Arc 1A New Beginning

Lu Yu hid his Twin Martial Souls, trained with Great Sage, and tried to protect Lu Fei while seeking a path to grow stronger. After sending Lu Fei to Nuoding Academy, Lu Yu strengthened his body with Whale Rubber and headed to the Soul Hunting Forest, where Jin Erhu came to confront him.

  • Lu Yu awakened a golden-furred monkey Martial Soul and concealed the golden cudgel in his other palm, while Lu Fei awakened a Fire Monkey with rank-five Innate Soul Power.
  • Lu Yu discovered that the cudgel could grow enormous, named it the Ruyi Staff and named the monkey Great Sage, then absorbed a Golden Armored Ant Soul Ring and gained the Indestructible Golden Body Soul Skill.
  • Lu Yu took Lu Fei to the Spirit Hall library, where they studied Soul Beast guides and Su Yuntao suggested the Sky-Flying Centipede as a possible speed Soul Beast.
  • Ta Ke and his gang attacked the brothers at their hut, but Lu Yu and Lu Fei defeated them and left for Nuoding City before the village chief could retaliate.
  • Lu Yu arranged for Lu Fei to attend Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy, then warned him to avoid Yu Xiaogang and seek Su Yuntao's help if he got into trouble.
  • Lu Yu bought hundred-year Whale Rubber, swallowed it, and cultivated until his Soul Power reached level twelve and his physique grew stronger.
  • Lu Yu set out for the Soul Hunting Forest to hunt Soul Beasts for money, and Jin Erhu arrived with four underlings to teach him the rules.
Chapters 1–25 Vol. 1 Read

Ch. 1Martial Soul Awakening

Lu Yu awakened a golden-furred monkey Martial Soul and discovered he had rank-one Innate Soul Power, while hiding the existence of a second Martial Soul. His younger brother Lu Fei awakened a Fire Monkey Martial Soul with rank-five Innate Soul Power, leaving Su Yuntao thrilled.

  • Lu Yu stepped into the awakening array and recalled his past life on Blue Star and his death after a martial arts challenge.
  • Su Yuntao awakened Lu Yu's golden-furred monkey Martial Soul and tested him at rank-one Innate Soul Power.
  • Lu Yu noticed another Martial Soul in his left palm and decided to conceal his Twin Martial Souls from the Spirit Hall.
  • Lu Yu encouraged Lu Fei to undergo his awakening, and Su Yuntao began the ceremony.
  • Lu Fei awakened a fire-attribute Fire Monkey Martial Soul, and the crystal ball revealed rank-five Innate Soul Power.

Ch. 2Was Brother Tao Always This Enthusiastic?

Su Yuntao tried to recruit Lu Fei and Lu Yu into Spirit Hall, but Lu Yu hesitated over Spirit Hall’s dangers and asked to discuss it with his brother. Su Yuntao sent the brothers away with a meditation manual, money, and food, leaving Lu Yu surprised by his generosity.

  • Su Yuntao offered Lu Fei a place at Spirit Hall Academy and promised him regular meals.
  • Su Yuntao also offered Lu Yu a place at the academy, but Lu Yu refused to join Spirit Hall.
  • Lu Yu asked Lu Fei whether he wanted to join, and Lu Fei said he would follow his older brother’s choice.
  • Lu Yu asked Su Yuntao to let the brothers consult their parents before deciding, and Su Yuntao reluctantly agreed.
  • Su Yuntao returned with the Basic Meditation Method, fifty Copper Soul Coins, and two lunch boxes, then saw the brothers out of the Spirit Hall Branch.

Ch. 3Kindness and Malice

Lu Yu and Lu Fei stopped at a tea stall to eat after receiving lunchboxes from Su Yuntao, and an old man named Xu gave them extra food. As Lu Yu promised to buy Lu Fei new clothes, he vowed to avenge his predecessor by making the village chief's family pay.

  • Lu Yu led hungry Lu Fei to a tea stall, where Lu Fei hesitated to eat the meat because he was used to saving food.
  • Lu Yu encouraged Lu Fei to eat, and an old man named Xu provided them with tea and four steamed buns.
  • Lu Fei tried to give Lu Yu his chicken leg and fatty meat because he believed Lu Yu's injury had not healed, but Lu Yu returned the food and promised to buy him new clothes.
  • Lu Yu remembered that the village chief's grandson had killed the original Lu Yu with a palm strike after ordering him to bark like a dog.
  • Lu Yu silently vowed to avenge the original Lu Yu and protect Lu Fei.

