Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• The Death Messenger detonates more than a hundred corpses in his lair, devastating Shrek’s team. Yao Haoxuan is killed; Chen Zifeng loses a leg; Xixi and Gongyang Mo are gravely injured and unconscious. Dai Yueheng and Ling Luochen suffer lesser injuries, while Ma Xiaotao remains relatively unharmed.
• Xuan Zi arrives but is forced to choose between stopping another corpse explosion and pursuing the Death Messenger. The bandit leader exploits the distraction, attacks the Reserve Team, and abducts Bei Bei. Huo Yuhao’s Ice Flood Dragon spirit briefly checks the attacker, but the Death Messenger escapes through a hidden passage.
• Xuan Zi recovers Bei Bei, whose face has been poisoned and mutilated, but fails to capture the Death Messenger. The wounded are sent back to Shrek for treatment. Ma Xiaotao vows to captain the tournament team and preserve the academy’s legacy despite her dangerous phoenix evil fire.
• In Star Luo City, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy registers for the tournament. Jing Hongchen explains the competition format and sets the team’s goal: win the championship and defeat Shrek. He gives each student a level-five Invincible Shield and entrusts Lin Qing with Mingde Hall’s level-eight close-combat weapon, the Sword of Judgment.

Character developments and interactions

• Xuan Zi is exposed as an unreliable protector: his hesitation allows Bei Bei’s abduction, and he cannot catch the Death Messenger. He accepts responsibility for Yao Haoxuan’s death and plans to apologize to the family.
• Huo Yuhao shows quick instincts under pressure and secretly benefits from the Ice Flood Dragon’s intervention. The spirit’s and Sky Dream Ice Silkworm’s sarcastic criticism of Xuan Zi underscores their distrust of Shrek’s supposed guardian.
• Ma Xiaotao takes charge after the disaster, showing resolve even as her unstable evil fire threatens her.
• The Reserve Team is shaken by the deaths and injuries, especially because Yao Haoxuan had trusted Xuan Zi.
• Jing Hongchen demonstrates confidence in Sun Moon technology and strategic intent, while assigning the Sword of Judgment to Lin Qing because his abilities and cultivation make him the best fit.

Significant themes

• The cost of misplaced trust and failed protection: Shrek’s students pay dearly for Xuan Zi’s poor judgment.
• Sacrifice and responsibility: Ma Xiaotao commits to carrying the team forward, while Xuan Zi acknowledges his failure.
• Technology and preparation: The Sun Moon Academy’s advanced equipment contrasts with Star Luo’s old-fashioned registration methods and gives its team substantial defensive and offensive advantages.
• Rivalry and legacy: Both academies are driven by the tournament, but Shrek’s immediate survival and honor are set against Sun Moon’s deliberate ambition to surpass it.

Plot points and events

• Lin Qing accepts the Sword of Judgment, a powerful Level 8 melee soul tool made especially effective by his affinity with ultimate metal. Jing Hongchen leaves him in charge of the Sun Moon teams’ tournament preparations.
• Ma Rulong briefs the team on Shrek Academy’s expected lineup and their plans for countering it. Lin Qing knows the information is outdated: Ma Xiaotao, not Dai Yueheng, will lead Shrek’s team. He redirects everyone to focus on the first elimination round instead.
• The teams agree that the Second Team will fight in the opening elimination round, while the First Team will lead in the later round-robin stage. After an enthusiastic rally, both teams volunteer for extra training.
• Lin Qing returns to his hometown and visits his grandmother at their soul-tool shop, Pin Dao Dao. She sees through his claim that his sister Lin Lan is recovering and confronts him about what really happened.
• Lin Qing tells her that Lin Lan died in the Star Dou Great Forest because of Taotie Douluo’s negligence. He explains that he rejected compensation, joined the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, and intends to pursue revenge by defeating Shrek and taking the championship. He also plans to move with his grandmother to a house he bought in Mingdu.
• Alone in the backyard, Lin Qing reflects on how difficult it will be to reach the Netherworld and revive Lin Lan. The Ice Empress comforts him and offers to ambush Taotie Douluo after the tournament, though she admits that openly fighting in Star Luo City would attract too many powerful Soul Douluos.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Qing shows himself as both a strategic leader and someone burdened by grief. He corrects his teammates’ faulty assumptions about Shrek, then confides the truth about Lin Lan to his grandmother.
• Grandma Lin proves perceptive and resilient: she has long suspected Lin Qing was hiding something and responds to his confession with gratitude rather than urging him to abandon revenge. She agrees to move with him to Mingdu.
• The Ice Empress shifts from teasing, intrusive “bodyguard” to a sincere source of comfort. Her offer to help Lin Qing is genuine, even if her threat to take on Taotie Douluo quickly becomes more cautious.
• Ma Rulong and the team approach the tournament seriously, analyzing Shrek and supporting the Second Team’s opportunity to compete. Lin Qing balances loyalty to his close teammates with fairness to the First Team.
• Madam Pan, a friendly neighbor and shop customer, warmly welcomes Lin Qing home and reminds him of his old ties to the neighborhood.

Significant themes

• Grief, revenge, and hope: Lin Qing’s pursuit of justice for Lin Lan drives his choices, while the possibility of reviving her remains distant and uncertain.
• Loyalty and support: His grandmother accepts his burden without judgment, and the Ice Empress offers companionship when he is alone with his grief.
• Preparation and misjudgment: The Sun Moon team carefully studies Shrek, but its plans are undermined by outdated information—reinforcing the need to adapt rather than rely on assumptions.
• Family and belonging: Returning home forces Lin Qing to confront what he has concealed and reconnect with the family and place he left behind.

Plot and events

• The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament opens in Star Luo City, with 133 teams competing. The emperor welcomes the teams and declares the month-long tournament underway.
• Shrek’s first knockout match is against Tianling Academy. Captain Ma Xiaotao leads six reserve members, including Huo Yuhao, and defeats Tianling almost single-handedly with her Phoenix Meteor Shower. Her evil fire flares after the victory, revealing how much pressure she carries to defend Shrek’s reputation.
• The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy then faces Lingluo Academy. Lin Qing uses his Steel Machinery Domain and self-created Soul Skill, Severing Strike, to defeat all seven opponents in one overwhelming attack. The display demonstrates that Sun Moon has a formidable traditional Soul Master as well as its Soul Engineers.
• Lin Qing points at Ma Xiaotao in a provocative challenge. She nearly loses control and rushes to confront him, but Huo Yuhao restrains her with his ice power.

