Episode 21
For Tian Dou Imperial School to be able to promise something such as support for Dai Mu Bai’s claim for the throne has Dai Mu Bai doubting a major promise could be from the school. Going to Yu Tian Heng to find out who really is providing the promise of support, Yu Tian Heng doesn’t come out and say it at first. However, after Dai Mu Bai tells him his decision is the same as Tang San’s (that he won’t be joining Tian Dou Imperial School to take part in the Soul Master School Contest), Yu Tian Heng reveals it’s Tian Dou Empire’s only heir and crown prince, Xue Qing He (Bai Bo Yu), who is the one making the promise.
Yu Tian Heng also reveals Xue Qing He’s suspicions of conspiracy behind what is the sudden announcement of the Soul Master School Contest. Yu Tian Heng isn’t privy to what Xue Qing He thinks this conspiracy is when Dai Mu Bai asks about it, but many parties are involved. It is why Xue Qing He didn’t come see Dai Mu Bai personally. Instead, Xue Qing He wishes for Dai Mu Bai to meet him in secret at Xi Si City. Xi Si City is both on the way to Tian Dou City as well as a city which isn’t overseen by a governor. The city makes it the perfect place to have the classified secret meeting between them.
Yu Tian Heng had planned to accompany Dai Mu Bai to meet Xue Qing He in Xi Si City, but is made to head back to Tian Dou City after Du Gu Yan succumbs to Ye Zhi Qiu’s poison which Tang San had unwittingly transferred to her whilst at Star Forest (Episode 16). She had responded briefly to Ou Si Ke’s Second Soul Skill, Vitalizing Weeping Forsythia, which Ou Si Ke claims can cure anything. However, with her falling unconscious, Yu Tian Heng makes the decision to head back to the elders to have them see to the poisoning as they would surely be able to deal with it.
It would be everyone at Shi Lan Ke School who was going to accompany Dai Mu Bai to Xi Si City. Fei Lan De had decided they’d all go to Tian Dou City with the trip passing through Xi Si City. Fei Lan De’s not only providing the chance for Tang San and Dai Mu Bai to fly high, but all students of Shi Lan Ke School. He wanted to allow them all to see just how many geniuses there are on Douluo Continent.
And as much as Fei Lan De didn’t want to lose any of his students, he couldn’t let the school hold back students such as Tang San and Dai Mu Bai. Tang San and Dai Mu Bai are still unwilling to go, telling Yu Xiao Gang (who had expressed Fei Lan De’s thoughts about needing to release them so they can have a brighter future), that they will never leave Shi Lan Ke School. Yu Xiao Gang pushes them forth, advising they use this conviction of theirs to set off as a means to grow and mature. He gives them a bit of encouragement that maybe once they get to Tian Dou City, they’ll find opportunities which might allow them to participate as the students of Shi Lan Ke School.
With them going to Tian Dou City and passing through Xi Si City, Tang San requests—and is granted this request by Yu Xiao Gang—to use this opportunity to look for his father. Xi Si City was the city Ye Zhi Qiu had told Tang San about visiting to prove his strength through a challenge with the Fiend Battle Team at the city’s Soul Arena. Beat them and he’d show his qualification to enter Cang Hui School in Tian Dou City where Ye Zhi Qiu would be and where Tang San might begin to find his father.
Packing their things, the Seven Devils of Shi Lan Ke make their way to their first stop at Xi Si City. Almost reaching the city, they come across a group of dead, dehydrated Soul Masters chained to large rock pillars in the middle of the desert. Moving to burying them, they discover a copper Soul Arena badge indicating that the late Soul Master was an experienced one. The one which they found hanging by a thread but ultimately died revealed himself as being a Triple Soul Rings Soul Master.
The suggestion with the passing of the Triple Soul Ring Soul Master in the desert is that Soul Masters with Triple Soul Rings are even too weak for the challenge they took in. This challenge would be discovered to be a challenge against the Fiend Battle Team at Xi Si City Soul Arena. It’s a fact which Tang San as well as Xiao Wu doesn’t learn until making it into Xi Si City and coming across a woman who lost her mind following her husband’s death as a result of the battle against the Fiend Battle Team.
A man, who was familiar with the woman’s situation, tells them a story about the woman’s husband being forced to participate in the brutal fight which looks to have only two outcomes, win or die. There was no choice in whether to participate or not as their families are captured to force the Soul Master into fighting. If they refuse to fight, they lose their entire families. There was also no losing and surviving the battles as losers were tied up and left in the sun outside the city to die. This is what Tang San and the others had come across in the desert outside Xi Si City.
A familiar face returns following this discovery about the Fiend Battle Team. Wang Sheng, Tang San’s former Dorm Seven roommate at Nouding School, shows up before Tang San and Xiao Wu. Wang Sheng’s appearance saw the man as well as the woman disappear out of Wang Sheng’s sights. He’s now a feared man with Wang Sheng revealing himself to be part of the Fiend Battle Team.
A shopkeeper selling the candy Xiao Wu had pointed out she liked didn’t dare stop Wang Sheng from taking the candy without paying. Seeing Wang Sheng do this saw Xiao Wu lose interest in the candy. She wasn’t going to take candy with they didn’t pay for.
The matter regarding Wang Sheng being behind Xiao Chen Yu’s death is personally cleared up by Wang Sheng himself because (as Wang Sheng tells Tang San), he did feel sorry Tang San had to take the blame for the death when it was he who killed Xiao Chen Yu. Asked why he killed him, Wang Sheng explains its because Xiao Chen Yu had forced him to betray Tang San and even wanted to kill him. He had to take revenge for what he went through.
This is also why and how he ended up at Xi Si City. With Wang Sheng bringing up Ye Zhi Qiu and how he was expecting Tang San to come find him, and seemingly not wanting Xiao Wu to get involved in matters relating to Ye Zhi Qiu, Tang San had Xiao Wu return back to the inn she was staying before meeting up with Wang Sheng again to learn exactly how he ended up at Xi Si City and becoming a part of Fiend Battle Team.
After escaping Nouding School, he had thought to attend another Soul Master School, but unable to afford the fees, it would seem he couldn’t make it into any. Despite this, he had considered Martial Soul Hall and appears to have tried getting accepted, but was rejected for not being gifted enough. As he began running out of money whilst going from one city to the next, he discovered underground Soul Arenas which had attracted him into entering because a win meant a large payout. However, a loss meant he gets killed.
In his very first battle, a loss is what happened and he was about to get killed. But then his ordinary Tiger Martial Soul mutated to a Blood Tiger Soul. It was at this point the force Fiend Battle Team found him. He was told that whoever works alone will be bullied. However, work together and things will be different.
With the matter of Dai Mu Bai meeting Xue Qing He, Dai Mu Bai receives a message that Xue Qing He via Ma Xiu Nuo (Xu Xin Chi), a son of a low-ranking officer in Tian Dou City, that the Tian Dou City Crown Prince won’t be meeting him at Xi Si City. Instead, he will be meeting Dai Mu Bai in Tian Dou City. Through Hu Lie Na, who had given Ma Xiu Nuo a visit and used her spiritual powers on him, the reason Xue Qing He couldn’t show up at Xi Si City despite having every intention to is found out to be because he had matters to discuss with one of the princes back in Tian Dou City.
