remains determined to win and uses his close bond and Martial Soul compatibility with Wang Jinxi to create a powerful combined form.
• Wang Jinxi becomes the team’s strengthened frontline fighter, but his Bone Dragon King Martial Soul reacts fearfully to Tang Wulin’s dragon roar.

Significant themes

• Protectiveness and loyalty: Gu Yue retaliates when her teammates are threatened, and Tang Wulin charges in after Xie Xie is injured.
• Power and restraint: The students’ abilities are potent enough to push a school match beyond ordinary limits, raising questions about safety and fair competition.
• Hidden potential: Gu Yue and Tang Wulin both reveal abilities that exceed what their apparent rank suggests.
• Teamwork and bonds: Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi’s years of cultivation together let them combine their powers.

Character interactions

• Gu Yue supports Tang Wulin with healing before attacking the opposing team.
• Xie Xie and Gu Yue’s usual bickering gives way to clear respect for her strength.
• Zhang Yangzi orders Wang Jinxi to press on, then merges with him to strengthen their attack.
• Tang Wulin catches the unconscious Xie Xie, then faces Wang Jinxi alone; Gu Yue tries to help but is too exhausted to follow.

Key plot points and events

• In the Class Advancement Tournament, Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon Claw nearly strikes Wang Jinxi’s head after the golden aura makes Wang’s Bone Dragon martial soul falter. Wu Changkong redirects Tang’s attack at the last moment, causing it to hit Wang’s arm instead.
• The force breaks Wang’s right arm and helps bring down the fusion of Wang and Zhang Yangzi. Zhang’s legs are broken in the backlash. Xie Xie is also gravely injured, with fractures in both forearms and internal trauma.
• Wu Changkong takes the unconscious Xie Xie to the infirmary and stops Ye Yingluo from confronting Tang. A healer stabilizes Xie Xie and removes the dark energy affecting Tang.
• Wu tells Tang he did nothing wrong and promises to stay with Xie Xie. Tang and Gu Yue leave together.
• Gu Yue explains that Wang and Zhang likely used a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, then asks how Tang overcame it. Tang refuses to explain the power in his right hand, and Gu Yue accepts his boundary while warning him to master it.
• Tang recalls that, during the typhoon, the first seal on the Golden Dragon King’s power broke. His body endured an extreme transformation, and the released energy strengthened him, his soul spirit, and the Star-Sinking Hammer.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Wulin is overwhelmed by anger and nearly causes a fatal injury, but afterward feels responsible for Xie Xie’s injuries. He recognizes that his new power is dangerous and resolves to control it.
• Wu Changkong shows both authority and concern: he prevents Tang from going too far, shields him from Ye Yingluo’s challenge, and remains with Xie Xie.
• Gu Yue supports Tang and reassures him that the fusion attack was unforeseeable. She respects his refusal to explain his power but urges him to handle it responsibly.
• Xie Xie, Wang Jinxi, and Zhang Yangzi are left seriously injured, underscoring the match’s severity.

Significant themes

• Power and control: Tang’s strength can overwhelm opponents, but without discipline it may become lethal.
• Responsibility and guilt: Tang’s role as captain weighs heavily on him after Xie Xie is hurt.
• Trust and boundaries: Gu Yue offers support without pressing Tang to reveal what he cannot discuss.
• Endurance and transformation: Tang survives the seal’s painful breakthrough, but the new power carries real physical and moral risks.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Wulin wakes after breaking the Golden Dragon King’s First Seal. Old Tang confirms that he absorbed the first portion of its essence, which will strengthen his physique and bloodline capacity more than his soul power.
• Wulin learns he has gained Dragon Might, which can pressure weaker dragon-related beings, and is beginning to awaken the Golden Dragon Claw, whose Shattering effect can break even very hard targets. It consumes substantial soul power and stamina, so he must control it carefully.
• Old Tang warns that Wulin must unlock the Second Seal before age fifteen by finding four Heavenly Treasures. Further power will bring a “surprise.”
• Back at the dormitory, Wulin hears that Xie Xie has broken arms and internal injuries, while Zhang Yangzi has broken legs and Wang Jinxi a broken arm. Wulin realizes his own attack helped cause the damage and might have been worse without Teacher Wu’s intervention.
• The academy director and Dean Yu Zhen discuss the match. Impressed by the first-years’ unusual abilities—and concerned about further injuries—Long Hengxu recommends ending the ordinary class tournament and treating the cohort as a special program. Yu Zhen requests a report and orders Wulin’s abilities kept confidential.

