Episode 31
Ning Rong Rong is up next, taking over from Ou Si Ke after he withdrew. To help her out, Ou Si Ke’s left a bit of gunpowder in a spot in the arena which, once exploded, will stun her opponent enough to allow her to knock him out of the arena. So, with her small round balls of firecrackers, she leads her opponent to that spot, throwing them and having them explode.
The tactic almost works when impatience hit her opponent and he is seen rushing into the area, setting off the gunpowder and creating the cloud of smoke needed for Ning Rong Rong to launch into a kick to send him out of the arena. Her kick isn’t strong enough or fast enough as her leg and foot is caught by her opponent. Ning Rong Rong is told to surrender just before she’s sent flying by a painful punch to the stomach. She lands fine, but there’s nothing more in her bag of tactics to defeat her opponent except to charge at him after diverting his focus away with a shot of energy from her Jiubao Amber Pagoda. The action sees her opponent landing outside the arena with her following suit.
Ning Rong Rong tries her luck by saying that her opponent touched the ground first, but she’s told by the Chrysanthemum Grand Soul Land Master that the order which opponents left the arena doesn’t matter. They both lost. Ning Rong Rong is still pleased since she still managed to contribute to her team by making them fight one less opponent.
Her opponent isn’t so pleased. He refusing to accept the result and attempts to attack Ning Rong Rong and then later Zhu Zhu Qing for preventing him from landing an attack on Ning Rong Rong. Neither attempts to attack goes through as the attempt to attack Zhu Zhu Qing is stopped by the Chrysanthemum Grand Soul Land Master. He warns that the entire Tian Dou Imperial Second Team would be disqualified if the attack was made.
This tactic of leaving a hole in the arena with gunpowder sees Xue Xing call it cheating. It’s a complaint the Chrysanthemum Grand Soul Land Master disagrees. He tells Xue Xing it’s no different to someone who fell down and twisted their ankle because of a hole left from a previous match.
Xue Xing still disagrees it being the same. The Grand Soul Land Master’s response to that is more or less that since Martial Soul Hall organised the competition, they make the rules. If Xue Xing disagrees with the rules then he should organise his own competition.
(How Xue Xing must be thinking that if Chrysanthemum Grand Soul Land Master was on his side, he might not have found such a reason to justify such tactic and overlook it so easily.)
With Shi Lan Ke School down to their last Soul Master and still three opponents to face, Fei Lan De and Yu Xiao Gang are worried. Although Zhu Zhu Qing is now at Quadruple Soul Rings and strong, this is still a team from Tian Dou Imperial School. Liu Er Long stays optimistic. She’s left them all a note and believes there’s still time for the others to rush over once they wake.
Just as she says this, back in one of the rooms at the school, Ma Hong Jun wakes. He sees the note, but doesn’t make a move to head for the arena. It’s later revealed he actually can’t read.
Tang San is also seen to wake. Tang San, who’s with Xiao Wu, should definitely be heading straight for the arena, but the question is has Tang San woken at a time where he can still make it to the arena.
Zhu Zhu Qing does well taking out the next two opponents. The first one, a Triple Soul Rings Support Branch Soul Master, took her no effort. With one hit to the chest, the third opponent was knocked out. The fourth opponent was stronger, but only because the third opponent had left a Soul Skill called Heavy Armour that allows the fourth opponent to sense Zhu Zhu Qing’s movement no matter how fast she was.
She’s told to surrender, believing Zhu Zhu Qing had no chance of winning. She doesn’t surrender as early on it seemed she had suspected this Heavy Armour doesn’t last forever. So, as she waited for the time when the armour’s “protection” wore off, Zhu Zhu Qing continues her attempts to attack to see when one of her strikes would catch her opponent out
It would take the suffering of over half a dozen or so hits of her opponent’s rocks and club before her opponent needed to block Zhu Zhu Qing’s Nether Claws. His ability to sense the armour apparently not as strong. The armour was wearing off.
Suffering just one more hit, she is finally free from the Heavy Armour. Attacking at close range, she strikes with her Nether Claws repeatedly before grabbing him by the neck to throw him out of the arena.
Only one opponent is left to beat, but with Zhu Zhu Qing having suffered quite a beating from her fourth opponent, not a lot is left in her. She’s also suffered an injury to her leg, hindering her ability to launch into attacks. Her attempt to carry out an attack from high up on Tai Long (the final team member in the Tian Dou Imperial School Second Team), it sees her fall to the floor before she even reaches him.
Yu Xiao Gang calls for Zhu Zhu Qing to surrender from his position in the team area. He tells her she’s done her best. Zhu Zhu Qing being not one to give up until she can fight no more, she attempts her Nether Claws from her low position below Tai Long. The attack is waved away. She tries leaping into the air to try attack him there, but she’s hit by a force which sends her back to the ground.
Tai Long uses this time to admit that Speed Type Soul Masters like Zhu Zhu Qing is usually his greatest headache because his Martial Soul, King Kong, has no Soul Skills. He also honestly admit that had her leg not been injured he probably is no match for her. But since she is injured, Tai Long doesn’t see any hope of her winning the match and seeks the Chrysanthemum Grand Soul Land Master to call the match over.
This time, Tai Long’s words are correct about Zhu Zhu Qing not having a chance of winning this match. Although the match isn’t called when Tai Long suggested it, it is called after Zhu Zhu Qing’s next and final attempt to use her new Soul Skill, Ghost Shadow Doppelgänger, to create two images of herself. Hoping to confuse Tai Long sees her easily exposed by a barrage of rocks that knock out her two images leaving the real her in the air for him to kick out of the arena.
With Zhu Zhu Qing out, Shi Lan Ke School’s got no one left to go into the arena. It’s down to Tang San and Xiao Wu or Dai Mu Bai and Ma Hong Jun to make it to the match before Tian Dou Imperial School is declared the winners. Dai Mu Bai is seen to finally wake at this point and are running towards the arena with Ma Hong Jun after telling him the contents of the letter. How far way Tang San and Xiao Wu are from the arena isn’t seen, but it’s Tang San and Xiao Wu who makes it into the arena just before the last count to appear.
Somersaulting into the arena, Tang San announces himself as fighting for Shi Lan Ke School. He brings out his Quadruple Soul Rings with the black Decade Millennium Soul Ring shocking everyone. The match called to begin, it takes Tang San less than a minute to defeat Tai Long. Like spitting out a list of his Soul Skills (minus the fourth Soul Skill)—Interwine, Constraint of Spider Web and Blue Silver Cage—Tang San restrains, binds and encases Tai Long before he kicks Tai Long out of the arena, giving Shi Lan Ke School their first win in the tournament.
The speed at which Tang San defeated Tai Long had Tai Long not even know how he had landed out of the arena. Ye Zhi Qiu is seen baffled, too. In his eyes, Tang San’s Soul Skills aren’t so strong to be able to do that. Shi Nian passes it off as Tang San having found his own combat rhythm, but another possibility is the fact that Tang San’s Xuan Tian Strike has fused with his Martial Soul which Tang San reveals to Xiao Wu later in the night after they return to Shi Lan Ke School. It sees Tang San quite troubled. His mother had told him that Xuan Tian Records was an alternative power and way to fight, but seeing Xuan Tian Strike strengthen his Blue Silver Plant, the power is acting more like a supportive Soul Skill than the new power his mother was said was possible.
After seeing Tang San’s match, Shi Nian decides Shi Lan Ke School’s Team is strong enough to be his pawn and plan to give them a visit later in the night. Before seeing Tang San’s match, Shi Nian had worried Shi Lan Ke School was going up disappoint him. The opening match where Ou Si Ke fought, he had found the school interesting for having Support Branch Soul Masters who can fight, but after watching Ning Rong Rong use a similar kind of tactic using clouds of smoke to try defeat the opponent Shi Nian begun doubting the school’s abilities. Brains can only go so far in his opinion. He needed power as well, which he seems to see does exists after Tang San’s match.
