Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• At Notting Academy, Li Sen intervenes when the gatekeepers mock Tang San for having blue silver grass despite his innate full soul power. He displays his three soul rings, makes the gatekeepers apologize, and offers to escort Tang San inside.
• Li Sen privately invites Tang San to become his disciple. He explains that blue silver grass is not necessarily useless and deduces that Tang San has twin martial souls, likely with a powerful blue-silver bloodline.
• Tang San is impressed by Li Sen’s knowledge and agrees to become his disciple—but Yu Xiaogang arrives and interrupts the ceremony, also seeking Tang San as a student.
• Yu Xiaogang introduces himself as the famed “Grandmaster,” claiming Spirit Hall recognizes his martial-soul theories. Tang San grows suspicious when Li Sen admits this is true.
• Li Sen challenges Yu Xiaogang on soul-ring limits and configurations. Yu Xiaogang confidently repeats claims that Li Sen’s own rings contradict and that exceeding a soul-ring limit means certain death.
• Tang San recognizes the weaknesses in Yu Xiaogang’s arguments and chooses Li Sen as his master. Yu Xiaogang objects, but Tang San dismisses him.

Character developments

• Li Sen is revealed as a knowledgeable, pragmatic teacher with a personal stake in guiding Tang San. Though wary of the dangers surrounding Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, he uses evidence and careful questioning rather than force to win the choice.
• Tang San shows both caution and ambition: he keeps his twin martial souls secret, tests what Li Sen says, and changes his mind when Yu Xiaogang’s claims conflict with what he has observed.
• Yu Xiaogang appears proud of his reputation and eager to secure a gifted disciple, but his rigid, inaccurate claims undermine his credibility.
• Old Jack remains deferential and relieved when Tang San is accepted into the academy, reflecting ordinary people’s vulnerability in a world governed by power.

Significant themes

• Knowledge versus reputation: Yu Xiaogang’s title and recognition initially carry weight, but Li Sen’s reasoning and Tang San’s firsthand evidence prove more convincing.
• Power and social hierarchy: The gatekeepers’ treatment of Tang San changes immediately when Li Sen displays his soul rings.
• Mentorship and trust: Tang San’s choice depends on demonstrated competence, while both potential masters see his talent as exceptional.
• Choices under uncertainty: Li Sen pursues Tang San despite the political risks, and Tang San weighs competing claims before committing.

Character interactions

• Li Sen protects Tang San from the gatekeepers and establishes an initial bond by advocating for his potential.
• Tang San tests Li Sen’s deduction about his twin martial souls, then becomes receptive to his guidance.
• Yu Xiaogang’s interruption creates a direct contest for Tang San’s allegiance. Li Sen exposes contradictions in Yu’s theories through pointed questions, and Tang San ultimately rejects Yu in favor of Li Sen.

Key plot points and events

• Yu Xiaogang tries one last time to recruit Tang San, claiming he has twin martial souls and warning that using soul rings on the second could kill him. Tang San dismisses his theory, denies having another soul, and tells him to leave. Yu Xiaogang gives up and departs.
• Tang San chooses Li Sen as his teacher. After Tang San formally bows, Li Sen gives him a soul-tool bracelet containing money, supplies, and books, and promises to help him train and find a soul ring. Tang San reveals that he really does have twin martial souls: Blue Silver Grass and the Clear Sky Hammer.
• Li Sen’s own training is described: he cultivates with his Blue Silver Grass and develops Luo Sanpao by feeding it thunder-attribute dragon meat. He believes this helps it evolve, though it slows his own progress.
• Tang Hao visits Li Sen and threatens him, demanding that he care for Tang San and teach him his soul-ring configuration method. Showing his nine-ringed Clear Sky Hammer and a red ring, Tang Hao leaves a token and departs.
• Yu Xiaogang, still seeking a gifted disciple to validate his reputation, encounters Xiao Wu, whose Soft Bone Rabbit also has innate full soul power. He assumes she may have twin martial souls and plots to use her to defeat Tang San.
• The next day, Li Sen explains that Blue Silver Grass’s defining strengths are adaptability, recovery, and especially vitality. He outlines possible development paths and recommends emphasizing vitality, strength, recovery, and cultivation speed. Tang San asks Li Sen to choose his first soul ring, and they set off for the Star Dou Great Forest.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang San moves from suspicion and hostility toward Yu Xiaogang to trusting Li Sen, whose generosity and care profoundly affect him. He vows to treat Li Sen like a father and entrusts him with planning his training.
• Li Sen acts as a conscientious mentor, giving Tang San resources and guidance while leaving room for him to choose his own path later. His training methods and strong but still limited combat ability are also revealed.
• Yu Xiaogang grows resentful after Tang San rejects him and continues pursuing a gifted student to prove his worth. His belief that he can use Xiao Wu to get revenge shows how personal and vindictive his ambitions have become.
• Tang Hao intervenes as a forceful, threatening father, using his overwhelming strength to pressure Li Sen into protecting Tang San.
• Xiao Wu enters the story as another student with innate full soul power, attracting Yu Xiaogang’s attention and becoming entangled in his plans.

Significant themes

• Trust and mentorship: Li Sen earns Tang San’s loyalty through practical care, while Yu Xiaogang relies on claims and threats.
• Choice and responsibility: Li Sen presents several viable paths rather than insisting on one, but accepts responsibility for guiding Tang San’s first step.
• Potential beyond reputation: Blue Silver Grass is commonly dismissed as weak, yet its adaptability and vitality may allow many forms of development.
• Ambition and validation: Yu Xiaogang’s desire to prove himself drives both his pursuit of disciples and his resentment toward Tang San.

