Recaps

Ling Shuo’s birthday banquet drew the Seven Cities’ factions into a public show of loyalty, while Ogao and other guests assessed the powerful allies gathered around him. The celebration’s tense political gathering took a new turn when Ling Liu arrived in person.

• Ling Shuo’s birthday invitation forced the Seven Cities’ factions to choose whether to attend, and his arrangements separated loyal insiders from fence-sitters before the banquet began.
• Ogao warned Meng Sang to behave cautiously at the banquet, then greeted Ling Shuo and took his place among the guests.
• Ogao found Abadesa and Himawan seated nearby and noticed influential representatives, including a Yacheng Wild Bazaar envoy and a Taiyi Ring Artisan Association representative, at the foremost table.
• Abadesa suggested that Ling Liu might respond to his son’s growing independence by making a show at the birthday celebration.
• Ling Liu arrived in person, silencing the banquet hall.

Ling Shuo’s birthday banquet became a confrontation between him and his foster father, Ling Liu, as Ling Shuo publicly declared his loyalty to Mister Ji and Seven Cities. The gathering’s uneasy calm broke when Lutzwan challenged Ling Shuo’s authority.

• Ling Liu arrived at Ling Shuo’s banquet, and Ling Shuo greeted him as Chairman Ling rather than calling him Father.
• Elder Chu barred Ling Liu’s attendants from entering, and Ling Liu accepted the decision and took a seat with the Wild Bazaar representatives.
• Ling Shuo toasted Seven Cities and Mister Ji, prompting the guests to enthusiastically raise their glasses.
• As Ling Shuo began a second toast, Lutzwan smashed his glass and denounced Ling Shuo’s claim to lead Seven Cities.

At Ling Shuo’s birthday banquet, Lutzwan tried to accuse him, but a threatening call forced Lutzwan to reveal that he had been bribed to frame Ling Shuo. Lutzwan died before naming the person behind the plot, and Ling Shuo left the Wild Bazaar representatives under suspicion as the guests toasted him.

• Lutzwan defied Ling Shuo and accused him of suppressing the Seven Cities, but Ling Liu insisted that he be allowed to explain his grievance.
• Ogao pretended to be drunk while Abadesa and Himawan supported Ling Liu’s call to hear Lutzwan out.
• Ling Shuo’s allies showed Lutzwan a live video of his family being held hostage, and a caller threatened them if he betrayed the plotters.
• Lutzwan confessed that someone had paid and blackmailed him to frame Ling Shuo, then pointed toward the Wild Bazaar representatives before a poison killed him.
• Ling Shuo condemned the unseen instigator, spared Lutzwan’s family from execution while expelling them from Seven Cities, and led the guests in a toast to himself.

At Ling Shuo’s birthday banquet, he rewarded his allies and used successive explosions to punish officials tied to the Wild Bazaars. He taunted Ling Liu while refusing Elder Chu’s suggestion to act against him, leaving Ling Shuo wary of Ling Liu’s patience and hoping Ji Jue would protect him.

• Ling Shuo announced appointments and rewards for Ji Wen, Ma Feiziding, Pi Shika, Xi Xian, Ma Island, and Lan Sai, then warned his men to remain loyal.
• Himawan and Abadesa watched the ceremony from the Wild Bazaar table while Meng Sang ate beside the drunken Ogao.
• Ling Shuo called out Lan Te, Ao Sitan, Kramer, Ma Lei, and Lai Tai as explosions sounded downstairs, revealing that his men were punishing them for their betrayals and offenses.
• Meng Sang realized what was happening, drank Ogao’s wine, and passed out as Himawan and Abadesa recognized that the victims had ties to their families.
• Ling Shuo taunted Ling Liu about his success and declared that he would stop attending family celebrations to focus on the association, while Ling Liu calmly praised him.
• Elder Chu suggested taking action against Ling Liu, but Ling Shuo refused, deciding he could not move against him at the banquet and hoping Ji Jue would recognize his loyalty.

Katu Naha appeared at Ling Shuo’s coronation banquet and marked him as its target while Ji Jue was away from Seven Cities. Ling Shuo’s ring awakened and the Workshop Spirit intervened, leaving the calamity beast facing a devastating counterattack.

