Chapter Summaries

Ouyang Sun fought Dugu Yan in a sparring match and overwhelmed her with his strength, but Ye Lingling healed Dugu Yan and she revealed a trump card. The duel remained undecided as Dugu Yan used Glare against Ouyang Sun.

• Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling faced Ouyang Sun and Oscar in the school's sparring grounds, and Dugu Yan was shocked to see Ouyang Sun had two Spirit Rings.
• Dugu Yan used her first and second Soul Skills to enhance herself, while Ouyang Sun transformed and attacked with three bone staffs.
• Dugu Yan blocked one staff but was badly hurt by Ouyang Sun's baleful aura, then grabbed his staff and sent a venomous serpent to bite him.
• Ouyang Sun's defenses shattered the serpent's fangs, and he struck Dugu Yan twice, knocking her down and leaving her injured.
• Ye Lingling used Absolute Healing to restore Dugu Yan, who declared the duel was not over and prepared to continue.
• Dugu Yan suddenly raised her head and used Glare on Ouyang Sun.

Dugu Yan used her prediction, Dugu Bo's Coil technique, and Ye Lingling's healing to withstand Ouyang Sun's attacks while Oscar distracted Ye Lingling. Once Coil doubled her attack, defense, and accuracy, Dugu Yan pierced Ouyang Sun's defenses with her venom and won the battle.

• Dugu Yan recognized Ouyang Sun's slowed movements and planned to endure his attacks until she could break through his defense with poison.
• Ye Lingling healed Dugu Yan while Oscar gave Ouyang Sun a barbecue skewer that helped him recover enough to attack again.
• Dugu Yan used Coil to evade the slower attacks from Ouyang Sun's side heads and endured the main head's strikes as Ye Lingling healed her.
• Oscar threw barbecue skewers at Ye Lingling to disrupt her healing, while Flender and Dugu Bo arrived and watched the stalemate.
• After completing one full rotation of Coil, Dugu Yan doubled her attack, defense, and accuracy, gripped Ouyang Sun's central staff, and endured the other strikes.
• Dugu Yan's empowered venomous snake pierced Ouyang Sun's surface defense, poisoned him, and forced him to drop his staff, deciding the battle in her favor.

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling defeated Ouyang Sun and Oscar in a messy fight, prompting all four young Soul Masters to resolve to improve. Later, Ma Hongjun awakened an Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul and collapsed when its flames overwhelmed him, leaving Flender to consider using an Immortal Herb.

• Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling knocked out Ouyang Sun and Oscar with poison, paralysis, and a Jade Phosphorous Serpent lash.
• Dugu Bo praised Dugu Yan, while Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling each resolved to train harder after recognizing their shortcomings.
• Ma Shan began Ma Hongjun's martial soul awakening at Tianxing Academy, and a Phoenix phantom appeared around him.
• Ma Hongjun's Phoenix phantom exploded into armor, and his flames grew out of control until Flender stopped them and Ma Hongjun collapsed.
• Grandma Ye took Ma Hongjun to the infirmary as Flender considered using an Immortal Herb to address his Evil Fire Phoenix.

Yao Chen awakened in his ring and learned about the Chat Group and the other members’ worlds, while deciding to nurture Xiao Yan more carefully. Zephyr reported his East Blue campaign and offered three Devil Fruits, which Flender, Professor Oak, and Yao Chen agreed to take.

• Yao Chen reviewed Xiao Yan’s future and decided to skip unnecessary tests while still tempering his disciple’s character.
• Yao Chen learned that the Chat Group connected different worlds and read about the lives of its members.
• Zephyr said he and Garp had rounded up East Blue pirates, negotiated Arlong’s imprisonment on Fish-Man Island, and planned to gather promising youngsters for training.
• Zephyr described exposing a corrupt East Blue Admiral and said Sengoku had stripped him of his position and begun an internal Marine investigation.
• Flender chose the Kama Kama no Mi, Professor Oak requested a Devil Fruit to study, and Yao Chen asked for the Mera Mera no Mi.

