Chapter Summaries

Xiao Chen’s rapid breakthrough to the 6th level of Qi Refining drew attention from Manager Chen, Chen Guangyu, and Jiang Sixuan, who reconsidered their opinions of him. Manager Chen brought Xiao Chen to meet Chen Tianyang, who confirmed his poor Spiritual Root and questioned whether luck alone explained his progress.

• Manager Chen and the others recognized Xiao Chen’s extraordinary progress, while Chen Guangyu resented him for their earlier Points trade and Jiang Sixuan wondered whether she should approach him again.
• Manager Chen dismissed the group and brought Xiao Chen to meet his third uncle, Outer Sect Elder Chen Tianyang.
• Chen Tianyang tested Xiao Chen’s Spiritual Root and confirmed that it was Low-Grade Wood.
• Chen Tianyang noted that Xiao Chen had surpassed Lin Ping'an’s breakthrough record despite having a poor Spiritual Root.
• Xiao Chen called his progress a fortunate chance, but Chen Tianyang said it was more than luck, leaving Xiao Chen uneasy.

Elder Chen judged that Xiao Chen had a measure of good fortune, not the status of a Destiny's Chosen, and gave him several gifts while encouraging him to enter the Inner Sect. Back at his house, Xiao Chen began planning to identify the suspected Inner Core he had obtained in the Trial, using a loophole to access records.

• Elder Chen told Xiao Chen that his smooth progress came from being Fortune-Blessed and that Foundation Establishment might eventually be within reach.
• Elder Chen gave Xiao Chen a Golden Light Pearl and a Purple Peach Blossom, then advised him to stay humble and follow the examples of Jiang Cungang and Song Zhongwen.
• Manager Chen gave Xiao Chen a bottle of Qi Gathering Pills and left him to return to Branch 2.
• Xiao Chen returned to his house and reviewed the valuable items he had gained during the Trial and from the Chens.
• Xiao Chen decided to search records for information about the suspected Inner Core and planned to exploit a loophole to access them.

Xiao Chen discovered that the Golden Orb was a complete Demonic Beast Inner Core and sealed it away for safekeeping. Just as he was about to eat the Purple Peach Blossom, Su Wanqing came to invite him to dinner.

• Xiao Chen searched the Scripture Pavilion for information about Inner Cores and found a story describing how to test one.
• Xiao Chen learned that trade routes had been disrupted after the Divine Fire Sect conquered most of Quanzhou, leaving Li Fire Market short of goods and customers.
• Xiao Chen bought the materials for the test at a steep price and used them to examine the Golden Orb.
• The Golden Orb absorbed more than one jin of Fire Orchid powder and revealed itself as a complete Inner Core, which Xiao Chen sealed in a Storage Box.
• Su Wanqing knocked on Xiao Chen's door and invited him to dinner just as he was about to eat the Purple Peach Blossom.

Su Wanqing tried to recruit Xiao Chen by offering him Azure Wood Spiritual Liquid, but her brother Su Yuanpeng confronted Xiao Chen and challenged him to a duel. Xiao Chen accepted the wager for both bottles of Spirit Liquid, and the three left the market for the match.

• Su Wanqing inferred that Xiao Chen relied on an ancient secret method and prepared gifts to draw him into cooperation with the Su Family.
• Xiao Chen agreed to dine with Su Wanqing after she revealed she had obtained Azure Wood Spiritual Liquid for him.
• At the teahouse, Su Yuanpeng accused Xiao Chen of deceiving his sister and ordered him to stay away from her.
• Su Yuanpeng returned with his own bottle of Spirit Liquid and challenged Xiao Chen to a magical duel, wagering both bottles against Xiao Chen staying away from Su Wanqing.
• Xiao Chen accepted the duel, and Su Wanqing insisted on accompanying them as they left the market.

Xiao Chen defeated Su Yuanpeng in a spell duel with a single Fireball Art, surprising Su Wanqing and leaving her convinced that Xiao Chen possessed a Heaven-grade Inheritance.