Episode 22
Tang San, Xiao Wu and Yu Xiao Gang look to part ways with Fei Lan De and the others as Tang San stay to battle with the Fiend Battle Team while the others continue on to Tian Dou City. They had all said their goodbyes (with Ning Rong Rong particularly tearful at the unexpected parting between her and Xiao Wu) when the city is lashed by sandstorm.
Sand gushing into the city, the powerful winds lifts people, heavy objects and furniture to fling them against walls, other structures and onto the ground. In everyone’s rush to take cover, Tang San and Xiao Wu gets separated from Yu Xiao Gang. Fei Lan De gets separated from Zhu Zhu Qing, Dai Mu Bai and Ning Rong Rong where Dai Mu Bai and Ning Rong Rong ends up getting separated from Zhu Zhu Qing after Dai Mu Bai loses sight of Zhu Zhu Qing; and Ou Si Ke and Ma Hong Jun gets separated from everyone else.
The sandstorm is particularly frightening for Ma Hong Jun who is found hunched behind some big straw baskets. Ou Si Ke had tried to get him up and moving to go look for Fei Lan De, but he won’t move. This forces Ou Si Ke to take cover when the cause for the sandstorm shows before them a short distance away.
The alpaca-like Sand Beast with a spiralled horn similar to a unicorn’s was behind the sudden sandstorm that was wreaking havoc on the city. It was looking for its young. That young Sand Beast it was looking for is later revealed to be the one Ma Xiu Nuo had unwittingly taken back to his room not knowing it was a Sand Beast and not an abandoned pet which he thought he’d gift someone.
Ma Hong Jun’s fear sees him start shaking and pleading for someone to save him. As the Sand Beast gets closer, out of what seems to be a fight or flight reaction, Ma Hong Jun jumps out from hiding and starts using his Phoenix Firing Line and Fiery Phoenix. He’s chosen to fight. However, the whole time he’s throwing his fireballs and beams of flames, he’s not aware. The fear in him seems to have caused him to go berserk again.
With Ma Hong Jun showing no signs of waking, Ou Si Ke makes the decision to appear from hiding himself to distract the Sand Beast with a Full Recovery Big Sausage before hitting Ma Hong Jun in the head to wake him. Fortunately, it take just that one hit behind the head for Ma Hong Jun to wake, allowing Ou Si Ke to finally drag Ma Hong Jun away with him and make their escape.
Over on Dai Mu Bai, Zhu Zhu Qing and Ning Rong Rong’s end, somehow Dai Mu Bai manages to save Ning Rong Rong and have her and himself back sheltering in a room, but loses Zhu Zhu Qing. Worried about her, Dai Mu Bai heads back out looking to save Zhu Zhu Qing, but his trip back out ends up with him needing saving as a large slab of concrete comes flying at him. Dai Mu Bai had prepared himself to block the slab, but Zhu Zhu Qing apparently not wanting Dai Mu Bai hurt, she is seen appearing out of nowhere to take the hit for him. Fortunately Zhu Zhu Qing isn’t seriously injured. The slab seems to only have injured a side of her arm.
Still, it does have Dai Mu Bai quite worried after they make it back to the room Dai Mu Bai and Ning Rong Rong had taken shelter. He is seen hovering over Zhu Zhu Qing wondering if she was hurt badly and whether her arm needed bandaging. It took Zhu Zhu Qing to change the subject to wondering how Tang San and Xiao Wu were doing before Dai Mu Bai seem to realise he was fussing over her too much.
Dai Mu Bai has again changed a little more from his usual rude, fierce self. He’s a lot nicer—not only to Zhu Zhu Qing but Ning Rong Rong as well. The rescue from Zhu Zhu Qing sees Dai Mu Bai uncharacteristically apologise for causing Zhu Zhu Qing’s injury. It would seem Zhu Zhu Qing didn’t need any rescuing as she had hid herself well from the sandstorm and only got injured because Dai Mu Bai got himself in that storm and endangered himself. After Zhu Zhu Qing revealed this fact, he thanks Ning Rong Rong and he admits that had it not been for Ning Rong Rong, things could have gotten seriously dangerous. Thanks Ning Rong Rong’s decision to head back out into the dangerous sandstorm, she provided additional strength and speed to Dai Mu Bai, allowing him to fight against the power of the storm and carry Zhu Zhu Qing out of it.
With Tang San and Xiao Wu, they emerge from a pile of planks in a narrow alleyway unscathed. The whereabouts of Yu Xiao Gang, though, is not known. He was last seen a short distance from them at a stall asking for directions to Xi Si Soul Arena. Fei Lan De’s whereabouts is also unknown.
Tang San and Xiao Wu deciding they would try look for everyone, they make the decision to head back the way they came, in the direction of the inn they had been staying. As they exited the alleyway, around the corner a short distance away, they catch sight of Hu Lie Na who weren’t so lucky in retreating to a safe hiding place to wait the sandstorm out. She had been knocked unconscious and was floating dangerously in the powerful winds. As Xiao Wu had pointed out, if she smashes into a wall, she could die.
Tang San had tried to use his Blue Silver Plant to try grab Hu Lie Na, but the swirling winds and Hu Lie Na’s constantly moving body made it hard for the vine to wrap around her. Xiao Wu had suggested she use her teleport to get to Hu Lie Na, but Tang San didn’t want her to go in there, regarding it to be too risky.
Tang San was going to go in himself with one end of his Blue Silver Plant wrapped around his waist and Xiao Wu holding the other end. He tells Xiao Wu to let go her grip on the vine if the storm gets too strong, but she never lets go when it does. When Tang San finally manages to get a firm hold around Hu Lie Na, Xiao Wu is seen using all her strength to keep her hold of the vine that kept Tang San and Hu Lie Na from being taken away by the wind. Tang San had shouted for her to let go as he and Hu Lie Na swayed in the wind, no doubt making it even harder for Xiao Wu to maintain her grip. She wasn’t going to let go, though, because (as she later tells Tang San), wherever he is, she will also be.
Tang San gaining his footing after a short time floating around in the air, he thrusts another vine out to have it wrap around a post, allowing him to pull himself out from the open area and back beside Xiao Wu. Tang San rescuing Hu Lie Na is the second time this has happened. The first time is when he rescued her from Dai Wei Shi. It’s a fact which Hu Lie Na notes and has Tang San know when she regains consciousness a few moments later. Tang San claims having already forgotten the first time he rescued her, but it didn’t matter whether he remembers. Hu Lie Na tells him that what matters is she remembers and it’s something she promises to repay him for.
Arriving back at the inn and let in by one of the inn’s staff, Tang San look to head back out to look for the others as well as to try figuring out why a Sand Beast is out there and causing the sandstorm after being told the others didn’t return to the inn and that the Sand Beast is behind the sandstorm. With Hu Lie Na now owing her life a couple times to Tang San, she’s showing more concern for him. She had tried stopping Tang San from going back out, telling him it was unnecessary for him to risk his life for others and that his own life was most important. But as Tang San has her see, if he thought this way Hu Lie Na would have died already.
