Chapter Summaries

Nalan Chaoge reflected on his history and the danger the Fallen Heart Flame posed to Jia Nan Academy, while Xun'er began questioning Xiao Yan’s past behavior and his feelings for her. The chapter ended with Xun’er refusing to explain her connection to Nalan Chaoge, even as people called her his sister-in-law.

• Kimimaro teased Nalan Chaoge about Xun'er and said he would forgive him for kissing her, while Nalan Chaoge denied they were more than friends.
• Nalan Chaoge inspected the Medicinal Herb Warehouse and the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower, but he found no way to take the Fallen Heart Flame without harming Jia Nan Academy.
• Nalan Chaoge shut himself away to cultivate and reviewed the events and relationships that had shaped his life.
• Hu Jia asked Xun'er why she liked Xiao Yan and reminded her that Xiao Yan had once watched Xiao Yu bathe, prompting Xun'er to reconsider his past conduct toward her.
• Hu Jia asked about Xun'er's relationship with Nalan Chaoge as the Tianji Sect grew and its members called Xun'er their sister-in-law.
• Xun'er noticed Xiao Yan's calm response to the rumors and chose not to explain her relationship with Nalan Chaoge.

Xun'er considered how to obtain Fire Energy for Xiao Yan’s attempt to become a Dou Wang, while the Tianji Sect recruited students to gather herbs and work on a road through the Primeval Forest. After Nalan Chaoge and Su Qian arranged the project, they led a group out through the Inner Academy gates to begin.

• Hu Jia suggested Xun'er exchange the gifts from Nalan Treant with Nalan Chaoge for Fire Energy, but Xun'er hesitated over using items she considered partly Nalan Chaoge’s.
• Yang Chao announced that the Tianji Sect would pay students to gather herbs and work on the road, and eighty positions filled quickly.
• Nalan Chaoge planned to pave the road with bluestone, discussed the project with Su Qian, and arranged for the Academy's Griffin Team to transport stone slabs.
• Nalan Chaoge and Su Qian led a group through the Inner Academy gates to start the road project.

Nalan Chaoge and Su Qian arranged for Nalan Treant to guard the Inner Academy’s new road, while Chaoge went to confront a seventh-rank magical beast. As unrest spread beneath the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower, Yang Chao realized the suppressed force was likely the fallen heart flame, and Su Qian rushed to respond as it grew violent.

• Nalan Treant revealed a colossal original body outside the Inner Academy’s spatial gate, and Nalan Chaoge affirmed that he trusted him as a brother without needing to know what he was.
• Nalan Chaoge and Nalan Treant flew off to deal with the seventh-rank magical beast, while Su Qian led the academy’s students back and Kimimaro asked about the Strong Ranking.
• The Inner Academy shook as the beast beneath the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower stirred, and Su Qian hurried away to contain the danger.
• Yang Chao explained his suspicions about the danger sealed beneath the tower, then realized that the force was probably the fallen heart flame rather than a magical beast.
• Su Qian recalled that the fallen heart flame had grown increasingly violent and rushed toward the tower after sensing another disturbance.

Xiao Yan and Yao Chen used the commotion caused by Nalan Treant to investigate the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower and plan to seize its fallen heart flame. The chapter ended with Yao Chen knocking out an instructor who caught Xiao Yan near the tower’s central opening.

• As Nalan Treant summoned his Original Body and shook the tower, Yao Chen urged Xiao Yan to investigate while the Inner Academy’s experts were occupied.
• Yao Chen pressed Xiao Yan to pursue Xun'er and warned him that he lagged behind Nalan Chaoge, but Xiao Yan insisted he would not give up the woman he loved.
• Yao Chen suspected Nalan Chaoge might be able to devour multiple heavenly flames and told Xiao Yan to gather herbs for an Earth Spirit Pill and approach the tower’s central opening.
• Xiao Yan reached the seventh floor’s central opening, but an instructor spotted him and ordered him away from the restricted area.
• Yao Chen left Xiao Yan’s body, knocked the instructor unconscious, and returned to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan discovered that the fallen heart flame lay beneath the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower and, encouraged by Yao Chen, tried to make it resonate with his own flame. A Fire Formed Giant Python surged from the opening, but Su Qian drove it back beneath the tower and restored calm.

