Chapter Summaries

After Xiao Yan scored only the third stage of Dou Zhi Li, Xiao Ning tried to cheer him up by taking him to Ningchun Tower. Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er caught up with them there, leaving Xiao Ning facing their fury.

• Xiao Yan tested at the third stage of Dou Zhi Li, while Xiao Zhan and the elders regretted the decline of his former talent.
• Xiao Ning invited Xiao Yan to Ningchun Tower, despite warnings from Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er, and Xiao Yan followed to avoid rejecting his cousin's kindness.
• At Ningchun Tower, Xiao Ning introduced Xiao Yan as his brother and pushed him toward several women, telling the madam to make sure he had fun.
• Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er arrived and confronted Xiao Ning for bringing Xiao Yan there, while he backed away in terror.

Xiao Ning watched Xiao Yan lead the Xiao Family Disciples’ training and worried that Xiao Yan’s lack of Dou Qi would eventually isolate him from the clan. When the Misty Cloud Sect arrived, Xiao Xun'er revealed that its Young Sect Master, Nalan Yanran, was Xiao Yan’s betrothed, and Xiao Ning and Xiao Mei feared she had come to break off the engagement.

• Xiao Ning reassured Xiao Yan about his injuries, then hinted that he still planned to take Xiao Yan to Ningchun Tower again.
• Xiao Ning reflected on Xiao Yan’s dedication to training the Xiao Family Disciples and worried that physical training could not make up for his lost Dou Qi forever.
• Xiao Ning left the training ground and saw a Misty Cloud Sect procession arrive at the Xiao Family gates.
• Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er warned Xiao Ning to learn his lesson, then joined him in wondering why the Misty Cloud Sect had come.
• Xiao Xun'er explained that Nalan Yanran, the Misty Cloud Sect’s Young Sect Master, was Xiao Yan’s betrothed, and Xiao Mei suspected she had come to break off the engagement.

Nalan Yanran arrived with the Misty Cloud Sect to end her engagement to Xiao Yan, while the Xiao Family braced for public humiliation. After Xiao Yan recognized her as the childhood “Little Glutton,” Nalan Yanran stunned everyone by declaring she wanted to marry into the Xiao Family immediately.

• Xiao Ning sent Xiao Mei to fetch Xiao Yan and asked Xiao Xun'er whether she could resolve the situation, but she said she would not interfere unless Nalan Yanran went too far.
• Ge Ye began explaining to Xiao Zhan that Nalan Yanran's engagement troubled her cultivation, as Nalan Yanran urged him to get to the point.
• Xiao Yan entered the reception hall, and Nalan Yanran recognized him as her fiancé.
• Xiao Yan remembered Nalan Yanran from childhood and called her “Little Glutton,” leaving the onlookers astonished that they knew each other.
• Nalan Yanran declared that she wanted to marry into the Xiao Family immediately, shocking Ge Ye and everyone in the reception hall.

Nalan Yanran abandoned her plan to break off the engagement and insisted that she wanted to marry Xiao Yan, provoking Xiao Xun'er and dividing the Xiao Family. Ge Ye proposed a compromise, and Nalan Yanran challenged Xiao Yan to a decisive duel three years later at the Misty Cloud Sect.

• Nalan Yanran declared that she wanted to marry Xiao Yan, leaving Ge Ye, Xiao Zhan, and the Three Elders stunned.
• Xiao Mei objected to the marriage and urged Nalan Yanran to break off the engagement, while Xiao Xun'er supported dissolving it and refusing the gifts.
• Nalan Yanran and Xiao Xun'er clashed over Xiao Yan and released their Battle Qi until Xiao Yan calmed them.
• Xiao Yan respectfully rejected Nalan Yanran's proposal, citing the disparity in their status and strength.
• Ge Ye whispered a suggestion to Nalan Yanran, who proposed a Three-Year Pact: if Xiao Yan lost their duel at the Misty Cloud Sect, they would marry; if he won, their engagement would end.

After accepting Nalan Yanran’s Three-Year Pact, Xiao Yan comforted his father and refused to keep the Qi Gathering Powder for himself, choosing instead to prioritize the Xiao Family. The chapter ended with Xiao Zhan lamenting that Heaven was unfair as Xiao Yan left to supervise the clan’s training.

