Chapter Summaries

The Asura King explained why he had chosen Feng Lingtian over Tang San and agreed that Feng Lingtian could help his reincarnated grandfather through divine merit. Feng Lingtian accepted the Asura God’s inheritance, completed the First Trial, and left Slaughter City with Bai Yuanqi.

• The Asura King explained that Tang San’s character and wish to destroy Slaughter City disqualified him as successor, while Feng Lingtian’s choices in the three tests showed he was better suited.
• Feng Lingtian asked whether he could bring his grandfather from his previous life when he ascended, and the Asura King advised him to use future merit to bless his grandfather’s next reincarnation instead.
• Feng Lingtian agreed to inherit the Asura God position and received the First Trial: leave Slaughter City and complete the formation of the Divine Slaughter's Domain.
• Feng Lingtian absorbed the dark red light and formed the Divine Slaughter's Domain, completing the First Trial.
• The King of Slaughter confirmed Feng Lingtian’s success and told him he could return to attempt the Second Trial whenever he was ready.
• Feng Lingtian emerged from Hell Road and left the area with Bai Yuanqi.

Jiang Lin and Bai Lingyu traveled into remote mountain villages to explore and help children awaken their Martial Souls. In their first village, two children awakened ordinary farming tools with no Innate Soul Power, and A Shan stepped forward for his turn.

• Jiang Lin and Bai Lingyu chose to explore unmapped mountain areas and bring awakening tools in case they found children who needed help.
• After five days of travel, Jiang Lin and Bai Lingyu discovered a village in a valley and learned that Spirit Hall had stopped visiting it.
• Jiang Lin agreed to awaken the village children’s Martial Souls, drawing the villagers to gather beneath the old tree.
• The first child awakened a sickle Martial Soul with Level-zero Innate Soul Power, and the second awakened a hoe Martial Soul with the same result.
• A Shan’s mother encouraged him, and A Shan stepped into the awakening array plate.

Jiang Lin awakened A Shan’s rare, mutated body Martial Soul, his scaled left hand, and took him as a disciple. As the three left the village, Jiang Lin shared his own experience of being feared for his body Martial Soul, helping A Shan feel more confident about his hand.

• Jiang Lin awakened A Shan’s scaled left hand as a mutated body Martial Soul and found that his innate Soul Power was around rank three.
• A Shan’s mother agreed to Jiang Lin taking A Shan as his disciple, and A Shan called him Master.
• Bai Lingyu recorded A Shan’s awakening in his notebook, and the three left the village the following morning.
• During a rest by a stream, A Shan asked Jiang Lin whether his changing hand was really nothing to fear.
• Jiang Lin told A Shan about being ostracized for his unusual eyes until Dean Feng explained his body Martial Soul, reassuring A Shan that he would not face the same uncertainty alone.
• Bai Lingyu returned, and the three continued toward the edge of the mountains as A Shan walked with steadier steps.

Jiang Lin strengthened A Shan’s constitution, completing more of his left-hand mutation and raising his Innate Soul Power to level five. The three then traveled to Bluestone Village, where Jiang Lin and Bai Lingyu awakened four children, none of whom had a Body Martial Soul.

• Jiang Lin gave A Shan a constitution-improving pill, and A Shan’s left hand became more responsive as his Soul Power flowed into it smoothly.
• A Shan tested at Innate Soul Power level five, and Jiang Lin advised him to assess Soul Beasts and their possible Soul Skills before choosing a Soul Ring.
• Jiang Lin showed A Shan a Spineback Boar and explained that its charging Soul Ring would not suit A Shan’s close-combat and defensive Martial Soul.
• Jiang Lin and Bai Lingyu awakened four children in Bluestone Village, whose Martial Souls were an iron pot, scissors, a stool, and a bundle of firewood, with no Body Martial Souls among them.
• Bai Lingyu recorded the results in his notes, and the three left the village the next morning with A Shan walking more steadily behind Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin, Bai Lingyu, and A Shan found a reclusive village where Spirit Hall had failed to identify a child’s Martial Soul. Jiang Lin recognized that the child, Yi Chen, had a brain-type Martial Soul and invited him to join them and learn how to use it.

• Bai Lingyu learned that a village child had Soul Power but Spirit Hall could not identify his Martial Soul.
• Jiang Lin sent A Shan to speak with the child because they had both been shunned for unusual Martial Souls.
• A Shan befriended the wary child and brought Jiang Lin over to examine him.
• Jiang Lin identified Yi Chen’s brain as his Martial Soul and explained why others could not recognize it.
• Jiang Lin invited Yi Chen to travel with them and learn to use his Martial Soul, and Yi Chen quietly agreed.