• Xiao Yan approached the black hole until Yao Chen warned him that a Space Lockdown barrier surrounded it.
• Yao Chen identified the presence below as the fallen heart flame and urged Xiao Yan to pursue it so he could strengthen himself against Nalan Chaoge.
• Xiao Yan accepted Yao Chen's help, though both understood that they were using one another for their own purposes.
• Xiao Yan released his mysterious yellow flame toward the depths, provoking a powerful surge and revealing a giant python-like creature.
• The energy burst toward Xiao Yan, but a strong hand pulled him back to safety as the Space Lockdown stopped the attack.
• Su Qian formed a net from the barrier's threads, forcing the Fire Formed Giant Python to retreat into the black hole while the disturbed students emerged from their rooms.

Su Qian questioned Xiao Yan after a tremor drew him to the black hole in the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower, and Xiao Yan blamed a heavenly flame calling to his own. Barred from the tower for a month, Xiao Yan left with plans to train and took Xun'er back to his room, while Su Qian decided to ask Nalan Chaoge about the incident.

• Su Qian sent the students away, confronted Xiao Yan, and demanded to know why he had approached the black hole.
• Xiao Yan claimed the black hole had drawn him because he possessed a heavenly flame, and Su Qian ordered him to stay away from the tower for a month while he investigated.
• Yao Chen urged Xiao Yan to practice Three Thousand Lightning Movement and warned him that Xun'er might get closer to Nalan Chaoge if he left her alone.
• Xiao Yan met Xun'er, took her hand, and led her toward his room as nearby students remarked on her relationship with Nalan Chaoge.
• The instructor told Su Qian that the tower had trembled and the beast had struck the seal, prompting Su Qian to consider asking Nalan Chaoge about his heavenly flame.

Nalan Chaoge hunted a seventh-rank magical beast with Nalan Treant, who gave him his Life Root as a powerful new weapon. When Su Qian arrived, he asked whether heavenly flames could summon one another, and Nalan Chaoge confirmed that Xiao Yan’s account of being drawn toward the fallen heart flame was true, leaving him curious about Xiao Yan’s hidden plan.

• Nalan Chaoge obtained his third seventh-rank magic core, then discussed guarding a passage with Nalan Treant, who said he could handle beasts below the seventh rank.
• Nalan Treant snapped Nalan Chaoge’s damaged living dragon tendon and gave him his Life Root, which Nalan Chaoge wielded to shatter a distant boulder.
• Nalan Treant sensed Su Qian approaching and attacked him with roots, but Nalan Chaoge intervened and welcomed the Great Elder.
• Su Qian asked whether one heavenly flame could summon another, and Nalan Chaoge confirmed that it could happen.
• Su Qian explained that Xiao Yan had approached the black hole in the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower and lost consciousness after feeling summoned by the fallen heart flame.
• Nalan Chaoge told Su Qian that Xiao Yan was not lying and privately wondered what hidden trump card Xiao Yan intended to use against the fallen heart flame.

Nalan Chaoge discussed the Fallen Heart Flame and the Black Alliance with Su Qian before arranging a road through the Primeval Forest. Xiao Yan gave Xun'er the Tou She Ancient God Jade, while Yao Chen decided to wait for a chance to reclaim it; Xun'er then offered Xiao Yan a crystal stone that could help him advance to Dou Wang.

• Nalan Chaoge warned Su Qian that the Black Alliance might target Jia Nan Academy and asked what would happen if the academy lost the Fallen Heart Flame.
• Nalan Chaoge and Su Qian returned to the Outer Academy and arranged with Hu Gan to build a road through the Primeval Forest.
• Xiao Yan gave Xun'er the Tou She Ancient God Jade and confessed his feelings, and Xun'er accepted the jade and returned his affection.
• Yao Chen recognized the jade and considered taking it, but chose to wait for a chance to steal it back without abandoning Xiao Yan.
• Xun'er gave Xiao Yan a crystal stone from Nalan Treant, and Yao Chen said it could help Xiao Yan advance to Dou Wang.

