Chapter Summaries

Xiao Peng endured mockery over his vanished cultivation and continued practicing swordsmanship while searching for a way to grow stronger. That night, a mysterious voice introduced itself as Sect Leader Tongtian.

• Xiao Feng mocked Xiao Peng for being unable to cultivate, but Xiao Xun'er intervened and comforted him.
• Xiao Peng asked Xiao Xun'er about Xiao Yan's test and learned that Xiao Yan remained at the Third Stage of Dou Qi.
• Xiao Peng practiced swordsmanship in an empty clearing, and his Storage Ring briefly glowed without his noticing.
• Xiao Yan joined Xiao Peng to eat pastries and talk about whether they might recover their cultivation.
• Xiao Peng considered nourishing his body with Dou Qi, then heard a mysterious voice praise his perseverance and identify itself as Sect Leader Tongtian.

Xiao Peng accepted Sect Leader Tongtian as his master and learned the Yellow Court Scripture. After one night of cultivation, he reached Foundation Establishment Level Six, and Tongtian began teaching him alchemy and sword techniques.

• Sect Leader Tongtian revealed that he had come to Xiao Peng because they were fated and asked Xiao Peng to become his disciple.
• Xiao Peng immediately bowed to Tongtian, who taught him the Yellow Court Scripture and guided him in cultivating Spiritual Energy.
• Xiao Peng cultivated through the night and advanced from an ordinary mortal to Foundation Establishment Level Six.
• Tongtian judged Xiao Peng's talent passable and sent knowledge of alchemy and the Upper Clarity Sword Technique into his mind.

Xiao Peng received a mysterious sword from Sect Leader Tongtian and went with Xiao Xun'er to see Nalan Yanran's group arrive at the Xiao Family. When Xiao Yan learned that Nalan Yanran had come to break off their engagement, Xiao Peng challenged the Misty Cloud Sect's explanation and provoked one of its disciples.

• Sect Leader Tongtian gave Xiao Peng a black sword that Xiao Peng identified as a possible imitation of the Qingping Sword.
• Xiao Peng joined Xiao Xun'er at the reception hall, where they saw Nalan Yanran and two others from the Misty Cloud Sect.
• Xiao Yan arrived, learned that Nalan Yanran intended to annul their engagement, and became furious.
• Xiao Peng challenged Ge Ye's explanation for the public engagement annulment and insulted a Misty Cloud Sect disciple's cultivation.
• Ge Ye signaled the young disciple to teach Xiao Peng a lesson as the Xiao Family watched.

Xiao Peng revealed that he had recovered his strength and defeated a Misty Cloud Sect disciple in one move, shocking the Xiao Family and earning Nalan Yanran’s admiration. After Nalan Yanran left following Xiao Yan’s declaration of the Three Year Agreement, Xiao Peng spoke with Xiao Mei.

• Xiao Peng refused Xiao Xun’er’s help and challenged the Misty Cloud Sect disciple, who claimed he could defeat him in one move.
• The disciple attacked Xiao Peng with Gale Slash, but Xiao Peng countered with a single sword swing and sent him flying.
• Xiao Peng taunted the defeated disciple, while Ge Ye grew wary and Xiao Yan gained hope that he might recover too.
• Xiao Yan gave Nalan Yanran a dressing-down, wrote her a letter of divorce, and declared the Three Year Agreement.
• Nalan Yanran left the Xiao Family with Ge Ye and the young man, while Xiao Feng hurried away to avoid Xiao Peng.
• Xiao Mei congratulated Xiao Peng on recovering his strength, and he encouraged her to cultivate diligently.

Xiao Peng bought alchemy supplies and successfully refined his first batch of Rejuvenation Pills. As he began a second batch, the Alchemy Furnace shook violently and the flames went out of control.

• Xiao Peng reassured Xiao Yan that he would help him regain his strength and cultivate with him.
• Xiao Peng went to the Marketplace and bought herbs, Magic Cores, an Alchemy Furnace, and a black iron sheet.
• Xiao Peng absorbed the energy in a Magic Core and prepared to refine Rejuvenation Pills.
• Xiao Peng successfully made eight Rejuvenation Pills in his first attempt.
• Xiao Peng started another batch, but the Alchemy Furnace shook violently and its flames began lashing out of control.

After Xiao Peng’s alchemy furnace exploded, Xiao Xun'er offered to help him study alchemy, and servants cleaned his room. Later, Xiao Zhan summoned Xiao Peng to the study and began to tell him about his parentage.