Character developments and interactions

• Ma Xiaotao proves her strength and fierce loyalty to Shrek, but her anger and evil fire remain difficult to control under emotional pressure.
• Lin Qing establishes himself as a powerful, confident contender, surprising spectators and unsettling Shrek. His silent challenge to Ma Xiaotao turns their rivalry personal.
• Huo Yuhao supports Ma Xiaotao with Spiritual Detection Sharing during Shrek’s match, then tries to calm her after Lin Qing’s provocation. Seeing Lin Qing again also revives his regret that his own second martial soul did not achieve ultimate-ice fusion.
• Meng Hongchen briefly admires Wang Dong, then playfully tells Lin Qing she finds him more handsome.
• The two seeded academies compete to make the stronger first impression: Ma Xiaotao’s fiery victory is immediately overshadowed by Lin Qing’s spectacular, precisely controlled power.

Significant themes

• Reputation and pressure: Ma Xiaotao sees defending Shrek’s long-held supremacy as a personal duty.
• Rivalry and spectacle: The tournament becomes a public contest not only of victories but of prestige and intimidation.
• Changing power dynamics: Lin Qing’s performance signals that the Sun Moon academy is no longer defined solely by Soul Engineers and may now rival Shrek through powerful Soul Masters.
• Power and control: Ma Xiaotao’s volatile fire contrasts with Lin Qing’s composed dominance, while Huo Yuhao’s intervention highlights the need to restrain destructive emotion.

Concise Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• The Soul Master Tournament opens with a dramatic exchange between Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. Shrek’s Ma Xiaotao wins decisively, but Sun Moon’s Lin Qing responds by defeating Lingluo Academy with a single powerful strike, making the two rivals’ strength the tournament’s main talking point.
• Sun Moon celebrates Lin Qing’s performance. He says he will sit out much of the round-robin stage and let his teammates take the spotlight.
• Shrek’s teacher Wang Yan explains the tournament formats and assigns preliminary pairings. The team’s options are limited because several key members are injured or unavailable.
• Dai Yueheng recognizes Lin Qing’s martial soul as a fourth ultimate attribute: ultimate metal. Huo Yuhao reveals he met Lin Qing a year earlier in the Star Dou Great Forest, when Lin Qing was a rank-forty cultivator who fought as both a Soul Master and Soul Engineer.
• The revelation triggers bitter memories of Shrek’s disastrous forest mission and the academy’s connection to Lin Qing’s family. Ma Xiaotao, already vulnerable to her phoenix evil fire, loses control and attacks the room; Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochеn restrain her with ice.
• Wang Yan concludes that Lin Qing has almost no conventional weakness. He sees Golden Road, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong’s fusion skill, as Shrek’s only possible counter, though it would be difficult to land.
• Determined to give Shrek a chance, Huo Yuhao asks the academy to send him a Soul Ascension Pill and a suitable mental-attribute soul beast so he can reach Soul Elder and obtain a third ring, accepting the risks to himself.
• Meanwhile, Lin Qing visits the Starlight Auction House with Unbreakable Douluo and announces that he has come to honor a promise made a year ago.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Qing emerges as a formidable, confident rival whose ultimate-metal ability alarms even Shrek’s experienced fighters. His history with Huo Yuhao suggests their paths—and unresolved ties to Shrek—will matter again.
• Huo Yuhao shifts from observer to potential countermeasure. Though worried that he and Wang Dong may not be strong enough, he chooses to risk his health for Shrek’s championship and its legacy.
• Wang Yan remains pragmatic, organizing the depleted team and assessing Lin Qing’s abilities. His analysis emphasizes how narrowly Shrek’s chances depend on Huo Yuhao’s growth.
• Ma Xiaotao’s anger over Lin Qing and his sister’s perceived betrayal exposes the volatility of her phoenix evil fire. Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochеn cooperate to contain her despite their strained feelings toward her.
• Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan are assigned as a pair, much to Xu Sanshi’s delight and Jiang Nannan’s dismay. He Caitou and Xiao Xiao accept a supporting, sacrificial role for the team.

Significant themes

• Legacy and loyalty: Huo Yuhao sees Shrek as his home and is willing to suffer for its ten-thousand-year reputation.
• Rivalry and reversal: Sun Moon’s rise challenges Shrek’s long-standing dominance, while Lin Qing’s connection to Shrek complicates the rivalry.
• Sacrifice and institutional cost: Shrek’s depleted roster and Huo Yuhao’s proposed shortcut show the personal price of defending the academy’s honor.
• Power and vulnerability: Lin Qing appears nearly unbeatable, while Ma Xiaotao’s immense strength is undermined by her unstable evil fire.

Plot points and events

• Lin Qing arrives at Star Luo City with Zheng Zhan to deliver the custom soul tools he promised Princess Xu Jiujiu a year earlier. He also gives her ten Level 4 milk bottles as a bonus.
• Xu Jiujiu is furious that Lin Qing joined the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy instead of accepting her recruitment, but she pays fairly for the bonus and offers him auction items to preserve their connection. Lin Qing selects the notorious Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife.
• After they leave, Xu Jiujiu rejects her adviser Manyi’s suggestion to threaten Lin Qing through his family. Instead, she plans to keep Star Luo’s ties with him warm, hoping to gain his influence and, eventually, his soul-engineering expertise for an ambitious scheme to conquer the continent.
• Zheng Zhan warns Lin Qing that the knife is dangerous, though its metal nature should make it manageable for him. He also explains that the empires and Mingde Hall quietly profit from the illicit trade in soul tools, as long as no one crosses certain political lines.
• At Shrek, the tournament team is short-handed: Bei Bei is badly disfigured but determined to recover and compete, while several other inner-court disciples are too injured to attend the finals. A letter from Wang Yan reports that Lin Qing’s Ultimate Metal martial soul makes him a formidable opponent and that Huo Hao needs support to counter it.
• Dean Yan Shaozhe blames Lin Lan for Lin Qing’s defection and dismisses her past help to Ma Xiaotao as self-serving. Zhang Lexuan defends Lin Lan, pointing out the real sacrifices she made.
• With Shrek forbidden to send inner-court students as reinforcements, Zhang Lexuan volunteers to capture a mental-attribute soul beast and take it to Huo Hao in Star Luo City. The deans also ask her to try to persuade Lin Qing to return.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Jiujiu shifts from personal disappointment to calculated diplomacy. She sees Lin Qing as a potential strategic asset and restrains Manyi, who favors coercion.
• Lin Qing remains committed to the Sun Moon Academy but accepts Xu Jiujiu’s gift offer on practical terms. His exchanges with Zheng Zhan reveal his relative innocence about the political and commercial compromises surrounding soul tools.
• Zheng Zhan acts as Lin Qing’s protector and worldly guide, warning him about both the knife and the limits of acceptable dealings.
• Zhang Lexuan shows loyalty to Lin Lan and independence from Yan Shaozhe’s judgment. Though her trip is framed as a practical mission, she also carries a personal history with Lin Qing and is asked to try to bring him back.
• Yan Shaozhe is anxious about Shrek’s tournament reputation and willing to send Lexuan despite Elder Mu’s restrictions. His rigid defense of Shrek’s interests contrasts with Lexuan’s more compassionate view.

