Chapter Summaries

Gu Qingnian, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong achieved an extraordinary coordination of their martial soul auras, but a burst of mental energy put them to sleep inside a cocoon. While their friends waited at the barbecue stall, Wang Yan reported the students’ unusual abilities to Xuan Zi, who began to explain how to assess the Lan sisters’ martial souls.

• Gu Qingnian identified Wang Dong’s aura as a god’s aura and explained that the mysterious gray sphere could suppress it, while the Ice Empress and Sky Dream Ice Silkworm reacted with astonishment.
• Gu Qingnian, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong successively coordinated their martial soul auras, with Gu Qingnian leading the final, perfect fusion.
• A wave of mental energy knocked Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong unconscious; Gu Qingnian then pretended to fall asleep as A Wu burrowed into his clothes.
• At Huo Yuhao’s barbecue stall, Xiao Xiao, Bei Bei, Tang Ya, Jiang Nannan, and Xu Sanshi waited or talked while Gu Qingnian and the others failed to arrive.
• Wang Yan told Xuan Zi about the students’ unusual martial souls and soul rings, and Xuan Zi offered to teach him a way to understand the Lan sisters’ hair martial souls.

Xuan Zi concluded that Gu Qingnian possessed a second martial soul and ordered Wang Yan to protect him while he tried to secure him for the academy. After Gu Qingnian, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong woke tangled together and rushed to class, Gu Qingnian’s suggestive explanation left the class in an uproar.

• Xuan Zi told Wang Yan that Gu Qingnian likely had a second martial soul, ordered him to keep Gu Qingnian safe, and arranged to meet Yan Shaozhe.
• Fan Yu urgently called Zhou Yi and demanded that she bring Gu Qingnian to him, while Zhou Yi was shaken by a painful memory.
• Fan Yu worried that the Martial Soul Department might recruit Gu Qingnian and Huo Yuhao before he could secure them.
• Gu Qingnian woke between Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, and the three struggled apart after realizing how closely they had slept together.
• Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong hurried Gu Qingnian to class after the bell rang, and Gu Qingnian used Body Flicker to get them there quickly.
• When Zhou Yi asked how they had slept, Gu Qingnian said he had slept with Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, prompting the class to erupt in teasing cheers.

Zhou Yi announced that all of Freshman Class One had passed the assessment, and Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao set their sights on winning the knockout tournament. Back in the dormitory, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong realized they shared a secret while Gu Qingnian prepared to help them test their apparent Martial Soul Fusion again.

• Zhou Yi excused Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Gu Qingnian for arriving late, then announced that every student had passed the freshman assessment.
• Zhou Yi warned the class about the knockout tournament and said the two teams with perfect records would have earned rewards if they had not been late.
• Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong sensed a powerful closeness to each other and to Gu Qingnian, and Gu Qingnian agreed to try their apparent Martial Soul Fusion again after class.
• Xiao Xiao joined the group, and Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao declared their ambition to win the championship while Gu Qingnian claimed he would take second place.
• Back in the dormitory, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong silently realized they shared the same secret, then became dazed by Gu Qingnian's appearance when he returned from bathing.
• Gu Qingnian beckoned Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong over, saying they would begin soon.

Gu Qingnian, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong discovered that cultivating together dramatically boosted their progress and named their fused Soul Power “Three Emperors’ Power.” They tested a three-person Martial Soul Fusion Skill, unleashed a devastating beam, and all three collapsed unconscious from the strain.

• Gu Qingnian, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong cultivated together, finding that their fused Soul Power greatly increased their cultivation speed and strengthened their Soul Skills.
• Gu Qingnian tested the possible pairings and consistently took the lead, then named their fused Soul Power “Three Emperors’ Power.”
• After dinner, Gu Qingnian took Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong to a forest outside the academy to attempt a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
• The trio released their Martial Souls, and their phantoms merged into a dazzling fusion that combined the Light Goddess Butterfly, Spirit Eyes, and Gu Qingnian’s Six Eyes.
• The fused skill fired a blue, purple, and gold beam that erased vegetation and trapped nearby animals in place.
• The skill drained all three of their Three Emperors’ Power, and Gu Qingnian, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong collapsed unconscious.

Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao discovered the effects of their martial soul fusion skill, a pale-gold trench that ensnared minds and could cause severe mental damage. Gu Qingnian tested it and explained its abilities, leaving the three of them eager to see how it would grow stronger.

• Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao woke beside Gu Qingnian and noticed a pale-gold trench that entranced nearby animals and drew in their consciousness.
• Wang Dong walked toward the trench in a daze, and Gu Qingnian used his mental power and Chaos World to free her.
• Gu Qingnian approached the trench alone and tested its effects, resisting its mental attack with the Divine Mill before the trench faded.
• Gu Qingnian explained that the fusion skill could destroy what it touched, immobilize victims, and trap minds within its range for up to twelve hours.
• Wang Dong celebrated the skill's potential, while Huo Yuhao wondered about its power and Gu Qingnian suggested trying a two-person fusion skill next time.

Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Gu Qingnian named their powerful three-person Martial Soul Fusion Skill Pandora’s Path and rushed back just in time for roll call. After their teams won their first elimination matches, Zhou Yi summoned the three to her office, where she appeared unusually flustered around Gu Qingnian.

• Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Gu Qingnian agreed to call their fusion skill Nightmare in a Divine Illusion-Pandora's Path, or Pandora’s Path for short.
• Gu Qingnian carried Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong back to the academy, and the three arrived before Freshman Class One’s roll-call deadline.
• Du Weilun accepted Gu Qingnian’s argument that they were not late and let the matter go without punishment.
• Gu Qingnian and Huo Yuhao drew lots, and their teams won their first elimination-round matches and advanced to the top thirty-two.
• Zhou Yi ordered Xiao Xiao to rest and took Gu Qingnian, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong to her office, appearing flustered as she glanced at Gu Qingnian.

Gu Qingnian, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong avoided punishment from Zhou Yi by revealing that they had begun experimenting with Martial Soul Fusion Skills. Wang Yan examined their unusual joint cultivation and praised their compatibility, while Zhou Yi later asked Gu Qingnian to stay behind alone.

• Zhou Yi confronted Gu Qingnian, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong for arriving late and demanded an explanation.
• Gu Qingnian claimed they had been practicing Martial Soul Fusion Skills, and he demonstrated their combined abilities to convince Zhou Yi.
• Zhou Yi summoned Wang Yan, who watched the three cultivate together and was astonished by their speed and compatibility.
• Wang Yan congratulated the three and offered to answer their questions before leaving for Zhou Yi to report their achievement.
• Zhou Yi treated the three to a meal, then sent Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong back and asked Gu Qingnian to remain.

Gu Qingnian used his hypnotic power to draw Zhou Yi close, soothe her painful memories, and spend several hours with her before returning to the dormitory. The next day, he met Teacher Mu Jin at the Freshman Assessment Knockout Tournament venue and proposed a bet.

• Gu Qingnian removed Zhou Yi's mask and used his gaze and voice to make her come to him.
• When Zhou Yi's painful memories resurfaced, Gu Qingnian held and comforted her until she calmed down.
• Fan Yu called Zhou Yi and asked her to have Gu Qingnian meet him, while Gu Qingnian distracted Zhou Yi during the call.
• After Zhou Yi demanded an explanation, Gu Qingnian stayed with her for several hours before returning to the dormitory and telling Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong that he had learned about fusion skills.
• The next day, Gu Qingnian encountered Teacher Mu Jin at the tournament venue and asked him to make a bet.

Gu Qingnian lured Mu Jin into a private wager by provoking his pride and exposing his secrets. Mu Jin’s composure collapsed under Gu Qingnian’s taunts, and he attacked after threatening to kill him.

