Chapter Summaries

Zhang Lexuan used the Zhou Yi incident and Merchant Guild support to seize control of Shrek's Outer Court, purge hundreds of officials and affiliates, and announce their public executions. Afterward, she told Kong Ming'an that she could not yet take control beyond the Outer Court without reaching Titled Douluo-level strength.

• Zhang Lexuan ordered Enforcement Squad members to arrest people on one list and kill those on another as they swept through Shrek's Outer Court.
• Shrek Academy and the Sea God Pavilion announced the public execution of 237 people, publishing evidence of their crimes through the Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce.
• The purge drew attention across the continent and established Zhang Lexuan as a major figure among the Douluo Three Kingdoms' powers.
• Zhang Lexuan told Kong Ming'an that the Outer Court had vacancies to fill, and he promised to ask Ju Zi and the Merchant Guild to help reorganize it.
• Zhang Lexuan explained that she needed Titled Douluo-level strength before she could take more power, since Mu En would otherwise oppose her advance.

Kong Ming'an left Shrek after settling its affairs and returned to the Kong estate, where he discovered Xu Tianzhen testing a Soul Tool made from Postnatal Spiritual Metal. The chapter explained how that metal was cultivated and left Kong Ming'an wondering whether his grandfather’s research had made it possible to produce it in quantity.

• Zhang Lexuan reflected on the limits of her power, and Kong Ming'an offered her access to Merchant Guild resources and the Ling Shu Network for trusted allies.
• Kong Ming'an fulfilled his contract obligations with Zhang Lexuan over several days before leaving Shrek and entrusting its remaining affairs to her and Ju Zi.
• Kong Ming'an visited Tang San, confirmed the Sea God Trial remained active, and decided to return after Tang San received his next trial.
• Kong Ming'an returned to his laboratory in the Kong estate and saw Xu Tianzhen testing a Soul Tool.
• Kong Ming'an recognized the Soul Tool's material as Postnatal Spiritual Metal and considered whether his grandfather's research had enabled its mass production.

Kong Ming'an connected Spiritual Metal, Soul Rings, Martial Souls, and Divine Artifacts into a preliminary idea for a new path he called Artifact Cultivation. He then turned back to strengthening the lagging Body Cultivator system and considered a Blood Essence Furnace as a possible future breakthrough.

• Kong Ming'an reconsidered Lifebound Soul Tools and Spiritual Metal after recalling his grandfather's research into fusing Soul Tools with Martial Souls.
• Kong Ming'an speculated that Soul Rings could fuse with Spiritual Metal to form upgradeable Natal Artifacts, potentially alongside Martial Souls, and tentatively named the path Artifact Cultivation.
• Kong Ming'an set aside the unproven Artifact Cultivation concept because he had not mastered the theories behind Divine Seats and Divine Artifacts.
• Kong Ming'an reviewed the Body Cultivator system's clear but limited advancement path, noting that Bloodline Power and Bloodline Domains strengthened it but did not solve its short range.
• Kong Ming'an considered developing Blood Essence Soul Cores into an internal furnace that would strengthen Body Cultivators, and proposed calling it a Blood Essence Furnace.

Kong Ming'an watched Xu Tianzhen finish testing her Soul Tool, then found her eager to make the most of being alone with him. After she complained about his many companions and changed into his oversized shirt, their playful visit continued in the Laboratory.

• Kong Ming'an reviewed the unresolved research problems surrounding the Blood Essence Furnace and turned his attention back to the Testing Ground.
• Xu Tianzhen completed her Soul Tool test, noticed Kong Ming'an was alone, and hurried over to embrace him.
• Xu Tianzhen complained that Kong Ming'an was always surrounded by others and joked that she was becoming a cuckold.
• Xu Tianzhen showered and changed into an oversized shirt that Kong Ming'an recognized as his.

Kong Ming'an reunited with Xu Tianzhen, who told him about Mingdu’s recent developments and revealed that Kong Deming had secretly achieved Soul Tool and Martial Soul Fusion. Kong Ming'an realized his grandfather was dissatisfied with the result and was pursuing a more ambitious breakthrough.

• Xu Tianzhen teased Kong Ming'an while wearing his clothes, then settled into his arms and caught him up on events in Mingdu.
• Xu Tianzhen said the military reforms had strengthened the empire, but the threat of war had eased after Kong Deming announced a key research success.
• Kong Ming'an was surprised to learn that Kong Deming’s Soul Tool and Martial Soul Fusion experiment had succeeded two or three months earlier.
• Xu Tianzhen explained that Kong Deming considered the result imperfect and intended to continue experimenting.
• Kong Ming'an concluded that Kong Deming’s research had advanced beyond its original goal and that the fusion experiment was only part of a larger plan.

