Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• After sleeping for three days following the Grand Selection, Ye Qiu and his companions are thanked by Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer. Wu Xiaokai, Luo Ling, and Yuan Gang placed in the top sixty, while Ye Qiu took second overall—and first among contestants from the Thirty-Two States. Their results secure Southern State vastly increased resources until the next selection.
• Song Shu warns Ye Qiu that Central Province remains dangerous, then leaves for Southern State. Ye Qiu belatedly calls after him about the hundred Heaven Tier Pills Song Shu promised; Song Shu refuses.
• Back in Great Dao City, Wu Xiaokai asks about the Top Ten’s rewards. Ye Qiu doesn’t know and declines Wu’s invitation to celebrate, joking that he is giving up drinking after their previous drinking session.
• Qi Mu, now the Star Pavilion’s Chief Pavilion Master thanks to Ye Qiu, escorts him to meet Pavilion Master Qiu Zhen. Ye Qiu teases Qi Mu for being promoted without sharing his increased fortune.
• Inside the pavilion, Ye Qiu’s Broken Saber reacts strongly to a black Great Axe. Brother Snake confirms it is valuable, but its price—5.8 million law crystals—is far beyond Ye Qiu’s means. Brother Snake claims to own billions, only to reveal that the money is back home and inaccessible.
• Ye Qiu enters the Ninth Layer Lounge without knocking and finds Chen Luolan examining the blood-red flower on her chest. Both are startled; she covers herself and warns him not to tell anyone. Their argument over whether he knocked is interrupted by Qiu Zhen and another elder arriving.
• Chen Luolan respectfully calls Qiu Zhen “Grandfather.” Ye Qiu realizes he may have badly offended the pavilion’s head.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu receives recognition for his historic result but remains irreverent, focused on promised pills, money, and weapons. His encounter with Chen Luolan ends on an ominous note when he discovers her relationship to Qiu Zhen.
• Wu Xiaokai, Luo Ling, and Yuan Gang are shown to have made unexpectedly strong showings, helping secure Southern State’s future.
• Song Shu expresses gratitude and concern for Ye Qiu, but refuses to honor the pill promise.
• Qi Mu has risen to the top of the Star Pavilion’s deputy leadership and credits Ye Qiu for his advancement, though he insists he is poor.
• Chen Luolan is revealed to bear a strange, unsettling crimson flower on her chest and is fiercely protective of the secret. Her family connection to Qiu Zhen raises the stakes of Ye Qiu’s accidental intrusion.

Significant themes

• Collective achievement and hope: The contestants’ success gives Southern State security and the means to nurture future talent.
• Recognition versus danger: Ye Qiu’s fame brings rewards and protection, but Central Province still contains powerful people and risks.
• Comic irreverence: Ye Qiu’s bargaining, teasing, and awkward timing repeatedly undercut the chapter’s serious victories.
• Unresolved mysteries: The Broken Saber’s response to the axe and the nature of Chen Luolan’s flower both hint at secrets yet to be explored.

Plot points and events

• Qiu Zhen summons Ye Qiu and Chen Luolan to introduce them and encourage them to support each other at Great Dao Academy. Their awkwardness suggests something happened between them, though neither admits it.
• Qiu Zhen rewards each with Divine Pills for their performance in the Grand Selection. Chen Luolan eats hers immediately; Ye Qiu keeps his. Yun Lu gives Ye Qiu five more, bringing his total to ten. Ye Qiu asks about weapons, but Qiu Zhen jokes that the axe he wants would cost him two hundred years of servitude.
• Ye Qiu recognizes the Star Pavilion’s generosity as an investment, not a gift. He remains wary because of his two-hundred-year contract and believes every benefit will eventually require repayment.
• Although his Broken Saber reacts strongly to an unusual great axe priced at 5.8 million, Ye Qiu hesitates to buy it. Instead, he gives Qi Mu a Heaven Tier Pill and falsely declares him his “big brother.”
• Ye Qiu then uses that claimed relationship to persuade the weapon-counter attendant that Qi Mu will pay for the axe. He calls across the hall, and Qi Mu casually agrees, unaware that he has authorized the purchase. Ye Qiu takes the axe and leaves.
• After finishing a successful business meeting, Qi Mu learns what his “brother” has done—and that the axe cost 5.8 million.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu is shrewd, opportunistic, and deeply conscious of the value of money and favors. He accepts the pills but stays suspicious of the Star Pavilion, then turns Qi Mu’s goodwill into a way to obtain the axe.
• Chen Luolan appears composed and formidable; she casually reveals that she broke her brother’s leg and eats Divine Pills without ceremony.
• Qiu Zhen and Yun Lu treat Ye Qiu generously, suggesting that the Star Pavilion considers him a worthwhile investment.
• Qi Mu is focused on proving himself in his new position as Chief Pavilion Master. His easy trust in Ye Qiu becomes the punchline when he discovers the costly purchase.
• The scene’s humor comes from Ye Qiu’s improvised “family” claim, the attendant’s eagerness to please Qi Mu, and Qi Mu’s oblivious approval.

Significant themes

• Value and exchange: Ye Qiu believes that every gift carries an eventual cost, reflecting his grandfather’s lesson that everything depends on equivalent exchange.
• Investment and ambition: The Star Pavilion’s rewards and Qi Mu’s promotion both show how relationships and resources are tied to perceived value and future gain.
• Cunning and trust: Ye Qiu’s resourcefulness contrasts with Qi Mu’s trusting generosity, creating both comedy and a reminder that apparent favors can be exploited.