• Xiao Peng’s pill-refining attempt ended with an explosion that left him covered in soot and the pills reduced to charred residue.
• Xiao Xun'er checked that Xiao Peng was unhurt and offered to borrow alchemy notes from a friend who knew alchemy.
• Xiao Xun'er had three servants clean Xiao Peng’s room while Xiao Peng went to wash up.
• Xiao Peng resolved to practice swordsmanship by day and refine pills at night.
• Xiao Zhan called Xiao Peng to the study and told him he wanted to discuss Xiao Peng’s parentage.
• Xiao Peng said he was mentally prepared and asked Xiao Zhan to continue.

Xiao Zhan revealed that Xiao Peng was not a member of the Xiao Family and gave him the inheritance his parents had left behind. Xiao Peng continued practicing alchemy, then received alchemy notes from Xiao Xun'er the next morning.

• Xiao Zhan told Xiao Peng that his parents had been killed by a Tier 4 Magical Beast and warned him not to seek revenge impulsively.
• Xiao Zhan handed Xiao Peng a Storage Ring containing his parents' inheritance, including pills, forging materials, a Beast Core, gold coins, a cultivation technique, and Dou Techniques.
• Xiao Peng thanked Xiao Zhan for raising him, returned to his room, and spent nearly a day refining pills with improving results.
• Xiao Xun'er brought Xiao Peng alchemy notes with the insights of a Third-grade Alchemist and advised him to study their fire-control techniques and medicinal herb incompatibilities.
• Xiao Xun'er praised Xiao Peng for refining First-grade Pills, while Xiao Peng shyly declined her invitation to demonstrate his alchemy immediately.

Xiao Peng refined Clear Wind Pills after studying Xiao Xun'er's notes, then shared them with Xiao Xun'er and Xiao Yan. Old Yao examined Xiao Yan's pill and judged Xiao Peng's alchemy talent extraordinary, while suspecting a mysterious force had drained Xiao Peng's Dou Qi.

• Xiao Peng studied Xiao Xun'er's notes and refined twenty Clear Wind Pills, dividing them among five jade bottles.
• Xiao Peng brought a bottle to Xiao Xun'er, who praised the pills' quality and was pleased by his thoughtfulness.
• Xiao Peng gave Xiao Yan a bottle of Clear Wind Pills to help improve his cultivation.
• After Xiao Peng left, Old Yao examined a pill and said Xiao Peng's alchemy talent was remarkable.
• Old Yao suspected that a mysterious existence had drained Xiao Peng's Dou Qi, just as something had caused Xiao Yan's cultivation to regress.

Xiao Peng brought a Clear Wind Pill to the Mite'er Auction House, where Guni confirmed it was a second-grade pill and urged the staff to befriend him. Xiao Peng entered an ongoing auction and watched Ya Fei take the stage.

• Old Yao told Xiao Yan that he had never seen the pill, and Xiao Yan put it away for later.
• Xiao Peng went to the Mite'er Auction House and offered one Clear Wind Pill for appraisal and auction.
• The appraiser summoned Guni, who confirmed the pill was second grade and warned the appraiser not to investigate Xiao Peng.
• The auction house arranged for Xiao Peng's pill to be auctioned shortly and gave him a token for Auction Room Number One.
• Xiao Peng entered the ongoing auction, saw Ya Fei on stage, and reacted to her voice.

Xiao Peng’s Clear Wind Pill sparked a fierce bidding war between Jia Lie Bi and Xiao Zhan, who drove the price up before letting Jia Lie Bi win it for 115,000 Gold Coins. After leaving the auction, Xiao Peng returned to the Treasure Appraisal Room to collect his money, where Ya Fei came to meet him.

• Ya Fei presented Xiao Peng’s Clear Wind Pill and announced that it could accelerate cultivation by at least thirty percent, including for Dou Zhe.
• Jia Lie Bi bid 80,000 Gold Coins, but Xiao Zhan countered and continued raising the price to challenge the Jia Lie Family.
• Xiao Zhan stopped bidding and told Jia Lie Bi he could have the pill, revealing that he had driven up the price.
• Jia Lie Bi accepted the 115,000-Gold-Coin price, paid for the pill, and left the auction hall in anger.
• Xiao Peng left the auction and returned to the Treasure Appraisal Room, where Ya Fei asked whether he owned the Clear Wind Pill and he requested his money.

Xiao Peng negotiated a monthly pill-and-herb arrangement with Ya Fei at the Miter Auction House. They agreed that he would deliver at least fifteen pills each month in exchange for the auction house supplying his requested herbs, and Xiao Peng planned to collect them at the beginning of each month.