• Su Yuanpeng suppressed his cultivation to the sixth level of Qi Refining, and Xiao Chen added Su Yuanpeng’s concealment technique to their wager.
• Su Yuanpeng prepared a Golden Mirror and Water Curtain Art, then let Xiao Chen attack first while Su Wanqing worried that Xiao Chen lacked spell-dueling experience.
• Xiao Chen’s Fireball Art pierced both defenses and shattered Su Yuanpeng’s concealment art, knocking him down despite his mana protecting him from most of the blast.
• Su Yuanpeng asked what spell Xiao Chen had used, and Su Wanqing intervened by claiming it was the Fireball Art and discouraging him from pressing Xiao Chen for secrets.
• Xiao Chen accepted Su Wanqing’s explanation, and she privately concluded that his power came from a Heaven-grade Inheritance.

After defeating Su Yuanpeng, Xiao Chen accepted his apology and the promised Spirit Liquid, then drank too much Bone Tempering Spring at a celebratory meal. A note from Su Wanqing revealed the wine could also improve his chances of breaking through, leaving Xiao Chen confident he could reach Late-Stage Qi Refining within a month.

• Su Yuanpeng admitted defeat, apologized to Xiao Chen, and gave him the Azure Wood Spiritual Liquid, a cultivation technique, and Qi Gathering Pills.
• Su Wanqing handed Xiao Chen her share of the Spirit Liquid, and Su Yuanpeng persuaded him to join the siblings for a late-night meal.
• Su Wanqing obtained Bone Tempering Spring for Xiao Chen, who drank more than half the jar and woke the next day sore and heavily intoxicated.
• Xiao Chen found Su Wanqing's note explaining that Bone Tempering Spring could replenish meridians and aid breakthroughs to Late-Stage Qi Refining.
• Xiao Chen circulated the Yang Qi Breathing Technique, felt his Mana flow more smoothly, and estimated he could break through within a month.

Xiao Chen learned about the Song Family’s beast-taming roots and attended a Celebration Banquet for Song Zhongwen and Song Zhongming’s tournament achievements. There, Li Sibao, who had secretly accepted a task to teach Xiao Chen a lesson in exchange for spirit pills, approached him with open hostility.

• Manager Chen invited Xiao Chen to the Celebration Banquet and told him Song Zhongwen had won first place and Song Zhongming had taken tenth in the Three Sects Joint Tournament’s Beast Taming Competition.
• Xiao Chen found Liu Benxin at the Cultivation Room and invited him to join the trip to the banquet.
• Liu Benxin explained that the Song Family’s wealth came from its Old Ancestor’s powerful beast-taming abilities and described the strengths of the Li Fire Sect’s Five Great Families.
• Xiao Chen encountered Li Sibao at the gathering and congratulated him on reaching the 6th level of Qi Refining.
• The chapter revealed that a mysterious contact had given Li Sibao a spirit pill to help him break through, then tasked him with teaching Xiao Chen a lesson.

At the Song Family’s Celebration Banquet, Li Sibao tried to provoke Xiao Chen as part of a secret mission to test his strength for a planned elimination called the “Pruning Action.” He finally engineered a public quarrel and left believing he had completed the mission’s first step, while planning to confront Xiao Chen again after his punishment.

• Li Sibao recalled his instructions to build a believable conflict with Xiao Chen before attacking him alone, unaware that the plan was meant to assess Xiao Chen for the “Pruning Action.”
• Xiao Chen and the others attended the Song Family’s Celebration Banquet, where Xiao Chen named Song Fengming’s Dragon Blood Mysterious Turtle as the spirit beast he wanted.
• When Chen Guangyu made a jealous remark about Xiao Chen’s ambition, Li Sibao joined in and insinuated that Xiao Chen looked down on ordinary people and their spirit beasts.
• Xiao Chen denied having exceptional talent, and Liu Benxin defended him before insulting Li Sibao.
• Manager Chen punished Chen Guangyu, Li Sibao, and Liu Benxin by ordering them to face the Sect Rules wall for a day and a night.
• Li Sibao left while glaring at Xiao Chen, pleased that he had made their conflict appear real, and resolved to bring wine and a magical artifact to confront him after his punishment.