Key plot points and events

• After leaving the Star Pavilion, Ye Qiu laughs off his scheme against Qi Mu, regarding the stolen axe as compensation for helping Qi Mu rise to a powerful post.
• Inside Ye Qiu’s Storage Ring, the Broken Saber attacks the axe. The outer axe breaks apart, revealing a First-Rank Divine Artifact Purple Axe, which the saber shatters and absorbs.
• A second hidden weapon—a Blood Axe, also a First-Rank Divine Artifact—emerges. Its intense Killing Intent makes it dangerous to ordinary people. Ye Qiu keeps it rather than letting the Broken Saber consume it, since Brother Snake believes its energy could stimulate Ye Qiu’s still-unawakened Bloodline.
• Back at the Grand Plaza, Ye Qiu uses the Coiling Dragon Method to conceal his aura, and the Great Dao Master Statue does not react.
• He encounters Chen Luolan and awkwardly insists that their earlier encounter was a misunderstanding. She says nothing and watches him leave, troubled by a strange red flower on her chest that seems to bloom further whenever she approaches him.
• Ye Qiu asks Brother Snake about the flower, but Brother Snake cannot see it and asks to examine it himself. Ye Qiu refuses.
• At the Great Dao Academy, two men approach Ye Qiu. The second flashes a token bearing the name “Wen Xi,” immediately catching Ye Qiu’s attention.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu remains irreverent and self-interested, but chooses to preserve the Blood Axe for the possible benefit to his own Bloodline rather than feed it to his saber. He is also increasingly curious about his powers and Chen Luolan’s mysterious mark.
• The Broken Saber shows powerful, almost autonomous hunger for artifacts, absorbing the Purple Axe’s energy and becoming sharper.
• Brother Snake identifies the weapons and suggests the Blood Axe could help awaken Ye Qiu’s Bloodline, while displaying interest in Chen Luolan’s flower.
• Chen Luolan remains silent and emotionally conflicted, puzzled by the flower’s connection to Ye Qiu.
• The final token bearing Wen Xi’s name signals a new confrontation or development.

Significant themes

• Hidden power and value: The axe’s nested weapons reveal that appearances—and even an artifact’s assessed worth—can be misleading.
• Power versus self-preservation: Ye Qiu must choose between strengthening his weapon and potentially strengthening himself.
• Unexplained connections: The red flower’s reaction to Ye Qiu hints at a mysterious bond with Chen Luolan.
• Humor amid danger: Ye Qiu’s flippant comments and awkward attempts to escape serious conversations contrast with the increasingly powerful forces around him.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu follows a man to a lakeside gathering attended by members of powerful clans, including Gong Yun and his younger brother, Gong Xiu.
• Gong Yun identifies himself and reveals that his father killed Ye Qiu’s mother, Wen Xi.
• Ye Tongtian and Ye Jiangshan arrive and bow before Gong Yun. At his command, they kneel while he forces Ye Jiangshan to recount Wen Xi’s death.
• Gong Yun exposes Ye Jiangshan’s past: Wen Xi resisted Gong Yun’s father, who wanted her Cauldron Physique. She died trying to protect Ye Jiangshan after he offended the elder Gong, then submitted to save himself and effectively offered Wen Xi to him. Wen Xi also miscarried.
• Gong Yun cruelly describes Wen Xi’s mutilation and taunts Ye Qiu, trying to provoke him into attacking. Ye Qiu leaves without striking.
• Gong Yun humiliates Ye Jiangshan by stamping his face into the dirt, then recognizes that Ye Qiu’s restraint reflects unusual resolve. He orders the others to spread the story.
• After the Gong party leaves, Ye Qiu returns and confronts the two men. Ye Jiangshan identifies the Gong Family as one of the Six Great Divine Clans from Divine Province. Ye Qiu leaves, intent on the family regardless of its status.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu is consumed by grief and fury, but controls himself rather than give Gong Yun an excuse to kill him. His restraint reveals discipline beneath his reputation for impulsiveness.
• Ye Jiangshan is shown as deeply ashamed and cowardly: he survived by submitting to the Gong family, while Wen Xi suffered and died protecting him.
• Ye Tongtian remains submissive to the Gong family and blames Ye Qiu’s mother for the clan’s troubles.
• Gong Yun uses calculated cruelty and public humiliation, but recognizes Ye Qiu as more formidable than expected.
• Gong Xiu joins in the mockery and wants to pursue Ye Qiu after he walks away.

Significant themes

• Restraint versus provocation: Ye Qiu’s refusal to strike protects him from a trap and demonstrates strength through self-control.
• Power and oppression: The Gong family’s influence allows its members to humiliate others and evade consequences.
• Betrayal and shame: Ye Jiangshan’s self-preservation contrasts sharply with Wen Xi’s courage and sacrifice.
• Revenge and resolve: Ye Qiu rejects the importance of the Gong family’s rank; his focus is on the people responsible for his mother’s death.

Character interactions

• Gong Yun interrogates and demeans Ye Jiangshan while forcing him to confess his role in Wen Xi’s fate; Ye Tongtian complies with Gong Yun’s orders.
• Gong Yun and Gong Xiu mock Ye Qiu, deliberately invoking his mother’s death to provoke him.
• Ye Qiu refuses to give them the confrontation they want, then later demands the truth from Ye Jiangshan.
• Ye Tongtian blames Ye Qiu, while Ye Jiangshan warns him of the Gong family’s standing. Ye Qiu dismisses both the blame and the warning.

Plot points and events

• Haunted by the murder of his pregnant mother and the death of his unborn sister, Ye Qiu fights the urge to retaliate against the Gong family. Knowing that attacking them at the Great Dao Academy would put him at a disadvantage, he tries to control his rage by practicing his blade work, but his strikes become chaotic.
• Unable to contain himself, he joins his friends’ victory feast and drinks heavily, hoping to lose consciousness. He cannot get drunk, and his grief and anger remain.
• Lu Li realizes what is tormenting him and decides to attack the Gong family herself. Nan Qingyue stops her, warning that the enemy’s strength—and the dangerous energy within Lu Li—could make such a fight costly and endanger Ye Qiu.
• When Ye Qiu finally collapses, Lu Li carries him to the Star Pavilion and asks Qiu Zhen to send him to Pill City for protection. She identifies herself as a member of the Great Snow Mountain, underscoring her standing and the seriousness of her request.
• Ye Qiu wakes in Pill City among Wen Zheng and other elders. He wants to return to Lu Li, but Yun Lu assures him she can protect herself and warns that Ye Qiu cannot defeat the Gong family. He also points out that the Star Pavilion may favor its Divine Clan members over Ye Qiu.
• Accepting that he is currently too weak to take revenge, Ye Qiu asks Brother Snake whether the killing intent in his blood-colored Axe can awaken his bloodline. Brother Snake confirms it. Ye Qiu begins absorbing the Axe’s killing intent, enduring extreme pain in pursuit of greater strength.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu shifts from barely restrained vengeance to a grim resolve to become stronger before confronting the Gong family. His grief over his mother and unborn sister is exposed, along with his anger at Ye Jiangshan for kneeling rather than resisting.
• Lu Li shows deep concern for Ye Qiu and a fierce willingness to fight on his behalf. Nan Qingyue restrains her, emphasizing both the danger of the Gong family and the risks of Lu Li’s own power.
• Yun Lu acts as a practical voice of warning, explaining Ye Qiu’s weakness and the political imbalance between him and a Divine Clan.
• Wen Zheng and the elders are concerned but recognize how little they can do against the Gong family’s overwhelming influence.
• Ye Qiu’s friends join him at the feast, offering companionship, though Lu Li is the one who notices his hidden anguish. Brother Snake guides him toward a painful method of growth.