• Gu Qingnian challenged Mu Jin to bet on whether he could defeat Mu Jin’s prized team of three Soul Masters, with Mu Jin pledging himself if he lost.
• Gu Qingnian pressured Mu Jin to continue their conversation in his office, where he offered to help Mu Jin get closer to Fan Yu or defeat Zhou Yi if Gu Qingnian lost.
• Gu Qingnian mocked Mu Jin’s failures and revealed he knew about Mu Jin’s schemes against Zhou Yi, threatening to expose them to Zhou Yi, Fan Yu, and the academy.
• Mu Jin lost control, raised five Soul Rings, and threatened to kill Gu Qingnian so no one would learn his secrets.

Gu Qingnian forced Mu Jin into a wager by promising to help him defeat Zhou Yi if Mu Jin won. At the arena, Gu Qingnian faced Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Nanmen Yun'er, then effortlessly struck Wu Feng hard enough to break both her arms and crack her breastbone.

• Gu Qingnian stopped Mu Jin from attacking by reminding him that the academy would detect his power, then persuaded him to wager that the loser would submit to the winner.
• Gu Qingnian arrived at the arena before Zhou Yi and faced Freshman Class Nine's Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Nanmen Yun'er.
• The supervising teacher began the match, and Wu Feng charged Gu Qingnian with her Red Dragon Martial Soul.
• Gu Qingnian casually sent Wu Feng flying with one strike, and Nanmen Yun'er tried to catch her while Ning Tian boosted them with her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
• Wu Feng redirected her momentum and crashed to the ground, remaining in the arena despite broken arms and a cracked breastbone.

Gu Qingnian defeated Wu Feng, Nanmen Yun'er, and Ning Tian in a one-against-three match without releasing his martial soul. Afterward, Fan Yu invited him to visit the Soul Tool Testing Area, while Du Weilun worried that the Soul Tool Department might recruit him.

• Gu Qingnian challenged Wu Feng, Nanmen Yun'er, and Ning Tian to land three attacks that would make him take a step back, or lose.
• Ning Tian boosted Wu Feng and Nanmen Yun'er as they attacked Gu Qingnian from both sides, then collapsed after exhausting her soul power.
• Gu Qingnian countered with dragon and phoenix powers, severely injuring Wu Feng and Nanmen Yun'er and defeating the trio.
• The supervising teacher declared Freshman Class One the winner, and Huo Yuhao and his teammates arrived to see the arena's wreckage.
• Fan Yu approached Gu Qingnian and persuaded him to visit the Soul Tool Testing Area, then left with him.
• Du Weilun realized Fan Yu had come specifically for Gu Qingnian and began using his Soul Guidance Communicator to alert others.

Gu Qingnian impressed Fan Yu by learning to make Level 2 Soul Tools within hours, then spent the night practicing before returning to cultivate. Meanwhile, Ning Tian learned that her teammates were recovering and was warned not to make an enemy of Gu Qingnian; the next day, the round of sixteen began with Xuan Zi watching from the Viewing Platform.

• Fan Yu tested Gu Qingnian's knowledge and watched him make Level 1 and then Level 2 Soul Tools after only a few hours of practice.
• Fan Yu invited Gu Qingnian to join the Soul Tool Department, but Gu Qingnian put him off and continued practicing until late before returning to the dormitory to cultivate.
• Ning Tian woke in the infirmary and learned that Wu Feng remained unconscious with serious injuries while Nanmen Yun'er was awake with broken arms.
• Mu Jin visited Ning Tian and her teammates, advised Ning Tian to learn from the defeat, and warned her not to make an enemy of Gu Qingnian.
• The next day, Xuan Zi arrived at the Viewing Platform as the round of sixteen began, and Gu Qingnian's team drew three boys as opponents.

