Ch. 701Opening the Granaries and Distributing Food

Chapter Summary: “Opening the Granaries and Distributing Food”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Yang Ming and Zhu Zhuqing share a tense, nearly romantic moment, but Zhu Zhuqing becomes embarrassed and quickly leaves after entrusting her sister’s situation to him.
  • Yang Ming prepares an official document bearing his seal to clear Zhu Zhuyun of her charges. Although his authority is sufficient to settle the matter immediately, he chooses a more politically effective solution.
  • To protect Zhu Zhuqing’s family from future hostility after Yang Ming leaves Star Luo City, he plans to improve their reputation among the people.
  • Yang Ming secretly arranges for the Zhu Clan to open its granaries and sell rice to the public at low prices.
  • Star Luo City is suffering from an influx of roughly five million refugees, food shortages, inflation, and exploitation by merchants who hoard grain and adulterate rice with sand.
  • Announcements spread throughout the city that the Zhu Clan will distribute affordable food. Desperate refugees and residents form enormous queues outside Zhu Clan shops before dawn.
  • When the shops open, they provide clean, high-quality rice in abundance. The grateful people view the Zhu Clan as compassionate saviors.
  • Shopkeepers credit Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing for the charity, directly improving both sisters’ public image.

Character Developments

  • Yang Ming: Demonstrates political intelligence and strategic leadership. Rather than relying solely on authoritarian power to pardon Zhu Zhuyun, he creates lasting public support for the Zhu family through humanitarian action. He also recognizes that benevolent rule must include protecting ordinary people.
  • Zhu Zhuqing: Shows emotional vulnerability during her interaction with Yang Ming, contrasting with her usual reserved personality. She remains concerned about her family and trusts Yang Ming to resolve Zhu Zhuyun’s predicament.
  • Zhu Zhuyun: Though absent from the events, her reputation begins to change from that of a disgraced noblewoman associated with Dai Weisi to that of a benefactor of the starving population.
  • The refugees and common people: Their desperation and distrust of rulers are emphasized, but their gratitude quickly shifts toward the Zhu Clan once they receive honest assistance.

Significant Themes

  • Humanitarian leadership: True governance is shown through feeding and protecting civilians, not merely conquering territory.
  • Public image and political legitimacy: Yang Ming understands that formal authority alone cannot prevent future resistance; popular goodwill provides the Zhu family with lasting protection.
  • Suffering during war: Refugees, food shortages, inflation, forced conscription, and profiteering reveal that ordinary people bear the greatest burdens of conflict.
  • Compassion versus exploitation: The Zhu Clan’s clean, affordable rice sharply contrasts with grain merchants who hoard supplies and mix sand into food.
  • Redemption and reputation: A family previously viewed with suspicion can regain respect through meaningful service to the people.
  • Romantic tension: The brief encounter between Yang Ming and Zhu Zhuqing suggests growing mutual attraction, though Zhu Zhuqing remains shy and unprepared to confront it directly.

Important Character Interactions

  • Yang Ming and Zhu Zhuqing: Their close physical proximity creates an awkward, intimate moment. Zhu Zhuqing retreats in embarrassment, while Yang Ming realizes he acted too quickly.
  • Yang Ming and Zhu Zhuyun’s case: Yang Ming uses his authority to arrange Zhu Zhuyun’s release or exoneration, but supplements legal power with a public-relations strategy.
  • Shopkeepers and refugees: The shopkeepers reassure the anxious crowds, distribute uncontaminated rice, and explain that the Zhu sisters are responsible for the aid.
  • Refugees and the Zhu Clan: A starving refugee kneels in gratitude, symbolizing the broader population’s transformation from suspicion to admiration.

Ch. 702Moved

Chapter Summary: “Moved”

  • Setting and world-building: Yang Ming and Zhu Zhuqing tour Star Luo City, an ancient and prosperous metropolis shaped by war. Zhu Zhuqing explains its customs, history, architecture, and cuisine, including expensive skewers made from farm-raised Chattering Bird Soul Beasts. The existence of large-scale Soul Beast breeding impresses Yang Ming, who reflects that humanity will eventually need artificial Soul Rings as Soul Beasts become scarce.
  • Relationship development: As they walk and talk, Yang Ming and Zhu Zhuqing become more comfortable with one another. Yang Ming casually puts his arm around her waist, and although she initially resists and reminds him to behave in public, she soon allows it. Her blushing and embarrassment suggest that her emotional defenses are gradually weakening, while Yang Ming interprets her warning as implying greater intimacy in private.
  • Food distribution and the Zhu Clan’s reputation: Zhu Zhuqing brings Yang Ming to one of her family’s shops, where a long line of citizens and refugees receives rice. The refugees eat desperately, revealing the severity of the famine, then sincerely thank Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing for saving their lives. Zhu Zhuqing carefully observes the distribution and remembers how much each person eats, demonstrating her compassion and sense of responsibility.
  • Yang Ming’s support: Zhu Zhuqing doubts whether the gratitude is truly directed at her family, since Yang Ming supplied much of the grain. Yang Ming reassures her that the Zhu Clan still made a genuine sacrifice by selling its reserves and taking action for the people. His humility and continued support deeply move Zhu Zhuqing, who recognizes that the relief effort would have been impossible without him.
  • Cliffhanger: Just as Zhu Zhuqing is about to express her feelings, a disturbance erupts among the refugees, with a group of people causing trouble in the queue.
  • Themes: The chapter emphasizes compassion amid famine, nobles’ responsibility toward ordinary people, the rebuilding of the Zhu Clan’s reputation, and the gradual transformation of Yang Ming and Zhu Zhuqing’s relationship from awkward cooperation into emotional intimacy.

Ch. 703Chaos

Chapter Summary: “Chaos”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Gu Da, a poor and disreputable street thug in Star Luo City, is secretly recruited by a powerful organization along with more than a hundred other local criminals.
  • They are paid in Gold Soul Coins and pressured by intimidating Soul Power users to disguise themselves as ordinary civilians and create disturbances at grain shops operated by the Zhu Clan.
  • At a Zhu Clan shop, Gu Da buys five jin of rice and secretly hides a large dead cockroach in the sack.
  • He falsely accuses the shop of selling contaminated rice, loudly claiming that the Zhu Clan is trying to silence him when the employees attempt to restrain him.
  • Other recruited troublemakers in the queue join in, spreading rumors that the Zhu Clan’s cheap grain is defective or fraudulent.
  • The commotion escalates as crowds begin doubting the Zhu Clan and clashing with shop employees.
  • Similar incidents erupt simultaneously at Zhu Clan grain shops throughout Star Luo City, with mobs attempting to storm stores and seize grain, plunging the city into widespread disorder.

Character Developments

  • Gu Da reveals himself as opportunistic, cowardly when faced with genuine power, but bold and manipulative when protected by a larger force. His greed overcomes his brief sense of guilt.
  • He demonstrates practical street instincts, using an apparently convincing accusation and public outrage rather than direct violence to provoke chaos.
  • The shopkeeper appears honest, careful, and experienced. He measures the rice precisely and tries to resolve the dispute peacefully, but becomes stern when Gu Da deliberately escalates the situation.
  • The shop employees show their willingness to use force to protect the shop, though their intervention unintentionally helps Gu Da make the situation look like an attempted cover-up.
  • The unseen organizers demonstrate their ability to coordinate large-scale unrest through bribery, intimidation, and prearranged signals.

Significant Themes

  • Manipulation of public opinion: A staged incident becomes believable as more people repeat the accusation.
  • Mob mentality and rumor: The crowd’s trust in the Zhu Clan weakens when repeated claims are reinforced by visible conflict.
  • Power and corruption: Gu Da abandons his principles almost immediately when offered money and threatened by stronger people.
  • Appearance versus reality: The ordinary-looking customers are actually coordinated agitators, while the supposedly suspicious incident involving the cockroach is entirely fabricated.
  • Social instability: A minor false accusation is used to expose and intensify existing public anxiety over food supplies and the Zhu Clan’s grain distribution.

