Chapter Summaries

Leng Xiyue and Flender visited Blue Tyrant Academy to discuss taking it over and renaming it Shrek Academy. Liu Erlong welcomed Leng Xiyue with sincere respect, and their business discussion was about to begin.

• Xue Ke accompanied Leng Xiyue to Blue Tyrant Academy and reunited with Ning Rongrong.
• Flender told Leng Xiyue that Liu Erlong would consider transferring the academy after its investments were tallied.
• Leng Xiyue and Flender entered the academy with Tian Meng and Xiao Bai while the others stayed behind to arrange accommodations.
• Yin Shu led the group to Liu Erlong’s office, where Liu Erlong stood and respectfully greeted Leng Xiyue as Your Majesty.

Liu Erlong agreed to support Leng Xiyue’s plans for Blue Tyrant Academy, provided the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect’s investment was repaid. After the arrangement was settled, Leng Xiyue returned to the Nine Provinces Trade Guild and made a formal visit to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.

• Liu Erlong offered to work with Leng Xiyue if the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect’s investment in Blue Tyrant Academy was repaid.
• Leng Xiyue promised two million Gold Soul Coins, and Liu Erlong, Flender, and Tian Meng went to settle the academy’s accounts with the sect.
• Leng Xiyue toured the academy, settled in with Qin Menglan and Miho Nishizumi, and planned to wait for Dugu Bo to negotiate over the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
• Liu Erlong and Flender returned after resolving matters with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, and the academy began changing its sign and reorganizing.
• Leng Xiyue returned to the Nine Provinces Trade Guild, then visited the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace with Luo Qianrou, Tian Meng, and Miho Nishizumi.
• Xue Qinghe welcomed Leng Xiyue and briefed her on political and local affairs as they walked through the palace.

Qian Renxue showed Leng Xiyue Heaven Dou’s New Army, whose discipline and weapons impressed the assembled officials, before leading her delegation to meet Xue Ye. The two rulers entered the Grand Auditorium to begin their discussion, while Ning Fengzhi and the special envoy withdrew.

• Qian Renxue shared information about Heaven Dou’s situation, but Leng Xiyue declined to encourage rebellion and favored economic influence and recruiting displaced people instead.
• Xue Qinghe led Leng Xiyue to inspect Heaven Dou’s New Army, including five hundred elite soldiers personally selected and trained by Qian Renxue.
• Leng Xiyue praised the New Army, while privately recognizing that Heaven Dou’s weapons remained far behind the Jiuzhou Empire’s.
• Xue Qinghe escorted Leng Xiyue to the Grand Auditorium, where Xue Ye, Prince Xue Xing, Ning Fengzhi, Xue Ke, and Xue Beng welcomed her.
• Leng Xiyue greeted Xue Ye and entered the meeting hall with her companions and his party; Ning Fengzhi then excused himself with the special envoy.

Emperor Xue Ye confronted Leng Xiyue over the Jiuzhou Empire’s influence on Heaven Dou’s commoners and the growing threat it posed to the nobility. Leng Xiyue acknowledged the conflict, while Xue Ye weighed whether to preserve their friendship, expel Jiuzhou’s representatives, or seize her and go to war.

• Emperor Xue Ye dismissed Ning Fengzhi and met with Leng Xiyue, Luo Qianrou, Miho Nishizumi, Tian Meng, and the imperial family’s representatives in private.
• Xue Ye argued that Jiuzhou’s support for ordinary people clashed with Heaven Dou’s foundations and endangered its social order.
• Leng Xiyue admitted she advocated changing that order and said Heaven Dou could prevent people from fleeing by improving their living conditions.
• Xue Ye recognized that Heaven Dou’s nobles would resist reform, while Jiuzhou’s firearms helped commoners fight back and strengthened the empire through refugees.
• Xue Ye considered maintaining an alliance against Spirit Hall, expelling the Nine Provinces Trade Guild and Diplomatic Mission, or capturing Leng Xiyue and going to war.

