Recaps

Cao Yu earned his Level 3 Soul Engineer badge with Meng Hongchen’s hands-on guidance, then went out with her for dinner and a walk around Mingdu. When the academy’s closing bell rang, Meng Hongchen had kept him out until they were standing in front of a luxurious hotel, leaving them unable to return to the academy.

• Meng Hongchen taught Cao Yu to engrave Soul Tool arrays and guided his hand until he could control the carving knife.
• Over the next few months, Cao Yu earned his Level 3 Soul Engineer badge, making He Caitou and the others envious of his lessons with Meng Hongchen.
• Cao Yu invited Meng Hongchen to dinner, and they ate together at an upscale restaurant in Mingdu.
• Meng Hongchen took Cao Yu on a long walk through the city, repeatedly delaying his return with excuses to shop.
• When the academy’s closing bell rang, Meng Hongchen and Cao Yu were outside a luxurious hotel, and she asked what they should do since they could not get back in.

Cao Yu rejected Meng Hongchen’s advances, later made peace with her, and earned his Level 4 Soul Engineer badge. As summer vacation approached, he planned to travel to the Far North to obtain Soul Rings for his third Martial Soul, Ice.

• Cao Yu took Meng Hongchen back to the academy instead of entering a hotel, and she angrily accused him of not being a man before running off.
• Cao Yu found Meng Hongchen avoiding him at Mingde Hall the next morning, and she ignored him while he worked.
• Cao Yu coaxed Meng Hongchen into forgiving him, and she continued guiding his Soul Tool experiments over the next three months.
• Cao Yu received his Level 4 Soul Engineer badge from Xuan Ziwen, surprising Xuan Ziwen, Ju Zi, and Ke Ke.
• Ju Zi hosted a picnic before summer vacation, where Cao Yu and the others discussed Ke Ke’s upcoming Level 7 Soul Engineer assessment.
• Cao Yu decided to travel to the Far North after the next day to obtain Soul Rings for his third Martial Soul, Ice.

Cao Yu and his companions searched the Far North for a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast, and his Shadow Clone subdued an Ice Soul Turtle. The turtle offered to lead them to seven other hundred-thousand-year ice-attribute Soul Beasts, and Cao Yu agreed to spare it for now.

• Cao Yu traveled north with his Shadow Clone and Immoral Dog, who asked him to find a female beast pet.
• Cao Yu used Spiritual Detection to locate a sleeping hundred-thousand-year Ice Soul Turtle beneath the ice.
• Cao Yu broke the ice to wake the turtle, and his Shadow Clone stopped its attack and seized its neck.
• The Ice Soul Turtle begged for mercy and offered to reveal the locations of seven other hundred-thousand-year ice-attribute Soul Beasts.
• Cao Yu withdrew his sword and ordered the Ice Soul Turtle to lead the way.

Cao Yu and the Shadow Clone hunted several hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts with the Ice Soul Turtle’s help, while the Immoral Dog received three female wolves. As Cao Yu approached the final target, the Storm Snow Demon Ape, he found it being hunted by an Ice Jade Scorpion, awakening the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm’s memories of Bing'er.

• The Ice Soul Turtle led Cao Yu and the Shadow Clone to the Frozen Giant Bear, which the Shadow Clone defeated before Cao Yu absorbed its Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and gained its right arm bone.
• The Ice Soul Turtle guided Cao Yu to the Snow Wolf King, and Cao Yu obtained its Soul Ring while the Immoral Dog was given three female snow wolves to take into the demiplane.
• Cao Yu hunted an Ice Nether Insect, a Mystic Ice Ironwood Pig, and an Icefield Snake in succession.
• Cao Yu found the Storm Snow Demon Ape near death as an Ice Jade Scorpion hunted it, and the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm woke and began exclaiming about Bing'er.

Cao Yu's Shadow Clone rescued the Storm Snow Demon Ape from the Ice Empress so Cao Yu could claim it as his chosen Soul Ring. After Tian Meng revealed himself and urged the Ice Empress to transform into a human, Cao Yu offered proof that the Snow Empress had done so, leaving the Ice Empress doubtful but intrigued.

• Cao Yu's Shadow Clone stopped the Ice Empress from killing the Storm Snow Demon Ape, then knocked the beast unconscious despite her attack.
• The Ice Empress confronted Cao Yu, who insisted that the Storm Snow Demon Ape was his chosen prey and that she could not take it.
• Tian Meng pleaded with Cao Yu to let him appear before the Ice Empress, and Cao Yu agreed.
• Tian Meng told the Ice Empress she could avoid her coming four-hundred-thousand-year tribulation by transforming into a human like the Snow Empress.
• Cao Yu gave the Ice Empress a strand of the Snow Empress's hair as proof, and she recognized it.

