Chapter Summaries

After discovering the Soul Hall Venerable was absent, Gu He learned of the Soul Guard Alliance’s assembly and planned to attack its members while disguised as Yun Protector. In Black Emperor City, the assembly gathered under Mo Tianxing, with Elder Yingshan and Molten Flame Valley’s Fang Yan arriving as contenders for alliance leadership.

• Gu He took Yun Protector’s corpse from the Black Scale Cold Flood Dragon and absorbed Yun Protector’s memories, learning the Soul Hall Venerable was away and the Soul Guard Alliance would meet at the Black Emperor Pavilion.
• Gu He used the Soul Fusion Art to assume Yun Protector’s appearance and left with the Black Scale Cold Flood Dragon, promising him a feast.
• Mo Tianxing hosted the Soul Guard Assembly in Black Emperor City and positioned himself to become alliance leader, while awaiting Molten Flame Valley’s delegation.
• Elder Yingshan arrived at the assembly, prompting surprise among the gathered experts, and Mo Tianxing greeted him cordially.
• Grand Elder Fang Yan arrived with Molten Flame Valley’s Dou Emperor elders, setting up a contest with Mo Tianxing for the alliance leadership.

Mo Tianxing convened the Soul Guard Assembly to form an alliance against Soul Hall and sought to become its leader, but Old Ghost Demonic Earth arrived and claimed the position. As the factions submitted, a Soul Hall figure appeared and attacked Old Ghost Demonic Earth.

• Mo Tianxing displayed the corpses of Fan Lao, Han Feng, and others as evidence that Soul Hall had extracted their souls, then proposed forming the Soul Guard Alliance.
• Fang Yan challenged Mo Tianxing’s bid to lead the alliance, but no one dared fight the four-star Dou Zong.
• Old Ghost Demonic Earth arrived, demanded the alliance leadership, and forced Mo Tianxing and the assembled factions to acknowledge him as Alliance Leader.
• A figure from Soul Hall appeared in black mist, declared that those who offended Soul Hall would be killed without mercy, and sent dozens of black chains toward Old Ghost Demonic Earth.

A black-mist Soul Hall shadow overwhelmed the Black Corner Region forces at the Black Emperor Pavilion, killing their leaders and trapping the survivors. As the purple fire net closed in, the shadow began drawing in the remaining fighters.

• Old Ghost Demonic Earth attacked the black-mist shadow, but the shadow evaded his strikes and shattered his ice sword before using Soul Capture to extract his soul and turn him into a Black Bead.
• The shadow spread a net of Purple Flame around the Black Emperor Pavilion, blocking the Black Corner Region experts from escaping.
• Mo Tianxing sent Mo Ya through a gap in the fire net, but the Black Scale Cold Flood Dragon swallowed him; the shadow then extracted Mo Tianxing's soul.
• A soul avatar of Elder Yingshan was captured, and the real Elder Yingshan was later bound by chains and had his soul pulled into the black mist.
• As the fire net shrank around the trapped experts, the shadow unleashed a dark vortex and began devouring them.

Gu He devoured the souls of the Black Corner Region’s faction leaders, triggering rumors that Soul Hall was purging the region and a wave of massacres that destroyed it. At Jia Nan Academy, Zi Yan visited the Grand Elder, who learned of the upheaval from Old Liu and reacted with grave concern.

• Gu He collected the souls and Storage Rings of the Black Corner Region’s leaders, then devoured their souls to absorb their memories and locate more treasure vaults.
• Rumors blamed Soul Hall for the Black Emperor Pavilion Incident, and the Soul Hall deacons ordered their forces to purge the remaining factions.
• Soul Hall’s forces slaughtered factions across the Black Corner Region, which collapsed into chaos and was destroyed within days.
• Zi Yan broke the Grand Elder’s gate, ate two Sixth-Grade spirit medicines, and left after demanding food.
• Old Liu told the Grand Elder about the Black Corner Region’s destruction, leaving him deeply alarmed.

After Soul Hall’s massacres left Molten Flame Valley in ruins, Gu He raided Old Ghost Demonic Earth's hidden treasury and found Earth Class techniques along with the Heavenly Demon Puppet art. He left with plans to explore its possibilities and loot Black Emperor Sect’s treasury next.

• Jia Nan Academy’s elders worried that Soul Hall might attack them and prepared to defend the academy while suppressing Fallen Heart Flame’s eruption.
• Gu He reached Old Ghost Demonic Earth's hidden treasury in Molten Flame Valley and broke through its stone entrance.
• Gu He defeated the sixth-tier snake-shaped guardian, knocked it unconscious, and stored it in the System Space as a future gift for Qing Lin.
• Gu He bypassed the treasury’s protective barrier and found the Mid Earth Class Thunderclap Mirror cultivation method and its matching Awakening Thunder Method.
• Gu He discovered the ancient Heavenly Demon Puppet art and considered how refining or bestowing it might earn a powerful return.
• Gu He looted the treasury and departed for Black Emperor Sect’s treasury.