Character Interactions

  • The recruiters control Gu Da and the other thugs through a combination of payment and intimidation.
  • Gu Da initially confronts the shopkeeper with a fake grievance, while the shopkeeper attempts to negotiate calmly.
  • When the shopkeeper’s employees seize Gu Da, he twists their response into evidence of attempted murder and suppression.
  • The planted agitators reinforce Gu Da’s accusations, transforming an isolated deception into a public scandal.
  • The resulting conflict spreads from one shop to many, turning the Zhu Clan’s grain stores into the center of citywide chaos.

Ch. 704Gu Da? Daigo?

Chapter Summary: “Gu Da? Daigo?”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • A thug named Gu Da disrupts a grain shop, falsely accusing it of selling rice contaminated with cockroaches.
  • He theatrically claims the shop is trying to silence him, though his trembling legs reveal his fear.
  • The shop owner hesitates to punish him, recognizing that doing so could make the accusation appear true.
  • Yang Ming arrives with Zhu Zhuqing, and the crowd parts before them.
  • The shop owner recognizes Zhu Zhuqing as the daughter of his former employer and identifies Yang Ming as the famed Protector of the Nation.
  • The shop owner and employees kneel to welcome them, while the commoners react with mixed feelings because Yang Ming conquered their country.
  • Gu Da’s companions hide, and Gu Da becomes terrified, knowing Yang Ming’s fearsome reputation.
  • Yang Ming notices that Gu Da looks almost exactly like Daigo, the human form of Ultraman Tiga from Yang Ming’s memories.
  • Gu Da denies being Daigo and claims his name is Gu Da. His flattering, evasive response only deepens Yang Ming’s suspicions.
  • Yang Ming decides to inspect Gu Da’s memories directly, leaving the chapter on a cliffhanger as he reaches toward him.

Character Developments

  • Gu Da is revealed as a cowardly but experienced street thug who uses dramatic accusations and moral posturing to manipulate crowds. His survival instincts lead him to flatter Yang Ming once he realizes who he is.
  • Yang Ming continues to project overwhelming authority and intimidation. His unusual recognition of Gu Da as a possible Daigo introduces curiosity and suspicion beneath his otherwise confident demeanor.
  • Zhu Zhuqing is pleased by the crowd’s praise of her relationship with Yang Ming, showing her affection and happiness at being viewed as his partner.
  • The shop owner shifts from anger and uncertainty to intense admiration upon recognizing Yang Ming, viewing him as the embodiment of heroic ambition and greatness.
  • The commoners are portrayed as divided: although Yang Ming has treated civilians fairly, many still resent him as the conqueror of their empire.

Significant Themes

  • Reputation and power: Yang Ming’s name alone is enough to silence crowds and terrify criminals, demonstrating how reputation can function as a form of authority.
  • Public perception and political legitimacy: Military conquest may be achieved without harming civilians, yet winning the conquered people’s trust remains difficult.
  • Appearance versus reality: Gu Da presents himself as brave and righteous, but his fear exposes his true nature.
  • Identity and coincidence: Gu Da’s resemblance to Daigo raises questions about reincarnation, alternate identities, or a deeper connection between the two.
  • Social complexity: The crowd’s conflicting reactions—admiration, hatred, envy, and longing—show that people interpret the same powerful figure according to their own position and experiences.

Character Interactions

  • Gu Da clashes with the shop owner and employees, attempting to provoke sympathy from the crowd.
  • Yang Ming and Zhu Zhuqing enter as a powerful couple, immediately shifting the atmosphere and drawing public attention.
  • The shop owner and employees show submission and loyalty by kneeling before them.
  • Yang Ming questions Gu Da about his identity, while Gu Da responds with fear, denial, and flattery.
  • The chapter ends with Yang Ming preparing to use his abilities to uncover Gu Da’s memories.

Ch. 705Giving an Empire as a Birthday Present

Chapter Summary: “Giving an Empire as a Birthday Gift”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Yang Ming captures Gu Da and uses his mental powers to read his entire soul and memories.
  • He discovers that Gu Da was formerly Daigo from the Ultraman Tiga world. After being caught in a World Rift, Daigo’s body was destroyed, but his soul reincarnated in the Douluo Continent as Gu Da.
  • Yang Ming learns that the Ultraman Tiga world may be connected to the Douluo Continent, giving him potentially valuable coordinates for future interworld travel.
  • Gu Da’s memories reveal that wealthy, unidentified individuals paid him and his companions to create trouble at a shop belonging to the Zhu Clan.
  • Yang Ming memorizes the conspirators’ appearances and plans to have his subordinates track them down.
  • Using Banshō Ten’in, Yang Ming pulls the disguised thugs from the crowd and kills them instantly by crushing their internal organs with gravitational force.
  • When Zhu Zhuqing worries that powerful nobles and families may retaliate through covert means, Yang Ming declares that he will show no mercy.
  • He reveals that his campaign to cleanse the corrupt Star Luo Empire is intended as a birthday present for Zhu Zhuqing: he plans to give the Empire to her.

Character Developments

  • Yang Ming is shown to possess overwhelming power, extraordinary mental abilities, and complete confidence in dealing with political enemies. He becomes increasingly ruthless toward anyone threatening Zhu Zhuqing or her clan.
  • Gu Da is reduced from an aggressive thug to a terrified victim after Yang Ming exposes his memories and identity.
  • Zhu Zhuqing demonstrates practical political awareness by recognizing the dangers of attacking influential nobles. Her admiration and affection for Yang Ming deepen as she witnesses his strength and hears his grand declaration.
  • The hidden enemies are established as powerful figures within the Star Luo Empire, though their identities remain unknown.

Significant Themes

  • Power and intimidation: Yang Ming’s effortless execution of the thugs demonstrates the vast gap between him and ordinary Spirit Masters.
  • Justice versus ruthlessness: Rather than pursuing a restrained investigation, Yang Ming chooses absolute elimination of threats.
  • Political cleansing and conquest: The chapter frames the destruction of corrupt forces as part of Yang Ming’s larger plan to reshape the Star Luo Empire.
  • Love expressed through power: Yang Ming presents the Empire itself as a birthday gift, combining romance with ambition and political domination.
  • Interworld connections: Gu Da’s memories expand the story’s cosmology by confirming links between the Douluo Continent and other fictional worlds.

Character Interactions

  • Yang Ming interrogates Gu Da through direct soul-reading, leaving Gu Da terrified and helpless.
  • Yang Ming silently identifies the disguised accomplices and kills them before they can escape.
  • Zhu Zhuqing approaches Yang Ming with concern, warning him about retaliation from noble families.
  • Yang Ming reassures her indirectly through a bold and intimate declaration, whispering that he intends to cleanse the Empire and give it to her as a birthday present.

Ch. 706Won't You Welcome Me?

Chapter Summary: “Won’t You Welcome Me?”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • The chapter introduces the An Clan’s enormous estate in Star Luo City, highlighting its wealth, land, servants, and more than a thousand powerful bodyguards.
  • A lavish gathering is held for Star Luo Empire’s most influential nobles and clans, including the An, Liu, Li, Yu, and Hua Clans.
  • These factions control crucial parts of the empire, such as sea trade, grain distribution, commerce, and political influence.
  • The nobles are angered by Yang Ming’s attempts to interfere in the empire’s internal affairs, especially his order for the Zhu Clan to open its granaries and sell grain to the public at low prices.
  • In retaliation, they have attacked businesses belonging to the Zhu Clan and are planning to manipulate prices for food, clothing, housing, and transportation.
  • An Dongsheng, head of the An Clan, openly mocks Yang Ming and celebrates what he believes is their victory.
  • The nobles assume Yang Ming cannot punish them because the empire depends on their wealth, connections, and administrative control.
  • The chapter ends dramatically when Yang Ming appears at the party. The mansion doors open, the bodyguards outside have disappeared, and Yang Ming enters while applauding, announcing that he would like to join the celebration.