Plot points and events

• Li Sen takes Tang San on a hurried journey to the Star Dou Great Forest, explaining that delaying a first soul ring would waste Tang San’s potential. Tang Hao secretly follows, initially prepared to rescue his son and abandon Li Sen if danger arises.
• At the forest, Li Sen reveals his second martial soul, Xiao Zi (Luo Sanpao), and asks Tang San to keep it secret. Tang San is moved by Li Sen’s trust and becomes even more convinced that he chose the right teacher.
• Li Sen explains that Yu Xiaogang is only level 29 and has badly neglected his own Luo Sanpao, contradicting Tang San’s impression that Yu must be powerful. Tang San feels relieved he did not become Yu’s disciple.
• Xiao Zi defeats a pack of Wind Wolves while Tang San watches from safety. Li Sen uses the encounter to teach him about soul beasts and soul rings.
• After three days of searching, Li Sen finds a roughly 400-year-old Crystal White Lotus suited to Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass and his interest in hidden weapons. Li Sen endures its blade-like attacks unharmed; Tang San delivers the killing blow so he can absorb its ring.
• Tang San absorbs the yellow soul ring without difficulty. His Mysterious Heaven Skill breaks through its bottleneck, his soul power reaches level 12, and he gains Lotus Star Power: improved vitality sensing and absorption, plus the ability to harden and launch Blue Silver Grass like hidden weapons.
• Li Sen plans to leave the academy with Tang San to train his body and gain combat experience. Tang San asks to return first so he can inform a friend—likely Xiao Wu.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang San grows more trusting and admiring of Li Sen, even thinking of him as better than a father. He shows protective instincts by stepping in front of Li Sen when the wolves appear, and enthusiasm when the Lotus is chosen for him.
• Li Sen acts as a protective, knowledgeable mentor: he explains soul-master mechanics, chooses a compatible ring, and postpones Tang San’s dangerous combat training until after the absorption. He also reveals unusual strength and keeps his second martial soul secret.
• Tang Hao watches from concealment, shifting from suspicion and willingness to abandon Li Sen to approval after seeing Li Sen’s resilience. He concludes Tang San is in good hands.
• Tang San and Li Sen develop a close teacher–student bond through Li Sen’s guidance and apparent confidence in Tang San. Li Sen’s criticism of Yu Xiaogang further strengthens Tang San’s loyalty.
• Tang San and Yu Xiaogang are contrasted indirectly: Li Sen presents Yu as overconfident and ineffective, leaving Tang San grateful he chose another mentor.

Significant themes

• Mentorship and trust: Li Sen’s guidance and confidence shape Tang San’s early loyalty and development.
• Preparation and talent: The journey emphasizes securing a suitable soul ring promptly and matching it to the student’s abilities.
• Power versus reputation: Yu Xiaogang’s title and theories are questioned against his low level and poor training.
• Protection and independence: Tang San is initially shielded from danger, but Li Sen intends to build his strength through later physical and combat training.
• Secrecy and factional risk: Li Sen hides his twin martial souls and plans to leave the academy to avoid attracting attention.

Key plot points and events

• Tang San returns to Notting Academy after gaining his first soul skill and plans to tell Xiao Wu he is leaving to train with Li Sen.
• Xiao Wu reveals that Yu Xiaogang has been pestering her to become his disciple. Yu arrives with food and insults both Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass and Li Sen, boasting that his own guidance could make Xiao Wu a Titled Douluo.
• Enraged by the insult to his teacher, Tang San attacks. He first uses Blue Silver Grass leaves to block Yu’s fart-based soul skill, then escapes with Xiao Wu to avoid the stench.
• Yu pursues them and continues belittling Tang San. Tang San counters with Blue Silver Entanglement, an ability he developed under Li Sen’s guidance, and overwhelms Yu and his martial soul, Luo Sanpao. Yu is badly injured and knocked unconscious.
• Tang San considers killing Yu but restrains himself, knowing that Yu’s connections to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect and Spirit Hall could bring trouble to him and Li Sen.
• Xiao Wu is impressed by Tang San’s strength and asks to become Li Sen’s disciple so she can grow stronger and avenge her mother. Tang San agrees to ask, but cannot promise Li Sen will accept.
• After recovering, Yu learns that Tang San and Xiao Wu have left the academy. Recognizing that his reputation and theories are not enough to attract or keep talented students, he decides to seek help from his friend Flender and hopes to prove himself through Flender’s gifted pupils.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang San shows fierce loyalty to Li Sen, practical restraint despite his anger, and growing confidence in his own abilities. His fight with Yu demonstrates that his Blue Silver Grass can do more than launch leaves.
• Xiao Wu shifts from frustration with Yu to admiration for Tang San and interest in Li Sen’s training. Her desire to avenge her mother motivates her decision to pursue stronger cultivation.
• Yu Xiaogang is exposed as both arrogant and physically outmatched. His defeat forces him to confront his weak talent and reliance on theory, though he responds by seeking another way to establish his worth.
• Tang San and Xiao Wu’s bond deepens: he worries about her, protects her from Yu, and is pleased when she wants to leave with him.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and respect: Tang San’s anger stems from Yu insulting Li Sen, whom he regards as his true teacher.
• Ability over reputation: Yu’s grand claims collapse when Tang San’s practical skill defeats him.
• Ambition and revenge: Xiao Wu’s pursuit of strength is driven by her wish to avenge her mother.
• Restraint and consequences: Tang San chooses not to kill Yu because of the wider danger it could pose to himself and Li Sen.

Key events

• At the academy, Li Sen realizes Xiao Wu is a transformed hundred-thousand-year soul beast. Although her soul ring and soul bone would be valuable to most Soul Masters, they are of little use to his plans.
• Tang San explains that Xiao Wu wants to become Li Sen’s disciple after he helped her against Yu Xiaogang. Li Sen refuses to take her on, citing his demanding training, but allows her to travel with them. Xiao Wu accepts, intending to stay close to Tang San and use his future strength to pursue revenge.
• Li Sen teaches Tang San to hide his identity and valuables until he is powerful enough to protect them. He gives Tang San a mask, and Xiao Wu chooses one too, before leading them to his secret Blue Silver Grass-covered cave.
• There, Li Sen explains that he will prepare Tang San’s body to absorb a thousand-year second soul ring. He refines hundred-year whale rubber and gives it to Tang San, who trusts him and consumes it. Li Sen then leaves Xiao Wu to watch over him.
• Li Sen unexpectedly breaks through to level forty and learns the location of a ten-thousand-year lightning dragon. To prepare for the hunt, he uses his parents’ help to obtain a thirty-thousand-year fateflow star tree as his fourth soul ring. His Blue Silver Grass evolves into a blue silver tree, and its Star Fate skill greatly improves his recovery, life absorption, toughness, and ability to heal injuries.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Sen remains calculating and strategic, weighing Xiao Wu’s usefulness against his long-term goals. He is also protective of Tang San, sharing hard-earned survival advice and investing in his disciple’s physical strength.
• Tang San shows intense loyalty and trust in Li Sen, readily consuming the refined whale rubber despite Xiao Wu’s concern. He is pleased that Xiao Wu will accompany them, though she cannot become Li Sen’s disciple.
• Xiao Wu is intimidated by Li Sen and abandons her request for apprenticeship. She chooses to stay with Tang San instead, privately hoping to rely on his eventual power.
• Li Sen and Tang San’s teacher-disciple bond deepens through Li Sen’s guidance and Tang San’s unquestioning confidence in him. Xiao Wu and Tang San grow closer as she chooses to travel beside him.

