Chapter Summaries

Huo Wu finished reviewing recommendations for the academy’s students while Zhang Bufan watched her. Seeing that she was tired, he carried her to his lap and held her until she fell asleep, then covered her with a blanket and stayed still beside her.

• Huo Wu reviewed and signed documents recommending students for suitable academy, military, and research positions.
• Zhang Bufan praised Huo Wu and caught her hand when she tried to hit him playfully.
• Zhang Bufan lifted the tired Huo Wu from her rocking chair and settled her on his lap.
• Huo Wu stopped resisting, relaxed in Zhang Bufan’s embrace, and fell asleep.
• Zhang Bufan adjusted her position, covered her with an Ice Silkworm Silk blanket, and quietly held her.

Zhang Bufan quietly held Huo Wu as she slept in their courtyard, savoring their peaceful life together. Long Aotian and Yue Ling'er arrived with errands but left without disturbing them, and Zhang Bufan continued guarding Huo Wu as she slept.

• Zhang Bufan held Huo Wu while she slept, shielding her eyes from the sunlight when she furrowed her brow.
• Long Aotian arrived with a document for Huo Wu's signature, while Yue Ling'er came to ask what they wanted for dinner.
• Long Aotian and Yue Ling'er saw Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu resting together, then quietly left after Yue Ling'er signaled him not to disturb them.
• Zhang Bufan sensed their visit and stayed still, content to let Huo Wu sleep in his arms.

Huo Wu dreamed of sharing beautiful, peaceful moments with Zhang Bufan and declared her love with a kiss. As dusk approached, she continued sleeping in his arms while he watched over her and wondered what she was dreaming.

• Huo Wu dreamed that Zhang Bufan welcomed her into his arms and led her across a sea of clouds.
• Huo Wu dreamed of moments they had shared, including their first meeting at the arena, his carrying her back to the dormitory, and their adventures together.
• Huo Wu dreamed that she and Zhang Bufan stood atop the imperial palace in Nine Dragon City, where he declared she would be his for every life and she kissed him.
• Huo Wu smiled and murmured softly in her sleep as Zhang Bufan held her and silently wondered whether she was dreaming of him.
• Zhang Bufan restrained himself from kissing Huo Wu and continued holding her as the setting sun brought on dusk.

Zhang Bufan watched Huo Wu sleep in his arms and reflected on how his love for her had given his struggles a purpose. He vowed to protect her happiness and destroy any threat to the peaceful life they had built.

• Zhang Bufan admired Huo Wu as she slept in his arms, resisting the urge to kiss her.
• Huo Wu stirred, murmured what sounded like “Bufan,” and settled back into sleep.
• Zhang Bufan remembered the dangers facing Bufan Academy, including Spirit Hall and the Void.
• Zhang Bufan reflected on how Huo Wu’s trust and affection changed his aims from personal freedom to building a safe future for her.
• Zhang Bufan vowed to bear the world’s dangers himself and eliminate anyone who threatened their peaceful life.

Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu peacefully slept together in the courtyard as sunset fell. Long Aotian and Yue Ling'er arrived with imperial reports, but quietly left them undisturbed and resolved to handle the matters themselves.

• Long Aotian and Yue Ling'er entered the courtyard to report on Soul Tool deployments and resettlement progress.
• They found Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu asleep in each other's arms and silently retreated.
• Outside the moon gate, Long Aotian and Yue Ling'er praised their ruler's tender side and the purpose of the Bufan Empire.
• They decided to settle the pending matters themselves so Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu could rest undisturbed.

Huo Wu woke in Zhang Bufan’s arms after sleeping through the evening, and the two teased and comforted each other in the courtyard. They headed to the kitchen together after Huo Wu chose a long list of favorite dishes for dinner.

• Huo Wu woke in Zhang Bufan’s arms and realized she had slept for hours while he held her.
• Zhang Bufan teased Huo Wu about drooling, then joked that her punches had made his arm numb.
• Huo Wu massaged Zhang Bufan’s arm as they traded affectionate jokes about his dignity and devotion to her.
• Zhang Bufan pulled Huo Wu back into his arms and stole a kiss when she offered him a hand.
• Huo Wu chose several favorite dishes, and Zhang Bufan led her by the hand toward the kitchen to cook dinner.

Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu prepared and shared a cozy dinner together, enjoying the warmth of their domestic life. They ended the evening imagining a future spent traveling and eating together after Long Aotian took over managing the empire.

• Zhang Bufan brought rare ingredients into the kitchen and invited Huo Wu to supervise or help him cook.
• Huo Wu joined Zhang Bufan in preparing dishes, offering cooking advice as he controlled the Chaos Fire and cooked their meal.
• Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu carried dinner to the Small Dining Room and shared food and drinks without court formality.
• Zhang Bufan promised to cook for Huo Wu every day, and they talked about traveling together once Long Aotian managed the empire.
• Huo Wu teased Zhang Bufan about once blowing up a kitchen, and the two continued their dinner with laughter.

Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu enjoyed a quiet evening together after dinner, sharing news about their friends and the empire beneath the stars. They admitted they hoped to have children someday and ended the night looking forward to building a family.

• Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu cleaned up after dinner and went to the courtyard to watch the stars.
• Huo Wu told Zhang Bufan that Shi Tie was training new recruits, Yue Ling'er was developing affordable Hemostatic Powder, and Leng Ning and Xinghui were working together at the Imperial Soul Tool Research Institute.
• Huo Wu asked whether their friends might one day have families, then shyly admitted she sometimes imagined having children with Zhang Bufan.
• Zhang Bufan shared his hopes for a son and daughter and promised Huo Wu that she would always come first.
• Zhang Bufan promised that they would have children who could grow up healthy and happy in their home, and Huo Wu settled contentedly in his embrace.

Zhang Bufan explained to Huo Wu that protecting their home and cherishing ordinary life gave meaning to his immense power. Huo Wu understood and affirmed that their shared life was their greatest cause to defend, and they ended the night holding each other in contentment.

• Huo Wu recalled how her relationship with Zhang Bufan had grown from their first meeting into a life of love, power, and plans for children.
• Zhang Bufan told Huo Wu that strength mattered because it let him protect the people and home he cherished.
• Zhang Bufan described his path as returning from wielding power to conquer toward using it to preserve ordinary happiness.
• Huo Wu kissed Zhang Bufan and said that protecting their ordinary life was their shared God Position.
• Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu held each other quietly beneath the stars.

Zhang Bufan held Huo Wu close through a peaceful night while considering the coming conflict with Spirit Hall. After carrying her to bed, he faced the future with confidence in his power and the people he vowed to protect.

• Zhang Bufan used Chaos Divine Power to keep Huo Wu warm as they rested together beneath the stars.
• Zhang Bufan reflected on the threat posed by Spirit Hall and drew confidence from his strength, companions, allies, and the people of his empire.
• Huo Wu asked Zhang Bufan to carry her to bed, and he brought her to their bedroom and tucked her in.
• Zhang Bufan watched over Huo Wu as she slept, then stood by the window and welcomed the journey and conflict ahead without fear.

Spirit Hall launched a commercial blockade against the Bufan Chamber of Commerce, cutting off supplies, flooding the market with cheap imitations, and pressuring its partners. Zhang Bufan ordered countermeasures to protect the business and turn the crisis into an opportunity to strengthen the Empire’s industry.

• Long Aotian and Yue Ling'er reported that Spirit Hall’s allies had cut off supplies, cheap imitations were hurting sales, and partner sects and families were delaying or rejecting orders.
• Huo Wu rejected Long Aotian’s suggestion to use force, while Zhang Bufan dismissed the blockade as basic commercial warfare.
• Zhang Bufan ordered a trade-in campaign and publicity highlighting the quality and safety of the Chamber of Commerce’s Soul Tools.
• Zhang Bufan directed Li Qingfeng to survey new mineral veins and told the research department to accelerate technology for synthesizing rare metals.
• Zhang Bufan asked Huo Wu to reassure officials and merchants and announce an Outstanding Supplier certification with tax benefits and future agency opportunities.

Spirit Hall threatened the Bufan Empire with military exercises along its borders, alarming citizens and weakening allied clans’ confidence. Zhang Bufan ordered the garrisons to stay alert without provoking a fight and publicly reassured the people, while insisting the real conflict was still to come.

