Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After unleashing a devastating sword strike, Fang Fan immediately returns to his harmless drunken state and asks Zhu Zhuqing for more wine.
• He internally evaluates the cost of using the Heaven-Slaying Sword Intent. Although he used only half a percent, its power was nearly twice what he expected. He deliberately redirected the attack so that it grazed Flender instead of killing him, though Flender still lost an arm.
• The attack consumed nine percent of Fang Fan’s accumulated Sword Intent, leaving him with only seventeen percent, and drained roughly one-third of his Soul Power. His Drunkenness Value also remains far below the amount required for another system draw.
• Meanwhile, Xiao Wu flees toward the depths of the Star Dou Forest, hoping to use her knowledge of the terrain and summon powerful forest creatures for protection.
• Tang Hao intercepts her at the forest’s edge. He orders her to remain beside Tang San and implies that she will be kept alive as a future source of a hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring and Soul Bone.
• Xiao Wu realizes Tang Hao has viewed her as livestock since she entered Nuoding Academy and intends to sacrifice her for Tang San’s advancement. Her fear turns into anger and defiance.
• Tang Hao releases his nine Soul Rings and prepares to imprison her with his Clear Sky Hammer.
• At that moment, Fang Fan’s Sword Intent travels from the direction of Suotuo City across a great distance, cutting through the forest and shattering Tang Hao’s pressure.
• Tang Hao blocks the strike with his Clear Sky Hammer and activates Clear Sky Avatar, but the Sword Intent still forces him backward and injures his hands.
• Tang Hao recognizes that the Sword Intent resembles the aura surrounding Fang Fan earlier and realizes that the seemingly drunken youth is likely responsible.

2. Character Developments

• Fang Fan: His immense power becomes clearer, as his lightly released Sword Intent can challenge a Titled Douluo from miles away. Despite his overwhelming strength, he remains physically weakened by the attack and continues to hide behind a drunken façade.
• Zhu Zhuqing: She continues caring for Fang Fan by feeding him wine, showing growing intimacy and trust. She is also increasingly puzzled by the contrast between his drunken behavior and terrifying swordsmanship.
• Ning Rongrong: Her curiosity about Fang Fan deepens after witnessing his sword strike and unusual personality.
• Xiao Wu: She shifts from terror to fierce resistance after understanding Tang Hao’s true intentions. Her sense of identity and autonomy strengthens as she rejects being treated as a Soul Ring or sacrifice.
• Tang Hao: He is portrayed as ruthless and manipulative, treating Xiao Wu as a resource for Tang San rather than as a person. His confidence is shaken when Fang Fan’s distant Sword Intent overwhelms even his Titled Douluo strength.

3. Significant Themes

• Power concealed beneath appearances: Fang Fan’s drunken, harmless exterior contrasts sharply with his ability to unleash overwhelming, long-range sword attacks.
• Exploitation versus free will: Tang Hao’s plan reduces Xiao Wu to a future Soul Ring and Soul Bone, while Xiao Wu fiercely rejects being used as a tool for Tang San’s growth.
• Fear transformed into defiance: Xiao Wu’s despair gives way to anger and self-assertion when she realizes she must fight for her own survival.
• The cost of strength: Fang Fan’s attack is extraordinarily powerful but consumes valuable Sword Intent and Soul Power, establishing limits to his abilities.
• Moral hypocrisy: Tang Hao’s willingness to sacrifice Xiao Wu for his son makes him appear more monstrous than the evil figures he might condemn.

4. Character Interactions

• Fang Fan and Zhu Zhuqing: Zhu Zhuqing gently feeds Fang Fan wine after his attack, reinforcing their developing closeness while remaining uncertain whether his drunken persona is genuine.
• Ning Rongrong and Fang Fan: Ning Rongrong observes him with heightened suspicion and fascination, trying to understand the relationship between the drunkard before her and the sword wielder who split the sky.
• Tang Hao and Xiao Wu: Tang Hao threatens to keep Xiao Wu beside Tang San for future sacrifice. Xiao Wu recognizes his predatory intentions and silently resists, refusing to accept the role he has assigned her.
• Fang Fan and Tang Hao: Though they do not meet directly, Fang Fan’s Sword Intent confronts Tang Hao from afar. The clash exposes the gap between Tang Hao’s confidence and Fang Fan’s hidden power, ending with Tang Hao realizing who attacked him.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Wu is trapped by Tang Hao in the Star Dou Forest, but a distant Sword Intent suddenly shatters Tang Hao’s oppressive power and frees her. She recognizes the aura as Fang Fan’s and escapes deeper into the forest.
• Tang Hao attempts to pursue her, but Fang Fan’s Sword Intent immobilizes him and injures his hand. The lingering Sword Intent continues damaging his body and consuming his Soul Power, forcing him to hide in a cave and suppress the wound.
• Xiao Wu becomes nearly impossible to track within the forest, blending naturally with the environment and avoiding both Tang Hao and the surrounding Soul Beasts.
• Outside Suotuo City, Flender apologizes to Fang Fan and the others after Ma Hongjun’s misconduct. Zhao Wuji brings Ma Hongjun over and forces him to apologize.
• Zhu Zhuqing rejects Ma Hongjun’s apology, while Ning Rongrong condemns Shrek Academy’s brutal teaching philosophy and poor graduation record.
• Fang Fan exposes Flender’s false claim that he taught Spirit Hall’s youngest elder, pointing out that the academy’s age makes the claim chronologically impossible.
• As Flender tries to leave, Fang Fan stops him and argues that Shrek’s instructors would have abused their power if Fang Fan and the others had been weaker.
• Fang Fan gives Ma Hongjun and Flender two humiliating choices: they must either publicly punish themselves or face unspecified consequences. Ma Hongjun must slap himself while calling his Phoenix martial soul a “grass chicken,” and Flender must do the same while denouncing his teaching philosophy as worse than “dog shit.”

Character Developments

• Xiao Wu: Demonstrates speed, survival instincts, and intimate harmony with the Star Dou Forest. Her confidence in Fang Fan grows after he saves her again.
• Tang Hao: Is shown to be powerful but vulnerable to Fang Fan’s superior Sword Intent. His frustration intensifies as Xiao Wu escapes, and his old injuries worsen.
• Fang Fan: Establishes himself as a distant but overwhelmingly powerful protector. He is calm, sarcastic, intellectually sharp, and unwilling to tolerate hypocrisy or bullying.
• Flender: Shifts from defending his student to apologizing once confronted with superior strength. His fabricated achievements and flawed leadership are exposed, leaving him humiliated and powerless.
• Ma Hongjun: Is forced to acknowledge his wrongdoing but remains resentful and humiliated. His pride in his Phoenix martial soul is directly attacked.
• Zhu Zhuqing: Remains cold and uncompromising, refusing to accept a superficial apology after being targeted.
• Ning Rongrong: Openly criticizes Shrek Academy’s dangerous methods and exposes the gap between its claims and its actual results.
• Zhao Wuji and Li Yusong: Become passive witnesses to Flender’s embarrassment and the collapse of Shrek’s moral position.

Significant Themes

• Power and protection: Strength determines whether justice is possible; Fang Fan emphasizes that Shrek’s behavior would have been far worse had he lacked powerful backing.
• Hypocrisy and accountability: Flender’s moral posturing and false claims are dismantled, while Shrek’s instructors are forced to confront their willingness to protect wrongdoing.
• Humiliation as punishment: Fang Fan uses public self-degradation to attack both Ma Hongjun’s arrogance and Flender’s pride in his teaching philosophy.
• Truth versus reputation: Shrek’s reputation as an elite academy is undermined by its low graduation rate, dangerous ideology, and habit of shielding problematic students.
• The limits of power: Tang Hao’s immense strength cannot overcome Fang Fan’s Sword Intent, illustrating the chapter’s clear power imbalance.

Character Interactions

• Fang Fan’s Sword Intent indirectly protects Xiao Wu while confronting Tang Hao from a great distance.
• Flender forces Ma Hongjun to apologize, but Zhu Zhuqing rejects him and Ning Rongrong verbally attacks the academy.
• Fang Fan challenges Flender’s credibility by exposing his impossible historical claim.
• Fang Fan then confronts Flender over Shrek’s abuse of power and forces both Flender and Ma Hongjun into a humiliating choice, leaving the chapter on a tense cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Flender admits that his philosophy—encouraging students to gain combat experience by provoking powerful opponents—was flawed. He acknowledges that he also exaggerated the existence of a Spirit Hall elder to intimidate others and attract money and fame for Shrek Academy.
• He accepts responsibility for failing to teach Ma Hongjun the difference between bravery and reckless behavior, particularly after Ma Hongjun harassed and attempted to abduct Zhu Zhuqing.
• Flender orders Ma Hongjun to apologize and slap himself. Ma Hongjun obeys, repeatedly declaring that his Martial Soul is a “Grass Chicken.”
• Fang Fan then orders Zhao Wuji and Li Yusong to slap themselves as well, holding the entire academy responsible for Ma Hongjun’s conduct. Though resentful and embarrassed, both teachers comply.
• Flender eventually joins them, and all four men continue slapping themselves until their faces become grotesquely swollen. Fang Fan leaves without further comment, accompanied by Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong.
• At a luxury hotel, Ning Rongrong initially tries to book three rooms, but Fang Fan says he will share a room with Zhu Zhuqing. Zhu Zhuqing does not object, explaining that she needs to feed him wine.
• In their room, Zhu Zhuqing gives Fang Fan wine before bathing. She reflects on the mysterious benefits of staying close to him: her wounds heal faster, her Soul Power increases, and sleeping beside him previously allowed her to break through an entire level.
• After bathing, Zhu Zhuqing quietly returns to the bed, hoping to sleep near Fang Fan again despite feeling embarrassed about the real reason.