Kong Ming'an and Xu Tianzhen went to the Hall of Worship laboratory, where he discovered Ji Juechen had fused his Meteorite Iron Sword with his Martial Soul and was cultivating Sword Intent. Kong Ming'an identified the unique Artistic Conception behind Ji Juechen's Sword Maniac Domain: Silence, then reflected on Wang Dong'er's plotline.

• Kong Ming'an asked Xu Tianzhen where his grandfather was and took her to the Hall of Worship laboratory after she changed clothes.
• Kong Ming'an and Xu Tianzhen entered the laboratory and found Ji Juechen meditating in an isolated testing ground.
• Kong Ming'an used Energy Vision and realized Ji Juechen's Meteorite Iron Sword had fused with his Martial Soul.
• Ji Juechen entered Sword Maniac Domain: Silence, and Kong Ming'an tried to reproduce the domain but found his attempt incomplete.
• Kong Ming'an concluded that Ji Juechen's Sword Intent and Artistic Conception were the missing elements behind the domain.

Kong Ming'an watched Ji Juechen demonstrate his evolved sword and Ring Inlay Method, then challenged him to a test-ground duel. After seeing Ji Juechen’s strength, Kong Ming'an gave him Blue Silver Immortal Grasses to refine, and a pleased voice asked how the fight went.

• Kong Ming'an observed Ji Juechen's evolved Martial Soul and saw him embed his six Soul Rings into his sword using the Ring Inlay Method.
• Kong Ming'an appeared in the testing ground and invited Ji Juechen to attack, revealing his own powerful Soul Rings.
• Ji Juechen unleashed a concentrated sword strike, and Kong Ming'an remained standing after assessing the lingering Soul Power in his palm.
• Ji Juechen asked to fight again, but Kong Ming'an told him to recover and gave him Blue Silver: Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew and Blue Silver: Aromatic Silk Beauty to refine.
• An unidentified speaker behind Kong Ming'an asked how the fight had gone.

Kong Deming showed Kong Ming'an how he had fused the Silver Moon Martial Soul with the Silver Moon Divine Light Shield, making the Soul Tool and Martial Soul into one. The fusion led Kong Ming'an to recognize a path toward creating Divine Artifacts and future Battle Armor.

• Kong Ming'an praised Ji Juechen's sword strike after recognizing how Ji had combined his techniques, sword, and physical training into a blow rivaling a new Titled Douluo's.
• Kong Deming explained that he had completed the fusion of the Silver Moon Martial Soul and Silver Moon Divine Light Shield a year earlier.
• Kong Deming revealed a Silver Moon Martial Soul whose moonlight contained Soul Tool Core formations, making it indistinguishable from the shield.
• Kong Ming'an sensed the Martial Soul and shield reinforcing each other in a complete cycle and realized their fusion resembled the creation of a Divine Artifact.
• Kong Ming'an recalled how the First Generation Sea God had given his Trident Martial Soul a material body, and saw the Silver Moon Divine Light Shield as the matching body for the Silver Moon Martial Soul.

Kong Deming explained his research into fusing Martial Souls with Soul Tools and Spiritual Metal, giving Kong Ming'an ideas for a new path of artifact cultivation. He then began demonstrating how Spiritual Metal could alter a Martial Soul's form, using Xu Tianzhen's Soul Tool as an example.

• Kong Ming'an considered combining Martial Souls, Soul Rings, and Spiritual Metal into a life-bound Natal Artifact, then sent his initial ideas to Ling Shu for analysis.
• Kong Deming described how Ji Juechen fused his Martial Soul with a nurtured Meteorite Iron Sword, raising its quality and changing its form.
• Kong Deming explained that he used the Soul Power Pool to create semi-finished Spiritual Metals, which Soul Masters then nurtured and fused with their Tool Martial Souls to improve them.
• Kong Deming introduced his third result: using Spiritual Metal to interfere with and reshape Martial Soul forms.
• Kong Deming asked Xu Tianzhen to take out her longsword-shaped Soul Tool as he began demonstrating the method.

Kong Deming demonstrated how Spiritual Metal could reshape and amplify energy-type Martial Souls, then unveiled a mecha powered by his Silver Moon Martial Soul. He explained that the mecha was designed to suit his strengths in Soul Guide Technology and his powerful physique.

• Kong Ming'an observed Xu Tianzhen channel her Sun Martial Soul through a Spiritual Metal sword, which concentrated and amplified its power.
• Kong Deming explained that Spiritual Metal could bind with energy-type and Element-type Martial Souls, changing how their power manifested.
• Kong Deming unveiled a towering humanoid Soul Tool, and Kong Ming'an suggested calling it a mecha.
• Kong Deming embedded his Silver Moon Martial Soul in the mecha, which awakened and began to move.
• Kong Deming said the mecha was his answer to finding a path that combined his physique with his Soul Guide Technology expertise.

