Chapter Summaries

Ji Jue learned that Haizhou and Cloud Province were preparing to cooperate over Leviathan Base, making New Spring a valuable labor and logistics hub. As he was about to take a break, Minkler called with news that Wild Bazaar had withheld his final payment.

• Ji Jue reasoned that the Tong Family and Lou Family were backing New Spring because Haizhou needed its workforce and coastal position for Leviathan Base.
• Lü Yingyue told Ji Jue that East City had abandoned its bid for exclusive control and that South City had joined the contest with Cloud Province backing Haizhou.
• Ji Jue agreed to let the preparations unfold without acting, since Haizhou's support gave him and New Spring time to grow.
• Ji Jue accompanied Lü Yingyue on an inspection, secured Wilderness implantation slots from Lou Feng for the Coast Games, and otherwise struggled to stay out of the way.
• Minkler informed Ji Jue that Wild Bazaar had withheld his final payment, prompting Ji Jue to erupt in anger.

Ji Jue learned that Wild Bazaar branches were withholding Coast’s payments to pressure him into negotiating over the Seven Cities, whose illicit markets he had shut down. After he refused to yield, Coast disabled stockpiled goods, and the Wild Bazaar’s allies stirred up a dispute over the Seven Cities’ ownership to justify reviewing the withheld funds.

• Ji Jue confronted Luo Lan about delayed payments, then had Yan Chang assess him as a scapegoat with little confidence.
• Bustaman explained that Wild Bazaar interests were retaliating because Ji Jue had cut off their illicit trade through the Seven Cities.
• Ji Jue refused to negotiate or share profits, insisting that the Seven Cities belonged to him.
• Coast disabled the serial codes on goods stockpiled by chambers that continued delaying their payments.
• A claimant to Ma Island and collateral descendants of other families publicly challenged Ji Jue’s control of the Seven Cities.
• Wild Bazaar branches used the sovereignty dispute to place the sale proceeds and final payments under review.

Ji Jue weighed how to respond to Wild Bazaar withholding payment and chose to rely on himself rather than seek outside mediation. The chapter ended with Ling Shuo kneeling before him overnight and confessing that he desperately wanted to become the boss.

• Chen Xingzhou warned Ji Jue that Wild Bazaar would not pay without pressure and advised him to find a powerful mediator or fight within limits.
• Ji Jue rejected the idea of asking Ling Liu for help, and Chen Xingzhou hinted at a solution while asking Ji Jue to help him in the future.
• Ji Jue summoned Ling Shuo and Golden Retriever, discussed the dispute, and told Ling Shuo that people had to rely on themselves.
• Ji Jue slept while Ling Shuo knelt outside through the night, then asked whether Ling Shuo wanted to be the boss.
• Ling Shuo admitted that he dreamed of becoming the boss every night.

Ling Shuo submitted himself to Ji Jue and won permission to build a Wild Gathering branch in Seven Cities, promising to keep its criminal operations away from ordinary people and Ji Jue. Gold Hair Boy rejected his underlings’ plan to attack Bald Old Man, while he and Old Fisherman sensed that Ji Jue was preparing a major move.

• Ling Shuo pledged to take responsibility for the branch’s illicit work in return for a chance to become its boss, and Ji Jue told him to smooth things over with Minkler.
• Ji Jue invited Ling Shuo inside for tea, and Ling Shuo realized he had gained Ji Jue’s support.
• Gold Hair Boy’s underlings reported that Ling Shuo had ridden in Ji Jue’s private car after kneeling at Ji Jue’s door overnight.
• Gold Hair Boy stopped his underlings from interpreting Ling Shuo’s favor as permission to kill Bald Old Man, and ordered them to obey the rules.
• Gold Hair Boy told Old Fisherman that he sensed Ji Jue was about to make a major move, and Old Fisherman recalled sensing the same cold malice from Ji Jue.
• Gold Hair Boy received a call marked [Eldest Brother] and was overjoyed.

Ji Jue sent Gold Hair Boy back to New Spring with a protective Blessed Creation, then gave Ling Shuo a dark-gold ring as an opportunity to lead Seven Cities. Ling Shuo met the mysterious An Ran, whose presence made him instinctively afraid.

• Chen Xingzhou told Gold Hair Boy that Ji Jue wanted him to stay in New Spring, and Gold Hair Boy agreed to return.
• Ji Jue gave Gold Hair Boy a Folding Knife that purified his body and could protect his life.
• Gold Hair Boy left for New Spring, leaving his territory and profits for Ling Shuo to manage.
• A young man delivered Ji Jue's dark-gold ring to Ling Shuo, who understood it as a gift for the Seven Cities Dragon Head.
• Ling Shuo asked the young man his name, and he introduced himself as An Ran.

Ji Jue reunited with An Ran, gave him the Blade Tooth inheritance and a sword that became Lihen, and arranged for him to stay in Seven Cities while others covered his work in Yacheng. The chapter ended with An Ran hearing Ling Shuo’s explanation and deciding that he simply needed to kill everyone on the list.

