Chapter Summaries

The third round of the Pill Gathering began as the contestants took their places on the floating stone platforms and prepared to refine medicinal pills. Xiao Kun planned to refine a peak Eighth-grade Venerate Augmenting Pill, but Cao Ying’s rare Blood Demon Flame caught his attention.

• Xuan Kongzi announced that the third round had begun and allowed contestants to refine any grade of pill using their own ingredients.
• More than a thousand contestants rushed to claim stone platforms, and Xiao Kun, Xiao Yan, Cao Ying, and the others chose quieter platforms at the edge.
• The contestants brought out their Medicine Cauldrons and summoned flames across the plaza.
• Xiao Kun reviewed his plan to refine a peak Eighth-grade Venerate Augmenting Pill because he could not reveal cultivation sufficient to refine a Ninth-grade pill.
• Cao Ying revealed a powerful Man-made Flame that destabilized nearby flames, and Xiao Kun recognized it as the Blood Demon Flame.

During the alchemy competition, Xiao Yan revealed a fused Heavenly Flame containing four kinds of Heavenly Flames, astounding the Alchemist Tower’s leaders. Xiao Kun then formed eight Dou Zun Peak clones and sent them to take over nearby stone platforms, leaving the others eager to see what he would do next.

• Cao Ying’s powerful Blood Demon Flame gave her an advantage over Dan Chen in the alchemy competition.
• Xiao Yan summoned his cyan-blue Heavenly Flame, causing the other alchemists’ flames to waver.
• Xuan Yi asked Yao Lao about the Bone Chilling Flame, and Yao Lao confirmed that he had given it to Xiao Yan.
• Xuan Yi, Xuan Kongzi, and Tian Leizi recognized traces of four Heavenly Flames in Xiao Yan’s flame and watched him with envy and anticipation.
• Xiao Kun began forming hand seals instead of summoning the Life Spirit Karma Fire, drawing the attention of Yao Lao and the Alchemist Tower’s leaders.
• Xiao Kun created eight dark-golden Dou Qi clones at Dou Zun Peak and sent them to occupy eight nearby stone platforms.

At the Pill Gathering, Xiao Kun used the Spirit Fusion Method to refine multiple Venerate Augmenting Pills, while his powerful fused Heavenly Flame stunned the gathering’s leaders. He began refining with eight clones, setting up a plan to combine eight pills into a higher-grade ninth pill.

• Xiao Kun created eight clones, confounding the spectators and leaving Xiao Yan unsure of his plan.
• Xiao Kun used the Spirit Fusion Method from the Ninth-grade Alchemist Inheritance to combine eight pills of the same kind into a ninth pill and raise its grade.
• Xiao Kun’s clones formed Medicine Cauldrons from the Life Spirit Karma Fire, astonishing the spectators with their fire control.
• Xuan Yi, Xuan Kongzi, and Tian Leizi recognized that Xiao Kun’s flame contained traits of seven Heavenly Flames and feared the power it represented.
• Xiao Kun brought out nine sets of ingredients for Venerate Augmenting Pills, distributed eight among his clones, and began refining the first batch.

Xiao Kun used the Life Spirit Karma Fire to refine more than three thousand medicinal ingredients far faster than the other contestants, drawing the attention of the spectators and experts. After two days of refining and six days of careful fusion, he reduced the ingredients to a fist-sized mass of multicolored medicinal liquid, leaving the pill’s final refinement ahead.

• Xiao Kun refined his first hundred ingredients in less than an hour, while Xiao Yan and the other leading contestants progressed much more slowly.
• Xuan Kongzi and Yao Lao noted that the Xiao brothers’ fused Heavenly Flames were powerful enough to overturn the usual relationship between ingredient rarity and refining time.
• Xiao Kun continued processing batches of ingredients as the Pill Gathering settled into a quiet competition watched by the crowd.
• After two days, Xiao Kun had refined all his ingredients, including the five exceptionally difficult main ingredients, into more than three thousand drops of medicinal liquid.
• Xiao Kun spent six days fusing the liquids without making a mistake, then slowed his pace to conceal the realm of his soul as only a fist-sized mass remained.