• A bone shrine and Katu Naha appeared in the banquet hall, sending the guests into a panic and marking Ling Shuo as its target.
• Ling Liu urged Ling Shuo to run, but Ling Shuo stayed, while Old Lin discovered that Ji Jue could not be reached and Abadesa revealed Ji Jue was away in Celestial Pivot.
• Ogao threw Meng Sang between Ling Shuo and Katu Naha, but Meng Sang’s life-saving pendant only delayed the beast briefly.
• Ling Shuo’s dark-golden ring appeared on his finger and unleashed flames that burned Katu Naha’s shrine and body.
• The ring’s purge module identified Katu Naha and activated Extinction Mode as the Workshop Spirit looked down from the lighthouse and commanded the beast to kneel.

An Ran used Ji Jue’s framework and the Four Seasons Sword’s Xuan Ying to destroy the Fox Immortal Katu Naha, while the White Deer bestowed Free and Easy Wandering on him. Ling Shuo seized the moment to consolidate the Seven Cities’ support, force Ling Liu to drink a toast, and declare his rise as Dragon Head.

• Ji Jue’s framework suppressed the White-Bone Fox, allowing An Ran to expose its weakness and cut it down with Xuan Ying.
• An Ran’s sword froze Katu Naha’s formless essence, and the Curtain trapped and destroyed it completely.
• The White Deer descended before An Ran and granted him the blessing Free and Easy Wandering.
• Ling Shuo rallied the guests to celebrate Superior Virtue and the Seven Cities, and the underworld forces hurried to offer him their support.
• Ogao contacted William, then accepted Elder Chu’s help in arranging contact with the Star Core Association.
• Ling Shuo demanded Ling Liu’s support as Dragon Head and made him drink the birthday wine before leaving in humiliation.

Ling Shuo’s application to establish Seven Cities Wild Bazaar was approved after the Chieftains gave him a task to draw, and he secured a major Northern Frontier supply contract as his test. After Seven Cities Wild Bazaar formally opened, Ling Shuo immediately filed accusations against the other two branches, prompting the Chieftains to recognize him as a troublemaker.

• An De and An Neng reviewed reports about An Ran and learned that the Chieftains had called them in mainly to discuss Ling Shuo’s application.
• [Hai] approved Ling Shuo’s application and ordered the Chieftain’s Hand to draw a task from the cylinder.
• An De and An Neng drew the lot for Shen B · Chen Six, which assigned them an urgent Northern Frontier request for weapons and war supplies.
• Ling Shuo accepted the task, signed a contract to deliver the first shipment within a month, and received the Northern Frontier’s twenty percent brokerage fee.
• Seven Cities Wild Bazaar completed its registration within twelve hours, and Ling Shuo promptly submitted accusations against the other two Wild Bazaar branches.

Ling Shuo consolidated his power in the Wild Bazaar while Ling Liu tried to restore control of his family, and headquarters declined to intervene. Meanwhile, Ji Jue challenged the Taiyi Ring Association to follow its own procedures after the Audit Division targeted him, and the chapter ended with Iron Hook District and Misty Reef facing a delay in their final payment.

• Ling Shuo secured support through new agreements and pressure on rival Wild Bazaar branches, while Ling Liu publicly reconciled with his children and entrusted them with important duties.
• Headquarters replied to the Wild Bazaar dispute that the Chieftain had been informed, leaving Ling Shuo and Ling Liu to handle the conflict themselves.
• Ji Jue confronted the Coordination Division about a notice against him and learned that the Audit Division had reviewed the report.
• Ji Jue waited publicly for the Association to respond, prompting internal departments to pass the matter upward until President Gustav forwarded it to the council.
• Jiang Tongguang refused to intervene and backed the Association's handling of the matter.
• Iron Hook District and Misty Reef continued delaying payments owed for disaster beast materials, and the chapter ended as their own final payment began to be delayed.

The Artisan Association revoked 171 disaster beast material appraisal certificates after exposing Du Erchang’s corruption, freezing bulk transactions across the Endless Sea. It opened an expedited reassessment channel and assigned Ji Jue to appraise materials from Misty Reef, Iron Hook District, and Shiye Islands.

