Recaps

Kong Xuan kept Xu Wei out of the Soul Fighting match so the opponents would not learn his Martial Soul and Soul Skills, then sent Xu Tianyi to fight alone. Xu Tianyi defeated all three opponents and secured the victory for his team.

• Kong Xuan explained that Xu Wei should remain hidden as a potential trump card because opponents would likely gather information on Kong Ling and Xu Tianyi but overlook him.
• Kong Xuan chose Xu Tianyi to fight, and Kong Ling and Xu Wei stayed back without releasing their Martial Souls.
• Xu Tianyi used Dragon Brilliant Flash to overwhelm the opposing Beast Soul Master, prompting the referee to eliminate him.
• Xu Tianyi caught the sword Soul Master's wrist and slammed him to the ground, leaving him unable to continue fighting.
• Xu Tianyi charged the final shield Soul Master, and the referee intervened before the attack landed and declared Xu Tianyi's side the winner.

Kong Xuan and his teammates prepared for their match against Liuyun Advanced Soul Engineer Academy, while debating whether he should finally enter the competition. He refused, but allowed Kong Ling and Xu Wei to use their full strength; Yuan Qingshuang and her teammates also resolved to give the match everything they had.

• Xu Wei briefed Kong Xuan, Kong Ling, and Xu Tianyi on Liuyun’s lineup: Yuan Qingshuang, Ming Zhe, and Hu Qifeng.
• Kong Xuan assessed the opponents’ abilities and warned that Yuan Qingshuang’s ice attacks could counter Kong Ling and Xu Wei.
• Kong Ling and Xu Wei asked Kong Xuan to compete because his Flight Restriction Domain could neutralize the opponents’ flying Soul Masters, but he refused.
• Kong Xuan told Kong Ling and Xu Wei they could stop holding back and use their stronger abilities in the next match.
• Yuan Qingshuang asked teacher Duan Ming whether Kong Xuan would compete, and Duan Ming urged the team to prepare for any opponent and perform their best.

Kong Ling’s team opened their match with Yuan Qingshuang’s team by using Kong Ling’s long-range second soul skill to trap all three opponents in Blazing Sun Cages. Yuan Qingshuang broke free and took to the sky, but Ming Zhe and Hu Qifeng were eliminated, leaving a three-against-one showdown.

• Xu Wei drew an early match slot, and Kong Ling, Xu Tianyi, and Xu Wei entered the arena without Kong Xuan, who watched from the stands with Ren Jun.
• At the referee’s signal, Kong Ling immediately trapped Yuan Qingshuang, Ming Zhe, and Hu Qifeng in Blazing Sun Cages from a hundred meters away.
• Kong Ling attacked Yuan Qingshuang with Sun Divine Light while Xu Tianyi and Xu Wei advanced on Ming Zhe and Hu Qifeng.
• Yuan Qingshuang used Extreme Cold Breath to freeze and break her cage, then flew into the air as Kong Ling released the other two cages.
• Xu Tianyi and Xu Wei attacked Ming Zhe and Hu Qifeng, but the referee blocked the strikes with Defensive Soul Tools and eliminated both opponents.

Yuan Qingshuang fought alone against Kong Ling, Xu Tianyi, and Xu Wei, using flight and ice attacks to pressure her opponents. After spending much of her Soul Power attacking Kong Ling and Xu Tianyi, she failed to notice Xu Wei preparing a surprise strike from below.

• Yuan Qingshuang dove at Kong Ling with her first Soul Skill, while Xu Tianyi dodged the ice feathers and suffered cuts that slowed him.
• Kong Ling used her Blazing Sun Cage to defend herself, and Yuan Qingshuang circled overhead while the fighters spread out.
• Yuan Qingshuang targeted Xu Tianyi with an icy tornado, which pursued him after her first Soul Skill marked him with ice crystals.
• As Yuan Qingshuang focused on Kong Ling and Xu Tianyi, Xu Wei activated Lightning Flash and shot into the sky toward her.

Xu Wei eliminated Yuan Qingshuang with a lightning-fast aerial attack, securing the Kong Ling Team’s victory. Ren Jun then warned the team that Shui Ling’s group might be their toughest opponents, and Kong Xuan realized Shui Ling was directing Lü Hanwen’s movements in their match.