Significant themes

• Trust and mentorship: Tang San’s faith in Li Sen contrasts with Xiao Wu’s caution and fear.
• Concealment and survival: Li Sen stresses that talent and rare possessions can make someone a target, so strength must come before exposure.
• Power pursued through preparation: Physical conditioning, careful soul-ring choices, and family support are all part of Li Sen’s calculated path toward greater strength.
• Conflicting motives: Xiao Wu’s outward companionship masks her plan to use Tang San’s future power, while Li Sen evaluates people and resources according to his own aims.

Key plot points and events

• After absorbing his previous soul ring, Li Sen’s Blue Silver Tree evolved, but his soul power remained at rank 41. His greater strength, recovery, and ability to sustain the Eight Gates made it easier to escape powerful enemies.
• Li Sen’s parents, Li De and Qingwan, ask about his progress. Li Sen explains that his cultivation speed has doubled and says he intends to evolve Luo Sanpao by absorbing a powerful dragon’s soul ring.
• The family hunts a forty-thousand-year Violet Lightning Demon Dragon. Li De charges a devastating Dragon Breath while Qingwan boosts and protects him; Li Sen lures the beast out and attacks it with the Eight Gates. Their coordinated ambush severely wounds it, and Li Sen finishes it.
• Li Sen has Luo Sanpao absorb the demon dragon’s black soul ring. After three hours of painful transformation, Luo Sanpao grows wings, scales, and horns, becoming a dragon-like beast.
• Li Sen then unexpectedly absorbs an external soul bone: Purple Thunder Dragon Wings. They grant fast flight, greater strength, lightning control, and blade-like attacks.
• The family celebrates the evolution. Li Sen estimates that his cultivation speed has increased dramatically, though his soul-power rank does not rise because Luo Sanpao absorbs the soul ring’s and soul bone’s power.

Character developments

• Li Sen gains confidence in his survivability and future prospects. His ambition remains tied to improving his talent, securing immortal herbs, and gaining leverage in the coming conflicts.
• Luo Sanpao completes a major evolution into a lightning dragon, gaining substantial combat power and a Dragon Breath skill.
• Li De and Qingwan move from years of worry about their son’s poor innate talent to pride and relief as his martial soul evolves and he gains a rare soul bone. They also begin teasing him about finding a wife.

Character interactions

• Li Sen reassures his parents that his progress is real, while they encourage and support his next evolution.
• During the hunt, the family works as a team: Qingwan strengthens Li De, Li De prepares the ambush, and Li Sen draws out and finishes the dragon.
• After the battle, Qingwan worries when Li Sen continues absorbing energy, but Li De urges her not to interrupt; they are relieved when the wings reveal themselves as an external soul bone.
• Qingwan’s matchmaking tease embarrasses Li Sen, who jokingly promises to make them grandparents.

Significant themes

• Family support and parental hope: Li Sen’s achievements ease the despair his parents once felt about his weak starting point.
• Persistence and self-improvement: Li Sen’s training and willingness to take risks drive successive evolutions and new abilities.
• Teamwork and trust: The dragon hunt succeeds through each family member’s distinct strengths.
• Changing fate and ambition: Li Sen sees these gains as steps toward securing power, immortal herbs, and greater control over his future.

Key plot points and events

• After fifteen days of waiting for Li Sen, Tang San has reached rank thirteen through intensive cultivation. Xiao Wu is frustrated that he has been kept at home and wants to visit Suotuo City.
• Li Sen returns and begins a punishing training regimen for Tang San, combining physical pressure, recovery through plants, medicinal baths, and soul-beast meat.
• Six years pass. Tang San reaches rank thirty-seven with yellow, purple, and purple soul rings and can fight a Soul Ancestor. Li Sen reaches rank fifty-nine, while Luo Sanpao’s evolution gives him formidable combat strength.
• Li Sen takes Tang San and Xiao Wu to Suotuo City. He asks Tang San to fight a future opponent, Dugu Yan, whose poison he will need to counter.
• On the road, Tang San senses a fight and encounters Zhu Zhuqing fleeing two Soul Elders. When they order him to stop her and invoke the Star Luo Empire, he judges their arrogance and abuse of power worth opposing. He uses Blue Silver Grass to restrain them and kills them with an unshown, self-created technique.
• Zhu Zhuqing thanks Tang San and asks Li Sen to take her as a disciple. He declines, unwilling to take on the complications of her imperial-family conflict. Zhu Zhuqing leaves, and the group continues toward Suotuo City.

Character developments

• Tang San has grown into a powerful, disciplined fighter who applies Li Sen’s lessons about judging danger and acting decisively against injustice. His loyalty to his master remains strong.
• Xiao Wu remains energetic and resentful of restrictions, but is excited to travel and wary of Zhu Zhuqing’s closeness to Tang San.
• Li Sen is revealed as a pragmatic teacher: he invests heavily in Tang San’s growth, but weighs potential benefit and risk before accepting another disciple.
• Zhu Zhuqing shows resolve and independence. Though desperate for a powerful mentor, she accepts Li Sen’s refusal and continues on her own.

Significant themes

• Training and advancement: Tang San’s extraordinary progress comes from rigorous physical conditioning as well as cultivation and resources.
• Principled action versus caution: Tang San tries to avoid needless enemies, yet chooses to intervene when he sees bullies exploiting their status.
• Mentorship and self-interest: Li Sen’s guidance is generous, but he admits discipleship depends on both fate and practical considerations.
• Power and survival: Zhu Zhuqing’s vulnerability reflects the danger of political struggles when someone lacks strength or leverage.

Character interactions

• Xiao Wu repeatedly presses Tang San to stop cultivating and take her out, while Tang San tries to honor Li Sen’s instructions.
• Li Sen praises Tang San’s growth, trains him harshly, and later entrusts him with a specific task involving Dugu Yan.
• Tang San’s decisive rescue earns Zhu Zhuqing’s gratitude and admiration; she hopes to become Li Sen’s disciple.
• Li Sen’s refusal disappoints Zhu Zhuqing and prompts Xiao Wu and Tang San to question why Tang San was chosen as a disciple.

Plot points and events

• After Tang San stays behind to wait for Luo Sanpao’s evolution, Li Sen goes to an upscale restaurant and orders its expensive “Heavenly Bliss Service,” a sexual package featuring twin Soul Scholars.
• Ning Rongrong condemns Li Sen as a scoundrel. He ignores her and leaves; she is angered at being dismissed.
• That evening, Tang San and Xiao Wu arrive at the Rose Hotel. Xiao Wu insists they take its last room, but Dai Mubai claims he reserved it and challenges them to settle the dispute through a fight.
• Xiao Wu attacks first but is overpowered by Dai Mubai’s stronger White Tiger martial soul. Tang San steps in, using Li Sen’s training in the Eight Gates to open his first gate. He defeats Dai Mubai with one blow, knocking him unconscious.