Significant themes

• Grief, rage, and restraint: Ye Qiu’s desire for revenge is intense, but acting impulsively could cost him the advantage and endanger others.
• Power and inequality: The Gong family’s Divine Clan status shapes both the Star Pavilion’s likely loyalties and the limits of Ye Qiu’s allies.
• Strength through suffering: Ye Qiu accepts severe physical pain as the price of developing the power needed to challenge a stronger enemy.
• Loyalty and protection: Lu Li risks her own safety and uses her influence to get Ye Qiu away from danger, while his friends gather around him even when they cannot ease his grief.

Plot points and events

• After three days of enduring the Axe’s power, Ye Qiu wakes exhausted and drenched in blood. He has absorbed about a third of it, despite swallowing three Divine Pills, and had to stop before he could endure more.
• The ordeal brings his cultivation close to the fifth level of True Condensation, raises his Qi and Blood to roughly seven hundred thousand, and stirs his Bloodline again.
• While washing and changing, Ye Qiu is surprised by Wen Xin, who barges into his courtyard. She jokes about seeing him naked and declares that she wants to marry him, despite his telling her he already has a wife.
• Wen Xin rushes Ye Qiu to help Wen Family youths being beaten in the street. They find the youths crouched by a wall while a pink-dressed girl berates them with a sword.
• The dispute began over who had the right to a restaurant table. The girl demands a fight with Ye Qiu, who initially tries to settle things peacefully.
• When she attacks, Ye Qiu blocks her powerful punch and sword strike without moving. He then evades her entire group’s attacks with his refined movement technique, never striking back.
• Ye Qiu leaves with Wen Xin and the rescued youths. The pink-dressed girl, Ling’er, returns to her family residence and asks her older brother to help her beat him. She explains that her second sister would not help because Ye Qiu is “a hottie.”

Character developments

• Ye Qiu shows the physical cost and gains of absorbing the Axe’s power, along with growing mastery of his abilities. In the street, he is calm, restrained, and prefers de-escalation over fighting.
• Wen Xin remains openly affectionate and mischievous, but also acts quickly to bring Ye Qiu to help her family’s youths.
• Ling’er is revealed as a formidable, hot-tempered young fighter whose strength far exceeds what her age suggests. Frustrated by Ye Qiu’s effortless defense, she remains determined to challenge him.
• Ling’er’s older brother is introduced as a composed, book-reading figure who becomes curious about Ye Qiu and the unusual reason his second sister might refuse to fight him.

Themes

• Strength and restraint: Ye Qiu’s real advantage is not just power but his control and refusal to harm a much younger opponent.
• Growth through hardship: The Axe’s painful influence brings major cultivation gains, while also hinting at a connection to Ye Qiu’s Bloodline.
• Youthful bravado and comedy: The trivial table dispute, Wen Xin’s teasing, and Ling’er’s indignation contrast with the characters’ impressive martial abilities.

Character interactions

• Wen Xin flirts with Ye Qiu and teases him about his nakedness; he responds with exasperation and gently admonishes her.
• Ye Qiu’s family youths plead for his help, while he reproaches them for being beaten over a minor dispute.
• Ling’er challenges Ye Qiu, and he repeatedly tries to end the confrontation peacefully before evading her and her companions’ attacks.
• Afterward, Ling’er appeals to her older brother for help, revealing that her second sister’s possible attraction to Ye Qiu may complicate matters.

Key plot points and events

• After their earlier confrontation with a young girl, Ye Qiu treats the Wen Family group to a meal and warns them not to provoke her, suspecting she has powerful backing.
• Ye Qiu learns that the Wen Family in Pill City beat Wen Zheng and his companions rather than welcoming them. Yun Lu and Wen Zheng then take Ye Qiu to the Pill Tower to have his alchemy talent tested, mentioning that his mother, Wen Xi, was gifted in the art.
• Inside the vast, magically expanded tower, Wen Sheng—a hostile Wen Family elder—demands that Wen Zheng leave Central Province. When one of Wen Sheng’s young followers insults Wen Xi, Ye Qiu kills him in a sudden, brutal attack.
• A purple-robed Pill Tower elder intervenes. Ye Qiu claims self-defense and secretly bribes him with a Storage Ring; the elder lets him off with a warning. Ye Qiu then discovers the dead man’s ring contains far less money than he expected and complains about his loss.
• As the alchemy test is about to begin, another young man threatens to kill Ye Qiu after they leave the tower. Ye Qiu ignores him until the test official asks for questions, then reports the threat by saying he is afraid.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu is protective and quick to violence when his family is insulted, but also irreverent, calculating, and adept at defusing consequences through flattery and bribery. He shows genuine curiosity about the Pill Tower and listens closely to the test rules.
• Wen Zheng is uneasy around the hostile Wen Family and alarmed by Ye Qiu’s killing, especially given that they are inside the powerful Pill Tower.
• Yun Lu encourages Ye Qiu to test his potential and tries to restrain him after the killing.
• Wen Sheng openly antagonizes Wen Zheng and Ye Qiu, while his followers escalate the conflict with insults and threats.
• Ye Qiu’s exchanges with the purple-robed elder contrast his respectful public manner with his private manipulation; his final complaint to the test official turns the threat into a pointed, almost comic appeal for protection.

