Chapter Summaries

After Feng Qing'er collapsed at the exchange meeting, Venerable Lei blamed Starfall Pavilion and vowed to retaliate. As Hun Ruoruo and Mu Qingluan fled, Hun Ruoruo revealed that she had given Mu a bottle of Heaven Demon Phoenix heart’s blood to tempt Feng Qing'er into paying a terrible price to preserve her pride.

• Venerable Lei heard Fei Tian report that no suspicious individuals had been found and concluded that Starfall Pavilion had schemed against Feng Qing'er.
• Venerable Lei declared that Wind Thunder Pavilion and the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan would not spare those responsible, then ordered someone to ask Feng Qing'er what had happened.
• Mu Qingluan worried that Feng Qing'er would retaliate, but Hun Ruoruo reassured her that her Martial Uncle’s strength would protect her.
• Hun Ruoruo explained that Feng Qing'er's pride and loyalty to her clan could be exploited to drive her into desperate efforts to rise higher.
• Hun Ruoruo gave Mu Qingluan a bottle containing the heart’s blood of a Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan member, intending for Feng Qing'er to sacrifice her life to maintain her position.

Hun Ruoruo’s rapidly awakening bloodline forced her to begin a dangerous medicinal bath without Xiao Yan, and Feng Qing’er’s heart’s blood made the pool even more potent. Just as Ruoruo prepared to endure it, a little girl arrived at the door, giving her a possible scapegoat for the phoenix cry.

• Hun Ruoruo told Old Man Yao that her bloodline was awakening too quickly to wait for Xiao Yan, and revealed that Xun’er’s bloodline had been close to divine grade.
• Old Man Yao warned Hun Ruoruo that the medicinal bath could shatter her meridians without Xiao Yan to share the pressure, but she left to proceed anyway.
• Hun Ruoruo poured the medicinal liquid into the bath and added Feng Qing’er’s heart’s blood, summoning a Heavenly Demon Phoenix True Spirit.
• Hun Ruoruo destroyed the phoenix spirit with Sea Heart Flame, then realized the bath’s intensified medicinal power made it even more dangerous.
• Hun Ruoruo hesitated at the painful bath and imagined sharing it with Xiao Yan, but a little girl’s worried voice sounded outside the door.

Hun Ruoruo and Zi Yan teased each other in a medicinal bath, where Zi Yan revealed her adult form after breaking through to Dou Huang and Hun Ruoruo warned her not to show it to others. Hun Ruoruo privately admitted how much she missed Xiao Yan, while Xiao Yan appeared in the Central Continent’s Northern Region and captured a Soul Hall traitor.

• Zi Yan questioned Hun Ruoruo about hiding herself, then teased her about her feelings for Xiao Yan and their past moments together.
• Zi Yan revealed her mature form and bragged about reaching Dou Huang, but Hun Ruoruo ordered her to change back and forbade her from showing that form to others.
• After Zi Yan entered meditation, Hun Ruoruo reflected on Xiao Yan and murmured that she would not take him to meet her mother if he started thinking about someone else.
• In the Central Continent’s Northern Region, Xiao Yan pursued a Soul Body that had leaked Soul Hall information and captured it with his Soul Token.
• Xiao Yan absorbed the Soul Light Cluster and removed his black robe, revealing himself after his long absence.

Xiao Yan used his stolen Protector Yan identity to infiltrate a Soul Hall group and secure information about a Branch Hall. He headed to meet Protector Ying, poised to learn more about the Soul Hall’s operations.

• Xiao Yan burned away evidence of his fight with the black shadow and discussed his strength and methods with Heavenly Fire Venerable.
• Xiao Yan and Heavenly Fire Venerable traveled to the Heavenly Sword Mountain Range in the Northern Region, where a temporary Soul Hall organization was stationed.
• Xiao Yan claimed he had killed a traitor and warned the Soul Envoys not to disobey him.
• Xiao Yan bluffed the Soul Envoys into revealing a suspected traitor, who fled and was captured and killed by the others.
• A Soul Envoy told Xiao Yan that Protector Ying was waiting for him and that the group would return to a Branch Hall to deliver souls; Xiao Yan ordered the envoy to take him to Ying.