Gu He finished raiding the Beast Taming Sect and collected the treasures he had taken from fifteen major Black Corner Region factions. After sorting his enormous haul, he considered seeking powerful disciples at Jia Nan Academy, especially Zi Yan, while also thinking of Queen Medusa.

• Gu He recovered the Beast Taming Sect’s thousand-year-old Ancient Demonic Beast Egg, which its founder had stolen from the Central Continent’s Beast Controlling Sect.
• Gu He left the deserted Beast Taming Sect, noting that the Soul Hall had massacred the region’s major factions.
• Gu He spent three days sorting his loot and recorded vast quantities of medicines, magic cores, weapons, cultivation scrolls, and pills.
• Gu He decided that Jia Nan Academy’s Zi Yan might be a suitable disciple and considered the benefits of helping her become the Dragon Emperor.
• Gu He thought about Queen Medusa as a potential disciple but recognized that their relationship made that unlikely unless he changed his identity.

Gu He sorted through the treasures he had seized in the Black Corner Region and found several rare spiritual treasures and secret arts. He considered giving the Yin Yang Profound Dragon Pill to a disciple to trigger a Ten Thousandfold Return, but its possible reward remained unknown.

• Gu He considered taking Queen Medusa as a disciple under another identity, then set the idea aside because he first needed to reach the Dou Zun Realm.
• Gu He examined Bodhi Body Transformation Saliva from the Black Emperor Sect's treasury and wondered whether giving it to a disciple could earn him a Bodhi Heart.
• Gu He reviewed the Soul Splitting Art he had taken from Elder Yingshan and recalled how its limits had helped him discover Elder Yingshan's true body.
• Gu He examined the Yin Yang Profound Dragon Pill he had seized from the Demon Blade Sect's sect master and considered giving it to a disciple for a Ten Thousandfold Return.

Gu He cultivated the Soul Splitting Art and created a powerful Soul Avatar that looked like him. He sent it to Soul Burial Ridge disguised as Yun Protector to take control of the leaderless Soul Hall Branch.

• Gu He entered seclusion in the valley and instructed the Black Scale Cold Flood Dragon to guard him.
• After three days, Gu He used the Soul Splitting Art and Dou Qi to form a flesh-and-blood Soul Avatar with the strength of a Peak Nine-Star Dou Zong.
• Gu He examined the avatar, learned that it shared his knowledge of soul arts, and noted that it could not use the Destiny Divine Flame.
• Gu He transformed the Soul Avatar into Yun Protector and sent it to Soul Burial Ridge using Within Reach, Yet Worlds Apart.
• The disguised Yun Protector appeared before the suspicious Soul Hall members, asserted control over the branch, and ordered them not to concern themselves with the Black Corner Region.

Gu He refined Yun Protector's corpse, Wu Protector's soul, and rare metals into an Earthly Demon Puppet that obeyed his commands and possessed strength comparable to a Nine-star Dou Zong. After testing its destructive power, Gu He decided to prepare to refine a Pill to Break Dou Zun and attempt a breakthrough.

• Gu He used the Destiny Divine Flame to purge Yun Protector's corpse of corpse qi and prepared it with a Seventh-Tier Magic Core.
• Gu He destroyed Wu Protector's consciousness and sent his remaining soul into Yun Protector's corpse.
• Gu He refined rare metals and coated the prepared body, creating an Earthly Demon Puppet that reached the Peak Nine-Star Dou Zong level and accepted Gu He's soul mark.
• Gu He ordered the puppet to punch a cliff wall, and its attack caused a massive fissure through the valley.
• Gu He stored the puppet and decided to begin preparing a Pill to Break Dou Zun, despite lacking experience refining Seventh-Grade Pills.

Gu He refined the seventh-grade Pill to Break Dou Zun in the Dragon Soul Cauldron, successfully extracting its rare main ingredients and forming the pill after entering the Pill Soul Realm. When the finished pill summoned Pill Lightning, Gu He calmly faced the storm gathering over the valley.