Character Developments

  • Yang Ming: Revealed as an unconventional ruler who refuses to follow the compromises and restraints that limited previous Star Luo emperors. His unexpected arrival suggests he may directly confront the nobles rather than negotiate from weakness.
  • An Dongsheng: Established as arrogant, corrupt, and openly contemptuous of both Yang Ming and the common people. He views the poor as resources to exploit and believes the An Clan’s influence makes it untouchable.
  • The Noble Factions: Their confidence grows from their control over trade, supplies, and political networks, but their certainty also exposes their underestimation of Yang Ming.

Significant Themes

  • Corruption and exploitation: The nobles treat the population as a source of profit, especially through control of grain and essential goods.
  • Power beyond the throne: Although Yang Ming is the ruler, the great clans believe practical control belongs to those who manage the empire’s economy and institutions.
  • Resistance to reform: Yang Ming’s attempt to provide affordable grain threatens entrenched interests and sparks organized opposition.
  • Overconfidence versus disruption: The nobles rely on historical precedent, assuming every ruler must accommodate them. Yang Ming’s arrival signals that their established methods may no longer work.
  • Class inequality: The contrast between the estate’s extravagant luxury and the nobles’ disdain for the poor emphasizes the empire’s severe social divide.

Character Interactions

  • An Dongsheng addresses the assembled nobles, encouraging them to unite against Yang Ming and celebrating their economic retaliation against the Zhu Clan.
  • The gathered clans respond with applause and laughter, showing their shared interests and mutual support.
  • Their discussion reveals a collective belief that Yang Ming cannot eliminate them without destabilizing the empire.
  • Yang Ming interrupts their celebration by appearing at the mansion entrance, transforming the nobles’ private mockery into a direct confrontation and ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Ch. 707Eat Shit, Leung Fei-fan!

Chapter Summary: “Eat Shit, Liang Feifan”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Yang Ming abruptly appears at a gathering of Star Luo Empire nobles and powerful clans who had been discussing him and planning how to deal with him.
  • His presence immediately terrifies everyone. Despite their wealth, influence, and hatred of him, the clans recognize that none of them can challenge his overwhelming strength.
  • Yang Ming kicks the An Clan leader, An Dongsheng, out of his seat and takes it for himself, treating the gathering as though he were a favored guest.
  • He mocks the assembled nobles for losing their cheerful mood when he arrived and forces them to maintain artificial smiles and laughter under his intimidating pressure.
  • Yang Ming confronts An Dongsheng over the An Clan’s people causing trouble at shops operating under the Zhu Clan’s name.
  • An Dongsheng denies responsibility and shamelessly flatters Yang Ming, claiming he would do anything to serve him.
  • Taking his words literally, Yang Ming produces a pile of Jin Kela and commands him to eat it. The system recognizes the phrase as a classic line from No Regrets and rewards Yang Ming with a lottery opportunity, which he declines.
  • When An Dongsheng finally loses control and attempts to curse Yang Ming, Yang Ming uses invisible force to slam his face into the plate of Jin Kela.

Character Developments

  • Yang Ming: Displays absolute confidence, cruelty, and dominance. He deliberately humiliates the nobles rather than simply confronting them, using their fear and hypocrisy for entertainment. His attitude reinforces his position as a nearly untouchable power in the empire.
  • An Dongsheng: Revealed as a cowardly, calculating merchant-noble. He immediately abandons dignity, flatters Yang Ming, and attempts to deny his actions, but his suppressed anger eventually breaks through. His humiliation becomes the chapter’s central spectacle.
  • The powerful clans: Their earlier arrogance collapses when Yang Ming appears. They are shown to be politically influential but personally helpless in the face of overwhelming strength.
  • The system: Briefly interrupts the scene to reward Yang Ming for delivering a memorable line, adding comic relief to the otherwise threatening confrontation.

Significant Themes

  • Absolute strength overcomes status and schemes: Wealth, noble titles, trade monopolies, and clan prestige become meaningless when confronted by superior power.
  • Fear beneath arrogance: The clans’ bold words and plots vanish once Yang Ming arrives, exposing their confidence as performative.
  • Humiliation and submission: Yang Ming uses public degradation to punish those who oppose him and demonstrate that resistance carries consequences.
  • Hypocrisy and survival: An Dongsheng’s exaggerated loyalty shows how quickly people will abandon pride and principles when their lives are at risk.
  • Dark humor and power fantasy: The grotesque command involving Jin Kela, along with the system’s reward, turns a threatening political confrontation into an absurd comedic punishment.

Character Interactions

  • Yang Ming intimidates the assembled clan leaders through his entrance, demeanor, and supernatural pressure.
  • He physically displaces An Dongsheng from the chief seat and later confronts him directly.
  • An Dongsheng responds with obsequious praise and false claims of loyalty, while Yang Ming sees through the performance and mocks him.
  • The exchange escalates from verbal intimidation to public humiliation when Yang Ming orders An Dongsheng to eat Jin Kela.
  • When An Dongsheng attempts to retaliate verbally, Yang Ming effortlessly forces his face into the plate, reaffirming the total imbalance of power between them.

Ch. 708The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

Yang Ming arrives at a gathering of nobles and powerful figures intending to eliminate, rather than negotiate with, those plotting against him. He kills Duke An Dongsheng by smashing his head into a platter, causing the assembled nobles to realize the danger and immediately kneel in submission. The Liu Clan head attempts to shift all blame onto An Dongsheng and claims they are kneeling to honor Yang Ming, but Yang Ming kills him as well. This becomes a signal for further executions, and numerous nobles are killed by the power of Yang Ming’s Infinity Gauntlet.
The representative of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Luojin, tries to save himself by kneeling and claiming ignorance of the conspiracy. He appeals to his family connections to Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong. Yang Ming pauses the slaughter to question him, but remains deeply suspicious and places his Infinity Gauntlet against Yu Luojin’s head. The chapter ends with Yu Luojin threatening that Yu Xiaogang will never forgive Yang Ming if he is killed, to which Yang Ming coldly responds, “So what?”

Character developments

  • Yang Ming demonstrates overwhelming power, ruthlessness, and complete control over the situation. Although he briefly recognizes that deciding people’s lives feels intoxicating, he suppresses this darker impulse, suggesting he retains some self-awareness and restraint.
  • The nobles and faction leaders are revealed as cowardly and self-serving. They abandon their ally An Dongsheng immediately, attempt to place all blame on him, and beg for their own lives.
  • Yu Luojin changes from a conspirator or participant in the gathering into a desperate survivor. He relies on his family ties and carefully emphasizes his relationship to Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong in an attempt to escape execution. His regret over allowing greed to influence him highlights his fear and opportunism.
  • Yang Ming’s view of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan becomes more informed as he recalls the clan’s internal scandals and Yu Luomian’s future betrayal of the clan.

Significant themes

  • Power and submission: Yang Ming’s reputation and strength are so overwhelming that the nobles abandon resistance and instinctively kneel.
  • Cowardice and betrayal: The conspirators quickly sacrifice one another when threatened, showing that their alliances are based on self-interest rather than loyalty.
  • Justice versus tyranny: Yang Ming punishes the conspirators without offering a trial, raising questions about whether his actions represent justice, authoritarian rule, or revenge.
  • The corrupting nature of power: Yang Ming recognizes the pleasure of holding life and death in his hands, but consciously rejects the temptation to become consumed by it.
  • Family influence and political connections: Yu Luojin attempts to use his relationship with Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong as protection, but Yang Ming’s final response suggests that such connections may no longer carry weight.

Character interactions

Yang Ming dominates every interaction, while the nobles plead and attempt to manipulate him. The Liu Clan head’s betrayal of An Dongsheng fails, resulting in his death. Yu Luojin directly appeals to Yang Ming through Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong, but Yang Ming interrogates him rather than immediately accepting his claims. Their confrontation ends unresolved, with Yu Luojin making a final desperate appeal and Yang Ming dismissing the threat.