Gu Qingnian defeated Xie Huanyue and the Luo brothers without releasing his Martial Soul, using powerful physical and spiritual techniques. After Xie Huanyue was carried away unconscious, Gu Qingnian was declared the winner and left the arena, while Wang Yan worried that Xuan Zi had not noticed Huo Yuhao.

• Xie Huanyue charged at Gu Qingnian while Luo Tianlong and Luo Tianba hid behind him, but Gu Qingnian countered their attack.
• Gu Qingnian blasted Luo Tianlong out of the arena, then redirected Luo Tianba’s strikes and threw him out as well.
• Xie Huanyue used his second and third Soul Rings, but Gu Qingnian trapped him in a Tai Chi vortex and sent his spirit into the Chaos World.
• Xie Huanyue’s body convulsed and bled before he lost consciousness, prompting the medical staff to carry him away.
• The proctor declared Gu Qingnian the winner, and Gu Qingnian left without releasing his Martial Soul.
• Wang Yan lamented that Xuan Zi had not noticed Huo Yuhao, while Xuan Zi casually ate his chicken drumstick.

After advancing to the semifinals, Huo Yuhao wrestled with his desire for revenge while Gu Qingnian and Wang Dong reminded him he was not alone. Yan Shaozhe arrived to oversee the draw, and Gu Qingnian’s untroubled manner caught the dean’s interest.

• Du Weilun praised Zhou Yi’s students, while Fan Yu offered Huo Yuhao a place in the Soul Tool Department if the Martial Soul Department did not accept him.
• Xuan Zi kept two students as candidates and chose to observe Gu Qingnian, while dismissing Huo Yuhao for now.
• Huo Yuhao’s team and Gu Qingnian’s team advanced to the semifinals after avoiding opponents with a Soul Elder.
• Huo Yuhao thought about his mother and vowed to avenge her, but Gu Qingnian and Wang Dong comforted him and cautioned him not to harm innocent people.
• Yan Shaozhe introduced himself as Shrek Academy’s dean and personally oversaw the semifinal draw.
• Gu Qingnian drew his lot without showing deference to Yan Shaozhe, whose interest in him grew.

Huo Yuhao recognized Dai Huabin and struggled to contain his hatred, while Gu Qingnian learned he would face Dai Huabin’s team. In the stands, Qian Duoduo wagered Yan Shaozhe for the right to recruit a freshman, and Yan Shaozhe realized Huo Yuhao was likely his target.

• Dai Huabin drew number one, and Huo Yuhao reacted with terror and hatred as memories of his painful past resurfaced.
• Gu Qingnian calmed Huo Yuhao and revealed that Dai Huabin’s team would face him; Huo Yuhao worried for Gu Qingnian, who promised to handle the match.
• Yan Shaozhe and Du Weilun discussed Gu Qingnian’s abilities and the prospects of Huo Yuhao’s team while watching from the stands.
• Qian Duoduo arrived with Fan Yu and proposed a wager: if his chosen team won, Yan Shaozhe would let him recruit a freshman who was not a core disciple and had not reached rank thirty.
• Yan Shaozhe inferred that Qian Duoduo’s likely target was Huo Yuhao.

Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo wagered over the matches before Gu Qingnian revealed his appearance and overwhelming power in the final. The match ended with Gu Qingnian holding Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie while an injured Dai Huabin stood at the arena’s edge.

• Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo agreed to bet fifty High-Explosive Fixed-Mounted Soul-Guided Missiles on Huo Yuhao’s match, then stopped talking when Xuan Zi told them to be quiet.
• Gu Qingnian and Dai Huabin’s team entered the arena, and the referee allowed them to attack with everything they had.
• Gu Qingnian removed his ribbon and revealed his azure eyes and divine appearance as Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, and Cui Yajie released their martial souls.
• Cui Yajie became captivated by Gu Qingnian’s eyes, but Dai Huabin’s shout brought her back to her senses as the trio launched a coordinated attack.
• Gu Qingnian grabbed Zhu Lu, shattered Dai Huabin’s White Tiger Fierce Light Wave with a golden elephant-shaped strike, and seized Cui Yajie after dispelling her attack.
• Two minutes into the match, Gu Qingnian held both girls by the neck while the injured Dai Huabin stood at the edge, and Yan Shaozhe and Xuan Zi watched in astonishment.

