Chapter Summaries

Aoba Pa and Jia Liebi brought their family elders to the Xiao Clan to negotiate while Xiao Zhan was in seclusion. Xiao Ling was summoned to the reception hall and arrived as he heard voices from inside.

• Aoba Pa and Jia Liebi led their families toward the Xiao Clan, drawing curious mercenaries and vendors behind them.
• The Xiao Clan guards made the visitors wait before escorting them to the reception hall, where the First Elder received them in Xiao Zhan's absence.
• Aoba Pa and Jia Liebi questioned the First Elder about Xiao Zhan's possible breakthrough to Dou Ling, then exchanged guarded courtesies.
• Xiao Wu summoned Xiao Ling to the reception hall, and Xiao Ling brought Xun'er with him.
• Xiao Ling entered the front courtyard and heard voices coming from the reception hall.

Xiao Ling negotiated with Aoba Pa and Jia Liebi over a Hunting Tournament, steering them into accepting the Xiao Clan as organizer and setting the event near Qingshan Town. He opened participation to local forces, while the rival clan heads concealed plans to recruit allies and attack the Xiao Clan later.

• Xiao Ling entered the reception hall with Xun'er and told Aoba Pa and Jia Liebi that the Xiao Clan had not planned a Hunting Tournament but would organize one if they assisted.
• Aoba Pa and Jia Liebi accepted the Xiao Clan as organizer after Xiao Ling demanded that Aoba Pa's family provide half the rewards, worth about three hundred thousand gold coins.
• Aoba Pa and Jia Liebi yielded decision-making to Xiao Ling while secretly planning to lower the Xiao Clan's guard and later destroy it.
• Xiao Ling proposed holding the tournament near Qingshan Town, with mostly first- and second-rank magic beasts and one or two third-rank beasts, and the clan heads agreed.
• Xiao Ling declared that anyone aged between four and sixteen could participate, including forces from Qingshan Town.

Xiao Ling set the Hunting Tournament for two months later and funded the Xiao Clan’s preparations, while testing whether Aoba Pa and Jia Liebi remained connected to Wu Ming’s backer. The tournament announcement spread through Wutan City, and the rival clans added to the publicity as preparations began.

• Xiao Ling set the Hunting Tournament for the middle of the year, two months away, and dismissed Aoba Pa and Jia Liebi after probing their reactions.
• Xiao Ling gave the First Elder a Storage Ring containing ten thousand bottles of Blood Coagulation Powder and three hundred thousand gold coins, and told the elders to publicize the tournament to draw out hidden forces.
• The First Elder and the other elders addressed Xiao Ling as Young Clan Head, and Xiao Ling accepted the position before leaving with Xun'er.
• The Xiao Clan announced the Hunting Tournament, and news of its rewards and dangers spread throughout Wutan City.
• Aoba Pa and Jia Liebi issued a notice of their own, prompting Aoba Hu to ask why they were praising the Xiao Clan.

Aoba Pa and Jia Liebi’s notices fueled speculation about the Xiao Clan’s intentions, while Xiao Ling suspected a third party was manipulating public opinion. He prepared the clan’s younger generation for the Hunting Tournament by distributing pills and personally taking charge of ten Law Enforcement Team recruits for two months.

• Aoba Pa explained to Aoba Hu that the Aoba Family could no longer match the Xiao Clan’s strength and told him to cultivate toward Dou Zhe within two months.
• Rumors spread through Wutan City that the Xiao Clan had subdued the Aoba and Jialie Families and planned to unify the city.
• Xiao Wu reported the rumors to Xiao Ling, who suspected a third party was stirring up public opinion and ordered him to focus on training the clan’s younger members.
• Xiao Ling gave Xiao Wu a Storage Ring of medicinal pills to distribute and told him to prepare five more genius Dou Zhe within two months.
• Xiao Ling ordered the first ten Law Enforcement Team recruits to gather at the back mountain the next morning so he could personally train them for two months.
• Xiao Wu announced at the Martial Arts Arena that Xiao Ling would guide the top ten from the last arena competition, leaving them stunned.