Ch. 709Zhu Zhuqing's Passion

Chapter Summary: “Zhu Zhuqing’s Passion”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • In late-autumn Star Luo City, the public is gradually adapting to Yang Ming’s change of regime. Many commoners view his rule favorably, especially because of reduced taxes and his campaign against corrupt noble families.
  • The Sky-Blasting Gang carries out a coordinated purge of aristocratic clans, confiscating their property and suppressing resistance. Although Yang Ming personally eliminated the principal leaders of the An Clan, the gang must track down scattered relatives, hidden assets, and escapees across the Empire.
  • The operation succeeds because of Yang Ming’s careful planning, overwhelming force, and the gang’s large, disciplined workforce. Minor disturbances are quickly contained.
  • The confiscated wealth is revealed to be enormous: approximately three billion Gold Soul Coins in liquid funds alone, with land, estates, slaves, buildings, and other property potentially doubling that amount.
  • Yang Ming reflects that the noble families had accumulated wealth on a national scale, controlling a disproportionate share of the Empire’s resources. He recognizes why revolutionary regimes historically target the wealthy and redistribute their assets.
  • In the Imperial Palace, Zhu Zhuqing massages Yang Ming’s shoulders while asking what he intends to do with the confiscated money. Yang Ming teasingly suggests that he will give it all to her as a bride price.
  • Zhu Zhuqing is flustered by the proposal and insists that such an amount is excessive. Their conversation develops into an intimate romantic encounter, which continues beyond the excerpt.

Character Developments

  • Yang Ming: Demonstrates his effectiveness as a new ruler through organized suppression of aristocratic resistance. He also becomes increasingly comfortable expressing affection and romantic possessiveness toward Zhu Zhuqing.
  • Zhu Zhuqing: Continues to present a calm and capable exterior—she is a powerful Spirit King and provides Yang Ming with emotional and physical support—but becomes shy, embarrassed, and emotionally unsettled when he discusses marriage and draws her close.
  • The Common People: Their attitudes toward Yang Ming improve as they benefit from lower taxes and see powerful noble families being punished. Their support suggests that his political campaign is gaining popular legitimacy.
  • The Noble Class: Is portrayed as extraordinarily wealthy and deeply entrenched, but also vulnerable when confronted by a well-organized force acting under centralized authority.

Significant Themes

  • Wealth inequality and social resentment: The chapter emphasizes the extreme concentration of wealth among noble Spirit Master families and the resulting resentment among ordinary people.
  • Political legitimacy through redistribution: Yang Ming’s campaign gains public approval because it weakens privileged elites and appears to return resources to society.
  • Power and state control: The Sky-Blasting Gang’s efficiency illustrates how discipline, planning, and manpower allow a new regime to consolidate authority rapidly.
  • The moral ambiguity of revolution: The confiscations and killings are presented as politically effective and popular, while also raising questions about whether justice, revenge, and economic redistribution have become indistinguishable.
  • Romance and intimacy: The chapter shifts from imperial administration to Yang Ming and Zhu Zhuqing’s developing relationship, contrasting large-scale political power with private affection and vulnerability.

Character Interactions

  • The Sky-Blasting Gang operates collectively and in disciplined formation while confronting noble families across the city.
  • Yang Ming and the common people are connected indirectly through his economic policies and anti-aristocratic campaign, which earns him increasing public support.
  • Yang Ming and Zhu Zhuqing share a private, flirtatious exchange. She massages him and asks about the confiscated wealth; he responds by joking—or proposing—that he will use it as her bride price. Her embarrassment and resistance gradually give way to a close romantic moment, ending with an implied intimate encounter.

Ch. 710Returning to Prepare for Marriage

Chapter Summary: “Returning to Prepare for Marriage”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Three months after conquering and stabilizing the Star Luo Empire, Yang Ming returns to Heaven Dou City with Zhu Zhuqing.
  • His convoy consists of roughly 300 black-robed Sky-Blasting Gang members, all of whom are at least Soul Ancestor level, demonstrating the gang’s overwhelming strength.
  • Yang Ming has eliminated opposition among the Star Luo noble clans through ruthless measures, ensuring the empire’s submission.
  • He plans to marry Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and Hu Liena, finally giving them official status. He feels guilty for neglecting them while focusing on cultivation, warfare, and political struggles.
  • Heaven Dou Emperor Xue Ye leads an extravagant welcoming party thirty li outside the capital. Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, Snow Star Prince, and many influential figures also attend.
  • Yang Ming’s reputation has reached its peak after killing Qian Daoliu, a god-level figure. The revelation that the mysterious Sky-Blasting Gang leader is a young man shocks the continent’s major powers, though none dare oppose him.
  • Xue Ye warmly welcomes Yang Ming and deliberately shows him great respect while discussing the empire’s recent developments.
  • The former Heaven Dou Royal Academy Education Committee members regret failing to recognize Yang Ming’s potential when Shrek Academy once sought to merge with their institution.
  • Yang Ming notices Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang is absent and asks about him. He learns that Yu Xiaogang has apparently left to pursue another woman, angering Liu Erlong.
  • Liu Erlong links arms with Yang Ming and offers to give him whatever wedding gift he wants.

Character Developments

  • Yang Ming: Now an immensely powerful and politically dominant figure, he has returned from war with the intention of formalizing his relationships through marriage. Despite his status, he shows concern about his partners’ emotional well-being and worries that Zhu Zhuqing may not be accepted by the others.
  • Zhu Zhuqing: Her relationship with Yang Ming has deepened during their three months together. Although she loves him, she is nervous about joining his existing group of partners.
  • Hu Liena: Her position becomes especially important because she has borne Yang Ming a son but still lacks official status. Yang Ming recognizes the unfairness and social vulnerability of her situation.
  • Xue Ye: Treats Yang Ming with extraordinary warmth and deference, balancing the manner of a welcoming elder with that of a ruler acknowledging someone more powerful.
  • Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin: Attend the welcome as representatives of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and as Yang Ming’s future family connections.
  • Liu Erlong: Displays intense resentment toward Yu Xiaogang after believing he abandoned her to return to another woman. She remains affectionate toward Yang Ming and eagerly supports his marriage plans.
  • Yu Xiaogang: His unexplained absence and apparent return to a former romantic interest create tension and deepen the conflict between him and Liu Erlong.
  • Heaven Dou Royal Academy’s Education Committee: Meng Shenji, Zhi Lin, and Bai Baoshan bitterly regret not securing Yang Ming for their academy years earlier.

Significant Themes

  • Power and political authority: Yang Ming’s military victories and the death of Qian Daoliu have made him the most feared and respected figure on the continent.
  • Regret and missed opportunities: The Education Committee members lament failing to recognize Yang Ming’s future greatness.
  • Love, responsibility, and legitimacy: Yang Ming’s decision to marry his partners reflects a desire to take responsibility for them and protect them from social stigma.
  • Jealousy and emotional abandonment: Liu Erlong’s anger toward Yu Xiaogang highlights the pain caused by divided loyalties and perceived betrayal.
  • The contrast between public status and private relationships: Although Yang Ming commands armies and influences empires, he remains concerned about acceptance, affection, and the feelings of the women close to him.

Important Character Interactions

  • Yang Ming reassures Zhu Zhuqing that Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and Hu Liena will accept her.
  • Xue Ye publicly welcomes Yang Ming with exceptional warmth and respect, emphasizing the close relationship between Heaven Dou and the Sky-Blasting Gang.
  • Yang Ming questions Flender about Yu Xiaogang’s absence, prompting Liu Erlong’s furious condemnation of him.
  • Liu Erlong shifts from anger over Yu Xiaogang to affectionate support for Yang Ming, offering him a wedding present of his choosing.

Ch. 711Regret

Chapter Summary: “Regret”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • The Sky-Blasting Gang’s headquarters is lavishly decorated for Yang Ming’s wedding, with red lanterns, carpets, firecrackers, drums, and performances creating a festive atmosphere.
  • Yang Ming’s return and upcoming marriage attract major figures from across the Heaven Dou Empire, even without formal invitations. Snow Star Prince, who manages the gang’s affairs, ensures that powerful factions receive invitations.
  • Guests present extravagant wedding gifts, which are inspected and publicly announced:
    • Ning Fengzhi gives a three-thousand-year soul bone, the Fallen Fox Garment.
    • Heaven Dou Royal Academy offers a white jade sculpture.
    • The three major elemental academies bring valuable gifts, including Fire Soul Herbs and dragon fangs.
  • The gift ceremony becomes a display of the various factions’ wealth and influence. Ning Fengzhi’s gift draws particular attention because of its immense value and his connection to his daughter, Ning Rongrong, one of Yang Ming’s brides.
  • The chapter focuses on former acquaintances who now regret distancing themselves from Yang Ming before his rise to power.

