Recaps

Meng Chen navigated Ning Rongrong’s jealousy and Gu Yuena’s watchful attention as their class learned the Freshman Tournament would begin the next day. After nobles eyed him as an easy opponent, Meng Chen prepared to prove them wrong.

• Ning Rongrong met Meng Chen before class, clung to him, and warned him not to meet Dugu Yan in private.
• Meng Chen noticed Gu Yuena still watched him whenever his blood Qi fluctuated, but chose not to reveal his identity to her.
• Teacher Mo Lei announced that the Freshman Tournament would start the next day, with Elite Class placement, cultivation resources, treasures, and peerages at stake.
• Mo Lei warned the students that the tournament would use random draws and that poor performers could be sent to ordinary classes.
• Several noble students eyed Meng Chen as a target, and Meng Chen resolved to defeat anyone who tried to use him as a stepping stone.

At the freshman assessment, Meng Chen and Gu Yuena tied for the highest written score and revealed matching Soul Power Level 13 as One-Ring Soul Masters. The special duel draw paired them against each other in the first round.

• Mo Lei announced that the freshman competition would include a written test, a soul power test, and duels determined by draws.
• Meng Chen and Gu Yuena both earned perfect scores of 100 on the written theory test.
• Ning Rongrong tested at Soul Power Level 11 and was confirmed as a One-Ring Soul Master with a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul.
• Gu Yuena tested at Soul Power Level 13, and Meng Chen matched her result with his mutated Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul.
• Mo Lei drew Meng Chen against Gu Yuena for the first special arena battle, and the announcement excited the crowd.

Meng Chen used Spiritual Detection Domain and Spiritual Charm to defeat Gu Yuena in the freshman tournament’s first round. Gu Yuena was left bewildered by the strange fluttering in her heart as Meng Chen claimed the win.

• Ning Rongrong anxiously urged Meng Chen to surrender if he could not beat Gu Yuena, but he reassured her and entered the arena.
• Gu Yuena released her White Silver Dragon Martial Soul and attacked Meng Chen with water blades, while he disguised his soul ring as a Thousand-Year Soul Ring and dodged using Spiritual Detection Domain.
• Gu Yuena changed her attack into a sweeping water curtain to trap Meng Chen, but he charged toward her instead of retreating.
• Meng Chen used Spiritual Charm, whose Dragon God Origin disrupted Gu Yuena and made the water curtain collapse.
• Meng Chen stopped his palm an inch from Gu Yuena’s neck, and the referee declared him the winner as Gu Yuena blushed and wondered what he had done to her.

Meng Chen won the special-tier freshman tournament and was awarded an Imperial Viscount title, while Gu Yuena remained unsettled by how his Spiritual Charm had affected her. The chapter ended with Gu Yuena watching Meng Chen leave, still confused and annoyed.

• Meng Chen escaped Gu Yuena’s water attack and reassured Ning Rongrong, claiming he had absorbed a thousand-year soul ring after surviving a dangerous encounter.
• Ning Rongrong forfeited her ranking match, and Gu Yuena defeated Lin Hao with a water tornado.
• Meng Chen dodged Bai Yu’s Wind Blade Slash and knocked him out with a single kick.
• The academy ranked Meng Chen first, Gu Yuena second, and Bai Yu third in the special-tier battle.
• An Imperial Knights commander awarded Meng Chen ten thousand gold soul coins and a hereditary Imperial Viscount title by decree of Emperor Xue Ye.
• Gu Yuena watched Meng Chen with lingering bewilderment before turning away coldly.

After Ning Rongrong recounted Meng Chen’s tournament victory and revealed that his first Soul Ring was purple, Ning Fengzhi arranged support for his cultivation. Back at the Crown Prince’s Residence, Qian Renxue gave Meng Chen access to the imperial private treasury and promised to protect him.