Xiao Kun completed nine high-grade Eighth-grade Venerate Augmenting Pills by refining them simultaneously with his eight clones, triggering immense pill lightning over Holy Pill City. The chapter ended as the merged thunderclouds gathered strength, leaving Xiao Kun to face the lightning alone as part of the competition.

• Xiao Kun finished fusing the medicinal liquids for his Venerate Augmenting Pills while other seeded alchemists were still working on theirs.
• Over the next several days, Xiao Kun slowly nurtured the pills with the Life Spirit Karma Fire while other contestants completed mostly Sixth-grade pills.
• After the pills formed, Xiao Kun continued refining them to remove their flaws, and an hour later vast thunderclouds appeared over Holy Pill City.
• The clouds turned azure, revealing that an Eighth-grade Medicinal Pill had been completed, and spectators realized Xiao Kun had caused the phenomenon.
• Nine crimson pillars rose from Xiao Kun's cauldrons as the thunderclouds merged and intensified around his nine simultaneously completed pills.
• Xuan Kongzi warned that the unusually powerful pill lightning could be difficult for Xiao Kun to withstand, since he had to resist it without help.

Xiao Kun refined nine Venerate Augmenting Pills, drawing Nine-Colored Thunderclouds that signaled Eighth-Rank Peak quality. As the Pill Lightning gathered over his Void Refining Cauldron, he began using the Spirit Fusion Method to merge the pills.

• Xiao Yan neared the final stage of refining his pill while worrying about the overwhelming Pill Lightning, and Dan Chen, Cao Ying, and the other contenders focused on finishing in the top ten.
• The thunderclouds over Xiao Kun’s platform gained nine colors, and Yao Lao identified his pill as the Venerate Augmenting Pill, which could raise a Dou Zun’s strength by two stars per pill.
• Xiao Kun dismissed his eight avatars and their Medicine Cauldrons, then stopped the eight pills they had refined from escaping and gathered them in his Void Refining Cauldron with his own pill.
• Xiao Kun used the Life Spirit Karma Fire and his Soul Power to begin the Spirit Fusion Method, forming an invisible formation around the nine pills.

Xiao Kun used the Spirit Fusion Method to push a Venerate Augmenting Pill to the brink of becoming a Ninth-grade Medicinal Pill, but the fusion stopped just short of the breakthrough. He revealed Heaven Realm Soul Power and began a backup technique to continue strengthening the pill.

• Xiao Kun concealed the nine pills’ energy with his Void Refining Cauldron, making the Nine-Colored Thundercloud disappear and leading the crowd to mistake his refinement for failure.
• Xuan Kongzi and the Alchemist Tower’s elders detected the energy within the cauldron and realized Xiao Kun was using an unfamiliar Secret Art to raise a peak eighth-grade pill’s grade.
• Over the next day, Xiao Kun’s Spirit Fusion Method depleted the eight surrounding Venerate Augmenting Pills, leaving the central pill a hair’s breadth from ninth grade.
• The central pill failed to cross the boundary into ninth grade, and the Nine-Colored Thundercloud reappeared over Holy Pill City.
• Xiao Kun unleashed Heaven Realm Soul Power across more than a thousand li and began forming seals to continue the Spirit Fusion Method with a backup plan.

Xiao Kun advanced his Venerate Augmenting Pill toward the Ninth grade and faced the Black Demonic Lightning it summoned. He used a Dou Saint Puppet to block the single bolt while Yao Lao protected the surrounding area, and the black clouds dissipated afterward.

• Xiao Kun gathered energy and spiritual energy from a vast area to push the Venerate Augmenting Pill toward Ninth grade.
• The Nine-Colored Thundercloud expanded and transformed into Black Demonic Lightning, alarming the experts watching.
• Xuan Kongzi and the others asked Yao Lao to protect Xiao Kun if he could not withstand the pill lightning.
• As the black clouds opened and released a bolt, Xiao Kun summoned a One-Star Dou Sheng Puppet to intercept it.
• The puppet's punch collided with the lightning and collapsed the space within Yao Lao's barrier, while the other alchemists remained mostly unharmed.
• The lone bolt vanished, and the Black Demonic Lightning clouds slowly dissipated.