Character Developments

• Flender: Shows unexpected self-awareness by admitting that his educational philosophy and leadership methods were wrong. However, he still struggles to accept complete blame because of his pride. His eventual participation in the self-slapping reflects reluctant accountability.
• Ma Hongjun: Experiences a painful collapse of his confidence and beliefs. He realizes that his past arrogance was based on Flender’s flawed teachings and that he is far weaker than the true experts he encountered. Despite humiliation and fear, he sincerely obeys Flender and accepts punishment.
• Zhao Wuji: Initially feels unfairly targeted because he did not participate directly in Ma Hongjun’s misconduct, but he recognizes that teachers share responsibility for their students and submits to the punishment.
• Li Yusong: Reacts with resignation, accepting collective blame for Shrek Academy despite having played only a minor role in the incident.
• Fang Fan: Establishes firm authority over the Shrek teachers. He punishes them without mockery or unnecessary speech, then leaves as soon as he considers the matter settled.
• Zhu Zhuqing: Becomes increasingly attached to Fang Fan and more openly comfortable with physical closeness. She recognizes that being near him strengthens her cultivation and quietly hopes to continue sleeping beside him.
• Ning Rongrong: Notices the unusual intimacy and dependence between Fang Fan and Zhu Zhuqing. She becomes curious about Zhu Zhuqing’s repeated “feeding” of wine but suppresses her questions.

Significant Themes

• Accountability and failed mentorship: The chapter emphasizes that teachers bear responsibility for the behavior their teachings produce.
• The difference between courage and recklessness: Flender’s slogan about troublesome Soul Masters is exposed as dangerous when not balanced by judgment.
• Humility through humiliation: The self-slapping punishment forces the Shrek members to confront their pride, weakness, and mistakes.
• Power and authority: Fang Fan’s calm commands demonstrate his overwhelming influence over people who would normally outrank him in status or experience.
• Cultivation through intimacy: Physical proximity and emotional closeness become linked to healing and increased Soul Power, especially for Zhu Zhuqing.
• Hidden romantic tension: Zhu Zhuqing’s embarrassment and unspoken desire to sleep beside Fang Fan suggest growing affection that she cannot yet openly acknowledge.

Character Interactions

• Flender confesses his mistakes to Fang Fan and orders Ma Hongjun to punish himself.
• Ma Hongjun accepts Flender’s judgment because of his deep loyalty and gratitude toward the man who once saved and trained him.
• Fang Fan extends the punishment to Zhao Wuji and Li Yusong, making the academy’s collective responsibility explicit.
• Ning Rongrong observes Fang Fan and Zhu Zhuqing’s unusual closeness when Fang Fan insists on sharing a room with Zhu Zhuqing.
• Zhu Zhuqing calmly defends the arrangement by saying she must feed Fang Fan wine, though her embarrassment reveals deeper feelings.
• The chapter ends with Zhu Zhuqing deliberately positioning herself near Fang Fan in bed, balancing modesty with her desire for both companionship and cultivation benefits.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhu Zhuqing realizes that the connection she and Fang Fan experienced the previous night was more than increased cultivation: their Hell Spirit Cat and Seven-Colored Light Sword Martial Souls had achieved an unusual, shallow fusion.
• During sleep, the two Martial Souls resonated through their owners, combining light and darkness and temporarily giving the Hell Spirit Cat seven-colored radiance.
• Fang Fan wakes to discover that his Soul Power has risen by roughly a quarter of a level, bringing him closer to Level 55. His Martial Soul has also gained dark attribute and agility, while his sword intent has become sharper and more concentrated.
• Zhu Zhuqing wakes while embracing Fang Fan. Embarrassed by how closely she had held him, she retreats to the bathroom before regaining her usual composed appearance.
• At breakfast, Ning Rongrong notices that both Fang Fan and Zhu Zhuqing have grown stronger overnight. She becomes curious—and envious—about what happened between them.
• Fang Fan announces that they will travel to Heaven Dou City to visit the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. His real purpose is to investigate Xue Qinghe, whose presence had caused a mysterious resonance with him years earlier.
• Ning Rongrong jokingly offers to feed Fang Fan wine herself, proposing increasingly large sums when Zhu Zhuqing immediately refuses. The chapter ends with her raising the offer to five thousand Gold Soul Coins.

Character Developments

• Fang Fan: His cultivation and Martial Soul continue to improve. He recognizes that his bond with Zhu Zhuqing has produced rare Martial Soul resonance and now feels confident enough to pursue matters he once considered too dangerous, including meeting Xue Qinghe.
• Zhu Zhuqing: Her trust and attachment to Fang Fan deepen. She now instinctively follows his decisions and feels secure enough to show vulnerability, though she remains possessive and protective of their intimate routines.
• Ning Rongrong: She displays sharp observation, financial confidence, and playful curiosity. She quickly detects the changes in Fang Fan and Zhu Zhuqing and begins testing Zhu Zhuqing’s possessiveness by offering money to feed Fang Fan wine.

Significant Themes

• Martial Soul resonance and shared growth: Emotional and physical closeness allows Fang Fan and Zhu Zhuqing’s incompatible-seeming Martial Souls to strengthen one another.
• Light and darkness in harmony: Their sword and cat Martial Souls represent opposing powers that achieve balance rather than conflict.
• Trust and intimacy: Zhu Zhuqing’s growing dependence on Fang Fan contrasts with her formerly guarded and independent personality.
• Rising confidence and ambition: Fang Fan’s increased strength enables him to investigate powerful figures and pursue long-delayed goals.
• Possessiveness and rivalry: Ning Rongrong’s teasing offer exposes Zhu Zhuqing’s protectiveness toward Fang Fan and introduces a playful competition between the two women.

Character Interactions

• Fang Fan silently enjoys Zhu Zhuqing’s unconscious embrace before she realizes their position and becomes embarrassed.
• Zhu Zhuqing and Fang Fan share an unspoken understanding about their improved Martial Souls and growing closeness.
• At breakfast, Zhu Zhuqing openly defers to Fang Fan’s plans, demonstrating her complete trust in him.
• Ning Rongrong studies both of them closely, correctly sensing that something significant occurred overnight.
• When Ning Rongrong asks to feed Fang Fan wine, Zhu Zhuqing immediately refuses, and Ning Rongrong responds by offering more money, turning the exchange into a playful contest over Fang Fan’s attention.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Rongrong raises her offer to 10,000 Gold Soul Coins in exchange for one sip of Zhu Zhuqing’s special wine. Zhu Zhuqing accepts because she needs money after fleeing the Star Luo Empire and does not want to depend entirely on Fang Fan.
• Ning Rongrong feeds Fang Fan the wine, triggering his system and granting him six Drunkenness Value, along with small increases to his speed, strength, Soul Power, defense, and attack.
• Ning Rongrong discovers that physical contact with Fang Fan causes her Soul Power to circulate more efficiently. She suspects he may help her overcome the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda’s cultivation limit and potentially evolve it into an Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
• Zhu Zhuqing becomes visibly possessive when Ning Rongrong touches Fang Fan. She warns Ning Rongrong not to touch him, while Ning Rongrong teases her by calling her a “food-protecting Big-Chested Cat.”
• During the carriage ride to Heaven Dou City, Zhu Zhuqing repeatedly feeds Fang Fan wine while he rests comfortably against her shoulder. Ning Rongrong tries to invite him to visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but Zhu Zhuqing refuses on his behalf, insisting they go to the Royal Academy.
• At Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Fang Fan and Zhu Zhuqing enter through the commoner enrollment route and pass the first three tests. Ning Rongrong gains entry using her sect token.
• The Fourth Prince, Xue Beng, encounters Zhu Zhuqing and becomes immediately captivated by her appearance. Abusing his authority, he orders a teacher to bring her to his room.

Character Developments

• Fang Fan: Continues benefiting from being fed wine and discovers that Ning Rongrong’s involvement provides broad but modest attribute boosts. He remains relaxed and apparently amused by the rivalry between the two girls.
• Zhu Zhuqing: Shows growing attachment and possessiveness toward Fang Fan. She openly treats him as someone belonging to her, protects her closeness with him, and continues caring for him during the journey.
• Ning Rongrong: Becomes increasingly interested in Fang Fan after learning that contact with him enhances her Soul Power. Her motivation shifts from simple curiosity and playful flirting to the possibility that he could help evolve her martial soul and benefit the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
• Xue Beng: Is introduced as arrogant, lustful, and entitled. His immediate attempt to claim Zhu Zhuqing reveals his abuse of status and sets up a likely confrontation.

Significant Themes

• Power and cultivation: Strength is presented as the foundation of status, and Fang Fan’s mysterious influence may offer Ning Rongrong a way around her sect’s martial-soul limitation.
• Possessiveness and romantic rivalry: Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong compete for Fang Fan’s attention, with teasing and physical closeness gradually becoming a more obvious contest.
• Independence and dependence: Zhu Zhuqing’s need for money contrasts with her desire not to rely on Fang Fan, while Ning Rongrong uses her wealth to gain access to the wine and remain close to him.
• Abuse of privilege: Xue Beng’s behavior illustrates how noble status allows him to treat others as possessions, particularly women and commoners.
• Hidden potential: Fang Fan’s effects on Drunkenness Value, attributes, and martial-soul resonance suggest that his true abilities may have major consequences for both individuals and sects.

Character Interactions

• Ning Rongrong purchases a sip of wine from Zhu Zhuqing, then feeds it to Fang Fan, creating both a system reward and an intimate moment.
• Ning Rongrong touches Fang Fan to test the effect on her cultivation, prompting Zhu Zhuqing to intervene protectively.
• The two women trade insults, with Ning Rongrong mocking Zhu Zhuqing’s protectiveness and Zhu Zhuqing silently asserting that Fang Fan is hers.
• Zhu Zhuqing refuses Ning Rongrong’s invitation to visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, reinforcing her control over Fang Fan’s immediate plans.
• Xue Beng’s interest in Zhu Zhuqing culminates in his crude order to have her brought to his room, threatening the group’s peaceful arrival at the academy.

Chapter Summary: “You Dare Touch Me? I’m a Prince”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Prince Xue Beng arrogantly attempts to claim Zhu Zhuqing, ordering his lackeys to seize her and openly objectifying her.
• When Xue Beng reaches for Zhu Zhuqing’s chin, she dodges and immediately attacks, slashing his face with her Hell Spirit Cat claws.
• Enraged but still lecherous, Xue Beng orders two Soul Elders—a level-37 Money Tiger Soul Elder and a level-38 Giant Elephant Soul Elder—to capture and restrain her.
• Zhu Zhuqing uses her speed and agility to evade both opponents despite being only level 28. She avoids their combined attacks for several minutes, but her Soul Power gradually runs out.
• Fang Fan, initially appearing drunk and passive while supported by Ning Rongrong, becomes alert and tells Zhu Zhuqing to call for help when necessary.
• After Zhu Zhuqing is wounded and finally asks for assistance, Fang Fan attacks with his Seven-Colored Light Sword.
• In a single effortless strike, he pierces both Soul Elders, impaling them together, then severs the Money Tiger Soul Elder’s hand and the Giant Elephant Soul Elder’s arm when the teachers ask him to stop.
• Xue Beng realizes Fang Fan is far more powerful than he expected. He attempts to threaten Fang Fan with his royal status and the influence of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
• When Xue Beng tries to leave and seek reinforcements, Fang Fan stops him. The academy’s teachers intervene, trying to persuade Fang Fan not to escalate the situation or jeopardize his future at the academy.

