Chapter Summaries

Jiang Hai and Sun Yunhai entered East Cang Academy after leaving Shrek, and their exceptional Soul Master abilities earned them immediate admission. The chapter left them registered as students and introduced the academy’s flexible course and credit system.

• Old Zhao brought Jiang Hai and Sun Yunhai to East Cang Academy’s admissions office and asked Xiao Meng to assess them.
• Jiang Hai passed the age check and revealed himself as a thirteen-year-old level-thirty-four Soul Elder with a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.
• Sun Yunhai also passed, displaying three Soul Rings at level thirty-one before his thirteenth birthday.
• Xiao Meng registered both boys as students and gave them silver rings containing their uniforms, identification, and course timetables.
• Xiao Meng explained East Cang Academy’s three departments, elective courses, and credit-based graduation system.

Jiang Hai and Sun Yunhai visited East Cang Academy’s Soul Fighting Zone and asked to join its team for the upcoming All-Continent Senior Academy Soul Fighting Tournament. Wu Tong welcomed his junior brother but made clear that both newcomers would have to prove their strength, leaving Jiang Hai facing the team as they sized him up.

• Sun Yunhai and Jiang Hai discussed their new life at East Cang Academy and agreed they would explain their departure to Ning Tian and Wu Feng later.
• Xiao Meng led the two Shrek Academy transfers to the Soul Fighting Zone and described East Cang’s poor tournament record and hopes for this year’s team.
• Wu Tong ordered Jiang Hai to train in the triple-gravity area, where Jiang Hai moved freely without using soul power and impressed him.
• Xiao Meng introduced Jiang Hai and Sun Yunhai as candidates for the team, then left after Wu Tong claimed authority over the team and its secrets.
• Sun Yunhai greeted Wu Tong as his senior brother and asked to join the team with Jiang Hai, and Wu Tong said they would have to prove their strength.
• Wu Tong called the seven exhausted team members out of the gravity area, and Jiang Hai and the six girls and one boy sized one another up.

Jiang Hai and Sun Yunhai faced Bingqin and Huo Wu in a trial match to join East Cang Academy's team. Though Bingqin and Huo Wu's zither-and-dance combination overwhelmed them with coordinated control and attacks, Jiang Hai countered their assault with Ultimate Divine Fire.

• Jiang Hai and Sun Yunhai introduced themselves as young Level 34 and Level 31 Soul Elders, and Wu Tong set them a two-on-two assessment against Bingqin and Huo Wu.
• Bingqin and Huo Wu began their coordinated attack, with Bingqin's zither empowering Huo Wu's flame-based martial soul.
• Jiang Hai used his Heart Mirror and Sun Yunhai's cloud illusions to evade and resist their assault, but Bingqin's music weakened the illusions and drained Jiang Hai's soul power.
• Jiang Hai struck the Bronze Coffin to interrupt the music and rushed Huo Wu, but she parried him and counterattacked as Bingqin's Twilight skill slowed his mind.
• Bingqin and Huo Wu's flaming palm imprints engulfed Jiang Hai, and he unleashed Ultimate Divine Fire to drive them back.

Jiang Hai and Sun Yunhai fought Bingqin and Huo Wu to a draw, and Jiang Hai revealed his hidden ten-thousand-year soul ring and his reason for leaving Shrek Academy. Wu Tong and Xu Yunxiu welcomed them to the East Cang Team, whose members introduced themselves.

• Bingqin broke through to Rank 47 after the divine fire inspired her, then joined Huo Wu in pressing Jiang Hai with her zither and Huo Wu's Fire Spirit Dance.
• Jiang Hai charged Huo Wu's fire spirit with his Bronze Coffin, and the clash exhausted all three fighters before the flames dispersed in a draw.
• Huo Wu asked about Jiang Hai's changing soul ring, and he admitted his third ring was a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring disguised with Sun Yunhai's Cloud Illusion Technique.
• Jiang Hai explained that he and Sun Yunhai had left Shrek Academy after he rejected its team-selection requirements, and Wu Tong invited them to join East Cang Academy.
• Xu Yunxiu welcomed Jiang Hai and Sun Yunhai on behalf of the team, and Feiyan, Xu Wenqing, Lan Ling'er, and Baozi introduced their abilities and roles.