Xiao Kun refined a Ninth-grade Venerate Augmenting Pill, and his Dou Sheng Puppet subdued it after it transformed and tried to escape. Xiao Yan accepted that he could no longer win first place and focused on claiming second as the pill’s astonishing effects were announced.

• After the energy storm ended, the Ninth-grade Venerate Augmenting Pill burst from the Void Refining Cauldron and tried to flee.
• Xiao Kun sent his Dou Sheng Puppet after the pill, which transformed into a beast and then a figure resembling Xiao Kun before the puppet pierced it and returned it to pill form.
• Xiao Yan saw Xiao Kun’s success and realized his own pill could not reach Ninth-grade, so he resolved to secure second place.
• An Alchemist Tower Elder asked Xiao Kun to explain his pill, and Xiao Kun said it could raise a newly advanced Dou Zun to Nine-Star Dou Zun and further improve other Dou Zun experts.

Xiao Kun joined Yao Lao and the others after refining a Ninth-grade Medicinal Pill, while the Pill Gathering continued to celebrate his achievement. Two days later, Xiao Yan refined a peak eighth-grade pill and began using the Spirit Ascension Technique to raise its grade, leaving the crowd stunned as he extracted its spiritual energy with Heavenly Flames.

• Xiao Kun put away the Void Refining Cauldron and Dou Saint Puppet, then joined Yao Lao, Xuan Kongzi, Tian Leizi, and Xuan Yi on the high platform.
• Xuan Kongzi and Tian Leizi praised Xiao Kun for refining a Ninth-grade Medicinal Pill, and he modestly credited his success to luck.
• Two days passed as other alchemists finished their pills, and the gathering's atmosphere remained buoyant after Xiao Kun's feat.
• Xiao Yan's Medicine Cauldron released a pillar of white light, and the gathered thunderclouds became a Nine-Colored Thundercloud, revealing his peak eighth-grade medicinal pill.
• Xiao Yan wrapped the pill in Heavenly Flames and drew out its spiritual energy to attempt the Spirit Ascension Technique, while Yao Lao and the others recognized what he was doing.

Xiao Yan infused his pill with Spirit Nurturing Dust and used a blood sacrifice to raise it to the Half-step Ninth-grade realm, then endured its Nine-Colored Pill Lightning with a puppet. He finished refining the pill and was asked to explain its qualities.

• Xiao Yan added Spirit Nurturing Dust and used Blood Sacrifice, Spirit Return to smooth and strengthen his pill, raising it to the Half-step Ninth-grade realm.
• Xuan Yi worried that Xiao Yan could not withstand the stronger pill lightning, but Xiao Kun reassured her that Xiao Yan had a powerful Dou Venerate Puppet.
• Xiao Yan summoned a golden Peak Three-turn Dou Venerate Puppet to face the Nine-Colored Pill Lightning.
• The puppet absorbed more than a hundred lightning strikes, grew several levels stronger, and survived until the thundercloud vanished.
• Xiao Yan collected his finished pill, whose Pill Rhyme resembled a sharp-clawed giant dragon, and an Alchemist Tower Elder asked him to introduce it.

Xiao Yan revealed that he had refined a peak eighth-grade Glazed Body Tempering Pill, while the Pill Gathering’s exhausted competitors dwindled to five. Dan Chen then succeeded in refining an eighth-grade pill and prepared to use Formation Plates and Formation Flags against its pill lightning.

• Xiao Yan explained that he had refined the Glazed Body Tempering Pill for his cultivation of the Glazed Indestructible Body, and the Alchemist Tower Elder congratulated him on his likely top-three finish.
• Xiao Yan joined Yao Lao, Xuan Yi, and Xiao Kun, while Xuan Kongzi and Tian Leizi exchanged pleasantries with him.
• A middle-aged alchemist’s refinement failed after the prolonged ordeal, and nearly ten more days passed until only five competitors remained.
• Dan Chen used her Soul Power and blood to complete an eighth-grade pill, whose eruption shattered her Medicine Cauldron and summoned azure and silver pill lightning.
• Dan Chen brought out Formation Plates and Formation Flags to form a defense against the pill lightning, leaving the spectators doubtful she could arrange it in time.