Jiang Lin helped Yi Chen learn to sense his surroundings through his Martial Soul, then invited him to join their journey. After Yi Chen chose to leave his family and travel with A Shan, the four headed south toward Maple Forest Town, where Jiang Lin expected to find others who needed help.

• Jiang Lin explained that Yi Chen's Martial Soul had been sensing his surroundings and guided him in learning to listen to nearby activity.
• Yi Chen asked to learn from Jiang Lin, and A Shan welcomed him as a traveling companion.
• Jiang Lin and Bai Lingyu prepared to leave, and Yi Chen chose to leave his family and stand beside A Shan.
• The four left the village and continued south toward Maple Forest Town.
• Jiang Lin said he felt that more people were waiting for them.

Jiang Lin and Bai Lingyu learned that Xiao Man’s blue-black, vine-like arm was likely an uncontrolled Martial Soul, not an illness, and went to Old Zhou’s smithy to help him. Jiang Lin reassured the frightened boy, whose arm seemed to respond to his voice.

• At a noodle stall, Bai Lingyu asked about children with strange growths, and the owner told them Xiao Man’s arm sprouted moving vines at night.
• Jiang Lin led Bai Lingyu, A Shan, and Yi Chen to Old Zhou’s smithy and explained that Xiao Man’s condition could be his Martial Soul awakening.
• Jiang Lin used A Shan’s scaled left hand as an example to persuade Old Zhou to let him see Xiao Man.
• Jiang Lin found Xiao Man tied to his bed, crouched nearby, and gently told him he had come to help.
• Xiao Man said his arm had moved again, and Jiang Lin replied that it had heard him speaking.

Jiang Lin helped Xiao Man fully awaken and control his Martial Soul, then invited him to study with the group. After Old Zhou agreed to let his grandson go, the five travelers left Maple Forest Town and headed south toward Pine Creek Ferry.

• Jiang Lin used an awakening formation disc to reveal the dark cyan vines of Xiao Man’s Martial Soul and guided him to retract them at will.
• Bai Lingyu tested Xiao Man’s Innate Soul Power, which registered at rank three, and A Shan and Yi Chen encouraged him to cultivate with them.
• Jiang Lin asked Old Zhou to let Xiao Man study under him, and Xiao Man chose to go with Jiang Lin and his companions.
• With Bai Lingyu’s help, Jiang Lin gave Xiao Man a Soul Power guidance session that afternoon.
• The five travelers left Maple Forest Town at dusk and continued south toward Pine Creek Ferry.

Jiang Lin and Bai Lingyu reached Pine Creek Ferry, where the villagers stayed indoors and a child named Lin Du was shunned for his unusual legs. Jiang Lin recognized Lin Du’s legs as a Body Martial Soul and invited him to talk the next day, confident he would come.

• On the way to Pine Creek Ferry, Xiao Man asked Jiang Lin about receiving a pill, and Jiang Lin promised to help condition all three children’s bodies once they settled.
• At the quiet ferry crossing, Jiang Lin found a boy crouching beside a boat and learned that the villagers feared him because of his legs.
• Jiang Lin used Spirit Eyes to identify the boy’s legs as a Body Martial Soul and learned that his Innate Soul Power was rank two and Spirit Hall had dismissed him as ordinary.
• Jiang Lin learned the boy was Lin Du, invited him to talk the next day, and then settled into an empty house with Bai Lingyu and the children.

Jiang Lin helped Lin Du understand that his unusual speed came from his Martial Soul, not evil Qi, and invited him to train with the others. Lin Du joined the group, which left Pine Creek Ferry together to begin their journey as a party of four.

• Jiang Lin reassured Lin Du that his legs’ speed was a natural Martial Soul ability and encouraged him to run.
• Lin Du ran freely along the path until a village boy threw a stone at him, and A Shan stepped in to protect him.
• Yi Chen invited Lin Du to join Jiang Lin’s group and train with them, and Lin Du agreed to tell his family.
• Lin Du returned with a bundle, joined A Shan, Yi Chen, and Xiao Man, and raised his hand to join their pledge to train together.
• Jiang Lin, Bai Lingyu, and the four children left Pine Creek Ferry, with Lin Du walking at the back and looking back less often.