Dai Mu Bai and Ma Hong Jun finally make it to join the rest not long after Tang San steps off the arena stage and join the rest in the team area. Dai Mu Bai is told the good news about the match being over and having been won. His attention, which Ou Si Ke later points out, would normally go straight to the match, the results, the strategies and analysing every detail about it all. However, he’s seen worrying about everyone’s injuries, particularly Zhu Zhu Qing’s when Ning Rong Rong disagrees with Zhu Zhu Qing’s claim that they’re all fine. Ning Rong Rong’s report that Zhu Zhu Qing had suffered the most sees Dai Mu Bai rush over to her to see if she was able to walk. Discovering that she couldn’t, he picked her up bridal style so he could rush her off to get treated.
For losing, Tai Long is given the order from Xue Xing to let his grandfather know that he wishes to cash in on the favour he and the Tai Tribe owes him for saving them when they were cornered by Martial Soul Hall. The incident which Xue Xing is referring to is the same one which saw Martial Hall go after Tang San’s father which saw him defeated and disappear from the Soul Masters world. The favour Xue Xing wants is for Tai Long’s grandfather to kill Tang San. It’s a favour which Tai Long doesn’t want to request from his grandfather, but he’s made to do it when he’s reminded of this favour.
As per Xue Xing’s request, Tai Long and his grandfather, Titan, show up at Tang San’s place to carry out the killing. At the same time, Shi Nian and Ye Zhi Qiu show up. However, Shi Nian and Ye Zhi Qiu don’t stay around after seeing Tai Long and his grandfather to kill Tang San. Shi Nian reveals that having Tang San as his pawn is not all that important to his plans. Tang San can be replaced and it’s would seem meddling in matters related to Xue Xing isn’t something he wants to be doing.
The lack of concern over whether Tang San lives or dies raises questions whether Tang San’s father really is being Shi Nian. If Tang San’s father was behind Shi Nian, it’s expected that Shi Nian should care. Instead, Shi Nian decides to leave Tang San to his fate, which is a clue to Tang Hao being possibly not the Grand Soul Land Master behind Cang Hui.
Before Shi Nian leaves, he is seen giving Ye Zhi Qiu the order to go see Du Gu Bo regarding passing on his request, still under the impression Du Gu Bo is still poisoned.
Told by Titan to step outside, Tang San does so without a fight. It surprises Titan that Tang San obeys so well and that he’s so calm when told the reason they were before him was to kill him because of a favour they owed. Seeing Tang San bring out his Martial Soul despite knowing he can’t win against the Grand Soul Land Master with Eight Soul Rings (Tang San rather die in battle than just be killed), it sees Titan offer Tang San a chance to live. Titan tells Tang San that if he can make it past him and enter through the entrance a short distance away on Tang San’s right, Tang San can consider himself safe.
Accepting the challenge, Tang San opts to try wrapping the Grand Soul Land Master’s ankles with his Intertwine to restrict his movements before attempting to run to the door. Tang San seems to have thought he could dash past the lofty and bulky frame of Titan, but he’s easily stopped by a strong draft created by the simple snap of Titan’s fingers. Tang San tries his Blue Silver Cage next to encase Titan before attempting a horizontal twist overhead in an attempt to get to the entrance, but he is sent flying with a fist that breaks through the Blue Silver Cage.
Deciding to bring out his stronger Martial Soul in his left hand, Tang San flings the Hao Tian Hammer at Titan. The Hao Tian Hammer saves Tang San, but it’s not because it successfully hit the Grand Soul Land Master and that allowed him to pass through the entrance. Titan had in fact blocked the hammer. It was the fact that Tang San is the son of Tang Hao and Tang Hao being Titan’s master that had saved Tang San.
Tang San had refused to reveal his father’s name when Titan demanded to know following Tang San’s use of the Hao Tian Hammer, but the appearance of Yu Xiao Gang (who had come after finding only Xiao Wu in Tang San’s room, knocked out) and him telling Tang San it was okay to reveal the name, Tang San reveals the name. Immediately following this revelation, Tang San was free to pass through the entrance as Titan erupts into laughter.
Titan’s laughter seemed to have come from being confused by how Tang San could have the Blue Silver Plant as well as the Hao Tian Hammer and being enlightened after discovering he is his master’s son. He also seems pleased he’s finally found Tang San because apparently he’s been searching for him.
Following his revelation that he is Tang Hao’s disciple, Titan goes down on his knees to kneel before Tang San. He then moves to tell Tang San that he’ll tell him all he knows about his father and the matters regarding the time he was chased down by Qian Xun Ji and Martial Soul Hall. Just as Titan is about to tell him, though, Du Gu Bo shows up and knocks out both Titan and Tai Long with poison. (Ye Zhi Qiu’s visit is suggested to have been what alerted Du Gu Bo to visit Tang San This unexpectedly.)
After Tang San clears up to Du Gu Bo that Titan and Tai Long aren’t enemies but friends, Du Gu Bo revives them both, allowing them to resume discussing the mentioned matters between them. No specific details are revealed yet, but it’s a matter Titan feels a great sense of guilt. It leads Tang San to think Titan had somehow betrayed his father. It’s not what he means. Tang San’s father was the one who intervened and helped his Tai Tribe from being wiped out. He would never betray Tang San’s father by being part of Martial Soul Hall’s hunt of Tang San’s father.
Episode 32
Titan tells Tang San about Tang Hao’s attempt to keep him far away from an impending battle on Douluo Continent between him and Martial Soul Hall to explain how he had come to fail his master. He had been sent on a journey to look for this Island of the God of Sea, a place said to be within the ocean away from Douluo Continent which is believed to be a myth, only to discover the real intention of his master was so he was nowhere near the battle when it took place. Discovering this only when he had travelled all the way to the border of Douluo Continent (which was no short jourrney), his attempt to return to Martial Soul City to try help Tang Hao saw him arrive too late. By then, Tang San’s mother had been killed and his master was seriously injured and nowhere to be found when he tried searching.
Deciding to take revenge on Martial Soul Hall, he had angered them. However, he was spared all because at the time Qian Xun Ji was going after Tang Hao. Although he was spared, it wasn’t permanent. So, with no other choice, he took his tribe and fled to Tian Dou City where Xue Xing took them in because of the abilities of his Tai tribe.
And so, it is in this way he failed Tang Hao and it is this way he came to owe Xue Xing this one unconditional favour. Titan of course didn’t know at the time that the favour would lead to a request to kill his master’s son, which he now won’t go through with.
Their conversation moves to the whereabouts of Tang Hao. Titan had wanted to look for his master to receive punishment for his past failing towards him. This leads Tang San to telling Titan about this own search for his father and the rumour that he could be the Hao Tian Master behind Cang Hui School and the pain and suffering the Hao Tian Master caused to Soul Masters and normal innocent people. Hearing that this Hao Tian Master had hurt people, particularly innocent people, has Titan doubt this person could be Tang San’s father. He tell Tang San that his father is a righteous man and wouldn’t involve innocent people just to take revenge.
Everything said, Titan ends their conversation with letting Tang San know that no matter who wishes to hurt him or his father for that matter, they will have to pass through him first. Titan’s new loyalties to him sees Tang San request Titan keep their relationship a secret.