• Ya Fei questioned Xiao Peng about his master and praised the quality of his Clear Wind Pill, while Xiao Peng declined to discuss his teacher.
• Xiao Peng asked whether the auction house could supply the herbs he needed, and Ya Fei had a middle-aged man record his list.
• Xiao Peng proposed providing pills each month in exchange for the Miter Auction House supplying his herbs.
• Xiao Peng promised at least fifteen pills of varied types each month, and Ya Fei agreed to provide the herbs at ninety percent of market price.
• Xiao Peng and Ya Fei confirmed their cooperation and agreed that he would collect the herbs and deliver pills at the beginning of each month.

Xiao Peng completed his business at the Miter Auction House, received payment, medicinal herbs, and a VIP token from Ya Fei, then left. After learning that Xiao Peng and Xiao Yan had once been regarded as geniuses before becoming useless, Ya Fei suspected Xiao Peng had been hiding his abilities and chose not to investigate him directly.

• Ya Fei introduced herself to Xiao Peng and gave him a VIP token for the Miter Auction House.
• A middle-aged man delivered Xiao Peng’s payment for the Clear Wind Pills, along with the medicinal herbs he needed.
• Xiao Peng accepted the items and left the auction house, privately calling Ya Fei shrewd.
• Ya Fei learned that Xiao Peng and Xiao Yan had once been Xiao Family geniuses who were later considered useless.
• Ya Fei concluded that Xiao Peng might have pretended to be useless and decided to respect his secrecy rather than investigate him.

Ya Fei received two Clear Wind Pills from Xiao Peng, who returned to the Xiao Mansion and devoted himself to sword practice. Half a month later, Xiao Peng stumbled upon Xiao Yan being whipped by Old Yao and teased him as Xiao Yan tried to explain the bruises.

• Ya Fei recognized Xiao Peng’s gift as two Clear Wind Pills and decided he was thoughtful.
• Xiao Peng practiced the Upper Clarity Sword Technique in his courtyard and planned a daily training schedule.
• Half a month later, Xiao Peng heard strange sounds in the back mountain forest and approached to investigate.
• Old Yao sensed Xiao Peng coming and returned to the Storage Ring, leaving Xiao Yan bruised and nearly naked.
• Xiao Peng found Xiao Yan and tried to leave, but Xiao Yan insisted he explain the scene.
• Xiao Yan claimed he was using a vine for a special Body Tempering technique, and Xiao Peng questioned his explanation.

Xiao Peng teased Xiao Yan about his secret training method and challenged him to prove he could refine a pill. As Xiao Yan left, Old Yao explained the method’s benefits and urged him to focus on cultivation and learn alchemy only after building a foundation.

• Xiao Yan told Xiao Peng that a Reclusive Master had taught him a method to restore his Dou Qi and alchemy, nearly revealing Old Yao when he reached for his Storage Ring.
• Xiao Peng teased Xiao Yan about the vine-whipping method and doubted his alchemy skills, then warned that he would use the vines to help if Xiao Yan failed to refine a pill.
• Xiao Peng let Xiao Yan go after telling him to dress and apply medicine, and Xiao Yan promised to show him a pill once he refined one.
• As Xiao Yan descended the mountain, he complained to Old Yao about being caught by Xiao Peng, and Old Yao reminded him that he had warned him someone was coming.
• Old Yao explained that pain stimulated Dou Qi circulation, while Xiao Yan admitted the method was effective despite the pain.
• Xiao Yan asked when he could begin alchemy, and Old Yao told him to improve his strength and study the fundamentals first.

Xiao Peng broke through to the Qi Foundation Eighth Layer, and Sect Leader Tongtian refined his Mana and offered guidance on alchemy and the Upper Clarity Sword Technique. Sect Leader Tongtian then brought Xiao Peng to a testing space, where he faced shadows designed to exploit weaknesses in his swordplay.

• Xiao Yan found renewed resolve and told Old Yao he expected to learn alchemy after breaking through.
• Xiao Peng broke through to the Qi Foundation Eighth Layer after a year of cultivation, pill refining, and sword practice.
• Sect Leader Tongtian appeared, calmed Xiao Peng's Mana, and warned him not to grow complacent in alchemy.
• Sect Leader Tongtian clarified the principles of the Upper Clarity Sword Technique and helped Xiao Peng see patterns in its moves.
• Sect Leader Tongtian transported Xiao Peng to a testing space and summoned faceless shadows that attacked the flaws in Xiao Peng's swordplay.
• Xiao Peng realized the shadows had been created from his weaknesses and fought back against them.

Xiao Peng learned to correct his swordsmanship through combat, then defeated a powerful War Soul in one of Sect Leader Tongtian's trials. Sect Leader Tongtian rewarded him with Swordsmanship and Flame Spitting, while Xiao Peng hoped to obtain more useful arts in later trials.

