Chapter Summaries

Han Yiyu and Bo Dongchen discussed Xiao Yi’s strength and identity after Chen Menglin’s group left Ancient Ice Palace. They concluded that Xiao Yi was likely the Eastern Emperor from the Genius List and speculated that the Chen Clan had spent the past three years treating her and concealing her information.

• Han Yiyu asked Bo Dongchen to assess Xiao Yi and the Chen Clan after watching Chen Menglin’s group leave.
• Bo Dongchen noted that Xiao Yi had repeatedly defeated Zhan Ruoxi and that their matches had all ended at almost exactly five minutes.
• Bo Dongchen pointed out that Xiao Yi was only thirteen and connected her traits to the Eastern Emperor, who had appeared on the Genius List three years earlier.
• Bo Dongchen proposed that Xiao Yi’s summoning head bone and a secret technique had helped her defeat a Soul Sage and a Soul Emperor, while the Chen Clan treated possible damage from her Meteor Vine martial soul.
• Bo Dongchen suggested that the Chen Clan and Soul Fighting City had concealed Xiao Yi’s information, and Han Yiyu praised his insight.

Bo Dongchen and Han Yiyu discussed Xiao Yi’s inscrutable fortune, the Chen Clan’s possible role in the continent’s coming upheaval, and Chen Menglin’s remarkable fortune. Bo Dongchen also described Chen Menglin’s swordsmanship as a profound, unfinished secret technique rooted in the Dao of Space.

• Han Yiyu argued that Xiao Yi could serve as Ruo Xi’s rival without Ruo Xi needing to surpass her, and suggested Bo Dongchen teach Ruo Xi swordsmanship.
• Bo Dongchen said Xiao Yi’s fate was hidden beyond his insight and might hold immense, immeasurable fortune.
• Bo Dongchen told Han Yiyu that the Chen Clan might be central to a coming change, though Xiao Yi and Chen Menglin’s ties to Ice Palace’s fate remained uncertain.
• Bo Dongchen revealed that Chen Menglin’s fortune was red verging on purple, while acknowledging he could not know exactly what it meant for Ice Palace.
• Bo Dongchen explained that Chen Menglin’s swordplay arranged attacks through space like pieces on a board and used an unfinished secret technique touching the Dao of Space.

Bo Dongchen and Han Yiyu discussed threats from the Crimson Church and the Yan and You families, along with spirit medicines Chen Menglin might sell. Bo Dongchen revealed that Mei Changge and Chen Menglin’s fates were intertwined, and he urged Han Yiyu to preserve their connection to the Chen Clan.

• Han Yiyu pressed Bo Dongchen about his cultivation, and their teasing escalated into a brief clash of Soul Power.
• Bo Dongchen told Han Yiyu that Chen Menglin had discussed the Crimson Church’s secretive operations and Chen Cong’s injury in Fasinuo.
• Bo Dongchen reported that Chen Menglin might sell five jars of Eighth Grade Wine Spirit Wine and would consider selling a Ninth Grade Snow Lotus.
• Han Yiyu and Bo Dongchen decided that Bai Lao San was the best candidate for the wine, while Han Yiyu thought the snow lotus might suit little Ruo Xi.
• Bo Dongchen revealed that Mei Changge and Chen Menglin’s fates were deeply intertwined, and he advised Han Yiyu to cherish their channel to the Chen Clan.

The Soul Breaking Spear Yang Family formally pledged allegiance to the Chen Clan, and Chen Cong accepted them as a follower family. The two clans welcomed their new alliance despite the threat posed by the Crimson Church.

• Chen Xiaojun asked Yang Wuyi, Yang Buer, and Yang Tieyi to explain why they had come.
• Yang Wuyi presented the pledge scroll and declared that the Yang Family would serve the Chen Clan as its follower family.
• Chen Xiaojun warned that the Chen Clan had suffered losses against the Crimson Church and could face further trouble.
• Yang Wuyi said the Yang Family had approved the pledge the previous year and was unafraid of the Crimson Church.
• Chen Cong personally accepted the Yang Family's allegiance, and Chen Xiaojun welcomed the three Yang family members as part of the clan.