• The Taiyi Ring dismissed Du Erchang and placed him under investigation, while Director Medman granted Ji Jue another week of access to the Great Library.
• The Artisan Association revoked 171 appraisal certificates linked to Du Erchang and halted transactions involving the affected materials.
• Satria and Himawan learned that buyers such as the Libra Conglomerate would not accept their goods without valid certificates, leaving the materials unsellable.
• After pressure from Wild Bazaar and other businesses, the Association opened a special expedited reassessment channel through local branches.
• The Association’s reassessment list assigned Ji Jue to certify disaster beast materials from Misty Reef, Iron Hook District, and Shiye Islands.

Ji Jue used his influence over appraisals and the Association to isolate Wild Bazaar’s Stone Page, Mist Concealment, and Iron Hook branches, forcing them to seek terms. Satria ordered negotiations, but Ling Shuo kept the envoys waiting while William and Ogao toasted Ji Jue and Seven Cities on Luo Island.

• Chen, Wei, and Hai discussed Ji Jue’s methods and how he had brought three Wild Bazaar branches under his control.
• Hai dismissed new aid requests from the three branches, while their leaders learned that workshops and other branches would not handle their goods for appraisal.
• William abandoned Satria and Caruso’s alliance, using his earlier separation from the other branches to negotiate his own position.
• Satria ordered Himawan to negotiate with Ji Jue and settle the appraisal matter on whatever terms were required.
• Ling Shuo asked Ji Jue how to receive envoys from the other two families, and Ji Jue told him not to receive them.
• Ling Shuo ordered the envoys kept waiting and joined William and Ogao in a toast to Seven Cities and Mister Ji.

Ji Jue consolidated his authority across the Seven Cities and worked to strengthen his Heavenly Origin foundation rather than seek a Federation Blessing on its terms. After Ling Shuo made Satria and Caruso wait for three days, Ji Jue finally approached the waiting leaders of the two Wild Bazaars.

• Ji Jue watched the Seven Cities flourish and sensed the Celestial Origin gathering around Red Firmament, bringing him closer to the Power of Life and Death Blessing.
• Ji Jue rejected seeking a Federation Blessing through official channels and followed Lü Garrison Chief's advice to build his own Heavenly Origin foundation and preserve his autonomy.
• Ji Jue expanded his influence across New Spring and Seven Cities, stirred up industry peers in Tower City and Thousand Isles, and sent loaded freighters toward the Northern Frontier.
• Ji Jue called Ling Shuo to ask whether Satria and Caruso had arrived, then told Ling Shuo to make them wait a full three days before meeting him.
• Ling Shuo made the leaders of Iron Hook District and Misty Reef endure the delay without showing impatience, and Ji Jue's voice finally sounded as he arrived to meet them.

Ling Shuo negotiated with Caruso and Satria while Ji Jue confronted them by phone, explaining that he rejected their kind of business and demanding they choose between peace and a Wild Bazaar contest. Caruso and Satria accepted the contest, staking their business and the Flowing Light Golden Spring against the appraisal certificate and Ji Jue’s promise to meet them if they won.

• Ling Shuo presented the unsigned appraisal certificate and demanded the remaining payment, and Satria offered a check while Caruso added a large apology payment for Ji Jue.
• Caruso asked Ji Jue why he had treated them with such contempt, and Ji Jue said he refused to do business with them because their pill trade was disgraceful and inefficient.
• Ji Jue challenged Caruso and Satria to choose between fighting and making peace, and Satria invoked a Wild Bazaar contest of victory and defeat.
• Caruso offered the Flowing Light Golden Spring as an additional stake and asked Ji Jue to meet them if they won.
• Ji Jue proposed that the winner take the appraisal certificate while the loser surrendered their disaster beast materials business, and Satria and Caruso accepted.
• Ling Shuo brought wine, and the three men drank to seal the agreement and begin the contest.

Ji Jue brought An Ran to the reef for the duel against Iron Hook and Mist Concealment, where An Ran identified Luo Bomo as a concealed Horn inheritor and began fighting him. After surviving Luo Bomo’s sudden escalation with a hidden layer of Scales, An Ran acknowledged his fear and resolved to kill him.