Leng Xiyue and Xue Ye agreed to form an alliance between the Jiuzhou and Heaven Dou Empires, each seeing it as a way to advance their own interests. They began drafting the Empire Convention, with Leng Xiyue seeking access to Heaven Dou’s resources and permission to rescue slaves.

• Xue Ye weighed the danger of confronting Leng Xiyue and Tian Meng, then praised the Jiuzhou Empire to steer the conversation toward Spirit Hall.
• Leng Xiyue said Spirit Hall’s support served its own interests and that she would not accept being coerced by its favor.
• Xue Ye proposed an inclusive alliance between the two empires, and Leng Xiyue agreed.
• Xue Xing brought a text-printing Soul Tool and signing materials so the emperors could negotiate and sign an agreement immediately.
• Leng Xiyue named the alliance the Empire Convention and sought access to Heaven Dou’s resources and authority for the Nine Provinces Trade Guild to locate and confiscate slaves.
• Miho Nishizumi proposed granting the Jiuzhou Empire the right to station troops in Heaven Dou to limit noble resistance.

Leng Xiyue negotiated garrison rights, coastal land, and port access in Heaven Dou in exchange for military equipment, training, and industrial cooperation. With those terms settled, she proposed buying Heaven Dou’s Third-Class Citizens, leaving the plan for civilian cooperation at its opening.

• Miho Nishizumi proposed that Jiuzhou troops could garrison Heaven Dou’s kingdoms and provinces while staying outside the royal family’s autonomous territory, and Jiuzhou would equip a mechanized force of roughly two hundred thousand and send military instructors.
• Xue Ye accepted the terms, including Leng Xiyue’s request to acquire coastal land and port rights for shipbuilding and naval development.
• Leng Xiyue planned to use Jiuzhou’s shipyards, Probes, and Warp Prism to build warships and train troops at sea, while garrisons protected the coastal construction sites.
• Leng Xiyue and Heaven Dou turned to civilian cooperation, discussing unrest, industrial collaboration, and the difficulties of moving Heaven Dou’s people to the Jiuzhou Empire.
• Leng Xiyue proposed buying Heaven Dou’s Third-Class Citizens, whom the chapter described as slaves with virtually no status.

Leng Xiyue and Xue Ye negotiated a treaty that exchanged Heaven Dou’s enslaved third-class citizens and resources for Jiuzhou investment in industry, and established a mutual-defense obligation. Both rulers signed the treaty, and Xue Ye invited Leng Xiyue to a luncheon to discuss its public announcement.

• Leng Xiyue proposed buying back Heaven Dou’s third-class citizens, while the Nine Provinces Trade Guild agreed to halt publicity and recruitment for two years before gaining ownership of those not sold.
• Leng Xiyue and Xue Ye agreed on trade in livestock and minerals in exchange for Jiuzhou specialists to build a power grid, a chemical plant, and mechanized mining projects in Heaven Dou.
• Leng Xiyue and Xue Ye finalized the mutual-defense and trade treaty after Miho Nishizumi checked its terms.
• Xue Qinghe prepared copies of the treaty, and Leng Xiyue and Xue Ye signed it into effect.
• Xue Ye invited Leng Xiyue and her party to a luncheon and invited Ning Fengzhi to discuss the treaty and its public announcement.

Ning Fengzhi recognized that Xue Ye’s treaty with Leng Xiyue would strengthen the imperial family at the nobles’ expense and force the sects to choose sides. Leng Xiyue proposed a military parade and a gathering of Titled Douluo to deter Spirit Hall, leaving Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi reassured by the alliance’s strength.

• Ning Fengzhi assessed the treaty’s political consequences and realized it would weaken the nobility while empowering Xue Ye and the imperial family.
• Xue Ye asked Ning Fengzhi to gather sect representatives for the treaty’s signing ceremony, and Ning Fengzhi warned that the Lower Four Sects might refuse to attend without Spirit Hall’s approval.
• Leng Xiyue said she would bring her Royal Guard to Heaven Dou City and hold a parade to pressure the sects to choose sides.
• Leng Xiyue proposed gathering the Titled Douluo available to both sides to deter Spirit Hall, and Ning Fengzhi and Xue Ye named the fighters they could provide.
• Leng Xiyue offered eleven Titled Douluo, bringing the planned gathering to twenty-two and giving Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi confidence in their alliance.