Ch. 4The Golden Cudgel as a Second Martial Soul

Lu Yu sent Lu Fei back to the village so he could discover his Second Martial Soul in private. He summoned a golden cudgel that could change size, but overused his level-one Soul Power and fainted, waking at sunset with the golden-furred monkey at his side.

  • Lu Yu sent Lu Fei home to clean the house while he went to find game and promised they would visit their parents’ graves together.
  • Lu Yu went to a secluded hill and summoned his Second Martial Soul, a golden cudgel that weighed a hundred jin.
  • Lu Yu discovered that the cudgel grew larger and longer when he commanded it to, then kept enlarging it until he used up his Soul Power and fainted.
  • Lu Yu woke at sunset, realized he had overused his level-one Soul Power, and saw the golden-furred monkey tugging urgently at his trouser leg.

Ch. 5Equal to Heaven and Great Sage

Lu Yu discovered that recalling his golden-furred monkey Martial Soul restored his Soul Power, while releasing it drained most of it, and he realized he might have Innate Full Soul Power and the potential to gain multiple sets of Soul Rings. He named the monkey Great Sage and chose Equal to Heaven as his Great Soul Arena codename, then panicked when thunder suddenly rumbled overhead.

  • Lu Yu tested recalling and releasing the golden-furred monkey and confirmed that his Soul Power increased when the monkey returned to his body and decreased when it appeared.
  • Lu Yu enlarged the golden staff and found that it weighed 1,000 jin, leading him to conclude that he had Innate Full Soul Power.
  • Lu Yu considered whether he and his two Martial Souls could each absorb Soul Rings, potentially giving him twenty-seven in total, but worried about how the monkey affected his cultivation talent.
  • Lu Yu released the monkey and named him Great Sage, then decided to use Equal to Heaven as his Great Soul Arena codename and Great Sage Equal to Heaven as his full name.
  • Thunder rumbled in the clear sky, startling Lu Yu into worrying that lightning might strike him.

Ch. 6Summoner?

Lu Yu named his golden-haired monkey Great Sage and his golden staff the Ruyi Staff, then discovered that Great Sage could shrink and wield it despite its immense weight. Lu Yu ended the chapter unable to lift Great Sage while the monkey held the staff, leaving him baffled about how the pair worked.

  • Lu Yu named the golden-haired monkey Great Sage and the golden staff the Ruyi Staff.
  • Great Sage made the Ruyi Staff shrink to a size he could wield, and Lu Yu sensed that it weighed 900 jin.
  • Great Sage swung the staff with ease and dragged it across the ground, while Lu Yu failed to lift it.
  • Lu Yu recalled the Ruyi Staff to himself, then ordered Great Sage to pick him up and tested whether the monkey could bear the staff's weight.
  • Lu Yu summoned the staff again and tried lifting Great Sage while he held it, but could not budge him.

Ch. 7Nine Ten-Year Soul Rings

Lu Yu discovered that Great Sage could wield the Ruyi Staff despite its immense weight, then used it to crush a golden ant Soul Beast and produce a Ten-Year Soul Ring. He decided to absorb the ring and build his strength with low-age rings, hoping to raise their age later.

  • Lu Yu worried that the Ruyi Staff would become too heavy for him to use as his Soul Power increased.
  • Great Sage alerted Lu Yu to a wounded rabbit surrounded by a colony of unusually large golden ants.
  • Lu Yu ordered Great Sage to enlarge the Ruyi Staff and smash the ants with its 900-jin weight.
  • Great Sage ground the staff across the ants until a white Ten-Year Soul Ring appeared, confirming the golden ant was a Soul Beast.
  • Lu Yu considered filling his Martial Souls with Ten-Year Soul Rings and using his martial arts as Self-Created Soul Skills.
  • Lu Yu recalled Great Sage, sat down, and prepared to absorb the Soul Ring.