Character developments

• Li Sen remains openly hedonistic and unbothered by moral criticism, while avoiding a confrontation with Ning Rongrong.
• Ning Rongrong shows her pride and sense of entitlement, reacting angrily when Li Sen refuses to engage with her.
• Xiao Wu, now a level 31 Soul Elder after sustained cultivation, is eager to enjoy herself but rushes into a fight despite being outmatched.
• Tang San, at twelve and level 37, demonstrates remarkable strength and control, applying the Eight Gates technique Li Sen taught him.
• Zhu Zhuqing loses confidence in Dai Mubai and their prospects after seeing him defeated by a younger opponent. His apparent indulgence also undermines the hopeful explanation she had given herself for his absence.
• Dai Mubai is revealed as arrogant and still indulging in debauchery; despite his level 37 cultivation, he is defeated decisively.

Character interactions

• Ning Rongrong insults Li Sen, but he gives her no attention, intensifying her frustration.
• Xiao Wu and Dai Mubai clash over the hotel room; Tang San intervenes to protect her.
• Zhu Zhuqing warns Xiao Wu that Tang San may be physically outmatched, but Xiao Wu insists she trusts him.
• Dai Mubai’s defeat forces Zhu Zhuqing to confront the gap between her hopes and reality.

Significant themes

• Strength and training: Tang San’s disciplined development and Li Sen’s unconventional teaching let him overcome a stronger, older opponent.
• Disillusionment and survival: Zhu Zhuqing’s faith in Dai Mubai collapses, raising doubts about their ability to survive the imperial family’s struggle.
• Pride and status: Ning Rongrong and Dai Mubai both display entitlement, while their reactions expose the limits of social rank when confronted with others’ strength.
• Contrasting values: Li Sen’s unapologetic hedonism contrasts with the loyalty and protectiveness shown by Tang San and Xiao Wu.

Plot points and events

• After defeating Dai Mubai, Tang San and Xiao Wu meet Zhu Zhuqing again. Xiao Wu notices her despair and invites her to stay with them. Zhu Zhuqing accepts, privately hoping to grow stronger by learning from Tang San’s master, Li Sen, and escape the deadly rivalry tied to her family and Dai Mubai.
• The next morning, the trio visits Shrek Academy, expecting a respected school. Instead, they find a shabby campus and a chaotic admissions process. The academy requires applicants to be Soul Grandmasters before thirteen, a rule that angers many parents. Teacher Li Yusong silences the crowd by displaying his powerful Soul Rings.
• When Li Yusong threatens Xiao Wu for criticizing the academy, Tang San steps in. Dai Mubai arrives and explains that the two are exceptionally strong.
• Xiao Wu announces that she is twelve and rank thirty-three. After Li Yusong confirms her age by testing her bones, the remaining onlookers are astonished. Dai Mubai is especially shaken to realize the girl who beat him is three years younger.
• Ning Rongrong, a twelve-year-old rank-twenty-six support Soul Grandmaster and runaway daughter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, approaches Xiao Wu and asks to be friends. She hopes to benefit from the two prodigies’ abilities. Xiao Wu introduces herself warmly, while Tang San declines to enroll because he already has a master.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhu Zhuqing recovers her resolve after Xiao Wu’s kindness and sees Tang San’s circle as a possible route to survival and strength. Tang San remains wary, suspecting she may be connected to Dai Mubai through their families’ arrangement.
• Xiao Wu takes pride in the admiration her talent earns and readily befriends Ning Rongrong. Her loyalty to Tang San is clear, as is his instinct to protect her.
• Tang San stays cautious about Zhu Zhuqing and refuses Shrek’s invitation, committed to his existing master.
• Dai Mubai is further humiliated when he learns Xiao Wu is much younger than he is.
• Ning Rongrong presents herself as gentle and friendly, but is motivated partly by hopes of recruiting the prodigies or learning from them.

Significant themes

• Talent and recognition: Xiao Wu’s verified age and strength transform her from an overlooked child into an object of admiration.
• Survival and ambition: Zhu Zhuqing’s renewed determination reflects the harsh stakes of her family’s political and martial traditions.
• Appearances versus reality: Shrek’s shabby setting contrasts with its demanding standards, while Ning Rongrong’s warm manner masks practical ambitions.
• Loyalty and connection: Xiao Wu’s compassion draws Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong closer, while Tang San’s protective behavior reinforces his bond with Xiao Wu.

Plot points

• Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing all refuse to enroll at Shrek Academy. Ning Rongrong also decides the academy falls short of her standards, leaving admissions with no students.
• Li Yusong reports the missed opportunity to Yu Xiaogang. When Dai Mubai reveals that Tang San and Xiao Wu are twelve-year-old Soul Elders—and that Tang San has a thousand-year second soul ring—Yu Xiaogang becomes ecstatic.
• Yu Xiaogang resolves to make Tang San and Xiao Wu his disciples, seeing them as both proof of his theories and a chance to advance his reputation. Dai Mubai points out that they already have a master, but Yu Xiaogang rushes off to seek Flender’s help.
• On the way back to Suotuo City, Ning Rongrong asks Xiao Wu how she and Tang San grew so quickly. Xiao Wu credits their master, Li Sen, with customized training and medicinal knowledge.
• Intrigued, Ning Rongrong asks Xiao Wu to recommend her as a disciple. Xiao Wu says Li Sen is selective, accepting students based on “fate” and “benefits.” Ning Rongrong assumes her family’s wealth and influence make her an ideal candidate.

Character developments and interactions

• Yu Xiaogang shifts from hopeful instructor to intensely ambitious would-be mentor. His excitement is driven not only by helping gifted students, but also by the prospect of proving himself and expanding his martial-soul theories.
• Ning Rongrong reveals her determination to establish her worth and leadership potential. Rather than being discouraged by the possibility of rejection, she becomes more confident that her status will win Li Sen over.
• Xiao Wu proudly describes Li Sen’s demanding, individualized teaching, while privately taking some comfort in the idea that Ning Rongrong might also be refused.
• Dai Mubai is uncomfortable with Yu Xiaogang’s plan and remains distracted by Zhu Zhuqing, whose familiarity he cannot explain.
• Li Yusong is left frustrated after several talented prospects decline enrollment.

