Chapter Summaries

After five months of training and sparring, Nalan Ye fought Cai Lin high above Nalan City and used a prepared lightning attack to win their match. The chapter left the two of them reflecting on his progress.

• Nalan Ye used Red Dust Rolling and his Human Dao Insight against Cai Lin, who countered with her snake-based Dou Skills.
• Cai Lin concealed herself and attacked from behind, but Nalan Ye dodged with Three Thousand Lightning Movement after reaching the Thunder Instant realm.
• Cai Lin surrounded Nalan Ye with Serpent Swarm Trapping Elephant, and he countered with Light Thunder Gentle Rain while struggling to keep pace with her movement.
• Cai Lin hid Snake Swallowing Eaves Sparrow among the small snakes and launched it at close range, but Nalan Ye used Thunder Instant to appear in front of her.
• Nalan Ye struck Cai Lin with Fleeting Thunderclap, won the match, and watched her steady herself as she considered his progress.

After sparring with Cai Lin, the narrator considered recruiting artifact refiners to create a ring for storing human qi. As Xia Valley’s suspicions grew, a visitor claiming to represent it arrived and demanded to see him.

• Heavenly Flame Venerable criticized the narrator’s fighting and warned that Cai Lin would likely defeat him in a real battle.
• The narrator suggested Cai Lin add a seduction technique to Soaring Serpent Riding the Mist, but she rejected the idea.
• The narrator asked Cai Lin about famous artifact refiners because he wanted a ring that could store human qi, then considered holding an Alchemist Convention to find skilled craftsmen.
• Cai Lin warned that Xia Valley’s inquiries had grown more frequent, and the narrator proposed delaying until Little Fairy Doctor advanced to Dou Zong.
• A servant reported that someone claiming to be from Xia Valley had arrived and demanded to see the narrator.

Nalan Ye confronted Jiang Yan, a Xia Valley disciple who demanded the release of Qi Yu and the other elders, then announced that he and Cai Lin would travel to the Heavenly Snake Mansion. Before leaving on a journey that could last years, Nalan Ye began arranging the Nalan Empire’s affairs and deciding who would remain behind.

• Jiang Yan threatened Nalan Ye with Xia Valley’s power and demanded the release of Qi Yu and the other six elders, along with Zhao Shizhe and Gong Wei.
• Nalan Ye brought Jiang Yan to Qi Yu’s courtyard, where Jiang Yan recognized his master and demanded the elders’ release, but Qi Yu and the other Xia Valley elders stayed silent.
• Nalan Ye proposed going to the Heavenly Snake Mansion with Cai Lin and told Qi Yu they would set out the next day.
• Nalan Ye explained that Cai Lin needed to visit the Heavenly Snake Mansion to fulfill an old agreement and said Heavenly Flame Venerable would handle the danger there.
• Nalan Ye began preparing for his long absence by planning for the Little Fairy Doctor, Xiao Yan, the Nalan Family, the empire’s major powers, the Alchemist Convention, and the Left Supervisor First Affiliated Academy.

Nalan Ye left Nalan City with Cai Lin and his companions to travel north toward the Heavenly Snake Mansion in the Mang Dynasty. As the group crossed into the Tagor Desert, Cai Lin vowed to lead the Snake-People Tribe back to its ancestral homeland.

• Nalan Ye said goodbye to his family and friends, appointed Xiao Meier as head of the Left Supervisor First Affiliated Academy, and offered Xiao Yu a paid deputy position.
• Xiao Yan revealed that Nalan Yanran was pregnant, prompting Nalan Ye to leave in irritation and head north with Cai Lin, the Heavenly Flame Venerable, Qi Yu, and the others.
• Qi Yu questioned Nalan Ye about their destination, then explained that the Heavenly Snake Mansion lay within the Mang Dynasty, north of the Nalan Empire and the Da Xia Dynasty.
• Nalan Ye's group crossed into the Tagor Desert, where Cai Lin vowed to lead the Snake-People Tribe away from the desert and back to its ancestral land.

Nalan Ye, Cai Lin, and their companions arrived at the Heavenly Snake Mansion to invoke a thousand-year-old agreement between the Mansion and the Snake-People Tribe. After Wu You and Ping Yuan uncovered its significance, the Mansion decided to keep the matter secret and investigate the Snake-People Ancestral Land as a potential boon to Qing Lin.