• Ling Shuo and his subordinates delayed the arrival of Ji Jue and An Ran, then prepared a lavish beachside waiting area for them.
• Caruso presented the agreed wager, and Ji Jue confronted him and Satria before An Ran recognized Luo Bomo’s Horn lineage and exposed the hidden design of his sword.
• An Ran and Luo Bomo began their deadly sword duel, with An Ran using projected sword qi to withstand Luo Bomo’s rapid attacks.
• Luo Bomo increased his speed and nearly killed An Ran, but a flash of Spiritual Substance-formed scales let An Ran counterattack and wound them both.
• An Ran told Luo Bomo he was afraid of dying because his loved ones would grieve, then declared that he was going to kill him.

An Ran and Luo Bomo fought a deadly duel on the barren reef while Ji Jue and Caruso watched. An Ran trapped Luo Bomo long enough to land a decisive attack, but the hidden plan ultimately targeted Ji Jue, whose body and consciousness were frozen as a black spike thrust toward him.

• An Ran and Luo Bomo unleashed their Rebirth Forms and fought at extreme speed, as An Ran used sword marks and Xuan Ying’s essence to restrict Luo Bomo’s movements.
• Luo Bomo wounded An Ran repeatedly, while An Ran completed a web of sword marks and unleashed a freezing counterattack.
• Luo Bomo blocked An Ran’s strike with the Swift Sword and revealed a hidden dagger, but An Ran used Ji Jue’s concealed Spiritual Substance sword, Chun Jun, to break both weapons.
• Luo Bomo stopped Lihen with his teeth as a second attacker emerged from the shadows, and Ji Jue seized the attacker with an invisible hand.
• Caruso froze Ji Jue with a small mirror, allowing a hidden accomplice to thrust a black spike toward him in the true killing blow.

Shalbah’s assassination attempt on Ji Jue failed when Ji Jue resisted the Abyss Mirror and survived the ambush, triggering a battle against three Transcendences. As Ji Jue’s allies struck back and killed Caruso, a disguised White Deer expert wounded Shalbah, leaving the attackers’ plan in disarray.

• Shalbah accepted Caruso’s contract to assassinate Ji Jue, but warned that the target had to be lured away from his Workshop and that success was uncertain.
• Shalbah used the Abyss Mirror to stun Ji Jue and launched a prepared strike with the Dust-Annihilating Thorn, but Ji Jue caught the weapon with his hands and countered.
• Ji Jue unleashed Zhanlu’s Thunder Pool, survived the resulting inferno, and faced Shalbah, Satria, Dead Sentry, and Waste Ruins as they prepared to attack him openly.
• Dead Sentry charged Ji Jue, but Dragon Mountain emerged from the Airship and knocked him away with a single punch.
• Old Lin killed Caruso by crushing his heart, then disappeared as Shalbah retreated through the Gate of Avici.
• A disguised White Deer Transcendence attacked Shalbah with Cliff Horn Spear, cut his face, and forced him out of concealment while Ji Jue taunted Satria about the consequences of fishing.

Ji Jue suspected Caruso and Satria were plotting against him and wondered whether Ling Liu had joined them. His investigation uncovered a wave of Wild Bazaar leadership changes and new branches, and Chen Xingzhou called before Ji Jue could contact him.

• Minkler and Ling Shuo watched Caruso and Satria’s reception-room recording and agreed their behavior felt suspicious.
• Ji Jue learned that Ling Liu had been acting normally, but suspected he was secretly working with Caruso and Satria against him.
• Ji Jue considered that Caruso and Satria might be trying to kill him to recover their lost face and interests.
• Ji Jue found that more than six Wild Bazaar branches had recently changed bosses and that more than four new branches had opened, including one in the Seven Cities.
• Ji Jue asked Ling Shuo about headquarters’ recent moves, then received a call from Chen Xingzhou before he could dial him.

After learning that East City's Wild Bazaar was plotting against him, Ji Jue discovered that branches across the Wild Bazaar were scrambling to prepare for a rumored new rank and special permits. The Hermit's plan had set off a covert race for power, and Ji Jue anticipated upheaval across the hidden world.

