Chapter Summaries

Wang Qiangu renegotiated compensation with Shrek Academy after seeing Wang Yan’s injuries, then demanded that the Sun Moon delegation send a representative to explain its position. Rumors spread that a Sun Moon prince would visit, and Qian Duoduo learned that Dean Xian had arrived.

• Wang Qiangu entered the Sea God Pavilion, saw Wang Yan being treated, and asked Mu En to renegotiate the academy’s compensation plan.
• Little Tang received instructions from Xu Tianyao to represent him if the Sun Moon delegation was asked to apologize.
• Wang Qiangu left the Sea God Pavilion with Yan Shaozhe after half a day of negotiations, and Yan Shaozhe promised the academy would provide everything agreed upon.
• At Shrek’s entrance, Wang Qiangu asked the Sun Moon delegation to send a representative to explain its position, and Yan Shaozhe agreed to convey the request.
• Rumors spread that the Sun Moon prince would visit the Wang Family, until Qian Duoduo heard that Dean Xian had arrived.

Xu Tianyao agreed to send a representative to deliver a statement to the Wang Family, but chose Little Tang, a low-ranking servant, to go in his place. Her carefully prepared remarks offered regret without an apology, leaving Wang Qiangu and the Wang Family angered as Yan Shaozhe watched for signs of violence.

• Xian Lin'er told Xu Tianyao that the Wang Family demanded a statement from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, and Xu agreed to send a representative.
• Xu Tianyao sent Little Tang to Shrek Academy with a prepared statement while Qian Duoduo worried that the choice would insult the Wang Family.
• Little Tang entered Yan Shaozhe's office and read the statement, expressing regret for Wang Yan's injuries while insisting the agreed rules and outcome stood.
• Wang Qiangu's relatives criticized the statement and Little Tang's status, but Wang Qiangu silenced them.
• Yan Shaozhe watched Wang Qiangu closely, prepared to intervene if he threatened Little Tang.

Wang Qiangu accepted Wang Yan’s defeat but refused to let the Sun Moon Empire’s provocation draw the Wang Family into a larger conflict. After Little Tang reported what happened, Xu Tianyao recognized Wang Qiangu’s political skill and sent him an invitation to meet.

• Wang Qiangu accepted the soul duel’s outcome, warned Little Tang to convey his message to Prince Ming, and said the Wang Family would remember Wang Yan’s humiliation.
• Wang Qiangu told Yan Shaozhe that Xu Tianyao had deliberately provoked him in hopes of making the Wang Family look unreasonable, and chose to return home rather than risk his family for pride.
• Little Tang returned to the western district encampment and told Xu Tianyao and the others how Wang Qiangu had responded.
• Xu Tianyao judged Wang Qiangu to be clever and ambitious, and decided he might be useful to the Sun Moon Empire.
• Xu Tianyao wrote Wang Qiangu an invitation to meet at the Rose Hotel, and Ma Rulong left to deliver it before the Wang Family departed.

Xu Tianyao hosted Wang Qiangu for a private banquet after the dispute over Wang Yan, seeking to discuss the Sun Moon Empire’s problems with the regional nobility of the three Douluo nations. The chapter ended as Xu Tianyao began explaining that challenge to Wang Qiangu.

• Xu Tianyao welcomed Wang Qiangu and his family members to a banquet at the Rose Hotel, where the Thousand Machines Douluo also attended.
• Xu Tianyao and Wang Qiangu exchanged a toast for Wang Yan and the meal, then Wang Qiangu assured him that the Wang Family would not seek further trouble.
• Xu Tianyao asked whether those present could be trusted, so Wang Qiangu and Xu Tianyao sent their accompanying people out of the banquet hall.
• Xu Tianyao described the Sun Moon Empire’s rapid development before warning that its continued expansion faced difficulties.
• Xu Tianyao identified the regional nobility of the three Douluo nations as one particularly troublesome issue.

