Chapter Summaries

After the tournament awards, Chang'an Academy’s team discussed their prizes and Xiao Yi’s achievements on the ride back through Heaven Dou City. The chapter ended with Chen Xiaojun teasing Chen Mu about how Xiao Yi’s feats had kept the Top-Ranked Student honor from going to their older sister.

• On Sea God Island, Bo Saixi and her team judged Xiao Yi’s condition and reminded the Sea God Island contestants to give their all in the finals.
• Zhu Wuneng complained that the Heaven Dou Emperor had awarded empty baronial titles, while Dugu Fu pointed out the team’s soul bones and prize money were substantial rewards.
• Chen Xiaojun offered Zhu Wuneng’s share of the prize money to treat the team, prompting Zhu Wuneng to panic and say he needed to save it to marry a wife.
• Chen Mu announced that Xiao Yi had won the Heaven Dou Division National Tournament Top-Ranked Student title, earning special access and privileges across the empire.
• Chen Xiaojun teased Chen Mu that their older sister would ordinarily have won the individual honor, and Chen Mu accused him of setting him up again.

After losing all her betting money on Heaven Dou Academy’s defeat, Dou Congtong returned home and considered ways to borrow money from Chu Wanyu. She joined her mother, Madam Lin, for dinner, while her father remained away on an unexplained trip.

• Dou Congtong cursed Yan Zaiyang, Xiao Qing, and Yu Tianya after their loss cost her all her winnings and allowance.
• Dou Congtong hurried home across the rooftops and learned from Wu Mingde that her father had left without saying when he would return.
• Aunt Fang suspected Dou Congtong had run out of money, but Dou Congtong denied it and claimed she was asking about a promised present.
• Dou Congtong washed her face and considered ways to get money from Chu Wanyu without asking outright.
• Dou Congtong entered the main hall, greeted Madam Lin, and sat down to dinner.

Dou Congtong tried to hide her disappointment over Heaven Dou Academy’s defeat from Madam Lin, who questioned her about the tournament and her spending. When unfamiliar young visitors arrived with gifts, Madam Lin decided to turn them away rather than risk trouble.

• Madam Lin questioned Dou Congtong about Heaven Dou Academy’s losses to Moonlight Academy and Chang’an Academy, and Dou Congtong blamed the team’s poor performance for her mood.
• Dou Congtong claimed she wanted jewelry from the Exquisite Pavilion, and Madam Lin asked her to explain how she planned to spend her next allowance.
• Wu Mingde reported that an unknown group of young visitors had arrived with valuable gifts, accompanied by an elderly expert and a capable driver.
• Madam Lin judged the visitors potentially troublesome and ordered Wu Mingde to tactfully ask them to leave.

Chen Xiaojun brought his companions to the D mansion and, after its steward refused them entry, ordered Zhu Changyun to force their way through. As his companions fought the household guards, Chen Xiaojun entered the courtyard, followed by Xiao Yi and the others.

• Chen Xiaojun arrived at the D mansion with his companions and said he had come to deliver messages and make things clear.
• Steward Wu Mingde claimed the master was away and the madam was unwell, refusing to receive the visitors.
• Chen Xiaojun declared that he had come to be an unwelcome guest, and Zhu Changyun attacked Wu Mingde at the gates.
• Chen Xiaojun walked into the mansion while Dugu Fu, Ma Wencai, and Chen Shurui engaged the guards led by Mu Jingming.
• Xiao Yi led Gao Cuilan and Su Ningxia through the battle and into the mansion.

Chen Xiaojun led Chang'an Academy’s team into the D mansion and asked Madam Lin about Senior Dou Jing. Dou Congtong attacked him, but Ma Liang intercepted her, and she gained the upper hand in their fight.