Chen Xiaojun hosted representatives of the Ten Great Families and proposed a new agency to enforce Chang'an City's ban on high-ranking soul masters fighting. He named the agency the Golden Guard and said it would recruit mainly from the Ten Great Clans.

• The Ten Great Families' representatives gathered at the Chen Clan, where they speculated about why Chen Xiaojun had invited them.
• Chen Xiaojun arrived with Zhu Yanfeng and Ling Yunxiao, welcomed the guests, and began the gathering with a banquet.
• Chu Tianshu joked that he wanted all the Chen Clan's recipes, and Zhu Yanfeng warned him against disrespecting Chen Xiaojun.
• After smoothing over the exchange, Chen Xiaojun turned to the meeting's purpose and explained the city's growing public security problems.
• Chen Xiaojun announced that the Chen Clan and Snow City Lord had decided to establish the Golden Guard, an agency above the Patrol Guard to handle villains at the Soul King level and above.

Chen Xiaojun proposed creating the Golden Guard as a rapid emergency force under the city lord, and the noble families agreed to support it. The chapter ended with the families discussing the force’s formation and duties.

• Chen Xiaojun explained that the Golden Guard would operate alongside the Public Security Bureau, with twenty squads of soul masters and the noble families serving as supporters.
• Chen Xiaojun described the Guard’s broad duties, including confronting dangerous soul masters, bandits, major criminals, and soul beasts, and promised substantial compensation and access to high-level resources.
• Shen Lang, Ji Chengjian, Liu Yirong, Chu Tianshu, Gao Clan representatives, and the remaining families pledged support and offered squads.
• Chen Xiaojun thanked the families and led a discussion of the Golden Guard’s timetable, stations, patrols, and recruitment rules.

Chen Xiaojun proposed expanding the Brocade-Clad Guards to strengthen the Chen Clan’s defenses and invited the Ten Great Clans to contribute capable members. He outlined the positions, benefits, secret techniques, and rare resources available, leaving the clans weighing the valuable opportunity.

• After the Golden Guard discussion ended, Chen Xiaojun welcomed Cheng Nanxing and Yang Buer to the meeting.
• Chen Xiaojun explained that the Chen Clan needed stronger defenses after the Wolf Bandits attacked Skywolf Forging Market and proposed expanding the Brocade-Clad Guards.
• Chen Xiaojun announced that Cheng Nanxing and Yang Buer had become Commander and Deputy Commander of the Brocade-Clad Guards.
• Chen Xiaojun offered the clans membership for Soul Ancestors and above, with benefits matching the Golden Guard, including resources and secret techniques that clans could exchange for.
• Chen Xiaojun promised internal auctions every three to five years featuring rare items, including Eighth Grade Wine Spirit Wine and scarce Dragon Phoenix Grass and Spirit Light Grass.
• Chen Xiaojun said the offered secret techniques would mainly come from the destroyed Heavenly Wolf Gate, prompting Chen Xuanqi and others to react eagerly to the opportunity.

Chen Xiaojun confirmed the Chen Clan had Purple Ganoderma and described Chen Yu’s battle with three Crimson Church experts, but the gathered clans remained worried about the Chen Clan’s prospects. He summoned his fifth grandfather, Chen Qiu Jun, who revealed himself as a Titled expert and the Chen Clan’s fifth Titled one.

• Chen Xiaojun confirmed that the Chen Clan had Eighth Grade Purple Ganoderma available for the Brocade-Clad Guards.
• He Qingchuan asked about Chen Yu’s battle with the Crimson Church, and Chen Xiaojun said Chen Yu had fought Yan Wufeng, You Guangzhou, and Luo Ping, leaving both sides gravely wounded.
• He Qingchuan and the other clan representatives questioned how the Chen Clan would face the Crimson Church’s threat while its strongest members were injured or absent.
• Chen Xiaojun used Sound Transmission to summon an elder to address their concerns.
• Chen Qiu Jun introduced himself as the Chen Clan’s fifth grandfather, titled Sword Dragon, and released nine soul rings, revealing that the Chen Clan had another Titled expert.