Dan Chen and Cao Ying completed their pills and survived the pill lightning with costly formations, while the last three Dou Zun alchemists finished their pills. The Pill Gathering concluded with the final rankings determined by the colors of the thunderclouds.

• Dan Chen used eighteen formations to block the pill lightning, then subdued her awakened Eighth Grade Initial Pill with confinement formations.
• Cao Ying refined a pill that produced a faintly three-colored thundercloud and used twenty formations to withstand its lightning.
• Xuan Yi identified Old Man Qinghua for Xiao Kun and explained that he had once competed with Yao Lao for the Bone Chilling Flame.
• Old Man Qinghua and the other two Dou Zun experts finished their pills, with Qinghua placing fourth and the other two tying for third.
• The Pill Gathering held once every thirty years came to an end.

Xiao Kun won the Pill Gathering after his Ninth-grade Treasure Pill overwhelmed the other contestants’ pills. Xuan Kongzi declared him champion and named him a candidate to become one of the Alchemist Tower’s future giants, while Xiao Yan accepted the loss and regretted missing the chance to obtain the Three Thousand Burning Flame.

• The contestants displayed their refined pills, and Xiao Kun revealed his Ninth-grade Treasure Pill above Xiao Yan’s and the other alchemists’ pills.
• Xiao Kun’s pill suppressed the others with its superior spirituality, making him the clear champion.
• Xuan Kongzi announced Xiao Kun as the Pill Gathering champion, and the crowd cheered for him.
• Xiao Yan accepted losing to Xiao Kun but felt disappointed that he had likely missed his chance at the Heavenly Flame ranked ninth.
• Xuan Kongzi told Xiao Kun that he would become a candidate for a future giant of the Alchemist Tower, drawing envious looks from the crowd.

After winning the Pill Gathering, Xiao Kun accepted the promised soul cultivation technique and learned that the top ten would enter the Star Domain to attempt to subdue the Three Thousand Burning Flame. Two days later, the group gathered as the Alchemist Tower opened the Star Domain, where the Grand Elder appeared to lead them inside.

• Xuan Gongzi gave Xiao Kun an ancient soul cultivation technique, which Xiao Kun accepted without much excitement.
• Xuan Kongzi announced that the Pill Gathering's top ten could enter the Star Domain in two days and attempt to subdue the Three Thousand Burning Flame.
• Xiao Kun and Xiao Yan spent the two days recovering and cultivating in peace because Xiao Kun had killed the Soul Clan members pursuing the Heavenly Flame.
• On the appointed day, Xiao Kun and the other nine contestants gathered above Holy Pill City as Xuan Kongzi, Yao Lao, and two others opened a silver spatial gate.
• Yao Lao explained that the four would stabilize the Star Domain, and Xuan Kongzi announced that the Grand Elder would accompany the contestants before a white-robed figure emerged from the void.

Qiu Ling led Xiao Kun, Xiao Yan, and the others into the Star Domain to find the Three Thousand Burning Flame, while Yao Lao assured the Alchemist Tower elders that Xiao Kun was strong enough to subdue it. After traveling through the increasingly hot, dangerous domain, the group reached a blazing radiance and discovered an enormous dragon within it.

• Qiu Ling introduced himself as the Alchemist Tower's Grand Elder, warned the group to follow his orders, and led them through the spatial gate into the Star Domain.
• Xuan Kongzi and Tian Leizi questioned Yao Lao about Xiao Kun's past Heavenly Flames, and Yao Lao said Xiao Kun was strong enough to subdue the Three Thousand Burning Flame.
• Xiao Kun sensed the Three Thousand Burning Flame resonating with the Life Spirit Karma Fire as Qiu Ling explained the Star Domain's Star Power and spatial dangers.
• Qiu Ling led the group deeper into the Star Domain, where rising heat forced Dan Chen, Cao Ying, and the weaker members to use Dou Qi for protection.
• Xiao Kun sensed they were near their target, and the group saw a blazing radiance that contained an enormous dragon.