Significant themes

• Talent versus institutions: Shrek’s reputation and standards cannot compensate for its poor appeal to the visiting geniuses.
• Mentorship and ambition: Li Sen’s teaching is praised for its personal, rigorous approach, while Yu Xiaogang’s desire to recruit students is entangled with self-promotion.
• Status and entitlement: Ning Rongrong believes wealth, influence, and powerful connections should make her valuable as a disciple, setting up a possible clash with Li Sen’s standards.
• Different motives for cultivation: The students seek growth and opportunity, while their prospective mentors also see fame, influence, or validation in their abilities.

Plot points and events

• Zhu Zhuqing worries that becoming Li Sen’s disciple would bring him trouble: she expects the Star Luo Imperial Family to punish her for leaving Dai Mubai, and doubts Li Sen could protect himself. Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong, meanwhile, each have their own reasons for wanting to see Li Sen.
• At his mansion, Li Sen looks after the twin sisters Li Xin and Li Yue, who have sought his protection after their family’s Soul Douluo patriarch was gravely injured. He also continues planning their training and medicinal baths.
• Li Sen senses that Tang San has used the branch of his Blue Silver Tree martial soul to summon him. When the branch suddenly explodes—its emergency signal—Li Sen rushes to Tang San’s location.
• At a restaurant, Yu Xiaogang arrives with Flender, a Soul Saint, and claims he has come to take Tang San as his disciple. He belittles Li Sen as a weak, unknown Soul Elder and presents Flender’s strength as a reason Tang San should switch masters.
• Tang San angrily refuses, defending Li Sen and attacking Yu Xiaogang. Flender’s pressure initially fails to shake him, thanks to the physical conditioning he received from Li Sen, but Flender escalates to his full strength and overwhelms Tang San.
• Just before Flender can strike, Li Sen appears and challenges him for threatening his disciple. The onlookers are astonished that someone who looks so young would confront a Soul Saint. The chapter ends as Zhu Zhuqing realizes Li Sen may be stronger than she assumed.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang San demonstrates fierce loyalty to Li Sen, rejecting the apparent advantage of a more powerful master and risking a fight to defend Li Sen’s honor.
• Li Sen is shown as both a caretaker and a protective teacher: he supports his dependents’ training and has equipped Tang San with a branch that can signal for help.
• Zhu Zhuqing remains interested in Li Sen’s teaching but fears that her circumstances could endanger him. She urges Xiao Wu to summon help when Flender threatens him.
• Ning Rongrong is shocked to discover that the master she hoped to apprentice herself to is the man she had previously insulted. Her interest and plans to help him abruptly change.
• Yu Xiaogang tries to win Tang San by disparaging Li Sen and emphasizing Flender’s strength. Flender backs him up with intimidation, escalating when Tang San refuses.
• Xiao Wu stays confident in Li Sen, reassuring Zhu Zhuqing that he is not as weak as he appears.

Significant themes

• Loyalty over status: Tang San values his bond with Li Sen more than the prestige or practical advantages of a stronger teacher.
• Strength and appearances: The crowd assumes that power determines who deserves respect, while Li Sen’s youthful appearance leads them to underestimate him.
• Protection and responsibility: Li Sen’s preparation to safeguard Tang San contrasts with the threats and coercion used by Yu Xiaogang and Flender.
• Conflicting motives in mentorship: The chapter presents apprenticeship as involving trust and personal obligation, not merely a calculation of rank.

Plot points and events

• Flender attacks Li Sen in Suotuo City, dismissing him as a weak Soul Elder and invoking the city’s ban on fighting only as a taunt. Li Sen catches Flender’s powerful punch with one hand, using only physical strength and the first of his Eight Gates.
• The onlookers realize Li Sen is far stronger than his supposed rank suggests, and news of his feat begins to spread. Li Sen explains to himself that his body rivals a Titled Douluo’s toughness, though he is concealing his full power to avoid attracting Spirit Hall’s attention.
• Flender recognizes the danger and apologizes. Li Sen demands 10,000 Gold Soul Coins in compensation; Flender pays and flees, restraining Yu Xiaogang when he tries to confront Li Sen.
• Li Sen asks Tang San how he managed to provoke a Soul Saint so soon after arriving in Suotuo City. Tang San apologizes but keeps Xiao Wu’s connection to the dispute secret. Li Sen guesses the group has crossed paths with Flender through Shrek Academy and tells Tang San to call for help if he is in danger.
• Xiao Wu encourages Ning Rongrong to ask Li Sen to take her as a disciple. Embarrassed by having previously called him a scumbag, Ning Rongrong repeatedly refuses. Li Sen notices her but deliberately ignores her.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Sen demonstrates overwhelming strength but remains cautious, choosing intimidation and financial compensation over a potentially revealing fight. His concern for Tang San is genuine, and he encourages Tang San to seek his protection.
• Flender shifts from aggression to deference once he realizes Li Sen may be stronger than a Titled Douluo. He prioritizes survival and restrains Yu Xiaogang from provoking Li Sen.
• Yu Xiaogang is stunned and resentful at Li Sen’s extraordinary progress, believing such talent should have belonged to him. His pride nearly pushes him into a dangerous confrontation.
• Tang San remembers Li Sen’s past sacrifice during a dangerous hunt and feels admiration and gratitude toward him.
• Xiao Wu remains frustrated that Li Sen has repeatedly refused to make her his disciple, but tries to help Ning Rongrong approach him.
• Ning Rongrong is torn between wanting Li Sen as a master and feeling ashamed of her earlier insult. Zhu Zhuqing, meanwhile, sees Li Sen’s strength as a possible way to defy the Star Luo Imperial Family.

Significant themes

• Power and reputation: Li Sen’s strength overturns others’ assumptions and quickly makes him a figure of public interest.
• Restraint and self-preservation: Despite his advantage, Li Sen limits what he reveals to avoid drawing powerful enemies before he is ready.
• Pride versus prudence: Yu Xiaogang’s envy and Flender’s caution show contrasting responses to Li Sen’s power.
• Mentorship and loyalty: Tang San’s gratitude reflects the bond formed through Li Sen’s past protection, while Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing are drawn to him as a potential mentor.