• Madam Lin and Dou Congtong heard fighting in the courtyard, and steward Xiao Dongxiang reported that intruders had forced their way in.
• Madam Lin went to the courtyard and saw the mansion’s retainers fighting Chen Xiaojun’s group, while Chen Xiaojun calmly watched from the center.
• Chen Xiaojun greeted Madam Lin and said he had come regarding Senior Dou Jing, causing Madam Lin to tense at the name Chen.
• Dou Congtong recognized the visitors as members of Chang'an Academy and charged Chen Xiaojun with her Gale Kick Assault.
• Ma Liang intercepted Dou Congtong and fought her, but she dodged his attacks and struck him repeatedly, ending the exchange by mocking his level and strength.

Madam Lin revealed her strength as a Soul Saint, driving Zhu Changyun back with her Shadowless Kick before using Xiao Yi’s Thousand-Leaf Barrier to safely repel the others. She ended the courtyard fight by ordering everyone to stop.

• Dou Congtong stopped attacking when Madam Lin calmly told her to stop.
• Zhu Changyun overpowered Wu Mingde, but Madam Lin intervened and used her Fifth Soul Skill to drive him back despite his Sixth Soul Skill.
• Madam Lin used her Coiled Roots Form and Thousand Emerald Heavens Flow Kick to overwhelm Zhu Changyun and cross the courtyard in midair.
• Xiao Yi protected Dugu Fu, Ma Wencai, Chen Bin, and Chen Shurui with the Thousand-Leaf Barrier as Madam Lin jolted them back without seriously injuring them.
• Madam Lin returned beneath the veranda and ordered everyone to stop.

Madam Lin revealed herself as Ye Sirong, a long-missing member of the Ye Family, and reunited with Zhu Changyun after he recognized her fighting style. She greeted the Chen brothers and told Chen Shurui that she had served as his mother's personal attendant, then invited everyone to the main hall to talk.

• Madam Lin stopped the courtyard fight and walked toward Chen Xiaojun.
• Zhu Changyun recognized Madam Lin's Wood Heart Stance and identified her as Ye Sirong.
• Madam Lin performed the Chen Clan's Dust-Sweeping Heart Bow, greeted the Chen brothers, and reunited with Zhu Changyun and Zhu Yanfeng.
• Madam Lin recognized Chen Shurui as her former mistress's son and confirmed she had served his mother for several years.
• Madam Lin invited the Chen brothers, Zhu Yanfeng, Zhu Changyun, and the others to the main hall.

Chen Xiaojun realized that the Great Siming might be manipulating events and that the deity’s influence was causing him to feel uncontrollable desire for Xiao Yi. He suspected the Lesser Siming within Xiao Yi was responding in turn, and struggled to regain control as they joined Madam Lin’s guests.

• Chen Xiaojun connected Dou Jing’s wife’s origins and her past as a Personal Attendant to a possible scheme by the Great Siming.
• Xiao Yi touched Chen Xiaojun’s wrist and sent Life Soul Power into him, triggering a violent reaction from the Black-Red Cocoon in his Sea of Consciousness.
• Chen Xiaojun became intensely attracted to Xiao Yi and realized his sudden desire had begun when she used her Life Soul Power.
• Chen Xiaojun suspected the Great Siming and Lesser Siming were communicating through him and Xiao Yi, influencing both of their bodies and souls.
• Xiao Yi showed a faint blush and quietly asked whether Chen Xiaojun was all right.
• Chen Xiaojun bit his tongue and inwardly ordered the deity to return to its Divine Realm as he fought to suppress its influence.

Chen Xiaojun told Ye Sirong and her household that the Bone-Digging Corps had been destroyed and Dou Jing captured, while the Four-Family Alliance took control of the Canopy District. Ye Sirong asked what he expected from the people in the D mansion, but Chen Xiaojun insisted he had come only to inform them.