After the arena competition, Xiao Ling agreed to personally guide the top ten Xiao Clan disciples for two months. The next morning, he headed to the back mountain with Xun'er, leaving the disciples waiting for their training.

• Xiao Ling announced that he would personally guide the top ten competitors for two months, and Xiao Yan felt proud to have earned a place among them.
• Xiao Yu comforted Xiao Mei about placing last, while recalling how Xiao Ling had protected her from hoodlums and the town's Dou Shi expert.
• That night, Wutan City's residents continued discussing the Hunting Tournament while Xiao Ling slept peacefully.
• The next morning, Xiao Ling walked toward the back mountain with Xun'er, and she asked why he had chosen to guide the younger clan members despite disliking trouble.
• Xiao Ling carried Xun'er up the mountain to meet the ten disciples waiting for him, who greeted him respectfully.

Xiao Ling gave ten Xiao Clan juniors Milky White Soft Jade to improve their talent and tested their courage after they refined it. Xiao Yu became captain of the law enforcement team and began comprehending the technique Xiao Ling passed on to her.

• Xiao Ling explained the law enforcement team’s duty, warned the juniors against betraying the clan, and gave each of them Milky White Soft Jade along with hand seals to speed its refinement.
• Xun'er declined Xiao Ling’s playful wager, and Xiao Yu was the first of the juniors to finish refining the jade.
• Xiao Ling cautioned the group that will mattered more than talent and challenged them to attack someone stronger than themselves.
• Xiao Yu launched a sound-wave strike at Xiao Ling, who praised her courage and appointed her captain of the law enforcement team.
• Xiao Ling demonstrated a stronger version of Xiao Yu’s attack, passed its technique to her, and stood guard as she began to comprehend it.

Xiao Ling revealed his strength to the Xiao Clan’s newly trained Law Enforcement Squad and turned down Xiao Yu’s growing affection. When Xun'er announced that she had become a One-Star Dou Shi at four years old, Xiao Ling admitted her talent made him feel pressured, and she questioned whether he wanted multiple wives.

• Xiao Ling briefly displayed the power of a breakthrough before returning his strength to One-Star Dou Shi and assigned Xiao Yu to lead the Law Enforcement Squad.
• Xiao Yu thanked Xiao Ling for saving her, but he told her he had only acted because she belonged to the Xiao Clan and walked away.
• Xiao Ling recognized that Xiao Yu’s feelings came from admiration and gratitude, while she resolved to cultivate until she could stand beside him.
• Xun'er rushed into Xiao Ling’s arms and happily told him she had broken through to One-Star Dou Shi at four years old.
• Xiao Ling praised Xun'er’s achievement and joked about living off a future Dou Di wife, prompting Xun'er to ask if he wanted several wives.

Xiao Ling went to the Xiao Clan Reception Hall with Xun'er to meet Ya Fei, the new person in charge of Miteer Auction House, who had come to build a relationship with him. Their first meeting ended with Ya Fei asking Xiao Ling to look after her, while Xun'er interrupted before he could respond.

• Aoba Pa and Jia Liebi agreed that their joint arrangements, backed by a senior, would proceed without problems.
• Xun'er fed Xiao Ling breakfast until a messenger summoned him to meet Ya Fei, prompting her to suspect Ya Fei was another of his wives.
• Xiao Ling carried Xun'er to the Reception Hall, where Xiao Zhan welcomed Ya Fei and accepted her gift of two Tier 4 Medicinal Herbs.
• Ya Fei greeted Xiao Ling politely and spoke of their families' partnership as Xun'er fed him snacks and tea.
• Ya Fei rose to bow to Xiao Ling and asked him to look after her, but Xun'er spoke before he could answer.

Xun'er challenged Ya Fei over asking Xiao Ling for help, prompting Ya Fei to tease her and Xiao Ling before proposing a business partnership. Xiao Ling accepted, and Ya Fei left after warning Xun'er to keep an eye on her little lover.