• Nalan Ye and his companions reached the Heavenly Snake Mansion, where Qi Yu entered its small world to announce their arrival.
• Nalan Ye told Qi Yu to mention Cai Lin’s claim that the Snake-People Tribe had come to fulfill a thousand-year-old agreement, making Qi Yu abandon his plan to seek reinforcements against them.
• Qi Yu informed Wu You about Cai Lin and the agreement, and Wu You searched the Scripture Pavilion’s ancient books to identify it.
• Wu You reported the agreement to Ping Yuan, who recalled its connection to the Snake-People Ancestral Land and its possible treasures for Qing Lin.
• Ping Yuan ordered Wu You to keep the matter secret, find out who knew of it, bring those people into the Heavenly Snake Mansion, and speak with Cai Lin.

Wu You learned that Cai Lin had arrived to fulfill the agreement with the Heavenly Snake Mansion, then brought two elders to question her group and exclude its non-Snake-People members. Nalan Ye claimed to be Cai Lin’s husband and Heavenly Flame Venerable her adoptive father, leaving Wu You and the elders stunned by their shameless excuses.

• Wu You questioned Qi Yu about who knew of Cai Lin’s agreement and learned that Nalan Ye and Yao TianHuo had accompanied her from the Nalan Empire.
• Wu You told Qi Yu to stay in the Heavenly Snake Small World, then summoned Qing Yue and Long Xi to handle the visitors cautiously.
• Wu You, Qing Yue, and Long Xi emerged from the spatial gate and asked Cai Lin to confirm her identity and the agreement to travel to the Central Plains and open the Snake-People Ancestral Land.
• Wu You challenged Nalan Ye and Heavenly Flame Venerable’s right to join the journey because they were not Snake-People.
• Nalan Ye took Cai Lin’s hand and claimed she was his wife, while Heavenly Flame Venerable played the role of their adoptive father, leaving the Heavenly Snake Mansion elders speechless.

Wu You consulted Ping Yuan about opening the Snake-People Ancestral Land and the risks posed by Yao TianHuo, and Ping Yuan decided to send Wang Ping, Qing Yue, Long Xi, and Qing Lin with the Azure Origin Pearl. Cai Lin, Heavenly Flame Venerable, and Nalan Ye waited at the Heavenly Snake Mansion’s guest courtyard, uncertain what would happen next.

• Wu You rejected Long Xi’s suggestion to capture Cai Lin and force her to open the Snake-People Ancestral Land, noting that she might rather die than comply.
• Wu You learned that Yao TianHuo’s cultivation surpassed his own and reported the situation to Ping Yuan.
• Ping Yuan gave Wu You the Azure Origin Pearl and ordered Wang Ping, Qing Yue, Long Xi, and Qing Lin to travel to the Snake-People Ancestral Land.
• Wu You told Qing Lin that Ping Yuan had ordered her to go on a distant training trip, and she asked what she should prepare.
• Nalan Ye worried that Ping Yuan might kill them, but Heavenly Flame Venerable said the Heavenly Snake Mansion had no reason to act before the ancestral land was opened.
• Cai Lin, Heavenly Flame Venerable, and Nalan Ye waited through the day at the guest courtyard, and Nalan Ye went to sleep when no one came.

Vulture Protector killed Yun Shan in the Supervisory Left Division's dungeon, then went to the Xiao Residence to capture Yao Chen. He attacked Xiao Yan, but Yao Chen refused to join the Hall of Souls, leaving Xiao Yan startled by his teacher's apparent interest in wives and concubines.

• Vulture Protector found Yun Shan in the dungeon and killed him after Yun Shan offered to capture Nalan Ye.
• Vulture Protector searched for Nalan Ye in Nalan City, failed to find him, and headed to the Xiao Residence instead.
• Vulture Protector attacked Xiao Yan's quiet room with his Soul-Hooking Iron Chain, but Xiao Yan escaped the collapsing room.
• Vulture Protector urged Yao Chen to join the Hall of Souls, but Yao Chen refused because of the organization's evil deeds.
• Xiao Yan misunderstood Yao Chen's reasons for refusing, and Yao Chen clarified that he coveted Pill Recipes and medicinal ingredients, not wives and concubines.