Significant themes

• Pragmatism over force: Xu Jiujiu chooses long-term influence over threats, while the empires quietly tolerate profitable wrongdoing.
• Loyalty, ambition, and political allegiance: Lin Qing’s move to the Sun Moon Empire unsettles Star Luo and Shrek, each of which hopes to claim his power.
• Competing accounts of gratitude: Yan Shaozhe treats Lin Lan’s help as manipulation; Lexuan remembers it as a genuine sacrifice.
• Personal bonds amid institutional rivalry: The tournament and political maneuvering are shaped not only by strategy but by regret, loyalty, and unresolved relationships.

Concise chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• In the sixth round of the tournament’s group stage, Shrek faces Di’ao Academy in an individual-elimination match. Although both teams are expected to qualify, each wants to claim the group’s top spot—and Shrek is especially determined to protect its long-standing reputation.
• Shrek’s coach, Wang Yan, sends Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, He Caitou, and Wang Dong first, hoping they can win or at least exhaust Di’ao before Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and Ling Luochен finish the match.
• Xu Sanshi uses a cigar that is actually a food-type martial-soul product, boosting his fighting ability. Huo Yuhao secretly supports him with Spiritual Detection Sharing and later replenishes his own energy with a Milk Bottle. Xu Sanshi overwhelms Di’ao’s Soul King, and Ma Xiaotao ultimately defeats captain Jiang Peng. Shrek wins and secures first place in the group.
• Lin Qing, watching with the Sun Moon team, suspects Shrek is using prohibited assistance. He records the cigar’s effects and Huo Yuhao’s spiritual fluctuations with a specially modified Mental Recording Soul Tool, intending to reveal the evidence at a more consequential stage of the tournament.
• The chapter then turns to Sun Moon’s match against Zhengtian Academy. Both teams are already likely to advance, but Zhengtian’s captain, Ye Wuqing, wants to see Lin Qing’s celebrated Ultimate Metal in action. A draw sets up Ye Guyi and Keke against Zhengtian’s Yu Mengdi and Bloodwolf.
• Yu Mengdi, confident that angels dominate aerial combat, challenges Ye Guyi to a quick duel. Ye Guyi effortlessly cuts through her attack and displays superior speed, leaving Yu Mengdi stunned.

Character developments

• Shrek’s team shows renewed resolve: despite injuries, limited reserves, and the Academy’s refusal to send reinforcements, its members commit to defending their legacy.
• Huo Yuhao contributes from the sidelines through costly remote support, demonstrating that his role in battle extends beyond fighting directly.
• Lin Qing emerges as a patient, strategic investigator. Rather than make an immediate complaint, he gathers evidence for a public exposure later.
• Xu Sanshi gains an advantage through the cigar’s unusual enhancement, while Ma Xiaotao confirms her standing as Shrek’s decisive powerhouse.
• Ye Guyi begins the duel with striking confidence and an apparent edge over Yu Mengdi; Yu Mengdi’s certainty in her aerial superiority is abruptly shaken.

Significant themes

• Reputation and pressure: Shrek and Di’ao fight for pride and historical standing even when qualification is nearly assured.
• Fair play versus survival: Shrek’s use of the cigar and hidden support raises questions about rules and ethics, especially as the team struggles to stay competitive.
• Public image and evidence: Lin Qing plans to use recorded proof not merely to protest, but to undermine Shrek’s credibility before the tournament’s largest audience.
• Confidence challenged: Yu Mengdi’s assumption that angels are unbeatable in the air is tested by Ye Guyi’s unexpected speed and skill.

Character interactions

• Wang Yan assigns roles and motivates Shrek’s battered roster; Xiao Xiao supports them from the sidelines, while Huo Yuhao quietly assists Xu Sanshi.
• Sun Moon’s team debates whether Shrek’s cigar is legitimate. Lin Qing persuades them to wait and gather evidence, while Jing Hongchen recognizes both the competitive and reputational aims behind his plan.
• Ye Wuqing directly challenges Lin Qing to demonstrate his power, but Lin Qing remains noncommittal.
• In the opening Zhengtian bout, Yu Mengdi and Bloodwolf coordinate their attack, with Bloodwolf engaging Keke while Yu Mengdi targets Ye Guyi. Keke prepares to counter with heavy cannons, and Ye Guyi’s swift response disrupts Yu Mengdi’s confident plan.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Guyi defeats Yu Mengdi in an aerial duel, repeatedly outmaneuvering her with the Aurora Sword and Stars Divine Needles. Yu’s Angel God-Sealing Slash fails, and Ye catches her before she hits the ground. Ye Guyi’s victory gives the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy the first win over Zhengtian Academy.
• Keke overwhelms Bloodwolf with her Wind-Thunder Heavy Cannon, and he concedes.
• Holy Spirit Cult spies identify Ma Xiaotao as a possible saintess and Yu Mengdi as a major enemy. They decide to report Ma Xiaotao to their leader, target Zhengtian Academy’s teacher if he proves weak, and leave Ye Guyi alone because the cult plans to cooperate with the Sun Moon Imperial Family.
• Yu Mengdi withdraws in humiliation, unable to understand why her angel powers failed or why she felt safe—and even strangely drawn to—Ye Guyi. Ye Wuqing, meanwhile, recognizes that Zhengtian Academy is likely to lose overall.
• In the next match, Zhengtian sends Ye Wuqing and Tang Xiaolei against Lin Qing and Ju Zi, hoping to defeat Lin Qing in one decisive battle. Tang’s opening arrow is reflected by Ju Zi’s Green Tangerine Reflecting Shield; he then wastes another arrow intercepting it. Ju Zi follows with her Green Tangerine Mechanized Cannon, forcing Tang to plead for help. Ye Wuqing ignores him and attacks Lin Qing with a combined Leaf Blade and Leaf Formation technique.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Guyi demonstrates exceptional aerial skill and confidence, while also showing compassion by safely catching Yu Mengdi and apologizing for hitting too hard.
• Yu Mengdi shifts from proud disbelief to defeat and confusion. Her angel phantom appears reluctant to attack Ye Guyi, and she feels an inexplicable urge to follow her.
• Ju Zi reveals growing combat competence: instead of relying on conventional soul-master fighting, she uses soul tools designed by Lin Qing to reflect and bombard opponents.
• Tang Xiaolei is exposed as vulnerable when his specialized offensive technique meets Ju Zi’s technology. Ye Wuqing remains focused on his duel with Lin Qing, even abandoning his teammate’s plea for help.
• The Holy Spirit Cult’s sisters disagree briefly over priorities, but the elder directs their strategy and restrains her younger sister.