• Xiao Peng adapted his swordsmanship to defeat the black shadows and understood Sect Leader Tongtian's lesson about correcting his flaws.
• Sect Leader Tongtian explained that the trials would feature powerful enemies and that dying in the space would only weaken Xiao Peng temporarily.
• Xiao Peng fought a peak Foundation Establishment War Soul, used skill to outmaneuver its axe, and struck its heart after disarming it.
• Sect Leader Tongtian praised Xiao Peng and rewarded him with Swordsmanship and Flame Spitting from the Seventy-two Earthly Fiend Transformations.
• Xiao Peng considered the rewards ordinary and wished for more practical arts, though he knew he lacked the mana to use the Thirty-six Heavenly Dipper Methods.

Xiao Peng asked Sect Leader Tongtian for a body-refining technique and received the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique. He completed the first three levels, tempering his bones, tendons, and skin and flesh, but exhausted his Mana.

• Xiao Peng asked Sect Leader Tongtian to teach him a body-refining technique because his physical strength lagged behind his Mana.
• Sect Leader Tongtian transmitted the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique to Xiao Peng and explained that his body needed to catch up with his cultivation.
• Xiao Peng cultivated the first level, expelling impurities as he tempered his bones and strengthened his body.
• Xiao Peng endured severe pain to complete the second level, tempering his tendons and improving the circulation of his Mana.
• Xiao Peng advanced to the third level and tempered his skin and flesh until they became more resilient.
• Xiao Peng finished the third level with his Mana exhausted and his physical strength greatly increased.

Xiao Peng recovered from his breakthroughs in the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique and attended the Xiao Family coming-of-age assessment. His result revealed him as a Seven-star Dou Practitioner, leaving the clan astonished and confirming his return as a prodigy.

• Sect Leader Tongtian replenished Xiao Peng's Mana, praised his resilience, and warned him that the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique would grow harder to cultivate.
• Xiao Peng bathed and joined Xiao Xun'er on the way to the coming-of-age assessment.
• At the training ground, Xiao Peng met Xiao Mei and Xiao Yan while the ceremony began.
• Xiao Mei tested at the Dou Disciple Ninth Stage and thanked Xiao Peng for the pill that had helped her improve.
• Xiao Peng tested at the Seven-star Dou Practitioner level, stunning the crowd and exciting Xiao Zhan.

After Xiao Peng revealed his Seven-star Dou Practitioner cultivation, the Xiao Family elders argued over arranging his marriage to strengthen their own branches. Xiao Zhan stopped them from treating Xiao Peng as a pawn, and Xiao Peng returned to his friends amid the crowd’s astonishment.

• The elders proposed marrying Xiao Peng to a Xiao Family descendant, with First Elder favoring Xiao Yu and Second Elder and Third Elder advocating for Xiao Mei.
• Xiao Zhan ended the elders’ dispute and insisted that Xiao Peng’s marriage was his own decision and that the family should protect his growth.
• The crowd reacted with shock to Xiao Peng’s Seven-star Dou Practitioner cultivation, while Xiao Ning felt jealous and Xiao Xun'er, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Yan expressed surprise and admiration.
• Xiao Peng withdrew his hand from the Black Stone Tablet, bowed to Xiao Zhan and the elders, and returned to Xiao Xun'er, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Yan.
• Xiao Mei praised Xiao Peng as the strongest among Wu Tan City's younger generation, and Xiao Xun'er congratulated him.

Xiao Yan astonished the Xiao Family by revealing that he had reached the eighth stage of Dou Qi, while Xiao Peng urged the family to keep a low profile. After the testing, Xiao Peng agreed to go out with Xiao Xun'er and planned to seek cultivation resources in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

• Xiao Peng warned Xiao Yan, Xiao Xun'er, and Xiao Mei that revealing his talent could attract danger from rival families.
• Xiao Yan tested at the Black Stone Tablet and revealed that he had reached the eighth stage of Dou Qi, shocking the crowd and making Xiao Zhan proud.
• Xiao Ning reacted bitterly to Xiao Yan's recovery, while Xiao Yan returned to Xiao Peng and celebrated that the family now had two strong young members.
• No one challenged Xiao Peng during the remaining tests, and Xiao Yan easily defeated the one person who challenged him.
• Xiao Peng agreed to accompany Xiao Xun'er on an outing the next day, then considered how to gather the resources needed for the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique.
• Xiao Peng planned to hunt Magical Beasts in the Jia Ma Empire's Magical Beast Mountain Range after the Jia Nan Academy examination, with the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King and Zi Yan as future targets.