Xiao Yan and Xun'er visited the Free Trading Area, where Xiao Yan found a green wood immortal vine but clashed with its seller, Lin Yan, over its price. When Xiao Yan learned Xun'er had no fire energy, he accused her of laziness without realizing she had given him all of hers, leaving her deeply hurt.

• Xiao Yan accepted Xun'er's gift and went shopping with her, remembering the bracelet he had bought her years earlier.
• Yao Chen identified a green wood immortal vine at Lin Yan's stall as a key ingredient for an Earth Spirit Pill.
• Xiao Yan seized the vine after blocking Lin Yan's attack, and Lin Yan challenged him after mistaking him for Nalan Chaoge.
• Lin Yan demanded five hundred fire energy for the vine, and Xiao Yan tried to pool his remaining two hundred with Xun'er's funds.
• Xun'er said she had no fire energy, and Xiao Yan accused her of not cultivating or earning any, unaware she had given her fire energy to him.

Xiao Yan obtained the Green Wood Immortal Vine by trading one of Xun'er's seventh-rank Magic Cores, with Nalan Chaoge paying the remaining Fire Energy. Back in their dormitory, Xiao Yan confessed his love and tried to kiss Xun'er, but his advances stirred troubling memories of his childhood visits; Xun'er pulled away and offered him a scroll instead.

• Xiao Yan and Xun'er negotiated with Lin Yan for the Green Wood Immortal Vine, and Xun'er offered a seventh-rank Magic Core when they lacked Fire Energy.
• Lin Yan accepted one Magic Core, and Nalan Chaoge arrived, paid a thousand Fire Energy, and asked Xun'er about her other Magic Core.
• Xun'er told Nalan Chaoge she would owe him a thousand Fire Energy, then left with Xiao Yan for their dormitory.
• Xiao Yan confessed that he loved Xun'er and tried to embrace and kiss her, but memories of his childhood visits made her recoil and question what he had done to her.
• Xun'er stopped herself from confronting Xiao Yan and changed the subject by taking a scroll from her Na Ring and insisting he accept it.

Xun'er gave Xiao Yan a sealed clan inheritance and a Seventh Rank Water-type Magic Core, then questioned him about what he would have done if Nalan Yanran had not ended their engagement. The next day, Nalan Chaoge's road project brought the Tianji Sect enormous popularity, and Xun'er visited its headquarters, where she found Hu Jia and Wu Hao asking to join the forest herb-gathering.

• Xun'er gave Xiao Yan a sealed inherited Dou Technique that required Dou Wang strength to open, along with a Seventh Rank Water-type Magic Core.
• Xun'er tried to explain that Nalan Chaoge had not caused the Xiao Family's ruin and asked Xiao Yan what he would have done if Nalan Yanran had not broken their engagement; Xiao Yan struggled to answer.
• Construction began on the road between the Inner Academy and the Outer Academy, and Nalan Treant helped make the surrounding Primeval Forest safe for workers to search for herbs.
• Students flocked to join the Tianji Sect's construction crew after workers earned hundreds of fire energy, while Su Qian and the elders reconsidered their earlier opposition to Nalan Chaoge.
• Xun'er entered the Tianji Sect headquarters, where members greeted her as Nalan Chaoge's sister-in-law and led her to a gathering with Yang Chao, Xiao Yi Xian, Kimimaro, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao.
• Hu Jia and Wu Hao told Xun'er they had come to ask Nalan Chaoge for a share of the forest's medicinal herbs, while Xun'er hoped to gather fire energy for Xiao Yan before she left.

Nalan Chaoge and Xun'er discussed her impending departure and her feelings for Xiao Yan before Gu Clan envoys arrived to take her home. When Nalan Chaoge tried to help Xun'er, Ling Quan confronted him and sent nine men to attack.

• Xun'er gathered herbs with Nalan Chaoge while students built a road, and Nalan Chaoge learned she would soon leave the Academy.
• Nalan Chaoge urged Xun'er to reconsider her feelings for Xiao Yan, and Xun'er admitted she owed Nalan Yanran an apology for criticizing her choice to reject a marriage contract.
• Ling Quan arrived with a dozen Gu Clan Dou Emperors on Four-Winged Unicorns and demanded that Xun'er return with them immediately.
• Xun'er tried to give Nalan Chaoge twenty thousand units of Fire Energy to pass on to someone, but Ling Quan accused him of being involved with her.
• Ling Quan's nine subordinates charged at Nalan Chaoge before he could explain himself.