• Xiao Yan accepted Nalan Yanran’s Three-Year Pact, and she left the Xiao Family with Ge Ye and the Misty Cloud Sect procession.
• Xiao Mei clung to Xiao Yan in distress, while Xiao Zhan apologized for the Xiao Family’s decline and the pressure it had placed on his son.
• Xiao Yan reassured Xiao Zhan that the family’s decline was not his fault, then refused to keep the Qi Gathering Powder for himself and suggested it be used for the clan’s rising talents.
• Xiao Yan left to supervise the Xiao Family disciples’ training, followed by Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun’er, while Xiao Zhan lamented that Heaven was unfair.

Xiao Yan reflected on his ideals and his despair at losing the strength to spread them beyond the Xiao Family. A powerful stranger appeared in the Back Mountain and revealed herself as a phantom woman.

• Xiao Yan dismissed the Xiao Family Disciples and went alone to his training ground in the Back Mountain.
• Xiao Yan recalled how he had persuaded the Xiao Family to value kindness and respect over strength, and grieved that he lacked the power to change the wider world.
• An unfamiliar, overwhelmingly powerful voice addressed Xiao Yan from the darkness, and Xiao Yan calmly introduced himself and asked its purpose.
• The Phantom Woman appeared before Xiao Yan and greeted him.

Xiao Yan met the Phantom Woman who had emerged from his mother's ring and learned that she had been draining his Dou Qi. Yao Chen offered to restore his strength and teach him alchemy, and Xiao Yan accepted, agreeing to call her Elder Yao.

• Xiao Yan respectfully questioned the Phantom Woman about her arrival and correctly guessed that she had emerged from his mother's ring.
• The Phantom Woman revealed that she had secretly taken Xiao Yan's Dou Qi for three years and offered to restore his strength in exchange for his agreement to learn alchemy.
• Xiao Yan eagerly accepted the offer and bowed to Yao Chen, declaring himself her disciple.
• Yao Chen rejected the title of Master and suggested Xiao Yan call her Sister Chen, but accepted his compromise of Elder Yao.

Yao Chen taught Xiao Yan the Eight Extremes Collapse, and he mastered it quickly thanks to his unusually strong physique. She predicted he could regain his strength much sooner, while Xiao Yan planned to share the technique with his family without revealing its grade to protect them.

• Yao Chen passed the high-grade Xuan-tier Eight Extremes Collapse to Xiao Yan and warned him that it placed severe demands on the body.
• Xiao Yan used the technique to shatter a giant boulder in one strike, astonishing Yao Chen with his physique.
• Yao Chen explained that Xiao Yan could regain Seven-stage Dou Zhi Li within three months and reach Dou Zhe within half a year, provided he gathered the items on her list.
• Xiao Yan asked permission to pass on the technique, and Yao Chen agreed.
• Xiao Yan wrote down the technique's essentials for his family but omitted its grade to avoid putting the Xiao Family in danger.

Xiao Yan gave the Xiao Family a powerful dou technique after receiving it from Yao Chen, then left to buy medicinal ingredients for her. Xiao Zhan and the Three Elders recognized the technique as a rare treasure and believed Xiao Yan was destined to go beyond Wutan City.

• Xiao Yan woke and spoke with Yao Chen, who urged him to buy medicinal ingredients and teased him about women.
• Xiao Yan greeted Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er, then asked them to excuse his absence while he went into town.
• Xiao Yan presented the Eight Extremes Collapse dou technique to Xiao Zhan and the Three Elders for the Clan's Disciples to use.
• Xiao Yan said a senior had bestowed the technique on him but could not disclose its grade, prompting Xiao Zhan to keep its value secret.
• Xiao Zhan and the Three Elders praised Xiao Yan's generosity, and Xiao Zhan predicted that he would not remain in Wutan City.

Xiao Yan bought the medicinal herbs Yao Chen requested, then intervened when Gale Ao harassed Xiao Xun'er and challenged him to a Life-and-Death Duel after Gale Ao insulted Xiao Zhan. Xiao Yan left Gale Ao shaken with a display of speed, but insisted he would defeat him openly and honorably.

• Xiao Yan bought the Purple Leaf Orchid Grass and Bone Washing Flower, spending most of his savings and worrying that he could not afford a Wood Element Magic Core.
• Xiao Yan found Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er confronting Gale Ao, who was pestering Xun'er and offering her a bracelet.
• Xiao Yan stepped in to stop Gale Ao's harassment, then challenged him to a Life-and-Death Duel after Gale Ao insulted Xiao Zhan.
• Xiao Yan moved so quickly that Gale Ao fell to the ground before Xiao Yan's fist, then warned him not to take his life lightly.
• Xiao Yan rejected Yao Chen's suggestion that he should have used a lethal surprise attack, resolving to defeat Gale Ao openly and honorably.