• Chen Xiaojun entered the main hall with Xiao Yi and met Ye Sirong, who asked why he had come regarding Dou Jing.
• Chen Xiaojun announced that the Bone-Digging Corps was no more, shocking Wu Mingde, Fang Yidan, and Dou Congtong.
• Chen Xiaojun explained that the Four Great Families and the Ma Family had defeated the Bone-Digging Corps, capturing Deputy Commander Dou while Regiment Commander Barton escaped.
• Chen Xiaojun told Ye Sirong that the Rusty Brotherhood, the Shadow Sisters' Association, and the Sincerity Trade Association had also lost and pledged allegiance to the Four-Family Alliance.
• Dou Congtong angrily accused Chen Xiaojun of capturing her father, and Ye Sirong restrained her and apologized.
• Ye Sirong asked what Chen Xiaojun wanted from everyone in the D mansion, but he said he had come with no other intention.

Chen Xiaojun explained that Dou Jing had confessed after his memories revealed Ye Sirong and Dou Congtong’s existence, then assured them they could visit him. Ye Sirong described how she and Dou Jing had come together and asked after her family, while Chen Xiaojun secretly sent Zhu Yanfeng a message.

• Chen Xiaojun told Ye Sirong and Dou Congtong that Dou Jing had confessed, and Zhu Yanfeng explained that concern for his wife and daughter had been his vulnerable spot.
• Chen Xiaojun revealed that a mental Soul Skill had uncovered Ye Sirong and Dou Congtong in Dou Jing’s memories, then assured Ye Sirong that they had come to protect them.
• Ye Sirong asked how Chen Xiaojun would deal with her and Dou Congtong, and he offered them permission to visit Dou Jing.
• Zhu Yanfeng asked why Ye Sirong had stayed away from Chenlin Village, and she explained the years of secrecy and her complicated relationship with Dou Jing.
• Chen Xiaojun sent Zhu Yanfeng a few words through voice transmission, and Zhu Yanfeng smiled.

Ye Sirong hesitated to return to her Village, choosing to meet with Old Dou first, while the others examined her daughter Dou Congtong’s unusual martial soul. Zhu Wuneng revealed a similar beast-and-tool martial soul, leaving Chen Xiaojun with two rare mutations to study.

• Zhu Yanfeng urged Ye Sirong to return to the Village now that the Bone-Digging Corps was gone, but she chose to meet with Old Dou first.
• Ye Sirong summoned Dou Congtong’s Medicine-Pounding Spirit Rabbit, and Zhu Yanfeng judged it to be at eighth-grade perfection, on the verge of the ninth grade.
• Chen Xiaojun explained that the rabbit and Medicine-Pounding Pestle’s symbiosis elevated their quality, though it remained just below Zhu Wuneng’s pairing.
• Zhu Yanfeng revealed that Zhu Wuneng was his third son and asked him to demonstrate his martial soul.
• Zhu Wuneng summoned Marshal Tianpeng, displaying a Stone Armor Boar combined with a strengthened Nine-Toothed Rake.

Chen Xiaojun examined Dou Congtong’s Medicine-Pounding Spirit Rabbit and retested her innate soul power with a specially made Testing Orb. The result was level 9.1, higher than her original test, leaving the gathered family members astonished.

• Ye Sirong and Zhu Yanfeng praised Zhu Wuneng’s Marshal Tianpeng martial soul, and Zhu Yanfeng credited Chen Xiaojun’s guidance for its advancement.
• Zhu Yanfeng asked Chen Xiaojun whether Dou Congtong’s martial soul could advance further, and Chen Xiaojun recognized its varied attributes and true meanings.
• Ye Sirong revealed that Dou Congtong’s original innate soul power test had measured level 9.0, startling everyone in the hall.
• Chen Xiaojun offered Dou Congtong a more precise Testing Orb, and Ye Sirong urged her to take the test again.
• Dou Congtong used the Testing Orb, and Chen Xiaojun announced that her innate soul power was level 9.1, nearly level 9.2.

Chen Xiaojun explained why Dou Congtong’s innate soul power had risen and laid out a path for her Medicine-Pounding Spirit Rabbit to evolve into a king martial soul, with a slim chance of becoming a super martial soul. Ye Sirong accepted the prospect of bringing her daughter into the Chen Clan’s training, leaving the family’s decision settled.