• Gu He began refining the Pill to Break Dou Zun in the Dragon Soul Cauldron, using Purple Flame to process its many ingredients.
• Gu He extracted the medicinal essence from the Blood Ganoderma, Bone Spirit Fruit, and Green Wood Spirit Vine, then combined their powers in the cauldron.
• Gu He spent six days controlling the pill’s fusion and entered the Pill Soul Realm, forming the embryonic pill by the seventh morning.
• Gu He nurtured the embryonic pill for about ten more hours until it became a smooth red-and-purple pill.
• Dark clouds gathered over the valley, and Gu He recognized the silver lightning as Pill Lightning while the Black Scale Cold Flood Dragon watched in alarm.

Gu He battled the Seventh-Grade pill lightning as it threatened the purplish-red pill, first using his sword and Vermilion Bird Seals before calling on the Earthly Demon Puppet. The puppet broke several powerful strikes and rose again after being blasted into the valley, while the pill lightning continued to gather overhead.

• The Black Scale Cold Flood Dragon recognized the gathering storm as pill lightning and watched Gu He prepare to face it.
• Gu He shattered the first lightning bolts with his sword and Vermilion Bird Seals, then charged into a barrage of lightning and weakened.
• Gu He summoned the Earthly Demon Puppet, which destroyed a massive bolt with one punch as the Black Scale Cold Flood Dragon assessed its strength.
• Gu He endured another wave while holding the purplish-red pill, then sent the Earthly Demon Puppet against an even stronger bolt.
• The Earthly Demon Puppet shattered the bolt with a fiery punch, crashed into the valley, and rose again to guard Gu He above the stone platform.

Gu He used the pill tribulation to temper the Earthly Demon Puppet, then swallowed the Pill to Break Dou Zun and successfully broke through to Dou Zun. Meanwhile, Nalan Yanran continued training in the Monster Beast Mountain Range and faced a formidable Giant Ape.

• Gu He commanded the Earthly Demon Puppet to withstand the remaining lightning, purifying its body and raising its grade before the tribulation ended.
• Gu He swallowed the Pill to Break Dou Zun and spent days meditating as the Black Scale Cold Flood Dragon guarded the valley.
• Gu He’s breakthrough shook the mountain and summoned a massive Vermilion Bird phantom; he emerged as a Dou Zun and tested his power by twisting the space before him.
• Nalan Yanran killed a Green Feather Red Hook Eagle and reflected that her constant battles had greatly improved her combat skills.
• Nalan Yanran spotted a Giant Ape devouring another magical beast, judged it more dangerous than any opponent she had faced, and prepared to fight when it noticed her.

Nalan Yanran defeated a Blood Burst Ape in the Monster Beast Mountain Range by using the Sky Severing Sword Art, then continued deeper into the range. Xiao Yan arrived afterward, but Elder Yao sensed a dangerous presence connected to Nalan Yanran and warned him not to take the beast’s remains.

• Nalan Yanran fought the Giant Ape with the Divine Wind Sword, evading its attacks and wounding it.
• Nalan Yanran used the Sky Severing Sword Art to blast the Giant Ape through the forest and kill it, then dissected the corpse and continued onward.
• Xiao Yan arrived at the battlefield and asked Elder Yao to identify the dead beast, which Elder Yao named the Blood Burst Ape.
• Elder Yao sensed Nalan Yanran’s lingering aura and a dangerous presence, then told Xiao Yan not to take the remains.
• Xiao Yan put away his dagger and left the battlefield despite regretting the loss of the valuable materials.

Nalan Yanran consumed Gu He's Purple Crystal Pill and rose from a two-star to a five-star Great Dou Master. In the Tagor Desert, Liu Ling continued his training on foot with an Amethyst Winged Lion King Cub, determined to keep going.

• Nalan Yanran swallowed Gu He's Purple Crystal Pill and refined its energy on a secluded cliff.
• Nalan Yanran broke through successively to become a five-star Great Dou Master, then tested her strength with a strike that cracked the cliff face.
• Liu Ling traveled through the Tagor Desert on foot with an Amethyst Winged Lion King Cub after more than half a month of training there.
• Liu Ling reflected that the desert's harsh conditions strengthened his fire-attributed Dou Qi and encouraged himself to keep moving forward.

Liu Ling trained alone in the depths of the Tagor Desert, using Blood Fire Spirit Liquid and the blazing sand to absorb fire-attributed energy. He reached twenty-eight crimson droplets in his Qi vortex and expected to advance to Seven-star Dou Shi after forming two more.

• Liu Ling sensed a Demon Scorpion hiding beneath the sand, and the Amethyst Winged Lion King Cub pulled it out and ate it.
• After half a month of traveling, Liu Ling reached the depths of the Tagor Desert and began cultivating under the scorching sun with his skin exposed.
• Liu Ling applied Blood Fire Spirit Liquid to his body and used the fire-attributed energy accumulated in the heated sand to strengthen his Dou Qi.
• Liu Ling formed a new crimson droplet in his Qi vortex, bringing the total to twenty-eight and leaving him two short of the amount he expected to need for advancement.
• Liu Ling sprang from the sand and roared that Seven-star Dou Shi was close.