Cao Yu took Ice Empress to his demiplane, killed the Storm Snow Demon Ape, and absorbed his sixth ice-attribute Soul Ring before returning to Shrek Academy. He reunited with Wang Dong and then met up with Tang Ya, Ning Tian, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, and Ma Xiaotao.

• Ice Empress questioned Cao Yu about Snow Empress, then entered his demiplane after Tian Meng assured her that he had treated Snow Empress well.
• Cao Yu warned Immoral Dog to avoid Ice Empress, left her in the demiplane, and killed the unconscious Storm Snow Demon Ape.
• Cao Yu absorbed his sixth ice-attribute Soul Ring, thanked the Ice Soul Turtle for its help, and left the Far North.
• At Shrek Academy, Cao Yu surprised Wang Dong in their dorm room, and she hugged and playfully punched him for returning after claiming he would be gone for three years.
• Cao Yu learned that Tang Ya and the others were still at the academy, then met Tang Ya, Ning Tian, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, and Ma Xiaotao at Shrek Square.

Cao Yu returned to Shrek, reunited with his friends, and helped the Ice Empress begin transforming into a human. Ma Xiaotao then took him to the inner court, saying her Phoenix Fire was acting up and he had to come with her that night.

• Cao Yu told Tang Ya, Ning Tian, Ma Xiaotao, Jiang Nannan, and the others that he had passed the Level 4 Soul Engineer examination and learned they had passed the inner court assessment.
• Cao Yu and his friends played by Sea God Lake until sunset.
• The Ice Empress decided to become an embryo and take human form, and Cao Yu began her transformation with a Transformation Talisman and his blood.
• Cao Yu prepared to leave Shrek, but Ma Xiaotao carried him to the inner court and said her Phoenix Fire was acting up again.

After returning to the Sun Moon Empire, Cao Yu resumed his studies and received a Level 5 Soul Tool assignment from Xuan Ziwen. The chapter leaves him walking away from Ji Juechen, whose interest in him only grows after their awkward first meeting.

• Ma Xiaotao told Cao Yu her bracelet had broken, and he went with her to her residence before leaving for the Sun Moon Empire the next day.
• Cao Yu reached Sunrise City and reunited with He Caitou and Ye Xiaosheng, who teased him about his vacation and Meng Hongchen.
• Meng Hongchen gave Cao Yu snacks she had bought especially for him, and classes soon returned to their routine.
• Xuan Ziwen gave Cao Yu a Level 5 Stationary Soul Cannon blueprint and told him he could complete it without a deadline to earn his Level 5 Soul Engineer badge.
• Ji Juechen introduced himself to Cao Yu and offered his hand, but Cao Yu brushed past him, leaving Ji Juechen awkwardly intrigued.

Cao Yu agreed to duel Ji Juechen for their weapons, and the two six-ring Soul Masters began a fierce fight in the academy arena. As the match drew a crowd, Meng Hongchen, Ju Zi, and Ke Ke cheered for Cao Yu, and other female students joined them.

• Ji Juechen challenged Cao Yu to a duel and offered his extraterrestrial meteoric iron sword; Cao Yu agreed to wager a Level 7 Soul Tool.
• Cao Yu and Ji Juechen paid to use the competition testing grounds, where Teacher Li refereed and prohibited highly lethal weapons.
• Ji Juechen drew his sword and unleashed his sword intent, while Cao Yu charged him with the speed boost from his Second Martial Soul.
• Cao Yu and Ji Juechen traded blows, and the noise of their fight drew a crowd to the spectator stands.
• Meng Hongchen cheered for Cao Yu, then Ju Zi and Ke Ke joined her, prompting more female students to cheer as well.

Cao Yu defeated Ji Juechen in the arena and invited him to join his research institute in Star Luo City. Ji Juechen accepted on the condition that he could challenge Cao Yu once every year.

• Cao Yu caught Ji Juechen’s sword between his fingers, disarmed him, and defeated him in their fight.
• Teacher Li stopped Cao Yu from slamming Ji Juechen into the ground and announced Cao Yu as the winner.
• Ji Juechen honored his promise and gave Cao Yu his sword, and Cao Yu asked him to meet the next day.
• Cao Yu returned the sword and invited Ji Juechen to follow him and work at his research institute in Star Luo City.
• Ji Juechen agreed to join Cao Yu if he could challenge him once a year.