Ch. 8Becoming a One-Ring Soul Master

Lu Yu absorbed his first Ten-Year Soul Ring with the help of the Taiqing True Qi Manual and gained a defensive Soul Skill. He discovered that he and the Great Sage could use separate Soul Rings, leaving him to imagine the power of eventually possessing twenty-seven.

  • Lu Yu absorbed the white Soul Ring by cultivating with the Taiqing True Qi Manual, breaking through to rank 11 and gaining the Indestructible Golden Body Soul Skill.
  • Lu Yu tested his golden defense by punching a tree, then realized he could use the Soul Skill himself rather than only through the Great Sage.
  • Lu Yu found that summoning the Great Sage reduced his Soul Power to rank one and locked his Soul Skill until he moved the Soul Ring onto the Great Sage.
  • Lu Yu discovered that the Soul Ring could be locked onto either himself or the Great Sage, and that it increased his defense when attached to him.
  • Lu Yu concluded that he and the Great Sage could absorb separate sets of Soul Rings, potentially giving him twenty-seven Soul Rings by the time he reached Titled Douluo.

Ch. 9The Reward

Lu Yu planned to improve Lu Fei’s prospects and returned to their hut with two rabbits, where he used his Soul Skill to prepare them for dinner. The brothers began making a better life together, while Lu Yu kept his Second Martial Soul secret and considered using the rabbits’ entrails as bait for a hunt.

  • Lu Yu resolved to care for Lu Fei and remembered that Whale Rubber could help strengthen his frail physique.
  • Lu Yu returned to the hut carrying two rabbits, and Lu Fei excitedly promised to become a powerful Soul Master and earn money for them.
  • Lu Yu sent Lu Fei to gather firewood while he investigated his Second Martial Soul in private.
  • Lu Yu used First Soul Skill-Vajra Indestructibility to pierce and clean the rabbits without a knife, then saved their entrails as bait for a hunt.
  • Lu Fei returned with firewood while using his Fire Monkey Martial Soul for light, and Lu Yu warned him to keep the fire away from their hut.

Ch. 10A White-Bearded Old Grandpa?

Lu Yu studied the Spirit Hall's Basic Meditation Method after nearly dying while absorbing a Soul Ring, then struggled to explain his literacy to Lu Fei. He claimed a wandering white-bearded Soul Master had taught him, but Lu Fei questioned why he had never seen the man.

  • Lu Yu found the roasted rabbit too dry to eat and went inside for water and the Basic Meditation Method Su Yuntao had given him.
  • Lu Yu recalled how his Taiqing True Qi Manual had circulated on its own and helped him survive the surge of Soul Power while absorbing a Soul Ring.
  • Lu Yu returned to the campfire and began studying the meditation method, prompting Lu Fei to ask whether he could read.
  • Lu Yu claimed a white-bearded Soul Master had taught him reading and cultivation, and Lu Fei asked why he had never seen the man.

Ch. 11First Time Cultivating

Lu Yu studied a Soul Master meditation method, then tried cultivating by absorbing Soul Power directly with his body instead of relying on his Martial Soul. His experiment immediately produced a warm flow of energy, and he prepared to continue exploring this method while keeping it from Lu Fei for now.

  • Lu Yu convinced Lu Fei that a Soul Master had secretly visited him, though Lu Fei still sensed that his brother had changed since waking from his coma.
  • After studying the meditation method, Lu Yu learned that it relied on a Martial Soul to absorb and refine Soul Power, and he privately mocked the system and Yu Xiaogang.
  • Lu Yu cultivated with the meditation method for two hours and estimated that he could gain one Soul Power level in about two months.
  • When Lu Fei asked to learn cultivation, Lu Yu told him to wait until the white-bearded Soul Master returned and confirmed the method was correct.
  • Lu Yu began practicing his Taiqing True Qi Manual by absorbing Soul Power directly through his body, and warmth quickly spread through his limbs.

Ch. 12Heading to the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City

After a night of cultivation, Lu Yu took Lu Fei to Nuoding City to seek out Su Yuntao and learn more about Soul Master cultivation. Su Yuntao explained that the Spirit Hall Branch library was restricted to officially registered Soul Masters.