After breaking through to the 7th level of Qi Refining, Xiao Chen weighed three Hextech options and chose Buy One, Get One Free. He planned to learn pill refining, believing his resources and combat strength could offset its major drawbacks.

• Xiao Chen returned to Branch 2 and focused on cultivation after sensing Li Sibao's hostility at the banquet.
• Xiao Chen cultivated through the night and broke through to the 7th level of Qi Refining.
• Xiao Chen considered Bitter First, Sweet Later, Meditation I, and Buy One, Get One Free as his three Hextech options.
• Xiao Chen compared Talisman Making and pill refining, weighing their costs, profits, and impact on his cultivation.
• Xiao Chen concluded that his Spirit Stones, Buy One, Get One Free, and featherweight fighter addressed pill refining's drawbacks, then chose Buy One, Get One Free.

After Xiao Chen reached the 7th level of Qi Refining, Li Sibao broke into his room and attacked him, but Xiao Chen defeated him and discovered he had been poisoned. Li Sibao revealed that someone had ordered him to kill Xiao Chen, and Xiao Chen kept him alive while summoning help.

• Xiao Chen consolidated his cultivation after reaching the 7th level of Qi Refining and returned to his room to sleep.
• Li Sibao broke into Xiao Chen's room and attacked him with a Flying Sword and snowflake spells.
• Xiao Chen defended himself with Earth Shield Art and struck Li Sibao with a fireball, then bound him with Wooden Vines.
• Xiao Chen found that Li Sibao was poisoned and used Water Healing Art to keep him alive.
• Li Sibao admitted that someone had ordered him to kill Xiao Chen and said he had seen the person's face.
• Xiao Chen suppressed Li Sibao's poison and set a distant house's roof on fire to attract help.

Manager Chen arrived in time to investigate Li Sibao’s poisoned attack on Xiao Chen, but Li Sibao hesitated to reveal his suspected connection to the Azure Flame Sect and died before Manager Chen could save him. After Li Sibao’s body and the surrounding ground were consumed by the strange poison, Manager Chen returned with two Elders and members of the Law Enforcement Hall.

• Under pressure from clan elders to learn pill refinement, Manager Chen was distracted when Xiao Chen reported that Li Sibao had attacked him and been poisoned.
• Li Sibao told Manager Chen that the poisoned wine was hidden by the wall and that he could identify the person who gave it to him.
• Manager Chen offered Li Sibao a family secret medicine but demanded that he prove the value of saving him, and Li Sibao hesitated to disclose his suspected connection to the Azure Flame Sect.
• Li Sibao spat out corrosive black blood and died before Manager Chen could save him.
• Li Sibao’s corpse dissolved into black liquid, corroding the ground while his Flying Sword remained intact.
• Manager Chen returned with Elder Chen, another Elder, and several Law Enforcement Hall senior brothers.

After Li Sibao was poisoned in Xiao Chen’s room, Elder Jiang questioned Xiao Chen and prepared to take him to the Law Enforcement Hall. Elder Chen vouched for Xiao Chen and accepted him as a disciple, but Elder Jiang resolved to investigate him for a chance to strike at the Chen Family, and ordered them to return to the hall.

• Manager Chen explained that Xiao Chen had been using the Water Healing Art to save the poisoned Li Sibao, but Elder Jiang treated Xiao Chen as the main suspect.
• Xiao Chen truthfully recounted what happened, while Elder Chen stepped between him and Elder Jiang and declared that he would vouch for him.
• Elder Jiang ordered his men to take Xiao Chen to the Law Enforcement Hall, but Elder Chen insisted on protecting him despite being warned he could share responsibility.
• Elder Jiang asked about Xiao Chen’s backing, and Elder Chen offered to take him as a disciple; Xiao Chen accepted and called him Master.
• An Inner Sect senior brother told Elder Jiang about Xiao Chen’s sudden comprehensions and cultivation record, prompting Elder Jiang to plan an investigation that might implicate the Chen Family.
• Elder Jiang ordered his men to escort Elder Chen and Xiao Chen to the Law Enforcement Hall, where Elder Chen would be treated as a guest.