Nalan Chaoge subdued Ling Quan’s men and fought Ling Quan while Xun'er tried to stop them, triggering their hidden flames and burning away their clothes. After Nalan Chaoge defeated Ling Quan, Xun'er departed, embarrassed by his final remark.

• Nalan Chaoge trapped nine of Ling Quan’s soldiers in roots from Nalan Treant and prepared to kill Ling Quan with Comet.
• Xun'er’s Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame and Nalan Chaoge’s hidden Amaterasu ignited at once, disrupting Comet and burning away both of their clothes.
• Ling Quan attacked Nalan Chaoge with a Lightning Spear, but Nalan Chaoge used Lightning Release: Kirin to destroy the spear and strike Ling Quan down.
• Xun'er dressed and left after Nalan Chaoge joked that she did not seem to be wearing underwear.

Nalan Chaoge and Xun'er parted as friends, while Xiao Yan watched and mistook their farewell for betrayal. After Xun'er left, the students passed her Fire Energy Card toward Xiao Yan, but Yang Chao, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao each took some of its funds, leaving only two thousand fire energy.

• Xun'er told Nalan Chaoge they were friends, and they embraced before she departed with Ling Quan and the Black Annihilation Army.
• Xiao Yan watched the farewell from afar, grew jealous, and listened as Yao Chen urged him to use Xun'er's family and become stronger to reclaim her and confront Nalan Chaoge.
• Nalan Chaoge called out the hidden students and gave Yang Chao Xun'er's twenty-thousand-fire-energy card to deliver to Xiao Yan.
• Yang Chao sent Hu Jia to arrange delivery, and Hu Jia transferred five thousand fire energy from the card before handing it to Wu Hao.
• Wu Hao transferred another three thousand fire energy, leaving only two thousand for Xiao Yan.

Nalan Chaoge discovered that Yao Chen had vanished, though he suspected the old schemer had faked his death, while Xun'er escaped an ambush carrying the Tou She Ancient God Jade. Returning to Jia Nan Academy to seek Tier 7 Demonic Cores, Nalan Chaoge heard that the Inner Academy's top Strong Ranking expert was fighting someone.

• Nalan Chaoge found Yao Chen fading away, and Yao Chen claimed that losing his Na Ring had left him without the source Dou Qi sustaining his remnant soul before vanishing.
• Nalan Chaoge suspected Yao Chen had staged his death and reasoned that the Soul Hall had recruited him to infiltrate the Xiao Family and pursue the Tou She Ancient God Jade.
• Old Man Mu Gu ambushed Xun'er for the jade, but Ling Ying appeared and drove him off, allowing Xun'er to escape with it.
• Old Man Mu Gu headed toward the Black-Corner Region after hearing there was another heavenly flame there.
• Nalan Chaoge returned to Jia Nan Academy to search its Medicinal Herb Warehouse for Tier 7 Demonic Cores and heard students say the Inner Academy's top Strong Ranking expert was fighting someone.

Nalan Chaoge watched Kimimaro challenge Zi Yan, the Inner Academy’s strongest student, over a Tier 7 Demonic Core. Their fierce duel left both fighters taking each other seriously, with Kimimaro surviving Zi Yan’s massive attack through his bone defenses.

• Nalan Chaoge learned that Kimimaro had challenged Zi Yan and hurried to the Arena to watch.
• Zi Yan struck Kimimaro with a powerful surprise punch, but he stood back up and retaliated with bone spikes.
• Kimimaro pierced Zi Yan’s shoulder during his Dance of the Willow, drawing blood and shocking the spectators.
• Zi Yan summoned a huge illusory figure and brought its fist down on Kimimaro.
• Kimimaro used Dance of the Larch to block the blow with a protective cage of upward-pointing bone spikes.

Kimimaro defeated Zi Yan in the Arena by using the Lion-Tiger Shattering Gold Chant to create an opening and trap her with his bone technique, winning her seventh-rank magic core. He gave the core to Nalan Chaoge, who planned to speak with Zi Yan and warned Kimimaro not to underestimate her.