  • Lu Yu cultivated through the night while Lu Fei slept, and he awoke the next morning feeling his Soul Power had grown considerably.
  • Lu Yu told Lu Fei they were going to Nuoding City to visit Su Yuntao and consult the Spirit Hall's library, and the brothers set out together.
  • After hunting game on the way, the brothers reached Nuoding City and headed to the Spirit Hall Branch, where guards went to fetch Su Yuntao.
  • Su Yuntao greeted the brothers and asked whether they had come to join the Spirit Hall, but Lu Yu requested access to the library instead.
  • Su Yuntao praised Lu Yu's eagerness to build a solid foundation but said the library was only open to officially registered Soul Masters, disappointing Lu Fei.

Ch. 13Entering the Library

Lu Yu and Lu Fei asked to use the Spirit Hall library, and Su Yuntao secured Ma Xiunuo’s permission for them to enter. Su Yuntao brought the brothers to the library, where Lu Yu offered to teach Lu Fei to read.

  • Lu Yu asked Su Yuntao to let the brothers read basic cultivation books at the Spirit Hall library.
  • Su Yuntao brought Lu Yu and Lu Fei to Hall Master Ma Xiunuo and explained Lu Fei’s request.
  • Ma Xiunuo approved their visit, saying the Spirit Hall should treat commoner Soul Masters equally.
  • Su Yuntao returned with permission and led the brothers to the library, explaining they could only use the first floor until they officially became Soul Masters.
  • Lu Fei admitted he could not read, and Lu Yu promised to teach him.

Ch. 14Consulting the Soul Beast Illustrated Guides

Lu Yu and Lu Fei visited the Spirit Hall Branch library to study Soul Beasts and prepare for their future Soul Rings. After the librarian directed them to the illustrated guides, Lu Fei explored the pictures while Lu Yu began studying the books.

  • Lu Yu and Lu Fei entered the library, and Lu Yu realized he needed help finding books about Soul Beasts.
  • Lu Yu politely asked the elderly librarian for guidance, and the librarian pointed them toward the low-level Soul Beast guides.
  • Lu Yu chose two illustrated guides and brought Lu Fei to a nearby table.
  • Lu Yu reassured Lu Fei that he could learn from the illustrations even though he could not read.
  • Lu Fei became absorbed in the pictures while Lu Yu studied the guides.

Ch. 15Planning the Second Soul Ring

Lu Yu studied Soul Beast bestiaries and planned to seek a land-based speed Soul Skill for his next Soul Ring. After Su Yuntao brought food and questioned his choice, Lu Yu explained that he wanted to survive and avoid holding back Lu Fei, prompting Su Yuntao to answer his question.

  • Lu Yu read about the Golden Armored Ant and reflected on how its defensive Soul Skill complemented his plans for future Soul Rings.
  • Lu Yu ruled out the Sharp-Tailed Swift and considered land-based speed Soul Beasts such as leopards, wolves, and hares.
  • Su Yuntao found Lu Yu and Lu Fei absorbed in their books, brought them a meal, and asked whether they had any questions.
  • Lu Yu asked Su Yuntao to recommend a ground-based speed Soul Beast, and Su Yuntao questioned why he wanted speed instead of strength or assault skills.
  • Lu Yu told Su Yuntao he wanted defensive and speed skills to protect himself and avoid becoming a burden to Lu Fei, and Su Yuntao began answering him.

Ch. 16Sky-Flying Centipede

Lu Yu learned about the speedy Sky-Flying Centipede as a possible target for his Second Soul Ring, then left the Spirit Hall with Lu Fei after meeting the mysterious Yu Xiaogang. The brothers returned home and slept, but the next morning a stone crashed through their window, and Lu Fei feared their tormentors had come.

  • Su Yuntao suggested the Sky-Flying Centipede to Lu Yu but admitted he did not know where to find one, and Lu Yu accepted the lead.
  • Lu Yu and Lu Fei left the Spirit Hall, where Yu Xiaogang briefly watched Great Sage before greeting Su Yuntao.
  • Lu Yu and Lu Fei returned to their hut after dark, washed up, and fell asleep from exhaustion.
  • The next morning, a stone smashed through the hut's window and jolted the brothers awake.
  • Lu Yu glared outside as Lu Fei curled up in fear and whispered, "They're here..."

Ch. 17From Today On, No One Can Bully Us

After a stone was thrown into their home, Lu Yu stood up to protect his frightened brother Lu Fei from Ta Ke and his gang, who had come to bully them again. Lu Yu defeated Ta Ke with a single kick and warned the others to leave.