Significant themes

• Technology versus tradition: Ju Zi’s soul tools punish Zhengtian’s reliance on conventional soul-master combat.
• Unexpected strength and reversal: A bright swan defeats an angel, and a research-focused fighter proves effective through ingenuity rather than standard combat training.
• Power, identity, and destiny: The cult sees the tournament’s gifted fighters as potential assets or threats, while Yu’s baffling response to Ye Guyi hints at a deeper bond.
• Teamwork and self-interest: Zhengtian’s gamble centers on Ye Wuqing’s personal challenge, while his indifference to Tang Xiaolei exposes the cost of that choice.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Zhengtian Academy captain Ye Wuqing attacks Lin Qing with his Golden Leaf martial soul, hoping to prove himself against the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy’s star combatants. Lin Qing’s ultimate-metal element overwhelms the Golden Leaf Formation, trapping and injuring Ye.
• Ye breaks free by using his fourth and fifth soul skills at enormous cost, mistakenly believing he has turned the fight around. Lin Qing immediately fires the Class 6 Giant Spear Dragon Devourer. A defensive Soul Douluo referee blocks the potentially fatal shot, badly damaging his own Martial Soul Avatar in the process.
• Tang Xiaolei forfeits and escapes the arena. The referee declares the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy the winner, while Ye is carried away in shock.
• Three days later, Lin Qing works on a Class 6 flying soul tool, the Wings of Radiance. Ye Guyi tries them on and is delighted by their performance, though she insists that testing them does not mean she especially likes the gift.
• Lin Qing’s teammates follow him to Pin Dao Dao, suspecting he is meeting someone in secret. After meeting Grandma Lin, they abandon their suspicions and stay for a meal. Grandma Lin and Ju Zi cook while the others help.
• Jing Hongchen joins the gathering. Over food and drinks, the young people joke and compete for Lin Qing’s attention. The group learns that their next elimination-round opponent is Di’ao Academy, one of the strongest second-seeded teams. The chapter ends when a princess arrives at the door and remarks on the food’s aroma.

Character developments

• Ye Wuqing learns the hard way that confidence and high rank cannot bridge the gap between his Golden Leaf martial soul and Lin Qing’s ultimate metal—and that breaking free from one attack does not mean he has won.
• Lin Qing demonstrates both his overwhelming battlefield power and his growing skill as a soul-tool designer. Grandma Lin is reassured that revenge has not consumed him.
• Ye Guyi shows open excitement over the Wings of Radiance, revealing her affection for Lin Qing despite trying to maintain a dignified front.
• Ju Zi and Meng Hongchen playfully vie for Lin Qing’s attention. Meng uses exaggerated drunkenness to lean against him; Ju Zi follows with a flirtatious invitation to share a drink.
• Grandma Lin takes comfort in seeing Lin Qing surrounded by friends, suggesting that their bond helps keep him grounded.

Significant themes

• The limits of pride and ambition: Ye’s belief that he belongs among the tournament’s strongest is shattered by Lin Qing’s superior power.
• Soul tools and changing combat power: The Dragon Devourer shows how advanced weapons can overwhelm even powerful soul masters—and why the tournament needs a formidable defensive referee.
• Friendship beyond national conflict: Grandma Lin values the young people’s closeness despite the tensions among their empires.
• A future beyond revenge: Lin Qing’s friends and his pursuit of a goal, rather than vengeance alone, give his life balance.
• Romantic rivalry and teasing: The meal becomes a lighthearted contest for Lin Qing’s attention.

Character interactions

• Lin Qing’s attack leaves Ye Wuqing shaken; Tang Xiaolei abandons the match and later carries him from the arena.
• The referee risks injury to protect Ye from Dragon Devourer, then officially awards the match to Lin Qing’s team.
• Ye Guyi tests Lin Qing’s wings and banters with him over whether they are a gift.
• Grandma Lin welcomes the teammates, while Ju Zi’s cooking earns her authority in the kitchen.
• Meng Hongchen and Ju Zi flirt with Lin Qing, while Nana urges Ye Guyi to join in. The scene underscores the group’s easy, affectionate camaraderie.
• Lin Qing’s grim reaction to drawing Di’ao Academy contrasts with the warm meal, before the princess’s arrival interrupts the gathering.

Plot points and events

• Princess Xu Jiujiu visits Lin Qing’s shop with a rush order, despite his plans to close it. She asks him to upgrade two Star Luo National Academy Soul Tools—the Level 5 Nine-Turn Transformation Instrument and Level 7 Absolute Defense Soul Tool—using his Ultimate Metal. Lin agrees, but warns that the work will cost extra.
• Xu invites the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy to the Starlight Gala, a prestigious auction. The team attends, while Starry Sky Douluo Ye Yulin stays behind to work on a secret project.
• At the auction, the Sun Moon group largely abstains from bidding on items it does not need. Jing Hongchen buys several Soul Bones and promises the students a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone each if they win the tournament.
• The eighth item is a rare Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Soul Bone, containing the powerful Ice Explosion skill. Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochен initially want it, but the Ice Flood Dragon warns that only a person with Ultimate Ice can safely absorb it.
• Meng Hongchen is crushed to learn she cannot use the Soul Bone. After Jing Hongchen rejects turning it into a Soul Tool as wasteful, he bids sixteen million Gold Soul Coins to buy it for her anyway.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Qing remains practical and business-minded, politely ignoring Xu Jiujiu’s flirtatious hints and treating their meeting as a transaction. His authority and knowledge are trusted by both his academy colleagues and the Star Luo princess.
• Xu Jiujiu uses charm and diplomacy to promote her academy’s interests, then hosts the auction with polished confidence. Her admiration for Lin is evident, though he does not reciprocate her advances.
• Meng Hongchen reacts jealously when she mistakes Xu for one of Lin’s former lovers, then becomes fixated on the Ice Jade Scorpion Soul Bone and despairing when she learns she cannot absorb it.
• Jing Hongchen balances caution with affection: he recognizes the Soul Bone’s value, trusts Lin and Zheng Zhan’s warning, but ultimately bids extravagantly to comfort his granddaughter.
• Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochен are eager to obtain the Soul Bone for its skill, but accept the warning that it would be dangerous for them.
• Ju Zi quietly stops the auctioneer from attempting to seduce Lin, signaling her protectiveness and awareness of the danger.

Significant themes

• Power, inheritance, and compatibility: A prized Soul Bone is useless—or dangerous—without the right innate attribute.
• Loyalty and belonging: Rumors claim Lin’s heart remains with Star Luo, but his actions and commitments support the Sun Moon Empire.
• Family affection and sacrifice: Jing Hongchen’s final bid shows how far he will go to indulge and protect Meng.
• Wealth and ambition: The auction highlights the exchange of rare power for enormous sums, while tournament success drives both academies’ preparations.