Character developments

• Tang Wulin gains a major new power but also recognizes that strength brings responsibility: uncontrolled force can seriously harm others. He remains guarded about the source of his changed hand.
• Old Tang acts as Wulin’s guide, explaining the breakthrough’s effects and emphasizing caution and future requirements.
• Long Hengxu takes responsibility for failing to stop the match in time, while advocating for the students’ potential and safety.
• Yu Zhen shifts from anger over the injuries to cautious interest in the exceptional students, especially Wulin.

Character interactions

• Old Tang explains Wulin’s new abilities and warns him against reckless use; Wulin accepts the warning and remembers nearly losing control.
• Yun Xiao and Zhou Changxi check on Wulin and Xie Xie, then reveal the injuries on both sides. They question Wulin’s transformed hand, but accept his vague explanation.
• Long Hengxu reports the match to Yu Zhen, arguing that the first-years merit special training and oversight. Yu Zhen agrees to review the proposal while keeping Wulin’s condition secret.

Significant themes

• Power and responsibility: Wulin understands that winning is not the only consequence of becoming stronger.
• Control and restraint: The Golden Dragon Claw is formidable but dangerous, particularly when Wulin’s emotions overwhelm him.
• Exceptional talent and institutional response: The students’ abilities may justify changing how the academy trains and places them.
• Secrecy and uncertainty: Wulin’s transformation remains unexplained to others, and the academy chooses to protect that information.

Key plot points and events

• Vice Dean Long Hengxu proposes creating a Special Class for this year’s most gifted first-year students, with the Academy’s best teachers and resources. He recommends Wu Changkong as its homeroom teacher. Dean Yu Zhen supports the idea in principle and will submit it to the Board.
• Long’s proposal is partly an effort to recover from the Class Advancement Tournament mishap, but he sincerely believes the students could improve Eastsea Academy’s standing.
• After meditating, Tang Wulin examines the effects of breaking the Golden Dragon King’s First Seal. He can cover his right arm in golden scales and transform his hand into the Golden Dragon Claw.
• The scales greatly increase his arm’s strength, while the Claw adds further power and a crushing effect. However, using it consumes soul power rapidly: he can maintain it for only about ten seconds before becoming weak.
• Tang concludes that his tournament victory depended partly on luck and on the Golden Dragon King’s aura countering Wang Jinxi’s dragon-type martial soul. He recognizes that his limited soul power and control remain major weaknesses.
• Feeling stronger after the breakthrough, Tang begins his morning run. His enhanced body makes his usual pace feel effortless, and he accidentally collides with an older girl.
• The girl calmly redirects his momentum, accepts his apology, and warns him to watch where he is going. Tang is impressed by her control and wonders whether she is a Senior Division student.

Character developments

• Long Hengxu shows both political caution and genuine investment in the Academy’s future, proposing a focused program for talented students.
• Yu Zhen is persuaded by the potential of the new students and agrees to advance the proposal.
• Tang Wulin gains a clearer understanding of his new abilities and their limits. Rather than becoming overconfident, he recognizes the need for stronger cultivation, better control, and continued training.
• The unidentified girl is introduced as composed, physically capable, and skilled at controlling another person’s momentum.

Significant themes

• Nurturing talent and institutional renewal: A Special Class could help both exceptional students and a struggling Academy.
• Power has limits: Tang’s impressive new ability is costly and temporary, so strength alone cannot ensure victory.
• Humility and perseverance: Tang acknowledges the role of luck in his success and responds to his shortcomings by committing to work harder.
• Growth through self-understanding: Carefully examining his breakthrough helps Tang assess both his advantages and vulnerabilities.

Character interactions

• Long Hengxu persuades Yu Zhen to consider the Special Class and Wu Changkong’s appointment.
• Tang’s classmates’ tournament victories have lifted Class Five’s spirits, encouraging a new belief that effort can overcome their low ranking.
• Tang and the girl meet on the track: she prevents their collision from becoming an accident, while he apologizes and admires her skill.

Plot points and events

• Tang Wulin meets Ouyang Zixin, a beautiful fifth-grade upperclassman, while running in the morning. She teases him, challenges him to a ten-lap race, and tricks him into slowing down by pretending to be hurt, then wins.
• Ouyang tells him her name before leaving. Xie Xie arrives and reveals that she is the Intermediate Division’s most celebrated beauty, admired by older students as well. Tang Wulin admits only that he found her beautiful, but realizes he has remembered her.
• At an emergency assembly, students from the other first-grade classes watch Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue because of Class Five’s dramatic victory in the advancement tournament. Tang Wulin says he regrets injuring their opponents, despite their having hurt Xie Xie; Gu Yue and Xie Xie resume their familiar bickering.
• The school announces that, due to this year’s unusual circumstances, the first-grade winner will not continue challenging higher grades. The rankings are adjusted under the tournament rules: former Class Five becomes First Grade Class One, prompting its students to cheer.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Wulin shows a shy, innocent fascination with Ouyang, while his stamina and improved physical ability are evident during the race. His remorse after the tournament highlights his sense of responsibility and reluctance to harm fellow students.
• Ouyang is playful and confident, enjoying Tang Wulin’s bashfulness and easily outsmarting him in their race.
• Xie Xie, recovering from broken arms, teases Tang Wulin about Ouyang and later acknowledges that Tang Wulin helped avenge him. He is also forced to tolerate Gu Yue’s barbs.
• Gu Yue remains cool and sharp-tongued, challenging Xie Xie while supporting Tang Wulin’s responsible attitude.
• Wang Jinxi, present with an injured arm, regards Tang Wulin with wariness and fear after their match; Zhang Yangzi is absent with broken legs.