With no further attempts of being stopped by Hu Lie Na, Tang San prepares to go out, but he’s once again stopped by Ma Xiu Nuo a moment later. Appearing from a room behind the courtyard, he requests Tang San help send him out of the city safely. Thinking Ma Xiu Nuo must be concerned about the sandstorm, Tang San tells him to stay at the inn and he’ll be fine.
It wasn’t so much the sandstorm he’s worried about, but that young Sand Beast he mistakenly took back to his room. Encouraging them to go with him to his room, Tang San, Xiao Wu and Hu Lie Na head there to see the Sand Beast. It has Xiao Wu tell Ma Xiu Nuo he needs to set it free. This is what Ma Xiu Nuo appears to want their help with. He wants them to help him with setting it free outside the city without being discovered. Tang San doubts it can be done with a Sand Beast outside.
Hu Lie Na jumps in to tell Ma Xiu Nuo to take responsibility for it himself. Once the Sand Beast finds its mate and also the culprit, the sandstorm will probably stop. The thought of sending the Sand Beast back himself and bear the consequences scares Ma Xiu Nuo. She’s not worried about whether Ma Xiu Nuo dies or survives. Tang San has her stop trying to scare him before suggesting the Sand Beast be released into the streets (as opposed to going out there alone with the beast) without the other Sand Beast discovering them setting it free.
Ma Xiu Nuo is happy with this idea, and was set to carry it out when Wang Sheng and his Fiend Battle Team Captain, Meng Li (Gao Zi Gang), and teammates show up. They’ve come for Tang San to take him to the Xi Si Soul Arena for the test, but end up insisting Ma Xiu Nuo return the Sand Beast personally to prove himself as not being some kind of agent of the palace looking to ruin their plans to obtain control of Xi Si City.
With Tang San confirming the new visitors could be considered his friends (Ma Xiu Nuo had asked whether they were his friends), Ma Xiu Nuo quickly moved to suggest Wang Sheng and his Fiend Battle Team work together with Tang San to help him return the Soul Beast. In his haste to have this matter dealt with, he offers to hire them and was willing to pay whatever the price. With him not knowing that Meng Li and his people have a grudge against the Royal Family, his admission that his father is an officer at the palace (and that’s why he can be so generous) lands Ma Xiu Nuo back to needing to return the Sand Beast himself. It was either return the young Sand Beast himself and prove he didn’t cause the sandstorm to destroy Xi Si City and their work in controlling the territory or be killed right on the spot.
Fortunately for Ma Xiu Nuo, Tang San puts up his hands to go in his place. It baffles Hu Lie Na as well as Meng Li why Tang San would go in his place. They weren’t close. Ma Xiu Nuo was an outsider. Tang San’s answer to them is as simple as needing to do it because someone had to. Meng Li had refused the idea that had been settled on before Meng Li showed up: Meng Li wouldn’t allow Ma Xiu Nuo to release the young Sand Beast without the other Sand Beast discovering. Seeming as Ma Xiu Nuo was too timid to do what Meng Li insists, Tang San thought he’d do it for him as he was more suitable to face the angry Sand Beast outside. What’s more, Tang San believes that if this went on any longer it’ll be dangerous for even the Fiend Battle Team.
Meng Li agreeing to let Tang San show him just how more suitable and braver he is, Tang San takes the young Sand Beast and prepares to head out the door. Xiao Wu, who makes a move to go with him, is told he’d go on his own, but Xiao Wu won’t hear of it. She’s said it a few times before: where he goes she will go, too. There’s no point trying to talk her out of it.
Episode 23
When Meng Li makes the decision to kill, there really is no chance to avoid being killed. Tang San had done exactly what Meng Li had asked. He had returned the young Sand Beast to its parent and stopped the sandstorm. Ma Xiu Nuo should have been let go after that. However, upon returning to the inn, Meng Li wanted Tang San to kill Ma Xiu Nuo as the test to prove he was on the same front as them.
Tang San refused. Tang San agrees that for starting the sandstorm, Ma Xiu Nuo should be punished but not be killed. And so, after a couple moments, seemingly showing some internal struggle over letting go of his opportunity to find out about his father, Tang San tells Meng Li he gives up and that Meng Li should just consider him as not having passed the test. This is when Meng Li moves to have a hand around Ma Xiu Nuo’s neck and snaps it, all because he was from the Royal Family.
It sees Tang San demand a battle with Meng Li and his Fiend Battle Team. For the cruelty inflicted on Ma Xiu Nuo, the people they defeated and left in the sun outside the city to die, and for the people in Xi Si City, Tang San wants to destroy and chase out people like Meng Li. He wants to save the city. Meng Li, confident in his abilities, accepts the challenge, looking forward to see how Tang San will beat him and save the city.
The latest incident with Meng Li and seeing the cruelty and despair the Fiend Battle Team imposed on the city has Tang San question whether he knew his father at all and whether his decision to stand against the Fiend Battle Team (which is effectively standing up against his own father if the mastermind is discovered to be him) is the right one.
The answer to at least whether he has made the right decision regarding standing up against the Fiend Battle Team and possibly his own father is found when two young children approach Tang San as well as Xiao Wu to give them small cups of drink. They are then followed by men and women, one after the other wishing Tang San luck in his battle against their oppressors. They wish him victory. They wish him to stay alive even if he doesn’t win. They want him to take care of himself. As Xiao Wu points out after all these well-wishes and encouragement, Tang San has made the right choice.
Searching for a blacksmith to forge a set of mechanical weapons (which Tang San calls the Godly Crossbow), he finds one which allows him to use the workshop and the iron without charge. (The blacksmith is yet another townsperson who is a supporter of Tang San.) Tang San’s wanting to make these weapons to serve as parting gifts to Dai Mu Bai and the others when they head on to Tian Dou City for their Soul Master School Contest.
Dai Mu Bai and the others aren’t going anywhere, though. Now that they’ve all learned about Tang San’s reason for remaining in Xi Si City is because of the Fiend Battle Team and needing to challenge them in order to learn the identity of the person behind Ye Zhi Qiu, they’ve all decided they can’t abandon Tang San and let him face the challenge alone.
Yu Xiao Gang played a hand in nudging them in making this decision, too. Having learned about the situation after returning safe and sound with Fei Lan De, he had gone and done some research at the city’s Soul Arena to find out that most of the Fiend Battle Team were Quadruple Soul Ring Soul Masters (Wang Sheng being the only one with Triple Soul Rings). As a way to spur everyone to fight together with Tang San, Yu Xiao Gang presented to everyone a sense of hopelessness to the challenge. He had told them that there was no hope of winning, so there was no need for any of them to get into the arena because they were just going to die. This was the bad news he had said. However the good news was that Tang San will be the only one challenging the Fiend Battle Team. (In other words only he face the risk of dying in battle.)