• Ning Rongrong returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and told Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong about the Freshman Tournament and Meng Chen’s victory.
• Ning Rongrong revealed that Meng Chen had absorbed a thousand-year Soul Ring as his first, prompting Ning Fengzhi to recognize his exceptional potential and order the sect to supply his cultivation herbs.
• Ning Fengzhi decided not to interfere with Ning Rongrong and Meng Chen’s friendship, noting that Meng Chen was allied with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect through Qian Renxue.
• Meng Chen returned to the Crown Prince’s Residence with his ten thousand gold coins and viscount’s decree after winning the tournament.
• Qian Renxue gave Meng Chen a Black Iron Token granting him access to body-tempering spirit herbs in the imperial private treasury and promised that no one in Heaven Dou City could harm him.

Meng Chen returned to the junior academy after his holiday and dodged Dugu Yan’s surprise test before Ning Rongrong stepped in to defend him. Dugu Yan announced her move to the Heaven Dou Royal Advanced Soul Master Academy, leaving Ning Rongrong determined to supervise Meng Chen’s cultivation so they could follow.

• Meng Chen recalled Qian Renxue’s care and lessons during his three-day holiday before Dugu Yan suddenly attacked him on the academy path.
• Meng Chen used his Soft Technique to evade Dugu Yan, who said she had wanted to test his strength.
• Ning Rongrong confronted Dugu Yan for picking on Meng Chen, then relented when he explained that Dugu Yan had not meant to hurt him.
• Dugu Yan said she had passed the special evaluation and would report to the main academy the next morning as a reserve for the Heaven Dou Royal Team First Squad.
• Ning Rongrong ordered Meng Chen to train harder and promised to supervise him, then they headed to class.

After half a year of disciplined cultivation at the Heaven Dou Royal Junior Soul Master Academy, Meng Chen reached level 20 and prepared to seek a second soul ring. He decided to travel to the Star Dou Great Forest, where he hoped to hunt a suitable soul beast and become strong enough to absorb the 10,000-Year Sea Dragon Marrow.

• Meng Chen spent the past half year expanding his spiritual power and tempering his blood essence while Gu Yuena and Ning Rongrong remained near him at the academy.
• Meng Chen broke through to level 20 in the academy's Mimicry Cultivation Room.
• Meng Chen realized that absorbing a second soul ring would let him withstand the 10,000-Year Sea Dragon Marrow and unlock his second seal.
• Meng Chen decided to hunt for a second soul ring in the Star Dou Great Forest, relying on escorts from the Crown Prince's Residence.
• Meng Chen left the cultivation room and headed for the Crown Prince's Residence.

Meng Chen reached level twenty and persuaded Qian Renxue to let him hunt for a second soul ring in the Star Dou Great Forest, while she secretly prepared to follow him. After hearing how far Meng Chen had surpassed her, Ning Rongrong resolved to train harder rather than fall behind.

• Meng Chen revealed his breakthrough to level twenty and persuaded Qian Renxue to let him visit the Star Dou Great Forest with two soul saint guards, stay near the outer perimeter, and return within three days.
• Qian Renxue arranged for the crown prince to be reported ill and in seclusion, then decided to go to the Star Dou Great Forest herself.
• Meng Chen showed his level twenty soul power to the director of the Academic Affairs Office and received leave to hunt for a second soul ring.
• Ning Rongrong confronted Meng Chen about his rapid progress, offered to bring Grandpa Sword along, and felt hurt when he refused her help.
• Ning Rongrong ran from the academy, resolving to train hard so Meng Chen would not leave her behind.

Gu Yuena secretly followed Meng Chen toward the Star Dou Great Forest, while Qian Renxue revealed her true appearance and joined his soul hunt. The chapter left Qian Renxue identified as a powerful Spirit Hall heir, with Meng Chen hiding that he already knew her identity.

