Chapter Summaries

After Ma Xiaotao broke through, Gu Qingnian rescued her from her collapsing tent and carried her toward the academy. When she asked whether he would take responsibility for her, he was left questioning his choices and the kind of person he had become.

• Gu Qingnian fed Ma Xiaotao, and her recovering Soul Power signaled an impending breakthrough.
• Ma Xiaotao cultivated through the night while Gu Qingnian guarded her, using his Ultimate Ice to contain the flames that erupted from her body.
• Ma Xiaotao awakened her phoenix wings and destroyed the tent, then fell when pain seized her legs, and Gu Qingnian caught her.
• Ma Xiaotao bit Gu Qingnian's arm in anger, but he carried her out of the cave and toward the academy.
• Ma Xiaotao asked Gu Qingnian to take responsibility for her, prompting him to reflect on his past actions and whether he should live as a hero or a villain.

Gu Qingnian reflected on the blurred lines between heroes and villains, the system’s role in his interceptions, and his choice to target Huo Yuhao. He embraced living by his own desires, resolving to follow his own path regardless of others’ judgments.

• Gu Qingnian questioned whether celebrated heroes such as Tang San were truly righteous and whether villains were always evil.
• Gu Qingnian considered how the system gave him opportunities and reasoned that intercepting from Huo Yuhao was his only practical choice for now.
• Gu Qingnian compared his own nature with that of another transmigrator and recognized that he wanted a path blending schemes, reckless action, and personal freedom.
• Gu Qingnian resolved to disregard others’ judgments and live as he pleased, embracing his own banner.

Gu Qingnian transformed his state of mind, found his own path, and evolved his sacred pure Dao heart into a threefold Dao heart. He left the chapter sensing the changes within himself while Ma Xiaotao and the others wondered what had happened.

• Gu Qingnian followed his heart, completing the achievement One's Own Path and earning a Black Dragon Robe and a Martial Soul evolution from the system.
• Ma Xiaotao told Gu Qingnian that he had stood silently for an hour, then watched as he sensed the changes in his body and mind.
• Gu Qingnian discovered that gold, purple, and red energies had changed his Sea of Consciousness into a three-colored sea.
• Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and the Ice Empress questioned the gray sphere about Gu Qingnian's transformation, and it said he had found his own direction.
• Gu Qingnian noticed Electrolux's explanation but was not surprised or particularly concerned.

Gu Qingnian woke from his strange state to find Ma Xiaotao in his arms, then raced back toward Shrek Academy with her and promised to take responsibility for her. At Shrek, Yan Shaozhe worried that their delay would cost them a place in the upcoming tournament as the deadline for selecting participants arrived.

• While Gu Qingnian remained unresponsive, Ma Xiaotao touched his face and gave him a light kiss before he woke and caught her.
• Gu Qingnian carried Ma Xiaotao toward Shrek Academy at great speed, stunning her with his movement.
• Gu Qingnian told Ma Xiaotao, "I will," answering her question about whether he would take responsibility.
• At Shrek Academy, Wang Dong, Huo Yuhao, and the others waited anxiously for Gu Qingnian and Ma Xiaotao to return.
• Yan Shaozhe worried that their absence would prevent them from being selected for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament, whose roster deadline was that day.

Yan Shaozhe waited anxiously for Gu Qingnian and his companion to return while handling the attention surrounding Gu Qingnian. When he sensed they were back, he told Bei Bei and the others to prepare for the afternoon in the Soul Fighting Zone and informed Xuan Zi.

• Yan Shaozhe delayed searching for Gu Qingnian because powers across the continent were seeking him and the academy faced other urgent problems.
• Wang Dong, Huo Yuhao, Jiang Nannan, Xu Sanshi, Bei Bei, Tang Ya, and other students gathered at the academy gates, sensing someone was returning.
• Yan Shaozhe arrived and watched the distance until he sensed Gu Qingnian and his companion, then told Bei Bei and the others to gather in the Soul Fighting Zone that afternoon.
• Yan Shaozhe called Xuan Zi and announced that they were back, prompting activity throughout the academy.
• After the crowd dispersed, the gate patrol teachers discussed Gu Qingnian's possible return, and the Soul Saint teacher tried to wager with the Soul Emperor teacher about it.

Gu Qingnian and Ma Xiaotao returned to Shrek Academy after their encounter, while the teachers learned of their arrival and were told to send them to the Soul Fighting Zone that afternoon. During the journey, Gu Qingnian examined his nine-star rewards and began planning how to use his new martial soul fusion and mutation.