Significant themes

• First attraction and growing up: Tang Wulin’s encounter with Ouyang introduces a new, confusing emotional stir.
• Sportsmanship and responsibility: Tang Wulin questions whether retaliation was right, even when motivated by loyalty.
• Recognition and consequences: The tournament makes Class Five—and especially Tang Wulin—widely known, while the school’s decision brings both promotion and an end to further advancement matches.

Key plot points and events

• After First Grade Class One’s victory in the Class Advancement Tournament, the Academy awards each student in the class one free A Cafeteria Meal per day for the rest of the semester. Tang Wulin welcomes the reward as a valuable source of nutrition for his growing cultivation needs.
• The Academy announces a new pilot class, First Grade Class Zero, led by Wu Changkong. Its initial members are Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Gu Yue, Wang Jinxi, and Zhang Yangzi. Wei Xiaofeng is excluded for personal and family reasons, though other students may earn a place later.
• All six students who competed in the tournament final are formally reprimanded for causing serious injuries and lose any additional tournament rewards.
• Headmaster Yu Zhen explains that Class Zero is intended to develop students whose talents ordinary instruction might fail to nurture. He emphasizes that entry is not permanent or exclusive and that others can qualify through hard work.
• Once the other classes leave, Yu Zhen sharply rebukes the new members for their recklessness and injuries, warning them not to mistake talent for superiority.
• The students are asked to sign agreements committing them to remain at Eastsea Academy through both the Junior and Senior divisions. Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, Xie Xie, and Wang Jinxi sign.
• Yu Zhen then reveals that Class Zero will receive prioritized resources and individualized training. Wu Changkong silently doubts the headmaster’s claim that the Academy might rival the continent’s top schools.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Wulin sees the meal benefit and Class Zero’s resources as practical advantages, readily signs the agreement, and shows little attachment to studying elsewhere.
• Gu Yue signs without hesitation. Her blunt remark to Xie Xie quickly stops his joking about punishment.
• Xie Xie is briefly wary of the long-term agreement and asks whether they should consult their families, but signs after Tang Wulin and Gu Yue do.
• Wang Jinxi joins despite lingering fear and wariness toward Tang Wulin, whose golden aura affected him during their fight. Their former rivalry now has to coexist within the same class.
• Wei Xiaofeng is visibly disappointed at being left out, while the injured Zhang Yangzi is absent from the announcement’s gathering.
• Yu Zhen shifts from severe disciplinarian to warm, persuasive advocate once the agreements are signed, revealing both his concern for the students and the Academy’s interest in retaining them.
• Wu Changkong remains composed and says nothing, but his reaction suggests skepticism about the Academy’s ability to match elite institutions.

Significant themes

• Talent requires discipline: Yu Zhen insists that natural ability matters less without perseverance, clear judgment, and sustained effort.
• Opportunity and competition: Class Zero is an elite opportunity, but the Academy presents it as something others can earn through future performance.
• Investment and obligation: The Academy offers exceptional support in exchange for the students’ commitment to stay.
• Rivalry after conflict: Former opponents must begin working together despite injuries, distrust, and unresolved tension.

Plot points and events

• Class Zero is officially formed with Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Gu Yue, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi, under Wu Changkong. They receive a dedicated classroom and private rooms beside Wu’s new quarters.
• Because three students are injured from their recent fight—Xie Xie’s arms, Wang Jinxi’s right arm, and Zhang Yangzi’s legs—the class begins with theory rather than practical training.
• Wu Changkong introduces mecha and explains their history: soul-guidance technology evolved from military tools into increasingly capable machines, allowing even people without great personal strength to fight.
• He distinguishes ordinary military mecha from the path Class Zero should pursue. Standard mecha enhance their pilots, but cannot make an ordinary person equal to the highest-level soul masters.
• Wu reveals the term battle armor: compact armor that fits a soul master and works in harmony with their body, martial soul, soul power, and fighting style. He presents it as the true route to the highest level of individual combat.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Wulin listens intently because his father is a Mecha Designer and he has long wanted to become a Mecha Pilot. Wu’s lesson helps him connect mecha, blacksmithing, soul-master training, and battle armor as parts of a single possible path.
• Zhang Yangzi is frustrated by his severe injuries and initially questions why first-year students are studying mecha. Wu’s cold authority quickly silences him.
• Wang Jinxi remains quiet and watches Tang Wulin with a complicated mix of wariness, resentment, and unexplained fear.
• Xie Xie asks whether superweapons could match powerful individuals. Wu answers that, for now, even the strongest weapons cannot truly defeat the most powerful combatants.
• Despite their divisions and injuries, all five students are impressed by Wu and increasingly attentive to his teaching.