Yao Chen joined the Chat Group, accepted Flender’s Immortal Herb for study, and received a gift package that restored and greatly empowered him. He resolved to guide Xiao Yan toward a better future, while Xiao Yan noticed his ring lighting up and grew wary.

• Yao Chen received the Mera Mera no Mi and joined the group’s discussion about mythical creatures and cultural influences.
• Flender told Yao Chen that Ma Hongjun’s Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul had mutated and asked him to refine the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower into a better pill.
• Yao Chen accepted the Immortal Herb and began examining its medicinal properties.
• Flender’s gift package restored Yao Chen’s soul body, raised his soul realm to its peak, and gave him extensive cultivation knowledge and abilities.
• Yao Chen decided to nurture Xiao Yan and help him avoid future regrets, including improving his love life.
• Xiao Yan noticed his ring lighting up during cultivation and wondered warily what his teacher had done.

After two months of training under Yao Chen, Xiao Yan reached the Sixth Stage of Dou Qi and tried to earn money by selling his teacher’s bargain Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid. The auction ended with Xiao Yan’s father buying it for forty thousand gold, and Yao Chen then offered Xiao Yan the Mera Mera no Mi as a powerful gift.

• Yao Chen praised Xiao Yan for enduring his training and told him to recover in Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid, while Xiao Yan accepted him fully as his master.
• After sleeping in the spirit liquid, Xiao Yan woke stronger and discovered he had risen to the Sixth Stage of Dou Qi, but his supply of the liquid was gone.
• Yao Chen suggested refining a cheaper version of the spirit liquid for Xiao Yan to sell, and Xiao Yan went to the auction to earn money.
• Xiao Yan watched Xiao Zhan win the auction for the bargain spirit liquid at forty thousand gold and worried that he had profited from his own father.
• Xiao Yan grew concerned when Jia Lie Bi bought the auction’s high Xuan-tier cultivation technique, then returned to the Xiao Clan and spoke with Xiao Zhan and Xiao Xun'er.
• Yao Chen stopped Xiao Yan from sleeping and gave him the Mera Mera no Mi, which would let him turn his body into flames.

Yao Chen gave Xiao Yan the Mera Mera no Mi, and Xiao Yan gained the ability to turn into and control flames despite its revolting taste. Xiao Yan resolved to grow stronger for himself, for Yao Chen, and to stand beside the mysterious girl near him.

• Xiao Yan asked Yao Chen whether the Mera Mera no Mi granted elemental transformation and caused fear of seawater, and Yao Chen explained that its weaknesses had been altered by the Chat Group’s balancing.
• Yao Chen gave Xiao Yan the fruit and explained that its flame power would depend on his physical strength and might improve alongside the Flame Mantra and Heavenly Flames.
• Xiao Yan bit the fruit, recoiled at its disgusting taste, and discovered that his body could turn into flames and that he could control them.
• Worried that leaving the fruit unfinished might weaken his new ability, Xiao Yan swallowed the rest despite the taste.
• Xiao Yan thanked Yao Chen, promised to grow stronger, and decided he would find a way to revive his master.
• Yao Chen pointed out that Xiao Yan needed to grow stronger to stand beside the mysterious girl near him, then asked why she was close to him, leaving Xiao Yan unable to answer.

Xiao Yan tested his fire power and trained under Yao Chen, advancing rapidly in Dou Qi as his coming-of-age ceremony approached. He reached the ninth stage and was about to leave for the preliminary assessment when Xiao Xun'er called for him.

