Chapter Summaries

Wu Qi returned from the Far North and learned that Sea Horse Douluo had come ashore to seek the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. He supported Dugu Bo’s cautious plan to trap or kill Sea Horse Douluo only if the right opportunity arose, then sent a disciple back to the sect with a message.

• Dugu Bo and the Elders agreed to proceed carefully against Sea Horse Douluo, avoiding actions that could expose their ties to Spirit Hall or harm Wu Qi’s plans.
• Sea Horse Douluo accepted Tang Shang’s suggestion to linger in Heaven Dou City and make Gathering Righteousness Sect believe they had other options.
• Wu Qi recovered in the Far North, bid farewell to Qian Gu Changkong and the others, and returned to Icebound Town.
• Wu Qi learned that Sea Horse Douluo and his group were in Heaven Dou City and concluded that their mission was connected to his taking the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
• Wu Qi told the sect to kill Sea Horse Douluo only if a suitable opportunity and justification arose, then sent an Agility Hall disciple to deliver his message.

Sea Horse Douluo and Tang Shang reconsidered their failed effort to attract the Gathering Righteousness Sect’s attention, then Sea Horse visited Dugu Bo and accepted a job transporting medicinal herbs. Dugu Bo used the assignment to test Sea Horse’s character and left open the possibility of giving him more work.

• Sea Horse Douluo concluded that the Gathering Righteousness Sect was not eager to recruit him, and Tang Shang advised him to approach Dugu Bo cautiously.
• Sea Horse Douluo visited Dugu Bo and explained that he had met with Heaven Dou City’s nobles because his group needed money and he was unfamiliar with the city.
• Dugu Bo told Sea Horse Douluo that he had found him a job in the sect’s businesses, and Sea Horse interpreted this as Dugu Bo trying to win him over despite resistance from the Elders.
• Dugu Bo summoned Yang Ben and assigned Sea Horse Douluo to transport medicinal herbs from the Medicine Hall.
• Sea Horse Douluo promised to use his group’s Soul Tools to deliver the herbs ahead of schedule, and Dugu Bo said future sect transport work would depend on how he handled the job.

Wu Qi left the Chai Family ship and crossed the Great Sea to reach the Sun Moon Continent, where he arrived in Sea Plunder City. He began looking for a way to exchange his Medicinal Herbs for local currency without revealing his strength.

• Chai Rong warned Wu Qi that ships sent to explore beyond the sea had never returned, but Wu Qi decided to continue alone and flew west.
• After less than three days of flying, Wu Qi reached the eastern coast of the Sun Moon Continent and landed unnoticed in Sea Plunder City.
• Wu Qi learned that Sea Plunder City was a border city of the Blazing Sun Empire, which was hostile to the New Moon Empire, and that its people used traditional gold, silver, and copper coins.
• Wu Qi asked the vendor Old Zhang for directions to a pawnshop or auction house, offering him a valuable stone in exchange for guidance.
• Wu Qi headed to the nearest pawnshop after learning that auctions were held infrequently and that selling his Medicinal Herbs at auction would require an asset verification he could not pass without revealing his strength.

Wu Qi sold ten high-grade Medicinal Herbs in Sea Plunder City and learned that Changde Academy taught Soul Tool technology. He planned to visit the academy, while the pawnshop owners prepared to use his interest in Soul Tools to win favor with its leaders.

• Wu Qi sold ten high-grade Medicinal Herbs to He Chen and two other pawnshop owners for twenty-one thousand Gold Coins.
• A clerk recommended Changde Academy, a branch of Lieyang Royal Academy, where Wu Qi learned that a Level Six Soul Master was reportedly the vice dean of its Soul Tool Department.
• Wu Qi reflected on the decline of technical inheritance on the Douluo Continent and planned to bring Soul Tool technology back and establish courses at Spirit Hall Academy.
• After completing the sale, Wu Qi left the pawnshop to assess Changde Academy.
• He Chen and his partners decided to tell Changde Academy about Wu Qi’s interest and possible major purchases in hopes of earning the academy’s favor.