Xiao Yan learned that Venerable Qinghai had taken an interest in him because of his powerful Soul Force, and he tried to avoid being drawn closer to the Soul Hall branch. Protector Ying’s recollection of people with similar concealment methods left Xiao Yan suddenly alert.

• Protector Ying told Xiao Yan that Venerable Qinghai had considered making him a Heavenly Protector but had set the matter aside because of his cultivation.
• Xiao Yan pretended to resent the idea of guarding the branch hall, prompting Protector Ying to warn him that a Venerable Elder’s orders could not be defied.
• Xiao Yan used the exchange to discourage contact with Soul Hall’s powerful figures while he improved his cultivation and concealment technique.
• Protector Ying explained that Venerable Qinghai likely valued Xiao Yan’s powerful Soul Force and believed he might have alchemy talent.
• Protector Ying recalled seeing people with similarly powerful Soul Force and concealment methods before they were thrown into the grand formation, and Xiao Yan reacted sharply.

Xiao Yan realized that Soul Hall's past soul hunts might have targeted Sound Valley, but concealed his suspicions from Protector Ying and sought advancement instead. Protector Ying offered him a mission to plunder the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool, while Hun Ruoruo agreed to accompany Mu Qingluan there, hoping to check on Xiao Yan.

• Xiao Yan connected Protector Ying's account of a sect with exceptional Soul Force to Sound Valley and decided not to tell Hun Ruoruo until he knew the truth.
• Xiao Yan persuaded Protector Ying that he wanted to advance within Soul Hall, and Protector Ying gave him a scroll describing a mission to plunder the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool.
• Mu Qingluan told Hun Ruoruo that the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool would open soon and that she hoped to claim a spot to help her break through to Dou Zong.
• Hun Ruoruo agreed to accompany Mu Qingluan, wanting to investigate whether Xiao Yan might be at the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool.

Three months later, Hun Ruoruo prepared Mu Qingluan for the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool competition with a pill designed to counter the Gold Devouring Rat Clan’s sonic attacks. As the contestants entered the mountain, a mysterious young man arrived, while Hun Ruoruo watched from above and lamented that Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran had not appeared.

• Hun Ruoruo gave Mu Qingluan a Fifth-grade Sensory Deprivation Pill that blocked hearing and protected against sonic attacks, helping her prepare to compete with Feng Qing'er.
• Hun Ruoruo concealed her strength while suppressing the awakening of her Divine Bloodline and hoped Ice River Valley would not disappoint her.
• Elder Mu opened the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool competition after warning the gathered contestants about the dangerous energy tide above the mountains.
• Feng Qing'er used the Three Thousand Lightning Movement to race into the secret realm, then wondered whether someone had moved even faster than her.
• A cold young man emerged from the forest after Feng Qing'er entered and followed the contestants up the mountain.
• Hun Ruoruo watched from above, found that her Soul Token could not locate Xiao Yan, and decided to stay to support Mu Qingluan.

Xiao Yan became lost in the fog around the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool and followed Mu Qingluan, mistaking her repeated warning for a sign that she had detected him. After confronting her, he revealed that she could not hear him because she had taken a Sensory Deprivation Pill, leaving Mu Qingluan embarrassed and Xiao Yan unimpressed.

• Xiao Yan found that the map and his Soul Force detection were useless in the fog, so he marked an ancient tree and continued onward.
• Xiao Yan followed Mu Qingluan after spotting her walking through the forest, and she repeatedly said that she knew someone was following her.
• Mu Qingluan left the fog and explained to herself that the Sensory Deprivation Pill had blocked her hearing and Soul Force.
• Mu Qingluan screamed when Xiao Yan appeared before her, then attacked him with her sword after he did not respond.
• Xiao Yan let Mu Qingluan's sword strike his chest, flicked it away, and asked why she had attacked without letting him explain.
• Xiao Yan gestured toward Mu Qingluan's ears, and she realized she could not hear him and apologized awkwardly.