Xiao Kun attempted to subdue Three Thousand Burning Flame by overwhelming it with his Life Spirit Karma Fire. His flames began melting the sealed dragon’s scales and damaging its restraints, allowing the Heavenly Flame to regain control of its body.

• Qiu Ling identified Three Thousand Burning Flame and invited Xiao Kun, the Pill Gathering champion, to try subduing it first.
• Xiao Kun approached the sealed dragon, then sent his Dou Saint Puppet to protect Xiao Yan and the others instead of using it to capture the flame.
• Xiao Kun unleashed his Life Spirit Karma Fire, causing Three Thousand Burning Flame’s purple-black flames to retreat and its sealed body to tremble.
• Xiao Kun formed a massive net of dark-golden fire chains and dropped it over Three Thousand Burning Flame.
• The net began melting the dragon’s scales and breaking parts of the seal, heavily injuring Three Thousand Burning Flame but letting it regain control of its body.

Xiao Kun trapped Three Thousand Burning Flame in a net of Life Spirit Karma Fire, and the Heavenly Flame exhausted itself trying to break free. As Three Thousand Burning Flame continued fighting rather than surrendering, Xiao Kun prepared to end the struggle.

• Three Thousand Burning Flame regained control of its body and attacked Xiao Kun, but the dark-golden net blocked its flames.
• Three Thousand Burning Flame surged with power and tried to rise and break the net, while Xiao Kun remained confident that it would hold.
• After several minutes of struggling, Three Thousand Burning Flame weakened as the Life Spirit Karma Fire continued to consume it.
• Xiao Yan, Qiu Ling, Dan Chen, Cao Ying, and the others watched Xiao Kun gain the upper hand and anticipated that he would subdue Three Thousand Burning Flame.
• Xiao Kun respected Three Thousand Burning Flame's refusal to yield, formed seals, and prepared to end the fight quickly.

Xiao Kun pierced Three Thousand Burning Flame's dragon body with Life Spirit Karma Fire spears, but the flame attempted to escape by self-destructing its vessel. Xiao Kun and the Dou Saint Puppet weathered the blast, while Yao Lao and the others reinforced the unstable Star Domain to keep Three Thousand Burning Flame trapped.

• Xiao Kun transformed his Life Spirit Karma Fire net into spears and launched them at Three Thousand Burning Flame.
• Three Thousand Burning Flame began self-destructing its dragon body, alarming Qiu Ling and the others, while Xiao Yan reassured them that the Dou Saint Puppet could protect them.
• Xiao Kun's spears pierced Three Thousand Burning Flame's body, weakening the ensuing explosion, and he endured the shockwave without stopping it.
• The Dou Saint Puppet countered the blast with a punch, protecting Xiao Yan and the others as the two attacks dissipated.
• Yao Lao, Xuan Kongzi, Xuan Yi, and Tian Leizi reinforced the Star Domain after the explosion and the puppet's punch nearly destabilized it.
• Yao Lao and Xuan Yi discussed the damage and trusted that Xiao Kun would restrain himself to preserve the Star Domain.

Xiao Kun tracked down Three Thousand Burning Flame after it fled, captured it, and burned away its intelligence. He returned with its origin flame, leaving Xiao Yan with a much easier path to absorb it.

• After Three Thousand Burning Flame vanished amid the Star Domain’s destruction, Xiao Kun told Xiao Yan and the others he had sensed its location and went after it.
• Three Thousand Burning Flame found the Star Domain stabilized by powerful experts and tried to hide, unaware that Xiao Kun had marked it with a Soul Imprint.
• Xiao Kun trapped Three Thousand Burning Flame with dark-golden chains and used the Life Spirit Karma Fire to melt it into its origin flame, destroying its intelligence.
• Xiao Kun returned to Xiao Yan and the others with the violet-black origin flame, astonishing the alchemists present.
• Qiu Ling congratulated Xiao Kun and asked why the flame was not resisting, and Xiao Kun explained that he had removed its intelligence.