• Gu Yuena requested leave and vanished toward the Star Dou Great Forest to investigate Meng Chen's connection to the Golden Dragon King.
• Meng Chen entered the forest with twelve Imperial Knights, but rejected an eight-hundred-year-old Gale Demon Wolf as an unsuitable soul ring.
• Meng Chen used Spiritual Detection to witness a blonde girl defeat an Earth-Cracking Berserk Lizard with her Holy Light sword.
• The girl introduced herself as Qian Renxue, and Meng Chen pretended not to recognize her despite knowing she had followed him in her true form.
• Qian Renxue pinched Meng Chen's rabbit ears, while commander Zhan Shan warned her that Meng Chen traveled under orders from the Heaven Dou Crown Prince.
• Zhan Shan recognized Qian Renxue's surname and angel martial soul as signs of her high status within Spirit Hall.

Qian Renxue joined Meng Chen’s group as they traveled through the Star Dou Great Forest, while Gu Yuena told Di Tian that the Golden Dragon King had reincarnated as a human child with a rabbit Martial Soul. Di Tian wanted to retrieve him, but Gu Yuena’s discovery left the Golden Dragon King’s fate uncertain.

• Qian Renxue offered to travel with Meng Chen’s party, and Meng Chen persuaded Zhan Shan to accept her as a companion.
• Zhan Shan agreed to let Qian Renxue join, warning that his guards would respond if she made any suspicious moves.
• Gu Yuena returned to the Lake of Life, where Di Tian asked whether she had found the Golden Dragon King.
• Gu Yuena confirmed the Golden Dragon King had reincarnated as a human infant, and Di Tian offered to lead the Soul Beast Army to retrieve him.
• Gu Yuena revealed that the infant’s Martial Soul was a rabbit, then assured Di Tian that its body still carried the Dragon God’s aura.

Meng Chen searched the Star Dou Great Forest for a three-thousand-year space-attribute soul beast for his second soul ring, and Qian Renxue agreed to help him find one. Gu Yuena watched from a spatial rift and ordered Di Tian to find a suitable void beast and deliver it to Meng Chen.

• Gu Yuena told Di Tian that Meng Chen could not be taken to the Lake of Life because of his powers, seals, and the human forces guarding him.
• Gu Yuena sensed Meng Chen arriving at the forest’s periphery to hunt for his second soul ring and took Di Tian with her to observe.
• Meng Chen rejected several thousand-year soul beasts and told Qian Renxue he wanted a space-attribute beast around three thousand years old.
• Qian Renxue accepted Meng Chen’s challenge and vowed to catch him a space-type soul beast, while Zhan Shan watched in alarm.
• Gu Yuena ordered Di Tian to find a roughly three-thousand-year-old void beast and toss it to Meng Chen.

Qian Renxue and the Royal Knights finally encountered and subdued a Void Beast for Meng Chen, despite the danger of its three-thousand-year Soul Ring. The chapter ended with Zhan Shan warning Meng Chen not to absorb it because it could kill him.

• Gu Yuena ordered Di Tian to find Meng Chen a space-type Soul Beast, and Di Tian went to capture a three-thousand-year Void Beast.
• After two hours of fruitless searching, Qian Renxue asked Meng Chen whether he would consider another Soul Beast, but a Void Beast appeared nearby.
• Zhan Shan, the deputy commander, and the Royal Knights trapped the beast while Qian Renxue helped prevent its escape.
• The deputy commander pinned the Void Beast to the ground, leaving it near death and ready for Meng Chen to obtain its Soul Ring.
• Zhan Shan warned Meng Chen that absorbing a three-thousand-year second Soul Ring could be fatal and urged him not to risk his life.

Meng Chen absorbed a three-thousand-year Void Beast soul ring, gaining a second soul skill that let him teleport more than fifty meters. After returning to the Crown Prince's Residence, he enthusiastically told Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, about his journey, and she asked him to demonstrate his new skill.