Yu Xiao Gang had deliberately painted a bleak picture of coming out of this alive let alone win so that they would all band together and get into the arena with Tang San. It started with Dai Mu Bai acting as if he was going to let Tang San go into the arena alone and abandon him because (as Dai Mu Bai had said to everyone) this was a mess Tang San got into himself. It didn’t concern them. However, after leaving the room with an angry Ma Hong Jun trailing and wanting to fight Dai Mu Bai for what he believed was an abandoning of Tang San, Dai Mu Bai revealed he had no intention of doing that.
Dai Mu Bai figured that since the Fiend Battle Team were so strong, it wouldn’t make much of a difference whether the others joined in the battle or not. But what he believes for sure is that although Tang San and his Blue Silver Plant had many uses, it was not lethal enough. To make up for the weaknesses, Dai Mu Bai thought he could be someone who could make up for that weakness, thus deciding at least he’d join Tang San in the arena.
Seemingly seeing Ma Hong Jun was all fired up about Dai Mu Bai appearing to be abandoning Tang San, Dai Mu Bai appears to have pretended to have allowed Ma Hong Jun to continue misunderstanding his intentions until they got outside so he could have Ma Hong Jun get into that arena alongside him and Tang San. Dai Mu Bai thought that Ma Hong Jun’s berserk state could serve as a great distraction in the Fiend Battle Team’s focus.
This secret meeting between Dai Mu Bai and Ma Hong Jun is soon joined by Zhu Zhu Qing who shows up offering her sneak attacks in the challenge. In the end, everyone somehow learns of Dai Mu Bai and Ma Hong Jun’s intentions, leading to everyone deciding they would join Tang San in the challenge.
So, after Tang San and Xiao Wu finally returns to the inn, they all show up to tell him they want to join him. They surprise Tang San with their knowledge of not only his challenge against the Fiend Battle Team but also Tang San’s goal to get to Tian Dou City to find out who Ye Zhi Qiu is and who the mastermind is in the matter relating to the Mutant Souls.
Tang San not wanting them to be distracted by his matters, he tells them to leave for Tian Dou City for the Soul Master School Contest and not worry about him.
There was no convincing them to abandon Tang San and Xiao Wu, though. In Dai Mu Bai’s view, there was not beating the Fiend Battle Team without his help. Dai Mu Bai had said this not in an arrogant way, but in a “you’re not going in there without me” kind of way. Zhu Zhu Qing reminds Tang San that they are a team and they won’t leave Tang San and Xiao Wu behind. Ma Hong Jun reminds Tang San and Xiao Wu how they left them behind in Star Town to cure Xiao Wu from her poisoning and not to leave them behind again this time.
Ma Hong Jun also tells Tang San the Fiend Battle Team and Ye Zhi Qiu matters relates to him, too. As the Nightfire Village incident is what took his father away, he still wants to know the truth behind the Mutant Soul and who the real culprit is; and so, he must get into the arena with Tang San.
It would seem Tang San also didn’t need to be wondering too hard about who Ye Zhi Qiu is and what he’s up to because Ning Rong Rong could help with that. Being the princess of the Qibao Amber Clan and the clan being stationed at their headquarters in Tian Dou City, finding this information out was a small matter for her and her clan. She tells Tang San she can have her father help them look into Ye Zhi Qiu and find out exactly what he’s up to right away.
Ou Si Ke finishes off with apparently having sensed a dark power hiding in the shadows and had long suspected this was what caused the incident which saw Ma Hong Jun lose his family and Xiao Wu being poisoned. How he knows about this, whether it’s because of his curiosity about everything which led him to discovering it all is unclear. But Ou Si Ke ends their argument about why Tang San and Xiao Wu shouldn’t go into all this by themselves with the reason that upholding justice and condemning the evil is the mission belonging to all of them.
So, with Ou Si Ke encouraging them all to bump their fists together with his in the centre of the circle first, everyone follows.
The Seven Devils of Shi Lan Ke all in, they begin to discuss tactics against an admittedly stronger team. Dai Mu Bai having experienced a previous battle which saw conventional tactics fail against stronger opponents (namely, the battle with his brother, Dai Wei Shi, in Episode 20), Dai Mu Bai recognises that this time round the less conventional tactics need to be used. This sees Xiao Wu bring out the set of Godly Crossbows Tang San had forged. The mechanical weapons which were supposed to be parting gifts for everyone will now serve as part of their plan to defeat the Fiend Battle Team.
How the Godly Crossbows will be used in their plan isn’t revealed at this point, but the unveiling of these weapons are well-received by everyone. Ning Rong Rong was impressed Tang San had made such powerful weapons when Tang San shot the little arrow from its rectangular chamber. The small arrow has pierced right through a vase and into the wall. The power saw Zhu Zhu Qing reckon the mechanical weapons could pierce through metal.
Dai Mu Bai, who used to show disdain for such weapons, now has a new appreciation for them. He is seen showing interest in the Godly Crossbow, asking about its use and whether the principle is the same as the Dragon’s Beard. Tang San tells him it’s different in that the Dragon’s Beard requires Soul Power, but the Godly Crossbow relies only on a quality spring to make it work. An ordinary person could even use it.
With Tang San mentioning how he’s wanting Ning Rong Rong and Ou Si Ke to work with him to carry out the tactic which was previously used against Dai Wei Shi, Dai Mu Bai takes this opportunity to express his change of views over Tang San’s weapons, his tactics and what he thought of Tang San in general. He tells Tang San that he had once disliked his weapons and had previously thought his tactics wouldn’t work in the arena. Now though, he views Tang San as an intelligent and passionate person. He makes his apologies for having ostracised him back then because of Tang San’s methods which differed to his own.
With all this said, the Seven Devils of Shi Lan Ke establish themselves as a cohesive team, ready to take on the Fiend Battle Team the next morning, hoping to snatch victory and save the people of Xi Si City. Although Tang San and the others are ready and relatively pumped with going into the arena to take on the Fiend Battle Team together, Hu Lie Na’s worried Tang San’s risking his life going in there. She is seen pulling him aside to try get him to think twice about going. She is worried enough to suggest he not go through with the challenge and leave. She offers an alternative of calling in some people to deal with the Fiend Battle Team while they make their departure. Without Tang San concerned about more people being harmed the longer they wait, Hu Lie Na is turned down.
This whole scene catches the attention of Ning Rong Rong but not Xiao Wu. When Xiao Wu is pulled back by Ning Rong Rong and Xiao Wu is drawn to the scene, Xiao Wu saw nothing wrong with Tang San speaking to Hu Lie Na alone. Whether there should be something to worry about remains to be seen at this point. According to Hu Lie Na, had Tang San not saved her life two times already, she wouldn’t concern herself with him. She’s made a promise to repay Tang San and is still looking out for Tang San because of this promise of hers. Even then, Xiao Wu’s lack of reaction to the scene yet again shows Xiao Wu’s naivety in this area.
Stepping into the arena, Tang San is given one last chance to change his mind and join them. Tang San and the team’s response to Meng Li is a show of their Soul Rings and Martial Souls. Tang San wasn’t joining them. They were all against them.
Carrying their first part of the plan to create a distraction, Ning Rong Rong makes her first move with the small firecrackers, throwing them at the Fiend Battle Team just as she did during their battle with Dai Wei Shi. Meanwhile, Ou Si Ke stands at the ready with his rod chain.
