Chapter Summaries

Tang Wulin and Gongyang Mo learned that the Xishui Alliance hid the Evil Soul Master organization called the Holy Spirit Cult and decided to investigate its branch at the Auction House. They infiltrated the auction in disguise, entering among its lowest-tier participants.

• Tang Wulin questioned a black-clothed man, learned the Holy Spirit Cult's branch location, then killed him with the Golden Dragon Spear when he tried to flee.
• Tang Wulin explained the spear's life-devouring ability to Gongyang Mo, and they agreed the Holy Spirit Cult's existence had to be reported to the academy.
• Tang Wulin proposed that they inspect the Auction House because the branch leader was only a seven-ring expert, and Gongyang Mo agreed.
• Tang Wulin and Gongyang Mo took a lone Evil Soul Master's token, disguised themselves in black robes, and entered the Auction House.
• The two followed the crowd into the crude auction hall and joined the lowest-tier participants.

Tang Wulin and Gongyang Mo attended a Dark Auction House in the Sun Moon Empire and discovered that it sold powerful Soul Masters and other people as slaves. Ling Qi’s sale and the auction’s links to the Xishui Alliance confirmed Tang Wulin’s suspicions, leaving him disgusted with the country.

• Tang Wulin noticed that many auction attendees carried sinister auras, and he and Gongyang Mo recognized the host’s voice as spiritual enchantment.
• The host presented Ling Qi, a mindless Soul Emperor captured by the Xishui Alliance, and auctioned him as an obedient puppet.
• Tang Wulin inferred that the Sun Moon Empire backed the Dark Market and cooperated with the Holy Spirit Cult.
• Ling Qi sold for four million Gold Soul Coins, while Tang Wulin and Gongyang Mo chose not to bid.
• The auction continued with powerful Soul Masters, noble-born women, and people sold as cultivation materials, deepening Tang Wulin’s disgust.

After witnessing the underground market’s connection to the Holy Spirit Cult, Tang Wulin and Gongyang Mo returned to their base and told Zhou Sichen what they had learned. The three planned to alert the academy and investigate a suspected Holy Spirit Sect Branch, with Zhou Sichen sending his Xuanji Bird to scout it.

• Tang Wulin and Gongyang Mo returned from the underground market and told Zhou Sichen about the Holy Spirit Cult’s apparent influence.
• Tang Wulin decided to report the situation to the academy and investigate the location mentioned by the man in black.
• Zhou Sichen offered to send his Xuanji Bird to investigate instead of letting Tang Wulin go in person.
• Tang Wulin and Gongyang Mo prepared to contact the academy while Zhou Sichen used Empathy to project his consciousness into the Xuanji Bird and scout the suspected branch.

Tang Wulin captured Li Wu, a young Holy Spirit Cult member, and questioned him about his visit to the cult’s branch. Li Wu explained that the cult had approached him after he obtained a soul ring, then revealed that his parents had been murdered when he returned home.

• Zhou Sichen used the Xuanji Bird to watch the Holy Spirit Cult’s branch and reported that a White-clothed Man had entered and then left the courtyard.
• Tang Wulin had Zhou Sichen switch their positions and captured the White-clothed Man, Li Wu, on the street.
• Tang Wulin brought Li Wu to Shrek’s safehouse and questioned him while Gongyang Mo warned him not to damage the floor.
• Li Wu said he had been visiting his parents and had been forced into the Holy Spirit Cult.
• Li Wu recounted that the cult had approached him after he hunted for a soul ring, and that he found his parents’ corpses when he returned home.

Li Wu told Tang Wulin and the others how the Holy Spirit Cult had forced him to serve them by threatening his parents’ souls. After learning about the branch’s personnel and rules, Tang Wulin formed a plan and waited for the academy’s reply before beginning an operation to wipe out the branch in Tianyun City.

• Li Wu explained that a black-clothed Soul King had killed his parents and coerced him into joining the Holy Spirit Cult by threatening their souls.
• Tang Wulin released Li Wu and apologized after learning he had been forced to serve the cult.
• Li Wu revealed his Ghost Spirit Grass Martial Soul and begged Tang Wulin and the others to rescue his parents’ souls.
• Tang Wulin promised to help Li Wu and asked him about the Holy Spirit Sect Branch’s personnel and rules.
• Li Wu described the fifty-person branch, its Holy Servants and Holy Spirit Disciples, its seven-ring Holy Spirit Elder, and its secret signal.
• Tang Wulin and the others made a plan, waited for the academy’s response, and then began an operation to eliminate the branch in Tianyun City.