Character Developments

• Zhu Zhuqing: Demonstrates courage, combat intelligence, and exceptional agility. Rather than submit to Xue Beng, she immediately retaliates and survives against two significantly stronger Soul Elders. Her eventual request for Fang Fan’s help shows both her limits and her growing trust in him.
• Fang Fan: Reveals that his apparent drunkenness and laziness conceal tremendous power and composure. He responds to Zhu Zhuqing’s request without hesitation and decisively cripples the two Soul Elders. His calm attitude contrasts sharply with the violence of his actions.
• Xue Beng: Is exposed as arrogant, entitled, lustful, and dependent on his royal status. Even after being injured, he continues to treat Zhu Zhuqing as property. Once Fang Fan demonstrates his strength, Xue Beng’s confidence turns into fear and bluster.
• Ning Rongrong: Supports Fang Fan physically and teasingly offers her shoulder, creating a lighthearted contrast to the surrounding conflict.
• The Teachers: Though initially shocked by Xue Beng’s behavior, they prioritize protecting the prince and the academy’s reputation. Their attempts to excuse his actions reveal their fear of royal authority.

Significant Themes

• Power versus status: Xue Beng believes his title makes him untouchable, but Fang Fan’s overwhelming strength renders his royal authority ineffective.
• Resistance to oppression: Zhu Zhuqing refuses to be treated as an object and physically defends herself against both Xue Beng and his guards.
• Hidden strength: Fang Fan’s sleepy, drunken appearance conceals his extraordinary abilities, emphasizing the danger of judging someone by appearances.
• Institutional corruption and favoritism: The teachers minimize Xue Beng’s harassment because he is a prince, showing how power protects abusive behavior.
• Limits and consequences: Zhu Zhuqing’s prolonged defense highlights her skill, but also the danger of fighting stronger opponents. Fang Fan’s intervention shifts the balance completely and imposes consequences on Xue Beng’s enforcers.

Character Interactions

• Xue Beng harasses and attempts to claim Zhu Zhuqing, while she responds with immediate physical resistance.
• Zhu Zhuqing fights defensively against the two Soul Elders, relying on evasion rather than brute force.
• Fang Fan and Zhu Zhuqing communicate briefly but effectively; he waits until she asks for help, then acts decisively.
• Ning Rongrong jokes with and supports Fang Fan during the confrontation.
• Fang Fan humiliates Xue Beng by effortlessly defeating his protectors and refusing to be intimidated by his threats.
• The teachers attempt to mediate, defending Xue Beng’s position and warning Fang Fan against damaging his relationship with the academy.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xue Beng, believing Zhu Zhuqing to be an unsupported commoner and Fang Fan to be merely a drunken Soul Master, attempts to assert his authority over Zhu Zhuqing after she scratches his face.
• Ning Rongrong intervenes, revealing that Fang Fan is an extraordinary genius, even more talented than herself. Xue Beng dismisses the warning and threatens Fang Fan, confident that his status as a Heaven Dou prince protects him.
• Fang Fan responds by firing Seven-Colored Light Swords, piercing and pinning Xue Beng’s hands to a stone wall. When Xue Beng continues threatening him, Fang Fan nails both of his feet as well, leaving him suspended and bleeding.
• A level-53 Soul King teacher attempts to protect Xue Beng and attacks Fang Fan with enhanced strength and a giant sword. Fang Fan effortlessly avoids the attack by merging with a light sword, then kicks the teacher through the railing and severely injures him.
• Fang Fan hands Xue Beng over to Zhu Zhuqing, implying that she may decide how to deal with him.
• One attendant escapes and reports the incident to Prince Xue Xing, who summons Dugu Bo, the academy’s level-92 Poison Douluo, before rushing to the academy.
• At the same time, Emperor Xue Ye is secretly inspecting the academy. A teacher interrupts the Education Committee meeting to report that Xue Beng has been attacked and nailed to a wall.

Character Developments

• Fang Fan: His seemingly drunken and careless demeanor is exposed as a façade masking overwhelming combat ability. He remains calm and unconcerned by Xue Beng’s royal status, defeating a Soul King without releasing Soul Rings or visibly using a conventional martial soul.
• Zhu Zhuqing: Her refusal to submit to Xue Beng’s harassment demonstrates her independence and fierce temperament. Fang Fan’s decision to leave Xue Beng to her suggests growing trust and support between them.
• Ning Rongrong: She openly defends Fang Fan and confidently identifies him as an even greater genius than herself, showing loyalty and pride in his abilities.
• Xue Beng: His arrogance and belief in imperial privilege collapse into terror and helplessness once Fang Fan attacks him. His threats prove useless against an opponent who does not fear the imperial family.
• The teachers: Their initial confidence in controlling the situation is shattered. One is badly injured after underestimating Fang Fan, while the other becomes hesitant and fearful.
• Prince Xue Xing and Emperor Xue Ye: Their involvement escalates the incident from a local academy dispute into a matter of imperial importance. Xue Xing reacts with anger and urgency, while Xue Ye is confronted with the crisis during his inspection.

Significant Themes

• Power versus status: Xue Beng assumes royal authority guarantees his safety, but Fang Fan demonstrates that overwhelming strength can render social rank meaningless.
• Arrogance and consequences: Xue Beng’s abuse of privilege leads directly to his brutal humiliation and injury.
• Hidden strength: Fang Fan’s drunken appearance conceals extraordinary speed, precision, and power.
• Protection and loyalty: Ning Rongrong defends Fang Fan, while Fang Fan protects Zhu Zhuqing from Xue Beng’s predatory behavior.
• Escalation of conflict: A personal confrontation rapidly expands into a political crisis involving the academy, the imperial family, and a powerful Titled Douluo.

Character Interactions

• Xue Beng antagonizes Zhu Zhuqing and threatens Fang Fan, while Ning Rongrong challenges his assumptions about Fang Fan’s identity and strength.
• Fang Fan answers Xue Beng’s verbal threats with increasingly severe attacks, refusing to acknowledge the prince’s authority.
• A teacher attempts to defend Xue Beng and confront Fang Fan but is decisively defeated.
• Fang Fan then turns responsibility for Xue Beng over to Zhu Zhuqing, reinforcing their alliance.
• The fleeing attendant alerts Prince Xue Xing, whose response brings Dugu Bo into the conflict and places the incident before Emperor Xue Ye and the academy’s leadership.

Chapter Summary: “Poison Douluo Arrives in Person, Shadow Kill”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Crown Prince Xue Qinghe learns that his younger brother, Xue Beng, was defeated and nailed to the wall by the freshman Fang Fan after attempting to abduct Zhu Zhuqing. Rather than being angry, Xue Qinghe becomes intrigued by Fang Fan’s courage and strength.
• Emperor Xue Ye, enraged by the humiliation of a royal prince, orders Fang Fan’s execution. The academy’s three chief education committee members accompany him to investigate, with Meng Shenji privately interested in whether Fang Fan is a true genius.
• While teachers attempt to restrain him, Fang Fan effortlessly cuts through a Soul King’s poisonous vines using his Seven-Colored Light Swords. He deliberately pins Xue Beng’s final uninjured foot to the wall, creating a perfectly symmetrical spread-eagle arrangement.
• Xue Beng threatens Fang Fan and vows to harm Zhu Zhuqing. His insults and intentions trigger Fang Fan’s murderous resolve.
• Fang Fan activates his newly acquired dark ability, Shadow Power, and uses Shadow Kill. A black sword vanishes into the shadows, preparing to strike Xue Beng through his own shadow.
• Poison Douluo Dugu Bo arrives with Prince Xue Xing and destroys the apparent Shadow Kill with a concentrated blast of poison energy. Dugu Bo’s Titled Douluo pressure overwhelms the area, but Fang Fan withstands it with his Heaven-Slaying Sword Intent and shields Zhu Zhuqing.
• The first Shadow Kill is revealed to have been only a decoy. A second sword emerges silently from another shadow, deceiving even Dugu Bo’s senses.
• The hidden sword pierces Xue Beng through the chest, killing him despite the arrival of his powerful uncle and a Titled Douluo.

Character Developments

• Fang Fan demonstrates overwhelming combat ability, tactical creativity, and fearlessness toward the imperial family. His obsessive need for symmetry is humorously revealed when he pins Xue Beng’s last free foot.
• Fang Fan’s attitude becomes genuinely lethal when Xue Beng threatens to harm Zhu Zhuqing. His use of Shadow Kill shows that he is not merely defending himself but is willing to assassinate an enemy.
• Zhu Zhuqing remains outwardly cold and composed, but Fang Fan’s unusual behavior and his protection of her cause a rare emotional reaction.
• Xue Beng is exposed as cruel, entitled, and incapable of understanding the danger he is in. His royal status gives him confidence, but his arrogance ultimately causes his death.
• Xue Qinghe views Fang Fan with curiosity and possible approval, recognizing that the young man may possess exceptional strength and hidden backing.
• Xue Ye reacts as a furious emperor and father, prioritizing royal dignity and revenge.
• Dugu Bo arrives as an immensely powerful protector, but even his senses are fooled by Fang Fan’s layered Shadow Kill technique.
• Xue Xing is fiercely loyal to Xue Beng and immediately demands Fang Fan’s death, but he is unable to prevent the assassination.

Significant Themes

• Power versus authority: Fang Fan’s strength allows him to challenge princes, teachers, and even withstand a Titled Douluo’s pressure, showing that royal status does not guarantee control.
• Arrogance and consequences: Xue Beng’s belief that his identity protects him leads directly to his death.
• Hidden strength and deception: Shadow Kill emphasizes that the most dangerous attack is not always the visible one. Fang Fan’s decoy successfully distracts Dugu Bo from the true strike.
• Protection and loyalty: Fang Fan positions himself between Zhu Zhuqing and the poisonous pressure, reinforcing his role as her protector.
• Justice versus political power: Although the imperial family demands punishment for the injury to Xue Beng, the prince’s own attempted assault and threats reveal the corruption behind the royal authority.
• Calmness under overwhelming pressure: Fang Fan remains composed even before a level-ninety-one Poison Douluo, highlighting his confidence and exceptional willpower.