It surprises Meng Li that they’ve got the Support Branch Soul Masters battling as well, but the cloud of smoke does little to disturb them when Ma Hong Jun sets off the firecrackers with his Phoenix Firing Line. They just stand in place as the clouds rise.
Tang San moves in with his Blue Silver Plant before Dai Mu Bai goes in with his White Tiger Intense Light Wave on parallel trajectories. Xiao Wu then leaps into action, followed by Zhu Zhu Qing. Sounds of fighting is heard inside the white cloud of smoke. With Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhu Qing sent back out, the Fiend Battle Team appears to have won that bout.
As the cloud of smoke clears, the Fiend Battle Team are revealed to have suffer little damage. They stand firm in their fighting pose. They all move to show their Quadruple Soul Rings with Wang Sheng the exception. He reveals Triple Soul Rings.
Triple Soul Rings against Triple Soul Rings, White Tiger Soul against mutated Blood Tiger Soul, Dai Mu Bai and Wang Sheng face off each other next. Descending from one of the high platforms in the arena, Dai Mu Bai comes down with a strike and an attack of his White Tiger Intense Light Wave. They’re all dodged and ducked by Wang Sheng.
Wang Sheng’s decision to go on the offensive, running head on into Dai Mu Bai, sees Wang Sheng manage to avoid another White Tiger Intense Light Wave thrown at him as well as a spin hook kick. Wang Sheng’s attempts to send a kick back at Dai Mu Bai is easily blocked.
Ultimately, though, Wang Sheng is shown to be not strong enough against Dai Mu Bai. Multiple pouches to the chest and face and a final kick to the chest sends Wang Sheng flying back to the side of his team. Dai Mu Bai continues going after Wang Sheng as he leaps high in the air to strike down on Wang Sheng, but fortunately for Wang Sheng, it’s blocked by Meng Li.
Between Dai Mu Bai and Meng Li, Meng Li is looking to be more superior. The block involving Meng Li stopping a downward strike of Dai Mu Bai’s claws sees Dai Mu Bai sliding backwards along the ground.
Zhu Zhu Qing goes in with a rotating double kick and a strike near Meng Li’s neck, but her kick is dodged and her claws misses by an inch as Meng Li leans away. Dai Mu Bai attempts to hit Meng Li with a White Tiger Intense Light Wave, but that’s waved away to hit a large urn off the side. Zhu Zhu Qing’s second attempt to attack from above sees her thrown down onto the ground and facing a strike at close range from above.
Meng Li is not only stronger, but faster, too. It’s not looking too great for the Seven Devils of Shi Lan Ke at this point.
Episode 24
The Fiend Battle Team were just going easy on the Seven Devils of Shi Lan Ke to give them the impression that they had a chance of winning. Meng Li isn’t just talking up his team. The Seven Devils of Shi Lan Ke’s second attempt to create a distraction and have have them ring fenced in another fire explosion sees hopes rise that maybe they were close to victory only to see Meng Li and his team come out of it unfazed and unaffected.
Through the use of Constraint of Spider Web and an exploding water flask which Ou Si Ke had hit high into the sky for Tang San to pierce with his Dragon’s Beard, Tang San was able to bind and distract Meng Li and his men long enough to keep them still. With Wang Sheng having been sent flying by Xiao Wu’s strong grip around his neck, Tang San makes sure Wang Sheng rejoins Meng Li and the others by flinging Wang Sheng back there with his Blue Silver Plant.
Ma Hong Jun moving to use his Phoenix Firing Line, it sets off a spectacular explosion. Massive plumbs of black smoke fill the arena. It all looked promising, but when the black smoke clears, Meng Li and his men remain standing. Tang San’s Constraint of Spider Web was still binding them, but they appear to have just let the attack sit as it was easily destroyed when Meng Li released his Martial Soul and the bind shattered.
The true power and strength of Meng Li and the others finally show after this. It sees not one member of the Seven Devils of Shi Lan Ke able to provide an answer to the attacks of the Fiend Battle Team. Tang San’s attempt to send a powerful kick by using his Blue Silver Plant like a sling while it kept Meng Li in place sees Tang San flung back. Tang San’s Xuan Tian Strike had Meng Li forced low to the ground to the point of almost being on his back, but Meng Li bounces back upright to expel a force that sends Tang San smashing into a set of stands.
Dai Mu Bai coming at Meng Li with his strikes, he’s sent flying into log platforms, after all Dai Mu Bai’s strikes were dodged and blocked.
Zhu Zhu Qing fighting a Fiend Battle Team member with a wolf-like Martial Soul, her strikes are dodged by the speedy zig-zagging approach on all fours. With her opponent leaping high, Zhu Zhu Qing is kicked high above the chest and sent flying before a second Fiend Battle Team member catches her mid-flight with his axe. She is once again sent flying and smashes into high concrete platforms.
Dai Mu Bai’s attempt to go to Zhu Zhu Qing sees him stopped by Meng Li and swung by a leg to be flung into another high concrete platform.
Xiao Wu’s speed is quick. She manages to get her feet around the neck of the opponent who liked to run on all fours like a wolf, but she fails to flip him like she did with Wang Sheng. Her attempt sees her held tight by the ankles and spun around before sent flying after her opponent grabs her by her belt and throws her into the air.
Ma Hong Jun suffers the same as the others after his Firey Phoenix attacks initiated from directly above his opponent sees it give way to the blue force of his opponent. Ma Hong Jun is sent flying with a strong kick before he crashes in a wood structure.
Meanwhile, Ning Rong Rong suffer hits to the stomach and almost being stomped on by Wang Sheng. Ou Si Ke manages to save, shield and protect Ning Rong Rong, but in doing so he suffers powerful hits to the back as well as being sent crashing into pillars.
In the penultimate set of attacks, Zhu Zhu Qing ends up so battered, her claws retracts indicating her loss power and strength. Ma Hong Jun’s attempt to challenge his opponent head on with his flames again is sent back once again into the pillars by his opponent’s force. Dai Mu Bai gets his arm twisted and kneed by Meng Li before he’s sent smashing into a pillar. Ou Si Ke gets kicked in the face and sent to the ground. Ning Rong Rong is grabbed by the neck before being flung at Ou Si Ke to send him to the ground again.
Xiao Wu who was flung and sent flying luckily escapes crashing into anything thanks to Tang San’s Blue Silver Plant. He had rushed around from where he was to have a vine grow next to her to provide her something to swing herself around, allowing her up regain her stance.
With most of the Seven Devils of Shi Lan Ke down and not looking to get up, though, they face the order to kill from Meng Li. It appears as if this is impending defeat, when in fact, this could be what has been the plan all along. Being physically low on the ground, appearing to be on the brinks of defeat with Meng Li and his men all charging at them to kill them looks to be the exact position they had planned for. Only during an opportunity like this, can they pull their surprise attacks with their concealed Godly Crossbows. Everyone receiving the call from Tang San that the time to use this surprise attack is at this current moment, they fire the Godly Crossbow hidden under their sleeves. The arrows fly out of its chamber, surprising their opponents. With their opponents having no time to react, the arrows pierce their chest. Meng Li escapes being hit, but the final blow which is what will give the Seven Devils of Shi Lan Ke the victory is yet to come.