Wu Qi cleared Wu Qingtian of a theft accusation and exposed the real thief, then recruited the fourteen-year-old as a steward. The chapter left Wu Qi asking about Wu Qingtian’s Soul Power and lack of a Soul Ring.

• Wu Qi had a waiter bring over the sharp-witted youth, Wu Qingtian, while a City Guard squad accused him of theft.
• Wu Qi stopped the City Guard captain from whipping Wu Qingtian and used his Soul Power to expose a bystander who had stolen from the crowd and framed Wu Qingtian.
• The thief confessed that he had repeatedly used Wu Qingtian’s poor reputation as cover for his crimes.
• Wu Qingtian told Wu Qi he had given himself his name, and Wu Qi paid him to change into steward’s clothes and meet him at the hotel.
• Wu Qingtian arrived early at the hotel, where Wu Qi learned he was fourteen and had been stuck at Soul Power Level ten without a Soul Ring.

Wu Qi recruited Wu Qingtian to run errands and sent a letter to Changde Academy, prompting its leaders to anticipate a profitable visit. When Dean Ma Benming and Zhao Chenggong arrived at Wu Qi’s hotel, Wu Qi asked Zhao to discuss offensive Soul Tools and their use in combat.

• Wu Qingtian revealed his level-eight Innate Soul Power and Black Eagle Martial Spirit, and Wu Qi offered to help him obtain his First Spirit Ring if he bought a luxurious carriage and delivered a letter to Changde Academy.
• Wu Qi identified Wu Qingtian as a promising potential recruit but remained wary of his unexplained past.
• Wu Qingtian ordered a luxurious but understated carriage cabin and delivered Wu Qi’s letter to Dean Ma Benming at Changde Academy.
• Ma Benming and the department heads discussed hosting Wu Qi, hoping for funding, while Zhao Chenggong worried that Wu Qi might seek confidential Soul Tool technology.
• Ma Benming and Zhao Chenggong visited Wu Qi two days later, and Wu Qi asked Zhao about offensive Soul Tools, Soul Master compatibility, and practical combat experience.

Wu Qi visited Changde Academy to assess its Soul Tool research and opened negotiations to acquire its technology. He requested comprehensive blueprints and theories for Soul Tools through the sixth tier, with higher-tier designs to be priced individually.

• Ma Benming and Zhao Chenggong tested Wu Qi's capabilities, and Wu Qi declined their invitation to Changde Academy until a more opportune time.
• Wu Qi told Wu Qingtian that Ma Benming was a shrewd negotiator and that appearing too eager would cost them leverage.
• After selling Medicinal Herbs at the auction house, Wu Qi traveled to Changde Academy, where Ma Benming and other Masters welcomed him.
• Ma Benming led Wu Qi through the academy's Soul Tool Department, where Zhao Chenggong showed him a nearly ninth-tier tower-type Soul Tool and sought funding to complete it.
• Wu Qi requested Soul Tool blueprints and theories from the first through sixth tiers, offering to assess seventh-tier and higher designs individually.

Wu Qi bought advanced Soul Tool research and blueprints from Zhao Chenggong, then arranged to travel with him to Mingdu so Zhao could pursue a Level Seven Soul Engineer assessment. As they prepared to leave, Wu Qi received a calling card and map from Sea Plunder City's City Lord Mansion, but had not decided whether to meet them.

• Ma Benming persuaded Zhao Chenggong to sell the academy's Seventh-Rank Soul Tool blueprints, and Wu Qi completed the purchase alongside copies of lower-rank research and blueprints.
• Wu Qi offered high-grade Medicinal Herbs for help finding more advanced blueprints, and Zhao Chenggong agreed to introduce him to his former teacher in Mingdu.
• Zhao Chenggong asked Wu Qi to protect and assist him during his Level Seven Soul Engineer advancement assessment, and Wu Qi agreed to travel with him.
• Zhao Chenggong persuaded Ma Benming not to accompany them because the journey to Mingdu could be dangerous.
• Wu Qingtian told Wu Qi that the City Lord Mansion had sent a calling card and a map, but Wu Qi showed little interest in meeting the city lord.