Character Developments

  • Yang Ming is portrayed as an immensely powerful and influential figure, now regarded as one of the greatest people on the continent. His wedding has become a major political and social event.
  • Snow Star Prince demonstrates his competence by organizing the Sky-Blasting Gang’s affairs and managing the guest invitations carefully.
  • Ning Fengzhi displays both generosity and strategic familial thinking through his exceptionally valuable wedding gift.
  • Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang regret rejecting the possibility of marrying Meng Yiran to Yang Ming when they first met him. Meng Shu openly admits that his earlier judgment was selfish and shortsighted.
  • Meng Yiran suffers deeply from regret. She once had close contact with Yang Ming but deliberately cut ties after he opposed Spirit Hall, believing he would eventually be suppressed. Now, she is so far beneath him socially and politically that she can attend only through her family’s reputation.
  • Huo Wushuang has become a level 61 Spirit Emperor through the support of Blazing Fire Academy, but he still feels defeated when comparing himself and his sister to Yang Ming.
  • Huo Wu has reached only level 55 and is visibly depressed. She insists that she does not blame her brother for separating her from Yang Ming, claiming they belonged to different worlds, though Huo Wushuang realizes she is concealing her pain.
  • Huo Wushuang privately regrets not helping Huo Wu stay close to Yang Ming, recognizing that Yang Ming’s potential and future influence were impossible to predict.

Significant Themes

  • Regret and missed opportunities: Characters who once rejected or avoided Yang Ming now realize they misjudged his potential.
  • Hindsight and human judgment: Their earlier choices were rational based on the information available at the time, but Yang Ming’s extraordinary rise makes those decisions seem disastrous.
  • Power and social status: Yang Ming’s achievements have created an enormous gap between him and former peers, turning old relationships into distant memories.
  • Family and strategic alliances: Marriage is presented not only as a personal event but also as a political connection between powerful factions.
  • The burden of exceptional talent: Yang Ming’s overwhelming success suppresses the confidence of other geniuses, who can no longer see themselves as his equals.

Character Interactions

  • Chao Tianxiang angrily reminds Meng Shu that they should have encouraged Meng Yiran to pursue Yang Ming earlier. Meng Shu admits that he was wrong.
  • Meng Yiran silently reflects on how her decision to sever contact with Yang Ming has permanently changed her life.
  • Huo Wushuang comforts Huo Wu by stroking her hair and asking whether she blames him for keeping her away from Yang Ming.
  • Huo Wu denies blaming him, while Huo Wushuang recognizes that her words are intended to ease his guilt rather than express her true feelings.

Ch. 712It Was Clearly Me First

Chapter Summary: “It Was Clearly Me First”

Plot and events

The Sky-Blasting Gang is preparing efficiently for the upcoming wedding. In the women’s chamber, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and Hu Liena gather together. Although they maintain a polite, sisterly appearance, their meeting is filled with concealed jealousy and rivalry. Xiao Wu accidentally reveals that Hu Liena has a child, Guo’er, who is Yang Ming’s son. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing are shocked and privately resentful that Hu Liena became a mother first. At Ning Rongrong’s prompting, Hu Liena recounts how she and Yang Ming grew close while surviving together in Slaughter City. Her shared hardships with Yang Ming, combined with her status as the mother of his child, give her a clear advantage over the others.
When Yang Ming arrives, the women instantly abandon their hostile expressions and compete to gain his attention. Ning Rongrong uses Xiao Wu’s prank against her to throw herself into Yang Ming’s arms, while Hu Liena outmaneuvers Zhu Zhuqing and takes Yang Ming’s arm. Hu Liena then reminds Yang Ming that Guo’er misses him and wants him to visit.

Character development

  • Hu Liena confidently embraces her position as Yang Ming’s eldest and most established partner. Her shared past with him and their child make her feel secure, and she subtly flaunts this advantage.
  • Ning Rongrong reveals a more competitive and manipulative side, using Xiao Wu’s attack to gain physical closeness to Yang Ming.
  • Xiao Wu remains playful and mischievous but becomes frustrated when Ning Rongrong turns her prank against her.
  • Zhu Zhuqing is quieter and more restrained, but she is just as jealous and invested in proving her importance to Yang Ming.
  • Yang Ming remains largely oblivious to the hidden competition, reacting warmly to Hu Liena’s reminder about his son.

Themes

The chapter focuses on jealousy, possessiveness, and rivalry within a shared romantic relationship. It explores the tension between maintaining sisterly harmony and wanting exclusive importance in Yang Ming’s heart. Motherhood and shared hardship are presented as sources of emotional status, while the women’s exaggerated competition creates a comedic contrast with Yang Ming’s complete lack of awareness.

Character interactions

The four women exchange polite words while making veiled comparisons and provocations. Xiao Wu combs Hu Liena’s hair and teases her about her child, prompting Ning Rongrong to question Hu Liena about her relationship with Yang Ming. Hu Liena’s account of Slaughter City intensifies the others’ envy. Once Yang Ming appears, all four immediately become affectionate, competing through small tricks and positioning rather than openly fighting. Hu Liena ultimately reinforces her advantage by invoking Guo’er, while Ning Rongrong secures Yang Ming’s embrace.

Ch. 713Daily Life

Chapter 712: “Daily Life” — Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Yang Ming spends playful time with his infant son, Yang Guo, letting him ride on his shoulders while he runs around the room.
  • Hu Liena ends the game and takes Yang Guo to bed. Yang Guo protests because he wants to continue playing with his father.
  • Yang Ming initially supports his son playing longer, but Hu Liena insists that proper sleep and discipline are important. Yang Ming accepts her reasoning and agrees that children should not be spoiled.
  • While Hu Liena puts Yang Guo to sleep, Yang Ming returns to cultivating in his room, determined to progress toward Level 100 Godhood.
  • Yang Ming takes a powerful cultivation pill specially created by Oscar through the Sky-Blasting Gang’s alchemical research.
  • The pill dramatically increases the absorption of Soul Power. Yang Ming quickly drains the energy in his room, then begins drawing Soul Power from across a thousand li.
  • The chapter ends as the Soul Power over Heaven Dou City gathers visibly above the Sky-Blasting Gang’s headquarters, suggesting that Yang Ming’s cultivation breakthrough may be imminent.

Character Developments

  • Yang Ming: Shows a warm, playful side as a father, but also demonstrates his continued ambition and dedication to cultivation. He accepts Hu Liena’s parenting judgment and immediately resumes serious training.
  • Hu Liena: Acts as the stricter, more responsible parent. Although she usually indulges Yang Ming, she firmly prioritizes Yang Guo’s health, sleep, and discipline.
  • Yang Guo: Displays unusually advanced speech and physical development for a child under one year old, attributed to the Dragon Ball Yang Ming gave him at birth. He is energetic, affectionate, and confused when his parents abruptly end their playtime.
  • Oscar: Though absent from the immediate action, he receives important recognition for his years of alchemical research and for developing cultivation-enhancing pills that benefit the Sky-Blasting Gang.

Significant Themes

  • Family life and parental balance: The chapter contrasts Yang Ming’s indulgent affection with Hu Liena’s emphasis on structure and discipline.
  • Discipline versus spoiling: Yang Ming reflects that excessive pampering could weaken a child’s character, leading him to support a stricter upbringing for Yang Guo.
  • Cultivation and advancement: Even amid domestic happiness, Yang Ming remains focused on becoming stronger and reaching godhood.
  • Innovation and collective progress: Oscar’s combination of food-based Spirit Master abilities with alchemy shows how research and cooperation strengthen the entire Sky-Blasting Gang.