Cao Yu recruited Ji Juechen to his research institute, then helped Meng Hongchen finish her Level 7 Soul Tool Turret project. After kissing him twice and walking with him along a campus corridor, Meng Hongchen confessed that she liked him.

• Cao Yu recruited Ji Juechen to his research institute, and Ji Juechen agreed to join.
• Meng Hongchen asked Cao Yu to help complete her Soul Tool Turret project, and he agreed.
• Cao Yu engraved the Level 3 and Level 4 arrays while Meng Hongchen handled the other parts of the turret.
• After testing the completed turret, Meng Hongchen kissed Cao Yu twice and called the kisses his reward.
• Meng Hongchen walked with Cao Yu along a campus corridor and firmly told him that she liked him.

Meng Hongchen confessed to Cao Yu, and they began dating after sharing a kiss and spending the evening together. The next day, they worked closely on experiments before Cao Yu started an intensive Soul Engineer training session under Teacher Liu.

• Meng Hongchen asked Cao Yu to be her boyfriend, and he accepted before they kissed and walked her to her dormitory.
• Meng Hongchen hugged Cao Yu once more after he left her at the girls' dormitory, then returned inside as he went back to his room.
• The next morning, Cao Yu and Meng Hongchen met outside Mingde Hall, held hands, and worked together on experiments.
• Xuan Ziwen gave Cao Yu unusual metal plates and told him to take the afternoon's Soul Engineer intensive training seriously.
• Cao Yu arrived at the training area, where Teacher Liu introduced himself as a rank-eight Soul Douluo and Level 8 Soul Engineer before beginning the lessons.

Teacher Liu taught Cao Yu how to carve multiple layers of Soul Guidance Arrays into a thin, shape-memory metal panel, and Cao Yu kept practicing after managing three layers. After class, he walked to dinner with Meng Hongchen, and they shared a playful, affectionate exchange.

• Teacher Liu demonstrated how to carve five layers of acceleration arrays into a thin metal panel and showed Cao Yu the panel's shape-memory properties.
• Cao Yu practiced for an hour and successfully carved three layers, then continued working after class ended.
• He Caitou and the other students left without Cao Yu when Meng Hongchen arrived to join him.
• Cao Yu and Meng Hongchen walked toward the dining hall, teased each other about their dimples, and kissed.

Cao Yu and Meng Hongchen grew closer during a quiet evening by the lake, while Cao Yu continued his formation work and cultivation. Jing Hongchen announced a camping trip for the senior students and urged Cao Yu to treat Meng well, leaving Cao Yu to tease her afterward.

• Cao Yu and Meng Hongchen ate together, then spent the evening embracing and kissing beside the lake without catching any fish.
• Cao Yu completed engraving a five-layer formation under Teacher Liu's guidance and continued cultivating his Soul Power.
• Jing Hongchen gathered the senior students and announced a camping trip, telling them to stay safe and follow their teachers' instructions.
• Jing Hongchen asked Cao Yu about his relationship with Meng Hongchen and told him to treat her well.
• Cao Yu left after hearing Jing Hongchen wish he belonged to Mingde Hall, then told Meng Hongchen that her uncle wanted to marry her off to him.

Cao Yu and Meng Hongchen joined a school trip to Linhai Beach, where they settled into adjoining hotel rooms and spent time with their classmates. Ju Zi and Ke Ke learned that Cao Yu and Meng Hongchen were together, and Ju Zi served Cao Yu extra-spicy skewers while admitting she liked him too.

• Cao Yu teased Meng Hongchen about marrying him before the students left the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy for Linhai Beach under Lin Jiayi's guidance.
• Cao Yu and Meng Hongchen received adjoining rooms at the Linhai Grand Hotel and unpacked before going to the beach.
• Cao Yu and Meng Hongchen found their classmates enjoying the beach, while Ju Zi and Ke Ke prepared a barbecue.
• Ju Zi and Ke Ke asked whether Cao Yu and Meng Hongchen were together, and Cao Yu confirmed they had been dating for a few weeks.
• Ju Zi gave Cao Yu extra-spicy skewers, then told Ke Ke that she liked him and that Meng Hongchen had gotten close to him first.

Cao Yu enjoyed a beach outing with Meng Hongchen and raced his companions through the sea before encountering a nearly ninety-thousand-year-old Demon Soul Great White Shark. He fled toward shore and warned the others, who escaped and alerted their teacher.