• An Ran arrived on Luo Island, reunited with Ji Jue, and accepted his offer to help with troublesome matters.
• Ji Jue gave An Ran damaged Blade Tooth lineage texts and a custom Sword Cry sword, which An Ran named Lihen.
• An Ran instinctively mastered Sword Qi Transformation, then worried about how his sister would react to him learning another lineage.
• Ji Jue reassured An Ran and arranged for the Coast Industry Security Department’s Yacheng Special Action Group to assist Tong Hua while An Ran stayed away.
• Tong Hua read Ji Jue’s note saying he had borrowed An Ran and vowed to kill him.
• Ling Shuo finished explaining a long list of targets, and An Ran concluded that he needed to kill them all.

Ling Shuo used An Ran’s support to begin consolidating control over Seven Cities, killing rival leaders and demanding higher dues. As Wild Bazaar representatives gathered to unite against him and Ji Jue, an unfamiliar young man appeared in a corridor strewn with corpses.

• Ling Shuo explained that he would keep the listed troublemakers alive until he could gather them together and wipe them out, and An Ran gave him authority to handle the operation.
• Ling Shuo had Deliya'er Radan and his sons killed, took over Gold Hair Boy’s remaining assets, and launched a purge on Elephant Isle before demanding triple dues from gangs across Seven Cities.
• Ling Zan challenged Ling Shuo over the new demands, but Ling Shuo rejected his authority, and Ling Liu told the other elders that they could deal with Ling Shuo themselves.
• De Luntuo rallied gang leaders and representatives from other Wild Bazaars to unite against Ling Shuo and Ji Jue, calling for Ling Shuo to be taken down.
• An unfamiliar young man appeared at the meeting-room door, apologizing for laughing as the attendees saw a corridor piled with corpses behind him.

An Ran stormed the Wild Bazaar’s meeting site and slaughtered the guards and gathered factions, but Feng Mo and Bo Ge’er struck him down. At the brink of death, An Ran summoned the White Deer, broke through his boundary, and manifested his Rebirth Form, [Lihen Form].

• Ling Shuo sent An Ran into the secure clubhouse alone, and An Ran killed the lobby guards before the receptionist directed him upstairs.
• An Ran used one sword strike to kill the Wild Bazaar attendants gathered in the corridor, then entered the meeting room and demanded that everyone kneel or die.
• An Ran unleashed [Wind and Thunder Summoning], while the Mirror System trapped the meeting room in an endless reflected corridor and prevented Advisor Li from escaping.
• De Luntuo, Belg, Feng Mo, Gerber, and Bo Ge’er attacked An Ran, who switched to [Dragon Shuo Technique] and cut down opponents until Bo Ge’er pierced his heart from the shadows.
• Feng Mo grabbed the mortally wounded An Ran, who offered his prey to the White Deer and broke through his boundary as the White Deer’s power entered him.
• An Ran severed Feng Mo’s arm, revealed his Rebirth Form, and summoned [Lihen Form] from the sword qi of Lihen.

An Ran unleashed his Blade Tooth sword arts against Feng Mo, Bo Ge'er, and their allies, surviving through his sword-qi transformation and Ji Jue’s custom Masterwork. After defeating the attackers, he left the club and was met by Ji Jue, who took him home through the rain.

• An Ran used Sword Cry Chapter · [Shenren Chang] to slaughter the surrounding attackers, then re-formed himself from sword qi after Feng Mo pierced his apparent body.
• An Ran’s sword qi wounded Bo Ge'er, and An Ran explained that his life and soul remained connected to his sword qi.
• An Ran used his projection technique to attack De Luntuo, but Belg blocked the strike and helped the others try to restrain him.
• An Ran activated [Masterwork: Lihen], escaped every restraint for one second, and killed Bo Ge'er before later killing Ling Zan and Feng Mo.
• An Ran left the bloodied club and met Ji Jue outside, who sheltered him from the rain and walked with him to a vehicle.

After Little An’s massacre destroyed the Seven Cities rebels, Ling Shuo seized the remaining five cities and prepared to establish his authority as kingpin. The chapter ended with rival kingpins recognizing that Ji Jue had turned Ling Shuo’s birthday banquet into a public challenge to their power.

• Ling Shuo and Elder Chu inspected the massacre at the clubhouse, where Elder Chu marveled at the purity of Little An’s killing and Ling Shuo realized he had won his gamble.
• After rooting out the rebels, Ling Shuo rapidly took control of the remaining five cities, while Little An killed those who resisted.
• Satria, Caruso, and William discussed the An Family attacker, the danger of Ji Jue’s retaliation, and whether to fight back.
• Satria showed the others invitations for Ling Shuo’s thirtieth-birthday banquet at Guili Building on Luo Island, scheduled for two days later.
• Caruso recognized that the banquet was meant to establish Ling Shuo’s authority over Seven Cities’ illicit businesses and publicly challenge the other kingpins.

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.