Li Wu helped Tang Wulin and Gongyang Mo infiltrate the Holy Spirit Sect branch, where they uncovered a soul altar and attacked the gathered Evil Soul Masters. Tang Wulin fought the Holy Spirit Elder while the other enemies recovered and prepared to strike.

• Li Wu led a black-clothed man away from the entrance while his signal brought Gongyang Mo, disguised as a White-clothed Man, to the door.
• Tang Wulin used Zhou Sichen's Position Swap to appear behind the black-clothed man and kill him, then entered the house with Gongyang Mo and killed another guard.
• Tang Wulin and Gongyang Mo opened a hidden wall and found a soul altar watched by Holy Spirit Cult members and surrounded by captive White-clothed Men.
• Tang Wulin stunned the gathered Evil Soul Masters with Golden Dragon Roar and pierced the Holy Spirit Elder with his Golden Dragon Spear.
• The Holy Spirit Elder activated his Bone General Martial Soul Avatar as Tang Wulin endured his attack, while Gongyang Mo's support strengthened Tang Wulin.
• Tang Wulin's Bluesilver Emperors restrained the other Evil Soul Masters as he charged at the Holy Spirit Elder again.

At the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Huo Yutong received a letter from Tang Wulin and showed Ju Zi how deeply she loved him. Wang Shaojie then summoned Huo Yutong, and Ju Zi did not realize anything was wrong before Huo Yutong was arrested.

• Xuan Ziwen told Huo Yutong that a letter was waiting for her at the academy gate, and she hurried to collect it.
• Huo Yutong told Ju Zi that Tang Wulin had sent the letter and read his everyday updates with delight.
• Huo Yutong praised Tang Wulin to Ju Zi and insisted that Ju Zi could not steal him from her.
• Wang Shaojie summoned Huo Yutong in Xuan Ziwen's name, and she left with him while Ju Zi stayed behind.
• More than ten minutes later, Ju Zi learned that Huo Yutong had been arrested and rushed to Xu Tianran for help.

Gongyang Mo’s Berserk skill magnified Tang Wulin’s power, allowing him to slaughter the Holy Spirit Disciples and defeat the Holy Spirit Elder. The elder blamed Shrek Academy for driving him into the Holy Spirit Cult, but Tang Wulin killed him after learning he had harmed others.

• The Holy Spirit Elder attacked Tang Wulin, who damaged the elder’s Martial Soul Avatar with the Golden Dragon Spear.
• Gongyang Mo used his sixth soul skill, Berserk, to multiply Tang Wulin’s enhancements and raise his attributes fourfold.
• Tang Wulin shattered the elder’s Martial Soul Avatar, protected Gongyang Mo, and killed the Holy Spirit Disciples in seconds.
• The Holy Spirit Elder begged for his life and claimed Shrek Academy had forced him to join the Holy Spirit Cult.
• Tang Wulin asked whether the elder had harmed anyone after joining the cult, then killed him when he tried to deny it.

Tang Wulin freed the Holy Servants and confronted Elder Song about the Holy Spirit Elder’s death, struggling with the cost of Shrek’s choices against Evil Soul Masters. He applied for a permanent external posting and prepared to leave the city with Elder Song.

• Tang Wulin reassured the freed Holy Servants, showed them his Shrek Academy Emblem, and led them to a hotel with Gongyang Mo.
• After suffering the side effects of Gongyang Mo’s soul skill, Tang Wulin met Elder Song on the rooftop and asked whether the Holy Spirit Elder’s innocence had been real.
• Elder Song defended Shrek’s decision as necessary to prevent the danger of letting an Evil Soul Master go, leaving Tang Wulin unable to resolve his moral conflict.
• Tang Wulin vowed to change the situation and applied to serve permanently outside the academy as a member of the Shrek Inspection Group.
• Elder Song agreed to the posting but said she would take Tang Wulin away from the city because the Holy Spirit Sect branch had been destroyed.

Huo Yutong faced Ji Juechen in a sword duel at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and discovered that her path of protection could give her Sword Intent focus without abandoning the people she cared about. After their clash, she sat down to cultivate, leaving the match unresolved.

• Huo Yutong met Ji Juechen, whose Sword Intent overwhelmed her despite his Six-Ring cultivation, and learned that he thought her heart was too cluttered.
• Ji Juechen’s pressure immobilized Huo Yutong, prompting her to recall her promise to protect Wulin and the path she had chosen.
• Huo Yutong’s resolve steadied, and Ji Juechen withdrew his Sword Intent before the two launched a powerful clash of Sword Qi.
• Huo Yutong remained standing while Ji Juechen was driven back more than ten steps, and both paused to examine their swords.
• Huo Yutong realized that will, emotions, and beliefs could strengthen combat intent, then sat down to cultivate.