Significant themes

• Family loyalty and insult: Ye Qiu’s violence follows an insult against his mother and family.
• Power and intimidation: Wen Sheng tries to drive Wen Zheng away, while the Pill Tower’s authority limits what Ye Qiu can do inside its walls.
• Ambition and inherited talent: The alchemy test raises the possibility that Ye Qiu may share his mother’s aptitude.
• Cunning beneath bravado: Ye Qiu alternates between direct force and opportunistic tactics, including bribery and playing the victim.

Plot points and events

• Candidates for the Pill Tower’s alchemist test have their mental strength measured with a crystal ball. Only five of the first several dozen qualify.
• Ye Qiu’s first attempt produces no response. He insists on trying again, explaining that he was nervous. This time he lets the crystal ball’s testing force pass through his mind.
• The ball blazes brighter than it did for the other candidates. The examiner identifies Ye Qiu as possessing Xiantian Full Soul: grade-ten mental strength achieved before Spirit Awakening, a rare trait associated with exceptional future potential.
• Ye Qiu qualifies and joins the successful candidates as they follow the examiner through a heat-filled stone doorway to a scarlet, fiery stairway—the next test, which measures affinity with fire.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu remains confident enough to challenge the test result and request another attempt. His unusual spirit initially disrupts the test, but his cooperation reveals his extraordinary ability.
• Yun Lu’s confidence in Ye Qiu is vindicated, while Wen Zheng’s worry turns to joy. Wen Zheng openly celebrates and taunts Wen Sheng with his reaction.
• Wen Yi, who had ranked first with grade-seven spirit, mocks Ye Qiu before the second test. Ye Qiu brushes him off; after Ye Qiu’s result, Wen Yi is left stunned and consumed by jealousy. Wen Sheng also shifts from disdain to bitter resentment.
• The examiner’s attitude toward Ye Qiu changes from neutral skepticism to excitement and approval.

Significant themes

• Hidden potential and recognition: Ye Qiu’s ability is initially misread, but persistence and a second chance reveal his true talent.
• Rivalry and envy: Ye Qiu’s achievement reverses the balance between him and Wen Yi, intensifying the hostility among their families.
• Talent is only one hurdle: Despite Ye Qiu’s exceptional mental strength, he is uneasy about the next test, since successful alchemy also requires affinity with fire.

Summary

• Candidates are tested for fire affinity by climbing a hundred-tier Stairway filled with fiery qi. The higher they climb, the stronger the pressure and the better their demonstrated affinity.
• Ye Qiu begins slowly, pausing on each step to absorb the Killing Intent left in his body by the Axe. Brother Snake explains that the fiery qi helps refine and absorb it, making the painful process much easier.
• His slow pace worries the Purple-Robed Old Man, who had expected great things from Ye Qiu’s Xiantian Full Soul Power. Other candidates—including Wen Yi—mistake his progress for poor fire affinity and assume he will fall behind.
• When Brother Snake tells Ye Qiu that Divine Fire Qi lies at the summit, Ye Qiu abruptly accelerates. He races past the other candidates, overtakes Wen Yi, and reaches the hundredth tier—the Divine Level.
• The Purple-Robed Old Man summons several senior alchemists, who arrive and approve of Ye Qiu’s achievement. A powerful explosion then erupts at the summit, leaving them stunned and eagerly anticipating what it means.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu shifts from cautious, unhurried absorption to an astonishing sprint once he hears about Divine Fire Qi. His apparent weakness conceals an unusual ability to benefit from the Stairway’s fiery qi.
• Brother Snake urges Ye Qiu to stop lingering on the lower steps, explaining that the Killing Intent can be absorbed even faster higher up.
• The Purple-Robed Old Man moves from anxious concern to overwhelming excitement as Ye Qiu proves his talent.
• Wen Yi feels smug while Ye Qiu lags behind, but Ye Qiu soon overtakes him. Wen Sheng’s confidence in his grandson is likewise undercut by Ye Qiu’s sudden ascent.
• Yun Lu and Wen Zheng, who believe in Ye Qiu, celebrate his Divine-Level result and challenge Wen Sheng’s earlier assumptions.

Significant themes

• Misjudgment and hidden potential: Ye Qiu’s slow progress leads others to underestimate him, until his true ability becomes undeniable.
• Turning hardship into strength: The very fire that tests the candidates helps Ye Qiu absorb the Killing Intent that has troubled him.
• Talent and ambition: Ye Qiu’s pursuit of Divine Fire Qi transforms a seemingly ordinary test into an extraordinary achievement.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu reaches the Stairway’s summit, far surpassing Wen Yi, who remains stuck on the seventy-first step. His achievement reveals him to be at least Divine Grade Rank Two and opens the entrance to the Pill Tower Secret Realm.
• At the summit, Ye Qiu absorbs Divine Fire Qi, advancing to True Condensation Fifth Level and strengthening his qi, bloodline, and Transcendent seed.
• After briefly entering the doorway and immediately emerging, Ye Qiu goes back in and reaches the Secret Realm, where the fiery qi is even denser and golden.
• Inside, he encounters the pink-dressed girl Ling’er, her formidable White Skirt Woman “Second Sister,” a refined man in white, and elders from the Sword Sect’s foremost clan, the An Family.
• The Pill Tower’s Great Elder directs Ye Qiu to a stone flower for the next test. Ling’er and the man in white warn him that the area contains dangerous Strange Flame qi. Brother Snake confirms the warning.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu demonstrates remarkable strength and ambition, while staying cautious around the powerful figures in the realm. He absorbs the benefits of the Divine Fire Qi but quickly turns his attention to the mysterious doorway and the test ahead.
• Wen Yi goes from smug confidence to stunned humiliation as Ye Qiu overtakes him.
• Ling’er remains resentful over her earlier encounter with Ye Qiu and threatens to settle the score, though she also warns him of the danger ahead.
• The White Skirt Woman quietly assesses Ye Qiu and judges that he could withstand three strikes from her. She ignores Ling’er’s demand that she punish him.
• The man in white gently reins in Ling’er, exchanges a courteous greeting with Ye Qiu, and warns him about the Strange Flame.
• The Great Elder welcomes Ye Qiu and directs him to the next test; the An Family elders observe him.