• The Soul Emperor Teacher and Soul Saint Teacher spotted Gu Qingnian and Ma Xiaotao approaching the Courtyard Gate and contacted Du Weilun, who told them to wait and direct the pair to the Soul Fighting Zone that afternoon.
• Ma Xiaotao remained preoccupied with Gu Qingnian's earlier words as he carried her toward Shrek Academy and considered how their encounter had improved her martial soul.
• Gu Qingnian examined the Black Dragon Robe reward and was thrilled that it could evolve alongside the First Emperor's Crown and the Heirloom Seal of the Realm.
• Gu Qingnian read the special nine-star reward description and realized he could fuse his martial soul with one of five randomly offered martial souls, then began considering which one to choose.

Gu Qingnian carried Ma Xiaotao toward the academy while they both struggled over what their relationship meant and whether to reveal it. Near the gates, Gu Qingnian asked whether they should separate before entering, leaving Ma Xiaotao too surprised to answer.

• Ma Xiaotao worried that she and Gu Qingnian were not truly a couple, though her feelings for him were already strong.
• Gu Qingnian considered how making their relationship public or keeping it secret could affect Ma Xiaotao, Yan Shaozhe, and the other women in his life.
• Gu Qingnian asked Ma Xiaotao whether entering the academy together would cause trouble and suggested they separate for a while.
• Ma Xiaotao was caught off guard because she had planned to ask him the same question.

Gu Qingnian and Ma Xiaotao returned to Shrek Academy together, where teachers and staff noticed their closeness and they were summoned to Sea God Island. Meanwhile, Wang Yan announced that the Core Disciples’ Selection Tournament would begin that afternoon, and the students expected Gu Qingnian to return.

• Ma Xiaotao suggested that she and Gu Qingnian keep their relationship private, but Gu Qingnian held her close and continued toward the academy gates.
• Gu Qingnian and Ma Xiaotao registered at the gates, endured the teachers’ knowing looks, and received a message summoning them to Sea God Island.
• Ma Xiaotao persuaded Patrol Teachers not to report them to Du Weilun, and Gu Qingnian later used a healing Soul Tool before they flew toward Sea God Island.
• After morning lessons ended, Wang Yan told the Core Disciples to stay behind and prepare for the Selection Tournament in the Soul Fighting Zone.
• Huo Yuhao and the other students gathered with Xie Huanyue, expecting Gu Qingnian to return as the tournament began.

Huo Yuhao and the other Core Disciples gathered for an unexpected group free-for-all assessment, while wondering whether Gu Qingnian would return. Xuan Zi changed the winning number to six, started the melee, and Huo Yuhao immediately led Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao toward Bei Bei.

• Wang Yan tried to encourage the Second Year Core Disciples by suggesting Gu Qingnian might return during the Selection Tournament, then led them to the Soul Fighting Zone.
• Huo Yuhao and the others met Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and the other Core Disciples as twenty-seven students gathered for the assessment.
• Xuan Zi arrived, confirmed that one Martial Soul Department disciple and one Soul Tool Department disciple were absent, and led the students into the arena.
• Xuan Zi announced a rule-free group melee in which the last six students remaining would win, then ordered the teachers to leave.
• Xuan Zi shouted for the fight to begin and vanished, while Huo Yuhao grabbed Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao and propelled them toward Bei Bei.

Yan Shaozhe confronted Gu Qingnian after discovering that Ma Xiaotao’s evil fire had been suppressed and that something had happened between them. Gu Qingnian admitted it and insisted he would not give up the other girls, leaving Yan Shaozhe exasperated.

• Yan Shaozhe examined Ma Xiaotao, noticed her suppressed evil fire and other unusual signs, and sent her out before questioning Gu Qingnian.
• Gu Qingnian recounted how suppressing Ma Xiaotao’s evil fire and sharing whale rubber had led to what happened between them.
• Yan Shaozhe pressured Gu Qingnian about taking responsibility, and Gu Qingnian agreed to take responsibility for Ma Xiaotao.
• Yan Shaozhe told Gu Qingnian to be with Ma Xiaotao alone, but Gu Qingnian refused and argued that he wanted to give every girl a home.

Gu Qingnian defended his plan to stay with all the girls who loved him, then accidentally revealed his intentions to Ma Xiaotao while speaking with Yan Shaozhe. Ma Xiaotao hurried him toward the Selection Tournament and denied having overheard anything, leaving their relationship and the upcoming match unresolved.