• Long Aotian and Yue Ling'er left after accepting their orders, and Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu discussed Spirit Hall’s expected escalation.
• Urgent reports revealed Spirit Hall forces conducting exercises near key cities, trade routes, and border areas, spreading fear across the Bufan Empire.
• Yue Ling'er warned that several clans had postponed cooperation talks, while Long Aotian urged Zhang Bufan to respond militarily.
• Zhang Bufan ordered the border garrisons to remain on alert but not fire first, joking that they should watch Spirit Hall’s drills like a show.
• Zhang Bufan instructed Yue Ling'er to issue a public notice reassuring citizens that the empire could protect them.
• After the others left, Zhang Bufan reassured Huo Wu that the crisis would expose unreliable allies and promised that Spirit Hall’s real challenge was yet to come.

Zhang Bufan reassured his officials that Spirit Hall’s economic blockade and military intimidation would be countered through strategic patience, new resources, and technological advances. The meeting ended with the empire’s leaders energized and Zhang Bufan hinting that he had a way to investigate underground treasures.

• Ning Fengzhi, Yu Yuanzhen, and Li Qingfeng reported the damage Spirit Hall’s blockade and border drills had caused to trade, alliances, military morale, and research.
• Long Aotian urged Zhang Bufan to personally confront Spirit Hall’s troops, but Zhang dismissed the idea and laid out a strategy centered on composure, independent resources, and superior technology.
• Zhang Bufan warned that he would destroy Spirit Hall if its drills became an invasion, while telling the military to conserve its strength and wait for Spirit Hall to exhaust itself.
• Ning Fengzhi, Yu Yuanzhen, Long Aotian, and Li Qingfeng accepted Zhang Bufan’s guidance and set out to advance trade, military discipline, new routes, and research projects.
• After the officials left, Zhang Bufan affectionately reunited with Huo Wu and mentioned his ideas for locating treasures underground.

Zhang Bufan countered Spirit Hall’s economic blockade by uncovering rich mineral deposits and demonstrating new Soul Tool technology. He ordered the mines developed and the electric lamps and communicators produced, leaving the Empire poised to strengthen its resources and technological advantage.

• Long Aotian left Nine Dragon City to establish new trade routes, while Yu Yuanzhen and Ning Fengzhi organized the military and commercial response to Spirit Hall’s blockade.
• Zhang Bufan used the Kun Ding’s connection to the Earth Veins to locate and expose seven or eight major mineral deposits, including Star Steel, Flowing Cloud Iron, Molten Fire Gold, and Deep Sea Silver.
• Zhang Bufan gave Li Qingfeng the deposits’ coordinates and reserves, then ordered him to establish confidential, sustainable mining operations.
• Li Qingfeng demonstrated a Soul Tool Electric Lamp powered by stored Soul Power and a communicator that sent messages over a range of about five hundred kilometers.
• Zhang Bufan ordered expanded production of the lamps and communicators, prioritizing military and administrative use before selling them to wealthy customers.

Zhang Bufan publicly humiliated Spirit Hall by demonstrating the weakness of its Soul Tools and warning its Pope to stop targeting the Bufan Empire. He returned to the palace confident that the empire’s upcoming products would deliver a greater counterattack.

• As the Bufan Empire prepared to mass-produce its new Soul Tools, Zhang Bufan appeared outside Spirit Hall’s crowded store in Heaven Dou City and immobilized its Red Robe Cardinal.
• Zhang Bufan inspected Spirit Hall’s lamps and ray guns, criticized their quality, and made one lamp crumble to dust.
• He passed through the store’s protective crystal cover and crushed the premium defensive Soul Tool into powder with his bare hand.
• Zhang Bufan warned the Pope that he would tear down the Pope’s Palace if Spirit Hall continued its schemes, then vanished and left the Cardinal collapsed in terror.
• Word of Zhang Bufan’s demonstration spread across the continent, while Long Aotian, Ning Fengzhi, Yue Ling'er, and Huo Wu praised his decisive action.
• Back at the palace, Zhang Bufan told Huo Wu that the empire would follow its warning with new products and an economic counterattack.

Bibi Dong ordered Ghost Shadow Douluo and the Shadow unit to assassinate Huo Wu and attack Bufan Academy after Zhang Bufan humiliated Spirit Hall. Zhang Bufan detected the intruders entering Nine Dragon City and prepared an ambush while keeping Huo Wu unaware.