Key plot points and events

• Zhu Zhuqing asks Li Sen to take her as a disciple, offering him all her future earnings and arguing that their repeated meetings prove fate. Li Sen refuses, saying that accepting her would entangle him in the Star Luo Empire’s affairs and that her money is insignificant to him.
• After Li Sen leaves, Ning Rongrong warns Zhu Zhuqing that he is a scoundrel, claiming she saw him hire twin women at a restaurant and suggesting Zhu would be expected to repay him with sex if she became his student.
• Tang San reacts furiously to the insult. He attacks Ning Rongrong with sharpened Blue Silver Grass, forcing Xiao Wu to teleport between them and deflect the assault.
• Xiao Wu reminds Tang San that killing Ning Rongrong would bring serious trouble to Li Sen. Remembering his master’s advice, Tang San stops and orders Ning Rongrong to stay away from them.
• Xiao Wu rebukes Ning Rongrong for judging Li Sen on limited evidence, returns the gifts Ning Rongrong gave her, and says their friendship is over. She also warns that Li Sen has previously beaten Yu Xiaogang for insulting him.
• Zhu Zhuqing leaves with Xiao Wu, unconvinced by Ning Rongrong’s accusations and still intent on becoming Li Sen’s disciple. Meanwhile, word reaches a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect branch that Ning Rongrong was nearly killed, and two Soul Kings rush to her.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhu Zhuqing shows determination and willingness to accept personal risk to gain Li Sen’s guidance. She is also intrigued by the possibility that her appearance might appeal to him.
• Li Sen remains firm in refusing Zhu Zhuqing, despite her persistence.
• Ning Rongrong shifts from a friendly façade to an angry, boastful confrontation, invoking her status and powerful family. Her confidence collapses when Tang San’s attack nearly reaches her.
• Tang San displays fierce loyalty to Li Sen, treating criticism of his master as intolerable. He nearly kills Ning Rongrong, but ultimately obeys Li Sen’s teachings when Xiao Wu points out the consequences.
• Xiao Wu acts as peacemaker, protecting Ning Rongrong from Tang San and then drawing a clear boundary with her over the slander.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and authority: Tang San’s devotion to Li Sen drives the confrontation, while Li Sen’s teachings ultimately restrain him.
• Judgment and reputation: Ning Rongrong makes a damaging moral judgment based on what she believes she witnessed; Xiao Wu argues that she lacks enough context.
• Power and consequences: Ning Rongrong’s noble status does not protect her from immediate danger, while Tang San’s restraint comes from considering the wider repercussions.
• Responsibility and trust: Zhu Zhuqing seeks a mentor willing to take responsibility for her, while the conflict fractures the budding friendship between Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong.

Key plot points and events

• After the earlier confrontation, Ning Rongrong reflects on how little influence matters without strength. She becomes fascinated by Li Sen’s extraordinary physical power and by Tang San’s thousand-year second soul ring. When two Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect guards say they have reported the incident, she orders one to retrieve the message so her father won’t escalate the conflict.
• At Shrek Academy, Yu Xiaogang demands that Flender help him uncover Li Sen’s secret. Flender insists he could not defeat Li Sen even while fighting seriously, and Zhao Wuji refuses to join an attempt he considers suicidal. Flender suggests they seek Liu Erlong and use their combined Martial Soul Fusion Skill, but Yu Xiaogang recoils at the painful history between them and leaves to think.
• Li Sen considers his next steps, including a likely breakthrough and the possibility of finding a powerful plant- or dragon-type soul beast.
• Li Kui, the aged grandfather of Li Sen’s companions Li Xin and Li Yue, visits him. He reveals the location of a badly injured hundred-thousand-year Devouring Demon Tree and believes Li Sen is now physically strong enough to absorb its soul ring as his sixth. Li Sen is stunned and questions why Li Kui would entrust him with such valuable information.

Character developments

• Ning Rongrong begins shifting from pride and impulsiveness toward caution. She recognizes that her actions could create a dangerous enemy for her sect and tries to prevent the situation from worsening.
• Yu Xiaogang remains driven by envy and curiosity about Li Sen’s strength, but his fixation weakens when Flender raises Liu Erlong and the shameful family relationship he cannot confront.
• Flender and Zhao Wuji acknowledge Li Sen’s overwhelming power; Zhao’s refusal underscores how dangerous a direct challenge would be.
• Li Sen remains confident, but the revelation of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast surprises him and forces him to reconsider the scale of his next opportunity.
• Li Kui appears to be nearing the end of his life and is preparing for his granddaughters’ future, while showing unusual trust in Li Sen.

Significant themes

• Strength versus influence: Rongrong realizes status cannot guarantee survival when confronted by superior power.
• Ambition and envy: Yu Xiaogang’s desire to expose Li Sen’s secret is tempered by personal shame and fear.
• Trust and loyalty: Li Kui gives Li Sen information that could be worth a great deal to powerful factions, raising the question of why he trusts him.
• Power and opportunity: A hundred-thousand-year soul beast could transform Li Sen’s strength, but its value makes the information dangerous.

Character interactions

• Rongrong reassures the two guards and urgently directs them to stop the report to her father.
• Flender tries to restrain Yu Xiaogang, while Zhao Wuji bluntly refuses to risk his life for the plan.
• Li Kui teases Li Sen about his physical strength before privately revealing the Devouring Demon Tree’s location. Li Sen responds with suspicion, pointing out that Li Kui could gain more by taking the information to Spirit Hall.

Key plot points and events

• Li Kui explains why he is entrusting his granddaughters, Li Xin and Li Yue, to Li Sen: they are vulnerable, and he believes Li Sen will protect them. He reveals that a wounded hundred-thousand-year Devouring Demon Tree is imprisoned in Yin-Yang Valley, offering Li Sen the chance to absorb it.
• Li Kui dies soon afterward, leaving a thirty-thousand-year torso bone. Li Xin and Li Yue grieve, while Li Sen accepts that he could not save him despite using his life force.
• Hoping to lift the sisters’ spirits, Li Sen brings them to the Yuancheng Hotel, where Tang San, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong are waiting.
• Ning Rongrong has come intending to repair her friendship with Tang San and Xiao Wu, but she struggles to apologize. When she sees Li Xin and Li Yue, she insults them for having sold themselves, prompting Li Sen to defend them sharply.
• Zhu Zhuqing welcomes Li Sen and gives him a room key. He introduces Li Xin and Li Yue as his wives, and the others greet them warmly. Feeling ignored and unable to reconcile, Ning Rongrong leaves.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Kui entrusts his granddaughters and the Devouring Demon Tree’s location to Li Sen, then dies after making final arrangements.
• Li Sen is delighted by the chance to obtain a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, but remains respectful of Tang San’s inheritance and protective of Li Xin and Li Yue.
• Li Xin and Li Yue, bereaved and socially isolated, begin to regain some comfort when Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing treat them with respect.
• Ning Rongrong wants to make amends but is too proud and anxious to apologize. Her insulting remark worsens the situation, and she departs humiliated.
• Tang San remains loyal to Li Sen and lets his master decide how to respond to Ning Rongrong. Xiao Wu eagerly offers to take the sisters out, while Zhu Zhuqing shows them unexpected warmth and consideration.