Ma Xiaotao was captured by Feng Ling, the Holy Spirit Cult’s Vice Sect Master, who awakened the evil energy in her Martial Soul and forced it toward an irreversible mutation. Feng Ling took Ma Xiaotao and a newly recruited Evil Soul Master away, eager to deliver her transformed captive to Shrek.

• Ma Xiaotao interrogated an Evil Soul Master during a mission to find clues about the Holy Spirit Cult.
• Feng Ling struck Ma Xiaotao with purple light, causing the evil energy in her body to run wild, then learned her name and Martial Soul.
• Feng Ling revealed her resentment toward Yan Shaozhe and declared she would make Ma Xiaotao her disciple regardless of her wishes.
• Feng Ling recruited the Evil Soul Master into the Holy Spirit Cult and flooded Ma Xiaotao with evil energy until her Martial Soul’s mutation could no longer be reversed.
• Feng Ling seized Ma Xiaotao and the Evil Soul Master and flew away to deliver her captive to Shrek.

Nine months after discovering the Holy Spirit Cult, Tang Wulin learned that Ma Xiaotao had gone missing and received a letter saying Huo Yutong would visit him during her academy break. When his danger sense drove him into a forest, Yang Xiao of the Holy Spirit Sect ambushed him, and Tang Wulin prepared to escape.

• Tang Wulin read the academy's letter about Ma Xiaotao's disappearance but had no clues to help find her.
• Shrek investigated the Holy Spirit Cult, but its Tianyun City branch and the underground trafficking market had been destroyed, leading Tang Wulin to suspect the Sun Moon Empire's rulers were cooperating with the cult.
• Tang Wulin received Huo Yutong's letter announcing her visit and resolved to question her about how she was doing at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
• Tang Wulin's sense of danger intensified, so he fled into the nearby forest and concealed himself among the plants.
• Yang Xiao appeared after attacking Tang Wulin and identified himself as a Holy Spirit Sect headquarters elder candidate.
• Tang Wulin recognized that Yang Xiao was a powerful opponent and decided that escaping was his priority.

Huo Yutong learned that Ju Zi planned to join the military to pursue revenge for her father, and offered to make her grilled fish before she left. As they headed out together, Ji Juechen challenged Huo Yutong to spar, so she carried Ju Zi away to escape him.

• Ju Zi told Huo Yutong she planned to join the military during vacation and seek a command position, despite Huo Yutong's concern about her strength.
• Ju Zi said she would not abandon her hatred and had to avenge her father, and Huo Yutong offered to grill fish for her.
• Ju Zi revealed that she had helped Keke and Teacher Xuan turn away people who had crushes on Huo Yutong.
• Ju Zi brought out her stored seasonings, and she and Huo Yutong left the Academy to make grilled fish.
• Ji Juechen stopped them and demanded a spar, so Huo Yutong picked up Ju Zi and rushed toward the exit to get away.

Tang Wulin fought Yang Xiao, a Soul Douluo and Holy Spirit Cult member, using his Son of Nature Martial Soul and other abilities. Yang Xiao wounded him with the Evil Soul Demon Spider’s attacks, but Tang Wulin landed a surprise counterstrike before Yang Xiao hit him with his eighth soul skill.

• Yang Xiao attacked Tang Wulin with silver threads that shredded the Bluesilver Emperor, forcing Tang Wulin to unleash his green-gold Son of Nature Martial Soul.
• Tang Wulin summoned trees from across the city, and Yang Xiao revealed his Evil Soul Demon Spider Martial Soul Avatar to cut through them and pursue him.
• Tang Wulin tried to drain Yang Xiao’s Soul Power and fight back with his Golden Dragon abilities, but Yang Xiao’s attacks weakened his body and mind.
• After more than ten minutes of fighting, Tang Wulin endured Yang Xiao’s attack, stunned him with Golden Dragon Roar, and severely wounded him with a surprise counterstrike.
• Yang Xiao activated his eighth Soul Ring and struck Tang Wulin with black and red light meant to drive him mad.

Tang Wulin lost control to the Golden Dragon King's destructive will and transformed into a Blood-Gold Dragon, killing Yang Xiao before other forces subdued the rampage. Huo Yutong rescued the unconscious Tang Wulin from pursuing Soul Engineers, while the author noted that Old Tang had now truly disappeared.