Wu Qi learned Wu Qingtian’s painful past, helped him obtain his First Spirit Ring, and set out with his companions for Mingdu. Meanwhile, Dugu Bo brought Sea Horse Douluo to Heaven Dou City’s Grand Court Assembly to observe the imperial court.

• Wu Qingtian told Wu Qi that a corrupt gentryman had trafficked children and abused him before righteous men killed the gentryman’s family.
• Wu Qi confirmed Wu Qingtian’s account, revealed that he was using a false earl identity, and took him to hunt a dark-attributed Sea Soul Beast.
• Wu Qingtian absorbed the Spirit Ring and reached level seventeen, and Wu Qi advised him to keep his Soul Skills secret from strangers.
• Wu Qi, Wu Qingtian, and their companions met Zhao Chenggong at the city gates, where Zhao brought a Soul Guidance traction device for their carriage to Mingdu.
• Dugu Bo brought Sea Horse Douluo to Changning Street and explained that the officials had gathered for Heaven Dou City’s annual Grand Court Assembly.

Dugu Bo arranged for Sea Horse Douluo to meet Xue Qinghe, who agreed to give him a chance to serve the Heaven Dou Empire. Meanwhile, Wu Qi and his companions reached Mingdu and found Zhao Chenggong’s mentor, who opened the door and recognized Little Zhao.

• Dugu Bo brought Sea Horse Douluo to the palace, where Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo accompanied him to meet Xue Qinghe.
• Xue Qinghe accepted Sea Horse Douluo’s offer to serve the empire and said he had an important task for him.
• After a month of travel, Wu Qi and his companions arrived in Mingdu and followed Zhao Chenggong’s directions to his mentor’s residence.
• Zhao Chenggong called out to his mentor, and an elderly man opened the gate and asked whether he was Little Zhao.

Wu Qi purchased high-rank Soul Tool blueprints from Lu Mingcheng and helped Zhao Chenggong secure the chance to complete his Seventh-Rank assessment. He acquired a Ninth-Rank blueprint for a Soul Tool control brain and considered miniaturizing it, though Zhao Chenggong warned that developing it would be costly and difficult.

• Lu Mingcheng warned Zhao Chenggong that returning to Mingdu for his Soul Master assessment could put him in danger, and Zhao said Wu Qi had helped him return.
• Wu Qi offered to help Zhao Chenggong complete his Seventh-Rank assessment and asked Lu Mingcheng to sell him Soul Tool blueprints.
• After Zhao Chenggong persuaded him, Lu Mingcheng agreed to trade copied Eighth-Rank blueprints and an original Ninth-Rank blueprint.
• Wu Qi recognized the Ninth-Rank design as a large Soul Tool control brain that could command complex transformations.
• At an inn, Wu Qi said shrinking the control brain to fingernail size could improve its performance, while Zhao Chenggong warned that researching and crafting it would require enormous resources and many failures.

Wu Qi protected Zhao Chenggong as he applied for a Level Seven Soul Master assessment in Mingdu, where officials tried to recruit and threaten him because of his ties to Lu Mingcheng. As Zhao Chenggong entered the Royal Academy for the assessment, he asked to join Wu Qi’s command for protection, and Wu Qi warned him against betrayal.

• Wu Qi urged Zhao Chenggong to register for the assessment despite the danger, and Zhao Chenggong submitted his application through an acquaintance in Mingdu.
• The empire ordered Zhao Chenggong to take the assessment at the Royal Academy’s Soul Tool Department three days later, drawing offers from powerful nobles.
• Zhao Chenggong rejected the offers to honor Lu Mingcheng’s guidance and asked Wu Qi to keep him safe.
• Officials arranged to attack Zhao Chenggong, but Wu Qi kept the group inside the imperial hotel until the third day, then stopped the assassins following them to the materials market.
• At the Royal Academy, Wu Qi revealed that officials had replaced the Soul Tool Department’s students with their own subordinates, and Zhao Chenggong asked to join Wu Qi’s command for protection.

Zhao Chenggong agreed to join Wu Qi after losing faith in the corrupt officials, and Wu Qi promised to take him away safely after the assessment. At the Royal Academy, Wu Qi intimidated the gathered officials and rejected Elder Huo’s attempt to recruit him, leaving the Crown Prince’s faction warned against interfering.