Character Interactions

  • Yang Ming and Yang Guo share a lively father-son play session, revealing their mutual affection.
  • Hu Liena gently but firmly interrupts them and carries Yang Guo to bed.
  • Yang Guo appeals to both parents, but Yang Ming ultimately sides with Hu Liena’s decision.
  • Yang Ming silently observes Hu Liena caring for their son before returning to cultivation.
  • Oscar’s work indirectly supports Yang Ming and the gang, as his specially crafted pill triggers an extraordinary surge of Soul Power.

Ch. 714Cultivation

Chapter Summary: “Cultivation”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • With Yang Ming’s wedding approaching, the Sky-Blasting Gang prepares luxurious, private guesthouses for visitors from the major factions. The scale and quality of the facilities demonstrate the gang’s immense wealth and influence.
  • Huo Wushuang and Huo Wu of Blazing Fire Academy tour the headquarters. Huo Wushuang is overwhelmed by the gang’s enormous number of powerful Spirit Masters and unintentionally deepens Huo Wu’s regret over losing Yang Ming.
  • A massive river of condensed Soul Power suddenly appears in the sky above the headquarters, dramatically increasing the concentration of Soul Power throughout the area.
  • The guests realize that Yang Ming is responsible. The Heaven Dou Royal Academy Education Committee members confirm that the phenomenon reflects his extraordinary cultivation.
  • Yang Ming’s allies—Hu Liena, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing—guard his residence, while Duoduo and the Vampire Maid Corps secure the surrounding area against assassination attempts or sabotage.
  • Many guests take advantage of the abundant Soul Power to meditate and attempt breakthroughs, but Yang Ming’s residence eventually absorbs the entire phenomenon.
  • Yang Ming awakens from meditation after consuming the accumulated Soul Power. His cultivation reaches level 89, bringing him within one step of becoming a Titled Douluo.
  • He reveals that Oscar’s painstaking research produced a powerful pill capable of saving years of cultivation. However, the pill requires rare, high-grade medicinal herbs and is extremely difficult to produce; only three have been made, and Yang Ming has used one.

Character Development

  • Yang Ming is shown to have reached an overwhelming level of power and influence. His cultivation now stands at level 89, and even an incidental breakthrough phenomenon affects the entire headquarters.
  • Huo Wu remains bitter and regretful over her past relationship with Yang Ming. Seeing the vast difference between them intensifies her emotional frustration.
  • Huo Wushuang recognizes the enormous gap between Blazing Fire Academy and the Sky-Blasting Gang and realizes how far Yang Ming has surpassed their former peers.
  • Hu Liena, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing demonstrate their loyalty and concern by personally protecting Yang Ming during his cultivation.
  • Duoduo acts as a capable commander, organizing the Vampire Maid Corps to maintain security.
  • Oscar gains recognition as an accomplished alchemist and researcher whose invention significantly accelerates Yang Ming’s progress.

Significant Themes

  • Power and advancement: Yang Ming’s rapid rise highlights the enormous gap between ordinary Spirit Master factions and the strongest powers.
  • Regret and lost opportunities: Huo Wu’s unhappiness reflects the pain of watching someone she once stood alongside become unreachable.
  • Wealth and influence: The headquarters’ luxurious facilities emphasize the Sky-Blasting Gang’s almost nation-like resources.
  • Loyalty and protection: Yang Ming’s companions and subordinates work together to defend him, showing the strength of his personal network.
  • The value and cost of cultivation resources: The pill offers extraordinary benefits but depends on scarce materials and painstaking research.

Character Interactions

  • Huo Wushuang unintentionally wounds Huo Wu’s pride by praising the Sky-Blasting Gang, then quickly apologizes.
  • He consults Meng Shenji, Zhi Lin, and Bai Baoshan about the phenomenon, and they identify Yang Ming as its source.
  • Huo Wu and Huo Wushuang silently confront the painful realization that Yang Ming has far surpassed them.
  • Yang Ming’s allies coordinate closely to protect him, while the Vampire Maid Corps enforces security throughout the headquarters.

Ch. 715A Grand Wedding Feast

Chapter Summary: “A Grand Wedding Feast”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Yang Ming’s wedding day begins after days of preparation. He dresses in crimson wedding robes and welcomes a large stream of guests.
  • Major figures from across the Heaven Dou Empire attend, including Huo Wushuang, Huo Wu, the Dragon and Snake couple, Meng Yiran, and the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy’s three education committee members.
  • Around six hundred guests arrive, reflecting Yang Ming’s immense reputation and influence as one of the world’s strongest figures.
  • Tang San, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun arrive together. They congratulate Yang Ming, joking about how he secretly became a father and established a large family while they were apart.
  • Ma Hongjun playfully complains that Yang Ming broke their old promise to remain single, then asks Yang Ming to introduce him to women from the Sky-Blasting Gang. Yang Ming jokingly promises to organize a large matchmaking gathering for him.
  • At noon, firecrackers, gongs, and drums announce the arrival of the four bridal sedans.
  • Yang Ming formally welcomes Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Hu Liena. The four brides are elaborately dressed in matching red wedding attire and ceremonial accessories.
  • Yang Ming and the four women enter the wedding hall together and perform the traditional wedding bows:
    1. To Heaven and Earth
    2. To their ancestors
    3. To the elders
  • They then serve tea to Grandpa Old Jack, who accepts it happily and blesses them. The chapter ends with him praising them as good children.

Character Developments

  • Yang Ming: His status has risen dramatically, with former acquaintances now treating him as a legendary figure. Despite his power and prestige, he is shown as courteous, attentive, and genuinely nervous and emotional about the wedding.
  • Tang San: His surprise at Yang Ming’s family life highlights how much time has passed and how separated the brothers have become due to their respective responsibilities.
  • Ma Hongjun: Remains humorous, shameless, and woman-obsessed, but his teasing also demonstrates his continued closeness and comfort with Yang Ming.
  • Oscar: Appears alongside Tang San and Ma Hongjun as one of Yang Ming’s old Shrek Academy companions, reinforcing their enduring brotherhood.
  • Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Hu Liena: Are formally acknowledged as Yang Ming’s brides and enter a shared marital union with him.
  • Grandpa Old Jack: Serves as the respected elder of the ceremony. His happiness and approval provide emotional warmth and symbolize the family’s acceptance of the marriages.

Significant Themes

  • Celebration and family: The chapter centers on marriage, reunion, and the formation of a larger family.
  • The passage of time: Yang Ming’s transformation from a promising young man into a powerful leader and father is emphasized through the reactions of his old friends.
  • Brotherhood and friendship: Tang San, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun’s arrival shows that their bonds remain strong despite their different paths.
  • Social status and influence: The enormous number of important guests demonstrates Yang Ming’s political and martial importance.
  • Tradition and generational blessing: The wedding rituals and tea ceremony connect Yang Ming’s new family to cultural customs and elder approval.

Important Character Interactions

  • Yang Ming warmly receives guests while maintaining a formal public image.
  • Tang San embraces Yang Ming and expresses surprise at his rapid family development.
  • Ma Hongjun teases Yang Ming about marriage and receives a playful threat of Yang Ming’s “loving fist.”
  • Yang Ming responds to Ma Hongjun’s request for romantic introductions with exaggerated generosity, preserving their comedic friendship.
  • Yang Ming and his four brides participate as a united group in the wedding ceremony.
  • The newlyweds offer tea to Grandpa Old Jack, whose joyful acceptance confirms his affection and approval.

Ch. 716A Clock at the Wedding Feast

Chapter Summary: “A Clock as a Wedding Gift”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

  • Grandpa Old Jack presides over Yang Ming’s wedding to his five brides, feeling proud of how much Yang Ming has grown.
  • The wedding follows its formal rituals, and the guests prepare to celebrate with a feast.
  • Pope Bibi Dong of Spirit Hall unexpectedly arrives without being invited. Her entrance immediately creates tension because of the hostile relationship between Spirit Hall and Yang Ming’s Sky-Blasting Gang.
  • Yang Ming mocks Bibi Dong with a deliberately ambiguous remark about her being “quite big,” prompting Tang San, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and others to laugh.
  • In retaliation, Bibi Dong produces an enormous bronze clock weighing more than a ton. Since giving a clock at a wedding symbolizes wishing the newlyweds death, the gift is an open insult and curse.
  • Bibi Dong openly declares that she wishes the newly married couples an early death and rebirth.
  • Enraged, Yang Ming abandons restraint and attacks her with his Mysterious Sword, activating his powerful combat abilities and eight Soul Rings.
  • He seemingly cuts off Bibi Dong’s head in an instant, but her body transforms into a giant spider, revealing that the woman he killed was only a mysterious clone or transformed Soul Beast.
  • The chapter ends with Yang Ming realizing that Bibi Dong used an unfamiliar ability—one he knows she should not possess—making the situation more dangerous and puzzling.