Xu Tianyao explained how entrenched noble houses limited the Wang Family’s growth, then directly asked Wang Qiangu to join his faction. Wang Qiangu rejected the suggestion as treason, while Xu Tianyao argued that the Wang Family’s opportunities in the Tianhun Empire were shrinking.

• Xu Tianyao described how distance and local powers hindered the Sun Moon Empire’s influence, especially in the Tianhun Empire, where noble houses controlled local affairs.
• Xu Tianyao praised Blazing Flame’s rise but warned Wang Qiangu that the Wang Family lacked the deep roots and resources of the old noble houses.
• Wang Qiangu challenged Xu Tianyao’s claim that they were friends, citing his grandson’s injury and the maid’s apology; Xu Tianyao asked whether Wang Qiangu would have acted differently in his place.
• Xu Tianyao asked Wang Qiangu to join his faction and promised to help the Wang Family overcome its bottleneck, shocking the banquet hall.
• Wang Qiangu accused Xu Tianyao of asking him to betray the Tianhun Empire, and Xu Tianyao insisted he wanted to discuss the family’s future.
• Xu Tianyao argued that the Wang Family had little room to grow because the Tianhun Empire’s valuable resources were already controlled by old noble houses.

Xu Tianyao explained that he wanted Wang Qiangu’s loyalty without moving the Wang Family from the Heaven Dou Empire, arguing that the coming continental war would threaten the family’s interests. Wang Qiangu remained wary as Xu Tianyao urged him to think beyond loyalty to a dynasty and protect the Wang Family’s future.

• Xu Tianyao correctly identified Shrek Academy’s mediation as the most valuable part of its compensation to the Wang Family, making Wang Qiangu wary of his intelligence network.
• Wang Qiangu challenged Xu Tianyao’s recruitment offer, arguing that the Sun Moon Empire also had entrenched factions and would not necessarily welcome the Wang Family.
• Xu Tianyao acknowledged the Sun Moon Empire’s internal conflicts and clarified that he never intended for the Wang Family to relocate there.
• Xu Tianyao told Wang Qiangu that the Wang Family could keep its businesses, territory, and influence in the Heaven Dou Empire if he joined Xu Tianyao’s camp.
• Xu Tianyao predicted that a continental war would soon put the Heaven Dou and Xingluo Empires in danger, and argued that the Wang Family’s survival mattered more than loyalty to a dynasty.

Xu Tianyao tried to win Wang Qiangu’s support by promising the Wang Family influence and rewards if the Sun Moon Empire conquered the Three Great Empires. When Wang Qiangu hesitated, Xu Tianyao offered to heal Wang Yan’s brother, leaving the patriarch stunned.

• Xu Tianyao explained that the Wang Family could preserve its interests if the Sun Moon Empire lost, and gain power and resources if it won and the Wang Family defected first.
• Wang Qiangu recognized that Xu Tianyao wanted a signal that would undermine trust in the Heaven Dou Empire, but he said he needed time to consider the offer.
• Xu Tianyao accepted Wang Qiangu’s caution and offered another token of sincerity.
• Xu Tianyao promised to heal Wang Yan’s brother’s injuries, restore his body to its peak condition, and recover his lost cultivation potential.
• Wang Qiangu and the Thousand Machines Douluo reacted with surprise to Xu Tianyao’s offer.

Xu Tianyao secretly healed Wang Yan, securing the Wang Family as an ally of the Sun Moon Empire, while Shrek and the Wang Family ended their conflict. As Xu Tianyao’s exchange year at Shrek ended, the chapter revealed his secret agreement with Mu En to share intelligence about the Holy Spirit Cult.