Significant themes

• Merit and hierarchy: Ye Qiu’s ascent exposes the gap between his ability and the other testers’ assumptions.
• Power and potential: Divine Fire Qi accelerates his cultivation and strengthens his deeper potential.
• Caution amid ambition: The Secret Realm promises greater rewards, but its Strange Flame presents a serious risk.
• Rivalry and restraint: Ling’er’s grudge contrasts with the White Skirt Woman’s measured judgment and the man in white’s calm civility.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu enters the Pill Tower’s Strange Flame chamber, where a rare, ancient flame has long lain dormant. Its powerful fire qi intensifies as he approaches, but he can absorb it and feels it stirring his bloodline.
• He advances through the burning trial despite escalating pain and fear. Brother Snake encourages him from within his mind, helping him push past each threshold.
• Ye Qiu reaches the ninth step, an achievement that astonishes the observers and suggests extraordinary potential. Though he insists he cannot endure more, Brother Snake urges him to think of his mother.
• Ye Qiu takes the tenth step, reaching the stone flower. It cracks and transforms into a radiant golden flame flower: the Pill Tower’s Strange Flame has awakened.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu displays exceptional fire tolerance, resilience, and potential, enduring pain greater than what he experienced absorbing Killing Intent. His determination is powerful, but he also admits when he believes he has reached his limit; thoughts of his mother give him the strength to continue.
• Brother Snake acts as Ye Qiu’s calm, persistent guide, timing his encouragement to counter Ye Qiu’s fear and exhaustion.
• The Pill Tower Great Elder, Sword Sect Elder, and others shift from watching with interest to astonishment and excitement at Ye Qiu’s achievement.
• The little girl grows increasingly jealous and frustrated as Ye Qiu surpasses her and approaches her brother’s record. The White Skirt Woman begins to regard him with newfound seriousness.

Significant themes

• Endurance and fear: Each step tests not only Ye Qiu’s body but his ability to withstand terror and pain.
• Motivation through personal bonds: His mother’s memory becomes the decisive reason he pushes beyond what he thought possible.
• Hidden potential and recognition: Ye Qiu’s feat reveals a level of promise that changes how powerful observers assess him.
• Trial and transformation: As Ye Qiu advances, the dormant flame itself awakens, linking his perseverance to the chamber’s dramatic change.

Character interactions

• Ye Qiu’s struggle is shaped by Brother Snake’s private encouragement, while the gathered elders and disciples watch and react to each milestone.
• The little girl’s resentment contrasts with the elders’ admiration and the White Skirt Woman’s growing respect.
• Ye Qiu refuses Brother Snake’s first push to continue, but the reminder of his mother changes his resolve and leads him to take the final step.

Key events

• Ye Qiu reaches the heart of the Pill Tower’s fiery trial and touches its golden flame.
• The flame rushes into his Qi Sea and forms a golden lotus, revealing itself as the Golden Lotus Exotic Fire. It accepts Ye Qiu as its master and cannot be returned to the Pill Tower’s stone platform.
• He also receives the founding Pill Master’s inheritance: a vast body of medicinal and Pill Dao knowledge.
• The Secret Realm begins collapsing. Ye Qiu escapes through a rift to the Stairway, then rushes back to his grandfather and Yun Lu, urging everyone to run.
• Their escape is blocked by a group of Divine Masters who have sealed the area. Yun Lu asks what Ye Qiu did; Ye Qiu sheepishly explains that he “seduced” the exotic fire by poking it.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu proves exceptionally gifted: he is only the third person ever to ignite the Pill Tower’s fire, and the flame’s acceptance marks him as the inheritor of a powerful legacy. Despite this achievement, he is anxious about taking the Tower’s priceless treasure and bewildered by the consequences.
• The Purple-Robed Old Man and the Sword Sect Elder initially admire Ye Qiu’s potential and consider him worth winning over. Their admiration turns to alarm when they realize the flame has vanished into him.
• The Pill Tower elders inspect Ye Qiu, attempt to retrieve the fire, and discover it will not leave him.
• Yun Lu is terrified by the collapsing realm and the gathered Divine Masters, while Ye Qiu responds with panicked urgency.

Significant themes

• Talent and destiny: Ye Qiu’s unusual ability makes him a candidate to reach the highest levels of alchemy.
• Inheritance and ownership: The exotic fire chooses its master, complicating the Pill Tower’s claim to its treasured relic.
• Power’s consequences: A seemingly harmless touch triggers the realm’s collapse and draws the attention of powerful figures.
• Comic contrast: Ye Qiu’s major breakthrough is paired with his confusion, guilt, and blunt admission that he simply poked the flame.

Plot points and events

• The Pill Tower Secret Realm suddenly explodes, and everyone realizes Ye Qiu is responsible.
• The Pill Tower Master arrives and questions Ye Qiu. Ye Qiu tries to protect the Wen Family and Yun Lu by asking the Tower Master to spare them, but both groups distance themselves from him and leave.
• Alone with the Pill Tower’s leaders, Ye Qiu reveals the Golden Lotus Strange Flame, which he says he intended to return. The Tower Master insists that Ye Qiu must either give it up or remain with the Pill Tower.
• The Tower Master also deduces that Ye Qiu received the Pill Master’s inheritance. When Ye Qiu cannot return either treasure, the Tower Master produces a contract requiring him to serve the Pill Tower for life. Ye Qiu reluctantly signs it.
• The Great Elder takes Ye Qiu to register. The Tower Master and the elders celebrate, viewing Ye Qiu as a rare talent who may one day compete for the title of Heaven’s Chosen.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu is overwhelmed by the disaster and tries to negotiate, but his attempts to involve others fail. Faced with no escape and an impossible debt, he accepts the lifetime contract with reluctant resignation.
• The Pill Tower Master appears stern and unreadable at first, then reveals a shrewd, opportunistic side. He secures Ye Qiu’s service while recognizing his extraordinary potential.
• Wen Zheng and Yun Lu are worried about Ye Qiu, but Yun Lu correctly judges that staying would not help and leads Wen Zheng away.
• The Pill Tower elders shift from confronting Ye Qiu over the destruction to excitement about having bound a prodigy to their organization.