• Xun'er told Ya Fei that she should offer something in return for Xiao Ling's help, then suggested Ya Fei become his bed-warming maid.
• Xiao Ling apologized for Xun'er's words, but Ya Fei pulled him into her embrace and teased Xun'er before he broke free.
• Ya Fei apologized for her behavior and proposed that she help look after the Xiao Clan in exchange for Xiao Ling supporting her business.
• Xiao Ling accepted Ya Fei's proposal, and she prepared to leave to handle her affairs.
• Ya Fei told Xun'er she would remember her suggestion and warned her to keep a close eye on Xiao Ling.

Xiao Ling arranged for Xiao Wu to lead the Xiao Clan’s youths in the upcoming Hunting Tournament while he prepared to deal with the Aoba and Jia Lie clans. As Wutan City filled with arriving competitors, Xiao Ling spent the night with Xun’er, while Aoba Pa received word that Jia Liebi had come to visit.

• Ya Fei teased Xun’er about Xiao Ling before leaving the Reception Hall.
• Xiao Ling proposed that Xiao Wu lead the Xiao Clan’s team, and he gave Xiao Zhan a scroll detailing the younger generation’s recent cultivation progress.
• Xiao Zhan and the elders reviewed the scroll, while Xiao Ling slipped away; they then discussed preparations for the Hunting Tournament.
• Young competitors crowded Wutan City, where disputes broke out and the City Lord’s Mansion and Xiao Clan worked to maintain order.
• Xun’er joined Xiao Ling in his courtyard, and they quietly watched the moon together.
• Aoba Pa learned that Jia Liebi had arrived and told his visitor to wait in the Reception Hall.

Aoba Pa and Jia Liebi agreed to have Jia Liebi test the Xiao Clan juniors before the Hunting Tournament, while Ya Fei and Gu Ni discussed secretly supporting the Xiao Clan. Ya Fei wondered whether Xiao Ling was planning something and questioned Gu Ni’s unusual courtesy toward her because of him.

• Aoba Pa and Jia Liebi planned for Jia Liebi to test the Xiao Clan juniors on the way to Qingshan Town.
• Ya Fei asked Gu Ni who he thought would win the Hunting Tournament, and Gu Ni judged that the Xiao Clan had a slight advantage despite the other families’ hidden trump cards.
• Ya Fei proposed that the Miteer Auction House secretly support the Xiao Clan, following instructions from Mite'er Tengshan to maintain good relations with them.
• Gu Ni agreed that Ya Fei could act discreetly and cautioned her not to put Xiao Ling at the center of attention.
• Ya Fei asked whether Gu Ni was treating her courteously because of Xiao Ling, then insisted that nothing existed between them.

Gu Ni advised Ya Fei to use her business talent and pursue Xiao Ling for protection, while Wutan City's factions speculated about the upcoming Hunting Tournament. At dawn, Xiao Ling assigned Xiao Wu to lead the Xiao Clan team and ordered them to claim the top ten places, insisting they kill anyone who stood in their way.

• Gu Ni urged Ya Fei to give herself to Xiao Ling, but she tactfully declined and thanked him for his guidance.
• Wutan City's factions gathered through the night to discuss the tournament, while a short middle-aged man regretted losing his chance to win Xiao Ling's favor.
• Xiao Ling addressed the Xiao Clan juniors and appointed Xiao Wu to lead their team to Qingshan Town.
• Xiao Ling ordered the team to kill those who provoked the clan and bring back the top ten places.
• Xiao Yan questioned whether they should kill neutral opponents, and Xiao Ling told him that anyone standing in the clan's way must be killed.

Xiao Ling warned the Xiao Clan’s younger generation to expect probes on the way to Qingshan Town, where Xiao Wu and Xiao Yu clashed with Jia Lie'ao. As the clans continued toward the Hunting Tournament, Xiao Ling learned his remaining lifespan had fallen to ten months, while Xiao Zhan remained confident in the face of threats from the Jia Liebi and Aoba Pa families.