• Qian Renxue and Zhan Shan warned Meng Chen against absorbing the Void Beast's soul ring, but Meng Chen killed the beast and began absorbing it.
• Meng Chen's dragon blood crushed the soul beast's remnant soul, allowing him to stabilize the three-thousand-year soul ring as his second purple ring.
• Meng Chen demonstrated his second soul skill, teleporting without a chant to a boulder more than fifty meters away.
• Qian Renxue said goodbye to Meng Chen, and Zhan Shan led the team back toward Heaven Dou Imperial City.
• Meng Chen returned to the Crown Prince's Residence and told Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, about Qian Renxue and their trip.
• Qian Renxue praised the Miss Qian Meng Chen described and asked him to show her his second soul skill.

Meng Chen discovered that combining his Spiritual Detection domain with his second soul skill let him teleport freely to any location within its range, even through obstacles. He returned to school and was confronted by Ning Rongrong, while Gu Yuena's presence left him uneasy.

• Meng Chen combined his Spiritual Detection domain and space power to teleport across his courtyard, then tested the ability until his soul power ran out.
• Two days later, Meng Chen went to the Heaven Dou Royal Junior Soul Master Academy, where students watched him because of his fame and new title.
• Ning Rongrong confronted Meng Chen for leaving without telling her and complained that she had searched for him at the Crown Prince's Residence.
• Meng Chen told Ning Rongrong he had gone to the Star Dou Great Forest for his second soul ring and said he had obtained one a little over a thousand years old.
• Ning Rongrong announced that her soul power was nearing level fifteen, then grew wary of Meng Chen's attention toward Gu Yuena and pulled him to his seat.

Meng Chen tested his teleportation and close-combat abilities in a snowy forest, where two Soul Ancestors ambushed him. Gu Yuena killed the surviving attacker and left Meng Chen to follow her back toward Heaven Dou City.

• Meng Chen sensed two masked Soul Ancestors tracking him in the forest and confronted them.
• The Shadow Ghost Bat Soul Ancestor attacked from the front as the Heavy Armor Mad Rhino Soul Ancestor charged from behind.
• Meng Chen teleported above the lean attacker and killed him with a Golden Dragon Claw strike.
• Meng Chen wounded the burly attacker, but failed to kill him through his defensive armor.
• Gu Yuena appeared, overwhelmed the burly Soul Ancestor with an Elemental Storm, and told Meng Chen to keep his actions cleaner.
• Meng Chen concealed his Golden Dragon Claw and followed Gu Yuena toward Heaven Dou City.

After Meng Chen returned bloodied from an ambush, Qian Renxue vowed to uncover and punish those responsible. Ning Rongrong learned he was safe at the Crown Prince's Residence, though the identities of his attackers remained unknown.

• Meng Chen told Qian Renxue that Soul Ancestors had ambushed him outside Heaven Dou City, but hid his role in killing them and Gu Yuena's appearance.
• Qian Renxue reassured Meng Chen, sent him to rest, and ordered Snake Lance Douluo to identify who was behind the attackers and root them out.
• Ning Rongrong heard that Meng Chen had returned to the Crown Prince's Residence covered in blood and rushed to the council hall for help.
• Ning Fengzhi told Ning Rongrong that Meng Chen had escaped with his teleportation soul skill and was safe.

After learning Meng Chen was safe, Ning Rongrong demanded action against whoever had attacked him, while Ning Fengzhi arranged protection and an investigation. In her courtyard, Gu Yuena recovered from using her sealed Dragon King Origin and realized that Meng Chen had concealed the Golden Dragon King's power.

• Ning Rongrong asked to confront Prince Xue Xing, but Ning Fengzhi said there was no conclusive evidence and ordered the sect's contacts to assist the investigation.
• Ning Fengzhi stationed two Soul Saint-level covert guards near Heaven Dou Royal Junior Academy, and Chen Xin agreed to accompany Ning Rongrong to the Crown Prince's Residence.
• Gu Yuena suppressed the backlash from releasing a sliver of her Dragon King Origin and resealed it within her consciousness.
• Gu Yuena recalled Meng Chen's Golden Dragon Claw and concluded that he was still the Golden Dragon King, despite his rabbit-like appearance.
• Gu Yuena told herself she had saved Meng Chen only to preserve the Dragon Clan's power, then resolved to teach him a lesson if he acted sly in public again.