Kong Deming explained how he planned to merge a mecha into his Martial Soul, revealing the path he had chosen. As Kong Ming'an and Xu Tianzhen walked through Mingdu, Kong Ming'an refined his plans for Artifact Cultivation and noticed a blue-pink-haired figure secretly following them.

• Kong Deming told Kong Ming'an he intended to merge his mecha into his Martial Soul and develop it as a powerful, evolving extension of himself.
• Kong Ming'an recognized that his grandfather had found a cultivation path suited to him, and received his research results before leaving the Hall of Worship.
• While walking with Xu Tianzhen, Kong Ming'an considered how to develop Artifact Cultivation, concluding that he needed better Spiritual Metals and a forging method suited to the era.
• Kong Ming'an weighed the conflicts between cultivating Law, Body, and Artifact, then messaged Xiao Hongchen about the possibility of helping with metalworking.
• Kong Ming'an sensed a nervous blue-pink-haired figure concealing her aura in an alley and realized she had taken the bait.

Wang Dong'er investigated the three-month gap in her memory and discovered she had reached Rank 40 and gained a Third Martial Soul resembling a young man she spotted near the Kong Family. As she followed him to the Kong Family residence, Gu Qiu'er found her and sensed a possible target there.

• After waking at the Kong Family Chamber of Commerce, Wang Dong'er learned she had been unconscious for three months and later discovered her Soul Power had reached Rank 40 and she had gained a Third Martial Soul.
• Wang Dong'er secretly investigated what had happened but avoided returning to the Merchant Guild, wary of exposing her own mission to find Dad and Second Dad.
• Wang Dong'er spotted a youth who closely resembled her Third Martial Soul and followed him and a girl to the Kong Family residence.
• Gu Qiu'er found Wang Dong'er lurking nearby and questioned her, while Wang Dong'er claimed she was only wandering around.
• Gu Qiu'er sensed a special aura and turned her attention toward the Kong Mansion as a possible target.

Xiao Hongchen achieved Half-Spiritual Forging with Kong Ming'an’s guidance and learned that his next goal was true Spiritual Forging. After Kong Ming'an shared his Battle Armor plans, Xiao Hongchen reshaped the design into a heavily armed humanoid Soul Tool that a Soul Master could pilot.

• Xiao Hongchen successfully used Thousand-Forged techniques to purify Spiritual Metal, producing what Kong Ming'an called Half-Spiritual Forging.
• Kong Ming'an explained that Xiao Hongchen needed to make ordinary metal develop spirituality through forging to achieve true Spiritual Forging.
• Xiao Hongchen asked Kong Ming'an about the high-grade metal he had been producing, and Kong Ming'an sent him Battle Armor blueprints.
• Xiao Hongchen modified the design with armor plates, cannon arrays, thrusters, a sword, and a shield, envisioning a four- or five-meter humanoid armor piloted by a Soul Master.

Kong Ming'an reassured Xiao Hongchen that her revised Mecha blueprint could be made, then went with Meng Hongchen to meet Wang Dong'er at the Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce. Wang Dong'er recognized him as the person connected to her Third Martial Soul, and followed him through a Gray Gate to see what he wanted to show her.

• Kong Ming'an told Xiao Hongchen her revised blueprint had potential, and she hurried back to forge the materials it required.
• Meng Hongchen told Kong Ming'an that Wang Dong'er had waited six days at the Merchant Guild, and she insisted on accompanying him to meet her.
• Kong Ming'an and Meng Hongchen arrived at the Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce and found Wang Dong'er waiting in a comfortable staff dormitory.
• Wang Dong'er's Third Martial Soul trembled when Kong Ming'an approached, confirming her suspicion that he was the youth she had encountered.
• Kong Ming'an opened a Gray Gate and left with Meng Hongchen, telling Wang Dong'er to follow and promising to talk after showing her something.
• Wang Dong'er hesitated, then followed them through the Gray Gate.

Wang Dong'er reunited with Da Ming and Er Ming, then learned that they had attempted to assassinate Kong Ming'an and were now working off their debt. After Kong Ming'an refused to release them, she offered to do anything in exchange, leaving him and Meng Hongchen to react to her desperate plea.

• Kong Ming'an brought Wang Dong'er to the facility where Da Ming and Er Ming were being held, then gave them an hour to explain the situation to her.
• Kong Ming'an and Meng Hongchen waited in his office while Wang Dong'er heard about the failed assassination attempt and her fathers' capture.
• Wang Dong'er thanked Kong Ming'an for sparing Da Ming and Er Ming, then knelt and begged him to release them.
• Kong Ming'an refused, and Wang Dong'er offered to do anything he wanted in exchange for their freedom.
• Meng Hongchen privately asked Kong Ming'an when he had turned Wang Dong'er into this.