Yao Lao fought Vulture Protector as Xiao Yan and the Nalan Empire’s elders watched, but Vulture Protector’s Seven Star Dou Zong strength overwhelmed them. After Xiao Yan’s Rage Fire Lotus was suppressed, Yao Lao feared he could not escape capture.

• Yao Lao refused to surrender to Vulture Protector and sent Xiao Yan away before launching a battle in the sky above Nalan City.
• Vulture Protector shrouded the city in black clouds, while Xiao Yan sent Nalan Yanran to safety and asked Nalan Jie, Hai Bodong, and the others to help.
• Nalan Jie and the others flew toward the battle, but they hesitated as Yao Lao and Vulture Protector clashed at a level beyond their strength.
• Vulture Protector injured Yao Lao, and Xiao Yan rushed in with a two-colored Rage Fire Lotus.
• Vulture Protector suppressed Xiao Yan’s attack, and Yao Lao realized that the Seven Star Dou Zong might capture him.

Yao Lao was captured by Vulture Protector after leaving Xiao Yan the Bone Spirit Cold Flame’s origin and instructions for finding the Wind Venerable. Vulture Protector escaped Nalan City, leaving Xiao Yan determined to grow strong enough to rescue his teacher.

• Yao Lao sent the origin of the Bone Spirit Cold Flame into Xiao Yan’s forehead and told him to seek the Wind Venerable if he needed help.
• Vulture Protector seized Yao Lao’s soul and attacked Xiao Yan, but Nalan Jie pulled Xiao Yan away while Hai Bodong, Anthony, and the others tried to stop him.
• The Little Fairy Doctor appeared at the peak of Nine-Star Dou Huang as she prepared to undergo Heavenly Tribulation, forcing Vulture Protector to pause and offer her a place in the Hall of Souls.
• Vulture Protector chose to leave Xiao Yan behind and flew away with Yao Lao’s soul, telling the Little Fairy Doctor that he would return for Nalan Ye.
• Xiao Yan tried to attack Vulture Protector, but Nalan Jie stopped him and urged him to become strong enough to save Yao Lao.

Nalan Ye reunited with Qing Lin at the Heavenly Snake Mansion and learned she was being raised as the mansion’s future Dou Sheng. The two sides agreed to travel to the Central Plains in groups of four to open the Snake-People Ancestral Land, while Qing Yue warned Nalan Ye to keep his distance from Qing Lin.

• Nalan Ye recognized Qing Lin among the Heavenly Snake Mansion delegation and approached her despite the Heavenly Flame Venerable’s warning about a powerful Dou Zong.
• Qing Lin recognized Nalan Ye, happily clung to him, and called him Young Master, astonishing the mansion elders.
• Qing Yue realized Nalan Ye came from the Nalan Family of the Gamma Empire, and the group discussed returning the Snake-People Tribe’s Inheritance King Seal after opening the ancestral land.
• Wu You explained the agreement and named Wang Ping, Qing Yue, Long Xi, and Qing Lin as the Heavenly Snake Mansion’s four travelers; Nalan Ye agreed to bring a fourth companion for his side.
• After the feast, Qing Yue told Nalan Ye to keep his distance from Qing Lin and stop letting her call him Young Master, then asked him to keep her status secret.

Wang Ping, Wu You, Long Xi, and Qing Yue decided to conceal the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils by having Qi Yu kill Nalan Ye, while sparing Qing Lin’s feelings toward the Heavenly Snake Mansion. After Cai Lin revealed the threat behind the pupils, Nalan Ye entered the Heavenly Snake Small World seeking Qing Lin’s help and was ambushed by Qi Yu.

• Qing Yue told Wu You and Long Xi that Nalan Ye knew the secret of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils and was close to Qing Lin, so killing him themselves might turn Qing Lin against them.
• Wu You decided the secret mattered more than the trip to the Snake-People Ancestral Land, and Long Xi proposed that Qi Yu kill Nalan Ye while the Heavenly Snake Mansion dealt with the other two outsiders.
• Cai Lin told Nalan Ye that the Snake-People Tribe had been destroyed a thousand years earlier because of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, and that Qing Lin’s pupils could be the key to surviving the Heavenly Snake Mansion.
• Nalan Ye asked to see Qing Lin and entered the Heavenly Snake Small World alone after her messenger invited him in without Cai Lin or the Heavenly Flame Venerable.
• Qi Yu ambushed Nalan Ye with green vines, but Nalan Ye used Red Dust Rolling to disrupt Qi Yu’s Dou Qi and fled deeper into the small world while searching for Qing Lin.