Significant themes

• Talent and ambition: Class Zero is given special treatment and taught beyond the usual curriculum because its members are expected to pursue exceptional goals.
• Technology versus individual power: Mecha broaden combat ability, but technology alone has not surpassed the strongest soul masters.
• Integration and transformation: Battle armor represents more than a weapon—it combines a soul master’s abilities with technology to create a qualitative leap in power.
• A higher path: Tang Wulin’s dream of piloting mecha expands into the possibility of pursuing the more demanding goal of battle armor.

Key plot points and events

• Wu Changkong introduces Battle Armor as a powerful form of Mecha that can merge with its user’s body, martial soul, and soul power.
• He explains three main Mecha-related professions—designing, manufacturing, and repairing—and advises the students to choose a second profession by their third year. Forging is another recommended path because it provides the materials needed for high-level Battle Armor.
• Tang Wulin is already committed to forging, a craft he has pursued since childhood and increasingly sees as central to his future. The others are given time to consider their choices.
• Tang Wulin asks when they can see real Battle Armor. Wu Changkong promises to show it to whichever student completes the first stage of combat training first, then announces that combat practice will begin immediately.
• Reviewing the previous day’s match, Wu Changkong condemns both teams’ performance as a “complete shambles.” He identifies individual mistakes and stresses that Class Zero’s students must learn to fight as coordinated teams.

Character developments

• Tang Wulin accepts responsibility for failing as captain to control the team and use his hammer strategically. His new strength and unfamiliar abilities have affected his judgment, but he recognizes that this is no excuse.
• Xie Xie is confronted for charging ahead alone, driven by his recent breakthrough and rivalry with Wei Xiaofeng. He cannot deny the criticism.
• Gu Yue is called out for favoring Tang Wulin with her support instead of covering the whole battlefield. She remains silent, acknowledging the point.
• Zhang Yangzi is criticized for arrogance and for hanging back to control the fight rather than joining the team.
• Wang Jinxi receives unexpected praise: despite losing, he maintained his role, endured pressure, protected his formation, and helped create openings.

Significant themes

• Teamwork over individual power: Talent, Soul Rings, and personal strength cannot substitute for coordination.
• Discipline and self-knowledge: Strong fighters must understand their abilities and use them thoughtfully rather than relying on raw power or confidence.
• Long-term commitment: Choosing a second profession—and pursuing it deeply—is part of reaching the highest level.
• Humility and training: The students were chosen for their potential, not because they are already accomplished; Wu Changkong intends to rebuild their combat habits from the ground up.

Character interactions

• Wu Changkong guides the students through questions about Battle Armor and second professions, then challenges Tang Wulin’s interest by tying access to real Battle Armor to completing combat training.
• During the critique, he addresses each student directly, forcing them to confront their mistakes. His blunt assessment unsettles the group, while Wang Jinxi’s praise surprises both the students and Wang himself.

Key events

• Wu Changkong tells Class Zero’s five students that their greatest weakness is not merely inexperience with Martial Souls and Soul Skills, but a lack of basic combat technique.
• Gu Yue doubts that fundamentals matter to her, since her elemental control lets her suppress opponents at range. Wu Changkong challenges her and Tang Wulin to attack him while he suppresses his Soul Power to their level and uses neither Martial Soul nor Soul Skills.
• Tang Wulin charges with his Star-Sinking Hammer while Gu Yue uses Wind Blades to restrict Wu Changkong’s movement. He defeats their tactics with precise timing and footwork: he disrupts the Wind Blades at their weak points and redirects Tang Wulin’s hammer with a strike to his wrist.
• Tang Wulin’s Golden Scales protect his arm from Wu Changkong’s attacks, showing their defensive strength. Gu Yue then sends Fireballs around the classroom, forcing Wu Changkong to protect the room. He disperses them all with astonishing speed before knocking both students off balance and onto the floor.
• Wu Changkong explains that fundamentals—footwork, distance, balance, timing, force, judgment, and control of the battlefield—determine how effectively a Soul Master can use any ability. Basic combat training will become a major part of their lessons.