• Xiao Ling explained matters to Xiao Yan and the younger Xiao Clan members, then left with Xun'er.
• On the journey to Qingshan Town, Jia Lie'ao provoked Xiao Wu and the Xiao Clan youths, who beat him despite his insistence that they not fight.
• Xiao Wu recalled Xiao Ling’s warning that the rival clans might test their strength, and noticed a fleeting sign that Jia Lie'ao was concealing something.
• Jia Lie'ao discovered that the talisman his father had given him showed eleven auras at first-stage Dou Power, and Xiao Ling received a system notice that he had ten months of life remaining.
• Xiao Zhan mocked Jia Liebi over Jia Lie'ao’s injuries, prompting Jia Liebi to threaten him and leave with the Jialie Family; Aoba Pa then departed with the Aoba Family.
• Xiao Zhan led the Xiao Clan toward Qingshan Town, confident after breaking through to the one-star Dou Ling realm.

The Three Great Families and other factions arrived in Qingshan Town ahead of the Hunting Tournament, while Mu She secretly prepared the Wolf Head Mercenary Group for a plan involving two black-cloaked men. The next morning, Xiao Yan sold his Blood Coagulation Powder and spotted a little girl with Milky White Soft Jade just as Jia Lie'ao and Aoba Hu approached Wanyao Pavilion.

• Kagang and She Meng discussed the Hunting Tournament before mercenaries noticed a large crowd approaching Qingshan Town.
• Xiao Zhan arranged inns for the arriving factions, and the Xiao Clan's Shadow Guard kept the town peaceful through the night.
• Two black-cloaked men pressed Mu She to keep the Wolf Head Mercenary Group ready, and Mu She reassured his son Li'er about the plan.
• Xiao Yan sold 150 bottles of Blood Coagulation Powder to local mercenaries for six hundred gold coins.
• Xiao Yan spotted Milky White Soft Jade in a little girl's hand at Wanyao Pavilion, then saw Jia Lie'ao and Aoba Hu heading inside.

Jia Lie'ao harassed Xiao Yi Xian and then tried to seize Yao Wan'er, while Yao Fangzhu struggled to protect his daughter. Yao Wan'er claimed that Ling Xiao was her fiancé, and Xiao Yan recognized the name as Xiao Ling read backward.

• Xiao Yan rushed to the clan inn to warn Xiao Wu after Jia Lie'ao threatened Xiao Yi Xian.
• Aoba Hu urged Jia Lie'ao not to provoke Xiao Ling, but Jia Lie'ao approached Xiao Yi Xian anyway.
• Xiao Yi Xian rejected Jia Lie'ao, who then tried to grab Yao Wan'er when she appeared.
• Yao Fangzhu stopped Jia Lie'ao with a wooden arrow and refused his demand to marry Yao Wan'er to him.
• Yao Wan'er claimed Ling Xiao was her fiancé, and Xiao Yan told Xiao Wu that Ling Xiao was Xiao Ling's name backward.

Xiao Wu intervened when Jia Lie'ao and Aoba Hu tried to claim Xiao Yi Xian and Yao Wan'er, and the men backed down after learning the women were connected to Xiao Ling. After the women forgave them and the clansmen left, Xiao Wu told the women about Xiao Ling and promised to raise Wanyao Pavilion's proposed merger with the Xiao Clan.

• Yao Wan'er pointed out that Ling Xiao was Xiao Ling's name read backward, prompting Xiao Wu to rush into the Reception Hall and confront Jia Lie'ao and Aoba Hu.
• Aoba Hu recognized the danger of provoking Xiao Ling, and Jia Lie'ao offered ten thousand gold coins and an apology to settle the matter.
• Xiao Yi Xian and Yao Wan'er accepted the apology and let the matter drop, while Jia Lie'ao and Aoba Hu left without further protest.
• Jia Lie'ao cursed the women afterward, and Aoba Hu urged him to wait until the Hunting Tournament began in three days before making plans.
• Xiao Wu told Xiao Yi Xian and Yao Wan'er what he knew about Xiao Ling, then promised to tell the clan leader that Wanyao Pavilion wanted to merge with the Xiao Clan.