Jiang Lin and Bai Lingyu continued traveling south with the four children, teaching them to sense Soul Power and helping a village child discover his. After Jiang Lin drove off a group of bandits, Bai Lingyu proposed finding the children a permanent home, and Jiang Lin agreed.

• Jiang Lin taught A Shan, Yi Chen, Xiao Man, and Lin Du to sense their Soul Power, explaining that Lin Du’s was in his legs.
• Jiang Lin used Spirit Eyes to confirm that a village child had weak Soul Power, then tested him and found level-one innate Soul Power.
• Jiang Lin told A Shan that becoming a Soul Master depended on whether someone wanted to, not on the strength of their innate Soul Power.
• Bai Lingyu and Jiang Lin confronted bandits on a mountain road, and Jiang Lin’s footwork made Scarface back down.
• At camp, Bai Lingyu suggested finding the four children a permanent place to settle, and Jiang Lin agreed.

Jiang Lin and Bai Lingyu decided to end their journey south and return to Heaven Dou to build a home where they could teach and train A Shan, Xiao Man, Yi Chen, and Lin Du. As the group headed north, the children began imagining what their new home would be like.

• Bai Lingyu told Jiang Lin that they had helped everyone they could and that the four children needed a settled place to learn and train.
• Jiang Lin decided to return to Heaven Dou and use the land granted to him by the emperor to build a home for the children.
• A Shan and Xiao Man reacted with excitement to the news, while Yi Chen and Lin Du quietly joined the group in preparing to leave.
• As they walked north, A Shan said he wanted a big courtyard and a tree, and Xiao Man said he wanted a tree too.
• Bai Lingyu said they would check the deed at the city lord's residence, and Jiang Lin confirmed he had kept it with him.

Bai Yu and Shi Yan traveled west toward Mountain-Venerating Village, where Bai Yu explained her village’s Martial Soul traditions and her connection to its ancient wind chime. They crossed the mountain god’s mist barrier and reached the secluded valley, where Bai Yu paused at the entrance to take in her home.

• Shi Yan joined Bai Yu on her journey west from Godwind Academy, and they traveled for seven days through increasingly remote mountains.
• At a roadside shelter, Bai Yu told Shi Yan that Mountain-Venerating Village’s awakened Martial Souls could not be withdrawn and explained that her Wind Chime was tied to the mountain god.
• Bai Yu revealed that the ancient wind chime had rung when she and Bai Rong were born, but the mountain god had given Bai Rong no answer, leaving him in the village awaiting her return.
• Bai Yu told Shi Yan that what happened after her return depended on whether she could take the final step.
• Bai Yu guided Shi Yan through the mist barrier at the gorge entrance, and they emerged into the hidden valley where Mountain-Venerating Village stood.
• Bai Yu stopped at the valley entrance and looked at the village without moving on.

Bai Yu returned to her village with Shi Yan and learned that the priest would examine her wind chime at the altar the next day. She brought Shi Yan to her family home, where she explained that her cousin Bai Rong had also been chosen but could not leave the village.

• Bai Yu entered the village with Shi Yan and told the priest that her wind chime had grown hot during their journey but never rang.
• The priest asked Bai Yu to come to the altar chamber the next day to examine the wind chime, and villagers told her that her parents would return in two days.
• Bai Yu met her cousin Bai Rong, who asked whether she was going to the altar and told her to rest.
• Bai Yu gave Shi Yan an empty room at her house and explained that Bai Rong could not leave because the Mountain God had not answered when his wind chime rang at birth.
• Bai Yu told Shi Yan to wait in the courtyard if he wanted to accompany her to the altar the next morning.

Bai Yu entered the altar chamber with Shi Yan waiting outside and completed the first step of awakening the Ancient Wind Chime’s power. She left with a golden pattern stretching from her left wrist to her fingertips, while Bai Rong watched from afar and then departed.

• Bai Yu went to the altar chamber while Shi Yan waited outside, and the priest struck the Ancient Wind Chime.
• Bai Yu guided Soul Power through her body as a faint golden pattern emerged on her left wrist and spread across her hand.
• The priest struck the Ancient Wind Chime again and told Bai Yu she had completed the first step, calling the mark a “Golden thread.”
• Bai Yu showed the golden pattern to Shi Yan, who relaxed as villagers watched quietly from their homes and the road.
• Bai Rong looked toward the altar chamber, examined the dark markings on his arm, and left.