Elder Jiang’s investigation into Xiao Chen escalated into a confrontation between the Chen and Jiang Families at the Law Enforcement Hall. As both sides drew their swords and prepared to clash, a guard announced that the Grand Elder had arrived.

• Elder Jiang found Xiao Chen’s sudden cultivation breakthrough and changed habits suspicious, then launched a sweeping investigation to find evidence against him and Elder Chen.
• Wang Sanhu kicked away Xiao Chen’s wine cup and ordered him to face the wall, but Xiao Chen chose not to fight the guards.
• Two Chen Family Clan Elders brought disciples to the Law Enforcement Hall and demanded the release of Chen Tianyang and Xiao Chen.
• Jiang Shiyou rejected the Chen Family’s demand, and members of both families drew their Flying Swords as the dispute threatened to erupt.
• A guard rushed in and announced that the Grand Elder had arrived.

After an investigation found no wrongdoing by Xiao Chen or Elder Chen, the Elders discovered Xiao Chen had reached the 7th level of Qi Refining in just seven months. Jiang Shiyou accused him of being a Demonic Cultivator, and the Grand Elder demanded an explanation, leaving Xiao Chen at risk of being condemned without evidence.

• The Grand Elder investigated Xiao Chen and Elder Chen but found no evidence that either had done anything wrong.
• During a search, a Blazing Fire Peak Elder discovered Xiao Chen had reached the 7th level of Qi Refining, stunning the Elders with his unprecedented progress.
• Jiang Shiyou realized Elder Chen had protected Xiao Chen to win his allegiance and suspected Xiao Chen had used a Demonic Art.
• Jiang Shiyou accused Xiao Chen of being a Demonic Cultivator and argued that his rapid progress contradicted his Low-grade Spirit Root.
• Elder Chen demanded evidence, while Xiao Chen challenged Jiang Shiyou for making an accusation without proof.
• The Grand Elder asked Xiao Chen to explain his breakthroughs and warned that he would rather wrong an innocent person than let a suspicious Demonic Cultivator escape.

Xiao Chen defended his rapid breakthrough by explaining how several cultivation resources and his chosen technique had aided him, winning support from Elder Chen, Elder Qi, and other elders. Jiang Shiyou invoked a special ordinance to detain him, but Bright Flame True Person arrived and offered to inspect him personally.

• Xiao Chen explained how the Yang Qi Breathing Technique, Purple Peach Blossom, Azure Wood Spiritual Liquid, Bone Tempering Spring, and Qi Gathering Pills had supported his rapid cultivation.
• Elder Qi and other elders backed Xiao Chen, while Jiang Shiyou continued to demand his detention and further testing.
• Elder Chen and Elder Qi challenged Jiang Shiyou's proposal, but he invoked the Law Enforcement Hall Special Ordinance to detain Xiao Chen for investigation.
• Bright Flame True Person arrived, stopped the dispute from proceeding, and offered to inspect Xiao Chen himself.
• The Grand Elder identified Xiao Chen, and Xiao Chen bowed to greet Bright Flame True Person.

Bright Flame True Person resolved the dispute involving Xiao Chen and confirmed that Xiao Chen had reached Late-Stage Qi Refining, sparking envy and regret across the Li Fire Sect. Xiao Chen completed his promotion to Inner Sect Disciple and settled at Azure Water Peak, where he began studying the sect's combat guide.

• Bright Flame True Person revealed that Xiao Chen was not a Demonic Cultivator, punished Jiang Shiyou and the Chen family members, and rewarded Xiao Chen with an Evergreen Sword and an Azure Wood Spirit Nurturing Pill.
• News of Xiao Chen reaching the 7th level of Qi Refining spread through the Li Fire Sect, leaving Jiang Sixuan regretful and encouraging Su Wanqing and other disciples to cultivate harder.
• Xiao Chen completed his Inner Sect promotion and received a Storage Bag, a defensive Magic Robe, an Identity Token, and other items.
• Xiao Chen chose Azure Water Peak over Sandalwood Peak and met Shen Siyue, who arranged a courtyard for him until Elder Qi returned.
• Xiao Chen examined the Inner Sect Handbook and became absorbed in the Qi Refining Combat Guide.