• Ji Jue told Chen Xingzhou that the Evil Transformation Cult might be behind the attempts on his life, and Chen Xingzhou revealed that East City's Wild Bazaar was involved.
• Chen Xingzhou explained that Ji Jue's growing influence over Seven Cities threatened East City's interests and made him a target.
• Ji Jue asked why Wild Bazaar branches were acting unusually, and Chen Xingzhou described rumors that the Hermit planned to change the rules and promote ambitious local leaders.
• Ji Jue realized special permits could let local leaders operate beyond their regions and compete for business across the Empire and Federation.
• Ji Jue recognized that Wild Bazaar branches were already racing to gather resources in anticipation of the permits, foreshadowing upheaval across the hidden world.

Ji Jue and Chen Xingzhou joined forces to fight for power as the Wild Bazaar descended into a brutal contest, while Ji Jue’s group confronted the rival Transcendences. An Ran awakened the calamity beast within himself, and reinforcements turned the battle decisively against Dead Sentry’s side.

• Ji Jue and Chen Xingzhou agreed that Chen Xingzhou would run in the election while Ji Jue helped him secure the position.
• Ji Jue attacked Waste Ruins and Dead Sentry with his weapons and powers as Satria ordered his subordinates to kill Ling Shuo.
• An Ran killed Luo Bomo, then put on the bone mask and transformed into the calamity beast Katu Naha to protect Ling Shuo.
• An Ran attacked Satria, while Ying Qulong shattered Waste Ruins’s Realm of Encirclement with lightning and Ji Jue redirected a lightning bolt into Waste Ruins.
• Ji Jue overwhelmed Dead Sentry with Pan Ying as Cliff Corner kept Shalbah trapped in Avici, leaving Dead Sentry’s side unable to escape or turn the battle around.

Ji Jue and Dead Sentry fought a brutal duel as Dead Sentry drew on the Devourer of Death Sacrifice and nearly killed him. Ji Jue survived by changing Sacrificial Masters and using [Mo Defense], then struck Dead Sentry’s heart with Pan Ying and defeated him.

• Dead Sentry unleashed the Great Swarm’s power and fought Ji Jue with weapons formed from his wounds.
• Ji Jue recognized the Devourer of Death Sacrifice behind Dead Sentry and raised Blood Wrist’s enhancement for their final clash.
• Dead Sentry completed his death-fueled transformation first, interrupted Blood Wrist’s enhancement, and shattered half of Ji Jue’s body with his scythe.
• Ji Jue switched to the Lord of Scars, sacrificed part of his life to remove the deathly manifestations, and restored himself.
• Ji Jue used [Non-Aggression] and [Mo Defense] to deflect Dead Sentry’s scythe by a hair and pierce his heart with Pan Ying.
• Pan Ying’s strike broke Dead Sentry’s immolation ritual, and Dead Sentry fell apart into dust.

After defeating Dead Sentry, Ji Jue helped the others capture and dismantle Waste Ruins, then checked on An Ran and oversaw the cleanup at Barren Reef. Shalbah watched the group leave without acting, while an unseen observer withdrew and lamented the missed chance to attack Ji Jue.

• Dead Sentry's death left Ji Jue with the Devourer of Death inheritance, which he decided would be more useful for tempering weapons and creations than for himself.
• Red Firmament, the Curtain, and Ying Qulong trapped Waste Ruins, and Ji Jue compressed the black sphere until Waste Ruins could no longer resist.
• Ji Jue and his allies extracted Waste Ruins's soul, body, Blessing, Matrix, and other materials, leaving only his skullcap.
• Ji Jue removed An Ran's mask and reassured him after his transformation, then spoke with Ying Qulong and met Old Lin, who praised him on Lao Zhang Tou's behalf.
• At Ji Jue's request, the group stacked the corpses into a mound and placed Dead Sentry's and Waste Ruins's heads beside Caruso's before leaving Barren Reef.
• Shalbah watched without intervening, while a distant observer also refrained from attacking and complained that the trip had been wasted.

After Satria returned to Iron Hook District gravely wounded, his rivals began plotting to seize power, but an East City envoy arrived with a doctor who removed the curse infecting him. Satria recovered enough to resume his role in Lord Han’s plans, while recognizing that Ji Jue would be pushed into another fight with him.