Gu Qingnian let Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu use their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, then crushed their White Tiger and injured Du Weilun when he tried to intervene. The match ended with Gu Qingnian’s strength drawing the attention of the academy’s leaders, while Qian Duoduo confirmed Huo Yuhao’s team had also won.

• Gu Qingnian tossed Zhu Lu aside, challenged her and Dai Huabin to hurt him, and watched them fuse into a White Tiger.
• Gu Qingnian defeated the White Tiger with Divine Elephant Suppresses the Prison, then struck Dai Huabin and injured him after the fusion dispersed.
• Du Weilun stepped in to stop Gu Qingnian, but Gu Qingnian’s five-elephant attack injured him despite his Martial Soul Avatar.
• Gu Qingnian defended his continued attacks by saying Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu had not surrendered and the referee had told him to give his all.
• Yan Shaozhe decided the academy had to recruit Gu Qingnian, while Qian Duoduo confirmed Huo Yuhao’s team had won and discussed Gu Qingnian’s talent with Fan Yu.

Gu Qingnian defeated Dai Huabin, warned him, and invited Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie to join his class. After reuniting with Huo Yuhao and the others, he was summoned by the medical staff.

• Xuan Zi laughed at Gu Qingnian's exchange with Du Weilun and left as Zhou Yi headed to the arena.
• Gu Qingnian warned the injured Dai Huabin, then unnerved Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie by praising their Martial Souls and inviting them to transfer classes.
• Du Weilun declared Gu Qingnian's team the winners, and Gu Qingnian told Cui Yajie to seek him out that night for an offer.
• Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie's teacher stormed off after catching Gu Qingnian trying to recruit his students.
• Gu Qingnian rejoined Zhou Yi, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao, who teased him about flirting, and Huo Yuhao thanked him.
• A member of the medical staff asked Gu Qingnian to come with them.

Gu Qingnian went to the infirmary to investigate Xie Huanyue’s unresponsive state after their fight and discovered that his mental power had been nearly destroyed. After Gu Qingnian’s shout sparked a trace of awareness in Xie Huanyue, he decided he still needed to frighten him more.

• A medical staff member asked Gu Qingnian to visit Xie Huanyue, and Gu Qingnian went with Zhou Yi and the others.
• At the infirmary, Gu Qingnian explained that his mental attack had nearly erased Xie Huanyue’s mental power and said he could withdraw the lingering force.
• Gu Qingnian dispersed the attack and tried supplying Xie Huanyue with mental power, but Xie Huanyue remained unresponsive.
• Gu Qingnian suggested rare mental-restoring medicine or a hundred-thousand-year-old mental-type soul beast, while the medical staff member left to consult the academy’s higher-ups.
• Gu Qingnian shouted Xie Huanyue’s name, provoking a flicker of awareness, then concluded that Xie Huanyue was not yet completely terrified of him.

Gu Qingnian revived Xie Huanyue by threatening him with the Divine Mill, then left Shrek Academy to meet Cui Yajie. He brought her to a secluded forest and began revealing his offer by activating Time Stop.

• Gu Qingnian frightened Xie Huanyue into recovering enough to panic, then left him in the medical worker's care.
• Gu Qingnian whispered to Zhou Yi, parted ways with his companions, and later slipped out of the dorm while Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao speculated about his nightly outings.
• Gu Qingnian met Cui Yajie in the grove, saw through her illusion, and told her there would not be a next time.
• Gu Qingnian took Cui Yajie outside the academy to a secluded forest, where she stumbled into his arms before asking what his offer was.
• Gu Qingnian shouted "Time Stop" as pink light erupted from his left arm.