Bai Yu learned about the mountain gorge trial and traveled there with Bai Rong and Shi Yan, where they waited overnight before entering at daybreak. As Bai Rong fell asleep, he found himself reliving memories of childhood, including how the village’s attention shifted away from him and his first encounter with Bai Yu.

• The priest told Bai Yu that she had to enter the gorge trial and gave her a lamp to carry inside.
• Bai Rong led Bai Yu and Shi Yan north to the black stone marking the trial entrance, and they settled in to wait until morning.
• Bai Rong fell asleep and found himself in a childhood memory of the village, where people praised him and expected him to become someone remarkable.
• When the wind chime rang, Bai Rong watched the villagers run toward it and chose to turn away, after which their attention toward him gradually faded.
• Bai Rong remembered encountering four-year-old Bai Yu by the stream, where she pointed out fish, but he eventually walked away.

Bai Rong emerged from a dream of reconnecting with Bai Yu and continued with her and Shi Yan deeper into the canyon. Bai Yu entered the narrow crevice alone to face its growing pressure, while Bai Rong sensed her progress through their linked marks and Shi Yan stood ready outside.

• In his dream, Bai Rong offered Bai Yu a wild fruit and agreed to go look for bugs with her, then woke to find her worried beside him.
• Bai Rong told Bai Yu he had dreamed about the past, and the three continued into the canyon with his steps steadier than before.
• At the crevice entrance, Bai Rong warned Bai Yu not to push past her limit, and Shi Yan told her the bell would signal that they were there.
• Bai Yu squeezed into the dark passage, where the pressure grew heavy enough to force her body lower as she struggled forward.
• Bai Rong sensed through the golden thread that Bai Yu was still holding on, while Shi Yan tightened his grip on the Void Resonance Bell.
• Bai Yu straightened and took another step into the passage as the golden thread on her wrist crept toward her forearm.

Bai Yu endured the pressure inside the crevice with Shi Yan and Bai Rong’s help, completing the golden markings on her arm and emerging safely. The ancient wind chime rang toward Mountain-Venerating Village, while Bai Rong accepted that he might never become a god.

• Bai Yu walked deeper into the crevice as the pressure increased, and Shi Yan used the Void Resonance Bell to protect her when her consciousness began to sink.
• Bai Rong sent his Soul Power through the mountain markings on his arm, and Bai Yu felt warmth strengthen the golden line on hers.
• At a dead end, Bai Yu ate Oscar’s Fifth Soul Skill · Mirror Sausage and pressed her palm to the stone wall, causing the golden markings to extend to her shoulder.
• Bai Yu heard the wind chime ring, and a gap opened in the wall so she could leave the crevice.
• Shi Yan withdrew the Void Resonance Bell, and Bai Rong resolved to let go of his hopes of becoming a god.
• The ancient wind chime rang in the direction of Mountain-Venerating Village.

After Bai Yu completed her trial, the Mountain God gave her the next step of her journey and named Bai Rong a Guardian for protecting her. The next morning, Bai Yu, Bai Rong, and Shi Yan left Mountain-Venerating Village together.

• Bai Yu returned to Mountain-Venerating Village to a warm welcome, while Bai Rong watched from the edge of the crowd.
• That night, the Mountain God called Bai Yu to the altar chamber through the glowing Ancient Wind Chime and told her to keep walking the road ahead.
• Bai Rong's mountain markings began to glow, and the Mountain God declared him a Guardian after he passed its test.
• The next morning, Bai Yu, Bai Rong, and Shi Yan left the village and continued their journey beyond the mist barrier.

Bai Yu, Shi Yan, and Bai Rong investigated a northern mountain ruin as Bai Yu’s First Trial and found a stone tablet connected to the Mountain God Mark. They returned to Mountain-Venerating Village with the tablet so the priest could examine it.

• Bai Yu, Shi Yan, and Bai Rong traveled north to a mountain hollow where Bai Yu’s mark grew warm.
• Shi Yan found fresh footprints and tool marks, showing that outsiders had recently entered the ruin.
• Bai Yu’s touch activated the tablet, and Shi Yan concluded that it lost its spiritual properties when removed from its platform.
• Bai Yu wrapped and took the tablet, while the three decided not to pursue the outsiders and hurried back to the village.
• Bai Yu reached the outskirts of Mountain-Venerating Village at dawn and said they would ask the priest what the tablet was for.