Tang San moves to see Du Gu Bo who Yu Xiao Gang was waiting with. The visit sees him learn about the visit Ye Zhi Qiu had paid him to pass on Shi Nian’s request—this request being, for Du Gu Bo to show up with Du Gu Yan in Martial Soul City during the finals of the Soul Master School Contest. As Yu Xiao Gang had remarked, Shi Nian is wanting to gather Grand Soul Land Masters there to fight.
As a way to show some sincerity with what is a deal Shi Nian is making with Du Gu Bo, Shi Nian had Ye Zhi Qiu give one dose of antidote for the poison in Du Gu Yan. The antidote for Du Gu Bo was promised to be given after Du Gu Bo fulfills his end of the deal. As Du Gu Bo had promised Tang San to continue to act as if he and Du Gu Yan were still poisoned, he put on an act of anger before agreeing to Shi Nian’s request.
Du Gu Bo also reveals his discovery that Ye Zhi Qiu is being controlled. Curious as to why, Du Gu Bo used the power of his Nine Soul Rings to suppress the spirit control which Shi Nian had on Ye Zhi Qiu and found Ye Zhi Qiu acting strange. He had wanted to see Tang San.
So, Du Gu Bo taking Tang San and Xiao Wu to his cave, the three meet with Ye Zhi Qiu. Woken by Du Gu Bo, Ye Zhi Qiu reveals his desire to go rebel against Shi Nian. He reveals that like Tang San, he is also Shi Nian’s pawn. Tang San asking Ye Zhi Qiu what Shi Nian’s motives are, Ye Zhi Qiu isn’t able to provide too much details as he’s actually not sure what they are. All he knows is that he Cang Hui School must enter the final.
When asked why he’s telling him all of this, Ye Zhi Qiu tells Tang San it’s because of the memories that came back after he broke through the spirit control and his realisation he was being controlled. Without Du Gu Bo’s powers suppressing the spirit control, it’s through sheer willpower his mind remains his own.
Tang San asking what Ye Zhi Qiu wants him to do, Ye Zhi Qiu tells him that it’s just a heads up and that right now, he doesn’t need Tang San to do anything. When he fails in taking on Shi Nian on his own then he will look to ask Tang San for his help.
Tang San doesn’t think Ye Zhi Qiu know him well enough for them to be working with each other in such a manner. Ye Zhi Qiu’s notes his lack of people his his circle of people he knows as his explanation, and that of those few he knows, Tang San is the only one who he feels he can make a deal with. Tang San getting him to elaborate, Ye Zhi Qiu first notes Tang San’s principles as a reason to why he feels this way. He uses the fact that Tang San didn’t kill the Fiend Battle Team despite their tyranny as an example of having these principles. Ye Zhi Qiu then mentions Tang San’s desire to see the Hao Tian Soul Master behind Cang Hui School. Ye Zhi Qiu admits he doesn’t know where the Hao Tian Soul Master is when Tang San asks, but he believes that if they team up, he can help Tang San track him down. This is why he thinks they can work together in such a manner.
Du Gu Bo not trusting Ye Zhi Qiu advises Tang San to just kill him and put his death on him as an explanation. Xiao Wu, though, her instincts tell her Ye Zhi Qiu is genuinely wanting to rebel against Shi Nian. Trusting her instincts, Tang San decides to trust Ye Zhi Qiu and gives Du Gu Bo the go to remove the suppression he’s got on the spirit control to let him return to Cang Hui.
What Ye Zhi Qiu plans to do regarding taking on Shi Nian Ye Zhi Qiu doesn’t say. Ye Zhi Qiu’s plan is to think on this until after his match against the second team of Tian Dou Imperial School. It’s a match which Ye Zhi Qiu suggests Tang San and Xiao Wu go watch. It’s a suggestion which they both take as they are seen in the spectator stands with Yu Xiao Gang the next day.
He’s the only participant for Cang Hui School. Despite being the sole participant going up against the team of six, Ye Zhi Qiu had no trouble taking down Tai Long or the rest down all on his own. His Martial Soul is never seen, but as Ye Zhi Qiu had assured when Tai Long questioned him about it, there is a Martial Soul and it had appeared.
The match between Tai Long’s Gorilla against what appeared to be Ye Zhi Qiu’s invisible Martial Soul saw no attacking from Ye Zhi Qiu, just all dodging. Tai Long did all the attacking. Throwing not even a handful of punches he started breathing heavily. Tai Long’s third attempt to strike saw him feeling dizzy. There was a drastic drop off power Yu Xiao Gang had remarked while Tang San thought Tai Long looked as if he had fallen sick.
Not long after the match started, the match was over for Tai Long. With a ripple of energy from Ye Zhi Qiu’s palm, Tai Long is blasted out of the arena.
The defeat sees Yu Xiao Gang down in the arena with Tang San and Xiao Wu looking for any traces of Ye Zhi Qiu’s Soul Skill. He’s not sure what he’s searching for exactly, but he tells Tang San every Soul Skill will leave some traces. Scooping a bit of dark brown matter from possibly the same hole Ou Si Ke left in the arena, Yu Xiao Gang believes he’s found that trace left by Ye Zhi Qiu’s Soul Skill.
Back at Shi Lan Ke School, Dai Mu Bai is fussing over Zhu Zhu Qing’s injuries, insisting on feeding her medicine and putting it on for her, while Zhu Zhu Qing is trying hard to not let him. He seems not to understand her meaning when she tells him that it was not appropriate for him to help her put medication on her shoulder. It’s inappropriate for a man to touch a woman she had told him. Dai Mu Bai’s response to that is to use times where Tang San helped Xiao Wu do the same thing and noting how Xiao Wu had no objections.
Dai Mu Bai didn’t see that their situation (as Zhu Zhu Qing remarks) is different. Tang San and Xiao Wu still seem to regard each other as non-blood-related brother and sister. Tang San is still pretty clueless about any feelings he might have while Xiao Wu is more or less clueless with how she’s yet to confirm the type of feelings she has for her non-blood-related-brother.
Dai Mu Bai dismisses Zhu Zhu Qing’s objections and just applies the medicine. Although Dai Mu Bai doesn’t get why Zhu Zhu Qing is against him helping her, her concern for him regarding the battle between him and his brother (which she’s seen bringing up) sees Dai Mu Bai very interested in her admitting to him that she’s worried about him.
Luckily for Zhu Zhu Qing, she never had to admit anything to him as Yu Xiao Gang had interrupted with wanting to see Dai Mu Bai to tell him he wanted Dai Mu Bai to sit out the next two rounds of the Soul Master School Contest. Not just Dai Mu Bai, but Ma Hong Jun as well. He wanted to keep them sitting out until they face Cang Hui School as he sees them as their greatest enemy and was going to hold back from letting Shi Nian all their cards too early.
When Ma Hong Jun is given this message from Tang San, he worried about the injuries Zhu Zhu Qing, Ning Rong Rong and Ou Si Ke sustained during their opening match and were still recovering from. He didn’t need to be worried, though, as their next match with Elephant Armoured School, a school which is part of the Seven Clans, sees Shi Lan Ke School take out their second victory.
Entering the arena in a strong armour Tang San had forged for everyone for added protection, Ning Rong Rong starts with providing Zhu Zhu Qing and Xiao Wu a Strength Boost and a Speed Boost. Ou Si Ke then provides Xiao Wu and anyone who needs one a Full Recovery Big Sausage and a Rocketing Kiwi to Tang San who requested one to begin their attacks.
Tang San was going to act as the team’s eyes and command from the air as the plan was to have Ou Si Ke smoke out the entire arena and penetrate their defenses by making visibility low and have Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhu Qing try penetrate the erected armour of their opponents. Their sparkling blue tessellated conjoined shields proves to be tough and rather impenetrable as, for the most part, it sees them do no more than move a tessellation of this conjoined shields before it bounced back. When a hit finally broke through a piece of the shield and connected with one of the opponent’s head, the opponents joined forces and blasted Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhu Qing away.