After the Two Great Empires agreed to oppose Spirit Hall, Heaven Dou began preparing a grand ceremony to announce the alliance and set up a temporary residence for Leng Xiyue. As the Lower Four Sects feared the consequences, they sought Salas’s counsel in Heaven Dou City.

• Yu Yuanzhen publicly supported the alliance, and Heaven Dou’s officials backed the plan to hold a grand ceremony a week later.
• Xue Ye assigned Ning Fengzhi to gather materials and Yu Yuanzhen to organize artisans, while Xue Xing offered his princely residence as Leng Xiyue’s temporary imperial residence and embassy.
• Luo Qianrou led the renovation of the residence, and Leng Xiyue left for Moonlight Pavilion before Dugu Bo arrived with gifts to seek her help.
• The four sect masters of the Lower Four Sects went to Salas, who advised them to leave Heaven Dou and settle in Spirit City.
• A white-haired sect master questioned whether it was too soon to move, and Salas asked Wind Sword Douluo if he had a better plan.

The Lower Four Sects debated assassinating Leng Xiyue, while Salas tried to delay them until the Pope could respond. As the Soul Master Tournament approached, Salas urged the sects to strengthen Elephant Armor Academy’s team, believing the Jiuzhou Empire’s second team was formidable.

• Wind Sword Douluo proposed ambushing Leng Xiyue with firearms, bombs, and death warriors, or having his grandson seduce and poison her.
• Water Cloud Douluo warned that Tian Meng and Leng Xiyue made a forced assassination dangerous, while the sect leaders considered Leng Xiyue’s hidden strength and resources.
• Salas stopped the discussion, saying he had sent a messenger to the Pope, and told the sect masters to prepare to convert their holdings into resources and money.
• Huyan Zhen asked about the Soul Master Tournament, and Salas said the Jiuzhou Empire had prepared two teams but had revealed little about their members.
• Salas said Elephant Armor Sect should combine its top geniuses with the other three sects’ best candidates at Elephant Armor Academy to build a stronger tournament team.

Bibi Dong received Salas’s report about Leng Xiyue and, under the Rakshasa God’s influence, ordered her assassination to provoke a war between the two empires. Salas struggled to understand the order but prepared to carry it out, summoning the Lower Four Sects’ masters.

• Salas’s urgent report reached Bibi Dong, who considered protecting Leng Xiyue and Spirit Hall’s interests.
• The Rakshasa God persuaded Bibi Dong to exploit the situation to incite war and further her revenge.
• Bibi Dong ordered Leng Xiyue assassinated, dead or alive, and told Javier to send the instruction to Salas.
• After the Rakshasa God’s influence faded, Bibi Dong remained committed to her order and went into seclusion.
• Salas questioned the order but decided to obey and summoned the Lower Four Sects’ masters.

Wind Sword Douluo and two allies devised an assassination plan and attacked Leng Xiyue at Moonlight Pavilion, where Xiao Bai stopped the first blow. The attackers claimed to be from the Clear Sky Sect, leaving Tang Yuehua to realize they intended to kill her as well.

• Wind Sword Douluo proposed disguising the assassination as an attack by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Clear Sky Sect, or another enemy, and Salas agreed to proceed with him and Flame Demon Douluo.
• The three Titled Douluo disguised themselves and set out for Moonlight Pavilion while Leng Xiyue listened to music with Xiao Bai and Tang Yuehua.
• Leng Xiyue dismissed Tang Yuehua's concern about security, believing Moonlight Pavilion was safe and that Xiao Bai and her hidden allies could protect her.
• Flame Demon Douluo launched a hammer strike at Leng Xiyue, but Xiao Bai moved her aside and stopped the hammer with one finger.
• Flame Demon Douluo claimed he was acting for the Clear Sky Sect, and Tang Yuehua realized the assassin intended to kill her too.