• Xu Wei used Lightning Flash to rise behind Yuan Qingshuang and struck her with his lightning-charged dagger, eliminating her and winning the match for the Kong Ling Team.
• Kong Ling and Xu Wei returned to the stands, while Xu Wei recorded information about the other teams and Ren Jun urged them to watch Shui Ling’s team closely.
• Shui Ling and Lü Hanwen revealed that they were Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters as their team faced three One-Ring Soul Masters from Risheng Advanced Soul Engineer Academy.
• Lü Hanwen charged the opposing team, broke through Du Ming’s Rock Armor Shield with his Gold-Rending Claw Covering, and evaded Qian Song’s Wind Shadow Assault in midair.
• Kong Xuan noticed that Shui Ling, standing at the rear, was secretly controlling Lü Hanwen’s movements.

Kong Xuan learned that Shui Ling used an extraordinarily hard-to-detect Control System Martial Soul to guide Lü Hanwen during battle, while her team advanced alongside Kong Ling’s trio. The tournament reached the semifinals, where the two teams were drawn against each other, leaving Kong Xuan and his companions to prepare under pressure.

• Kong Xuan asked Yun Ming about Shui Ling’s abilities, and Yun Ming said her wondrous Control System Martial Soul could evade detection by spiritual power below the Divine Origin Realm.
• Lü Hanwen used Golden Lion Roar to stun three opponents and secure victory for Mingdu Advanced Soul Engineer Academy, while Ren Jun sensed that Shui Ling had helped him.
• Kong Xuan kept his discovery to himself as Kong Ling’s trio won their next two rounds, and Shui Ling’s team also advanced after Shui Ling secretly helped defeat a strong opponent.
• Xu Wei’s draw paired Kong Ling’s trio with Shui Ling’s team in the semifinal, which the competitors regarded as the real final.
• Kong Xuan gathered with his teammates in the cultivation room to discuss their strategy and noticed how agitated they were.

As the Kong Ling Team prepared to face the Shui Ling Team, Kong Xuan revealed what he knew about their opponents and allowed Kong Ling to use a powerful move he had previously forbidden. The teams entered the arena, leaving the match and Kong Ling’s promised surprise about to begin.

• Xu Wei worried that the Kong Ling Team knew too little about Shui Ling and An Le, while Kong Ling asked Kong Xuan whether he would fight.
• Kong Xuan explained that An Le was a One-Ring Soul Master and that Shui Ling could use invisible threads to control teammates and drain opponents’ Soul Power.
• Kong Xuan told Kong Ling, Xu Wei, and Xu Tianyi that they would fight and allowed Kong Ling to use “that move,” which she kept secret from Xu Wei.
• The Kong Ling Team arrived at the Great Soul Arena, where Xu Wei noticed the larger crowd and Kong Ling assured the others they would not lose.
• Kong Ling led her team toward the arena as Kong Xuan told Ren Jun that their class would win and hinted that the match would bring surprises.

The match began with Kong Ling’s team trapping their opponents in the Blazing Sun Cage, but An Le revealed her Angel of Hope Martial Soul and used Purification Halo to counter its heat. As the fight resumed, Lü Hanwen interrupted Xu Tianyi and helped An Le evade Xu Wei, then faced Kong Ling’s Sun Divine Light while attacking Xu Tianyi.

• Xu Tianyi and Xu Wei charged at Kong Ling’s team, and Kong Ling trapped all three opponents in the Blazing Sun Cage.
• An Le revealed her Angel of Hope Martial Soul and used Purification Halo to protect herself and her teammates from the cage’s heat.
• Yun Ming recognized An Le’s Martial Soul and asked Kong Xuan about Ya Li’s fate; Kong Xuan told him Ya Li had died fighting the Ghost Emperor during the Abyss’s invasion.
• Kong Ling ended the Blazing Sun Cage, and Lü Hanwen used Golden Lion Roar to stun Xu Tianyi while Purification Halo protected Shui Ling.
• Shui Ling shifted An Le out of Xu Wei’s dagger strike, while Lü Hanwen attacked Xu Tianyi and Kong Ling fired Sun Divine Light at him.
• Lü Hanwen did not appear to evade Kong Ling’s beam, leaving her to wonder if he intended to trade an injury for a kill.