• Xu Tianyao offered to heal Wang Yan, and Wang Qiangu agreed that the Wang Family would become a steadfast ally of the Sun Moon Empire.
• Yan Shaozhe learned that the Wang Family planned to leave Shrek City with Wang Yan that night and prepared to see them off.
• Xu Tianyao entered the Rose Hotel with the Thousand Machines Douluo, and Electrolux used the Blade of Life to heal Wang Yan.
• The Wang Family quietly departed Shrek City the next morning with Wang Yan recovered and Shrek Academy's compensation.
• Xu Tianyao's one-year exchange program ended, and the chapter revealed that he and Mu En had secretly agreed to share intelligence about the Holy Spirit Cult through a covert channel.

Xu Tianyao and Mu En agreed that Shrek Academy could survive a future Sun Moon Empire victory, with Zhang Lexuan positioned to lead it and help stabilize the continent. After completing Ma Xiaotao’s final Evil Fire treatment, Xu Tianyao told her he would leave Shrek the next day, and she asked whether he would return for exchange studies.

• Mu En agreed to Xu Tianyao’s terms for Shrek Academy’s future if the Sun Moon Empire won the war, including protecting uninvolved members and preserving the Academy.
• Xu Tianyao and Mu En identified Zhang Lexuan as Shrek Academy’s future dean and a symbol who could help the new empire reconcile with the former Three Great Empires.
• Xu Tianyao completed his final treatment of Ma Xiaotao’s Evil Fire after treating her regularly for a year.
• Xu Tianyao told Ma Xiaotao that he would leave Shrek Academy with the delegation the next day and explained how she could prevent her Evil Fire from returning.
• Ma Xiaotao showed reluctance at Xu Tianyao’s departure and asked whether he would return to Shrek Academy for exchange studies.

Xu Tianyao gave Ma Xiaotao a token so she could seek his help with her Evil Fire after he returned to the Sun Moon Empire, then departed Shrek with the exchange students. As Huo Yuhao enrolled at Shrek Academy, Ma Xiaotao watched Xu Tianyao's convoy disappear and left with his token.

• Xu Tianyao gave Ma Xiaotao his Prince Ming Token and promised to help her if her Evil Fire became uncontrollable again.
• Xu Tianyao met Mu En to settle their remaining arrangements, and Mu En promised to keep their deal secret until his death.
• Qian Duoduo led the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy exchange students out of Shrek City, while Ma Xiaotao watched them depart.
• Bei Bei explained to Huo Yuhao that the departing convoy belonged to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy and suggested Huo Yuhao might study Soul Tools.
• Tang Ya used the Tang Sect's special admission quota to enroll Huo Yuhao at Shrek Academy and welcomed him as a new Tang Sect member.
• After the convoy vanished, Ma Xiaotao looked at Xu Tianyao's token, then turned away and disappeared into the crowd.

Xu Tianran learned that Kong Deming had grown stronger and planned to reorganize the Empire, then feared the move would undermine his power or replace him with Xu Tianyao. He reaffirmed his ambition to build a powerful Sun Moon Empire and unify the continent, while leaving the Holy Spirit Cult's planned assassination canceled.

• Zhongli Wu asked Xu Tianran whether the Holy Spirit Cult should intercept and assassinate the exchange student delegation, and Xu Tianran ordered him to cancel the operation and keep the cult low-profile.
• Xu Tianran read a secret letter reporting that Kong Deming had broken through again and planned to reorganize the Empire.
• Xu Tianran considered whether Kong Deming meant to target the Holy Spirit Cult, his officials, or his imperial authority.
• Xu Tianran suspected Kong Deming wanted Xu Tianyao to inherit the throne and resented that others favored his rival.
• Xu Tianran defended his methods and resolved to strengthen the Empire, conquer the Three Great Empires, and unify the Douluo Continent.

Xu Tianran vowed to hold on to power as Meng Hongchen and the exchange students returned to Ming Capital, relieved to leave Shrek Academy but exhausted by their demanding studies. Xu Tianyao wondered whether his imperial brother would act against him now that the convoy had reached the capital.