Tang San in a high position above the sky, Dai Mu Bai releases a delayed White Tiger Intense Light Wave which Tang San uses in combination with his Constraint of Spider Web to control the smaller electric spheres that had resulted from its explosion. Directing the smaller spheres down, he bombs the Fiend Battle Team into defeat. At the same time, Dai Mu Bai call for his Blue Silver Cage, a blue electric dome, to protect his own team from the explosions.
Snatching victory finally, Fei Lan De, Yu Xiao Gang, Hu Lie Na and the city people all break through the arena door to celebrate their win. They had defeated the Fiend Battle Team, freed the people from them and saved the city.
The victory sees the city people all banging at the door upon their return to the inn, wanting to leave the Seven Devils of Shi Lan Ke gifts. It also seems to see Hu Lie Na cryptically reveal her hesitation in choosing between Tang San and Dai Mu Bai.
When Tang San goes in to the room their staying in to check on Dai Mu Bai (who was recovering from the injury to his arm), he is greeted with the sight of Hu Lie Na sitting and staring at Dai Mu Bai’s sleeping form. Tang San not getting an answer when he asked her what she was doing in the room, he presumes it’s because she likes him. It leads Hu Lie Na to talking about Tang San having saved her twice, that he was capable and had a bright future. It’s what’s causing her to hesitate. However, because of Martial Soul Hall, she seems to suggest she can’t choose him. She then leaves Tang San with saying that she hopes they won’t ever be on opposite sides.
It sees Tang San confused, but doesn’t dwell on it much as he’s called over by Dai Mu Bai who wakes right after Hu Lie Na took her leave. Dai Mu Bai wasn’t actually sleeping. He was pretending, presumably, to avoid speaking to her. Tang San makes another remark about Hu Lie Na liking Dai Mu Bai. It sees Dai Mu Bai tell Tang San she definitely doesn’t like him: the feeling he gets is similar to a hunter looking at its prey. (Choosing between Tang San and Dai Mu Bai is meant to appear as if it’s about some innocent romantic feelings, but later down the episodes, it’s more to do with obtaining more power for Martial Soul Hall.)
Tang San heading out to look for Fei Lan De to let him know Dai Mu Bai’s feeling fine and that they can make a start towards Tian Dou City, Tang San gets a visit from Ye Zhi Qiu who lets Tang San know he’s passed the test. Tang San tells Ye Zhi Qiu his reasons for defeating the Fiend Battle Team wasn’t because of wanting to pass the test. It didn’t matter to Ye Zhi Qiu for what reason Tang San had to beat the Fiend Battle Team. The only thing Ye Zhi Qiu cared about was that Tang San did, and seeing as he did, it has Ye Zhi Qiu lay down the next challenge for Tang San which will get him closer to finding out whether his father is the mastermind behind the Mutant Soul. This challenge is to make it into the finals of the Soul Master School Contest.
Tang San isn’t too trusting of Ye Zhi Qiu after discovering the Fiend Battle Team were only formed to serve a mission, to serve as puppets for Ye Zhi Qiu and headquarters. It was not about banding together and changing their fates like Wang Sheng had believed. But with Tang San needing to get to the bottom of this matter about his father, he now has the goal of getting to Tian Dou City and making it into the finals of the contest to prove he is strong enough to handle the knowledge and the powerful forces involved in a matter which is yet to fully reveal itself at this point.
To go on this path means to risk being killed, though. Anyone who is involved and spills anything they know about the hidden force behind Ye Zhi Qiu will need to be killed (just as Bu Le was). Anyone who’s served their purpose are also killed (just as the entire Fiend Battle Team was after their defeat). This fact, which Ye Zhi Qiu says even he isn’t exempt, sees Tang San back to thinking about going on the rest of this path on his own.
With the thought that he can’t have the others continue on in this path with him and risk themselves, Tang San leaves Xi Si City with a heavy mind. It sees Ning Rong Rong bring up a random offer to help him keep Xiao Wu from talking to other guys in the future. She had noticed his preoccupied mood, and although Ning Rong Rong’s offer was actually about a money-making venture relating to selling her more of Tang San’s Godly Crossbows, Tang San’s response reveals a similar cluelessness to Ning Rong Rong’s meaning as Xiao Wu’s cluelessness when she asked about Xiao Wu’s feelings for Tang San. Tang San’s response is one of confusion, unsure why Ning Rong Rong would stop Xiao Wu from speaking to other guys or why she would need to help with this matter.
Moving on, Ning Rong Rong picks Tang San’s thoughts about selling his Godly Crossbows. Finding the Godly Crossbow a fantastic weapon for Support Branch Soul Masters like herself who can’t fight, she wanted to propose Tang San make more and sell them to her. She reckons Tang San would make a lot of money with selling his workmanship. Tang San has never thought about selling the Godly Crossbow, though. He’s told to take his time about her proposal, but she intends to show it to her father and then set a price.
With Ning Rong Rong walking ahead, chased by Ou Si Ke who offers to sell her his fighting stick, Tang San is left to return to his preoccupied mood. It sees Yu Xiao Gang approach Tang San about it. Without Tang San saying a word about what’s on his mind, Yu Xiao Gang suspects correctly that it must be because Ye Zhi Qiu had shown up. Yu Xiao Gang shows his ability to read Tang San further with suspecting Tang San of wanting to fight in the final of the Soul Master School Contest alone when Tang San reveals his desire to make it that far.
Yu Xiao Gang prohibits Tang San from fighting alone, telling him to have faith in his team to fight alongside him. He then tells Tang San he will look into match systems, strategies and analyse his opponents for him to give him the best chance of getting there. Yu Xiao Gang seemed to have expected Tang San to liven up and show a desire to win. Not seeing this in Tang San’s expression, though, Yu Xiao Gang moves to find out why he wanted to enter the final in the first place. Tang San’s answer about his father possibly showing up sees Yu Xiao Gang stop the discussion, deciding the matter be best discussed in a more private setting when they reach Tian Dou City.
Arriving outside Tian Dou City, Yu Xiao Gang and Fei Lan De have the students head to the mountains as this was where Tian Dou Imperial School was located. It’s a grand school which takes up the whole mountain.
Arriving at the gates, awaiting the guards to verify Shi Lan Ke School’s personal invitation from Yu Tian Heng, Ma Hong Jun is seen to tear up as he confesses never to have ever imagined he’d make it to Tian Dou Imperial School. It sees him vow to never give up, to carry his father’s strength and spirit and live a better life, just as his father wanted.
Ou Si Ke makes the same vow, but it looks like he’s not moved from his dream of being in the arts. Even though he’s finally able to stand in the arena and fight with his team, Ou Si Ke still hasn’t come around to choosing the path of being a Soul Master. Being in Tian Dou City, the place he says is a sacred place for all performers, sees Ou Si Ke vow to never give up on his dream, too.