Important Character Interactions

• Xue Qinghe and the secret report: Xue Qinghe reacts to Fang Fan’s actions with amusement and interest rather than immediate condemnation.
• Xue Ye and the academy officials: The emperor demands Fang Fan’s execution, while Meng Shenji remains more analytical and considers protecting a potentially brilliant student.
• Fang Fan and Xue Beng: Their confrontation escalates from humiliation to murder after Xue Beng threatens Zhu Zhuqing.
• Fang Fan and Zhu Zhuqing: Fang Fan protects her from both the teachers and Dugu Bo’s poisonous aura; Zhu Zhuqing notices his strange but deliberate sense of symmetry.
• Fang Fan and Dugu Bo: Their brief clash is a contest between Dugu Bo’s overwhelming poison power and Fang Fan’s sword intent and deceptive shadow technique. Fang Fan ultimately kills Xue Beng under Dugu Bo’s protection, turning the confrontation into a direct challenge to the imperial family.

Chapter Summary:

Xue Xing’s Madness, VS Poison Douluo

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Fan kills Xue Beng at Heaven Dou Royal Academy by pinning him to a wall with four light swords. His actions openly challenge royal authority, especially because they occur in front of Xue Xing and Poison Douluo.
• Xue Xing removes the swords himself, but Xue Beng dies in his arms. Having raised Xue Beng like a son, Xue Xing is devastated and consumed by grief.
• Xue Xing immediately orders Fang Fan and his entire family to be exterminated, abandoning his usual political restraint.
• Ning Rongrong attempts to intervene, likely intending to warn Xue Xing about the powerful figure supporting Fang Fan, but Xue Xing angrily dismisses her.
• Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo, attacks Fang Fan with poisonous light. Fang Fan’s invisible defensive barrier completely neutralizes the attack.
• Dugu Bo escalates by releasing his nine soul rings and using his Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor martial soul. His poison spreads across the academy, withering plants and incapacitating nearby students and teachers.
• Fang Fan evades the Serpent Emperor’s attack by transforming into sword light. When Dugu Bo predicts his movement and launches his sixth soul skill, Fang Fan counters with Azure Lotus Sword Song.
• Fang Fan’s sword technique forms a massive azure lotus that protects both himself and Zhu Zhuqing. It destroys Dugu Bo’s poisonous claw in a massive collision.
• Fang Fan suffers only minor injuries—a bleeding mouth and numb sword hand—despite being only a Level 54 Soul King facing the sixth soul skill of a Level 91 Titled Douluo.

Character Developments

• Fang Fan: Reveals extraordinary composure, tactical intelligence, and courage. He remains calm after killing Xue Beng and while facing Dugu Bo’s overwhelming pressure. His defensive ability and sword techniques demonstrate that his true combat power far exceeds his apparent cultivation level.
• Xue Xing: Changes from a controlled and politically calculating royal figure into a grief-stricken man driven entirely by vengeance. His deep affection for Xue Beng is emphasized by his parental treatment of him and his emotional reaction to his death.
• Xue Beng: Dies after his earlier attempt to abduct and humiliate Zhu Zhuqing. His final words are incomplete, but even at death he remains focused on hatred and threats toward Fang Fan and Zhu Zhuqing.
• Dugu Bo: Initially astonished by Fang Fan’s deceptive movement and fearless attitude, he becomes increasingly serious after his poison is neutralized. He recognizes Fang Fan as an unusual and dangerous opponent.
• Zhu Zhuqing: Remains beside Fang Fan and is protected by him during Dugu Bo’s attack, reinforcing their connection and Fang Fan’s willingness to defend her.
• Ning Rongrong: Attempts to prevent the conflict, but Xue Xing’s rage causes him to reject her intervention.

Significant Themes

• Vengeance versus reason: Xue Xing’s grief destroys his political judgment, showing how personal loss can overwhelm discipline and restraint.
• Royal authority challenged: Fang Fan’s killing of Xue Beng in a royal academy represents open defiance of the empire and its laws.
• Hidden strength and underestimated power: Fang Fan appears to be only a Soul King, yet he withstands an attack from a Titled Douluo, suggesting that conventional measurements cannot define his abilities.
• Protection and loyalty: Fang Fan’s defense of Zhu Zhuqing contrasts with Xue Beng’s attempted coercion and humiliation of her.
• Fearlessness under pressure: Fang Fan’s calm demeanor unsettles even Dugu Bo, portraying composure as a form of strength.
• The destructive nature of power: Dugu Bo’s poison devastates the academy grounds and endangers bystanders, highlighting the danger posed by high-level soul masters.

Character Interactions

• Fang Fan and Xue Beng: Their conflict culminates in Xue Beng’s death after his attempted assault on Zhu Zhuqing and continued threats against Fang Fan.
• Fang Fan and Xue Xing: Xue Xing sees Fang Fan solely as the murderer of his beloved nephew and calls for his execution and the destruction of his entire family. Fang Fan responds without fear or remorse.
• Fang Fan and Dugu Bo: Their battle becomes the chapter’s central confrontation. Dugu Bo’s poison and prediction-based tactics are countered by Fang Fan’s barriers, sword-light movement, and Azure Lotus Sword Song.
• Fang Fan and Zhu Zhuqing: Fang Fan consistently places himself between Zhu Zhuqing and danger, ultimately shielding her within the azure lotus.
• Xue Xing and Dugu Bo: Xue Xing commands Dugu Bo to stop holding back, using the Poison Douluo as the instrument of his revenge.
• Ning Rongrong and Xue Xing: Her attempt to mediate fails when Xue Xing, blinded by anger, orders her to remain uninvolved.

Chapter Summary: Du Busi Descends

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Fan survives Dugu Bo’s sixth soul skill, astonishing the Poison Douluo because the Jade Phosphorous Serpent’s poison cannot penetrate Fang Fan’s powerful sword-intent barrier.
• Fang Fan reveals that he deliberately fought Dugu Bo to hone his swordsmanship against a powerful opponent. Once he considers the training complete, he calls on his hidden protector, Du Busi, to intervene.
• Pressured by Prince Xue Xing’s insults and unwilling to lose face, Dugu Bo uses his seventh soul skill, Martial Soul Avatar, transforming into a gigantic Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor.
• Dugu Bo follows with his eighth soul skill, Time Freeze, successfully interrupting Fang Fan’s unity of man and sword for the first time.
• Before Dugu Bo can capitalize on the opening, Du Busi descends. His overwhelming aura shatters the Time Freeze domain and forces both Dugu Bo and Prince Xue Xing to their knees.
• Du Busi identifies himself as the master of the Body Sect and boasts that no poison can affect him. He then sends Dugu Bo flying with a single ordinary slap, smashing him through a stone wall.
• After demonstrating his overwhelming strength, Du Busi respectfully asks Fang Fan how the remaining enemies should be handled.
• Fang Fan confronts the two academy teachers, reminding them of their earlier claim that strength determines authority. Humiliated, they are unable to respond.
• Fang Fan then turns to Prince Xue Xing, who had threatened to kill him and exterminate his clan. Terrified after witnessing Du Busi’s power, Xue Xing desperately claims that his threats were only a joke.

Character Developments

• Fang Fan: Demonstrates extraordinary defensive power and swordsmanship by enduring Dugu Bo’s attack despite being only a level-fifty-four Soul King. He is calm, strategically minded, and confident enough to use a Titled Douluo as a training partner. His authority is reinforced by Du Busi’s respectful obedience.
• Dugu Bo: His pride and reputation suffer a severe blow. Although he escalates to his strongest abilities, Fang Fan withstands him, and Du Busi later overwhelms him with effortless physical strength.
• Du Busi: Makes a dramatic entrance as an exceptionally powerful Peak Douluo and Fang Fan’s loyal subordinate. His controlled aura protects Fang Fan’s group while crushing only the hostile targets, highlighting his precision as well as his strength.
• Prince Xue Xing: Changes from arrogant and threatening to terrified and submissive. His confidence collapses once he realizes Fang Fan is backed by someone vastly stronger than Dugu Bo.
• The two teachers: Their belief that status and power justify suppressing the weak is exposed as hypocrisy. When the situation reverses, they are frightened and silenced.
• Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong: Remain unharmed and composed within Du Busi’s pressure, emphasizing the latter’s precise control and their protected position beside Fang Fan.

Significant Themes

• Power determines authority: The chapter reverses the teachers’ earlier argument that the strong may dominate the weak, forcing them to face that principle themselves.
• Arrogance and humiliation: Dugu Bo and Prince Xue Xing begin with confidence but are publicly defeated and reduced to helplessness.
• Hidden strength: Fang Fan’s apparent vulnerability conceals both extraordinary personal ability and the protection of an overwhelmingly powerful ally.
• Respect earned through power: Du Busi’s respectful treatment of Fang Fan contrasts sharply with the contempt shown by Fang Fan’s enemies, establishing Fang Fan’s elevated status.
• Retribution: The threats and insults directed at Fang Fan are returned through the enemies’ sudden loss of control, dignity, and authority.

Important Character Interactions

• Fang Fan and Dugu Bo: Their battle begins as a contest, but Fang Fan treats it as sword training rather than a desperate struggle.
• Fang Fan and Du Busi: Fang Fan commands Du Busi casually, while Du Busi addresses him as “Master” and awaits his judgment, showing their clear hierarchy.
• Du Busi and Dugu Bo: Du Busi mocks Dugu Bo’s poison and defeats him with a single physical attack, establishing an overwhelming disparity in strength.
• Fang Fan and the teachers: Fang Fan quotes their own philosophy back at them, exposing their cowardice when faced with superior force.
• Fang Fan and Prince Xue Xing: Fang Fan calmly reminds the prince of his murderous threats, while Xue Xing abandons his arrogance and begs implicitly for mercy by calling them a joke.