Significant themes

• Protection and responsibility: Li Kui’s final decision is driven by concern for his granddaughters’ safety and future.
• Grief and recovery: The sisters’ loss is compounded by their isolation, but kindness from others offers them a first step toward healing.
• Pride as an obstacle to reconciliation: Ning Rongrong’s reluctance to apologize prevents her from repairing her friendships.
• Respect versus stigma: Li Sen and his companions reject Ning Rongrong’s judgment of the sisters and treat them as people deserving dignity.

Plot points and events

• Li Sen watches Tang San win his fifteenth consecutive match at Suotuo City’s Soul Fighting Arena. Tang San defeats high-ranking Soul Elders using only Blue Silver Grass, impressing the crowd and his father.
• Zhu Zhuqing tries to persuade Li Sen to train her. She admits she fears dying in the Star Luo Empire’s succession struggle and wants strength more than safety or reputation. After Li Sen questions her intentions, she sits on his lap and insists she is not acting casually; she feels forced into this choice by Dai Mubai’s neglect and betrayal.
• Li Sen considers how to help her. He thinks her Nether Civet’s agility and dark attribute could suit a clone-based fighting style, but evolving her martial soul would be difficult.
• Tang Hao summons Li Sen. Li Sen leaves Zhu Zhuqing in the VIP box and goes to meet him privately, taking care not to reveal his own hidden abilities.
• Watching Tang San fight, Tang Hao feels pride in his son and gratitude that Li Sen is his teacher. He recognizes Tang San’s rapid progress and considers Li Sen’s potential future value, though he has previously decided not to force Li Sen to reveal his methods.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Sen is pleased by Tang San’s success as evidence of his teaching, but also weighs the risks of helping Zhu Zhuqing. He remains cautious around Tang Hao and keeps his secrets concealed.
• Zhu Zhuqing reveals her desperation and willingness to risk herself to escape her expected fate. Her approach to Li Sen is awkward but determined; she is prepared to accept guidance even if he will not take her as a disciple.
• Tang San demonstrates exceptional skill and rapid growth, strengthening his standing as a fighter and student.
• Tang Hao shifts from suspicion toward respect for Li Sen, while his pride in Tang San becomes unmistakable. He and Li Sen arrange to speak away from the arena.

Significant themes

• Ambition and survival: Zhu Zhuqing’s pursuit of strength is driven by fear of death and a desire to escape political fate.
• Teaching and achievement: Tang San’s performance reflects both his own talent and the value of Li Sen’s instruction.
• Trust and secrecy: Tang Hao respects Li Sen’s influence but does not know the full extent of his abilities, which Li Sen deliberately hides.
• Cost of neglect: Zhu Zhuqing contrasts her willingness to face danger with Dai Mubai’s abandonment of her and failure to take her feelings seriously.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Hao visits Li Sen to thank him for training Tang San and asks how to contact him. Li Sen gives him a branch of his Blue Silver Tree martial soul as a signal.
• Li Sen asks Tang Hao to give Tang San the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone, explaining that it could overcome Tang San’s stalled cultivation and help evolve his Blue Silver Grass. Tang Hao reacts with suspicion, but agrees to consider it.
• Back at the Soul Fighting Arena, Li Sen teaches Zhu Zhuqing his self-created Origin Return Art, a soul-power circulation method that proves more than twice as efficient as her family’s method.
• Tang San arrives with the hundred-thousand-year soul bone. Trusting Li Sen, he begins absorbing it in front of Zhu Zhuqing. His Blue Silver Grass rapidly transforms as the soul bone’s vitality floods him.

Character developments

• Li Sen shows concern for Tang San’s future and confidence in his own methods. He also begins thinking seriously about taking responsibility for Zhu Zhuqing and training her appropriately.
• Tang Hao remains protective and wary of Li Sen, torn between safeguarding a priceless keepsake from his late wife and improving his son’s potential.
• Tang San demonstrates that he trusts Li Sen more deeply than Tang Hao, whom he respects mainly as his father. He is eager to use the soul bone to advance.
• Zhu Zhuqing grows closer to Li Sen and is astonished by his cultivation technique and the trust he extends by allowing her to witness Tang San’s absorption.

Significant themes

• Trust and family: Tang San regards Li Sen as a parental figure, while Zhu Zhuqing begins to feel more at home with him than with her own family.
• Power and sacrifice: The soul bone is an immensely valuable inheritance, yet Tang Hao must weigh preserving it against his son’s growth.
• Mentorship and cultivation: Li Sen’s teaching—both the Origin Return Art and his guidance on martial-soul evolution—shapes his disciples’ development.

Character interactions

• Tang Hao and Li Sen negotiate over the soul bone, with Tang Hao’s suspicion contrasting with Li Sen’s stated concern for Tang San.
• Li Sen teaches Zhu Zhuqing personally, and her gratitude culminates in an affectionate gesture.
• Tang San openly shares the soul bone and begins absorbing it at Li Sen’s direction, while Zhu Zhuqing watches and recognizes the depth of Li Sen’s trust in her.

Summary

Key plot points and events

• After absorbing the Hundred Thousand Year soul bone, Tang San’s martial soul evolves from Blue Silver Grass into the Blue Silver King, and his soul power rises from level 37 to level 40. The bone also greatly enhances his physical abilities and grants flight and recovery skills.
• Li Sen explains that this unusually dramatic change was possible because Tang San’s martial soul was already close to evolving. Tang San is now ready to seek his fourth soul ring.
• Rather than have Tang San rush into cultivation, Li Sen directs him toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, owned by Poison Douluo. He plans to use Tang San’s fame—and a confrontation with Poison Douluo’s poisoned granddaughter, Dugu Yan—to negotiate for immortal herbs that could let Tang San absorb a fourth ring of roughly thirty thousand years.
• Li Sen also considers how to pursue his own ambition of creating a godhood. He hopes to build influence by teaching disciples and establishing academies, while protecting Tang San from people who may target him.
• In Suotuo City, Ning Rongrong, disillusioned with Shrek Academy and estranged from Tang San, goes to the Soul Fighting Arena to find out how he is doing.
• There, Tang San faces Blood Axe, captain of the Fierce God Team. The arena managers and Blood Axe hope to discover the secret behind Tang San’s sudden growth.
• Tang San reveals that his teacher, Li Sen, guided his martial soul’s evolution. The crowd sees the transformed Blue Silver King and is stunned; Li Sen’s name quickly spreads.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang San becomes significantly stronger and more confident. He follows Li Sen’s guidance, uses the match to publicize his teacher rather than reveal the soul bone, and eagerly accepts the plan to attract Poison Douluo’s attention.
• Li Sen acts as Tang San’s mentor and protector, planning his development while pursuing broader ambitions of influence and self-created divinity. He presents Tang San’s growth as proof of his teachings.
• Ning Rongrong is uncertain about her future after rejecting Shrek Academy and falling out with Tang San. Seeing his sudden rise leaves her confronting how far he has advanced.
• Blood Axe and the arena managers treat Tang San’s progress as something to exploit, using threats and public pressure to seek its cause.
• The crowd shifts from cheering for the match to fixating on the unprecedented claim that a martial soul can be deliberately evolved.