• Xu Tianran clenched his fist and vowed that no one would take the throne from him.
• Meng Hongchen and the exchange students arrived in Ming Capital and welcomed their return home.
• The exchange students reflected on their year at Shrek Academy, where they felt its training and instruction had offered little relevant benefit while Thousand Machines Douluo’s private lessons kept them busy.
• Ma Rulong asked Xu Tianyao whether the convoy should go to the academy or the palace first.
• Xu Tianyao watched Ming Capital pass by and wondered why Xu Tianran had not attacked him during the journey.

Xu Tianyao returned to Ming Capital after a peaceful journey and chose to go to the academy before entering the palace, wary of Xu Tianran’s intentions. The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy celebrated his return and rising fame, but Xu Tianyao remained guarded because his brother still threatened his life.

• Xu Tianyao suspected Xu Tianran might be waiting for a better chance to assassinate him, so he ordered Ma Rulong to report to the emperor while he returned to the academy first.
• The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy held a grand welcome ceremony for the exchange students returning from Shrek Academy.
• The academy’s students and staff celebrated Xu Tianyao, whose victory over Shrek’s geniuses and acquisition of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone had made him famous across the Sun Moon Empire.
• Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen said they felt more at home at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy than at Shrek Academy.
• Xu Tianyao remained unmoved by the welcoming crowd and admiring gazes because he still feared Xu Tianran’s attempts to kill him.

Xu Tianran learned that Xu Tianyao had returned to Ming Capital wary of the assassination attempt, and Ju Zi urged him to preserve their public brotherly relationship and use his younger brother rather than move against him. Xu Tianran listened as Ju Zi began outlining Xu Tianyao’s strengths, weaknesses, and the powerful factions supporting him.

• Xu Tianran questioned how Xu Tianyao had learned of the assassination attempt, while Zhongli Wu warned that the prince was likely seeking support from Jing Hongchen and the Grand Elder.
• Ju Zi advised Xu Tianran to maintain the appearance of brotherly affection instead of attacking Xu Tianyao, since the Consecration Hall, Mingde Hall, and other imperial factions supported him.
• Xu Tianran considered Ju Zi’s proposal to use Xu Tianyao as a means to balance the Empire’s factions and advance his own plans.
• Ju Zi explained that Xu Tianyao was young, weak, and not yet established, giving Xu Tianran time to exploit the delay before he could become a serious rival.
• Ju Zi identified the Consecration Hall’s Titled Douluo and Mingde Hall’s soul-tool technology as the two main pillars of Xu Tianyao’s support.

Ju Zi proposed provoking a border crisis to draw Mingde Hall and the Consecration Hall into war while making Xu Tianyao responsible for coordinating them, leaving Xu Tianran with the advantage either way. In Ming Capital, Xu Tianyao protested that he never wanted the throne, while Jing Hongchen's commitment to him reflected the late Emperor's plan to use his marriage to bind Mingde Hall to the succession struggle.

• Ju Zi urged Xu Tianran to manufacture a border crisis and assign Xu Tianyao the task of coordinating Mingde Hall and the Consecration Hall for war.
• Ju Zi argued that Xu Tianran would gain control if Xu Tianyao succeeded and could undermine him if he failed.
• Zhongli Wu reconsidered his view of Evil Soul Masters as he reflected on the cruelty behind Ju Zi's proposed war strategy.
• Xu Tianyao told Jing Hongchen that he did not want the throne and resented being pushed into a fight that could destroy the Xu family.
• Jing Hongchen's marriage alliance with Xu Tianyao and Meng Hongchen had been arranged by the late Emperor to secure Mingde Hall's support for Xu Tianyao.

Xu Tianyao explained why he opposed an immediate bid for the throne, then revealed that he had arranged a secret intelligence channel with Mu En to help Shrek counter Xu Tianran and the Holy Spirit Cult. He left the meeting still seeking a way to remove Xu Tianran without plunging the Sun Moon Empire into civil war.