• Ma Benming urged Zhao Chenggong to join Wu Qi, and Zhao Chenggong agreed after Wu Qi explained that the officials meant to kill him.
• Wu Qi promised Zhao Chenggong fair treatment and assured him that he would leave the assessment safely with him.
• At the Royal Academy’s Soul Tool Department, Wu Qi incapacitated Li Yao’s guards after Li Yao challenged him over the front-row seats.
• Elder Huo intervened, removed Li Yao from the venue, and took a seat beside Wu Qi as Zhao Chenggong began his assessment.
• Wu Qingtian insulted Elder Huo’s appearance, while Wu Qi and Elder Huo secretly exchanged words about recruiting Wu Qi for the Crown Prince.
• Wu Qi refused to serve the Crown Prince and warned Elder Huo that the imperial family would suffer a heavy loss if it tried to stop him; Elder Huo then departed.

At the Royal Academy, Zhao Chenggong completed his Level Seven Soul Tool examination while Wu Qi discovered that Evil Spirit Masters and aristocrats were plotting in Mingdu. After Zhao Chenggong received his certificate, Wu Qi prepared to break out and return everyone to the Douluo Continent.

• Xu Chen learned from Elder Huo that Wu Qi might be a Rank Ninety-Five-or-higher Titled Douluo and warned against offending him.
• A group of Evil Spirit Masters in Mingdu planned to work with important figures to gain power and feast on people.
• Wu Qi sensed the Evil Spirit Masters at the Royal Academy and contacted the God of Destruction so Hunter could bring everyone back through space.
• Zhao Chenggong finished his backpack-like Level Seven Soul Tool, which unfolded blade-like wings for high-speed flight and had additional functions.
• The imperial Soul Saint examiners confirmed that Zhao Chenggong's Soul Tool could help in battle, and he received his Level Seven Soul Master certificate.
• Wu Qi told Zhao Chenggong to prepare to break out, while Zhao Chenggong rebuffed aristocrats who tried to recruit him to craft Soul Tools.

Wu Qi killed the Evil Spirit Masters and assassins at Royal Academy, then left Mingdu with Zhao Chenggong and Wu Qingtian. In Heaven Dou City, Duke Connor drew Sea Horse Douluo into an alliance and hinted at the royal treasure vault, where Sea Horse Douluo believed the Sea God's Great Circle might be kept.

• Wu Qi revealed his extraordinary Soul Rings and drowned the marked Evil Spirit Masters and assassins at Royal Academy with his Sea Tide soul skill.
• Crown Prince Xu Chen and Elder Huo arrived too late to stop the killings, while Wu Qi left with Zhao Chenggong and Wu Qingtian.
• Wu Qi offered Wu Qingtian a choice between returning to Sea Plunder City and joining him, and Wu Qingtian chose to go with him.
• Duke Connor invited Sea Horse Douluo to dinner and secured his promise to support him at court.
• Duke Connor mentioned the royal treasure vault, prompting Sea Horse Douluo to suspect that the Sea God's Great Circle was inside.

Sea Horse Douluo learned about the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud and the Royal Treasury from Duke Connor, then planned to steal the treasure while Heaven Dou City’s strongest defenders were away. He remained uneasy about the supposed inspection mission that would leave the city vulnerable.

• Sea Horse Douluo questioned Duke Connor about the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, and Connor claimed the royal family guarded it despite having forgotten how to use it.
• Duke Connor revealed clues to the Royal Treasury’s location, then dropped his drunken act and admitted he had told Sea Horse Douluo exactly what he wanted him to hear.
• Sea Horse Douluo consulted Tang Shang, who warned that the treasury was heavily guarded and advised sending the others out of Heaven Dou City before Sea Horse acted alone.
• Tang Shang reported that Dugu Bo and Ning Fengzhi might secretly inspect the front lines, giving Sea Horse Douluo a chance to enter the city’s treasury.
• Sea Horse Douluo questioned whether the two leaders had really left and said the situation felt suspicious.