Invitation verified, they are all let in and shown to the reception hall which is just as grand and stately. Xiao Wu spotting refreshments of fruits and pastries, she calls over Tang San who is also joined by Ou Si Ke, Ma Hong Jun and Ning Rong Rong. They start helping themselves with Ou Si Ke particularly excited by the selection of fresh fruit and other snacks. It sees him try everything.
As the wait for Yu Tian Heng to welcome them, they are visited by one of the students at the school and a member of the Imperial Battle Team, Xue Beng. Apparently having been told that some mysterious masters were joining his team, he had come ahead to check them out only to find Ou Si Ke, Tang San, Ma Hong Jun, Xiao Wu and Ning Rong Rong before them. His first sight of them is of them around the table of refreshments with fruit and pastries, mouths full of fruit or pastry.
They don’t quite meet the image Xue Beng had of them. With them not carrying that mysterious air, looking rather shabby, and with Ou Si Ke greeting Xue Beng with his mouth full, Xue Beng dismisses them to be the mysterious masters he dropped by to see. When Yu Tian Heng finally arrives to introduce them as the people he’s invited join their Imperial Battle Team, it sees Xue Beng look down on them. He couldn’t understand why Yu Tian Heng would invite them when they had so many talents in Tian Dou Imperial School. They could form two battle teams with the talent they had at their school.
The badmouthing gets Dai Mu Bai into a small confrontation with Xue Beng with the latter Xue Beng launching to make a hit on the former for stating a fact that it was Yu Tian Heng who begged Shi Lan Ke School to come. Xue Beng is subdued, made to hold back when Yu Tian Heng reminds Xue Beng that the decision to whether they’re qualified to join their team or not comes down to the Academic Affairs Department.
Xue Beng leaving with a deep frown on his face, Yu Tian Heng apologises to Dai Mu Bai and the others for Xue Beng’s behaviour. In doing so, he reveals Xue Beng as being of royal blood which he attributes to the reason for acting the way he did. Because he has royal blood, he’s a bit protective of the school. Although Dai Mu Bai had taken offence in Xue Beng’s words, he was also understanding. Dai Mu Bai mentions that their shabby appearance as possibly a cause for some misunderstanding.
Yu Tian Heng takes the blame for their appearance since he didn’t think to let them change first. Yu Tian Heng makes the suggestion they do that first, but with the Chief of Academic Affairs Department waiting to meet Dai Mu Bai and Tang San, only Xiao Wu, Ning Rong Rong, Ou Si Ke, Ma Hong Jun, Zhu Zhu Qing head off to the courtyard where their quarters are located. The sight which greets Xiao Wu and the rest is one which once again impresses. They are also impressed to learn they can pick a room each to stay in.
Episode 25
Trusting Yu Tian Heng’s decisions, Chief of Tian Dou Imperial School, Meng Shen Ji (Wen Hai Bo), was happy to have Dai Mu Bai and Tang San join the Tian Dou Imperial Battle Team and settle their registration. However, with both Dai Mu Bai and Tang San still unwilling to leave Shi Lan Ke School just to participate in the Soul Master School Contest, their participation hits an initial obstacle as Meng Shen Ji follows the criteria that only recognised schools can participate.
This initial obstacle is resolved with the entrance of Tian Dou Crown Prince Xue Qing He, though. With the Crown Prince preferring Dai Mu Bai as the next emperor of Xing Luo Empire over the more dominant Dai Wei Shi who will bring more disputes between the Tian Dou and Xing Luo kingdoms, the Tian Dou Crown Prince vouches for Dai Mu Bai and Tang San’s temporary status as members of the Imperial Battle Team.
With the Tian Dou Crown Prince’s support, Meng Shen Ji proceeds with arranging the borrowing of Dai Mu Bai and Tang San in the Imperial Battle Team. It sees Tang San breathe a sigh of relief that things worked out. Although he had made the decision he couldn’t leave Shi Lan Ke School just to get into the final in order to look into the matter regarding his father, he also seemed relieved he could do both now.
Xue Qing He moves to have Dai Mu Bai, Tang San and Hu Lie Na see him privately to talk about the suspicion of a conspiracy which was his original request to meet Dai Mu Bai at Xi Si City. He doesn’t find out much when he looks to get an answer from Hu Lie Na. Since she was there and she was from the school who made the sudden announcement of the Soul Master School Contest which he suspects a conspiracy, he directed his question to her. Her response on the matter is a simple, innocent desire to promote the legacy of Martial Soul and to strengthen the communications between schools.
It sees Xue Qing He express scepticism that this is all it is and moves to point out the building which stands tall in the distance where Tian Dou City can be seen from their vantage point in the mountains. It’s the building where the Clan of Martial Soul Hall resides. He talks about how even the imperial city is being suppressed by this Martial Soul Hall. Right in front of Hu Lie Na, Xue Qing He tells Tang San and Dai Mu Bai that they must get to the finals. He wants any school other than Martial Soul Hall to be champion.
During this meeting, Tang San also gets his chance to bring up Canghui School through the mention of Ma Xiu Nuo’s death and the Fiend Battle Team being responsible for it. It’s a matter which even Xue Qing He knows nothing about nor seem to have the power to investigate. The decision to leave things at Shi Lan Ke School having avenged Ma Xiu Nuo by defeating the Fiend Battle Team and not pursuing further comes off as not so much that the Royal Family didn’t care to look further into the matter, but they couldn’t. It’s quite evident after Tang San’s question asking who was in control of Cang Hui School saw Xue Qing He go on rumours which pointed to the missing Hao Tian Soul Master. Tang San asking for clarification on why Xue Qing He went on rumours for his answer to his question, Xue Qing He admits his inability to find out more because of the Grand Soul Land Masters which he mentions are the strongest in the world and is what has prevented him from finding out any more information.
Tang San and Dai Mu Bai leaving the meeting, Dai Mu Bai’s curiosity whether Tang San believes he could be champion leads to the revelation that the two kingdoms, Tian Dou and Xing Luo, get direct entry into the final round, skipping the preliminary rounds. The reason is to do with them having their own official Soul Master Schools. (This is how Dai Wei Shi was so sure he’d meet Dai Mu Bai at the end of the Soul Master School Contest.) It’s also so the reputation of these two Imperial Schools preserve their reputation.
With there being certainty in Tian Dou Imperial School making it into the final, it would appear there was no need to try so hard to get into the final round, but this isn’t necessary the case. As Dai Mu Bai tells Tang San, Tian Dou Imperial School has two teams. Team one is normally the main team. They will enter the final round directly. Team two, though, will have to compete with other teams in the preliminary round.
This fact isn’t something Dai Mu Bai or Tang San cares to pay any attention to as they intend to use their own ability to make it to the final round. He intends to advance to Quadruple Soul Rings in order to properly face Dai Wei Shi. Tang San tells Dai Mu Bai he will join him and do this together with him.