Xiao Yan easily defeated Gale Ao, a One-star Dou Zhe, and sent him away unconscious without killing him. Afterward, he wondered why Gale Ao was so weak and, still concerned about money, thought of asking Ya Fei at the Miter Auction House for help.

• Gale Ao ambushed Xiao Yan, but Xiao Yan dodged and kicked him back, shocking Xiao Mei, Xun'er, and Yao Chen.
• Gale Ao attacked again, and Xiao Yan knocked him unconscious with a punch to the abdomen.
• Xiao Yan told Gale Ao's servants to take him away, and they fled with him.
• Xun'er returned Xiao Yan's medicinal ingredients and explained that she and Xiao Mei had come to look around while the other disciples took the day off from training.
• Xiao Yan concealed his money troubles from Xiao Mei and Xun'er, then decided to seek out Ya Fei at the Miter Auction House.

Xiao Yan visited the Miter Auction House to ask Ya Fei for a Tier 1 Wood-attribute Monster Core, while Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er accompanied him. Ya Fei gave him the core and kissed his cheek, leaving Xiao Mei furious before Xiao Yan took the girls shopping.

• Xiao Yan arrived at the Miter Auction House with Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er and asked to see Ya Fei.
• Ya Fei greeted Xiao Yan affectionately, prompting Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er to pull him away from her embrace.
• Xiao Yan asked Ya Fei to lend him a Tier 1 Wood-attribute Monster Core, and Ya Fei gave him one as a gift.
• Ya Fei kissed Xiao Yan's cheek, and Xiao Mei charged toward the auction house until Xiao Yan stopped her.
• Xiao Yan said he would go shopping with Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er, and Xiao Mei happily led him toward the market.

Xiao Yan watched Yao Chen refine Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid and decided to consign it at the Miter Auction House to help pay for future ingredients. Disguised and hoping to keep his identity secret, he was recognized by Ya Fei, who teased him about coming for a secret rendezvous.

• Yao Chen explained Heavenly Flames and refined Xiao Yan’s ingredients into a drop of Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid.
• Yao Chen warned Xiao Yan that his special physique might use up the liquid in less than a month, and he worried about the cost of buying more ingredients.
• Xiao Yan asked whether he could sell the liquid, declined Yao Chen’s suggestion to use inferior ingredients, and left the Xiao Family in disguise.
• Xiao Yan went to the Miter Auction House to consign the liquid, where Ya Fei recognized him and dismissed the guard.
• Ya Fei teased Xiao Yan about seeking a secret rendezvous, and Xiao Yan realized his disguise had failed.

Xiao Yan visited Ya Fei in disguise to ask her to auction Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid, and she promised to keep his secret. After accepting the bottle for appraisal, Ya Fei teased him until he fled her room.

• Ya Fei recognized Xiao Yan by the scent he had left on her that afternoon, and he removed his hood and asked how she had identified him.
• Xiao Yan asked Ya Fei to keep his words secret, and she sincerely agreed.
• Xiao Yan gave Ya Fei Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid and asked her to auction it, explaining that he had become an alchemist's disciple and needed money.
• Ya Fei accepted the liquid and said she would have Gu Ni appraise it the next day.
• Ya Fei invited Xiao Yan to her room, and he hastily fled while she joked that she might eat him.

Xiao Yan received the proceeds from Ya Fei’s auction of his Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid and agreed to refine Qi Gathering Powders for her. When he returned to the training ground, he found Xiao Zhan battered after supervising the disciples and demanding an explanation.

• Ya Fei told Xiao Yan that the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid had sold for 230,000 and gave him the payment and a Storage Ring.
• Ya Fei asked Xiao Yan to refine Qi Gathering Powders from the ingredients in the Storage Ring, and he agreed after Yao Chen consented.
• Xiao Yan returned to the training ground and found Xiao Zhan dusty and torn after conducting practical combat with the Xiao Family Disciples.
• Xiao Zhan grabbed Xiao Yan’s shoulders and demanded to know what was wrong with the disciples.

Xiao Zhan was shocked by the Xiao Family Disciples’ combat abilities, while Xiao Yan arranged for Yao Chen to refine medicine for the clan and Ya Fei. After delivering five high-quality Qi Gathering Powders, Xiao Yan asked Ya Fei to procure more Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid ingredients, and she resolved to warn him that his teacher’s reputation could endanger the Xiao Family.