• Yang Xiao's Eighth Soul Skill drove Tang Wulin into madness and let the Golden Dragon King's power seize control of his body.
• Tang Wulin broke free of Yang Xiao's threads, charged through them, and killed Yang Xiao with a golden dragon claw.
• Tang Wulin's Light Aura and blue-gold power joined forces to suppress the Blood Gold light, ending his transformation and leaving him unconscious.
• Huo Yutong hid Tang Wulin from a squad of Soul Engineers with a sudden blizzard and carried him away under her Simulation Soul Skill.
• The author stated that Old Tang had only been asleep before, but was now truly gone.

Mu En and Old Tang helped Tang Wulin survive the Golden Dragon King's attempt to seize his body, but both souls were fading. Old Tang told Tang Wulin where to seek herbs and how he might revive Mu En before bidding him farewell.

• Mu En thanked the golden figure for helping save Tang Wulin, then vanished after the figure promised to tell Tang Wulin how to revive his true body.
• The golden figure revealed that he was Tang Wulin's father before Tang Wulin woke in the black space and found the seventh and eighth seals broken.
• Old Tang explained that the Golden Dragon King's power had nearly taken over Tang Wulin, but he and Mu En had suppressed it.
• Old Tang urged Tang Wulin to seek herbs in Sunset Forest near Heaven Dou City and explained how the Goddess of Life's power could help revive Mu En.
• Old Tang said he could not be revived and, when Tang Wulin asked who he was, replied that he had forgotten.
• Old Tang told Tang Wulin that his greatest wish was for him to endure all the seals and survive.

Tang Wulin woke in an inn after Huo Yutong rescued him from the Soul Engineer corps and learned that Yang Xiao had died. Huo Yutong comforted him when she sensed his grief over Old Tang and Mu En's vanished remnants, leaving Tang Wulin feeling temporarily better as she brought him porridge.

• Tang Wulin woke in an inn and realized Huo Yutong had rescued him after his Golden Dragon rampage.
• Huo Yutong told Tang Wulin that he had killed Yang Xiao with a claw, and he felt relieved the Evil Soul Master was dead.
• Huo Yutong sensed Tang Wulin's sadness and asked him to stop hiding his feelings from her.
• Tang Wulin realized Old Tang had dissipated to save him and Mu En's aura had vanished, and Huo Yutong comforted him with a kiss.
• Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong shared a longer kiss before a server interrupted them with the hot porridge, and Huo Yutong went to collect it.

Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong investigated a Body Sect stronghold in Heaven Dou City and discovered a connection between the sect and the Heaven Dou Empire. After a Body Sect member entered the Imperial Palace, they decided to wait and seek a possible alliance against the Holy Spirit Cult.

• Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong arrived in Heaven Dou City to search for a medicinal-herb Secret Realm and investigate the Body Sect.
• They used Huo Yutong's Spiritual Detection to watch Lingyun Inn and identified it as a Body Sect stronghold.
• A young girl in a goose-yellow dress led a Body Sect member from the inn toward the Imperial Palace.
• Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong stopped following the pair and concluded that the Body Sect had the Heaven Dou Empire's support.
• Tang Wulin proposed waiting for the pair to return so they could speak with them about cooperating against the Holy Spirit Cult.

Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong followed Long Aotian and Vina outside the city, where they learned that Long Aotian would represent Dio Academy in the next All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament. After Long Aotian challenged them to a fight, the four agreed to spar, giving Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong a chance to learn about a future opponent.

• Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong followed Long Aotian and Vina from the Imperial Palace toward the outskirts of the city.
• Vina told Long Aotian that her father wanted him to join Dio Academy and represent it in the next tournament, and Long Aotian agreed.
• Tang Wulin revealed himself and introduced himself and Huo Yutong, while Vina recognized them as Shrek Reserve Team members from the previous tournament.
• Long Aotian sensed Tang Wulin's powerful Bloodline Power and challenged him and Huo Yutong to fight together.
• Huo Yutong agreed to the spar so they could learn about Long Aotian's abilities, and Vina accepted the match.

Tang Wulin and Long Aotian began a fierce duel while Huo Yutong confronted Princess Vina, who surrendered after being overpowered in Spiritual Power. Long Aotian, excited by Tang Wulin’s strength, unleashed the Secondary Awakening of his Silver Rank Body Martial Soul.

• Vina and Long Aotian faced Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong, and Tang Wulin and Long Aotian clashed with their strength and abilities.
• Tang Wulin summoned the Golden Dragon Spear, while Long Aotian enhanced his body and transformed his hands into blades.
• Huo Yutong struck Vina with Soul Impact, but Vina endured the first blow before surrendering to avoid further attacks.
• Tang Wulin’s powerful defense and dangerous spear forced Long Aotian to recognize that he was at a disadvantage.
• Long Aotian warned Tang Wulin that he was going all out and revealed the Silver-White Phantom of his Secondary Awakening.