• Bibi Dong blamed her subordinates for failing to stop Zhang Bufan and ordered Ghost Shadow Douluo to lead Shadow in an attack on Bufan Academy and Huo Wu.
• Zhang Bufan relaxed with Huo Wu at Bufan Residence and told her that his Divine Sense could protect her and the empire.
• Zhang Bufan detected the approaching assassins and secretly told Long Aotian and other defenders to let them enter before trapping them.
• Long Aotian pushed Shi Tie and the students to train harder, while Yue Ling'er prepared potent potions for the coming attack.
• Ghost Shadow Douluo led seven Soul Douluo assassins through an opening in Nine Dragon City's barrier, then split them into groups bound for the palace and academy.
• Zhang Bufan watched the eight intruders through his Divine Sense as Huo Wu covered him with a blanket, unaware that an ambush awaited them.

Zhang Bufan trapped Ghost Shadow Douluo and his assassins in his Chaos Domain after they tried to capture Huo Wu. He spared the captured men and planned to send Bibi Dong a “gift” in return.

• Ghost Shadow Douluo led three assassins into Bufan Residence to seize Huo Wu while Zhang Bufan appeared to be asleep.
• Zhang Bufan’s Chaos Domain exposed itself as a trap, suppressing the assassins and preventing Ghost Shadow Douluo from escaping through the shadows.
• Zhang Bufan identified Ghost Shadow Douluo, mocked the assassins, and explained that the domain had nullified the soul restriction meant to make them self-destruct.
• Long Aotian brought in four more captured assassins from Bufan Academy and joined the guards watching the prisoners.
• Zhang Bufan told Huo Wu he would not kill the captives and decided to send Bibi Dong a gift in return.

Zhang Bufan effortlessly killed Ghost Shadow Douluo and two remaining assassins when they attacked him and Huo Wu inside the Chaos Domain. He erased all seven corpses and returned with Huo Wu and Long Aotian to Bufan Residence, where he wanted to go back to sleep.

• Zhang Bufan joked with Huo Wu and Long Aotian about how to deal with the captured assassins while Ghost Shadow Douluo listened in fear.
• Ghost Shadow Douluo launched a desperate attack as the two Soul Douluo assassins struck at Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu with poisoned needles and a planned self-detonation.
• Zhang Bufan destroyed all three attacks and shattered the attackers' souls with a glance, killing them instantly.
• Zhang Bufan complained about Bibi Dong sending assassins to their deaths, then erased all seven corpses and their belongings with Chaos Qi.
• Zhang Bufan, Huo Wu, and Long Aotian returned to Bufan Residence, where Zhang Bufan asked Huo Wu to go back to sleep with him.

Zhang Bufan returned the assassins’ simulated corpses to Bibi Dong with a taunting note, provoking her fury in Spirit City. The next morning, he told Huo Wu he would unite Spirit Hall’s opponents and confront the Pope directly.

• Zhang Bufan created seven corpse-like replicas of the dead assassins and sent them through a spatial passage to Spirit City with a note mocking Bibi Dong.
• Bibi Dong found the corpses before her throne, erupted in rage, and unleashed her Rakshasa power across Spirit City.
• Zhang Bufan slept peacefully with Huo Wu while Spirit City remained shaken by Bibi Dong’s fury.
• At breakfast, Zhang Bufan told Huo Wu he would stop relying on passive defense and protect their future together.
• Zhang Bufan declared that he would join forces with those opposing Spirit Hall and settle matters with Bibi Dong.

Zhang Bufan and Huo Wu decided to unite forces against Spirit Hall and establish an alliance to challenge Bibi Dong. They set out to visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect as their first potential ally.

• Over breakfast, Huo Wu warned Zhang Bufan that Bibi Dong would retaliate and urged him to consider how to protect their home and the continent.
• Zhang Bufan said they needed to take the initiative and proposed forming an Anti-Martial Soul Hall Alliance under the Bufan Empire.
• He named the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, remnants of Star Luo Empire, and other oppressed forces as potential allies.
• Huo Wu pledged to build the alliance with Zhang Bufan and help challenge Spirit Hall.
• Zhang Bufan chose the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect as their first target, and he and Huo Wu set out to visit Ning Fengzhi.