Xiao Yan escorted Mu Qingluan out of the maze, then left her behind as he headed toward the mountaintop. After learning that the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool might contain a Beast Soul Treasury, he and Heavenly Fire Venerable decided to seek it out.

• Xiao Yan helped Mu Qingluan recover her hearing and mocked her defense of her Senior Sister, while she warned him not to speak ill of her.
• Xiao Yan told Mu Qingluan that he had a fiancée, correcting her when she asked what kind of people could tolerate him: “Not them. Her.”
• Xiao Yan left Mu Qingluan behind, and she reflected on his kindness before continuing toward the mountain.
• Xiao Yan wondered why Protector Ying had sent him to the competition and realized the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool might have another purpose.
• Heavenly Fire Venerable identified the Blood Pool as a possible Beast Soul Treasury and explained that Xiao Yan could refine its Beast Souls with the Myriad Beasts Spirit Flame and Five-Wheel Separation Fire Method.
• Xiao Yan and Heavenly Fire Venerable agreed to seek the treasure rather than compete for a Blood Pool slot.

Hun Ruoruo entered the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool to absorb its concentrated Beast Souls and break through toward a Heavenly Soul, hoping to gain the strength to search for Mother. She began losing control as blood flowed from her nose, and she toppled toward the pool.

• Hun Ruoruo decided to use the opportunity left by Xiao Yan’s absence to absorb the blood pool’s resources and strengthen her Soul Force.
• Hun Ruoruo concealed her aura and slipped past the climbers toward the peak, while Feng Qing’er recognized her aura and suspected Mu Qingluan had arrived.
• Hun Ruoruo reached the crater and identified the pool as a dangerous concentration of Beast Souls, then cautiously began absorbing it with the aid of Sea Heart Flame.
• Hun Ruoruo purified the pool’s resentment and Fire poison as she cultivated, and the bottleneck of the Heavenly Soul began to appear within reach.
• Hun Ruoruo’s nose began bleeding as she continued absorbing the Beast Souls, and she lost control of her body and fell toward the blood pool.

Xiao Yan evaded the Gold Devouring Rat Clan Leader and found the Beast Soul Treasury inside the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool. At the bottom, he discovered the living Ruoruo, leaving him stunned by their unexpected reunion.

• Xiao Yan entered the crater while concealed by the Disguise Dou Technique, after Heavenly Fire Venerable helped him endure the energy tide.
• Xiao Yan found the Beast Soul Treasury and jumped into its blood pool, while Heavenly Fire Venerable stayed behind to guard the entrance.
• Xiao Yan used the Myriad Beasts Spirit Flame to repel the beast souls and absorb their energy as he descended toward the pool’s bottom.
• Xiao Yan noticed a faint blue light and cautiously approached its source, suspecting someone else was in the blood pool.
• Xiao Yan found a barely conscious woman beneath the blue glow and recognized her as Ruoruo.

Xiao Yan broke through Sea Heart Flame’s barrier and rescued Hun Ruoruo from the Blood Pool, then brought her to shore and asked Heavenly Fire Venerable to diagnose her. The diagnosis left Xiao Yan stunned when Heavenly Fire Venerable suggested she had overdone the supplements.

• Xiao Yan recognized Hun Ruoruo but could not reach her through Sea Heart Flame’s protective barrier.
• Xiao Yan shattered the barrier by repeatedly striking it with his head and arms, then pulled Hun Ruoruo into his arms.
• Heavenly Fire Venerable fled into the Storage Ring as the Blood Pool erupted, and Xiao Yan emerged carrying Hun Ruoruo.
• Xiao Yan warmed Hun Ruoruo’s body with his Dou Qi, dressed her, and summoned Heavenly Fire Venerable to examine her.
• Heavenly Fire Venerable examined Hun Ruoruo and hinted that she had overdone the supplements, leaving Xiao Yan in disbelief.