  • A stone crashed through the window, and Lu Fei told Lu Yu that Ta Ke and his gang had come to torment them.
  • Lu Yu reassured Lu Fei that they were Soul Masters now and vowed that no one would bully them again.
  • Ta Ke and four boys demanded that Lu Yu and Lu Fei come outside and pay for living in their house.
  • Lu Yu opened the door and challenged Ta Ke after Ta Ke boasted that he was a Soul Master.
  • Ta Ke swung at Lu Yu, but Lu Yu dodged and kicked him to the ground.
  • Lu Yu warned Ta Ke's gang to leave or suffer the same fate.

Ch. 18Seeking Refuge with Su Yuntao

Lu Yu and Lu Fei fought off Ta Ke and his gang after Lu Fei awakened his Fire Monkey Martial Soul. Fearing trouble after Ta Ke was badly beaten, Lu Yu decided that he and Lu Fei should seek shelter with Su Yuntao.

  • Lu Yu kicked Ta Ke aside, but Ta Ke summoned his black bear Martial Soul and ordered his lackeys to attack.
  • Lu Fei remembered Ta Ke's earlier assault on Lu Yu, awakened his Fire Monkey Martial Soul, and charged outside to beat Ta Ke.
  • Lu Yu struck one lackey with a stick, and the others fled while Lu Yu stopped Lu Fei from killing Ta Ke.
  • Lu Yu ordered a lackey to take Ta Ke away and warned the group not to return.
  • Lu Yu worried that Ta Ke might die and decided to take Lu Fei to seek shelter with Su Yuntao.

Ch. 19The Village Chief's Fury

Lu Yu left the impoverished village with Lu Fei and Great Sage, setting out for Nuoding City. After learning that Lu Yu and Lu Fei had fled, the village chief burned down their hut and ordered villagers to watch for them.

  • Lu Yu gathered his Copper Soul Coins, then left his hut with Great Sage and took the shaken Lu Fei toward Nuoding City.
  • A frightened boy dragged the critically injured Ta Ke to the village chief's house and told the chief that Lu Yu and Lu Fei had attacked him.
  • The village chief ordered two relatives to take Ta Ke to the city for treatment and led the others to Lu Yu and Lu Fei's hut.
  • The chief's relatives found the hut empty, so the chief ordered it burned and told villagers to watch for Lu Yu and Lu Fei.
  • Lu Yu and Lu Fei had already left the village, beyond the chief's reach.

Ch. 20Taken In by Su Yuntao

Lu Yu and Lu Fei sought shelter from Su Yuntao after fleeing their village, and Su Yuntao agreed to let them stay with him. As the brothers settled into Nuoding City and returned to the Spirit Hall library, Lu Yu joked about joining the Spirit Hall, but Su Yuntao offered to recommend him.

  • Lu Yu persuaded Su Yuntao to let him and Lu Fei stay at his home while they waited for Su Yuntao to finish work.
  • Lu Fei asked whether they would ever return to their village, and Lu Yu urged him to become stronger so they could go back without fear.
  • Lu Yu and Lu Fei explored the area around the Spirit Hall Branch and bought presentable clothes.
  • The brothers returned to the library to study Soul Beast guides and waited there for Su Yuntao.
  • Lu Yu joked about joining the Spirit Hall, and Su Yuntao offered to recommend him immediately.

Ch. 21Discussing Enrollment

Lu Yu discussed enrolling Lu Fei at Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy while deciding not to attend himself or join Spirit Hall. He and Su Yuntao considered how to cover the costs, and Su Yuntao said the academy would open in about half a month.

  • Su Yuntao asked Lu Yu and Lu Fei about their plans for studying at a Soul Master Academy.
  • Lu Yu decided to send Lu Fei to school first so he could learn to read, while Lu Yu stayed behind to earn money for his brother’s cultivation.
  • Lu Fei initially refused to attend without Lu Yu, but agreed after Lu Yu reminded him of the white-bearded old grandpa.
  • Lu Yu rejected Su Yuntao’s suggestion that the brothers join Spirit Hall and chose Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy for Lu Fei.
  • Su Yuntao explained the difference between self-funded and work-study enrollment, offered to pay Lu Fei’s tuition, and estimated that the academy would open in about half a month.