Character development and interactions

• Tang Wulin fights with strength and practical forging habits, and he adapts after his first attack is redirected. He takes Wu Changkong’s critique seriously. His Golden Scales prove more protective than Wu Changkong expected.
• Gu Yue initially trusts her elemental power more than basic technique. She shows tactical awareness by coordinating with Tang Wulin and using the classroom as leverage, but Wu Changkong demonstrates that her elements can be dismantled at their weak points.
• Wu Changkong teaches through a controlled but decisive demonstration, using precision rather than superior Soul Power. He also takes note of Tang Wulin’s unusual defenses.
• Xie Xie and the other students watch the contest and are left with a clearer understanding of how much skill lies behind Wu Changkong’s seemingly simple techniques.

Significant themes

• Fundamentals underpin power: Exceptional abilities are limited if their user cannot apply them effectively.
• Technique can overcome raw force: Timing, angles, and balance allow a skilled fighter to defeat stronger-looking attacks.
• Every ability has vulnerabilities: Even heavy weapons and elemental attacks can be countered when their structure or weak points are understood.
• Training begins with foundations: Wu Changkong’s final lesson is that students must first learn how to stand before they can learn how to fight.

Key events

• Class Zero’s intensive combat training continues under Wu Changkong, with Tang Wulin repeatedly serving as his demonstration partner. Though painful, the lessons quickly improve Tang’s technique: he learns to steady his stance, conceal his attacks, avoid overcommitting, and use his weight at the right moment.
• Class Zero receives exceptional Academy support, including specialist teachers, equipment, meals, and dedicated facilities. Once the other injured students recover, Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi join the combat drills and discover firsthand how painful Wu’s instruction is. Gu Yue receives gentler treatment, to Xie Xie’s frustration.
• Wu pauses combat training for a series of physical assessments, beginning with spiritual power. Wang Jinxi scores 18 points and Zhang Yangzi 41.
• Tang Wulin’s reading rises past the Spirit Origin Realm’s 50-point threshold, enters the Spirit Connection Realm, and finally stops at 66 points—an extraordinary result for a first-year student.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Wulin grows more resilient and skilled through the repeated beatings. He notices that the Golden Dragon King’s sealed essence may still be strengthening his body and circulating more actively under stress. He can now reliably activate the golden scales on his right arm, though the more powerful Golden Dragon Claw remains too costly to use casually. His unexpectedly high spiritual power suggests his body’s ordeal may also have strengthened his mind.
• Wu Changkong remains exacting and unsparing, using pain as a deliberate teaching tool. He tells Wang Jinxi that weak spiritual power could limit his future soul-spirit fusion and control.
• Xie Xie and Zhang Yangzi struggle with the physical punishment because their bodies favor agility and control over durability. Xie Xie is especially exhausted, while Zhang remains defiant.
• Zhang Yangzi underestimates Tang Wulin, assuming his strength and heavy hammer matter more than his spiritual ability. Tang’s test result overturns that judgment. Xie Xie proudly points out Tang’s rising score, while Wang Jinxi is the first to react aloud when Tang passes 50.

Significant themes

• Pain as a route to growth: Wu’s harsh training leaves a lasting impression, but it also produces rapid improvement.
• Endurance and mental discipline: Tang’s ability to withstand physical and spiritual strain appears to contribute to his development.
• The limits of appearances: Tang seems like a straightforward, strength-focused fighter, yet his spiritual power proves exceptional.
• Forging through hardship: The chapter compares personal growth to metal being refined by repeated hammer blows.

Chapter Summary: “Monstrous Numbers”

Key plot points and events

• Wu Changkong puts the students through Spiritual Power and strength tests, with the order arranged roughly from the lowest expected results to the highest.
• Gu Yue’s Spiritual Power reaches 153 points, placing her firmly in the Spirit Connection Realm at just nine years old. The result hints that she could eventually reach the Spirit Sea Realm unusually early.
• Gu Yue also surprises the class with remarkable punching force: 115 kilograms with her left hand and 143 with her right.
• Zhang Yangzi records 61 and 69 kilograms. Xie Xie, despite his recent arm injuries, manages 153 and 164 kilograms, helped by the physical advantages of his twin martial souls.
• Wang Jinxi punches 423 and 468 kilograms. His results show that his arms have recovered well and that his Bone Dragon King martial soul continues to strengthen him.
• Tang Wulin’s strength proves far beyond the others’. His unenhanced fists register 1,156 and 1,348 kilograms. With golden scales covering his right arm, he reaches 2,700 kilograms.
• Wu Changkong then asks Tang Wulin to test his Golden Dragon Claw. Tang Wulin checks whether he will have to pay if he breaks the machine; reassured that it can withstand the force, he begins transforming his hand into the claw. The chapter ends before that test’s result.