Wu Tong finalized East Cang Academy’s Soul Fighting Tournament roster and ordered stricter team training and soul tool preparation. Xu Wenqing discussed suitable equipment for Jiang Hai and Sun Yunhai, then the team’s practice battle began with Baozi supporting his group and Xu Wenqing blocking Xu Yunxiu’s attack.

• Wu Tong named himself team leader, Xu Yunxiu captain, Jiang Hai vice-captain, and assigned the remaining regular and substitute members for the tournament.
• Wu Tong urged Jiang Hai and Sun Yunhai to use soul tools, and Jiang Hai revealed that he was a soul engineer.
• Xu Wenqing recommended a defensive soul tool and gauntlets for Jiang Hai, and discreet long-range weapons or Tang Sect hidden weapons for Sun Yunhai.
• Wu Tong divided the team into two groups for a practice battle, allowing only Xu Wenqing to use soul tools and assigning the losers to wash the winners’ socks.
• Baozi began supporting Jiang Hai’s group with Fortune Star Buns as Xu Yunxiu fired her Dragon-Patterned Golden Needle and Xu Wenqing blocked it with a Level 4 shield.

Jiang Hai and Xu Wenqing attended a Soul Engineer-focused auction at the Starlight Auction House, where they bought materials and notes. Jiang Hai won the blueprint for the Heaven-Chosen Hand of Justice, betting that Baozi’s luck would make its unreliable critical-hit effect worthwhile.

• Jiang Hai and Xu Wenqing entered the Starlight Auction House and learned about its auction tiers and identity-concealing masks.
• Jiang Hai and Xu Wenqing watched the Soul Tool auction and bought materials and Soul Engineers’ notes rather than finished Soul Tools.
• Hong Lian presented a Level 5 blueprint for gauntlets that could deal powerful critical hits but had a very low chance of doing so.
• Xu Wenqing explained the blueprint’s likely flaw, and Jiang Hai said the gauntlets suited them and invoked Baozi’s Fortune-Bringing Big Baozi.
• Jiang Hai outbid a masked Soul Master at sixteen thousand gold coins and won the Heaven-Chosen Hand of Justice blueprint before Hong Lian introduced the finale.

Jiang Hai and Xu Wenqing bought several items at the Starlight Auction House, then spent the night improving the Chosen Hand of Justice blueprint. Their work doubled its core array’s critical hit rate, and Xu Wenqing questioned Jiang Hai about his Soul Engineer abilities.

• A masked Soul Master won the Level 5.5 Flying Together flying soul tool for 230,000 gold coins.
• Jiang Hai and Xu Wenqing collected their auction purchases, signed transaction documents under the names “Ji” and “Xu,” and received VIP cards from Hong Lian.
• After leaving through a concealed passage, Jiang Hai confirmed that no one was following them and examined the Chosen Hand of Justice blueprint with Xu Wenqing.
• Using Jiang Hai’s divine fire to sharpen their thinking, Jiang Hai and Xu Wenqing revised the core array throughout the night, raising its critical hit rate from under five percent to ten percent.
• At dawn, Xu Wenqing asked Jiang Hai why he had claimed to be a low-level Soul Engineer, and Jiang Hai pointed out that he had never said so.

Jiang Hai and Xu Wenqing completed the Chosen Hand of Justice blueprint with help from Xu Wenqing’s teacher, Zhen Weiding, and Jiang Hai built the upgraded critical-hit gauntlets. Testing showed that Baozi’s Fortune Star Bun made their unpredictable critical hits far more reliable, just as the Soul Fighting Tournament was about to begin.

• Jiang Hai told Xu Wenqing he could make Level 5 Soul Tools and attempt simple Level 6 core arrays, and she offered to take their shared blueprint to Zhen Weiding for improvement.
• Zhen Weiding upgraded the Chosen Hand of Justice to a Level 5.5 Soul Tool, made Xu Wenqing a critical-hit longsword, and crafted protective Soul Tools for the other East Cang Team members.
• Jiang Hai finished the redesigned Chosen Hand of Justice, whose bracelet form transformed into gauntlets that stored Soul Power with each punch and released it on a critical hit.
• At the Soul Fighting Arena, Jiang Hai shattered an iron target with a critical hit on his thirty-seventh punch, and Wu Tong warned him not to use the unpredictable gauntlets in sparring.
• Baozi gave Jiang Hai a Fortune Star Bun, and Jiang Hai’s first punch triggered a critical hit; further tests showed the bun made a critical hit nearly certain within ten attacks.
• Wu Tong gathered the East Cang Team, announced that the tournament began the next day, and said they would report to the Star Emperor Hotel before reviewing the schedule.