During his first month on Azure Water Peak, Xiao Chen consolidated his cultivation and repaired the Azure Gourd, while Shen Siyue failed to obtain the new technique meant for him from the Scripture Pavilion. Xiao Chen suspected the Jiang Family was obstructing him, but told Shen Siyue not to worry and looked forward to leaving the peak to study the Pill Dao.

• Elder Qi required Xiao Chen to stay on Azure Water Peak for a month, strengthen his cultivation, refine his magic tools, and copy the Inner Sect Handbook three times.
• Xiao Chen nourished his magic tools and used Azure Wood Spiritual Liquid to repair the Azure Gourd, increasing the mana it needed to summon its Divine General.
• Shen Siyue told Xiao Chen that the Scripture Pavilion was still copying the technique suited to his spiritual roots and apologized for the delay.
• Xiao Chen suspected Elder Li or the Jiang Family was withholding his technique, but reassured Shen Siyue that he did not need a replacement.
• Xiao Chen asked whether he could leave the peak now that the month had passed and planned to study the Pill Dao.

Xiao Chen chose the Yellow-grade Evergreen Pill Method and went to Li Fire Market to buy a Pill Furnace for learning alchemy. He left the Hundred Treasures Pavilion with an expensive Mid-Grade Pill Furnace and extra incense and a prayer mat, while a rogue cultivator wondered whether a new Foundation Establishment Alchemist had arrived.

• Elder Chen gave Xiao Chen a token to obtain a Pill Dao inheritance through the Pill Refining Hall.
• Xiao Chen chose the Yellow-grade Evergreen Pill Method, despite the senior brother urging him to consider Mysterious-grade inheritances.
• Xiao Chen concealed his appearance with a Stealth Cloak and visited the Hundred Treasures Pavilion to shop for a Pill Furnace.
• Xiao Chen selected a Three-Legged Revolving Fire Pill Furnace and bluffed the manager into offering three bundles of Agarwood Aloeswood incense and a Warm Jade Prayer Mat with it.
• A rogue cultivator watched Xiao Chen’s purchase and suspected that a Foundation Establishment Alchemist had newly arrived in Li Fire Market.

Xiao Chen spent months failing to refine Qi Nourishing Pills before finally producing one, while rising Spirit Herb prices threatened to drain his resources. After buying another batch, he encountered Jiang Cungang, traded insults with him, and returned to begin his seventy-first attempt.

• Xiao Chen repeatedly failed to refine Qi Nourishing Pills, losing 240 Spirit Stones over two months before one pill succeeded on his seventieth attempt; Hextech Buy One Get One Free produced a second pill.
• Xiao Chen learned that Spirit Herbs had become more expensive because Robber Cultivators had killed Spirit Planters in Plain County and disrupted the trade route, but he still bought five batches to continue practicing.
• Jiang Cungang mocked Xiao Chen for failing at pill refinement and accused him of wasting resources.
• Xiao Chen challenged Jiang Cungang to spar, added him to his revenge list, and returned to the mountain without fighting.
• Xiao Chen began refining his seventy-first furnace of Qi Nourishing Pills.

Xiao Chen improved his alchemy until he could produce ten Qi Nourishing Pills in one furnace, then used [Buy One Get One Free] to turn a batch of pills into a substantial profit. When he brought twenty-two bottles to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion for resale, the appraiser was astonished by how alike the pills were and asked which Alchemy Grandmaster had made them.

• Xiao Chen refined ten Qi Nourishing Pills in one furnace and accumulated sixty pills.
• Xiao Chen bought more Spirit Herbs after learning their price had risen, then refined ten furnaces with an average Pill Formation rate of eighty percent.
• Xiao Chen calculated that [Buy One Get One Free] left him with a profit of forty-four Spirit Stones from the batch.
• Xiao Chen wore a Stealth Cloak and took twenty-two bottles of Qi Nourishing Pills to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion for resale.
• The appraiser noticed that many of Xiao Chen's pills were extremely alike and asked which Alchemy Grandmaster had produced them.