Character developments and interactions

• Gu Yue remains outwardly calm despite her extraordinary results. Her strength unsettles Xie Xie, who has often argued with her; her cool glance and raised eyebrow prompt him to look away.
• Zhang Yangzi is repeatedly humbled by the others’ results. His disappointment at his own numbers briefly turns to relief when Wang Jinxi performs well.
• Xie Xie shows that his physical ability is substantial despite specializing in agility. He is relieved to outperform Gu Yue, though her strength has clearly shaken him.
• Wang Jinxi is pleased that his strength has increased despite his previously broken arm. His Bone Dragon King martial soul reacts fearfully to the aura of Tang Wulin’s golden scales.
• Tang Wulin is eager to learn how much stronger he has become since absorbing the Golden Dragon King’s first-seal essence. His results exceed his own expectations, and his excitement builds as he prepares to test his claw.
• Wu Changkong stays composed and uses the tests to assess his students, though Gu Yue’s physical strength surprises him.

Significant themes

• Hidden potential and growth: Each test reveals abilities that exceed expectations, especially Gu Yue’s Spiritual Power and Tang Wulin’s rapidly growing strength.
• Comparison and humility: The students measure themselves against one another, provoking pride, embarrassment, surprise, and renewed awareness of their limitations.
• The cost and promise of power: Tang Wulin’s immense strength—and the instinctive submission it provokes in Wang Jinxi’s martial soul—suggest that the Golden Dragon King’s power is not merely physical.
• Youth and the extraordinary: The students’ startling results are set against their young ages, emphasizing how unusual—and potentially consequential—their abilities are.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Wulin demonstrates his newly awakened Golden Dragon Claw in a strength test. Its strike registers 3,998 kilograms and punches through the tester—not simply by brute force, but through the claw’s Shattering property.
• The display shocks the others. Wang Jinxi’s Bone Dragon King Martial Soul is instinctively suppressed, while Zhang Yangzi abandons any thought of seeking revenge.
• In the remaining physical tests, Tang Wulin places first in nearly every category. Xie Xie wins the reaction test, with Tang second; Gu Yue also performs surprisingly well physically.
• Wu Changkong privately asks Tang Wulin about the changes that began during the typhoon. Tang describes the emergence of his scales and claw, increased strength and spiritual power, and changes to his hammer and soul spirit.
• Wu Changkong theorizes that Tang is undergoing a second Martial Soul awakening or a bloodline-related mutation. He believes the hidden power may be merging with and strengthening Tang’s existing Martial Soul. He warns that future changes could be dangerous and offers to help monitor them.
• Before Tang leaves, Wu Changkong asks whether he wants to learn the unusual footwork Wu used in combat class. Tang eagerly agrees, but Wu explains that it belongs to a powerful organization: Tang must pass an assessment to join, and Wu can only recommend him.

Character developments

• Tang Wulin shows the scale of his growing physical power, but remains cautious about explaining its true source. He accepts Wu’s plausible theory without revealing the Golden Dragon King and its seals.
• Wu Changkong demonstrates sharp insight and genuine concern beneath his cold manner. He offers practical support and opens a possible path for Tang to learn advanced combat skills.
• Zhang Yangzi loses confidence after seeing Tang’s strength and begins reconsidering his hostility.
• Wang Jinxi is visibly shaken by how strongly Tang’s aura suppresses his Martial Soul.
• Gu Yue proves more physically capable than expected, while Xie Xie confirms his exceptional reaction speed.

Significant themes

• Power and responsibility: Tang’s abilities are growing rapidly, but their full danger and limits remain unclear.
• Transformation and identity: Tang’s body, Martial Soul, and soul spirit are changing together, raising questions about what he is becoming.
• Humility and reassessment: The test forces the students—especially Zhang Yangzi—to reconsider their assumptions about talent and strength.
• Mentorship and trust: Wu Changkong offers guidance while respecting Tang’s guardedness, creating a stronger bond between them.

Character interactions

• The testing results unsettle Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi, while Xie Xie’s teasing remark makes Zhang’s embarrassment worse.
• In private, Wu questions Tang carefully, listens to his account, and shares a theory without pressing him to reveal more.
• Wu’s warning and offer to supervise future mutations reassure Tang and deepen his trust in his teacher.
• Tang’s eagerness to learn Wu’s footwork sets up a new challenge: earning entry into the organization that teaches it.