Significant themes

• Consequences and accountability: Ye Qiu’s actions have caused a catastrophe, and he must face the Pill Tower’s demands.
• Power and obligation: The Strange Flame and inheritance are so valuable that Ye Qiu’s inability to return them becomes a lifelong obligation.
• Self-reliance and comic misfortune: Ye Qiu’s reliance on others proves ineffective, while his attempts to negotiate only deepen his predicament.
• Talent as a source of leverage: The Pill Tower sees Ye Qiu not just as a culprit but as a potential future powerhouse.

Character interactions

• Ye Qiu’s appeals to the Wen Family and Yun Lu are rejected: the Wen Family publicly disowns him, while Yun Lu removes Wen Zheng from the confrontation.
• The Tower Master calmly bargains with Ye Qiu, turning the Strange Flame and inheritance into grounds for a lifetime contract.
• The elders praise the Tower Master’s decision and discuss Ye Qiu’s prospects, while the Great Elder escorts him away for registration.

Key plot points and events

• The Great Elder begins Ye Qiu’s Spirit Awakening beneath a rare tea tree planted in multicolored soil.
• Ye Qiu enters a strange inner landscape, sits beneath an ancient tea tree, and opens his Sea of Consciousness. The awakening continues, expanding it.
• The tea tree responds spectacularly: it grows more radiant and blossoms, an event that shocks the Great Elder. He concludes Ye Qiu’s talent exceeds even the Pill Tower Master’s by an unimaginable margin.
• The Great Elder crushes an emergency token. The Pill Tower goes on its highest alert: its thirty-two Heavenly Kings appear, and its Tower Protection Array activates.
• Outside, Yun Lu and Wen Zheng panic, fearing Ye Qiu has caused a crisis and may not survive it.
• The Wen Clan Leader disowns Wen Zheng and the Southern State branch, striking them from the family rolls to protect the clan from possible repercussions.
• Unable to enter the secured tower, Wen Zheng and Yun Lu can only wait. Yun Lu, assuming Ye Qiu may die, darkly suggests Wen Zheng start over by adopting one of Yun Lu’s sons.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu demonstrates extraordinary potential: his Sea of Consciousness opens, and the rare tea tree’s flowering marks him as an unprecedented prodigy.
• The Great Elder shifts from admiration to astonishment and alarm, recognizing that Ye Qiu’s ability is beyond ordinary comparison.
• Wen Zheng remains focused on Ye Qiu’s safety, even as his clan abandons him.
• Yun Lu is overwhelmed by events and feels responsible for bringing Ye Qiu to the Pill Tower; his grim humor offers little comfort.
• The Wen Clan Leader acts out of self-preservation, severing family ties as soon as the Pill Tower’s emergency response suggests grave danger.

Significant themes

• Unprecedented talent and destiny: Ye Qiu’s awakening produces signs that even seasoned experts have never witnessed.
• Power and fear: The Pill Tower’s vast defensive response shows how quickly extraordinary events trigger institutional alarm.
• Loyalty versus self-interest: Wen Zheng worries about Ye Qiu, while the Wen Clan abandons its own members to avoid risk.
• Dark humor amid crisis: Yun Lu’s “start over” remark turns the family’s fear into an absurd, bleak joke.

Character interactions

• The Great Elder guides Ye Qiu through the awakening, then summons help when the tea tree blossoms.
• Wen Zheng and Yun Lu argue anxiously over what Ye Qiu may have triggered; Yun Lu restrains Wen Zheng from rushing toward the protected tower.
• The Wen Clan Leader publicly repudiates Wen Zheng, who dismisses the gesture after years of neglect and humiliation.
• Yun Lu tries to console Wen Zheng with an offer to adopt one of his sons, prompting Wen Zheng’s stunned silence.

Key plot points

• Ye Qiu’s Spirit Awakening causes the Enlightenment Tea Tree to flourish and bloom—something even its original tree in Divine Province had never done. The Pill Tower’s leaders conclude that Ye Qiu’s extraordinary Fortune nourished it.
• Ye Qiu’s expanding Sea of Consciousness stabilizes after an hour. The Tower Master welcomes him into the Pill Tower and gives him an old purple Alchemy Furnace, while reminding him that he still owes the Tower a great deal.
• Ye Qiu leaves the Tower, confused by the crowd and the commotion outside. Wen Zheng and Yun Lu rush to check that he is unharmed and hurry him away.
• On the way back, Ye Qiu complains that Yun Lu’s insistence on bringing him led to him being tied to the Pill Tower “for life.” Yun Lu instead realizes that Ye Qiu has won the Tower’s favor and apparently retained its Strange Flame.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu gains a greatly expanded Sea of Consciousness and further demonstrates his unusual Fortune, though he remains unaware of how remarkable the Tea Tree’s transformation is. His blunt remarks about the flowers and the battered furnace provide comic contrast to the elders’ awe.
• The Tower Master and Pill Tower elders shift from alarm at the Tea Tree’s transformation to deep respect for Ye Qiu, treating him as a Chosen One and bringing him into the Tower.
• Wen Zheng is protective and anxious, checking Ye Qiu for injuries and wanting to leave immediately.
• Yun Lu moves from confusion to excitement, interpreting Ye Qiu’s situation as a major success. He recognizes that the Pill Tower’s interest in Ye Qiu may also force the Star Pavilion to reconsider its attitude toward him.
• The Sword Sect’s Great Elder also suspects Ye Qiu has encountered an extraordinary opportunity.