Chen Qiujun emerged as a Titled Douluo, reassuring the assembled clans that the Chen Clan would continue its development and retaliate against the Crimson Church. Chen Xiaojun then stunned the gathering by announcing that he planned to recruit five thousand Soul Ancestor-level or stronger members for the Brocade-Clad Guards.

• Chen Qiujun appeared as a Titled Douluo, and the gathered representatives paid him their respects.
• Chen Qiujun declared that the Chen Clan would continue its plans and strike back at the Crimson Church, then endorsed Chen Xiaojun's authority.
• Chen Xiaojun asked the gathered clans to support the expansion of the Brocade-Clad Guards, and they agreed to keep Chen Qiujun's appearance secret.
• Gao Ying asked how many recruits Chen Xiaojun needed, and he initially mistook Xiaojun's raised hand for a request for five hundred.
• Chen Xiaojun revealed that he wanted five thousand Soul Ancestor-level or stronger recruits, leaving the assembled representatives shocked.

Chen Xiaojun explained that the Chen Clan planned to recruit five thousand people for the Brocade-Clad Guards, counting anyone with Soul Grandmaster-level combat ability rather than only soul masters. He outlined a province-wide recruitment and training effort to support the Clan’s expanding markets and capitalize on the rising soul master awakening rate.

• Chen Xiaojun clarified to Shen Lang and the other clan seniors that five thousand was the total manpower gap, and that Soul Grandmasters, Soul Elders, and non-soul masters with comparable combat ability could join the Brocade-Clad Guards.
• Chen Xiaojun said the Clan’s twenty-one markets needed a stronger, unified guard force after the Brocade-Clad Guards had performed poorly during the Skywolf Forging Market incident.
• Chen Xiaojun proposed centralized recruitment and training, reassessing existing guards and assigning only those who passed the assessment to the markets.
• Chen Xiaojun said recruitment would target soul master academies and experienced soul masters across the Southern Five Counties, Fasinuo Province, and the Great Northwest, while also bringing in soldiers and other professionals.
• The Chen Clan planned to use the increased soul master awakening rate to expand its workforce and build the strength needed to join the ranks of the super clans.

Chen Xiaojun gained the elders’ support for recruiting Soul Masters into the Brocade-Clad Guards and proposed a centralized venue for selling high-end goods from the Southern Five Counties and their families. He left the group considering the new “Super Market” concept.

• Chen Xiaojun’s plan to recruit retired soldiers and their dependents for the Brocade-Clad Guards raised Xue Chuxin’s prestige and later drew requests from Xue Churan.
• He Qingchuan agreed that Soul Masters would fill 5,000 recruitment slots, including the 500 Lao Huantou had proposed, and Chen Xiaojun thanked the elders for their support.
• Chen Xiaojun warned that the Brocade-Clad Guards would face harder duties and could not expect the Golden Guard’s bathing leave; the elders agreed to the terms.
• Chen Xiaojun proposed combining premium goods from the Southern Five Counties and the families into a centralized East City sales venue called the “Super Market.”
• Gao Ying asked whether his family’s Soul Beast Meat could be sold there, and Chen Xiaojun approved it as long as the product was high-end.

Chen Xiaojun presented plans for a large premium hypermarket and discussed expanding the Brocade-Clad Guards, while Chen Zixiu and Bo Xian'er returned to the Chen Clan after learning that Chen Cong and Chen Yu had been gravely injured. The chapter left the family weighing its response to the danger and the continent’s growing number of soul masters.

• Chen Xiaojun proposed converting an abandoned drill ground into a ten-thousand-square-meter premium hypermarket that could expand across the continent.
• Chen Xiaojun and Zhu Chengling met with Chen Zixiu, Bo Xian'er, and the Chen Clan’s main line, where Yang Buer learned the elders had returned and pledged the Yang Family’s support in restoring Spear Hall.
• Chen Zixiu, Bo Xian'er, and Chen Xun had returned from Sea God Island after hearing that Chen Cong and Chen Yu had been gravely injured, and the elders reacted with anger and worry.
• Chen Xiaojun explained that soul master awakenings had risen sharply and argued that the Chen Clan needed to recruit and train new soul masters through academies and its regional connections.