Shui Ling’s Puppeteering Spirit Thread turned the battle in her team’s favor, but Kong Ling exposed her Soul Power-draining tactic and prepared to fight back. The chapter ended with Kong Xuan realizing that Kong Ling possessed twin Martial Souls.

• Shui Ling manipulated Lü Hanwen to attack Xu Tianyi, but the referee intervened and eliminated Xu Tianyi from the arena.
• Shui Ling guided An Le’s movements to help him evade Xu Wei, drawing praise from Ren Jun for her Control System abilities.
• Xu Wei retreated to the arena’s edge after Kong Ling ordered him to leave the rest to her.
• Kong Ling revealed that she had noticed Shui Ling siphoning her Soul Power, prompting Shui Ling to question whether Kong Ling could still win.
• Kong Ling summoned a silvery-white sphere alongside her orange-red sun, and Kong Xuan recognized that she had twin Martial Souls.

Kong Ling revealed that her twin Sun and Moon Martial Souls let her perform the Self Martial Soul Fusion Skill Sun Moon Shining Together. She overwhelmed Shui Ling’s team with its power but collapsed from the strain, leaving the arena stunned.

• Ren Jun was shocked to learn that Kong Ling possessed the Sun and Moon Martial Souls, while Kong Xuan urged him to keep watching.
• Kong Ling joined her two Martial Souls overhead and created the Sun Moon Shining Together fusion skill, filling the arena with a light-and-darkness domain.
• Ren Jun recognized that Kong Ling had performed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill by herself, and Kong Xuan explained that Yun Ming had guided her training.
• Kong Ling broke Shui Ling’s spirit threads and used Divine Light of Annihilation to melt the team’s Class 5 Soul Tool Shields.
• Kong Ling collapsed from the strain, and the fusion phenomenon vanished as the stunned spectators watched.

Kong Ling’s team won the National Soul Master Class Competition after she unleashed her Self Martial Soul Fusion Skill, and she later woke to find Ren Jun eager to guide her Twin Martial Soul cultivation. The chapter ended with Ren Jun astonished to learn Kong Ling and Kong Xuan had developed the skill themselves.

• Kong Ling defeated Shui Ling’s team with her Self Martial Soul Fusion Skill, and the referee declared her team the winner.
• Xu Wei resolved to become stronger after watching Kong Ling and her teammates fight without him.
• The second semifinal team forfeited, and the Kong Ling Team claimed the competition’s final victory.
• Kong Ling woke beside Kong Xuan, Xu Wei, and Xu Tianyi, then learned that her team had won.
• Ren Jun promised to guide Kong Ling’s Twin Martial Soul cultivation after Kong Xuan explained that he and Kong Ling had developed their Self Martial Soul Fusion Skill.

Kong Xuan explained Kong Ling’s Self Martial Soul Fusion Skill to Ren Jun, then accompanied Xu Wei to an auction in Mingdu. As they left, Kong Xuan noticed an invisible thread wound around his wrist.

• Kong Xuan told Ren Jun that he and Kong Ling had developed her Self Martial Soul Fusion Skill through research, and Ren Jun warned him not to experiment without an elder or teacher present.
• Ren Jun mentioned an evening auction, and Kong Xuan agreed to attend with Xu Wei after Xu Wei repeatedly asked him to go.
• Kong Xuan and Xu Wei entered the academy’s auction house, where Xu Wei was astonished by the prices and Kong Xuan encouraged him to focus on becoming stronger.
• Xu Wei spotted Shui Ling and other familiar students at the auction, which continued for more than two hours before Kong Xuan and Xu Wei left.
• Kong Xuan abruptly stopped outside and looked at his wrist, where he saw a thread that ordinary people could not see.

Kong Xuan followed Shui Ling’s Martial Soul thread after hearing her call for help and found her captive to a Titled Douluo-level Evil Soul Master. He refused to leave her behind despite the enemy’s threats, and the confrontation remained unresolved.