Ch. 22Enrolling at Nuoding Academy

Lu Yu brought Lu Fei to Nuoding Academy to enroll and encountered Tang San and Old Jack being turned away by the gatekeeper. After Lu Yu warned the gatekeeper to let Tang San in, Tang San followed him into the academy, while Yu Xiaogang approached with a sense of foreboding.

  • Lu Yu recalled that his Ruyi Staff gained more weight with each Soul Power level and brought Lu Fei to Nuoding Academy with enough money for tuition.
  • At the academy gate, Lu Yu recognized Old Jack and Tang San and took Lu Fei over to watch their exchange with the gatekeeper.
  • The gatekeeper let Lu Yu and Lu Fei enter after seeing Lu Fei's certificate, which listed a Fire Monkey Martial Soul and innate level-five Soul Power.
  • When the gatekeeper refused Old Jack and Tang San entry, Lu Yu warned him that the Spirit Hall would handle the certificate and that he could face consequences for interfering.
  • The gatekeeper let Tang San enter but refused Old Jack, who left after advising Tang San; Tang San picked up his certificate and followed Lu Yu, wanting to ask about his warning.
  • Yu Xiaogang arrived after Tang San had entered and, unaware of what Lu Yu had said, headed to question the gatekeeper while feeling uneasy.

Ch. 23"Human Trafficker" Yu Xiaogang

Yu Xiaogang tried to get Lu Yu’s Martial Soul Awakening certificate so he could take him as a disciple, but Lu Yu made him look like a suspicious stranger in front of Tang San. The chapter ended with Lu Yu escaping with Lu Fei while Yu Xiaogang watched them go.

  • Yu Xiaogang recognized Lu Yu as a potential way to study an External Beast Martial Soul and hoped to help himself break through level 30 by taking him as a disciple.
  • Yu Xiaogang blocked Lu Yu and asked to see his Martial Soul Awakening certificate, but Lu Yu challenged him to prove he was an academy teacher.
  • Lu Yu’s questions made Tang San suspect Yu Xiaogang was a human trafficker, and Tang San cautiously reached for his Sleeve Arrow.
  • Yu Xiaogang failed to explain himself and tried to grab Lu Yu as he left with Lu Fei.
  • Lu Yu ran off with Lu Fei, warning that he would call for help, and Yu Xiaogang stopped and watched them go.

Ch. 24Buying Whale Rubber

Lu Yu settled Lu Fei into Nuoding Academy and warned him to avoid Yu Xiaogang while supporting his studies and cultivation. After leaving, Lu Yu went looking for Whale Rubber, hoping his 322 Gold Soul Coins would cover the purchase.

  • Lu Yu showed Lu Fei his single dorm room and refused his request to study alongside him at Nuoding Academy.
  • Lu Yu warned Lu Fei to stay away from Yu Xiaogang and seek Brother Tao's help if he encountered trouble.
  • Lu Yu promised Lu Fei a present once he learned to read and gave him twenty Silver Soul Coins for his needs.
  • Lu Yu left the academy after telling Lu Fei to study and cultivate diligently.
  • Lu Yu went to a medical clinic to ask whether it sold Whale Rubber, and the clerk misread his innocent explanation about his father.

Ch. 25Heading to the Soul Hunting Forest

Lu Yu bought and consumed a piece of Whale Rubber in secret, raising his Soul Power and physical strength before heading to the Soul Hunting Forest. Jin Erhu learned that Lu Yu had arrived and went to confront him with four underlings.

  • Lu Yu bought a piece of hundred-year Whale Rubber for fifty Gold Soul Coins and took it to his hidden courtyard.
  • Lu Yu melted and swallowed the Whale Rubber, endured its foul taste, and cultivated as its heat spread through his body.
  • Lu Yu's Soul Power rose to level twelve, while his physical strength and height increased.
  • Lu Yu woke Great Sage, gathered his equipment, and set out for the Soul Hunting Forest to hunt soul beasts for money.
  • Jin Erhu heard that Lu Yu had arrived at the Soul Hunting Forest and led four underlings to teach him the rules.
Arc 1 of 7
Arc 1 of 7