Nalan Ye fled through the Heavenly Snake Small World as Qi Yu pursued him, while Heavenly Snake Mansion and Jing Ling'er worked to keep Qing Lin from hearing his calls for help. Unable to overpower Qi Yu directly, Nalan Ye drew him over a city and used its residents' human aura to disrupt him.

• Wu You and three others stayed outside with Cai Lin and Heavenly Flame Venerable while Qi Yu attacked Nalan Ye, and Jing Ling'er secretly isolated Qing Lin from the sounds around her valley.
• Nalan Ye used Thunder Instant to flee, but Qi Yu blocked his path with vines and shattered his Winter Moon Thunder Armor with exploding wooden spikes.
• Nalan Ye called for Qing Lin and tried lightning attacks, but Qi Yu's vine armor regenerated and resisted them; Nalan Ye could not sense Qing Lin nearby.
• Nalan Ye reached a city of roughly two hundred thousand residents and confronted Qi Yu, who dismissed his explanation for having been imprisoned.
• Nalan Ye used the city's human aura to disrupt Qi Yu's Dou Qi, then extended the technique to the people below.

Nalan Ye used Thousands Pointing Fingers to injure Qi Yu, then learned that the attack had contaminated Qi Yu’s Dou Qi. Nangong Li punished Qi Yu and led Nalan Ye toward Qing Lin, leaving him wary of Heavenly Snake Mansion’s intentions.

• Nalan Ye gathered the contaminated Dou Qi of more than ten thousand city residents into Thousands Pointing Fingers and struck Qi Yu, causing a massive explosion that tore open a Space Channel.
• The blast wounded Qi Yu and contaminated his Dou Qi, and he collapsed when he tried to launch another Dou Skill.
• Nalan Ye demanded that Qi Yu reveal Qing Lin’s whereabouts, but Qi Yu threatened him with Heavenly Snake Mansion’s strength.
• Nangong Li arrived, rebuked Qi Yu for fighting within Heavenly Snake Mansion, and sentenced him to ten years of reflection in Ten Thousand Snake Valley.
• Nangong Li told Nalan Ye that he could see Qing Lin and led him away, while Nalan Ye followed cautiously.

Nalan Ye reunited with Qing Lin and escorted her from the Heavenly Snake Mansion toward the Central Plains, concealing the party’s strength along the way. In Stone Desert City, he invoked the Xiao Family’s name at the Desert Iron Mercenary Group’s headquarters and learned the group was in trouble.

• Nangong Li warned Nalan Ye to keep Qing Lin’s Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils secret, and he reunited with Qing Lin in the Heavenly Snake Small World.
• Nangong Li and Jing Ling'er saw Qing Lin off as Qing Yue led the group south toward the Central Plains.
• Qing Yue disguised the party’s strength and arranged for them to travel by flying magical beast; they stopped in the Tagor Desert, where Cai Lin visited the Snake-People Tribe.
• Nalan Ye took Qing Lin to the Desert Iron Mercenary Group’s headquarters in Stone Desert City and struck a mercenary who shouted at them.
• The mercenaries recognized the Xiao Family connection, welcomed Nalan Ye, and asked him to save their troubled group.

Xiao Yan and Qing Lin arrived at the Desert Iron Mercenary Group as Wu Feng’s Dust Mercenary Group tried to force them out of Stone Desert City. Xiao Yan arranged for Qing Lin to fight Wu Feng, leaving her to face the Dou Ling commander despite the mercenaries’ protests.