Strong and as impenetrable their armour is at defending external attacks, they couldn’t stop an internal attack via explosives which Tang San had Ning Rong Rong throw to land right at the opponents’ feet. The explosion saw their impenetrable formation break and their shields dispel, allowing Tang San to bind two opponents and Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhu Qing to follow with taking an opponent each, striking and kicking their respective opponents out of the arena.
Tang San binds another two opponents and takes two more out with a blast of energy himself.
This then leaves only one more opponent in the arena. The last opponent they didn’t even have to kick out of the arena as he surrendered with his own admission of his team having lost.
It’s a match which see Shi Nian already predict Shi Lan Ke School’s victory even before any of the Soul Masters from Elephant Armour School was kicked out of the arena. He knew from the moment Tang San had his Blue Silver Plant bind the first two opponents that the match was over for the Elephant Armour School. There was no chance seeing the other two members of Shi Lan Ke School come out (that is, Dai Mu Bai and Ma Hong Jun). He admits he had underestimated Shi Lan Ke School as he tells Ye Zhi Qiu the school was more powerful that he had thought before leaving.
Tang San returns to Shi Lan Ke School to tell Yu Xiao Gang the great news about taking out Elephant Armour School. Yu Xiao Gang congratulates him and tells him to keep it up while being quite focused on his findings regarding Ye Zhi Qiu’s Martial Soul. Yu Xiao Gang has Tang San sit to look at a tub of moulding fruit and bread which he had rot. It had caused Tang San to hold his nose upon smelling the decaying food.
This tub of food was the effect of Ye Zhi Qiu’s Martial Soul. She taking back the trace of the Martial Soul Yu Xiao Gang found in the arena, he’s discovered it has the ability to control microorganisms and suppress an opponent’s own resistance to invading microorganisms such as Ye Zhi Qiu Martial Soul.
It has Yu Xiao Gang suggesting casting Soul Power onto the outside of the body as a way to resist the attack from the microorganisms. It’s a defense which Tang San tests then and there and note its high consumption of Soul Power. It’s a point which sees Yu Xiao Gang advise he therefore must work quickly to finish the battle. Otherwise, the chances of winning becomes slimmer the longer the battle draws out. Yu Xiao Gang also has Tang San know that once the microorganisms attack, it’d be difficult to get rid of and so they must look to use Martial Soul Shield before this happens.
Episode 33
The list of participants set for the Soul Master School Contest, Ye Zhi Qiu makes his move on Shi Nian with having his Martial Soul attack Shi Nian’s wrist. It doesn’t go unnoticed, exposing the fact that he had broken through Shi Nian’s spirit control. This doesn’t worry Ye Zhi Qiu. As he had told Tang San last episode, once the qualifying list of schools were set (which it is now), his life is at least temporarily safe.
Shi Nian had threatened to kill him, had threatened to use a bit more effort to control Ye Zhi Qiu, but the threat of losing Ye Zhi Qiu either through his death or through him going insane should the stronger spirit control fail had Shi Nian do nothing more than have him in a hold at the neck for a short time.
With Ye Zhi Qiu’s microorganisms working on Shi Nian, Ye Zhi Qiu was able to negotiate his safety as well as his teammates: after he gets into the final, Shi Nian gives Ye Zhi Qiu his word to set him as well as his teammates free as well.
In his attempt to find out what the plan is once they get into the final Ye Zhi Qiu fails learn, though. He also isn’t able to find out where the Hao Tian Master is. Ye Zhi Qiu had tried to demand to see the Hao Tian Master to get his word that his life is safe as only his words can be taken and believed. (Possibly, his reason for asking about the Hao Tian Master could be related to his deal with Tang San as well.) However, Ye Zhi Qiu is told that the Hao Tian Master isn’t in Tian Dou City. Ye Zhi Qiu persists with asking for the Hao Tian Master’s location, but he is only told that he’ll find the Hao Tian Master in Martial Soul City once they get into the final.
Over at Shi Lan Ke School, Tang San discovers his Blue Silver Plant is impervious to fire. With Chi Huo School being their next opponent, Yu Xiao Gang thought to have Tang San’s Blue Silver Plant try build up some resistance by having Ma Hong Jun use his flame on it. It saw Ma Hong Jun’s flame have no effect on the vine. Not only did Ma Hong Jun’s flame not burn it to ashes like before, but neither does Liu Er Long’s super hot blue flames burn it.
With this discovery plus Shi Lan Ke School’s winning streak, the atmosphere is rather relaxed heading into their match with Chi Huo School. No one was really worried about dealing with a team consisting of Flame Branch Soul Masters now that they discovered Tang San’s Blue Silver Plant was immune to fire. Their minds had even shifted to how they should get ready for the more concerning Cang Hui School. Their attitude towards Chi Huo School showed a belief that it was a match that was theirs to win but once in the arena it was anything but.
Chi Huo School surrounding Tang San, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhu Qing, Ou Si Ke and Ning Rong Rong, Tang San had called his Blue Silver Cage to protect them all from the inferno of flames their five opponents directed at them. As the fire grew in height and the area inside the Blue Silver Cage was getting hotter, Xiao Wu had suggested she use Teleport to carry out a sneak attack, but Tang San thought they could wait. He thought he had the time to wait for their opponents to see that their flames had no effect on his Blue Silver Plant. Once they realised this, he thought it could shock them all and then make their attacks.
What Tang San didn’t understand is the effects of being trapped inside a burning space like his Blue Silver Plant. As the fire burned, oxygen was being depleted. Not long, Tang San’s team began passing out one by one, resulting in defeat before an attack could be made.
Tang San had thought that maybe this was some kind of Soul Skill his opponents had used on them. Before he succumbed to the lack of oxygen in the Blue Silver Cage, he had asked the captain of Chi Huo School team what Soul Skill they used on them only to learn it was not a Soul Skill. It was just fire burning and they were simply fanning the the flames.
Returning to Shi Lan Ke School, Tang San and the team are made to see that their loss was the result of their overconfidence, their arrogance, their ignorance, their lack of observation and their lack of respect for their opponents. Yu Xiao Gang had Tang San see that it was his overconfidence in his own strategy that saw the team lose the match. He had Tang San and the others see that their overconfidence, arrogance, ignorance and lack of respect is what made them all useless Soul Masters.
The team is silent and deflated after Yu Xiao Gang leaves them to reflect. It’s Xiao Wu who speaks first to bring them back to a fighting spirit by getting them to see that losing this match doesn’t mean they can’t try again. She seems to try cheer them up first by mentioning how this isn’t the first time they’ve lost as back in Suo Tuo City (the city Shi Lan Ke School was located originally) they’ve all lost before. To try get them all to see that a loss doesn’t mean a loss forever, she mentions herself as someone who loves to fight with the suggestion of wanting to win every fight, but she knows she can’t expect to win every fight. She may lose like how she had lost against Chi Huo School, but she tells even she can just try again.
These words sees Tang San agree. A loss doesn’t mean they will lose forever. Xiao Wu is right. They can try again, but with the respect and seriousness their opponents deserve. Tang San shows this respect and seriousness by acknowledging Yu Xiao Gang’s evaluation of them having become overconfident and arrogant before he rallies the team to pick themselves back up to not accept the loss.
Not accepting this loss while also not looking down on their opponents is what they do. Ou Si Ke acknowledges Chi Huo School’s strength of knowing how to use the power of the flame to full effect (which effectively acknowledges their own failing). Zhu Zhu Qing simply expresses her respect, while Ning Rong Rong expresses needing to use everything they have in their next battle (which is a form of showing respect to their opponents). If they lose still, they will train harder to become stronger so that they can defeat them.