Chapter summary

Key plot points

• Jing Hongchen spends 16 million Gold Soul Coins to win the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Soul Bone for his granddaughter, Meng Hongchen. Meng soon discovers that her Vermilion-Sun Ice Toad power is violently rejected by the bone, making it unsuitable for her to absorb. Jing is furious, though Lin Qing privately promises to exchange it for a compatible soul bone.
• The gala’s final item is the Starry Sky Core, a rare imperial treasure that can help a level-98 Super Douluo comprehend spatial power and form a second soul core—potentially making the path to Limit Douluo easier.
• Jing Hongchen bids aggressively to keep the treasure out of Shrek Academy’s and the Body Sect’s hands. The Body Sect also plans to claim it, whatever the buyer. Shrek’s Xuan Zi declines to keep bidding, saying he is content to protect the academy, and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy ultimately wins the Core for 100 million Gold Soul Coins.
• After the auction, Star Luo Emperor Xu Jiawei and Princess Xu Jiujiu reveal that the sale was part of a strategy: by pitting the Body Sect against Mingde Hall, Star Luo hopes to weaken its rivals and gain time to develop. Jiujiu also admits she still wants to bring Lin Qing and his ultimate metal to Star Luo’s side.
• That night, Lin Qing trades Meng the Ice Jade Scorpion Soul Bone for a 100,000-year Icefrost Snow Luan Right Arm Soul Bone. Meng happily accepts the trade, then playfully kisses and marks Lin Qing before leaving with her prize.

Character developments and interactions

• Jing Hongchen shows both his affection for Meng and his willingness to spend lavishly for her. His anger at her attempt to return the bone exposes the cost—and limits—of his generosity.
• Meng Hongchen is practical enough to reject a prestigious soul bone that cannot suit her, but her playful, romantic fixation on Lin Qing soon takes over. She turns their exchange into an excuse to kiss him, while Lin Qing allows it rather than resisting.
• Lin Qing discreetly protects Meng from a harmful inheritance and shares a secret involving Senior Unbreakable and the Far North. His offer also strengthens their intimacy, though he keeps the full truth to himself.
• Xiao Hongchen rejects the idea that the Starry Sky Core should be spent on him. Instead, he argues for a strategic, scientific approach: help the best-prepared soul masters reach the highest levels first so they can guide others.
• Xuan Zi chooses Shrek Academy’s stability over pursuing personal advancement, while Wang Yan follows his decision and accepts defeat in the bidding.
• Xu Jiujiu and Xu Jiawei reveal their political partnership: Jiujiu’s auctioneering and negotiations serve a broader national plan, and the emperor praises her efforts to win Lin Qing’s allegiance.

Significant themes

• Power and political balance: The Starry Sky Core is valuable not merely as a treasure but as a means of creating a Limit Douluo, making it a tool in the rivalry between empires and sects.
• Strategy versus ambition: Xuan Zi declines a costly chance at personal advancement, while Xiao Hongchen advocates systematic progress over reckless pursuit of power.
• Compatibility and practical judgment: Meng learns that a rare soul bone’s prestige means little if it conflicts with her martial soul.
• Affection, trust, and playful desire: Lin Qing’s private exchange with Meng combines protection and secrecy with growing romantic intimacy.

Key plot points and events

• The Ice Empress complains that Lin Qing has neglected her promised food wages, but eagerly accepts his late-night delivery of grilled scorpions and silkworm pupae.
• She notices the marks on Lin Qing’s neck and learns he and Meng Hongchen have grown intimate, though they have not fully consummated their relationship. Lin Qing also reveals that he traded Meng’s 100,000-year Icefrost Snow Luan Soul Bone for an Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Soul Bone, wanting to return it to the Ice Empress’s clan.
• The Ice Empress is shaken by the recovered relic. Electrolux proposes that she fuse with it and gain its rare Ice Explosion skill. The lingering soul inside the bone agrees to the sacrifice, choosing to help protect its people and then enter the Nether Emperor Rebirth Domain.
• Electrolux performs the painful fusion. Despite briefly panicking and cursing Lin Qing, the Ice Empress endures it, motivated by thoughts of her allies and rivals. She absorbs Ice Explosion and emerges stronger, though completely exhausted.
• Afterward, Electrolux explains that the Spirit Devouring Fierce Blade is made from gold of life. The metal could advance either Lin Qing’s Machine Element or his Nether Emperor Sword, so he postpones the choice and focuses on purifying the blade’s evil thoughts.
• When the blade’s malign spirit attacks, Lin Qing’s Three-Headed Hellhound protects him, tearing the spirit apart and swallowing it.

Character developments and interactions

• The Ice Empress shifts from comic, food-obsessed grumbling to solemn gratitude and resolve. Her loyalty to her clan drives her to accept the bone’s power despite the suffering involved. Her bond with Lin Qing remains teasing and affectionate, while she trusts Electrolux to carry out the fusion.
• Lin Qing shows both practical care and respect for Soul Beast traditions. He arranges the return of the bone, supports the Ice Empress through the procedure, and consults Electrolux before making a consequential decision about the gold of life.
• Electrolux demonstrates his necromantic expertise, enabling the fusion and offering guidance about the gold of life. His clinical jokes contrast with the seriousness of the procedure.
• The Ice Jade Scorpion’s lingering soul willingly gives up its remains and joins the Nether Emperor Rebirth Domain, turning an act of mourning into a sacrifice for its clan.
• The Three-Headed Hellhound displays fierce loyalty by intercepting the blade’s attack and defending Lin Qing.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and repayment: Lin Qing returns the Soul Bone out of respect for the Ice Empress and her people; the Ice Empress, in turn, promises to repay his kindness.
• Sacrifice and legacy: The fallen Scorpion willingly relinquishes its remains so its clan’s leader can become stronger.
• Life, death, and rebirth: The Soul Bone’s soul enters a domain of reincarnation, while gold of life may strengthen weapons tied to life and death.
• Power through pain and resolve: The Ice Empress’s painful transformation reinforces her determination to protect the Far North and reclaim her standing.

Plot points and events

• Lin Qing purifies the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife, revealing it to be gold of life. With the blade’s curse erased by the nether souls, its immense life energy becomes available.
• He chooses to fuse the gold of life with the Nether Emperor Sword rather than save it for his machine-element martial soul. The fusion strengthens the sword’s life-and-death reincarnation power and nourishes Lin Qing’s body, soul core, and Sea of Consciousness. The sword’s bound souls also regain strength.
• Electrolux takes Lin Qing and the Ice Empress to the Undead Demiplane, a barren realm he created as a testing ground. He reveals that its evolved undead include beings as powerful as Titled Douluos and grants Lin Qing authority over them.
• Lin Qing uses the Nether Emperor Sword and its bound nether souls to take control of the demiplane’s undead. The resulting Netherworld undead include powerful new allies, notably a Netherworld Bone Dragon. The Ice Empress privately imagines using this force to take revenge on Huo Yuhao, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, and Taotie Douluo.
• The scene shifts to the Soul Master Tournament in Star Luo City. Shrek faces Dou Ling Royal Academy in the round of sixteen. Huo Yuhao secretly uses Spiritual Detection Sharing to support his teammates, with teacher Wang Yan’s approval, while Xiao Xiao remains on the sidelines.
• Zhang Lexuan, Shrek’s celebrated former champion, watches the Sun Moon team arrive. Xuan Zi blames her past decision to show mercy to the ultimate-metal wielder, arguing that it helped drive him to the rival academy and made Shrek’s tournament campaign—and the wider political balance—more difficult.