Plot points and events

• Tang Wulin learns that Wu Changkong belongs to a longstanding organization devoted to justice, equality, fairness, and protection. Because his parents disappeared under mysterious circumstances, he initially refuses to join.
• Wu reassures him that the organization was not responsible for his parents’ disappearance and offers a compromise: Tang can take the assessment, learn the organization’s name if he passes, and decide whether to join afterward. Tang agrees, partly because the training may teach him valuable footwork.
• Tang returns to forging with renewed purpose. He wants to earn enough to repay the Blacksmith Association, build toward owning battle armor, and eventually buy the thousand-year spiritual item needed to break his second Golden Dragon King Seal before age fifteen.
• Following Mang Tian’s advice, Tang focuses on Thousand Refinement across many metals rather than rushing to become a Level Four Blacksmith. He successfully completes a Steel Essence assignment, deepening his understanding of its balance of hardness and toughness.
• Mang Tian calls Tang to the Blacksmith Association. Tang arrives to find Mang Tian and Mu Chen together, with Mang Tian visibly displeased.

Character developments

• Tang Wulin shows caution about unfamiliar organizations, shaped by his parents’ disappearance, but is willing to investigate when he can retain the choice to decline.
• He has become more disciplined and strategic about forging, seeing it as both a livelihood and a path toward survival and future battle armor.
• His skill has advanced: he can now Thousand Refine ordinary Steel Essence with near-perfect success, though he recognizes that deep knowledge of metals matters more than rushing to a higher rank.
• Wu Changkong demonstrates patience and consideration, respecting Tang’s concerns rather than pressuring him.
• Mang Tian continues to guide Tang toward solid fundamentals and a gradual, sustainable progression.

Significant themes

• Trust and caution: Tang’s unresolved family mystery makes him wary, even of people he respects.
• Patience and mastery: Tang’s forging progress depends on understanding materials deeply, not merely chasing rank.
• Preparation and survival: His training and work are tied to the urgent goal of surviving the Golden Dragon King Seal’s next breakthrough.
• Resilience: Tang identifies with Steel Essence—plain and unassuming, yet strengthened through repeated blows.

Character interactions

• Tang questions Wu about the organization, explains his hesitation, and accepts Wu’s compromise after hearing his reassurance.
• Tang’s thoughts about his parents and financial obligations drive his renewed commitment to forging.
• Mang Tian’s advice shapes Tang’s training priorities, while his call—and the tense atmosphere with Mu Chen—sets up a new development.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Wulin arrives at the Blacksmith Association straight from the workshop, prompting President Mu Chen to remind him not to overwork himself.
• Mang Tian explains that he originally took Wulin as a disciple because of the boy’s father, but came to admire Wulin’s strength, focus, perseverance, and talent.
• Believing Wulin could become a Divine Craftsman—far beyond Mang Tian’s own likely limits—Mang Tian asks him to continue his forging education under Mu Chen, a highly accomplished Saint Craftsman.
• Wulin fears Mang Tian is abandoning him and kneels, pleading to remain his disciple. Mu Chen reassures him that he can have two teachers, even though this challenges the forging community’s tradition of a single master.
• Mu Chen and Mang Tian agree to share responsibility for Wulin’s training. Mu Chen outlines a plan centered first on Soul Power and Spiritual Power, with weekly advanced forging lessons. He sets goals for Wulin to reach Spirit Forging before twenty and attempt Soul Forging before thirty.

Character developments

• Tang Wulin shows deep loyalty and emotional vulnerability. His fear of losing Mang Tian reflects the loneliness he has felt since his family left, even as he accepts that further training will help him grow.
• Mang Tian reveals his affection and pride in Wulin. Though he struggles to relinquish his role, he chooses Wulin’s future over his own desire to remain his sole teacher.
• Mu Chen demonstrates generosity and foresight: he recognizes Mang Tian’s foundational contribution and refuses to erase him from Wulin’s teaching lineage.

Significant themes

• Mentorship and sacrifice: Mang Tian gives up exclusive claim to his gifted student so Wulin can reach his full potential.
• Trust and belonging: Wulin’s plea exposes his fear of being left behind, while the two teachers’ reassurance gives him a stronger support system.
• Ambition balanced with foundations: Wulin’s forging prospects are exceptional, but Mu Chen stresses that Soul Power and Spiritual Power are essential to long-term success.
• Tradition versus progress: Mu Chen challenges the norm that a disciple can have only one true teacher.

Character interactions

• Mu Chen gently cautions Wulin about overwork, then offers guidance and Association support.
• Mang Tian’s stern manner masks his attachment; his emotional reaction to Wulin’s plea shows how much their bond matters to him.
• Mu Chen and Mang Tian exchange candid, teasing remarks, easing the tension after agreeing to share Wulin’s education.
• Wulin bows to both teachers, pledging to work hard and honor their trust.