Chen Xiaojun explained why Holy Sword City was a suitable training base and outlined plans to recruit thousands of soul masters each year for the Chen Clan’s expanding markets. He described recruitment, publicity, and selection measures, leaving the group with a plan to pursue a large but carefully screened intake.

• Chen Xiaojun told Chen Zixiu that Holy Sword City would serve as a training base, with Glazed Tile City or Sunset City as alternatives if needed.
• Chen Xiaojun said the Chen Clan hoped to recruit three thousand to five thousand members annually to support roughly ten new markets each year.
• Chen Xiaojun explained that recruitment points, academy partnerships, scholarships, and financial aid would help attract candidates.
• Chen Xiaojun proposed a publicity team to promote the Brocade-Clad Guards through advertisements and campus outreach.
• Chen Xiaojun outlined screenings, tests, interviews, and training to select promising recruits and help them adapt.

Chen Xiaojun planned new specialized academies and expanded supply systems to support the growing Brocade-Clad Guards. Zhu Yanfeng agreed to help establish an Animal Husbandry Academy, while the Yang Family committed personnel to the guards.

• Chen Xiaojun proposed establishing a Forging Academy to supply weapons and armor for the Brocade-Clad Guards, and Ling Yunxiao said the Forging Alliance had reacted calmly to the Wolf Forging Market attack.
• Chen Xiaojun urged the Liu Clan to expand its clothing production and asked Zhu Yanfeng whether his clan could supply enough Soul Beast Meat.
• Zhu Yanfeng acknowledged that the Zhu and Gao Clans could not meet demand and agreed to work with Duke Ying and the Animal Husbandry Guild to establish an Animal Husbandry Academy.
• The Chen Clan coordinated with the Yang Family, which agreed to commit a considerable number of people to the Brocade-Clad Guards.

Chen Xiaojun proposed expanding specialized academies to train poison masters and scouts, alongside the Forging and Animal Husbandry Academies. He planned to cluster the academies near Chang'an as a University City, while Zhu Yanfeng argued that the Animal Husbandry Academy could also be built at Zhongnan Mountain.

• Chen Xiaojun asked Yang Buer to deepen cooperation with the Dugu Family on battlefield poison tactics and proposed establishing a Poison Master Academy.
• Chen Cong offered to start a Poison Master Research Institute if creating an academy proved difficult, while Yang Buer promised his family would pursue the plan.
• Cheng Nanxing suggested a Scout Academy, and Chen Xiaojun agreed to ask Chu Xin to help establish one.
• Chen Xiaojun said the academies would be built near Chang'an and proposed developing a University City around them for security, academic growth, and income.
• Chen Xiaojun considered placing the Animal Husbandry Academy in Starfall County, but Zhu Yanfeng urged him to build it at Zhongnan Mountain instead.

Chen Zixiu considered Chen Xiaojun’s proposals for clan reforms and tested his judgment and principles. The chapter ended with Chen Xiaojun defining Confucianism as cultivating oneself, regulating the family, governing the clan, and bringing peace to all under heaven.

• Chen Zixiu entrusted Chen Xiaojun with large-scale enrollment, and Chen Xiaojun proposed establishing an Organization Department.
• Chen Xun recommended that Chen Hua oversee the Organization Department and proposed building the Brocade-Clad Guards’ northern training base in Glazed Tile City.
• Chen Zixiu approved Chen Xun’s arrangements and then questioned Bo Xian’er before asking Chen Xiaojun how he saw himself.
• Chen Xiaojun described what it meant to be uniquely blessed by heaven and explained his principles for planning, employing people, and handling affairs.
• Chen Xiaojun outlined his view of the heart and the world, then defined Confucianism as cultivating oneself, regulating the family, governing the clan, and bringing peace to all under heaven.

Chen Zixiu praised Chen Xiaojun’s insight, then used his emergency authority to reorganize Chen Clan leadership and departments. Chen Xun was ordered to act as Clan Leader and inherit the Sword Hero title, while Chen Xiaojun became Young Master with broad responsibilities.