• Wu Feng threatened Xue Lan and demanded that the Desert Iron Mercenary Group leave Stone Desert City.
• A mercenary announced that someone from the Xiao Family had arrived, and Xue Lan invited the visitor inside.
• Xiao Yan and Qing Lin entered the main hall, where Xiao Yan recognized Xue Lan and confronted Wu Feng.
• Xiao Yan proposed that Qing Lin fight Wu Feng, with the Desert Iron Mercenary Group’s fate tied to the outcome.
• Qing Lin struggled with the thought of killing someone but agreed to fight Wu Feng, and Wu Feng accepted the match.

Xiao brought Qing Lin to defeat Wu Feng and settle the conflict between the Desert Iron Mercenary Group and the Dust Mercenary Group. After Qing Lin killed Wu Feng, Xiao invited Xue Lan to Nalan City and comforted Qing Lin about her first kill.

• Wu Feng mocked Xiao and charged at Qing Lin, who failed to complete a movement Dou Skill and was struck without being hurt.
• Xiao told Qing Lin to stop using Dou Skills, and she killed Wu Feng with a single punch that shattered his dantian.
• Xue Lan thanked Xiao and worried that Wu Feng's death would anger the Mo Lai Ni Family, but Xiao assured her he knew what he was doing and invited her to Nalan City.
• Xiao crippled the Dust Mercenary Group members with Red Dust Rolling and arranged to meet Xue Lan at the flying magical beasts' quarters the next morning.
• Qing Lin worried about having killed Wu Feng, and Xiao comforted her before returning with her to Cai Lin, Qing Yue, and the others.

Nalan Ye returned to Nalan City and learned that the Hall of Souls had captured Yao Lao, leaving Xiao Yan devastated. He encouraged Xiao Yan to keep cultivating and promised to help rescue Yao Lao, and Xiao Yan swore to grow strong enough to save his teacher.

• Nalan Ye took Xue Lan south from Stone Desert City and learned that a Dou Zong had attacked the Xiao Family and captured Xiao Yan's teacher.
• Nalan Ye brought Xue Lan to the New Xiao Mansion, where she reunited with Xiao Ding.
• Nalan Ye found Xiao Yan drinking alone and learned that the Hall of Souls had captured Yao Lao.
• Nalan Ye encouraged Xiao Yan to cultivate until he could rescue Yao Lao, and Xiao Yan regained his resolve and vowed to destroy the Hall of Souls.
• Nalan Ye promised to help Xiao Yan rescue Yao Lao, and Xiao Yan thanked him tearfully.

After learning that Yun Shan had died in the Supervisory Left Division’s dungeon, Nalan Ye rushed to U Yue City to comfort Yun Yun and investigate. Yun Yun discovered Yun Shan might have left behind a child and decided to take the pregnant maidservant back to Nalan City.

• Xiao Yan drank with Nalan Ye, thanked him for being a good brother, and left to cultivate.
• Nalan Yanran told Nalan Ye that Yun Shan had died in the dungeon and that Yun Yun had gone to U Yue City to investigate.
• Nalan Ye hurried to U Yue City, where Yun Yun accused the Supervisory Left Division of responsibility for Yun Shan’s death.
• Nalan Ye told Yun Yun that one of Yun Shan’s maidservants was pregnant, and he brought her to the dungeon to meet the woman.
• Yun Yun decided to take the maidservant and her unborn child to Nalan City, where she would raise the child and make him her disciple if he showed cultivation talent.

Nalan Ye investigated Yun Shan’s mysterious death, then learned that a powerful Hall of Souls expert had taken Yao Lao and might come after him. His group reached Horizon City to use its Space Wormhole to the Central Plains, only to learn that it was broken and under repair.

• Nalan Ye failed to uncover who had spread the rumors about Yun Shan and left for Horizon City with Qing Yue, Little Fairy Doctor, Qing Lin, and the others.
• Little Fairy Doctor warned Nalan Ye that the Hall of Souls expert who captured Xiao Yan’s teacher had promised to seek him out again, and she and Qing Lin offered to protect him.
• Qing Yue and Heavenly Flame Venerable explained the Hall of Souls’ strength and hierarchy, while Nalan Ye concealed his past dealings with Wu Protector.
• Nalan Ye’s group traveled peacefully for several days and arrived at Horizon City, where a yellow-robed Dou Wang told them flying beasts could not fly over the city.
• Nalan Ye asked where the Space Wormhole was, and the Dou Wang said the Luo Clan’s wormhole had broken down and was being repaired.