Soul Master Guild

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Soul Master Guild
Original Name	魂师公会
Type	Commission-based soul master organization; publicly established as a sect-like force 167 192
Founder	Lin Hanye 25 167
President	Lin Hanye 192 205
Vice Guild Leader	Liu Erlong 25 214
Headquarters	Ring Mountain Range, Sunset Forest, surrounding the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well 185
Major Branches	Heaven Dou City and the Star Luo Empire 192 194
Status	Active; later becomes a continent-spanning organization comparable in public stature to Spirit Hall 240
First Appearance	Chapter 25

History

Lin Hanye conceived the Soul Master Guild while traveling with Liu Erlong toward Gengxin City. Having experienced the disadvantages of lacking backing and status, he intended to build an independent force that could fund his collection of cultivation resources, secure an escape route, and potentially gather Power of Faith if he failed to inherit a divine position. Liu Erlong immediately sought the future post of Vice Guild Leader and agreed to join him 25.

The original proposal was a commission platform: clients could post requests, including Soul Beast hunts, while registered mercenaries completed them for rewards. Lin Hanye also intended the guild to create work for ordinary people whose Martial Souls had practical uses outside combat, such as agricultural labor 25. He later explained to Ah Yin that the guild was also meant to limit indiscriminate Soul Beast hunting and protect low-level Soul Masters and commoners 63.

Lin Hanye publicly announced the guild in Heaven Dou City after receiving land and patronage from Emperor Xue Ye. Dugu Bo presented its regulations, emphasizing that the guild would not function as a conventional master-subordinate sect 167. The Heaven Dou City branch was subsequently built from the former Crown Prince’s Mansion, where Lin Hanye presided over a grand founding ceremony attended by major powers and independent Soul Masters 192.

The guild’s headquarters was completed in Sunset Forest before its formal expansion. It later established branches in Heaven Dou City and the Star Luo Empire, recruited from the Lower Four Sects and independent Soul Masters, and became a leading force in the Soul Master World 185 192.

Organization and Operations

Commission System

The guild accepts commissions and takes an unspecified intermediary fee once a task is completed 25 167.

Service or Function	Details
Soul Beast hunting	Hunting suitable Soul Beasts and Soul Rings is among the guild’s stated commission types 25 167
Mercenary missions	Registered Soul Masters and commoners may accept tasks matched to their abilities and Martial Souls 25 167 233
Civilian work	Ordinary people may use practical Martial Souls for work such as fertilizing, weeding, planting, and harvesting 25
Security	Guild protection deters attacks on merchants, assets, and registered mercenaries; its insignia and serial-number system allow incidents involving mercenaries to be traced 167 233
Construction contracts	The guild commissions construction work, including its headquarters, branches, and academy projects 185

Mercenary Registration

• Any Soul Master or commoner with a clean background and no criminal history may register as a mercenary. 167
• Mercenaries remain partners rather than subordinates; the guild does not compel registration or mission completion. 167 233
• The guild protects members’ legitimate interests, but does not shield those who commit crimes or violate imperial law. 167
• Registered mercenaries can receive protection, enroll their children at Soul Master Guild Academy, accumulate points for elite training, and seek guidance from internal higher-ups. 201
• The guild does not broadly recruit core members, instead pursuing an elite route while allowing comparatively open mercenary registration. 167 192

Education and Training

Lin Hanye planned compulsory education through two-year elementary academies built in towns or shared between nearby villages. The program would teach literacy and arrange regular theory lectures at junior, intermediate, and advanced Soul Master Academies 194.

• Han Xue and Li Bingyan were assigned matters concerning the guild’s academy and orphanage. 194
• Theory instructors were to provide compulsory lessons at Soul Master Academies. 194 235
• Mercenaries who earn sufficient points may enter the Elite Training Camp. 201
• Core members receive special training at the headquarters; contributing or exceptionally talented members may be selected annually for further instruction. 185

Leadership and Personnel

Position	Holder	Notes
President / Guild Leader	Lin Hanye	Founder and public head of the organization 167 192
Vice Guild Leader	Liu Erlong	Agreed to the role during the guild’s conception; later acts publicly as Vice Guild Leader 25 214
Heaven Dou Branch Guild Leader	Dugu Bo	Oversees the Heaven Dou Empire’s branches 194
Heaven Dou Branch Vice Guild Leader	Hu Yan Zhen	Appointed alongside Dugu Bo 194
Guild Leader’s Secretary	Huang Yueyao	Handles internal affairs at the headquarters 180 185
Elder	Hu Yan Zhuo	Accepted as an elder after joining with the Elephant Armored Sect 182

Headquarters

The headquarters stands in the Ring Mountain Range of Sunset Forest, built around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Lin Hanye chose the site for its natural mimicry training environment, which accelerates cultivation for Ice-, Fire-, and Plant-system Soul Masters 185.