• Kong Xuan heard Shui Ling call for help through the thread around his wrist and left Xu Wei behind to follow it.
• Kong Xuan found Shui Ling bound and being led away by a black-cloaked figure, then sensed the figure’s overwhelming power.
• The cloaked figure confronted Kong Xuan and said he was taking Shui Ling home, revealing himself as an Evil Soul Master.
• The Evil Soul Master recognized Kong Xuan as Silver Moon Douluo Kong Deming’s grandson and warned him not to interfere with the Holy Spirit Cult.
• Kong Xuan insisted that he would take Shui Ling with him, while the Evil Soul Master threatened him and claimed the Holy Cult could defeat Kong Deming.

Sleep Nightmare Douluo tried to abduct Shui Ling for the Holy Spirit Cult, but she summoned Kong Xuan for help. When Nightmare attacked Kong Xuan, Yun Ming lent him his power, and Kong Xuan turned his fury toward the Evil Soul Masters.

• Sleep Nightmare Douluo revealed that he had seized Shui Ling, whom he considered a promising Evil Soul Master, and threatened Kong Xuan when he refused to surrender.
• Nightmare's ghostly claw struck Kong Xuan's Starlight Guardian, a Level 9 Defensive Soul Tool from Kong Deming, and vanished.
• Nightmare prepared another attack, but Kong Xuan pulled out a Level 9 Fixed Soul Guidance Shell and threatened to use it.
• Yun Ming spoke to Kong Xuan and poured his power into him, declaring that Evil Soul Masters all deserved to die.

Yun Ming took control of Kong Xuan’s body and killed Sleep Nightmare Douluo with one strike from the Atlas Spear. Kong Xuan escaped with Shui Ling as Jing Hongchen and Xu Zhenyu arrived to investigate the death of a Holy Spirit Cult Titled Douluo.

• Yun Ming lent Kong Xuan his power and demonstrated the Atlas Spear by killing Sleep Nightmare Douluo with a single thrust.
• Yun Ming warned Kong Xuan that he could enter that state only a few more times, then urged him to flee as people approached.
• Kong Xuan freed Shui Ling from her Soul Tool and led her away without either of them asking about the other’s secrets.
• Jing Hongchen arrived at the scene, recognized signs of an Evil Soul Master, and concluded that a Limit Douluo might have killed Sleep Nightmare Douluo.
• Xu Zhenyu joined Jing Hongchen, and they considered whether the Holy Spirit Cult had provoked an unknown Limit-level expert.

After rescuing Shui Ling from Sleep Nightmare Douluo, Kong Xuan returned to the academy and later became class monitor of the newly formed Soul Master Experimental Class. When Gu Wenyu challenged the appointment, Kong Xuan subdued him and the class with his overwhelming spiritual power, and Ren Jun began the first lesson.

• Kong Xuan returned with Shui Ling, and he and Xu Wei headed back to the academy after finding that her classmates and teacher had survived.
• The National Soul Master Class Competition selection ended with forty-six students chosen for the Soul Master Experimental Class, taught by Ren Jun.
• Ren Jun named Kong Xuan class monitor, prompting Gu Wenyu to object because Kong Xuan had not competed in the tournament.
• Kong Xuan identified Gu Wenyu's spiritual-type Martial Soul and released his Spirit Abyss Realm spiritual power, leaving Gu Wenyu unable to resist.
• Gu Wenyu withdrew his objection, the other students stayed silent, and Ren Jun confirmed Kong Xuan as class monitor before beginning class.

Kong Xuan was summoned from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy to the Worship Hall after Xuan Ziwen told him that the moment he had been waiting for had arrived. Kong Deming revealed that Huo Yuhao was close to reaching rank ten and was preparing to run away from home.

• Ju Zi visited Kong Xuan and escorted him to Xuan Ziwen's laboratory.
• Xuan Ziwen told Kong Xuan that his teacher wanted him to return to the Worship Hall immediately.
• Kong Xuan gave Kong Ling a few instructions, activated his Flying Soul Tool, and hurried to the Worship Hall.
• Kong Deming told Kong Xuan that news from the Star Luo Empire said Huo Yuhao's Soul Power was about to break through rank ten and that he was preparing to run away from home.

Kong Xuan and Kong Deming followed Huo Yuhao as he left the White Tiger Duke's Mansion and entered the Star Dou Great Forest, hoping to obtain Electrolux without disturbing his fate too soon. After Huo Yuhao was badly wounded by a Wind Baboon, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm finally spoke to him.