Flame Demon Douluo attacked the Moonlight Pavilion with an explosive Clear Sky Hammer, but Leng Xiyue and Xiao Bai stopped him long enough to throw it high into the sky. The blast devastated the surrounding district, and Leng Xiyue suspected the Star Luo Empire had arranged the assassination to disrupt cooperation between the empires.

• Flame Demon Douluo claimed the Clear Sky Sect had been hired for the assassination, then used the Great Sumeru Hammer to send an explosive Clear Sky Hammer at the Moonlight Pavilion.
• Leng Xiyue and Xiao Bai combined their fourth Soul Skill, Immobility Wave, freezing Flame Demon Douluo in midair and stopping the hammer's immediate explosion.
• Leng Xiyue seized the hammer and hurled it a hundred meters into the sky, where it exploded after the immobilizing effect ended.
• The blast and shock wave wrecked much of the surrounding district, though the Moonlight Pavilion remained standing and most Soul Masters survived.
• Leng Xiyue questioned Tang Yuehua's connection to the attack and concluded that the Star Luo Empire was the likely culprit, since she ruled out Spirit Hall.

Leng Xiyue suspected the assassination attempt was meant to sabotage the alliance, but she left the Moonlight Pavilion without knowing who was behind it. A maid named Lianyun then revealed herself as Wind Sword Douluo and struck Leng Xiyue with two lethal attacks, while Xiao Bai summoned Kaldalis and Probius to pursue her.

• Leng Xiyue questioned Tang Yuehua about the attacker and considered whether the Star Luo Empire or Spirit Hall might be responsible.
• Tang Yuehua learned from Lianyun that the Moonlight Pavilion had suffered only a handful of injuries and offered to see Leng Xiyue out.
• Lianyun suddenly drew a short sword and stabbed Leng Xiyue through the chest as Leng Xiyue passed her.
• Xiao Bai deflected Lianyun's second strike, but Leng Xiyue was left with a deep wound and collapsed.
• Wind Sword Douluo fled, and Xiao Bai summoned Kaldalis and Probius to catch her.

After Feng Jian’s failed escape, Kaldalis and Probius captured him, but Leng Xiyue was left near death from her injuries. Xiao Bai carried her away to seek help, warning Ning Fengzhi to uncover who had arranged the attack before Leng Xiyue woke.

• Feng Jian tried to flee and self-destruct, but Probius restrained him, and Kaldalis knocked him unconscious and captured him.
• Xiao Bai and Kaldalis struggled to keep Leng Xiyue alive as her wounds and the astral qi ravaged her body.
• Xiao Bai decided to gather Tian Meng and the others to find a cure, while considering transferring Leng Xiyue’s soul into a rebuilt body as a fallback.
• Ning Fengzhi arrived with Gu Rong and Chen Xin, and Xiao Bai challenged him to identify the culprit behind the attack.
• Kaldalis carried Leng Xiyue and the captive onto a Warp Prism, and Xiao Bai warned Ning Fengzhi before they departed.

After Leng Xiyue was wounded in an assassination attempt, Ning Fengzhi sought healers and medicine while her confidants considered how to respond to Spirit Hall. They left the decision of retaliation open but proposed using Jiuzhou One rockets to deter Bibi Dong and Spirit Hall.

• Ning Fengzhi asked Gu Rong to find Ye Renxin and arranged to seek Fountain of Life from the Liu Family with Chen Xin.
• Xiao Bai gathered Leng Xiyue’s trusted confidants at the Temporary Palace while Ah Yin stayed to treat Leng Xiyue.
• Xiao Bai shared the captive Wind Sword Douluo’s extracted memories, which showed that Spirit Hall had orchestrated the assassination.
• Tian Meng proposed using the attack as a chance to establish deterrence against Spirit Hall, and Miho Nishizumi suggested a large-scale live combat exercise with Jiuzhou One.
• Miho Nishizumi described Jiuzhou One’s stockpiled rockets and warheads, including conventional, incendiary, cluster, and Ice Bomb payloads.