• Cao Yu discovered that his skewers were unusually spicy, cooled his mouth in the sea, and drew attention from Meng Hongchen and other girls on the beach.
• He Caitou, Ye Xiaosheng, Chen Beifeng, and the others challenged Cao Yu to a swimming race toward a rock five hundred meters away.
• Ju Zi and Ke Ke discussed Cao Yu’s physique and girlfriend, and Ju Zi concluded that they had underestimated the competition.
• Cao Yu spotted a Demon Soul Great White Shark approaching and realized it was an immensely powerful soul beast, but it did not attack him.
• Cao Yu escaped on his Flying Soul Tool and warned He Caitou and the others about the shark; Ye Xiaosheng and Chen Beifeng confirmed the danger, and the group fled to shore.
• Ye Xiaosheng and Chen Beifeng reached shore first and reported the shark to the teacher standing guard.

After a Demon Soul Great White Shark frightened Cao Yu at the shore, the teachers ended the search and tightened safety measures. Deep underwater, the shark princess Bai Xiuxiu told her parents she had gone to make friends with Cao Yu, who had been scared of her.

• The Demon Soul Great White Shark fled into the deep sea, and Lin Jiayi decided the teachers would not pursue it.
• Lin Jiayi warned the students to stay within a hundred meters of shore and assigned Teacher Liu and Teacher Li to watch the beach more closely.
• Cao Yu wondered why the shark had not attacked him, then teased Meng Hongchen as she chased him along the beach.
• Ju Zi and Ke Ke joked about their envy of Cao Yu and Meng Hongchen.
• Two Demon Soul Great White Sharks escorted Bai Xiuxiu back to the shark king and queen, who questioned her about sneaking away.
• Bai Xiuxiu told her parents she had gone to make friends with Cao Yu, but he had been frightened of her.

Bai Xiuxiu asked her grandfather about humans and resolved to take human form so she could befriend the handsome human blacksmith, despite her family’s warnings. Later, Cao Yu and his companions surfed near the beach and ate dinner at the Linhai Grand Hotel.

• Bai Xiuxiu told the Demon Soul Shark King and Shark Queen that she had encountered a human, while the Demon Soul Great White Sharks reported that five or six Deep Sea Demon Whales had appeared nearby.
• The old king advised the Demon Soul Shark King to attack if the Deep Sea Demon Whales approached, then warned Bai Xiuxiu to be careful around humans.
• Bai Xiuxiu argued that humans and Soul Beasts could be together and said she wanted to take human form to befriend the human blacksmith, prompting the Shark Queen and old king to object.
• Cao Yu made surfboards and taught He Caitou, Ye Xiaosheng, and the others to surf near the beach.
• Cao Yu and his companions returned to the Linhai Grand Hotel for dinner, where he joked that he had learned surfing and swimming in his dreams.

After dinner, Cao Yu and Meng Hongchen returned to their hotel rooms, but Meng Hongchen slipped into his room and persuaded him to share his bed. They spent the night together, and the next morning Meng Hongchen hid a section of the bedding before Cao Yu returned with breakfast.

• After leaving the restaurant, Cao Yu and Meng Hongchen said good night outside their rooms, and Meng Hongchen went back to hers.
• Meng Hongchen knocked on Cao Yu's door, claimed she was afraid to sleep alone, and let herself into his room.
• Meng Hongchen convinced Cao Yu to share the bed, then moved close to him and kissed him.
• At dawn, Meng Hongchen asked Cao Yu to bring breakfast and kissed his cheek before he left.
• While Cao Yu was away, Meng Hongchen cut out and stored a section of the bedding, replaced the pad, and pretended to be asleep.
• Cao Yu returned with breakfast, and he and Meng Hongchen shared an affectionate moment before eating together.

A flock of seabirds drew attention to six freshly dead Deep Sea Demon Whales near Linhai Beach, and Boss Liu arranged to bring the carcasses ashore for their meat. Cao Yu later joined the crowd while his companions teased him about Meng Hongchen.

• Ye Xiaosheng was struck by bird poop, then spotted several black shapes offshore beneath circling seabirds.
• Lin Jiayi identified the carcasses as two Deep Sea Demon Whales over a hundred thousand years old and four over ten thousand years old.
• Boss Liu examined the whales, suspected great white shark-type Soul Beasts had killed them, and ordered hotel employees to haul the carcasses ashore for their meat.
• Ye Xiaosheng and Chen Beifeng accepted Boss Liu's invitation to try whale delicacies that evening.
• Cao Yu invited Meng Hongchen to the beach, but she declined because her legs were sore and privately reflected on his prowess.
• He Caitou and the others teased Cao Yu when he arrived at the beach, hinting that they understood what had happened between him and Meng Hongchen.