Significant themes

• Fortune and exceptional destiny: Ye Qiu’s apparent Fortune benefits even the sacred Tea Tree and attracts powerful institutions.
• Misunderstanding and comic contrast: Everyone around Ye Qiu recognizes the importance of events that he himself barely understands.
• Power and patronage: His new affiliation with the Pill Tower and possession of its Strange Flame may reshape how other factions treat him.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu and Wen Zheng arrive at the courtyard to find the Wen Family badly injured. Wen Xin is thrown toward Ye Qiu, who catches her as she coughs blood.
• Wen Yi admits to killing Wen Family members and dismisses them as “trash.” Ye Qiu attacks immediately, shattering Wen Yi’s tiger-shaped strike and killing him with a single devastating saber slash.
• Wen Sheng charges Ye Qiu in revenge, but Yun Lu intercepts him. Ye Qiu then badly wounds Wen Sheng and cuts off his head.
• The Wen Family’s younger fighters and elders attack. Yun Lu holds off the elders while Ye Qiu cuts down the younger members and several powerful opponents. His strength grows during the fight, and he breaks through from the peak of the Fifth Level of True Essence to the Sixth.
• The Wen Clan Leader arrives with reinforcements and challenges Ye Qiu, citing his family’s losses and Ye Qiu’s status as a criminal wanted by the Pill Tower. Yun Lu withdraws his aura but stays beside Ye Qiu.
• The Pill Tower’s Great Elder, a Human God, appears and asks who called Ye Qiu a criminal, leaving the Wen Clan Leader and his followers visibly shaken.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu responds to Wen Xin’s injuries and the deaths of the Wen Family members with overwhelming rage. He is now far more powerful, but the battle also shows him consumed by a desire to keep killing.
• Yun Lu protects Ye Qiu throughout the fight, taking on the Wen elders and standing by him even after easing the tension with the Clan Leader.
• Wen Zheng tries to confront Wen Sheng but is quickly knocked back.
• Wen Yi and Wen Sheng are killed by Ye Qiu; Wen Sheng’s grief over his grandson’s death fuels his attack.
• The Wen Clan Leader attempts to use the Pill Tower’s accusation to isolate Ye Qiu, only to be unsettled by the arrival of the Tower’s Great Elder.

Significant themes

• Revenge and escalating violence: Ye Qiu’s response to the massacre is immediate and merciless, and the conflict expands from a family dispute into a confrontation involving powerful factions.
• Power and allegiance: Yun Lu’s support demonstrates the importance—and limits—of factional protection when a major clan and the Pill Tower are involved.
• Shifting authority: The Wen Clan Leader’s confidence collapses when the Pill Tower’s Great Elder appears, suggesting that the accusation against Ye Qiu may be challenged.

Key plot points and events

• The Pill Tower’s Great Elder reveals that he has opened the Divine Gate, becoming a Human God. He rejects the Wen Clan Leader’s claim that Ye Qiu is a criminal and announces that the Southern State Wen Clan will enter the Pill Tower’s inner sect.
• The Great Elder gives Ye Qiu a newly made Purple Gold Token, a symbol of exceptional authority within the Pill Tower.
• An Qing, Great Elder of the Sword Sect, arrives and offers Ye Qiu a Golden Sword Token, along with a place among the Sword Sect’s core disciples. Ye Qiu accepts the token as a friendly gift.
• Realizing that both major powers value Ye Qiu, the Wen Clan Leader understands that his family’s hostility has cost them a chance at greatness. He and the Wen family are ordered to leave.
• Ye Qiu discovers that Wen Xin is gravely injured. An Qing offers to take her to the Sword Sect’s Sword Pool, where her sword bones can be rebuilt. Ye Qiu agrees, and she is carried away.
• The two elders remain with Ye Qiu and the Wen family, heal their injuries, and provide Divine Pills. When Ye Qiu offers them a meal, both accept—and Sword Sect members volunteer to accompany him to buy ingredients.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu gains the backing of both the Pill Tower and the Sword Sect, but is bewildered by their intense attention and unsure what is really happening.
• The Wen Clan Leader shifts from confidence in condemning Ye Qiu to shock, fury, and regret as he recognizes the value his family rejected.
• Wen Xin is revealed to have some ability with the sword and receives a chance at recovery through the Sword Sect.
• The two Great Elders show strong interest in Ye Qiu: the Pill Tower offers status and protection, while An Qing extends an invitation and arranges care for Wen Xin.

Significant themes

• Misjudgment and regret: The Wen family mistakes a valued guest for a threat and loses a major opportunity.
• Power and prestige: The Pill Tower and Sword Sect’s recognition of Ye Qiu demonstrates his growing influence.
• Reciprocity and obligation: Their help creates gratitude, while their prolonged stay leaves Ye Qiu feeling obliged to host them.
• Strategic politeness: The elders’ generosity may also reflect their desire to keep close to Ye Qiu, though An Qing insists Wen Xin’s talent is genuine.

Character interactions

• The Pill Tower’s Great Elder firmly rebukes the Wen Clan Leader and publicly elevates Ye Qiu.
• An Qing offers Ye Qiu a place in the Sword Sect and treats Wen Xin’s recovery as a shared opportunity.
• Ye Qiu thanks both elders and agrees to Wen Xin’s treatment, while the Wen family gratefully acknowledges their aid.
• Ye Qiu’s polite meal invitation is accepted immediately by both elders, leaving him privately wishing he could get a moment alone to make sense of events.

Plot and key events

• Ye Qiu leaves the alley with Sword Sect siblings An Xing and An Bing, who have helped protect his sister. An Bing openly admires Ye Qiu’s looks, while her brother explains that she likes handsome people.
• They stop for food and wine. An Xing asks whether the Strange Flame has truly accepted Ye Qiu as its master. Ye Qiu suspects the Pill Tower and Sword Sect are interested in him because they expect him to become a great alchemist—though he privately doubts his own ability.
• An Bing bluntly reveals that Ye Qiu’s sister is being taken to the Sword Sect as a hostage, giving the sect leverage over him. An Xing confirms this, but promises she will be safe.
• Members of the Gong Family confront Ye Qiu, accompanied by a man from the Wen Clan. An Xing tries to defuse the situation, but the Gong Family dismisses the Sword Sect’s authority.
• An Bing kills three Gong Family disciples almost instantly with her flying swords. When a powerful middle-aged man arrives, she admits she cannot defeat him. An Xing then kills him with a single, unseen sword strike. The Wen Clan man flees.
• Ye Qiu discovers that An Xing is far more formidable than his modest demeanor suggested: he is the Sword Sect’s Chief, though he says he “barely made” the position.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu is grateful to the Sword Sect for helping his sister, but grows wary after learning she is being used as leverage. He also realizes that others may greatly overestimate his alchemy talent.
• An Bing is direct, fearless, and intensely capable in combat. Her candid admission about the hostage arrangement—and her quick assessment that the middle-aged man is beyond her—contrasts with her lethal confidence against weaker foes.
• An Xing is courteous and understated, but his effortless killing reveals his immense strength. He takes responsibility for protecting Ye Qiu and his sister while acknowledging the Sword Sect’s self-interested motives.
• The siblings’ teasing, matter-of-fact manner—especially An Bing’s bluntness and An Xing’s gentle understatement—keeps Ye Qiu off balance. Their alliance with him is friendly but clearly strategic.