• Xiao Zhan told Xiao Yan that the Xiao Family Disciples had fought with strength far beyond their cultivation, and Xiao Yan dismissed his surprise as normal.
• Xiao Yan found ingredients for Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid among Ya Fei’s supplies, and Yao Chen agreed to refine as much as the Xiao Family needed.
• Yao Chen refined five exceptional Qi Gathering Powders, which Xiao Yan brought to Ya Fei at the Miter Auction House.
• Xiao Yan asked Ya Fei to procure sixty more sets of Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid ingredients and paid her with his Black Gold Card.
• Ya Fei concluded that Xiao Yan’s teacher surpassed Pill King Gu He and planned to warn Xiao Yan that the discovery could put the Xiao Family in danger.

Xiao Yan hid the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid by pouring it into a hot spring on the Xiao Family’s Back Mountain, then began organizing a new group training plan for the clan disciples. He left the Training Ground with several disciples to buy supplies for three days of training.

• Xiao Yan worried that distributing the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid openly could expose Yao Chen, so he decided to conceal it in the Back Mountain hot spring.
• Xiao Yan poured all five bottles of Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid into the hot spring, and Yao Chen reflected wistfully on his childhood memories with the Xiao Family children.
• The next morning, Xiao Yan told Xiao Zhan he would take the Xiao Family Disciples to train on the Back Mountain, and Xiao Zhan agreed to notify their parents.
• Xiao Yan stopped the disciples’ usual Training Ground routine and announced they would do group training elsewhere.
• Xiao Yan led Xiao Ning, Xiao Xun'er, Xiao Mei, and several other disciples into town to buy food and cooking supplies for three days, then returned with them to the Training Ground.

Xiao Yan led the Xiao Family disciples to the Back Mountain for group training and an outdoor cooking lesson, hoping the change of surroundings would help them prepare for the Coming-of-Age Ceremony. After Yao Chen taught him how to use Dou Qi to dissect the cow, the group began preparing lunch together, while Xiao Xun'er treasured the unusual experience.

• Xiao Yan told Xiao Ning that the group would stay in the Back Mountain for three days and might remain there until the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, disappointing Xiao Ning because he had booked a place at Ningchun Tower.
• Xiao Yan led the Xiao Family disciples to the Hot Spring and started their physical training in the open space nearby.
• Xiao Yan announced that the group would cook lunch outdoors, then assigned everyone tasks despite admitting he had never cooked before.
• Xiao Yan followed Yao Chen's advice to use Dou Qi to sense the cow's bone gaps, then showed Xiao Ning how to dissect it with a kitchen knife.
• Xiao Mei complained about Xiao Yan's unusual ideas, while Xiao Xun'er enjoyed the gathering and looked forward to remembering it.

The Xiao Family Disciples spent a day cooking, training, and relaxing together during their wilderness outing, while Yao Chen reflected on the warmth of Xiao Yan’s family. The chapter ended with Yao Chen deciding to support Xiao Yan’s righteous path and protect him through whatever trouble came.

• The Xiao Family Disciples cooked lunch together, and Xiao Xun'er said their gathering felt like New Year, prompting Xiao Yan to explain the family tradition to Yao Chen.
• Yao Chen urged Xiao Yan to cherish the happy memories he was making with his family, and Xiao Yan agreed.
• The Xiao Family Disciples trained through the afternoon, then made dinner and excitedly went to soak in the Hot Spring.
• Xiao Yan noticed the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid worked especially well for him and slowed his cultivation so he would not absorb too much of it.
• Yao Chen recognized Xiao Yan’s consideration for his family and resolved to support and protect him on his chosen path.

Xiao Yan led the Xiao Family disciples through their first night at the Back Mountain training camp, refusing to let them use insect repellent or avoid sleeping outdoors. The group began the next day exhausted and miserable, while Xiao Yan insisted that their training continue strictly.

• At the hot spring, Xiao Ning teased Xiao Yan about visiting Ningchun Tower, prompting Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er to threaten him.
• Xiao Yan told the group to sleep on leaves and grass while keeping their Dou Qi up to ward off insects, and refused to change the plan after Xiao Mei protested.
• The group slept poorly: the boys were covered in bites after their protective Dou Qi faded, while the girls stayed awake trying to keep theirs active.
• Xiao Yan had everyone make breakfast and begin training, then refused Xiao Mei's request to fetch something to repel insects.
• Xiao Yan explained to Yao Chen that strict training was necessary to prepare the Xiao Family disciples for the future, and Yao Chen praised him for caring about their prospects.