The team now understanding the errors which led to their defeat, they vow to become stronger whilst not underestimating them so they can better face off against their next opponent, Cang Hui School, who is stronger and even more dangerous than Chi Huo School.
As everyone makes this vow together, they’re visited by Ning Feng Zhi who had come not to take Ning Rong Rong back with him, but to tell them a story about the time he was defeated. Not only had Ning Feng Zhi experience defeat, but the Sword Grand Soul Land Master as well. This defeat was a recent one and one which saw Ning Feng Zhi being restrained at the neck while the Sword Grand Soul Land Master lay unconscious after having been ambushed. The person behind Ning Feng Zhi and the Sword Grand Soul Land Master’s defeat is the Black Smoke Figure who Yu Xiao Gang had encountered at Star Forest and the Mutant Soul case (Episode 15).
This story has Ning Feng Zhi reveal the Black Smoke Figure as being a Grand Soul Land Master as only a Grand Soul Land Master could ambush and knock out another Grand Soul Land Master which the Sword Grand Soul Land Master is. By telling this story, he also reveals that it was the Black Smoke Figure who had wanted the Sword Grand Soul Land Master to carry out the sabotaging of the finalist at the Soul Master School Contest and the mission for Jian Doulou to kill someone at the final.
With the dangers of the Soul Master School Contest final told, Ning Feng Zhi advise everyone to think carefully about whether they really want to continue advancing towards the final. Tang San confirms as still wanting to for personal reasons. He tells everyone that they don’t need to risk themselves with him and are free to quit. Dai Mu Bai tells everyone he isn’t quitting: he has his brother waiting for him to get into the final. Xiao Wu won’t be quitting because wherever Tang San is she will be. Ma Hong Jun won’t abandon Tang San, either, because of the help he gave previously and so he will help Tang San get into the final. Zhu Zhu Qing is not a quitter so she won’t quit.
Ning Rong Rong won’t either. It was because of Tang San’s premium herb that had help her Martial Soul mutate. To quit now will bring shame to the Ning family. Ning Feng Zhi had cautioned Ning Rong Rong to think carefully, but her reason had him see that she was sure.
This leaves Ou Si Ke and his decision. Where once he used to try his best to skip out on Soul Hunts and missions, now he appears to be finding reasons why he shouldn’t abandon them, reasons such as his usefulness as a Support Branch Soul Master on their team and Fei Lan De’s wishes for him to be a Soul Master. They give him their support to pursue this dream, though. Ning Rong Rong tells him she can support the team. Dai Mu Bai tells him he will deal with Fei Lan De. Tang San tells him that he’s supported them long enough and it’s time they supported him.
Ou Si Ke was finally free to pursue his dream in the Arts, but appears not too excited about pursuing it now. Excusing himself from the team, he goes off to a store in a preoccupied state. His aimless browsing sees him look at flint powder for the metal rod which he uses in Soul Battles.
He’s approached by the shopkeeper there who Ou Si Ke sparks up a conversation about Ou Si Ke having joined the Soul Master School Contest and how the metal rod was a gadget he used in the arena. It leads him to telling the shopkeeper how the gadget is now useless to him, though, because being a Soul Master isn’t his dream. He says this in a contemplative, not very convincing tone. He appears as if he’s trying to work through his thoughts about what his dream is now.
Xue Xing’s sudden appearance might look to give him that answer. The prince shows up at the store with a transfer of ownership letter to the Starry Theatrical Club. It’s one of three famous theatrical clubs in Tian Dou City and is needing a president. Xue Xing’s not given up on targeting Shi Lan Ke School. His motive is suggested to be the same one as when he had visited Ning Feng Zhi earlier in the episode with hopes the Chief of Qibao Amber Clan will bring Ning Rong Rong back home: he wants break up the Shi Lan Ke School team and is using all kinds of ways to make it happen.
Xue Xing had failed in convincing Ning Feng Zhi. Whether Xue Xing succeeds with Ou Si Ke is still to be seen, but whether Xue Xing succeeds or not with enticing Ou Si Ke is of no consequence since everyone on the team is supportive of Ou Si Ke pursuing his dream.
Episode 34
Ou Si Ke was excited and had that ink feather hovering over the Transfer of Ownership, looking like he was going to take up Xue Xing’s offer, but in the end, Ou Si Ke turned the prince down. Returning to Shi Lan Ke School, Ou Si Ke reveals that in his heart he still wanted very much to be a Soul Master but had put his hopes in the Arts after losing hope in becoming a Soul Master. Because of the teasing he received after revealing his Martial Soul, he slowly started not wanting to show his Martial Soul. It got to the point of hating his it. But every time he went into the arena with his teammates, the cold feeling he had towards being a Soul Master warmed up a little more. He liked the feeling he got when fighting alongside of them; and so, Ou Si Ke makes his choice to remain a Soul Master to continue with the rest in their next fight with Cang Hui School.
The battle which everyone had been most wary about ends before even an attack is even made. Right after everyone was ready to fight, revealing their Martial Souls and Soul Rings, Ye Zhi Qiu raises his hand to tell everyone he’s surrendering.
It confuses everyone as they watch him walk off the arena. Ning Rong Rong thought maybe Ye Zhi Qiu surrendered because he was alone and afraid. Maybe Ye Zhi Qiu thought he was going to lose with how they had found out about his Martial Soul. Ou Si Ke doubted those could be the reasons: Ou Si Ke believes that Ye Zhi Qiu still had a chance even if it was seven against one. As for the fact that they discovered Ye Zhi Qiu’s Martial Soul, he argues that Ye Zhi Qiu can’t have known about the fact they’ve figured out what good Martial Soul to see this as being the reason he surrendered.
Tang San being approached by Ye Zhi Qiu to speak privately, Ye Zhi Qiu reveals it was because Shi Nian wanted Shi Lan Ke School in the final. With Shi Lan Ke School having lost to Chi Huo School, it meant that Shi Lan Ke School had to win all four of their matches next in order to make it there. Ye Zhi Qiu surrendering allowed them to make it there just a little bit easier.
The helping hand sees Tang San ask Ye Zhi Qiu whether Cang Hui School worried about not making it to the finals. Ye Zhi Qiu doesn’t answer. He leaves, but not before inconspicuously passing a note into Tang San’s hand. It’s note which is later revealed to be a request for Tang San to meet him later at night to show Tang San the reason he’s wanting to work with him.
While Tang San was approached by Ye Zhi Qiu, Dai Mu Bai was approached by the Chrysanthemum Grand Soul Land Master. He’s wanting Dai Mu Bai to be his disciple after seeing Dai Mu Bai’s unique way of bringing out his Soul Rings during Shi Lan Ke School’s match against Cang Hui School.
Dai Mu Bai had drew a hand across in front of his face to bring out his Soul Rings. This is different to the way Tang San reveals his Soul Rings: he draws his arms wide at the sides with palms open and facing the sky. This appears to be the more common way.
The sight saw the Chrysanthemum Grand Soul Land Master make the assumption Dai Mu Bai must have consumed the Rare Powerful Chrysanthemum—which the Grand Soul Land Master is correct. This fact seems to be important to becoming a disciple of the Chrysanthemum Grand Soul Land Master as those who have consumed it means they have a special compatibility, and therefore, is qualified to be his disciple.
Dai Mu Bai isn’t interested. He wasn’t when the Chrysanthemum Grand Soul Land Master made the offer before announcing the start of the match with Cang Hui School. He is again not interested during this second attempt to have Dai Mu Bai become his disciple as Dai Mu Bai is heard telling Tang San after they both are done with their meetings.
