Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nie Li and his group return to the City of Brilliance, evading the Dark Guild.
• Chen Linjian's group holds a grand auction, selling the treasures they found.
• News spreads that Shen Yue returned alone from the Ancient Orchid City Ruins.
• Nie Li realizes the possible collusion between the Sacred Family and the Dark Guild.
• Nie Li, Du Ze, Lu Piao, and the others focus on cultivation in the academy library.
• Nie Li breaks through to Bronze 2-star realm.
• Rumors circulate about Hu Yan Lanruo and Xiao Ninger fighting over Nie Li.
• Nie Li and his friends climb over the wall to avoid Hu Yan Lanruo.
• Nie Li and his friends are spotted by the school enforcement team and flee.

Character Developments

• Nie Li becomes more determined to increase his strength and destroy the Sacred Family and the Dark Guild.
• Shen Fei becomes more frustrated and humiliated by the rumors about his fiancée and Nie Li.
• Ye Hong, Ye Ziyun's cousin, teases Shen Fei about the rumors.

Significant Themes

• The power struggle between the Sacred Family, the Dark Guild, and the City of Brilliance.
• The importance of cultivation and strength in the Sacred Spirit Continent.
• The complexities of relationships and jealousy, as seen in the rivalry between Hu Yan Lanruo and Xiao Ninger.

Character Interactions

• Nie Li and his friends stick together, cultivating and facing challenges as a group.
• Shen Fei and Ye Hong's rivalry escalates due to the rumors about Shen Fei's fiancée.
• Hu Yan Lanruo and Xiao Ninger's competition for Nie Li's attention creates campus gossip.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Fei threatens Ye Hong, who walks away angrily.
• Nie Li meets Xiao Ninger, who gives him money from selling Purple Mist Grass.
• Nie Li and his friends encounter Deacon Yun Hua, a member of the Dark Guild, who recognizes Nie Li but lets him go.
• Nie Li decides to visit the Alchemist Association and takes the Junior Alchemy Master exam.

Character Developments

• Shen Fei displays his arrogance and ambition.
• Ye Hong shows his concern for Xiao Ninger and his disdain for Shen Fei.
• Xiao Ninger shows her devotion to Nie Li and her competitive nature regarding Ye Ziyun.
• Nie Li demonstrates his ambition and confidence in his alchemy skills.

Significant Themes

• Ambition and its limitations (age, experience, preparation).
• Rivalry and competition (Shen Fei vs. Ye Hong, Xiao Ninger vs. Ye Ziyun).
• Trust and loyalty (Xiao Ninger's devotion to Nie Li).

Character Interactions

• Shen Fei and Ye Hong's tense exchange highlights their rivalry.
• Nie Li and Xiao Ninger's interaction shows her affection for him and his casual acceptance.
• Nie Li's encounter with Deacon Yun Hua showcases his calm and collected demeanor under pressure.
• Nie Li's conversation with Xiao Lan at the Alchemist Association reveals his ambition and confidence.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nie Li decides to take the Junior Alchemy Master assessment at the Alchemist Association.
• The assessment is open to the public, with no age restrictions, and costs two hundred Spirit Coins.
• Nie Li encounters Chu Ning, a disciple of the Chu Family, who dismisses Nie Li's chances of passing the exam.
• Nie Li enters the examination hall and is given twenty scrolls with alchemy questions to answer within two hours.

Character Developments

• Nie Li demonstrates his vast knowledge and understanding of alchemy, completing ten scrolls of questions without a single mistake.
• Chu Ning shows arrogance and underestimates Nie Li's abilities.
• Hu Yanming and Mu Yang, the two Junior Alchemy Masters grading Nie Li's exam, are amazed by his knowledge and potential.

Significant Themes

• Genius vs. Ordinary: Nie Li's innate knowledge and understanding of alchemy are extraordinary, setting him apart from his peers.
• Arrogance vs. Humility: Chu Ning's arrogance contrasts with Nie Li's humility, as he addresses the examiners respectfully as "Masters."

Character Interactions

• Nie Li and Chu Ning have a brief exchange, with Chu Ning dismissing Nie Li's chances of passing the exam.
• Nie Li interacts with Hu Yanming and Mu Yang, impressing them with his knowledge and humility.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nie Li takes the Junior Alchemy Master exam and impresses the examiners with his perfect score.
• The examiners, Hu Yanming and Mu Yang, recommend Nie Li to the President, Gu Yan, for special admission into the Alchemist Association.
• Nie Li encounters Chu Ning, who fails the exam and challenges Nie Li's accomplishment, but Nie Li pays him no mind.
• Nie Li is brought to the Alchemist Association's Council Hall to meet President Gu Yan.