East Cang Academy prepared for the Soul Fighting Tournament and arrived in Star Luo Plaza for the opening day. Jiang Hai recognized Shrek Academy’s unusually young team and learned that something might have happened to its regular lineup.

• Wu Tong explained the tournament’s knockout format, announced East Cang Academy’s starting lineup, and told Lan Ling'er to remain ready as a reserve.
• Wu Tong took the team to the Star Emperor Hotel, where local spectators discussed East Cang Academy’s privileged accommodations and the upcoming Bingqin and Huo Wu performance.
• Jiang Hai cultivated in his room and advanced to the late stage of level 34.
• The Star Luo Empire’s emperor received the tournament draw results, ordered the plaza opened to spectators, and oversaw the arrival of the competing teams.
• Feiyan asked Jiang Hai about Shrek Academy’s young team, and Jiang Hai noted that its usual members were missing.
• Jiang Hai greeted Ma Xiaotao and asked whether something had happened to Shrek Academy.

Jiang Hai reunited with Ma Xiaotao, but explained that he would compete for East Cang Academy rather than Shrek. The tournament opened with Shrek facing Tianling Academy, and Shrek’s overwhelming strength left the crowd stunned.

• Ma Xiaotao told Jiang Hai that an evil soul master’s corpse-explosion attack had killed Yao Haoxuan and badly injured several Shrek team members, then asked him to compete with Shrek.
• Jiang Hai explained that he was East Cang Academy’s vice-captain, and Wang Yan identified the academy as a celebrated center for art and culture.
• Bingqin played the zither and Huo Wu danced at the opening ceremony, impressing the Star Luo emperor and the spectators.
• The tournament’s first match paired Shrek Academy with Tianling Advanced Soul Master Academy, whose leader Wu Tong urged his students not to lose heart.
• Huo Yuhao revealed seven blood-red soul rings alongside Ma Xiaotao’s seven rings, shocking the spectators and officials.
• Ma Xiaotao swept through Tianling’s formation with her ultimate fire, and the referee declared Shrek the winner after the opposing team was knocked unconscious.

After Shrek Academy’s overwhelming victory, Jiang Hai urged East Cang Academy to focus on its own tournament path, and the team prepared for its knockout match against Blue Xiang Advanced Soul Engineer Academy. The match began with Blue Xiang underestimating East Cang, while Wang Yan suspected Jiang Hai’s team might be a dark horse.

• Huo Wu, Xu Wenqing, and Wu Tong despaired at the prospect of facing Shrek Academy’s two seven-ring soul masters, but Jiang Hai reminded them to focus on reaching the finals and winning their own matches.
• Xu Jiawei ordered an investigation into the identities of Huo Yuhao and the other young seven-ring soul master, while the knockout matches resumed.
• Jiang Hai and his teammates returned to the Star Emperor Hotel to cultivate, then gathered the next day for their match after Baozi served buns that restored stamina and granted blessings.
• Wu Tong warned East Cang Academy to close in on Blue Xiang’s soul engineers and said Sun Yunhai’s Illusion Technique could be especially effective against them.
• Blue Xiang’s teacher and students mocked East Cang as an easy opponent and joked about Bingqin and Huo Wu, while the host introduced both teams to the cheering crowd.
• Wang Yan watched East Cang take the arena and suspected that Jiang Hai would not have joined the team unless it had the potential to become a dark horse.

Jiang Hai and the East Cang Arts Academy team faced Blue Xiang in an elimination match, where Blue Xiang’s artillery barrage appeared to kill all seven opponents. The East Cang team revealed the scene was a deception, kicked Blue Xiang off the platform, and won the match.