After recovering from the ambush, Meng Chen returned to the academy, where Ning Rongrong anxiously checked on him and Gu Yuena briefly met him. Ning Rongrong learned that Gu Yuena had helped save him, softening her hostility even as she kept her sharp tongue.

• Meng Chen returned to the academy after two days of recuperation, with his soul power strengthened by the battle.
• Ning Rongrong rushed to hug Meng Chen, checked him for injuries, and scolded him for going out without telling her.
• Meng Chen thanked Gu Yuena for helping him during the ambush, but she dismissed his gratitude and walked away.
• Ning Rongrong learned that Gu Yuena had distracted the attackers and realized she had helped save Meng Chen.
• Ning Rongrong's hostility toward Gu Yuena eased, and she followed Meng Chen toward class while glancing after Gu Yuena.

At the imperial court, Qian Renxue presented evidence that Prince Xue Xing had arranged an assassination attempt on Meng Chen, prompting Xue Ye to punish him and compensate the child. Xue Xing lost command of the City Guard Army and was confined, while Qian Renxue secured assets for Meng Chen and left with Ning Fengzhi.

• Xue Ye confronted Prince Xue Xing over the attack on six-year-old Meng Chen, but Xue Xing denied responsibility.
• Qian Renxue presented evidence linking the two assassins to Xue Xing's estate, and Ning Fengzhi warned that the attack threatened the safety of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's disciples.
• Xue Ye stripped Xue Xing of his City Guard Army command, withheld his stipend for three years, and confined him to his estate for six months.
• Xue Ye ordered Xue Xing's estate to pay Meng Chen one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins and transfer farmland and three shops to him.
• Qian Renxue and Ning Fengzhi left the Imperial Study after Xue Ye asked Qian Renxue to protect Meng Chen's faith in the empire.

Meng Chen learned that Prince Xue Xing had been punished and made to compensate him for the assassination attempt, while Qian Renxue promised to pursue further revenge. The chapter ended with Qian Renxue urging Meng Chen to stand his ground at the academy, backed by the Crown Prince's Residence.

• Meng Chen returned to the Crown Prince's Residence, where Qian Renxue told him that two assassins had ties to Prince Xue Xing.
• Qian Renxue explained that Xue Xing had targeted Meng Chen because he was a talented ally of the Crown Prince.
• Xue Xing compensated Meng Chen with one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, farmland, and three shops, while Emperor Xue Ye stripped Xue Xing of his city guard command and confined him for six months.
• Meng Chen offered to give the compensation to Qian Renxue, but she insisted it was his property and told him to keep it.
• Qian Renxue vowed to make Xue Xing pay further in secret and promised the Crown Prince's Residence would protect Meng Chen at the academy.
• Qian Renxue mentioned Ning Rongrong's concern for Meng Chen and advised him to maintain their friendship and firmly answer anyone who provoked him.

Ning Rongrong brought Meng Chen nourishing pastries and, after learning Gu Yuena had saved him, offered her half as thanks. Gu Yuena accepted the gift and thanked her, easing their old hostility.

• Meng Chen noticed the academy's noble students treated him differently after news spread that Prince Xue Xing had been punished and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect supported him.
• Ning Rongrong brought Meng Chen Spirit Jade Snow Cakes and told him they could nourish his meridians.
• Ning Rongrong took half the pastries to Gu Yuena, explaining that she owed her for saving Meng Chen and offering the gift on behalf of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
• Gu Yuena sensed Ning Rongrong's sincerity, tasted a pastry, and thanked her.
• Ning Rongrong declared she would no longer hold their old grudges against Gu Yuena and returned to her seat with Meng Chen.