2. Character Developments

  • Yang Ming: Appears mature, confident, and protective of his wedding and brides. Although he initially tries to maintain decorum, Bibi Dong’s provocation pushes him into a decisive and furious attack. His concern after destroying the clone shows that he recognizes the unusual nature of the threat.
  • Grandpa Old Jack: Serves as the emotional center of the wedding opening, expressing pride and affection toward Yang Ming’s transformation from a mischievous child into a powerful adult.
  • Pope Bibi Dong: Demonstrates arrogance, authority, and deliberate hostility. Her uninvited appearance and insulting gift show that she intends to provoke Yang Ming rather than offer congratulations. Her use of a mysterious clone also reveals a new and potentially dangerous capability.
  • Tang San, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and the other guests: Their laughter shows their loyalty to Yang Ming and their willingness to disregard Spirit Hall’s prestige. Their sudden silence when the clock appears reflects the seriousness of Bibi Dong’s insult.
  • Yang Ming’s five brides: They are presented as sharing strong unity and understanding, replying together during the ceremony, though their individual reactions are not explored in this chapter.

3. Significant Themes

  • Celebration versus hostility: A wedding meant to symbolize love and unity is disrupted by political and personal antagonism.
  • Insult and retaliation: The clock functions as a culturally loaded threat, transforming Bibi Dong’s arrival into a direct challenge to Yang Ming’s authority.
  • Power and status: Bibi Dong relies on her position as Spirit Hall’s supreme leader to intimidate the guests, while Yang Ming’s response emphasizes that the Sky-Blasting Gang is powerful enough to confront her.
  • Appearances and deception: Bibi Dong’s apparent death is revealed to be an illusion or clone, reinforcing the danger of trusting appearances.
  • Control versus anger: Yang Ming attempts to preserve peace for the sake of his wedding but ultimately responds violently when Bibi Dong crosses the line.

4. Character Interactions

  • Old Jack warmly supports Yang Ming during the wedding ceremony, highlighting their grandfather-grandson bond.
  • Bibi Dong and Yang Ming engage in a sharp verbal exchange filled with mockery and veiled insults.
  • Yang Ming’s allies openly laugh at Bibi Dong’s expense, strengthening the sense of solidarity within the Sky-Blasting Gang.
  • Bibi Dong escalates the confrontation by presenting the clock and explicitly cursing the newlyweds.
  • Yang Ming responds with a lightning-fast attack, turning their verbal conflict into a direct battle.
  • The apparent victory is undermined when Bibi Dong’s “body” becomes a spider, leaving Yang Ming—and the reader—to question where the real Pope is and what new power she has acquired.

Ch. 717Pranks in the Bridal Chamber

Chapter Summary: “Wedding Chamber Prank”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Yang Ming’s wedding celebration continues without interruption despite Pope Bibi Dong’s arrival.
  • Tang San, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun organize a drinking challenge to get Yang Ming drunk. Yang Ming accepts every toast and drinks thousands of cups, using his cultivation to expel the alcohol, but eventually becomes visibly intoxicated.
  • Most guests collapse from drinking, while Oscar passes out after drunkenly declaring he will continue drinking with Yang Ming. Yang Ming orders servants to carry him safely to a guest room.
  • Ma Hongjun proposes pranking Yang Ming and his four wives in the bridal chamber. Tang San is initially hesitant but becomes interested after Ma Hongjun promises to take responsibility.
  • The two men wash up, change clothes, and sneak toward Yang Ming’s residence.
  • They openly explain their prank to the guards rather than attempting to bypass the security. The vampire maidservants and the Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat King allow them inside.
  • Ma Hongjun plans to hide under the bed and surprise the newlyweds when they begin preparing for the night. Tang San is shocked by how reckless—and enthusiastic—Ma Hongjun’s plan is.

Character Developments

  • Yang Ming: Demonstrates extraordinary alcohol tolerance and generosity by accepting every toast, though he finally becomes drunk after the prolonged celebration. His position and wealth are emphasized through his luxurious residence and formidable security.
  • Tang San: Reveals a more playful side despite his normally proper and cautious nature. He hesitates over the prank but ultimately agrees to participate.
  • Ma Hongjun: Acts as the primary instigator and displays a mischievous, reckless personality. His willingness to risk Yang Ming’s anger, even joking that he misses being beaten by Yang Ming, makes Tang San suspect he may have developed masochistic tendencies.
  • Oscar: Becomes the first major casualty of the drinking contest and is carried away to recover.
  • Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat King: Shows amusement and curiosity, approving the prank and allowing Tang San and Ma Hongjun to enter.

Significant Themes

  • Male friendship and camaraderie: The drinking contest and wedding prank reflect the brothers’ close bond and comfort with teasing one another.
  • Celebration and tradition: The chapter explains the cultural tradition of wedding-chamber pranks as a communal way to celebrate newlyweds, temporarily setting aside age and social rank.
  • Mischief versus propriety: Tang San’s hesitation contrasts with Ma Hongjun’s reckless enthusiasm, creating much of the chapter’s humor.
  • Power and status: Yang Ming’s immense wealth, authority, and security highlight his elevated position, while his friends’ ability to prank him shows that personal relationships still transcend hierarchy.

Character Interactions

  • Tang San, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun repeatedly pressure Yang Ming to drink, turning the wedding banquet into a drinking competition.
  • Yang Ming responds kindly by caring for the unconscious Oscar.
  • Ma Hongjun persuades the reluctant Tang San to join the bridal-chamber prank.
  • Tang San reacts with alarm to Ma Hongjun’s bizarre enjoyment of the possibility of being punished by Yang Ming.
  • The Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat King humorously endorses the scheme, allowing the two pranksters to enter Yang Ming’s heavily guarded residence.

Ch. 718The Blessing of Having Them All

Chapter Summary: “The Blessing of Having Them All”

Plot Points and Events

  • After a wedding feast, Yang Ming remains sober despite drinking all the other guests under the table. He secretly expels the alcohol from his body before returning home.
  • He enters his wedding residence, decorated with red lanterns and wedding symbols, where his four brides—Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Hu Liena—wait for him.
  • Ning Rongrong reminds Yang Ming that they have not yet performed the traditional cross-cupped wine ceremony. Yang Ming apologizes for forgetting because of the drinking.
  • Yang Ming and the four women exchange vows, promising lifelong love, loyalty, equality, and mutual companionship. They complete the ceremony by drinking from one another’s cups.
  • Just as the wedding night is about to begin, Yang Ming detects movement beneath the bed. Tang San and Ma Hongjun emerge after attempting to secretly disrupt the wedding chamber.
  • Their plan was ruined when Ma Hongjun accidentally passed gas after overeating, revealing their presence.
  • Yang Ming is annoyed but ultimately spares them because it is his wedding day, ordering them to leave.
  • With the interruption over, Yang Ming carries all four brides onto the bed and closes the curtains, ending the chapter with an implied intimate consummation.

Character Developments

  • Yang Ming is shown as powerful and perceptive, using his abilities to sober himself and detect the hidden intruders. Despite his irritation, he displays restraint and generosity by allowing Tang San and Ma Hongjun to leave unharmed.
  • Ning Rongrong demonstrates maturity and affection by ensuring the wedding traditions are observed and gently admonishing Yang Ming about excessive drinking.
  • Xiao Wu remains affectionate and shy, suggesting that Yang Ming choose only one bride for the first night, though he rejects the idea of separating them.
  • Zhu Zhuqing expresses her devotion in her typically reserved manner, promising unity in love and life.
  • Hu Liena is portrayed as passionately attached to Yang Ming, vowing never to leave his side.
  • Tang San and Ma Hongjun provide comic relief through their failed prank. Tang San is frustrated by Ma Hongjun’s carelessness, while Ma Hongjun is nervous and submissive when confronted by Yang Ming.