• Xu Jiawei wagered with the empress that East Cang would defeat Blue Xiang.
• Jiang Hai asked Blue Xiang’s captain about Excavator, then both teams took their positions for the match.
• Blue Xiang formed an artillery fortress and unleashed a coordinated barrage, while East Cang’s members dodged the first volley with astonishing speed.
• Blue Xiang redirected its fire, and the blasts appeared to tear apart all seven East Cang team members.
• Jiang Hai and the others revealed themselves beside the artillery emplacements and kicked Blue Xiang’s team off the platform.
• The referee declared East Cang Arts and Soul Master Academy the winners, while Sun Yunhai remained safe away from the barrage.

East Cang Academy defeated Blue Xiang Academy in the elimination round by using Sun Yunhai’s illusions to deceive their opponents and conceal their own strength. After promising to reach the grand final, Jiang Hai studied the blueprints for Time’s Second Hand to find a way to strengthen the team with Soul Tools.

• Sun Yunhai’s illusions helped East Cang Academy defeat Blue Xiang Academy without revealing its members’ abilities, while spectators and Xiao Hongchen praised the clever strategy.
• Blue Xiang Academy’s teacher told the team to accept its loss and improve, as the defeated students struggled with their elimination.
• Wu Tong warned East Cang Academy that future opponents would be more prepared, and Xu Yunxiu asked Jiang Hai and Sun Yunhai to help uphold the academy’s honor.
• Sun Yunhai pledged to fight for East Cang, and Jiang Hai promised that the team would win every match through the grand final.
• After returning to the hotel, Jiang Hai studied the blueprints for Time’s Second Hand, hoping to simplify the Level 7 Soul Tool into a Level 6 version.

Wu Tong explained East Cang Academy’s favorable round-robin draw and urged the team to aim for first place, while rival teams identified East Cang as a threat. At the tournament’s opening round-robin match, Xu Sanshi revealed more of his strength and secured Shrek Academy’s victory over Yunluo Academy.

• Wu Tong reassured the worried team that East Cang Academy had drawn a relatively weak round-robin group, and he set first place as their goal.
• A tall man and his teammates discussed their chances in the group, naming East Cang Academy as a team to watch despite Xiao Feng’s confidence.
• Shrek Academy drew Yunluo Advanced Soul Engineer Academy for an individual-combat match, and Xu Sanshi easily knocked Ma Yingjun and Shang Yue off the platform.
• Si Xingyu challenged Xu Sanshi to fight seriously, then unleashed a barrage of soul-guidance weapons.
• Xu Sanshi evaded Si Xingyu’s attacks with rapid footwork and his shield, defeated him, and won Shrek Academy’s first round-robin match.

Jiang Hai debuted for East Cang Academy against Heavenly Star Academy and used Xu Wenqing’s Blade of the Chosen to defeat two opponents. The weapon’s critical-hit ability stunned soul engineers from both Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Empire.

• Jiang Hai volunteered for East Cang Academy’s individual match and faced Zhao Cangmang of Heavenly Star Academy.
• Jiang Hai knocked Zhao Cangmang unconscious with one saber strike, leaving his arm broken.
• Niu Hu entered to test Jiang Hai’s strength and repeatedly blocked his attacks with an ox-horn shield.
• On Jiang Hai’s thirty-seventh slash, the Blade of the Chosen triggered a critical hit, shattered Niu Hu’s shield, and sent him crashing into the barrier.
• He Caitou and Elder Ma recognized the weapon as a critical-hit soul tool and reacted with disbelief.

Jiang Hai’s critical-hit soul tool drew attention from the Star Luo Emperor and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy as East Cang faced Heavenly Star Academy. After defeating Ge Teng with ultimate fire, Jiang Hai revealed his bronze coffin martial soul and three soul rings before beginning his duel with Feihong.

• He Caitou explained the rarity of critical-hit soul tools, and Xu Jiawei ordered the Prime Minister to seek East Cang Academy’s consent to acquire the technology.
• Elder Ma instructed Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen to befriend East Cang’s students and discover who had created the critical-hit soul tool.
• Ge Teng filled the arena with regenerating vines, but Jiang Hai drove them back with ultimate fire and forced Ge Teng to surrender.
• Feihong entered the arena with her five-ring Feihong Blade, and Jiang Hai summoned his bronze coffin martial soul, revealing three soul rings, including a black ten-thousand-year ring.
• Feihong questioned whether Jiang Hai was truly a soul engineer, suspecting that his soul tool had been a disguise for his identity as a soul master.