Xiao Bai planned a public, three-day warning before the Jiuzhou Empire attacked the Lower Three Sects, intending to surround them with Protoss forces and leave them trapped in despair. Miho Nishizumi took command of the operation and began preparations, while the group also mobilized forces toward Heaven Dou.

• Miho Nishizumi proposed striking the Wind Sword Sect and Flame Demon Sect with missiles, then demanding the Water Cloud Sect’s unconditional surrender.
• Xiao Bai ordered Luo Qianrou to announce the attack three days in advance and mobilize the Protoss Main Army to encircle all three sects.
• Xiao Bai assigned Probius to control the Protoss army, Miho Nishizumi to command the operation, and Tian Meng to move the Puppet Legion toward the border and bring the Titled Douluo to Heaven Dou City.
• Miho Nishizumi sent the others to survey terrain and measure distances with Warp Prisms so they could plan the encirclement.
• Miho Nishizumi, Qin Menglan, and Luo Qianrou stayed behind and began preparing the next day’s speech manuscript.

After an assassination attempt on Leng Xiyue, Qian Renxue visited her temporary palace to see how she was doing. Miho Nishizumi questioned whether Qian Renxue came for personal or political reasons, then realized she did not know what Miho meant and asked her to come along.

• News of the assassination attempt spread through Heaven Dou City, and Xue Ye secretly ordered Xue Xing to bring the Royal Knights in case of trouble.
• Xue Qinghe arrived at Leng Xiyue's palace, where a guard escorted her through tight security while Snake Lance and Pufferfish waited outside.
• The guards prepared to search Qian Renxue, but Miho Nishizumi intervened and let her enter.
• Miho Nishizumi asked whether Qian Renxue was visiting personally or representing the Empire, and Qian Renxue said she came as Leng Xiyue's friend.
• Miho Nishizumi realized Qian Renxue did not understand what she meant and told her to come along.

Miho Nishizumi and Qian Renxue discussed Bibi Dong’s role in the attack on Leng Xiyue as the Jiuzhou Empire prepared to announce its response. Luo Qianrou declared that the Empire would destroy three implicated sects and sever ties with Spirit Hall, leaving Heaven Dou City facing an escalating crisis.

• Miho Nishizumi told Qian Renxue that evidence pointed to Bibi Dong’s involvement in the order behind the attack on Leng Xiyue.
• Qian Renxue admitted she now hated Bibi Dong and worried that Leng Xiyue might break with Spirit Hall.
• Miho Nishizumi invited Qian Renxue to watch the Empire’s announcement, and they joined the guests and staff at the broadcast studio.
• At Miho Nishizumi’s command, Luo Qianrou began broadcasting to screens across Heaven Dou City.
• Luo Qianrou announced that the Jiuzhou Empire would annihilate the Flame Demon Sect, Wind Sword Sect, and Water Cloud Sect in three days and demanded reports of their properties.
• Luo Qianrou declared that the Jiuzhou Empire would sever all relations with Spirit Hall and ordered its establishments to leave within three days.

After the Jiuzhou Empire expelled Spirit Hall and moved against the Lower Three Sects, their leaders faced a blockade and dwindling hopes of survival. Salas died under suspicious circumstances, but Miho Nishizumi doubted his death would protect Bibi Dong from responsibility.

• The Jiuzhou Empire's speech blamed Spirit Hall by implication and announced its expulsion, leaving Spirit Hall unable to protest openly.
• The Empire's forces trapped the Lower Three Sects, killed fugitives, and returned Wind Sword Douluo's mutilated body to the Wind Sword Sect.
• The Titled Douluo of the Flame Demon Sect and Wind Sword Sect discussed their impending destruction, while the Water Cloud Sect stayed away to seek leniency.
• Flame Demon Douluo realized that Salas's death had destroyed their chance of using him to implicate Spirit Hall.
• Miho Nishizumi received news that Salas had died after his cultivation went awry and questioned whether his death could absolve Bibi Dong.