Bai Xiuxiu left with the old king to take human form at Black Cliff Cavern, while Ju Zi grew jealous watching Cao Yu and Meng Hongchen together at dinner. That night, someone quietly entered Cao Yu’s room, and he waited with his eyes closed as the visitor approached his bed.

• Bai Xiuxiu confirmed her decision to take human form, and the old king took her toward Black Cliff Cavern with Soul Bones for the transformation.
• Ju Zi watched Cao Yu and Meng Hongchen share a close dinner and grew angry as she imagined she could have been in Meng Hongchen’s place.
• Meng Hongchen invited Cao Yu to visit her parents during the holidays, and he agreed to bring them local specialties.
• Meng Hongchen declined Cao Yu’s invitation to sleep together, saying her legs were still sore, and returned to her room.
• Cao Yu left his door unlocked, and half an hour later someone entered and approached his bed while he pretended to be asleep.

After Cao Yu woke beside Meng Hongchen, he learned she had not been with him the previous night and suspected Ju Zi instead. Ju Zi’s reaction to seeing the stained mattress pad confirmed his suspicion, and Cao Yu chased after her.

• Cao Yu woke alone and joined Meng Hongchen for breakfast, where she denied having slept with him the night before.
• Cao Yu found a red stain on his mattress pad and realized someone other than Meng Hongchen had visited him.
• Cao Yu identified Ju Zi as his prime suspect and hid the cut-out stain in his Storage Soul Tool.
• Ju Zi saw Cao Yu carrying the mattress pad, blushed, and ran away, so Cao Yu chased after her.

Cao Yu confronted Ju Zi about entering his room the previous night, and she admitted she had planned to prank him with chili powder but had instead been mistaken for Meng Hongchen. After Cao Yu promised to take responsibility and revealed he had several fiancées, Ju Zi reconciled with him, but Ke Ke's arrival interrupted their kiss.

• Cao Yu chased Ju Zi to her room and confronted her with a piece of red cloth from his bedding.
• Ju Zi admitted she had gone to prank Cao Yu because she was jealous of his public displays of affection with Meng Hongchen, but said he had taken advantage of her.
• Cao Yu apologized and promised to take responsibility for Ju Zi, while she told him to pretend the incident had never happened.
• Cao Yu told Ju Zi she was already his woman and revealed that Meng Hongchen was not his only fiancée.
• Cao Yu and Ju Zi kissed and fell onto the bed, but Ke Ke knocked at the door and Ju Zi told Cao Yu to hide.

Cao Yu hid in Ju Zi’s bathroom when Ke Ke came looking for her, then spent the rest of the trip growing closer to both girls. After returning to the academy with Meng Hongchen, he received Level 8 protective shields from Jing Hongchen, who welcomed him as family and left Meng wondering if the gifts were a dowry.

• Ju Zi hid Cao Yu in her bathroom so Ke Ke would not find him with her, then told him that Ke Ke liked him too.
• Cao Yu and Ju Zi continued their affectionate time together before joining Ke Ke at the beach, and Cao Yu deepened his relationships with both girls during the rest of the trip.
• Lin Jiayi led the students back to the academy, where Cao Yu strolled with Meng Hongchen while Ju Zi left with Ke Ke.
• Jing Hongchen teased Cao Yu and Meng about having a child, then gave Cao Yu four Level 8 Soul Tool Protective Shields after he began calling him Grandfather.
• Meng Hongchen wondered if Jing Hongchen had prepared the shields as a dowry, and Cao Yu teased her about marrying him.

Cao Yu continued studying Soul Tools under Meng Hongchen's guidance and passed his Level 6 Soul Engineer assessment. He left with his new badge as Xuan Ziwen called the next student to be tested.

• Ye Xiaosheng, Chen Beifeng, and He Caitou said they planned to seek romance at Shrek Academy's Sea God Lake Matchmaking Convention rather than find girlfriends at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
• Over three months, Meng Hongchen helped Cao Yu improve his Soul Tool knowledge while his Soul Power cultivation advanced.
• Cao Yu began his Level 6 Soul Engineer assessment under Xuan Ziwen, carving acceleration, attack, and Soul Power storage arrays into a panel.
• Cao Yu assembled a functioning Level 6 Soul Cannon, and Xuan Ziwen awarded him a Level 6 Soul Engineer badge.
• Cao Yu said goodbye to Xuan Ziwen, who called Li Yue forward for the next assessment.