• Xiao Yan used Fire Fist to destroy two trees, then watched Yao Chen demonstrate the destructive power of the Bone Chilling Flame.
• Yao Chen continued training Xiao Yan in Ba Ji Beng and other Dou Techniques as three months passed, and Xiao Yan advanced to the seventh stage of Dou Qi.
• Xiao Yan practiced combining Suction Palm and Fire-Blowing Palm to bring down a tree, while Yao Chen praised his progress.
• In the months before the coming-of-age ceremony, Xiao Yan advanced from the peak of the seventh stage to the ninth stage of Dou Qi.
• Xiao Xun'er knocked at Xiao Yan's door before the preliminary assessment and asked if he was there.

Xiao Yan and Xun'er headed to the clan's annual cultivation assessment, while Yao Chen teased Xiao Yan about his feelings for her and promised to reveal her identity after Xiao Yan fulfilled the three-year agreement. Xiao Yan arrived at the training ground resolved to grow stronger, and Xiao Zhan watched him approach with renewed hope.

• Xiao Yan met Xun'er outside his room, and they set off for the prediction day at the clan's training ground.
• Yao Chen teased Xiao Yan about loving Xun'er, and Xiao Yan admitted he could not bear the thought of her choosing someone else.
• Xiao Yan said he was not yet worthy of Xun'er, and Yao Chen promised to take him to propose marriage after he became successful and fulfilled the three-year agreement.
• Xiao Zhan and the elders waited at the training ground as the Second Elder doubted that Xiao Yan could reach the seventh stage of Dou Qi.
• Xiao Yan and Xun'er arrived, and Xiao Zhan felt hopeful as he saw Xiao Yan approaching with a faint smile.

As Xiao Yan and Xun'er watched the clan’s annual test, Xiao Yan reflected on the clan’s bullying and hoped to prevent it. Xiao Mei passed with eighth-stage Dou Qi, while Xiao Yan and Xun'er affirmed how much they mattered to each other, leaving Yao Chen convinced they were a perfect match.

• Xiao Zhan announced that children needed seventh-stage Dou Qi to pass, with one challenge allowed for those who failed, then began the test.
• Xiao Yan watched the failures and thought that a good clan should not let jealousy turn into contempt and bullying; Yao Chen approved of his kindhearted outlook.
• Xiao Mei passed the test with eighth-stage Dou Qi, and Xiao Yan remarked that her progress was barely acceptable.
• Xun'er asked whether she counted among the few people Xiao Yan acknowledged, and Xiao Yan said she did.
• Xun'er told Xiao Yan he was the only person in the clan she truly acknowledged, while Yao Chen withdrew into Gaunt's Ring and decided they were a perfect match.

Xiao Yan stunned the Xiao Clan by testing at the ninth stage of Dou Qi, revealing that his lost strength had returned. After the failed examinees were allowed to challenge those who passed, Xiao Ke stepped forward to fight him, leaving the outcome unresolved.

• Xiao Xun'er tested as a one-star Fighter and returned to Xiao Yan, who praised her and resolved to give her a suitable gift.
• Xiao Yan took the final examination and registered at the ninth stage of Dou Qi, shocking the training ground and moving Xiao Zhan to tears.
• Xiao Yan ignored the crowd's reaction and sat beside Xun'er, while the clan members began whispering about his recovery.
• Xiao Zhan announced that those who failed could challenge someone who passed, and several examinees turned their attention to Xiao Yan.
• Xiao Ke challenged Xiao Yan, who accepted and entered the training ground as Xiao Ke worried that his strength had truly returned.

Xiao Yan defeated Xiao Ke with a fiery punch, proving his recovery and astonishing the Xiao Clan with his unexplained flames. After the challenge matches ended, he and Xun'er exchanged hints about their secrets, while Xiao Zhan planned to speak with his son that night.

• Xiao Ke challenged Xiao Yan with Mountain-Splitting Palm, but Xiao Yan countered with Fire Fist and knocked him unconscious.
• Xiao Zhan declared Xiao Ke's challenge a failure, and the spectators accepted that Xiao Yan had recovered and become more formidable.
• Xun'er told Xiao Yan that he had more secrets, and he invited her to share hers; she leaned close and began explaining.
• Xiao Ning reflected on Xiao Yan's ninth Dou Qi stage and powerful flames, wondering what had happened during the past eleven months.
• Xiao Zhan ended the assessment and announced preparations for the coming-of-age ceremony, then decided to have a long-overdue talk with Xiao Yan that night.