Significant themes

• Mentorship and ambition: Li Sen shapes Tang San’s progress while using that progress to advance his own plans.
• Power, knowledge, and exploitation: Tang San’s growth attracts people who want to seize its secret, making his success dangerous as well as impressive.
• Cultivated potential: Martial soul evolution is presented as something that can be guided and developed, not merely a matter of luck.
• Reputation as a tool: Tang San’s arena performance becomes a way to spread Li Sen’s name and open the path to future allies and resources.

Key plot points and events

• In the Soul Fighting Arena, Tang San reveals that his Blue Silver Grass has evolved into the Blue Silver King, crediting his master, Li Sen, for both the evolution and his rapid improvement.
• Ning Rongrong recognizes the change and realizes Tang San’s claim is genuine. Since her sect has long sought Martial Soul evolution, she regrets insulting Li Sen and asks her father to help her make contact.
• Blood Axe doubts Tang San and then asks whether Li Sen accepts disciples. Tang San says his master chooses students based on affinity and benefit.
• Tang San defeats Blood Axe, a Soul Ancestor, using strengthened Blue Silver King vines and his third Soul Skill, Plants’ Lament, which makes nearby plants release or explode their life force. The crowd is astonished that someone below Soul Ancestor rank could win so decisively.
• Tang San proudly announces Li Sen as his master. After the fight, Li Sen leads him away from the crowds. The arena staff, having seen Li Sen, abandon their doubts about Tang San’s claims.
• Later, Dai Mubai overhears people discussing Tang San’s evolution, unusual Soul Rings, rapid cultivation, and victory, and learns that Li Sen is his master.

Character developments and interactions

• Ning Rongrong moves from dismissing Li Sen to admiring and regretting her earlier behavior. She also recalls that Xiao Wu once intervened to protect her from Tang San’s attack, recognizing how dangerous that encounter might have been.
• Tang San displays confidence in his evolved Martial Soul and deep pride in Li Sen. He turns public skepticism into a demonstration of his strength.
• Blood Axe shifts from disbelief and aggression to wanting to become Li Sen’s disciple; during the match, he initially holds back, then fights seriously when Tang San’s attacks overwhelm him.
• Li Sen remains selective about taking disciples, prioritizing character and understanding over cultivation talent. He avoids the crowd seeking him and Tang San.
• Dai Mubai learns of Tang San’s growing reputation through public gossip.

Significant themes

• Martial Soul evolution and potential: Tang San’s transformation offers tangible proof that a Martial Soul’s limits may be surpassed.
• Regret and missed opportunity: Ning Rongrong’s recognition comes after she has damaged her chance to approach Li Sen.
• Mastery and reputation: Tang San’s public success draws attention not only to himself but also to Li Sen’s teaching.
• Character over power: Li Sen’s criteria for disciples stress personal qualities and comprehension above raw talent.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Dai Mubai hears that Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass has evolved into a Blue Silver King and that Tang San’s remarkable strength comes from Li Sen’s teaching. Seeing a possible way to survive his family’s lethal succession struggle, Dai decides he must become Li Sen’s disciple.
• Dai reaches the Master Hotel, where a huge crowd has gathered to seek Li Sen’s instruction. Tang San tells them that assessments will not begin for six months and notices Dai, hoping he will not cause trouble.
• Li Sen helps Zhu Zhuqing cultivate by having her consume specially prepared, five-thousand-year whale rubber and soak in cold water. She initially mistakes the procedure for something intimate, but realizes it is cultivation. After several hours, both she and Li Sen advance a level.
• Li Sen reaches level sixty and leaves to hunt a hundred-thousand-year Devouring Demon Tree. Before departing, he asks Tang Hao to keep an eye on Tang San; Tang Hao reveals he already knew Li Sen had detected him.
• After traveling to a remote underground cavern, Li Sen finds the 130,000-year-old tree, severely weakened from past injuries. He offers it the chance to sacrifice itself, promising to take it to the Divine Realm and resurrect it after he ascends as a god. The tree refuses, driven by hatred of humans, and attacks him with its vines. Li Sen prepares to fight.

Character developments

• Dai Mubai shifts from resignation and self-indulgence toward determined action after hearing of Tang San’s progress. He sees Li Sen as a possible path to survival.
• Zhu Zhuqing is shy and uneasy at first, but commits to Li Sen’s cultivation method and endures the intense body-tempering process. Her cultivation improves.
• Li Sen reaches level sixty and sets out to test his strength against a formidable opponent. He first tries negotiation, offering the tree a future beyond death, but is ready to fight when it refuses.
• Tang Hao abandons his covert observation after realizing Li Sen has known about him all along.

Significant themes

• Hope and self-determination: Dai Mubai’s belief that he can still change his fate spurs him to seek a new path.
• Trust versus betrayal: The Devouring Demon Tree’s past ambush by humans has left it unwilling to trust Li Sen, despite his offer.
• Power and sacrifice: Li Sen seeks a powerful soul ring but prefers to obtain it through a voluntary sacrifice if possible.
• Cultivation through hardship: Zhu Zhuqing’s physical strengthening requires discomfort and resolve.

Character interactions

• Dai Mubai’s decision is prompted by reports about Tang San and Li Sen; Tang San, in turn, recognizes Dai but remains wary of him.
• Li Sen guides Zhu Zhuqing through cultivation, while she misreads his intentions before understanding the treatment.
• Li Sen and Tang Hao exchange terse messages about protecting Tang San, revealing both Li Sen’s awareness and Tang Hao’s protectiveness.
• Li Sen attempts to persuade the Devouring Demon Tree with a promise of resurrection, but the tree’s hatred turns their meeting into a battle.