The Chrysanthemum Grand Soul Land Master is persistent, though. He approaches Dai Mu Bai a third time later during the night. To try convince Dai Mu Bai that being his disciple is better than staying at Shi Lan Ke School, he shows his power by knocking out everyone at the school (save Tang San and Xiao Wu who’s left to see Ye Zhi Qiu as requested by the note he passed into Tang San’s hand). He offers help with defeating Dai Wei Shi and making him Emperor as incentives. Dai Mu Bai is yet again not interested.
When the Grand Soul Land Master explains the special compatibility as the reason to why his disciple can only be Dai Mu Bai, Dai Mu Bai is willing to find time to receive guidance from the Grand Soul Land Master so that the principle of his Martial Soul can be passed down. However, hearing that he insists on Dai Mu Bai becoming a member of Martial Soul Hall, Dai Mu Bai rejects him again. This sees Chrysanthemum Grand Soul Land Master offer his help to cheat through the upcoming battles of the Soul Master School Contest. Cheating isn’t a way Dai Mu Bai wants to advance to the final; and so, for the fifth time, Dai Mu Bai rejects the Grand Soul Land Master’s offer. This rejection only sees the Grand Soul Land Master see Dai Mu Bai as even more suitable. He leaves Dai Mu Bai at this point, though.
Over in Tian Dou City, Hu Lie Na’s motives in taking over Xue Qing He’s identity show to be one targeting Xue Xing. Ever since Hu Lie Na pretended to be Xue Qing He, she’s had it so that Xue Qing He is made to reject seeing anyone and refuse to concern himself over matters which he’s expected to concern himself with—namely, Shi Lan Ke School and the fact that Xue Xing was going around targeting Shi Lan Ke School.
It’s this unusual behaviour which sees Xue Xing walk himself into a trap Hu Lie Na apparently set for him. This lack of concern over the fact that Xue Xing was going around targeting Shi Lan Ke School and Xue Qing He doing nothing to stop him is what had Xue Xing strongly believe the Tian Dou Crown Prince was being controlled by Martial Soul Hall. Xue Qing He—or rather, Hu Lie Na—had denied being under any control. But Xue Xing was insistent in heading into the Crown Prince’s room to see if there was someone with Spirit Control abilities controlling him.
Hu Lie Na doesn’t stop Xue Xing from going in there since this is what she wants. She wanted Xue Xing to discover that the real Xue Qing He is under her control and that the Crown Prince is being confined to his room with pressure point needles. She wanted Xue Xing to shout out to his guards as well as the Crown Prince’s guards who had arrived to surround Xue Xing’s guards that the real Crown Prince is in the house and the same one is before them all. In this way, she could accuse Xue Xing of trying to harm the Crown Prince and have him taken away and under surveillance.
Tang San and Xiao Wu meeting with Ye Zhi Qiu sees the Cang Hui School captain wanting to show Tang San the four other members of Cang Hui School to have him understand why he’s wanting to work with Tang San. Before taking Tang San and Xiao Wu there, he first shows his sincerity in this deal between them by providing Tang San a bottle of medicine which delays the poison he believes is still in Du Gu Bo. Figuring out how to get the rest of the antidote is promised provided Tang San and Du Gu Bo helps him with what he wants to do which is to escape from Shi Nian’s control and save his teammates as well.
As Ye Zhi Qiu has them follow to see the four people he also consider his friends, Tang San and Xiao Wu are told about the excitement and hope he and his teammates once had when they first came to Cang Hui School. They thought it could change their lives only to be controlled by Shi Nian in the end, the four of them confined in a shed, forced into their dreams, unable to escape and unable to communicate. The control isn’t simply the power of Spirit Control which controls the mind, but the power of Shi Nian’s Martial Soul, Broken Dreams, which causes hallucinations.
In their unconscious, unaware state, the four Cang Hui Soul Masters are still able to carry out attacks. Xiao Wu personally experiences the attacks of two of them as Tang San and Xiao Wu neared the shed they were kept. The first attack is from glowing blue arrows which start off as illusory weapons but soon become real. They fly out from the room where the Soul Master whose Mutant Martial Soul is the Spear of Void is.
Xiao Wu manages to flip away from being hit by what begins off as just one arrow, but becomes two after Tang San shoots his Blue Silver Plant at it, causing it to split into two arrows which then moves to target Xiao Wu again. The arrows split again after Xiao Wu dodges the two by flipping backwards to let the arrows pass above her split legs.
It’s a battle which Xiao Wu is enjoying, seemingly finding the challenge of dodging the multiplying arrows interesting. Her appetite for what more these arrows can throw at her sees the attacks from the first Soul Master’s Spear of Void coordinate with attacks of the second Soul Master’s Martial Soul, Returning Mirror. A black void with a blue glow at its edge appear before this void also multiplies to surround Xiao Wu. Half a dozen arrows shoot out from these voids.
Xiao Wu has no trouble avoiding them all and challenges it to keep coming at her. Dozens more appear from each void with these arrows splitting and multiplying into even more arrows. They continue up multiple until there are so many that dodging is impossible. For someone like Xiao Wu being surrounded by countless arrows is nothing to her. She’s got Teleport as a Soul Skill, and it’s the use of this Soul Skill she takes herself out of the ball of arrows with her as its core.
The arrows turn to direct themselves at Xiao Wu to continue the battle, but Ye Zhi Qiu puts a stop to the attacks by standing in front of Xiao Wu and Tang San and telling them to stop. He then takes Tang San and Xiao Wu to his four teammates to show them their unresponsive, trancelike state. He tells Tang San and Xiao Wu that had it not been for the rules of the contest which required the captain to speak to their opponents in the arena, he himself would have ended up like them.
But because of this contest rule, only Ye Zhi Qiu’s memories were sealed; and fortunately for him, he regained his memories through the help of Du Gu Bo. But for him to escape Shi Nian’s control as well as save his teammates, he can’t do it without outside help. He mentions the Hao Tian Grand Soul Land Master being behind Shi Nian and that in order to truly free themselves from Cang Hui School’s control, he suggests it’s not Shi Nian he has to take on in the end. The person they must take on in the end is this Hao Tian Grand Soul Land Master who Shi Nian says will appear at Martial Soul City once they get to the final. This is why Ye Zhi Qiu is seeking to work with Tang San.
Episode 35
The fact that the Hao Tian Soul Master is behind Cang Hui School is still unconfirmed. Even Ye Zhi Qiu’s not physically met with this Hao Tian Soul Master that’s behind Shi Nian. When Tang San asks whether he was sure the Hao Tian Soul Master is behind Cang Hui School, Ye Zhi Qiu tells Tang San that he only recalls seeing Shi Nian speak to a black smoke figure once.
In Episode 15, Yu Xiao Gang had witnessed a black smoke figure kill Martial Soul Officer and Bi Bi Dong’s disciple, Su Yun Tao, before it was seen proposing an alliance with one of the kings of Star Forest, the Azure Bull Python. The black smoke figure was later suspected by Hu Lie Na to be someone from Martial Soul Hall after Yu Xiao Gang spoke to Hu Lie Na about Su Yun Tao’s death. The reason she had come to this conclusion was because Su Yun Tao had no family members and only ever lived at Martial Soul Hall, yet, the black smoke figure killed Su Yun Tao because (as Hu Lie Na and Yu Xiao Gang suspects) they knew each other and Su Yun Tao posed a threat to exposing the secret meeting with the Azure Bull Python (Episode 18).