Using their own efforts and not rely on the automatic qualification is what looks to be what needs to happen, as in the end, Dai Mu Bai and Tang San are unable to join the Tian Dou Imperial Battle Team. A fight involving Xue Beng and Xiao Wu sees Xue Beng’s uncle, Prince Xue Xing, originally demand everyone from Shi Lan Ke School be kicked out. But with Xiao Wu pointing out that only she fought Xue Beng and that Tang San and Dai Mu Bai had no part in it, Xue Xing demanded only Xiao Wu be kicked out of the school. However, Tang San and Dai Mu Bai unwilling to stay if Xiao Wu can’t, and Meng Shen Ji unwilling to disobey Xue Qing He’s orders to have Tang San and Dai Mu Bai join the Imperial Battle Team, Xue Xing isn’t able to force the situation initially.
When Xue Qing He arrives, the Crown Prince also points out that the fact Xiao Wu bet up Xue Beng, it is proof the people he invited is stronger and deserves to enter the school. Xue Qing He also shoots down Xue Xing’s claim that Dai Mu Bai was being rude and disrespectful when he spoke about having been invited to join and not begged to join the Imperial Battle Team. In other words, they aren’t the ones wanting to join the school. Make Xiao Wu leave and they will leave. It leads Xue Qing He to reveal Dai Mu Bai to everyone his identity as the Prince of Xing Luo. So, as Xue Qing He argues, there was no disrespect when they were all royals.
Xue Xing had tried to argue that Shi Lan Ke School had made trouble as soon as they arrived and that they had bad intentions. Xue Qing He puts that down to them all being young people and young people fight.
What the argument misses also is that it was Xue Beng who came looking for a fight with them first. Xue Beng, seemingly still angry about the confrontation in the reception hall where he was stopped from landing a punch on Dai Mu Bai for offending him, he returned looking for a fight with Dai Mu Bai at the courtyard. However, with Dai Mu Bai out and still on his way back, he ended up taking on Xiao Wu who had him bruised, face down and eating dirt when she was done with him.
The appearance of Du Gu Yan’s grandfather, a Grand Soul Land Master with Nine Soul Rings (the limit for a Soul Master), is what sees Xue Qing He lose to Xue Xing. Thinking that Du Gu Bo (Liu Jiao Xin) had arrived to support Xue Xing’s demand, Xue Qing He sees no choice but submit to Xue Xing.
Du Gu Bo didn’t appear because of Xue Xing, though. He appeared because of Tang San. Du Gu Bo possibly have mistaken Ou Si Ke for Tang San, though, as after appearing behind a cloud of green mist after being uncovered by Meng Shen Ji, Du Gu Bo, moves to bound Ou Si Ke with his powers of all people. He clearly didn’t know who he had in his grip as he’s seen asking for Ou Si Ke’s name.
The act sees Fei Lan De show his seven Soul Rings after a demand for Du Gu Bo release Ou Si Ke is ignored. It sees Yu Xiao Gang and the rest of the Shi Lan Ke students also prepare to attack, levitating in their attack pose not knowing Du Gu Bo is a Grand Soul Land Master with None Soul Rings.
One wave of the hand, a green mist pass by them all. The force sends them all back into furniture and onto the ground before every one of them are bounded. With their backs on the ground, struggling to break free, they all witness nine Soul Rings appear around Du Gu Bo. It sees Yu Xiao Gang demand to know who he is, as apparently Du Gu Bo can’t be a Grand Soul Land Master. He seems to suggest with his remark that because there aren’t that many Grand Soul Land Masters, he would know and recognise Du Gu Bo as a Grand Soul Land Master if he was one, yet he doesn’t.
Once again, Du Gu Bo ignores the question. He instead goes straight to Tang San and forces out of Tang San’s right palm his Blue Silver Plant. This time he had the right person.
It’s here Xue Qing He tries to remove Shi Lan Ke School from any blame or responsibility over the situation. Xue Qing He concedes and is forced to admit that he’s made a mistake in inviting Shi Lan Ke School and agrees not to have Tang San and Dai Mu Bai join the Imperial Battle Team.
With Du Gu Bo revealing he had only come to take Tang San away, Xue Qing He attempts to prevent Du Gu Bo from doing this by mentioning that doing so would damage the reputation of Tian Dou Empire. More or less, it’s not a good look for Xue Qing He or the Royal Family to invite people as their guests only to see them be treated in this kind of manner. As Xue Qing He tries to convince Du Gu Bo with, it could cause others not to trust the royal family in the future.
A necklace around Du Gu Bo lights up orange as Xue Qing He speaks. It’s not revealed what function the necklace is serving in this episode, but it is a detector of when the toxins in his body becomes unstable (more revealed in Episode 26). This warning from the necklace looks to be what saved Tang San from being taken away and what had Du Gu Bo grant Xue Qing He’s request to show him the face he’s requesting. Although, Tang San has been spared from being taken away then and there, Du Gu Bo tells Tang San that he can’t escape, suggesting that he will be back.
Escorting Shi Lan Ke School out, Xue Qing He expresses his apologies for how things have turned out. The Crown Prince isn’t able to have Tang San and Dai Mu Bai on the school’s Imperial Battle Team, but he still has a way for them to participate in the contest. This alternative way is Lanba School.
Instructing Yu Tian Heng to show them the way there, they arrive at a broken down and empty school. It hasn’t always been this way. Built in the middle of the forest in Tian Dou City’s biggest large-scale flora, the school was not a very famous school once, but was once quite a wonderful sight.
Similar to Shi Lan Ke School, Lanba School recruited based on talent and not on the ability to afford the fees which major schools required. When major schools discovered that poorer students worked harder, the loosening of criteria saw most of the prospective students of Lanba School being taken away. This led to financial problems, and students and teachers leaving, resulting in the situation presently.
With the headmaster—which everyone soon discovers is actually a headmistress—still at the school, Lanba School remains a recognised school that can participate in the Soul Master School Contest. The alternative way to enter the Soul Master School Contest is then through the use of Lanba School’s name.
Getting the headmistress to come out to hear their request looks to be a challenge, though. Yu Tian Heng’s attempt sees no answer. That is until Fei Lan De moves to try. His introduction has her pop out through the door, recognising Fei Lan De’s voice. As it turns out, the headmistress, who is known as Liu Er Long (Zhang Wen), was once a former member of Fei Lan De and Yu Xiao Gang’s famous Golden Iron Triangle group that fought and won a lot of battles. What’s more, she likes Yu Xiao Gang.
Fei Lan De and Yu Xiao Gang’s encountered an advantageous situation, but getting Liu Er Long on the topic of allowing them to borrow Lanba School’s name for the contest is looking not so easy with Liu Er Long willing to hear the request but is more interested in hearing about Yu Xiao Gang and his marriage status. At this point, Fei Lan De took himself out of the conversation and out of the room to leave Yu Xiao Gang to handle the personal questions as well as the request—to Yu Xiao Gang’s horror. Yu Xiao Gang’s gaze had begged Fei Lan De not to leave him alone with Liu Er Long, but with his presence pretty much ignored this whole time, Fei Lan De seemingly thought his time would be better spent settling his students into the dorms on the west side.
That’s Douluo Continent Series Recap, Episodes 21 – 25! Make sure to come back for Douluo Continent Series Recap, Episodes 26 – 30!
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