Sea Horse Douluo believed Ning Fengzhi and Dugu Bo had left Heaven Dou City and prepared to steal the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud from the royal treasure vault. The chapter left Xue Qinghe, Dugu Bo, and Ning Fengzhi watching his movements from the Imperial Study as their trap unfolded.

• Tang Shang persuaded Sea Horse Douluo that his unease came from his guilty conscience, and Sea Horse Douluo ordered his people to watch Ning Fengzhi and Dugu Bo.
• Wu Qi summoned Hunter to transport Zhao Chenggong and Wu Qingtian to Douluo Continent, and asked him to go to Heaven Dou City first.
• Dugu Bo deliberately let Sea Horse Douluo see him leave Heaven Dou City, convincing him that the city's Titled Douluo had departed.
• Sea Horse Douluo waited two days, arranged for the Sea God Island Soul Masters to leave the city, and decided to enter the treasure vault through its lightly guarded exit.
• Xue Qinghe, Dugu Bo, and Ning Fengzhi revealed that they had remained in Heaven Dou City and monitored Sea Horse Douluo's movements from the Imperial Study.

Dugu Bo and his allies trapped Sea Horse Douluo and his men after they attempted to rob the imperial treasury. The others were killed, and Sword Dao Chen Xin cornered Sea Horse Douluo outside Heaven Dou City, leaving him unable to escape.

• Sea Horse Douluo broke into a hidden passage beneath a collapsed house, but found only a natural cave and realized Duke Connor had deceived him.
• Yang Wudi confronted Tang Shang and his men on the road, exposed their escape plan, and led a force that killed them all.
• Ning Fengzhi, Sword Dao Chen Xin, and the Royal Knights blocked Sea Horse Douluo after he emerged from the passage, forcing him to flee the city.
• Dugu Bo intercepted Sea Horse Douluo and revealed that he had uncovered his identity and arranged the trap.
• Sword Dao Chen Xin arrived and used his sword aura to seal the battlefield, overpowering Sea Horse Douluo and leaving him with no way out.

Chen Xin killed Sea Horse Douluo and warned Dugu Bo not to underestimate Sea God Island, while Wu Qi returned to Douluo Continent with Zhao Chenggong and Wu Qingtian. After reaching Heaven Dou City, Wu Qi reunited with Dugu Bo and the Gathering Righteousness Sect, where he prepared to meet its newer Elders.

• Chen Xin beheaded Sea Horse Douluo after defeating his Ninth Soul Skill, and Dugu Bo reflected on Sea God Island’s strength.
• Hunter brought Wu Qi, Zhao Chenggong, and Wu Qingtian back to Douluo Continent before departing to conserve his Soul Power.
• Wu Qi told Zhao Chenggong and Wu Qingtian that Hunter was stronger than him and explained Spirit Hall’s influence and the lost Soul Tool technology on Douluo Continent.
• Wu Qi promised Zhao Chenggong treatment equal to a Spirit Hall Elder and full support to train apprentices in Soul Tool crafting.
• Wu Qi arrived in Heaven Dou City and reunited with Dugu Bo at the Gathering Righteousness Sect, where the Elders reported on the sect’s progress.
• Wu Qi agreed to meet the sect’s newer Elders, and Dugu Bo called for a Sect Assembly.

Wu Qi presided over the Gathering Righteousness Sect’s Elder Council, reassuring its newer elders that the sect did not answer to Spirit Hall and rewarding their contributions. The meeting concluded with Wu Qi recognizing the elders’ work and granting them valuable treasures.

• Bai He summoned the Three New Halls’ elders to the Elder Council after Wu Qi arrived and called for the assembly.
• Bai He brought Shu Chenfeng, Huai Yu, and Teng Bochuan to the main hall, where Feng Changlin introduced Wu Qi as the sect’s true controller and a Spirit Hall Elder.
• Wu Qi assured the three newer elders that the sect did not have to obey Spirit Hall, then invited everyone to discuss sect matters freely.
• Dugu Bo and the other elders reported the sect’s progress and their contributions to its construction.
• Wu Qi rewarded the elders with Soul Bones and immortal herbs, and gave Niu Gao’s Imperial Hall an additional Soul Bone for its work building the sect residence.