• After Caruso's death and Satria's disappearance, Iron Hook ship owners nearly formed an alliance to remove him, but Satria returned and crushed a prominent troublemaker.
• Himawan treated Satria with inheritance medicine, but Satria's wounds reopened as the contamination and curse overwhelmed the remedy.
• Meng Fengzuo arrived with a doctor sent by Lord Han, who used leeches to remove the mutation and residue from Satria's wounds.
• Meng Fengzuo promised that Lord Han would help stabilize Iron Hook District and prevent Ji Jue from running wild.
• Satria reasoned that Lord Han needed him alive and successful, but his continued survival would leave Ji Jue with no choice but to fight him again.

Ji Jue let Seven Cities’ enemies mistake its silence for weakness while he focused on Coast’s product launch. The chapter ended with a live drone demonstration revealing a town around The Tower being struck by a massive carpet bombing.

• Satria waited for Ji Jue to respond while Lord Han’s plans spread through Iron Hook District, but Seven Cities remained silent as attacks on its trade routes and business grew.
• Ji Jue reported Iron Hook and Misty Reef to the main association and demanded that they repay Seven Cities, but the Chieftain only acknowledged receiving the notice.
• Seven Cities ignored the mockery and prepared for the Coast Product Expo, where few people attended and Ji Jue presented the Raven reconnaissance drone and its swarm-control system.
• When reporters questioned Ji Jue about Iron Hook, he insisted that Coast pursued lawful business and moved on to a live demonstration in harsh sea conditions.
• The drone feed revealed The Tower and the surrounding ship-town before missiles began striking it, and the venue watched in stunned silence as the carpet bombing commenced.

Ji Jue launched a devastating missile attack that destroyed the Iron Hook District and forced Satria to flee. After the bombardment ended, a broadcast of the destruction left the conference audience stunned, until Ling Shuo began applauding and the others followed.

• Missiles and bombs struck the Iron Hook District, setting its docks, settlements, and assembly district ablaze.
• A missile hit the iron tower, which collapsed into the seawater as the bombardment spread across the district.
• Drones identified survivors and guided further strikes while Satria realized Ji Jue had launched an overwhelming attack.
• Himawan dragged Satria onto a speedboat, and they escaped as the district burned to ashes.
• The destruction broadcast ended, and Ling Shuo began applauding before the conference audience joined him.

Ji Jue destroyed Iron Hook District after giving the Wild Bazaar the announced seventy-two-hour warning, and the Chieftains acknowledged the complaint without intervening. The strike erased Satria’s district and privileges, wrecked East City’s standing, and left Meng Fengzuo facing a sprawling coalition he had never even recruited.

• Ji Jue’s drone launch footage showed the destruction of Iron Hook District and Satria’s escape, shocking the gathered factions and reporters.
• The Wild Bazaar headquarters replied to Satria’s complaint with “Chieftains have been informed,” while Iron Hook District disappeared from the registry and Satria lost his Spokesperson privileges.
• East City’s contacts abandoned Meng Fengzuo, blamed him for their losses, and refused to risk further involvement with Seven Cities.
• Meng Fengzuo assessed the damage and discovered that hundreds of businesses and more than twenty Wild Bazaar branches had targeted Seven Cities, though he had contacted fewer than half of them.

Ji Jue’s scheme left East City’s reputation damaged and forced Han Hui to settle Seven Cities’ claims, while Misty Reef remained under pressure. As outside powers demanded limits on Wild Bazaar’s escalating violence, the Chieftains let the branches bear the consequences of their own conflicts.

• Han Hui realized Ji Jue and Chen Xingzhou had used Iron Hook District’s destruction to lure East City into discrediting itself, and he accepted the setback rather than escalating the dispute.
• Meng Fengzuo led East City’s fleet to Seven Cities and handed Ling Shuo the materials owed under the contract, including the Flowing Light Golden Spring.
• Ling Shuo began reclaiming debts from those who had profited from the turmoil, while Ji Jue left Misty Reef untouched so its fear would drain East City’s attention.
• The Federation and Empire raised concerns about Wild Bazaar’s use of missiles, and the Taiyi Ring defended Ji Jue against demands for punishment.
• The Chieftains declined to issue new rules, released negotiation records about Iron Hook District, and warned that Wild Bazaar would not bear the consequences of its branches’ violence.