Character developments

• Lin Qing gains a stronger, healthier body and a vastly expanded spiritual world, while inheriting command over a formidable undead force. His practical decision to invest in the Nether Emperor Sword also strengthens his bond with Electrolux.
• Electrolux moves from mentor to active benefactor, formally opening his necromantic knowledge to Lin Qing and entrusting him with the demiplane’s undead.
• The Ice Empress is impressed by Lin Qing’s growth and by Electrolux’s power. Her lingering resentment toward Huo Yuhao and his allies becomes more prominent.
• Huo Yuhao and Shrek’s team rely on tactical cooperation to avoid injuries and preserve strength for later rounds, despite concerns that the method gives them an unfair advantage.
• Zhang Lexuan appears poised and influential, but Xuan Zi’s accusation casts her earlier mercy as a consequential decision.

Significant themes

• Life and death as complementary forces: The gold of life does not merely heal Lin Qing; it also transforms the Nether Emperor Sword’s power over reincarnation and revitalizes the dead.
• Power through stewardship and alliance: Lin Qing’s authority grows through the sword, Electrolux’s teaching, and the cooperation of the nether souls—not simply through personal strength.
• Pragmatism versus fairness: Shrek accepts a controversial tactical advantage to protect its members and pursue victory, raising questions about the limits of sportsmanship.
• Grudges and consequences: The Ice Empress’s desire for revenge and Xuan Zi’s criticism of Zhang Lexuan both show how past injuries and choices shape present conflicts.
• Rivalry beyond the arena: The tournament is framed as part of a wider struggle between Shrek, the Sun Moon academy, and the three great empires.

Character interactions

• The Three-Headed Hellhound enthusiastically reports that the malignant thoughts have been destroyed, earning Lin Qing’s praise.
• Electrolux guides Lin Qing through the fusion and then entrusts him with necromancy and command of the demiplane.
• The Ice Empress watches over Lin Qing during his transformation, then stands protectively in front of him when the undead gather.
• Lin Qing’s bound nether souls possess and transform the demiplane’s undead, turning a potential threat into an army under his control.
• At the tournament, Xiao Xiao offers fruit to Zhang Lexuan, while Xuan Zi confronts Lexuan privately over her past decision and warns of the danger posed by the ultimate-metal wielder.

Key plot points and events

• Before the matches, the Sun Moon Academy group watches Shrek’s team prepare to face Dou Ling. Lin Qing notices a furious Xuan Zi arguing with Zhang Lexuan, whose criticism exposes Shrek’s past failures and the harm caused by its adults’ obsession with winning.
• Shrek defeats Dou Ling handily, with Huo Yuhao’s strengthened Spiritual Detection Sharing helping the team. Despite the victory, Huo Yuhao recognizes that Shrek may be at a disadvantage against Sun Moon Academy unless its Golden Road can disable the opposing team’s martial souls.
• Sun Moon Academy assigns its Second Team to the team battle against Di’ao Academy, saving its First Team for the individual matches. Di’ao’s captain, Jiang Peng, leads with his powerful Heaven-Shaking Axe, while both teams deploy coordinated support, ranged attacks, and buffs.
• Lin Qing’s Ultimate Metal armor lets him withstand Jiang Peng’s attacks and damage the Heaven-Shaking Axe with a single punch. Sun Moon’s soul-tool barrage overwhelms Di’ao; Jiang Peng’s axe is ultimately shattered, and he yields to the referee. Di’ao collapses, and Sun Moon wins decisively.
• As the Sun Moon group leaves to get lunch, Zhang Lexuan appears and asks Lin Qing to speak with her.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Qing remains quiet while observing Zhang Lexuan’s confrontation with Xuan Zi. In battle, he demonstrates that Ultimate Metal is not only defensively powerful but formidable in close combat.
• Zhang Lexuan takes responsibility for her past mistakes and refuses to blame Lin Qing for leaving Shrek. She condemns Xuan Zi and other seniors for repeating past tragedies and placing Shrek’s reputation above the younger generation’s welfare.
• Xuan Zi is visibly enraged and defensive as Zhang Lexuan confronts him with the deaths and injuries among Shrek’s students.
• Huo Yuhao shows growing ability and confidence: his advancement to Soul Elder improves his spiritual support, and he celebrates Shrek’s win with Wang Dong.
• Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen trade teasing banter, while Meng openly enjoys being close to Lin Qing. Xiao boasts about his partnership with Lin Qing; Meng mocks his tendency to claim credit for Lin’s strength.
• Ju Zi studies Dai Yueheng’s fighting habits with an eye toward future retaliation, while Ye Guyi continues her growing interest in darker power and applies aerial combat lessons in the match.
• The Sun Moon team’s victory showcases its tactical coordination: Ju Zi’s buffs, ranged soul-tool fire, aerial attacks, and melee pressure combine to overwhelm Di’ao.

Significant themes

• Institutional responsibility and the cost of ambition: Zhang Lexuan argues that Shrek’s glory cannot justify breaking rules, risking young students’ futures, or failing to protect them.
• Power and teamwork: Sun Moon’s victory comes not from one fighter alone, but from coordinated buffs, ranged weapons, aerial support, and close-combat pressure—though Lin Qing’s Ultimate Metal proves decisive.
• Confidence versus caution: Xiao boasts about Sun Moon’s strength, while Shrek recognizes the need to advance carefully and account for Sun Moon’s formidable team.
• Past mistakes and accountability: Both Zhang Lexuan’s confrontation and Ju Zi’s observations point toward unresolved injuries and debts that may shape future conflicts.

Key plot points and events

• Lin Qing rejects Zhang Lexuan’s attempt to reconnect him with Shrek Academy. He chooses the Sun Moon Empire and warns that, if they meet in war, they will serve opposing sides.
• Zhang accepts his decision and apologizes. She recognizes Shrek’s failures and wishes him well rather than pressuring him to return.
• Back at the hotel, Lin Qing’s teammates jokingly interrogate him about his history with Zhang. He explains that their estrangement is not because she was unkind to his sister, Lin Lan: she treated her juniors well and likely would have protected them. Instead, Lin Qing cannot forgive Shrek’s role in the tragedy, and knows Zhang’s duty to the academy would eventually put them on opposite sides.
• Xiao Hongchen proposes three elaborate schemes to tempt Zhang into defecting—or get her suspected of doing so. The others are appalled, and Lin Qing recognizes the ideas as suspiciously familiar.
• The tournament advances to the semifinals. Sun Moon crushes Di’ao Academy, then defeats Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy in the quarterfinals, while Lin Qing advances with little effort.
• Both Sun Moon teams have held back important techniques and equipment. Ma Rulong is especially cautious, conserving their abilities for the expected challenge from Shrek.
• At the final-four draw, the pairings become Shrek vs. Zhengtian Academy and Sun Moon vs. Star Luo National Academy. Lin Qing cheekily beats Ma Xiaotao to one of the lottery balls, intensifying the familiar rivalry between their academies.
• Shrek’s match against Zhengtian begins immediately. Ma Xiaotao attacks aggressively, and Lin Qing records the battle, calling it Shrek’s cleanest victory ever.