Chapter Summary: “Everyone Begged for Mercy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Fan confronts Prince Xue Xing after the prince threatened to exterminate his clan for failing to obtain Zhu Zhuqing.
• He condemns the Heaven Dou royal family’s arrogance, pointing out that they use their power to seize women and kill those who resist.
• Fang Fan threatens to have Zhu Zhuqing kill both Prince Xue Xing and Dugu Bo, making it clear that their status cannot protect them.
• Terrified, Prince Xue Xing abandons his arrogance and repeatedly kowtows, begging Fang Fan to spare him.
• Dugu Bo, who had attacked Fang Fan on Xue Xing’s behalf, also kneels and apologizes. He claims he acted only to repay Xue Xing’s favor, but Fang Fan dismisses the excuse and forces him to acknowledge his wrongdoing.
• Du Busi’s overwhelming presence prevents Dugu Bo from resisting, leaving the powerful Titled Douluo genuinely afraid for his life.
• Xue Ye, accompanied by the three chief education committee members, arrives and discovers both Prince Xue Xing and Dugu Bo kneeling before Fang Fan. He also notices Du Busi and immediately realizes that the green-robed elder possesses strength far beyond Dugu Bo’s.

Character Developments

• Fang Fan demonstrates absolute confidence and dominance. Despite his young age, he calmly humiliates a prince and a Titled Douluo, treating their threats as ridiculous.
• Zhu Zhuqing becomes even more devoted to Fang Fan. She recognizes that his strength has repeatedly saved her from death, abuse, and forced marriage. When he suggests that she kill the prince and Dugu Bo, she is briefly concerned about the political consequences but quickly decides to follow him without hesitation.
• Zhu Zhuqing also reveals rare emotional vulnerability, wondering whether her beauty has caused Fang Fan too much trouble. Fang Fan reassures her flirtatiously, causing her to blush.
• Ning Rongrong grows jealous of Zhu Zhuqing’s closeness to Fang Fan. Her admiration and romantic interest in him become increasingly obvious, and she resolves that she will not give up on someone she has chosen.
• Prince Xue Xing is reduced from an arrogant royal aggressor to a terrified supplicant, exposing his cowardice once his power and authority prove useless.
• Dugu Bo suffers a similar reversal. Though a powerful Titled Douluo, he is completely intimidated by Du Busi and desperately begs for his life.
• Xue Ye enters as a serious political authority but is immediately confronted with a situation far beyond ordinary royal control. His attention focuses on Du Busi’s frightening strength.

Significant Themes

• The power hierarchy of the world: The chapter emphasizes that strength determines status. Those who abuse the weak may quickly become helpless when confronted by someone stronger.
• Hypocrisy and political arrogance: Fang Fan exposes the royal family’s double standard—demanding obedience and threatening extermination while portraying themselves as legitimate authorities.
• Protection and loyalty: Zhu Zhuqing’s loyalty to Fang Fan comes from his repeated willingness to protect her and accept responsibility for the consequences.
• Fear versus dignity: Both Xue Xing and Dugu Bo discard their pride and dignity when faced with death, showing how quickly arrogance collapses under genuine danger.
• Romantic rivalry: Fang Fan’s closeness with Zhu Zhuqing intensifies Ning Rongrong’s jealousy and establishes a growing emotional conflict between the two women.

Character Interactions

• Fang Fan verbally dominates Prince Xue Xing, forcing him to beg for mercy.
• Zhu Zhuqing publicly aligns herself with Fang Fan and is prepared to obey his command even if it means opposing the entire Heaven Dou Empire.
• Fang Fan and Zhu Zhuqing share a tender, flirtatious exchange that embarrasses her and deepens their apparent bond.
• Ning Rongrong watches their interaction with envy, strengthening her determination to pursue Fang Fan.
• Fang Fan confronts Dugu Bo directly, rejecting his justification and forcing him to admit fault.
• Xue Ye and the education chiefs arrive as witnesses to the aftermath, setting up a tense confrontation between the Heaven Dou royal family and Fang Fan’s group.

Chapter Summary: “Xue Beng Was Killed by Me. So What?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Emperor Xue Ye arrives at Heaven Dou Royal Academy and finds his son, Fourth Prince Xue Beng, dead. Xue Beng’s body is covered in sword wounds and claw marks, with a fatal hole through his chest.
• Overwhelmed by grief and rage, Xue Ye embraces the body and confirms that Xue Beng has no pulse or breath.
• Xue Xing and Dugu Bo are still kneeling and begging for mercy, while Fang Fan remains in control of the situation.
• Xue Ye initially turns his fury toward Fang Fan, but Du Busi’s overwhelming presence stops him. Du Busi’s power appears great enough to kill everyone present, including Xue Ye and the three chief education board members.
• Xue Ye realizes that Xue Beng provoked the conflict by abducting a civilian girl, threatening Fang Fan and his companions, and promising to destroy their family. Fang Fan had only retaliated.
• Suppressing his grief and humiliation, Xue Ye chooses survival and political restraint rather than revenge.
• Fang Fan openly declares, “I killed Xue Beng. So what?” and casually drinks wine fed to him by Zhu Zhuqing.
• When Xue Ye asks what should happen next, Fang Fan leaves the decision regarding Xue Xing and Dugu Bo to Zhu Zhuqing, then falls asleep against her shoulder while the defeated nobles remain kneeling.
• The chapter ends with the onlookers shocked by Xue Ye’s submission and by Fang Fan’s complete disregard for the imperial family’s authority.

Character Developments

• Xue Ye: His initial devastation and fury reveal his love for Xue Beng, but he ultimately demonstrates political pragmatism and strong self-control. He swallows his hatred after recognizing Du Busi’s overwhelming strength and the legitimacy of Fang Fan’s retaliation.
• Fang Fan: He becomes even more dominant and unpredictable. Despite killing a prince, he remains relaxed, arrogant, and unconcerned with consequences. His casual drinking and sleeping in front of the emperor emphasize his absolute confidence.
• Zhu Zhuqing: She acts as Fang Fan’s close attendant and supports him by feeding him wine. She is also unexpectedly given authority over the fate of Xue Xing and Dugu Bo, though she admits she has no experience making such decisions.
• Du Busi: His silent intimidation controls the entire confrontation. His mere gaze prevents Xue Ye from taking revenge and establishes him as a terrifying, possibly Peak Douluo-level figure.
• Dugu Bo and Xue Xing: Both are reduced from powerful and politically influential figures to helpless prisoners begging for mercy.
• Ning Rongrong: She is shocked by Xue Ye’s submission and gains a clearer understanding of why her father, Ning Fengzhi, could serve as Xue Qinghe’s teacher: the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect possesses powerful guardians in Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo.

Significant Themes

• Power over authority: Although Xue Ye is the emperor, Du Busi’s superior strength renders imperial status meaningless.
• Political survival versus personal revenge: Xue Ye must choose between avenging his son and protecting the empire and everyone present.
• Consequences of arrogance and abuse: Xue Beng’s death results from his attempt to abduct and threaten civilians, showing how unchecked privilege can provoke catastrophe.
• Humiliation and submission: The imperial family’s inability to retaliate highlights the vulnerability of political power when unsupported by greater martial strength.
• Dominance and composure: Fang Fan’s calm behavior contrasts sharply with Xue Ye’s grief, reinforcing Fang Fan’s control over the situation.

Important Character Interactions

• Xue Ye and Xue Beng: The emperor’s emotional reaction reveals the depth of his paternal grief.
• Xue Ye and Fang Fan: Xue Ye confronts Fang Fan emotionally but is forced to act deferentially after assessing Du Busi’s strength. Fang Fan openly mocks the emperor’s authority by treating the killing as insignificant.
• Fang Fan and Du Busi: Du Busi’s presence protects Fang Fan without requiring direct action, demonstrating their power dynamic and mutual confidence.
• Fang Fan and Zhu Zhuqing: She feeds him wine, and he comfortably rests on her shoulder. He also entrusts her with deciding the fate of the defeated prisoners, showing intimacy and trust.
• Xue Xing and Dugu Bo: Their kneeling and pleas for mercy emphasize their complete defeat.
• Ning Rongrong and the imperial family: Her observations lead her to reassess Xue Ye and better understand the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect’s political influence.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Fan’s overwhelming power forces Emperor Xue Ye to submit after Xue Beng’s death and Prince Xue Xing’s defiance.
• At Zhu Zhuqing’s suggestion, Xue Xing is stripped of his princely title and reduced to a commoner. When he protests, Du Busi violently smashes his face into the ground, and Xue Ye formally announces the punishment.
• Dugu Bo is removed from his position as a consecrated elder of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, though he retains his soul bones and medicinal garden.
• Fang Fan, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong officially join Heaven Dou Royal Academy as core students and receive the academy’s highest level of treatment.
• Xue Ye orders Xue Beng’s corpse returned to the palace for burial and expels Xue Xing from the princely residence.
• Fang Fan, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong are given luxurious dormitory suites. Zhu Zhuqing supports the drunken, half-conscious Fang Fan, while Ning Rongrong follows them with noticeable emotional tension.
• The next morning, the Heaven Dou Royal Team reacts angrily to the trio’s privileged entry into the first team without undergoing the usual assessments.
• Captain Yu Tianheng and Vice-Captain Dugu Yan agree that the newcomers must prove their strength. If they are weak or merely connected, they will be expelled from the first team.

Character Developments

• Fang Fan: Remains detached, arrogant, and unconcerned with authority. He treats Xue Xing as a discarded chess piece and decides to join the academy mainly for its cultivation resources and the chance to encounter Qian Renxue.
• Zhu Zhuqing: Demonstrates increasing confidence and authority. She directly recommends stripping Xue Xing of his title and speaks on Fang Fan’s behalf, showing how closely aligned she has become with him.
• Emperor Xue Ye: Publicly adopts a stern, impartial attitude while secretly acting under Du Busi’s intimidation. He suppresses his grief and humiliation to protect the royal family and avoid further disaster.
• Prince Xue Xing: Falls from a powerful royal position to complete anonymity. His arrogance collapses into helplessness after Fang Fan’s group destroys his political standing.
• Dugu Bo: Escapes with his life and most of his possessions intact but is terrified of Fang Fan’s casual threat to visit him again. His relief quickly turns into panic, and he flees the scene.
• Ning Rongrong: Continues to follow Fang Fan and Zhu Zhuqing, and her reaction to their closeness suggests jealousy or growing romantic interest.
• Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan: Establish themselves as defenders of the team’s standards. Though suspicious of the newcomers’ connections, they are willing to judge them by their actual abilities rather than reject them outright.