Kong Ming'an had Wang Dong'er sign a personal assistant contract, then awakened her sealed memories while preparing to use her Sea God Martial Soul for another God Trial. Wang Dong'er remembered that her father had torn her soul apart for the Ten Thousand Year Plan, and Kong Ming'an soothed her as she broke down.

• Kong Ming'an sent Wang Dong'er a contract offering her Merchant Guild employment and a way to earn Contribution Points toward Da Ming and Er Ming's freedom.
• Wang Dong'er signed the contract and learned she would soon help Kong Ming'an prepare for Tang San's next God Trial.
• Kong Ming'an touched Wang Dong'er's forehead and unlocked her sealed memories.
• Wang Dong'er remembered her loving childhood in the God Realm and how her father split her soul and sealed her memories for the Ten Thousand Year Plan.
• Wang Dong'er collapsed into grief, and Kong Ming'an used Spiritual Power to calm her and shield her from the memories' impact.

After restoring Wang Dong'er’s painful memories, Kong Ming'an asked whether she wanted to meet her father, and she agreed. Meanwhile, Tang San absorbed a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring under heavy supervision, but Kong Ming'an, Miss Meng, and Wang Dong'er appeared beside him while everyone else was frozen.

• Kong Ming'an restored Wang Dong'er's memories, and she asked why her father had done this to her.
• Kong Ming'an asked Wang Dong'er if she wanted to meet her father, and she said she did.
• A Soul Douluo captured a Ten Thousand Year Thousand Jun Ant for Tang San while Shrek's Soul Hunting Operation was overseen by multiple high-ranking experts.
• Tang San killed the Thousand Jun Ant and absorbed its Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, finishing after two hours.
• Da Ming's Slowdown Domain and Ling Shu's takeover of consciousness froze the camp as Kong Ming'an, Miss Meng, and Wang Dong'er appeared beside Tang San.

Kong Ming'an showed Wang Dong'er the Sea God Martial Soul he had created to help repair her damaged soul, then let her read Tang San's memories while he altered Tang San's God Trial. Wang Dong'er finished reading with renewed hatred, and Kong Ming'an anticipated a confrontation between father and daughter.

• Wang Dong'er recognized an unpleasant aura in Kong Ming'an's Avatar of her father and asked whether it was him.
• Kong Ming'an manifested Wang Dong'er's Sea God Martial Soul and explained that he had created it while treating her soul during her three months unconscious.
• Kong Ming'an connected Wang Dong'er to Tang San's soul and used Ling Shu to let her browse Tang San's memories, warning her not to kill him.
• Kong Ming'an altered the Sea God Trial within Tang San while Wang Dong'er reviewed his memories.
• Wang Dong'er finished reading with icy hatred in her eyes, and Kong Ming'an wondered whether a scene of fatherly love and filial daughter would follow.

After Wang Dong'er learned from Tang San's memories that her father had treated her as a tool, she left Kong Ming'an's Laboratory determined to grow stronger and earn enough Contribution Points to redeem her fathers. Meanwhile, Tang San collapsed from soul pain after absorbing a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, and Qiu'er watched Wang Dong'er return to the dormitory with suspicion.

• Wang Dong'er rejected her hopes of receiving affection from Tang San after seeing that he had regarded her as a tool to exploit and sacrifice.
• Kong Ming'an, Wang Dong'er, and Meng Hongchen left, and the camp's Slowdown Domain and Ling Shu's mental interference faded.
• Tang San began the Sea God Fifth Trial, then collapsed in agony; a Titled Douluo teacher diagnosed a soul injury caused by absorbing a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring beyond his level.
• Wang Dong'er left the Merchant Guild resolved to cultivate harder and save Contribution Points, though she worried about her experimental assistant job.
• Wang Dong'er concealed her visit to the Merchant Guild from Qiu'er, who watched her go and reflected on her orders to find clues about the Child of Destiny.

Kong Ming'an traveled to the Extreme North, where the Ice Empress protected him from the Core Zone sentries by demonstrating his Extreme Ice Elementalization. The Soul Beasts accepted him as one of their kind, and the Ice Empress led him away.

• Gu Qiu'er decided to investigate the Kong Family Chamber of Commerce if she made no progress at Kong Mansion, relying on the Silver Dragon Scale for protection.
• After handling Tang San's God Trial, Kong Ming'an received a message and traveled from the Merchant Guild to the Extreme North.
• Five powerful Soul Beast sentries attacked Kong Ming'an for entering the Core Zone, but the Ice Empress appeared and ordered them to stop.
• Little White questioned the Ice Empress about protecting a human, and she insisted Kong Ming'an was different from other humans.
• At the Ice Empress's urging, Kong Ming'an entered Extreme Ice Elementalization, convincing the sentries that he belonged among the Soul Beasts.
• The Soul Beasts treated Kong Ming'an with reverence, and the Ice Empress took him away from their curious stares.