Character Developments

• Nie Li demonstrates his exceptional alchemy knowledge and confidence, impressing the examiners and earning their favor.
• Chu Ning shows arrogance and disbelief towards Nie Li's accomplishment, setting up a future rivalry.

Significant Themes

• Genius vs. Talent: Nie Li's extraordinary alchemy knowledge and skill are emphasized, contrasting with the average talent of the other examinees.
• Age vs. Experience: Nie Li's youth is juxtaposed with his vast alchemy knowledge, challenging the conventional notion that age and experience are correlated.

Character Interactions

• Nie Li interacts with the examiners, Hu Yanming and Mu Yang, who are impressed by his knowledge and treat him with respect and favor.
• Nie Li encounters Chu Ning, who challenges Nie Li's accomplishment and sets up a future rivalry.
• Nie Li meets President Gu Yan, who is interested in Nie Li's potential and invites him for a discussion.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nie Li visits the Alchemist Guild and sees a wall filled with unsolved alchemy problems.
• He decides to answer these questions, impressing the guild's members with his knowledge.
• Nie Li proposes a new recipe using Nightshade instead of Dragon's Gall Grass for a detoxifying pill.
• Guild Master Gu Yan and Director Yang Xin witness Nie Li's feat and are astonished by his talent.

Character Developments

• Nie Li: Proves his extraordinary knowledge in alchemy, impressing the guild members and earning the title of Senior Alchemy Master. He also hints at his intention to cooperate with the guild by offering new pill recipes.
• Hu Yanming: Initially skeptical, he becomes respectful and admiring of Nie Li's abilities.
• Gu Yan: Recognizes Nie Li's potential and the significance of his master's presence in the City of Brilliance. He decides to grant Nie Li the title of Senior Alchemy Master and considers cooperating with him.
• Yang Xin: Amazed by Nie Li's accomplishments, she follows Gu Yan's instructions to prepare the Senior Alchemy Master's documents and attire.

Significant Themes

• Talent and Genius: Nie Li's exceptional abilities in alchemy highlight the theme of prodigious talent.
• Mentorship and Guidance: The importance of a master's guidance is emphasized, as Nie Li attributes his success to his master.
• Recognition and Respect: Nie Li earns the respect and recognition of the Alchemist Guild members due to his impressive knowledge and skills.

Character Interactions

• Nie Li and Hu Yanming: Hu Yanming initially underestimates Nie Li but later becomes respectful and admiring of his abilities.
• Nie Li and Gu Yan: Gu Yan is impressed by Nie Li's accomplishments and considers cooperating with him, showing a willingness to foster a good relationship with Nie Li's master.
• Nie Li and Yang Xin: Yang Xin is amazed by Nie Li's feats and follows Gu Yan's instructions to prepare the Senior Alchemy Master's documents and attire.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nie Li introduces five lost alchemy formulas to Gu Yan: Soul Nurturing Pills, Soul Condensing Pills, Soul Tempering Pills, Crimson Flame Body Tempering Pill, and Nine Revolutions Pill.
• Gu Yan agrees to give 50% of the profits from these pills to Nie Li's master in exchange for the formulas.
• Nie Li requests that some of the profits be used to sponsor commoner disciples in alchemy, which Gu Yan agrees to.
• Nie Li is given the title of Senior Alchemy Master and is provided with a Senior Alchemy Master's robe, documents, and medals.

Character Developments

• Nie Li demonstrates his extensive alchemy knowledge and negotiates a beneficial deal for his master.
• Gu Yan recognizes the immense value of the pills and agrees to Nie Li's terms, showing his wisdom and foresight.
• Yang Xin, the director of the Alchemist Association, shows respect and understanding towards Nie Li's situation.

Significant Themes

• The power of knowledge and expertise (Nie Li's alchemy skills).
• The value of lost or rare resources (the five pills and their formulas).
• The importance of strategic alliances and partnerships (Gu Yan and Nie Li's agreement).

Character Interactions

• Nie Li and Gu Yan: They negotiate a mutually beneficial deal, with Gu Yan showing respect for Nie Li's master and Nie Li demonstrating his understanding of the alchemy business.
• Nie Li and Yang Xin: They have a cordial interaction, with Yang Xin offering to help Nie Li enter the genius class at Sacred Lan Academy, which Nie Li declines.
• Gu Yan and Yang Xin: They work together to handle the affairs of the Alchemist Association, with Gu Yan focusing on alchemy and Yang Xin managing the business aspects.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The formulas for the Soul Nurturing Pill and Soul Condensing Pill cause a sensation in the City of Brilliance.
• The Alchemist Association mass-produces these pills, leading to a surge in demand and price inflation on the black market.
• The City Lord's Mansion urges the Alchemist Association to expedite production due to the pills' significant impact on the City of Brilliance.
• Gu Yan announces the refinement of three more powerful pills: Soul Tempering Pill, Crimson Flame Body Tempering Pill, and Nine Revolutions Pill.
• The Soul Nurturing Pill and Soul Condensing Pill go on sale, selling for six hundred million Spirit Coins in a single day, with Nie Li earning nearly two hundred million.
• The Alchemist Association recruits new disciples on a large scale, attracting many commoner children.
• The year-end assessment approaches, with students preparing intensely.