After receiving compensation for the Southern Suburbs ambush, Meng Chen invited Gu Yuena and Ning Rongrong to dinner at the Listening Cloud Tower. Gu Yuena discovered her delight in human cuisine, then asked Meng Chen to speak with her privately after Ning Rongrong left for home.

• Meng Chen thanked Gu Yuena for saving him and invited her and Ning Rongrong to dinner with his compensation money.
• Gu Yuena accepted the invitation, curious about human food and wanting to observe Meng Chen more closely.
• At the Listening Cloud Tower, Gu Yuena tried the dishes and became absorbed in eating the lavish meal.
• After dinner, Ning Rongrong left in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's carriage, and Gu Yuena asked Meng Chen to talk with her in private.

Gu Yuena questioned Meng Chen about the power he had revealed in battle, and he disguised his knowledge of his Golden Dragon King bloodline while agreeing to keep it secret. Meanwhile, the Benevolent Heart Apothecary delivered the millennium sea dragon marrow Meng Chen had been seeking to Qian Renxue, who looked forward to giving it to him.

• Gu Yuena led Meng Chen to a secluded riverside path and asked what he had used to defeat a four-ring Soul Ancestor.
• Meng Chen claimed that golden dragon scales had appeared when his blood and right arm reacted to danger, and asked Gu Yuena whether he was going to die.
• Gu Yuena reassured Meng Chen that the power was formidable and told him not to reveal it to anyone, including Xue Qinghe, until he had mastered it.
• The Benevolent Heart Apothecary's head shopkeeper brought Qian Renxue the millennium sea dragon marrow after securing it through the merchant network.
• Qian Renxue praised the shopkeeper, ordered reimbursement plus thirty percent, and looked forward to giving the jade box to Meng Chen.

Meng Chen received the millennium sea dragon marrow from Qian Renxue and prepared to use it with three other treasures to temper his body before consuming the dragon scale fruit and breaking the Golden Dragon King's second seal. As he began mixing the medicinal bath in his room, Snake Lance Douluo stood guard outside in case the procedure harmed him.

• Meng Chen returned to Qian Renxue, who showed him the millennium sea dragon marrow she had obtained from the Benevolent Heart Apothecary.
• Qian Renxue warned Meng Chen about the dangers of body tempering with the potent marrow, and he promised to stop if his meridians showed signs of damage.
• Qian Renxue ordered Snake Lance Douluo to secretly guard Meng Chen and intervene if he suffered a backlash.
• Meng Chen gathered the millennium sea dragon marrow, blue vein vine, earth dragon tendon, and dragon scale fruit, the four treasures needed to break the Golden Dragon King's second seal.
• Meng Chen pounded the blue vein vine, earth dragon tendon, and part of the sea dragon marrow into a medicinal slurry and poured it into his boiling bath.

Meng Chen endured the violent physical and mental trials of releasing the Golden Dragon King's second seal and awakened his bloodline power. After discovering his greatly strengthened body and Golden Dragon Claw, he caused a disturbance in the Crown Prince’s Residence, and Qian Renxue rushed in to check on him.

• She Long watched Meng Chen begin the dangerous medicinal bath and prepared to intervene if he was in danger.
• Meng Chen swallowed the Dragon Scale Fruit, entered the medicinal bath, and attacked the second seal as conflicting forces battered his body.
• Meng Chen endured three days and nights of physical agony and the Golden Dragon King's bloodlust without losing his consciousness.
• Meng Chen awoke with scarlet-gold eyes, found his body dramatically strengthened, and manifested a golden Blood Essence Soul Ring.
• Meng Chen tested his strengthened Golden Dragon Claw, creating a thunderous blast that alerted the Crown Prince’s Residence.
• Qian Renxue and a hooded figure burst into Meng Chen’s room, and Qian Renxue anxiously asked whether he was all right.