Significant Themes

• Power over political authority: Fang Fan and Du Busi demonstrate that overwhelming strength can force even the emperor to abandon royal dignity and obey.
• Humiliation and survival: Xue Ye sacrifices his brother’s status and conceals his own anger to preserve the empire and avoid provoking stronger enemies.
• The consequences of dependence on connections: The trio’s direct admission into the first team creates resentment because it bypasses the academy’s competitive system.
• Strength as the ultimate measure: The chapter contrasts social privilege with genuine ability, setting up the newcomers’ inevitable evaluation by the Royal Team.
• Loss of status and identity: Xue Xing’s reduction from prince to commoner shows how quickly authority disappears when political support and power are removed.

Character Interactions

• Zhu Zhuqing proposes Xue Xing’s punishment, and Fang Fan silently supports her decision.
• Du Busi enforces Fang Fan and Zhu Zhuqing’s authority by attacking Xue Xing whenever he attempts to resist.
• Xue Ye performs loyalty and impartiality while privately enduring grief over Xue Beng and humiliation at being forced to punish his brother.
• Fang Fan’s brief warning causes Dugu Bo to flee in terror.
• Zhu Zhuqing cares for Fang Fan while he is drunk, and Ning Rongrong’s reaction hints at jealousy over their intimacy.
• Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan represent the first team’s opposition, preparing to test whether Fang Fan, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong truly deserve their privileged positions.

Chapter Summary: Soul Skill Mutation, the Imperial Fighting Team’s Challenge

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Fan’s status changes dramatically after revealing the strength of his mysterious green-robed protector, who easily overwhelms Dugu Bo, a level-91 Titled Douluo. The Heaven Dou officials become wary of Fang Fan and conclude that he must not be provoked.
• The education committee investigates Fang Fan’s background but finds almost nothing beyond his enrollment record and his martial soul, the Seven-Colored Light Sword. His unknown origins, powerful protector, and unusual abilities lead them to view him as comparable to an entire super sect.
• Fang Fan’s abilities are further explained: he can merge with his light sword, teleport through it, and alter its attribute into a shadow-based form, making his attacks fast, unpredictable, and deadly.
• After sleeping, Fang Fan advances from Soul Power level 54 to 55, then uses accumulated drunkenness points to draw a system reward.
• His first and second Soul Rings each gain 2,000 years of age, becoming ten-thousand-year black rings. His Soul Power rises again to level 56.
• His first soul skill mutates and gains Autonomous Tracking, allowing the released Seven-Colored Light Sword to pursue targets without continuous control.
• Fang Fan shares a playful morning moment with Zhu Zhuqing. He pinches her cheek while she is asleep, prompting her to instinctively strike at him. She becomes embarrassed when she realizes what happened.
• At breakfast, Ning Rongrong notices Zhu Zhuqing’s improved cultivation and becomes jealous, believing Zhu Zhuqing’s progress is connected to sleeping in Fang Fan’s arms.
• Fang Fan, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong arrive at the Heaven Dou Royal Team’s training ground and are met with hostility from the existing members of the Imperial Fighting Team’s first squad.
• Yu Tianheng accuses Fang Fan and the others of using connections to join the team, insulting Fang Fan as a drunken weakling who relies on women.
• Zhu Zhuqing defends their right to remain, pointing out that the committee approved their admission.
• Dugu Yan challenges Fang Fan to defeat her in order to prove that he deserves to stay. The rest of the team eagerly supports the challenge and demands that he leave if he loses.

Character Developments

• Fang Fan: His mysterious background and overwhelming potential become even more significant. His Soul Power, Soul Rings, and soul skill all improve rapidly, reinforcing his image as an exceptional and dangerous genius. He remains relaxed and playful despite the hostility directed at him.
• Zhu Zhuqing: Her cultivation and aura improve, apparently through her close contact with Fang Fan. She shows increasing intimacy with him but retains her usual sharp reflexes and cold exterior. She also becomes the first to openly defend their position on the team.
• Ning Rongrong: Her admiration and jealousy toward Fang Fan grow stronger. She is frustrated by Zhu Zhuqing’s apparent advantages and begins considering how to gain Fang Fan’s attention or benefits for herself.
• Yu Tianheng: He is introduced as proud, judgmental, and protective of the team’s traditional hierarchy. He immediately looks down on Fang Fan and assumes that Fang Fan’s position comes from influence rather than strength.
• Dugu Yan: Confident in her own abilities, she takes responsibility for testing Fang Fan and turns the team’s resentment into a formal challenge.
• Heaven Dou officials: Meng Shenji and the other committee members become cautious and fearful of Fang Fan after witnessing the power of his protector. They choose not to investigate or antagonize him further.

Significant Themes

• Power hidden beneath obscurity: Fang Fan has no known background, yet his abilities and protector place him among the most formidable figures on the continent.
• Fear and political caution: The officials suppress their desire for justice over Xue Beng’s death because they fear the consequences of confronting Fang Fan’s faction.
• Rapid growth and extraordinary talent: Fang Fan’s sudden breakthroughs and soul-ring mutations emphasize his unnatural cultivation speed and the advantages granted by the system.
• Prejudice and merit: The Imperial Fighting Team judges Fang Fan before seeing his actual strength, assuming he is an arrogant beneficiary of connections.
• Jealousy and intimacy: Zhu Zhuqing’s growing closeness with Fang Fan fuels Ning Rongrong’s envy, adding romantic tension and rivalry among the characters.
• Challenges to established hierarchy: Fang Fan’s arrival disrupts the team’s existing power structure, forcing its members to decide whether to accept him or test him.

Character Interactions

• Fang Fan’s protector indirectly intimidates the Heaven Dou leadership, causing the committee to adopt a cautious, nonconfrontational attitude.
• Fang Fan and Zhu Zhuqing share an intimate but humorous morning exchange that reveals their increasing closeness.
• Ning Rongrong silently observes their relationship and reacts with jealousy during breakfast.
• Yu Tianheng openly insults Fang Fan, while Zhu Zhuqing immediately confronts him and defends Fang Fan and the committee’s decision.
• Dugu Yan converts the team’s hostility into a direct challenge: Fang Fan must defeat her to earn his place in the first squad. The chapter ends just as this confrontation is about to begin.

Chapter Summary: “One Move to Victory, the Captain Steps Up”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Fan, appearing drunk and resting on Zhu Zhuqing’s shoulder, challenges the entire Imperial Fighting Team to attack him together.
• Dugu Yan accepts the challenge, angered by his arrogance. She is a level 38 Soul Elder with the powerful Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul.
• Yu Tianheng and the other team members expect Dugu Yan to defeat Fang Fan easily, assuming his drunken appearance means he is weak.
• Dugu Yan uses her third Soul Skill, Jade Phosphorous Serpent Venom, launching a corrosive poisonous serpent at Fang Fan.
• Fang Fan responds with a single casual swing of his Seven-Colored Light Sword. His first Soul Ring is revealed to be an astonishing ten-thousand-year black Soul Ring.
• His soul skill creates a massive tracking sword and numerous smaller swords that attack Dugu Yan from every direction. The swords automatically adjust their trajectories, leaving her no means of escape.
• Fang Fan defeats Dugu Yan in one move without revealing his full strength or using any other Soul Rings.
• Dugu Yan admits defeat, apologizes for her arrogance, and acknowledges that Fang Fan is qualified to join the Imperial Fighting Team.
• The other members, who had mocked Fang Fan earlier, quickly follow her example and apologize.
• Yu Tianheng becomes increasingly uncomfortable as Fang Fan attracts the team’s attention and admiration. Unwilling to surrender his status as captain, he directly challenges Fang Fan to a match.

2. Character Developments

• Fang Fan: Demonstrates overwhelming combat ability, precise control, and complete confidence. His mysterious black first Soul Ring and autonomous tracking sword technique establish him as far more powerful than expected. Despite his dramatic victory, he remains calm and seemingly indifferent.
• Dugu Yan: Changes from openly disdainful and aggressive to respectful and convinced of Fang Fan’s strength. Her sincere apology shows humility and her willingness to acknowledge a superior opponent.
• Yu Tianheng: Initially confident in Dugu Yan’s victory, he is shocked by Fang Fan’s performance. His pride and concern over losing his central position in the team motivate him to challenge Fang Fan personally.
• Zhu Zhuqing: Continues supporting Fang Fan physically and remains cold toward the team members who had mocked him.
• Ning Rongrong: Takes satisfaction in seeing the arrogant team members humbled after Fang Fan’s victory.
• The Imperial Fighting Team: Their attitude shifts rapidly from ridicule and hostility to caution, respect, and submission.

3. Significant Themes

• Power versus appearances: Fang Fan looks incapable of fighting because of his drunken demeanor, but his actual strength vastly exceeds everyone’s expectations.
• Humility after defeat: Dugu Yan’s willingness to apologize demonstrates that true strength includes recognizing and respecting superior ability.
• Pride and status: Yu Tianheng’s challenge reveals his fear of losing authority and attention as captain.
• Reversal of social hierarchy: Fang Fan goes from being mocked as an outsider to becoming the most respected figure on the training ground after a single attack.
• Mystery and hidden strength: Fang Fan’s unknown Soul Power level, unexplained black first Soul Ring, and unusual tracking ability deepen the mystery surrounding him.