Significant Themes

  • Love and commitment: The vows emphasize lifelong devotion, equality, and remaining together through hardship and prosperity.
  • Unity among the wives: The wedding ceremony presents Yang Ming’s relationship with all four women as mutually accepted and emotionally connected.
  • Tradition and celebration: The cross-cupped wine ceremony reinforces the cultural importance of marriage customs.
  • Comedic disruption: Tang San and Ma Hongjun’s failed prank contrasts with the solemnity and romance of the wedding night.
  • Forgiveness and restraint: Yang Ming’s decision to let the intruders go highlights his willingness to show mercy on an important personal occasion.

Character Interactions

  • Yang Ming and Ning Rongrong share a playful, affectionate exchange over the forgotten wedding ritual.
  • Each bride offers Yang Ming a personal declaration of love, revealing distinct personalities: Xiao Wu’s dependence, Hu Liena’s passion, Zhu Zhuqing’s quiet loyalty, and Ning Rongrong’s mature affection.
  • Tang San and Ma Hongjun bicker over the failed prank, with Ma Hongjun’s accidental bodily noise exposing them.
  • Yang Ming confronts and intimidates the two intruders but ultimately dismisses them, allowing the romantic wedding-night scene to continue.

Ch. 719The Grandmaster Went to His Death

Chapter Summary: “Grandmaster Goes to His Death”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • In Spirit City, Pope Bibi Dong suffers backlash after Yang Ming destroys the spider clone she had sent to Heaven Dou City.
  • She confronts Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang and gives him a choice: either die immediately or use his identity and former teacher-student relationship with Yang Ming to poison him.
  • Bibi Dong reveals that her rapid rise in strength comes from receiving the Rakshasa God’s inheritance and support from the God Realm.
  • She explains that the gods are also empowering other factions, including Sea God Island and the Star Dou Great Forest’s powerful beasts, creating a united force against Yang Ming and the Sky-Blasting Gang.
  • Yu Xiaogang realizes that the conflict between Spirit Hall and Yang Ming is unlikely to be resolved through peaceful negotiation.
  • After recalling Yang Ming’s growth from a village child into the leader of a continental power, Yu Xiaogang rejects Bibi Dong’s demand and chooses death rather than betraying his student.

Character Developments

  • Bibi Dong: Her transformation into a Rakshasa God successor has intensified her sinister aura and emotional detachment. She now views the struggle for dominance as an unavoidable divine conflict and is willing to manipulate even Yu Xiaogang to eliminate Yang Ming.
  • Yu Xiaogang: Despite fear, exhaustion, and emotional conflict, he reaffirms his identity as a teacher. He chooses to uphold his principles and protect Yang Ming, accepting death rather than becoming an assassin.
  • Yang Ming: Although absent from the scene, his importance is emphasized through Yu Xiaogang’s memories of his extraordinary rise and through the God Realm’s decision to unite multiple forces against him.
  • Yu Xiaogang and Bibi Dong: Their former love has become deeply strained. Yu Xiaogang still hopes to save her, but he recognizes that the woman before him has changed drastically.

Significant Themes

  • Moral conviction versus survival: Yu Xiaogang must choose between saving his own life and remaining loyal to his principles.
  • The responsibilities of a teacher: He believes a teacher must demonstrate proper conduct through action, making his sacrifice a final lesson for Yang Ming.
  • Corruption and transformation: Bibi Dong’s divine inheritance has given her immense power but has also distanced her from her former humanity.
  • Divine manipulation of the mortal world: The God Realm secretly empowers multiple factions, turning the conflict into a much larger confrontation than a simple struggle between Spirit Hall and the Sky-Blasting Gang.
  • Sacrifice and loyalty: Yu Xiaogang’s willingness to die rather than betray Yang Ming highlights the strength of their teacher-student bond.

Important Character Interactions

  • Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang: Bibi Dong pressures and emotionally manipulates Yu Xiaogang, presenting murder as the least costly path to victory. Yu Xiaogang counters by urging her to abandon conquest and seek peace.
  • Yu Xiaogang and Yang Ming: Though Yang Ming is not present, Yu Xiaogang’s memories reveal deep pride and affection toward him. Their relationship ultimately motivates Yu Xiaogang’s refusal.
  • Bibi Dong and the God Realm: Bibi Dong’s explanation establishes that she is acting as part of a broader divine-backed strategy against Yang Ming, rather than pursuing the conflict entirely on her own.

Ch. 720The Far North's Three Heavenly Kings

Chapter Summary: “Far North’s Three Heavenly Kings”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Pope Bibi Dong kills Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang by piercing his heart with a spider leg. She embraces him as he dies, declaring that they will remain together forever.
  • The Rakshasa venom dissolves Xiaogang’s corpse, which Bibi Dong consumes, symbolizing her complete rejection of love and humanity.
  • Bibi Dong’s evil aura intensifies as purple-black mist, ghostly cries, and skull-like shapes fill the Papal Hall.
  • Her sacrifice fulfills the Rakshasa God’s inheritance trial: killing the person she loved most. She begins advancing from Rank 99 Peerless Douluo to Rank 100, preparing to become the First-Level Rakshasa God.
  • The chapter then shifts to the Far North, a deadly frozen region inhabited by powerful ice- and water-element Soul Beasts.
  • The Titan Snow Demon King, A-Tai, enters the Far North’s core region. His enormous, glacier-like body and two-hundred-forty-thousand-year cultivation cause lesser Soul Beasts to flee in terror.
  • A-Tai arrives before the other two rulers of the Far North: the Ice Empress and the Snow Empress, collectively known as the Far North’s Three Heavenly Kings.
  • The Snow Empress reprimands A-Tai for arriving half an hour late.

Character Developments

  • Bibi Dong completes the emotional and moral break required by the Rakshasa inheritance. By killing and consuming Yu Xiaogang, she abandons affection and righteousness, becoming increasingly aligned with the Rakshasa God’s absolute evil.
  • Yu Xiaogang dies as Bibi Dong’s former lover, unable to resist the attack or fully express his final thoughts.
  • Titan Snow Demon King/A-Tai is established as an immensely powerful, ancient, and physically imposing ruler. Despite his terrifying strength, his lateness places him in a subordinate position before the Snow Empress.
  • Ice Empress is introduced as the second-ranking ruler, a beautiful humanoid manifestation of the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion.
  • Snow Empress is presented as the supreme ruler of the Far North, an exceptionally ancient and majestic being born from pure ice-element energy.

Significant Themes

  • Love corrupted into possession: Bibi Dong’s declaration that Xiaogang will remain with her forever becomes grotesquely literal when she consumes his body.
  • The price of power: The Rakshasa inheritance demands the destruction of the inheritor’s deepest emotional bond, showing how divine advancement requires moral sacrifice.
  • Transformation and damnation: Bibi Dong’s rise toward godhood is depicted as both a physical breakthrough and a spiritual descent into evil.
  • Hierarchy and natural supremacy: The Far North’s ecosystem is governed by overwhelming power, with weaker Soul Beasts fleeing the dominant Titan Snow Demon King and the Three Heavenly Kings ruling the region.
  • Human-like divinity: The Ice Empress and Snow Empress possess humanoid forms and refined personalities despite being ancient Soul Beasts, contrasting with A-Tai’s gigantic, primal appearance.

Character Interactions

  • Bibi Dong’s final interaction with Xiaogang combines violence, grief, and possessive affection; she kills him while treating the act as a permanent reunion.
  • A-Tai’s arrival before the Ice Empress and Snow Empress establishes the political relationship among the Three Heavenly Kings.
  • The Snow Empress immediately asserts her authority by coldly criticizing A-Tai for his delay.
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