While Xiao Ling was away, Xiao Yan guarded Wanyao Pavilion, and rival factions underestimated the Xiao Clan ahead of the next day’s operation. Xiao Ling prepared for the dangerous mission under a moonless sky.

• Xiao Wu assigned Xiao Yan to watch over Wanyao Pavilion and protect Xiao Yi Xian and Yao Wan'er for three days.
• The Wolf Head Mercenaries and Wanyao Pavilion joined the Aoba Family and Xiao Clan, while Aoba Hu and Jia Lie'ao were fined for harassing the two girls.
• Yao Fangzhu thanked Xiao Yan for guarding the pavilion, and Yao Wan'er admitted she had kept half of Xiao Ling's soft jade as a keepsake.
• Aoba Pa and Jia Liebi dismissed the Xiao Clan's threat, while Mu She recognized that Xiao Ling was the powerful man known as Ling Xiao.
• Xiao Zhan met with Gu Ni and revealed that his strength had been raised with help from Xiao Ling's teacher.
• Xiao Ling waited beneath the night sky, preparing for the operation that would affect his future, the system, and the Xiao Clan.

Xiao Ling entered a state of absolute rationality and set out at night to attack the Aoba Family estate. He arrived at its gates and announced that he had come to collect a debt.

• Xiao Ling left his courtyard while Xun'er and Ling Ying followed, and Ling Ying reassured Xun'er about his strange aura.
• Xiao Ling sensed everything nearby and gained a degree of see-through vision as he walked through the deserted streets.
• Ya Fei watched Xiao Ling approach Miteer Auction House, while Xun'er noticed her and grew jealous.
• Xiao Ling headed toward the brightly lit Aoba Family estate, where his aura formed a nearly invisible black mouth in the sky.
• The Aoba Family guards challenged the approaching figure, and Xiao Ling emerged from the darkness and identified himself as the Xiao Clan's Xiao Ling, there to collect a debt.

Xiao Ling collected his debt from the Aoba Family by killing everyone in its estate and plundering their lifespans. Xun'er secretly witnessed the slaughter and realized Xiao Ling had cultivated a Dou Technique that drained life force.

• Xiao Ling killed the Aoba Family guards and the guests gathered at a wedding banquet, ignoring their pleas and resistance.
• Xiao Ling continued through the estate, killing clansmen and civilians as a Black Giant Maw sealed off every escape route.
• Xiao Ling killed a youth who had been abusing a girl, then drained the girl's lifespan as she watched calmly.
• Xiao Ling defeated the Aoba Family elder with his Sword Finger Dou Technique and searched the estate until his Soul Power detected no survivors.
• Xun'er, who had secretly followed Xiao Ling, recognized that his technique plundered life force and chose not to interfere.

Xiao Ling left the Aoba Family estate after killing its members and collecting four thousand years of lifespan, then headed for the Jialie Family estate with Xun'er. He began killing everyone inside the Jialie estate, while Xun'er waited outside with Ling Ying.

• Xiao Ling realized the original body's remaining resentment would not fade until Aoba Pa and the others were dead, and he planned to go to Qingshan Town after dealing with the estates.
• Aoba Pa felt uneasy at the Aoba Family inn in Qingshan Town but continued planning with Jia Liebi.
• Xiao Ling left the lifeless Aoba Family estate, reunited with Xun'er, and refused to let her join the killings because she was too young.
• Xiao Ling entered the Jialie Family estate with two guards, killed them and two maidservants, then attacked people in the rooms as they called out in alarm.
• Ling Ying agreed to look after Xun'er while Xiao Ling went inside.