4. Character Interactions

• Fang Fan taunts the team by inviting everyone to attack him, then allows Dugu Yan the first move.
• Dugu Yan attacks him with poison, but Fang Fan effortlessly counters and traps her with a storm of tracking swords.
• After losing, Dugu Yan formally apologizes and recognizes Fang Fan’s qualifications.
• Zhu Zhuqing supports Fang Fan and silently rejects the team’s earlier hostility.
• Ning Rongrong enjoys watching the team members lose their arrogance.
• Yu Tianheng, threatened by Fang Fan’s sudden influence, steps forward and challenges him directly, setting up the next confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Yu Tianheng Asked for a Beating”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dugu Yan warns Yu Tianheng not to challenge Fang Fan after witnessing Fang Fan effortlessly defeat her with a single sword technique. She recognizes that the gap between them is overwhelming, not merely a matter of skill or strength.
• Yu Tianheng interprets her warning as a challenge to his pride. Determined to defend Dugu Yan, Imperial Fighting Team One, and Heaven Dou Royal Academy, he insists on fighting despite the obvious danger.
• His teammates rally behind him, shouting encouragement and treating him as the embodiment of the team’s honor. Dugu Yan ultimately stops trying to dissuade him, realizing he must experience the difference in strength for himself.
• Ning Rongrong criticizes the arrogance of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan, arguing that its reputation comes largely from its collective power rather than unquestionable individual superiority. Zhu Zhuqing agrees with her assessment.
• Yu Tianheng releases his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul and all three of his Soul Rings, displaying the formidable power of a rank-thirty-nine Battle Soul Elder.
• He attacks Fang Fan with his first Soul Skill, Thunderclap Dragon Claw, but Fang Fan responds without releasing any Soul Rings. He enlarges his Seven-Colored Light Sword into a gigantic blade and brings it down in one overwhelming strike.
• Fang Fan’s sword completely destroys Yu Tianheng’s attack and defensive lightning, sending him flying more than ten meters. Qin Ming intervenes to prevent serious injury, but Yu Tianheng is still badly shaken and left nearly unable to fight.
• The defeat confirms Dugu Yan’s warning: Yu Tianheng is decisively outmatched and is forced to confront the limits of his confidence and pride.
• Impressed by Fang Fan’s strength and potential, Qin Ming asks to take him as a disciple. Before Fang Fan can respond, Ning Rongrong dismisses the idea, claiming Qin Ming is not qualified to be his master.

Character Developments

• Yu Tianheng: His sense of duty and loyalty is genuine, but his pride and overconfidence lead him to ignore Dugu Yan’s firsthand warning. His instant defeat humbles him and demonstrates that passion and reputation cannot replace actual strength.
• Dugu Yan: She shows clear concern for Yu Tianheng and speaks honestly despite knowing he may resent her words. Her judgment is practical and based on direct experience rather than team pride.
• Fang Fan: He remains relaxed, lazy, and seemingly intoxicated throughout the confrontation. His casual attitude contrasts sharply with his overwhelming power, reinforcing his mysterious and superior status.
• Qin Ming: He recognizes Fang Fan’s extraordinary talent immediately. Rather than reacting with jealousy or suspicion, he responds with admiration and hopes to guide Fang Fan as a teacher.
• Ning Rongrong: She becomes more openly critical of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan and displays strong confidence in her own sect’s perspective. Her declaration that Qin Ming is unqualified suggests she regards Fang Fan as someone far beyond ordinary teachers or disciples.
• Zhu Zhuqing: She supports Ning Rongrong’s judgment, showing that she shares her skepticism toward Yu Tianheng’s arrogance and the clan’s reputation.

Significant Themes

• Pride versus reality: Yu Tianheng’s conviction that he must defend his team cannot overcome the enormous difference in cultivation and technique.
• The limits of reputation: The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon’s prestigious status does not guarantee victory in an individual battle.
• True strength versus spectacle: Yu Tianheng’s dramatic martial-soul release and powerful Soul Skill are completely overwhelmed by Fang Fan’s effortless sword technique.
• Humility through defeat: Yu Tianheng’s loss serves as a painful but necessary lesson, forcing him to recognize the gap between his self-image and his actual abilities.
• Talent and mentorship: Qin Ming’s request to become Fang Fan’s master emphasizes how rare Fang Fan’s potential is, while Ning Rongrong’s rejection suggests that Fang Fan may already stand above conventional systems of instruction.

Character Interactions

• Dugu Yan attempts to protect Yu Tianheng by warning him against fighting Fang Fan, but he interprets her concern as an underestimation of his resolve.
• Yu Tianheng rallies the Imperial Fighting Team through an impassioned speech, temporarily transforming his personal challenge into a matter of collective honor.
• Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing discuss the relative strength of major martial souls and sects, revealing their shared criticism of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan.
• Fang Fan taunts Yu Tianheng by casually agreeing to fight, then defeats him with almost no effort.
• Qin Ming saves Yu Tianheng from the full impact of Fang Fan’s attack and later approaches Fang Fan with respect, asking to become his master.
• Ning Rongrong immediately interrupts and declares Qin Ming unqualified, reinforcing her confidence in Fang Fan’s exceptional status.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Ming, a Level 61 Soul Emperor and exceptionally talented teacher, offers to take Fang Fan as his disciple after witnessing his overwhelming abilities.
• The Imperial Fighting Team members defend Qin Ming, insisting that becoming his disciple would be a great honor for Fang Fan.
• Fang Fan ignores the argument entirely, choosing instead to drink wine while resting against Zhu Zhuqing.
• Ning Rongrong bluntly rejects Qin Ming’s claim, stating that even her grandfather, Sword Douluo Chen Xin—a Level 96 Peak Douluo—would not qualify to teach Fang Fan.
• The revelation shocks Qin Ming and the team. They begin to realize that Fang Fan’s status and strength are far beyond what they had assumed.
• Yu Tianheng, injured after being defeated by Fang Fan in a single sword strike, becomes resentful. He is especially angered by Dugu Yan’s lack of concern for him and vows to seek revenge.
• Qin Ming leaves the training ground feeling humiliated and confused. He visits Meng Shenji, the Education Committee Chief, and again expresses his desire to take Fang Fan as a disciple.
• Meng Shenji firmly tells Qin Ming that he lacks the qualifications to teach Fang Fan. He reveals that Fang Fan can withstand one or two attacks from Dugu Bo, a Level 91 Titled Douluo.
• Qin Ming is left stunned, as such a feat completely violates the accepted gap between Soul Kings and Titled Douluo.

Character Developments

• Fang Fan: Remains completely indifferent to status, praise, and offers of mentorship. His casual drinking and reliance on Zhu Zhuqing emphasize his confidence and detachment. His true power and mysterious background become increasingly apparent.
• Qin Ming: His confidence collapses into shock, embarrassment, and helplessness. He recognizes that his impressive achievements as a Soul Emperor are insignificant compared with Fang Fan’s level.
• Ning Rongrong: Displays unwavering confidence in Fang Fan and openly challenges Qin Ming’s assumptions. Her knowledge of Fang Fan’s connection to powerful figures establishes her as someone aware of his true standing.
• Yu Tianheng: Suffers physical and emotional defeat. His admiration for Qin Ming turns into bitterness toward Fang Fan, while jealousy grows because Dugu Yan focuses on Fang Fan rather than him.
• Dugu Yan: Shows clear interest in Fang Fan by watching him intently, ignoring the injured Yu Tianheng.
• Meng Shenji: Acts as the voice of reason, correcting Qin Ming’s misunderstanding and revealing the extraordinary extent of Fang Fan’s strength.

Significant Themes

• The limits of conventional talent: Qin Ming is considered a continent-wide genius, yet Fang Fan exists on an entirely different level, making ordinary standards of cultivation meaningless.
• Hidden power and status: Fang Fan’s strength, guardian, and relationship with high-level experts remain mysterious, but every revelation suggests that he stands above even Peak Douluo.
• Humility versus arrogance: Fang Fan’s indifference contrasts with the Imperial Fighting Team’s pride and Qin Ming’s initial confidence. The chapter exposes how arrogance can result from misunderstanding one’s place in the world.
• Breaking established rules: Fang Fan’s ability to withstand attacks from a Titled Douluo challenges the supposedly absolute gap between Soul King and Titled Douluo.
• Power and respect: True status is shown through how powerful figures treat Fang Fan. Even Du Busi, a Level 96 Peak Douluo, respectfully addresses him as “My Lord.”

Character Interactions

• Fang Fan dismisses Qin Ming’s offer without responding, while Zhu Zhuqing quietly supports him by feeding him wine.
• Ning Rongrong directly confronts Qin Ming and defends Fang Fan, using Sword Douluo’s status to demonstrate how unreasonable Qin Ming’s proposal is.
• The Imperial Fighting Team defends their teacher but is silenced when Fang Fan’s superior standing becomes clear.
• Yu Tianheng watches Dugu Yan focus on Fang Fan, deepening his resentment toward both of them.
• Qin Ming appeals to Meng Shenji for support, but Meng Shenji bluntly confirms that Fang Fan is beyond Qin Ming’s ability to teach, leaving Qin Ming shocked and humbled.

Chapter Summary: “The Killing Intent of Xue Ye”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After speaking with Meng Shenji, Qin Ming leaves the Education Committee office deeply discouraged. Meng Shenji’s judgment makes it clear that Fang Fan is so exceptional that even the academy’s chief is not qualified to teach him, let alone Qin Ming.
• Qin Ming visits the treatment room and finds Dugu Yan treating her injured hand. Yu Tianheng has already gone home.
• Dugu Yan teasingly questions Qin Ming’s “nerve” in wanting to take Fang Fan as a student. Qin Ming suggests that she challenged Fang Fan to defend her grandfather, Dugu Bo, but she denies knowing anything about the incident.
• Qin Ming realizes Dugu Yan has not heard about the previous day’s events. The academy has imposed a strict gag order concerning Fang Fan’s confrontation with Xue Beng and the subsequent deaths and political fallout.
• Prince Xue Beng has been quietly buried without a public funeral, while Xue Xing has fled Heaven Dou City after being silently stripped of his influence. The incident has effectively become a royal taboo.
• Xue Qinghe arrives at the academy too late to witness the battle. He sees the damage and blood left behind, learns of Xue Beng’s death, and returns to the palace to oversee the prince’s rushed funeral.
• Afterward, Emperor Xue Ye summons Xue Qinghe privately. Furious and humiliated by his son’s death, Xue Ye reveals a powerful killing intent toward Fang Fan, though he admits he had been too afraid to confront Fang Fan and the mysterious old man accompanying him.

Character Developments

• Qin Ming: His confidence is shattered. He accepts that he lacks the ability and qualifications to teach Fang Fan, shifting from ambition to resignation. He also demonstrates caution by withholding dangerous information from Dugu Yan.
• Meng Shenji: Reinforces his authority and practical judgment by bluntly evaluating Fang Fan’s extraordinary talent and Qin Ming’s limitations.
• Dugu Yan: Remains unaware of the political crisis surrounding her grandfather and Xue Beng. Her confidence and sharp wit are evident in her teasing exchange with Qin Ming, while her lack of information highlights how thoroughly the incident has been concealed.
• Xue Qinghe: Acts responsibly during the aftermath, overseeing Xue Beng’s funeral. His silence in the private meeting suggests he is carefully assessing both Xue Ye’s anger and the danger Fang Fan represents.
• Xue Ye: Suffers a major blow to his pride and authority. Though he is emperor, he is forced to suppress his anger because Fang Fan and Dugu Bo possess enough power to threaten him directly. His grief turns into intense hatred and a desire for revenge.