• Architecture — Built in an Ancient Chinese style rather than the continent’s common European-style architecture. 185
• Elder residences — Ring-shaped terrace pavilions occupy the uppermost level and are reserved for elder-level personnel. 185
• Clan residences — Pavilion buildings descending the mountainside house clans that join the guild; the Elephant Armored Sect was the first to move in. 185
• Defenses — Dugu Bo arranged a white poison formation around the perimeter to deter Soul Beast incursions. 185
• Council Hall — Serves as a central meeting space for Lin Hanye, guild officers, and visiting clan leaders. 185
• Construction — The Defense Clan completed the main complex in under three months. 185

Membership and Allied Forces

• Elephant Armored Sect — Hu Yan Zhuo and Hu Yan Zhen joined the guild; the sect’s family members and elite clansmen moved into the headquarters. 182 185
• Dugu Family — Dugu Bo joined after Lin Hanye offered aid for the family’s poison problem and the prospect of higher-level Soul Rings. 134 135
• Lower Four Sects — The guild recruited from these sects as it expanded, although some affiliated clans faced pressure from the Clear Sky Sect to avoid guild contracts. 185 192
• Independent Soul Masters — Lone Soul Masters with clean backgrounds were directly invited during the founding period; many accepted. 192
• Nine Heart Begonia Clan — Joined directly in pursuit of the clan’s continuation and assistance with its Martial Soul’s flaws. 192
• Black Tiger, Wind Sword, Rock Antelope, Sparrow Bee, and Fire Leopard Sects — Secretly pledged allegiance during the guild’s early expansion. 192
• Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect — Thirty years later, Ning Rongrong led the sect into the Soul Master Guild, followed by other sects and families. 240

Political Position

The guild presented itself as a useful partner to existing powers rather than a force seeking to replace them. Its security services appealed to Heaven Dou’s commercial and noble interests, while its elite recruitment model eased Emperor Xue Ye’s concern that it would become a second Spirit Hall 167.

In the Star Luo Empire, Lin Hanye agreed that the guild would open branches throughout the empire while remaining neutral in sectarian and national wars 192. The guild also maintained periods of cooperation and peaceful coexistence with Spirit Hall despite its growing influence 192 224.

Its rise nevertheless alarmed rival sects. The Clear Sky Sect and Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect regarded the guild as a growing political threat, while many independent Soul Masters saw it as a route to protection, resources, and advancement 192 195 204.

Major Milestones

Event	Chapter	Details
Guild concept proposed	25	Lin Hanye outlines a commission-based organization to Liu Erlong.
Expanded mission articulated	63	Lin Hanye includes Soul Beast protection alongside welfare for commoners and low-level Soul Masters.
Public announcement	167	Lin Hanye formally presents the guild’s mercenary rules and protections in Heaven Dou City.
Headquarters completed	185	The Sunset Forest headquarters is finished by the Defense Clan.
Founding ceremony	192	The Heaven Dou City branch opens in the former Crown Prince’s Mansion; major factions and independent Soul Masters attend.
Branch administration appointed	194	Dugu Bo and Hu Yan Zhen take charge of the Heaven Dou branch network.
Becomes Number One Sect	204	The guild defeats the Clear Sky Sect and is recognized as the world’s number one sect.
Continent-wide consolidation	240	The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and other powers join the guild; it becomes publicly comparable to Spirit Hall.

Reputation and Influence

The guild’s protection is widely considered credible enough to deter attacks on its registered mercenaries. By the time Tang San began traveling with Yu Xiaogang, even a commoner coachman could rely on the guild’s insignia and investigative reach for protection 233.

Its mercenary model gave Soul Masters opportunities to earn commissions without surrendering personal freedom, while commoners benefited from paid work and protection from exploitation 201 233. The guild’s growth reduced the ability of traditional sects and even Spirit Hall to monopolize the recruitment of independent Soul Masters 201.

After winning the Sect Competition, the Soul Master Guild was declared the Number One Sect in the World, with Lin Hanye recognized as the Number One Titled Douluo 204 205. Thirty years later, it and Spirit Hall became the two institutions most associated with public order, Martial Soul awakening, and disaster relief across the continent 240.