• Gu Qingnian argued that abandoning any of the girls would betray his feelings and disrupt his cultivation, and Yan Shaozhe questioned what he would do if Ma Xiaotao demanded he choose.
• Gu Qingnian told Yan Shaozhe he would keep Ma Xiaotao by his side even if he had to tie her there, then called him Father-in-law as Ma Xiaotao and Du Weilun entered the office.
• Ma Xiaotao denied eavesdropping and dragged Gu Qingnian toward the Soul Fighting Zone after Du Weilun announced the Selection Tournament had begun.
• Yan Shaozhe and Du Weilun stayed behind, then decided to go watch Gu Qingnian's match as the grand finale.
• At Sea God Lake, Gu Qingnian asked Ma Xiaotao whether she had listened outside the office, and she denied it while claiming she had only checked the door lock.

Gu Qingnian reassured Ma Xiaotao after realizing she had overheard his conversation with Yan Shaozhe, while the students in the Soul Fighting Zone began forming alliances for the free-for-all. The chapter leaves Zhu Lu eyeing nearby students as the battle approaches.

• Gu Qingnian took Ma Xiaotao's hand and told her he meant what he had said, after realizing she had been listening outside Yan Shaozhe's office.
• Yan Shaozhe had tested Gu Qingnian, while Gu Qingnian had originally planned to hold his ground and later become strong enough to silence opposition.
• Huo Yuhao led Wang Dong and their companion toward Bei Bei, while Bei Bei called Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan to join forces.
• Students across the Soul Fighting Zone sought allies as the earlier group of Dai Huabin, Xie Huanyue, Zhu Lu, Wu Feng, and Ning Tian broke apart.
• Cui Yajie decided not to join Huo Yuhao's group, and Zhu Lu turned her attention toward several nearby people.

Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie formed a temporary six-person team with the Lan sisters, Ning Tian, and Wu Feng, while Huo Yuhao gathered six companions around him, creating a seven-person team despite the new quota of six. After He Caitou used soul tools to eliminate Zhou Sichen and Cao Jinxuan, a student rallied the remaining contestants to attack Bei Bei’s group, leaving seven against eighteen.

• Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie recruited Lan Susu, Lan Luoluo, Ning Tian, and Wu Feng into a temporary team of six.
• He Caitou fired a barrage of soul tools, and Xuan Zi rescued Zhou Sichen and Cao Jinxuan from the attack before eliminating them from the competition.
• Huo Yuhao led Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong to join Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and He Caitou, then used Spiritual Detection Sharing to support the group.
• Huo Yuhao and his companions realized their seven-person team would have to eliminate one of its own if they defeated everyone else, since only six contestants could advance.
• A Fourth Year Core Disciple urged the contestants to target the four Soul Ancestors, and eighteen students moved to surround Bei Bei’s team.

Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao’s team fought off an encirclement as Cui Yajie and her companions sparked a chaotic battle among the Core Disciples. The chapter left Xu Sanshi suddenly targeted by nearly every other fighter on the field.

• Huo Yuhao used Spiritual Detection to coordinate Bei Bei’s charge, while the bamboo flute’s slowing effect and several other soul skills disrupted the combatants.
• Cui Yajie and her five companions charged into the fight and attacked Huo Yuhao’s team, prompting the other Core Disciples to join the assault.
• Bei Bei and his teammates restored their defensive line, and Jiang Nannan used Wang Dong’s shoulders to launch herself at the lion martial soul user before attacking Zhu Lu.
• Bei Bei defeated the spear wielder with Thunder Dragon Claw, while Xu Sanshi blocked attacks from three opponents with his Xuanming Turtle Shell Shield.
• Zhu Lu and her companions turned toward Xu Sanshi, and another ten Soul Masters joined them in directing their attacks at him.

Huo Yuhao's team was thrown into disarray after He Caitou accidentally eliminated Xu Sanshi, but they regrouped and used coordinated attacks to stall the opposing students. Huo Yuhao transformed with White Tiger Possession and launched a golden attack toward Wang Dong and her companion.

• Lan Susu, Lan Luoluo, Cui Yajie, and Zhu Lu coordinated their attack to draw He Caitou's Soul Guidance Rays toward Xu Sanshi.
• Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo swept past Xu Sanshi while Zhu Lu and Wu Feng engaged Bei Bei, and a hair net and Cui Yajie's charm left Xu Sanshi vulnerable to He Caitou's barrage.
• He Caitou's Soul Guidance Rays blasted Xu Sanshi out of the match, leaving Huo Yuhao's remaining teammates scattered and at a disadvantage.
• Huo Yuhao directed He Caitou to fire again, helping Bei Bei reach Xiao Xiao while a stray ray eliminated another student.
• A Fourth Year Core Disciple led the students in a single-line charge, but Xiao Xiao blocked their advance with her cauldron.
• Huo Yuhao used White Tiger Possession and sent a golden attack toward Wang Dong and her companion.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong’s Martial Soul Fusion Skill overwhelmed most of their opponents, leaving their team victorious, but an unknown person’s soul power abruptly halted the attack. Xuan Zi announced the eliminated students still had another chance and called for someone watching the battle to come down.

• Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong unleashed Withering amid brilliance, Golden Road, turning most of the opposing students into golden statues.
• An unfamiliar surge of soul power froze and weakened the Golden Road before Xuan Zi subdued the students and confirmed none had suffered serious injuries.
• The teachers praised Huo Yuhao and his companions’ teamwork, while Bei Bei tried to comfort the bewildered Xu Sanshi.
• Xuan Zi told the eliminated students that the Selection Tournament was not over and that they had another chance.
• Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Jiang Nannan, and the others searched for someone as Xuan Zi called for the watcher to come down.

Gu Qingnian returned to the arena and reunited with Wang Dong before Xuan Zi announced that he would face the eliminated students for the final place in the tournament. The students eagerly prepared to challenge him, while Xu Sanshi questioned whether Gu Qingnian had already become a Soul King.

• Gu Qingnian arrived at the arena, and Wang Dong rushed over and tackled him, tearfully welcoming him back.
• Gu Qingnian comforted Wang Dong, then said he would explain everything after his match.
• Xuan Zi revealed that the tournament had a seventh, special place and that Gu Qingnian would decide it in a final match against the eliminated students.
• The students grew excited at the prospect of fighting Gu Qingnian, but Xu Sanshi asked Xuan Zi whether Gu Qingnian had reached Soul King.

Xuan Zi revealed that Gu Qingnian was already a Soul King and set up a five-minute assessment pitting him against the eliminated students, with the previous winners allowed to join. The assessment began with every eligible student staying on the field, while Xuan Zi wondered how strong the twelve-year-old Gu Qingnian had become.

• Xuan Zi announced that Gu Qingnian had reached Soul King, stunning the students and especially the Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters.
• Xuan Zi challenged Gu Qingnian to defeat every eliminated student within five minutes while controlling his strength, and tasked the students with surviving the fight for rewards.
• Xuan Zi allowed the previous winners to join in protecting the challengers and offered them a chance to choose the final winner, while Gu Qingnian hinted to his companions that they could use this rule to select him.
• Gu Qingnian provoked the assembled students, and Huo Yuhao, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and the others decided to stay and fight him.
• Xuan Zi started the assessment and remarked that Gu Qingnian’s strength at twelve years old exceeded even Mu En’s past achievements.

The students weighed their options for surviving Gu Qingnian’s challenge as Bei Bei’s group coordinated with Zhu Lu’s group to protect the others. Gu Qingnian abruptly attacked a cluster of two-ring Core Disciples, leaving them suspended above him and the field cracked beneath his feet.

• The Core Disciples considered fleeing, fighting Gu Qingnian, or relying on Bei Bei’s group, but distrusted one another and feared being betrayed.
• Gu Qingnian recalled that he had prompted Zhu Lu’s group to attack Xu Sanshi and decided to pursue the final slot for his own reasons.
• Huo Yuhao transmitted information about Gu Qingnian’s abilities to Bei Bei and the others, though they still did not know his fifth Soul Skill.
• Bei Bei’s group approached Zhu Lu’s group, then Zhu Lu’s six scattered among the other students while six of Bei Bei’s group moved to intercept Gu Qingnian and Xu Sanshi stayed behind.
• Gu Qingnian lunged across the field and struck the two-ring Core Disciples, sending them into the air as Xuan Zi watched and cracks spread beneath Gu Qingnian’s feet.

Gu Qingnian used his overwhelming speed and strength to eliminate several Core Disciples before preparing to attack the remaining students. The chapter left the arena on the verge of his next move as he began chanting a mysterious technique.

• Gu Qingnian smashed the floor beside two Core Disciples, and Xuan Zi rescued them after they were eliminated.
• Gu Qingnian used Body Flicker to slap Xie Huanyue out of the match, while Xuan Zi caught him.
• Huo Yuhao, Jiang Nannan, Xu Sanshi, Wang Dong, and the other students reacted to Gu Qingnian's strength and watched him warily.
• Gu Qingnian appeared before the assembled students and began chanting, “One Flower, One World, one leaf, one enlightenment.”