Character Developments

• Gu Yan's position within the Alchemist Association solidifies due to the success of the new pills.
• Nie Li and his companions continue to cultivate diligently, making significant progress.
• Shen Yue harbors a deep hatred for Nie Li and plans to take revenge after the assessment.

Significant Themes

• The power of alchemy and its impact on society.
• The importance of the year-end assessment in determining students' futures.
• The rivalry between Nie Li and Shen Yue, and the influence of the Sacred Family.

Character Interactions

• Gu Yan and the Alchemist Association members work together to produce the new pills.
• Nie Li and his companions continue to cultivate together, supporting each other's progress.
• Shen Yue and his subordinates discuss Nie Li's potential expulsion and future misfortunes.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The year-end test at the academy is about to begin.
• Nie Li, Du Ze, Lu Piao, Ye Ziyun, and Xiao Ninger gather on the training grounds.
• Shen Fei confronts Nie Li and Xiao Ninger, leading to a public display of their relationship.
• Xiao Ninger declares she will apply to enter the Heavenly Illusory Sacred Realm to secure her family's safety.

Character Developments

• Nie Li: Shows increased confidence and bravery, standing up to Shen Fei and the Sacred Family.
• Xiao Ninger: Grows more determined, willing to defy the Sacred Family and enter the Heavenly Illusory Sacred Realm.
• Shen Fei: Reveals his true colors, using the Sacred Family's influence to pressure Xiao Ninger.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics and corruption within the City of Brilliance.
• The struggle between the Sacred Family and other families.
• The importance of the Heavenly Illusory Sacred Realm and its tests.

Character Interactions

• Nie Li and Xiao Ninger: Their relationship deepens, with Nie Li protecting Xiao Ninger from Shen Fei.
• Nie Li and Shen Fei: They become enemies, with Nie Li openly challenging Shen Fei and the Sacred Family.
• Xiao Ninger and Shen Fei: Their engagement is further strained, with Xiao Ninger refusing to acknowledge it.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nie Li accepts Shen Fei's challenge to a duel at the Sacred Family's genius martial arts tournament.
• Nie Li's class is about to undergo the Power Test, with Shen Yue volunteering to go first.

Character Developments

• Xiao Ninger's cultivation has advanced significantly after reaching Soul Power Manifestation.
• Shen Fei is revealed to be a Silver Rank Martial Artist, posing a significant threat to Nie Li.
• Shen Xiu remains confident in her bet with Nie Li, despite his claim of reaching Bronze 1-star.

Significant Themes

• The importance of talent and cultivation level in the academy and society.
• The power dynamics and rivalries between the Sacred Families and commoner students.

Character Interactions

• Nie Li reassures Xiao Ninger about his duel with Shen Fei.
• Ye Ziyun expresses concern for Nie Li's safety in the upcoming duel.
• Shen Yue volunteers to go first in the Power Test, showing off his confidence and pride.

Key Plot Points & Events

• Shen Yue demonstrates his strength and Spirit Energy, reaching Bronze 1-star in both, impressing the academy officials and students.
• Lu Piao takes the test, surprising everyone with his strength, reaching Bronze 3-star in his first two attempts and Bronze 3-star Demon Spirit Master in his Spirit Energy test.
• Lu Piao's results earn him admiration from the academy officials and consideration for the genius class.

Character Developments

• Shen Yue: Shows off his strength and Spirit Energy, reinforcing his arrogant and prideful nature.
• Lu Piao: Proves himself to be a hidden genius, significantly improving his strength and Spirit Energy in a short time, thanks to Nie Li's guidance and techniques.

Significant Themes

• Talent and hard work: Lu Piao's rapid improvement challenges the notion that talent is the only determinant of success.
• Genius recognition: The academy officials' reaction to Lu Piao's results highlights the importance of geniuses in the City of Brilliance.

Character Interactions

• Shen Yue vs. Lu Piao: Their test results create tension between them, with Shen Yue feeling threatened by Lu Piao's sudden rise in strength.
• Academy officials vs. students: The officials' reactions to Lu Piao's results show their eagerness to nurture and protect geniuses, contrasting with the students' initial underestimation of Lu Piao.