Character developments

• Lin Qing firmly commits to Sun Moon and to pursuing revenge against those responsible for his family’s losses. He separates affection from obligation and accepts that Zhang Lexuan may have to become his enemy.
• Zhang Lexuan shows compassion and maturity by respecting Lin Qing’s choice, despite her grief and their past connection. She is also troubled by Shrek’s decline and Xuan Zi’s repeated failures.
• Ju Zi understands Lin Qing’s conflict through her own desire for revenge against the White Tiger Duke, which may require war against the Star Luo Empire.
• Ma Xiaotao appears healthier and more in control of her Phoenix Evil Fire as Shrek’s tournament progress lifts her spirits.
• Ma Rulong and the Sun Moon team demonstrate disciplined strategy, conserving trump cards rather than revealing everything in pursuit of easy wins.
• Xiao Hongchen adds comic mischief, proposing underhanded ways to recruit Zhang.

Significant themes

• Personal loyalty versus institutional duty: Lin Qing and Zhang care about one another, but their allegiances make a clean separation necessary.
• Accountability and revenge: Lin Qing sees Shrek’s leaders as responsible for the tragedy and believes pursuing them may require confronting everyone who protects them.
• Institutional decline: Zhang reflects that Shrek is losing its former virtues—kindness, responsibility, tolerance, and magnanimity.
• Strategy and restraint: Sun Moon’s teams conceal their strongest techniques, emphasizing that winning now is not worth sacrificing advantages for later.
• Humor amid conflict: The mock interrogation and Xiao Hongchen’s schemes lighten the chapter’s otherwise serious emotional and political tensions.

Character interactions

• Lin Qing and Zhang share a restrained, painful farewell: she blesses his choice, while he makes clear that duty will divide them if war comes.
• Lin Qing’s teammates tease him about Zhang, then listen as he explains why their relationship cannot be separated from Shrek’s responsibility.
• Ju Zi offers an unspoken point of understanding, connecting Lin Qing’s personal revenge to her own.
• Xiao Hongchen’s recruitment ideas provoke playful outrage from Meng Hongchen and skepticism from Lin Qing.
• Lin Qing’s rivalry with Ma Xiaotao resurfaces during the draw, as he snatches the lottery ball she was reaching for.

Key plot points and events

• In the second semifinal team battle, Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy faces Star Luo National Academy. Shrek watches closely, hoping to learn more about Lin Qing’s abilities.
• Star Luo’s Princess Xu Jiujiu uses the Star Crown’s enhancement and attribute-isolation abilities, while her team engages Sun Moon’s other fighters. The strategy leaves Lin Qing seemingly unguarded—but this is a trap.
• Xu Jiujiu seals Lin Qing inside a specially enhanced Class 7 Absolute Defense Soul Tool, expecting the barrier and Star Crown to neutralize his machine element. Instead, Lin Qing’s ultimate metal consumes the barrier, turning her plan into public humiliation.
• Lin Qing combines his power into the Dragon Devourer Cannon. Heavenly Fiend Douluo rescues Xu Jiujiu and the others after the blast, and Sun Moon wins the team battle.
• Meanwhile, Shrek’s Zhang Lexuan stays in Star Luo City to collect evidence of the academy’s misconduct and hopes Mu En will restore it to its proper path.
• That night, Ye Guyi visits Lin Qing privately. She tells him that Zhengtian Academy has forfeited its individual matches and left town after Ma Xiaotao’s earlier attack. She also mentions that Yu Mengdi visited her before departing, seeking her comforting touch.
• Ye Guyi admits she is considering bringing Yu Mengdi into their circle, then raises a darker concern: Holy Spirit Cult agents may be watching the tournament and identifying gifted young soul masters to eliminate.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Qing demonstrates how decisively his machine element can overcome even a purpose-built, ultimate-sublimated defense. He treats the failed trap with amused confidence and consumes the soul tool.
• Xu Jiujiu proves herself a capable strategist, but her attempt to use Lin Qing’s own technology against him backfires spectacularly. She accepts defeat with bitter humor.
• Ye Guyi shows growing trust and concern for Lin Qing: she brings him tournament news, discusses Yu Mengdi’s possible inclusion in their group, and shares her fears about the Holy Spirit Cult.
• Yu Mengdi’s admiration for Ye Guyi is underscored by her eager visit and delight at receiving a head rub.
• Zhang Lexuan remains committed to exposing Shrek’s corruption rather than simply leaving the academy behind.

Significant themes

• Power and countermeasures: Star Luo’s careful strategy and attribute-based counter seem effective, but Lin Qing’s ultimate metal overturns them.
• Hubris and reversal: Xu Jiujiu’s attempt to exploit Lin Qing’s methods instead becomes a humiliating demonstration of his strength.
• Institutional corruption: Zhang Lexuan’s investigation suggests Shrek has strayed from its ideals, even as she hopes it can be reformed.
• Threats beyond the tournament: Ye Guyi’s suspicion that the Holy Spirit Cult is targeting promising young soul masters foreshadows danger beyond the arena.
• Comedic camaraderie and awkward attraction: Lin Qing’s private embarrassment around Ye Guyi contrasts with her straightforward concern and helps lighten the chapter’s darker implications.

Key plot points and events

• Lin Qing concludes that the Holy Spirit Cult may target Yu Mengdi because she is an angel, and Ye Guyi insists on bringing her to safety. They plan to leave Star Luo City that night.
• Lin Qing persuades Unbreakable Douluo to lend him another Unbreakable Divine Mask, using a story about the Ice Empress to pressure him into agreeing.
• Outside the city, Zhengtian Academy’s team travels home after withdrawing from the individual matches. Yu Mengdi says she wants to visit Mingdu and continue spending time with Ye Guyi.
• Evil Soul Saint twin sisters ambush the group, intending to kill Yu Mengdi and punish anyone who protects her. The team’s teacher, Yu Mengdi, Ye Wuqing, and Tang Xiaolei fight back so the younger students can escape.
• The twins’ spiritual attacks overwhelm the defenders. Yu Mengdi resists long enough to attack, but the sisters knock her and the teacher down and threaten her.
• Lin Qing and Ye Guyi arrive disguised with Divine Masks. Their paired Holy Swords make the twins mistake them for two Holy Angels. Ye Guyi attacks with the Level 7 Eye of Fear, while Lin Qing copies the Holy Sword and strengthens it with his soul-bone ability, setting up a combined counterattack.