Xiao Yan and Xun'er took an intimate walk together, and Xiao Yan realized his feelings for her might be more than sibling affection. After they parted, Yao Chen revealed that Xun'er had come to see Xiao Yan because she possessed Heavenly Flames.

• Xun'er held Xiao Yan's arm and asked him to take a walk with her, while Xiao Zhan watched and considered whether his son had fallen for her.
• As they walked, Xiao Yan blushed at their closeness, and Xun'er noticed his reaction and teased him with a reproachful look.
• Xiao Yan admitted to himself that he had feelings for Xun'er beyond familial affection, then hurried off when their walk reached a fork.
• Xun'er asked Xiao Yan if he remembered her secret for that night, and he told her not to be late before leaving awkwardly.
• Yao Chen teased Xiao Yan about Xun'er's feelings, then revealed that she had Heavenly Flames and had likely come to see him about them.

Xiao Yan revealed that his Mera Mera no Mi could copy the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame after coming into contact with it, leaving Xun'er fascinated by his ability. Their private conversation was interrupted by a knock from outside Xiao Yan's room.

• Xun'er visited Xiao Yan's room, and the two chatted before she asked him to take her around Wutan City the next day.
• Xun'er showed Xiao Yan her Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame and asked whether his flame was like hers.
• Yao Chen explained the Heavenly Flame's rank and encouraged Xiao Yan to test his Mera Mera no Mi against it.
• Xiao Yan's flames copied the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame after it burned his arm, and the two flames began to merge.
• Xun'er stared at Xiao Yan with intense interest, but a knock and a voice calling for Yan'er interrupted them.

Xiao Zhan told Xiao Yan that the Xiao Clan had once rivaled the Gu Clan before declining, perhaps because of a bloodline-related disaster. Xiao Yan pretended his flame came from an awakened bloodline, while Yao Chen decided to reveal himself and help the clan.

• Xun'er left Xiao Yan, satisfied that he possessed a flame despite not uncovering his secret.
• Xiao Zhan visited Xiao Yan to discuss family matters and revealed that the Xiao Clan had once been a powerful clan equal to the force behind Xun'er.
• Xiao Zhan said the Xiao Clan's decline might have involved its bloodline, then asked whether Xiao Yan's flame meant he had awakened one.
• Xiao Yan pretended he might have awakened the clan's bloodline, and Xiao Zhan celebrated him as the Xiao Clan's hope.
• Yao Chen offered to reveal his existence and help the Xiao Clan, and Xiao Yan continued talking with Xiao Zhan.

Xiao Yan sold seven bottles of Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid through the Mittel Auction House and obtained the medicinal ingredients Yao Chen needed. After encountering Xiao Zhan on his way out, Xiao Yan hinted that he might cooperate with the Xiao Clan, leaving his father astonished by the prospect of an influential alchemist’s support.

• Yao Chen identified the requested ingredients as materials for Qi-Gathering Powder, and Ya Fei and Gu Ni realized the black-robed alchemist was likely a Fourth-Rank Alchemist they wanted to recruit.
• Xiao Yan’s Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid sold for 285,000 gold coins, and Ya Fei gave him the ingredients he had requested without charging him.
• As Xiao Yan left the auction house in disguise, he encountered Xiao Zhan and the Xiao Clan alongside Ya Fei and Gu Ni.
• Xiao Yan praised Xiao Zhan’s son and said he might meet him and cooperate with the Xiao Clan in the future.
• Gu Ni told Xiao Zhan that the black-robed old gentleman had refined the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid, and Xiao Zhan rejoiced at the chance of gaining his support.