Xiao Yan found Hun Ruoruo unconscious from a buildup of medicinal power and stayed with her as he considered whether to delay reuniting with her. When she cried in her sleep about losing her mother and fearing she could not keep both friends and family, he reassured her that she could have both.

• Xiao Yan discovered that Hun Ruoruo's nosebleed came from a buildup of medicinal power after she overused supplements.
• Heavenly Fire Venerable teased Xiao Yan, then dispersed into smoke to shield the pair from detection.
• Xiao Yan cared for the unconscious Hun Ruoruo and considered leaving before she woke, since he had not yet confirmed the lead about Sound Valley.
• Hun Ruoruo wrapped her arms around Xiao Yan and murmured that she feared gaining friends meant losing her mother.
• Xiao Yan soothed Hun Ruoruo and told her she could have both.

Xiao Yan stayed beside Hun Ruoruo as she slept, then tried to kiss her after searching for a Blood Coagulation Pill. Hun Ruoruo woke, mistook him for a Soul Hall member, and attacked when he leaned close.

• Xiao Yan decided to remain with Hun Ruoruo and bring her news about Sound Valley when they met again.
• Xiao Yan searched his Storage Ring for a Blood Coagulation Pill and decided to kiss the sleeping Hun Ruoruo.
• Hun Ruoruo woke and, unable to use her Soul Force, assumed Xiao Yan was a Soul Hall member who had rescued her from the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool.
• Hun Ruoruo pretended to sleep while listening to Xiao Yan, hoping to capture him and learn about her Senior Brother.
• When Xiao Yan leaned over her, Hun Ruoruo recognized his bloodied, hooded face as a threat and raised a Water Blade against him.

Xiao Yan disguised himself as a Soul Hall Protector and fought Hun Ruoruo, who did not recognize him and tried to kill him. He escaped after tricking her, and Hun Ruoruo found a mysterious pair of underwear beneath a stone stool.

• Hun Ruoruo mistook Xiao Yan for a lecherous Soul Hall Protector and attacked him with her blood blade.
• Hun Ruoruo accused him of damaging her Sea Heart Flame and revealed she intended to kill him to silence him.
• Hun Ruoruo summoned the Sea Flame Halberd and overwhelmed Xiao Yan’s iron-chain defense with repeated attacks.
• Xiao Yan feigned using Soul Burial, then fled while Hun Ruoruo prepared a water shield against the supposed blast.
• Hun Ruoruo abandoned pursuit and prepared to collect the blood pool, but a shifting stone stool dropped a piece of black fabric that she recognized as underwear.

Hun Ruoruo stole the Beast Soul Treasury from the Gold Devouring Rat clan, while Mu Qingluan told her about a black-robed Dou Zong who had spoken about her. Xiao Yan received Ruoruo’s message demanding that he return for the Four Pavilion Grand Competition in three months, and he answered with a smiling face.

• Hun Ruoruo escaped the barrier with the Beast Soul Treasury, and Jin Shi sealed the secret realm and ordered an investigation before his elder brother persuaded him to let the matter go.
• Mu Qingluan returned to Hun Ruoruo and told her she had won a Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool slot, that the pool’s opening had been delayed, and that she had hidden the Water Origin Pill as instructed.
• Mu Qingluan described a black-robed Dou Zong who had followed her and made outrageous remarks about Hun Ruoruo, prompting Hun Ruoruo to reveal a Soul Token and men’s underwear and angrily stretch the underwear over the token.
• Heavenly Fire Venerable complained that Xiao Yan had demanded half the Beast Soul Treasury, then asked why Hun Ruoruo had appeared at the bottom of the pool; Xiao Yan said she had mistaken him for someone from Soul Hall.
• Xiao Yan activated his Soul Token and received Hun Ruoruo’s message telling him to return for the Four Pavilion Grand Competition in three months or never come back, then sent her a smiling face in reply.
• Xiao Yan noticed his underwear was missing and asked Heavenly Fire Venerable about it, and the Venerable admitted he had taken it and offered to replace it.