Significant themes

• Power hidden behind appearances: An Xing looks like a mild scholar but is the Sword Sect Chief; An Bing’s quiet manner conceals deadly skill.
• Alliance and leverage: The Sword Sect protects Ye Qiu while also taking his sister as a hostage to secure influence over his future.
• Misjudged potential: Others treat Ye Qiu as a future alchemy prodigy because of the Strange Flame, while he privately doubts that reputation.
• Confidence and arrogance: The Gong Family’s contempt for the Sword Sect leads to a disastrous underestimation of its members.

Key plot points and events

• After An Xing kills the men who attacked them, Ye Qiu collects their Storage Rings, which contain over two million Law Crystals and several Divine Pills. An Bing takes half.
• The group learns the attackers were sent by the Wen Family. The Sword Sect’s Great Elder is informed, but the party decides not to interfere publicly.
• That night, the Wen Family estate burns down, killing the entire clan. The Pill Tower is widely understood to be responsible, though no one dares investigate.
• The next day, the Sword Sect party departs. Ye Qiu then spends a final night with his grandfather, Wen Zheng, before leaving to confront the Gong Family.
• Ye Qiu attempts to treat Wen Zheng’s illness with acupuncture, but botches it badly enough to leave his grandfather’s mouth crooked. Wen Zheng chases him away with a sword.
• Ye Qiu travels with Yun Lu through a Star Pavilion teleportation array to Great Dao City. Yun Lu explains that the Pill Tower and Sword Sect are likely to support Ye Qiu, while the Star Pavilion will remain neutral. This backing may prevent the Gong Family’s elders from intervening directly, leaving Ye Qiu to face its younger generation.
• At the Great Dao Academy, Ye Qiu sees a brilliant sword light and hears someone announce the appearance of the Spirit Firmament Sword.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu remains resolved to seek justice for his mother, despite the danger. He also shows affection for Wen Zheng by attempting to treat him, though his confidence in his rudimentary medical skills is misplaced.
• Wen Zheng understands he cannot dissuade Ye Qiu from pursuing the Gong Family. He warns him to be careful, and their quiet night together underscores their shared grief over Ye Qiu’s murdered mother and Wen Zheng’s murdered daughter.
• An Xing and the Sword Sect Great Elder handle the Wen Family matter discreetly, choosing silence rather than open involvement. An Bing is practical and blunt, while An Ling’er playfully bares her teeth at Ye Qiu before departing.
• Yun Lu gives Ye Qiu a realistic assessment of the political balance: neutral Star Pavilion, probable support from the Pill Tower and Sword Sect, and a chance for Ye Qiu to face the Gong family’s young fighters on more equal terms.
• Brother Snake jokes that Ye Qiu is “missing one path,” leaving the meaning—and the possible future consequences—unclear.

Significant themes

• Revenge and grief: Ye Qiu’s pursuit of the Gong Family is driven by the loss of his mother, while Wen Zheng shares the pain of losing his daughter.
• Power and political protection: In this world, rules limiting elder interference matter only when both sides have powerful allies.
• Quiet consequences and unspoken alliances: The Wen Family’s destruction is publicly ignored, while the Pill Tower’s role is understood without being acknowledged.
• Growing up—and learning the hard way: Ye Qiu is becoming more capable, but his failed attempt to care for Wen Zheng shows that good intentions do not guarantee competence.

Plot points

• Ye Rudí draws the Spirit Firmament Sword, a legendary blade once wielded by a Sword God, from the Sword Tablet. The feat causes a spectacular disturbance and draws a crowd of students and elders.
• Onlookers praise Ye Rudí’s talent and link his achievement to Southern State’s rising reputation, alongside Ye Qiu and the others. Vice Dean Wang Song also commends him.
• Ye Rudí rejects the people seeking to approach or recruit him, then gives Ye Qiu a smug look before leaving with Ye Jiangshan.
• Ye Qiu asks Brother Snake whether Ye Rudí has a monster within him. Brother Snake answers, “Sword Fusion,” then cryptically calls Ye Qiu’s father ruthless without explaining further.
• Ye Qiu learns that Yuan Gang is still suffering from the injury he received in the Secret Realm and has become too embarrassed to visit the Myriad Flower Tower.
• Ye Qiu then discovers Wu Xiaokai embracing Lin Xiaoyu. Thinking Wu Xiaokai is being unfaithful to Luo Ling, Ye Qiu intervenes—only to learn that Luo Ling and Lin Xiaoyu are close friends, and Lin is Wu Xiaokai’s second wife. Wu Xiaokai claims Luo Ling introduced them and that he “had no choice.” Ye Qiu leaves in disbelief.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Rudí has advanced astonishingly quickly: his Sword Momentum is fully mastered, and he is recognized by the legendary sword. His exchange of looks with Ye Qiu suggests their rivalry—and potential danger to Ye Qiu—remains serious.
• Ye Qiu admires Rudí’s progress but grows suspicious of how he achieved it. His protective instincts also lead him to defend Luo Ling when he misunderstands Wu Xiaokai’s reunion with Lin Xiaoyu.
• Wu Xiaokai jokes about Yuan Gang’s troubles and professes devotion to Luo Ling, while his complicated marriage surprises Ye Qiu.
• Luo Ling is comfortable with Wu Xiaokai’s marriage to Lin Xiaoyu and treats her as a sister, undercutting Ye Qiu’s assumptions.
• Brother Snake offers a clue about Rudí’s power but keeps its meaning—and the reference to Ye Qiu’s father—mysterious.

Significant themes

• Talent, power, and ambition: Rudí’s sword achievement intensifies the competition and raises questions about the source of his rapid growth.
• Regional pride and recognition: Southern State’s exceptional youths draw admiration, envy, and growing attention.
• Misunderstanding and comedy: Ye Qiu’s chivalrous intervention turns into an awkward revelation, ending the chapter on his exasperation with Wu Xiaokai’s apparently enviable life.