• Kimimaro used Dance of the Larch to break Zi Yan’s enormous soul-form attack, and Zi Yan eagerly challenged him to keep fighting.
• Kimimaro stunned Zi Yan with the Lion-Tiger Shattering Gold Chant, then pinned her with Dance of the Clematis: Flower and won the match.
• Zi Yan honored their wager and gave Kimimaro her seventh-rank magic core, though she demanded a rematch.
• Kimimaro handed the core to Nalan Chaoge, who now had seven of the ten cores needed for an SS-grade system.
• Nalan Chaoge warned Kimimaro that he had won by exploiting the sonic technique and would not beat Zi Yan in a real fight.

Nalan Chaoge investigated the unnaturally quiet fallen heart flame beneath the Qi Refining Tower, maintaining a barrier for months without finding it. When Su Qian came to arrange Heart Flame Body Tempering for the Strong Ranking winners, Nalan Chaoge’s ominous feeling returned.

• Su Qian explained that the fallen heart flame had stopped its usual attacks for two months, and Nalan Chaoge learned that the Inner Academy’s top-ten competition would take place in two months.
• Nalan Chaoge questioned why the academy guarded the Heavenly Flame and suggested abandoning the academy and sending its students away, but Su Qian said a vessel could be used to create another flame if the original disappeared.
• Su Qian led Nalan Chaoge down to the bottom of the tower, where Nalan sat on a jade platform and sent the Sky Cover Formation into the opening to search for the fallen heart flame.
• Nalan Chaoge maintained his barrier for months without finding the flame, while the Strong Ranking competition concluded and Su Qian reported a tie between Xiao Yan and Liu Qing for tenth place.
• Nalan Chaoge demanded that Xiao Yan be removed from Heart Flame Body Tempering, then proposed canceling the reward or disbanding the Inner Academy when Su Qian resisted.
• Su Qian suggested the fallen heart flame might have given up trying to escape and defended Heart Flame Body Tempering, but Nalan Chaoge suddenly sensed danger.

Nalan Chaoge suspected that the sentient fallen heart flame had planted hidden imprints in the Inner Academy’s students and elders, so he kept Xiao Yi Xian and Kimimaro from undergoing heart flame tempering. After examining them, he found an imprint in Kimimaro and gave him a green lotus core flame child flame, then arrived at the Qi Refining Tower as the Strong Ranking’s top students gathered.

• Nalan Chaoge warned Su Qian that the fallen heart flame might be dangerous, but Su Qian continued the tempering session and Nalan Chaoge canceled Xiao Yi Xian and Kimimaro’s places.
• Kimimaro announced that he had reached second place on the Strong Ranking, while Xiao Yi Xian revealed that she had taken first and reached One-Star Dou Emperor.
• Nalan Chaoge examined Xiao Yi Xian’s Woeful Poison Body and said they had about two years to find the materials needed to control it.
• Nalan Chaoge told Xiao Yi Xian and Kimimaro that the fallen heart flame might have planted imprints in people’s bodies, then found one in Kimimaro and left him a green lotus core flame child flame.
• Xiao Yan grew suspicious of Nalan Chaoge’s decision to skip the tempering, and Nalan Chaoge later met Liu Qing and Yang Chao at the Qi Refining Tower.

Xiao Yan entered the Qi Refining Tower’s heart flame trial while Yao Chen secretly provoked the fallen heart flame in hopes of subduing it. Three days later, the beast began resisting its seals, and Su Qian realized the academy faced an imminent disaster.

• Nalan Chaoge warned that the fallen heart flame might erupt soon, while Yang Chao refused to join the trial and left the tower with him.
• Xiao Yan and the other Strong Ranking students entered the tower, and Yao Chen slipped past the seals into the cavern to provoke the fallen heart flame.
• Yao Chen’s plan gave the fallen heart flame strength to resist, though the students endured the heart flame tempering trial for three days.
• Nalan Chaoge sensed the heavenly flame’s movement and concluded that someone had already acted to make it resist.
• The tower’s lowest level turned red as violent energy sealed the shaft, and Su Qian saw the magma below and realized the fallen heart flame had grown stronger.
• A faint bang sounded from the Magma World, leaving Su Qian facing the threat of the beast breaking free.