After returning from the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool, Xiao Yan learned that the Soul Hall’s grand formation was too dangerous to question and resolved to attend the Four Pavilion Grand Competition to pursue clues about Hun Ruoruo’s mother. Despite Heavenly Fire Venerable warning him that meeting Venerable Qinghai could mean certain death, Xiao Yan chose to prove his strength and vowed to reach the Spirit Realm before tomorrow.

• Xiao Yan returned injured from the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool and reported to Protector Ying that he had completed the mission.
• Xiao Yan asked Protector Ying about the Soul Hall’s grand formation, but Protector Ying warned him not to inquire or cause trouble at the branch hall.
• Xiao Yan and Heavenly Fire Venerable concluded that Xiao Yan needed to attend the Four Pavilion Grand Competition to follow the lead Hun Ruoruo had given him about Sound Valley.
• Heavenly Fire Venerable warned Xiao Yan that pursuing the lead could expose him to Venerable Qinghai and certain death, and asked him to consider Hun Ruoruo’s wish for him to return safely.
• Xiao Yan said he wanted to become strong for his own sake as well as Ruoruo’s, then vowed to break into the Spirit Realm before tomorrow.

Xiao Yan endured the painful transformation of his soul into the Spirit Realm and learned to use Soul Force to control water. He then arrived at the Soul Hall’s Earth Fiend Branch Hall, where he noticed tensions between its local Protectors and those from outside.

• Xiao Yan suffered through the night as his soul became tangible, then struggled to control his newly amplified Soul Force.
• The Heavenly Fire Venerable demonstrated how to break and reshape a ball of water, and Xiao Yan used an alchemy technique to reform it before collapsing.
• Xiao Yan and Protector Ying approached the Earth Fiend Branch Hall, where Protector Ying warned him about its arrogant Heavenly Protectors.
• Xiao Yan realized Protector Ying was dissatisfied with the branch hall’s Protectors and considered using the conflict to his advantage.
• Xiao Yan entered the branch hall through a heavy iron gate modeled after the Soul Realm’s exit and was met by the stench of decaying souls.

Xiao Yan entered the Soul Hall branch with Protector Ying, then used a disguise to sneak away and search for the Soul Hall Grand Formation. He discovered a prison as he hunted for the formation’s location.

• An old black-robed Protector tried to bar Xiao Yan and Protector Ying from entering, but backed down after learning Xiao Yan was a Heavenly Protector favored by Venerable Qinghai.
• Xiao Yan learned that Protector Ying had once served Venerable Qinghai closely and had left to seek the chance to become a Venerable.
• Protector Ying left Xiao Yan’s Soul Robe and Storage Ring behind while he went to obtain approval, allowing Xiao Yan and Heavenly Fire Venerable to begin their plan.
• Xiao Yan disguised himself, knocked out a High-level Soul Emissary, stole his Soul Robe, and erased his memories.
• While searching the Soul Hall, Xiao Yan wondered whether the entire hall lay within the grand formation, then found an iron door marked “Prison.”

Xiao Yan questioned Mo Yi in Soul Hall’s dungeon and learned he was a Sound Valley disciple captured decades ago. Mo Yi revealed that many who took part in the operation knew Sound Valley’s identity, just as Heavenly Fire Venerable ordered Xiao Yan to return because a Venerable Elder had arrived.

• Xiao Yan entered the dungeon and questioned Mo Yi about prisoners with exceptional Soul Force.
• Mo Yi identified himself as a Sound Valley disciple captured more than thirty years earlier and recognized the Disguise Dou Technique scroll.
• Xiao Yan showed Mo Yi Pure Water Dou Qi and explained its connection to Hun Ruoruo, prompting Mo Yi to pledge his aid to her and Sound Valley.
• Mo Yi told Xiao Yan that everyone involved in the old capture operation, except newly promoted Heavenly Protectors, knew Sound Valley’s name.
• Heavenly Fire Venerable sent Xiao Yan an urgent message that a Venerable Elder had arrived and ordered him to return.