• Chen Xiaojun explained that Zhu Wuneng and Dou Congtong’s innate aptitude had improved as their mutated martial souls evolved.
• Chen Xiaojun said clan resources could awaken the Medicine-Pounding Spirit Rabbit’s ice attribute and potentially guide it toward a moon attribute and king martial soul.
• Ye Sirong and Dou Congtong reacted with shock as Chen Xiaojun described the possibility of a super martial soul.
• Chen Xiaojun explained the Frost Steel Fork bloodline, the Xuan Bing Life-Nourishing Orchid, and the resources needed to advance Dou Congtong’s martial soul.
• Ye Sirong acknowledged Chen Xiaojun’s proposal, signaling her acceptance of her daughter’s return to the Chen Clan’s care and training.

Chen Xiaojun questioned why Dou Congtong’s talent and combat ability seemed inconsistent with her level and absence from Heaven Dou Academy’s school team. Ye Sirong revealed that she and her husband had concealed Dou Congtong’s true gifts to protect their family, leaving Chen Xiaojun and Ye Sirong with a quiet understanding as the chapter ended.

• Chen Xiaojun asked why Dou Congtong was only level 46 and had not joined Heaven Dou Academy’s school team.
• Dou Congtong insisted that she had chosen not to join, but Ye Sirong explained that circumstances had forced their family to keep her abilities hidden.
• Ye Sirong revealed that Dou Congtong’s awakening had shown eighth-grade aptitude and level-nine innate soul power, which would have made her a target in the Bone-Digging Corps.
• Ye Sirong explained that the family concealed Dou Congtong’s martial soul and carefully limited her growth after escaping to Huayao District, so their origins would remain secret.
• Dou Congtong was stunned and ashamed as she understood her parents’ sacrifices, while Chen Xiaojun recognized the wisdom behind Ye Sirong’s choices.

After leaving Ye Sirong’s residence, Chen Xiaojun and Zhu Yanfeng discussed her skill and the way she had handled their visit. Back at home, Ye Sirong promised to rescue Old Dou and the surviving Bone-Digging Corps members, then began telling Dou Congtong how she and her father had met; Chen Xiaojun remained unsure who had outmaneuvered whom.

• Chen Xiaojun and his companions left, and Ye Sirong returned inside after seeing them off.
• Mu Jingming reported that he had calmed the neighbors, while Wu Mingde and the others begged Ye Sirong to save Old Dou and their captured family members; she promised to negotiate for them.
• Ye Sirong took Dou Congtong aside, confirmed that she had served the Chen Clan as an Attendant, and explained her connection to Moonlight Academy and Su Rong.
• Dou Congtong asked how Ye Sirong had met her father, and Ye Sirong began recounting their story, starting with her graduation trip with Miss Su Rong.
• In the carriage, Zhu Yanfeng explained that Ye Sirong’s surprise at Zhu Wuneng’s abilities had been an act, and Chen Xiaojun said it was unclear who had whom in their palm.

Chen Xiaojun explained that Ye Sirong had deliberately revealed her Soul Saint strength to establish leverage and dignity before negotiating for her family’s safety. The chapter ended with his companions realizing that she, not Chen Xiaojun, had set the tempo from the moment she intervened.

• Zhu Wuneng and the others described Ye Sirong as composed, resilient, and strategically minded.
• Chen Xiaojun asked why Ye Sirong had attacked when she could have stopped the fight without revealing her strength.
• Ye Sirong told Dou Congtong that the Chen Clan’s ties and old affections alone could not secure their family a future, so she had displayed her power as a token of allegiance.
• Chen Xiaojun explained that Ye Sirong had used her forceful intervention to establish herself as a powerful figure and gain bargaining leverage.
• The carriage fell silent as Zhu Wuneng and the others recognized that Ye Sirong had controlled the negotiations from the start.