Character developments

• Ye Guyi shows fierce loyalty to Yu Mengdi and eagerness to confront the Holy Spirit Cult. She takes the initiative in the rescue and uses a powerful soul tool.
• Yu Mengdi chooses her own path rather than accepting offers to join Zhengtian Academy or the Ye family. Her attachment to Ye Guyi is unusually strong, though she does not understand its instinctive, almost pet-like quality. In battle, she proves willing to risk herself for her friends.
• Lin Qing is pragmatic and resourceful, arranging the rescue and manipulating Unbreakable Douluo into lending him a mask. He joins the fight with a decisive, empowered attack.
• Ye Wuqing, Tang Xiaolei, and their teacher demonstrate courage by standing with Yu Mengdi despite the overwhelming odds. Wuqing plans to return to his family; Xiaolei intends to teach at Zhengtian.
• The Evil Soul Saint sisters are ruthless and confident, specifically targeting Yu Mengdi because of her angel bloodline.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and self-sacrifice: Zhengtian’s fighters risk their lives to protect one another, while Ye Guyi and Lin Qing come to Yu Mengdi’s aid.
• Identity and destiny: Yu Mengdi’s angel heritage makes her a target, while her growing bond with Ye Guyi influences her future choices.
• Light versus evil: Angelic sacred power directly counters the twins’ resentment-based abilities.
• Courage against overwhelming odds: The defenders fight despite knowing they are outmatched.

Character interactions

• Ye Guyi and Lin Qing coordinate their departure and rescue plan, with Lin Qing’s playful jealousy prompting Ye Guyi to change clothes.
• Lin Qing trades teasing pressure and a fabricated tale with Unbreakable Douluo to secure the Divine Mask.
• Yu Mengdi declines Wuqing’s invitation to join the Ye family and Xiaolei’s request that she stay at the academy, explaining that she wants to seek out Ye Guyi.
• During the ambush, the Zhengtian group rallies around Yu Mengdi; the sisters mock and threaten her, prompting the disguised Lin Qing and Ye Guyi to intervene with a coordinated two-pronged strike.

Lin Qing and Ye Guyi rescued Yu Mengdi from an Evil Soul Master attack, and Yu Mengdi left Zhengtian Academy to join them. As the tournament finals approached, Shrek finalized its strategy and welcomed Bei Bei back as a replacement fighter.

• Ye Guyi and Lin Qing defeated and killed the twin Evil Soul Saints and wiped out the remaining Evil Soul Masters who had attacked Yu Mengdi.
• Lin Qing persuaded Yu Mengdi to leave Zhengtian Academy, and she reunited with Ye Guyi after the pair removed their masks.
• Ye Guyi told Yu Mengdi to hide in Star Luo City until the tournament finals ended, then join them in Mingdu.
• Wang Yan discussed Shrek's finals strategy, assigning its team battle lineup and planning to use Milk Bottles to restore fighters' soul power between matches.
• Bei Bei arrived at Shrek's meeting and revealed that he had registered as a replacement and passed the organizers' bone-age test.
• Wang Yan placed Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi at the front of Shrek's individual matches, and the assembled team vowed to win.

On the morning of the final, Lin Qing and his team arrived at Star Luo Plaza, where the Star Luo Empire weighed the political benefits of either academy winning. The team battle began with Ye Guyi taking the air and Ma Xiaotao rising to challenge her, but Lin Qing intercepted Ma Xiaotao, leaving the chapter on the two monsters’ first clash.

• Lin Qing picked up Grandma Lin, who had transferred Pin Dao Dao to Dalang Shaobing before moving to the Sun Moon Empire.
• The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and Shrek Academy arrived at Star Luo Plaza, where Emperor Xu Jiawei announced the final’s prize and format.
• Xu Jiawei and Princess Jiujiu indicated that the Star Luo Empire could claim a victory whichever academy won, since Lin Qing was born in Star Luo.
• The seven Shrek competitors entered the arena, and Huo Yuhao linked their team with Spiritual Detection Sharing as the battle began.
• Ye Guyi took to the sky with a Level 7 Eye of Fear and struck Jiang Nannan, who used Invincible Golden Body to withstand the Fear Ray.
• Ma Xiaotao flew to attack Ye Guyi, but Lin Qing blocked her path; the two unleashed their fourth Soul Skills against each other.

Lin Qing and Ma Xiaotao’s duel left the Evil Fire Phoenix badly wounded, while the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy overwhelmed Shrek across the arena. Ju Zi maimed Dai Yueheng with Lin Qing’s Hellfire Cannon, and Huo Yuhao turned to his inner Soul Beasts as Shrek’s remaining hope.

• Lin Qing trapped Ma Xiaotao’s phoenix magma surge inside the Steel Machinery Domain, then countered her attacks until she unleashed her Evil Fire and accused him of betraying Shrek.
• Xiao Hongchen, Ling Luochеn, Huo Yuhao, He Caitou, Keke, Nana, and Wang Dong fought across the platform as the Eye of Fear threatened Shrek’s team.
• Meng Hongchen used her Extreme Ice Armor and twin swords to poison and wound Dai Yueheng, while Ju Zi fired on him with her Green Tangerine Mechanized Cannon.
• Dai Yueheng abandoned his fight with Meng Hongchen and charged Ju Zi, but her Invincible Shield and Hellfire Cannon left him gravely injured before Huang Jinxu carried him away.
• Huo Yuhao asked the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and Ice Flood Dragon for help; the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm offered its spiritual origin, while the Ice Flood Dragon refused to risk its power.
• Huo Yuhao called to Wang Dong and urged them to use their Martial Soul Fusion Skill as Shrek’s last chance to turn the match around.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong unleashed their Martial Soul Fusion Skills against Lin Qing, but his ultimate metal overwhelmed their attacks and Sun Moon's team pushed Shrek to the brink. Jiang Nannan took a Fear Ray to protect them, and Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong fused again as Lin Qing prepared a hundred-and-eightfold Machine Cycle attack.

• Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong used Spiritual Storm to disrupt Sun Moon's fighters, but Lin Qing resisted it and blasted Ma Xiaotao into the arena floor.
• Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong formed the Heavenly Sovereign Hammer, which Lin Qing shattered with One Hammer Decides the Outcome.
• Wang Dong fired Golden Road, but Lin Qing's Machine Cycle burned it away as Ye Guyi's Fear Ray struck toward Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
• Jiang Nannan teleported in front of the Fear Ray and took the blast, leaving her gravely injured as she urged Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong to keep fighting.
• Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong formed Raiment of Light while Lin Qing unleashed a hundred-and-eightfold Machine Cycle through the Dragon Gland Thermonuclear Cannon.