This small piece of information to who might be behind Cang Hui School then points to someone from Martial Soul Hall, but at this point doesn’t completely clear Tang Hao from being behind Cang Hui School with his past affiliation to Martial Soul Hall. He still fits into the suspicion of being someone from Martial Soul Hall who could possibly know Su Yun Tao. The black smoke figure also had a strong hatred towards Martial Soul Hall, as before killing Su Yun Tao, he had told the Su Yun Tao that his teacher will go to hell just like Su Yun Tao was about to.
However, Shi Lan Ke School’s journey to Martial Soul City for the next stage of the Soul Master School Contest sees one of Martial Soul Hall’s Grand Soul Land Masters match the visual characteristics of the black smoke figure, putting into question yet again whether Tang Hao is really behind Cang Hui School. Shi Lan Ke School’s arrival at Martial Soul Hall also sees Tang San get the chance to get a little closer to learning about his mother and what had happened during the siege which saw former Chief of Martial Soul Hall, Qian Xun Ji, go after Tang Hao and Tang San’s mother killed.
Before Shi Lan Ke School arrives in Martial Soul City, though, an ever so subtle confession of Dai Mu Bai’s feelings for Zhu Zhu Qing is expressed during a stop for the day. While collecting branches for firewood, Dai Mu Bai is seen standing behind Zhu Zhu Qing, clearly wanting to say something, but hesitates until Zhu Zhu Qing turns around to see him there. It’s at this point he admits to kissing her when they were little. In Episode 10, he had denied this when Zhu Zhu Qing brought it up. Now though, he tells her that with how much they’ve gone through together, he not only admits to remembering the kiss but he thinks he was right to kiss her (which is just short of telling Zhu Zhu Qing he likes her)!
Meanwhile, Ou Si Ke is seen sending Ma Hong Jun off looking for wild vegetables so he has the chance to give Ning Rong Rong earrings he personally made for her last episode. With Ning Rong Rong coming off as someone who likes fine quality items, her move to put them on straight away has Ou Si Ke smiling. It’s yet another unspoken example that Ning Rong Rong likes Ou Si Ke.
With Tang San, he seems to want to make sure Xiao Wu is still wanting to be by his side after the final. Asking Xiao Wu what she planned to do after the contest, she tells him she wants to travel across Douluo Continent, sightsee and find more Soul Masters to fight. It’s different to her usual “I will be wherever Tang San will be”. This time around, it’s Tang San who appears to be saying (but without actually saying) he will be wherever Xiao Wu will be by stating that they should do what she plans together.
Over by the river, Liu Er Long wonders if Yu Xiao Gang was going to see Bi Bi Dong once they get to Martial Soul City. Yu Xiao Gang has Liu Er Long know he has no intention. There was no point meeting with her. By this he seems to mean there was no reason to meet with her because she is now the Chief of Martial Soul Hall. Liu Er Long had thought maybe Yu Xiao Gang didn’t feel he could visit her because of their different statuses. Yu Xiao Gang explains that it wasn’t so much that but simply that they had chosen and wanted different things because (as he suggests) their capabilities were quite different.
Back then, Bi Bi Dong was already a genius in Martial Soul Hall while he was a “useless guy who couldn’t get past Triple Soul Rings”. She had chosen to marry Qian Xun Ji as he and Martial Soul Hall offered a brighter future. Back then, she wouldn’t see him when Yu Xiao Gang tried to talk things through after seemingly learning about the marriage through secondary means. Yu Xiao Gang’s belief that there was no point seeing her now seems to touch on the fact that the situation with him hasn’t changed. His wants, her wants, the path he wishes to travel and the path which she wishes to travel remains different.
Still, the matter still seems to affect Yu Xiao Gang as he appears to internalise the pain by expressing how he understood her choice. Because she chose Qian Xun Ji and Martial Soul Hall, she had gotten herself to the top position of Chief of Martial Soul Hall and becoming the Greatest Soul Master.
In what appears to be an attempt to console or side with Yu Xiao Gang, Liu Er Long express that she believes Bi Bi Dong made the wrong choice.
Liu Er Long might not be wrong on that thought. Arriving into Martial Soul City sees Yu Xiao Gang made to give Bi Bi Dong a visit after the Chief of Martial Soul Hall makes an unexpected request to see Tang San. Yu Xiao Gang let in this time round, she reveals a bit of regret over their separation as she expresses having wondered what could have been. Not only does she wonder what could have been, she attempts to mend her regrets by wanting Yu Xiao Gang to think about joining her in ascending Martial Soul Hall to even greater heights of power.
She has him know that she believes in his capabilities. Although he may not be powerful in a fighting sense, his mind is the best in all of Douluo Continent. So, the fact that Yu Xiao Gang had thought himself as useless because he couldn’t advance past Triple Soul Rings seems to be a view Bi Bi Dong doesn’t share—at least not now anyway.
Yu Xiao Gang has no interest in joining her. He also didn’t care for the fame which she had also suggested she ensured to get him. He tells her that their paths and wants are different. Because of this, their paths will never cross.
As he had told Liu Er Long, he saw no reason to meet with Bi Bi Dong. Had it not been because he was worried and Tang San being called away by Bi Bi Dong, they never would have met again. It was a fact which Bi Bi Dong did know when Yu Xiao Gang showed up wanting to see her.
Despite understanding that her relationship is no longer like before, Bi Bi Dong still seemed surprised to discover Yu Xiao Gang knew about Tang Hao being Tang San’s father but didn’t think to tell her this fact.
Yu Xiao Gang leaves her then. Yu Xiao Gang appeared as if he had gotten over their past whilst facing her. He appeared as if he didn’t care about her. But his face seemed to show pain as he walked away.
The matter about Tang Hao being Tang San’s father is the reason Bi Bi Dong had sought Tang San out and had him brought to her by the Chrysanthemum Grand Soul Land Master (who was initially waiting at the city gate entrance as a favour for Fei Lan De so he could complete the paperwork for Shi Lan Ke School’s participation in the contest). Before Tang San was brought to her, she seems to only have suspected Tang San as being Tang Hao’s son. However, after raising him off the ground and forcing out of his right palm his Blue Silver Plant and his left palm the Hao Tian Hammer, she confirmed her suspicions.
With Bi Bi Dong before him, Tang San gets his chance to ask her directly whether she had gone after his parents, whether she was related to his mother’s death and who else was involved. She delays answering his questions. Instead she ponders aloud whether she should kill Tang San on the spot for the heavy injuries his father inflicted on her late husband, Qian Xun Ji, which caused his death.
She doesn’t kill him. She looks to have asked the question to warn him against showing his Hao Tian Hammer during the contest. For what reason isn’t revealed.
Going back to his questions, she tells him she wasn’t involved in pursuing his mother, but who else was she doesn’t tell him. Similar to the answer Tang San’s father has given him when he wanted to know the matters relating to his mother, she tells him he doesn’t have the right to know.
Tang San is released following this. It sees him return to an encounter with the Grand Soul Land Master which has the same characteristics as the black smoke figure with the green core. While being offered to be shown back to his lodging by the Chrysanthemum Grand Soul Land Master as well as Hu Lie Na (she had since returned from Tian Dou City to report the completion of her mission and left not long before Tang San saw Bi Bi Dong), the Grand Soul Land Master matching the description of the black smoke figure appeared at the entrance a short distance from where Tang San was.
The Ghost Grand Soul Land Master (as he is known) had just materialised from thin air. Just like the black smoke figure Yu Xiao Gang saw kill Su Yun Tao in Episode 15, the Ghost Grand Soul Land Master had a green core and wispy black tentacles of smoke emanating from it. Stopping to speak to the Chrysanthemum Grand Soul Land Master who Hu Lie Na later reveals are supposedly a good friend, the smoke figure transformed to his human form.