Chen Xiaojun explained how he and Ye Sirong had used their negotiation to secure mutual advantage, while Xiao Yi approved of making use of her for now. Ye Sirong then told Dou Congtong why she had revealed her daughter’s talent to win the Chen Clan’s support, leaving them past their immediate crisis but still reliant on a powerful backer.

• Dugu Fu explained the three meanings behind Chen Xiaojun’s remark about a dragon-snake transformation, and Chen Xiaojun clarified that Dou Congtong’s soul power level had not been an act.
• Xiao Yi told Chen Xiaojun that he had put Madam Lin in her place and said she would do as someone to make use of for now.
• Zhu Yanfeng scolded Zhu Wuneng for prying into Chen Xiaojun and Xiao Yi’s conversation, then told him to reflect on his own behavior.
• Dou Congtong asked Ye Sirong why she had cooperated and revealed her talent, and Ye Sirong explained that the Chen Clan’s support could protect their family from Spirit Hall and other threats.
• Ye Sirong reassured Dou Congtong that they had passed the hardest hurdle for now.

Ye Sirong explained the Chen Clan’s customs to Dou Congtong and urged her to prepare to join the clan. She told her daughter to reclaim the Ye surname for protection and support, and they agreed to go see Dou Congtong’s father together.

• Dou Congtong asked Ye Sirong whether the Chen Clan was full of scheming, and Ye Sirong described its fierce competition and strict tradition of unity.
• Ye Sirong told Dou Congtong to learn the Chen Clan’s rules and adapt to its hierarchy as they drew closer to the clan.
• Ye Sirong said she would resume being called Madam Ye and told Dou Congtong to change her surname to Ye under the martial soul treaty.
• Ye Sirong argued that returning to the Ye Family would bring support from the Ye and Medicine families and help protect Dou Congtong’s future.
• Dou Congtong accepted the plan and agreed to go with her mother to see her father.

Chen Xiaojun advised Zhu Wuneng to split and train the components of his symbiotic martial soul, then recommended a defensive sixth soul skill. The chapter ended with Zhu Wuneng taking the advice seriously and Zhu Yanfeng agreeing to provide the Zhu Family’s records.

• Chen Xiaojun explained that Zhu Wuneng could display and train the Stone Armor Boar and Nine-Toothed Rake separately to better understand their powers and develop his intent.
• Zhu Yanfeng pointed out that Zhu Wuneng relied too heavily on the Nine-Toothed Rake and had neglected the Zhu Family’s Stone Armor Boar.
• Chen Xiaojun recommended that Zhu Wuneng prioritize a defensive sixth soul skill, such as Stone Armor Shield or Earth Armor, which could also complement Tianpeng Battle Armor.
• Chen Xiaojun asked Zhu Yanfeng to compile the Zhu Family’s records about soul beasts, traits, and targeted soul-skill acquisition, and Zhu Yanfeng agreed.

Chen Xiaojun realized that his Purple Star identity, faith in the Big Dipper, and Great Siming’s growing power might be tied to the Fengdu Great Emperor and the Netherworld. He left the connection between Great Siming, Marshal Tianpeng, and Donghuang Taiyi unresolved as the carriage journey continued.

• Chen Xiaojun remembered that Marshal Tianpeng served the Purple Star Great Emperor and connected that history to his own Purple Star Sword title and the Chen Clan’s spread of stellar worship.
• Chen Xiaojun reasoned that Great Siming’s Netherworld authority might correspond to the Fengdu Great Emperor and could be evolving through his promotion of Purple Tenuity.
• Chen Xiaojun recalled that Heavenly Marshal Tianpeng had knelt to accept a gift after the fusion skill struck down a mighty being, and wondered what power the gift contained.
• Chen Xiaojun suppressed his fears and resolved to seek more clues and verify his suspicions over time.
• Zhu Yanfeng resumed instructing Zhu Wuneng while Xiao Yi quietly worried about Chen Xiaojun’s growing burden.