• Kong Xuan decided to pursue Electrolux and test whether interfering with Huo Yuhao's fate would draw God King Tang's attention.
• Kong Deming and Kong Xuan watched Huo Yuhao leave the White Tiger Duke's Mansion and followed him toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
• Kong Xuan told Kong Deming that Huo Yuhao was the son of destiny and would rise after joining Shrek Academy.
• Kong Xuan and Kong Deming watched Huo Yuhao meet Bei Bei and Tang Ya, then continue into the forest.
• A Wind Baboon attacked Huo Yuhao and left him severely wounded, but he continued onward.
• The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm spoke inside Huo Yuhao's mind after sensing his Mental Attribute.

Kong Xuan revealed that Huo Yuhao was absorbing a million-year Soul Ring, then used Soul Devourer’s Gold of Life to draw a Demigod’s remnant soul into his Sea of Consciousness. The remnant soul settled inside Kong Xuan, and he and Kong Deming turned their attention to the ongoing fusion as the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm noticed them.

• Kong Xuan told Kong Deming that the enormous Ice Silkworm was a million-year Soul Beast and that Huo Yuhao’s first Soul Ring came from it.
• As Huo Yuhao began fusing with the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm’s Soul Ring, divine pressure darkened the sky, and Kong Xuan left the Silver Moon Divine Light Shield with Soul Devourer.
• The divine presence’s gray current changed course toward the Gold of Life in Soul Devourer and entered Kong Xuan’s head.
• Inside Kong Xuan’s Sea of Consciousness, Yun Ming allowed the Demigod’s remnant soul to enter, and it condensed into a small gray bead.
• Kong Xuan reassured Kong Deming and said the remnant soul was the opportunity he had been seeking, then both looked down at Huo Yuhao and the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.
• The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm detected Kong Xuan and Kong Deming and watched them warily, sensing a major threat from the Titled Douluo-level Kong Deming.

Kong Xuan and Kong Deming watched as the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm fused with Huo Yuhao, then met Bei Bei and Tang Ya when they arrived. Kong Xuan claimed Kong Deming wanted Huo Yuhao as a disciple, while Tang Ya planned to recruit him into the Tang Sect and send him to Shrek Academy.

• Kong Xuan told the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm he and Kong Deming meant no harm, and the silkworm completed its fusion with Huo Yuhao, leaving its shed skin behind.
• Kong Deming observed Huo Yuhao's white soul ring and Kong Xuan explained that the silkworm had sealed its power inside Huo Yuhao, allowing the ring's age to grow as he developed.
• Kong Deming sensed Bei Bei and Tang Ya approaching, and they found Huo Yuhao unconscious beside Kong Xuan and Kong Deming.
• Tang Ya accused the pair of harming Huo Yuhao, but Bei Bei apologized and asked what had happened.
• Kong Xuan said Huo Yuhao had fainted after absorbing a soul ring and claimed Kong Deming wanted to take him as a disciple.
• Tang Ya told Bei Bei she wanted Huo Yuhao to join the Tang Sect, and Kong Xuan overheard them discussing a recommendation to Shrek Academy.

Di Tian investigated a disturbance in southern Star Dou after Gu Yuena sensed divine power and warned him not to antagonize whoever was responsible. Huo Yuhao awakened to find Tang Ya recruiting him into the Tang Sect while Kong Xuan revealed that Kong Deming wanted him as a disciple, leaving the two offers competing for his allegiance.

• Gu Yuena ordered Di Tian to investigate the disturbance in southern Star Dou and cautioned him not to make an enemy of anyone he encountered.
• Huo Yuhao awakened, and Tang Ya urged him to join the Tang Sect, recalling its legendary past and promising to rebuild it.
• Kong Xuan pointed out that the Tang Sect had declined, while Tang Ya defended its secret techniques and her resolve to restore it.
• Kong Xuan asked Huo Yuhao whether his martial soul was his eyes, then offered Kong Deming as a Titled Douluo and Level 9 Soul Engineer to take him as a disciple.
• Bei Bei realized Kong Deming was from the Sun Moon Empire and reacted gravely to his status as a Level 9 Soul Engineer.