Jiang Hai defeated Feihong and two more Heavenly Star Academy fighters, bringing his individual victories to six. His duel with Mo He ended in a draw after both fighters avoided attacking, so East Cang Academy won the match.

• Jiang Hai used the Blade of the Chosen's critical hits to overcome Feihong's sword techniques and defeat the Soul King.
• Mo He told Hong Fang and Zhang Xuan to prioritize staying safe, and both lost to Jiang Hai without being injured.
• Jiang Hai stood alone after defeating six fighters, while the crowd urged him to defeat all seven opponents.
• Mo He transformed into a Gale Demon Wolf and attacked Jiang Hai with wind blades, but Jiang Hai dodged and countered.
• Jiang Hai and Mo He each waited for the other to attack until the referee declared their duel a draw and awarded East Cang Academy the win.

Jiang Hai led East Cang Academy to a draw against Heavenly Star Academy, then broke through to level 35 before preparing to face Tianlong Academy. East Cang’s two-two-three lineup was set, and the teams drew lots for a group battle.

• Jiang Hai and Mo He ended their final duel in a draw, leaving Heavenly Star Academy with no competitors and completing Jiang Hai’s sweep of its team.
• Jiang Hai returned the Blade of the Chosen to Xu Wenqing, then declined her invitation to an auction so he could cultivate toward a breakthrough.
• Jiang Hai broke through to level 35 overnight and joined East Cang Academy’s waiting area the next morning.
• Wu Tong planned East Cang’s two-two-three lineup against Tianlong Academy, assigning Bingqin and Huo Wu to the first match and Jiang Hai, Yun Xiu, and Xu Wenqing to the final match.
• Shrek Academy defeated Qianling Academy after a grueling battle led by Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and He Caitou.
• The draw assigned East Cang Academy and Tianlong Academy a two-two-three group battle, and Wu Tong sent Yun Xiu to draw lots.

East Cang Academy’s Feiyan and Sun Yunhai faced Tianlong Academy’s Zuo Zonglong and Zhao Xiaoyao in the opening two-on-two match. Sun Yunhai used a bluff and cloud illusions to try to gain an advantage, but the Tianlong pair countered the mist and blocked his hidden-weapon attack.

• Feiyan and Sun Yunhai took the stage against Zuo Zonglong and Zhao Xiaoyao, who revealed that they were both Soul Ancestors.
• Sun Yunhai feigned having five Soul Rings and rode an Azure Dragon illusion while Feiyan took flight, trying to intimidate their opponents.
• Zuo Zonglong and Zhao Xiaoyao summoned their top-tier dragon Martial Souls and combined their abilities in Dragon Knight-style combat.
• Sun Yunhai unleashed his Cloud God skill, filling the arena with clouds that obscured the fighters and concealed his position.
• Zuo Zonglong used Great Wind Turbulence to disperse the clouds, and Zhao Xiaoyao blocked Sun Yunhai’s twelve crossbow bolts with his dragon spear.

East Cang Academy’s Sun Yunhai and Feiyan fought Zhao Xiaoyao and Zuo Zonglong in the opening bout, but Zhao’s desperate fourth soul skill secured Tianlong Academy the win at the cost of his martial soul and his own collapse. With Feiyan injured and East Cang trailing, Bingqin and Huo Wu entered the second bout determined to even the score.

• Sun Yunhai revealed Feiyan’s hidden attack and struck Zuo Zonglong with a Back-Mounted Flower Crossbow bolt, forcing him to surrender.
• Feiyan pressed Zhao Xiaoyao at close range while Sun Yunhai supported her, but Zhao unleashed Blood Dragon Severance and shattered his Bloodthirsty Dragon Spear in a devastating attack.
• Feiyan and Sun Yunhai were wounded and forced out of the arena, giving Tianlong Academy the first bout; Zhao then collapsed unconscious.
• Wu Tong blamed himself for the defeat, but Bingqin and Jiang Hai encouraged him and promised East Cang could still recover.
• Bingqin and Huo Wu entered the arena for the second bout, determined to win.