• Kong Deming asked Xu Tianyao to explain his resistance to Jing Hongchen’s plan to contend for the throne.
• Xu Tianyao argued that Xu Tianran had consolidated his power and that a direct struggle would devastate the Sun Moon Empire.
• Xu Tianyao acknowledged that Xu Tianran intended to kill him, but sought to defeat him without causing widespread civil strife.
• Xu Tianyao recalled that he had secretly established an information channel with Mu En while at Shrek Academy.
• Xu Tianyao had promised Mu En intelligence on Xu Tianran, the Holy Spirit Cult, and the emperor’s defenses and whereabouts.
• Xu Tianyao expected Mu En to lead a desperate strike against Xu Tianran, backed by the intelligence channel and Shrek’s allies.

Kong Deming refused to back Xu Tianyao’s immediate bid for the throne, but promised to support him and prepare him for a future struggle against Xu Tianran. Xu Tianyao returned to the academy, where he saw how quickly Snow Maiden had grown during the past year.

• Kong Deming judged that Xu Tianyao was not yet ready to challenge Xu Tianran and explained that Kong Deming’s support would depend on Xu Tianyao’s resolve and ambition.
• Kong Deming told Xu Tianyao he would send him to the front lines after he reached Rank 50 so he could gain experience as a future ruler.
• Kong Deming planned to introduce Xu Tianyao to former students, subordinates, and allies his father had left behind during the year he remained at the academy.
• Xu Tianyao began his first day back at the academy and remarked on Snow Maiden’s rapid cultivation progress over the past year.

Xu Tianyao, Meng Hongchen, and the Snow Maiden visited Ming Capital’s underground Soul Fighting Arena, where Xu Tianyao learned that Plain Alliance leader Shangguan Weier had come to meet him. He considered whether the alliance could become a source of support for him.

• Meng Hongchen persuaded Xu Tianyao and the Snow Maiden to sneak out with her to the underground Soul Fighting Arena.
• Xu Tianyao arranged a private VIP room so the three could watch the matches in secret.
• A guard told Xu Tianyao that Shangguan Weier, leader of the Plain Alliance, was waiting outside to pay her respects.
• Xu Tianyao recalled the three major underground forces and considered the Plain Alliance’s potential value to him.

Xu Tianyao met Shangguan Weier, leader of the Plain Alliance, after she requested an audience at the underground Soul Fighting Arena. Shangguan pledged her alliance and sought his protection against the rising Xishui Alliance, and Xu Tianyao offered to bring the Plain Alliance under Prince Ming's Estate if she completed three tasks within a year.

• Xu Tianyao left Meng Hongchen and Snow Maiden at the match and went with a guard to meet Shangguan Weier in a secluded pavilion.
• Shangguan Weier respectfully greeted Xu Tianyao, and he praised her achievements before asking why she had sought him out.
• Shangguan Weier pledged the Plain Alliance's support and explained that the Xishui Alliance's expansion threatened her position and her allies.
• Xu Tianyao said her promises alone were not enough and offered the Plain Alliance his protection if Shangguan Weier completed three tasks within a year.

Xu Tianyao secured Shangguan Weier’s cooperation and asked her to bring him Ye Guyi, an Angel Spirit genius he hoped to recruit for the Sun Moon Empire. Shangguan Weier agreed to help, recognizing that Xu Tianyao had plans for Ye Guyi and his own future.

• Shangguan Weier bowed to Xu Tianyao and thanked him for offering the Plain Alliance his support.
• Xu Tianyao arranged for a private communication channel between himself and Shangguan Weier, which she promised to keep secret.
• Xu Tianyao asked Shangguan Weier whether she knew Ye Guyi, whom he hoped to recruit to help the Empire oppose the Holy Spirit Cult.
• Shangguan Weier explained that Ye Guyi was a Plain Alliance partner with an Angel Spirit and sacred attributes, useful against the Evil Soul Masters in the Xishui Alliance.
• Xu Tianyao asked Shangguan Weier to invite Ye Guyi to meet him, and she sensed that he had begun laying plans for his future.