Liu Ling reached Stone Desert City after cultivating to seven-star Da Dou Shi and began considering how to build the mercenary group his teacher had tasked him with creating. In Black Mist City, Xiao Yi Xian continued her training and faced Wan Hai’s attempt to confront her, leaving her poised to kill him.

• Liu Ling arrived near Stone Desert City and learned that the Desert Iron Mercenary Group ranked among the city’s strongest groups.
• Liu Ling decided that establishing the strongest mercenary group in Stone Desert City would be within his reach.
• Xiao Yi Xian bought poisonous insects and Poisonous Herbs in Black Mist City while advancing toward the tasks her teacher had assigned her.
• Wan Hai entered the shop with Qin Bo and ordered the shopkeeper not to sell Xiao Yi Xian anything.
• Qin Bo attacked Xiao Yi Xian, but she caught his Dou Qi strike and killed him.
• Xiao Yi Xian confronted Wan Hai after he pleaded to talk, and she reminded him that he had already wasted his earlier chance.

Xiao Yi Xian killed Wan Hai and fled Black Mist City, while Qing Lin began cultivating and Yun Yun resisted using Gu He's jade talisman. Gu He arrived at Jia Nan Academy and asked to join its Inner Academy, leaving his admission in the hands of its Grand Elder.

• Xiao Yi Xian killed Wan Hai, and his brother vowed to avenge him before an elderly figure flew out of Black Mist City.
• Qing Lin decided to enter seclusion to cultivate the Heavenly Snake Art and develop her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, while Cai'er agreed to help with the pearls.
• Yun Yun missed Gu He but chose not to crush the jade talisman because she feared it would harm him.
• Gu He arrived at Jia Nan Academy and asked Outer Academy Head Hu Gan to let him join the Inner Academy.
• Hu Gan said he lacked authority to decide and hurried to inform the Inner Academy's Grand Elder.

Gu He sought to join Jia Nan Academy because the Misty Cloud Sect could not supply enough ingredients for his Sixth-Grade pill refining. After meeting with Grand Elder Su Qian and the elders, Gu He was officially welcomed as an Academy elder and promised priority access to medicinal ingredients.

• Hu Gan reported Gu He's request to the Inner Academy elders, and Su Qian asked him to bring Gu He for a meeting.
• Hu Gan led Gu He through the Inner Academy's hidden spatial gate and into the elders' hall.
• Gu He explained that he wanted to join Jia Nan Academy because he could refine Sixth-Grade Pills and needed more medicinal ingredients.
• The elders approved Gu He's appointment, impressed by his alchemy skill, clean background, and potential to help them advance.
• Su Qian declared Gu He an elder and promised the Academy would prioritize providing ingredients for his pill refining.

After joining Jia Nan Academy's Council of Elders, Gu He toured the Inner Academy and impressed Su Qian and Elder Huo by refining a Sixth-Grade Pill without a cauldron. The chapter ended with Elder Huo convinced of Gu He's alchemical skill as Gu He continued refining the pill.

• Su Qian introduced the elders to Gu He, who officially joined Jia Nan Academy's Council of Elders.
• Su Qian and Elder Huo showed Gu He the sealed Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower and explained that it was temporarily closed.
• Elder Huo asked Gu He to refine a Sixth-Grade Pill and offered him three sets of medicinal ingredients.
• Gu He accepted the ingredients and began refining the pill immediately with a Dou Qi pill flame and no cauldron.
• Su Qian sensed that Gu He had reached the peak Dou Emperor realm, while Elder Huo watched him divide and fuse the medicinal liquids and became convinced of his skill.

Gu He refined a Sixth-Grade Pill at Jia Nan Academy, impressing Elder Huo and Grand Elder Su Qian, who gave him access to the academy’s medicinal ingredient repository. While searching its stores, Gu He sensed someone else inside.

• Gu He completed a Sixth-Grade Pill, and the pill’s powerful fluctuations drew attention until Su Qian warned everyone to stay away.
• Elder Huo praised Gu He’s skill, and Su Qian offered him a jade token granting access to every storeroom in the academy’s medicinal ingredient repository.
• Gu He accepted the token, and Elder Huo escorted him to the repository, where Elder Hao recognized the token and let him enter.
• Gu He explored the white-jade repository, collected several auxiliary ingredients, and sensed that someone else was inside.