Kong Deming and Kong Xuan tried to recruit Huo Yuhao to the Sun Moon Empire, while Tang Ya and Bei Bei urged him toward Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect. As the argument escalated, Bei Bei claimed his ancestor could guarantee Huo Yuhao’s place at Shrek, then revealed that his ancestor’s title was Dragon God.

• Kong Deming confirmed he wanted Huo Yuhao as his disciple, and Tang Ya warned Huo Yuhao against joining the Sun Moon Empire.
• Kong Xuan defended the Sun Moon Empire and challenged Tang Ya’s claims, while Huo Yuhao reflected on his desire for revenge against the White Tiger Duke.
• Bei Bei offered Huo Yuhao a Tang Sect recommendation to Shrek Academy, and Huo Yuhao privately asked the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm what to choose.
• Kong Xuan warned that Shrek’s assessments and Zhou Yi could prevent Huo Yuhao from staying, prompting Bei Bei to promise him continued study and guidance from a Titled Douluo.
• Bei Bei insisted he could secure the arrangements through his ancestor, then told Kong Deming that his ancestor’s title was Dragon God.

Kong Deming and Bei Bei discussed Dragon God Douluo Mu En before Beast God Di Tian appeared in the Star Dou Great Forest and questioned the group. Di Tian left without explaining his purpose, and Bei Bei urged Huo Yuhao to choose Shrek Academy, prompting Kong Xuan to challenge his boast.

• Kong Deming reacted calmly when Bei Bei revealed that Dragon God Douluo Mu En was his ancestor, leaving Bei Bei to wonder how strong the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Engineers were.
• Di Tian emerged from a spatial fissure, and his bloodline pressure forced the surrounding Soul Beasts to prostrate themselves.
• Kong Xuan recognized Di Tian and introduced himself alongside Bei Bei, Tang Ya, Huo Yuhao, and Kong Deming, who gave his title as Silver Moon.
• Di Tian asked who they were, then disappeared through another spatial fluctuation without explaining why he had come.
• Bei Bei urged Huo Yuhao to choose Shrek Academy over the Sun Moon Empire, and Kong Xuan challenged Bei Bei to reveal his cultivation.

Kong Xuan revealed his extraordinary cultivation to Bei Bei and convinced Huo Yuhao to study in the Sun Moon Empire. Huo Yuhao accepted Kong Deming as his master, changing the path he had been expected to follow.

• Bei Bei showed Kong Xuan his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul and three Soul Rings, but Kong Xuan revealed he had reached Four-Ring Soul Ancestor with two purple and two black rings.
• Kong Xuan challenged Bei Bei's claim that Shrek Academy surpassed the Sun Moon Empire in Soul Master cultivation, leaving Bei Bei unable to answer.
• Kong Xuan urged Huo Yuhao to choose the Sun Moon Empire, and the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm agreed that it was his best choice.
• Huo Yuhao declined Bei Bei and Tang Ya's invitation to join the Tang Sect and accepted Kong Deming as his master.
• Kong Xuan reflected that he had changed Huo Yuhao's fate and that Tang San's influence over the Douluo Continent was limited.

Tang San suffered a mysterious backlash while using the Divine Realm Core to inspect the Douluo Continent, then clashed with the God of Destruction over his interference in the lower realm. On the journey back to Sun Moon, Kong Xuan showed Yun Ming a remnant soul and hinted that Huo Yuhao’s future role in founding the Spirit Pagoda might not be what Yun Ming believed.

• Tang San spat divine blood after the Divine Realm Core blocked his view of the Douluo Continent and the future of his chosen Child of Destiny.
• The God of Destruction accused Tang San of spying on the lower realm and demanded the Divine Realm Core, but Tang San refused and the God of Destruction left in anger.
• Kong Xuan returned toward Sun Moon with Huo Yuhao and entered his Sea of Consciousness to speak with Yun Ming.
• Yun Ming examined the gray bead and judged that its occupant was a divinely powerful remnant soul whose energy differed from Soul Power.
• Kong Xuan asked Yun Ming who had invented Soul Spirits, and after Yun Ming named Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao, Kong Xuan shook his head and looked at the bead.