The sight sees Tang San request Hu Lie Na to a more private setting (Hu Lie Na takes him to her room) to draw her mind back to the discussion she had with Yu Xiao Gang about the black smoke figure that killed Su Yun Tao. He had her recall how she had suspected the killer being someone from Martial Soul Hall. As mentioned at the start of the recap, the only people Su Yun Tao knew were from Martial Soul Hall. With Su Yun Tao being someone familiar to the black smoke figure, Hu Lie Na had arrived at the conclusion that the black smoke figure was likely to be someone from Martial Soul Hall.
With this Ghost Grand Soul Land Master showing up in Martial Soul Hall displaying the same smoke-like form and having the ability to transform into human form, Tang San believes he could be Su Yun Tao’s killer.
Hu Lie Na somehow comes up with another possibility which has her suspect it’s someone from Cang Hui School, though. This possibility is based on Tang San having told her that the Grand Soul Land Master behind Cang Hui had ulterior motives and that this Grand Soul Land Master could have disguised himself as the Ghost Grand Soul Land Master. It’s an idea which Tang San thought was groundless. Hu Lie Na threw the same opinion back at Tang San’s suspicions about the Ghost Grand Soul Land Master at Martial Soul Hall.
With Martial Soul Hall being so powerful, Tang San suggested Hu Lie Na go ask Cang Hui directly. However, Hu Lie Na reveals that Cang Hui School is very guarded against them. This is different for Tang San and Shi Lan Ke School. She suggested Tang San observe them secretly and get back to her about the matter.
This saw Hu Lie Na and Tang San form a deal. He helps her investigate Cang Hui. In exchange, she gets him access to Martial Soul City’s library to look at records relating his parents being pursued by Martial Soul Hall and his mother being killed. Tang San of course doesn’t tell Hu Lie Na that this is why he wants access to the records in the library. He instead tells her that he wants to find out about the relationship between Yu Xiao Gang and Bi Bi Dong that happened about 10 years ago.
Hu Lie Na hands Tang San her Martial Soul Hall token to get him into the library. She accompanies him, appearing to show him the way through the hallway. They get to a junction before they run into the captain of Martial Soul Hall’s Battle Team, Xie Yue, who attempts to stop Tang San.
Despite Hu Lie Na being next to Tang San and the Martial Soul Hall token having the authority equivalent to a Grand Soul Land Master, Xie Yue dared to block Tang San from entering for a time. He threatens Tang San with his crescent-shaped weapon, the Moon Blade, which floats close to Tang San’s throat. He demands the authority token be given back to Hu Lie Na. He also challenges Tang San to walk away from behind the protection of a woman—that being the protection of Hu Lie Na—and come out to fight him.
Tang San wanted to fight Xie Yue, but Hu Lie Na had told Tang San to either enter and ignore Xie Yue’s challenge or fight and return the Martial Soul Hall token. Tang San chose to enter and ignore Xie Yue. That had Xie Yue wanting to attempt another attack as Tang San passed him, but settled for getting Tang San’s school and name so he can remember him and crush him with his own hands in the arena. Tang San smirks at the tough talk before trash-talking Xie Yu with wondering how Martial Soul Hall could have such a lunatic of a captain.
Hu Lie Na and Tang San appears to be working well together, but Tang San’s yet to learn she’s Qian Xun Ji’s daughter, Qian Ren Xue. There’s also suggestion Hu Lie Na may ultimately have to face off against Tang San as, before Tang San saw Bi Bi Dong, Hu Lie Na was with her and was given a Decade Millennium Soul Beast to kill and advance to Quadruple Soul Rings.
The move to advance Hu Lie Na had come about after Hu Lie Na had mentioned Tang San and how he was the only reason she survived the hardships she went through while out completing her mission. This mention lead Bi Bi Dong to focus her attention on Tang San and his Soul Rings, where he was at and Bi Bi Dong bringing out a 10,000 year old fox for her to advance to exactly the same level as Tang San and having the exact same combination and sequence of Soul Rings as Tang Sang: two yellow Century Soul Rings as the first and second Soul Rings, a purple Millennium Soul Ring as the third and a black Decade Millennium Soul Ring as the fourth.
The matching Soul Rings not only suggest a face-off, but the Decade Millennium Soul Ring shows Bi Bi Dong’s capabilities. For Tang San to successfully absorb the Decade Millennium Soul Ring, he required the Ice Fire Mouth Spring that was regarded as quite rare it’s only been heard in legends. Yet, Hu Lie Na just absorbed a Soul Ring that should have been beyond her capability.
Strong, successful and powerful as Bi Bi Dong appear to be, tears seen flowing down her cheeks (a sight which she didn’t let Hu Lie Na see) suggest a hidden pain, or possibly worry, within her. What this relates to is not revealed, but it’s seen after Hu Lie Na wanted so much for her mother to recognise her efforts, to let her help with ascending Martial Soul Hall to even greater heights of power.
The mission Hu Lie Na came back reporting a success had Bi Bi Dong shout at Hu Lie Na for what appears to be getting herself too involved in this power struggle. Hu Lie Na had returned proud of her success in replacing Xue Qing He. Originally she had planned to replace Dai Mu Bai and take the Xing Luo Empire throne. This was her reason for entering Shi Lan Ke School. But discovering Dai Mu Bai to be at a disadvantage against Dai Wei Shi she had changed her target to Xue Qing He. It’s a plan she tells her mother to be even better plan taking the Xing Luo Empire throne: they could instead look at invading Xing Luo with the combined power of Martial Soul Hall and Tian Dou.
Hu Lie Na had expected to be praised but instead was told to stop and that her help wasn’t needed. Hu Lie Na appeared to have been hurt by her mother’s lack of praise or appreciation for the effort and struggles she experienced while wandering on her own carrying out this mission of hers. It saw Bi Bi Dong correct herself to mean Hu Lie Na didn’t need to make such effort. She’s then seen moving to stroke Hu Lie Na’s head in a rather soft motherly way. It’s at this point tears are seen falling down her cheeks. They fall just before she brings out that 10,000 year Demon Fox for Hu Lie Na to advance.
Back to Tang San and his mission to look into what happened in the siege that killed his mother, Tang San attempts to find his way around Martial Soul Hall and get to the library, but finds himself lost walking in the hallways of the large school. He happens to run into Yu Xiao Gang. With Yu Xiao Gang having stayed and worked at Martial Soul Hall for a time, surely he’d be able to lead Tang San to where he wants to go, but Yu Xiao Gang’s lost, too. Yu Xiao Gang explains that although he has walked through this place before, the place had since expanded.
Fortunately, after trying to find their way out of the place together and not succeeding, they come across a Martial Soul Hall officer who immediately lowers before their feet to offer his service. He’s seen the Martial Soul Hall token in Tang San’s hand and because of it was respecting the authority the token bestowed to the one in possession of it.
The act sees Yu Xiao Gang drag Tang San away to ask about the token. Learning that it’s from Hu Lie Na, it sees Yu Xiao Gang note how Hu Lie Na, supposedly just a disciple, shouldn’t have such a token which grants her authority equivalent to a Grand Soul Land Master. No speculation about who or why Hu Lie Na has the token at this point. The noting of the high-level authority in the token looks to be just information of how much authority it commands.
While Tang San and Yu Xiao Gang are inside Martial Soul Hall trying to find their way out, the others are being led to their lodging by one of the Martial Soul Hall guides. As they make their way there, Dai Mu Bai suffers a swipe attack from behind by his own brother, Dai Wei Shi, causing Dai Mu Bai excruciating pain as the attack takes off the tips of Dai Mu Bai’s claws.
That’s Douluo Continent Series Recap, Episodes 31 – 35! Make sure to come back for the last part to the series recap and our comments in Douluo Continent Series Recap, Episodes 36 – 40!
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