Key events

• Mu Chen explains that Tang Wulin should aim high while young: forging becomes more demanding at every stage, and a strong early foundation will matter if Wulin hopes to reach Soul Forging or even become a Divine Craftsman.
• Wulin reveals that his spiritual power has reached the Spirit Connection Realm at age nine, impressing both Mu Chen and Mang Tian. Mu Chen promises that the Blacksmith Association will help him locate future Heavenly Treasures, though Wulin insists he would rather pay for them himself.
• After collecting his commission, Wulin sets clear goals: improve his forging and soul power, gather the four thousand-year Spirit Items needed for his Second Seal, and break through that seal before turning fifteen. He recognizes that the boost from the Golden Dragon King Essence is fading, so lasting soul-power growth will require sustained cultivation.
• Outside the association, Mu Xi tells Wulin that he is now her junior brother and should call her “senior sister.” On their walk back to the academy, she asks about heavy silver. Wulin describes sensing the metal’s needs during Thousand Refinement, leaving Mu Xi impressed and newly reflective about what it means to understand metal.
• At the dormitory, they find Wang Jinxi waiting for Wulin. Ouyang Zixin joins Mu Xi, and her appearance briefly catches Wulin’s attention. Wang then asks Wulin to talk, setting up a new conversation.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Wulin shows ambition, discipline, and independence. Though grateful for the Association’s support, he wants to earn his own cultivation resources. His growing strength is evident when he effortlessly stops Mu Xi from walking into Wang Jinxi.
• Mu Chen becomes Wulin’s mentor and offers guidance, confidence, and practical support while emphasizing patience and a solid foundation.
• Mu Xi shifts from awkwardness and pride about her father taking on a talented junior disciple to genuine respect for Wulin’s forging insight. Their senior-junior relationship begins with a tentative walk and an exchange of ideas.
• Wang Jinxi waits for Wulin and appears troubled, suggesting he has something important to discuss.
• Ouyang Zixin is friendly with Mu Xi and makes a strong impression on Wulin, who briefly wonders whether she fits Xie Xie’s idea of an admired older schoolmate.

Significant themes

• Youth and preparation: ambition should be paired with building a strong foundation early.
• Persistence over shortcuts: Wulin understands that his unusual powers cannot replace long-term cultivation.
• Respect and self-reliance: he accepts help without feeling entitled to it and hopes to pay his own way.
• Attunement and understanding: forging is presented not merely as technique, but as listening to and understanding the material being shaped.

Key plot points and events

• Mu Xi and Ouyang Zixin go upstairs together. Zixin teases Mu Xi about Tang Wulin, pointing out that Mu Xi let him hold her arm without protesting. Mu Xi denies having feelings for him but is curious about what Zixin thinks of him.
• Wang Jinxi brings Tang Wulin to his dorm, having waited hours to speak with him. He explains that Tang’s presence seems to suppress his Bone Dragon King martial soul, undermining his confidence and making him question the value of his hard work.
• Tang Wulin clarifies that the cause is not his Star-Sinking Hammer but a powerful, poorly understood bloodline force, likely connected to Dragon-Type Soul Beasts.
• To investigate, Tang reveals the Golden Dragon scales and Dragon Might on his arm. Wang Jinxi discovers that the effect has changed: the aura seems to stir his soul power when he is not attacking, but his strength fades sharply as he approaches Tang to strike.
• Unable to explain the contradiction, Tang and Wang Jinxi decide to consult Wu Changkong. They go to his room and ask for help.

Character developments

• Wang Jinxi reveals vulnerability beneath his usual discipline. His talent and years of effort have been central to his confidence, and feeling suppressed by Tang has shaken his belief in himself. Tang’s account of overcoming disadvantage helps him regain perspective, though the new bloodline effect leaves him unsettled.
• Tang Wulin shows empathy by sharing his own history of low soul power, poverty, and receiving a weak soul spirit. He offers Wang Jinxi reassurance while also seeking to understand his own mysterious bloodline.
• Mu Xi appears flustered by Zixin’s teasing and reluctant to acknowledge her connection to Tang.
• Ouyang Zixin is playful and perceptive, noticing Mu Xi’s unusual reaction to Tang.

Significant themes

• Perseverance amid disadvantage: Tang argues that setbacks do not make hard work meaningless; progress can still be made step by step.
• Self-doubt and resilience: Wang Jinxi’s crisis shows how a sudden, seemingly insurmountable counter can undermine even a diligent person’s confidence.
• The uncertainty of power: Tang’s bloodline has effects neither boy understands, and its influence appears to shift from suppressing Wang to stimulating him—except when he attacks.

Character interactions

• Mu Xi and Zixin share a close, teasing friendship, with Zixin playfully probing Mu Xi’s feelings.
• Wang Jinxi approaches Tang honestly and respectfully, admitting his distress rather than demanding an explanation.
• Tang responds with sympathy and personal experience, then lets Wang test the Dragon Might directly.
• The two boys agree to seek Wu Changkong’s guidance, turning their confusion into a shared investigation.