Yao Chen refined Qi-Gathering Powder for Xiao Yan, who used it to break through to Dou Zhe and awaken the Mera Mera no Mi by assimilating a wisp of the Bone Chilling Flame Offspring Flame. Yao Chen taught him the Flame Mantra, and Xiao Yan began cultivating it before starting to combine its power with his awakened flames.

• Yao Chen showed Xiao Yan how he refined Qi-Gathering Powder, then gave him the finished pill.
• After five days of preparation, Xiao Yan consumed the Qi-Gathering Powder in a secluded cave and began a breakthrough.
• Yao Chen used the Bone Chilling Flame to draw out its offspring flame in the pill, helping Xiao Yan reach Eight-Star Dou Zhe and awaken the Mera Mera no Mi.
• Xiao Yan discovered he could control blue-white flames and transform the cave’s surroundings into fire.
• Yao Chen explained the risks of the Flame Mantra, and Xiao Yan chose to learn it so he could eventually revive his teacher.
• Xiao Yan converted his Dou Qi to the Flame Mantra, then began combining its power with the Mera Mera no Mi and Bone Chilling Flame.

Xiao Yan assimilated the Bone Chilling Flame Offspring Flame, raising the Flame Mantra to Low Black Tier and greatly strengthening his Dou Qi. After testing his new abilities, he confirmed the technique’s grade and celebrated its potential.

• Xiao Yan used the Mera Mera no Mi to assimilate the Bone Chilling Flame Offspring Flame, evolving the Flame Mantra to Low Black Tier.
• Xiao Yan examined his enlarged Qi vortex and discovered his Dou Qi circulated faster and carried blue-white flames.
• Yao Chen congratulated Xiao Yan on proving that the Flame Mantra could devour Heavenly Flames and suggested he test his strength.
• Xiao Yan formed flaming armor and froze, shattered, and burned a grove with his combined flame abilities.
• Xiao Yan confirmed he could control objects connected to his Dou Qi and declared the Flame Mantra Low Black Tier.

Xiao Yan reflected on his breakthrough to Dou Zhe and his coming Three-Year Agreement with Nalan Yanran before meeting Xun'er. After she sensed the unusual chill in his cultivation technique, he explained it as a bloodline talent, and she accepted that he had secrets of his own.

• Xiao Yan recalled how Nalan Yanran had proposed the Three-Year Agreement and vowed to face her at the Misty Cloud Sect in two years.
• Xiao Yan returned from the back mountain after reaching Eight-Star Dou Zhe and remembered his teacher's advice to seek Heavenly Flame information at Jia Nan Academy.
• Xun'er noticed Xiao Yan's breakthrough and asked to see his cultivation technique.
• Xiao Yan revealed his Low Black Tier technique, and Xun'er sensed an ice-like chill within his fire-and-wood Dou Qi.
• Xiao Yan claimed the strange power was his Xiao Clan bloodline talent, and Xun'er said she understood and was happy to see him grow stronger.

Xiao Yan learned that the Jia Lie Clan’s new alchemist was hurting the Xiao Clan’s business, so Yao Chen tasked him with learning alchemy and surpassing their rival. After buying a cauldron and ingredients, Xiao Yan began refining medicine in a secluded cave and successfully extracted the medicinal essence from his first ingredient.

• Yao Chen told Xiao Yan that the Jia Lie Clan had hired an alchemist whose Rejuvenation Powder threatened the Xiao Clan’s business, and challenged Xiao Yan to deal with him.
• Xiao Yan visited the Mittel Auction House, where Ya Fei arranged a medicinal cauldron, a Storage Ring, and large quantities of ingredients in exchange for the promise of Qi-Gathering Powder.
• Xiao Yan carried his supplies to a remote cave and learned from Yao Chen how to use the two-vent cauldron with his Bone Chilling Flame and wood attribute energy.
• Xiao Yan followed Yao Chen’s formula for Blood-Coagulating Powder and successfully extracted the medicinal essence from Blood-Coagulating Grass.