• Chen Zixiu praised Chen Xiaojun’s answers and reflected on his wisdom, ambition, and principles.
• Chen Zixiu appointed Chen Xun to act as Clan Leader and named him the next Sword Hero, pending formal Clan Assembly approval.
• Chen Zixiu promoted Chen Xiaojun to Young Master, equal in status to the Deputy Clan Leader, and assigned him to assist Chen Xun and lead the Management Department.
• Chen Zixiu appointed Mu Lingyun to prepare the Ministry of Finance, Chen Hua to lead the Ministry of Organization, and Ling Yunxiao to lead the Military Department.
• Chen Zixiu assigned Chen Chen to succeed Ling Yunxiao’s former role, kept Chen Cong in charge of research, and sent Chen Qiujun to bring Cheng Hui back to lead Sword Rain Academy.
• Chen Zixiu made further appointments for the External Affairs, Education, Intelligence, Medical, and Internal Affairs departments, and assigned Xiao Wu to oversee the four academies during Chen Xiaojun’s Elite Competition.

Chen Zixiu finalized clan leadership and departmental appointments to support Chen Xun’s succession, while arranging security and the family’s response to the Crimson Church. The chapter ended with the news that Chen Shihua’s wife, Yi Meng Furen, planned to return after the Crimson Church delayed her.

• Chen Zixiu assigned Chen Hong to return as Grand Elder and oversee clan affairs, while Yu Jinghan would lead the Literary Discipline Department and Chen Hong would manage other departments and the treasury.
• Chen Zixiu approved the final step of the Sunset Glow Plan and told Chen Qiujun to bring Feng Tonglong back, leaving the Wind Sword Sect’s safety to Qiujun.
• Chen Zixiu ordered Chen Xun and Bo Xian’er to return to the village, then rebuked Chen Xiaojun for relying on Titled Douluo protection and promised to send people to help with the Crimson stronghold.
• Bo Xian’er offered to confront the Crimson Church over Chen Yu’s injuries, but Chen Zixiu told her to wait while he handled the matter.
• Cheng Nanxing told Bo Xian’er that Yi Meng Furen had been delayed by the Crimson Church and intended to return.

Chen Xiaojun and his companions read Heaven Knows Pavilion’s special Genius List issue and its illustrated rankings of the Twelve Golden Hairpins and Secondary Hairpins. The publication celebrated the growing prominence of female soul masters and turned the beauties’ portraits into popular posters.

• Zhu Wuneng brought Chen Xiaojun the special issue, which included the Genius List Sub-list and the Twelve Golden Hairpins of the Red Chamber album.
• Zhu Wuneng described the ranked beauties, and Chen Xiaojun learned that Zhu Wuxin anchored the Secondary Hairpins while Su Ningxia was also listed.
• The chapter explained that the twelve main Hairpins ranked in the Genius List’s top fifty, while the Secondary Hairpins occupied the next fifty places, with Ling Xinyao ranked above Zhu Wuxin.
• Gao Cuilan admired Su Ningxia’s portrait, while she and Zhu Wuneng praised the mysterious depiction of Xiao Yi.
• Zhu Wuneng said Heavenly Time City had also released posters of the beauties, which were selling quickly.

Chen Xiaojun examined the premium album of the Twelve Hairpins, whose portraits captured the beauties’ distinctive qualities and rankings. The artists’ mysterious depiction of Xiao Yi became the celebrated “Eyes That Look Down on All Beings,” while her identity remained unknown.

• Chen Xiaojun flipped through the album and noted that the number of portraits varied among the ranked beauties, with Bo Saixi receiving nine and Xiao Yi only one full portrait.
• The artists depicted Xiao Yi’s portrait from behind using hazy light and shadow because Heavenly Time City had supplied little information about her appearance.
• The artists struggled to portray Xiao Yi in the Twelve Hairpins group portrait and reported the problem to Heavenly Time City.
• A high-status figure proposed portraying Xiao Yi as a light-and-shadow silhouette with star-bright eyes, and the artists adopted the minimalist design.
• The group portrait, titled “Eyes That Look Down on All Beings,” became widely discussed, while its original draft was preserved as a treasure of Heavenly Time City.