Significant Themes

• Power versus authority: Xue Ye’s imperial status cannot protect him from individuals with overwhelming personal strength.
• The danger of genius: Fang Fan’s talent places him beyond the reach of ordinary teachers and makes him a destabilizing force within the academy and empire.
• Political suppression and secrecy: The academy and royal court conceal the incident, showing how governments manipulate information to preserve stability and avoid public scandal.
• Humiliation and restrained vengeance: Xue Ye’s inability to punish his son’s killer creates deep resentment, while his outward silence masks intense murderous intent.
• The limits of loyalty and responsibility: Qin Ming wants to guide Fang Fan but recognizes that genuine responsibility requires admitting when he is not capable of doing so.

Character Interactions

• Qin Ming and Meng Shenji: Meng Shenji dismisses Qin Ming’s hope of becoming Fang Fan’s teacher, leaving Qin Ming discouraged.
• Qin Ming and Dugu Yan: Dugu Yan mocks Qin Ming’s ambition, while Qin Ming nearly reveals the forbidden truth about the previous day’s battle but chooses to protect her and Dugu Bo by remaining silent.
• Xue Qinghe and Xue Ye: In a private father-son conversation, Xue Ye expresses his rage over Xue Beng’s death and his hatred of Fang Fan. Xue Qinghe listens silently, suggesting the conversation may have broader political consequences.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter reflects on the aftermath of Prince Xue Beng’s funeral. Xue Ye’s anger toward Fang Fan is understandable, but Fang Fan’s powerful guardian—an imposing old man in green—makes revenge too dangerous. Xue Ye is forced to suppress his hatred.
• Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo Chen Xin attend the funeral. Ning Fengzhi assures Xue Ye that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will not betray the Heaven Dou Empire. Yu Luomian likewise declares that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will support the empire.
• The funeral is brief and bleak, with few officials present. Xue Qinghe remains beside Xue Ye, maintaining a flawless public image.
• Ning Fengzhi’s daughter avoids returning to the academy or meeting Fang Fan, recognizing that Xue Ye is closely watching Fang Fan and that approaching him could create suspicion.
• Yu Tianheng returns to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan after being defeated by Fang Fan in a single sword strike during the academy competition. His physical injuries are minor, but his humiliation is severe, especially because Dugu Yan now appears focused on Fang Fan.
• Yu Tianheng asks his grandfather, Yu Yuanzhen, whether there is a way to rapidly increase his strength so he can defeat Fang Fan and regain his former status.
• Yu Yuanzhen considers the clan’s secret treasure, the True Dragon Nine Crowns, which can temporarily grant immense power. However, it is too dangerous for Yu Tianheng to use, as the Thunder Dragon King Soul could consume him and expose the clan’s greatest secret.
• Yu Yuanzhen also recognizes that Fang Fan is extraordinarily dangerous: he is a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old five-ring Soul King with the Seven-Colored Light Sword Martial Soul and a level-ninety-six guardian.
• Although the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan could potentially join forces with the Heaven Dou Empire against Fang Fan, Yu Yuanzhen decides not to act unless Fang Fan directly becomes their enemy.
• Yu Yuanzhen ultimately tells Yu Tianheng to cultivate properly and defeat Fang Fan through his own strength, warning him not to disgrace the clan.

2. Character Developments

• Xue Ye: His grief and desire for revenge remain intense, but fear of Fang Fan’s guardian forces him to act cautiously and endure the humiliation of Xue Beng’s death.
• Ning Fengzhi: Displays composure and political loyalty by reassuring Xue Ye that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect supports the Heaven Dou Empire, despite his daughter’s connection to Fang Fan.
• Xue Qinghe: Maintains a perfect, controlled appearance during the funeral, concealing his true thoughts and carefully observing the tense political situation.
• Ning Fengzhi’s daughter: Shows strategic caution by refusing to approach Fang Fan while the palace is under scrutiny.
• Yu Tianheng: Suffers a major blow to his pride. His defeat causes jealousy, resentment, and desperation, especially as he feels Dugu Yan’s attention shifting to Fang Fan. He becomes determined to grow stronger quickly.
• Yu Yuanzhen: Acts as a restrained and pragmatic clan leader. Though aware of powerful means to retaliate, he refuses to expose the clan to unnecessary danger and prioritizes secrecy and long-term survival.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and political restraint: Even powerful figures cannot act freely when facing an opponent with overwhelming backing. Revenge must be weighed against the cost of open conflict.
• Humiliation and ambition: Yu Tianheng’s desire for strength is driven less by duty than by wounded pride and the fear of losing Dugu Yan’s admiration.
• The danger of shortcuts: The True Dragon Nine Crowns represent a tempting shortcut to power, but using them could destroy Yu Tianheng and endanger the entire clan.
• Appearances and hidden motives: The funeral exposes the difference between public loyalty and private feelings. Characters maintain calm façades while concealing grief, anger, suspicion, or political calculations.
• Patience versus recklessness: Yu Yuanzhen emphasizes steady cultivation and careful timing, contrasting with Yu Tianheng’s impulsive desire for immediate revenge.

4. Character Interactions

• Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi: Xue Ye bitterly points out Ning Fengzhi’s daughter’s association with Fang Fan, while Ning Fengzhi calmly reaffirms his sect’s loyalty.
• Yu Luomian and the Heaven Dou Empire: Yu Luomian publicly pledges the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan’s support.
• Yu Tianheng and Yu Yuanzhen: Yu Tianheng confesses his defeat and begs for a way to become stronger. Yu Yuanzhen explains the dangers of the clan’s secret treasure and urges him to rely on legitimate cultivation.
• Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan: Though Dugu Yan does not appear directly in the scene, her changed attitude toward Fang Fan is the central source of Yu Tianheng’s jealousy and determination.
• Yu Yuanzhen and Fang Fan: Their interaction is indirect, but Yu Yuanzhen evaluates Fang Fan as a potentially dangerous enemy whose actions will determine whether the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan becomes involved.

Chapter Summary: “Stealing the Fake True Dragon Nine Crowns”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Tianheng is devastated when his grandfather admits that even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan’s inheritance cannot help him defeat Fang Fan.
• Determined to surpass Fang Fan and win Dugu Yan’s admiration, Yu Tianheng recalls the clan’s secret artifact, the True Dragon Nine Crowns. The crown supposedly grants its wearer the temporary power and physical strength of a true dragon.
• Using an old map and childhood memories, Yu Tianheng sneaks into the forbidden grounds beneath the ancestral shrine. He bypasses the guards by posing as though he is visiting the ancestors, then opens a hidden passage using a dragon-patterned bronze mirror and his bloodline soul power.
• He finds the crown—decorated with nine golden dragons—and steals it, imagining himself defeating Fang Fan and being embraced by Dugu Yan. He successfully leaves without being discovered.
• Elsewhere, Fang Fan, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong stroll through Heaven Dou City during the academy’s three-day adjustment period. Fang Fan appears lazy and half-drunk, leaning on Zhu Zhuqing while she occasionally gives him wine.
• They encounter Yu Xiaogang, who theatrically claims that Fang Fan possesses extraordinary talent and Innate Full Soul Power. He presents himself as an expert in martial souls and Soul Beasts.
• Ning Rongrong mocks his shabby appearance and offers him money, mistaking him for a street scammer. Yu Xiaogang is offended and insists that he is a respected scholar rather than a beggar.
• Fang Fan challenges Yu Xiaogang by asking whether he knows of the Titan Snow Demon Ape. Yu Xiaogang is forced to admit that he has never heard of it.
• Fang Fan explains that it is a powerful ice-attributed Soul Beast from the Far North, a region and species unknown during this era.

Character Developments

• Yu Tianheng: His humiliation and jealousy intensify into reckless determination. He is willing to violate clan rules and steal a treasured inheritance to defeat Fang Fan and impress Dugu Yan. His visions reveal that his motivation is driven as much by romantic rivalry as by strength.
• Fang Fan: He remains outwardly relaxed, intoxicated, and indifferent, but demonstrates superior knowledge and confidence. By mentioning an unknown Soul Beast, he exposes the limits of Yu Xiaogang’s supposedly unmatched expertise.
• Ning Rongrong: She continues to display her wealth, sharp tongue, and playful arrogance. Her treatment of Yu Xiaogang shows that she is quick to judge pretension and has little patience for people who exaggerate their importance.
• Zhu Zhuqing: She acts as Fang Fan’s quiet caretaker, supporting him as he walks and giving him wine. Their comfortable physical closeness suggests growing familiarity and trust.
• Yu Xiaogang: His carefully constructed image of authority is immediately challenged. His lack of knowledge about the Titan Snow Demon Ape undermines his reputation, while his pride and financial insecurity become apparent.

Significant Themes

• Jealousy and the pursuit of recognition: Yu Tianheng’s theft is motivated by his desire to prove himself superior to Fang Fan and gain Dugu Yan’s attention.
• Appearance versus reality: Yu Tianheng’s inherited artifact may not be what he believes it is, while Yu Xiaogang’s grand “Master” persona contrasts with his poverty, arrogance, and incomplete knowledge.
• True knowledge versus reputation: Yu Xiaogang claims universal expertise, but Fang Fan’s question exposes the gap between his reputation and actual understanding.
• Power and inherited privilege: The True Dragon Nine Crowns represent the clan’s hidden legacy, while Yu Tianheng’s willingness to steal it shows how desperation can corrupt loyalty to tradition.
• Foreshadowing and superiority: Fang Fan’s knowledge of the Far North gives him an advantage over the established scholars of the era and hints at the broader secrets he possesses.

Character Interactions

• Yu Tianheng’s relationship with his grandfather is strained by the elder’s refusal or inability to provide a solution, prompting Yu Tianheng to act alone.
• Yu Tianheng’s imagined confrontation with Fang Fan and Dugu Yan reveals the emotional triangle driving his actions.
• Fang Fan and Zhu Zhuqing show a relaxed, intimate dynamic, with Zhu Zhuqing accommodating Fang Fan’s drinking and apparent laziness.
• Ning Rongrong lightheartedly humiliates Yu Xiaogang by offering him money, while Yu Xiaogang responds defensively to preserve his dignity.
• Fang Fan directly tests Yu Xiaogang’s knowledge, turning the encounter from a boastful introduction into a public intellectual challenge.